Aironi’s Grand Strategy

The four Heroes had devised their plans. They deliberated on three possible approaches.

Plan One, proposed by the Hero: “We’ll use Aironi’s taunt to draw the bulk of the enemy’s firepower. Ideally, they’ll chase Aironi while Naya and I rescue the villagers amidst the chaos. Helter will then engage the bandit leader, Demonflame…”

“Stop! What kind of idiotic plan is that?! Can I even run, Hero?! Think this through!” Aironi grumbled, slumped over Helter’s shoulder.

“Oh, right… I forgot,” I chuckled sheepishly.

“And do you even know where the villagers are being held? Or where the leader is? This plan specifies nothing!”

“Well… Naya is still out scouting, isn’t she?”

I gestured towards Naya, who lay on the ground, completely absorbed in her task.

“Do you understand the enemy’s strength? Or the villagers’ evacuation speed?!”

“No, I don’t…”

“Then what’s the point of talking about it?! Next plan!”

Plan Two, proposed by the Swordsman: “I believe Aironi’s taunt isn’t a bad suggestion at all. First, we position Aironi at the village entrance, while we hide nearby.

“Once Aironi has drawn their attention, many hot-headed enemies are sure to rush out. That’s our chance to charge in. With a bit of luck, it’ll be a three-on-one situation, and we can directly abduct their leader! The villagers will be saved!”

“Hmm, not bad, feasible. This way, we won’t have to worry about evacuation speed, and our side could even achieve an overwhelming victory.” Aironi stroked his chin, adopting the air of a strategist.

“Pretty good, right? When it comes to fighting, I’m a genius!”

“Genius, my foot! I’d be dead! Have you thought this through, you big oaf?! I’d be drawing countless enemies!”

“I remember our Village Chief saying a few days ago—’Sacrifice the few to save the many.’ I think your sacrifice would be worth it!” I gave a thumbs-up.

“No, absolutely not! This is far from a foolproof plan!”

Just then, Naya stirred awake again.

“Naya, what did you find out?” I immediately asked her.

“I saw a large house that wasn’t on fire. The bandits were herding people inside, so that must be where they’re being held.

“Incidentally, there’s a person dressed very differently from the others, directing the bandits. They must be the leader.”

“What kind of big house?”

“A sign by the door… it read ‘Village Chief’.”

“The Village Chief’s house…” I murmured to myself.

“Perhaps the Village Chief is still alright,” Helter offered.

“Speaking of which, the burning area has strangely begun to shrink. Only the fires near what you called the temporary guard post are still raging. Most of the others have already died down.”

I glanced at the distant Newbie Village. Indeed, the fires were no longer as fierce as when the explosion first happened.

“The fires still burning are from the Fire Dragon Cannon… it’s probably impossible to extinguish them anytime soon. Damn it, it seems these bandits did their reconnaissance well, directly eliminating the guards so there’d be virtually no resistance.”

Aironi spoke, a hint of tension in his voice. “The immediate threat now is that Fire Dragon Cannon. Not to mention how they got their hands on a weapon capable of destroying city walls, but right now, where is it positioned? From where are they firing the explosives? And do they have any more explosives left?”

I, Helter, and Naya listened, captivated, as Aironi rattled off his analysis.

“What are you all standing around for? Keep planning!”

“We think it would be better if you made the plan…” we said in unison.

“Huh?” Aironi’s mouth fell open. “Me? Are you kidding? I’ve never been a real leader; I’m just cannon fodder with a few ideas… In terms of ability, I believe you all surpass me. I should be listening to you.”

“No, you’re being modest. It feels like your intelligence outweighs all of ours combined…”

“Is that so?!” Aironi scrutinized us.

I was an uneducated assassin from the countryside, only capable of minor tricks.

Helter was a brute, interested only in fighting, though he occasionally offered surprisingly good ideas.

Naya, with the intelligence of a child, had been listening innocently by our side the entire time.

“Hmph, you lot, you’re members of a Hero’s party, yet your intelligence is still such a glaring weakness. Fine, this old man will reluctantly come up with an amazing plan for you!”

Plan Three, proposed by the Spearman: “The Fire Dragon Cannon’s location still requires investigation. Forest Lord, you can control birds and possess high mobility, so the scouting mission is still yours. Search within a hundred-meter radius of Newbie Village.

“Once you find the cannon’s muzzle, destroy it immediately. If you can’t destroy it, incapacitate the cannon operators! As for the bandit grunts, I believe you, big oaf, can easily carry me with one hand while fighting!”

“After all, you are the strongest swordsman in this team. I’ll taunt, and you’ll fight; our cooperation will be seamless!”

“After drawing the majority of their firepower, the next step is to head to the holding cell and confront the leader, Demonflame. Hero, with your strength, I believe you should be his match!”

“Finally, we must anticipate contingencies. If Demonflame finds himself outmatched, he might retreat or even use the villagers as human shields. At that moment, your judgment, Hero, and Naya, will be crucial. You can join or leave the battle at any time.”

“Whether to immediately evacuate the villagers or directly eliminate the desperadoes will depend on the specific situation. In any case, the most important thing is to protect the villagers and prevent the Demonflame bandits from carrying out a massacre!”

Aironi finished voicing his ideas in a single breath.

‘Good heavens, is this what he calls “cannon fodder with ideas”? This level of planning clearly belongs to a true battle commander… Oh, right, Aironi did mention he’d led troops before…’

A round of impressed applause echoed, leaving only ‘666’ in my mind.

“Wait! I have to face the leader directly?” I asked, bewildered.

“That’s right,” Aironi nodded. “It’ll be easy, won’t it? Especially now that you’ve retrieved your Holy Sword.”

‘Easy, my foot! You’re overestimating me far too much! I have no real strength, and as for the Holy Sword, it’s still just a piece of scrap metal…’

“What if, and I mean what if, I can’t beat him? What if I get completely crushed…?” I asked anxiously.

Aironi narrowed his eyes, smiling as he patted my shoulder. “You could try to be a bit more convincing with your jokes. I almost believed you.”

‘But it is real!!!!’

“Helter…” I cast a pleading glance at Helter.

“Believe in yourself, Hero! When we sparred before, your strength was almost a match for mine!”

‘Ah… why is this happening.’

“The Hero is the strongest! I admire her the most!”

‘Naya, you little girl, now is not the time to be flattering!’

“Alright! The plan is set!” Aironi clapped his hands together. The other two immediately surged with high spirits.

“He—”

“My Black Lion is already ravenous!”

‘Don’t ignore me!!!’

“Na—”

“I will do my utmost to complete this mission!”

‘I said, don’t ignore me!’

“Let’s go! This is the first time I, Aironi, have been this excited!”

‘You’re excited! What about me?!’

I clutched my chest, weakly calling out, “Help me, Key…”

‘I was so miserable, I was almost in tears…’