Chapter 39

Alice, the Grace siblings, and Charlotte were all sporting firearms, and I had mixed feelings about it.

One of the JRPG features is that you can’t just switch your weapons whenever you want.

It doesn’t mean you can’t swap weapons like in an FPS. Each character is limited to certain weapon types, so basically, you can’t equip anything that’s not for your character.

There are probably various reasons for this. Maybe to save resources, fewer motions and skills to create, or to avoid confusing party members with their weapon choices.

For whatever reason, in the original game, it was impossible for characters to equip various gear, especially gear they weren’t originally allowed to wear.

Well, if it were the ‘original,’ this type of battle would have been impossible altogether.

You can’t just create a real battlefield in a playground. You can’t just dig trenches in a playground, after all.

So, in the end, the only obstacle we had were some sandbags stacked slightly higher than us. It felt pretty awkward to call it a ‘real battlefield’… but, hey, if the instructor insists, what can we do?

In the game, it’s turn-based, and even if you get shot by a gun, it just knocks down your HP—it’s not instant death. Sure, it was pretty detached from reality, but that’s just how JRPGs roll.

But… just like you can give a sword-wielding character a gun, here it’s different.

Jennifer was up on the platform, looking down at us.

She seemed to have climbed up to tell us who got shot.

…There were forty-five people in total, myself included. Is that okay? It didn’t matter in a turn-based game, but…

Well, the instructor would handle this, I decided not to worry.

“First, I’ll provide cover while you run. Make sure to run in a zigzag pattern, as fast as you can. If you don’t, it’s instant death.”

“……”

Everyone nodded.

There were very few in the noble class who were skilled in handling firearms. And I was one of those few. Because of that, it seemed they all trusted me somewhat.

In fact, the battle had already begun earlier.

But no one was thinking about going outside. The first person to poke their head out would get eliminated.

Still, I wasn’t particularly worried.

“……Is it okay if I don’t go out?”

Alice, who was lying next to me, asked like that.

“It’s fine.”

I replied.

It’s really fine. The reason being—

*Boom!*

—those fools.

The game doesn’t automatically flow from just one person’s perspective. Sometimes, the camera moves from the viewpoint of side characters or extras.

And I knew there were idiots charging in like that. That much was depicted in the game.

Kids who think standing behind the defense line is ‘not glorious.’

In truth, the only reason they can rush out here is that they judge this isn’t a real battlefield. After all, they can’t really die. It’s their way of showing their version of ‘glory.’

That doesn’t mean they’re completely dumb; they won’t just charge straight in.

*Bang!*

Alice flinched as the sound filled the playground, her shoulders shaking. Her eyes widened in surprise.

It was way quieter than actual gunfire. They probably used much less gunpowder. You can’t let the barrel explode after all.

But still, there was enough gunpowder to make some noise. A tiny hole was drilled at the end of the barrel just in case.

If someone gets hurt, it’d be just a little burn.

“Mackenzie, eliminated!”

…Well, that was a quick exit.

“It’s a blank shot. No need to worry too much.”

I said that and slightly lifted myself from my position.

It was dangerous, but I had to be careful not to stand out too much.

And then—

*Bang!*

There was a loud sound from the rifle in my hands. The buttstock lightly hit my shoulder.

“James, eliminated!”

A commoner who was peeking out from behind the sandbags stood up and fell back.

*Bang!*

“Sylvia, eliminated!”

Right, so you pop out from there?

I remembered where the gunfire had come from.

Again.

*Bang! Clank. Bang!*

Two shots. Each one hit someone.

“Sylvia, eliminated!”

But then the bullets started flying in a row. Once the gunfire began, the kids from Group B started firing back en masse, and the battlefield turned chaotic in an instant. Jennifer was rapidly calling out the names of the eliminated, and dropouts started falling behind the fake trenches.

I remembered all the spots where I had poked my head out.

Again.

“Covering fire! Run!”

As I said that, I fired continuously.

*Bang!*

Before I could check if I hit, I quickly pulled the bolt back, turning my aim to another direction, firing again without hesitation.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice leap over the sandbags. In her left hand, she held a double-barrel shotgun; in her right hand, a sword, and she sprinted at full speed.

Alice’s speed was much faster than I expected. Running in a zigzag as I told her to, the commoners had a hard time hitting her.

But—

*Bang!*

“Alice, eliminated!”

Just because it was hard to hit didn’t mean they couldn’t hit her at all.

Alice turned to look at me with a somewhat empty expression—

Again!

The Ergensen rifle has five rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Unlike other rifles that are loaded with a clip, it has a bit of a hassle with the side-loading magazine, which involves opening the side and inserting five bullets before closing it, making it rather cumbersome, requiring a large movement of both the rifle and my hand.

