The Strongest in the World Doesn’t Want To Do Anything

24 – The Past and Trials of the Blue Shotgunner

From Noble mtl dot com

Casey did not notice at all.

While looking at the betrayer’s back of blue hair, something began to boil within Wolfgang.

“He looks really annoying.”

Casey slowly stooped in response to the incoming arrow.

Wolfgang also turned his body sideways so that his shot arrow could pass by.

And when he released his ability, everything around him started moving at its original speed.

The arrow flew past Wolfgang’s nose and got stuck in a tree behind him.

Casey aimed her gun in the direction the arrow came from.

Until just a moment ago, it was a bush where Wolfgang was hiding.

Looking at her back and Wolfgang, he felt the urge to hit her skull again.

The reason why Wolfgang recruited Casey into the assassination group was not only because she was the top member of Terosa’s security battalion.

In fact, their first meeting took place long before the war with demons.

When Rosalia, the current queen, was still a princess.

When Terosa, a superpower, was just a weak country.

Casey was living with her uncle in Salem, the representative slum of Terosa.

Her mother left when she was young, and her father, who was ill, took care of her alone, knowing that his own life wouldn’t last long. He brought his younger sibling home to take care of her after he passed away.

He knew that his sister’s life was miserable, but Casey’s father thought it would be better for his young daughter to survive by begging on the streets than to continue living that way.

After her father left this world, her retired uncle, who was both a firearms expert and an alcoholic, took care of Casey.

Her uncle treated her kindly when he was in his right mind and taught her about firearms.

But on the days when he was drunk, he would always physically abuse and curse at Casey.

He vented his anger on his young niece, calling her a burden left by his enemy, even though she struggled to make ends meet.

And the next day after he sobered up, he would become a kind uncle as if nothing had happened.

He apologized for the previous night and taught her firearms again.

As time went by, Casey grew into a young lady.

From then on, her uncle’s ominous touch tormented her as well.

As the days passed, her uncle couldn’t control his drinking, and there were more days when he was drunk than when he was sober.

Casey lived each day in pain, growing her anger towards the world.

Then one day, Wolfgang appeared to her.

It was when a group of priests sent by the church located in the city of Rom passed through Salem for a missionary activity.

Unable to easily ignore the sight, the townspeople came out to the streets to watch their procession.

Priests dressed in pure white clothes, like snow, went from house to house, giving food to the poor and healing the wounded. Watching them from outside the house, Kacey was soon grabbed by her uncle by the hair and dragged inside. Wolfgang, a student from the Academy who happened to be mixed in with the group of priests, witnessed this scene. Despite Hagen’s call, Wolfgang did not look back and left the ranks to run straight to Kacey’s house. Breaking down the door, Wolfgang saw Kacey’s face stained with blood from her uncle’s fist. Although her uncle warned the sudden young man who had stormed into the house not to interfere, shortly afterward, he was subdued and had his face slammed into the ground by the young man. Taking advantage of the situation, Kacey snatched her uncle’s rifle and aimed it at his head. Despite Wolfgang’s objections, her finger had already pulled the trigger. As a result, the security forces of Terosa and the priests of the sect began investigating the incident, but thanks to Wolfgang’s favorable testimony to Kacey at the scene, the incident was concluded as a simple accident. Even after the sect’s priests returned to Rome, Wolfgang provided support to Kacey by emptying his own property, allowing her to become independent. Although she could not offer much help as she was still a student at the sect, Kacey was already a great help just with her heart. Over time, she enlisted in Terosa’s security forces using the marksmanship she learned from her uncle, and before long, she became the best member of the security forces. And so, it was not surprising that she developed special feelings for Wolfgang, who saved her life. From a girl living a hellish life in the slums with no future in sight, to becoming a beautiful and talented idol of Terosa’s security forces, none of it would have been possible without Wolfgang. When Wolfgang inherited powers from the gods and formed a death squad, Kacey’s heart pounded day and night. And as they reunited in the death squad with excitement, Kacey decided to confess her feelings. One day, while preparing a small gift to convey her true feelings to Wolfgang, she secretly visited his quarters and witnessed him in a passionate act with Hageness. Kacey held the shattered fragments of her heart sharply, spending days in tears of pain. Betrayal turned her inside out. Enormous disappointment and anger tormented her. After that day, Kacey completely changed her attitude towards Wolfgang. She no longer treated him kindly, and she no longer spoke more than necessary for the mission. As time went on, even when she witnessed him secretly engaging in affectionate behavior with Hageness, she didn’t care. Until one day when Adeus approached and made a secret proposition, Kacey’s emotions remained numb. Adeus’s proposal brought out the hatred for Wolfgang that had been buried deep inside Kacey’s heart. The honor or status that a hero promised was only a formality. The vengeful spirit towards Wolfgang alone was enough to accept the offer. That was why she was now lying on the ground, with Wolfgang delivering a surprise blow to her back of the head.

