Chapter 137

: Business and fight
Guys, I know I have said this before, but let me repeat myself here.
I don’t mind you dropping this story, but don’t go publicizing it. It affects me in negative ways, and I am pretty sure that it isn’t doing anything positive to others either, so please just maturely stop reading and don’t go around saying it as if it’s a threat or something.

What’s happening?

The fight hasn’t started yet.
Even so, on my way, I voiced out a question to no one in particular.
–The situation.
The former Ilumgand has swelled to about twice its original size and has turned into a humanoid shaped thing that shines dimly.
The meat ball-looking body has turned into a somewhat slim one now.
Looks like a badly made giant.
And in his hand, he holds the body of one of his fallen teammates.
The damage is terrible and with only a look I can tell that person is dead.
By looking at the monster’s mouth, I can tell what happened to a certain extent.

That thing moved. When he was having a meal, the students came to stop him. And that’s how this situation came to be
(Makoto)
Without any hesitation, it eats people.
I think that the will of Ilumgand is already gone.
He is not making any strange noises. Maybe he was given an order of some sort, or he is just moving by his own instincts of violence? This is still unknown.
Jin and the others are standing on the stage where Ilumgand is and taking a battle stance.
It may be slight, but I can feel hesitation, or more like bewilderment, from everyone there.
They probably felt an emotion similar to fear after seeing Ilumgand eat a teammate, in other words, a comrade that attends the same school.

Is the Academy not sending out help?
(Makoto)

They are coming out just now
(Shiki)
Shiki answers me.
After his words, a group of purple clothed people come out from the corridor connecting to the waiting room.
What a taste.
Purple.
The group of around ten, point their staffs at the back of the giant and begin their arias.
Their numbers are few, but maybe they have good skills?
Or is the damage to other places bigger than expected and they can’t circulate that many people?
Let’s entrust Tomoe that aspect.

Tomoe, I want you to go grasp the damage around the town and report it to me. I don’t mind if it’s an outline only. Can you do it?
(Makoto)

Leave it to me
(Tomoe)
The fight begun.
Jin and the others are still in alert mode without participating.
They are waiting and seeing.
It seems those purple guys haven’t suddenly told them to fight, so they are just prioritizing observation.
In the purple group they are all magicians.
They have staffs equipped and they are also doing magic arias, so there should be no mistake.
… Such bad balance.

Shiki, help out
(Tomoe)

Understood
(Shiki)
Shiki nods at Tomoe’s no-questions-asked order to assist her.
Shiki’s forte is earth element.
Both wind and earth are good for surveying.
If both of them cooperate, we will be able to confirm the situation in a rather fast fashion.
I sit and rest my chin on one hand.
Looking at the progress of the battle, I once again think of the method I should take.

Ara ara, magicians getting so close. What are they even thinking?
(Mio)
Mio is blunt about the situation.
The fighting force of the Academy shouldn’t be only this.
Honestly speaking, this Academy Town is a land with no battle experience.
There’s no fights, so there’s even rumors saying that expenses on defense are being placed on other areas.
Even so, they should have the fighting power of a tiger cub at the very least.
Especially in the school festival when powers of different countries visit.
They should have them prepared just in case.
The visitors coming here should have their guards and a bit of fighting power with them to protect themselves.
The problem is if that will be enough.
If that’s not enough, we would have to step in for sure.
If we step in, the negotiation with the demon race will be more difficult.

That’s interesting-desu wa. That monster. From the 4 basic elements, he is nullifying 3 of them. For something that’s practically a hyuman mix failure, it is pretty well made. Is that a byproduct, or was this an expected effect?
(Mio)
Hmm.
Hearing the words of Mio, I raise my head.
The 4 basic elements huh.
She refers to the earth, water, fire and wind elements.
Most of the spirits are of those elements and the majority uses it, so that’s how they are called.
Despite its disgusting outward appearance, it is high spec.
When I look, the purple magicians’ side suddenly increased their power.
It was in an instant.
It didn’t seem as if they did anything. Is that kind of strengthening possible?
… Ah.
I noticed what it was about.

