The Saint Bullet Sniper
Elsid parted ways with Bishop Bruce, the Saint Bullet Sniper, and walked out of the temple, lost in thought. How could he possibly retrieve the bodies of the heroes and warriors from the necromancer? Vandel's clue at least offered the possibility of answers in the northern regions. But when it came to the necromancer himself, he had no idea where to even begin searching for leads.
'Come to think of it, what exactly was that?' At the same time, one particular memory kept circling in his mind. It was the incident with Crane, the first necromancer he had ever encountered. While fighting the werewolf-transformed Crane and the bandits he had driven into a berserk frenzy with black magic, something had flown in from somewhere and struck the frenzied bandits. The moment they were hit, their berserk state lifted and they collapsed unconscious one after another. Then, when things grew dire during his direct confrontation with Crane, something else had flown in from behind to aid them in battle. There had been an unknown helper whose presence still lingered in his thoughts.
After everything ended, he had checked one of the bandits' bodies and found something reflecting light embedded in the knee. When he pulled it out, it turned out to be a "bullet"—an object produced only in Black Heaven, the empire and kingdom renowned for alchemy and science among the Traum Empire and the Five Kingdoms on the continent of Carnea. He had wondered how a bullet, which should only function as part of a set with the weapon called a "gun," could possibly dispel the bandits' berserk state. Though the incident involved a necromancer, Elsid found his interest drawn more toward this other mystery.
"My, what a coincidence. You're still here?"
He was still mulling over those unanswered questions when someone spoke to him. Turning his head, he saw the holy knight Ferris, who had briefly guarded Bearvid alongside him.
"Yes, I just finished what I needed to do."
They had run into each other right as Elsid was about to leave the temple.
"I see. I also just finished my report and was thinking of heading to the Hero Academy that Bearvid will be attending."
"The Hero Academy?"
Hiro was the name of the first hero, as renowned as Cain, the first sword thrower. Elsid tilted his head at the mention of an academy bearing that name.
"You can think of it as an educational institution dedicated to training only those with the potential to become heroes or those who possess the talent of heroes."
"Are they strong?"
Elsid asked, a hint of competitive spirit showing in his voice at Ferris's explanation.
"I'm not sure. Even though I'm occasionally called in as a guest instructor once a year, I've mostly only seen children aspiring to become priests, so I don't know much about it."
Ferris explained that those with the seeds of heroes—such as warriors, mages, and archers—were usually scouted by figures from the Adventurer Guild, leaving little overlap with the temple.
"Ah, but there was one woman who stood out far above anyone else I'd ever seen. She was already so skilled that she earned the epithet 'Saint Bullet Sniper' while still enrolled at the academy."
"The Saint Bullet Sniper?"
"Yes. There were even rumors that she might be the next successor to the Saint. And though it was only once, I had the chance to go on a mission with her while she was still a student at the academy."
At Elsid's question, Ferris nodded as he spoke.
"It was a mission to purify a cursed mansion that had been abandoned for decades and turned into a den of undead."
A cursed mansion... For a brief moment, Elsid wondered if the request had come from a noble, but he shook his head and refocused on the story.
"Her fighting style was so unique that I understood immediately why she had earned that epithet. She would load small iron fragments into a silver rod with holes in it, imbue them with holy power, and with just a light flick of her finger, dozens of undead—ghosts, zombies, and more—would be instantly purified into pure white light and ascend to the heavens. It was truly a magnificent sight."
Ferris spoke with an expression of admiration, as if he could never forget it. At those words, Elsid suddenly froze.
'Purification...' If the mysterious helper during the fight with Crane had loaded ordinary bullets with holy power and used them to purify the berserk bandits back to their original state, that would explain what had happened. But this was nothing more than Elsid's hopeful speculation. There was no evidence that the woman Ferris described was the same person who had helped during the battle with Crane. Moreover, even if by some miraculous chance it was the same person, there was no way to know whether she had any connection to the necromancer—let alone whether she was involved with the necromancer who had stolen the heroes' bodies.
