An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 55

Military Otaku VS Hunter – Chapters

Chapter 55    Before winter

The autumn harvest is in full swing.

We are also very busy.

Of course, it’s to protect the fields. We set traps all around the fields, patrol, exterminate pests, and keep watch for intruders.

All sorts of animals come at night. Every single one of them is nocturnal.

So, we mainly do night patrols.

We’ve become quite professional ourselves.

With ample funds, we’ve recently started using thermal scopes.

Though it’s called a scope, it’s more like a telescope. It’s not something you attach to a gun.

It cost twenty gold coins… Well, it’s surprising that it can be bought for just two hundred thousand yen.

It visualizes temperature, so during the dead of night, no animal can escape our sight.

It’s much easier to spot things with this than with night vision cameras.

Mainly, Saran uses it to search for animals.

We have also prepared rifles for small animals. Recently, we’ve been using the Remington M700 Varmint.

It has a heavy barrel, with a caliber of .223 Remington, the same .22 caliber bullet used in M16s and such. As usual, it has a stainless steel barrel, which costs eleven gold coins.

Its accuracy is impressive. With this rifle and the night vision scope, we can shoot raccoons or deer in the forehead from up to 200 meters away even in the dead of night. The night vision scope costs six gold coins.

It’s surprising that these items are available at such prices.

We can’t switch scopes between day and night, so the scope is permanently attached to the rifle. If you remove it even once, you have to go through trial shots and readjustments all over again.

Those scenes in movies where they disassemble a rifle and attach a scope, they’re all lies. No matter how accurately you reattach the scope, it will never hit the same spot if removed once. If you want to use a different scope, you have to buy another rifle.

So, this one is dedicated to night use.

In the United States, nighttime pest control has become a regular job for hunters. It’s not something special.

In Japan, nighttime hunting is illegal. You must never do it.

Hooray for the different world.

When we first started, we could take down three raccoons, one fox, and one wild boar in one night, but after a month, the numbers have significantly decreased.

Today, it’s just one fox. That should be enough.

In the village, we dry the venison and wild boar meat we catch, and we make sausages and hams to prepare for winter. Fur is also used as bedding during the winter. There’s never too much of it.

This work is a collaborative effort for everyone.

We stay up all night, so during the day, while we’re sleeping, the others bring the things we’ve made. It’s really helpful.

The villagers tease us, saying, “If you catch too much, there won’t be anything left for next year, right?”

It’s tricky to strike the right balance. Once we see the target, we shoot right away.

However, even in the Elf village, there’s a shortage of hunters, leading to an increase in wild animals and agricultural damage.

One of the goals is to make the animals perceive the village as dangerous and to keep their distance.

Since I came to this village, the village chief said it feels like going back fifty years or so.

He was surprised to see me creating a map of the village and marking the locations of wild animals with pins for records. He said he had never seen anyone do such thorough research.

Well, I used to work in the town hall, so that level of investigation is expected of me.

With a laser rangefinder, surveying is a breeze.

“It’s about time, right?”

“Yeah.”

Saran and I exchange such conversations.

The lake doesn’t freeze even in winter, but the river freezes in several places, making it impossible to use boats.

Sometimes, snow piles up, and we all hunker down for winter.

Before that, it’s better to go to the city at least once.

“This! Please bring me some wool with this!”

Muraku-san brought a pair of lambs, and they’ve grown big at Ranoa-san’s goat farm. However, the wool can only be harvested next year, disappointing everyone.

Those who can’t wait come to us with fur or agricultural products that could be sold. Buying wool will probably cost a single gold coin or half a double.

Winter is approaching, and I’d love to sleep with a warm woolen blanket.

Though, for me, the fur mattress made from all those fox fur on the straw that everyone is using looks luxurious…

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

Even the village chief went hunting after a long time to gather wolf fur for the woolen blanket…

How on earth did he manage to catch a wolf all by himself? They usually travel in packs, right?

“This time, the responsibility feels quite heavy, Shin.”

Oh no… What if we can’t afford it? Saran and I exchange wry smiles.

With that in mind, we set out on the lake with a canoe.

“Hey, you guys! You’re way too late!”

After two months, the guild master of Saaplast, Buffalo Bal, comes down from the second floor and calls out to us.

“We’ve got a huge backlog of work here. What have you been doing?”

“Well, when you guys are busy, our village is inevitably busy too. It’s the same for both of us.”

“I guess you’re right. But I wish you could come over here a bit more.”

“You should focus on training your own hunters.”

“Your advice hits close to home. But on the other hand, there’s no one else who can handle things as efficiently as you guys.”

We’re the only ones in this world using firearms, after all.

“Here you go, it comes to a total of 224 gold coins.”

I look at the itemized list.

Raccoon fur, fox fur, rabbit fur, deer fur, and wolf fur.

Dried fruits, various nuts, ham, and sausages.

