An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 64

Blessing of the Goddess – Chapters

Chapter 64   Werewolf and silver bullet

“It’s impressive you’re unharmed. Dealing with the one who took down our territorial soldiers…”

Lord Faal La Hawksburg, now the count and ruler of the Topurus domain, welcomed us with a stern expression. He had inherited the title from his father.

“I was worried since we lost contact. How is everything after that? How did it go?”

“The street is closed, and the southern gate is shut. I desperately asked to send a horse running to deliver a message to Faal. But we encountered trouble on our way here.”

“What kind of adversary was it?”

“One of our horses was taken down…”

Reuniting after a long time, childhood friends Kyrif and Faal exchanged words with somber faces.

Faal, just over twenty years old, and Kyrif, still in their teens.

They’re like siblings, I suppose.

“It’s great that you made it, Raccoonhead. Thank you. You really stepped up.”

Faal smiles at Saran and me, whom he hasn’t seen in a while.

“Hearing that you two were in trouble…”

“Shame on you, Shin, pretending to dislike it so much when you actually agreed to it.”

Kyrif also chuckles.

“I saw it for the first time too, but Shin’s gun didn’t work at all. Well, We managed to drive it away, but it was still lively and later attacked the horse. Is that creature invincible?”

“Was Shin’s gun only good for shooting pigeons?”

Ah, I see. Faal has only seen me shoot down pigeons from the terrace.

“No, actually, Shin’s gun is powerful enough to take down a horse with a single shot.”

“Did you witness that, Kyrif?”

It would have been too pitiful to let the wolf-man devour the horse alive.

“I see. But if even that didn’t work at all… we need to find a way to defeat it.”

“Yes, I thought maybe we could find something here, some way to research it.”

Faal from the Count’s family seems to have more information than Kyrif.

“I’m having the church look into it. Let’s pay them a visit. Everyone, you’ve done well. Rest at the mansion.”

Team Ballistes gets assigned a room at the mansion and is provided with a meal. Everyone is overjoyed.

“I apologize for working you all to the bone. Shin, Saran, thank you for joining.”

Faal, Kyrif, Saran, and I board a carriage headed for the church.

“That’s not a werewolf, is it? A true lycanthrope?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

Their conversation seems rather strange.

“Isn’t a werewolf just another term for a true lycanthrope?”

“No, it’s different,” Saran explains.

“A lycanthrope is a human who transforms into a wolf, while a werewolf is a wolf that takes on a humanoid form.”

So, there’s a distinction like that.

“Exactly. A lycanthrope, which is a human turning into a wolf, is only slightly stronger than a human. But a werewolf, which is a wolf transformed into a humanoid, is many times stronger than a human. A creature of legendary proportions.”

Faal nods.

…Now that I think about it, Canadian or Alaskan wolves are bigger than humans, aren’t they?

If those turned into monsters, they would indeed be fearsome.

Upon reaching the church, we listen to what the priest has to say.

This church belongs to the Order of the Valiant. While the central branch is plagued with corruption due to the previous assassination incident, the local branches still manage to gather followers. Previously, the church’s bell tower was utilized by the summoned hero and was inadvertently involved in aiding the lord’s assassination, leading to a loss of trust. Thus, the church is desperately trying to regain its reputation.

“In the ancient records, it is written in the scriptures that the hero used a silver weapon to defeat the lycanthrope.”

Scriptures, huh?

Here, when they mention scriptures, it’s not about gods or prophets imparting teachings. Instead, it’s a collection of adventure stories about the heroes who defeated the Demon King throughout history, meant to serve as examples of virtuous and righteous living. The Nanotesu I know doesn’t even have a hint of presence. Unfortunate.

A silver weapon, huh?

That’s a falsehood. The idea of killing a true lycanthrope with a silver bullet is straight out of old black-and-white horror movies. It’s not a genuine ancient legend, at least not in my world.

Can’t rely on that…!

“Oh!”

“Perhaps that could work!”

Faal and Kyrif’s eyes sparkle with excitement.

“Just plain silver won’t do. It must be a weapon made from a rosary blessed by the church.”

“Can you prepare it quickly?”

“The town is in danger. We will gladly provide it.”

“Much appreciated!”

Of course, that’s probably not true.

Just like how vampires are said to fear crosses, right? Well, it’s not the cross that vampires fear, but rather God. They fear their own sins due to their faith in God.

In other words, the idea of vampires being scared of crosses is a made-up horror story by Christianity to establish their authority. I’ve read a manga about it.

Well, here, the “rosary” isn’t a cross but has a weird shape with a circle and a line.

Everyone is enthusiastically discussing the idea of creating silver arrows and equipping them to Saran. This doesn’t seem like a viable solution…

Silver is a soft metal, you see. It can’t even be used as a blade. Even if you turn it into arrows, I can’t imagine them piercing an opponent who wasn’t affected by a back shot.

