An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Blessing of the Goddess – Chapters

Chapter 65 Zero range shooting

Morning has arrived, and it’s time for our departure.

This time, it’s just us.

Our team consists of five members: Bartil, myself, Saran, Vice Leader Mild, and Lant. The Lord and the magician, along with Newton, will remain behind.

Bartil, Mild, and Lant will focus on defense, each wielding a shield this time.

Saran’s bow is mounted on an open cargo carriage, allowing arrows to be fired in all directions. We’ve chosen a six-horse carriage for this purpose, as Saran seems to have an affinity for horses.

Saran is stationed at the center of the carriage. I stand beside her, ready for unforeseen circumstances. I have placed the 375H&H Magnum Rifle Remington M700, blessed by Nanotesu, under the seat. Additionally, I carry the OO Double O Back, a 26-inch barrel M870 shotgun loaded with seven rounds of blessed ammunition. My left pocket is tight with only 18 rounds remaining.

I’ve removed the scope from the M700, opting for open sights only (Note 1). This setup is optimized for close-quarters combat. Let’s hope we won’t need to use it.

Saran’s arrows are tipped with silver arrowheads provided by the church. Before departure, I secretly communicated with Nanotesu and discussed our plans.

“Please put those arrows in the magic bag. I’ll bless them for you.”

“But won’t they get overwritten by the church’s protection?”

“Come on, that weak blessing from some mediocre priest at the church is surely as good as zero. Whose side are you on, Nakajima?”

“Alright, alright. I understand.”

Saran borrowed five custom-made arrows and placed them in the magic bag. All set and ready to go.

From the digital radio tucked into my chest pocket, a soft response came, “(Roger that!)” I retrieved the radio from the bag and handed it back to Saran.

Saran trusts me completely, so she accepted the arrows with a smile, no words needed.

Gently, I guided the six-horse carriage with a rhythmic clapping sound.

It seems they’ve gathered a bunch of mediocre horses this time, assuming they’d be taken down easily. Poor creatures won’t run very far.

“Alright… it’s about time…”

In the middle of the carriage, Saran readied an arrow on her bow, poised to draw at any moment.

I, too, lifted my gun, my index and middle fingers holding two shotgun shells in between. Gripping the forend, I aimed upwards.

“They’re here!”

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

Something black came rushing down the slope beside the road, shaking the grass violently. It moved at incredible speed!

It leaped and pounced on the lead horse with great force!

Without delay, Bartil pulled the reins, bringing the horses to a halt. Just as the horse reared back, Saran clung onto it, releasing an arrow at the werewolf.

Thump!

It pierced through!!

It’s effective! Truly the work of the goddess!

The werewolf kicks the horse and lunges towards us!

Bartil, who had risen to his feet, braces himself, thrusting his shield forward… but he’s overpowered and knocked down! What incredible strength!

I Aim the barrel at the head of the werewolf pressing down on the shield!

Bang!

Blood splatters as the werewolf flinches!

Bang!

It staggers back!

Bang!

It tumbles over!

Bang!

Falling off the carriage bed!

Bang!

As it crawls, attempting to escape!

Bang!

The startled horses, alarmed by the gunshot, are running wild, trampling the werewolf beneath their hooves.

The werewolf sluggishly attempts to distance itself from the carriage.

What incredible resilience!

Bartil leaps from the carriage bed, exerting all his weight to thrust a spear into the werewolf’s back.

But even with half the spear embedded, Bartil loses his footing and falls.

What an impenetrable body!

Thump!

Saran’s arrows pierce one after another.

Amidst the gained time, I reload the silver shotgun shells and jump down from the carriage, aiming for the neck of the crawling werewolf. It’s practically point-blank!

Bang!

…On the sixth shot, the head separates from the torso.

It might be gruesome, but I can’t find solace until it’s done.

This is a monster… a true embodiment of a monster.

A shiver runs through me as if it were happening just now.

Clatter, clatter…

My hands tremble as I struggle to load the shotgun shells.

It was frightening…

Memories of being attacked by a brown bear and dying resurface.

It’s my trauma, something I never truly managed to overcome.

“Damn it!”

Bartil’s voice carries a frustrated chuckle.

“In the end, it’s always Shin, huh.”

There it is.

Does it really matter who it is? Facing off against a creature like this in combat is already enough.

“Are you okay, Shin?”

“I’ll wash up…”

Before I realize it, I’m covered in blood splatters.

Leaving the road behind, I spot a stream and decide to wash up there. I strip off my clothes and cleanse my face.

The clothes too… It’s probably better to change at this point.

