Reincarnated in another world with a Gunsmithing System

A deal only a madman would refuse

Lord Sebastian was absolutely furious to hear the Elder’s proposal, but he knew he didn’t have the strongest cards to play. A freak accident had reduced his gifted son into a cripple, and his middle child wasn’t the most responsible man.

The Elder was quick to notice the missing family member and grinned slightly. Looking around with a discerning air, he spoke in a tone expressing mock concern. “I see Sir Ramel isn’t here. I had heard many great things about him. Wasn’t he anointed as an honorary knight last year?”

“I believe it was for winning a tournament, not fighting a war,” Lady Lillian sniped.

Although Aurelia wasn’t too keen on siding with Ramel and could care less about how people chose to think of him, this time the matter was different.

By insulting Ramel, Lady Lillian and the Elder were trying to humiliate the Romanov household, and she wasn’t going to stand by and watch like a silent spectator.

“Not all boys need to die on the battlefield. In fact, I don’t think your husband ever saw the front lines of a battlefield,” she sneered. 

“My husband owns the largest gun factory in all of Stonewell. I think you will do well to remember that in the future,” Lady Lillian hissed like a snake that had been stepped on.

Aurelia smirked at this and replied, “Yes, I do know your husband inherited a gun factory from his father after he passed away under mysterious circumstances.”

“That’s enough mud mongering!” Lord Sebastian intervened, putting an end to the bickering. He then turned to the Elder and added in a serious voice, “You know we are a reputed family. Breaking off this betrothal would tarnish our reputation and ruin my son’s name.”

“What about my daughter?” Lady Lillian asked. “Do you think people won’t mock her for marrying a cripple who could not even join the famous Dragon Claw clan that his own father heads? Do you think she would be happy with a boy who can’t even hold a glass of wine in his hand without spilling it?”

The harsh words pierced Ezra's heart, but years of ridicule had taught him not to break in such situations. Instead of being overwhelmed by his emotions, he calmed his nerves and spoke up firmly. 

“My father shan’t be stepping down from his position. Consider the betrothal dissolved. And you do not need to worry about me. My arms will heal someday, and when that day comes, you will regret every single word that came out of your mouth.”

“I must say you are quite different from your older brother. If only you weren’t a cripple, perhaps you would have been fit to serve my daughter as her bodyguard,” Lady Lillian said with a look of condescension.

Ezra remained calm and smiled back at her. “I think you would have to sell your fake jewels to pay my fees,” he replied curtly, staring at her diamond necklace. 

Hearing her mother being insulted, Cecilia decided to get involved since she was the object of discussion. 

She addressed Ezra in a condescending tone, which she reserved especially for her inferiors. “It’s truly amusing to see you overestimating your worth, Ezra. But you aren’t even fit to marry my chambermaid! Just looking at you disgusts me!”

“Fine, then get out of our house. The door is right there!” Ezra snapped back at her. “Even I can’t stand to look at your bitchy face!”

“You insolent cur!” Cecilia tore into Ezra like a feral cat. “Getting betrothed to you was the biggest mistake of my life. I don’t care if it breaks your heart or ruins your reputation, but I want to sever all ties this instant!”

“I don’t even remember being betrothed to you, so I have no regrets at all,” Ezra declared scornfully. 

“Fine! Then release me from this bond and wed some diseased strumpet fit for a cripple like you!” Cecilia stood up and looked at Lord Sebastian first. “Your son isn’t even fit to kneel at my feet. He is nothing more than a glorified waste, who will never amount to anything. This will be the last time I’ll set foot inside your mansion.”

Lord Sebastian had always thought of Cecilia as the perfect match for Loris, but hearing her insulting words shattered his heart. He would have lost his cool if they weren’t his guests, but the sacred vows of hospitality dictated that they treat the Rodels courteously. 

“Perhaps it’s best if you take your time and think about it before making such a big decision, young lady. We often make terrible mistakes when we are angry,” he said as calmly as possible.

Cecilia however, was in no mood to reconsider. “I have already made up my mind, Lord Sebastian. Anyone who chooses to marry your son will be the unhappiest woman in the country. I’d rather jump off a cliff than be with an incompetent cripple like him!”

Lord Sebastian realized that there was little he could say or do to change their decision and remained quiet.

It was Ezra who finally broke the silence. He had faced enough humiliation and was ready to do whatever it took to salvage his honor. “I don’t think I can agree to dissolve the betrothal so easily. What’s in it for me?” he asked in a firm voice. 

