The sound of horses neighing and footsteps continued at a steady pace.
The carriage began to leave the crowd of citizens.
A few moments later, they arrived at a palace—specifically, the Kingdom of Ars.
A magnificent garden filled with flower beds and guards stationed around the palace grounds.
Sunlight shone upon the passing carriage.
The knights were snoring loudly as they slept.
A knight named Lawson was resting in the garden.
Reinz, Oscar, and Godfrey were among them.
All four of them were exhausted from patrolling every city in the territory of the Kingdom of Ars.
Until Oscar opened his eyelids.
“Should we tell the spies to search for the four of them?” Lawson said.
“What for?
Just interrupting sleep,” Reinz muttered.
“You’ll find out for yourself later.
But the Roseldt territory has been attacked by bandits.
And a mysterious man appeared and shot at the bandits with his iron bow.
Does that sound logical?” Lawson said.
Oscar, Godfrey, and Reinz were surprised by Lawson’s words.
For the first time, they were thinking rationally.
They had actually hesitated to report it at the time.
“But the problem is, the enemy forces have wiped out Commander Cappadox, and the Torquis Empire is led by General Oxion.
He doesn’t seem like an enemy to be underestimated!” Lawson blurted out.
“General Oxion has been defeated?
Who is the person bold enough to kill the greatest man in the Torquis Empire?
Forget that fool Cappadox.
General Oxion is the strongest shield and a defense difficult to penetrate with ordinary strategy.
Even his maneuvers are more terrifying than the generals around Torquis!” Reinz said in a high-pitched tone.
It was no mere exaggeration, as Reinz remembered all too well facing General Oxion.
He and Cappadox attacked him from two sides, but it ended in failure until dozens of soldiers from the Torquis Empire managed to beat back his forces.
“I already warned Cappadox not to be influenced by unusual strategies.
But his pride took away his capabilities.
Truly a fool,” Reinz sneered, crossing his arms.
Neither Oscar nor Godfrey made any comment regarding Reinz’s taunt.
Above all, it was purely Cappadox’s fault for being deemed incompetent in taking action.
Who would have thought he would lose to the person who killed General Oxion as well?
“If that person is strong, then we have no choice but to take it seriously.
Especially since we already have a trump card to defeat the enemy.”
“A trump card?
You mean an Otherworlder?” Oscar asked, tilting his head.
“That’s right.
The people we summoned are a criminal married couple.
But their abilities are abnormal.
If used against the enemy who wiped them out, victory is guaranteed to be ours,” Lawson explained.
A long murmur came from the four soldiers.
They could imagine the rapid gunfire sound wiping out the monsters.
Oscar closed his eyes.
The screams of monsters echoed loudly, simply ignored by the couple.
“Unfortunately, their style doesn’t fit with knights.
More precisely, that of thieves rather than upholding the honor of a fighter,” Oscar commented on the couple.
As for their facial expressions, Oscar didn’t say anything because, to him, their abilities were just right.
The most important thing was that their loyalty was questionable.
Reluctantly, the four knights waited a little longer, hoping to uncover their true masks.
~o0o~
Meanwhile, one of the spies of the Kingdom of Ars peeked from atop a tree, using the [Eavesdropping] magic.
He instantly vanished and reported back to the Kingdom of Ars.
The four knights were unaware that the four of them had missed the latest news, especially after the shooting incident carried out by Vladimir.
At the same time, the spy of the Kingdom of Ars knelt before the King of Ars.
His face was full of wrinkles, and he wore a sparkling gold crown upon his head.
“Your Majesty, I bring you a report.
A mysterious man has just wiped out the leaders of our forces and the Torquis Empire.
He killed them with arrows made of iron.
According to our intelligence, it is very likely he possesses a ship that can float in the ocean.”
The King of Ars stroked his bearded chin.
Beside him was Olivia, his 16-year-old daughter.
“Investigate them.
Make sure you are not caught by the four knights guarding the area!”
“Very well, Your Majesty!”
The empire’s spy departed without leaving a trace.
Leaves fell, causing the King of Ars to ponder something.
Olivia was seen standing motionless as she watched.
Beside him, the King of Ars’s wife held the position of Queen, but both of them looked cold—unlike a married couple.
“A storm is coming soon…
isn’t it?”
