Matan’s Shooter

“‘How long has it been since we had this kind of leisure?’”

Although there was a possibility that Kaztor and Chiyou were nearby, Leeha’s party knew that they would not be able to call for reinforcements or launch an offensive immediately. They were preparing for roadside camping to allow the NPCs, who were exhausted from the long journey, to recover and to gather information from their conversations.

“〈Master Recovery〉, 〈Great Cure〉.”

Bailephus had reverted to his human form and was using magic. Near the campfire, a light as bright as the sun flickered briefly.

“How is it now?”

Bailephus asked, but the person who had been the subject of the magic did not open their mouth.

“Hmm. The words—”

“I, I will ask. How are you now? Do you feel a bit better, Kyle?”

Elizabeth quickly intervened as the Gold Dragon made a somewhat displeased expression.

The fact that an Ancient Dragon had personally used healing magic, and yet the person couldn’t even look him in the eye, let alone offer a word of thanks, was concerning.

Alexander and Fernand merely thought that Kyle’s condition must be quite bad upon seeing this.

“Our son, how is your head? Is it still hurting?”

“… It hurts.”

“It hurts? It’s still hurting?”

Kyle’s voice was so faint that Elizabeth, who was right next to him, could barely hear it.

Seeing this, Bailephus tilted his head in confusion and attempted to use the skill again, but Brown shook his head and spoke up.

“I hoped that the magic cast by an Ancient Dragon might make a difference, but… it seems it is not the case. Normal magic will not cure him.”

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying my abilities are insufficient?”

“No, if it sounded that way, I apologize. I was merely saying that Kyle’s condition is not ordinary. It’s likely not even a disease to begin with.”

Bailephus crossed his arms and sat down.

Elizabeth propped Kyle up and managed to get him to sit, and as the atmosphere froze for a moment, Browless spoke up.

“When did Kyle’s condition start?”

“It’s been like this since he was born.”

“You mean 20 years ago… Since then until now?”

“Yeah, it’s always hurt.”

Browless bit his lip.

Luger and Kidd also sat quietly, observing the situation.

Was it from that time, when they left without telling me anything?

Browless’s muttered words, which seemed like he was talking to himself, were remembered by the two.

If he were to bring it up again now, the atmosphere would turn even colder.

Fortunately, the NPC characterized by Browless’s age didn’t make such remarks.

“Sorry, Les. We want to introduce Kyle to you as the ajussi he’s closest to with his mom and dad, but… it looks like he’s not in good condition right now.”

“It’s alright, Beth. He’ll get better eventually, right?”

“Of course! When he gets better… When he gets better, he smiles a lot. And he doesn’t cover his face like this. He’s twenty now, and he speaks so well!”

The problem was that the couple’s attitude towards the ‘twenty-year-old’ Kyle was not what one would expect for an adult.

Most NPC background settings in Middle Earth are similar to reality.

However, Elizabeth spoke as if she were addressing a five- or six-year-old child, which puzzled Alexander and other users.

Of course, Browless showed no reaction.

“That’s good. If he’s the son of Mr. Brown and Mrs. Brown, then it’s only right.”

Browless even had a satisfied look on his face.

He had the personality to let bygones be bygones. Kidd seemed impressed by his words.

“That’s right! And his shooting! I… Ahem, I… Oh, sorry. I get really sentimental. Why am I tearing up?”

“Liza.”

“Sniff! Yes. It’s okay, darling. I won’t cry. Now… I don’t have to cry anymore.”

Moreover, the story about Arcane Sniper hadn’t been fully unraveled.

Even so, Elizabeth managed to hold back her tears with a somewhat relieved expression.

When Browless patted her shoulder gently, Leeha, who had been listening to the entire story by the fire, finally approached.

“Alright, let’s eat first! I made all of this myself!”

Leeha distributed thick pieces of meat and some simple vegetables.

When the freshly cut meat was being shared, no one could bring up any serious discussion.

“Impressive skills, Leeha.”

“Has human culinary art reached such heights?”

“Oh, this taste… Isn’t this meat similar to what they serve in Fibiel’s capital? The Holy Grill, perhaps?”

Browless, Bailephus, and Fernand admired Leeha’s cooking, each adding to his pride.

“Everyone, eat as much as you want. Luckily, it’s easy to find delicious meat around here. And Kidd, Luger! You two were so chatty about the meat and now you’re just stuffing your faces quietly?”

Kidd and Luger, reluctant to compliment Leeha’s cooking skills but unable to resist the taste, chose to eat silently and quickly, displaying a hint of embarrassment when caught by Leeha.

In the lively atmosphere, Elizabeth lightened up and playfully teased Leeha.

“Cooking is nice, but shouldn’t you be practicing your marksmanship instead? No wonder your sniping skills were lacking!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, senior. But I have started following the ‘Guide to Firearms’.”

“Oh, really? I guess that’s why Kaztor created such a fuss!”

Black Bass had awakened.

Elizabeth understood what Leeha subtly hinted. Her eyes widened, causing Kidd and Luger to momentarily tense.

Before they could give away more hints about firearms and shooting, Leeha spoke up.

“Yes, if I had used senior’s rifle… Kaztor would have been dead. It’s a shame.”

Leeha took up the mantle of discussing Arcane Sniper indirectly, drawing the attention of Browless, Elizabeth, and Kyle.

* * *

“How much do you know, Leeha?”

Browless was the first to speak.

