NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85
Ah, right! I’ll admit that’s pretty cool.
Bam-bam! Holding two pistols that scream 20th-century vintage design and even loading opposite elemental bullets into each, I can’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety.
Plus, when I think about the romanticized weapons that completely disregard practicality, I start to wonder if I really missed the mark on my concept.
Sure, a bolt-action rifle with a wooden stock and barrel cover would be considered stylish in the 21st century, but by early 20th-century standards, it was just your average rifle. And considering I’m using the imperial army’s official model, it’s really nothing special. Honestly, the biggest reason I picked this was that it was the easiest to score ammo for in the Empire.
Now, technically, a shotgun could be seen as violating the “chivalry” code. I picked it purely for practicality, and truth be told, it looks like just your very basic pump-action shotgun, so there’s really nothing cool to argue about.
The only weapon I chose out of style was the Wexler Revolver, but even that isn’t particularly vintage when seen through the eyes of the Empire.
Rena’s use of two Koch 98s is, of course, standard military fare in the self-governing regions.
But by the Empire’s standards, it’s a strange-looking foreign weapon.
Fighting with one in each hand might not seem all that weird by 20th-century standards. Back then, the perception was that a pistol was just a gun to shoot in one hand. There’s a reason it’s called a hand gun in English!
So, if I use one in each hand, they might think, “Wow, this guy’s super confident in his shooting!” Especially since Rena is actually a good shot.
But here’s the thing.
Even though I’ve lived in this world for over ten years and have adapted quite well…
In my mind, dual-wielding still falls under the realm of fantasy. Why do akimbo setups, which are less efficient in FPS games, pop up so often? Because it looks awesome to fire two guns at once! People may know very well why they don’t do it in real life, but they still want that functionality in games.
Honestly, I started to suspect that Rena already knew my true identity.
After all, she’s also a reincarnated human, so did she think it would be fun to tease me with a character named Sylvia Fanggriffon that doesn’t exist in the original story?
But after observing her for several days post-classes, there didn’t seem to be anything amiss. Rena was busy crafting her character by hugging dolls in her room, practicing her poses while walking, and rolling around on her bed.
From the perspective of someone watching outside the window, I desperately wanted to go in and tell her to close the window, but I couldn’t say anything, knowing I’d get busted for spying.
…I mean, who else would be preparing a high-end telescope to meticulously watch a teenage girl through her window?
…
And having those thoughts, I decided to stop observing Rena.
*
“Are you saying you want to process all of this into bullets?”
The workshop master said this with a slightly dazed expression.
“Is that a no?”
“No, it’s not that… but…”
The workshop master cautiously examined my face and spoke.
“You seem… quite tired.”
Well, of course I do.
Leo and Claire are a pair that never tires out. They have been diligently taking on requests to hunt slightly stronger beasts every weekend.
Recently, they even pulled a few others into their group, so now there are four of us. The two other members swap out regularly, but it seems that the quest parties could be changed each time in the original story…
Anyway, because of them, I had to wake up early to frantically run around just to secure a small Marmaros.
Besides, I didn’t tell anyone and just scoured places that could possibly have dungeons later. I didn’t completely conquer the dungeons by myself, but I think I’ve seen a spot where I might be able to find Marmaros at the entrance once or twice.
The amount of Marmaros I gathered was quite substantial for a personal workshop.
If it’s this much, wouldn’t I be able to get at least twenty bullets worth? I was just picturing the size of the round compared to each little Marmaros.
“…That’s interesting.”
“Really?”
The workshop master seemed to think it might be dangerous to ask for more details.
He glanced at the Marmaros and the rifle and revolver laid out on the reception table, then looked at me with a serious expression.
“Then, what type of bullet should I make for you?”
“That’s…”
Hmm.
Honestly, if it’s for reloading, the revolver cartridge would be much better. It’s easier to load each round individually, and in case of need, I can reload quickly using a moon clip, making it faster than a rifle.
However, for me, the Ergensen Rifle is still my main weapon.
