An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 22 Friends die

I store the rifle and switch to the Remington M870 shotgun, which has a shorter barrel, as we descend the mountain.

Bal, Saran, and then me, in that order.

I don’t bother loading shells into the chamber or engaging the safety mechanism.

The chamber remains empty, while I fill the magazine tube with shells. I have never used the safety mechanism.

Even the police instruct us to “never rely on the safety mechanism and always keep the chamber empty,” and during the hunting license practical exam, there are no actions or checks related to engaging or disengaging the safety mechanism. If you fail to announce “no rounds in the chamber” after unloading, you won’t pass the exam.

Accidents due to mistakenly believing the safety mechanism is engaged and causing a misfire are quite common. Even in hunting situations, people who lazily keep shells in the chamber with the safety engaged are immediately cautioned and disliked by fellow hunters. Let’s be cautious about this.

Moreover, since the Remington M870 has an outdated design, it can misfire simply from falling or being dropped, even with the safety engaged. It’s quite frightening, isn’t it?

That’s why I never move with shells in the chamber, under any circumstances.

If I feel like shooting, all I have to do is firmly grip the forend (※1).

I learned this lesson thoroughly from my grandfather.

Perhaps my grandfather experienced a misfire incident himself.

As we approach the cave, oh my, it’s a gruesome sight…

Blood is splattered everywhere.

It looks like wolves or other predators might be drawn to it.

The Goblin with the injured leg… The flesh is gone, revealing white bones.

If it were a deer, such an injury would make it flee. Tracking becomes quite challenging.

Goblins, like humans, seem so fragile when compared to wild animals. It’s quite thought-provoking.

…

In the center, there’s a hunter’s remains being consumed by the fire, it seems…

How unfortunate. It’s already burnt to a crisp, beyond recognition.

There doesn’t seem to be anything salvageable.

“Proof of extermination.”

Saying that, Bal swiftly cuts off the red ear of the Goblin with a knife and places it in a bag. It’s a sight I’d rather turn away from.

“Alright, let’s take a look inside the cave. Proceed with caution.”

Saran, who has switched from a bow to a sword, and Bal, drawing his sword, slowly enter the cave. It reeks.

Wild animals, you see, don’t take baths in their lifetime, so they tend to have a strong odor.

I’m curious how many animals have a keen sense of smell, unlike humans. Apparently, animals can discern different scents and recognize their own scent as distinct.

From behind, I raise the muzzle of my M870 shotgun upwards with one hand while illuminating the area with a flashlight.

“That’s an impressive lamp.”

Well, it’s just one of my tools.

The cave extends quite deep, but there’s nothing noteworthy besides decaying flesh, animal carcasses, half-finished stone spears, and some dried hay bedding. There are no remnants left.

The stone spears… They’re probably used as throwing spears. Otherwise, human hunters wouldn’t easily lose to these small monsters just because they’re surrounded. In ancient times, mankind used throwing spears to capture mammoths. Until recently, indigenous tribes in Africa were hunting rhinos and elephants with throwing spears. Throwing spears are incredibly powerful weapons with high killing potential. They should not be underestimated.

As we try to leave the cave, wolves gather around, engrossed in the goblin corpses. Saran and I drive them away with her bow and my shotgun.

After taking down about four of them, they scatter and disappear.

“…You guys are amazing. I feel foolish waving my sword around.”

Ignoring the defeated wolves, we make our way back.

When I look back, I notice the wolves once again congregating around the goblin corpses. They won’t be coming our way anymore.

It’s unfortunate that a hunter lost their life.

Everyone remains silent.

“Alright, let’s head back. Once we’re back, you guys will be promoted to Rank 3.”

Riding on his horse, Bal smiles brightly.

“I’ve truly seen your real abilities. I’ve understood well enough that it’s better to keep your tricks hidden. Almost too well.”

There are people wandering around the country who can easily kill someone from over 200 meters away. This is scary for those in power and the wrongdoers.

Even more so, there will undoubtedly be countless individuals trying to exploit that power.

“I’ll continue to rely on you in the future.”

Saying that, Bal turns around and pats my shoulder.

Devastated, the young party breaks down in tears upon learning of their comrade’s death.

It’s tough.

It feels like we’ve been shown the harsh reality of being a hunter.

We need to be even more cautious than before, prioritizing safety above all else.

If I were to die, it would be fine. But if Saran were to die, I would lose my beloved wife, have nowhere to return to, and be left alone in this world. I can’t bear the thought.

Gently, I grasp Saran’s hand.

With her large hand, she holds mine firmly.

“Elfur, it’s a shame. We’ve taken care of all the goblins. Don’t dwell on revenge. Team ‘Elphan’ is suspended for three months. Take your time to heal your wounds. That’s all I have to say.”

