The Returned Lord Is a Genius of Gun Law - Chapter 30

chapter 30

The River Ambush

The Returning Lord: GUN Law Genius, Episode 30

Episode 30

After interrogating a few captured knights at Crocus Castle, Lawrence immediately headed to the battlefield.

As they drew closer, a black line snaking across the land came into view.

It was a dry riverbed, deeply carved into the center of the plain.

On both sides of the embankment lay a chaotic jumble of earth piles, broken stakes, and the remains of half-collapsed trenches.

“This is…” the adjutant murmured.

“Where the river ambush took place, my lord.”

“I can see that.”

Lawrence halted his horse and dismounted, descending the embankment himself.

Following the deeply eroded path, the stench that assailed his nostrils grew even more pungent.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, ash, and old, dry dust.

In the center of the riverbed, a particularly large crater stood out. The earth at its edges was violently torn, and stones were scattered outward as if violently ejected. It wasn’t the smooth, cut marks left by a magical explosion, but rather the appearance of something being forcefully pushed up from below, shattering the ground.

“This is where it started,” Lawrence muttered.

The Bolton knights captured as prisoners had all said the same thing: “There was no light, no incantation, just… from the ground up…”

It didn’t take long to see with his own eyes that their words were no exaggeration.

“My Lord,” the adjutant said, pointing to one side. “There are similar marks over here.”

A little further away, a series of smaller craters, far smaller than the first, lined up in a row. Though small, they were all aligned in the same direction.

“First, a massive explosion, and then…”

Lawrence didn’t finish his sentence. There was no need to.

A perfect way to pick off the pursuing soldiers one by one.

His gaze shifted to the embankments on both sides of the stream. The shallow craters dug haphazardly into the soil atop the banks. Between them, small, shiny objects glinted.

Lawrence bent down and reached out. He picked up a metal cylinder. Examining it, he saw one end was open and the other was blackened and scorched. He had never seen one in person, but he had read about it in books.

“…a spent casing.”

“A spent casing…?”

“It’s a byproduct of Earth’s weapons.”

“Then it means Crocus really did use Earth’s weapons, doesn’t it?” the adjutant asked cautiously.

“We can’t be certain,” Lawrence replied, yet he continued to gaze at the shell in his hand for a long moment.

They called it a terrible war.

These were the old tales he’d heard since childhood. Mountains of records already existed detailing the weapons Earth’s soldiers wielded and how they fought. But those were just stories. What lay before Lawrence now was a scene that showed what those records had actually created.

“My Lord.”

The adjutant spoke cautiously. “How do you plan to report this?”

“As it happened.”

He continued, “Lord Crocus used weapons and traps from Earth to repel Bolton’s army. In the process, most of his forces were decimated at this river, leaving him with little room to retreat.”

“…If you write it that way, some might interpret it as Crocus having overstepped his bounds.”

“That’s not our concern.” Lawrence shrugged. “We simply need to show where the sword was plunged and in what shape. Whether they draw it out or leave it there is for the higher-ups to decide.”

His gaze drifted toward the distant castle walls. A seemingly ordinary border fortress. Yet the lord within was no ordinary man.

“Let’s go,” Lawrence said, mounted on his horse. “Now, let’s go see the owner of the sword.”

Yujin leaned against the window, gazing down at the scene below.

Below the hillside, a cavalry unit bearing the imperial crest rode through the castle gates. The leading rider’s cloak fluttered in the wind.

“They seem to be returning from their investigation, my Lord,” Crawford said.

“That was quicker than I expected,” Yujin replied curtly, turning away from the window.

“Are preparations complete?”

“Everything has been organized, just in case,” Crawford said, tapping the file folder in his hand. “Battle reports, Bolton’s initial violations, their attempt to seize the mine preemptively, and the prisoner roster. I’ve removed any wording that might conflict with imperial law.”

“Just in case,” Yujin repeated.

“There’s never a one-sided fault in war,” Crawford said with a dry smile. “They know that much. The important thing is to show how far we intended to go and how much was accidental.”

Yujin nodded.

A moment later, a soldier’s voice called out from beyond the door.

“Presenting Sir Lawrence, Head of the Imperial Investigation!”

With those words, Lawrence and the investigation team entered the room.

“Did the investigation conclude successfully?”

“We have a general understanding.”

