Chapter 1. Candidate and Candidate (13)

Ah, of course, the place where Ria confidently placed the gun in front of me wasn’t the church.

We were at a shooting range.

For now, both Ria and I are nuns. According to Ria, after the stalker issue is completely resolved, I won’t be a nun anymore, but while I’m affiliated with the convent, I naturally act as a nun.

So, it’s difficult to leave the convent without a word. While there were nuns who occasionally attempted to sneak out, the church surroundings were equipped with quite a few CCTV cameras, and the walls were quite high, so they were invariably caught before they could climb over.

However, nuns do have occasions to go outside.

That’s for volunteer work.

Usually, we go to places like hospitals or welfare centers operated by the church of our denomination. Of course, we are generally young nuns, and setting aside our beauty, there might be people who focus on our ‘youth’ and do strange things.

Although this denomination itself hasn’t been established for a very long time, many of the people who hold positions within it were clergy members even before that. Naturally, they were well aware of potential incidents that could occur during volunteer work.

We usually did cleaning.

Actually, it’s not that difficult. We clean the convent and the church in a similar way anyway.

Strictly speaking, it’s not allowed for nuns to go out and buy things during volunteer activities. But then again, you can’t just control energetic young people indefinitely.

Nuns often go out in groups to buy things they need. I also often tagged along and bought things I needed.

Where do you think the hair dye I used to color my hair came from?

There are weekend outings too, but in those cases, the time is short, and the places you can go are restricted. Since a supervising nun is always present, it’s difficult to buy anything too inappropriate.

Things that generally shouldn’t be possessed by nuns were usually brought in that way.

I didn’t know it would be a handgun, though.

“……”

I stared intently at the handgun placed before me, then looked back at Ria.

Yeah, I thought it was a bit strange that we were going to a volunteer activity and ended up somewhere odd. No, it’s not that we didn’t do volunteer work, though.

Shifting my gaze, I looked at the Nun Superior, who was near Anna.

“I received permission from the Priest. You said Sister wanted to try shooting.”

“No…”

I didn’t say I wanted to try.

I said I requested it and was rejected.

“…Is it okay to do this?”

“Visiting private property like this is actually a violation of regulations.”

The Nun Superior looked around.

This place, well, it was a shooting range. I’ve seen shooting ranges with this kind of atmosphere before. During reserve forces training.

Yes, this is ‘private property.’

It’s a shooting range located in the basement of what looks like a very large house. As expected, this is probably Ria’s house. …Or perhaps ‘one of’ her houses.

“It’s my uncle’s house.”

As I looked around, Ria stated it plainly. As if to reveal that she hadn’t reconciled with her father yet.

“And this gun is also my uncle’s. He’s not giving it to me. He’s just letting me try shooting it. He just wants to see if you have talent.”

I turned my gaze back to the Nun Superior.

Actually, the Nun Superior also looked very uncomfortable about being here. However, that doesn’t mean the Nun Superior shouldn’t be here. I’ve seen nuns using the subway or buses in my past life. I don’t know where they were going from or to, but at least they could come outside.

Is it because they have more autonomy than young nuns?

“Although it’s a violation of regulations, we can’t say that such things never happen. …Sometimes, nuns from certain families stop by their homes on the way.”

…That’s plausible, though.

Hmm.

I looked at the handgun again.

Theoretically, I could probably load it. I’ve seen loading scenes in games and movies. I also have memories of playing with toy guns.

But, shooting and hitting the target… well, can I do it without ever having fired a handgun?

“Uh, so, is there nothing else besides this?”

“Besides this?”

Ria tilted her head.

“No, I mean, I heard that handguns are difficult to handle, despite their appearance.”

Ria looked intently at me as I said that, making me feel awkward.

“Do you have a license?”

“A license?”

“Handguns below a certain caliber can be possessed without a special license in areas beyond the gate or at registered shooting ranges. That’s why people who usually use other weapons often carry them for self-defense. This one is like that too.”

Ria said, tapping the handgun with her hand. Indeed, it was a gun small enough to fit in a woman’s palm.

“However, if it’s a rifle, the story changes. From then on, it’s considered military territory. Even hunters, after entering from beyond the gate, can only store them at police stations or shooting ranges registered as special facilities, and personal possession is illegal. Since there are no such shooting ranges in the church, you wouldn’t be able to train regularly even if you had one, right? Above all, it would be illegal.”

“……”

Was it that complicated?

No, that heroine- ah, she used it almost exclusively beyond the gate. Also, it seemed like she always maintained her firearms in the shooting range within the association.

“My uncle also said so. He said it’s okay to shoot a few rounds, but to do it without problems. So, the only gun I can touch is this one. Bodyguard 380. It’s purely for self-defense, and the caliber is small. Even for you, who’s using it for the first time, it shouldn’t be too difficult to handle, so don’t worry and shoot. I’ll be the controller.”

I couldn’t refute Ria, who was only saying the most standard things.

No, I mean. This situation itself is incredibly absurd.

Did she go to this much trouble for something I just said in passing? Was Lee Chae-eun, or Ria in the original work, really such a meticulous person?

Ah, right. She remembered ingredients that the protagonist disliked and always went to places where they could be eaten. Come to think of it, in modern web novels, tsundere heroines seem to be unable to survive without such minimal consideration.

……

Even so, this seems like too much consideration.

