第１１７９堀：チーム１５作戦会議 (Part1)
### Chapter 1179: Team 15 Strategy Meeting
**Side: Taizo**
"Well, well. It’s not quite the duel under the cherry blossoms in the Hifi Holy Kingdom, but I must say, when I first heard about a tournament where we’d be forming teams with our own kin, I wondered what kind of spectacle this would be. To think they’d actually go through with it."
"Indeed. It’s quite a surprise."
Taiki and I exchanged these thoughts, our gazes fixed intently on the map we had been handed.
"Yuki told us he wanted us to face this battle royale as a duo, but this is proving to be unexpectedly rigorous."
"It is. We’re only two, while everyone else is essentially in groups of three. If we run into them, they’ll likely attack us aggressively."
"True. They’re well aware that we’re a troublesome pair to deal with."
"Games and reality are two different things, though. I wonder how far we can actually go. Honestly, even if they talk about marksmanship, I have no idea how much I’m truly capable of."
"I’m in the same boat. While my skills allow me to handle basic weaponry without issue, my proficiency is absolutely lacking. I think it’s safe to assume that long-range sniping, for instance, is out of the question."
"We haven't exactly practiced that much, have we?"
That being the case, the teams we really need to watch out for are those led by Yuki, Zargis, and the career soldiers like Steve, who train daily. Then there are the individuals with innate combat intuition, like Queen Seraria and Deryu.
With firearms, simply knowing how to use them isn't enough. As with anything, the higher the proficiency, the better. In other words, it comes down to how accustomed one is to fighting with that specific weapon. Experience is irreplaceable; it is the most vital asset in any conflict. Any team that has been steadily accumulating that kind of experience is a threat. Furthermore, the raw intuition of the Queen and the Demon Lord, honed through countless real-world battles, is not to be underestimated.
"Well, people who love battle always seem to have some strange, mysterious intuition. But Yuki’s wives should all be reasonably capable with firearms, shouldn't they? Are you okay with that?"
"If we start counting them, we’re in the same position. We just need to be wary of the teams that are clearly a cut above in terms of familiarity."
"True. So, if we encounter the teams I mentioned earlier, should we prioritize taking them out first?"
"No, I’ve considered that, but I’m not going to do it this time. If we’re not careful, we’ll just end up whittling each other down. I’d rather avoid that. If we engage, we should aim for a quick exchange and then retreat. Let’s aim to conserve our strength until the very end. Since we’re already outnumbered, we should avoid unnecessary attrition."
"Understood. That makes sense."
Taiki accepted my strategy without a hint of opposition. I suppose that, given his age, I might have expected him to want to charge in headfirst, but perhaps his various experiences in this world have taught him not to run blindly into danger. Still, Yuki’s wives are all formidable in their own right...
"Another thing that bothers me is why Hifi is participating. With Nonoa from the Magic Kingdom, and Princess Bitz—no, Terutora—in tow."
Indeed, for some reason, Hifi and her team are participating as well. I had assumed Hifi would be teaming up with me, but I suppose they have their own reasons. Besides, if she were with me, it wouldn't exactly be a fair contest.
"Right? It seems Terutora is strictly there for support, and that Bitz is the one insisting on fighting with a gun. Apparently, even Airi and Soel are helping them train."
"It seems Bitz is getting along surprisingly well with your wives, Taiki."
"It’s strange, isn't it? She used to be an incredibly wicked woman."
"Don't say that. People change more than you’d think. Well, some don't, of course. But that unpredictability is what makes life interesting."
"I’m just on edge, waiting for her to show her true colors."
Princess Bitz was once part of the royal family of Ranks, the nation Taiki now governs, and back then, she was known as an incredibly selfish princess. However, according to Terutora, she was merely an ignorant young girl being manipulated by adults for their own convenience. It seems she always had a genuine love for her country and a firm sense of justice; by stimulating those traits and guiding her, they managed to lead her back to the right path.
When I met her, she was certainly a girl who looked out for her own interests, but I didn't feel she was truly evil. I had the impression of a child who simply didn't know any better, so her growth didn't come as a surprise to me. Though, I imagine Taiki and the senior officials of Ranks, who suffered through her antics, might feel differently.
"Well, think of this as a good opportunity to confirm that for yourself. Besides, with Hifi nearby, I doubt things will go south."
"I hope so. I just hope they aren't causing Hifi any trouble."
"Haha, Hifi isn't the type of woman to fold under that kind of pressure. Regardless, we need to formulate a strategy that allows us to stand our ground against them. I want to avoid being eliminated early."
"I completely agree."
Having participated in this game before, we certainly can't afford to lose to beginners like Hifi and her team. With that in mind, we turned our eyes back to the map of the battlefield. The east, west, south, and north, along with the dense cluster of buildings in the center, were clearly marked as areas where weapons and supplies would be plentiful.
"Usually, one would head to one of these five towns to scavenge for supplies, but..."
"Everyone will think the same thing. There are seventeen teams in total, plus the newcomers, Orelia’s team. Assuming an even distribution, we have to assume there will be at least three teams per town."
"But some people will land elsewhere, right? As long as we can gather weapons and tools, even a place like this with four or five houses should suffice."
Taiki pointed to a spot on the map where a few houses stood. He was right; we could likely secure a decent amount of gear there.
"Some teams will likely head to such places to avoid contact with others. The question is, what are we aiming for? Or rather, should we be thinking about how to allocate our points?"
"Points, huh? Yuki really put a lot of thought into that system."
"Indeed. Depending on the points earned this morning, we aren't just participating in the battle royale; we can choose options like increasing our maximum stamina or selecting weapons and tools to bring in from the start."
Yuki’s idea was to have us earn points beforehand, which would then act as a currency to purchase advantages for our deployment. Earning those points by taking on various jobs throughout the morning was the bare minimum requirement for joining the tournament with our team intact.