The Villainess Returns with a System-Chapter 116: The Reluctant Sniper

The ride home after her encounter with the Superhuman, Lord Henry Marshall, lacked the joy Vivian usually experienced.

Being under the scrutiny of the Superhuman was far from ideal. Not only was he sadistic and abusive toward his own son, but he was also notorious for tormenting others. To top it off, the fact that he had snatched Vivian’s Big Gun from her hand filled her with immense rage.

However, that man was like a storm she had to endure until it passed. But she would soon learn that only a disaster of equal magnitude could truly overcome him.

As she entered the house, she was certain her father would be waiting for her, having somehow learned of what had happened.

However, she didn’t expect to find his entire entourage gathered around him, summoning her to the dining hall. She didn’t arrive without backup either, bringing her own entourage: Logan, Oscar, Jane, Esmeralda, and Voros.

"Lord Father! Uncles!"

Vivian bowed gracefully to her father, but her composure crumbled the moment she saw what lay at the center of the table.

"I’ve always taught you to control your emotions. Why are you so shocked?" Count Julian, dressed in an elegant indoor robe rather than a business suit, addressed Vivian.

"Father, surely you jest. Your capabilities as Lord of the Moores are such that a mere fledgling like I can hardly maintain my composure." Vivian replied, acknowledging her father’s immense capabilities.

"Heh! She’ll talk her way out of it, just as you said." Beside the Count, Tristan Moore chuckled, watching Vivian closely.

"You think too highly of me, dear uncle." Vivian responded.

"Enough with the flattery. Vivian, tell us what that is." Count Julian raised a hand, pointing at the object lying at the center of the table.

The object that had stunned Vivian and her entire entourage was none other than the Big Gun, the very same weapon Lord Henry Marshall had snatched from her hand just an hour ago.

"This is a high-powered firearm designed to devastate organic and inorganic matter completely, a one-of-a-kind piece that cost me a small fortune to make." Vivian explained.

"So you made firearms?" the Count asked, his face displeased.

"Yes, and many other models." Vivian replied.

The Count turned to Voros.

"Master Metallurgist Voros Gold-Heart, did you make these firearms for my daughter?"

"No... only metal." Voros replied casually.

The Lord frowned, then turned to Jane.

"Daughter of Master Smith-Waters, were these of your making?"

"Greetings, my Lord." Jane bowed to the Lord before replying, "Not entirely, my Lord. I cooperated with Master Voros to create the firearm, but the original design was Lady Vivian’s brainchild."

"Vivian made those?" Lord Tristan asked.

"This one, and as the lady said, many others. I merely refined her revolutionary ideas for manufacturing with our limited technical capabilities and assembled them as instructed."

All eyes turned to Vivian.

"That’s grand. If these ideas were to be replicated..." Tristan Moore seemed excited, but Vivian interrupted him.

"No!" she said sternly.

"Niece?" Tristan looked at her with a frown.

"I won’t be remembered as the woman who created tools of destruction for the warmongering Empire of Elgard." she said firmly, her eyes resolute. "My weapons are for self-defense and personal entertainment, not to commit genocide and enslave those our tyrants deem barbarians and the uncivilized."

Her words echoed in the hall, widening eyes, causing throats to gulp, and raising goosebumps. At that moment, Esmeralda was the only one to smile, having just witnessed the horrific enslavement of her countrymen by the Empire that Vivian had refused to make weapons for.

Even Count Julian’s perpetually solemn face betrayed a slight grin at the corner of his mouth, which he quickly suppressed with his well-trained poker face.

"As Vivian stated, these armaments are her private innovations."

"Are you sure about that, cousin?" Tristan Moore asked, disheartened.

"The gun may have been reported to be as powerful as a cannon, but that doesn’t make it anything special, Tristan."

"That’s exactly what makes it special, Julian." Tristan Moore retorted. "Our house needs that kind of firepower."

"The problem with such tools, uncles, is that we lack complete ownership of them. Once standardized, the Kingdom will produce hundreds of them, and armies equipped with these rifles will be roaming the world. Are you sure you want to associate our house with war and slaughter?"

