April 14, 2024
Start
"S-sir Diluc! You've returned!" Huffman saluted crisply. "When I heard you took a boat over here, I didn't believe it!"
"… Huffman?" The former cavalry captain nodded with a small smile. "It's been a long time. How's your little brother? I heard he's joined the knights."
"Indeed sir!" Huffman still stuck to his salute with a bright expression on his face. "I thought you'd never return! It's been years!"
Huffman did his best to hold back his tears before the former captain. He wanted to ask so many questions, but he felt something stuck in his throat.
"Drop the sir. I am a captain no more. Just Diluc is fine." Diluc, for the longest while, smiled warmly. His gaze seemed nostalgic, but Huffman's seemed more emotional. "I can only wish that we could have reunited in a more appropriate setting… but mind getting me up to speed with… this?"
Diluc gyrated his wrist confusingly, gesturing at the… spectacle from the distance. Many knights surrounded one of the buildings as if they were having a hostage situation. Diluc noticed a few of them bending in complete fatigue as if they ran a marathon, whereas others were close to collapse from exhaustion.
It reminded Diluc of his training days as a young squire when he pushed his body to its limits, day by day.
Ah. The days when life was a lot simpler…
Back to the matter at hand. What caught his attention was the young man standing on top of the building. That reminded Diluc of a cat stuck in a tree with how he's looking down at the crowd.
"How did he get stuck there? Did a mitachurl throw him over there?"
"Uh, no sir. He's not stuck. It's… quite complicated."
"John Smith! We kindly invite you to the Acting Grand Master's office! We mean you no harm! She just wants to talk!"
"At least tell me why!" He squawked like a very loud crow.
"… We don't know! We were just ordered to invite you over!"
"Then why'd you all chase me?! Is this related to my gun project!?"
"… Yeah! I think!?"
"… Did she like it!?"
"She didn't sound very happy about it! Hey! Wait! We won't lock you in a dungeon!"
"How do you know that!? How do you know she wouldn't put me in prison!?"
No answers.
"You see what I mean!?"
Like a thief in the night, the young man ran away to the rooftop. The knights on the ground all groaned in unison. The ones crowded in balconies leaned tiredly on the handrail.
"… Uhh." Diluc was more intrigue and confused than anything else. "Well? Care to explain?"
Huffman shared the tale of John Smith according to the facts. He shared the events from John's rescue to his project proposal endorsed by two captains. Huffman told his account of what happened in the demonstration, where after Jean herself tested the weapon, she ordered every available personnel to invite him to her office.
Next thing everything knows, the entire Knights of Favonius is on his tail. Huffman then ranted about the city-wide goose chase thereon that's been persistent for a while.
John can run.
Like, really run.
"Master Jean meant well, but many of the knights thought differently since she had put an absolute urgency to her order. I think that's how it all started."
Urgent orders? Censorship protocol? Straight from the (acting) Grand Master herself?
"Oh lord Barbatos. From an outside perspective, she made it sound like a manhunt." Diluc sighed. By the sound of it, John is a mentally and spiritually troubled man. A scaredy cat, too. In the next instant, he looked at Huffman incredulously. "Wait. Did you just say firearms?"
"Uh yes sir! They're miniaturized cannons in crossbow configuration-" Huffman froze. He wasn't supposed to say that.
Diluc nodded slowly, feigning ignorance of what a handgun is. Firearms themselves are still relatively unknown in Mondstadt even since its inception. How interesting. It seems the winds of change have come to the land. That doesn't happen too often.
"Go on… and?"
"Uhh… We were just ordered a censorship protocol, sir. I mean, Diluc, sir. I mean Sir Diluc. I mean-" Huffman coughed. "I may have said too much. Forget what I said, sir - I mean Diluc."
"Censorship, huh." Diluc chuckled. "Don't worry. I understand that you're just doing your job."
…
In the back of the Angel's Share, Diluc turned left and right for a certain someone. The wine tycoon greeted, "Charles. There you are."
The bartender turned to the familiar voice with a look of surprise.
"M-master Diluc!? Welcome back!" Charles spread his arms in joy. "Elzer sent a letter just earlier! I wasn't expecting you to visit so soon considering… well, you know."
Diluc leaned on the wall. "I would have gotten here sooner, but I simply had… uh things on my end back at the manor that needed a personal touch. You know how it is."