Wasn’t there an animal with incredibly tough fur that even lion’s teeth couldn’t penetrate? Was it called a honey badger or something? Maybe a Werewolf is similar.

“I’ll step out for a moment, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Digital radio!”

I take out my magic bag and, after a long while…

“This is Nakajima. Nakajima calling for Nanotesu-san, please respond.”

“Yes, this is Nanotesu speaking!”

…Nanotesu-san, you’re still as high-spirited as ever.

“Long time no see. I apologize for not keeping in touch.”

“Oh no, not at all. We always hear about your great deeds, Nakajima-san. You were quite impressive today as well.”

“I wouldn’t call that impressive… So, what exactly is that wolf-man?”

“It’s a monster, a demonic being, if you will. You’re aware that some wolves can grow quite large and become massive, right?”

“Sure, they’ve caught wolves bigger than humans in places like Canada. It’s called the ‘Bergmann’s Rule,’ where northern animals tend to grow larger. Brown bears are bigger than black bears, Arctic foxes are larger than red foxes, and Sika deer are smaller than Yezo deer.”

“Indeed, you’re quite knowledgeable about it.”

“When most people hear ‘deer,’ they probably think of those guys munching on rice crackers in Nara Park. But for us folks from Hokkaido, we think of Ezo deer, which are the size of small cars and can be deadly if you hit them with a compact car. It’s a completely different creature.”

“As this massive wolf aged, it grew cunning, learned magic, increased its defense, and transformed into a humanoid shape resembling a person.”

“Well, we’re currently discussing how to defeat it.”

“Using a weapon made by melting down a silver rosary blessed by the church to repel it. Is that even viable?”

“Haha…”

…Don’t laugh, please. Everyone is being serious here.

“Come on, relying on some unfounded divine power won’t cut it.”

“Exactly. But the devout believers are dead serious about it.”

“Nakajima-san, you don’t believe in God?”

“No, it’s not like that. I’m a fervent Nanotesu disciple.”

“You Japanese people, always saying things so casually…”

“Is that a problem?”

“Aren’t most Japanese people non-religious?”

“That’s not true at all. We visit shrines during New Year’s, celebrate Christmas, hold funerals at temples when we die, and have weddings at hotel chapels equipped with Christian-style decorations.”

“Doing all of that just proves that you’re basically non-religious, doesn’t it?!”

“Fair point.”

“Christmas has become a day for Santa Claus in a country that just loves events. Christ is hardly relevant anymore, huh?”

“You know, I think the reason Japanese people seem to dominate various worlds using cheats and go on rampages is because they don’t give a damn about the existence of the gods in those worlds. They’ll do things without a second thought that locals wouldn’t dare attempt, disregarding the rules, beliefs, culture, and showing zero sense of ethics. It’s quite troublesome, isn’t it?”

Well, even if you go on and on about those reasons, ethics change when the world changes.

“I, for instance, live modestly and inconspicuously, guarding a small happiness in an elf village.”

“Yes, thank you. I consider myself fortunate to be in a good situation.”

“So, you see, my gun had no effect on the Werewolf. What should I do?”

“Leave it to me.”

“…I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Well, you should make silver bullets and put them in your magic bag. I’ll give them a special blessing.”

“Does it have to be silver?”

“Silver is more susceptible to blessings, that’s a fact.”

“Would bullets made from melted silver coins work?”

“Yes.”

“…So, it all comes down to money. It somehow lacks significance.”

“It’s not some fake church or hero, it’s the real goddess herself who will bless you! The effect is excellent! Please believe me!”

“Sure, sure. I’m counting on it. And these can be shotgun shells, right?”

“Yes, as long as they hit.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll give it a shot. If I fail this time, I’m really done for. I’m relying on you.”

“…Nakajima-san, you are one of my believers, right?”

“Yes. Well then, I’ll let you know once the bullets are ready. Communication over.”

“Oh, wai—” thud.

Now then, time to get to work…

Together, we returned from the church to the mansion and listened to the plan.

It turns out that Saran has handed over a few of her arrows to the church, and they’re working on crafting arrowheads for them.

“Faal.”

“Yes?”

“Do we have a blacksmith’s forge in the mansion?”

“We have a farrier’s forge for horseshoes… What are you planning?”

“I’d like to borrow it for a bit. I need charcoal, a bellows, a crucible, a barrel of water, and a high spot.”

“Well, if you need a high spot, there’s a fire watchtower on the estate.”

The lord’s mansion isn’t just a grand house; it’s also a governing institution, so it’s equipped with these facilities. So, they have these kinds of things as well…

We set up the borrowed barrel beneath the fire watchtower and filled it with water. I placed ten gold coins in my magic bag, declared, “Exchange all for silver coins!” and the magic bag duly produced silver coins. It’s a ratio of twelve silver coins for one gold coin. Since one gold coin is equivalent to about 10,000 yen, each silver coin is approximately 830 yen. Now, one hundred and twenty of these… This is getting pricey!

