Kuro no Maou

“......What the hell?”

Currently, the Alsace village was congested with the people evacuating towards Spada.

In the central plaza, many tents had been set up that made it look like the camp site of the Daedalus army.

“It doesn’t look like the Natsugoshi festival. What the hell happened while I was on a quest?......”

He was the rank 1 adventurer of Alsace village, Simon. 1 week ago, he had secluded himself at the foot of the Gallahad mountain ranges and finally returned after completing a quest to collect medicinal herbs.

But, when he returned, he found the village filled with anxious people with a negative aura.

There must have been some kind of an unexpected emergency. He thought that but since he had a shy personality, he decided to directly head towards the guild rather than question the people there.

“Eh!? What’s that? That guild has become totally black!?!”

He reached the guild but he was once again received another surprise.

1 week ago, when he was leaving, the guild was definitely painted white but now it was as black as the dark night itself.

“Coating work.......there’s no way.....”

In front of the jet black guild, he became a bit hesitant but if he didn’t enter he won’t be able to get the reward either, so he had no other choice.

With a doubtful expression, Simon put his hand on the door and opened it slowly.

“uwa.......”

The lobby of the guild was filled with armed adventurers.

Although it was a normal scene inside the guild but what was abnormal was the sheer number of adventurers. There were just too many of them.

It was like a guild of an urban city. Thinking that, Simon moved towards the counter.

But he received a surprise for the third time.

“The counter is closed!?”

The counter won’t close until an official emergency quest had been declared.

A question mark appeared over Simon’s head as he was unable to make any sense of the situation.

“Why........rather, what should I do..........”

When he looked around, there were only never before seen adventurers.

No, Simon, who had come here only a few days back as a solo, he never really had anyone he could talk to anyway in Alsace.

“Just what happened to the village and the guild??”

What should he do next, how could he get the reward for his quest, what was happening right now, as he thought all these things, Simon stood stupefied in one corner of the lobby.

“You, over there.”

Simon who was thinking while hanging his down, heard a voice from above.

“Eh?”

As he raised his eyes, the one who stood there was a man dressed from head to toe in complete black clothes.

He was also a human but was much taller than him. Since he was wearing a robe, he must be a magician but his muscles made him look like a warrior instead.

Although he had a sharp nose and a well maintained body, his expression was extremely sharp, and the man gave an immense amount of intimidation.

(“Uwa, he looks like the type I’m bad against.....”)

He was not prejudiced. Since Simon had a short stature, he had the experience of being scorned by men of the same age for that.

Especially those who were blessed with a better physique used to make fun of him more.

But, suppressing his trauma in his heart, he replied with a monotone cold voice.

“What is it, Onii-san?” (T/N: Onii-san can be used in this sense as well when someone tries to give respect to a person only a few years older. Actual relation isn’t necessary. Tho Kurono is probably the younger one here lol.)

“I haven’t seen you before. Did you return from a quest just now?”

“Yes.......”

He replied coldly to the man.

(“He talked to me at least, so I should ask the current situation from him as well.”)

Simon thought that.

He wanted to ask for an explanation but the man spoke first.

“The thing you’re holding, is that a gun?”

Those words made Simon widen his eyes in surprise.

“.......How do you know that?”

.

.

.

(POV change to Kurono)

After completing the blackening of guild successfully, everyone, especially Mossan,

“Amazing boss Kurono! I knew you could do it. I believed in you till the end!!”

-Kept on praising me. After that I returned to the lobby.

My body wasn’t weak enough to get tired with just one all-nighter but due to continuously using magic, I was still mentally tired.

I was about to return to my room and take a 1 hour break but,

“Th, That’s —“

As it suddenly came into my view, shockwaves ran through my brain.

The one I was looking at was a single Elf. I clearly make that out due to the characteristic long pointed ears.

He had grey short hair, emerald big eyes like Lily and had a cute girly face, wait, is it a guy?

He was wearing a dark blue coat and leather boots and trousers. I could make out from his attire that he was probably a guy.

If he was wearing a skirt like the 3 sisters of [Three Hunting Princesses] I would definitely thought that he was a girl.

Anyway, I wasn’t shocked because I fell in love with that boy-girl but because of the weapon he(?) was holding.

“——Isn’t that a gun!?”

That long iron cylinder was definitely like that of a gun.

When that boy-girl looked the other way, I could also see the grip as well as the trigger. I’m pretty sure now.

It looked like a shotgun, no, it looked more like a Rifle without the stock.

I did see some Crusaders holding bowguns but I never thought I would see guns in this other world.

I became high with tension even after the all-nighter by just seeing that. Of course to avoid suspicion of the other Adventurers, my face was still in a poker face from outside.

“I’m curious now, wait, couldn’t that gun become a major power for us?”

In any case, since an emergency quest has been made, he will also become a part of our alliance anyway. I should talk to him now.

I moved towards him(?) who was standing in one corner of the lobby looking somewhat lonely.

Damn, I’m a bit nervous now. Why does it feel like I’m hitting on some girls in a city? Not that I have ever done it actually.

