They set out for the frontline town in high spirits that morning, but the deeper they went, the more their spirits changed. There were almost no people, and the shops were closed. Even the soldiers looked completely exhausted. The situation here was clearly dire.
They had reached the town gates when soldiers suddenly called out to them, warning of danger behind them. They were completely unaware that a giant level 55 lizard, the local boss, had approached them.
Hina became worried. She had no idea how a monster of such a level had gotten here. And one of the soldiers exclaimed that things were bad. It was coming.
The giant lizard charged, and the two spearmen managed to jump aside. Allen leaped high into the air and created a rocket launcher.
"Attacking someone just as they're teleporting is a breach of etiquette," he said.
He fired, causing a powerful explosion that destroyed the lizard.
Hina's feelings for Allen deepened, and the soldiers were shocked. He'd killed the monster with one blow.
Hina began praising the newcomer, and a soldier suddenly exclaimed that it wasn't over yet. Level 40 monsters, a cross between an eagle and an ostrich, ran out of the flames toward them.
Allen glanced at them and thought: so, these are reinforcements.
Then a loud cry came from the side, and a man on horseback charged into the enemy line, swung his axe and quickly dispatched each monster. After that, he approached Allen and asked whether he was that Artisan.
He confirmed this, and the man introduced himself. His name was Gordo, captain of the royal guard. He had come to meet Allen and his group under orders from her grace, Lady Olivia.
Allen wanted to check his level, but his status was hidden.
Gordo pointed to a carriage near the gate and told them to board. Seeing such a luxurious vehicle, Naoki and Hina were delighted. They had never ridden in one.
Allen remarked that this was quite a luxurious reception for a low level Artisan, and Hina exclaimed that this only showed how much was expected of him.
Gordo confirmed this. Due to the protracted war with the demon lord's army, the city's finances were on the brink of collapse. However, if they had a weapon created by an Artisan, they might be able to break through the current stagnation. This was precisely what Lady Olivia was hoping for.
Allen turned and walked toward the carriage, saying that then he would have to live up to those expectations.
But he still couldn't calm down. The Demon Lord's Legacy faction that was hunting him. Where were they hiding?
Meanwhile, at the Adventurers Guild headquarters, in the meeting room, the guild leader, Zed, was reading a report. Five assassins dispatched. Allen counterattacked and won, in the wasteland. The defense clan Holy Guardian seemed to be heading for Bayandal. They were currently tracking the target's movements.
The man thought it over. So, Bayandal this time? That city was too far away. Their surveillance couldn't reach it.
He could create an unknown weapon, a firearm. The one and only craftsman. Allen must be acted upon while they still could. In the future, he would undoubtedly become an obstacle for them.
Hiroshi, the number one craftsman in the kingdom, level 175, peeked into the meeting room. He entered with a laugh and apologized to the leader for keeping him waiting.
Zed was overjoyed to see him and asked who the girl next to him was. She didn't look like the legendary blacksmith Benjamin.
She introduced herself to him. Her name was Annette, Benjamin's daughter. This girl was a level 13 blacksmith.
Zed dubiously inquired whether everything would be all right, and she winked at him, telling him to leave the structural analysis to her. In terms of knowledge alone, she was far superior to her father.
Zed didn't argue, since Benjamin was vouching for her, and suggested they begin the meeting immediately.
He showed them the firearm and said that he wanted the two of them to analyze it — or rather, its structure.
Annette immediately noticed the weapon's odd shape, and Hiroshi grinned and said he'd seen it on the recording, but the real thing looked different than he'd imagined. He awkwardly picked up the assault rifle, trying to figure out how to hold it properly, and Zed explained that it operated like a crossbow. You pulled the trigger and it fired.
Hiroshi decided to try it on a nearby statue. He pulled the trigger, and the stone statue shattered into splinters, which made him nervous. He hadn't expected such a rapid fire rate.
Annette was also surprised that it was possible to fire with 55 attack power at such a speed. The level of the craftsman who created this must be insane.
Hiroshi placed the weapon on the table and shrugged. Even he, at his level, couldn't have created something like this.
Zed told them that the craftsman who created it had only been level 15 back then. They were both very surprised, and he said it was hard to believe, but it was a fact. That was why he was entrusting this task to them. Let them carefully analyze this weapon and create a copy. Even if the stats were worse, it was enough to understand the structure.
Annette took the rifle and said that the base attack power of a created weapon depended on the craftsman's level. If Hiroshi created a copy, they could expect an attack power more than ten times higher than this weapon's.
Hiroshi confirmed this, and the guild leader laughed contentedly. It seemed it would truly be worth his effort. He would organize an army of Artisans capable of producing firearms.
And as for Allen — he would simply kill him.