Maou Gun Saikyou no Majutsushi wa Ningen datta Chapter 31

After reading a letter delivered to us waiting in the anteroom, Sefiro abruptly opened her mouth and spoke as such.

“The duel method has been decided.”
“A 1 vs 1 match?”

I ask.

“That could never happen.”
“No, usually duels are like that right.”

Would that eccentric, odd Dairokuten-sama decide the match with such a simple method?”

Sefiro a.s.serts as such, and starts to explain the duel method.

“The duel method is a 50 vs 50 mock bout. It will continue until either is completely destroyed, or is unable to battle.”

“50 vs 50?”

“Correct.”

“That’s rare huh. A group fight……”

Fumu, I tilt my head, as expected of Maou-sama. Truly an eccentric.

“Which means, we to search for competent demons from every brigade, right. Currently, in our brigade there are 8 brigade commanders. From among them we have to pick powerful people––––”

When I called to mind the remaining brigade commanders, Sefiro stopped that.

“No, there’s no need for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maou-sama will prepare the people for the duel.”
“Which means?”

“Apparently, Maou-sama wants to ascertain which side, Besteo or I, has caliber as a commander.”

“I see, that’s why the fighting soldiers are being prepared by Maou-sama right.”
“She wants to genuinely test our caliber as commanding officers I suppose.”

Sefiro declares as such.

“Which means, Commander’s and Besteo’s ability as commanding officers will be tested huh……”

I muttered, but when Sefiro heard that,
“KaKaKa!”
raises here usual laughter.

“……what’s funny?”

––––no, I’ve mostly guessed it though.

“Actually, this time’s match it’s been decided that it’s fine for the commanders not to partic.i.p.ate.”

“In other words, it’s fine to raise a proxy?”

“Exactly.”

Sefrio immediately answers.

“No, but, the commander’s head hangs on this duel. Wouldn’t it be better to contend yourself?”

It’s not like the commander to entrust your own life to others, I add on.

“Ike, you know that I’m a calculating woman right.”

“……yea, since I was a child, it’s made a deep impression in me, all the way to

my bones.

“Then you understand right. That I bet on the profitable side.”

“In other words?”

“As always you’re an airhead huh. That is, this is what I mean. Caliber as a commanding officer, you’ve surpa.s.sed me long ago, is what I mean.”

“……the point is that I’ll take command as proxy, is what you mean?”

“What is it, that face? Someone like me still has a ways to go, kind of face.”

“……that’s exactly right. There’s no way someone like me is above commander. I’m just a brat who has only lived a few decades. Exceeding commander who’s lived a few hundred years––––”

In a panic I stop speaking.
Since speaking of subjects related to age in front of Sefiro is taboo.

Sure enough Sefiro knit her brows, but purposely not touching on it I finished like this.

“However, you’re not mistaken. As a [Commanding Officer] you’re better, but as a [Commander] I’m still better.”

As Sefiro declares that, she pushes out her large chest proudly.
Irrelevant to age, these kind of points are childish.

For appearances the young Maou seems more adult.

Mischievous, childish, sore loser, rough use of people, eccentric, as a superior she’s the worst, but as an [Onee-san] that I’ve know since I was a child I didn’t hate her.

Rather I like her.

“Now then, in order to save that [Onee-san] shall I pitch in and help.”

I utter within my mind so that she won’t hear, and immediately decided to think of a sure fire way to win this time’s duel.

†

The duel’s appointed day is exactly one month later, hosted in the duel s.p.a.ce in Maou Castle Duvallberg.

The rule is a 50 vs 50 group battle.

The proxy commanding officer takes command, but directly partic.i.p.ating in combat is not possible.

It seems that only that person’s capability as commanding officer will be a.s.sessed.

The partic.i.p.ating soldiers in the group battle are called [Puppet Soldiers], and are magic creatures created from mud.

They move

move completely as the pract.i.tioner thinks, so there’s no difference in ability.
In short it’s a game held under the basis of complete fairness.

No, Sefiro’s life is on the line, challenging it with a feeling of a game is dangerous.
I have to move with the intention to win without fail.

When I returned to my own territory Ivalice, I had Sati the maid bring me black tea.

I’m actually of the coffee faction, but it seems there’s no coffee in this world, so I can only compromise with black tea.

Is compromise rude?
The black tea Sati put sincerity into brewing is considerably delicious.

While I enjoyed the fragrance of the black tea, I taste it and spoke to Sati.