"Vivian is right; these guns are too advanced for our own good." Count Julian said, turning to his secretary. "Spread a rumor that this firearm is from my own collection and made of Dragon Steel."

"Good call." Vivian nodded, applauding her father inwardly.

"In that case, this meeting is over. I need to rest."

Count Julian concluded the meeting and dismissed everyone, allowing Vivian to retrieve the gun and pass it to Jane and Voros, along with the bolt mechanism she had kept hidden.

She immediately followed her father, who was climbing the stairs to his room, and spoke to him.

"Father, how did you..."

"Get your toy back?"

He seemed to know exactly what was on her mind.

"One thing they don’t teach you in the academy is how to gain leverage over others, how to find it, or how to create it."

"And you have leverage against the Superhuman?"

"Leverage?"

The Count looked at his daughter with eyes that almost terrified her.

"No matter how much leverage I have against that bastard, I still can’t seem to bury him under the pile of filth from which his wretched existence sprang," he said, averting his face. "I only let him know that if the gun isn’t back in an hour, the entirety of House Marshall will be scraping their dinner from trash this evening."

His words were hostile, unlike his usual demeanor. Even his daughter had never realized he hated Lord Marshall so much.

It was as if Count Julian hated that man as much as Vivian hated the man’s son.

This meant one thing, now clear to Vivian: the grudge between the Marshalls and the Moores would one day lead to the ultimate destruction of one of those great houses. The question was how the Moores would overcome the hurdle of the strongest man in the world.

°°°°°

Vivian couldn’t rest that night, not with everyone talking behind her back about how jinxed she was.

Thinking about it, the Dragon-Tiger could have attacked anyone in Archester, but it came directly to her office in the middle of the day. That was like finding a needle in a haystack just out of spite.

But Vivian understood the truth. While everyone may think it is just Vivian being cursed with unusual luck as usual, she realized that the Dragon-Tiger didn’t attack her aimlessly.

That so-called divine beast of Longdi was a vengeful animal, known for tracking and killing whoever had wronged it, and Vivian, who shot it repeatedly by herself, was a prime target for its burning vengeance. That would have exposed her as the Bloody Swan if anyone were to realize what was going on.

Luckily, whatever could be held against her was circumstantial at best, and she had numerous alibis and people who would cover for her. That wasn’t a problem she needed to worry about.

What she was worried about, however, were people who disregarded public opinion. For example, Lord Henry Marshall. If that man wanted to harm her, he would do it effortlessly. He just wouldn’t do it because of Count Julian’s power.

Vivian understood that her father would have driven House Marshall to bankruptcy if she were ever harmed by that mad superhuman.

Once again, Vivian realized how fragile her existence was among these powerful figures were it not for her father’s mere existence.

She needed to prepare for future challenges, and what better way to do so than with more guns, bigger and better ones.

The problem was, Vivian isn’t enough by herself. No matter how many guns she makes, Lord Henry Marshall can still snatch them from her hand. Then Vivian looked at the Big Gun she just fixed, and inspiration struck.

"Esmeralda!"

—One Hour Later—

"Absolutely not!"

"What?! You’re saying no to your best friend?"

"Isn’t Lady Isabella your best friend?"

"Well... She is... but you are my friend as well."

"I appreciate the gesture, but I am still not holding guns."

"But... it’s fun! And you need it for self-protection."

"That oversized thing... self-protection?"

"In your hands, it’s just a rifle. It’s as if you two are made for each other."

"My Lady, you’re joking, right?"

Vivian tried her best to convince Esmeralda to be battle-ready for all sorts of dangerous situations in the future.

Vivian and Esmeralda now considered each other friends. Given Vivian’s eventful life, Esmeralda realized that her Lady would never find peace since she was always in the crossfire of technological advancements, political rivalries, and financial wars.

And while she was initially passive about it, deciding to support Vivian and assume the role of her first mate, she was reluctant to learn combat. However, seeing Esmeralda handle the Big Gun, Vivian was adamant about teaching Esmeralda how to shoot properly.

"Listen, my Lady. We Hulklings are pacifists. When we need to resort to violence, only one member of each clan serves as its champion and fights in sacred duels. Aside from that, the only violence my people engage in is hunting."

