The Returned Lord Is a Genius of Gun Law - Chapter 11

chapter 11

The Broker’s Offer

The Returning Lord is a Gun Law Genius, Episode 11

Episode 11

From the moment Eugene revealed he was the lord, the negotiation with the broker proceeded smoothly.

“I wish you’d told me you were an Imperial noble from the start, Your Lordship. Heh heh. There are so many fly-by-night types trying to strike it rich these days, I couldn’t help myself. Of course, I don’t mean you, Your Lordship.”

“Let’s talk about the goods.”

At the black snake’s hurried wave, as if he’d said something wrong, Eugene spoke.

As if he’d been waiting for this, the broker grinned.

“We have enough firearms and ammunition to arm a full company. As you know, most of it is outdated, leftover from the collapse of the Soviet Union. But in Amir, where maintenance is difficult, isn’t durability and reliability paramount?”

He wasn’t wrong.

In Amir, where knowledge of firearms and maintenance supplies were woefully inadequate, properly maintaining firearms using kerosene and other such materials would be an extravagant luxury.

In that sense, the rugged and reliable Eastern Bloc weapons, which could be simply shaken free of sand after being buried in a sand pit and fired immediately, were perfectly suited to Amir’s local conditions.

“What about 5.56mm NATO rounds?”

“We have some, but not a large stock. They’re not the primary ammunition used by the people of Amir, after all. You know how it is—the people of Amir hate the United States.”

Eugene nodded silently at that. It was only natural that the United States, like the Soviet Union, had inflicted countless harms upon Amir.

“Then. Automatic rifles and compatible ammunition, plus NATO rounds. And if you have grenade launchers—the 40mm ones that can be mounted on rifles—and their ammunition, include those too.”

“Of course, haha. How much fuel do you need?”

“The more, the better. I’d like to buy it by the barrel if possible. Can you deliver it to my territory?”

“I have a noble business partner in the Empire. With his help, we can transport it through a spatial gate. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“It seems there are more customers from the Empire than I thought.”

Hearing the broker’s explanation, Eugene’s expression grew intrigued. The fact that they needed to partner with a noble for transportation within the Empire meant there were plenty of people in the Empire who wanted Earth’s goods.

“We’ve always had a steady stream of customers from the Empire. Whether it’s weapons, machinery, people, or even contract work. Since you’ve been there a few times yourself, you probably know this already.”

“That’s true.”

At these words, Eugene nodded readily. After all, some of the missions he had undertaken in Amir had involved commissions from the Empire’s nobility.

They operated on the fringes of legality, but they paid quite well.

A wistful expression crossed Eugene’s face as he recalled the past. He quickly shook his head and turned his gaze to the broker, Black Snake.

Black Snake continued, “My lord, how would you like to settle the payment? I doubt you’d want dollars. We accept Imperial gold coins and bullion, so please choose whatever is most convenient for you.”

“Something else.”

Eugene’s response left Black Snake looking flustered. “Something else? Could you specify what kind of item you mean? Given the nature of this business, liquidity is paramount.”

“Here.”

Clack.

With that, Eugene pulled something from his coat and placed it on the table.

A stone, emitting a faint blue light on its own.

The broker’s expression changed drastically as he turned his gaze towards it.

“This…!”

The moment he saw the object, the broker hurriedly pulled out a magnifying glass from his coat and examined the glowing blue stone on the table.

“A… a magic stone! And of rather high purity…”

As the broker stared back and forth between the table and Eugene, his face filled with surprise, Eugene spoke.

“I’ll pay the full amount in magic stones. This is a down payment. No problem, right?”

“Of… of course! Magic stones… magic stones…!”

Watching the broker nod without a moment’s hesitation, Eugene smiled faintly.

After concluding the deal, Eugene and Marlon left the building.

“To handle that rude fellow so easily… impressive,” Marlon said, still casting a resentful glance at the building they’d just left, as if he still disliked the broker who had initially looked down on Eugene.

“They’re all driven by money and profit anyway. If you secure those two things, they’ll become the most loyal allies you could ask for.”

And Eugene could now guarantee both.

The position of a noble in the Amir Empire, which ruled half the continent, and more specifically, a lord owning a portion of the empire’s territory, carried such meaning.

At least, until the deal was fully concluded, that broker would remain his ally.

“The transaction will take some time to finalize, so let’s return to the territory for now. We’ll need to prepare the payment in advance.”

With the magic stones provided as a down payment, they’d agreed to receive some ammunition and fuel. Once those materials were delivered to the territory through the gate, they could begin developing the magic stone mine in earnest.

