Ian watched Absinthe’s back as she grew distant, then, without lingering on it, strolled through the interior of the shop.
It was a shame his guide had disappeared, but she wasn’t someone he needed that badly anyway. All he had to do was check which parts were compatible with his revolver and buy them. A guide was nice to have, but not having one didn’t really matter—an awkward sort of luxury, useful yet unnecessary.
Of course, having someone at his side to explain things would cut down the time he spent looking around, but time was precisely what Ian had in abundance. Ever since switching to freelance work, he had never once been pressed for time.
“Mm.”
He lit the cigarette between his lips and slowly wandered through the shop. A few employees who looked like guards cast glances his way, but not a single one said anything about him smoking.
To begin with, more than half the customers in the shop were puffing away on cigarettes or cigars. Some of them were even holding glasses of whiskey, and thanks to that, the shop was filled with a heavy mixture of tobacco, alcohol, and gunpowder.
‘Even ordinary cigarette smoke doesn’t smell that good to me anymore. My lungs must’ve been cleansed quite a bit.’
Thinking idle thoughts, Ian moved on and stopped in front of a sniper rifle.
A bolt-action rifle. It had a classic design with a metal rifled barrel, gun body, and wooden fittings. It was exactly the kind of gun commonly seen in World War II films.
The materials, however, were a little different.
[Crafted from wood and metal grown and mined in the land of Gnomes, it will suffer no strain or deformation even if the trigger is pulled nonstop for 24 hours. In addition, as long as the user’s feet are planted on the ground, most recoil will be absorbed into the earth.]
[Price: 30,000 USD]
Gnome.
Among the spirits corresponding to the four elements, they were magical lifeforms symbolizing soil and earth. Ian wasn’t sure when they had come to exist in this world or what influence they had exerted on it, but he did know very well that the plants growing in the lands they managed and the ores embedded beneath them were extremely valuable. It was knowledge any mage ought to possess.
Materials produced by Gnomes were expensive regardless of type. And it wasn’t only Gnomes. Air bubbles containing the breath of Sylphs, the ashes of flames kindled by Salamanders, the tears of Undines—anything imbued with a spirit’s power or mystery tended to be costly. They weren’t impossible to obtain, but there was no denying they were a burden.
And such an item was sitting proudly in a cartel shop. Most likely, it was a firearm made from materials acquired or purchased by a mage belonging to the cartel.
‘They actually thought to make a gun out of something usually used only as magical material. Their technology must be pretty good.’
Materials touched by spirits could only be properly used either without processing them at all or by subjecting them to magical treatment. If handled like ordinary materials, their value would be damaged.
A representative example was the vegetables Amelia had eaten. If heated over fire, the Gnome’s blessing would all vanish, so she had held back tears while crunching through raw vegetables.
Metal was the same. To alter metal, heating it in fire or putting it through processes like quenching was essential, but doing so would inevitably cause the Gnome’s blessing residing in the metal to depart in search of freedom. Its value would drop to that of merely “high-quality metal.”
That was why no one ever crafted things out of materials touched by spirits. Even when they did craft something, it was only objects related to magic, such as talismans. Swords or guns made from such materials would be nothing more than ordinary weapons.
But despite having been processed, this firearm still retained faint remnants of a blessing. Its recoil suppression and outstanding durability were proof of that.
Most likely, an excellent mage had overseen its production, and the cartel’s capital and technology had been poured into it on a large scale.
“……Hmm.”
Ian ran a finger over the trigger and let out a low hum.
He didn’t feel anything in particular. Well, that was only natural. Even if a spirit’s blessing remained, it was impossible to notice it with human senses.
Thanks to that, most transactions related to spirits were conducted on trust. And surprisingly, there weren’t many frauds among such merchants.
Because every fraudster had ended up sharing a hot farewell kiss between their head and body. So hot, in fact, that blood had sprayed like a fountain.
It was truly a heartbreaking farewell scene, and most people shed tears, deeply moved by the sorrowful tale of separation between head and body.
At any rate.
‘Still, the blessing has weakened. If the materials were obtained from Gnome territory, they should be incredibly outstanding, but if all they managed to get out of them was recoil suppression and durability enhancement, then it’s fair to say the efficiency is almost nonexistent.’
Considering it was made entirely with first-rate materials, the effects were far too minimal. At the very least, it wasn’t worth 30,000 dollars.
So he boldly passed on it. It wasn’t that he had no interest in sniper rifles, but he probably wouldn’t be buying that one, at least. If he ever needed a long-range sniping method, it seemed better to think about it separately then.
“Ah, there you are.”
Just as he turned around with that thought, Absinthe returned with a refreshed expression and an ordinary sales smile.
Ian did not ask her why she looked so relieved, and instead pointed with his chin at the sniper rifle hanging on the wall.
“Who made that? I don’t see a maker listed.”
“Mm, this sniper rifle was created over five years with great care by a mage belonging to the cartel. He was originally affiliated with the Clock Tower, but we managed to coax him over with great difficulty. He currently resides in America.”
