The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 39
EP.39 Hunting (3)
It was a surprising sight to see Alice, the Grace siblings, and Charlotte all armed with guns.
A key characteristic of JRPGs was the restriction on freely changing weapons. While you couldn’t swap weapons as easily as in a first-person shooter, each character was limited to specific weapon types, preventing them from using other kinds of equipment.
There were various reasons for this. It could be to save resources, reduce the need for additional motion or skill animations, or simply to avoid confusing players with party members’ weapon choices.
For whatever reason, in the original game, it was impossible to equip multiple types of gear or have characters use weapons they weren’t designed to handle. In fact, if this were the “original,” this style of combat would be impossible to begin with.
Creating an actual battlefield in a schoolyard setting would never have worked—there was no way you could dig trenches on a sports field. In the end, all we had were a few sandbags stacked in a makeshift barrier, which felt far from resembling an actual battlefield. But, well, if the instructor said so, what could we do?
The game used a turn-based system, so even if you were hit, you only lost health points. There was no instant death. While this was unrealistic, it was a common feature in JRPGs.
However, in this world, things were different. I could give a character who normally used swords a gun, and the world seemed to operate under a different set of rules.
Jennifer was standing up on a platform, looking down at us. She was probably up there to announce who got shot and “died.” Forty-five people between both teams. I wondered if she’d be able to keep track of everything. In the game, it wouldn’t have mattered because of the turn-based system, but…
Well, that’s the instructor’s problem, not mine. I decided not to worry about it.
“For now, I’ll provide cover while you run forward. Always run in a zigzag pattern and as fast as possible. If you don’t, you’ll be marked as dead.”
“…”
Everyone nodded.
In the nobles’ class, there were very few who had actually handled firearms before. And I was one of those few, which explained why they all seemed to place so much trust in me.
In fact, the battle had already started, but no one was eager to make the first move. Whoever poked their head out first would probably get shot.
Still, I wasn’t too worried.
“Shouldn’t we head out?”
Alice, lying beside me, whispered.
“It’s fine.”
I replied.
And it really was fine. The reason—
“Charge!!”
—was because we had idiots like them.
The game didn’t always follow a single person’s perspective. Sometimes the camera shifts to supporting characters or even random extras. And I knew there would be people who’d charge recklessly. And the game depicted that clearly.
The ones who believed that standing behind the defensive line and staying still wasn’t “honorable.” The only reason they could charge forward like that was because they knew this wasn’t a real battlefield. They weren’t going to die, so they wanted to show off their idea of “glory.”
Of course, they weren’t stupid enough to run straight into the line of fire.
Bang!
A shot echoed across the field, making Alice, lying beside me, flinch. Her eyes widened in surprise.
It wasn’t nearly as loud as a real gunshot. They probably used far less gunpowder to avoid any accidents. After all, if the barrel got blocked, it could explode. But there was still enough powder in the blanks to create a gunshot sound. The muzzle had a tiny hole drilled in it, just in case.
If anyone got injured, it would be just a minor burn.
“Mackenzie, out!”
…Out with a single shot, just as expected.
“They’re blanks. No need to worry too much.”
I said, rising slightly from my position.
It was risky, but not enough to make me an obvious target.
And then—
Bang!
A loud noise came from the rifle I was holding. The stock gently kicking into my shoulder.
“James, out!”
A commoner who had been peeking out from behind a sandbag stood up and retreated.
Bang!
“Sylvia, out!”
So, that’s where they popped out from, huh?
I kept track of the direction the shot came from.
Time to reset.
Again.
*
Bang! Click. Bang!
Two shots. Each one hit a target.
“Sylvia, out!”
But then a return shot followed immediately. It wasn’t just me. As soon as the first couple of shots rang out, the students from Class B responded with a barrage of gunfire, and the field quickly descended into chaos. Jennifer began calling out the names of those eliminated in rapid succession, determined not to miss a single one, as casualties piled up between the fake trenches.
I memorized every position where someone had popped their head out.
Again.
*
“I’ll cover you! Run!”
I shouted, firing off shots in quick succession.
Bang!
Before even checking if I hit the target, I pulled the bolt back and aimed at another spot without hesitation, firing again.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice leap over the sandbags. She was running at full speed, a double-barrel shotgun in her left hand and a sword in her right.
Alice’s running speed was much faster than I had expected, running in a wide zigzag pattern as I had instructed. The commoners from the other class struggled to land a shot on her.
But—
Bang!
“Alice, out!”
While it wasn’t easy to hit her, it wasn’t impossible either. Alice turned to look at me with a slightly dejected expression—
Again!