“Well, your father will retain his position as the Prime Patriarch of Dragon Claw Clan if you promise to dissolve the betrothal. What more could you possibly wish for, you little upstart?” Lady Lillian muttered.

“My father will remain the Prime Patriarch with or without your support. He still has all the other Elders and guild masters in Aranor backing him,” Ezra retorted sharply. “If you want me to dissolve this betrothal it will be upon my terms.”

Both Lady Lillian and Lord Cornelius were surprised to know that Ezra had such knowledge about the clan’s inner workings and affiliations. Despite not being a member of Dragon Claw, Ezra seemed to understand the political situation quite well.

“I just want to get rid of you. I will make you a deal. If you dissolve this betrothal, I promise to send you one enchanted firearm every month for a whole year. And I will bear the expenses of all your treatments till you recover sufficiently,” Cecilia hastily replied on her mother’s behalf.

Cecilia’s offer sounded like an insult to Ezra. He knew his family could afford his treatment and did not need a rival family’s financial aid. However, before he could refuse, Aurelia whispered something in his ear.

“Enchanted firearms can only be crafted by Gunsmiths above D level. And the city of Stonewell has the best Gunsmiths in the West. These firearms don’t come cheap, and even an F-level magic user can become a sharpshooter with them.”

Ezra thought about it for a while before reconsidering his initial decision. But his reply shocked everyone.

“I do not need your family’s coin or the cheap weapons your father manufactures,” he declared boastfully.

“Our weapons are the best in Stonewell. You don’t even know what you’re—”

“I simply do not care,” Ezra retorted sharply. “I am Ezra Romanov, the youngest son of Lord Sebastian Romanov. I do not need your charity. This is our house and you’re lucky I haven’t ordered our attendants to throw you and your mother out for insulting our family name.”

Ezra’s fiery words stunned both the ladies. They had always thought of him as a useless cripple, but he seemed to possess the domineering aura of his grandfather.

“You are not in Stonewell anymore. This is Aranor, little lady,” Ezra said, glaring at Cecilia. “You and your mother chose the wrong person to insult.”

Cecilia turned away from Ezra and muttered angrily under her breath. “I just want to be rid of you. Nothing can force me to marry you!”

Ezra exhaled an exhausted and calmly replied, “I would have let you dissolve the betrothal if you showed even a shred of humility. But your arrogance deserves to be punished.”

“I will never let my daughter marry someone like you!” Lady Lillian retorted sharply. “Name your price, you cur!”

Ezra stared right back at her. “My name is Lord Ezra. And you will do well to remember it,” he uttered in a cold voice. “If you wish to dissolve this betrothal it will be upon my terms.”

“And just what makes you think you are in any position to make demands?” Lady Lillian trembled with rage as she spoke those words.

“You chose to dissolve the betrothal without even discussing it with us first. This was your first mistake. And your next mistake was coming here. You are a long way from your city,” Ezra replied. “The moment you step out of this house, the people of Aranor will know I rejected your daughter because of her fickle character. And trust me no one would want to marry her once her reputation is ruined.”

“How dare you!” Lady Lillian raised her voice to a terrifying pitch. “The people of your town already know you are a cripple. They will understand why we decided to dissolve the betrothal.”

“You are partially correct. I know what it’s like to be called a cripple and ridiculed by people. But your daughter still doesn’t know the taste of humiliation. And people never decline the chance to gossip if the rumor is interesting enough. Just imagine what would happen to your family’s reputation if they knew Cecilia had lost her womanly dignity,” Ezra replied, staring back at her with a cold gaze.

“You would never do such a—”

Cecilia was almost brought to tears by Ezra’s threats, but he was in no mood to pity her. “Save your tears for later. They cannot melt my heart. Now if you wish to continue this conversation, please sit down.”

The Rodel ladies took their seats and quieted down.

“What do you want?” Cecilia asked in a feeble voice.

“I am not a heartless brute. I will let you dissolve the betrothal if you are so desperate for it. But it will be up on my terms,” Ezra answered. 

Cecilia wiped her forehead with her clean silk kerchief and asked, “What exactly are your terms?”

“We will meet in Dragon Claw clan’s shooting arena a year from now. I wish to challenge you to a duel. If you win, I will dissolve the betrothal right there, but if I win, you will accept me as your husband, and your father will relinquish his position as the clan’s Vice Patriarch,” he replied.

Ezra's condition shocked Cecilia. She wasn’t ready to accept any terms that would put her father in trouble, and even her mother looked furious.

“Why fight a woman? Are you a noble or a worthless vagrant?” Lady Lillian asked with contempt. “Or are you too afraid to fight another man?” she scoffed.

