Read Novel Full Chapter 333 & 334
Chapter 333 & 334
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Chapter 333 – The Lost Sheep and the Horse’s Legs
“Market… Oh?”
In a world where everything has stopped moving, I tilt my head in front of the usual platform.
Things like gaining weight, losing weight, getting high, growing a beard, and shaking a baby bottle have happened before, but this is the first time I’ve seen this pattern.
“…What are you doing?”
“Oh, brother, it’s been a while. Just a moment.”
Simon stuck his head out of the platform, about three meters up. He disappeared and then reappeared from somewhere else.
“We’re renovating the shop. This used to be the storefront, but it’s almost ready to be a reception room.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“The whole area, including the area where our shop used to be, is being turned into a commercial complex. This place will be the management office for it.”
I don’t know what it is, but it seems like the shady black market will be shut down, and it will become a shopping mall or a department store or something like that.
“That’s good…right?”
“Of course. It’s proof that local purchasing power is increasing, as well as public safety and the economy. This is thanks to you.”
I’m glad he’s happy, but I’m a little worried. Could it be that he’s adjusting the platform to become a reception room to maintain business with me? Like bending the road to avoid a haunted sacred tree.
“You don’t have to worry about that aspect. As long as we can keep our business going, appearances don’t matter.”
“I thought it was like that, but it’s not that simple. It’s like my… our shrine.”
Simon laughed and put his hand on the platform as he usually did. I think he probably said it in Japanese because it wasn’t translated. He’s a man who loves to learn, no matter what. [T/n: Simon said it in Japanese, which means the author wrote it in Katakana.]
“So, what would you like today?”
“I would like to request food that will last for about a month for about 40 people. Half of it should be preserved food, and the other half should be food that will be kept for a long time. In addition, if you have it, I’d also like some fresh food and luxury items.”
“Hmm? Did you retake the native settlement this time?”
“Well, something like that. Also… it would be helpful if there was a vehicle that could transport a large number of people in the snow.”
“Can’t you use the Griffon hovercraft or the Ural truck you bought earlier?”
It’s not impossible. The Griffon’s passenger cabin seats just over twenty people, so it should be able to make the round trip. The Ural military truck also has four-wheel drive, so it’s not impossible to drive. The 40-foot container should fit, and the regular-sized one should just about make it. It’s in Casemaian right now, though, so I’ll have to go get it.
“No, it’s just something that would be helpful if we needed it.”
“The Bombardier salesmen were here for something else, but we don’t have any snowmobiles in stock. It would take about half a month to get them from their home country.”
Of course, it would. Bombardier is a company name I’ve heard somewhere, but I can’t imagine there’s a demand for snowmobiles in the area where Simon is.
“Forget the vehicles for now. Just get me some food.”
“Okay, give me five minutes.”
Simon works quickly, stacking shrink-wrapped bottles of mineral water, wooden crates, cardboard boxes, and coolers in front of me. He also adds some warm clothes and sleeping bags. I don’t think there’s much demand for this kind of thing in Simon’s area, but maybe he’s just being considerate.
“I think this is about right. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
I checked it quickly and accepted it. It’s a lot for a month’s supply for forty people, but it won’t go to waste if I keep it in stock.
I thought about it for a moment and then gave him the gold coins in a wooden box for this payment.
“What about this?”
“Is it the continental gold coin? The quality is the same as before, but it seems to be a newly minted coin that has been set aside for gift-giving. I thought you might think of another use for it.”
Simon puts his hand to his chin and thinks. I don’t miss the slight loosening of his mouth when he turns his head, wondering what to do with it.
“Exactly, it’s a gift. Try it out.”
After the deal was done, Simon handed me a long, narrow plastic gun case the size of a rifle. I was half worried and half excited.
“Oh?”
I opened the case and couldn’t help but let out a confused voice. Why did he give me this? Does he think I’m some kind of rare weapon enthusiast?
“I’ve been saving this for a gift, too, but I don’t have anyone to give it to anymore.”
There were two guns with the same mechanism inside, one big and one small. Simon laughs when he sees my wry smile.
“The M1894 and the Mare’s Leg.”
Chapter 334 – The Changing Simon
“…18, 94?”
I looked at Simon. He seemed to understand the meaning of my look, and the former Rastaman smiled with a carefree expression. Well, is that really a carefree expression?
“Yes, it’s a great weapon. It’s a world-famous masterpiece that supported the Wild West era and was the star of Western movies.”