"Ah…" Charles sighed in relief knowing that the manor and the vineyards is safe under his purview. "Of course. If only I knew last night, I would have slept better."
Diluc merely chuckled. He gave a glance to the other workers who weren't subtle in their gawking. He turned back to his informant, "So, about this… outlander. I heard all sorts of things about him."
"Straight to business. I see you've not changed." Charles shook his head with a nostalgic smile. "Are we talking about John Smith?"
"John Smith? Quite a peculiar name."
"Knows a lot of things. Fighting. Blacksmithing. Alchemy. Only Gods knows whether he had such skills before coming to Mondstadt. He might be a savant, but a lot of people are thinking that he's just very talented."
"What's going on with the knights?"
"The knights issued an order to interview anyone who helped John's smithing project. Remember Wagner? I heard they're looking for his apprentice."
A new figure approached. A nun with unique fashion. A pale-skinned woman with wine-colored hair. She had this cold look that was taken by brief surprise.
Diluc smiled at the new figure. "Rosaria. Been a while."
"Tsk. Just like that?" Rosaria scoffed. Next second, she smiled knowing the night will be… a lot less dangerous. "Whatever. If you ask me, I don't know much 'bout John, but he's a damn handful."
"Really?" Charles raised an eyebrow. "Handful enough that warranted the ice thorn's attention?"
"… Don't call me that." Rosaria idly twirled her knife just as she rolled her eyes. She tiredly said, "He's not that kind of handful. At least, not yet. As far as the stories go, he's just some gifted weirdo doing whatever."
(AN: For those not in the know, she's pretty much the church's inquisition.)
Diluc hummed, "Then it seems he's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah. Tell that to the knights. Whatever happened in the headquarters spooked them badly."
Charles looked around while still talking to Rosaria. "Knowing you, I'm guessing your leads have led you here."
"Oh. I see." Diluc pointed at the wine barrel stacks as workers unstacked them. From how easily they carried as they spread them all in the open space, he figured the barrels were empty. "By the way, Charles. What's going on over there?"
"They're organizing the barrels. The Knights will be using them for the bombs. And get this, they recommissioned the catapult. I thought that thing got scrapped, but I heard it got upgraded in secret."
"That cumbersome junk? Whatever works in this siege, I suppose." Diluc pointed to another barrel that's seemingly moving on its own. He chuckled in mild amusement. "Am I hallucinating or did one of the casks grow legs?"
"What?" Charles gawked a little in confusion.
Rosaria looked at where Diluc was, "What the hell are you-"
One of the barrels 'walked' as it tried to mingle with its kind under the nose of every worker in the vicinity. Somehow, none of them noticed the undulating barrel in the middle. They're all too busy carrying other barrels that are limiting their field of vision.
Charles chortled. "Are they blind?"
"I think they're not paid enough to care." Diluc deadpanned. "Charles, have you been underpaying them?"
"My goodness! I would never!" Charles shook his head. "I dare not stain your name, Master Diluc!"
"Uhuh." Diluc turned to the 'seasoned' nun. "John's quite a character, isn't he?"
"Fuck if I care. Mondstadt is already full of weirdos."
Charles snorted. "The pot's calling the kettle black."
"Fuck off."
A large squad of knights soon surrounded the space. The workers were told to leave the vicinity as the knights searched the barrels one by one.
"He's hiding over there!" Shouted Huffman, standing from a rooftop of a nearby building. "NO! FREDA! TO YOUR LEFT! Bruce! He's behind you! NO! He's hiding INSIDE! Not that- he switched to another!"
Everyone's catching the man, but he slithered around their sight and reached like some wild rat in the kitchen. The arrangement of barrels became disarranged in the ongoing chaos. From the perspective of the three, they all looked like farmers in a wheat field failing to catch a snake.
"Oh, my lord." Diluc facepalmed in disappointment. "What happened to the Favonius while I was gone?"
"Most of the best ones left with Varka while we got amateurs and deadbeats." Rosaria put her fists on her hips. Some of them even spend more time ogling my ass than doing their job.
Charles chuckled. "Gotta say. He's slippery."
The barrel with legs ran away. Huffman shouted orders. The knights chased. Whether it was deliberate or not, he crashed against stacks of barrels as it all cascaded into a mess like cabbages pouring out of a cart. Everyone lost sight of which one was the anomaly as they stopped the tsunami.
