The Returned Lord Is a Genius of Gun Law - Chapter 2

chapter 2

The Two Worlds Unite

The Returning Lord: GUN Law Genius – Episode 2

Episode 2

The fusion of Earth and Amir, two worlds previously unknown to each other, occurred approximately forty years ago.

For reasons unknown, dozens of gates opened, connecting the two worlds.

And as is often the case with human affairs, this contact ignited new conflicts and heralded the dawn of a colossal war.

Dragonfire scorched cities, while the land was blanketed in the radioactive fallout of nuclear bombs.

By then, the war, which had begun with the aim of utterly annihilating one side, had instilled a terrifying fear of mutual annihilation.

Ultimately, to prevent their shared destruction, the two worlds lowered their guns and swords, turning them away from each other.

Of course, this was merely a facade. Beneath the surface, a fierce battle of wits continued as each side sought to subdue the other.

Even Baron Crocus, on the fringes of the Amir Empire, couldn’t escape the repercussions of the New Cold War.

“This is Lord Vayen Crocus, the previous Baron of Crocus.”

The Crocus Castle—the heart of the Baron’s territory and Eugene’s new home—stood silent. In the corridor lined with portraits, the elderly steward, Beruf, paused before the last painting, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Eugene, who had followed the steward, shifted his gaze from the old man to the portrait before him. The man in the painting bore such a striking resemblance to Eugene that it was as if he were looking at his own reflection, albeit older and more mature. Of course, this was natural, as the subject of the portrait was none other than Eugene’s father.

Could this man be my biological father?

For the first time in his life, Eugene faced the face of his biological father, but unlike the old man, he felt no particular emotion.

He’s just a dead man.

He had been curious about who his parents might be, but it would be strange to feel such strong emotions for people he had never met in his life.

Still, he needed to get some information.

“How did he die?”

Though the Amir people had relatively shorter lifespans than humans on Earth, Eugene was now nearing his thirtieth birthday, making his father’s death seem far too early.

“It’s been three years already.”

In response to the question, Veruf’s face twisted into a bitter expression as he recalled the incident.

“At the time, the late Baron Crocus was patrolling the Black Forest region.”

Yujin had a general idea of what the Black Forest was.

The Empire’s Four Forbidden Lands.

It was one of the four places forbidden by imperial decree due to its extreme danger.

Despite occupying a significant portion of the empire’s eastern region, little was known about it, which is how it got its name.

“Since monsters and non-human races could attack the empire at any moment, the previous baron considered this duty extremely important.”

“……”

“He usually patrolled with his knights, but on that day, he only took the captain of the guard with him.”

“……”

“And… assassins appeared.”

Assassins.

Such things were commonplace in Amir.

A place where people would kill without hesitation for profit, territory, or power.

In Yujin’s worldview, this was perfectly natural.

Her father had likely been sacrificed for the same reason.

But that wasn’t the whole story.

“The Knight Commander who accompanied them managed to stop most of the assassins, but unfortunately, they weren’t ordinary thugs.”

“What do you mean?”

“They were armed with weapons from another realm.”

With that, Beruf carefully retrieved something wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket.

When the old man unfolded the handkerchief, a dark, grimy pistol lay beneath.

Yujin recognized it instantly.

Makarov.

An outdated pistol used in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries for decades.

Beruf continued,

“They must have been bribed by the Republic. After all, they’re the only ones on this continent who use weapons from another world.”

Eugene knew exactly which Republic the old man was referring to.

The Parjan Republic.

The only republic on the continent of Amir, it was also the most industrialized nation, having achieved industrial development in a land where the very concept of industry had previously been non-existent.

Moreover, it was the nation that constantly opposed the Amir Empire, the empire Eugene now served.

“They must have conspired with the elves of the Black Forest to weaken the empire. The previous Baron was caught in their scheme.”

As if vowing revenge inwardly, the butler clenched his fist with his empty hand.

But…

“I don’t think we can be so sure.”

“…What?”

When Eugene shook his head, the butler momentarily looked flustered.

Eugene continued, “As far as I know, the Republic uses Western-made weapons.”

“Western-made…?”

“In simpler terms, American weapons.”

The fact that the Republic of Parzhan was an American-backed puppet state, created by the CIA, was an open secret in the mercenary world Eugene had been a part of.

Naturally, American influence was strong in the Republic, and its military just as naturally used Western-made weapons.

“A-America…!”

When the name “America” left Eugene’s lips, the butler shuddered violently, his face contorted in terror.

America.

For anyone in the Amir Empire, who had endured a hellish war with the world’s strongest nation four decades prior, the name alone sent shivers down their spine.

Of course, Eugene hadn’t mentioned America to condemn them.

“But this isn’t Western weaponry.”

A Soviet-made Makarov pistol, a relic from Eastern Bloc arsenals decades old.

Even after all this time, if it fired, it could still kill.

But the situation changed when the enemy was a nation backed by America.

With so many Western pistols flooding the Republic, there was little reason for an assassin to resort to such an outdated Eastern Bloc relic.

This is even more true now, long after the Soviet Union, America’s greatest rival before the Great War, was destroyed by its own dragons.

“It’s possible they’re trying to conceal the Republic’s involvement, but the CIA doesn’t operate that way.”

Their method is to openly reveal their involvement, exerting an invisible pressure that leaves the opponent no room to resist. There’s no better way to prove their involvement than by using a standard Western or US military pistol. Yet, there’s one reason an assassin might insist on using this Eastern Bloc pistol:

“It would make more sense if they said they couldn’t get their hands on any other firearms and had to settle for this one from the black market.”

