Chapter 139: Me? The Fairy Strategist?
Chapter 139: Me? The Fairy Strategist?
Sunflower Village, also known as Soenflor, is located northeast of Magnolia, not far from the Croba Grand Canyon near the border of the Fiore Kingdom.
However, the client for this mission is not the village chief of Sunflower Village, who is closest to the bandit hideout, but a joint commission from several nearby towns and villages.
A small village can hardly satisfy the appetites of dozens of bandits, so nearby towns and passing merchants are also potential targets.
The harassment became unbearable, so the villagers pooled their money to hire mages to eliminate the bandits.
This should have been the job of the city's guard, or even the border troops, for that matter.
However, Fiore is a permanently neutral country, and perhaps due to the long-lasting peace or the prevalence of magic, the regular army is not highly regarded and lacks the necessary combat strength.
Maintaining the peace in towns is manageable, but sending them into the mountains to hunt down bandits is a different story, especially when the bandits are entrenched in rugged terrain.
With no other options, the villagers turned to the mages of a reputable guild for help.
The three mages who accepted the mission had just settled their travel expenses and found a place to stay in town.
"The innkeeper said there are only two rooms left," Rod said. "I guess I’ll take one, and you two can share, how about that?"
Alzack and Bisca’s faces turned as red as lanterns.
"S-sh-share... one room? T-this... this..." They stammered, their heads almost steaming.
The two had gotten along well during the journey and no longer kept their distance, but sharing a room was clearly beyond their comfort zone.
"Ha ha ha..." Rod couldn’t stop laughing.
It took a while for them to realize that the norm should be Alzack and Rod sharing a room.
"Hey, Rod! How can you make such a... such a joke..."
Bisca started off angrily but quickly turned shy.
"Y-yeah," Alzack chimed in.
"Ha ha ha, sorry, sorry, ha... Cough, cough, let’s just put our luggage here for now."
After they settled their things, they headed out to meet the client.
The moment they stepped out of the inn, Rod became serious.
"Even though we’ve had some preliminary discussions, let me introduce my magic in more detail.
First, there’s summoning magic. I can summon creatures from the League of Legends, each with their own specialties. Then there’s reception magic, which currently takes the form of...
In short, I can handle reconnaissance. If you need any support during combat, just let me know."
Alzack and Bisca were a bit taken aback. While they had some idea of Rod’s capabilities, they hadn’t paid much attention.
Now, hearing him describe his abilities, they realized just how versatile he was.
Reconnaissance, transportation, search, defense, retreat, close combat, even poisoning, and he was currently researching how to fly...
He didn’t even know magic when he first joined the guild, right?
Could someone really grow to this extent in just four months?
"Stop staring, it’s your turn."
"O-oh," Alzack snapped back to reality, drawing his gun and performing a flashy twirl.
"I specialize in bullet magic. With this gun, I can fire tranquilizer rounds, flashbangs, smoke bombs, electric shocks, explosives, and hurricane rounds. For me, urban combat and complex terrains are the best battlefields."
Alzack was a completely different person when he held his gun, exuding a confident aura that made him very appealing.
Bisca, clearly, was one of those drawn to him.
Rod waited three seconds and reminded her, "Bisca?"
"Um, I use a type of transformation magic similar to Erza’s. If her magic is called ‘Knight,’ mine should be called ‘Gunslinger.’”
Bisca shouldered her sniper rifle, looking just like she did on stage that day.
"My combat style involves changing weapons based on the environment and the situation."
"If I have to choose a specialty, I prefer defeating enemies from as far away as possible."
Rod nodded. Although they all used magic firearms, one preferred to change ammunition and was skilled in mid-to-long-range combat, while the other preferred to switch guns and excelled at ultra-long-range sniping.
This mission was well-chosen, perfectly suited for the two of them to work together. It was no surprise that Mira and I had picked it.
The three of them met with the client, but unfortunately, he couldn't provide much more useful information.
Rod asked a few questions and learned the general direction of the bandit camp and the possibility that they might possess magical artifacts.
The rest would have to be investigated on their own.
Alzack watched as Rod summoned a river crab and shadow wolves and said, "I can also help with covert reconnaissance."
Bisca added, "I'm good with disguises and stealth too."
"Let's hold off for now. We're in the investigation phase. We'll wait until we find their hideout."
Rod opened his backpack, took out a map and some paper and pens, and connected his vision to the river crab's to quickly sketch out the general terrain. He also kept an eye out for dangerous poisonous plants and insects, marking potential paths that would allow for easier travel.
After some thought, he pulled out two books from his backpack and handed them to Alzack and Bisca. "Here, it's better to be prepared."
The two looked at him with mixed expressions. Pulling out a local map was one thing, but bringing magic books as well?
They were clearly impressed by how well-prepared he was.
They watched as Rod marked potential ambush spots on the map and wrote down valuable terrain information and possible uses on the paper.
Bisca sighed. "It's like you're a 'Fairy Strategist.'"
Alzack, who hadn't heard of the title, asked, "What's that?"
"It was the first guild master Mavis's title. She was a genius who used her exceptional intellect to analyze information, devise the best plans, and lead her companions to victory."
Bisca recalled, "I heard the guild went through many battles, and each time, they won thanks to her strategies. That's why everyone called her the 'Fairy Strategist.'"
Alzack was surprised. "Isn't that exactly what Rod is doing now? And I remember Gray complaining that Rod could pull out a thick plan book at any time, and just reading it was exhausting."
Bisca nodded. "That's why I said Rod is like a modern-day Fairy Strategist."
"Come on, that's an exaggeration! Is Gray spreading rumors about me again?" Rod was frustrated to find himself always the subject of rumors.
"The first guild master could memorize all enemy information, analyze their forces, magic, and behavior patterns, and even simulate battles in her mind. After extensive calculations, she would deduce the best tactics for various scenarios, leading everyone to victory step by step."
Bisca continued, "I can only write and draw on paper, make a few simple battle plans, and deal with some not-so-smart enemies. Compared to the Fairy Strategist, I fall way short."
Rod had heard Loby tell stories about the first guild master, Mavis, and he knew his own limitations. The largest battle he had ever commanded was a 5v5 team fight...
Actually, the largest and most crowded battle he had been in was called the 'Glory of the Republic.'
But that hardly counted as commanding, and his mind was no match for the human computer that was the first guild master.
Trivia: In the world of Fairy Tail, cities and towns often have names inspired by flowers.
For example, Magnolia is named after the magnolia flower, and Crocus, the capital, is named after the saffron crocus.
So when I create place names, I often use plant names. For instance, the village of Dendrobium is named after the dendrobium orchid, and Silvervine, where Wendy is from, is named after the silver vine (mainly because I couldn't find the original name of the village where the Cat House is located).
And this time, the village of Sunflower is named after the sunflower.
This naming style generally fits the world of Fairy Tail.
(End of Chapter)
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