The blessing
(Makoto)

It seems so-desu. But to increase only the firepower is not going to help much in this situation. Because everything is attack magic. And to top it off, there’s way too few using the effective element, fire. With that, they will only increase its vigor-desu wa
(Mio)
Mio said so amazed.
The progress of the battle moves as if matching her words.
The magicians released their magic and Ilumgand makes a shattering scream. It didn’t sound as if it was weakening. That was a scream that felt as if it was strengthening.
Ilumgand turns unto the purple group and rushed.
He showed quite the instantaneous power.
Well then.
It looks like the turn of my students won’t be coming for a while.
So, about the way to use this disturbance.
The success of this (don’t know what’s the factor that would state the success of it though) should be important to the demon race to a certain extent.
That must be why Rona didn’t tell me anything and still went into action.
I want Kaleneon, but I can’t overlook this uproar till the end.
In that case, how should I act?
While I absentmindedly~ look at the academy’s fighting force get torn up, I get irritated by my thoughts that are not showing signs of arranging.

Waka, I have a rough grasp of the situation. There seem to be about 50 of those monsters around the whole area. The teleport formations and auxiliary teleport formations are being actively targeted and destroyed . There’s a few at the surrounding towns as well, and they show the same pattern. Also, the thought transmission interference, may be weak at the moment, but it looks like it is just the beginning. It may not be visible in Academy Town, but from the surrounding towns, it feels like they are slowly closing the circle
(Tomoe)
Tomoe, that was fast.
And you even grasped the situation on the surrounding towns as well.
What terrifying people.

I see. And the battle situation?
(Makoto)

Not good. Maybe they were more accustomed to peace than expected. They haven’t been able to defeat a single one yet. It seems they are doing well in holding back one of the monsters that is heading to the Academy’s internal teleport formation, but the other places have received a lot of damage
(Shiki)
Ara ra.
I see. They are having it rough.
If it’s not only this one but all the ones out there that have this magic negation or whatever it is, it may be a difficult opponent for students and magicians.
It might collapse the notions of the academy.
Well, no surprise.
This place has been nothing but peaceful after all.
Compared to Tsige and the base, this place is practically tensionless.
Hearing Shiki’s report, I have understood that the situation will turn bad if we don’t join in to suppress it.

Waka-sama, those guys have been wiped-out-desu wa
(Mio)
Oh.
Mio notifies me about their wipe-out with a sigh mixed in.
For the purple guys to serve as a meal only… just how weak can they be?

Jin and the others didn’t assist?
(Makoto)

They did, but their way of fighting was no good-desu wa ne. They didn’t move like they did in the matches
(Mio)
How unusual.
From the reports I have received from Eris, I have heard that they are able to properly move when they fight mamonos.
Can’t be helped. It seems they need instructions.
Now that I think about it, when I was pushed into actual site training by Sensei, I was clumsy until I got used to it.
They are students as well. Even if their body doesn’t move as they want to, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
Well, it would be no good if they end up dying because of that, but right now I am here with them.

Geez. My evaluation of them had gone a bit higher, and soon after, they show such a sad behavior
(Mio)
Uh, it feels like I am the one receiving those words.

Shiki, didn’t you pamper them way too much? To use your forte element in only one kind of way, that’s the pattern of hyumans. You should properly teach them how to have a wider field of vision like the time they were fighting in the team battles
(Mio)
How strict Mio.
Why is it? I feel like all her scolding is stabbing at me.
Ah, I am the type that can only do one thing.
Also, I am the type that misses whenever I am under pressure.
I can do this kind of fights easily, but when it comes to negotiations and business, I immediately show my true self… Mh?

… Eh?