Amir does have its own black market.

Given the limited quantity and variety of smuggled firearms flowing through the gate, this was a perfectly plausible deduction.

“If so, it’s more likely the work of another faction than the Republic.”

“Th…that makes sense.”

The butler, Veruf, was speechless at Eugene’s logical explanation. Having lived his entire life in Amir, he couldn’t even comprehend half of what Eugene was explaining.

“Then… please follow me, my lord. I’ll introduce you to the family’s knights now.”

Having spoken, Veruf bowed to Eugene and led the way.

Hmm.

Behind him, Eugene watched with a meaningful gaze, unaware of the butler’s presence.

The training ground of Crocus Castle was located at its center.

Perhaps due to the castle’s considerable size for a barony, the training ground’s dimensions and facilities were not bad even by the standards of Eugene, a former large PMC operator.

Old-fashioned junk no one would use on Earth, though.

Eugene watched the knights for a moment as they swung their swords at the wooden dummies scattered across the training ground, but his interest soon faded.

Cold weapons like swords had become mere auxiliary weapons on Earth, so such sights were rare there.

In Amir, where superpowers like magic and aura existed, cold weapons remained effective, making such scenes common.

They might be useful in urban or jungle warfare… but otherwise, they’re not much.

Of course, when it came to close combat, the story was different.

Even after all this time, the image of a man from a warlord group in Africa, wielding only a sword, cutting down regular soldiers in their full gear—complete with rifles and bulletproof vests—remained vividly etched in Eugene’s mind.

I wonder how many of these knights could move like that man from back then.

Just as Eugene was mentally comparing the man from that time to the knights before him, one of them turned his gaze toward Eugene and the butler and his face lit up with surprise.

Soon, the knight shouted to his comrades who were training nearby, “The Lord has arrived!”

At the knight’s recognition of Eugene, the other knights lowered their swords and gathered before him.

“Halt!”

“Halt!”

Their training isn’t bad. Though they probably haven’t received modern tactical training.

Eugene watched impassively as the knights snapped to attention and saluted in unison with the knight commander.

“It is an honor to meet you, my Lord. I am Leon, commander of this knight order.”

“…”

“We are your sword. Please call upon us whenever you require our service.”

Eugene nodded and exchanged a handshake with Leon, the knight commander.

But this was no mere greeting.

A power struggle?

Eugene frowned slightly as he felt the pressure in Leon’s grip.

To use psychic abilities just for a power struggle…

This was the strength of knights, enhanced by the aura they refined and accumulated through mana.

A normal person might have screamed from the excruciating pain in their grip.

But…

“I will.”

Despite the agony, Eugene nodded calmly.

This, in turn, flustered the knight commander, Leon.

“…I look forward to serving you well.”

With those words, Leon reluctantly released his grip, bowed his head, and stepped back.

Even as he retreated, his eyes kept darting to Eugene’s right hand, which had turned crimson.

Of course, Eugene’s expression remained unchanged.

A kind of test, then.

He could understand.

From their perspective, he was the hidden son of the former lord, a man they had never met or heard of in their lives.

He must have wanted to test if I was fit to rule this precarious territory.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on him.

You too will have to pass my test.

With that thought, Eugene met Leon’s gaze.

At that moment, Leon shuddered violently under Eugene’s gaze.

“My Lord, if you’ve finished inspecting the training grounds, perhaps we could visit another location? How about the spire? From the top of Crocus Castle’s spire, you’ll have a panoramic view of the Black Forest.”

As the atmosphere between Eugene and the knight commander grew strange, the butler, Veruf, stepped forward to guide them to the next location.

“Agreed.”

Eugene nodded at the words and turned to leave when—

“S-Sir Butler.”

Startled by Leon’s sudden words, Yujin froze mid-turn and glanced between the knight and the butler.

Leon continued, “What happened to the support you mentioned last time?”

“Last time? Ah, that matter?” The butler, Beruf, frowned and replied, “We already concluded that was a misunderstanding by the guards. I don’t think it’s something worth discussing in the Lord’s presence.”

“But…”

“What is it?” Yujin interrupted Leon.

Under Yujin’s questioning gaze, Beruf looked flustered and began to explain. “It’s nothing major, my Lord. The guards on duty have recently reported hearing strange noises from the Black Forest.”

“……”

“Given how many monsters live in the Black Forest, that’s perfectly natural. There’s no need to dwell on it,” Beruf said dismissively, waving his hand with a smirk.

But…

“What was that sound?”

Instead of addressing the butler, Eugene turned to the knight commander.

This is my domain now.

And the most basic duty of a ruler is to identify any threats to their domain.

If he hadn’t known, it would have been one thing. But now that he did, Eugene, as the lord of the domain, had every reason to investigate.

Under Eugene’s sharp gaze, Leon cautiously opened his mouth.

“The ground vibrated.”

“The ground?”

“They said they heard the ground shaking, the sound of something moving, and trees falling. It was too strange to be just the work of a monster.”

“……”

“The guards must have mistaken it for something else. Don’t disturb the Lord unnecessarily, Captain of the Knights.”

The steward, who had been listening, chided Leon, but Eugene was already lost in thought.

After a moment, Eugene’s gaze turned to the Captain of the Knights. “We’ll investigate tomorrow.”

“What?”

“I must confirm it myself. Why, is that difficult?”

“Ah, no, my Lord. If you wish…”

Ignoring the steward’s flustered voice, Eugene’s expression hardened as he pondered.

Could it be mechanical sounds?

Such sounds were rarely heard in Amir.