Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“This relic shall speak in my place. Will you accept it, Subjugation Team Leader?”

The term “Subjugation Team Leader” made Luge’s eyebrows twitch for a moment, but everyone else could acknowledge it.

After all, who had planned the operation and gathered these individuals?

The reason why people who might have growled at each other or fought at the sight of one another were obediently present in the Pope’s chamber was clear: Leeha, who had planned the operation and united them, was the natural choice for Subjugation Team Leader.

“Subjugation Team Leader of the Demon Army, Leeha. I shall heed the orders of Pope Gaius IV.”

Leeha knelt on one knee and solemnly accepted the key from the Pope. At the same time, all the players pressed the accept button.

* * *

“So, what do we do now?”

“First, we need to find out where they’re gathering. We don’t know if they stopped the attacks in Puvael and Minis to regroup or simply to retreat, but… at least we can be certain that they will gather somewhere.”

Kid asked as soon as they left the Pope’s chamber.

Leeha’s answer was not just speculation; it was based on solid information. Kid nodded as he listened to her.

“Fourest doesn’t summon anything as strong as an Undead Executioner. If that’s the case, I can take down up to a hundred of them within ten minutes. We could just rush in right now—”

“No. If we find them too soon, Ijiwon might be able to do what she wants, but that would likely result in failure of the quest’s objective.”

It wasn’t that Leeha was ignoring Ijiwon’s capabilities. If anything, it was Alexander, who had become deeply involved in Middle Earth, who understood Ijiwon’s intentions even better.

“That’s correct. The sacred mission given to us by Pope Gaius IV is the ‘annihilation of the Demon Army.’ If we reveal ourselves too soon and they hide somewhere we can’t find them, our mission will fail.”

“So we need to cautiously find their location and then attack them without giving them any chance to escape or hide…?”

“Yes, Luge. As much as you, the war fanatic, uphold order…”

“I like it. It means I can wipe them all out in one fell swoop.”

Luge smiled and stroked his “Cobalt Blue Python.” Alexander, who had been in the middle of saying something, sighed and lowered his head.

“In any case, until we find their gathering place, there’s nothing to do. Most importantly, we shouldn’t show that we’re gathering. Please, everyone, go back to your respective places. If prominent players like you guys don’t draw attention for a long time, the enemy will definitely catch on.”

“Is that person really that exceptional…? Is he so much better?”

“Yes. Kid, his information network surpasses even your imagination. While Alexander might be safe with the dragon, others might already be caught in their information network.”

Kid nodded, murmuring in agreement.

“Everyone should live their normal lives and wait in their respective places. Make sure you’re within earshot for whispers, and try to match your log-out and log-in times if possible. Until we find their hideout, there won’t be much to do. But once we do find it, everyone must gather at my call.”

Leeha also retrieved Black Vesper.

From this point on, everything was crucial.

“Everyone, please return. Except for Baileyphus and Fernang. Oh! And remember, don’t talk about this matter, even to those you trust or even if they’re NPCs. Don’t let a word slip.”

“You’re good at that. Because you didn’t tell me that Bottle Neck moved, I had a hard time for days, you know? Just thinking about it makes me want to strangle you right now.”

“Oh my. Luge, if you keep complaining, shall I tell Mr. Bottle Neck to shoot you?”

“…Damn it. You really are a pain.”

Luge grumbled while lifting up his crystal ball.

Following Leeha’s command, everyone would wait in their respective places for the time being.

Once the members of the Demon Army Subjugation Team left, the remaining individuals were Baileyphus, Fernang, and Ram Hwajung.

“Ram Hwajung, are you—”

“I’m coming, too, big brother.”

“Hmm… Alright. That’s fine. Since Ram Hwayeon is in City Gazzah anyway, it shouldn’t look suspicious. But if her sister says something, don’t refuse and act as she wants. And never show any strange behavior.”

“Hehe.”

Ram Hwajung nodded and held onto Leeha’s sleeve. Blaugrun flew above her head, flapping its wings.

“Even if Alexander and I are together, we can’t show ourselves.”

“Of course. If Alexander is seen in City Gazzah, it would be a problem. Well, Baileyphus’s appearance won’t be seen either.”

“What are you talking about?”

Leeha’s plan to secretly and quickly locate the Demon Army involved a combination of magic and skills.

“Baileyphus, you have the Invisibility spell, right?”

* * *

“Supply List Needed! Isn’t it done yet? I told you to finish it by 2 o’clock! Servant! Where did the—”

“Sister.”

“…Kyaaa?! Wh-What the—”

“Wow… Are you insane, Ram Hwayeon? This is City Gazzah, right? Is it already restored? Is it true?”

In the plaza of City Gazzah, Ram Hwayeon was busily interacting with NPCs, as usual. Standing before her were Leeha and Ram Hwajung.

“Of course! You’ve been absent for over a week! Where were you off shooting? You only came now? Even if you came a day later, you could have handled the delegation and approvals! Just because I had some time, I ignored Castle Dale and—”

“Sorry, sorry. Thank you. Really.”

“…Tch.”

The frustration that was about to be directed at Leeha, mixed with exhaustion and relief, subsided when she saw Leeha’s expression of gratitude, her smile.

“How far has the restoration progressed?”

“I’ll tell you about the restoration and what you need to do afterward. Listen carefully, alright? For the next two days, don’t move from your spot and focus on your lessons.”

“Two whole days?”

