The Returned Lord Is a Genius of Gun Law - Chapter 10
chapter 10
The Gate and the Tsar Bomba
The Returning Lord: GUN Law Genius – Episode 10
Episode 10
The Republic of Farzan, or rather its predecessor the Kingdom of Farzan, had not been at odds with the Amir Empire from the very beginning.
Before the Great War, the Kingdom of Farzan had been one of the Empire’s most valued allies.
But the gate connecting to Earth changed everything.
More precisely, it was the 50-megaton Soviet Tsar Bomba, a nuclear bomb that emerged from the gate created in the Kingdom of Farzan at the start of the war.
Clack-clack
Spatial transfer gates had been constructed in major cities to transport the Empire’s vital supplies and nobles.
Through these gates, Baron Crocus’s knight, Sir Marlon, and Eugene had arrived from the opposite side of the Baron’s territory, in the west. Now, mounted on horseback, they rode toward the Empire’s border.
To be precise, it was the former borderland.
“So this is the Land of Divine Punishment. I never imagined I’d set foot here myself. I heard that anyone who steps on this land is cursed…”
Malon glanced at the desolate surroundings with a fearful expression.
The overgrown ruins, remnants of a once-thriving city, were now buried under layers of grass and moss accumulated over three decades. This vast expanse of land spoke volumes about how long it had been abandoned.
“There’s no need to be afraid. The radiation would have disappeared long ago.”
Unlike Malon, however, Eugene surveyed the area with a calm demeanor as he urged his horse forward.
He had already visited this place a few times before, and besides, if any radiation remained, black markets or underground cities couldn’t have been established here.
“But is there really a city here?” Marlon asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and apprehension as he scanned the surroundings warily.
Eugene nodded. “This is the only place rebels, traitors, and criminals who resent the Farzan Republic can go.”
No ordinary person would willingly set foot in a land rumored to be cursed, where stepping on the wrong spot could lead to death or crippling injury.
The place was a haven for rebels resisting the Farzan Republic, traitors to the Empire, hardened criminals, terrorists and mafiosi from Earth, and even a few surviving demons who had been lucky enough to escape.
These exiles made their base in the ruins of the former capital of the Farzan Kingdom, and that was the origin of the underground city and black market that still exist today.
“My Lord, you lived on Earth, yet you seem to know more about Parzan’s history than I do.”
“I learned a little.”
Eugene shrugged at the knight, who was looking at him with admiration, and approached the ruins overgrown with moss and vegetation.
The ruins were so densely covered with plants that it was hard to tell if they had once been a city or a forest. As they crossed the overgrown ruins, several out-of-place iron containers appeared before them.
“What is this…?”
Malon tilted his head, unfamiliar with the containers, which had large holes in their sides.
“This is the entrance to the underground city. Go in.”
With those words, Eugene led Malon toward the guards standing in front of the containers.
“Halt! How did you get here?”
Click!
As the two men approached the entrance, the guards stationed there leveled their rifles at them.
The wooden bolt-action rifles, likely of Soviet origin, looked so worn they seemed ready to crumble at any moment. Yet Eugene knew well that even such crude weapons were rare treasures in this place.
Last time they were armed with homemade guns. They must have dug these up somewhere.
Carefully observing their weapons, which looked ready to fire at any second, Eugene spoke.
“We’re here to meet the Black Snake.”
As he said this, he dropped an object he had been holding onto the ground. It was a crude piece of iron plate, stamped with the image of a snake, as if it had been scavenged from somewhere.
“Hmm, that seems right. Go in.”
The guard, after a cursory glance at the crudely made iron plate, lowered his rifle and opened the way to the container.
Yujin nodded and led Marlon inside.
“Who exactly is the Black Snake?” Marlon asked as they descended the underground stairs beneath the container.
“A broker,” Yujin replied tersely.
“He must be quite well-known?”
“He keeps this city fed. That’s how it is. In this place, there’s no more reliable pass than proof of being a broker’s client.”
By the time Yujin finished explaining, they had reached the bottom of the long staircase.
“Here,” Yujin said, stepping onto the dirt floor and pointing ahead at Marlon, who was following behind.
There, in the city of Ground Zero, a vast underground metropolis, countless electric lights illuminated the heavens instead of the sun.
“It’s… so bright. I never imagined an underground city could look like this…”
Malon’s face showed surprise at the sight of the massive cavern, ablaze with tens of thousands of shimmering lights—a stark contrast to his mental image of a dark, gloomy underground city.