“You, over there.”

Calmly and normally, I called him.

“Eh?”

He raised his head and looked towards me with upturned eyes.

Uoh, now that I look closely, that face is really cute. I am changing it from he(?) to a she(?).

“What is it, Onii-san?”

Were my weird thoughts exposed? She answered with a monotone cold voice while releasing a really rejecting aura.(T/N: yep, kurono uses ‘she’ here.)

I really am shocked from that clearly super cold reaction. Well, my eyes have always been bad and I am also wearing a full black looking robe as well. Anyone would get a bit vigilant against a suspicious looking person, right?

Let’s leave it at that.

“I haven’t seen you before. Did you return from a quest just now?”

“Yes.......”

So she really was an adventurer.

That means, she doesn’t know the current situation. It’s natural after all. Some who returned yesterday were also the same as her.

But, she really is giving off a seriously gloomy aura.

I’m being unskilful here. Even though I haven’t gotten to the main topic, the next words will definitely end the conversation if it goes on like this.

I need to ask her about the gun quickly.

“The thing you’re holding, is that a gun?”

“.......How do you know that?”

Was my question such a surprise? Her cute eyes opened wide as she looked at me.

“Do people not know about it normally?”

“Unless it’s a real weapon maniac, nobody knows about guns. ‘Normally’ you said, is your common sense normal?”

In just a few seconds after meeting, my common sense is being doubted already.

Well, since I’m not from this world, it’s a fact that I still haven’t grasped the common sense of this world as of yet. So it can’t be helped.

“It was normal where I lived.”

It sounds like an excuse but it’s true.

From the common sense of my world, everyone knows about guns after all. Especially guys like me, though I’m still not at the level of being called a gun otaku.

Leaving that aside, from her words it’s certain that it’s actually a gun.

But, even though there are guns, I wonder why they have not become popular yet? Is it because magic is more convenient? Or maybe because it’s too costly? Well, it might be the start of an era where it starts getting popularized from here onwards.

“Anyway, I’m really interested in your gun. Can you show it to me?”

“My gun is a normal lump of steel and not some magical mechanism rod. It’s not what magician Onii-san is expecting.”

I see, there must be rods that look like guns as well.

My [Black Ballista Replica] also shows the same effects like a gun if it was shaped like a gun.

Rather than that,

“If it doesn’t use magic, that means it is an actual gun that shoots lead balls with gunpowder, right? I want to see that ‘real’ gun.”

“Onii-san....why do you know even that?”

Huh? Didn’t I hear the same thing just a while ago?

Her surprised expression also came for the second time.

“I created this gun that uses gunpowder instead of magical energy to shoot bullets. I have never told anyone about this structure so why do you know that!”

Wait a second, this girl just said that she created it.

“Wait wait, I want to confirm something but those guns that the weapon maniacs know about are all gun-shaped Rods?”

“......That’s right.”

“And, you created this gun that fires bullets without magic. Could it be that you compounded the gunpowder by yourself as well?”

“It’s not something as amazing as compounding but, yes. That’s why there’s no way anyone else knows about guns that uses bullets. No wait—could it be, there are already such guns at Onii-san’s homeland....?”

In front of her who had started muttering to herself, I got an even bigger shock that the time I saw the gun.

“A genius.”

The history behind guns wasn’t something shallow. The creation of matchlock, invention of gunpowder was made through various trials and errors.

To create that from nothing, that too alone, was impossible.

No, she must have gotten some kind of a hint.

Even so, in this world where gunpowder doesn’t even exist, to have created a gun alone,

“You’re a genius!”

Yes, there’s no other way to describe this.

“O, Onii-san?”

Right now, I might be looking at a great inventor in front of me.

“Amazing, this is amazing, please show me that gun, I beg of you!!”

“uu......if you go that far, fine.....”

Maybe she had been pulled by my vigour; she was showing a troubled face but I didn’t really care about that right now.

She timidly handed the gun to me.

“Thank you!”

As I took it, I could feel the heaviness of the iron in my hands.

I had held model guns but this the first time I held an actual one. But somehow I know from this weight that it’s a real gun.

“Does it have bullets inside right now?”

“No way, I have removed them for now. Nothing will happen even if you pull the trigger. It’s just a pipe of iron right now.”

Then, there’s not a chance for an accidental discharge either so I can observe it with relief.

“It feels like a hunting gun—“

It’s appearance is that of a hunting gun without the stock. But after matching it’s appearance with the ones in my mind, I found a gun that matched it better.

“A Contender.” (T/N: It’s the name of a gun. Google it. Kiritsugu uses it in Fate Zero.)

It was a single shot pistol developed by the America’s Thompson. It looks really similar to it.

But, since it’s meant for her use, the grip is somewhat smaller. It looks more like a compact version of it.

It looks like a hunting gun but its barrel is long. Even longer than the Contender probably. Though I haven’t seen an actual one.

“But, its structure is more or less the same.”

Since there’s neither a bolt nor a magazine, it needs to be loaded after every single shot.

