第１１８０堀：魔女っ子チーム (Part1)
Chapter 1180: The Magical Girl Team
Side: Cleena
"Fufu... It’s been a while since I’ve been able to move my body like this. I’m feeling quite motivated."
"That’s unexpected. I had assumed you preferred reading books, Cleena."
"Nn, I won’t deny that. But when you’re carrying a baby, you have to be careful. That’s why I’m looking forward to this event."
"Indeed. It’s difficult to be carefree when you’re carrying Yuki-sama’s child. It’s a relief to be able to set those worries aside for a little while."
"Even so, you two mustn't overdo it, alright? Though, I suppose if anything happens, you’ll be forcibly withdrawn anyway."
As she says this, Sasari pours tea for us.
"Thank you, Sasari. And I’m glad you decided to join our team."
"That is true. I had always thought of you as the support staff for these kinds of events, Sasari."
Nn, Samantha is right. Sasari usually stays behind to guard our home here at the Weed inn. She rarely participates in events like this. But this time, she joined us.
"I’m here partly to keep an eye on you, Milady, and Cleena-sama, to make sure you don't push yourselves too hard. Though, since Kirue-senpai is participating as well, I suppose I’m here to enjoy myself, too."
"Nn. If you’re enjoying yourself, Sasari, then that’s fine."
"Cleena-san, please don't spoil Sasari too much. This girl is surprisingly free-spirited as it is."
"Oh my, oh my. Milady, what a terrible thing to say. Here I am, working my fingers to the bone every single day..."
"If that’s the case, then you won’t be needing the stock of sweets in your room, will you?"
"Naturally, I need them. What are you talking about?"
Nn, that’s important. A person cannot live without sweets. Ah, right, I need to ask Alfin-san to set some aside for me.
"Nn. I’m glad everyone is in good spirits. But from here on, it’s a strategy meeting. If we’re participating, we want to win. So, we cooperate. We must defeat the other Lancer Magic Academy team."
"Indeed. Even if their rank at the academy is higher, they are newcomers, and they even have a novice princess among them. We cannot afford to lose to them."
"Ahaha. Well, if we fought them head-on, we wouldn't lose, but this battle royale system is bound to invite interference from others. We need to plan for that."
"Nn. I understand. Avoiding combat as much as possible while gathering weapons, tools, and enemy intelligence. That is the best strategy."
"I understand what you’re saying, but that is quite difficult. Especially since we cannot use any of the magic or skills we excel at."
"That’s true. And that is exactly why experienced personnel like myself are so useful in times like these."
"...Sasari, do you really have that much experience with gunfights?"
"Of course not. At most, I dabbled in combat during my days as a knight, so I’m likely on the same level as the rest of you."
"How cruel. Well, I only started using guns after coming to Weed, but as your senior, I believe I can offer some support."
Nn, I think experience is important. Because a pure gunfight is truly an unknown for us. We have trained with guns, yes. But this is our first time in a battle like this. I’ve played games, but I’m anxious about how well I’ll actually perform. We don't have the buffs from our magic or skills. We literally have to rely on our own bodies.
"So, what is your opinion as an 'unmarried older woman' with experience?"
"You’re picking a fight as usual, aren't you? Well, I’ll let it slide this time. But remember this once you’ve given birth, Milady. As for the strategy: let’s throw away the first match. There’s no way we can win it."
"...Why?"
After telling us to leave it to her, she suddenly suggests throwing the first match. I have to ask why she’d say such a thing.
"The first match is clearly just a warm-up. Even if we win, it would be purely by chance. What we need to do is verify if we can handle firearms properly. For example, can you handle a gun you just picked up appropriately?"
"I... I remember it from my skills, and I’ve done some training, so I think I can... but..."
"That’s it, Milady. 'Thinking' you can isn't enough. Samantha-sama—or rather, Madam—and Cleena-sama, do you ever say you 'think' you can use magic?"
"...No. I state with certainty that I can. Failure is impossible. ...Is that what you mean? That we’re in a bad state because of that?"
"Exactly. And unlike in a game, there’s ammunition recovery. That is, reloading. Can you swap to a full magazine immediately after firing like that?"
"...I cannot. And after that magazine is empty..."
"Reloading by hand? ...That’s surprisingly difficult."
Nn, Sasari made me realize it. Automatic rifles are certainly convenient, but supplying ammunition is a chore.
"We know the structure and operation, certainly, but we’ve always used full cartridges."
"Nn. This battle royale might be harder than I thought."
"It is difficult. If you think it’s like a game, you’ll stumble on the reload and lose. If anything, a revolver-type handgun might be more advantageous in terms of reload speed."
It’s true. A revolver has a low capacity, but you can reload it one bullet at a time. I think that’s definitely faster than removing a magazine, filling it, and reattaching it to the gun.
"So, Sasari, you’re saying we should throw the first match because we need that kind of practice."
"Yes. We can practice loading magazines or setting them here, but it’s hard to say that practicing in a calm environment is the same as reloading on a real battlefield."
"Nn. As Sasari says, you can’t expect to perform as you practiced in your first real battle. But if you can’t do it in practice, you certainly won’t be able to do it in the real thing."
"Exactly. So, first, let’s practice reloading various types of guns, and in the meantime, think about where we should go. Personally, I’d like to do some test-firing with the guns we find."
"We’ll be spotted by other teams. But as I said, knowing the characteristics of the weapons is important."
"Nn. I understand. The guns we practice with might not be the same as the ones that appear on that battlefield. So, practicing with new guns is essential."
"Precisely. However, I want you to be aware that these guns were 'left behind in buildings.' They are likely new, but it wouldn't be strange if some were defective. If we don't discern that, we’ll end up causing our own downfall."
Sasari’s point is well-taken.