Here’s the chapter, enjoy~
Chapter 178 – Side Story: And Waiting For Spring
Simon, I think you definitely misunderstand something.
Yes, there were a lot of extra orders for 45ACP ammo, but it was mostly consumed by Mir-neesan, and I only used a few dozen rounds in the MAC10.
Among the piles of firearms, he gave me as a service was an XDM 4.5, a new plastic-framed pistol that holds 13 rounds of .45 ACP. It has a rail in front of the trigger guard and even has a flashlight. It’s very cool. I’m very grateful for the addition of such a gun, but in this world where handgun ammunition is the only way to defeat enemies without armor, I honestly want a gun with less recoil.
As I was struggling with the .45-caliber pistol, Myrril-san gave me a strange look.
“What’s the matter?”
“The merchant I buy from thinks I love .45s, too.”
“You don’t like the .45, do you, Yoshua? That’s the one and only ammo worth risking your life for, right?”
Yes. It’s certainly powerful. The firearms that use it are also generally reliable and tough. It’s good ammunition if you think about it from the perspective of other people. It might be fine for a strong-armed dwarf, but the recoil of the 45 ACP is too much for me. I don’t really want to use it in a pistol, let alone a short machine gun.
I could give it to Myrril-san, but wouldn’t she look like a Musashibo Benkei with her UZI, Star, Alaskan, and XDM?
“Do you need the XDM?”
“It looks like a nice gun, but I’m happy with the Uzi and the Star. With the exception of the Arasukan,’ which is a good luck charm.”
Is that right?
You’re the single-minded type, aren’t you? I like that about you.
I’ll put this away for now. It may come in handy someday.
Another service item is Sturm Ruger… Mk2, huh? Very astringent choice, Simon.
It has a silver stainless steel body and is fitted with a heavy barrel with a silencer.
It uses 22 calibers long rifle ammunition. Although the name may sound like a big deal to those who are not interested in guns, the ammunition has less than half the energy of the .45 ACP used by Myrril-san, and depending on the manufacturer’s specifications, only about one-third as much.
This ammunition is cheap, easy to handle with low recoil, and has high accuracy, so it is widely used for recreational shooting, small animal control, and shooting competitions.
In a sense, it’s a great weapon.
Even though it has a low energy content, it has enough power to kill small animals and bare human bodies. In addition, the initial velocity is also low, making it highly effective in reducing sound. With a sound reducer like the one Simon chose, the only sound it makes is that of a machine operating. Depending on how you use it, it can be a formidable weapon.
I would be very grateful if I could use it. It will broaden the scope of my strategy in many ways. It would also come in handy when hunting small animals.
There were other items of service that I was grateful for.
A Browning Hi-Power, in fairly good condition. The year of manufacture of the gun itself is unknown, but the initial model was produced in 1935. Although not as old or well-known as the M1911, it is a masterpiece that will remain in history. Today, the performance is honestly nothing to sneeze at, but that is a result of the required standard of a modern military pistol.
It is also a pioneer of the double-row magazine, in which ammunition is loaded in two zigzag rows in the magazine, and it has a large 13-round capacity. The name “high firepower” was derived from a large number of rounds.
I have seen it used by members of the SAS, a special forces unit of the British Army, in books and movies, so I have a personal attachment to this gun, and I like it a lot. I’ll use this one myself. It also comes with a brand-new shoulder holster made of leather, which shows Simon’s care. That guy is good at pushing buttons but somewhat of a maniac.
The ammunition used in the Browning Hi-Power is the 9mm Parabellum bullet, which has now become the world standard for automatic pistol ammunition. The energy content of the bullet is not much different from that of the .45 ACP, but the bullet head is smaller and lighter, so the initial velocity is higher. Sorry Myrril-san, but the 9mm seems to be easier to use for me.
The problem will be the supply. With the number of types of ammunition used in Casemaian continuing to increase, two new types of handgun ammunition (22 long rifles and 9mm Parabellum) would be a problem to manage. Either keep them for personal use or reopen them and start modernizing the auxiliary armament. Either way, we have not yet deployed any firearms with pistol bullet specifications in Casemaian. We have no choice but to think about it while conducting trial shooting in the name of test operation. This is a big responsibility. I’ll have to think about it as we test-fire the weapons. I’m in deep trouble…
“What are you grinning about with guns in both hands?”
