Vol.2 Chapter 42

Arthur’s PoV

I sat in the strategy room of our guild, which I had reserved in advance, to prepare for a meeting with my team members for the upcoming main tournament.

The room is spacious and grand, with high vaulted ceilings supported by sturdy stone pillars. The walls are adorned with intricate tapestries depicting battles. The vibrant colors of the art pieces add a touch of majesty to the surroundings. Soft, warm lighting bathes the room, creating an inviting and immersive atmosphere.

At the center of the room is a long, ornate table crafted from polished wood. It stretches along the room's length, providing ample space for the team to gather and strategize. The table is adorned with maps, scrolls, and miniature figurines representing various battle scenarios and strategies, though I doubt we will need to use them for this meeting.

I observed my teammates as they arrived one by one, each giving me a quick greeting that I reciprocated in turn.

“So, why did you suddenly call for us?” my best friend Tristan voiced out, eager to start the agenda.

“I want us to prepare for our upcoming match in the main tournament. But before that, let me ask you guys: Have any of you seen the bracket already?” I replied.

“Nope.”

“Not yet.”

“…I saw it earlier.”

My teammates responded in unison.

It seems like Astrid is the only one who is up to date on important matters. Why am I not surprised, though? As tempted as I was to scold these two for their carefree attitude, I decided to restrain myself and opted to ask Astrid instead.

“What do you think of it, Astrid?”

She paused for a second, gathering her thoughts. “…It seems strange that Team Paragon would choose to fight Gilligan’s team,” she said curtly.

I noted her brief comment, appreciating the progress she had made in voicing her opinions. While I had hoped for more detailed input, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. It was a significant improvement from the past when she would simply nod or avoid expressing her thoughts. I should be glad she trusts us more now that she can speak her mind more freely.

"Yes, that's exactly what I've been contemplating too. Could it be that they made some kind of agreement? Or did the Paradigm team manage to persuade them into a truce?" I pondered aloud, considering the possible motivations behind the unexpected turn of events.

Tristan, who had been silent up until now, interrupted with slight confusion. "Hey, what are you guys talking about? I'm not following," he admitted,

"I suppose I'll have to bring you up to speed then. What do you know of Team Paradigm?" I inquired.

"Besides the fact that Elizabeth is a part of their team, I don't know much," he admitted.

Shifting my attention to Gwyn, who appeared sleepy despite the meeting having just begun, I posed the question, "And what about you, Gwyn? What do you know about Team Paradigm?"

She shrugged. “I don’t really care.”

“I-I, see,” was all I could manage to say.

I tried to brush it off as her usual demeanor and continued my explanation. "Allow me to provide some clarification. From what I heard and noticed, Team Paragon and Team Paradigm have formed something of an alliance for the tournament since they seem to practice together more often. This speculation is also based on the close relationship between their respective captains, who have established guild alliances with each other."

“So, what’s strange about that?” Tristan inquired.

“The strange thing is that Paragons chose Gilligan’s team, Variables, which is favored to win by many, rather than selecting Elizabeth's team, Paradigm, which is widely regarded as the weakest team in the tournament.”

“Huh... So they used their chance to choose an opponent, and those the stronger of the two… That is strange. Maybe they want to drop the stronger team first?” he pondered.

“It doesn’t work that way; generally, if you have a good seed for a tournament, more often than not, it’s better to choose the weaker opponent first so the stronger one might have a chance to lose in their game. Therefore, you don’t have to deal with them if you get lucky.”

“I see… Wait, if they choose to fight against Gilligan’s team, that means we're up against-!” he paused in realization.

I nodded. “We are to fight against team Paradigm in our first match for the main tournament.”

“Hell yeah!? Jackpot!” he made a fist pump before continuing. “Hey, Art, I need a favor.”

“Let me guess. You want me to match you against their captain, Elizabeth?” I said, already knowing what he wanted to ask.

"Heh, you know me too well! So, is it possible?" he asked eagerly, hoping for a positive response.

“Even assuming I could predict their team formation, it’s a no. You’ll just get distracted and lose on purpose if you fought her.” I firmly denied his request.

“Wha-! O-of course not! W-why would I?” he started to sweat profusely.

I was only joking at first, but his suspicious attitude tells me otherwise.

We all stared at him judgingly, which made him flinch.

"W-what do you guys take me for? I would never throw our match for a girl, no matter how enchantingly beautiful and captivating she may be! I can’t believe you guys don’t have any trust in me!" he exclaimed, wanting to garner sympathy from us.

"...You're right. I don't trust you," Astrid responded cautiously.

"Uh-huh. I agree with Astrid. You're just too much of a simp," Gwyn chimed in, voicing her agreement with Astrid's sentiment.

"S-simp!?" Tristan exclaimed, his disbelief evident in his voice.

I meditated before the topic got out of hand.