None of them noticed the one rolling away the farthest.
Rolling towards Diluc.
They heard a burst of laughter. The trio turned to one of the buildings. They saw Kaeya laughing in the spectacle, and Jean leaning on the wooden handrail, facepalming in frustration. They weren't alone. The other onlookers watching from their windows on higher floors were glued to what was happening with varying reactions. Most seemed entertained and intrigued.
Diluc sighed with his head leaning back.
"The Knights of Favonius… so inefficient."
Diluc stopped the rolling barrel with his foot. He summoned his greatsword and flipped the thing upright like flipping a burger patty as he sat on top. With his body weight combined with his greatsword on his lap, both acted as a very heavy paperweight.
Panicked thudding resounded from inside the barrel. They could hear someone hyperventilating.
Charles and Rosaria sat beside Diluc to add their weight.
"Hey." Diluc gently patted against the wood as if he were patting a horse. "It's alright. I'm not from the Favonius. You need to calm down."
"Let me go!"
"Look, kid." Charles added, "You can't run away forever. I don't know what you did-"
"I did nothing wrong!"
"Yeah. Sure." Rosaria sarcastically remarked. Charles backslapped her shoulder.
"I really didn't! I don't want to die! I don't want to rot in-"
"Whoa! Hold your horses!" Rosaria took this a little more seriously. "What the hell's going on with the knights? Who said anything about dying?"
"John Smith, right?" Diluc reassured me of his experience in handling people. One of the key rules in meetings is to get personal. "John, I heard you've helped a lot of people. I respect that. I know you don't mean anyone harm, and I'm sure that this is all just a big misunderstanding. But at the same time, I trust the Knights of Favonius still uphold their duty to this day. But if not… if they dare hurt you under… unjustified reasons, I promise that I will fight for you."
"…"
The thudding stopped.
That seemed to do it.
"The knights are going around like headless chickens. They don't know you're here." Diluc informed, "While that's happening, we can hide you in my bar where you can calm down, take a break, and explain everything."
…
John strolled around the city with a heavy mind. Then he noticed anomalies. The knights are searching around Schulz's Workshop. They were collecting items, but from the looks of it, it was borderline ransacking. He recognized the objects. It's the custom gunsmithing tools he forged with Schulz.
John saw them questioning Schulz who seemed scared.
The knights saw him and approached. They asked his name. They invited him to come to them. John asked questions. Why should he follow them? Why is the workshop being ransacked? Why is the entire Knights of Favonius searching for him?
The knights had no answers.
He will only cooperate when they can give him answers. It was only fair.
But the knights refused him.
The next thing he knew, he was being pulled against his will. He asked why he was being arrested. The knights insisted he wasn't. Yet they roughhandled him. The onlookers who knew John even began pecking at the knights for questions.
The situation is clear. From his perspective, the authorities are abusing their power.
He panicked.
He really did not like it.
He bent their arm in awkward positions.
He ran away.
Diluc facepalmed.
Rosaria deadpanned.
Charles sighed.
Kaeya pressed lips.
Jean facepalmed with both hands. Hard.
The tavern was empty of customers. Instead, there was a palpable silence that dawned on everyone.
"I don't think I overreacted." Said John, sitting on a stool. He still had this mild glare concentrated on the knights. "I just didn't want to get hurt."
"And… what about the knights?" Diluc asked with a neutral tone. "What made you think they were trying to kill you?"
"Kill!?" Jean barked with horror on her face. "We wouldn't do that to John!"
"Your men pointed their swords! They cornered me!" John held back his tongue. He almost cussed. "I didn't know what I was supposed to do when… when they just told me to follow!"
"When you put it like that, I suppose it's only understandable. All things considered, you were merely unable to read their intent." Diluc turned to Jean. "I wish our reunion could have been in a better position… but I need to ask you why the utmost secrecy? What do you want with John?"
"Secrecy?" John parroted, cutting off Jean. He connected the dots. His face turned hostile. "What did you do to Schulz!? What about Ematol? What about Albedo? Wh-"
"We didn't hurt anybody! Chill!" Kaeya raised his palms placatingly. "Oh, Barbatos. I never knew you were this skittish."
"Look!" John glared at him. He tapped the bar table. "You want this over? I want this over with. What do you want with me?"
In a heartbeat, Kaeya answered straight, "I want you to make more guns for us."
