Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

 “Hmm…… What the hell…”

It was only after asking around that Leeha was barely able to confirm their location and move forward. After going through the Dwarven Chieftain’s Meeting, they were expelled from Hell Anvil! Leeha saw that this wasn’t an ordinary occurrence, especially since they were dwarves, which was a race that could not be played.

‘It’s not a disagreement between users, it’s the judgment of NPCs. Is it also a quest?’

Leeha also knew that Dwarves’ authority comes from their ‘dexterity’. The Dwarven Chieftain wasn’t chosen based on how well they fought, they were chosen based on how good they are at making products. In other words, it was not an exaggeration to say that their authority comes from being near minerals and ores. Being far from Hell Anvil was nothing short of a disgrace to Dwarves.

‘What the hell have they done? I also need to change the coordinates of the crystal ball.’

Leeha came to ask for a few auxiliary items and thought he would have a great experience. Two hours after getting out of Hell Anvil and walking downhill, the distant sound of hammering tickled Leeha’s ears.

 Kaang- kaang-!

“Bottleneck-nim!”

“W-who is it! Beard, Beard Brothers!”

“Yes, boss”

A rustling sound rang out. Bottleneck and the Beard brothers were as sharp as frightened cats. Seeing them hiding behind a tree with various weapons, Leeha raised his hands high. Although they tried to hide, Leeha could see all the weapons sticking out.

“I-It’s me! Ha Leeha! I’m not here to fight!”

“……Ha Leeha?”

“Seriously, what did you do to come to a place like this? Long time no see. I thought you needed something, so I bought some drinks and-”

Bottleneck and the Beard Brothers looked at Leeha with dazed expressions. Leeha gave an awkward greeting and rummaged through his bag. At that moment, one of the Beard Brothers attacked him.

“T-This guy! It’s because of you! You’re the reason!”

“W-Wait, bear with it, little brother!”

“Waaaah?!”

The older brother grabbed the younger brother, and a commotion broke out. Leeha stepped back and examined the faces of Bottleneck and the Beard Brothers. What were they talking about?

“What? Why are you treating someone you haven’t seen for so long like this?”

“You’re saying that?! Eong! T-That chimera item! What’s your relation with Ghibrid?! B-Because of that item- Kuhuhuhu……”

“Stop it, Beard Brothers. Both of you, get inside. I will talk with this bastard.”

Bottleneck told them to go inside with a tired voice. At last, the Beard Brothers sobbed and even shed tears. The dwarf had a soot-stained beard and a tearful expression. Leeha could not understand the situation.

‘What did they mean chimera item? Ghibrid?’

He knew that Bottleneck would definitely curse at him because the Beard Brothers made a fuss. And he was a dwarf that used all kinds of abusive language. However, contrary to Leeha’s worries, Bottleneck only sighed.

“You, are you really Elizabeth’s successor?”

“What are you talking about, again? You obviously know my rifle.”

“You have nothing to do with the Fragment of the Demon King, do you?”

“Fragment of the Demon King?”

Leeha was a little perplexed. He never thought that he would hear it in this place.

“I met Blue Beard not too long ago-”

It was the appearance of the Fragment of the Demon King and the Pope’s confirmation that ended the massive human war. Enough time had passed for non-user NPC races to hear such news. However, Bottleneck shook his head. The dwarf’s eyes trembled slightly.

“I heard about Blue Beard. I am not talking about him”

“Yes? If not Blue Beard, who else?”

“‘Ghibrid’…”

Bottleneck spat out a name that Leeha heard for the first time. Then he took a deep breath and spoke. It was only after listening to the story that Leeha was able to guess what was going on and why the Beard Brothers were in a frenzy. He was also convinced.

“……You are not related to one of the Fragments of the Demon King, ‘Chimera Nest’ Ghibrid…… right?”

A strange conviction that a Fragment of the Demon King will wake up sooner or later.

***

Of course, what did it mean? It was the first time he heard the name Ghibrid! Leeha was about to say that, but he paused for a moment. It wasn’t the time to figure that out. Bottleneck’s expression was very desperate. Leeha didn’t know why, but Bottleneck always made all of his requests, he knew that Bottleneck had a kind of affection for him. Leeha wasn’t stupid enough to joke around such a person.

“I swear I have nothing to do with Ghibridwa. This is the first time I heard that name.”

Leeha looked directly into Bottleneck’s eyes. He had a calm voice, clear eyes, and without any excitement. The dwarf made eye contact with Leeha for a long time. Leeha was worried that Bottleneck might suddenly attack like the Beard Brothers, but fortunately, it didn’t happen. Bottleneck just let out a big sigh.

“Right…… I thought so. Because you’re the successor of that unruly girl. There’s no way a person with a dark heart would be able to do it. Sorry.”

“No, I am sorry. What were you talking about?”

Leeha looked at Browless for a moment and raised the tone of his voice.

“Before I continue talking, please put down your weapon. Also, please disarm the traps set up around here.”

“Heu, you noticed?”

“Dull guys will get caught, but I am Elizabeth’s successor. I’m not stupid enough to get caught by this much.”

