Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“I’m here! A dispatch has arrived from Minis!”

Everyone instinctively knew that it must be the news they had been eagerly waiting for, so all eyes were on him.

“Naturally, you had to come. What does it say?” nodded a red-haired woman. With a lifted corner of her mouth, Lam Hwayeon asked.

“They’re willing to hand over two castles facing the War Plain’s border and one city! The guys who initially refused to give us even one castle have completely changed their attitude!”

It was a joyful cheer.

Had the endless tug-of-war finally come to an end? Everyone seemed to realize that. Like a queen addressing her court, the Count of Quantum slammed the table and exclaimed, “That’s right! That’s it! Great job, Your Grace!”

“If we can acquire the castles and the city facing our borders… um, yes, that means we can push our boundaries even further! It will effectively prevent Mini’s invasion entirely!” said the Marquess.

The War Plain served as a buffer zone between Minis and Fubell.

But if they were to possess the castles and the city beyond the War Plain?

From the city’s perspective, it might seem like they were stuck with an enemy at their doorstep. However, from a national standpoint, it would become a fully-fledged frontline base.

In case of any misbehavior from Minis, they could swiftly observe and report to the capital!

“The War Plain is nothing but abandoned land, unsuitable for farming… but even so, we’ll practically have it under our country’s name! It’ll undoubtedly be the designated site for military training in the future.”

“Exactly, you’re right.”

The noble NPCs chuckled.

They were delighted to shed their facade, which had resisted and opposed the treaty, only to ultimately support it.

Yet, amid this jubilant atmosphere, some people still maintained a serious expression.

“What does the Guildmaster of the Crimson Flame think?” the Marquess asked quietly. His voice may have been soft, but the strength behind his words was unmistakable.

As he spoke, all the NPCs who were laughing and chatting, as well as the player who brought the news, fell silent.

Once the atmosphere had settled, Lam Hwayeon finally spoke.

“It’s only been two weeks since we received information that Minis is under attack by chimeras. The fact that they’re declaring surrender after just two weeks indicates their desperation. They’re struggling even to defend against the chimeras, as we’ve been hearing from our spies. Even top-level knights are finding it difficult to counter them… Moreover, there are rumors of an unidentified, possibly blue-haired figure, who seems to be involved in protecting and extracting the chimeras.”

“Hmm… so?”

“The pressing issue still lies with Minis. It seems that His Grace already thinks so, but… it’s only natural to reject this offer.”

Hearing Lam Hwayeon’s words, the Marquess nodded.

However, that was all he agreed to. Other nobles glared and criticized Lam Hwayeon for her decision.

“R-Reject it? Are you saying you’ll refuse this fortified treaty?”

“Nonsense! What if they… What if they give up later, and… and if they decide to handle it themselves without us…?”

“Your Grace, that’s a rather overambitious…”

Lam Hwayeon slammed the table with the palm of her hand and stood up. The room fell silent.

“You all really don’t get it. Is the border the only thing that matters? Even if we have the border, we won’t be able to generate any profits there! Moreover, the two castles and the city they offered are not that effective! They won’t generate substantial monthly income; they’re practically useless other than for external defense purposes.”

As Lam Hwayeon raised her voice, the noble NPCs became like mice facing a cat.

Amid the brief silence, Lam Hwayeon picked up a map from one of the walls and placed it on the table.

“Furthermore, it’s not just about ignoring and rejecting their proposal! It means proposing an alternative based on this foundation.”

“An alternative?”

The map depicted Mini’s border and the nearby cities. In response to the Marquess’s question, Lam Hwayeon pointed to a specific location with her finger.

“Yes. Instead of the places they offered, we should take this city. Two castles and this city. Or if a simple exchange isn’t possible, we should at least secure this city, even if we have to give up on the likes of Castle Vanka.”

“Why?”

“Because this city is where all of their logistics come together. I wasn’t only responsible for supplying our main force; I also had to investigate and utilize the enemy’s supply routes, as well as find ways to defend against them. That’s when I discovered this city.”

Her proposal wasn’t merely due to stubbornness or personal desire.

As always, it was grounded in the highest rationality and efficiency, befitting the daughter of the Ramrong Group.

“With just this precious one, we can forsake all the other castles. Borders? If we establish an observation post and a direct hotline to the capital, we can easily monitor Minis’ movements. We don’t need to be seen as greedy; practically speaking, the revenue from two or three other cities would be surpassed by this one alone.”

She was more knowledgeable about the situation in Mid Earth than the noble NPCs.

Listening to her explanation, the noble NPCs became like contented cats. There was no logical or emotional way to refute her proposal.

The Marquess nodded approvingly.

“Very well. Please inform His Majesty of this matter. We will reject the current offer for now, citing the possibility of Minis suffering too great a loss. We don’t need to be overly greedy and ask for multiple cities; we’ll be content with just this one city here… That’s how we’ll make an alternative proposal.”

Pretending to prioritize Minis and future alliances for the sake of humanity, while maximizing Fubell’s benefits — the Marquess perfectly understood Lam Hwayeon’s intentions.

“Yes, thank you, Count.”

Until the Marquess left the conference room, Lam Hwayeon kept her head bowed towards him, her face adorned with a faint smile.