“Ahem! Whether Tristan would really throw the match is unsure, but we should first focus on our strategy in fighting their team,” I said, returning the topic to its original course.

“N-not you too! And I thought you were my friend…” he said in indignance.

I ignored him and continued the strategy meeting.

“First, let’s compile what we know about their team. Do you guys have any thoughts about their gameplay?”

“Haven’t got a clue,” Gwyn shrugged as if without a care in the world.

I sighed. Well, at least I’m used to her carefree attitude, so it doesn’t surprise me as much.

Not wasting a single moment, Tristan butted in to share his input.

"I don't know much about them except for a rumor I heard that Elizabeth is a streamer. I watched one of her streams, and she was absolutely mesmerizing and incredibly skilled. I became a subscriber right away! I'm excited to watch her live once she resumes streaming after the tournament!"

This isn't good, so this is why teams are said to need proper strategists and coaches. We are not a sponsored team, so that is a luxury lost on us. The absence of these things feels like a significant setback, leaving us at a disadvantage compared to teams with dedicated strategists.

However, dwelling on what we lacked would only hinder our progress and feed into negativity. Instead, I should try to focus on what we could control.

“…How about you, Astrid?” I finally shifted the spotlight to someone capable, hoping to learn something useful at least.

After gathering her thoughts, Astrid responded, "...Not much, except that they are considered the underdogs and are the least favored to win the tournament. Their first fight was also quite surprising. I never anticipated them to defeat Murasame's sister with such a well-executed strategic counterplay by exploiting her weakness, so they probably have a capable strategist."

Astrid paused momentarily, seemingly hesitant, but with my encouraging nod, she decided to speak her mind openly. "Honestly, there's something about their support that gives me an unsettling feeling after watching some of their matches," she shared, her words carrying a sense of caution and unease.

“You, too, huh? To tell you guys the truth, I’ve played with their support once in a dungeon run.” I added.

Having caught their undivided attention with my statement, I continued, “It was pure happenstance; she was extremely skilled in close-quarter combat, and we finished the dungeon with ease with her almost soloing the Kraken.”

“Oh! I remember now! She’s the skilled girl back in the giant octopus dungeon boss,” he paused as if remembering something important. “I also remembered that you even tried to recruit her back then to replace me so you would get a harem team full of girls!” Tristan voiced the impartiality.

“I tried to recruit her because I think she is incredibly skilled...” I said in exasperation.

“Of course, I get you,” Tristan gave me a conspiratorial wink, not believing in the slightest what I said.

Why do I even bother…

“As you all know, the most dangerous supports are those who are self-sufficient and don’t need protection from their carriers. A perfect example of this is Luciel from the Paragons team. She is a protégé of the famous leader of the Paragon’s guild, Celeste, who specializes in Jiu-Jitsu to lock down their opponent’s carry. The point is, if you face her, you guys should not underestimate what she could do in close combat,” I explained.

I received a couple of nods of affirmation from my team members.

"Luciel, huh? I wouldn't mind being wrestled by her to the ground..." Tristan murmured in a voice that I barely heard.

I ignored his statement completely, as I was already used to his antics, and proceeded to continue the strategy meeting.

“Moving on, what formation should we prioritize?”

“I’m fine with supporting either you or Astrid,” Gwyn nonchalantly responded.

“Why do I feel left out?" Tristan voiced in a sad tone that we all ignored.

“What about you, Astrid?” I asked, hoping to have better input from her.

“…I want to contest for the Top orb. I want to challenge the one who defeated Murasame's sister in a one-on-one match," she responded with determination.

"I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but what I've observed about their team is their ability to adapt their rotations fluidly. Unlike many other teams that rely on a fixed formation, they have the flexibility to change their strategies easily. The only exception might be their support player, Novo, who consistently partners with their captain, Lizbeth," I explained.

Gwyn, with a hint of drowsiness in her voice, queried, "So, what's our plan?"

“…I think we stick with our usual formation. Let’s prioritize securing the middle orb. After that, we respond to the top or bottom, depending on the situation.”

“…Our usual 1-2-1 formation then?” Astrid asked for confirmation.

“Yes, I don’t want to diverge from what already works best for our team. The enemy may be the underdogs, but underestimating them might cost us the game.

We proceeded to brainstorm throughout the meeting. I encouraged open dialogue and active participation, ensuring that every teammate’s voice was heard… even when only one voice, Astrid’s, was really the only thing to consider. We created a strategy that leveraged our individual strengths and what to do with different matchups to maximize our chances of success in the upcoming match.

I know that the general consensus and predictions label Team Paradigm as a weaker opponent and expect them to have a lower placement in the main tournament. However, my intuition tells me otherwise. They already showed incredible performance in the 1v1 tournament, surpassing many expectations, so we cannot be too complacent. I can't help but hope that the preparations we've made thus far will be sufficient to face them.

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Tournament Brackets:

Upper Bracket

Lower Bracket