Bal is strict.

The members of the Hunting Association were kind, but on the field, they were strict. If you made a mistake, you were reprimanded without mercy. Everyone had a good understanding of gun laws, rules, and etiquette. Even the slightest violation or mistake could lead to an accident. That’s the level of caution they truly upheld.

We’re comrades who entrust our lives to each other. If we allow carelessness or deceit, accidents are bound to happen. That’s the reality of this world.

“Come with me.”

We head to the office.

“Your card, please.”

I present my Hunter Card, and Bal stamps it for me.

“There you go, now you’re Rank 3.”

…I wonder how I feel about this. Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Will I earn more money or face more trouble?

It’s hard to say.

“Come back tomorrow for a briefing on Rank 3. I’ll also give you today’s reward at that time. Remember, the Guild doesn’t pay for subjugating monsters within the territory; it’s the responsibility of the lord. You need to report it.”

With that lord, we shouldn’t expect a significant amount of money…

“Understood.”

As we step outside, we are surrounded by other hunters.

“How did it go for our comrade? How did you defeat the goblins?”

“Bal-san took care of them all. As for your comrade… I’m sorry, we couldn’t find their body.”

I try to come up with some excuse and quickly leave the scene.

Feeling exhausted, I decided to retire early and booked a room for the night.

Saran gently embraced me…

The next day, after cleaning my neglected firearms, I had breakfast at the inn and headed to the guild.

Although my Remington M700 rifle is a stainless steel model, carbon can accumulate inside the barrel, so cleaning (※3) is still necessary.

I made sure to clean the shotgun thoroughly as well.

Modern shotguns use shot shells enclosed in plastic cups. The cups fall due to air resistance, allowing only the pellets to fly out. Therefore, there’s no issue of lead sticking to the barrel, except when using larger buckshot without cups. In such cases, lead residue may accumulate, requiring removal with a brass brush.

For rifles, since copper directly engages with the rifling, it tends to stick and accumulate over prolonged use. It’s recommended to use cleaning chemicals to remove it at least once per season. However, since mine is a newly purchased firearm, I don’t have to worry about it for now.

Regarding rifle accuracy, there are different opinions among senior hunters. Some say, “New rifles don’t shoot well, but after firing a few hundred rounds, they become accurate.” Others claim, “That’s just because you’re not familiar with the gun. Rifling is a consumable. It wears down with use, so a new one shoots better.” Well… both perspectives might be valid.

According to data I found on overseas manufacturer websites, rifle accuracy tends to decrease after around 1,500 rounds.

The Hunting Association is predominantly composed of elderly members. People who browse the internet on computers are a rare minority! So, when I share the latest knowledge, many are surprised or skeptical. After all, they are seasoned veterans. I don’t go around saying, “This is the correct information I found online.” I simply listen to various stories and later verify which ones are accurate. Occasionally, I might say, “I’ve heard something similar before,” but truly, it’s very rare.

1,500 rounds, huh? Surprisingly few, right?

In war, I’m sure they’d go through 1,500 rounds in no time!

Well, either they’d die in battle before shooting that much, or the conflict would come to an end.

Hmm, I’m not a military otaku, so I don’t really know about those things.

Ordinary hunting rifles have a shorter lifespan because they use large-caliber high-velocity rounds.

Military firearms worldwide have been transitioning to smaller calibers, so they might have a longer lifespan compared to hunting rifles.

However, one thing is certain: gun barrels don’t use extremely hard steel.

When a barrel experiences a catastrophic failure, it swells and ruptures instead of shattering and scattering. That’s because they’re made of relatively soft steel.

When the pressure exceeds the intended limit, the barrel expands to release the gases and prevent dangerous explosions. The barrel is only designed to withstand a certain level of stress. Otherwise, it would be dangerous if it exploded.

If gun barrels were too robust, they could rupture in a dangerous manner when a bullet got stuck, causing the remaining gunpowder to ignite under extremely high pressure, potentially killing the shooter.

You’ve heard of sawed-off shotguns, right? They’re shortened barrels that people carry for concealment. The barrels can be cut with a hacksaw. But if they were made of hardened steel, a hacksaw wouldn’t be able to cut through them.

Well, it’s not that important.

Military otakus may have extensive knowledge, but they often know very little about hunting firearms, so it’s just some trivia. That’s it.

Speaking of knowing little, that applies to me as well.

I know nothing about this world, the rules of hunters in this world, or the laws. It’s the same for Saran, who spent her whole life in the elven village.

That’s why we make sure to listen carefully to Guild Master Bal-san’s lessons, as he guides us, now that we’ve reached Rank 3.

“Street robbers, bandits, and the like can be killed. No, it’s more like you must kill them.”