“By the way Sati, do you know of a method to win a match absolutely?”

Sati while making a puzzled face answers back.

“……I don’t know.”
“Well, that’s true.”

If there was such a thing I wouldn’t suffer.

In the first place I didn’t think I could draw out that answer from Sati.
However, this child is considerably clever, occasionally she’ll strangely hit the heart of the matter.

That’s why like hitting something against a wall, I consult with her.

Even if I don’t receive the answer itself, it might become a hint to reach the correct answer.

“Then, for example, lets see. Sati tries to fight with a girl of the same age, and same stature. How would you fight?”

“……I do not want to fight.”

“……that’s Sati like. But that’s no good. It’s on the a.s.sumption that you will fight. As well as condition of winning.”

When Sati hears that question, “……uun” crosses her arms and worries.
As she repeats the same words for a while, it seems she reached a certain conclusion.

“I hold a broom and fight. Then, ei! like that I strike the opponent.”

“That’s a pretty good answer. The foundation of tactics is to strike from a distance farther than the opponent.

the opponent. A sword over a dagger, a spear over a sword, a long spear over a spear, a bow over a long spear, a long bow over a bow; striking from outside the opponent’s reach is overwhelmingly superior.”

If you can slip into the bosom, that is.

“Fumu.”

I talk to myself.

“Then as I thought, the puppet soldiers should hold bows.”

An appropriate consideration.

Have 20 puppet soldiers hold bows, 20 spears, and the reaming 10 swords, is reasonable I suppose.

While restraining the enemy soldiers with spears, attack from a distance with bows, have the puppet soldiers holding swords run in and overrun the opponent when they see an opening, that might be the best strategy.

“……no.”

But, I’m sure the opponent is thinking the same thing right.
The opponent is the Maou Army Corps’ 3rd Army Corps Commander.
He’s not an opponent that’s fine to underestimate.
If I challenge him with the same strategy then there’s the possibility to lose.
Then I have surpa.s.s the opponent.
I rack my brains.

“Uun, something to surpa.s.s the bow huh……”

“……superior to the bow is it? The lord of a.r.s.enum said that the bow gun is amazing.”

“The bow gun is perfect for being held by soldiers with no training acc.u.mulated. The bow is unexpectedly a troublesome weapon see, if you don’t acc.u.mulate considerable training then you won’t be able to properly operate it. On that point, even if you pa.s.s the bow gun to a farmer with no training, they’ll be able to use it to a certain extent. However, the problem is that rapid fire is unusable. ……n?”

I react to my own words reflexively.
Even farmers with no training will be able to fight to a certain extent, huh––––.
In addition I recall the conversation with Sati just before as well.
The best tactic is to attack from outside the range of the enemy’s range.
The reason is if you do that, you do that, then you won’t receive a counterattack after all.
When I combine those and think, a glimpse of the best weapon naturally came into view.
I say that weapon’s name.

“I see! It’s fine if I make a gun!”

Was she surprised at the loud voice, or perhaps surprised at the unfamiliar word, Sati made a surprised expression.

“……gun is it?”
“That’s right, yea. It’s fine if I make a gun.”

“……Sati doesn’t know of it, but is that gun strong?”

“It’s not about being strong. Even if the opponent is wearing armor it’s no problem, it’s possible to strike from some hundred meters ahead, if it strikes the torso or head, then they’ll in one shot. No, just with hitting their arms and legs they’ll be dying. If they don’t receive decent treatment, then they’ll die of infection.”

“……that’s a scary weapon.”

Sati becomes frightened. She’s really a timid girl.
She timidly asks.

“However, Goshujin-sama, how do you make that thing called a gun? Sati doesn’t know the particulars, but I’ve never heard of such a weapon being in this country.”

Well, in this country, I mean, in this world, is correct,but there’s no need to speak at length.

She knows that I’m a human, but doesn’t know that I hold memories of my previous world.

It’s troublesome so I purposely didn’t explain, but anyway, if it’s about the method of making a gun, then I have an idea.

I explain that.

“I’ve said it before, but our 7th Army Corps Brigade Commander’s Commander is an alchemist enough that mad is placed in front.”

“She’s not a witch?”

“Her race is witch, but essentially she’s an alchemist.”

You could also say scientist, machine otaku.
If it’s Sefiro, then she’ll easily be able to construct at least a gun.

Full of confidence,
“There’s nothing impossible for me!”
like that she should declare that.

While imagining Sefiro’s expression declaring as such, I head to her castle, Barencelle.