The Strongest Gun Magus: I Cast Bullet!-Chapter 57: The "Mysterious" Magus

The Order of Winter’s magi shouted in alarm.

As if to answer Reynard’s silent question, the mysterious magus released another bolt of lightning at the last blizzard-channeling magus.

He has realized that they were attacked from the back and side-stepped without breaking his concentration. The bolt of lightning flew past...

...Then suddenly changed directions, to hit the magus from the side! His metal breastplate did nothing to soften the blow.

The man staggered, and the blizzard stopped completely.

The street around Reynard was filled with rapidly dissipating magical ice shards. Then, he finished the spell he was doing this time, and a massive Thornshooter rose grew in front of him.

Supporting it took a chunk of Reynard’s circulating mana, which was why he wasn’t using it together with Spirit Armor. But his armor was gone anyway, and his mana didn’t recover enough to repeat it.

But he knew he wouldn’t need to.

His enemies were already almost beaten into submission. Those who still could stand—only three of them—looked between their two attackers in shock, anger, and fear.

Now, they were put fully on the defensive.

Reynard’s Thornshooter spat out several spikes at them, and the mysterious ally supported it with a rapid barrage of weak lightning and fire bolts.

The enemy magi cast ice shields, but the constant attacks quickly whittled down their defenses.

Reynard himself summoned another Thornshooter and pulled out his second revolver. He aimed and, as soon as another ice shield shattered, fired.

BANG! BANG!

With a cry of pain, a magus fell to one knee, holding a bleeding wrist.

’This one won’t be casting anymore!’

"Shit! Enough!" he shouted, looking up at Reynard. "I give up!"

One of his allies looked at him with outrage.

"You can’t—"

"Fuck it, let us go! You won!" another interrupted him.

If they had a way of retreating past the mysterious cloaked magus, they sure would have run away by now. Or, perhaps they were holding back for the sake of their wounded.

Reynard looked at the defeated magi and made his Thornshooters hold their fire. The cloaked magus also paused, standing ready for the next spell.

"Leave your wallets as an apology, and you can go," he said. "But if you return AGAIN, you will be lucky if I just cripple you for life!"

"We are sorry!" a magus groveled immediately. He used his unwounded hand to fish for his wallet and threw it onto the ground. "You are very strong—you really should have come to the Order of Winter. You’d be venerated here!"

"None of this bullshit would’ve happened if the Loremaster of Frost was still with us," another magus grumbled, but also threw down his wallet.

The third one repeated the gesture.

"And do the same for your comrades!" Reynard shouted, gesturing with his revolver.

With a muttered curse, the magi liberated the wallets of their friends who weren’t in the state to do it. Then they picked the wounded and the fallen magi, and scrambled away.

The cloaked magi pulled down the hood of their cloak and let the entire miserable group pass.

Only when they were well away from sight, Reynard dispelled the Thornshooters, picked up the wallets, and walked up to the cloaked magus.

Not much of them was visible even from up close. They wore a cloth mask over the lower half of their face—all that could be seen under the hood—and thin leather gloves over their fingers.

Reynard pointed an accusing finger at them.

"Ma—I mean, Julia! What the hell are you doing here?!"

The cloaked magus pulled up her hood and smiled at Reynard through the cloth mask.

"You recognized me even like that!" Marien sounded very delighted by that. "There is really a special connection between us..."

’I just recognized the Seeking Lightning spell you used,’ Reynard thought, putting a hand over his face.

Then he immediately removed it and saw that his palm was splotched with blood.

"Ouch! Shit, my face must look terrible..."

Marien eyed Reynard over, looking concerned for a moment, then shook her head.

"Just some scratches! A healing balm and a kiss will cure them in no time."

Reynard sighed in relief.

"Great! My handsome face is one of my greatest assets, after all... Anyway, don’t change the topic—why are you here? I mean, thanks for the help, but what if any of the Order of Winter guys recognise you?"

"Hmph! They won’t. They don’t share our special connection! Are you going to complain, or will you thank me properly? I have saved your life and skin!"

With a sinking feeling, Reynard realized that there was no way to explain to Marien why acting as recklessly as she did was... Not always good.

’Besides, she did save my life...’

He bowed low, took one of Marien’s gloved hands, and kissed it.

"My lady, my beautiful princess, thank you for saving me. It really should be the other way around!"

He pulled back and was happy to see mirth and joy in Marien’s eyes.

"He-he, you are right! But if I’m your princess, it’s only right if you are my prince! Anyway, we’ve spent enough time here—let’s go to the workshop and clean your wounds..."

***

With an application of a healing balm, the shallow scratches on Reynard’s face healed by morning. He fed Chili, cleaned his pen, and prepared to visit the Snow Trade Emissary with a new, fulfilled order of cheap potions and news about beating up five Winter’s magi.

But when Reynard approached the door of his workshop, he saw that something was stuffed underneath it.

’A letter?’ He pulled it out and examined it. ’No, letters are bigger. This is just a note. Did my landlord leave it?’

Reynard opened the note.

[Johan Faust, we have seen how you fought the thugs from the Order of Winter. It was as impressive as the icy situation you and your Juliet can now find yourself in. But we can help each other. Come to the "Beef and Broth" tavern and tell the barkeep that you would like some boiled beer.

—Children of the Frost]