There’s a speed loader, but since the bullets are just ‘slipped in,’ it’s less stable than bolt-action rifles that ensure the bullets are inserted properly.

However, if you get used to it, it can be possible to load bullets quickly by slipping them in.

If there had been many people around here who could handle a rifle precisely, I would have fought by reloading as well—

“Charlotte, eliminated!”

Unfortunately, no one on our team was good enough to handle a rifle like that.

Even though we were pushed back a bit with so many easier targets, still, bullets were coming our way.

However, we were getting better.

I had stored several Ergensen rifles. I had known this situation would happen from the beginning. The doctrine of “In battle, whatever preparations you make is up to the individual’s judgment,” espoused by Jennifer, held true, and even if I had laid out several rifles behind the sandbags, Jennifer didn’t say anything unusual.

…One problem was that it would be better to have a few riflemen with six-shot rifles instead.

Ah, for real, this is unbearable.

At least I succeeded at getting it close enough. The problem is when I get there and get eliminated.

“Once you’re close enough, you can use firearms if you want. Just aim the muzzle and shoot.”

I had said that before the battle—

“Eliminated!”

In the end, I was only able to take out a few more, but still eliminated.

“……”

In the original, that scene transitioned to an event scene.

The issue is that the one using magic in that scene was Crowfield.

With my team members wiped out, I looked to the side.

Mia Crowfield was still behind the sandbags.

She was gripping a magic staff tightly in her hands. It seems she ended up alone because everyone else had charged in recklessly.

Hmm.

Well, should I at least give it a try?

Again.

Before handing out shotguns to my teammates, I stood up and confidently walked over to where the other nobles had gathered.

“Sylvia?”

Alice seemed startled, calling out my name as I walked toward Mia Crowfield, but I continued on confidently to where she was.

As if I hadn’t done anything wrong at all.

Even if I got awkwardly rejected, I’d just rewind time anyway.

I had already told Mia Crowfield the truth once. I’m not the sort to shy away from making a suggestion.

The nobles gathered around Mia Crowfield moved aside for me. The title of Crown Princess, even if only in name, does come in handy.

When Mia Crowfield turned around upon hearing me approach, she flinched and took a step back.

“Crowfield young lady.”

I spoke to her directly.

“Ah, um, why, why are you…?”

When I had seen her in the student council room, Mia Crowfield hadn’t been able to hide her hostility, but now she wasn’t showing any of that.

The hostility she showed in front of me was likely just her emotions getting the best of her. She had probably looked at me directly and let her animosity show for a moment.

But I didn’t react in any way.

Mia probably wouldn’t think of it as a mistake.

….It didn’t really matter if she outright hated me. Anyway, Mia Crowfield said that if I joined the student council, she would as well. If I showed a gap, she would try to exploit it somehow—whether trying to take me out or get rid of me. The chances of success are slim, though.

I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about my lack of reaction, but at the very least, Mia Crowfield was attempting to stay close to me.

While that was separate from her wanting to help, there was still a possibility, so I decided to make a proposal.

“Our side needs your help. Could you possibly assist us?”

My words made the students hold their breath.

…Is it that unusual for me to say something like this?

It certainly might come off as odd. I had never asked the students for any favor before. I was trying to maintain an image of being a cool beauty… the kind who doesn’t need any help.

But right now, I needed that help.

In the original, the protagonist’s party relied on Crowfield’s assistance to navigate this situation.

To be honest, it wasn’t about performance but rather about ‘recreating an event.’ At this point, the ability to create that event would likely fall within Crowfield’s capabilities.

“Help…?”

Did my offer seem too brazen? Mia Crowfield stared at me with wide eyes.

Though her bangs were long, overall, her demeanor gave off the vibe of a cute junior character.

In the original, Leo was without me or Claire. There were various reasons Leo interacted with other characters. He got involved with Alice and then with Crowfield, who wanted to watch Alice…

Truth be told, at this point, Mia Crowfield should have been part of Leo’s party.

With me around and Claire alongside us, it created a little twist where Leo ended up with a party somewhat different from his regular one.

So, by Mia Crowfield’s assistance disappearing from this event, it meant we couldn’t fight properly.

“……”

At my words, Mia Crowfield briefly fell into thought. The gazes of those around us were focused on this side, but I ignored them and continued looking at Mia.

Would she refuse me? Would she delight in my failure? That expression earlier didn’t show any signs of that, but perhaps she’d just been alone, lacking confidence.

“…What kind of help do you need?”

Finally, Mia Crowfield asked me that.

“I need light.”

I explained succinctly.

In the original, it was an idea that Mia Crowfield had come up with herself, but since it was the same timing as in the original, Leo would likely have already been eliminated by now.

“I want to create the strongest light possible, but could that be done?”