*
The Ergensen rifle could hold five rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Unlike other rifles with clip-fed loading systems, it had a more cumbersome method where you had to open the side magazine, load five rounds in, and then close it. This required large hand movements and wasn’t the most efficient design.
There was a speed loader available, but since it “poured” the rounds in, it was less reliable compared to the more secure bullet insertion system of other bolt-action rifles. Still, if you got the hang of it, you could load the rounds swiftly and get back to firing in no time.
If there were several people here who could handle the rifle skillfully, I would’ve tried reloading and fighting that way too, but—
“Charlotte, out!”
Unfortunately, none of my team members were adept enough with the rifle. Despite the fact that the targets were more exposed and closer now, it was inevitable that bullets would start coming our way too.
Still, we were improving bit by bit.
I had stocked up several Ergensen rifles, anticipating a situation like this. Jennifer’s stance on the battlefield was clear: “Preparation on the battlefield is up to the individual.” So, even if I mounted several rifles behind the sandbags, Jennifer wouldn’t raise any objections.
…The only downside was that having a few riflemen with six-shot rifles would’ve been a lot more practical than this method.
Ah, really, so frustrating.
At least we managed to get pretty close. The problem was being eliminated once we got to that point.
“Once you’re close enough, you can start using your firearms again. Just aim and shoot.”
I had told them before the battle.
But—
“Out!”
In the end, we only managed to take down a few more before being eliminated ourselves.
“…”
In the original game, this part had been handled through a cutscene. The problem was that Crowfield was the one using magic in that scene.
With my team members all eliminated, I turned to the side. Mia Crowfield was still behind the sandbags. She was gripping her magic staff tightly. It seemed she had been left alone because everyone else had charged recklessly.
Hmm.
Well, I might as well give it a try.
Again.
*
Before handing out shotguns to my teammates, I stood up and confidently walked over to where the other noble students were gathered.
“Sylvia?”
Alice called my name in surprise as I walked towards Mia Crowfield, but I continued on confidently, as if I had done nothing wrong. Even if I faced an embarrassing rejection, I could just reset the time anyway.
I had already told Mia the truth before. I wasn’t the type to back down from making a simple suggestion.
The nobles gathered around Mia Crowfield parted to let me through. The title of princess, even in name only, had its conveniences.
When Mia noticed my approach, she flinched and took a small step back, but I met her gaze directly.
“Lady Crowfield.”
I addressed her calmly.
“Ah, um, w-what do you want…?”
Mia Crowfield, who had shown no hesitation in revealing her hostility in the student council room, now appeared different. Her earlier aggression was likely just a moment of lost control, a fleeting display of anger directed at me.
But I remained unreactive, and she probably considered it a mistake on her part.
…Even if she openly disliked me, it didn’t matter much. Mia Crowfield had said she would join the student council if I did. She would likely try to hurt or defeat me. The chances of success were slim, though.
I was curious about her thoughts on my lack of reaction, but at least she was trying to stay close to me. While that didn’t necessarily mean she was offering to help, there was potential there, so I decided to make a proposal.
“We need your assistance. Would you be able to help us?”
The students around us held their breath.
…Did it seem so weird for me to say something like this?
It probably did. I had never asked for help from any of the students before. I was trying to maintain the image of a cool beauty who didn’t need anyone’s assistance.
But right now, I needed that help.
In the original story, the protagonist’s party relied on Crowfield’s support to navigate this situation. It wasn’t that I needed her skills, but I needed to recreate the ‘event scene.’ At this point, Crowfield’s ability to create that scene was really important.
“Y-you need help…?”
Did my suggestion seem too bold? Mia’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at me.
Her long bangs framed her face, giving her the appearance of a cute, delicate character.
In the original story, neither I nor Claire were with Leo. Leo had different reasons for being with other characters. He was with Alice and Crowfield, who wanted to control Alice. By now, Mia Crowfield should have been part of Leo’s party.
With me and Claire around, Leo’s party diverged somewhat from the original path.
As a result, Mia Crowfield’s absence as an ally in this event meant we weren’t fighting effectively.
“…”
Mia paused to think for a moment, and while the attention of those around us shifted toward us, I focused solely on her.
Would she reject me? Would she mock or enjoy my failure? Her earlier demeanor hadn’t suggested that, but perhaps she just didn’t have the luxury of time alone to process her thoughts.
“…What kind of help do you need?”
Finally, Mia asked me that.
“I need light.”
I explained simply and clearly.
In the original story, the idea had come directly from Mia Crowfield herself, but at this moment, Leo would have already been eliminated.
“I want to create the strongest light possible. Can you do that?”