IATAOTHKG | CHAPTER 101

<CHAPTER 101>

“Did I hit it?”

Feeling her heart race, Meyna looked at Caliph, who gave a faint, incredulous laugh.

“Did you hit it?”

“Yes.”

“You shot over there.”

He pointed to the sky with his finger and added,

“It’s lucky you didn’t hit my head.”

Caliph approached Meyna again, who had lowered her head in disappointment.

“I told you. Lean forward slightly and bend your knees. That way, you can absorb the recoil while aiming accurately.”

“Yes.”

“Good answer.”

He lightly chided her.

“Align your shoulders and hips with the target and straighten your body.”

The back of Caliph’s hand brushed lightly against Meyna’s spine.

A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.

…Must be the summer.

As she instinctively straightened her spine, Caliph slightly nodded.

“Remember just one thing when shooting: control your breathing.”

Caliph, who had been behind her, now stood by her side.

“Inhale, hold your breath briefly, then pull the trigger.”

He placed his finger just in front of her lips while explaining.

Startled by the unexpected gesture, Meyna held her breath.

“Good.”

Praise followed.

“Don’t close your eyes after shooting.”

“Yes.”

“Shoot again.”

She steadied her mind and pulled the trigger again. The second shot still missed the target, but Caliph encouraged her, saying she had improved.

After twenty shots, he patiently explained in detail how to load cartridges, aim better, and handle other firearm techniques.

“That’s enough with the rifle.”

Next, he handed her a revolver from a metal box. It felt very light compared to the rifle.

“I think I like this one better. It’s lighter!”

Meyna said happily, but Caliph looked slightly uneasy.

“Lighter means harder to aim. Unlike the rifle, it’s nearly impossible to hold a pistol perfectly still while shooting.”

“I can do it.”

Confidently, Meyna showed talent with the revolver. After another twenty shots, Caliph looked surprised.

“Not bad.”

Several bullet marks grazed the target.

“Good. Since it’s portable, let’s use the revolver.”

The training continued for quite some time. Only after they were drenched in sweat did Caliph put both firearms back in their boxes.

“I’ll give you time to practice shooting whenever you can. Until you get used to using mana, you won’t be able to use offensive magic, so this is your only weapon to protect yourself.”

Caliph handed her the box with the revolver.

“Thank you.”

Meyna felt a clear sense of joy.

She no longer had to just wait and hope someone would save her in a dangerous situation. If she saw someone attacked by a monster and calling for help, she would step in without hesitation.

“Let’s go. We still have more to do.”

Caliph hurried toward the side gate. The sun was high in the sky.

She silently wished for his safety.

Watching Caliph’s calm profile as he focused on driving, Meyna recalled a recent conversation with Adnois.

“You drive well and shoot well. Maybe you should quit being a secretary and become a paladin?”

“Indeed. Luckily Sir Lenox knows how to drive. Otherwise, the horses would have run off and we couldn’t ride the carriage.”

She remembered how they had barely reached Drain Station in the car, dodging collapsing roads.

“I thought you didn’t like driving.”

Her careful remark received no answer and faded into the air.

Outside the window, the gloomy Hiscarne industrial district passed by. The gray city was full of abandoned buildings, and thin horses struggled along empty roads with carriages.

Most transportation in Sahal was still horse-drawn carriages. A few wealthy individuals bought cars to flaunt wealth, but for ordinary citizens, cars were an unaffordable luxury.

High-ranking nobles mostly insisted on carriages, claiming to preserve tradition.

So it was rather surprising that Caliph, neither poor nor traditionalist, showed no interest in cars.

Had something changed in his mind?

“It’s been a while since I got it.”

He replied nonchalantly.

“Why?”

“Why, you ask?”

“You didn’t care about cars. You said carriages were enough because the horses would take you where you needed to go.”

“Now I want to move ahead.”

“Hmm?”

“I bought it to keep up with the trend.”

His absurd answer made her chuckle. It was impossible to tell where he was joking and where he was serious.

“Good choice.”

The anxious self she used to be was gone. Smiling lightly and looking out the window, Caliph’s gaze finally reached Meyna.

Why did he buy the car? Simple.

Because Meyna was no longer there. He had only used the carriage because of her. When meeting high-ranking officials or nobles, they often looked down on commoners and flaunted their carriages. The same applied to duchesses.

Women gracefully boarding and alighting carriages was their expected role. Girls in a gangster-driven car were judged.

“The wind feels nice.”

Meyna lazily rested her arm on the window. Caliph imagined himself as the rogue driving endlessly with her, and felt a twinge of loneliness.

* * *

After the gun shop, the second place they arrived at was a clothing store.

“It’s been a while, sir.”

Caliph greeted warmly as they entered. He seemed to know the clothing store owner, just like the gun shop owner.

The sound of the spinning loom finally stopped.

“You arrived faster than I expected.”

The owner, a gruff-voiced old man with long gray hair tied back, pushed some items on the workbench aside. His wrinkled skin bore age spots, yet his eyes were as sharp as a young man’s.

“Nice to meet you. I am Meyna Winslet.”

The man glanced at her from head to toe.

“Finally. I have no surname, so call me Ben.”

“Do you know me?”

Meyna asked cautiously, and Ben let out a cryptic smile.