Last Gun Alchemist

"The Baske 1945."

Ezra calmly swiped his hand.

The holographic slide shifted, revealing the image of the Baske for everyone in the Council Hall to see.

The familiar shotgun immediately caught the attention of every Gun Alchemist present, especially those in the Binder rank.

Many had used it before.

Some had even suffered because of it.

"The problem with the Baske..."

Ezra began in his usual flat voice.

"...is that it combines the structural body of a shotgun with a rifle-based firing system."

He slowly walked toward the center of the stage as he spoke.

Beside him, Vera dragged another holographic window into existence.

The first displayed the Baske’s internal firing mechanism.

The second showed the complete frame of the firearm, separating each major structural component.

"The rifle-style pressure and propulsion system generates tremendous force."

Ezra pointed toward the firing chamber.

"But..."

His finger shifted toward the shotgun frame.

"...that force exceeds what the original structure was designed to withstand."

The audience quietly observed the enlarged mechanical diagrams.

Several craftsmen unconsciously leaned forward.

"This creates two major problems."

Ezra slowly turned toward the Elders, Veda, and the Duke’s seating area.

"First...Many Alchemists fail to perfectly reproduce firearms with higher grades. Whether they’re Full Alchemists or not."

He paused briefly.

"The Baske they create usually ends up as a lower-grade version within the First to Third grade only."

Many Binder-Rank Gun Alchemists nodded.

That was a well-known issue.

"And second..."

Ezra continued.

"Even after successfully creating it...You still have to survive using it."

His words caused several Gun Alchemists to smile bitterly.

"The recoil places tremendous stress on the shoulder, the excessive heat frequently burns the user’s hands, and once the firearm reaches the end of its operational lifespan..."

He raised one finger.

"It doesn’t simply stop functioning. It explodes. A serious explosion."

The Council Hall became quiet.

Every Binder-Rank Gun Alchemist present had either experienced it personally...

Or knew someone who had.

That...No one could deny it.

"The number of times I’ve injured myself using that shotgun..."

Vera suddenly spoke, taking over the presentation naturally.

She rested her cheek on her palm while supporting her elbow with her other arm.

"...Should I even keep calling it a shotgun?"

She tilted her head.

"It feels more like something having an identity crisis."

"It’s closer to a hybrid firearm."

Ezra calmly corrected.

"I know that, Inventor."

Vera immediately replied.

"Shotgun. Rifle. Whatever title people want to give it."

She lazily waved one hand.

"The Baske 1945 hits incredibly hard. That’s exactly why...Even though most Gun Alchemists dislike using it...We still end up relying on it whenever the situation becomes desperate."

She looked toward Ezra.

"What a cursed dilemma. Don’t you think so, Inventor?"

Her expression remained completely blank.

Yet somehow...

Her tone carried obvious teasing.

Ezra quietly looked at her.

His narrowed eyes practically said...

This isn’t the time.

Vera completely ignored him.

"We don’t even manufacture the Baske anymore in the Family’s arms industry for the non-Alchemist soldiers."

She turned toward another section of the audience.

"It’s simply too dangerous."

She folded her arms.

"Honestly...Mr. Baske should’ve been fined. Possibly imprisoned."

Several younger members nearly laughed.

Vera continued with complete seriousness.

"What exactly was he thinking? You don’t just combine two completely different firearm systems without properly considering the structural consequences."

She spoke increasingly faster.

"The number of serious injuries caused by Baske explosions is ridiculously high. If anyone wants proof..."

She pointed toward the Laverdale Family’s representative.

"...you can ask the Laverdale’s. The medical records speak for themselves."

Everyone instinctively turned toward the young Laverdale woman.

She immediately stiffened beneath dozens of gazes.

A nervous smile appeared on her face.

"...Please don’t involve me..."

She quietly muttered under her breath.

Ezra calmly stepped forward again.

"That’s why...A complete remodeling became necessary."

He swiped toward the next slide.

The holographic screen immediately displayed three large objectives.

"Our goals were straightforward."

He pointed toward the first objective.

"First...Reduce the Baske’s excessive recoil."

His finger moved downward.

"Second...Increase its ammunition capacity."

He looked toward the audience.

"A firearm this powerful shouldn’t be limited to only three shells, even the AA-12 carries twenty rounds with a drum magazine."

His hand moved toward the final objective.

"And finally..."

He paused.

"Retain the Baske’s original firepower."

He pointed toward Vera.

"As she already mentioned...The only reason Gun Alchemists continue risking their lives with the Baske...is because its offensive power remains among the strongest Binder-Rank firearms."