While I was pondering this alone, the workshop master spoke.
“If you want to mix multiple types of ammunition, I can make some adjustments to the rifle.”
“To the rifle?”
“Yes.”
The workshop master pointed to the left side of my rifle and continued.
“I can install a magazine block to ensure that cartridges don’t load automatically. So you can typically fire the rounds loaded in the magazine, and if needed, you can block the magazine and use it like a single-shot firearm.”
Oh.
That actually sounds pretty good!
I mean, it would be tough for a clip-fed firearm used in WWII since the chamber and ejection port share the same place, so loading one at a time would be hard. But since my rifle’s cartridge and ejection ports are different, as long as I stop the rounds from going to the magazine, I could use it like a single-shot rifle.
“Marmaros bullets are still quite expensive, you know.”
“How long will the modification take?”
“It won’t take too long. There’s some leftover military parts.”
“Do they use magazine blocking devices in the military?”
“Back in the time when making ammunition was tougher than it is now, they did. From the perspective of high command, every round that flies away is money. But if you distribute single-shot firearms to the whole army, they’d need to create repeating firearms later, so they first made repeating weapons and then added the blocking device. Nowadays, adding blocking devices only adds to the cost of parts.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded and replied.
“Then let’s go with that.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And…”
The workshop master bent forward, ready to start the work but paused mid-motion to look me in the face.
“Um, do you perhaps have a reliable automatic pistol?”
“An automatic pistol? How about the Wexler Pistol?”
“That’s…”
I hesitated for a second.
Honestly, there isn’t a huge difference in reliability. If anything, I think the more complicated 98 has a higher chance of malfunction.
But… I’d still like something that looks more like a weapon if I had the choice.
“If you’re looking for something with the reliability and performance on par with a revolver, then I’m afraid I don’t have such a pistol at the moment.”
“…Is that so?”
Not wanting to ask, “Isn’t there a prettier sidearm?”, I nodded, and the workshop master, after a moment’s thought, suddenly seemed to resolve himself.
“If the Crown Princess wants…”
He glanced around and then spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
“I actually heard a rumor that I might be designated to create a new military service pistol…”
That was news to me! If I heard about such a rumor, it must have come from Jennifer. Jennifer seems to hold this person in high regard for the skills he possesses.
“Ahem! So if there’s such an event, I have a prototype I designed.”
When I looked on, encouraging him to continue, he hesitated a bit before opening a drawer and pulling out a pistol, laying it on the table.
“It’s a bit bigger than regular ammunition, and I designed it to be as simple as possible. It chambers one round and can hold seven rounds in the magazine, so if fully loaded, it has eight shots—stronger firepower than a .38-caliber revolver with the same ammo count.”
“…”
I picked up the pistol as if enchanted. It was quite heavy. I’d say it’s over 1kg? But the weight difference compared to the revolver I used doesn’t seem significant enough to be a problem.
It was the kind of gun that would immediately come to mind when someone says “automatic pistol.”
…To elaborate, it was literally the kind of pistol you’d think of when you hear “pistol”. A .45 caliber automatic pistol that you’d know if you had even a slight interest in such things. With its hammer protruding from the slide, it looked a tad different from the guns trending in the 21st century, but that only added a sophisticated charm to its design.
“It has two safety mechanisms as requested by the military. If your hand doesn’t touch the grip, the trigger won’t be pulled—”
“Master.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
I interrupted him, and the workshop master, startled, replied. There was a tone of fear in his voice, as if he might be punished for creating a firearm based on leaked information.
As I twisted and turned the firearm in my hands, I spoke.
“Come to think of it, I don’t believe I’ve caught your name. May I ask what it is?”
Even when Jennifer introduced me, she only mentioned him as ‘a competent workshop master’ without revealing the name.
“Oh, um… yes.”
The workshop master seemed taken aback by my sudden question and hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
“My name is James Browning.”
Browning.
…Wait a minute, isn’t that a little too on-the-nose?