Justification and practicality? The reason she made that statement was not merely for such simple motives.

“Hmph, Hi-ha went to such lengths, but I can’t just gift him a shabby city. I should at least grant him this much to make him reconsider.”

It was her own way of striving to keep her promise to one man.

“But why hasn’t this guy logged in? He didn’t even connect for a while… Where is he and what is he doing?”

She grumbled inwardly while glancing at her friend list.

Had she known what Leeha was up to, she wouldn’t have made such statements towards Minis.

***

“Wow, how did you know that curry is my absolute favorite? You really have a great sense!”

“Heh, well, on a day like today, you’d probably say that about any food!”

Four people were seated in a Japanese curry restaurant.

When Kijeong hesitated, Nara gave him a gentle jab. He had a feeling Kijeong would say something like that, praising Shinara for her choice of restaurant no matter where they went.

“Well, you see—”

“Hihi, Kijeong, you may have a big build, but there’s a cute side to you.”

“Huh, really?”

Kijeong, taken aback, looked at Bokbe, who had just entered the conversation. Unlike Kijeong, who was surprised, Iha had a somewhat better understanding of Bokbe’s personality.

“Come to think of it, even at the palace, he’d ask out of nowhere if I had a boyfriend. Maybe it’s because he’s an archer; he has no way of avoiding a straight shot.”

Watching Bokbe and Kijeong, Iha could grasp Bokbe’s character to some extent.

“Anyway, what would you like to eat? Today, it’s on me. Feel free to choose whatever you want.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I’ll pay for it—”

“No way! If you let her treat you, then—”

“Oh, no, no! Then, Iha, you can treat me next time!”

Interjecting before they could even place their orders, Shinara and Iha both insisted.

Before Kijeong could react, Nara wore a somewhat puzzled expression, looking at Iha’s face that seemed lost in thought.

“Wait, Iha…?”

“Uig, idiot! I meant, ah, ahem! You see, Kijeong, if you let her treat you, it’s like… I’ll pay next time we meet! Right, Iha?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah! That’s it, that’s it! Shinara’s really quite savvy.”

Saying so, Iha gave Nara a knowing look.

In an instant, he had the whole situation figured out. Iha was indeed a straight shooter.

With a sudden intrusion like this, Leeha seemed a bit surprised.

“Do you have any preferences for the meal? I’ll pay today. You can order whatever you want.”

“Huh? What’s all this talk about? I—”

“No, no! Today, it’s on Leeha,” Iha interrupted with a smug expression. He had already predicted that Leeha might react like that after their meeting.

“Heh, you fool. By letting Leeha buy, he’ll feel like he needs to buy you a meal next time we meet. Isn’t that right, Leeha?”

“Yeah, that’s right. You caught on quickly, Bokbe.”

Bokbe was undoubtedly a straight shooter.

If he wanted Leeha to treat him, he wouldn’t beat around the bush; he would tell him directly. This way, he could set a promise in advance in case they didn’t meet again.

Immediately understanding the underlying meaning, Kijeong began clapping and making playful gestures on the side.

“Umm… But, wouldn’t it have been better for both of you to say that in a whisper?”

Iha also briefly considered it, but he quickly understood. It was for the sake of their next meeting.

However, what was Nara thinking, saying such things about Leeha in front of Iha?

It was almost as if Nara was assuring Iha that he was upset about not being able to meet Leeha.

Amidst the bewildered expressions of Iha and Nara, and the amused gaze of Kijeong, the two people whose meeting’s main purpose was just to see each other were blushing, and the two bystanders, Bokbe and Kijeong, were simply enjoying the sight.

“Um, then, what should we order? Since Iha will be paying, we should order something expensive… but I’m terrible at making decisions like this.”

While Iha and Nara seemed a bit awkward, staring at the menu, Shinara, Bokbe, and Kijeong were dividing their attention between the menus.

“In that case, I, the considerate man, shall take charge.”

Kijeong’s shoulders shrugged as he stepped forward, and it was at that moment that only Iha sensed a foreboding atmosphere.

“No, Kijeong… don’t…”

Could it be that he would use one of those out-of-place jokes here? Only women who had no way of knowing his tendencies focused on Kijeong.

“Huh? Why? What does being considerate have to do with it?”

And Shinara’s question became the trigger.

“Because I, the ‘considerate’ one, will ‘consider’ your order.”

Taaaan───!

Kijeong eventually fired the bullet.

“Kijeong…”

“Kijeong, are you sure that wasn’t a joke…?”

The silence that settled after the lone sniper took his shot made Iha feel like he was experiencing that silence again.

But, perhaps it could be considered fortunate.

Kijeong’s shot hit its target directly!

“…Kijeong…”

“Kijeong, was that… a joke?”

Even Kijeong himself seemed surprised by the impact. But fortunately, his shot hit the mark. Shinara burst into laughter, completely amused by Kijeong.

“Phoo, what was that? Haha! Kijeong, you’re really funny!”

“Uh, well…”

Even Kijeong, the shooter himself, was taken aback by the damage he inflicted. Shinara continued to laugh heartily, giving Kijeong a playful nudge.

“I love those kinds of wordplay jokes. Do it again, do it again!”