Chapter 19 – WEAPON DEVELOPMENT
The village had sent out scouts, and discussing if there was anything else he could do, it was decided he would make a fence for the field.
With it, the crops would be protected from harmful creatures, so making it would not be pointless.
Cutting down trees, producing logs, he covered the perimeter of the field. The work progressed quickly with the help of the villagers in addition to Gon and Gen, as well as the Horse Golems Drei, Quatre, and Cinq. It was a speed that one would call abnormal if they were to see it all.
Day 3 after the departure of the scouts.
「Haa, I somehow made the shape」
Jin helped out with the work by cutting the trees into logs (with Engineering Magic), but the number of necessary logs to make was done, and he now had some time for himself.
「Just in case… I want a weapon」
Jin thought. Right now the materials are scarce, so making a special weapon is unlikely. At best would be an edged tool made out of Adamantite.
「Well, I don’t want it to go to waste, shall I make an axe and nata…?」
He decided to make an edged tool to use for his usual livelihood. Although there wasn’t much left because to make the Horse Golems, iron was used for the body, and Admantatite for the exterior, so he could not make much. But he was still able to make 10 axes and 20 natas.
「All that’s left is a weapon for myself, huh?」
Jin could not boast as his physical strength and athletic ability were low. Compared to the men of the village he would be the lowest level. Therefore close combat is unreasonable. Although, he was also unskilled with the bow.
「After all it will have to be 《・・》」
So Jin muttered and began making a Water Gun. It was a pistol model with a large tank attached type.
「Onii-chan, what are you making?」
Day after day, Hanna came to Jin’s workshop (though it’s really Hanna’s grandfather’s workshop).
「Yaa, Hanna. I’m making a Water Gun」
「Water Gun?」
To begin with, in this world there’s no such thing as a 『Gun』, so saying 『Water Gun』 would not get through to her.
「Well, just take a look」
Since the structure in itself was not too complicated, he immediately completed one. It was a water tank attachment model.
「…?」
For Hanna who didn’t understand it well,
「This here, you put water into it, then you hold it like this, then pull this trigger…」
Chuu~ the water flew out.
「Waa! It looks fun!」
To people with the exception of Jin it was merely a toy, so he decided to give the Water Gun to Hanna.
「Though this is really something to play with in the hot summer」
「But still, thank you! It’s really fun!」
Hanna delightfully received the Water Gun and went out to play with it.
「… with this I’ll have to make some for the other children」
Jin realised, so he made 10 more Water Guns of the same type. With a thing of this degree, after making it once he could easily mass-produce it.
Incidentally, because there isn’t any plastic, all of it was made of 《Muscovite》 so it was light and hard to break.
After that, for his own weapon, he increased the capacity of the water tank, and with 2 pistons it raised the accuracy. He then made two of the type where the main part of the Water Gun without the water tank could fire water.
If this is used together with Jin’s Engineering Magic 《Water Jet》, it would be a fearsome weapon.
「But I still can’t protect the whole village」
Feeling at peace is forbidden, was what Jin warned himself.
After that, Kurt and Mario who found Hanna playing with a Water Gun came over, needless to say they were all provided Water Guns.
＊ ＊ ＊
Then a peaceful two days followed. And on the third day, the scouts came back.
「Oh~! Rock and Yang, you’re safe!」
「Aa, thanks to this horse」
After the two had a short break, they began the report of the scouting in the village chief’s house.
「At first there weren’t any problems…」
The point that there was no problem with the mountain deer was made.
「From there we advanced further back for a day, but not much had changed. Then, we went around to the west a little」
They had been going straight north, so they changed course 90 degrees to the left.
「Around there nothing had changed. We felt relieved, and once again headed north. And then…」
「What is it?」
「…… we stumbled upon a place with the bones of mountain deer rolling around」
「What!?」
「Feeling that it was dangerous, we mounted our horses and then, a big Wood Bear appeared. Looking at it, it was dragging a mountain deer still dripping in blood」
「A Wood Bear!?」
「Aa. So, listen, and don’t be too surprised」
「…? What?」
「For that big Wood Bear, there are 10 in total that appeared there」
「No way?!」
Whose cry could that have been? That cry spoke the feelings of all that gathered there. A Wood Bear was a dangerous beast that could be barely hunted with three or four skilled hunters. And to say there’s 10.
「Why, in such a place…」
Normally a large herd of mountain deer would not come south, so then why would the mountain deer come south? The mountain deer and Wood Bear live in a remote mountains, while Kaina Village is in the back of the mountains, and the mostly vegetation-less valley is in between, therefore there was almost no threat of a beast for Kaina Village.
But now that the mountain deer had crossed over to this side of the valley, it would be likely that the Wood Bear would also come in pursuit.
That was the conclusion made today. So Jin,
「Just in case, I made a some sturdy axes and natas. Please come and take it later」
saying that, the village chief,
「Aa, I see. Jin, you being here really help. Well then, Jeff and Tom, go and get it with Jin. For now I’ll take care of it」
「Understood」
So with Jeff and Tom, Jin returned to Martha’s house, and piled up in the workshop, Jeff carried the axes while Tom carried natas.
Jin reported to Martha in the house about the contents of the meeting.
「I see, so the mountain deer and Wood Bear may have come to such a place. I’ll need to tell Hanna to be careful」
「That’s right. For the time being the mountain to the north is dangerous so don’t go there」
He warned Hanna,
「Un. But is the river fine?」
There was little danger for the Erume River to the south. The children would act unreasonably if he were to say no for everything. Jin knew such things from seeing the small children from the orphanage.
Saying that the river was fine, Hanna went to play in the river with her Water Gun.
After that, it was decided to monitor the north mountain everyday in turns. But after 2 days, then 3 days, nothing abnormal happened. When the villagers began to think that they were worried too much, it happened.
After breakfast, Jeff who was on lookout duty found a cloud of dust coming from the north mountain. Looking closely, there was a large herd of mountain deer coming down from the mountain.
「Oiii! Mountain deer are coming down from the mountain!」
He hurriedly informed the village. The village chief and Rock, as well as Jin came out to see it.
「This is… their movement looks like they’re being pursued by something」
Rock said while stroking his chin.
「If it’s the Wood Bear, then they’ll show up a in a little bit」
The village chief agreed.
「If that’s the case, first we need to lead the mountain deer in another direction so they don’t come to the village」
Everyone agreed with Jin’s opinion. So Jin, Rock, Jeff and Rick mounted a Horse Golem and decided to lead the mountain deer towards the forest to the west.
「We’re going!」
With Rock leading, and after that is Jeff then Rick. Jin was the rear guard.
「Be careful」
With voices of worries to their backs, the four Horse Golems quickly grew smaller and smaller.
「It’ll be fine, the other party this time are mountain deer. Now, go inside your houses」
The village chief tried to relieve the worried women.
「Onii-chan…」
Hanna stared in the direction where Jin and the others faded away till the end.