Ezra’s pride was hurt by Lady Lillian’s remarks, and he snapped right back at her without a second thought. “I will duel whoever you want.”

“I think I have a suitable rival for you. Lord Jasenki Morelis,” Lady Lillian replied. 

Ezra and his family members seemed quite surprised to hear that suggestion. It was strange of them to call upon another family of nobles to resolve such a private dispute.

Lady Lillian noticed the puzzled look on their faces and grinned with satisfaction. “You seem surprised. Let me clear the air. We chose to dissolve this betrothal because Lord Wilhelm wishes to wed his oldest son to my lovely daughter.”

Just like that, Jasenki had once more become Ezra’s rival, but he didn’t think too much of the matter since Jasenki was only an F-level magic user. 

“I’ll crush Jasenki with ease. I am already at E level,” Ezra declared boastfully, but the Rodels laughed in his face.

“Jasenki just reached E level last month and unlocked all the special E level skills as well. But unlike you, he hasn’t been beating his own drum,” Cecilia said, jumping in to defend her beloved. “He is ten times the man you’ll ever be, you little runt.”

“You will fight Jasenki a year from now, and if you lose, the betrothal will be dissolved and your father will step down as the Prime Patriarch of the Dragon Claw clan,” Lady Lillian announced before turning to Lord Sebastian. “If I were in your shoes, I’d have disowned such a son by now. He is only going to cause you trouble and ruin what little reputation your family has.”

Lord Sebastian already knew Ezra would never be able to unlock the skills necessary to survive a duel with a true E-level Gunner, but he did not want to hurt his son’s pride in front of outsiders. 

“I trust you, my son,” he replied with a firm nod before turning to the Rodel family. “I accept your terms. My son will never let me down.”

Cecilia bowed to Lord Sebastian as courtesy demanded and then turned to Ezra. “You still haven’t managed to unlock the Bulletproof Armor skill which one obtains at E level. I highly doubt you will survive a duel with Jasenki, so I will ask him to go easy on you,” she mocked.

“You do not need to worry about me. Ask him to fight me as an equal,” Ezra replied, an unbreakable resolve flashing in his eyes. “The duel will continue until one of us is incapacitated or runs out of magic power.”

“As you wish,” Cecilia grinned and was ready to shake hands, but Ezra interrupted her.

“I’m not done discussing the terms,” Ezra said. “If your dear Jasenki loses this duel, you and your mother will kneel before me in public and apologize with full sincerity.”

“You are crossing the lines here!” Lady Lillian snapped back at him.

Cecilia suddenly stood up, unable to bear the humiliating words. “I accept your terms. But if you lose, you will become my butler and remain in my service till you die!”

Ezra clenched his fist, and his lips twisted into a wry smile. “Fine, I accept your terms as well. The next time we meet, it will be in the Clan Hall.”

“I wanted to give you a parting gift, but now I know my generosity would be wasted on an ungrateful savage like you,” Cecilia said before clapping her hands and calling for her butler.

A genial old fellow dressed in a garish old suit walked in carrying a black weapon case. He placed it on the table and bowed to his mistress before walking away silently.

Cecilia walked up to the table and flicked the latches with her thumbs. As the case’s lid was thrown open, a polished gray revolver dazzled their eyes.

It was an enchanted six-shooter with a six-inch barrel, and had magical glyphs engraved on its smoky black grip.

Although Aurelia had seen enchanted weapons before, the revolver on the table even managed to impress her.

This wasn’t one of those cheap guns fortified with sigils to grant a temporary enchantment. The glyphs had been carved directly onto the revolver’s grip, which meant the enchantment would last as long as the weapon existed.

“I had brought this weapon for you, but I suppose you won’t be needing it anymore,” Cecilia picked up the revolver and held it above her head. “In Alara Zarekh!” she shouted.

The cryptic incantation made the weapon fly in the air and explode into pieces. Burnt shrapnel rained down upon them like confetti, leaving no trace of the original weapon.

“Goodbye, Lord Ezra. We shall meet a year from now. Prepare well,” Cecilia hissed before storming out the door with her mother.

Ezra managed to catch a piece of the weapon’s destroyed grip as it fell. He was about to toss it away when suddenly a system panel flickered open before him.

[Gunsmithing Talent Awakened!]

[Weapon detected: Rodel Gray-back six-shot revolver.]

[Type: Enchanted.]

[Cartridge Capacity: 6.]

[Effective range: 15 yards.]

[Analyzing…]

[Blueprint recorded!]

[Complete reconstruction possible!]