…

In Japan, just firing a gun as a police officer is heavily criticized, right?

It’s fascinating how things can be so different when the world changes.

“Um, what should we do if we capture them?”

“Hey, what’s the point of capturing them? Our job is to protect the merchants, right? Do we have enough water and food for those bandits too? We don’t even have seats for them. Are we going to walk them while they’re tied up with ropes? The horses’ legs would give out, wouldn’t they?”

…You’re right.

“They’ll constantly try to escape, you know? If they get the chance, they’ll kill you and retaliate. If there are survivors, they’ll keep targeting us all the way to the town. What about during the night? Are we supposed to stay awake and keep watch? You guys can only take turns watching since there’s not enough of us. What are we going to do about that?”

…That’s true.

“Even if we catch them and hand them over to the guards, they’ll end up being hanged anyway. It won’t change the fact that they’ll die. What if they manage to escape? You’ll be constantly pursued and targeted for revenge. What if the merchants or travelers who were present hold a grudge and get killed? Is that okay with you? It’s all your fault.”

…Oh no.

“We kill the bandits and robbers. Don’t let a single one escape. That’s the only way to reduce their numbers. Teach them that it’s not a profitable profession. It’s like exterminating pests. Don’t see them as humans. Got it?”

“Yes. Um, what if they surrender?”

“In that case, they’re only doing it to save themselves in that moment. If it’s troublesome, kill them before they surrender. We do that. It will inevitably lead to trouble later. Don’t show them any mercy.”

…It’s like they’re treating them as wild animals.

“I’m not saying this because I want to. It doesn’t feel good to kill people.”

Bal-san leans on the desk and speaks earnestly.

“I’m a hunter. I don’t mind dying myself. That’s my own choice. But think about the lives of your comrades. Consider the possibility of your comrades dying. Imagine your comrades being killed. Your partner is a woman. She could be raped and murdered. Being an elf, she might fetch a good price. She could be sold as a slave. She’ll be abused and eventually killed.”

…Gulp.

…I can’t bring myself to look at Saran.

If something like that were to happen, it would be better for me to die.

“Have you witnessed the final moments of Elfur? The Goblins were roasting and preparing to feast on him. If a Hunter hesitates even for a moment to kill their opponent, they end up like that.”

“Understood.”

“…Understood.”

“Now, onto the next topic. In the past, we used to put bounties on notorious criminals and make them wanted, but that doesn’t happen anymore. Instead, it only leads to the criminals competing for fame, forming larger thief guilds, and the number of bandits increasing. Plus, even if you capture a bounty, the lord or the kingdom might refuse to pay and cheat you out of your reward. There’s nothing good about it. That’s why nowadays it’s easier to just kill them one by one…”

It’s truly a terrifying world, isn’t it?

Guns, unlike swords or spears, don’t allow for mercy.

For me, perhaps that’s a better world after all.

Also, I learned various details about fees, contracts, guild commissions, how to accept quests, rules when teaming up with other hunters, the division of shares, reporting obligations to the Hunter’s Guild, dealing with injuries and deaths, and so on.

Author’s Note –

※1. Forend Action

The M870 is designed so that the forend remains stationary when the internal hammer is cocked, closing the chamber. Therefore, to move the forend and load a shell from the magazine into the empty chamber in this state, you need to press the action bar lock in front of the trigger guard while doing so.

Hence, when the hammer is cocked, it is advisable to unlock and pull the forend a few centimeters in advance, allowing you to quickly manipulate the forend to chamber a shell from the magazine into the empty chamber.

While it’s perfectly fine to leave the hammer cocked all day without weakening the spring, when storing the hunting shotgun after a hunt, make sure to properly decock the hammer.

The statement that “it’s fine to store the gun with the hammer cocked, just like how car suspensions remain compressed all the time and are not lifted every time the car is parked” is incorrect. Car suspensions are not constantly compressed to their maximum load capacity when parked.

※2. Muzzle Up

For hunters, the correct gun handling position for safety is “muzzle up.” There are no exceptions. Holding the gun stylishly with the muzzle pointing down, like in special forces, will result in deductions during the practical hunting license examination. Similarly, any momentary pointing of the muzzle towards a person or placing a finger on the trigger will also result in deductions. This highlights the difference between tactical combat situations where the timing is uncertain and the hunter’s discipline that strictly prohibits firing without ensuring safety.

※3. Cleaning

The statement that “smokeless powder leaves no residue” is incorrect.

Even after a single shot, if you look inside the barrel, you’ll see it covered in soot, and the cleaning cloth will turn black when you clean it. While it’s true that unlike black powder, smokeless powder can be fired hundreds of times without causing a barrel obstruction, it is essential to clean the gun after each day of shooting. Don’t neglect this important step.