Chapter 196

Seeing Medic's seemingly even more dejected expression, Federico paused for three seconds, then lowered his gaze and continued in a steady voice:

"Joel Joseph Jonathan... born in Laterano, Sankta."

"She was born into an ordinary family; both her parents were devout believers. Her father worked for the Explosives Management Bureau, while her mother, like most Laterano housewives, ran a small dessert shop."

"It may have been the religious requirements of his family that caused Jonathan to develop a rebellious mentality during his youth. He did not do well in school at first and just drifted along. However, because of his high interest in explosives and Firearms Arts, he spent many years hanging out in his father's department."

"Later, he was sentenced to three months in prison for the unauthorized use of explosives... and because of this, he got to know many people outside the central government."

"A considerable number of Liberi exist in non-central system functions in Laterano... and after interacting with his colleagues who lacked Empathy, Jonathan became interested in the non- Sankta races who also lacked Empathy."

"Why can't they Empathy? Why can't they use a gun like I do... Jonathan continued this research for years... and after graduating, he decided to become a priest." (Sobbing)

"During the interview, he said: 'Many people attribute their happiness to their ability to use a gun and their capacity for Empathy. After research, I believe this is wrong. What makes Laterano Holy City is its faith itself and the effort to pursue a better future.'"

"Then, as one of many priests, he decided to travel to places where faith was absent to test his ideas... Therefore, he first went to Victoria, then to Columbia, thus leaving Laterano, and forty years passed in a flash."

"During this period, Father Jonathan excellently fulfilled his duties as a priest."

"He helped others to the best of his ability, spread the faith, and helped those who had no concept of the holiness of the holy city understand what good is... and resolutely denied and acted upon the denial of all evil."

"Father Jonathan has been posthumously granted the title of 'Gospel Preacher' by Laterano, and now, in accordance with Father Jonathan's will and the order of the Laterano Papal Hall, I hereby transfer to you his Guardian Gun, as well as your and Narcissa Matilda Bruce's Laterano citizenship rights."

As he spoke, the Executor placed a briefcase, which Medic had been holding in front of him, in front of him... It was a revolver that Medic had occasionally seen in the past.

The matte silver-white finish was just as I remembered. Its rhinoceros-like shape was different from that of a traditional revolver. Medic and the priest had agreed that the firing baseline of this type of gun was more comfortable than that of a conventional revolver when they were discussing Firearms Arts.

Memories associated with it include the process of Blessing weapons, the method of making Etch Rounds on the spot... these are all things the priest taught her. And even further back, when Medic was first taken to the church and required to wear a nun's habit, Nana, who was distracted while reciting a eulogy, was gently hit by the butt of this gun.

Even after cleaning, the rubber grip of this gun still bears traces of burning... its scars are as mottled and worn as Medic's mood.

Nana originally wanted to ask the priest about his so-called will... because according to Medic's information, the priest's death was very sudden, and logically speaking, he should not have had the opportunity to leave a will.

But as memories of his time with the priest gradually resurfaced, Medic recalled occasional conversations with the priest before he was able to freely wield Firearms Arts.

How exactly do I obtain my own Guardian Gun?

What do you want that thing for?

'... I exist to protect the people and the nation... and I use force, but rather than always relying on swords and crossbows... I prefer firearms.'

[Is that so? But using Firearms Arts properly is no easy task... As for protecting the people and the country? You're a government official...]

'...'

[Well, there's no need to stay silent... After all, your guardian did contact me on your very first day here. We talked for a long time then... Although we tacitly avoided discussing the details, I can definitely sense that you're special... It must be very convenient, right? Empathy.]

"... I don't really like it, Empathy... it feels like something is flowing into my body... and my emotions change accordingly... it's very annoying."

[It's because you're too confused... If you have no emotions yourself, then the emotions of other Laterano will flow into you through Empathy... But then you'll become just a vessel. So, in that sense, being agitated is a good thing... It shows you're still yourself, not something that only carries out other people's orders.]

'...'

[But you want to Guardian Gun, huh... Well then, let's make a promise.]

[As a priest, I am honored to see someone who doesn't just pay lip service but takes concrete action... If you can consistently practice your noble virtues, then when your fame resounds throughout the land, one day I will give you my Guardian Gun... What do you say?]

'Fame? My job... probably won't make me famous...'

[What does it matter? The point isn't Guardian Gun or becoming famous... The point is that you must consistently practice your own way...]

[And as the one I entrusted with Guardian Gun... Sister Nana, answer me, what kind of person do you want to become?]

Back then, I didn't have many emotional ups and downs, so I didn't know how to answer such a question.

In the end, Sister Nana simply responded with silence.

Now, faced with the priest's question from years ago... Medic let tears stream silently down his face as he gave his answer.

"I want to become someone who can protect everything."

Similarly, the name "Guardian Gun" is used.

PS: Waaaaaaah!

