第１７０５堀：彼女たちに足りない物 (Part1)
The 1705th Pit: What They Lack
What They Lack
Side: Yuki
Regarding Holy's combat and coordination training, honestly…
"It's… not great. But then again, expecting results on the first day is probably asking too much."
"Indeed. First, it's important for them to grasp how well they can move. And Orelia and the others have finally understood Yuki-sama's true power, so in that sense, there were results."
"Ah, that's true. Due to various circumstances, I never had a direct confrontation with Orelia and the others."
As I discussed this with Prof, I glanced sideways. Orelia and the others sat on a bench, looking battered, with Lyusi tending to their wounds beside them. Holy, of course, was also there. Vilia, on the other hand, seemed only slightly tired. Her match against me was full-throttle, but facing Orelia and the others likely wasn't much of a challenge for her. Well, her primary role is usually assisting me with duties and negotiations.
By the way, Orelia and the others not only faced Holy and Vilia but also fought against Prof and me, and were thoroughly thrashed. However, unlike Holy, they weren't completely helpless; they managed to devise strategies and attempt actions, which was an improvement.
"So, the main topic isn't Orelia and the others, but Holy's weapons and tools. Agil, what did you find?"
Yes, today's combat coordination training was also for selecting the tools Holy could use. We planned to continue training with them starting tomorrow, so "I don't know" wouldn't do.
"Let's see~. Holy, she's surprisingly a fist-type fighter, isn't she? She tried using weapons, but her best movements were with her fists, or rather, a martial arts fighting style suits her best~."
"Well, she does fight by donning a monster's body. Besides, weapons require maintenance and production, so considering Holy's objective, there's little point in using them. After all, it's monsters that fight."
"When you put it that way, you're right. She's not arming monsters like Yuki does."
"My subordinates there seemed to be naturally occurring ones that I brought under my command. As for weapons and armor, they probably reuse captured ones, don't they?"
"In that case, it really points towards not needing weapons. Then, accessories that are less likely to break and armor to protect her life would be the main focus. For her fists… if Holy is in human form, perhaps gloves?"
"Well, for weapons, that would be best."
Giving her unfamiliar weapons would be dangerous, if anything. There's also the possibility of them falling into enemy hands. In that case, the enemy might just vanish. The weapons Narjia creates are of that caliber.
"However, Yuki-sama. Wouldn't appearing empty-handed at a glance invite underestimation?"
"Ah, you mean if the person we're negotiating with isn't armed?"
"Yes. While it might be different with someone who knows us, the plan is to negotiate after being summoned, isn't it? And she's a woman, a beautiful one at that."
"So, visibly obvious armament is necessary, then."
"I believe so."
There's a point to that. I don't know what purpose they're being summoned for, but they'll certainly be observed by the summoner. That observation will largely determine their attitude. If they appear weak, the summoner will be aggressive; if strong, they'll be cautious and humble. In that case, the latter is preferable. If they're underestimated, our demands won't be heard, and they won't even listen to us. While letting Holy and Vilia demonstrate their power after being underestimated is an option, I don't particularly want to increase casualties, and as for subjugating the summoner and placing them under our command, given Weed's forces, I absolutely want to avoid that. So, caution is the most reasonable approach.
"Holy. While fighting unarmed suits you best, we've concluded that you'll need a visible weapon for negotiations. What kind of weapon would you prefer?"
"…A weapon? Even if I use such a thing, it won't even graze Yuki."
"Listen to me. This is about the place you're abducted to. There's a chance the opponent won't understand 'strong with fists,' and in that case, you'll be underestimated. That would lead to repeated battles, which would be a hassle."
"Oh, I see."
"So, what kind of weapon?"
When I asked Holy for her weapon request again, after a moment of thought, she replied…
"Then, how about a giant iron club?"
"Why a club?"
Her utterly unexpected request made me tilt my head and ask for her reasoning. Holy's strength could certainly wield it, but it didn't seem to suit her. She's a brawler, prioritizing speed. A heavy, blunt weapon focused on attack power, the opposite of speed, was contrary to Holy's style.
"With my strength, a slight drop in speed isn't a problem. Except against you, Yuki, and the others."
"Well, that's true."
Against us, a speed reduction would be fatal, but against weaker opponents, it would be an unavoidable blow. So, the problem is… there isn't one? Though it's not guaranteed that there won't be individuals stronger than us at the summoning destination.
"Besides, I can just let go of it if need be, and most importantly, it's obvious from its appearance, isn't it? 'She can wield this?'"
"Ah, that's true."
Whether it would be useful in combat depends on the situation, but it would be a weapon that clearly displays military might for the opponent to see at a glance. After all, if someone effortlessly wields something that no one else could, anyone would be able to gauge their strength. With that in mind, I remembered something and proposed it to Vilia.
"Vilia, should you do the same? Like Hiiro?"
"Hiiro? Ah, a greatshield?"
"Exactly. Hiiro uses that to gain weight, you see."
Hiiro is the smallest among the members. This means her body weight is incredibly light. In a direct push, the difference in body weight inevitably shows. So, she equips a heavy greatshield to compensate for that weight difference and to intimidate enemies. Hiiro looks like a cute child, after all. This was my suggestion for Vilia to emulate. Vilia is taller than Hiiro, but she's still just a beautiful girl. From an adult's perspective, she would likely be considered one of the physically weaker ones.
"Hmm, I usually fight with a two-handed spear, but if I carry a greatshield, it would be a one-handed spear, and my fighting style would be completely different…"
"That's precisely right."
A two-handed spear is used to freely swing and defeat enemies, while a spear and shield user holds the shield forward to receive enemy attacks while poking with the spear. I wouldn't say it's bad, but it's a defensive approach.
"Against you, Big Brother, even holding a shield could be a disadvantage."
"Ah, I agree with that too. Against Yuki, a shield or half-baked armor is meaningless. It's better to dodge attacks than to take them."
Agil, who was selecting tools, agreed with Vilia's words. Well, in this world, offensive power is generally higher, so defensive power is kept to the minimum necessary to ensure mobility.
"Nevertheless, I think it's better to have something easily understandable, as Holy-san said. At worst, we can just put it in an item box or discard it, right?"
"Yes, that's fine. Still, do such heavy weapons and armor as we just discussed even exist?"