~o0o~
Meanwhile, the clouds turned overcast, followed by flashes of lightning from the sky.
The figure of a woman felt a tremendous power surging through her body.
She felt her sword and pistol channeling magical energy into the gun.
The eye patch over her right eye glowed, as if waiting for something.
Then, the thunder rumbled loudly, and medusas descended from the sky.
Not just one, but three of them appeared before the woman wearing the eye patch.
The Medusas attacked the woman with the eye patch, smirking and shooting all at once.
The sound of rapid gunfire easily pierced through their bullets one by one.
Meanwhile, her ship crew shivered in horror.
It was the first time they had encountered a woman brave enough to fight Medusa without closing her eyes.
This was natural, because her right eye possessed [Cancel Magic], which could cancel any magic when activated, including that of the Medusas.
The Medusas hissed as if refusing to accept being killed by the eye-patch-wearing woman, instantly crawling forward without warning.
One Medusa gripped its trident.
The woman with the eye patch looked back, performing a backward acrobatic flip, then pointing a pistol toward its head and pulling the trigger in that posture.
The sound of gunshots echoed as bullets headed toward her.
She threw off her captain’s uniform cape, firing repeatedly at its forehead.
The first Medusa lunged with its trident.
The woman with the eye patch dodged quickly, parrying swiftly with both palms, kicking it in the left flank, and shooting it once more—specifically in the heart and head.
The first Medusa immediately collapsed.
The remaining two Medusas hissed angrily and began attacking aggressively.
The man casually pressed his shield button, running fast, sliding to the left while aiming his pistol at them.
“Why?
Is this truly the extent of your abilities?” the woman with the eye patch taunted.
The Medusas were instantly provoked by those words, smirking and firing twice at the same target.
Then, she checked her remaining ammunition—only one bullet left.
The woman with the eye patch smiled crookedly, firing into the air.
The white clouds split into several pieces, and a rain of bullets descended upon the Medusas.
The sound of ocean waves crashing broke out as the ship crew held on tightly.
“Why are we cursed with such bad luck?”
“What else can we do?
Captain Anne Bonny is truly a legend.”
“But she could end up killing all of us, you know!”
“That’s just her style!
What can we do?”
“I heard your complaints, you bastards!”
The crew screamed in terror.
Anne Bonny looked back at the Medusas, not expecting to find something interesting here.
She holstered her pistol and slashed forward as fast as lightning.
Then, she shoved the third Medusa while kicking from the left side, sending the monster flying into the sea with a powerful blow.
Crazier still, Anne Bonny stepped on its tail while choking its neck.
The Medusa groaned in pain.
From her left waist, she pulled a pistol from its holster and shot its tail right off.
The Medusa screamed in agony.
She pulled the trigger toward its head.
They planned to activate a petrification skill, but Anne Bonny successfully thwarted it, causing the Medusas to flee from the ship she was riding.
Anne Bonny only watched them from a distance, grumbling and kicking a wooden barrel on her left.
“Still not enough!
Damn it!” Anne snapped, looking up at the sky.
“C-Captain!
I think that’s enough hunting legendary monsters.
The crew seems to be getting exhausted, so we should—”
“Huh!
What did you just say?” Anne suddenly pointed her sword at one of the crew members.
Cold sweat poured down, rendering the man unable to express what he wanted to say.
He raised both hands, his eyes losing focus.
Anne glanced at him from head to toe.
“Apologies…
I’m just taking my frustrations out on you lot.
Besides, those Medusas were prey I had to wipe out right then and there!”
“I understand your concerns, Captain!
But—”
Before the crew member could finish, Anne spotted an unusual object in the distance.
She took a folding telescope from her pocket, glancing at a mysterious ship floating at the edge of the ocean.
Using the [Eavesdropping] and [Insight] skills from afar:
“Looks like a bunch of kids are being robbed by bandits,” Anne Bonny commented on the situation befalling them.
“Should we help them?” a crew member asked.
“What for?
We’re pirates!
Who cares about weaklings like them!” Anne Bonny scoffed.
“But—”
An elf-eared girl appeared, walking over to meet Anne Bonny.
The crew whispered among themselves.
Anne turned to look at the beautiful and graceful girl whose sparkling blue eyes radiated from her face.
“Marinora?
