CH 197.2

Chapter 197.2: Exploration Plan

「Okay everybody, be quiet. I understand your feeling of being separated from the party you’re in until now, but please don’t worry about it. Everyone who has arrived at this place has already proven their strength.」

Instead, the abilities were rather diverse.

「Don’t you all want to move in a group?」

The one asking that question when everyone was busy murmuring to one another was Souma-kun.

He was asking whether all 13 people mentioned above should just move as one party while the rest stayed in the school tower to finish their assigned job. In terms of efficiency, dividing the exploration team into two parties would be for the best, but it was traded with safety.

「Souma-kun, you think it’ll be better for everyone to move together as a team, right?」

「… Nope, I don’t mean it in that way.」

「Then?」

「I just noticed that you could be thinking that we shouldn’t move in a large group.」

「Exactly.」

Just as I expected from someone with 『Hero』 vocation, his intuition was spot on.

I don’t have a sense of danger or crisis avoidance, but I could grasp the situation with reasoning.

「This dungeon, each area seems to have its own level of difficulty.」

I made this hypothesis in accordance with my own experience, Mei-chan’s observation during the time she was separated from me, and the story of the other classmates, whether it was the boss or the mobs, they became more and more powerful to the point of just right to be their opponent. Now that all of us had gathered together in one place, there was a high possibility that there was some sort of system to manage the difficulty level of our dungeon capture.

It might be the will of the god or the plot of the humans of another world, or maybe it was simply a program left behind in this dungeon. Anyway, any kind of action that went against that might invite unnecessary danger.

「That’s why no matter how many of us are gathered in this place, I wanted to restrict the member of the party to less than 10, thus came up with 5 for each party.」

「So you noticed that too huh, Momokawa.」

「Well, I guess everyone else is already pretty much aware of this.」

There was no evidence for this hypothesis, but since everyone was pretty much aware of this matter, they readily agreed with this arrangement.

Naturally, when it came to waging a battle against Yamata no Orochi, we had to give everything we had.

「And that’s how I came up with this team setup, any suggestions?」

「Despite the fact that it looks like a messed up formation, I came up with this team setup after considering our party’s balance.」

First was, naturally, deciding the team leader, the one who would be responsible to lead the team. Both 『Hero』 Souma and Class Rep had fulfilled the condition to lead the party.

「Uhm, excuse me Momokawa-kun, why am I appointed as the vice-captain?」

Why are you look like you’re in heaven, Himeno-san?

I reckon she could be thinking something along the lines of using her position as the vice-captain of Souma-kun’s party to get close to him.

「It’s more like because I expect the vice-captain to act as a healer rather than a team lead.」

「Sakura and Himeno-san are our precious healers after all. Since each of them is going to be deployed as the rear guard of the exploration party in accordance with the degree of difficulties, I expect them to get a better view of the situation from behind.」

I wanted them to give the signal for retreat when they saw that the team was at a disadvantage situation. It would be better if they secured a path of retreat on top of that. Nevertheless, I had low expectations of both Sakura and Himeno-san to be able to deliver that though.

「But I can’t use greater healing magic…」

「That’s why I put you in Souma-kun’s team.」

Himeno-san’s real vocation wasn’t 『Healer』, I had been long since aware of that after my conversation with Yamajun. As a kin, she had almost zero possibility of learning an even greater healing spell.

But still, it didn’t change the fact that her initial skill, 『Lesser Heal』 had an immediate effect.

Himeno-san would have a thin presence as a healer, but that was exactly the reason I put her into Souma-kun’s team.

「Don’t worry, Himeno-san. I’ll protect you.」

「Tha-Thank you… Souma-kun.」

Atta boy, Souma-kun.

「The firepower of your rear guard might be lacking, but the formation of your vanguard is definitely top-notch. This should be enough to beat living-armor-class opponents.」

Excluding the super ace of the first team, Souma-kun, there were three warriors: Nakai, Yamada, and Mari.

The second team had three swordsmen: Kenzaki, Ueda, and Nakajima. But even without Souma-kun, the two strongest versions of Rem, The Dark Knight and Minotaurs would compensate.

That should be enough to balance their war potential.

「Hey, are you sure about appointing me as the captain?」

「Shimokawa-kun can at least lead the hunting team, right?」

「Hey, that’s too sloppy!」

「Don’t worry Shimokawa-kun, I know that you have got the ability to lead, and your binding skill can show its true worth in hunting.」

「Ah, is that so~?」

Even Yamajun had the same evaluation as me, and he literally acted as the party leader after I left their party with Mei-chan.

At least, he was the same as me in regards to his sensitivity to danger and knew when to retreat, definitely a much better choice compared to Natsukawa-san and Nonomiya-san.

In this way, I wanted to nurture Shimokawa’s leadership skills too. There would be no growth if one were only awarded powerful skills.

「But are you really sure about this team setup? Being put in the same team as the one who you can’t trust will literally put us in a predicament.」

「Sakura-chan only said that since I didn’t put her in the same team as her beloved onii-chan, there’s a limit to your selfishness you know, Sakura-chan?」

「I’m serious here, Momokawa!」

What the heck is wrong with this person, I went as far as admonishing you gently like a child. Even if you don’t say tha— Ah, can you please stop glaring daggers at me, Class Rep? Rather, it sounds like I’m selling a fight…

「I understand your sentiment, Sakura, but we’re going to fight alongside them after this. They’re our comrade-in-arms.」

「It’s not like he’s asking you to get along in private, but all of us will be in danger if we can’t cooperate with our comrades during the battle.」

One could never tell what would happen in the dungeon nor predict the boss’ behaviour. And one couldn’t always fight in the same team.

「Moreover, we’ve to split into a few teams when fighting Yamata no Orochi.」

「And this team formation is exactly for that reason. You have to get used to it even if you’re unwilling.」

「Uhm, is Takanashi-san house-sitting also a part of that plan? What about Tendou-kun who always lazes?」

「Enough, Sakura. No matter how much you hate it, you still have to use your healing spell when we need it.」

「Do you really think I’m such a petty person who will cut corners when someone else’s life is in jeopardy?」

Bi*ch, you already have a record of not using your healing power even once when Mei-chan fought those gogma.

「That’s enough, Momokawa-kun.」

「I have yet to say something.」

「The only way to nurture mutual trust is by fighting together as much as possible.」

「Haah… Whatever! It’s just as Ryoko had said, we won’t understand unless we show it via action.」

Is this what you call a karma? I mean, Sakura-chan’s evaluation of me is really that low.

「Momokawa-kun.」

「I have nothing to say.」

Could it be that Class Rep had secretly learnt telepathic skills? Sending only a warning isn’t that romantic though.

「Anyhow, we’ll try to fight with this team setup for the time being. Since this isn’t a fixed thing, I might make some changes along the way, but the point is, everyone has to try to get along with the each other.」

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