284: The Strategy Meeting

Looking at Cecil’s bulleted list, everyone had gone completely silent. I couldn’t blame them.

The most glaring, soul-crushing difference between us students and the faculty was their defensive power, fueled by their sheer volume of mana. It was like trying to punch through a fortress wall with a toothpick. To make matters worse, with the way the scenario had been altered, even I had no idea what to expect anymore. I’m supposed to have the cheat sheet for this world, but the script has been shredded and set on fire.

Still, we had a sliver of a chance.

"The one thing I know for sure is that our coordination should be superior to the teachers'. My guess is that Darius and Teacher Milk will probably fight as individuals. That’s where our opening is."

"I agree with Fansent," Cecil added, nodding. "I want us to keep discussing this as much as possible, but every battle comes down to compatibility. Just as I struggle with magic, those teachers must have things they aren't good at. We need to find those weaknesses before the exam."

After synthesizing our various opinions, Cecil had come up with a remarkably rational plan. The exam was still a way off; in the meantime, we would spend our class time and private hours scouting for information. If we could walk into that exam with a fixed roster designed to counter them, our win rate would skyrocket.

Then, I turned my gaze toward Luna.

Our training was progressing smoothly. Honestly, the new technique I’d been working on would probably make everyone’s jaws hit the floor. But before we got to that, she had taught me something even more incredible.

"Luna, show them," I said.

"...Yes."

With everyone’s eyes glued to her, Luna closed her eyes and pressed her palms against them. A moment later, two black lumps manifested in mid-air.

Carta and Olynn both let out a yelp of surprise.

"Wait, that’s amazing. Are those... eyes?"

"I’ve never seen anything like this before."

As Luna manipulated the black lumps, they zipped around the classroom with total freedom. They were essentially silent drones.

"They have a maximum range, but I am confident in my scouting abilities. Cecil-san, please include me in the tactical planning as well."

"...Hehe. With these, we’ll be able to fight better than I ever imagined."

If we combined Cecil’s Collective Call (Telepathy) with Luna’s eyes, our information warfare capabilities would be terrifying. To put it simply, we had Clairvoyance. With this setup, we could track everyone’s positions without having to move an inch.

"Good heavens, that’s formidable! But won't the teachers sense the mana and find them out?" Tura asked.

"Tura-san is right," Cynthia added. "And if the eyes are destroyed, what kind of feedback damage will you take, Luna-san?"

Luna’s Concealment Magic was frighteningly high, though. We eventually reached the conclusion that unless she got them incredibly close to a target, she’d be fine. Furthermore, she wouldn't take a single scratch if they were popped. It would just take a little time before she could manifest them again.

In short, we had gained an unconditional visibility advantage.

Afterword

Everyone’s getting along and having a nice strategy meeting (/・ω・)/

There was a comment regarding the low word count. As for that, I plan to increase the length when I have more breathing room, but between new projects and work commitments, it really depends on the timing.

I do understand how the readers feel, though. However, I want to keep expanding my commercial work so I can make a living in the future, which makes it difficult to put all my energy into this single work (I can’t survive on one series alone. That said, I have no intention of letting a popular series go on hiatus and making my readers sad).

Because of that, I’ve decided to upload the pre-revision versions (there might be changes; consider them prototypes) as support-only content. It’s basically an early-access release. If you want to read in bulk, please check those out. If you’re fine with a slower pace, I’d be happy if you continued following the daily updates.

I’ll be seeing how this goes, so there’s a chance the early access might end without notice (and I might not be able to do it for every single chapter, so please keep that in mind if you’re thinking of joining), but I’d appreciate your understanding! (/・ω・)/

I Reincarnated as a Lazy and Evil Noble, and After I Destroyed the Scenario, I Became the Strongest with Extraordinary Magic Power Release Date: March 29, 2024 (Tuesday) (Planned for both print and digital) [Amazon Link & Illustrations] https://twitter.com/Kikuchikaisei/status/1755186344601804896