We’ll have to divide them among the village later, so I better make sure the calculations are accurate. When I requested an itemized receipt from the old man and he said, “You’re the first ones to ask for that,” he seemed surprised.

I guess regular hunters don’t bother with such things, huh?

“The Elven-made ham and sausages are really popular. I’d love to get more in bulk.”

The purchasing grandpa says, but for us, they are valuable provisions for the winter. We can’t sell that much.

“It’s impossible. We’ll starve if we do that.”

“That’s a shame. It could have been a good business opportunity.”

We simply can’t produce enough to sell. Elves are self-sufficient, you know.

“First of all, what I want you to handle is pigeons…”

“Why don’t you catch them yourselves? I can sell you an air gun.”

“What!!”

Buffalo Bal and the purchasing grandpa freeze.

I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. An air gun like that wouldn’t be a bad idea to share. It doesn’t use gunpowder and only requires maintenance like lubrication once a year, so it’s low-maintenance, and easy to use.

Moreover, with a glance, you can see that it’s just a machine. Even though air guns have been replicated and produced in large quantities in this world, it’s still limited. No matter how hard they try, they can only catch pigeons with spring-powered air guns, and in this world, there’s no spring steel material to make springs. There’s no gunpowder either.

Even the smokeless nitro-based propellants, let alone black powder, don’t exist in this world.

Perhaps it’s because magic exists in this world, making them unnecessary.

“Really… Can we use it?”

“Yes. The one I always use to catch pigeons is just a machine, not a magical tool.”

“Th-then, please…”

“Sure, no problem.”

I step outside for a moment and take out my magic bag.

Now, what should I choose?

“Is it alright, Shin?”

Saran gives me a worried look.

“It’s fine. Air guns don’t have much power, so there’s no risk of anyone getting killed. Saran knows that the most we can do is catch pigeons. It’ll just mean there won’t be any more jobs to catch pigeons from this town. Those tasks are tedious and not very profitable, so it’s better to let the locals handle it.”

“That’s true.”

Now then, what should I go with? Plastic materials are probably not a good idea since they don’t exist in this world.

If we’re talking about traditional air rifles made of iron and wood…

“RWS Diana M34 4.5mm. Woodstock.”

There it is.

Yes, here it is, the Diana air rifle.

It’s a classic break-barrel design, simple and easy to use. This is the perfect choice for a first air rifle. The cheap-looking beech wood stock brings a touch of nostalgia for the old fans.

Only three gold coins. Quite affordable!

As for the pellets, how about the FX Premium ones? They have good accuracy and are a bit lighter, making them high-velocity pellets with less drop, making it easier for beginners to hit their targets.

Let’s get four cans with 500 pellets each. That will be six silver coins. It’s less than half the price you’d pay in Japan!

“Here you go.”

“Wow――――!!”

Buffalo Bal is thrilled as he takes it into his hands.

“With this, I can catch pigeons too!”

“You’re planning to do it yourself!?”

“Of course!!”

Well, you are the Guild Master, after all, aren’t you?

“I’ll show you how to use it. Let’s go to the shooting range.”

First, let me demonstrate.

“This air rifle has a spring inside it. You compress the spring to store energy. When you pull the trigger, the spring extends rapidly, propelling the pellet forward.”

“I see. It’s a quite simple mechanism.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Since we’re using compressed air, I’ll skip the complicated explanation.

“Like this, you fold the barrel down firmly…”

I grab the barrel and rotate it slightly downward, revealing the chamber. The break-barrel design allows the barrel to drop down, exposing the chamber. It requires a bit of force, as you need to compress a powerful spring using the lever. In this type of spring-powered air rifle, the barrel itself acts as the lever to compress the spring. It’s a simple design with fewer parts. Although the rotating barrel might seem like it could affect accuracy, this German-made rifle is meticulously crafted, leaving no gaps and ensuring exceptional precision.

For a break-barrel design, you can’t go wrong with Diana. It’s common knowledge among hunters.

“Now you can see this hole. Take a look.”

“Wow, it’s impressive how they can make such a long hole in the metal. This is amazing.”

“That’s where the pellet passes through and flies out. Here’s the pellet, made of lead.”

“It’s tiny.”

“Even with this small pellet, it can take down a pigeon without a problem. Insert the pellet into this hole. Make sure the round end goes first.”

“I see.”

“Next, fold the barrel back down. The most challenging part is folding it down, but remember to compress the spring during this step.”

“Okay.”

Click.

The barrel fits back into place with great precision. The German craftsmanship is evident in how well it aligns.

“In this state, you can’t fire even if you pull the trigger. The safety mechanism is activated. Before taking aim and shooting, push in this protruding metal piece to disengage the safety. Once done, pulling the trigger will release the pellet.”

“I understand.”

Spring-powered air rifles like this one have an automatic safety mechanism that engages when you compress the spring. This is the same for all manufacturers. If you accidentally pull the trigger while folding down the barrel, the spring will release, causing the barrel to snap back and potentially damage the rifle. To prevent that, the safety mechanism is crucial.

