——

 

　……And so, a few hours later.

 

　Let’s go straight to the point.

 

“This is worse than I thought.”

 

　Royal Court Magician Division. Going by that name, I was expecting a bit more from the Kingdom’s greatest mages. I understood most of it yesterday, but still, I thought that maybe there was a million in one chance.

 

　But how about it? 「Is this a group for playing? 」 was my honest opinion.

 

“If war breaks out, the Court Mages can be called to the front lines, right? “

“Right.”

“Do mages move as a group?　Or do they move individually? “

“Annihilation, search and destroy, cover, and support. We do everything.”

“So, a half-assed group? “

“That’s not it. We change plans according to the progress of the battle.”

“Ahh, so that’s why……”

 

　Their training was mainly in the form of organizing, scattering and rearranging their formations at each signal. Apparently, they are taught to “use this magic during this formation at this signal” with different tactics, repeating it many times so that it becomes ingrained in them for the time they need to do it on the battlefield. This is ridiculous although I won’t say it.

 

“What about improving their magic? “

“I let them work on that on their own.”

“HA? “

“Since everyone works on their strong points, having a baseline training is impossible.”

“No, no, I don’t mean about that. Don’t you go monster hunting? “

“Uh, experience training, is it? They go hunting in the mines and large forests about once a week.”

“Hee……?　And that’s it? “

“Indeed, but…… is there a problem with that? “

 

　Hey, hey, hey, are these guys for real? Aren’t they taking it easy?　This isn’t like hunting for deer on a holiday. How many strong monsters you can hunt is directly linked to the strength of your skills, you know?

 

“Why don’t you go earn more experience? “

“It’s dangerous. There are a lot of objections to it, too. And, there are the budget constraints as well. And so far, there hasn’t been the need for it. Therefore, I’ve left the experience training to the discretion of the individuals.”

 

　Ahh, I see. If they force them to earn experience points, they’ll be nothing more than a ‘black company’. Makes sense…… Is what I’d like to say, but I just can’t. How nice it is to be a peace idiot. Aren’t they supposed to be soldiers? Not some random company workers. Please motivate yourselves to become stronger.

 

“Just in case, let me ask. When was the last time you went to war? “

“……22 years ago.”

“ＯＫ, I see. Just don’t say anything anymore.”

 

　I think most of the guys here were just kids at that time. And I bet Sherry-chan wasn’t even born yet. So that’s why they’re not motivated at all.

 

“This calls for a drastic reform.”

 

　In the previous Mobius, there was this game called 『Team Battle』. You could play team vs team “War Games”, but this was something deeper. Swordsmen, archers, lancers, mages, etc. Putting together a well-balanced team with equivalent abilities, the winner was the team who could come up with a better, well-thought-out strategy. And when it came to Team Battles between the top Teams, it felt like a real war. That was nothing short of a masterpiece, hundreds of players colliding against each other in a vast field.

 

　I was busy becoming the world’s best individual, so I’m an amateur for Team Battle warfare, but I do have some knowledge. I wanted to eventually form the strongest team and planned to reach the top in the Team Battles as well. Well, that’s a dream that didn’t come true.

 

　But even with my second-hand knowledge, the first time I saw the training of the Court Mages, I thought it was strange.

 

　Those preconceptions are wrong in the first place.

 

　Annihilation, search and destroy, cover, and support. They change plans according to the progress of the battle―― that sounds great and all, but this is not the job of a mage in the first place.

 

　A mage is a「Medium range soldier who conducts attacks over a wide range with high fire power」. Their might is certainly huge, but they can’t cope with a charge of short-range soldiers such as swordsmen at all, and they can be easily sniped by long-range soldiers such as archers. In other words, “In terms of firepower, one or two people are enough”, and “An escort of short-range soldiers serving as a protective wall is essential”.

 

　And even if the annihilation squad is made up solely from mages and they act as a group, it would only take a moment for the enemy’s short-range soldiers to attack and destroy them. And even if they let them act, it would end with a barrage from the enemy’s archers since there’s no one playing the role of protective wall. Then, in the case of cover fire, the Fourth and Fifth Form are attacks of a wide area, so if they don’t watch it closely, friendly fire will end up happening. And lastly, as support, mages are certainly convenient for that, but it’s a wasted use of a mage.

 

　Do they know that? Or, despite knowing that, is there a reason why they still do it that way? My only doubt is why are they training formations this much?

 

　Then, I suddenly remembered. Sherry-chan’s words. She certainly said “There’s no way someone like you can use a Fourth Form spell”, right?

 

　…………Can it be?

 

“Hey, be totally honest with me. Who here can use a Fourth Form spell?　It doesn’t matter of which attribute.”

 

　One, two, and so on. Out of the 200 people here, only around twenty raised their hands. Whoaa……

 

“……And the Fifth Form? “

 

　This time, only the captain Zephyr raised his hand. Are you kidding me!? ?

 

　In order to effectively use a mage in a Team Battle, the Fourth and Fifth Forms are essential. Furthermore, the “INT Demon” is the ideal growth type, raising all four major attributes from the First Form to the Fifth Form to the highest Grade. The mages’ strength lies in “High attack power over a wide area”―― a mage who can’t do this can be considered nothing but baggage.

 

　……And that’s their current state. This First Royal Court Magician Division can be declared to be a collection of recruits, useless in a Team Battle.

 

　Surely, the mages in the enemy country should be at the same level since the last war was fought over 22 years ago, but this level of mediocrity is not something I can accept so long as I’m their lecturer.

 

　But even if I say that, what should I do? Am I going to have to teach these guys the Fourth Forms?　Let’s not speak nonsense, there’s no way I’ll go to such lengths.

 

　There has to be some way, or else, I’ll have to find a way to make it work the way they are right now.

