The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

Chapter 37

37. Hell’s Party Recruitment (4)

Each team must have at least four members. That’s the safest and most stable option.

Occasionally, teams of three or even ‘duos’ with two members appear, but they’re extremely rare and practically non-existent.

So, parties usually consist of five to six members. It’s the most stable and reduces conflicts over reward distribution.

In that sense, I’m planning to fill my party with five members.

“Let’s see…”

The confirmed members so far are me, Airi, and Edel Di Byron, a third-year student.

Now, I need two more members.

I’m thinking of recruiting a mage or a supporter. If Lara Stillheid comes, that would be ideal, but she’s still hospitalized, so that’s not an option. Hospitalized students are evaluated separately, so it’s hard to bring them in.

The mock dungeon experience doesn’t start until next week, but it’s better to recruit team members early. There’s a lot to prepare, including paperwork.

To clear this dungeon, I need at least five members. I’ve narrowed down the candidates to six.

“First, four from the first year…”

Gardner Meridian.

Raven Han.

Asher.

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Carmine Eisen.

And two from the second year…

Ventus Ismil.

Mila Den Azator.

“…When will I find them all?”

Recruiting Edel Di Byron took up a lot of time. I’ll have to spend at least two hours searching for these candidates.

But strangely, tomorrow is a holiday. Tonight, I’ll have to gather all the team members, and it’s not just me who’s doing it, so the dormitory was bustling even past midnight.

Most of the people walking by are 2nd to 3rd year students going to drink. 1st years are prohibited from drinking, so they can only gaze longingly.

Some people are even seen drinking secretly, but they won’t dare to do anything reckless. If a 1st year gets caught drinking, they’ll get penalized.

Thud, thud.

I was walking through the Arsene grand square and the athletic field.

There was a girl sitting under the goalpost. She seemed to have noticed my presence and looked up.

“……?”

“Ah?”

Kai Alma is a mixed-blood, but this girl has a distinctly Asian appearance, making her stand out anywhere in Arsene. She must have transferred from the Eastern Magic Academy.

What was her name again? Uyu, Uyuki?

“Ah, nice to meet you…… My name is, Sion……”

“Sion Illionheart.”

“Ah, yes! Sion-senpai… no, Sion-san!”

I wonder why people keep getting my name mixed up. It’s already getting on my nerves.

I guess my name is harder to pronounce than I thought. Maybe I should’ve chosen a simpler name.

It’s not my place to say, but anyway…

Her name tag reads “Yuuki Kazuha.” There’s some small Japanese characters engraved below, but I don’t really get it.

It’s a typical Asian-style name, specifically Japanese. It’s familiar to me since I lived on Earth, but it’s quite rare in Arsene.

I thought I wouldn’t encounter many Asian students until the second semester, but there are already quite a few, including Kai Alma.

Except for Kai Alma, most of them are minor roles, and this girl sitting in front of me is no exception.

“What are you doing here?”

“I got kicked out of my team.”

Like anyone else in this world, Kazuha has her own circumstances.

“What’s your position?”

“I’m a supporter.”

“A supporter?”

Why a supporter? I remember they’re specialized for combat.

“Take a look.”

Kazuha pulls out a weapon from the air.

It’s a long, whip-like mana-infused chain that looks like a rolled-up rope.

“This is the weapon I use. My position is a bit unusual, so no one wants to take me in.”

“A whip, huh……”

“Yes… it seems like I’m the only one using it in Arsene.”

A whip is basically a mid-range weapon.

The nature of a supporter varies greatly depending on the student, but even considering that, this girl has an excessive amount of individuality.

In this world, a supporter is similar to a midfielder in soccer.

They can deal damage, provide support, or take on various tasks from behind.

So, students with mediocre abilities are classified as supporters. They’re given a chance to refine their path after completing a semester, but students classified as supporters tend to remain as supporters.

Right now, Kazuha’s weapon is a whip, which is more focused on dealing damage.

But if we’re going to get a whip-wielding supporter, we might as well add another dealer instead. That would be more efficient.

