I Was Just a Losing Jail Guard, but When I Was Kind to the Captured Heroines, the Game’s Story Fell Apart. - Chapter 21: The Losing Jail Guard Discovers a Sniping Talent

Chapter 21: The Losing Jail Guard Discovers a Sniping Talent

Katiana blinked in surprise when she saw Elette.

Her gaze then shifted to me, standing behind Elette.

Well, thanks to the magical cloaks Elette made to block recognition, I shouldn’t have been noticed, but—

“W-Why is Sir Lugus here as well!?”

She figured it out instantly.

I grabbed Elette by the back of her collar and questioned her.

“Why didn’t the recognition blocker work?”

“Because it doesn’t work on people you’re close to. It means you’re someone very important to her.”

“…Is that so.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about that or just confused.

“S-Sir Lugus. While I can understand Lady Elette being here, it would be best if you returned to safety…”

“Oh, come on, don’t say that. I came all this way to help. Not that I know how much help I can actually be.”

“That’s not true—”

“She’s right, Lugus-suss. You’re a man I trust. Don’t put yourself down like that. And to prove it, here’s a gift from me.”

Saying this, Elette rummaged through the cockpit of the Strongest Golem and pulled something out.

It was a massive, ridiculously long gun.

“What… is this?”

“It’s an Anti-Materiel Beam Rifle. I whipped it up real quick based on your descriptions.”

“Please don’t casually make superweapons in your spare time!”

The rifle, which could easily be called a small cannon, was heavy enough to make carrying it a real struggle.

“I can’t handle something this heavy. Besides, I’ve never even fired a gun before.”

“Come on, don’t say that. Why don’t you try aiming at one of the ballistae on the walls surrounding the capital from here?”

“There’s no way I’ll hit that…”

“Just give it a shot!”

Urged on by the ever-persistent Elette, I reluctantly got down on the ground and set up the Anti-Materiel Beam Rifle.

It even had a proper scope attached, so I carefully aimed at a large ballista perched on the walls of the capital, several kilometers away.

Click. I pulled the trigger.

“Huh?”

I hit it.

A purple beam shot out of the rifle’s barrel, instantly vaporizing the large ballista in a dazzling display.

Thinking it must’ve been beginner’s luck, I fired a second shot.

It hit again. And again. It was almost laughable how easy it was.

“I think I might have a talent for sniping.”

“Exactly.”

“…I was joking. Aren’t you supposed to say something like, ‘Don’t flatter yourself!’ or something?”

“No, it’s an objective fact. You’ve got sharp eyes and a natural sense for spatial awareness. Weapons like this, where you can engage from a distance, seem to suit you perfectly.”

“Well, if you say so…”

Getting straightforward praise like that was a little embarrassing.

As Elette and I chatted, Katiana suddenly spoke up.

“You two seem to have gotten quite close while I wasn’t looking…”

“Oh, that reminds me. Once this battle is over, I plan to marry him.”

““!?””

Both Katiana and I widened our eyes in shock at Elette’s unexpected statement.

“Wait, Sir Lugus, why are you surprised!?”

“I-I thought she was joking…”

“Gosh? I’m entirely serious. I wouldn’t mind betraying humanity if it meant being with you.”

““!?””

This was bad. Just how deeply had Elette fallen for me?

Still, I couldn’t deny that having a heroine like her care about me so much felt pretty nice.

A short while later, a strategy meeting was convened.

The participants were Katiana, some high-ranking officer from the royal army, Elette, and me.

As for Laecia, she had gone off hunting.

The moment she saw the unappetizing food the army had prepared from their limited rations, she decided to leave.

I couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened…

Then again, Laecia still had a bad habit of looking down on weaker people. If we had made her stay, she might have caused trouble.

In a way, this worked out for the best.

“But it’s strange, isn’t it? The enemy has more troops, so why are they holed up like this?”

“Oh, there’s a reason for that. Although, this is just a theory…”

When I voiced my doubt, Katiana began explaining the situation.

“The cause of this rebellion lies in the heavy taxes imposed on the people to fund the war against the demons. As a result, the majority of the rebel forces are commoners.”

“Ah, yeah, that kind of thing happens a lot.”

“…It shouldn’t happen a lot, though. Anyway, most of these commoners have no experience with war. Our country doesn’t have conscription, after all. Even though they outnumber us, they’ve become overly reliant on the security provided by the walls, making them hesitant to act.”

“So, if we just leave them alone, won’t they run out of food and collapse on their own?”

“No, they’ll move before that happens. They’re not fools. When cornered, they’ll likely launch an overwhelming attack, relying on their superior numbers.”

If that happens, the royal army is guaranteed to lose.

That’s why the plan is to launch an all-out assault on the capital before they act, drive them back inside the walls, and wait for their supplies to run out.

It’s a solid strategy in theory…

But will it actually work?

At the very least, if I don’t intervene, Katiana is destined to be captured by the rebels.

Just as I was mulling this over—

“Emergency!!”

“What’s going on!? Has the rebel army started moving already?”

“N-No, it’s… the woman who came here with Lady Elette. She’s brought back a massive monster she defeated, and now everyone’s panicking!”

What kind of messenger just dumps a report and runs off?

I sighed, but since it seemed like Laecia had caused a commotion, I decided to check it out myself.

When I arrived, I found the massive corpse of a giant boar-like monster lying in the center of the camp.

And, of course, standing proudly beside it was Laecia.

“What are you doing, La—uh, Miss La?”

That was close. I almost blurted out her full name.

Laecia snorted and gave her explanation in a haughty tone.

“Humph! How can anyone eat such disgusting food as a welcome feast!? Master, please show them what real cooking is!”

Hold up, wasn’t this the same girl who used to say things like, “eating things like that will make you weak”? Which mouth is this coming from now?

Still, I had to admit, the food the soldiers had served us was… less than appetizing.

…Well, my stomach was growling anyway. Might as well whip something up.

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[Afterword] 

A Random Tidbit

Author: “Isn’t it sad when the guy and girl you’ve been watching for a while suddenly hit it off and you feel left out?”

L: “You’re bringing this up out of nowhere…”

If you thought, “Elette is adorable,” “Laecia’s completely fallen, huh,” or “The author’s sadness is hilarious,” please leave a comment, bookmark, give a ★ rating, or write a review!