Chapter 10: A Bet

“You don’t get to talk to me, shrimp.” The man pointed his rifle at Nikolai’s forehead, pushing his head back. “Your kind is the reason people look down on gunmen, I want nothing from you.”

“Then you should do your job and let me have the exam.”

“My job is to create gunmen, not entertain con artists.” The man frowned. “Leave before I turn your brain into mashed potatoes.”

“That sounds like a good bet. We’ll both take the test. The more accurate one wins. If I lose, you can turn my brain into mashed potatoes.” Nikolai stared at the man in the eyes, his eyes unwavering. “If I win, however, I’ll have your Gunman Badge.”

Silence descended like a veil before the man broke into hysterical laughter. Regan pulled on Nikolai’s shoulder as if he was trying to bring him back to his senses.

“Are you insane, kid?” Regan squeezed his shoulder and it ached badly. “This man is a certified gunman. Furthermore, his perception is a hundred times more than yours.”

“Regan, you’ve brought me not only a kid but a lunatic!” The man had tears in his eyes from his laughter. “Fred! Get your ass over here and take this guy out!”

“I think you should honor his bravery, Sir Conan.” A melodious voice, dripping with righteousness and heroism, said from behind Nikolai. “He’s asking for a duel, you should know no matter how weak the opponent is, he should be honored.” Valkyrie Helnes walked over with Fred following right after her.

“Miss Helnes, I respect your beliefs but I can’t entertain lunatics. I don’t have the time.” Conan shook his head. “This kid is wasting his money and testing my patience.”

“Honor is worthy of your patience,” Valkyrie said as a bead of sweat rolled down her face.

‘Honor my ass,’ Nikolai almost rolled his eyes. As much as he hated this girl’s attitude, as much as he appreciated it at the moment.

“Is honor that important if he’ll certainly lose his life?” Conan frowned. “I’m not participating in this bet. That’s the end of it.”

“The only certainty is that I’m not the one backing down. If I die, I die. That’s none of your concern, esteemed sir.” Nikolai added in the end just to avoid being beaten to a pulp.

“…” Sir Conan looked at him silently with squinted eyes. He then looked around the field at a helmet that was almost a kilometer away. “Do you see that?” He said to Nikolai before standing up.

Nikolai glanced at it and nodded. Conan didn’t say anything and turned his back toward the helmet. He then held his rifle over his shoulder and fired.

The gunshot rang in their eyes as Nikolai saw the helmet fall. It was an admirable feat, to shoot down such a far object without looking at it. This required superhuman perception and calculation.

“Now, beat it.”

“I still think I can beat you.” Nikolai smiled. Conan stared at him and shook his head.

“If that doesn’t change your mind, then I’ll grant you your death wish. The exam is to shoot ten targets in ten seconds. If you hit seven of them, you pass. Four of those targets will be moving.” Conan stood up. “If you lose, I don’t want your brain. I’ll have you be my servant for the rest of your life.”

“Don’t forget about the badge,” Nikolai reminded. “I know it needs to be renewed every month, so it’s not that important.”

“Let’s talk about that after you win.” Conan started limping toward the shooting field. Nikolai glanced at his leg and followed right after.

He glanced behind when he heard footsteps behind him. Regan, Fred, and Valkyrie were following behind them. Meeting his gaze, Regan shrugged.

“We’re bored.”

Nikolai sighed. The shooting range was a few hundred meters wide. It had many targets, both moving and immobile. Conan limped toward the center of the field where there was a circular track.

“You’ll stand here, we’ll be watching from behind the glass. Ten seconds, ten targets. Let’s see who’s the better gunman, kiddo.” Conan said with a grin.

Nikolai didn’t answer and simply took out his gun. He walked until he was in the middle of the field. He then felt it, the sense of belonging.

How much time has he spent surrounded by such targets? Their immobility, the sound they make when they slide across the tracks, and the smell of gunpowder that never refused to abandon this place.

“Three!”

Nikolai raised his gun with his eyes closed.

“Two!”

He started calculating the course of action, the sequence of targets, and the pattern they moved in.

“One!”

He opened his eyes and aimed at the first target. The recoil made his wrist ache, but he’ll get used to it. He didn’t check and simply moved on to the next target, the one after, and the next.

On the first three shots, Conan’s face turned grim. Regan and Fred watched with wide eyes as interest twinkled in Valkyrie’s eyes.

On his fifth shoot, Nikolai missed and his bullet deflected on the iron pole that carried the target. Conan gave a knowing smile as Regan sighed in relief.

He kept shooting and on the last bullet, the two moving targets aligned in front of Nikolai as he shot them both using one bullet.

The ten seconds were up and Nikolai breathed out. His wrist ached badly, but it wasn’t something that he can’t handle. As he walked back toward the group, he enjoyed their shocked expression.

“I wouldn’t mind it if you forfeit,” Nikolai said to Conan who simply snorted.

“Some of your shots aren’t accurate enough, watch how a real gunman does it.” Even though he said, a thick smile plastered over his face. In his mind, he was probably thinking about how he got a talented servant.

Too bad for him, Nikolai had other plans. As Conan stood in the middle of the field, the targets began to move. Nikolai knew it was a piece of cake for this man, but he hoped he would be lucky.

And luck was his plaything.

As Conan shot down the target, he reached the final two moving targets. As he aimed and shot at the ninth target, suddenly the pole that carried it broke down and bent.

The bullet went past the target and landed on a tree. Conan flinched and struck the last target before staring at the bent pole in shock.

“You did this,” He turned to Nikolai with wide eyes. “You never missed, but simply weakened the pole. Even still, the chances of it falling under its weight now are…”

“I guess aren’t zero.” Nikolai crossed his arms with a smile. “A win is still a win, old man.”

“Hahaha,” Conan laughed as he raised his face toward the sky. He took out his badge and threw it at Nikolai. “What’s your name, boy?”

“Nikolai Yaran.” He caught the badge and studied it. “I’ll take a good care of this.” Nikolai smiled. With this, he wouldn’t need to worry about ammunition.