Eugene shook his head. “It’s no place to linger. We need to finish our business and get out quickly.”
“Ah, yes, my lord.”
As Eugene stepped forward, Malon nodded and followed in his footsteps, his eyes scanning the surroundings for threats.
Soon, Malon noticed a common trait among the countless people passing through the city.
“Be careful, my lord. Everyone is armed with Earth weapons.”
From hand-sized pistols to Soviet machine guns that orcs might wield, every man and woman, young or old, big or small, carried a firearm at their side, back, or waist.
“We don’t have to worry about anything coming our way.”
“But…”
“Unless you keep your hand on your sword like this.”
“Ah, I understand.”
He’s well-trained, but he seems to know nothing about the real world.
Yujin licked his lips as he watched Marlon, startled by the warning, hastily pull his right hand away from the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Of course, he couldn’t bring Sir Leon, the knight commander, or Captain Jerome of the guard as escorts to protect the territory, so it was understandable that Marlon might seem a little lacking.
“Once I get my hands on the firearms this time, I’ll need to provide some training as well.”
Handling and maintaining firearms required a certain level of engineering and scientific knowledge. Teaching them these skills would be a good opportunity to also cover some basic knowledge about Earth.
After walking for what felt like a long time, they arrived.
“We’re here.”
Eugene stood before a building haphazardly constructed from iron plates and wooden planks.
A metal plate serving as a sign bore the same snake emblem as the one Eugene had brought earlier.
“I’m sorry to say, but compared to your reputation, it’s… rather humble.”
“That’s the point.”
Eugene knew that the building’s dilapidated exterior was actually a form of camouflage, designed to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
“Let’s go inside.”
“Yes, my lord.”
With that, Eugene and Marlon entered the dilapidated building.
Despite its run-down exterior, the interior was surprisingly neat.
The exposed gray concrete walls, as if the construction had been halted due to lack of funds, gave the impression of an unfinished project. Yet the paintings and antiques adorning the space spoke volumes of the owner’s shrewdness.
And then—
“Well, look who it is!”
A sarcastic voice drew Eugene’s attention.
There stood a middle-aged man with a mustache, glaring at him with an displeased expression. This was the owner of the building, the Black Snake, the only broker Eugene knew in the city.
“What brings a one-eyed man like you all the way here? I heard you’d retired.”
“There’s only one reason I’d meet a broker,” Eugene said calmly, looking at the Black Snake, who was glaring at him with an displeased expression. “I need to acquire firearms, ammunition, and some diesel. And if possible, firearms and ammo in decent condition.”
“Hmm, firearms and ammo are one thing, but diesel? What do you need that for?”
“Do I really have to explain that to you?”
“Well, technically no…”
The Black Snake raised one corner of his mouth at Eugene’s blunt refusal.
“If it were back in the day, I’d have helped you out because of your connection with Brandon. But now that our one-eyed friend has retired, there’s really no reason for me to do that, is there? Honestly, I’m not even sure you have the money to pay.”
“I have enough.”
“Then show me the money first, and we’ll talk.”
At his words, Eugene frowned. “The transaction should be outside the city. That’s the rule, isn’t it?”
“If you don’t like it, find someone else. I doubt anyone would risk getting ripped off by a retired one-eyed man like you.”
“This guy is really pushing his luck…”
The broker’s words, which seemed to threaten to throw him out on the spot, made Knight Marlon, who had been listening from behind, flush with anger and step forward.
“Enough.”
Thud!
Eugene stopped Marlon, who looked ready to unleash a torrent of venom, and pulled something from his coat, placing it on the table.
The black snake’s gaze fixed on the object Eugene had produced.
The shield emblem at the center, featuring a blue flower, represented the crest of Baron Crocus.
Below it was a gold plaque engraved with the dragon emblem, signifying the Emperor of the Amir Empire.
The broker’s eyes widened. “This… is the Imperial Lord’s Crest?”
A certified noble of the Amir Empire, and specifically, the owner of a territory, could carry this kind of identification.
“Barony of Crocus… how do you, a one-eyed man, have this? It’s magically treated—uncertified individuals shouldn’t even be able to hold it…”
With a look of disbelief, he reached for the golden crest, then flinched as the black snake recoiled. Eugene continued, “Is it not enough?”
Eugene finished speaking and waited for the broker’s response.
The broker, unable to hide his flustered expression, struggled for a moment before finally speaking.
“…I seem to have misunderstood, my Lord. Please forgive my rudeness.”
As the black snake bowed his head in apology, Eugene nodded calmly.