“Hmm…… If he’s a mage with enough technical skill to make something like that, I doubt coaxing him over was easy.”
“With enough money, anything can be done. That is the cartel’s creed and motto.”
Absinthe said it in a tone that sounded rather proud. Since he wasn’t interested, Ian got straight to the point as soon as his curiosity was satisfied.
“I’m thinking of buying parts compatible with this revolver. Guide me.”
Click.
Ian took the revolver out from inside his clothes. A gun had suddenly appeared right before her eyes, but Absinthe did not look startled in the slightest and calmly examined the silver revolver.
“Hmm…… The design is modern, but the operating mechanism is closer to an older style. That said, this has its own advantages. You have to cock the hammer each time, but each shot’s power should be considerable.”
“You know it well.”
“That’s because it’s an item produced by the cartel. It isn’t a particularly popular firearm, but personally, I prefer classic designs like this, so I’ve used it a few times.”
Absinthe took one step back and smiled brightly.
“Fortunately, this is one of my areas of expertise. Please follow me. I’ll guide you.”
*
Absinthe took Ian down to the fourth basement level.
Unlike the third basement level, where large firearms were mostly on display, the fourth level had pistols and various firearm parts laid out on shelves like luxury goods.
Most of them were optical devices. Scopes commonly seen in games, laser sights, thermal imaging scopes, and the like were each gleaming without so much as a speck of dust.
But the parts Ian wanted were not ordinary things like those. They were accessories on a level that could practically modify the gun itself. Absinthe seemed to have a rough idea of what he wanted as well, so she didn’t spare a single glance for the displayed equipment and silently kept walking.
The place they arrived at was a small room in a corner. She familiarly turned on the room’s lights, indicated a chair, and bowed to Ian.
“Please sit. I’ll prepare everything right away.”
He did so. Sitting in the chair, he calmly looked around the room.
It was a space of roughly ten pyeong. Beneath transparent display cases arranged in a “ㄷ” shape, guns used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were on display. Every one of them had its trigger removed, so firing them seemed impossible.
Crackle.
After starting the gramophone in the corner of the room, Absinthe began taking out various parts from the shelves beneath the display cases. From an ordinary-looking cylinder to a hammer, barrel, grip, and more, all sorts of items appeared.
“Hm-hmm.”
Absinthe gazed at them for a moment with an enraptured look, then took out a small brush and carefully swept away the dust. Only after that did she look at Ian and speak.
“I will explain them one by one.”
She put on white gloves and lifted a black grip.
“This is a revolver-exclusive grip made using a special metal. It is extremely light, and it will not break even if struck directly by an artillery shell. It may suffer slight scratches, but once this leather is added, the story changes.”
She ran her finger over the black leather attached to the grip.
“This leather was made by stripping the hide from a werewolf. It has a high moisture absorption rate, and because evaporation occurs immediately as well, it is very useful in rainy weather. In addition, it will never tear from ordinary impacts, and since its thermal conductivity is low, it maintains a temperature close to body heat at all times. Please test the grip yourself.”
Swoosh.
Absinthe carefully extended the grip toward Ian. Ian picked it up.
There was nothing particularly uncomfortable about it. Rather, he liked how it fit snugly in his hand. He nodded and set the grip aside.
“I’ll buy it. Next?”
“The Gray Cylinder and hammer. They have the effect of raising bullet power by one level. They also do not wear down, so they can be used permanently.”
“Price?”
“Approximately 1.5 million won.”
“Set them aside.”
“An excellent choice.”
Swoosh.
Absinthe wrapped the silver cylinder and hammer in cloth and placed them beside the grip. Then she brought over a single round and stood it upright.
“This is a bullet exclusively for the Gray Cylinder. It is a product with recoil firmly controlled. You do not necessarily have to use it, but if you want to see its proper performance, it would be best to buy these. Today, I will include twelve rounds as a service.”
“Is that allowed?”
“It is within a dealer’s authority. Securing customers is a matter of great importance, after all.”
She smiled lightly, and this time took out a fairly large part.
“This is a dedicated barrel shroud. It has the effects of suppressing recoil, enhancing power, and reducing noise slightly. It is made from metal mined in a Gnome mine, and when attaching it, you can easily mount it simply by sliding it over the barrel. When removing it, twist it slightly and pull it off.”
“……Gnome, huh.”
“They are one of the spirits commanded by mages. In the case of this product, it is also equipped with a function that prevents the barrel from overheating. If you wish, we can even add an engraving, though of course an additional fee will apply.”
“How good is the noise suppression?”
“You should not expect anything on the level of a suppressor. It merely shortens the length of the gunshot and slightly reduces the range over which the sound spreads. Anyone nearby will still be able to hear it.”
“That’s enough. What about recoil suppression?”
“If used together with the cylinder and bullets, the effect will be maximized, allowing you to use it very comfortably, like an automatic pistol. All the parts are light as well, so it should require less effort than before.”
“Good. Then I’ll buy that too. Any other recommended products?”
“There are none. Revolvers have limited replaceable components. And…… this is an additional service.”
Thud.