“I was just checking out the new stock. I’m happy to see that they are different from the ones I have so far, but I’m wondering about their future use.”
Myrril-san laughed with a puzzled look on her face.
“I used to make weapons myself, so I can understand. I can’t help thinking about it at times like that.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“Even if you try to spread the word by forcing it, what disappears disappears. Even if you try your best to hide it and let no one know about it, what is sought after will be exposed to the light of day.”
Natural selection, huh? Maybe so. It might be fun for all of us to think about our future plans and pick out the equipment for them.
The thought of all the things that will take place in Casemaian in the spring makes me a little anxious for the end of winter to come.
Chapter 179 – Isolated South
They said 5,000 gold coins, but I didn’t understand how much that was.
The reception room at the lord’s mansion where we were shown in. Although we had changed into some kind of tailored formal wear, the place looked out of place for us, as we were in a dowdy, overcrowded room, and the things in the special wooden box the size of an attache case were carried in a cart and piled up in front of us. The number of items was twenty-five in all.
When asked to check, I opened one of the boxes and found that it was lined with a thick inner lining, and although there was some room to spare in terms of volume from the outside dimensions, it would be impossible for one person to carry the box if it were packed any more tightly.
I guess money is heavy. I was impressed as if it were someone else’s problem.
I don’t think it matters because I will take it home with my storage, but I think the gold standard is also a difficult thing for people.
“Well, this is a thank-you for securing the Sea Serpent and the Eastern Lord. Please tell me anything you want regarding the reward for defeating the pirates. I’ve made arrangements to meet most of your expectations if you tell old Marl there.”
It sounded as if he was saying, “I won’t be around then.” Was it true what the old butler named Marl had told us?
“I heard that you are going to die tonight. Is it true?”
This is a direct question from Mir-san. But the lord was unfazed; his eyebrows lowered, and he smiled.
“What, has the old man told you? Yes, that’s right. But it doesn’t matter. Even if I die, I will not break my word. No gratuities, no rewards, no grilled Sea Serpent meat, after all.”
“You don’t look ill. From the color of your blood, it can’t be a curse. It doesn’t look like you will be executed for some trivial offense. So, is it a grudge?”
“…Well, something like that.”
Does that mean someone is trying to kill him? Did he receive a death threat that he will be killed tonight? If it is a criminal organization, he should be able to handle it with the soldiers he has on hand. If so, it’s either the public authorities or the national army. They’ve already captured the Eastern Lord, so is it the Northern Lord? Or is it the council or some higher authority of the republic?
“Hey, Demon King. Are you interested in becoming the Southern Lord?”
“”Huh?””
“Feudal Lord-sama, Takifu is a foreigner, you know? I mean… I don’t know if it’s true or not, but didn’t you say yourself that he is the Demon King of Casemaian?”
Tig said with a look of dismay (and a funny honorific), but McKin didn’t seem to mind.
“If you say so, I originally belonged to the Kingdom too. The law of the republic does not limit the place of birth for the selection of lords. Neither race nor ideological beliefs. The only requirement is “the recommendation of two or more persons who have served as lords of the Republic.” I don’t think there was any clause that says the Demon King can’t be elected, was there?”
I wonder how serious he is about this, but he instructed Marl the butler, to bring out a document. I can’t read the content, but from the way the story goes, it’s probably a transfer of authority as a lord or something.
“That’s probably because it’s not worth bothering to write about. In any case, I’m afraid I must decline.”
“That’s unfortunate. When I die, the political economy will stagnate for a while. If you could take care of it just for the time being, the people would not be left on the street. I don’t have any family members, and I don’t have anyone I can trust to take over.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but is there any way you can avoid dying?”
“There may be a way, but we’re past the stage of trying it out. Yes, we will be out of Lafan by the announced time. There will be no consequences for you.”
“Leave? The lord? Does that mean you’re going to invade somewhere?”
“Something like that. If I fortify here, the enemy will burn the whole city to the ground. I don’t want Lafan to become a battlefield. I’m going to attack them before they attack us. If I’m going to die, I’d rather die under the banner of the Southern Territories.”
“That’s fine. McKin-dono looks somewhat like a Kraken.”