What is it?” Anne asked.
“You only need to help as much as necessary.”
“As much as necessary?
That’s unusual for you to say, Marinora.”
“Of course!
From the way they move, I’m more interested in the iron ship behind them.”
Naturally, Marinora used skills similar to Anne Bonny’s, though she was more comfortable without a telescope, placing her right hand against her forehead.
The first scene began with the sound of a gunshot, hitting the lead bandit squarely in the head.
In his heart, he must have been shocked by such an attack.
Meanwhile, an elderly man in a military uniform mercilessly ended lives.
One, two, three more gunshots rang out loudly, shocking everyone with their capability.
“I can’t believe he has the exact same weapon as the captain,” Marinora commented.
Even Anne Bonny clicked her tongue in annoyance.
For the first time, the eyepatch-wearing woman expressed frustration at the situation.
While Marinora observed the one-sided battle by the elderly military-uniformed man, Anne clenched her left fist, trying to suppress the emotions she had just felt.
Marinora’s gaze shifted to her captain.
She wanted to comfort her but didn’t want to shatter her pride.
Should I just stay quiet?
Marinora muttered to herself.
On the other side, the bandits charged forward with loud shouts.
The five people alongside the old man watched the slaughter he committed in horror.
Furthermore, with a flick of his index finger, he commanded an unusual golem to finish everything.
It lunged forward without carrying any weapon.
Not long after, the elderly man in uniform shifted his sights to a man of his own age, a high-ranking officer from the Torquis Empire, and the two remaining soldiers.
From the perspective of a non-Otherworlder, that ability defied all reason.
Meanwhile, Marinora watched the old man point his weapon at the forehead of one of the troop leaders.
But a few moments later, he canceled his intention.
At that exact moment, someone shouted in a loud voice, loud enough for the ship carrying Anne Bonny to hear:
“No need for further…
Russian.”
Suddenly, a man grabbed the iron sword of one of the knights.
The elderly military-uniformed man was startled, using his bayonet to block the attack.
The two clashed in a contest of strength while wondering who he was beneath his black armor.
A black suit of armor with red armpit pads featuring striped circles, complemented by an unusual pair of transparent blue vision goggles fitted over his right eye socket, while the left was left unequipped, replaced by a small rod made of iron and slightly elongated plates.
In addition, a pair of boots equipped with thick armor made it difficult for the enemy to slash or kill him, topped with a ragged cloth covering his military armor.
Marinora did not understand the conversation of the elderly military-uniformed man, but she understood the armored man.
“America, huh?
You mean that country full of rags and frauds?”
Once again, Marinora was unable to hear the following conversation.
Without a second thought, the black-armored man attacked repeatedly, but the elderly military-uniformed man kept dodging, searching for an opening to stab him in the ribs or stomach even if the bayonet knife might snap later.
Then, the elderly military-uniformed man began to shout:
“L-3 Submarine Combat Mode…
Automatic on!”
“Affirmative!” a strange female voice stated flatly.
It was loud enough to disturb the eardrums of everyone in the surrounding area, accompanied by a buzzing sound during the confirmation status.
The black-armored man grew cautious of his movements, raising his weapon and initiating a flurry of attacks.
The old man parried the right arm of the black-armored man’s consecutive strikes.
Again and again, the attacks were deflected.
The military-uniformed man tried to break the wrist joint of the black-armored man’s arm, but his legs successfully locked onto him, nearly bringing the elderly military-uniformed man down.
He tried to dodge, but the subsequent gunfire struck the edge of the old man’s held blade, splitting his bayonet into two pieces.
Then, he sprinted forward, lunging at the black-armored man.
Just as the black-armored man attacked from the right side, the elderly military-uniformed man ducked.
His instincts told him he was holding a trump card, which was why the black-armored man had to be defeated quickly.
Meanwhile, the L-3 submarine continued to move automatically.
The black-armored man clicked his tongue in annoyance, not knowing what to do.
He saw a blast erupt from Vladimir’s missile, the explosion heading toward the remaining troops of both factions—the Kingdom of Aris and the Torquis Empire.
He felt both sides should indeed retreat, as staying there any longer was far too dangerous.
The black-armored man observed him, studying the elderly military-uniformed man very carefully.
