第６４７堀：互いの誤算 (Part2)
Still, it is strange.
The intimidation attack from before was not an arrow.
I heard a sharp, rupturing sound, and before I knew it, a hole had appeared at my feet.
"This is... Sota."
"Yeah, it’s a gun."
"A 'gun'? You mean that?"
"Are you unfamiliar with it, Arge? It’s a weapon that fires lead balls propelled by gunpowder packed into a metal tube."
"Huh. So something like that exists."
"Judging by your reaction, it seems guns didn't exist ten years ago when you were alive."
"Well, they were cumbersome to use back then. Did Haiden develop them during the instability of the last decade? Still, they’re impractical. It takes too long to fire a second shot after the first. If it were the Haire Church, they would be better off stationing mages for defense."
I said this lightly, but Sota’s expression grew tense as he opened his mouth.
"Listen. Do not move on your own, no matter what. Do not mistake that gun for a matchlock. Judging by its shape, it’s a rapid-fire weapon. And what’s more, it’s extremely similar to the ones from the world I came from."
"Huh?"
I didn't understand what Sota was saying for a moment, but when I looked at the guns held by the soldiers waiting on the ramparts, I could see they were indeed built completely differently from the prototypes we had experimented with.
"Sota. How fast can that thing fire? Two shots? Three? And how long does it take to reload after firing? Ten seconds? Twenty?"
"If it’s an assault rifle type... it can fire five rounds per second. Since the magazine is visible, once it runs dry, they could probably reload in five seconds. And judging by the size of that magazine, it’s safe to assume it holds thirty rounds."
"..."
What kind of absurd weapon is that!?
You can’t even see the bullets unless you focus intently, and dodging one would be a miracle.
And it’s rapid-fire? That’s insane.
"What’s the effective range?"
"I don't know what you mean by 'effective range' in this context, but it has enough lethality to kill a person from a kilometer away. Though, hitting a specific target at that distance would be difficult."
"Which means... from this position..."
"We’d be turned into a beehive in an instant. Honestly, I don't get it. Why does such a weapon even exist?"
"Then, should we consider retreating? Can your magic block those invisible bullets, Sota?"
"I could block the first few by throwing up an earthen wall, but as for escaping..."
"A one-kilometer range..."
"We’ll be shot in the back. Furthermore, I don't think they’ll let us use magic. That soldier is likely a decoy. We should assume we are already surrounded by soldiers holding those guns."
"..."
What on earth happened to Haiden in these ten years... no, what happened to this land!?
What has become of the Mad King?
While we were in such a state of confusion, people appeared atop the ramparts.
"Thank you for waiting. And, nice to meet you, our Founders. I am Carrie, First Princess of the Kingdom of Haiden."
"I am Stasia, First Princess of the Findar Empire."
"I am Kagura, second daughter of the Duke Kamishiro family of the Kingdom of Haiden."
"I am Enora, acting Archbishop of the Haire Church in the Haiden royal capital."
...I was left dumbfounded by their introductions.
Those are our descendants.
"Wait, hold on, Sota! They recognize us as the Founders!?"
"...Hold on, I'm confused too. Or rather, looking at this situation, this is an interception formation. It means they knew we were coming."
As we were in the midst of this confusion, Arge stepped forward on her own.
"Sister!! Carrie!! It’s me!! It’s Arge!! Don't you remember me!!"
To her, it was a moving reunion, but...
*BANG!!*
"Don't move!! Arge, if you take another step forward, I will put a hole in your body!"
With that, Princess Stasia—who should be her sister—aimed her gun directly at Arge.
"Wh-why... Hey, Car..."
*BANG!!*
"…Be silent. If you call my name again, I might actually hit you."
Arge, treated so cruelly by her own sisters, trembled.
"There is no need for such acting. We have already heard from RS that you are under the control of the Mad King."
"...I thought I would at least like to see your faces, but this is harsh. Arge. Forgive me for letting them treat your body this way."
"My ancestors. I am sorry."
"...I am sorry."
With those words, the muzzles of their guns turned toward us in unison.
Ah, this is the end.
But Sota suddenly stepped forward...
"W-wait!! There’s been a misunderstanding!! We only came here to defeat RS!! We intended to help you!! We’ve already broken the Mad King’s brainwashing, so we have no intention of being hostile!! We surrender!! So, please stop shooting!! S-someone, call someone who can talk, call a lawyer!"
With Sota’s shout, our battle ended.
Wait, what is a "lawyer"?
It was a conflict born from both sides maneuvering more than the other expected.
And then, a simple surrender.
The Yuki side, who had expected an attack, seemed to be in total confusion.