I place my camouflaged hunter attire, now removed, into a plastic bag from the magic bag, and then I thoroughly wash my body.

“Nanotesu, Nanotesu, this is Nakajima… requesting response.”

I contact Nanotesu using the digital radio.

“Hello! It’s Nanotesu! How’s it going? The silver bullets did the trick, didn’t they?”

“Ah… Thank you very much. Thanks to you, we managed to defeat it somehow. Although I used up twelve rounds of ammunition.”

“That’s good to hear. With those, you should have been able to penetrate the werewolf’s defense. Impressive, dealing with such a tough opponent. Truly a skilled warrior.”

“Um, I ended up covered in its blood. Is that okay?”

“It’s perfectly fine. Once the enemy is dead, there’s no lingering effect.”

Despite her words…

“I’m still a bit concerned.”

“I see. In that case, I’ll perform a purification spell. Just get into the magic bag.”

“No way! That’s impossible!”

Surely the bag can’t be big enough for a person!

“I’m joking. Put the magic bag over your head.”

“Please, I’m begging you.”

And so, I opened the mouth of the yellow bag and put it over my head.

It’s dark.

“Mumble mumble mumble mumble. Alright, you’re good now!”

“Thank you.”

With that, I removed the bag from my head.

“What are you doing, Shin?”

…Saran, who had come over to check on me worriedly, was looking at me in the bag with a mixture of concern and disbelief as I stood there completely naked.

My beloved M870 was also covered in blood.

I soaked it in water and thoroughly cleaned it.

I should really give it proper maintenance soon, or it’s going to rust badly.

I shook off the water, brought out a change of clothes, and switched into civilian attire.

Saran used a towel to wipe my body, taking meticulous care of me. Having a wife is quite wonderful.

When I returned, everyone was preparing to burn the werewolf’s body by stacking dry branches and logs on top of it.

“Lord says we don’t need proof of the kill. Carrying it back would be troublesome and dangerous,” Bartil explained.

I also purchased some gasoline from the magic bag and poured it over the setup.

Saran ignited a soaked rag with a fireball, and the logs caught fire, slowly beginning to blaze.

I tossed in the plastic bag containing my cherished camouflaged hunter attire; it was stained with the werewolf’s blood after all.

Roaring flames erupted.

A spectacular blaze.

Beside the fire, I spread out a clean cloth and disassembled my washed M870, wiping away moisture and allowing it to dry. The M870 has a simple structure, so even when fully disassembled, the number of parts is relatively small. You don’t need to disassemble the trigger assembly. The set of parts, like the hammer and trigger, can be removed together.

You only need to use a screwdriver on the rear stock part.

I liberally applied WD-40, acting as a substitute for gun oil, allowing it to seep in and expel all moisture…

Each part of the M870, placed near the rising flames, becomes almost too hot to touch. Except for the stock and forend, everything is made of metal. It’ll dry quickly and be ready for reassembly.

“Shin, you forgot something.”

Saran hands me the Remington M700 that was left on the carriage bed.

“Thank you.”

As I sit down and cradle the M700, my trembling subsides.

It seems I can’t feel at ease without a gun in my hands.

Am I becoming dependent on firearms?

Since coming to this world, this has been the most frightening experience.

Saran comes up from behind and gently embraces me.

As everyone watches, their faces express envy…

Feelings like you are experiencing are normal and natural.

――――Author’s Note――――

・Point-blank Shooting

“Point-blank shooting originally doesn’t refer to shooting at an enemy from extremely close range, pressing the muzzle against them; it pertains to firing horizontal artillery rounds without elevation,” is a common interpretation, which, in fact, is incorrect. There is also a theory that suggests “setting the fuse of an explosive projectile to detonate simultaneously upon firing.” Considering the rich history of firearms, various interpretations of this term are likely to emerge, so it’s advisable to use it with caution.

Nevertheless, it has a certain allure that makes one want to use it, purely because it sounds cool.

※1. Open Sights

When a scope is mounted on a firearm equipped with open sights, what happens is that you vaguely see the rear sight and front sight at the lower part. They appear as dark shadows and do not obstruct the field of view provided by the scope. If you happen to possess binoculars or a telescope, try peering through them while waving your finger in front of the lens. You’ll realize that it doesn’t actually obstruct the view.

If it doesn’t bother you, you can continue using them together without any hindrance. However, those who find it bothersome often remove the rear sight and front sight when attaching a scope.

It’s worth noting that modern hunting rifles are designed with scopes in mind from the outset, so rifles with rear sights and front sights have become less common.