An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 59

Military Otaku VS Hunter – Chapters

Chapter 59   Decisive Battle, Royal Capital Julliard

“It does seem a bit unsettling being out on the terrace, doesn’t it?”

“Let’s move to the salon within the mansion and discuss our future actions.”

There are only three of us present.

“The weapon used by the culprit is the same gun mentioned in this Bible.”

“Yes.”

“The one you were using to catch pigeons earlier.”

“Yes, we deliberately showed it to you, hoping for a swift understanding.”

“I understand. Moreover, I am convinced it’s not something belonging to you. The gun you possess can only kill pigeons. The culprit has something much more powerful than that.”

“That’s correct. Please take a look.”

Saying this, I place a 4.5mm air gun pellet, which had been used for pigeon control, next to the .50 caliber anti-materiel rifle bullet we had unearthed earlier.

“The difference is clear.”

One is 4.5mm, while the other is 12.7mm.

It’s like the difference between the tip of a matchstick and a size of a AAA battery.

“You are among the few gun experts in this country. And on top of that, Kyrif has been led to me…”

“Yes.”

“The culprit is a summoned hero from the Church of Valor. This individual employs an ancient artifact, a firearm, to carry out long-range magical assassinations of the church’s adversaries, as commanded by the church.”

“That is correct.”

Though, not ancient, but rather state-of-the-art, and not magical bullets but full metal jacket rounds.

“…Let’s investigate if there’s anyone who fits this description.”

“I would appreciate that, but it needs to be kept confidential. If word gets out, Faal-sama might end up being targeted.”

“Indeed…”

“The culprit possesses something completely different from this.”

A clatter.

I remove the gun bag of Diana M52 I had placed beside and set it on the table.

“It’s larger, longer, heavier, and thicker than this. They probably carry it in a bag, slung over their back. Alternatively, they might be concealing it within a pocket dimension.”

I cover Diana with the gun bag and demonstrate how it’s worn on the back.

“I see.”

“Even though it might not be easily memorable in people’s minds from over a month ago.”

“Understood.”

“Also, for the next potential target, any suspicions?”

“…?”

Faal-san looks up with a start, lifting his face.

“His Majesty, the King!!”

What on earth––––––!!

“Given the string of noble assassinations, it’s become so blatant that His Majesty the King has summoned the Archbishop of the Church to the palace for consultation, and a council of inquiry will be held!”

“When will that happen?”

“Ah… tomorrow!”

“We need to send an envoy to the capital immediately!”

“I’ll go. Join me. We must protect His Majesty!”

“Understood.”

“Sebas!!”

Well, it’s quite a commotion, indeed.

It’s the four of us: myself, Saran, Faal-sama, and Sebas-san, the butler who holds the reins. A minimal team to keep the carriage light.

We’ll be riding a six-horse carriage!

I’m positioned next to Sebas-san, serving as an escort. I’ve got the M870 in my hands. Saran, facing backward, is vigilant with a bow in hand.

The road to the capital city, even as it gets dimmer, is devoid of bandits, unlike before. It’s the first time I’ve seen the grand city of Julliard! It’s massive!!

It must be five times the size of Topurus!

It’s fortified with towering walls, almost as if we’re looking up at them, providing a robust defense.

“Open the gates––––––! Open the gates––––––––!”

As Faal-san shouts, the guards come out, curious about the commotion.

“I am Faal La Hawksburg, acting lord of Toporus. I urgently seek an audience with His Majesty the King!”

“It’s already nighttime!”

“It’s an emergency. It concerns the series of noble assassinations. His Majesty the King might be targeted for assassination! Hurry!”

The crest on the carriage signifies that Faal is from the Hawksburg family.

A pale guard spurs his horse into action.

Continuing on the same horse, they guide the carriage forward.

An advance rider has already relayed the message, and we were granted passage through the main gates of the palace.

“His Majesty the King will see you now.”

“Sorry, but this is where you’ll have to stop. Leave the rest to me. Sebas, come.”

Faal-san descends from the carriage apologetically.

Well, there’s nothing to be done. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us hunters to meet the king, no matter how you look at it.

“Follow the plan as I explained earlier.”

“I understand!”

…It’s already past midnight. We’ve been made to wait for a good three hours.

Sebas-san arrived.

“How did it go?”

“We’ve received approval from His Majesty the King.”

“We did it!”

“We did it!”

Saran and I give each other a high-five.

What surprised us was that Kyrif-san was there.

It’s the young lord of Saaplast. He’s accompanied by his butler.

“Hey, you guys, you actually made it.”

“Kyirif-san. Oh, excuse me, Lord Kyrif, were you here?”