I turned on my community app. It’s already past midnight, but team recruitment posts are still flooding in.

However, the search results with the tag ‘upporter’ were.

[Looking for someone to do a group project with? I’ll support you, I’m a supporter myself]

[Supporter looking for someone to work with, 1/5]

[Warrior 3, assassin 2, and a mage needed, no supporters required]

…

There were six search results.

But more than half of them explicitly stated that they didn’t want supporters, and the rest were supporters looking for team members themselves.

It’s clear that supporters are more valuable than assassins. That’s why the freshmen who entered Arsen are being treated like babies.

“They don’t even know how important supporters are.”

They probably don’t even know how to utilize supporters. Most of them are just beginners who are still gaining experience.

Those who underestimate supporters will be crying in this group project. This mock dungeon experience is officially called a “mock dungeon,” but in some ways, it’s even harsher than a real dungeon.

For example, there are parts where one person has to stay behind and stall for time. There are also parts where we have to cross like stepping stones, one by one.

If we don’t work together, we won’t be able to pass certain areas.

That’s why the main quest emphasized the importance of teamwork. The dungeon structure itself is designed to be impossible to clear alone, and if we don’t work together, the entire team will wipe out.

The dungeon we’re about to tackle, the underground town of Everd, is not an easy place. Those who think they can solo it will fall flat on their faces. The Dunning-Kruger effect is always right.

“You’ll have a hard time too.”

“…….”

“Anyway.”

Find a good team member. It’s not like it matters, anyway. We’ll just form teams with the outcasts later.

I said that and was about to leave, but my footsteps stopped.

“Just a minute.”

…Do I really need to go out of my way to recruit the remaining six people on the list?

We only need a mage or a supporter, anyway.

The former is represented by Gardener Meridian, and the latter is represented by Mila Den Azator, a 2nd-year student.

But if I say that the abilities of the students I meet early on are exceptional, that’s not the case.

As I said, all the freshmen are struggling to climb the mountain of ignorance. The 2nd-year students might be different, but the ones I’ve considered as candidates don’t show a significant difference in their abilities. They’re not even bothering to participate in the 1st-year students’ games.

If I were part of the student council, I could make a sweet deal, but that’s not worth the cost of joining the council.

“Did you say Yuuki Kazuha?”

“Yes. Please call me Kazuha.”

…Then, let’s see.

My main weapon is a whip, and my position is a supporter.

Currently, my party consists of one assassin, one warrior, and one mage-like person.

Iire has a lot of work to do in this dungeon crawl. She has to block the front lines alone, which is honestly a lot of pressure.

But as an assassin, I have my own role to play, so I can’t just focus on supporting Iire.

If Kazuha joins as a supporter, our party will become more stable.

And as for Mila Den Azator, who I was considering recruiting, she has a bit of a strong personality, so communication might be a problem. Kazuha is the next best option, but—

“…….”

To be honest, I’m exhausted from dealing with Edel Di Bison’s antics.

I don’t know how much time it’ll take to recruit other people, and frequent energy drink doping is bad for my health.

“Then, Kazuha.”

“Hey?”

“If you have nowhere to go, why don’t you join my team?”

Thud—

Instead of answering, Kazuha dropped the whip she was holding. Maybe she didn’t hear me, so I spoke more directly.

“Join as a supporter.”

The response came a beat late. Kazuha got up from her seat and suddenly bowed her head to the ground.

“Yes, I’ll do it! Thank you!”

“Uh… I should be the one thanking you.”

“Thank you!”

As she tried to bow her head again, I grabbed her shoulder and lifted her up. Kazuha’s forehead was red.

“What’s going on.”

I felt a little uneasy, wondering if I had caused her injury. I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the dirt off her forehead.

Yuuki Kazuha’s favorability towards me has increased slightly.

…Why does her favorability increase over something so trivial?

***

Now there’s only one team member left.

Since Kazuha has joined as a supporter, I’ll look for a dealer to fill the remaining spot. We don’t need a healer for now, and a warrior or mage-type would be suitable.

