An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Military Otaku VS Hunter – Chapters

Chapter 57 Field verification and test firing

There is quite a distance.

The culprit must have conducted test shots.

There should be traces of the test shots. Let’s search for them.

They look up at the mansion’s roof.

The weathervane is tilted at an angle.

“That must be it.”

“Unbelievable…”

“Could someone check it and take down the weathervane?”

“Understood.”

The gardener sets up a ladder, takes down the weathervane, and brings it over.

“Take a look.”

On the large copper weathervane held with both hands, there are two holes. It’s 12.7mm.

“The culprit started with these test shots.”

“…Before my father was killed, there were a few shots fired.”

“That’s right.”

I jot down some calculations in my notepad.

I don’t know the muzzle velocity of a 12.7mm military round. A typical rifle has a velocity of about 800m/s, so maybe around 1000m/s?

Shooting at a distance of 793m would take about 0.8 seconds for the bullet to hit the target.

The drop would be 3.13m, taking into account a coefficient of about 1.3 for air resistance.

Assuming the culprit made multiple test shots before hitting the weathervane…

There it is.

The roof tiles just below the weathervane are cracked. The difference in height is about 1m?

There are also bullet marks on the marble pillar about 2m below.

In other words, the culprit initially tried test shots at about 500m with a telescopic sight rifle, and when the shots hit about 2m below, they adjusted the scope. After another shot hit about 1m below, they adjusted again and hit the weathervane. The target was the weathervane, evident from the two bullet marks.

They fired four test shots until they were confident in their aim. After adjusting the scope, they fired the shot that hit the viscount. Not exactly a professional sniper, huh? More like someone who fires multiple shots and makes adjustments until they hit. They didn’t measure the distance at first, meaning they couldn’t calculate the ballistic trajectory or determine how much the scope turret would move with one click. They were just an amateur who took a rough guess without considering all the factors.

…Well, that’s pretty normal, though.

Even at the hunting association’s shooting competitions, I’m the only one holding a measuring tape, calculating the adjustment with a calculator. Even the most experienced shooters adjust by turning the turret casually and saying things like “a bit more” or “overshot” as they fire multiple test shots. Nowadays, even the senior members ask me, “Nakajima, how much should I adjust?” Ha-ha…

Probably, the culprit fired the shots around 11 to 12 o’clock noon, synchronized with the sound of the bell. The viscount finished lunch, took a nap, and returned to his seat by 3 o’clock. It’s broad daylight, or rather, during the daytime, so it would be hard to notice the impact of the shots.

Next, we go around to the back of the mansion.

We look for a spot where we can see the church’s spire and the location of the weathervane overlapping.

There it is. It’s embedded in the fence. Two bullet marks.

“Please stand here and you can see the church spire and the former position of the weathervane overlapping.”

“Certainly.”

The young lord nods.

“In other words, my father was shot from the church’s bell tower with those pebbles.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“But there’s no way to prevent something like that.”

Bal sighs.

“There’s no evidence either. To call this evidence is too far-fetched. If we take this to court, they’ll just laugh it off…”

“Do you believe it?”

“I do. But convincing others is impossible.”

“Yeah…”

This much evidence would lead to immediate arrest in Japan.

However, in this world, it seems they are dismissing the possibility entirely.

They don’t even have the concept of guns in this world.

The young lord, who now serves as the acting lord, turns to face me and says, “I believe in you too, Shin.”

“Thank you.”

We ended up having lunch at the mansion. It was just the four of us: me, Saran, Bal, and the young lord, with no servants around.

“Don’t bother with formalities or manners, be straightforward with your opinions. Let’s have a candid discussion,” the young lord says.

“Sure, that works. It’ll be easier for me too,” Bal responds nonchalantly.

Bal is too casual in his speech.

Saran pours tea for everyone, holding the teapot.

“Thank you. I heard she’s Shin’s wife?” the young lord asks.

“Yes.”

“It’s quite surprising… an elf as your wife.”

“Well, I suppose it’s rare,” I reply.

“Not just rare, it’s quite an uproar. Well, never mind. I apologize for being rude,” he quickly adds.

He seems to respect our privacy and doesn’t pry.

He appears to be quite a remarkable person.

“What do you think I should do?”

“Firstly, if Kyrif-sama wishes to play it safe,” I suggest, “smooth things over, announce Lord’s passing as an unfortunate accident or illness, hold a prompt funeral, and then focus on managing the domain, distancing yourself from the Church. All past hostilities towards the Church should be retracted, declaring no further involvement.”

“Hey, Shin!” Bal interjects with concern, but there’s nothing wrong with taking the typical bureaucratic approach. It’s only natural for someone in a public position to avoid trouble. In this world, lords are akin to mayors and town leaders.