Wolfgang couldn’t resist the impulse in the end.

“What a vile woman. Repaying kindness like this.”

Wolfgang gazed at the fallen Casey, lost in thought.

“How should I feed you to the dragons?”

After a moment of contemplation, Wolfgang tore the clothes of the elf he had just killed, creating a crude rope.

Even in her fallen state, he snatched the rifle she tightly held with both hands, placed the makeshift rope around her head, and bound her wrists and ankles with a rope.

Wolfgang lifted Casey’s rifle, aimed at the corpse of the elf he had killed, and pulled the trigger.

“If it caused this much commotion, Tendrial will be here soon.”

He searched Casey’s pocket as she lay there and retrieved magical stone bullets, loading them into the rifle hidden in the bushes.

Using a thin thread, he tied one end to the trigger and the other to a tree root on the opposite side.

“This is a surprise gift for you, Tendrial.”

Leaving it there, as he turned to leave, a map on the ground caught his eye.

X marks dotted the drawing of the forest terrain like a treasure map.

“I don’t know what it is, but it seems interesting.”

Curious, Wolfgang picked up the map and tucked it into his pocket.

Just as he was about to walk away, a soft moan came from behind.

Casey had regained consciousness.

“Definitely, she’s tough, probably trained since she was young.”

Wolfgang hoped Tendrial would discover Casey.

Even if he didn’t know for sure, there was clearly some conflict between them.

Betraying each other, tearing each other apart.

That was the best revenge method Wolfgang had chosen, creating a more perfect scenario.

“Tendrial…”

Seeing Casey, who had lost all strength, searching for Tendrial, Wolfgang suppressed a barely audible laugh.

He tied a new rope around her bound ankles and threw it over the branch of the tallest tree.

Creating a pulley-like trap, he pulled the opposite rope, hoisting Casey up into the tree.

Excited Casey screamed and struggled, providing another round of amusement for Wolfgang.

Once again, he suppressed the laughter.

Confirming Casey’s elevated position, Wolfgang securely tied the rope to the tree trunk below.

Having completed his tasks, Wolfgang brushed off his hands and climbed onto Ghost’s back.

Examining the treasure map he had just picked up from the ground, Wolfgang left the scene.

***

Upon hearing the gunshot, Tendrial, accompanied by his subordinate, rushed to the scene and discovered Casey hanging upside down from a tree.

Following her conscious request, he cut the rope and released the trap.

Due to the height, she made quite a loud impact on the ground, but…

“Is she dead?”

Tendrial muttered, tapping Casey’s fallen body with his foot.

“I don’t know, Boss. Something seems off.”

“She’s not the type to die so easily.”

Tendrial kicked Casey’s fallen body with his foot.

“Is she really dead?”

Tendrial lowered himself, putting his fingers on Casey’s neck.

Although faint, he felt a heartbeat.

“She’s still breathing. Looks like she fainted.”

After confirming Casey’s status, Tendrial observed the fallen members around.

A dwarf with bullet holes, an orc, an elf, and a tree spirit turned into charcoal from the fire.

“Still, getting ambushed by these somewhat skilled guys. Casey is Casey.”

Tendrial admired her skill and ordered the orc who followed him.

“Subordinate, take care of their bodies. We won’t let the guys starve for a while.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Acknowledging the order, the orc moved towards the farthest elf’s corpse.

Then, something caught his foot.