Mercenary Club

There were three receptionists at the Mercenary Club's front desk. One of them guided Hobart around the club, which did not interfere with the front desk's work.

The receptionist attending Hobart was a young girl in her twenties, dressed smartly and neatly, with a chatty demeanor.

She introduced herself. "You can call me Anas. Mr. Hobart, would you like to practice with a pistol or a rifle?"

"Hello, Anas. I'd like to practice with a Revolver."

"Certainly, sir. The pistol Shooting Range is in the backyard!" Anas explained. "You can first choose a firearm in the weapons display room and collect ammunition.

"Each member receives a free monthly quota of five hundred bullets. If you have a Gun License, you may take those bullets outside for use. Without a Gun License, however, they can only be used at the Shooting Range.

"The club also provides firearms for members to practice with, though they can likewise only be used at the Shooting Range. If you wish to buy a gun, you will also need a Gun License. The firearms here are more comprehensive than those in any gun shop, and cheaper as well."

As she spoke, Anas led Hobart to the weapons display room. It was filled with an impressive array of pistols, shotguns, rifles, and even High-Pressure Steam Rifles.

Anas introduced them. "Apart from High-Pressure Steam Rifles and the new submachine guns, you may choose any type of firearm here."

Only under Anas's guidance did Hobart spot the submachine guns. As far as he remembered, he had never seen this model before. It had a bulky body and a round magazine. The only familiar feature was that the magazine was inserted into the top of the machine gun.

"Can I buy a machine gun too?" Hobart asked.

If I carried this thing around, no one below Sequence 7 could stand against me in a direct fight!

"I'm sorry, sir, but you aren't qualified to purchase one." Anas explained with a smile. "Only mercenary teams that have been with the Mercenary Club for over three years, or retired officers, may purchase them.

"After purchase, they may not be possessed or used within the city. Furthermore, every three months, you must bring the firearm to the club for inspection and report its use over the previous three months.

"Even if it has been scrapped or the body of the gun has suffered severe damage, you must bring back the main components."

Hobart understood. "To prevent leaks!"

"Yes." Anas smiled. "The High-Pressure Steam Rifles and submachine guns produced by the Loen Kingdom are the most advanced firearms in the world. Even the military has yet to complete large-scale deployment."

Hobart sighed inwardly. This club has some serious backing! He honestly went to choose a Revolver instead. There were several types available. One had an exceptionally long barrel and looked extremely powerful, but it was too heavy and inconvenient to carry. The smaller ones did not look very intimidating. In the end, Hobart chose a pistol with a barrel as long as an adult's palm and a body that possessed a distinctly industrial beauty.

After choosing his gun, Hobart collected another fifty bullets and left the weapons display room.

Anas then pointed out the Dining Room and Washroom, informed him when lunch would be served, and only then led him to the Shooting Range.

On the way, Hobart asked, "I heard there are also gatherings and discussion sessions for exchanging information here?"

"Yes," Anas said. "There is an Information Wall in the second room on the left side of the third floor. You can post information there for free, and anyone holding this club's Badge may enter.

"For valuable information, you may write a brief introduction or several keywords, then leave your contact method with the staff. If there is a buyer, we will immediately contact the seller of the information.

"Also, there is a gathering once a week in the first room on the left side of the third floor. It starts at two thirty on Sunday afternoons. Anyone holding this club's Badge may attend."

Hobart nodded. He could take a look today.

Once they stepped outside, the Shooting Range was right before them.

It Looked as though the backyard had originally been a garden. There were still many ornamental Trees and Flowers and Grass around the Shooting Range, but with no one tending them, the plants appeared rather listless.

Hobart casually asked, "It seems this club's premises used to be a residence."

"Yes." Anas, who was leading the way, said, "This was once one of Pound Viscount's properties."

Hobart froze. Was that the "Pound" in Raft Pond?

As if making casual conversation, he asked, "Pound? Why don't I have any impression of this viscount?"

Anas answered casually, "They say this Lord became obsessed with gambling, wine, and women. Pound Viscount was demoted to a Baronet more than ten years ago."

Hobart asked again, "How many members does the Pound Family have now?"

"I heard there's only one person left in the entire family." Anas Shook her head. "I'm not very sure either."

Hobart gave an "Oh" and did not ask further.

When they arrived at the individual Shooting Range and Anas had left, Hobart did not immediately begin practicing. Instead, he pondered the matter of the Pound Family.

Based on Hobart's observations over the past week, Lafite usually behaved very much like a down-and-out Noble. It was basically certain that Lafite Pound was a member of the Pound Family.

But the question was, why could he see Lafite among the stars before the Iron Throne? If Elliot Burke's star had appeared before the Iron Throne not because of the Curse, but because he was a member of an Extraordinary family of the Lawyer pathway, which was why his star existed in the pool, then could the Pound Family also be an Extraordinary family of the Lawyer pathway? At that thought, Hobart Shook her head. There was too little information available, and it would be unwise to investigate rashly. He could only observe for a while longer. He could ask Justice, who was also a Noble, to help investigate Backlund's impoverished nobles. Once he had enough information, he could use the status of the Country of Disorder to intimidate Lafite. Perhaps he could obtain more information that way.

Having made up his mind, Hobart decided to set the matter aside for now. Although having a Believer of his own in Backlund would be much more convenient, he could not take risks.

Hobart began focusing on his shooting practice. After firing several shots, he ejected the spent casings and loaded new bullets while summarizing his experience: even with a Revolver, the recoil was quite strong. Of course, that might also have been because the gun he chose was more powerful than ordinary pistols on the market.

Next, he began trying to shoot with Spirit Vision activated. After all, when he faced enemies in the future, he would need to fight while keeping Spirit Vision open.

After firing all six bullets, Hobart discovered that his accuracy was much higher with Spirit Vision activated.

This should have been the effect of the Extraordinary Characteristic. It not only allowed him to discover an opponent's weaknesses, but also improved the accuracy of attacking those weaknesses.

The only regret was that this body was still not very accustomed to using a pistol, so his accuracy had merely improved somewhat. He was still far from hitting every shot.

After firing more than twenty bullets, Hobart's arm was numb from the recoil. He rested for over ten minutes before firing all the remaining bullets.

Next, Hobart intended to take a look at the Information Wall.

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