Gun Girl from Another World

Chapter 8

Rejection

The courtyard is a wasteland of shattered lumber, large sections of it burning like the bad end of Ferngully. I'd feel bad for whoever has to rake it all up, but I didn't even notice until it was pointed out to me.

Even now, Leuke's holding me up while Seina's healing washes over me. Warmth flows back into my left arm and my breath comes easier. Awareness of my surroundings returns to me until a few moments ago feels like I was all but blind.

As my hit points rapidly climb back up to sixty, I finally process what bad shape I'd been in.

Three. Three hit points and ten stamina. That's how close I'd been to dead. I express my gratitude with the only word that seems at all sufficient.

"Shit ..."

Especially with the notice in my field of view.

You overestimated yourself and

suffered a humiliating loss.

+100 Points

Clearly, this Essence System isn't big on emotional support.

"Hey, any fight you make it out of, right?" Leuke tries to be cheerful. Without a scratch on him.

We're standing in front of the Emperor and his wife again, and in front of the nobles and the priest. Again, the dandy moves to take center stage, and dramatically clears his throat.

"The runes have tallied the results of the combat and the Throne has finished deliberations! In first place, Leuke Flamvel with thirty-four kills! Followed closely by Tassim Miyan with twenty-nine and Benarou Sendai with twenty-six! Last place goes to Remmi Lee with three kills."

He radiates smugness as he meets my gaze and sarcasm drips nigh-physically from his mouth. "Very impressive for a level one. Of course, she would have died almost immediately had it not been for the skillful application of protective magic from Seina Bibe, who shielded her allies from the enemy's ferocious assault!"

He pulls the last sealed container from among his cases. It looks like a jewelry box carved of dark wood. When he opens it, gold glitters from within. "You are hereby recognized as Heroes by the Furinshao Empire! Carry with you these tokens of merit and let all who see them know your greatness!"

The dandy proceeds to hand a coin to each of the other heroes, and after the fourth one is handed to Seina, I catch a glimpse of the inside of the box. It's empty.

That box has been there since the start of the ceremony. There were only ever four coins in it.

They never intended to recognize me.

The others have started to notice that I wasn't given a coin as the dandy smirks at me just an instant before he closes the box and turns away. I keep my face blank and the seething acid in my chest down. I don't need their recommendation. I need my gun. Everything else can go blow chunks. Heck, I planned on this outcome.

I just didn't know they had planned on it, too. Or that it would hurt this much.

Leuke apparently can't bear to stay silent, though. He looks between me and his coin, then takes a decisive step forward. "Hey, hold on a minute!" he calls to the dandy. "You cheated her! You told her the test would act like she was using poison!"

The dandy looks personally offended he would dare be confronted in such a way, even by someone just recognized by the Empire as a Hero. "I said that they would respond appropriately." And he grins at me again as if I'd raised the objection. "They're constructs. They responded exactly as constructs would have to poison."

My eyes widen at the realization that even that had been a misdirection. I may have planned on coming in dead last, but I was wrong to think they had planned the same. They hadn't planned on it at all. They'd set it up that way. Or at least stacked it significantly against me.

Why? I'm left asking that yet again. I'm already only Level 1 and without the weapon my class needs to function. They didn't need to go so far out of their way to make me lose, so why did they? Why are they so determined to humiliate me?

He seems to be waiting for me to lash out or something, but before any of the sort can happen, the emperor in his red robe and golden belt stands. The dandy takes one look at him and retreats back to his position with a bow.

"Enough," the emperor declares, and his voice is bassy and authoritative. "Swordmaster, Shadowstalker, Battlemage, Theurgist! You four are recognized as Heroes! Your objectives and recommendations for the start of your journey will be provided in a debriefing from our top generals this afternoon. You will receive a stipend from the Empire for equipment and resources, and may be approached by nobles with additional gifts in anticipation of your success."

Gifts. I manage to resist the urge to roll my eyes. Bids, more like. Bribes more accurately.

I'm not left with my thoughts. The emperor's gaze falls to me, and I brace myself for what I expect to hear.

"Remmi Lee, you are not recognized by the Empire as a Hero. You have been examined and found wanting. You are hereby forbidden from referring to yourself as a Hero or claiming any tie to the Heroes as a group. You will not venture with them. You will not receive stipend or imperial blessing, official or otherwise. If you are at any time henceforth found to be attempting any such thing for personal gain, you will be immediately arrested and sentenced under charges of high fraud, which may result in your execution."

The others are clearly uncomfortable with this. I can practically hear Leuke's teeth grinding. I can understand why. I'm being treated like some sort of criminal without doing anything wrong.