“That’s right. I admit it’s a wonderful rifle. That’s absolutely true. I love it, too, and I’m really, really happy to have gotten something in such good condition. So you know what I’m worried about, right?”
Right. The Winchester lever action rifle. It was a staple of Western movies and a classic that graced the silver screen along with the Colt Single Action Army, also known as the “Peacemaker” revolver, which played another starring role. The “Mare’s Leg” is a custom rifle with the barrel and butt cut off to make it look like a large pistol, a gun made famous when used by Josh Randall, played by Steve McQueen, in the series “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” It’s insanely cool. Yeah, there’s no denying that.
But what I find interesting is that the base is an M18. The history of the evolution of the Winchester rifle is basically a step up in ruggedness and reliability. The M1866, which had a brass mechanism and used black powder; the M1873, which could use more powerful 44-40 ammunition; the improved M1876, and the M1886, which was further strengthened by master craftsman John Browning and could use powerful rifle ammunition. And the M1894 in front of me is the ultimate form of the rifle.
That being the case,
“Look, it even comes with 200 rounds of genuine ammunition.”
“That’s what I thought!”
I couldn’t help but agree with Simon when I saw the ammunition in the silver box.
30-30 Winchester. This is a rifle cartridge developed to match the design of the M1894, and the bullet head is thick and round to match the tube magazine. This is probably because there is a possibility of the primer hitting the fuze and causing an accidental discharge when loading a normal rifle bullet with a pointed tip. There is also a final evolutionary form called the M1895, which is a box-type magazine that can accept standard rifle bullets, but it has a less elegant design than the Winchester rifle, so it’s not very cool.
“Hey Simon, isn’t this too much? I mean, I understand the full size, but I don’t think I can shoot a rifle bullet properly with the mare’s leg.”
“Right?”
“Don’t I just say ‘right’? You said it was a gift, but you lost track of where it was going, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, yeah. A set of Colt SAA and Winchester rifles is a strangely popular gift for old people. So I ordered a couple of sets, but for some reason, I made a mistake in the order. After all, it would be dangerous for an old person to shoot something like that, right?”
“What do you want me to do?”
It is said that during the Western Expansion, the combination of ammunition for a pistol suitable for surprise attacks and a long-range rifle became a big hit. However, this is a story about the 45 Long Colt, which was the standard ammunition in the black powder era, or the 44-40 Winchester, which was a slightly more powerful pistol bullet.
Even those two are more powerful than Myrril-san’s favorite pistol bullet, the 45 ACP. I think the 45LC had 20% more energy than the 45ACP, and the 44-40 had almost twice as much energy. The 30-30 Winchester, a full-size rifle bullet, is five times more powerful than the 45 ACP, much more powerful than the AKM assault rifle’s 7.62 x 39mm round. Shooting that with a mare’s leg, which is like a hair on a pistol, would blow my thin arm off.
“Don’t worry, it won’t kill you. It’ll just make the barrel jump a little.”
“In a way, it will kill me!”
Though it was also a blatant way to get rid of stock, it would be rude to speak ill of the gift. In any case, Mare’s Leg aside, the Winchester rifle was a masterpiece that I really wanted to try, so I gratefully accepted it.
“By the way, brother, are you still on vacation?”
“Yes. For some reason, it’s been one battle after another, so I haven’t been able to relax at all. This time, I want to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle. Is there anything wrong with that?”
“No, I was just wondering if there would be a demand for construction materials and heavy machinery once the snow melts. Depending on the item, it can take a while to get it, so it would be helpful to get there early if you need something.”
That’s true. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to the Casemaians about our future plans. I also had a feeling that they might want to buy something.
“Simon’s place is doing well, right?”
“Yes. If there’s a problem, it’s only my position.”
“Is there a problem?”
I’m going to anticipate the worst and see what I can do to deal with it and secure a means of backup. First, I would ask Master Lukemon of Miracle to make an amulet that grants a stupid amount of blessings, even if I have to get down on my knees and force it on Simon and his family.
“No, it’s not like that. I told you before that my wife’s family is a political family, right?”
“I heard that. I was told they were good politicians, worthy enough to be supported by the saint from the shadows.”
“My story is not important. My father-in-law was recruited to the center of the national political scene. To avoid a political vacuum in his absence…”
Simon laughed bitterly and shook his head.
“I was appointed acting mayor on a one-year contract.”
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