episode_0041

In the end, we won.

More than a third of the noble class received a death sentence, but there were no casualties from our side. Actually, even if more than half had received a death sentence, it wouldn’t have been strange, but Mia Crowfield’s magic played a big role in ending it like this.

Suddenly, it seemed like a lot of commoner class members were confused by the incredibly bright light hovering above their heads. Even though we knew in our heads that there was no truly dangerous magic coming our way… seeing it with our own eyes was a different story.

Moreover, the magic wasn’t completely ineffective. At least one line of sight could be clearly blocked. Thanks to that, those who had received a death sentence from being shot from afar could be narrowed down to the noble class members who had started the charge.

In reality, if someone had been holding a sword just before crossing the sandbag, there could have been more casualties… but all of us commoners were holding pistols.

Although it only had two bullets, it was a double-barreled pistol that didn’t require pumping when firing. It wouldn’t have been that difficult to kill the enemy right in front of us.

And as soon as I drew my sword and charged, the commoner class members were even more bewildered.

Gun-swordsmanship isn’t just great in close combat because of the sword. The act of someone wielding a sword and charging at you with a full intent to kill is terrifying in itself. On top of that, there was a general perception that nobles were skilled with swords.

Dealing with psychologically weakened commoner kids wouldn’t have been that difficult.

So by the time I crossed the sandbag, the noble class members had almost gained the upper hand.

All I did was shoot down two or three people after crossing over. They didn’t physically fall because they weren’t actually hit by bullets.

“Your shooting was impressive,” Alice said after the battle.

“When we charged, they were all lying behind the sandbags. I think they thought, ‘If we stick our heads out, we’ll get shot,’” she added.

… In truth, I already knew their positions, but it was a big deal.

And every time the opponent missed, every time they hit an ally, I turned back time. Of course, to the opponent, it would have looked like I was just shooting them down immediately.

“… That’s true.”

After the battle, while Alice and I were talking near the sandbags, someone suddenly interrupted our conversation.

“I’m curious how you managed to shoot the enemy in a situation where they were almost invisible due to the light.”

Even if it was a light created by magic, there were limits to its range. No matter what, the commoner class members couldn’t have been sent so far away that they were almost invisible due to the light. From Jennifer’s high vantage point, she could have declared them eliminated based on the situation of most commoner class members.

And from Jennifer’s perspective, my shooting at the commoner class members would have seemed strange.

“… ”

“… Hm.”

The problem was, there was no way to explain it. Saying I turned back time was risky in many ways. If I said it to my fellow classmates, they would just treat it as a joke, but Jennifer, despite appearances, took everything seriously. Even if she didn’t believe my words right away, she was the type of person to consider it as a ‘possibility.’

Not only Jennifer, but the Emperor and other siblings were the same. There was a reason I didn’t tell anyone about my abilities, even as a joke.

“Well, whatever,” Jennifer said, shrugging her shoulders with her arms crossed.

“If it were my usual self, I would have just brushed off executing such a risky operation with a word. At first glance, it might seem like I was just running with everything left to fate.”

…But there really wasn’t any other way.

Even though it wasn’t like we had cannons or mortars. More than anything, the distance was too close to shoot something like that. In reality, even though it was called a “cannon,” it was actually a situation much closer to a musket.

Perhaps Jennifer wanted to make me experience firsthand that “the battlefield is such a dangerous place.”

The conclusion was the same in the original work. “But in the battlefield, even coincidences eventually lead to results. Well done.” Jennifer probably said something like that in the original work. It didn’t come to mind very clearly, though.

“But… your shooting.”

Jennifer looked at me quietly and said, “No matter how you look at it, it didn’t seem like you just shot on a whim. It seemed like you knew exactly where they would appear. So… yeah, if I call this ‘coincidence,’ you might feel wronged.”

It was a coincidence.

Of course, I made that coincidence inevitable by turning it back several times. To be honest, the bullets I shot were probably not just seven or eight. There were probably many more.

Among the running group, whenever someone was eliminated, I would turn back time and shoot wildly towards where the bullets seemed to have come from.

There was a difference from real combat here too. In a gun without gunpowder, there was no sound of a gunshot. So, I couldn’t even know where and who got shot. All I could do was slowly move the gun back while turning back time and pray that the opponent would get hit.

If that’s not a coincidence, then what is it?

Well, it’s not like I wanted a real combat. I didn’t want to see the characters I cared about actually getting hurt or killed by a bullet.

“Thanks to you, my plan went as planned.”

Jennifer said, looking at the commoners on the other side with a slightly disgusted expression.

She wanted to show that even commoners could overthrow nobles by using firearms, but in reverse, our side suffered much more damage, so the conclusion that “nobles can overturn even such a situation” came out. Moreover, the number of commoner factions was twice that of the noble faction.

Some of the characters who had become part of the protagonist’s group in the original work were visible. Some looked annoyed as they looked at us, and some looked very interested.

Should I talk to them next time too?

