Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Description:

“Brown and I need to move east. It won’t be fast. But it won’t be easy for you to follow us, either. Most importantly, if there’s another being near you, ‘we have no choice but to use it. Come alone. I’m sorry I can only say it like this, but find me. Not for me, nor for the world, but for you.”

From Elizabeth, one of the Three Musketeers of the previous generation, [Bullseye] Elizabeth is looking for her successor who will inherit her power. Explore the eastern part of the New Continent alone to find her. But, as she warned, you cannot bring anyone with you.

Encounter Reward: ?

Failure Conditions:

Death of Elizabeth before the encounter
Discovering Elizabeth with another life form

(Party play, summoned creatures, tamed pets strictly prohibited)

Failure: ?

Will you accept?

“What’s this? Elizabeth is-”

“Brown is looking for me?”

Leeha was about to mention the quest content when Luger suddenly spoke out, making him shut his mouth.

The note itself contained no details. It simply triggered a quest pop-up for the current Three Musketeers “upon seeing” the item.

So, it turned out Leeha had received a quest to find Elizabeth, while Luger received a quest looking for Brown.

“Huh? Then what about Kidd? What about [Rapid Fire]? He’s at the Academy, but he doesn’t have any quest?”

“It did appear… Hmm. It doesn’t say to come anywhere.”

“So then what?

“To strictly protect Headmaster Browless.”

Kidd made a puzzled face and shook his head. Leeha and Luger also found it absurd.

Who is supposed to protect whom?

It’s not about Browless protecting Kidd, but it’s about Kidd being instructed to protect Browless?

“So the failure condition is… the Headmaster’s death?”

“That’s right.”

Such a quest wouldn’t appear as a joke.

A quest always implies a possibility of becoming reality!

Leeha reviewed his own quest again. His quest’s failure conditions also clearly stated, “Death of Elizabeth before encountering… It means a serious threat is imminent.”

Especially since Kidd received a quest that simply instructs to protect Browless, this note could not be a plan to lure and kill the Three Musketeers. The main concern was the ‘come alone’ part. For Lee, this condition was critical.

“Luger or Kidd tend to move alone, but me… I understand party play is not allowed, but summoned creatures and pets too?”

This meant that utilizing the ‘Koma’ would be difficult.

“What about Blaugrunn? Is that also not allowed? Or what about Jellypong?”

If Jellypong appeared in the [Item] info window, could it be considered an item? Jellypong might be feasible, but expecting help from Blaugrunn and Koma seemed almost hopeless.

“So, should I start searching from the location where the World Tree’s forest was…?”

Exploring the unfamiliar lands of the eastern New Continent alone to meet Elizabeth could be interpreted as the quest’s demand.

Moreover, there was another strange point. What’s the problem with coming with someone else?

Despite there seemingly being no issue, Elizabeth clearly warned about it.

“If there’s another creature with you, ‘we unavoidably have to open fire’.”

“The handwriting is oddly curved.

‘We’ is mentioned here.”

We have no choice but to use it.

Leeha focused on the part where, after consistently using ‘I’, Elizabeth referred to ‘we’ only in that context.

“Is she talking about Mr. Brown? Or is it someone else…?”

As Leeha tried to decipher the true intention behind Elizabeth’s words, not everyone was engaged in deep thought.

“Of course, I’ll do it. This isn’t the important part. Just find Brown, smack him one, and ask why he’s doing all this.”

In some ways, Luger was thinking similarly to Lee.

“More importantly, we should focus on Fernand. You said you met them.”

“Really?

“Who is the Matan’s Shooter you speak of?”

Luger instinctively realized. It meant that Brown’s quest dialogue wasn’t much different from Elizabeth’s.

In that case, there was only one path left.

If Brown and Elizabeth were unable to fully control the Matan’s Shooter, hence their use of ‘we,’ then the identity of this Matan’s Shooter could only be one person.

“Yes, I even tested it on my way back.”

Fernand rummaged through his bag and took out a magnifying glass.

“Here are the three of them captured. This is possible due to the game’s inbuilt image-saving feature of an item, which cannot be prevented by screenshot blocks.”

It was natural for the eyes of the Three Musketeers to widen in shock.

“Is it really, Fernand-ssi? You mean to say the Matan’s Shooter is in there? Show us!”

“It’s a remarkable feat. To reach that place where no user has ever been-“

“But I cannot show it to you right now. I cannot immediately reveal it to you.”

Despite rushing over eagerly, Kidd and the others were only met with Fernand slipping the magnifying glass back into his bag.

Veins throbbed on Luger’s forehead.

“How many times do you think you’d have to die before you’d drop that magnifying glass? Showing us now seems less risky, don’t you think?”