He swiped again.

A new image slowly rotated above the stage.

"So... This..."

Ezra pointed toward it.

"...is the E-V 26 MK.II. You may also refer to it as the Baske 1945 MK.II."

The remodeled firearm slowly rotated inside the holographic projection.

Gasps quietly spread throughout the Council Hall.

Gun Alchemists stared.

Craftsmen stared.

Even those with little knowledge of firearms couldn’t help admiring it.

The Colt looked elegant.

This...

This looked powerful.

Its reinforced frame gave off a feeling of stability the original Baske had never possessed.

Unknown to everyone present...

Ezra had first planned to completely replace the Baske’s firing mechanism with the one used by the CAM MKIII Classic Shotgun. A Shotgun from his previous life memories.

He had also considered remodeling the shell-holding system by adopting the Striker-12 revolving cylinder. Another design he carefully studied was the shell-loading system of the Marine Magnum (CAM MKIII MR).

However...

After analyzing every possible outcome, he abandoned those ideas.

If he had replaced both the firing system and the shell-holding mechanism, the result would no longer be a remodeled Baske.

It would simply become an entirely different firearm.

And that wasn’t the purpose of this project.

The goal wasn’t to erase the Baske’s identity.

It was to solve the flaws that had plagued it for years while preserving the strengths that made Gun Alchemists continue risking their lives to use it.

So...

Ezra retained the original rifle-pressure firing mechanism.

Instead of replacing it, he strengthened everything around it.

The barrel was reconstructed into three reinforced layers.

The outermost layer retained the standard appearance of Black Steel, preserving the Baske’s familiar structure.

The middle layer was rebuilt using a specially designed shock-absorbing lattice, allowing the violent recoil force to spread evenly through the weapon instead of concentrating on a single point.

The innermost layer consisted of a newly forged high-density pressure-resistant alloy.

The alloy itself was a composition of seventy percent Black Steel and thirty percent Silver Platinum.

The combination dramatically increased the firearm’s durability while allowing the barrel to safely endure the tremendous pressure generated by the rifle-style propulsion system.

With the durability problem finally resolved...

Ezra turned his attention toward the second objective.

Capacity.

After reconsidering his earlier ideas, he returned to the Marine Magnum (CAM MKIII MR) and borrowed only its shell-tube philosophy rather than its entire design.

Making the standard version now carry 7+1 shells.

He also developed an extended-tube version capable of holding 10+1 shells.

Naturally...

That version was reserved exclusively for himself.

Ezra calmly swiped his hand.

The holographic screen changed once again.

A complete structural blueprint of the E-V 26 MK.II slowly unfolded before the audience.

Every internal component rotated independently.

The reinforced barrel.

The redesigned receiver.

The strengthened shell tube.

The pressure-dampening support frame.

Every structural improvement was carefully labeled.

Many craftsmen unconsciously stood straighter.

Several Gun Alchemists narrowed their eyes, even people who knew very little about firearms still found themselves captivated by the engineering displayed before them.

The remodeled Baske no longer looked like an unstable experiment.

It looked like a weapon that had finally matured.

"With this reconstruction..."

Ezra calmly explained while looking across the Council Hall with his usual blank black eyes.

"...I significantly increased the Baske’s overall durability."

He pointed toward the ammunition section.

"And expanded its capacity from 3+1...to 7+1."

His finger shifted toward another section of the blueprint.

"The reload speed remains unchanged."

He spoke without hesitation.

"Because improving reload speed wasn’t the objective of this remodeling."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Shotguns naturally require slower manual loading than most other firearm types. So rather than redesigning that characteristic...the responsibility falls on the Gun Alchemist. They must improve the speed of their hand movements...The efficiency of their Shell Alchemy...And the speed at which they load shells into the tube."

Several Binder-Rank Gun Alchemists quietly nodded.

That explanation made perfect sense.

Vera casually swiped to the final presentation slide.

"This..."

She pointed toward the glowing Alchemy Circle.

"...is the Alchemy Circle for the E-V 26 MK.II."

She looked at the title for a moment.

"...Although. I personally preferred Vezra 26 MK.II."

She glanced toward Ezra.

"The E-V name sounds better though."

Ezra slowly narrowed his eyes.

"What exactly is inspiring this ’Vezra’?"

Without changing her expression...

Vera calmly raised two fingers.

"Ve."

She pointed toward herself.

"Comes from Vera."

She raised another finger.

"Zra. Comes from Ezra."