The chaotic party recruitment at midnight is slowly coming to an end. It’s better to finish what I started, like pulling out a thorn.

The competition for team members is getting fiercer, and it’ll only get harder to find people as time goes on. It’s common for teams to bid on a single member, like Serin Anett did.

I’m currently standing in front of Aden Tower, one of the three dormitories that suffered the least damage from the Vanish incident.

“Let’s go see her face at least.”

I might as well take a shot, and it’s better to meet Gardener Merdian once.

Knock knock—

I found Gardener Merdian’s room, and she remembered my name perfectly.

“What’s up, Shion Illeionhart?”

A humble, rustic atmosphere spread out behind Gardener Merdian, who was leaning slightly to one side.

Is she planning to run away tonight, even though tomorrow is a holiday? If she gets caught, it’ll be a penalty.

“I have something to say.”

“Come on in.”

And so, the final team member recruitment began.

“I don’t think I can trust you.”

To sum it up, Gardener Merdian had no intention of cooperating with me. She was drunk, and her words were laced with hostility.

“You think you’re special just because you snuck up from behind and stole the spotlight during the entrance exam? You’re just a freeloader who got in through connections. I hate people like you who think they’re above the law.”

Her words were a bit excessive, but there’s a saying that you should listen to what people have to say until the end.

“Honestly, a warrior who fights without any protection is just a burden. Why would I party with you and end up being the bus driver? There are already plenty of people looking for me, so why bother?”

But when I listened to the end, it turned out to be a guy who was setting up a confrontation.

“This lesson is different from the entrance exam. There’s no trickery, and the technique of hiding and suddenly attacking won’t work either. So, you’re not going to find someone else to replace you, are you?”

That’s half true and half false.

I need to correct this guy’s misunderstanding a bit.

“It’s not about replacing someone, but working together.”

“Anyway, that’s just it. In the end, it’s all about the support role, right?”

“It’s not about support, but each person having their own position. If we think like that, won’t it become an all-around party with only five members?”

“What, anyway…”

This guy must have gotten hit by a support role in his past life or something.

The conflict between positions is like an endless debate about who would win in a fight between a bat and a dagger. It’s a waste of time to argue about who’s superior.

Still, if we have to conclude, it’s that “each person has their own role, so both are necessary.” That’s why Arsen emphasized finding team members.

That’s why freshmen get treated like they’re inferior to their seniors. They don’t know anything, but they’re so full of themselves.

“Why? What’s not to your liking? Then try it. You can have a duel at the guest house, can’t you?”

But Gardner Meridian seemed to have interpreted my silence in a different way.

The surging magical power. Gardner Meridian is intentionally causing a magical disturbance. As a result, the wine glasses are shattered, and the snack crumbs are scattered all over the bed, but this guy doesn’t care at all.

…Look at this guy? Isn’t he afraid of the consequences tomorrow? How is he going to clean up this mess?

This is why excessive drinking is bad for your health. I hope this guy will drink in moderation from now on.

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“It’s still impressive that you made it to 2nd place with that sloppy play, though.”

“So what?”

“I’ll take 40% of the reward. If that’s the condition, I’ll join the party. Anyway, in real battles, the mage does almost everything.”

Considering how much work the mage does, that’s an absurdly high ratio.

Originally, one’s own worth is determined by oneself, but Gardner Meridian’s self-awareness is too excessive and problematic. Maybe after going through a few more semesters, this guy will come to his senses.

Until then, I’ll just let him be. It takes time to fix a middle schooler’s mentality.

“……?”

Just then, my watch beeped. I looked and saw that I had received a message.

The sender was unexpected, but it was the student council of Arsen.

“What, so the deal is off, and it’s a shame.”

“……?”

“Just now, the last party member was found. We’ll eat well and meet in the dungeon.”

“Wait, what did you just say?”

As Gardner asked, I got up and left first. I walked quickly and tied my shoelaces.

[Arsen A.C – Student council : Rebecca here. I accept the team recruitment proposal.]

I found a team member who can take the front line with me. Even if an unexpected event occurs, we can handle it with this lineup.

‘Rebecca did…?’