Although his clothing was a uniform from the Soviet Union, his capabilities were just as powerful as any other Otherworlder.
The more cornered he became, the stronger his power grew.
This was due to the presence of the L-3 submarine behind the old man.
In other words, if I distance him from that submarine, his strength will likely decrease.
“I’ll try that method,” the black-armored man muttered inwardly.
Five seconds passed.
The elderly military-uniformed man pulled the trigger, continuously bombarding with his firearm.
The movements of the armored man became increasingly agile.
His right knee was bent, his left hand ready to grip a knife and a holographic shield, slashing as fast as lightning.
The old man stepped back a fraction faster than before, wincing as he nearly suffered a fatal strike.
Now the attack speed increased.
The old man from the Soviet Union finally struggled as he felt the movements were no longer human.
Wrinkles showed on the old man’s face, his breathing growing ragged.
His body was reaching its limit.
At that moment, the old man shouted with his head tilted back toward the L-3 submarine:
“Now!”
“Affirmative!”
A missile targeted the black-armored man.
He wore a sneer, leaping and spinning his entire body.
Before spinning, the black-armored man reached for a knife at his right waist—energy radiating from the blade, glowing like a beacon.
He slashed repeatedly, even forming an X shape.
Without a second thought, the old man immediately took action to retreat toward the submarine.
The black-armored man would not let his prey escape, ordering someone to keep firing endlessly amidst the booming sounds from the vessel.
When the black-armored man stepped foot onto the craft, a bright flash of light shone.
Realizing he had walked into a trap, he quickly moved to escape.
An explosion followed, accompanied by billowing smoke.
As he tried to press the lever on the right, a laser appeared behind him.
The elderly military-uniformed man turned toward the sound of the magical energy originating from the ship.
The black-armored man seemed to show surprise that he still had a trump card.
From a distance, the elderly military-uniformed man suppressed a groan he was about to let out.
His right wrist was covered in blood, dripping onto the floor as he glared sharply at the black-armored man’s face.
He then grabbed his laser pistol, though he holstered it again.
The weapons he used were two holographic knives accompanied by a shield, but a moment later, for some reason, both knives were placed back at his respective hips.
The elderly military-uniformed man took the initiative to shoot first, but the black-armored man easily dodged.
Marinora once again could not hear their conversation until the black-armored man spoke:
“Are you from another world?”
At that exact moment, Anne Bonny started in shock at those words, as did the crew and Marinora.
“Captain!
She is—” (Referring to Marinora or someone else if context implies, or keeping it aligned with her speech.) “I know, Marinora!
Without you saying a word, it’s obvious she’s just like me.”
Still, I never expected to be forced to face someone even more dangerous.
Is this what they call a different era, just like that damn brat said?
Anne thought to herself.
Marinora then looked up at the black-armored man, seemingly displeased by such a question.
“If you’re going to ask that, why try to show a fake smile?”
Yet no response came from his lips.
He opened the top hatch, pointing toward the food and ammunition supplies.
The elderly military-uniformed man looked over there, shocked by the discovery—especially seeing the label overcapacity.
The black-armored man turned his face away.
“Consider it a gift for you…
Vladimir Konovalov.”
He left the ship standing before him, immediately using flight magic.
The old man named Vladimir seemed bewildered by this bizarre situation, hastily opening the top hatch to look around, but there was no sign of the black-armored man on the surface.
Then, the black-armored man landed on the ground after completing his flight using flight magic.
Black smoke billowed from his nostrils as he casually wrote down all the data he had gathered.
“With this, I can report to the Master.”
Dense black smoke in the shape of a cloud spread around the black-armored man, making his form vanish from sight.
“Until next time, Otherworlder.”
Meanwhile, Anne Bonny’s lips curled into a wide smirk after casting aside her earlier frustration.
It seemed she had found something much more interesting—much like hunting Medusa-like monsters.
I don’t know what kind of ship you have, but it’s a shame it’s in the hands of a guy like you, Anne thought to herself, rubbing her palms together before turning back to her crew.
“Everyone, pull off the tarps!
We’re heading for that iron ship!”
An enthusiastic roar echoed.
Anne Bonny walked while glancing at a man who was sitting with his right leg crossed over his left thigh.
Meanwhile, Marinora let out a sigh, bewildered by how she should respond to all of this.