An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 71

Chapter 71   Is it a pigeon in the end, after all?

“Are you sure you’re not hiding something?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“Definitely not.”

“Well, I’ve said it just as it happened.”

Kyrif La Altars, the lord and our client, wears a suspicious expression.

After spotting the zombified pigeon, Bal attached a marker to its leg and released it. The pigeon entered Baron Genial’s old mansion. Upon inspecting the place, we found undead creatures wandering about, so we set fire to the mansion and burned everything. Those who tried to escape the mansion were all eliminated. The pigeon was shot down by Shin. Nobody managed to flee the mansion. And thus, the matter was resolved. He shared this account with us.

“Baron Genial was my uncle. He was responsible for managing that small village territory all by himself… Unfortunately, he passed away in that landslide incident. I also have childhood memories of playing in that mansion. I decided not to demolish it, as it held sentimental value… But it seems that it became infested with monsters. There’s not much we can do about it.”

His gaze drops with a tinge of sorrow.

“Regardless, it’s a relief. We managed to prevent the city from being overrun by zombies thanks to this. We owe it to Shin.”

“Indeed.”

“…And it’s all thanks to you, Shin. In the past, no one would even bother with pigeon control. Your persistent efforts to control the pigeon population helped avert this crisis. I’m grateful. Bal-san, you’ve done well too.”

“Thank you.”

“As promised, here’s your reward. Divide it among the three of you.”

“A hundred gold coins, you know! Thirty-three each for the three of us! Well, thank you very much!”

“There might be some stragglers. Just to be sure, please eliminate all the pigeons in the city.”

“Uh… uh… Well…”

“…Didn’t you think a hundred gold coins was quite generous just for burning down a mansion?”

“…Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

“Alright then, let’s get started with this mansion.”

Yes, and then, for a full two weeks, the three of us – myself, Saran, and Bal – went around shooting down pigeons throughout the city.

No time to be concerned about attracting attention, really.

When we were shooting pigeons one after another at the central park, there were even crying children.

There are citizens who make it a daily routine to feed breadcrumbs and such to pigeons, so everyone’s opinion has become quite clear.

We’ve been accompanied by two local soldiers, and they’ve issued a proclamation stating that there’s an epidemic among pigeons that can also infect humans. They’ve instructed citizens not to touch pigeons and to report their presence. So, we won’t be treated harshly by the citizens. However, it’s possible I won’t be able to walk around this town anymore.

When you shoot down one pigeon, the others all scatter, but they’re not particularly clever – they usually just move to a different rooftop rather than disappearing entirely. Even so, if you shoot down around twenty pigeons, they’ll fly off to another area, and we have to move as well.

We’ve even carried out a total extermination operation at large estates and trading companies that have stables for horses. We’ve filled up a wagon with pigeons. We’ll burn them all later.

The next day, more pigeon extermination.

And the day after that, and the day after that.

Bal even said, “I’m the Guild Master, you know!” and left halfway through, claiming he was busy. So, for the latter half of the week, it was mostly just the two of us continuing.

Still, we persevered and managed to shoot down over three thousand pigeons in two weeks.

We’ve been lodging at Lord Kyrif’s mansion, and the maids there have been kind enough to provide us with packed lunches. That part has been quite nice, I must admit.

“In the end, there were no more zombie pigeons left. After checking with Kyrif-san and getting the okay, we were finally able to head back home.

“Good job.”

Well, I’m really exhausted from this ordeal.

We shake hands, and Kyrif-san’s smile as he sees us off is quite dazzling.

I’ve had enough of this, though.

“You’re not hiding something, are you?”

“No, not at all.”

I communicate with Nanotesu in the bath area of the inn.

“You say that, but you didn’t even realize that witch used some sort of substitution magic to survive, did you, Nanotesu-san?”

“…Hehe.”

…It’s quite frustrating when you’re actually on the receiving end of it, hehe.

“Anyway, the zombie incident is finally over, right?”

“Yes, I also conducted a search in the city, and there are no more zombie creatures.”

“Well, that’s good then.”

Can’t rely on it!

“That witch, she won’t reappear as our enemy, will she?”

“Oh, you’ll be fine. When you killed her, she reverted back to an old woman, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, she’s the real deal. And you burned her, right?”

“Yes.”