As she added that, she placed a short axe on the shelf.
It was a tactical axe commonly called a tomahawk.
It was much larger than a knife, but correspondingly powerful as a close-combat weapon. Ian received the axe with a bewildered gaze and let out a low hum.
“Mm…… For some reason, I feel like I should walk into a police station and mow down zombies……”
“Pardon?”
“No, just talking to myself. I’ll accept it gratefully. Is there a storage case for it?”
At Ian’s question, Absinthe smiled brightly.
“That is sold separately, sir.”
“…….”
Ian furrowed his brow.
*
The revolver’s modification was only finished when it was nearly lunchtime. Ian stared with mixed feelings at the tomahawk attached inconspicuously inside his coat, then raised his head when Absinthe approached.
“The customization is complete. Here, please try holding it.”
She smoothly handed over the revolver.
Its overall length was not much different from before the modification, but the previously exposed barrel was now covered by a thick shroud, making the design itself far sleeker. When he touched it, the distinctive chill of metal was transmitted intact.
Click.
When he opened the cylinder, a gleaming silver greeted Ian. Inside, it was packed full of copper-colored magnum rounds.
“There is no separate safety. Please be careful. Still, I’ve adjusted the overall trigger pressure, so unless you pull it with your finger, it generally shouldn’t discharge.”
“Is that part of the service too?”
“You could say that. More importantly, sir, may I guide you to the shooting range? You should test the power of your newly modified firearm.”
It was an offer Ian had no reason to refuse. He immediately headed to the shooting range with her.
Taaang!!
Inside the shooting range, several other customers had already taken their places. Ian briefly stared at the firearms in their hands, then followed Absinthe’s guidance to stand in a firing lane and put on the headphones.
A moment later, Absinthe’s voice came through the headphones.
“Ah, ah, mic test. One, two, one, two. Can you hear me?”
“I hear you fine. More importantly, isn’t there a line connecting to the gun?”
“There isn’t. If anyone tries anything foolish, the machine guns on the ceiling will detect it with their sensors and shower them with bullets, so it isn’t necessary.”
“Terrifying.”
Ian said with a faint laugh.
Absinthe skillfully operated the terminal and summoned a target.
“To begin with, anyone with the level of intelligence to suddenly attack us or the other customers would never have become a regular customer of the Cartel. Chances are they would have died showing off before that.”
That was true enough, so Ian let out a small laugh.
Meanwhile, the floor at the far end of the firing lane opened, and a target rose up.
[Krraaagh!!]
A metal pole rose into view. Bound to it, a gray-skinned monster screamed. Its sharp fangs, exposed by the absence of lips, clacked together, and its bloodshot eyes trembled as they stared directly at Ian. Its limbs were so withered and gaunt that every outline of the bones was visible.
What was there to hide?
The target’s true identity was a vampire.
“……Huh.”
When Ian unconsciously let out a sigh, Absinthe spoke.
“It is a vampire captured alive. It has regenerative abilities, and its durability is sufficient for use as a target.”
“……No, I mean, that’s true, but……”
“Are you perhaps a devotee of the Mysteries? If so, I will change the target to an ordinary corpse or a target sheet.”
“No, just leave it as is. I was only surprised. It’s not like I worship those bastards or anything.”
Considering how many vampires he had killed up until now, it was impossible for him to suddenly be overcome with vampire sensitivity and think, “Vampires are so pitiful! I’m going to become a bald monster who sucks blood just like them!” That was not the kind of thought an ordinary human being would have.
‘With the handgun Benjamin gave me, the best I could do was hold them back to some extent. I could slow their movements, but stopping them completely was hard unless I shot them in the head.’
His first commission, carried out at the club—the vampire hunt.
Recalling that memory, Ian slowly raised the gun in his hand.
‘I wonder how different this will be.’
The target and the muzzle faced each other. The vampire’s distinctive red gaze settled inside the cold barrel. Meeting that gaze, Ian placed his index finger on the trigger.
The grip felt excellent. It was lighter than he had expected, too.
Then what about firing it?
“……Huu.”
There was no reason to hesitate. Ian immediately pulled back the hammer with his thumb and pulled the trigger with his index finger. The hammer, aligned in a straight line with the bullet, struck the primer hard. Immediately after, a tremendous gunshot slammed through the shooting range.
Taang!
The noise was brief, but immense. The fired bullet flew faster than the speed of sound and struck the vampire precisely between the brows.
Crunch.
Without any resistance, the bullet tore through skin, pierced muscle and bone, and stopped exactly in the middle of the brain.
It did not pass through. Because of that, the force of the impact was delivered entirely into the head.
Baaang!!
Cracks formed around the hole at the point of impact, then spread like roots across the entire head, tearing it apart. At the same time, the vampire’s head was crushed like a pumpkin smashed with a hammer.
Blood and brain matter scattered in every direction, and for a moment, the vampire’s headless body sagged limply.
“……Ha.”
Ian smiled as he stared at the sight.
“This is fire magic.”
+
This is Mariang’s illustration! It has been posted in the notice!