In response to Yujin’s question, Lawrence nodded and continued,

“We need to clarify a few points regarding the battle’s progression. This is merely for the record, and we have no intention of inconveniencing you, Lord.”

What a joke, Yujin thought to himself, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair.

“Very well.”

“First, the moment the Earl of Bolton’s forces initiated hostilities.”

Lawrence lowered his paper.

“The report states that the Earl of Bolton’s forces advanced to the vicinity of the Crocus Ore Mine, crossed the border, and attacked our reconnaissance team. Is this accurate?”

“It’s true that our side initiated the attack,” Yujin replied.

“However, the enemy was the first to show hostile intent. Crocus was merely reacting.”

“In that case, we can consider Bolton to be the initial aggressor.”

Lawrence jotted down the point and looked up again.

“Secondly, the type of weaponry deployed.”

This time, his gaze fixed on Yujin.

“According to the report, the Crocus forces used Earth-based small arms, explosives, and barbed wire during this battle.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Well… it could be considered a problem, or it might not be. It depends.”

Lawrence glanced at Crawford briefly before turning his attention back to Yujin.

“Lord, how far do you believe the use of Earth-based weaponry is permissible for border defense?”

“Of course, all of them,” Eugene said firmly. “This is a border region bordering the Black Forest, and we’re always short on troops. I’d use anything—even more than Earth’s weapons—if I could. I’d do anything to protect this territory.”

The office fell silent for a moment.

Lawrence gazed at Eugene for a beat before continuing, “Border lords have considerable discretion. Considering that, I have no intention of making an issue of your use of Earth weapons in this battle.”

“Then…”

“Let’s consider the official investigation concluded. We’ll review the details again during the documentation process.”

At those words, the people in the office finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lawrence rose from his seat.

“I don’t think everyone needs to hear the rest of this. Could you ask everyone to leave for a moment?”

“…Have everyone withdraw.”

At his words, the retainers and investigators in the room filed out one by one.

Now, only two people remained in the office.

“Now, we can have a slightly less formal conversation, Your Lordship,” Lawrence said as he settled back into his seat.

“Less formal conversations tend to make things more awkward,” Eugene retorted.

“That depends on the listener,” Lawrence replied, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips before vanishing.

“I heard you’re from Earth.”

“My bloodline is said to be Crocus.”

“I’m not trying to question your legitimacy, Your Lordship.”

He shook his head and tapped his finger once on the table.

“What I wanted to discuss today wasn’t your past, Lord, but your plans for the future.”

Lawrence continued, “How far are you willing to draw your sword?”

There was a brief pause.

Eugene tilted his head slightly.

“I will defend the borders if they are attacked, block any attempts on the mines, and retaliate if my territory is threatened. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“And returning to Earth?”

“No.”

The answer was swift and simple.

“I have no home to return to, no one to call. My home and the people I must protect are here.”

Lawrence’s eyes flickered briefly before settling back into their usual calm.

“So, what is your goal?”

“My goal is…”

Yujin paused for a moment before answering.

“To ensure this territory doesn’t starve. To make our enemies think twice before attacking. That’s enough.”

“That seems rather bold, considering your answer.”

“The more you avoid conflict, the more blood you end up shedding.”

Yujin’s calm response silenced Lawrence for a moment.

Then, he spoke again.

“…The Fifth Prince wishes to place a trustworthy person at the border.”

He chose his words carefully.

“Someone who can convey the Prince’s intentions to the border… a sharp sword, so to speak.”

“I see.”

“Does Your Lordship have such intentions?”

At those words, Eugene smiled.

“I’ll consider it.”

“It seems you have something in mind.”

“We called this ‘negotiation’ back on Earth.”

Lawrence smirked.

“Let’s end this conversation here, Baron Crocus. I hope our next meeting will be in more comfortable circumstances.”

With that, he turned and left the office.

After the door closed, his retainers re-entered the study a moment later.

“My Lord, the delegation has departed.”

“Naturally.”

“Now… what shall we do next?”

To Crawford’s hesitant question, Eugene replied with an indifferent expression.

“I’ll have to do things the way I always do.”

“…What?”

“There’s a lot to do to get the territory back in order. I won’t have time to worry about anything else for a while.”

With that, he turned his gaze out the window.

For now, it was time to build his strength.