Pouring the silver coins into the crucible, I kindled a fire with charcoal in the forge, blowing air with the bellows to melt the silver into a gooey state. Maybe the temperature needs a little adjustment…

I bought a gas burner used for soldering with my magic bag and used it to apply further heat.

Saran is watching with a curious expression.

Once it’s melted, I quickly ascended the fire watchtower and dropped the molten silver, drip by drip, into the barrel of water. Plop, plop, a slow hiss as the silver cools.

Doing this, you see, creates small spherical silver grains at the bottom of the barrel.

When a molten metal is in free fall under zero gravity, it naturally forms a spherical shape due to surface tension. Dropping it directly into the water cools and solidifies it. You’ve probably seen solder or molten welded iron droplets form perfect spheres as they fall. The surface tension of molten metal is even stronger than that of water.

I collected the resulting silver grains, sorted them to around 8mm, melted the ones that were too large or too small, and then dropped them once more, drip by drip.

Shotgun pellets are made in a similar manner by ammunition manufacturers. They use a water tank and a high cooling tower for that process.

Whether it’s lead or silver, the process is quite similar. They’re slightly misshapen, but considering they’ll be used in close combat, they’re turning out quite well.

With that, I managed to create around two hundred silver bullets with a diameter of just over 8mm.

Using my magic bag, I bought a box of 25 rounds of 00 Double-Oh Back 3-inch Magnum shot shells, and I carefully cut off the crimped section at the front with a knife.

When turned upside down, the lead pellets easily spill out. The gunpowder is held in check by wads, so it stays in place. Then, I started loading the silver bullets I made in place of the lead pellets. Each shotgun shell can hold almost ten of them.

Afterward, I covered it with a circular piece of thick paper and folded the crimped section.

“Alright, the silver shot for the shotgun is ready!”

“I see, so you’ve been making silver bullets.”

Saran commented with amazement from behind.

“Just to be safe.”

“Yes, I’m counting on you.”

She embraced me from behind and nuzzled affectionately.

“…Saran.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you scared? I mean, your arrows didn’t work. My gun didn’t either.”

“…Yeah. But we managed to drive it away, right?”

“We only managed to drive it away.”

“Even so, that’s impressive.”

“I have to do my best. Otherwise, I won’t be able to return to the elf village.”

“Yeah.”

I’m relying on you, Nanotesu-sama.

Before going to bed, I have a solitary moment on the balcony and initiate communication.

” Nanotesu-sama, Nanotesu-sama.”

“Yes, this is Nanotes!”

“The silver bullets are ready. I’ll put them into the magic bag, so please bless them.”

“Yes, go ahead and prepare.”

I place the 25 special OO Buck rounds into the magic bag…

“Mumble mumble mumble mumble.”

Is this really okay, Nanotesu…

“Yes! It’s done!”

“I hope everything will be fine. I’m entrusting my life to you.”

“Leave it to me! Make sure you hit your target, okay?”

“…I’ll do my best.”

I’m counting on you, my goddess.

―――Author’s Notes―――

※1. Melting Silver

The melting point of silver is 962°C. The temperature of the charcoal fire, when sufficiently stoked with a bellows, reaches around 1000°C. Gas flames can go up to 1700°C.

※2. Magnum Shot Shells

The notation for the caliber of shotgun shells is a bit unique. It’s based on a pound of lead, with 453.6 grams, and a 12-gauge refers to firing 1/12 pound (about 37.9 grams) of shot, while a 20-gauge fires 1/20 pound (about 22.7 grams). In other words, the higher the gauge number, the smaller and less powerful the shotgun. Readers, please refrain from writing embarrassing statements like “Wow, the 20-gauge is stronger than the 12-gauge!” in your own novels after reading this. The 20-gauge is somewhat popular for female hunters and precision shooting with slugs.

This could be a remnant of the time when bullet weight directly represented caliber, as seen in terms like “1-pounder.” A standard 12-gauge shotgun shell length is usually 2 ¾ inches (70mm), while longer 3-inch (76mm) and 3 ½-inch (89mm) shells are considered magnum loads. Shotgun chambers are designed to accommodate the expanding crimp (※3) as well, so it’s important not to load a 3-inch shell into a chamber meant for 2 ¾ inches, as it could cause problems. Shooting 2 ¾-inch shells in a shotgun capable of using up to 3-inch shells is common.

※3. Crimp

The folded-over section at the front of a plastic shotgun shell case that serves as a cover. When fired, it expands and extends forward. There are different types, such as the star crimp that seals to prevent pellets from falling out, and the roll crimp, which exposes the slug’s head as it’s rolled and tucked. These distinctions are made to avoid mixing up shotgun pellets and slugs.