Kidd and Luger quietly set down their forks. Leeha briefly glanced at them before turning his attention back to Browless.

“Truthfully… not much. However, I did see Kaztor’s journal on Arcane Sniper and read the memories of the former Arcane Sniper.”

“We also know that Ms. Elizabeth’s rifle is Arcane Sniper.”

Kidd added his explanation to Leeha’s words.

Luger, who had been watching Browless and Elizabeth intently, chimed in.

“But in context, it couldn’t be the seniors. The one with the suspicious scent is their son.”

“L-Luger! Watch your tongue!”

“But it’s the truth. You all think the same, don’t you? Kyle is the Arcane Sniper. Isn’t that right?”

Luger wasn’t fazed by the legacy of the Three Musketeers.

Unlike the more cautious Leeha and Kidd, Luger went straight to the point with a hunter’s instinct.

While Elizabeth shot him a disapproving look, Browless nodded.

“That’s correct.”

Luger bared his teeth in acknowledgment.

“Since there’s nothing left to hide, no need to get upset. The problem now is the next part—”

“As we’ve confirmed, the gun capable of shooting Arcane Bullet can only be used by the Arcane Sniper. So why, then, is senior Elizabeth using it?”

Before Luger could dig further into his pointed question, Leeha interjected, cutting him off to avoid worsening the tense atmosphere.

By now, even surrounding users like Alexander and Bailephus were fully focused on the conversation.

Elizabeth, sensing all eyes on her, lowered her head and sighed.

“Liza, if it’s hard for you—”

“No. No, it’s fine. Since Les’s disciples came all the way to meet us and learned this much… I can’t hide it.”

Brown tried to console her. However, Elizabeth was a strong woman.

“For Kyle’s sake”, she stated resolutely.

Additionally, she was a mother.

At Elizabeth’s words, the Users even forgot to breathe.

Elizabeth held up her long rifle. The metallic clinking sound resonated heavily.

“When I was pregnant… during the 2nd Human-Demon War, Rotzak came to me. And brought this gun”, she began, her story flowing naturally.

Among all those listening intently to the revelations of that time, the most focused was Browless.

Unlike his usual self, he even removed his hat, running his hand through his disheveled hair, and stared fixedly at Elizabeth’s face.

“At that time, I didn’t understand what it meant. That this gun was linked to the Arcane Sniper. No, I thought the Arcane Sniper was just folklore or a myth. The sorcerer said he found this gun after searching the entire world and begged me to end the war using it. How could I refuse such a plea? But… it was a trap. The moment I held the gun, I became the Arcane Sniper.”

“What?”

“Wha— What? You became the Arcane Sniper?”

“This is unbelievable!”

Leeha and Luger Kidd were both shocked.

The concept of “becoming” the Arcane Sniper was unheard of. That role belonged solely to one person.

All seven bullets had to be discharged, and the Shooter’s existence erased until completion.

In other words, there could be no “midway replacement”.

“To be precise, the moment I held the gun, Rotzak used magic on me. He intended to make my unborn child, Kyle, the next Arcane Sniper and to control both my husband and me. I vaguely remember some noise… cursing? I’m not sure. Rotzak seemed flustered and mumbled, and there was another voice overlapping, but it feels like a dream now.”

Elizabeth spoke calmly.

Despite her composed demeanor, her anger and sorrow were evident, even more intense than if she had cried.

The fact that her unborn child was used so cruelly allowed Browless to empathize deeply with Elizabeth.

“Damn it! That bastard Rotzak! Next time, I’ll turn his face into a beehive—”

“Fufufu, thank you, Les. But could you listen to my story first?”

Elizabeth calmed the agitated Browless, despite her shocking revelation.

Leeha and the Three Musketeers pondered over the “voice”.

If the voice came from Arcane Sniper’s gun, there could only be one target.

“Zamiel… He cursed? Meaning something displeased him… But what made Rotzak flustered?”

Luger and Kidd could only speculate that it involved Zamiel.

But Leeha was different.

He recalled another memory related to Arcane Sniper passed down by the “White Reaper.”

“You mentioned that the next Arcane Sniper should be born soon. If it refers to Kyle, then… Zamiel was displeased with the current Arcane Sniper. That’s why he cursed. So, if Zamiel didn’t like the current Arcane Sniper, then the one he originally considered as Arcane Sniper must be!”

Elizabeth.

Despite being grouped with the Three Musketeers, she was a woman who could be called the strongest musketeer in Middle Earth’s history.

Zamiel would have wanted her.

And there was only one way he could have learned about her.

“Kaztor… I see. They made a deal.”

The pieces started to fit together in Leeha’s mind.

“Introducing Elizabeth as the ‘material.’ And the moment she held the gun, Kaztor made her unborn child the Arcane Sniper. Could Zamiel’s energy? Or something similar be transferred at will?”

No one had researched and analyzed Arcane Bullet as much as Kaztor.

In that sense, it seemed possible to Leeha.

“Kaztor definitely…”

Leeha replayed Elizabeth’s account in his mind, drawing the scene.

“When she held the gun, Kaztor made a plan but muttered in panic, implying he could converse with Zamiel. Revealing his plan betrayed Zamiel’s trust, hence his outburst. This suggests their relationship is strained. Zamiel might even want Kaztor dead.”

Elizabeth described the situation in vivid detail.

Every word she spoke was a clue.

With the limited information at hand, Leeha had to make the closest possible deduction. This would provide the main foundation for future battles.