Yesterday's picture of the cat stretching got taken down... but today's is perfectly fine, it's the same cat as yesterday ↑

PSS: The so-called Guardian Gun is meant to protect everything in one's heart... for which one is willing to draw one's gun, hence the name 'Guardian Gun'.

But Nana's situation is a bit hellish.

Human growth is ultimately a process of constant loss... But after you've already lost something, can you still say you want to protect it all? Opinions may vary...

A more pessimistic view is the classic judgment. "The important person is dead, so there's nothing you can do about it."

As for me personally... it's like truly loving life means understanding its pain and still maintaining that love...

A true guardian is someone who, no matter how many times they fall, can rise again and return to the front lines.

Giving up on yourself after setbacks is probably worse than saying "I can't do anything."

Nana isn't a perfect character... After all, the original Nana was just an ordinary Feline without any other special features (facepalm).

Power and character are built up little by little... This million-word story successfully transforms an ordinary Black-footed Cat into a warrior from Previous Civilization... Amazing.

It feels like Nana is playing the role of Fu Hua...

6th Patriot's Gun: 214 Weedy and Her New Outfit

Medic and the Executor communicated very quickly. After overcoming the initial disorientation and Nana's memorable first cry, the two completed the procedures for the will and Laterano- related matters with the speed of precisely meshed gears.

While obtaining the priest's Guardian Gun could be considered a past agreement, the Laterano citizenship documents that Federico presented now left Medic unsure of what to do.

"... Should I go to Laterano?"

"Yes, but His Holiness the Pope did not give you a deadline... The Vatican's original words were that they hoped you could go to Laterano as soon as possible..."

"As soon as possible... Is it possible within ten years?"

Although Medic's words were somewhat joking, Federico nodded seriously after careful consideration.

"Ten years... if we're talking about walking, then that certainly falls into the category of 'as fast as possible,' and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"... Perhaps I'll wait until Rhodes Island goes to Laterano before going... Anyway, do I know why the higher-ups at the Holy See want to see me? Even considering my identities Catastrophe Messengers and a physician, I don't even have church membership..."

To Medic's questions, the sharp-looking man with short white hair simply shook his head in silence.

"I don't know the details; you'll have to confirm everything yourself... Also, regarding your ordination, Father Jonathan applied for the necessary paperwork for you several years ago, and now that you've obtained the Guardian Gun, you're officially a Laterano Gun... The gun represents power, order represents rules, the Church, and sisters."

"I have another task to complete for His Holiness the Pope, so I must take my leave now."

He rose and watched the Executor leave... Medic then looked at the weapon case containing the revolver in front of him, and earnestly questioned himself whether he had lived up to his promise to uphold the path of 'self'. Medic then took out the weapon, which was slightly too large for his hand.

The charred grip was somewhat sharp, and judging from the degree of melting on the gun handle, the last spell it unleashed was most likely 'Judgment,' a spell that Medic was intimately familiar with.

However, compared to the military pistols favored by Medic, the revolver has fewer parts, and the reinforcement of movable parts is more reliable than the military pistol design chosen by Columbia.

Therefore, compared to the Medic's ICA-standard M9, which was blown to pieces during the Judgment and not even brought back, the priest's Guardian Gun, apart from the charred grip, did not show any obvious structural damage.

Recalling his past experiences studying Firearms Arts with the priest, Medic sat down alone at the table and began to examine the Guardian Gun.

Although this was actually the first time Medic had ever handled this gun, he was already very familiar with its design.

As a Rhino Revolver that uses .357 Magnum Etch Rounds, its original color should be bright silver, not the matte SilverAsh it is today... After wiping the surface with his hand, Medic discovered that it was probably the burn marks left by the Judgment on the surface of the gun.

Out of respect for the priest's unwavering protection of Rosemary and his brothers, Medic has no intention of erasing this trace.

Then the magazine was opened, revealing a angular magazine that could hold six rounds of Maliu Ling'er (II) deleted matter.

However, Medic did not have any stock of.357 Magnum rounds, so even though the box also included several quick-loading cartridges, Medic could not immediately put them into service.

After confirming that the gun was empty, Medic released the safety, turned the hammer, and pulled the trigger... As the magazine rotated, the hammer fell, and the Originium Arts were activated smoothly with a crisp metallic sound.

There's nothing wrong with this Guardian Gun; it can still fight.

Actually, given Medic's combat habits, that grip didn't quite fit his hand shape, and the slightly damaged grip should have been replaced.

However, due to personal emotions, Medic decided to continue fighting with it exactly as it was... as if this would allow the priest to witness whether he was on the right path.

The only problem is probably the conflict of carrying capacity, since Medic already has quite a few Firearms Arts.

In actual combat, the spear will inevitably be the first choice as the main weapon, which is an ironclad rule. As for places to hide guns on one's body... the outer thighs of both legs have been reserved by the Silver Dancer, and the external holster at the lower back is 'Medic's' open sidearm.

When wearing a suit or not being able to wear a skirt to work, Medic occasionally opts for a holstered gun under his arm... but in those situations, the Silver Dancer would definitely take priority, and this Guardian Gun is proof of Medic's public identity. Compared to carrying a gun covertly, this weapon of great significance is more suitable to be worn openly.