As expected since she created it alone, compared to the current level of guns, it only has the minimum mechanism needed to shoot the bullet.

Except the barrel, the interior doesn’t even have the smooth rifling. It must fire round bullets like the matchlock guns. Since there’s a red shiny stone on the firing hammer, it must be used as an ignition, basically it’s a flint rock type, or something close to that.

That means, gunpowder and the bullet are loaded separately? I’ll need to ask the details.

On pulling the bullet, a *gakin* sound could be heard.

I feel moved. That sound is really cool.

“How do you reload? Do you insert the bullet from the barrel?”

“That’s how I wanted to do, but right now—-“

As I returned the gun, she set it up with familiar hands, and with a *gashan* sound, the barrel snapped open.

“Opening from middle type!?! Damn, so cool!!”

“I know right!? It’s really cool!!”

By the way, the contender is also the same type.

Rather than that, I think I just connected with her just now, with this girl whose name I don’t even know—-oh right,

“I hadn’t introduced myself yet.”

“Eh, un.”

I took out my guild card from my pocket and showed it to her.

“I’m Kurono, nice to meet you.”

“.....Simon.”

We named ourselves, and exchanged our cards.

Name- Simon, Rank 1, Class- Alchemist, is what was written on her card.

“Alchemist?”

I saw this class for the first time.

I could understand if it was a magician of fire or darkness but what kind of a class was an alchemist?

“Onii-san, you don’t know about Alchemists?”

“Those who turn things into gold?”

“Yeah, without magic.”

“......you can do it?”

“No way. If it was possible, gold won’t be used as money anymore.”

I guess that was obvious. After all the value of gold is absolute no matter which world it is.

You can’t create gold even with magic.

“Alchemists are researchers that work on things other than magic. Not everyone researches a way to create gold.”

“I see, other than magic......”

That means, it’s the same as my world, something like an ancestor to scientists.

If that’s the case, then I am even more curious.

It could be that Simon might have invented something else that is the same as my world as well.

For someone who has been swung around by magic all the time after being summoned, I want to see something more scientific after a long time.

“Does that mean you have a research laboratory as well?”

“It’s not something that amazing but there is a need to have a place to do experiments so I have borrowed a lodge nearby.”

“If possible, can you show me there?”

“Eeh!? Th, that’s......”

“Ah sorry. Could it be the lab has lots of secrets? Then there’s no need to—“

No, that’s not it. After all, no one other than me can understand it anyway, but, it’s really cramped so it’s difficult to bring someone else as well......”

I see, so the reason is a replacement of “ My room is dirty so you’re not allowed to enter it alright!?”

But still, I really don’t have time right now.

I might find something there that might help me against the Crusaders so I need her cooperation no matter what.

Wait, I haven’t really explained the situation to her at all either.

“I’m changing the topic a little but actually an emergency quest has been issued. This village is facing a critical condition.”

“Ah, right, I wanted to know about that as well! What’s happening in the village right now? There are a lot of adventurers and the counter is closed. Also my reward—“

“I get it I get it, I’ll explain everything so let’s talk while we walk towards your lab.”

“Eh, is going to my place already decided?!”

“Sorry but in the end, that’s what we’ll do.”

I just realized it but, this girl is really good at Tsukkomis. I feel like playing around with her a bit more.

Lily is just a child, Fiona is an airhead, I really had no chance to joke around. And now I get these reactions from Simon-chan.

It feels the same as when I was in my literature club and had a conversation with a junior boy from the Illustration club to make some illustrations for my own light novel.

That guy was also child faced and it was difficult to tell whether he was a guy or a girl. It can’t be helped that Simon-chan’s overlapped with him

Damn, I feel like crying a bit due to happiness and homesickness.

“Why are you being moved to tears Onii-san?”

“No, I just remembered my home for a bit.”

“Was there something nostalgic during our conversation?”

That’s right, I don’t have the time to be swept with nostalgia. If I keep playing the idiot(boke), I’ll be able to relieve my stress but the conversation won’t move any further.

I need to quickly explain the situation and get her cooperation and also think about how to use guns in actual battle.

“Anyway, I need your strength right now!”

“.......Is that a joke?”

“No, I’m really serious this time.”

Maybe because I joked around too much, the trust in my words seems to have plummeted.

“My bad. I think you’ll get it once I’m done explaining.”

“fun, well fine. Then shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

Oh, I needed to tell the others that I’m going out for a bit as well.

If the leader disappeared suddenly, they’ll think I ran away.

I clapped loudly and called the adventurers.

“Oi, everyone, listen for a second.”

The adventurers in the lobby all reacted to my voice instantly and looked here.

“Wait, Onii-san what are you——“

“I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back before noon. After that we’ll practice as planned so be ready as required.”

“”””Roger.”””

After hearing their reply, I and Simon-chan left the guild.

“.........Onii-san, just who are you?”

“I showed you the guild card right? Rank 1 adventurer and a black magician.”

I’m also the leader of the Adventurer alliance but I’ll leave the explanation for later.