Hey, Myrril-san⁉︎
“Well, that’s a great compliment!”
The lord can’t afford to be so foolish, you know⁉︎ And that’s not what we’re talking about⁉︎
“So, who’s the enemy?”
“I don’t know. They call themselves the Koubi Tribe.”
“Koubi Tribe? Is it a tribe? A clan? Or is it an ideological group?”
The lord shook his head at my question. It seems that the identity is unknown because of the mask and the hood.
“The first person killed was my father, who was lord two generations ago. Next was my brother, who succeeded him as lord. As foretold, he was killed in front of me on the night of the thousandth day after his inauguration, and his body was taken away.”
It was some kind of grudge, I thought. That being the case, it is hard to understand how someone of unknown background could hold such a grudge. Unless, of course, the perpetrator is quick to forget, and the victim is forever oblivious.
“McKin-dono, can you think of anything else?”
“Oh… yes. I heard that in my father’s generation, they raided the stronghold of the bandit guild in the territory and destroyed it. The number of villains they killed was one hundred and forty. I heard that the remnants who escaped from there formed a new group, but that’s about the only thing I can remember that would be held against them.”
“Perhaps that’s not true. That is probably a mistake because Takifu blew that one up. It’s that grumpy priest from Roses, isn’t it?”
Watching Myrril, who replied easily, McKin-dono turned his attention to me. When I nodded, the fat lord and his butler, Marl-san, laughed happily.
“I don’t know then. Anyway, this night is my last with you. I’ll excuse myself first, but please enjoy yourselves.”
“Don’t be silly, Feudal Lord.”
Myrril’s chilling voice stops the lord in his tracks and freezes everyone in the area.
“Do you think such rudeness is acceptable? Even if the Demon King risked his life to accomplish such a feat, you know? You must be a fool if you think that he would allow a butler to present the reward to him instead of handing it over yourself!”
The lord looks troubled and asks for my help. It is reasonable what Myrril-san says, but of course, her true intention is different. Well, I guess you could call it a kind of tsundere. I shook my head at McKin-dono, who was asking for help.
“Well, I have to agree with her, McKin-dono.”
In the end, neither she nor I dislike this kind of honest person.
“No, but… it is not my intention to involve you in this matter.”
“It’s too late for that. The threat of the East Territories is gone, the threat of the Sea Serpents is gone, and all that remains is the North Territories and… that “something tribe,” isn’t it? It is not too late for a feast of roasted meat. We are not so twisted that we can enjoy ourselves unreservedly at a banquet in the absence of the host.”
In short, don’t die on your own because the alcohol will taste bad. As one would expect from Myrril-san, she speaks very manly.
“I’m used to this kind of thing. I’ll lend you a hand at least a little. At least let me take you to your destination. The demon king’s household servant will take you there.”
“…Destination, huh? If so, it’s the port town of Cathmire in the Central Territories. The only port in the Central Territories, located on the border between the East and North Territories. That’s where the cargo ship was stopping this time.”
“I see. How far is it?”
“About 250 miles to the north along the shore. Of course, it is enemy territory, so they will not let us through easily.”
To be honest, I don’t really care about that. But what should we do? It was about four hundred kilometers north along the coastline.
“Is there any other problem, Demon King?”
“I don’t think it’s a problem, though. Do we take the land route or the sea route…?”
“By sea.” “By sea.”
“It’s land, isn’t it?” “Let’s go by land.”
“Sea.” “Sea.” “Land.” “Sea.”
The two members of the Battlecry and I are the land route group. The rest prefer the sea. I could understand the Lord and Calmon and his father, but surprisingly, Mir-san seemed to like the ship as well.
I prayed to my dear god of commerce without being able to think straight.
“Market.”
>Even though it has a low energy content, it has enough power to kill small animals and bare human bodies. In addition, the initial velocity is also low, making it highly effective in reducing sound. With a sound reducer like the one Simon chose, the only sound it makes is that of a machine operating.
I mean, you can kill definitely people with it. Just expect it to take multiple shots even for an unarmored person. All the stories you hear about people surviving getting shot multiple times is because they were shot with .22LR. And if you get the subsonic rounds that make it really silent then the energy is reduced even more severely. At least get 9mm if you want something cheap and low recoil. There’s a reason it’s the standard for everyday carry.
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