John's glare lasted a few seconds. It was replaced with confusion, then to a blank expression, which lastly switched to mild surprise.
"We only wanted you to visit me in my office for a discussion." Jean softened her expression, but her tone did not. "Your weapon has proven to be powerful. I can say with confidence it will help us in this siege. We simply ask you to forge us a reasonable amount before night comes."
Why before night specifically? As John examined her, he noticed her eyebags. When was the last time she slept? Did she sleep last night? Was there a big fight he missed? Right. They are in a siege. Because the locals act like nothing is going on, John never considers that it was only because of the sacrifice of the Favonius that people live… with fewer problems than otherwise.
John recalled the words of the waitress when it gets crazy at night. In a way, it makes sense. The Abyss Order must be going to exploit the darkness to their advantage.
… Now he felt a little bad that he wasted their energy and time. He should make this simple. After a moment of silence, John took a breath.
"Okay."
"We'll make sure you'll be fairly compensa- wait, what?" Jean got flabbergasted. "Okay? Just like that? After everything you've gone through?"
"Yes. I will make guns for the Knights Favonius. Do I need to be specific?" John nodded surely. "Not in the mood for pointless chat. Just get me everything I need. I can start right now."
"… Whoa." Kaeya felt like he got slapped in the face hard. "You really can be straightforward when you want to."
"… I can't believe this." Diluc looked more tired than usual. "I'm not sure if I should be impressed. Just a moment ago, you were begging for your life by the same people who you think will lock you in a dungeon."
"Hey, man. I'm just trying to adapt accordingly."
Everyone looked at him oddly.
"Is…" Charles felt unsure if he was about to step on a bear trap. "Is this how you usually act? Or is this personality trait a result of your… you know, head injuries?"
"Not sure, honestly." John shrugged it off.
"Moving on." Kaeya's hands clasped diplomatically. "John, we can do you better. We'll grant you any resources you need."
Charles offered. "Should I provide you three a private room?"
"As much as I'd like to listen, I got other places to be. Bye." Rosaria walked out. Ugh. At least this is over with.
Diluc shrugged, turning back as he checked the cabinets and shelves. He explored the furniture to see its contents, whereas Charles helped wipe everything clear. "Well… if no one minds my presence here, I might as well chime in."
"Oh, no sir! It would be an honor to have my superior join this discussion."
"Jean… Don't call me sir. I'm not your superior. I'm not returning to the Knights of Favonius. I'm only here for Mondstadt." Diluc's voice was as absolute as his deadpan, "And John? What would you like? We got all sorts of drinks. My treat."
"I want a glass of milk," John said very seriously with a very straight face. "With ice. I want it cold. Add a teaspoon of sugar too… wait. Is sugar as expensive as gold here? What about honey? Do you know what honey is? Bees exist here, right?"
Diluc chuckled softly. Kaeya chortled abruptly. Jean stared at John unblinking.
"What?"
"It's just that-" Charles snorted, rubbing his forehead in amusement. "With the way you said it… and everything else… you know what? Never mind." He waved his hand dismissively. I've never met anyone as strange as you in my entire career.
"… Anywho."
…
In the discussion, they asked him about the process of how he made guns. Of course, to reduce attention, he just told them that Schulz and Albedo did most of the heavy lifting. It's not far off; the smith apprentice did turn his ideas into reality, whereas the chief alchemist did use his magic and devices that eased a lot of the process.
The discussion hadn't even reached half an hour.
John had four cups of cold milk.
They just want guns to bolster their forces rather than depend on mercenaries in the long term.
Interestingly… the fact that no one had yet asked how and where he learned the concept of firearms is indicative they're not looking a gift horse in the mouth. He already had excuses prepared that would elude his otherworldly origin, but oh well.
How people still hadn't figured out that yet does imply that otherworlders like him are either extremely rare or maybe, much like him, everyone who got isekaid is hiding in plain sight, merging with the local populace seamlessly.
... But what if they all died before they even had a chance to get a foothold?
"So… in summary, you'll only be expecting me to produce around… five pistols before dusk?"
"Similar to the ones you made, yes."
"I didn't do it alone." John asked, "What about Albedo? I need him."
John sipped his fifth cup of milk.
"So what you're saying…" Kaeya pressed curiously. He rested his elbows on the table and mounted his chin on his intertwined fingers. "You're saying that you can't make guns without Albedo's help?"
