The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

"Rena, where were you yesterday?"

Charlotte asked Rena while we were having breakfast.

Come to think of it, Rena wasn’t around when Claire and Leo were personally invited by Jake yesterday. I didn’t even know whether she had received an invitation or not... but judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like she didn’t even know there was an invitation.

After arriving at the hotel by bus, she disappeared the moment free time started and didn’t reappear until this morning.

By the way, who was Rena sharing a room with?

"I went to a weapons shop yesterday."

"A weapons shop? Were you there all day?"

Charlotte asked, surprised by Rena’s response, and Rena nodded.

"I heard there were some unusual weapons at the shop, specialized for climates completely opposite to the North. So, during my research, I got some information about weapons I hadn’t seen before. Yesterday, I was checking their effectiveness."

I remembered that on the airship, Rena hadn’t said a word to anyone and had been absorbed in some catalog—probably a firearms catalog.

"Did you find any good weapons?"

Alice asked, giving her usual exasperated look.

Rena hesitated, unsure whether to nod or tilt her head.

"Actually, I’m not sure."

After a brief pause, Rena continued.

"There were some interesting weapons specialized for this climate or for hunting beasts, but I’m not sure they’d be suitable for military use."

She said it in a slightly hesitant voice.

Specialized firearms for certain climates?

Well, I’d heard of places like the former Soviet Union, where extreme cold caused frequent weapon malfunctions, and to solve that, they simplified the components to reduce the chance of failure and made the trigger guard larger so it could be used even while wearing thick gloves.

But in a place with such high temperatures, would they really bother making such adaptations?

I’m no expert, but I was intrigued. In my past life, I had a bit of interest in firearms. Of course, I never had the chance to buy any, as gun ownership was nearly forbidden in my country.

In the original game, no matter which shop you went to, they only sold the types of weapons available for the characters. The weapons each character could use were predetermined, and changing weapons didn’t alter their character models.

I was curious, but I hesitated to suggest going to check them out myself. Thankfully, someone else spoke up for me.

"Really?"

Charlotte said nonchalantly, but her eyes were gleaming. It wasn’t just because she was interested in firearms; it was probably because they were "Imperial weapons." Even civilian firearms were often modified military weapons.

"Then should we go check it out after breakfast?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Do you have an interest in this sort of thing?"

At Rena’s question, Charlotte shrugged and replied.

"Well, Silvia seems a bit interested in it."

"......"

Looking at Charlotte, who was smiling slightly while glancing at me, the gratitude I had felt earlier quickly disappeared.

I wasn’t sure if it was just a casual comment or if Charlotte was starting to read my expressions and gestures.

When Alice widened her eyes in surprise, I felt the need to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"By the way, Rena. Who are you sharing a room with?"

It wasn’t just a change of subject; it had actually crossed my mind. The others were staying with their classmates, after all.

Since I was somewhat close to Rena, I ended up sharing a room with Alice, but who was Rena with—?

"I’m sharing with Jennifer, the teacher."

"Eh?"

Charlotte, Alice, and I froze for a moment, but Rena didn’t seem to notice.

"She’s an excellent person. Last night, I was able to hear about her various field experiences—"

Rena said this with a proud expression, and it didn’t seem like she was forcing the conversation or making things up.

Well, I knew Jennifer was a decent person, but...

Isn’t it a bit strange to be sharing a room with a teacher at a place like this?

---

It wasn’t until we finished breakfast that Claire, Leo, and Sophia returned.

Apparently, Claire and Leo had gotten along well during the banquet yesterday and had become friends, which is why they ended up tagging along for the request early this morning.

Seeing them walk in, looking a little bedraggled, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

The way they looked was far from their usual selves, so I guessed their mission must have been something out of the ordinary.

For the record, I had already given up on following those two around. Even though I’d learned some meditation, I could never get used to the feeling of waking up early and working all day.

"Have you had breakfast?"

I asked, and Leo and Claire nodded immediately.

"Yeah, we ate before we left."

I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the kitchen staff at the hotel, but I had the tact not to mention it.

"Mia?"

"She’s still asleep in her room," I answered Claire’s question.

"Were you going out somewhere?"

"To a nearby weapon shop. I heard they sell some unique weapons here."

This time, it was Sophia who asked, and Alice answered.

"Oh, really? Do you think we can go check it out too?"

"I don’t mind if you follow... but—"

When Claire asked excitedly, I glanced at Sophia. Her face clearly showed that she just wanted to rest. Anyone would feel that way. With the kind of job they’d done early this morning, they probably had enough work to last the next few days.

"I... I think I remember something I need to do!"

"Really?"

At Sophia’s outburst, Claire looked a bit disappointed. Seeing that, Sophia seemed to get a chill down her spine, apologized repeatedly, waved her hands, and hurriedly ran toward the elevator.

"...Did we make them work too hard?"

When Leo asked, no one answered. Only Claire tilted her head.

---

To my surprise, this world uses both the Imperial measurement system and the metric system, like yard-pounds and centimeters.

Fortunately, the more commonly used system is the metric system, like meters and grams. Although the currency still uses both duodecimal and vigesimal systems.

Players guessed that the creators tried to match the measurement system to that of the British Empire during the industrial revolution, only to give up due to the irregularities of the yard-pound system.

So, even though the metric system is used in everyday life, the military uses the yard-pound system. That’s why gun calibers are measured in inches.

For example, the .600 Nitro Express I’m looking at.

I could roughly guess why it’s called "Nitro Express," but why is the front part specifically ".600"? I mean, it’s 0.6 inches, right? Why would they need to write it as .600 inches?

...Honestly, I thought it was just an odd choice, and the bullet itself was ridiculously large.

"This is the strongest bullet. With a 0.6-inch diameter bullet packed with nitrocellulose inside this massive cartridge, it delivers a quick and deadly shot to the enemy’s head. Naturally, the firearms used for this are extremely durable and reliable."

It didn’t look like something you’d use to shoot a person’s head.

"It’s a bullet capable of taking down elephants or rhinos. What do you think? It’d be perfect for your current missions, wouldn’t it? And if you’re concerned about purchasing it, we also offer a rental service for firearms during your practice period."

I couldn’t help but think of the elephants and rhinos from the original game. In this world, elephants could shoot lightning from their trunks, and rhinos had their whole faces covered in tough armor.

...Yeah, this bullet would actually be fitting.

But maybe a anti-tank rifle would work better.

By the way, the rifle the shopkeeper pulled out was a revolver that looked like it would be better off made into a rifle.

"Do you have a rifle-type gun?"

"Of course!"

At my question, the shopkeeper’s face brightened, and he quickly pulled out a cardboard box from below the counter.

He dusted it off with his hand, opened the box, and inside was a very simple bolt-action rifle.

"It’s a single-shot bolt-action rifle. You can take down prey with just one shot! No need for extra ammunition!"

Ignoring the sales pitch, I examined the rifle and asked,

"Can I use Marmaros rounds with this?"

"Excuse me?"

At my question, the shopkeeper looked dumbfounded.