“Don’t worry about it. After you left, I thought it would be best to appeal directly to His Majesty the King. I also remembered about tomorrow’s council of inquiry.”

“And His Majesty the King?”

“Faal and I worked together to persuade him, and somehow he agreed to take on the case.”

In reality, when the two remaining heirs to the head of the family, whose head had been assassinated, earnestly pleaded, His Majesty the King couldn’t simply turn them away. Especially when their own lives were at stake.

“Captain of the Julliard Royal Guard, Jilas Hal Tanra. I’ve heard the story!”

A knight in splendid armor comes running over.

“Do you have any plans?”

“I need a map of the capital.”

“Understood. Follow me.”

We gather at the headquarters of the Royal Guard.

A large table displayed a map of the capital city, Julliard. The burly members of the Royal Guard surrounded it.

“And the church?”

“Here.”

“The palace is… right here.”

“That’s correct.”

“The room where the council of inquiry will be held?”

“This one. The Royal Conference Hall on the third floor.”

“The tallest structure of the church?”

“The Clock Tower.”

It’s a clock tower, not just a bell tower. As expected of the capital city.

“Do the bells in the Clock Tower ring every hour?”

“Yes.”

“Twelve times at noon?”

“That’s right.”

No doubt about it.

They begin placing pins on the map on the table, one by one.

“What’s the scale?”

“One in five thousand.”

So, 100 meters is 2 centimeters on the map.

From the Royal Conference Hall on the third floor, a semi-circle with a 20cm radius.

Let’s look at 1km.

The church’s Clock Tower is situated 700 meters away. A perfectly feasible sniping distance.

“Are there any other tall buildings?”

“Merchant Guild’s Commerce Hall.”

“The Opera House.”

“Duke Baldraat’s mansion.”

Fingers extend from various directions, indicating spots on the map.

“The Opera House seems suitable.”

Among all the tall buildings surrounding the church, you can encompass them all within a 200-meter radius.

“Is there enough space to move around on the rooftop?”

“Of course.”

“Saran and I will wait there.”

“Hmm…”

“The Royal Guard will discreetly encircle the church, ready for entry. We’ll signal when the culprit appears before the sound of the noon bell. You can then charge towards the Clock Tower.”

“Storming the church… If anything goes wrong, it will be a major problem.”

“We won’t enter unless there’s something wrong. Only when the culprit shows up.”

“It’s an 800-naaru distance… Can you really make the shot?”

The Captain of the Royal Guard shakes his head.

“No doubt. My father was shot and killed by a magical bullet from a distance of 872 naaru,” Kyrif-san affirms with conviction.

“What a person…” Quite astonishing, right?

At Faal-san’s estate, the head of the family was shot from a distance of 150 meters a month ago. Just recently, Kyrif-san’s estate was targeted from 793 meters away…

They’ve been using a highly advanced rifle capable of long-distance sniping from the very beginning. Choosing that rifle as their initial weapon indicates a deep knowledge of firearms.

Using the same rifle repeatedly and gradually extending the sniping range would make it possible to hit targets from such distances.

While I’m not sure what kind of firearm capabilities exist in this world, anyone would probably think that long-distance sniping is a better approach than storming a noble’s mansion alone and spraying bullets with a machine gun.

“The culprit should be carrying a massive gun, about as wide as their outstretched arms.”

“Yeah. Like the artifact mentioned in the scriptures.”

“If we all jump on them at once, we might have a chance.”

“Leave it to us. Don’t underestimate the Royal Guard.”

If it’s an anti-materiel rifle, it would weigh over 10 kg.

It’s not something you can easily swing around and aim at someone.

“We heard that you were here, Shin.”

Faal-san and Butler Sebas arrived.

“How’s it going? Can we make this work?”

“Yes. His Majesty the King…”

“He was quite annoyed. The summoned Archbishop said something like, ‘Such impertinence will be met with divine punishment,’ and he was chuckling about it. When you think about it, that’s practically a prelude to an attempt on His Majesty’s life.”

“We’ll be putting on a little performance.”

“It’s fine. His Majesty enjoys these tricks, these little dramas. He’s quite mischievous and good-natured in his own way. His entourage made a huge fuss about it, saying everyone should, stop.”

Ahahaha.

I chuckle inwardly.

“What does the signal sound like?”

Everyone looks at me.

“It’s a loud, booming sound like ‘BAAM.’ Use that as the signal to charge in. Probably around noon. Just before the Clock Tower bell rings twelve times. If nothing happens there, the next opportunity will be at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. It’s either noon or three, one of the two.”

“Understood.”

The captain stands up and scans the assembled Royal Guard.

“Alright, let’s disband. The operation begins before dawn.”