第１１７８堀：今回の協力者とチーム発表 (Part2)
"I see. So it comes down to whether or not one is prepared to shoulder that penalty."
"It’s not like I have anything to worry about, though, since we’re a two-man squad like Zargis and me."
"Though we are one person short, as you noted."
"I’d say that’s a massive disadvantage in this battle royale, but for you lot who have practically lived inside this game, it’s probably just the right amount of handicap. Same goes for Taizo and Taiki."
Luna didn’t seem to have any particular complaints about us running a two-man team. Well, that was the intention all along. I had initially planned to form a team with Taizo-san and Taiki, but I decided against it; I knew it would inevitably invite a chorus of boos. Even with that lineup, luck would still play a role, so there’s no telling how things would turn out.
"Well, I’ve heard your request, and I suppose it’s best if I take my leave now so the others don’t get restless."
"Fair enough. Being seen in a long discussion with the Game Master might lead to accusations of foul play."
"Indeed. Let’s move on to our strategy session."
"Yes. Do try to entertain me. I won’t go so far as to call you cheats or rule-breakers, but I am looking forward to seeing how the other members react now that a group of men who know this game inside and out have entered the fray."
"Heh. I’m looking forward to seeing how my wives and friends move, too."
With those words, Luna vanished into thin air. She was likely off to inspect the map. While she was at it, she was probably deciding where to place the various firearms. That was her business, though; we had our own strategy meeting to conduct.
"So, Yuki. We don’t need to farm points, but how do you intend to move? Shall we intentionally rack up a massive score to increase our shield energy cap?"
"That would definitely invite a chorus of boos, so that’s a no."
True, one could collect points to raise their upper limit. However, that feature was added as a bonus for my wives and the others like Seraria; it would be pointless for us to abuse it.
"In that case, I suppose we’ll stick to the orthodox approach: a strategy meeting based on the map."
"That’s the one. For now, shall we have some tea? Zargis, was it coffee for you?"
"No, I drink tea quite often as well. I’ll have the same. No need to go through the trouble."
"Fair point."
We chatted as I prepared two cups of tea and gazed at the map.
"It’s not exactly a difficult decision. There are decent-sized houses scattered across the north, south, east, west, and the center."
"Well, the standard procedure would be to scavenge for weapons in one of those towns and then keep a low profile in the forests. Unlike in the game, it doesn’t announce exactly which enemy you’ve defeated."
"Exactly. The announcements only state whether a team has been eliminated. It’s not like teams with fewer members will be targeted first."
In a standard version of this game, that wouldn't happen, but here, everyone knows everyone else, and everyone knows the team compositions. If the announcements reported exactly who was taken out by name, the remaining strength of that team would be exposed. For instance, if I were eliminated from my team, Zargis would be left alone, and it would be easy to judge that it’s better to finish him off first since he’d have no teammates to cover him. Of course, one could use that to lure enemies in, but the risk is far too high. There’s no reason to take such a gamble.
"If that’s the case, shall we head toward the town first to recover weapons and supplies?"
"That’s the dilemma. It all depends on how many others decide to head for the towns. If we’re unlucky, we’ll end up fighting right from the start. I’d like to avoid that."
I wanted to avoid attrition in the early stages. But as Zargis said, the towns were the most efficient places to secure weapons and gear.
"There are 18 teams and 52 participants. The odds are reasonable, I suppose. Shall we target an area with a few houses, even if it isn't a full town?"
"That’ll do for the first round. We can head to the towns by the second. By the third, we’ll have a better grasp of how everyone else is moving."
"A sound plan. Now, which teams are you keeping an eye on, Yuki?"
"Let’s see. It’s hard to say for sure right now, but first, there’s Team 15—Taizo-san and Taiki. Then the researcher duo in Team 7. I’m not sure about Riel’s positioning. Then there’s Steve’s Team 10. And finally, Seraria’s Team 1 and Deryu’s Team 8, given their instincts for a fight."
"I see, I see. Then we shall eliminate those teams whenever the opportunity arises."
"Well, that goes for any opponent, really. But yes, we’ll keep them on our radar."
Now then, I wonder what kind of strategies everyone else is cooking up.
Come now, which team will emerge victorious? Let’s all place our bets! Since an overall victory is difficult to predict, let’s start with the winning team of the battle royale. Please leave your comments with the team number.
By the way, I haven't decided on the results yet. I’ll be playing it by ear, so if there’s a team you’d like to see the situation of, let me know in the comments.