 

　Yeah, some way, someway……

 

　…………

 

 

 

“I wonder if that’ll work!?　I’m off for today! “

 

“K-Kid!　Where are you going!? “

 

“I’ll come tomorrow! “

 

 

 

　　＊　＊　＊

 

“――Don’t move.”

 

　Surprised by that voice, and the cold sensation touching the back of my neck, I froze. What perfect timing. Even if I were to be killed right now, nobody would hear my voice.

 

“W-What is it?　What can someone like me do for you? “

 

　I played the pitiful beggar. This place was the back of the Kamel church. Churches and beggars practically come as a set. Even if you hide your face with a ragged cloth, you don’t stand out. If you want to hide a tree, you hide it in a forest. It’s the same for moving around the churches in the Kingdom. You can safely hide yourself like this. Or so I thought……

 

“Whoa! “

 

　Suddenly, the pressure slackened. I sort of fell forward and then I looked back.

 

　 Their whole body covered in black, a shadow that almost lost itself in the darkness. Standing there, not allowing for a single change, and with a voice that made it too hard to distinguish it from man or woman. This is――An “Assassin”.

 

“Tch……What do you want? How did you find me? How do you know who am I?”

 

　There’s no longer any need to keep the lie going. I removed my hood to get a better look.

 

“I knew it. You are Besaid-sama, right?”

 

“And what if I am? Idiot.”

 

“Cubero-sama is waiting for you.”

 

“――! ! “

 

　A name I’ve heard after a long time. And a name I have thought of every day. The name of the R6’s young leader.

 

“I-Is the young leader alive!? “

 

　No, wait. This might be a trap to lure me out.

 

“Where is the young leader.”

 

“He’s at our base.”

 

“Base?　……”

 

　When I tried to take a step forward, a threat blocked me from moving. 【Thread Manipulation】, huh? How troublesome.

 

“……How about you introduce yourself?”

 

“From the all-purpose maid squad serving under Second Firstest, and part of the assassination squad led by one of the Ten Great, Yve. But because I’m an assassin, I can’t reveal my name, voice or face. Please excuse me for that.”

 

“Hey, hey, is it alright for an assassin to reveal its master’s name?”

 

“Our Master isn’t someone so weak to be troubled by something insignificant like this.”

 

“Hooー“

 

“Also, there’s no need to hide it from you.”

 

“Huh?　What do you mea――Nghhn! ? “

 

　My consciousness was blown away by the impact on the back of my neck. This assassin wasn’t alone I see. I guess this is only obvious.

 

 

　……Young leader, please be alive.

 

======

 

Thank you for reading.

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Cheat sheet

Stats details

＜Status Details＞

• HP　Hit Points
• MP　Magic Points
• SP　Stamina Points
• STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power.
• DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate.
• AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate.
• INT　Attack Magic skill power.
• LUK　Good luck, critical rate.
• VIT　Simple defense.
• MGR　Magic defense.

Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

1. Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
2. Lance(Kyousha)
3. Knight (Keima)
4. Silver General (Ginshou)
5. Gold General (Kinshou)
6. Bishop (Kakugyou)
7. Rook (Hisha)
8. Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
9. Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou).

List of Swordsmanship skills

Swordsmanship

1. 《Soldier Swordsmanship》　                  Normal attack.
2. 《Lance Swordsmanship》　                    Piercing attack.
3. 《Knight Swordsmanship》　                   Precision attack.
4. 《Silver Swordsmanship》　                     Strong single-target attack.
5. 《Gold Swordsmanship》                           Small-range attack to all directions.
6. 《Bishop Swordsmanship》                       ???
7. 《Rook Swordsmanship》　                      ???
8. 《Dragon Horse Swordsmanship》　    ???
9. 《Dragon King Swordsmanship》　       ???

List of Shieldmanship skills

Shieldmanship

1. 《Soldier Shieldmanship》　                  Normal defense.
2. 《Lance Shieldmanship》　                    Piercing deflection.
3. 《Knight Shieldmanship》　                   Defense + knockback.
4. 《Silver Shieldmanship》　                     ???
5. 《Gold Shieldmanship》                           Ranged guided defense + knockback.
6. 《Bishop Shieldmanship》                       Reinforced defense (Temporarily boosts VIT and MGR)
7. 《Rook Shieldmanship》　                      ???
8. 《Dragon Horse Shieldmanship》　    ???
9. 《Dragon King Shieldmanship》　       ???

List of Archery skills

Archery

1. 《Soldier Archery》　                  Normal range attack.
2. 《Lance Archery》　                    Piercing range attack.
3. 《Knight Archery》　                   Precise sniping range attack.
4. 《Silver Archery》　                     Strong single-target range attack.
5. 《Gold Archery》                           Weaker range attack with added knockback.
6. 《Bishop Archery》                       Strong piercing range attack.
7. 《Rook Archery》　                      Very strong single-target range attack with scaling % damage.
8. 《Dragon Horse Archery》　    Powerful piercing range attack.
9. 《Dragon King Archery》　       Powerful on-impact range attack.

Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.

1. First Form　      　      Regular attack
2. Second Form　      　 Extended range attack
3. Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack
4. Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack
5. Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack

• Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth.

Ranking of the skills

From lower to higher, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade.

1. 16th class
2. 15th class
3. 14th class
4. 13th class
5. 12h class
6. 11th class
7. 10th class
8. 9th class
9. 8th class
10. 7th class
11. 6th class
12. 5th class
13. 4th class
14. 3rd class
15. 2nd class
16. 1st class
17. Grade 1
18. Grade 2
19. Grade 3
20. Grade 4
21. Grade 5
22. Grade 6
23. Grade 7
24. Grade 8
25. Grade 9
26. Title

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 ToC    

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