"I know that. However, I’ve read some historical records, and there was a legend known as Burhan’s Gilmood about a Hulkling warrior called Black Burhan."

"I am familiar with the legend of Burhan and his stone sword, but then again, that legend comes from the Marmara Desert. I am from the Hadara Coast. Hulklings from that region are not pacifists as far as I remember."

"You are so stubborn!"

Vivian was dispirited from trying to convince Esmeralda, and the two kept staring at each other at a stalemate. Vivian still had one final argument she wanted to play.

"Alright. From what I understand, your father is a human, so you’re only a half-Hulkling."

"Very funny, my Lady. Here’s something interesting: I was never considered a Hulkling until I left the tribe; to them, I was always the human girl. Only among the humans was I called Hulkling, so it’s best not to play that note with me."

"Quite the formidable barrister, aren’t you, Esme? Look, I wasn’t about to suggest for a moment that you’re not entirely entitled to your mother’s culture, not at all. The crux of the matter, you see, is that your latent capabilities as a half-Hulkling are quite unfairly disregarded. Granted, you may not be terribly keen on fisticuffs, but your physique and intellect are remarkably well-suited for the most robust of shooting disciplines imaginable. It would be an absolute shame to let such talent lie fallow."

"I’ve seen you hire scientists before, my Lady. You used the exact same line with that mechanic who was inventing leg-propelled wheels."

"It’s called a bicycle, and that’s because I was stating facts. You, too, are a genius. Your aptitude with numbers is exceptional, and combine that with your inherent prowess. I can make you the best Sniper ever."

"Sniper?"

"Yes, a shooter who can hit targets from great distances without being seen."

"Not being seen? Are we still talking about me?"

"Size doesn’t matter in this particular case. You will be hundreds... no... thousands of feet away, actually. You will be too far from action, and you will watch my back." Vivian said.

"I am still unsure about shooting people."

"I wasn’t sure about it once, too, but being threatened by dangerous men in an alleyway certainly changed my views on the matter."

This time, Vivian decided to use trauma instead of conventional persuasion with Esmeralda. The two have been through many challenges in their short relationship as Lady and maid, but the point that showed Esmeralda’s true character was how she stood by her side in the attack after the auction despite being scared of people half her size, and how she still decided to continue working for Vivian regardless.

The Dragon-Tiger attack was also a situation where Vivian and Esmeralda had to fend for themselves before help arrived, and the encounter with Lord Henry Marshall reminded Esmeralda that despite being lucky enough to work for good people like Vivian, there are others who prey upon her own kind and see them as property and slaves.

But the problem was Vivian’s ability to find trouble is unparalleled in the world. Wherever she goes, there are enemies that needed to be shot, and being Vivian’s sniper is worse than being the king’s executioner.

But then, a thought flashed in Esmeralda’s mind.

Yes, she could learn to shoot, but she would shoot without killing. She saw Vivian do so before, and if her calculations were correct, she could do that if she found she could learn how to perform such high-precision shooting.

Esmeralda got close to Vivian and pitched her idea, making Vivian’s eyes brighten as she heard that unique idea from Esmeralda. Of course, the pacifist Hulkling girl had her own conditions on the matter, but Vivian was agreeable to it all.

"One problem, though!" Vivian said.

"What is it?" Esmeralda asked.

"If you are not going to kill, you at least need to be able to defend yourself against opponents who can approach too closely."

"Wouldn’t shooting from such long distances discourage people from approaching?"

"You don’t know how people act when they are enraged and driven by a will to survive. I’ll pass my knowledge to you regarding long-ranged shooting, but as for close-quarter combat, I may just know the perfect instructors."

While Esmeralda was being set up to join Vivian’s Gun Cult, Vivian was also preparing someone to give the half-Hulkling girl some pointers regarding non-lethal unarmed fighting.

Fortunately for her, there were two experts who lived nearby and would gladly take Esmeralda as an apprentice if Vivian was to ask them.

They were the Household Bodyguards of House Moore, as well as the groundskeepers and founding members of the Club of the Greatly-Mustached Bald-Headed Strongmen. Their names are Ray and Rusty.

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