Chapter 219: Who Exactly Are You?

After several hours on the flying ship, we finally arrived at our destination.

It was probably somewhere in the Chubu region… Oh, it’s surprisingly close to the village. One of the Self-Defense Force members showed me our current location on a map. We’re about 30 minutes away from the village.

“You can see the shooting range over there. Now, everyone, let’s go.”

Masaki-san seemed familiar with the place and led the way confidently.

The area was a vast plain surrounded by dense forest. It was well-maintained, and I could see concrete buildings nearby. There was no one else around besides us.

(Is this what they call a training ground? I don’t remember there being one in this region… No, it might just be that I didn’t know about it.)

While listening to the safety instructions, we walked toward our destination. Normally, this would require prior notice and special applications, but today, we skipped all of that and got special permission to enter.

Upon reaching our destination, Masaki-san spoke up. His face was a mix of confusion and anxiety.

“Um, I know it’s a bit late to ask, but… are we really doing this?”

“Yes, that’s why I asked you to make the arrangements. Let’s get started.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare right away.”

The purpose of our visit today was to conduct a test involving gunfire.

You might have forgotten, but…

There was another reason why the Self-Defense Force members were allowed to carry guns. In simple terms, it was to see if I could withstand live bullets.

– Can I see the bullets?

– Can I avoid them?

– Will the barrier necklace activate?

– Can my body withstand the bullets?

I was the target for these four tests. Despite Touya and Hayato’s protests, I couldn’t back down.

—

For the first test,

As expected, I couldn’t see the bullets at all. And since I couldn’t see them, avoiding them was impossible. Not just for me, but Touya and Hayato couldn’t see them either.

By the time we heard the gunshot, the bullet had already hit the distant target. There were no cool scenes of me seeing bullets in slow motion or skillfully dodging them.

The first two tests ended quickly, and we moved on to the main event. I put on armor made of magic iron to protect my vital areas. It had been tested multiple times to confirm it could stop bullets.

Masaki-san, not a Self-Defense Force member, was the one pointing the gun at me. I had seen his skills earlier, but…

Ignoring my concerns, Masaki-san confidently said,

“Let’s start with your right hand.”

I heard the gunshot simultaneously.

The dry sound echoed, but my hand was unharmed. It seemed to be recognized as an unexpected attack, and a small shield-like barrier activated. Even though I knew the gunshot was coming, it was reassuring to know the barrier could still activate against an invisible attack.

But my relief was short-lived.

“Next, your right ankle. Then, your left shoulder—”

Each time he declared a new target, the barrier activated and blocked the bullets.

This person showed no signs of hesitation, and the gunfire continued relentlessly. Although he avoided my head and heart, it was still quite dangerous.

Finally, the surroundings grew quiet, and everyone gathered around me.

“Village chief… are you okay?”

“Who exactly is that guy?”

“I don’t know much about him, but the experiment was a success. I’m not hurt.”

The three of us exchanged wry smiles and looked over at Masaki-san. He had a serious expression.

“So, this is the effect of the necklace… What an incredible item. Not only does it automatically deploy, but it also adjusts the size to minimize internal mana consumption. And it can deploy multiple shields… truly versatile, truly fantastical!”

He completely ignored us and continued to praise the necklace’s performance. He didn’t return to our world until much later. At the very end, he finally asked, “Are you okay?” in a rather indifferent manner.

His earlier question, “Are we really doing this?” might have been better interpreted as, “Are you really okay with us doing this?”

With a bit of lingering unease, we decided to take a break and reset the situation. We had lunch prepared by the Self-Defense Force, trying to calm our nerves.

“I see, you’re a former Self-Defense Force member.”

“I wasn’t hiding it, I just didn’t expect things to turn out this way.”

“No worries, I was just… surprised. But your marksmanship is impressive. Your accuracy was exceptional.”

“Well, that’s something I’m confident in. Leave the next test to me.”

“Please go easy on me, seriously.”

By the end of lunch, the atmosphere had lightened somewhat.

Finally, we moved on to the last test: Can my body withstand gunfire?

Masaki-san, who had high loyalty and proven skill, was responsible for the shooting. However, I couldn’t entrust my life entirely to him. For safety, I decided to expose only one arm from the barrier.

I won’t go into the details of the process. It was less painful than expected. The bleeding was minimal. With healing potions and recovery magic, I healed instantly. However, if subjected to continuous gunfire, I wouldn’t be able to withstand it. That much was clear.

“Possibly, Hayato’s skill is having an effect.”

“Status Ailment Immunity, right?”

“Yes, it seems to be affecting the bleeding and the pain. Thanks to that, I was surprisingly okay. Well, it might just be that I was numb from the tension.”

“I see, in any case, the barrier necklace is essential.”

“Yes, make sure to always have it on from now on.”

◇◇◇

When all the tests were finally completed, the Self-Defense Force members began packing up. Feeling a bit guilty, we watched from a distance while taking a break.

Honestly, I realized we had done something quite reckless this time. The final test could even be called foolhardy. Still…

If someone important to me were to be killed—

I always end up thinking about that.

(I’m glad I didn’t bring Tsubaki along. She wouldn’t have been able to see this…)

Apparently, I had said that out loud, as Touya quickly chimed in.

“Village chief, what about Sakura?”

“Hm? Sakura would be fine, wouldn’t she?”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“She… trains herself in fire, you know?”

“Oh, right, she did that…”

“I think she’d be worried though? If she finds out about this, it’s going to be a big deal…”

We agreed to keep the testing process a secret and only share the results. Unless we really mess up, it shouldn’t get found out.

With the packing complete, I slowly stood up. Though I didn’t fully realize it, I was feeling mentally exhausted.

The aerial journey was tempting, but we bid farewell to the Self-Defense Force members and decided to return using the teleportation circle. Of course, Masaki-san came with us.

“Well, we’ll be off then.”

“Thank you all for today. Please continue to watch over the village.”

“Yes, leave it to us.”

The Self-Defense Force members here would all be stationed at the village checkpoint from now on. We’ll be relying on them a lot, so I made sure to express our thanks properly.

I wondered if there were any fellow fantasy enthusiasts among them, as such thoughts crossed my mind.

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