The safety switch varies depending on the rifle, but for Diana, it’s located at the rear end of the receiver.

Once you aim and push the safety button with your thumb, you are ready to fire.

“After assuming the position, you align the front sight and rear sight, which have concave and convex surfaces, respectively. Keep these two points aligned, aim at the target, push in the safety mechanism, and then pull the trigger with your index finger to fire the pellet.”

Bang!

The pellet hits slightly below the target. Well, it’s a brand new rifle and hasn’t been adjusted yet.

“Yeah, it’s similar to using a ballista. Wait, did the pellet just fly off?!”

“Yes.”

“I couldn’t see a thing!”

“Air rifles have high pellet speeds.”

“Wow…”

With air rifles, you can sometimes see the pellet flying through the scope, especially in backlight conditions.

“Alright, give it a try.”

Buffalo Bal is absolutely thrilled. He seems to be quite skilled with bows too, as he quickly grasped the technique.

“When firing, each person may have their own habits (*1), so the sights are adjustable. Since your shots are slightly to the lower right, we’ll adjust here. By turning it with your hand, it clicks into place. If your shots drift to the right, move the rear sight to the left, and if they drift down, adjust the rear sight upwards. Gradually fine-tune it until it’s aligned.”

“Got it!”

Impressive, indeed. He understood it quickly.

“When assuming the position, hold it loosely without applying too much pressure. Ah, don’t grip the left hand, just rest it lightly, finding the right balance. Let it rest with one hand, aligned with the center of gravity; that’s the best way to position it.”

Within just ten shots, he’s already hitting bullseyes at 10 meters. Quite impressive.

“Gently pull the trigger. If you yank it, you’ll miss.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t put your finger on the trigger until you’re about to shoot.”

“Okay.”

“When handling the rifle, never point the muzzle at anyone. Always keep it pointed upward, whether it’s loaded or not. The most accidents happen when people mistakenly think it’s unloaded.”

“What happens if it hits someone?”

Buffalo Bal is starting to realize just how dangerous this is.

“Well, it would cause bleeding and be quite serious. I’ve never shot anyone with this, but since it can bring down a pigeon, it could cause injuries similar to being hit by an arrow.”

“But it won’t kill anyone?”

“Most likely not… Bringing down pigeons is the most it can do.”

“But you’ve killed goblins, haven’t you?”

“That’s completely different. I don’t sell those.”

“I get it.”

“Anyway, please be extremely careful to avoid any accidents that could harm people. If something happens and this gets prohibited or regulated, we won’t be able to work anymore.”

“That makes sense.”

Now he’s able to hit targets at 20 meters.

“Now, shall we go for pigeon hunting?”

“Yes!!”

In the warehouse, he aim for pigeons, hitting and missing, causing quite a commotion.

When he hit a pigeon and it comes fluttering down, he was ecstatic.

It’s the same no matter which world you’re in.

“It’s like throwing something; the farther the target, the lower it hits. So when there’s distance, aim slightly higher. Well, you’ll figure it out after a few shots and get the hang of it.”

“Wow! This is awesome! It’s the best!”

“With your skills, Guldmaster Bal, you’ll improve quickly.”

“I haven’t been hunting for quite some time. Having this to shoot pigeons in the warehouse when I’m free is fantastic!”

With great excitement, he even hands over five gold coins.

Ah, hahaha.

“We have 2,000 rounds of ammunition. They come in cans of 500 each. If you run out, just let me know. I’ll sell you a can for three silver coins. You can trust that I’ve never sold ammunition to anyone else.”

“Oh, that’s really kind of you. I appreciate it.”

Buffalo Bal’s accuracy without a scope is impressive.

“Also, there’s something else I’d like to ask.”

“Is it about the farmers?”

“No… It’s an entirely different matter.”

…

A sense of unease starts to creep in.

— Author’s Note —

※1. Shooting Habits

When it comes to shooting, one’s own gun needs to be fired and adjusted by oneself; otherwise, the aim won’t be accurate. Even if an experienced veteran shoots for you and sets up the scope, when you shoot yourself, the aim somehow goes off.

This phenomenon occurs even with air guns like pumps or pre-charged ones, where there’s hardly any recoil. This is likely due to shooting habits or physical differences. There’s no other way to explain it. Of course, lending or borrowing guns is prohibited by the Firearm and Sword Control Law, so even if you don’t know how to use the scope, never consider having someone else set the aim for you. If someone is supporting you, they can simply watch your shots at the shooting range and advise you, like saying, “Adjust 12 clicks up and 4 clicks left.”

In other words, you can’t create a “gun that anyone can hit with.” In manga, movies, or dramas, it may seem like even if a skilled gunsmith hands someone a gun, they can shoot and hit their target right away. In reality, that never happens. Trying the gun out yourself is an absolute necessity.