Leeha’s expression turned embarrassed, causing Ram Hwayeon’s eyes to narrow again.

“Do you think city management is a joke? Tch, wherever you were and whatever you were doing, it’s better this way. Hwajung, you can use this time to practice taking care of the paperwork for approval and review.”

“…I don’t want to…”

“What did you say, our Hwajung?”

“I’ll work hard, sister.”

“Both of you, grab a chair and come here. Since the workload is like a mountain, you’ll have to work here instead of your residences.”

And so, in City Gazzah’s plaza, which Ram Hwayeon had turned into an outdoor office, City Gazzah’s effective ruler, Leeha, and Ram Hwajung began studying with teary determination.

And it was only natural that someone was watching this scene unfold.

“Report to Okasang. Say that Leeha and Ram Hwajung have returned together.”

“Understood.”

“What about the other side?”

“Nothing special. The trends of Alexander and Ijiwon had been lost for a few days, but the connection has been reestablished.”

“Hmm. They can be easily exposed if they get too close. Let them move with some distance. Missed one day, chased on another, while ensuring their safety.”

“Got it!”

Swoosh—

The shadow-clad figure vanished from the shadows, leaving only the figure that leaped up onto a tree to observe Leeha.

Leeha also vaguely felt that discreet gaze.

* * *

“This document summarizes the current residents’ requests. If the water quality is bad or if cleanliness is an issue, you can command the NPC butler to hire more cleaning staff…”

“Shh, just read it as it is. Ram Hwayeon, what time did you arrive here today?”

“…A few… Why?”

“Or water supply issues and overseeing artificial intelligence management to fit the budget. In the former City Gazzah, it might have been automated without any issues, but…”

“…From 7 a.m. Why?”

“Were there people observing you around? People who were standing around the square… like, since then—people who were loitering around the square without any special reason.”

“…Well? In fact, I’ve set up my office using forward bases… The residents might find it fascinating, so there might have been people around, right? I don’t remember any specific individuals. There were always lots of NPCs around.”

“No, I mean players, not NPCs. Specifically, players who seem to be watching your every move, were there any?”

“Right. What are you talking about?”

“Okay, I understand.”

Leeha simply nodded and started whispering softly while casually surveying the surroundings.

But as Ram Hwayeon explained the city management methods to Leeha, whispered while explaining, even casting a gaze around, and answering Leeha’s last question with a shake of her head, Leeha was momentarily distracted by her multitasking that was verging on quadruple tasking.

“Yaho~ Leeha, you can’t see me, right? This is amazing. When hit with the Ancient Dragon’s invisibility spell, even I’m not visible on my own map! I mean, I confidently said that dragons couldn’t find themselves unless they were bluebeards, and that actually—”

“—Ahem, Fer-nang, you can’t see me, right? Please quickly investigate. It’s near the east wall, and the repairs aren’t fully complete yet, so you should be able to find it easily.”

“Got it. But with this invisibility spell, the development speed could increase by at least 40%—”

Leeha quickly opened the settings window and lowered Fer-nang’s whisper volume. Once she started talking, she didn’t know how to stop…

‘Am I starved for interaction because I’ve been developing alone? Ugh, for now, I need to keep revealing my presence here until Fer-nang finds evidence.’

That’s what Leeha was intuiting.

Surely, there were ‘eyes’ around here as well. To execute her plans, she couldn’t afford to be caught doing anything that might raise suspicion.

‘When I was appointed as the ruler of City Gazzah, they noticed and attacked this city. In other words, the ‘opponent beyond the boundary’ has been observing me all along. My presence has to be kept visible intentionally.’

To ensure that the group providing information to the demon army remains complacent, she mustn’t allow herself to be cornered.

‘What are they aiming for, exactly? Even in the Sacred Grail, the noble鬼族 members ‘evaporated’ as it were. Not to mention that no quests were popping up for demons, and the fact that even the information guild was mentioning it implies that they’ve definitely moved somewhere else…’

Leeha couldn’t be sure of their intentions.

Why? What are they gathering for? Could they be uniting ahead of awakening the fragments of the demon lord?

In the worst case, there might be a need to think that the enemy’s gathering point is found, launch an attack, and consider that all of the demon lord’s fragments, from Bluebeard to Givreid and Pilot-Cockry, are there.

“Ugh… even thinking about it is dreadful.”

Leeha shook her head as if to shake off her anxiety.

‘But rationally speaking, it probably won’t progress to that point just yet. After all, it’s a story-centered game; they can’t possibly gather everything already, can they? If that were the case, there would have been some signs. There must have been a major update, at least.’

Middle Earth always drops hints.

And Leeha was aware that she was quite deeply involved in the demon army-related quest this time.

Even if it was a hint that wouldn’t be exposed to other players, she had to show it to herself. And at least up to this point, there hadn’t been any significant events discovered by Leeha.

‘When will they appear… I know they’re watching me. What are their intentions?’

Leeha thought.

‘What are you doing there, what are you preparing? You must have realized I’m already deeply involved in this quest related to the demon army.’

Sasuke wondered.

At least outwardly, Chiyo and Sasuke of the “Shinobi Gumi” were at an advantage.

They hadn’t been exposed to Leeha at all, and Leeha was constantly being monitored by them.

In a game where one player shows all their cards and another hides them all, it’s clear who would win.

So both Chiyo and Sasuke, who outwardly appeared to have the advantage, ended up relaxing. In the belief that they would make no big mistakes as long as they kept their eyes on Leeha.