Troubled by this, Medic finished inspecting the gun itself and the other items in the weapon case.

Besides the citizenship documents that Federico the Executor specifically gave to Nana, Medic also found Brother Laterano's armband and a holster for a small rhinoceros pistol with Velcro straps.

Without hesitation, the girl attached the Laterano friar's armband, along with the Rhodes Island physician's and the Contingency Contract Catastrophe Messengers's armbands, to her left outer sleeve. She stared blankly at the holster with Velcro attached.

Have the Laterano people started using Velcro to secure their gun holsters?

Putting aside the possibility of it being stolen... after seeing this Velcro holster, Medic suddenly had a solution to the problem of this weapon being difficult to carry.

Medic examined his uniform for a moment, then chose to place the gun, along with its holster, against his right chest for easy draw with his left hand.

In this way, when I perform the monk's salute, my fingers will just be able to touch the gun... Could I use this movement to draw and fire it?

Nun's gun-drawing technique?

Shaking his head to banish such blasphemous thoughts, Medic sighed and stuffed the documents and the small weapon case, now only containing a few spare parts, into his satchel. The unexpected bonus was that the weight of his increasingly prone-to-bursting Rhodes Island uniform was now balanced between his chest and lower back.

Next, Medic needs to go to the Engineering Department... Medic's Tactical Unit is there.

Medic originally intended to find Closure was still at the shop... but after checking, Medic discovered that his items were actually being handled by Weedy... who was one of only two senior engineers on Rhodes Island.

Compared to Closure is usually very outspoken and whose influence on Warfarin is unknown, Weedy might be more in line with Medic's impression of a precision manufacturing systems engineer.

As the person in charge of setting up the Rhodes Island sterile Medical Department system before Medic left, Weedy now seems to be still optimizing Rhodes Island's water pipelines and managing water quality...

Despite having numerous large-scale projects involving the entire island at hand, Medic still had to cut in line, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

I don't know if Weedy was also concerned about this, but Medic had to run the dust removal system three times in the disinfection corridor when he entered Weedy's workshop.

"Huh? No, it has nothing to do with that... The dust removal system was turned on three times because Medic, you're shedding a lot... Have you been under a lot of stress lately?"

Medic seemed somewhat skeptical of life in response to the person's answer.

Seeing the black-haired cat subconsciously scratching its ears, making its own cat hair fly everywhere, Wendy, with her white hair, red eyes, and a stylishly transparent dress that blended protective Weedy into everyday wear, suddenly became serious.

"Wait... no! Don't scratch me... I have something for you..."

As she spoke, Weedy took out something that looked more like a brush than a comb. After connecting it to the vacuum cleaner, Weedy turned the vacuum cleaner to a low setting. As the workshop's dust removal system was activated again, Weedy moved a chair over for Medic to sit down, and then gently stroked the cat's fur.

"As expected... the shedding is quite severe..."

Is it really serious?

"See for yourself."

Following Weedy's gaze, Medic saw a layer of his own cat hair on the dust filter. He instinctively reached for his head again, but this time he resisted.

With a sigh, Medic attributed the problem to hormonal changes caused by his emotional fluctuations.

"... Stress... maybe it's related... but I didn't feel it yesterday, it's probably because my emotions have definitely been fluctuating today."

"Eh... does Feline have this kind of problem? Ah, sorry, is it related to the new church emblem on you and that gun?"

"... You can tell?"

"After all, Iberia is a theocracy. Although I myself am not religious, that emblem signifies 'inheriting a gun and scriptures from a close relative'... There might be slight differences in Laterano, but overall I think it should be roughly the same." Ling

Feeling Weedy's gentle touch as she stroked his fur, Medic drooped his ears and tucked his tail listlessly into his hand to keep it from falling to the ground. Medic opened his mouth, but didn't know where to begin about his relationship with the priest.

Weedy, however, seemed completely unconcerned; her attention was genuinely focused on grooming Medic... The white-haired girl meticulously combed Medic's hair, tail and all.

Weedy took a closer look at Medic's attire, noticing the Laterano white holster on his chest that wasn't Rhodes Island's signature color. Her brow furrowed again, and she said "Just a moment" before activating the machine in the distance.

With the roar of the printer and the application of photosensitive materials, a new Rhodes Island coat frame quickly emerged.

Seeing Weedy's decisive actions, Medic timidly raised his hand:

"That..."

"I know you're here to see that new Tactical Unit, right...? Kal'tsit told me about your situation, why you need that thing..."

So why don't we look at the Tactical Unit?

Nana didn't ask the question directly, after all, the ensuing thoughts would be a little impolite to Weedy... If grooming her could be attributed to Weedy's own germaphobia, then what was the purpose of this new Rhodes Island coat?

You can't exactly say that your job is so dirty that even the clean-loving Aegir can't accept sharing a room with an assassin; at the very least, they should change their clothes first, right?