When Leeha raised the mood with a playful attitude, Bottleneck also smiled at him.

However, it was clear that they were not in an ordinary situation. It hadn’t been long since they were kicked out of Hell Anvil, but what did it mean for them to have already installed various traps to drive out uninvited guests?

‘Does it mean that they are hated by the Dwarves?’

How many traps have they set up? When Leeha first appeared, they hid behind the trees with sloppy movements, clearly exposing where they hid, all of it must have been a trap.

“If a real intruder triggered the trap…”

‘Anyway, they are great dwarves.’

Leeha was about to open his mouth again when Bottleneck pulled out a thread installed between the trees.

“I heard that you were called after I asked for night vision goggles last time…… was it because of that? But that…… was my own creation that has nothing to do with the chimera.”

Although the structure and principle were referred to in reality, in Middle Earth, it was a substandard idea. After Leeha learned that it was possible to make a scope out of a Cyclops’ lens, he realized that he could make a night vision by using various materials.

“I also know that it has nothing to do with the chimera. I thought the chieftains who called me were just crazy. However, that wasn’t the case.”

Bottleneck answered without looking at Leeha.

“Phew, let’s go in and talk.”

And finally, after disarming the last trap, Leeha entered Bottleneck’s new smithy-

“Phew, it’s better than last time! It is much wider and bigger here! The other day, I had to bow down to enter, and-”

“If you don’t want your mouth to be removed by the Beard brothers, stop talking about it already.”

“Heop…… yes, I understand.”

Bottleneck was more or less back to normal, but the Beard Bottleneck were still angry. It was an atmosphere in which they might get angry if he tried to lighten the mood.

“So… what happened? Who is ‘Ghibrid’?”

“I already told you. He is a Fragment of the Demon King. Compared to Le who calls himself count as a wordplay for Demon Noble, Ghibli is truly a guy worthy of the name Fragment of the Demon King. It’s because his specialty is to assemble all sorts of monsters into a new chimera. That guy endlessly changes his appearance…” A ‘chimera nest’ that spits out chimera…

Leeha swallowed dryly at Bottleneck’s description. He definitely felt the power of Bluebeard as a Fragment of the Demon King, but at least his appearance wasn’t strange. Rather, it was closer to the appearance of a dignified old gentleman. Leeha briefly imagined a lump of distorted monster in the sewage cesspit.

“Hmm… It is clear that it wouldn’t look good. No, is that why they decided at the Chieftain’s meeting after seeing you make an item with similar characteristics to a chimera? To kick Bottleneck out?”

“I had a hunch. It was only confirmed in a hurry after Bluebeard appeared. Che, those damn chieftains.”

“How do you feel?”

“Do you think it’s only because of that one item you asked us to make? Even the chieftains whose heads are full of ore must know it was not a chimera. Even so, it means that they had already obtained some kind of information at the time they called me, and they confirmed that information as true when they learned of Bluebeard’s appearance.”

Bottleneck’s claim was logical. Contrary to his outward appearance, his hand movements were delicate, and he was also quick to notice. And it didn’t lose out to Leeha.

“That information. It’s about the chimera.”

“The dwarves who went out looking for a vein across the Red Mountain saw a group of chimeras. At the meeting of the chieftains at the time, they were shocked and even dispatched an investigation team, but they couldn’t find any evidence. So, that’s why they just let it go then.”

“Hmm……. A monster that just looks like a chimera could have moved somewhere, right?”

“They could…… However, chimeras are not naturally occurring monsters. It surely has an artificial task. Aren’t humans like that as well? Regardless of country or job, chimera modification is the worst crime. Anyway, when they did not find any evidence in the end, instead of thinking, ‘The Chimera, for which no evidence was found, has moved somewhere else’, they concluded that ‘it wasn’t there in the first place, they saw it wrong’. Because that was fast and easy Twe, stupid chieftains. They didn’t even know that it made things worse.”

“Under such circumstances, news of Bluebeard’s appearance spread…… the chimera at that time must have been real, that is, there is a possibility of Ghibrid appearing. But does it have anything to do with Bottleneck?”

“There is. It’s because Ghibrid’s appearance could turn the continent upside down. What if Ghibrid really appeared? The first race to find out and did not do anything could get criticized. The council of Chieftains must have been unable to bear that.”

“Oh…… t-then, to save their faces…… they expelled Bottleneck-ssi? No, what- it’s a national assembly- a meeting of chieftains, so it’s a parliament.”

Regardless of country or race, are the heinous actions of the council all the same? It meant that they expelled Bottleneck to save their own skin.

Looking at Leeha’s incredulous expression, Bottleneck frowned as well.

“They are stupid. They tried to connect me with Ghibrid, but couldn’t find anything so they settled on expelling me. If they had evidence, they would have killed me. They are fools that don’t know anything.”

In other words, it was the power of the word ‘Fragment of the Demon King’. Power enough to require an innocent scapegoat.

‘That really……. I came to ask for items, but I can’t even tell him.’

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t his responsibility. Even the council who kicked out Bottleneck knew that the item he made had nothing to do with him. However, in any case, he was the one who provided the opportunity.