"Unfortunately, even if I wanted to meet her again, she's already graduated from the academy and there's no way to find her. She was a wanderer with no hometown or parents."
"I see..."
Leaving behind a faint sense of disappointment and regret, Elsid raised his hand in farewell to Ferris and stepped out of the temple. It seemed he would have to look into whether the Saint Bullet Sniper and the mysterious figure from the Crane incident were the same person at a later time. For now, his priority was departing for the northern regions, his original destination.
The area outside the temple was strangely noisy when Elsid stepped out. Normally, even outside, the vicinity of the temple tended to be quiet, so this was unusual. Approaching to investigate, he found two temple priests blocking the path of a woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with red hair tied in a ponytail and light orange eyes.
"What's going on?"
"Ah, it's nothing serious."
"She suddenly showed up demanding to see the bishop and throwing a tantrum about it."
When Elsid approached and asked the priests, they answered without stopping their efforts to block the woman.
"Please, just let me meet him once!"
The woman cried out with a desperate expression.
"Could I perhaps take her inside?"
Unable to simply watch the scene, Elsid showed the two priests the silver pendant Bishop Bruce had given him earlier, asking on the off chance it might help.
"Yes, what is this... Huh!"
"This pendant... Yes, we understand."
The priests immediately stepped aside, clearing the way for the woman.
"Huh?"
The woman looked bewildered at the sudden change in situation.
"Then shall we go meet the bishop?"
Elsid extended his hand to her and led her back inside the temple.
Only a few minutes after leaving, he found himself back inside. Thanks to the pendant, even the temple knights inside did not block their path.
"Elsid, it's only been a short while since you left, and here you are returning so quickly."
When they entered Bishop Bruce's room, which Elsid had visited once before, the bishop was seated and leisurely sipping tea.
"And who might this lovely young lady be?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Yuran, a shaman of the Ice Palace."
At Bruce's question, the woman bowed politely and introduced herself.
"A shaman of the Ice Palace... Those who converse with the spirits of nature and borrow their power to fight."
"Strictly speaking, it's a bit different... but there are some similarities. You seem quite knowledgeable."
"I have a friend of ten years in the northern regions who is a shaman. So, what business does this shaman have with a temple priest who believes in and borrows power from the gods?"
"I have a request."
The woman named Yuran dropped to her knees.
"Please help us. I swear I will repay this debt..."
"Impossible."
Even though Yuran had knelt to make her plea, Bruce refused without a moment's hesitation.
"Wh-why...? Is it because I'm a shaman...?"
"Haa, I don't know what strange misunderstanding you're having, but that's not it. It's simply impossible in practical terms."
There was no particular ill will behind his words—it was genuinely impossible.
"Most of the personnel available at the temple in Agatram have already been dispatched on external missions. The only ones left are apprentice priests and apprentice holy knights who have never experienced real combat."
"That's..."
"Even if we wanted to help, it's impossible in our current state. If there's anyone who could provide assistance..."
Bruce's gaze, which had been explaining the situation, shifted to Elsid, and a smile appeared on his face.
"It would have to be the skilled individual bearing proof of being our temple's benefactor—Elsid."
Bruce suddenly turned to address Elsid with formal respect.
"Moreover, as an adventurer who travels freely across the world, how reliable that makes you..."
His tone carried the exaggerated flair of a bard, and he revealed the fact that Elsid was an adventurer. He had probably heard it during Ferris's report. Yet he spoke as if Elsid were a veteran adventurer who had traveled far and wide for years.
"Is that true?!"
At the same time, Yuran turned to look at him with startled eyes.
"Yes, well..."
Since the fact that he was an adventurer was undeniable, Elsid could only nod.
"Then... could you possibly help us?"
Whether because of Bruce's words or because she thought there was no other way, Yuran pressed her forehead to the ground in a deep bow while already on her knees.
"What would you need help with?"
Her desperate attitude alone made it clear how urgent the matter was. Elsid asked, intending to hear her out.
"Please save the Snow Flower Sword... No, please save my sister."
And Elsid found himself unable to refuse the request that came from Yuran's lips. After all, it was a plea to save her family.