“A wise decision. Disinfection is the only answer for filth.”

Sometimes, the way this goddess talks is just so down-to-earth, you know…

“How was my blessing?”

“Well, I shot all the zombies in the head, so I don’t know if your blessing had any effect.”

“But they didn’t get up even after being shot, right?”

“Even if you shoot them in the head, they won’t get up, right?”

“Why do you doubt it like that? It seems Nakajima-san doesn’t fully appreciate how valuable my blessings are!”

“No, it’s not like that. It worked properly when dealing with the Werewolf Man.”

No, no, no. I really appreciate it, honestly.

I shouldn’t upset her, or she might take away my Magic Bag. Let’s just go along with this.

“But you managed to break through the witch’s defense, right?”

“Well, she’s wearing that kind of skimpy bikini, so it’s hard to take her defense seriously…”

“What are you talking about? The fact that she’s dressed like that means she has absolute confidence in her defense. I’m sure she’d easily deflect your shots with her magic against Nakajima-san’s gun.”

Oh, is that so…

“In that case, if I had shot the witch directly in front of the shrine…”

“You would’ve likely been counterattacked by the hero’s party and ended up killed, Nakajima-san.”

Oh my, was I really taking such a dangerous approach?!

That’s scary!

“However, that surprise headshot on the witch while moving, it was quite impressive.”

“Oh, that one.”

“Did you practice it?”

“No, I just attached a flashlight to the shotgun, narrowed the beam of light, and ensured the bullet would hit right in the center of the light.”

“I see.”

Well, it’s kind of like using a laser sight, I suppose.

“Whether it’s animals or humans, if you suddenly shine a light at them, they momentarily freeze.”

“Oh yeah, that’s true. Like when you’re driving at night and a cat or dog is on the road, they stop and stare at you.”

“…How do you even know about that, Nanotesu-san?”

“Well, even if you ask…”

Before becoming a goddess, she must have worked at a company, right?

I have a feeling like that, for some reason.

“Special forces and such also attach flashlights to their guns, not just to illuminate dark areas, but also to blind the enemy, I heard.”

“Why do you know about that, Nakajima-san?”

“Well, that’s not really important, is it?”

It was probably from a manga or a movie. Well, it’s not a big deal.

“Shin, I’m out of the bath!”

“Alright, call’s over!”

“Oh, wait!”

Click.

Zombies, Shotguns, and Me – Chapters END

――――Author’s Note――――

※1. Flashlight

Despite the term “flash,” it doesn’t emit a brief burst of light like a camera flash. It’s simply an LED light. It’s powerful, bright, and the illuminated area can be adjusted by turning the lens.

Of course, it’s effective in dark scenes and can startle enemies or momentarily blind them.

However, since it can easily make the user a target from the enemy’s perspective, its usage should be carefully considered.

※2. Laser Sight

While Shin used the flashlight with a narrowed beam similar to a laser sight, it’s worth noting that in movies, laser sights may seem highly effective, but in reality, they are quite impractical.

Upon using it, one would realize that humans cannot simultaneously focus on both a moving target and the tiny laser dot, making aiming actually more challenging. Moreover, during broad daylight and outdoor settings, the laser dot is hardly visible. In dim environments, the source of the shot becomes evident to enemies, revealing the intention to fire even before the shot is taken, making the user vulnerable to concentrated attacks.

Although I believe laser sights are likely prohibited in airsoft, they aren’t desirable equipment when facing an opponent, as they pose a risk of eye injury upon direct contact. Moreover, consider a scenario where every member of your team uses laser sights—no one would know who is aiming where, causing utter confusion.

Seasoned individuals often appear as if they’re shouldering their firearm and searching through the sights for enemies (also seen in FPS games). Ultimately, this approach tends to be the most effective.

In hunting, laser sights are not used at all. This is because the straight-line laser beam doesn’t match the parabolic trajectory of the bullet used for long-range shooting. Additionally, shining a laser on any animal will cause them all to scatter.

By the way, commercially available laser rangefinders used for activities such as golf or measuring distances emit weak, invisible lasers. These devices are safe and the emitted light isn’t visible to the naked eye, ensuring that no animals are disturbed when using them.

While laser sights have numerous disadvantages, the most significant drawback is the amateurish and rather uncool perception that one cannot hit a target without using them, at least from my personal point of view.