… John thinks he knows where this is going. He then had an idea. He could use this to fish for information about their intent.
Let's see… I know for a fact that they:
-must have seen my gun blueprint when Albedo took it.
-are aware the prototype was only made possible with Timaeus'… crystal thing.
-knows from Schulz (assuming they interviewed him) that a 'purely non-magical gun' I designed is nearly impossible to make.
"Actually… I don't know. Couldn't have done it without Albedo and his… magic and stuff." John wanted to confirm something. "Speaking of, I heard from him that his magic tires him out. I think with his help, we can make tools that can let us make more without depending on his magic."
"Oh uh…" Jean seemed hesitant as if offered a drink she didn't like. "I'm sure Albedo will be just fine. I admire your resolve to contribute, but you don't have to. You just need to concentrate on your task."
… Aha. So they do want gun control. And they don't want me experimenting with stuff.
John is a proponent of safety and self-defense, but he can understand things will get messy if guns get into the wrong hands. It can't be blamed. They don't want it to become easy for anyone without magic to make guns. As long as they have him and Albedo, they will think that the Knights of Favonius have a monopoly.
I'll leave it at that. They're already wary enough of guns. I'll just have them test the waters until they're eager for a dive.
Which they will eventually do.
"Well. I would love to make my gun with my own hands… but I guess that's a little unrealistic." John said, pouting. "Gun barrels have to be very smooth and straight. There's only so much a hammer and anvil can do."
He said no lie.
Hearing that, Jean's shoulders eased, and let out a soft sigh of relief. Kaeya, meanwhile, smiled a little. Subtle, but that did not escape John's notice.
The locals really should try to learn how to hide their emotions.
"You're a businessman, right?" John turned to Diluc. "I don't have a reference of prices and… stuff. How much is a gun worth? Wait. Uh. Do you know what a gun is?"
Diluc raised an eyebrow, unprepared for the unexpected question.
"… I've had the opportunity to use firearms myself in my travels." Diluc exchanged glances with Kaeya and Jean who then had surprised looks, after which he turned back to John. "Can I get the specifications?"
If it was anyone else, Kaeya and Jean would've discouraged the question, but they shared their experiences in the earlier demonstration. Diluc, intent on learning what John made, listened intensely. Slow reload speed, short range. Pretty much a one-shot musket. He then compared its prices and capability relative to warbows. The three debated about a lot of things. Pros and cons of John's hand cannon. Reload speed. Firepower. Accuracy. Range.
In the end…
"I think we should continue this negotiation after it's combat-proven." Diluc suggested, "There are factors to consider too complicated to extrapolate. While I do think it's powerful, it lacks range. If you can improve its accuracy, I'm sure it will be devastating." He said it to Jean with a subtle message as he emphasized the last word.
"Yep." John nodded.
Kaeya stretched his arms up with a small groan, "I do suppose we can better evaluate its worth when we test its mettle, don't you think?"
"Yep."
"Hopefully, we won't be needing them tonight." Jean blocked her fist to cover a big yawn. "John… may you have a productive and fruitful endeavor."
"Yep."
John sipped his cup of milk. It was his eighth.
"… You really love milk, don't you?" Kaeya asked with an eyebrow arching incredulously.
"Yep."
…
So I do need to pee.
His little milk experiment has taught him, that even though his urge to pee was greatly reduced, his body still needed to export what was imported. He existed out of the restroom. Interestingly enough, they have a… relatively modern plumbing system. Neato. As to where they sourced the materials is research for another time.
Jean and Kaeya left themselves at Angel's Share to reminisce with Diluc or something. John didn't know why exactly, but he couldn't care either. Call it respect. They're not probing for his memory hence it's only natural to reciprocate. Diluc caught his interest, though. Former captain of the Favonius? Has experience with guns? Whatever. That's for another time.
They're expecting him to only make around five pistols. Merely five, because the prototype took John nearly more than an hour - with Albedo's help, of course. With night coming in soon, he only had some hours left before the deadline. Five may not be much, but to them, every firepower added is nothing insignificant.
But five is… just too little.
How can he increase production speed?
He looked outside the window for inspiration while he waited for the knights to bring in the tools and materials. Turns out the headquarters prepared his own workshop while he was away. The windmills' cloth blades spun by the breeze. Can he modify them into trip hammers? But ah, that'd take time. To add, he doubted anyone would let him fiddle around with their water pumps.