With just enough fuel to operate the excavator a few times, they’d be able to mine the magic stones. Once they paid the remaining balance with those stones, the transaction should proceed smoothly.

“Understood, my Lord. I will escort you safely back to the territory.”

At the mention of returning to the territory, Marlon bowed his head and moved closer to guard Eugene.

I’ve only ever guarded others before; this is the first time I’m being guarded myself.

Seeing the knight on guard, wary of his surroundings to protect himself, Eugene nodded and pressed on toward the exit of the underground city.

But he hadn’t taken more than a few steps when…

KWA-NG!

A massive explosion erupted behind him.

“My Lord!”

In that instant, Malone sensed the danger and threw himself over Eugene, shielding him.

The searing heat from the explosion prickled Eugene’s skin.

What’s going on?

Protected by Malone, Eugene cautiously turned his head to check the situation behind him.

And then…

“…Oh no.”

Eugene’s face hardened as he assessed the scene.

Whoosh!

Moments earlier, the broker’s building, where they had just been, was half-destroyed and ablaze.

“Oh, no… Thank goodness, Lord. We almost…”

Malon, who only now noticed the scene, patted his chest with relief.

Yet, Eugene’s expression remained as stiff as ever.

If it’s this bad, survival will be tough.

The explosion itself wasn’t the problem. In this city, where countless mafiosi, terrorists, rebels, and criminals fought tooth and nail for survival, such events were hardly uncommon.

The issue was the possibility that the broker with whom he had just made a deal had died in the blast. With no one to continue the transaction, the contract they had made was effectively nullified.

“Finding a new broker will take quite some time… This is problematic.”

The broker he had been looking for, Black Snake, who was likely killed in the explosion, was the only one he knew personally among the brokers in Ground Zero.

In this world, lives were as valuable as money. To avoid ending up like the screaming victim from moments ago, most brokers kept their identities meticulously hidden.

In other words, Eugene would have to work hard from now on to find a new business partner.

“Still, I can’t give up.”

If he couldn’t secure firearms, fuel, and other supplies here, the development of the magic stone mine would be significantly delayed.

Meanwhile, Primrose, other nobles, or even non-humans might interfere. To prevent that, Eugene had good reason to conclude the transaction here and return.

I might have to stay in this city for quite a while.

Rumble-!

As he thought this, Eugene watched the collapsing building, its debris unable to withstand the explosion’s shock.

Huh?

At that moment, a young man caught Eugene’s eye. He wore a tattered t-shirt and jeans—common clothes you could find anywhere in this city.

But the object in his hand was far from ordinary.

A palm-sized device made of green plastic, covered in buttons.

Yujin knew exactly what it was.

A detonator?

The fact that the man was holding it could only mean one thing:

He’s the culprit.

And then, Yujin remembered:

Maybe I can solve this.

As soon as the thought formed, Yujin turned to his knight, Marlon, who stood beside him.

“Marlon.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Do you see the man holding something in his hand?”

“I do, but…”

“He’s the culprit.”

“R-really?”

Yujin nodded at his surprised knight.

“Bring him in. He’ll answer for ruining the territory.”

“Ah, understood. I’ll apprehend him immediately.”

Thwack!

With those words, Marlon’s body, enhanced by aura, shot forward like an arrow toward his target.

“Stop right there, you bastard—!”

Follow him.

Yujin followed, using the roar of Malon’s charging horse as his guide.

The city, built haphazardly atop ruins, was a maze of alleys, but the chase didn’t last long.

“My Lord, we’ve caught him!”

Following the knight’s voice from afar, Yujin soon saw Malon pinning the man’s wrists.

“Let go of me, you son of a bitch! You know who I am?!”

The man, still clutching the detonator, spat curses at Malon.

But he soon regretted his words.

“I don’t know.”

Crack!

With that, Malon tightened his grip.

“Aaaargh—!”

The knight’s strength, enhanced by aura, transcended human limits.

The man writhed and screamed in agony as his wrist was crushed, but he couldn’t break free.

“You bastards… I won’t let this slide. Do you know who our boss is? If you ever meet him, you’ll be dead… Ughhh…”

As the man continued to spew venom at Marlon, who refused to release him, Eugene approached and said, “Boss?”

The word spoken by the man was clear: the man who had caused the explosion moments ago had a mastermind behind him.

And…

“In that case, I’d like you to lead me to your boss.”

That was precisely what Eugene wanted.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know who your boss is, but I need to meet him.”

The man was flustered by this unexpected request, but Eugene continued without flinching.

“I need some compensation.”

As he finished speaking, his eyes gleamed with a chilling light.