I’ve given up on becoming a hunter, you know? If anything, I’d consider working as a receptionist at the association-

I glanced at the Nun Superior again.

Seeing that she was standing far away from both of us, wearing noise-canceling headphones, it seemed like she really intended to allow it.

Finally, when I picked up the headphones next to the gun, Ria also put headphones on her ears.

“Can you hear me?”

“Ah, yes.”

I answered involuntarily to Ria’s voice from the headphones.

“Good. Now, hold the gun.”

At those words, I had no choice but to follow Ria’s words and reach out my hand.

*

I fired twelve shots, meaning two magazines.

It seemed that this small self-defense handgun couldn’t hold more than that.

Ria gave instructions quite strictly, which was natural when it came to firearms.

Although I heard the caliber was small, there was still a basic recoil. Unlike when I braced the buttstock against my shoulder, no matter how much I strained my arms, I couldn’t keep them extended.

After the shooting, the pungent smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. It wasn’t a smell I could say I liked. Although there might be people who liked it.

Ria had me place the gun, which was completely empty with the slide locked back, down, then she took it, performed a safety check, and removed the empty magazine before placing it down again.

“Well, it’s average.”

Ria, having taken off her headphones, commented as she looked at the target I had shot.

“Still, since it’s a gun, if you practice consistently, you’ll get much better. If you do well, you might even be able to handle higher calibers.”

“No, no, wait a minute.”

I waved my hands and quickly interjected to refute her words.

“So… are you telling me to practice marksmanship now?”

“You understood correctly. You said it yourself, didn’t you? Swinging a sword or a mace is just ordinary.”

“…What reason do I have to do this kind of training?”

As I said that with an incredulous expression, Ria shrugged.

“You need to know how to make money after secularizing, don’t you?”

“Did I ask you to teach me that?”

“No, you didn’t.”

I put my hands on my hips and leaned my face close to Ria’s face, who was looking down at me. Ria then took a few steps back.

With the most angry expression I could muster, I said to Ria.

“I appreciate the favor, but I have no intention of becoming a hunter?”

“Really? But it would still be helpful.”

“…What?”

“You know, you really don’t seem to know, but there’s a stalker.”

“I already heard that.”

“That stalker might be approaching you with certain feelings, but what if they’re approaching you because they saw your abilities?”

“What?”

“Divine power doesn’t have the ability to attack people, right? You said it yourself. You said that monsters beyond the gate, which divine power doesn’t affect, cannot be dealt with by your power alone.”

“……”

“And people can become like those monsters, you know? What if someone tries to kidnap you?”

“…So, are you hoping I’ll shoot that person?”

“It’ll probably be difficult. Handguns can’t be carried at all times. It seems this country has quite strict regulations on gun possession.”

As I opened my mouth to argue again, Ria raised her finger.

“However, I’m not just teaching you how to shoot a handgun. I’ll teach you how to wield it too. Even if it’s not a handgun, a blunt weapon similar to a handgun would be helpful.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Haa.”

Ria, as if imitating me, put her hands on her hips and sighed deeply.

“Hey, I have a conscience too.”

“Conscience?”

“You know, no matter how I think about it, it’s a bit much to just put you out into the world. It wouldn’t be strange if you were kidnapped and sold somewhere.”

“Is that your concern?”

“Yes. It’s my concern.”

At those words, I shut my mouth.

Seeing the other person say that, I didn’t know what to say.

In my past life, I lived in a relatively peaceful country, and more importantly, I was a man. And most men rarely hear such things. It would be different if I said that to my girlfriend.

“Hey, actually, I don’t like it that much either. You know you have quite a few annoying parts?”

But at those words, my temper flared up again.

“Then why-“

“You do too, right?”

At Ria’s words, I blinked.

“You don’t believe in God, and you have no intention of using that divine power as you please, yet if someone collapses in front of you, you’ll immediately rush to use it? And you don’t plan to get paid for it.”

“That’s-“

“Well, pride doesn’t save people, okay. I admit that. Honestly, I was a bit impressed. But you know.”

Ria said confidently, hitting her chest with her fist.

“It’s the same for me. I’m someone who will become a hero. And being a hero isn’t just a job of catching monsters for money. If there’s someone injured in front of you, it’s your role to take them to the hospital, even if it’s a hassle.”

“So, you’re saying I’ll become that kind of person?”

“Hearing what you say, it seems like your head might be a bit damaged.”

“Hah.”

I rolled my eyes around.

But my head was so angry that I couldn’t speak properly.

“So, the hero candidate in front of you is going to personally train you. Because if I just put you out in the world, I can see you getting ripped off like a sucker and losing whatever little money you have. It’s very troublesome, but I have to put up with it. People don’t get better just because I’m bothered, do they?”

Hah.

Hah.

Hah, really.

Seeing that I could only let out such sighs, Ria proudly straightened her shoulders as if she had won.

“Well, don’t worry. If you think you can go out into the world without my help, I’ll completely acknowledge it and stop.”

“…You won’t regret those words, will you?”

“Will I regret it? No, will the day come when I regret it?”

“Ugh.”

I gritted my teeth and trembled my shoulders.

“…I will definitely make you regret it.”

“Try your best.”

As I said that, grinding my teeth, Ria merely stuck out her tongue slightly.

It’s a cancellation, a cancellation!

All that talk about her being meticulous earlier, it’s all canceled!

I grumbled and revised Ria’s assessment.

I will somehow put in the effort and definitely make her regret it.