Luger raised the barrel of his Cobalt Blue Python at Fernand’s forehead, but the Pioneer King did not change his expression.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk about the Matan’s Shooter. I’m not even sure if it’s appropriate to say I know. More importantly… I think there’s a matter more significant than just handling this among ourselves. I’ll report to the Papacy first before discussing this further.”

“We already know who it is. Apart from Brown and Elizabeth, there’s only one other option. I’m just curious about their appearance. Just show me that.”

“The face is captured well enough to recognize the features.”

“Yeah, so just show that-“

“I can’t. Reporting to the Papacy comes first.”

Tension surfaced again on Luger’s forehead.

But Fernand held the upper hand.

No matter how bold Luger was, causing a scene in Juma City, a unique town in the New Continent, and getting chased away was not an option.

Thus, listening to their conversation, eventually, Kidd had no choice but to accept the quest.

“Letting such a hint pass by doesn’t seem right. Regardless of the difficulty, it feels like we’re incredibly close to the Matan’s Shooter.”

Moreover, Kidd had one different thought.

‘They must have underestimated me before…’

There was a story Kidd wanted to hear from headmaster of the [Musketeer Academy].

“Let’s see if you can still say that after looking at this silencer and scope. Especially since even Fernand is barely starting to step into the eastern part of the New Continent, a whole new world.”

With such a place in mind, the anticipation of encountering many situations where Black Bass’s quests could be cleared was not insignificant.

“Since the [Sanctification] quest is almost over anyway. I’ll have plenty of time to roam around after it’s completed.”

While the members of the Virtue Knights Order and other troublesome figures were of concern, such issues were currently insignificant to Kidd, who had a mountain of personal matters to deal with.

Kidd nodded and asked Fernand, “So, you’ll inform us immediately after reporting to the Papacy?”

“That’s… Yes. Though personally, I’m not fond of your obsession with the Matan’s Shooter.”

He smiled awkwardly.

“Okay! Then make sure to contact us later, all right?”

“Understood. I’ve conveyed everything I needed to, so I’ll be on my way now.”

Fernand left Juma City for the Ezwen Holy Empire. The knights frequented a tavern where only the Three Musketeers remained, eyeing one another.

“I think Luger and I will be leaving soon… How about you, Kidd? Will you be okay?”

“Predicting such unpredictable matters. So, you’re saying you’ll protect Browless? No, no. From Brown and Elizabeth’s perspective, they might no longer need you. Hm. It signifies you’re already out of the running for the next Matan Shooter.”

Luger mocked Kidd, letting his imagination run wild with the quest contents, even though the term “the next Matan Shooter” or its nuances hadn’t even been hinted at.

This made Leeha genuinely curious about how Luger’s nerve cells worked.

“Protecting the headmaster… Luger, you’re actually right.”

“Eh, right?”

“If it were the me from before, I would have hardly been a help concerning the headmaster’s decisions.”

“So? What about now-“

“There’s nothing more I can say to you except for my thanks.”

With that, Kidd rose from his seat, slightly lifting his coat to reveal four Crimson Geckos.

Leeha immediately understood.

“Your enhancement has finished. And it seems to be incredibly satisfactory.”

Kidd had hinted at his growth even during the [Sanctification] quest. Considering the enhancement was complete, his abilities must have improved unimaginably from before.

“Like how I can easily hit 36m after Black Bass got upgraded.”

Leeha nodded.

Luger, who often visited the Blacksmith at Bottleneck for ammunition, understood where Kidd’s confidence stemmed from.

“Hmm, you think a little enhancement improved your skills?”

“Luger, even if I’ve gotten used to your provocations, they’re still annoying. If you continue, I will have to take action.”

As Luger kept taunting, Kidd’s expression hardened further.

Luger, sitting across, could not see everything about Kidd, but Leeha could. He could see Kidd’s hands moving-nimbly under the table.

“Pfft, take action? What could you possibly do here? Want to go outside? You were the last to enhance and yet so full of yourself- Ahhh!?”

Luger suddenly screamed.

Everyone in the tavern turned to look at him.

“Arrgh… You, you- doing such things in the village-“

“What have I done? I’ll leave the potion here.”

Standing up, Kidd pulled out a potion from his bag.

The sudden commotion left Leeha momentarily stunned.

What had Kidd done? Why was he thanking him? It was a few seconds later when he understood, seeing the blood streaming down from Luger’s foot!

The hands moving-nimbly under the table! And back at the blacksmith, during the enhancement attempt, the words Kidd heard!

Leeha stood up abruptly. As Kidd walked toward the door, Leeha had no choice but to shout, “Aaaah! Kidd, you, you snagged my idea again!”

“What are you on about. See you later, then.”

Kidd used a teleportation sphere, but Leeha knew. How had Luger’s foot been injured ‘without any signs’? There was only one reason.

“Damn you, gunslinger! You dared to make a silencer!”

“That’s exactly it! Damn! You overheard it and secretly made one, didn’t you!”