Something caught his attention.
It's one of their transport balloons being guarded by both mercenaries and knights. It carried boxes and barrels on its platform. He didn't care where it was going nor what it was carrying. He took a particular interest in its propulsion system; its propeller engines.
Quite anachronistic, isn't it? You'd think for a blimp, it should be hovering in the sky. But researching why they couldn't make a true airship out of it will be for another day.
… That looks very useful.
He recalled the raid where the monsters targeted transport balloons. Some of its parts must have survived, which means it's also likely that the knights could've salvaged their… motors.
Gonna have to ask Hertha if she has functioning spares I could use.
Why use your hands when a machine can do the work?
End
Ah…
The last chapter's AN was unhinged. Gosh. I really act like a lunatic when I'm sleep-deprived.
Also, yes. I slept well, ShinySpiritomb.
There's not much to talk about here. Or rather, I'll try not to talk too much. The thing I noticed about myself is that I yap a lot in the AN like some deranged child. Hence why I deleted most of the AN in previous chapters. If you're one of my earlier followers, remember the prologue AN? Yeah… very unhinged.
I'll try to keep the AN relevant to this story.
The next post will not be a chapter! It will be my Author's Note regarding my plans for this fic... and many more. It got a little bit large so I might as well post it as a separate thing.
Replies to reviews in recent chapters.
ThatGuyYouMet
Thanks! And you know I will! And I can't say what else he'll make. Don't want to spoil ya'll.
ShinySpiritomb
Mondstadt. The US of A of Tevyat... I never thought of it that way, honestly. But I can't say what plans I have. Speaking of. I pretty much deviated a lot from my outlines. So anything is pretty much on the table.
As for trains? Whatever is believable, I suppose. I can't promise anything, that is all.
Pompovik
Out of Reach... huh. Man. I feel kinda nostalgic writing that. I remember writing in the ANs that I'll complete it one way or another. I bark a lot, don't I? Sorry. I can't continue Out of Reach. For my followers, I'm truly sorry. But I do have good reasons why I abandoned it. I will explain later.
PanzerkampfwagenVI
Thank you! I keep trying to improve my skills as a writer. As for the special forces? Honestly... I think
Al the Obsessive
Hey! It's you! I really want to say thank you for the donation! $25 in my country is a lot. So... that said, I must disclose a detail that I now feel a little guilty about. I'll explain it next post.
But anywho! Your review means a lot to me. I overthink. I get insecure. I get anxiety. I want to be a very good writer, a creator of stories that people enjoy. And I want to be better every day. Comments like yours give me the confidence I need to push for another chapter. So before I get dramatic, I want to say thank you.
Replies to reviews since the last chapter.
ShinySpiritomb
Oh man, I'm such a nerd if I recognized all those names. Yes, it was funny how Germans wanted to ban the boomstick despite using flamethrowers and funny-looking gas. Now here's the thing. I think I evolved as a writer if I say so myself. See, I deviated a lot from my outlines and plans. And it wasn't such a bad thing after all. I'm having a lot of fun just... making the characters do their things instead of me forcing them into what I want. Know what I mean? No? Oof.
Regardless, it will be an eventuality that John will get to simple blowbacks as he pushes his tech tree. That I can assure you.
And welcome! Yes. I had a good day's rest... and by that, I mean I sleep in the afternoon and wake up in the evening. I'm a vampire lol.
undefinedforever
Yeah, that was the initial idea. Heh. From the lore itself, Mondstadt has problems with the Abyss Order. The Knights of Favonius have manpower and financial issues. I mean ffs, even the Fatui almost caused a civil war (Eula's story quest). It just seemed like a perfect opportunity to put a character in it that can... change a lot of things. Makes for a good story.
... And who said anything about using small arms against sea monsters?
Muahahah!
LowlifeNolife
*An eagle screeches from the background*
(I'm not American by the way. I do love guns though, even though I've never shot one myself.)
Arekuruu Oni
Thank you for pointing out what you loved about the chapter. I'm trying to keep John as realistic and goofy as possible. The think about most isekai characters is that they just... go along with whatever's going on, know what I mean?
And yeah. Jean has her reasons why she'd be scared of guns. I mean, yeah. It can be used against them. John is lucky all things considered.