Then she slowly pressed both fingers together.

"When they combine...It becomes Vezra."

She finished her explanation with complete seriousness.

As though there couldn’t possibly be a better naming method.

Ezra stared at her silently.

"...Why does your name have to come first?"

His eyes still remained half narrowed.

"My letters fit together better than yours."

Vera folded her arms.

Her blank eyes met his without backing down.

On the fourth row of the stand were most Highline Young Noble sat down...

Priscilla blinked.

"...Aren’t those two supposed to be presenting?"

She looked genuinely confused.

"Yeah..."

Nate scratched the side of his face with a crooked smile.

"It’s somehow becoming awkward again. But..."

He chuckled quietly.

"It’s also strangely entertaining."

He looked toward the Elders’ seating area.

"This presentation really opened my eyes. I even got to witness an Elder being completely embarrassed in front of almost the entire Family."

He lowered his voice.

Priscilla’s expression immediately became serious.

"You’d better erase that thought."

She folded her arms while keeping her eyes on the center stage.

"Elder Fredricks has an enormous ego, and he has an especially nasty attitude whenever Lowlines are involved. If you ever catch his attention...he won’t stop until he’s completely crushed you."

Her tone carried genuine warning rather than exaggeration.

"Damn..."

Nate quietly scratched the back of his head.

"That means Ezra’s going to have even more trouble from now on."

He sighed.

"Well...It’s not like that trouble hasn’t already started."

He remembered what had happened during the Unveiling Party.

Even when the other Elders had tried to remain reasonable...

Fredricks had still gone out of his way to target Ezra.

Just thinking about it made Nate rub both of his shoulders.

A slight chill ran down his back.

"...That old man really feels like some nasty parasite."

He shook his head helplessly.

"The kind that clings to your body and refuses to leave until it finally gets what it wants."

He let out another sigh before looking back toward the stage.

A smile slowly returned to his face.

"Still...Watching Lady Vera deal with him is surprisingly entertaining."

Priscilla ignored his last comment.

Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the glowing Alchemy Circle displayed above the stage.

"Do you think you can recreate those firearms now...after studying the Alchemy Circles?"

She asked quietly.

Nate leaned back comfortably in his seat, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed posture.

"Not yet."

He honestly admitted.

"But...I think I’ve already understood around twenty percent."

Priscilla immediately turned toward him.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Really? I’ve only managed around ten percent."

Nate couldn’t stop the smirk that appeared on his face.

"That’s because I’m better than you."

He teased.

Priscilla immediately faced the stage again.

"Hmph. You’re just a Lowline."

She folded her arms.

"I refuse to lose to you."

Nate chuckled under his breath.

"You really hate losing."

"I do."

She answered without hesitation.

"And I especially hate losing to you."

That only made Nate laugh a little more.

Meanwhile...

At the center of the stage...

Ezra and Vera were somehow still discussing the name of the remodeled Baske.

She’s the one who told me to choose a name.

Ezra narrowed his eyes a little more.

And now she’s the one questioning it.

For a brief moment...

He genuinely wondered if arguing with Vera was simply one of the unavoidable laws of nature.

Eventually...

He gave up.

Without saying another word, he turned back toward the audience.

There was nothing left to explain.

The presentation had already reached its conclusion.

He opened his mouth.

Only...

Before a single word could leave him...

"That concludes our presentation."

Vera calmly spoke first.

Her timing was perfect.

Almost suspiciously perfect.

She slowly turned her head toward Ezra.

Tilting it just slightly.

Those blank black eyes quietly met his again.

Not a single emotion appeared on her face.

Yet somehow...

Ezra felt as though she had deliberately stolen his line.

He stared at her for several silent seconds.

"...This girl."

He muttered in his usual flat voice.

Vera blinked once.

"What?"

She asked with complete innocence.

"I merely improved the efficiency of the presentation."

Her tone remained perfectly serious.

"As expected, you were going to waste approximately four-point-three unnecessary seconds."

Ezra quietly looked at her.

"..."

He chose silence.

There were times when arguing with Vera simply wasn’t worth the effort.

Seeing Ezra quite without another word...

Several younger members of the Family couldn’t help smiling.

Even some of the craftsmen quietly laughed.

The atmosphere inside the Council Hall became noticeably lighter.

The inventions had been astonishing.

But...

Watching the two young inventors interact with each other had unexpectedly become another highlight of the presentation.

One remained completely expressionless while saying outrageous things.

The other remained completely expressionless while silently enduring them.

For some reason...

The combination simply worked.

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