“…Bal-san, it’s not a bad idea. It’s a common choice. In fact, if you all hadn’t come here like this, it would have likely been that way. I’m still considering doing just that,” Kyrif-sama remarks.

“Acting recklessly would only put Kyrif-sama at risk,” I add.

“Exactly.”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

“The food’s getting cold. We can discuss it while eating. Please, go ahead,” Kyrif-sama urges, starting to eat promptly.

Even after what happened to his father, he still eats heartily. He seems like a strong-willed person.

“Another option is to find and apprehend the culprit. However, the Church might find ways to evade our pursuit, leading to further hostilities,” I continue.

“Killing them would only be silencing them. And even if we capture them alive, they could deny everything,” Bal adds.

“Another approach would be to seek help from someone with higher authority than the Church,” I suggest.

“If only it were that easy. If anyone could, they would have done it already. The only equal to the Church’s power would be the King himself. Their influence is strong,” Kyrif-sama responds.

“Can we expect a fair trial and justice under the law?”

“Not at all. They may hold a mock trial, but the ruling would be at the mercy of the powerful… and that’s coming from a lord’s servant like myself,” Kyrif-sama admits.

“If we capture the culprit within this domain, then Kyrif-sama can handle the punishment as he pleases, right?”

“Of course.”

“And the Church wouldn’t be able to interfere?”

“It would be treated like any common thief or murderer. Immediate hanging. The Church would have no grounds to object. In fact, I’m counting on you hunters for that.”

Dealing with the culprit privately sounds like a somewhat effective strategy, but…

“There may not be just one culprit,” I explain.

“I see… That’s true,” Kyrif-sama acknowledges.

“In other words, if we go after the culprits and capture them, there might be further retaliation with more assassinations?” Bal asks hesitantly.

“Do you have to say that, Bal-san…” I reply.

“I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s better that you said it. It makes it easier to understand, Bal-san,” Saran responds, seemingly relieved with the direct approach.

“I have a question,” I interject.

“What is it?”

“Does the Church have a practice of summoning heroes from other worlds?”

“Yes, they do,” Kyrif-sama confirms.

“I’ve read the scripture,” I continue.

“To read that… You’re a patient one,” Kyrif-sama remarks with a wry smile.

“The adventurous tales of the heroes who defeated the Demon Lords. It was quite tedious,” I say.

“Among the upper-class in this country, it’s considered a form of education for everyone to read it,” Kyrif-sama explains.

“In it, there are accounts of heroes summoned by the Church from different worlds, separate from those who defeated the Demon Lords,” I reveal.

“Those are fabrications concocted by the Church to establish their authority,” Kyrif-sama retorts.

“It’s not that simple,” I disagree, taking out the scripture and flipping to a bookmarked page.

“In the past, there were examples of heroes who defeated monsters with fire and iron, and the heroes summoned by the Church often possess some special abilities,” I explain.

“My apologies,” Kyrif-sama reaches out across the table and takes the scripture from me.

“The heroes wielding artifacts or guns defeated monsters attacking villagers from a hundred naaru away…,” Kyrif-sama muses.

“It seems similar events have occurred in the past,” I respond.

“I see…”

In this world and the Earth I came from, I’m not sure if the flow of time is synchronized or random, but firearms have existed for hundreds of years. Even at the beginning of the Sengoku period, they were already developed. Not only matchlock guns but also large cannons and guns were present. Even air guns existed during the Napoleonic Wars and the Edo period.

Now, we are facing a monster called a long-range rifle.

“I would like to ask for strict confidentiality, but I’ll be honest. I have no desire to avenge my father. There were many aspects of my father’s rule that I opposed. I intend to use this opportunity to govern again from scratch. I, too, will probably decay as a noble. Before that happens, I want to take action as much as possible. I believe it’s a good opportunity,” Kyrif-sama states.

He seems likely to become a good lord.

“On the other hand, if I become entirely subservient to the Church, it will become difficult to make changes. I don’t want to live in fear of the Church’s threats and endure further assassinations. I desperately wish to find a solution. I won’t hesitate to provide any cooperation. I’m wondering if you can take on this matter,” Kirif-sama adds.

“Take on what, exactly?” I inquire.

“Take charge,” he says.

…

Truly noble.

In essence, it’s an order to achieve satisfactory results.

“The reward is a hundred gold coins. How about fifty coins in advance?” Kyrif-sama proposes.

“I cannot promise that. No need for any advance payment,” I reply.

“You are quite humble,” he remarks.

“Well, it’s only natural. I want to return to the Elf village as soon as possible,” I explain.

“Hey, Shin!” Bal-san interrupts loudly.

He can be quite noisy.

“Now, who might be the next target among the nobles?” Kyrif-sama inquires.