Use your forte with a wider field of vision…
My forte…
Magic power and defense. Also, the speaking ability.
I have used my speaking ability to make it shine in different aspects, but what about my fighting power?
I hate threatening with brute strength so I don’t do it, but aren’t there many other ways to use it aside from that?
In business, at work, in dignified things, I thought I had to do it fair and square.
In basis, it hasn’t changed even now, and that’s why I haven’t gone for the power-type of merchandize.
Because if I were to put fighting power as merchandize, what’s optimum for us would be to turn into a mercenary group. We are already using Asora, so that system would be way too much of an advantage for the merchants.
To exchange lives for money feels slightly wrong for me, so that’s mostly the reason why I don’t do it but…
Then, what would be fair and square?
I feel like something meshes here…
Violence is also one of the cards I hold.
No, I wouldn’t be actively threatening.
But to be concerned about something that I wouldn’t be using constantly is… pointless?
If our surroundings get even if only an impression that we are a group that possesses diverse abilities aside from business, they will obviously see us as a threat.
Using the backing of the country, they place pressure on other merchants.
They use the position they have built up as an advantage against newcomers.
I do think that that’s an obvious business technique.
Then, to put your assets to a different use, isn’t that something similar?
Personal connections, assets, power; that’s the power of those guys.
To use your all to challenge something isn’t strange.
Isn’t it even stranger to exclude strength?
It is true that it might not be good for your image, but there’s other ways of using strength aside from hurting someone.
Right. For example: in a situation where there’s a threat that uses the same strength to cause damage?
I look at the guest seats.
I still see quite a few people there.
The academy head is probably there as well, using thought transmission to relay orders.
Seeing his own fighting force defeated so easily must have affected his spirit.
… Yeah.
Let’s try it out.

Waka-sama, what’s wrong? Looks like your students are going to be fighting
(Mio)

… Mio, and also Shiki. Please give instructions to Jin and the others. If they are about to be wiped-out, assisting them is also fine
(Makoto)

Eh?


Hah?


N, you didn’t hear me?
(Makoto)

No, that’s not it! Understood!
(Mio)

Your orders have been received. I will instruct them to my best and have them gain experience
(Shiki)
I ask them again and Mio and Shiki run forward.
After reaching the inner part of the audience seats where the railing is, they jump down to the center of the tournament grounds, onto the stage.
There’s also the promise I made with Rembrandt-san.
I will not let a single one of my students die.
Also, just like his wife said: ‘Experiencing the feeling of being almost killed will surely serve them well in the future’.
Not like the surprise attack of the low-grade dragon. There’s surely a different meaning in fighting an upfront fight.
Well, since the time I came to this world, fights were mostly easy for me, so I am not in a position to say that though.

Tomoe, come with me
(Makoto)

As you will. It seems you have decided on what to do
(Tomoe)

Yeah. For now, I will protect this town behind-the-scenes. Please have Lime and Mondo move. It is fine to have them rescue the residents. If the situation has not subsided after that, you can freely decide to suppress it. And while at it, capture one or two as samples and send them to Asora. I will leave the details of the orders to you
(Makoto)

Let me confirm this, it is fine for me to enter the scene whenever I find it appropriate?
(Tomoe)

Yeah, I leave it to you. I will give you the details after this place is fully under control
(Makoto)

As you will. And then, where are we going now?
(Tomoe)

We are going to help the people that are at the guest side. In this part, we will act as heroes of justice
(Makoto)

… I see. You are not going for the residents, but for the people that have posts in the countries
(Tomoe)

… I will leave that to your imagination
(Makoto)
Tomoe probably knows everything I am thinking of.
If I want the guests to escape to a safe place, having Tomoe would be the best choice.
I am a merchant, and she is my escort and close aide.
If I want them to look at Kuzunoha Company, it is easier to show them Tomoe and Mio.
My thinking is still shallow, but Tomoe abides to it.
It may be rough, but I am grateful.
My thinking is simple.
Carrot and stick.
Aid and intimidate.
The thing that’s fine for us to do when utilizing strength.
I have begun to think that the things we can do are actually many.
I feel like my field of vision has increased in an instant.
It may be rude to use the guests that are probably scared as my first testers.
Doing something like this, will it leave a good impression?
It is indeed an extremely simple idea.
I head to the guest seats with feelings as if challenging a test after studying all night.