Recently, Billy Shen had been spending most of his time at the shooting range.

It wasn't that he wanted to show off his marksmanship, but rather that he genuinely needed the practice. For as long as he could remember, Billy had used the British Lee-Enfield rifle, becoming accustomed to its feel, rate of fire, and recoil.

However, Billy soon realized he couldn't keep using this rifle.

He was in the French army, where everyone around him was using the Lebel rifle. While British allies could easily supply him with Lee-Enfield's 7.7mm rounds, what about on the battlefield?

What if he was in a trench far from British lines, or behind enemy lines with only Lebel ammunition available?

After careful consideration, Billy finally decided to switch to the Lebel.

The transition nearly drove him mad—it felt as if he had to learn to use not just one new rifle, but eight. Although he was holding a single weapon, each shot felt like a different one.

The Lebel's balance shifted after each round fired, affecting its feel. The change was most pronounced after the first shot, gradually decreasing until it was almost negligible with the last few rounds.

(Note: This balance shift was due to the tubular magazine. The further back the remaining bullet was in the magazine, the greater its impact on the rifle's balance, while bullets near the front had minimal effect.)

Although these changes were minor overall and would barely affect an average shooter, they were disastrous for a sniper like Billy, who demanded absolute consistency.

"No wonder the sniper company isn't performing well," Billy muttered during a break, sitting on a makeshift chair and scowling at his subpar scores. "This rifle is just making things harder for us."

As he pondered how to solve this issue, Dominique approached him with a mysterious look, carrying a gun case. "Hey, Billy."

"Sir?" Billy looked at Dominique curiously. When he saw the gun case, he laughed, thinking Dominique had come to settle their previous bet over shooting pigeons.

Dominique shook his head and set the gun case down in front of Billy. "Ready? Once you open this case, the sniper company will enter isolated training!"

Billy shrugged. "I don't mind."

He genuinely didn't care. Billy was alone in France, with no family, friends, or connections. Isolation was his status quo.

"Excellent!" Dominique opened the case, turned it around, and pushed it towards Billy. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt

Inside was a rifle that resembled the Lebel but with a shorter barrel, and an object that looked like a small telescope—an optical scope.

Billy's interest waned at the sight of yet another Lebel.

But then he noticed something different. Picking up the rifle, he looked questioningly at Dominique. "A vertical magazine?"

"Yes," Dominique confirmed. "It's the Berthier rifle, the carbine version of the Lebel. The General thought it would be more suitable for the sniper company. What do you think?"

Billy shouldered the rifle, getting a feel for it, and nodded decisively. "Absolutely. This is exactly what we need."

Charles truly understood his men, Billy thought.

The shorter barrel sacrificed a bit of accuracy, but it was far better than dealing with a shifting balance after every shot, which caused snipers to lose control and precision.

The magazine held only three rounds, which might be a bit low for regular infantry. But snipers, who are trained to shoot and relocate, could reload while changing positions. Capacity wasn't a big issue for them.

Furthermore, the shorter carbine was a blessing in trench warfare.

Dominique added, "This rifle was custom-made by the Saint-Étienne Armory for the sniper company. We selected 200 rifles from over 3,000, along with specially chosen ammunition. You can rely on these—more will be available soon."

"Thank you, Dominique," Billy replied, clearly delighted.

Dominique raised his hands in a casual gesture. "Thank the General; this was all his idea."

Billy chuckled, grateful to have a general who understood sniping.

But a hint of doubt lingered. Would isolating the sniper company for training really be necessary?

Then Billy noticed a rail on the rifle and the "telescope" still in the gun case. Realizing its purpose, he quickly attached it to the rifle.

"Wow!" Billy exclaimed, eagerly lifting the rifle to try it out. Through the scope, he could clearly see a target's chest at 200 meters.

In awe, Billy turned to Dominique. "This…"

"Of course," Dominique nodded. "Another idea from the General."

Billy was impressed—this was exactly what the sniper company needed. The scope would elevate their combat effectiveness to a new level.

And this was only the beginning.

Dominique continued, "Remember how you mentioned wanting a spotter's rifle? We're already working on it, and it should be ready soon."

Charles's design proposals were nearly perfect, allowing them to skip lengthy trials and testing. Dominique estimated that the sniper company could be equipped in just two weeks.

Billy nodded, moved by the level of support the sniper company was receiving. With nearly every external requirement met by Charles, they could focus on training and putting their skills to use in the field.

What more could he ask for?

A soldier would lay down his life for a leader who truly understood him. He was determined to make the sniper company worthy of Charles's trust.

...

In the evening light, Rome appeared both majestic and grand, the air filled with the faint aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread. Each building along the street seemed to tell a story from centuries past.

A beautifully adorned carriage trotted through the bustling streets and stopped in front of the Rodeway Hotel at the city center.

A middle-aged man in a suit and top hat stepped out, casting a quick glance to either side before hastily making his way inside, flanked by several assistants. It was clear he wanted to avoid being recognized.

This man was General Winter, who should have been directing operations in Gallipoli. Yet here he was, dressed in civilian clothes, appearing in Rome.

Inside, Italy's Foreign Minister, Sonnino, anxiously awaited him in the conference room. When General Winter finally entered safely, Sonnino let out a sigh of relief.

"Welcome, General!" Sonnino greeted him warmly, shaking his hand.

"Thank you very much, Your Excellency," General Winter replied. "I believe this negotiation will prove mutually beneficial."

"Let's hope so," Sonnino nodded, stepping aside to invite Winter to sit across from him at the table.

The meeting was held in secrecy and managed by the Foreign Ministry rather than the military, as Italy did not want the Central Powers to be aware of it.

Only under such conditions could Italy retain room for maneuver.

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