In my affection, there were no commoners or nobles. No, there were characters who I liked even more because they were commoners.

“Well, it’s fine. There’s no law saying a commoner can’t become an officer. If you think about it from that perspective, today’s events can be a lesson. It proves that the battlefield is overflowing with monsters with unbelievable skills.”

That’s true too.

In reality, it was a world where monsters roamed the battlefield with swords in hand.

“Anyway, the one who leads the battle to victory deserves a reward of that magnitude.”

Saying that, Jennifer put her hand into her jacket pocket.

Oh.

Indeed, what used to just pop up as a notification saying “You obtained this item,” had now turned into a person saying it in this world. Well, it’s much more natural this way than just having something suddenly appear in your pocket.

“Take it.”

What Jennifer handed me was a gemstone shaped like a ruby that had been finely carved.

Marmaros.

Marvel, which means a gem that originated from Greek, was emitting a faint red light, true to its name “shining stone.” It was a gem that seemed to have a magical effect on anyone who saw it.

As the stone rested on Jennifer’s palm, the part that touched her was gently warm. It wasn’t hot enough to cause a burn, but rather the perfect temperature for a hand warmer in the winter.

Of course, it was quite expensive to use as a hand warmer.

Marmaros is a refined magic stone. Magic stones inherently have an “attribute,” but usually, these attributes are so mixed together that using them for a specific purpose is impossible without refinement.

Magic stones with an excessive variety of attributes, even if they are mixed in small amounts, cannot be refined and are used as fuel. However, there are rare magic stones that have almost pure single attributes. By cleanly cutting out the attribute part and further processing it magically, it becomes safe to use, like this Marmaros.

In the original work, it could be attached to a weapon to change or add weapon attributes for additional damage.

It’s probably not much different here.

“It’s a Marmaros of the fire attribute. Now it’s yours to use as you wish.”

I nodded.

As we progress to the latter part, Marmaros is overflowing with various types. Even those with two or three attributes simultaneously, as powerful as those with only one attribute. Of course, these are not magic stones found in the ground but obtained by capturing high-level monsters.

So, for now, it’s useful. In the game, time passes quickly in the latter half, but here in my current situation, one year is one year.

“If you want, I’ll introduce you to a craftsman. They can return the firearm you entrusted to them. Honestly, I’m curious about how you’ll use that Marmaros in various ways.”

…This was not in the original story.

Well, I had a rough idea of who the craftsman would be.

“Thank you.”

I replied, nodding slightly towards Jennifer.

*

“So, where are you going to use that? Still with a firearm?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

But I’m still contemplating which firearm to use.

I realized that there were subtle differences between the original and this world. In the game, people who couldn’t use any weapon were using firearms and swords here as if it were natural. So, it was clear that “bullets” would follow the laws of physics.

In the original, by equipping Marmaros with attributes to a firearm, additional attributes were added to the attack. So, I could probably do the same here.

But how do I emit “fire attribute” bullets?

There didn’t seem to be much point in heating the bullets. Since the bullets would already be flying hot.

However, it was difficult to make them too hot. If the barrel got too hot, it would lead to firearm malfunction. A malfunctioning firearm on the battlefield meant death. Even if I could turn back time, dying was not an option.

Moreover, I had never died and turned back time before. Did I die the first time I turned back time? It was uncertain whether I was hit and just lost consciousness.

So… unless dying was truly unavoidable, I would postpone it. By “unavoidable situation,” I naturally meant a situation where I couldn’t recognize and avoid death.

It’s best not to create that situation in the first place.

“I’ll take some time to think it over and consider which firearm to equip it with.”

“Well, since it seems recyclable anyway, there’s no need to worry too much, right?”

…That’s true. It’s fortunate. If it was necessary in the original work, it could be removed to be fitted into different equipment, so it’s only natural.

“…”

“…”

And we walked in silence for a while.

The people walking were the six of us who had gathered at the stadium a while ago. Me, Alice, Claire, Leo, Charlotte… and Mia Crowfield.

It seemed like Mia Crowfield had followed us after being near us, and her expression was extremely awkward.

And that awkward atmosphere spread, causing us to walk in silence as well.

Since we all lived in a noble society, we might not have the sense to…

“Oh, right!”

Yeah, that could be the case, huh.

Suddenly, Claire spoke up with a bright voice that didn’t match the atmosphere.

“After class, do you guys want to go to a cafe together? I found a place with delicious parfaits last time.”

“…Should we?”

And Alice, who seemed to welcome that statement warmly, spoke up.

“Parfaits, you say. There were several excellent cafes in Lutetia as well… Sounds good. It wouldn’t be bad to compare which is better between Rondarium and Lutetia.”

And then the three of them turned their gaze towards me, Leo, and Mia Crowfield.

“…”

Although the three of them didn’t say anything for a moment.

Well, there’s no reason to refuse, right?

They’re all characters I like, so not following along in this situation would be impolite as a fan.