SWNOVELXO Chapter 98
Chapter 98. The Gleaming Blond Elf In The Wasteland
“This… this spot should be fine, right?”
We veered off the main road until the royal castle and lighthouse were barely visible. After a short marathon-like sprint, we finally arrived. I tried to pass it off as just a light jog, but Yaralai, who supposedly couldn’t use wave techniques, saw right through it. He threatened to skewer me with that huge spear of his if I didn’t go all out.
Though slightly exaggerated, it wasn’t entirely off the mark.
Wait, am I not the employer here? Technically, at least…
A deep breath calmed me instantly. Wave techniques are amazing. But what is Yaralai, who doesn’t even break a sweat without using spirit magic?
Are all elves this muscle-brained?
Cherina mentioned something different, but since I only know Yaralai, it’s hard to imagine. Beastmen, on the other hand, generally fit their stereotype. Though, Griva the disappointing lion did break that image a bit. Probably just an individual quirk.
Yaralai looked around, then used a bit of spirit magic.
“There’s no one around. What are you planning to do?”
Impressive, he understands. Is this the difference experience makes?
I heard elves live long lives, but how long do they live in this world? Surely not over 1,000 years?
Some light novels have elves living tens of thousands of years, so you can’t be too sure.
“I wanted to practice with this for a bit.”
I pulled out a handgun and a carbine rifle.
“I’ve been curious about that.”
He pointed to the SIG SAUER P229. I did have it equipped when we stormed the castle.
“Is it a bow?”
How should I explain this… Maybe it’s quicker to let him use it.
“It’s like an advanced crossbow. Want to give it a try?”
Yaralai silently reached out. He’s eager.
“Watch me use it first. It’s a dangerous weapon with many precautions.”
“Understood.”
Yaralai retracted his hand, his emotionless eyes saying, “Hurry up.”
“Wait, didn’t you say you’re not good with bows?”
“I’m not bad with them, they just don’t suit me. I’m good at using them.”
Really?
“Bows… are slow to react, and the arrows are slow to reach the enemy. They lack impact and power, are a hassle to prepare, and are unsatisfactory as weapons.”
Coming from Yaralai, bows sound useless, but they’ve been humanity’s primary ranged weapon for ages…
“Fine. Let’s use that rock as a target.”
I pointed my gun at a long, conspicuous rock.
Of course, the bullets were expensive: SIG SAUER P229 magazine (loaded with 12 rounds) = ¥5,184, 9mm Parabellum bullets (50 rounds) = ¥1,600. Only one empty magazine was left, so I bought another. I’d discarded all during combat.
Remaining funds: ¥4,464,949.
Even with all this spending, I’m way above my savings in Japan. Feels odd, but I should stay positive. There’s more I want to buy.
I carefully explained how to handle and load the gun while test-firing it. Thanks to practical training during combat, I’d gotten quite adept.
My gun-loving boss dragged me to shooting ranges in Hawaii and Los Angeles. Never thought it would be useful here.
I could never save any money thanks to those trips!
That company sucked!
After about 30 slow shots, I realized that accuracy dropped sharply beyond 10 meters. While it might be lethal, it wasn’t ideal for incapacitating targets. Luckily I didn’t have any misfires…
“That was hard to dodge.”
“What?”
What does he mean by dodging?
“Without the spirits guiding me, I might not have evaded all of them.”
Apparently, Yaralai had been keeping an eye out. Elves are insane.
“Seriously? Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
A rookie’s mistake, I guess…
“By the way, how did Hag manage?”
Yaralai and Hag were causing havoc at the frontlines.
“He got hit.”
“What?!”
Huh? Really?!
“He deflected them with the metal parts. Don’t worry.”
“No way!”
That’s impossible!
“He deflected bullets?! Could he see them?!”
What’s going on? Is he like some super thief’s descendant?
“He’s clumsy. Probably thought dodging was a hassle.”
Hassle?! Seriously…
“I need to apologize…”
I ran my hand through my hair, feeling exasperated.
“It’s fine. If it was a problem, he’d have said something.”
I don’t think that’s the point…
“You guys are incredible… Are you and Hag even normal in this world?”
“A warrior’s most important trait is the heart.”
That’s not what I’m asking!
“Anyway, I apologize. My bad.”
I bowed at a 45-degree angle.
“Apology accepted.”
He nodded, genuinely forgiving me, though it seemed he hadn’t been concerned at all.
“That’s settled. Now let me use it.”
Right, that’s the priority. Boys and their toys.
“Remember the safety rules I mentioned. Start slowly.”
“Got it.”
“Oh, and put these in your ears.”
I handed him the earplugs I’d been using. Should’ve done this earlier since I didn’t expect him to stand so close…
“Not necessary.”
“You’ll damage your hearing.”
“The wind spirits will dampen the sound.”
Elves are amazing.
“Okay. Be careful with it.”
“Understood.”
He took the gun and, with practiced ease, loaded the magazine and chambered a round like a Hollywood action hero. Really his first time?
Yaralai held it naturally with both hands and fired a single shot.
…Bullseye on the first try.
From about 15 meters away, he hit dead center. How?!
He continued firing, checking each shot. Normally, the recoil would cause the aim to drift upwards, but his grouping was getting tighter.
While I stood speechless, he expertly reloaded and continued firing until all rounds were used. By the end, he was almost rapid-firing.
What the…?
After ensuring it was safe, we approached the target rock. A section the size of a ping-pong ball was gouged out. What kind of accuracy is that…?
“This is very user-friendly. I like it.”
No way it’s that easy to master…
Really?
Forget it for now. If I keep dwelling on this, we’ll lose daylight.
“Alright, let’s move on.”
I took out the M4A1 Carbine. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a rifle about two-thirds as long as a person, often seen in war or action movies.
Yaralai’s eyes gleamed at the carbine. I have a bad feeling about this.
And that feeling would be proven right in various ways.