BXBX NOVEL Chapter 316: Hidden Talent
Chapter 316: Hidden Talent
At a glance, he looks like he’s on the verge of death, but…this idiot possesses 《Fire Resist》, doesn’t he…? Contrary to his appearance, the damage he suffered is low, so he’s definitely not regretting anything…
If Kanan was here, she’d earnestly insist on stabbing him with Gáe Bolg, I’m sure. But, I’m unwilling to waste precious combat power in light of us facing the enemy soon. I guess I’ll leave the games at this and get on to the main topic.
“I don’t mind explaining it, but…can’t you make a guess?”
“No…not at all…”
“By the way, do any of those present here have an idea?”
I surveyed the subordinates around me. Many of Team J’s members have rather eccentric personalities, and all of them are either former demon kings or humans. It’s possible that one of them might have realized my strategy.
――!
“You over there! Yes, you,” I pointed at a woman who used to be an Elf Demon King.
“M-Me?”
“Yes. Err, if I remember correctly, your name was…”
“10th Calamity. Mao, the 10th Calamity.”
Mao…I turned her into my subordinate around Nanao City, didn’t I? She was a Demon King of a Domain that was a pain to take because of her high resourcefulness. I should have left her in Yataro’s care after making her submit, but at some point she apparently was won over by Saburou’s Team J.
“Mao, I don’t mind if it’s wrong. Try guessing my plan.”
“For a lowly and dumb woman like me to infer of a wise and clever person like you, Shion-sama, is――”
“Drop the preface and get to the point.”
“O-Okay… Forgive me. I have heard that the enemy is currently proceeding through the 11th floor. And you have set the 13th floor as a transfer destination. The answer is to be found with time.”
Hoo… As I thought, this woman is smart.
“Time? What kind of time?”
“The time needed for the cooldown timer of 《Transfer B》 to run out. It has been 72 hours since the foolish humans started their invasion. It is a simple calculation, but if we assume they took six hours of breaks per day, this enemy travels on flour in around five hours…”
Seemingly unsure, Mao kept glancing at me to check my face.
“Go on,” I prompted her to continue.
“O-Okay! I don’t have any means to know where the enemy on the 11th floor is and where this place on the 13th floor is, but…assuming the enemy is currently at the halfway point of the 11th floor and further assuming this is the half point of the 13th floor, the enemy will arrive here in around ten hours. Of course, this is just a guess, so it’s also possible for the enemy to be faster or slower, but…it will be simple for us to adjust by moving ourselves.”
“You’re correct up to this point. Go on.”
“Thank you. In other words, 《Transfer B》 will be available again around the time when the enemy reaches our position.”
By the way, the cooldown timer for 《Transfer B》 is eight hours. The estimated time for the enemy to arrive here is, like Mao guessed, around ten hours. The two hours are a safety margin. And just as Mao guessed, I plan to adjust the time by moving once the cooldown has reset.
“I see! In short, Shion-sama, you have adjusted the time so that we can return right away after repelling the enemy! Nothing less of a great man like you! Even I who was feared for his ingenious strat――”
――《Fire Lance》!
“Haaaaahhnn!!?”
“Sorry, we got interrupted. Or, is your opinion the same as his?”
“…”
――Answer truthfully, Mao!
She probably felt a sense of obligation towards Saburou. Thus I forced her to answer.
“F-From here on, it will truly be a guess…please forgive me for the answer becoming vague. Shion-sama’s objective is most likely to observe the enemy…and to infest them with some sort of poison, I think… This is the limit of what a foolish woman like me can guess. Please…Please forgive me.”
No sooner than all the blood drained from her face, Mao lowered her head deeply.
Her guess was mostly correct. So such an excellent person was lurking in that clown group――Team J?
“Mao.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Is there any unit you wish to join?”
“――Wh-!?”
Saburou opened his mouth widely.
Or rather, Saburou…you should have made Mao your strategist instead of that funny slime…
“I know that it is very presumptuous of me, but…I wish to stay with Team J.”
“Hoh.”
“Team J is like a family for me.”
“――Wha-!? That’s bad…really bad…10th Calamity…I can fully understand your wish of wanting to aim for the position of being my legal wife, but…I have Kanon-tan…and a replacement called Lily――”
――《Fire Lance》!
“Haaaaahhnn!!?”
“Mao, are you really okay with Team J?”
“…U-Umm, yes. We have such a team leader, but he is cherishing us as friends…more than anyone else.”
“Hoh.”
I glanced at the scorched, twitching Saburou.
“Besides, I have been able to display the resourcefulness you noticed in Team J as well. Please allow me to continue serving you in the future through Team J as well.”
So Mao was one of the reasons for the clown team’s success?
“Well, sure. Keep working hard for the Aster Empire.”
“Yes! I swear by heaven and earth to do it!”
Okay, time to wrap up the chatting and get the defenses ready.
I used my smartphone to prepare everything.