Kuro no Maou

Chapter 105 The Sniper Alchemist

The adventurer guild nicknamed black box by the Crusaders was currently acting like a powerful war tower that was launching numerous arrows on the enemy.

Except the [Three Hunting Princesses], almost every adventurer that could use a bow was currently stationed at the guild.

Due to that, the ones standing at the gate and using the bows to attack the oncoming Crusaders from the front were actually swordsmen and warriors.

Thanks to that, the skilled archers could position themselves in high places suitable for aiming at the enemy and could focus solely on providing cover fire as they were protected by the blackened guild.

And, on the rooftop of the guild, where most of the archers were positioned, an even higher pedestal was kept on which stood Simon along with a long sniper rifle.

“2’o clock, distance 380, from the appearance looks like a squad commander, no shield.”

Beside him, the rank 4 thief slime Susu was acting as the observation supporter.

Along with the job as a supporter, she was also acting as the gun’s scope as well.

By turning her arm back to the normal slime form, and adjusting the composition of that transparent substance, she created a lens that could magnify far off objects like a binocular.

This transformation by using her Extra magic was used by Simon as a scope for sniping.

“......I see him.”

The figure of a defenceless magician chanting a spell reflected in his view.

The man, who was guessed to be the squad commander of the magician squad, was unable to realize till the last moment that he was being aimed at from the top of the guild building on the other side of the shore. His head was blown away and his chanting was interrupted for an eternity.

“Got him in one shot again. You really have good skill.”

“Not really. It’s the gun that’s amazing.......but, thank you.”

Simon replied blushingly to the compliment he was not really used to listening.

The gun Simon was using right now was also one that was hurriedly constructed from the day he met Kurono but its power and performance was much higher than anything he had used before.

In the first place, Kurono had assigned only 2 duties to Simon. The first was the manufacture of the machinegun and the other was for him to participate in the battle as a sniper.

Going back in time, this happened after Kurono somehow made explanations to the angered Lily who had barged into the laboratory and had sent her back.

.

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“Say, Onii-san, tell me more about the guns in your homeland.”

The one who spoke first was Simon.

It was the weapon he had created with all his skills, and now he had been told that there were similar types somewhere else as well. There was no way he wouldn’t be curious.

“yeah, alright, um, where should I start—-“

Since they didn’t have the time to talk leisurely, Kurono concisely gave an explanation regarding guns.

Kurono explained about how , at his homeland (earth), guns were the main weapons in armies, how they were shaped and their structures and also how guns could take many more lives than a sword.

Well, Kurono wasn’t trying to preach Simon about the dangers of a gun though. What he wanted at that time was a powerful gun instead.

“There are three improvements you can do right now. One is to attach a stock, second is to apply some rifling in the barrel, and —-“

Kurono activated his magic bullet arts on his fingertip and placed a black bullet made out of magical energy in front of Simon.

“Last is to use my bullets.”

“This is, the same bullet that Onii-san used with his magic just now right?”

“Yeah. Although I can’t make gunpowder, I can make countless steel warheads. If you could apply Eternity property on them, they would last for numerous days and we can create more than creating bullets from scratch.”

“But without gunpowder, it won’t fire. I’m not a magician. The gunpowder I’m using right now is a fire-type magic stone. It’s not something very cheap.”

Even if the effect was same, the raw materials for gunpowder were different in the different world it seems.

But to Kurono, the change in raw materials wasn’t something to be concerned with. All that was needed was to fire the bullet properly. Thus the only part he needed to concern with was the procurement of the gunpowder mentioned by Simon, but,

“Magic stone?”

Kurono had no idea what it was.

But Simon didn’t really think too much about it and continued speaking.

“I’m talking about that red gem that can be seen on top of fire staves usually. You do know that Magic staves are much higher in price than swords, right? With the amount I have, buying even a single one is a bit doubtful.”

The reason why Kurono, a magician, did not know about [magic stones] was because he never really had the need or chance to buy magic staves.

By the time he registered as an adventurer, he had already gotten the [Black Ballista Replica] so there was no need to buy another staff. In the first place, Irz village’s item shop didn’t have a black magic or a dark magic staff.

But still, he had seen magic staves many times and also understood its structure so he could quickly understand what part referred to the magic stone.

But, it’s not necessary that a magic staff would definitely use a magic stone, but that’s a different matter altogether.

“Then, how many magic staves would you need to have sufficient gunpowder?”(kurono)

“If I have 10 of them then I’ll have enough till the next year, but seriously, that’s asking too—-“

“Then I’ll prepare 10 for you.”

“——what?”

“What, is that not sufficient?”

“That’s not it! How will you prepare 10 of them!?!”

“Well, we can use anything left in the village freely after all. We should find enough if we search the weapon shop’s storehouse, right?”

“What’s with that bandit-like thought process!? Isn’t that robbery!?”

Well that might be true but for Kurono who had gone as far as to use scorched earth tactics, he had absolutely no hesitation in using any ‘resources’ available to them.

Simon felt unease looking at Kurono’s ‘Use all that is available’ attitude.

“I’ll let you have the preference in using the things in the village. Also, you’ll need a smithy to create guns as well right? I’ll prepare one of that for you as well.”

To Simon who had been only able to do research with his small budget, it was a too attractive of an offer.

“I’ll be in your care then!”

As a result, Simon decided not to mind the trifling details and started with the manufacturing of the gun.

.

.

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And what he had created was probably the first ever Sniper Rifle in this world called [Yatagarasu] that he used to deal head shots one after the other to the enemy magicians.

By the way, the naming was done by Kurono.

“At my homeland, the gun used by the head of mercenary long ago was called [Yatagarasu].”

When he heard the name, Simon somehow instantly liked it and accepted it.

(“This [Yatagarasu] is really an amazing gun. Thanks to Onii-san’s advices, I was able to make something of this level.”)

Simon’s prided gun was still firing bullets from its muzzle and was shooting the enemy magicians down.

As expected, it was still a single shot type but Simon who had an immaculate aim had a kill count higher than anyone on this rooftop.

(“But not yet, there’s still room for improvement in this gun. Even the machinegun should be able to fire without the use of magic as well.”)

From the day he met Kurono, his head had become filled with all sorts of new research.

That was how invaluable the information and knowledge brought by Kurono was for Simon.

(“That’s why I can’t die here. I have too many things that I still want to build! I’m not going to be killed by some men who appeared out of nowhere!!”)

Simon’s survival instincts were working stronger than ever before. But in contrast to the hot and passionate thoughts, he was still coolly and calmly shooting down every target.

“n, that’s—“

“What is it?”

The one who recognised ‘that’ the earliest was Susu.

“The Pegasus Knights have appeared. At 11’o clock. Can you see them?”

Looking through the slime lens scope, the figures of the Pegasus Knights flying over the forest far away could be seen.

“There are......more than we thought.”

“Yes, but, we have no choice but trust right now.”

“.....yes.”

Once again clutching the grip, Simon once again showed maximum concentration.

He still did not need to face against the Pegasus Knights. He just needed to kill as many magicians as he can right now.

The fearsomeness of the Pegasus Knights had been heard from a lot of adventurers. But Simon did not feel any fear towards the Pegasus Knights approaching this place right now.

That’s because the one who was going to face those Pegasus Knights was the even more fearsome ‘Fairy’.