But honestly, I'm barely listening to him. I've convinced myself I don't need to care. I've got my plan for moving forward after this, and I don't need his recognition for any of it. Nevermind my status says I'm a Hero all on its own and anyone seeing it is going to be able to tell, making his whole spiel pointless. What does the empire's recognition matter if the System recognizes me?

Let them backstab me all they want. None of it matters.

His wife stands next, however, and moves to stand beside him. Her voice, though carrying no less authority, is far softer and kinder.

"At the same time, we recognize that you are here because we conducted the summoning ritual, and as a result, you are far from home with no ready means to return. You have no family or associates to call upon, no roof to shelter under, and no finances available to you. We recognize that you had no agency in this matter.

"As due compensation for your troubles, and understanding that your displacement may be for the foreseeable future, the Empire shall issue you a plot of land to do with as you wish. It is far to the south of the capitol, however, so we ask that the Temple shelters you for another night. We shall finalize the deeds and arrange transport for you, to leave tomorrow."

My knee jerk reaction is to question if the empress just contradicted her husband, but a grant of land is not a stipend, and she specifically called it compensation, not a blessing. A neat little loophole that still doesn't feel like it was planned. Yet the emperor's face remains completely calm. He doesn't look the least bit surprised or even ruffled.

"This concludes the Hero Reviews," he declares simply. "All are dismissed!"

Everyone gathered bows, and I decide to be diplomatic and join them. No sense telling myself their rejecting me doesn't matter if I'm going to turn around and be petty about it.

Besides, land. Maybe it's beach front property. I'm not going to be staying there, but at least it'll be a nice place to come back to and rest up. Even if it's incredibly lousy land, I'll bet I can do more with it than they can, anyway.

The imperial couple leave first, followed by the dandy and his soldiers, leaving the boxes for servants to gather, and the priests leaving after them. Most of the nobles start packing up, too. Maybe it's considered inappropriate to accost the heroes right here and now.

"You handled that well," Benarou says quietly to me after a moment. "Not just the rejection, either. The Interior Secretary was needling you from the start, but you kept your head."

I scoff, giving a roll of my shoulder when I realize it's tighter than I expected. "What is there to do? I'm Level 1. My performance was pre-ordained."

"He gave you a sling and mocked you to your face for it," Tassim puts in with more heat than I expected.

"Hey, can't expect a legendary weapon if I don't meet the level requirement."

"That was a lie." The statement comes from Benarou's lips as if he's commenting on the weather. "It's a common idiom, but one that is known to be fool's wisdom. Especially among nobles, who will hoard much in the way of magical equipment and pile it upon their scions for displays of power and prestige."

He adjusts his glasses and then looks at me directly. "I also advise you not to belittle your achievements in the battle. You defeated three Level 25 opponents."

"You took out twenty-six."

"I am not Level 1. In fact, I doubt I could have defeated three of those golems when I was, certainly not at such a disadvantage. I've said it before, but you are disproportionately powerful to your level. Further, we have all seen your status and know you are a Hero, just like the rest of us."

I sigh and shake my head. "Really, I appreciate it, you guys, but I don't need my ego stroked. I'm not invested in the personal approval of the emperor of some place I only heard of yesterday, and I haven't heard anything that needs doing that I need to be a recognized Hero to do."

Leuke steps in at that. "You've already decided what you're going to do?"

I nod. "First, I'll see what kind of garbage lot they're giving me. See how it'll do as a home base. Then I'll do some traveling. See if I can't find someone with the skill to make a gun for me. I may know how it works, but I don't have the skills to build one, myself."

The swordsman clenches his fist in determination. "We can keep our eyes open, too, then! We're bound to come across someone eventually!"

The other three nod in agreement, and I smile in appreciation. "Thanks, you guys. Really."

"It's nothing special," Tassim assures me. "If we happen across a master artificer, we're just agreeing to say, 'Hey, we know someone with an interesting project that's looking to hire.'"

"Well, I appreciate it anyway," I assure them, and it's true. Even if they're probably just doing it out of pity, the extra eyes are helpful all the same.

"Given that master craftsmen are the most expensive variety," Benarou puts in again, "I would suggest you first focus your efforts on acquiring funds. Your unique upbringing grants you many skills not normally possessed by a single individual. Exploit them accordingly. If plied correctly, the life of an adventurer may prove the least economically generous option available to you. Finding an artificer capable of crafting your weapon will be of no benefit if you cannot afford it."

"And then when you do get one," Leuke nearly cheers, "I can't wait to fight alongside you!"

"Eh?!" Seina finally finds her voice at that. "But isn't that what the Emperor just banned her from?!"