After thinking it over for a night, I concluded that to take down platinum or gold-tier heroes, some infighting within the class is essential.
To that end, I decided to do the following while gathering information:
- Find classmates who can be pawns for the internal conflict.
- Establish enough influence within the class to spark that conflict.
- Strengthen myself.
(If I gather more information, I'll add on, but the internal conflict is a given. Without it, I can't see myself beating a platinum-tier hero.)
I planned to let my classmates wear each other down in this internal strife. The efforts to sow discord will be part of my information-gathering strategy.
Basically, what I need to do is to look for "pawns" and solidify my position within the class.
And of course, I have to make sure I can fight too; self-improvement is a must.
As I pondered all this, night turned to day—morning came.
After being shown to the dining hall in the palace and finishing breakfast, we made our way to the training grounds.
In the center of a large field stood a tall woman with a sword planted in the ground, striking a heroic pose.
With a fierce grin, she looked to be in her early twenties. Despite her beautiful silver hair being a messy bedhead, her striking features were undeniably beautiful.
She had a glamorous figure and was wearing quite revealing clothing.
But what caught my attention the most were the two horns protruding from her head... It was a sight that screamed "this is another world!" which piqued even my strong interest.
"Hey there! You finally made it, brave hero!"
With a wider smile, she slung the sword over her shoulder, causing her ample chest to wobble.
I couldn't help but think that training was starting to sound a bit more exciting! Just then, the busty beauty introduced herself.
"I'm Rinyu. Rinyu Pestorikzen! I'm the strongest sword saint in this country, and I'll be your trainer! I'm going to squeeze you all out until you're nothing but rags! You weaklings!"
The guard who had led us there looked on with a somewhat apologetic expression, bowing his head.
But just then, a furious voice echoed across the field.
"Weaklings, huh!? Don't screw with me, you idiot!"
The shout came from one of the biggest troublemakers in the class, Ooga Kento—a wannabe delinquent.
The moment he yelled, I could feel the air change to a collective "Oh no…" from our classmates.
It was no surprise. He always acted out, hurling insults at nerds and dropping crude remarks about girls right in the center of class, constantly igniting conflicts everywhere.
So for me, he was practically a savior.
(Thanks for gathering that hate! I'll keep you alive till the end, so keep up that cluelessness and fill the class with tension!)
There's nothing easier to create than conflicts sparked by him. He's a prime candidate to ignite the internal strife.
"Well then, what level are you?"
"Huh!? I'm gold-level!"
"I see, then let's see what you've got! Let's establish our hierarchy!"
"What!? Are you kidding me right now!?"
"Kidding? I don't get what you mean. Don't worry, I won't use my sword."
"...I'll kill you."
It wasn't surprising that Ooga was shocked.
I had learned from Lysa that the stats of heroes surpass the average in this world the moment they were summoned.
Therefore, as a gold-tier hero, Ooga should have no problem with most opponents.
"Try to kill me if you can. If you manage to take me down, you might be able to defeat the Demon King right after!"
"Shut up and die—!!"
In the next moment, Ooga closed the distance to Rinyu in a terrifyingly fast manner. It was far beyond what anyone we knew could do.
(So this is the power of a gold-tier hero...)
His stride was quick and long. There was no doubt his physical abilities had drastically improved.
But what surprised me most was Ooga's talent. He adapted instantly to the sudden surge in his physical capability.
Normally, if someone's physical abilities spiked unexpectedly, it would be hard to move properly; yet, Ooga was managing just fine.
But in the next moment, Rinyu delivered a shock that overshadowed my amazement.
She effortlessly caught Ooga's punch, which was well beyond the capabilities of an average human.
"Is this all you've got? Brave hero!!"
"Ugh, damn it!"
Ooga quickly created distance from the roaring Rinyu.
Ignoring the palace officials who once again bowed their heads apologetically to Rinyu, the two clashed once more.
After several collisions, Oga stared blankly at Rinyu's speed and judgment, and Chishi came to a conclusion.
(I see. The top level in this world can compete with heroes. It would be nice if it could be brushed off as 'the hero hasn't grown yet' but...)
It's highly unlikely that's the case. If they're gold rank, they could easily surpass them, but for silver or bronze rank heroes, at best, they might be on the same level. At worst, there's a good chance they'd be at a disadvantage.
(I have to be more careful, but well, at least I learned something good.)
It seems that people from other worlds are surprisingly strong.
"Damn it! This is ridiculous! Then—'Clockmaker Chronostasis'!"
"Hm, a 'skill,' huh?"
As Oga activated his skill, perhaps out of frustration that his attacks weren't landing, he momentarily froze.
But then he moved again, and in the blink of an eye, his fist pierced Rinyu's solar plexus.
"Ha! Take that—buboff!"
"Hm, as a surprise attack type, it's quite good. Now it's just a matter of usage, technique, and other things. The low attack power is inexcusable, you rag! Now, it's our turn!"
And so, Rinyu's ferocious public execution of Oga began.
Watching Oga get pummeled, the classmates would likely feel a sense of satisfaction.
Of course, for Chishi, that's nonsense. He's determined to flatter Oga later and get him to act cocky again.
He plans to completely rob him of any opportunity for mental growth.
"Alright, is there anyone else who wants to come at me? If not, we'll start the training for the first day."
And thus, the first day of training began.
§
After training, while taking a bath and eating, Chishi observed his classmates.
The students who usually don't exercise looked haggard. Meanwhile, those in sports clubs or with strong 'professions' seemed tired but were having fun.
There seemed to be some rifts within the class, but friendships didn't appear to change much.
Shinomiya and his entourage were still huddled together, and Setsuna Yukishiro was eating with her childhood friend, Yuunagi Hidaka, looking quite friendly.
Others were eating alone or in small groups with friends.
Once he finished observing, Chishi returned to his room and reflected on the training. During training, he had spoken to several classmates, most of whom weren't very enthusiastic about it.
Among them was Setsuna, who had been mentioned earlier.
She looked tired as she watched Yuunagi alone, making it easy for him to approach her.
Chishi recalled that moment.
"It was the same yesterday, but are you two maybe dating?"
Sitting in the shade and wiping the sweat from his forehead, he spoke to Setsuna, who was gazing at the boy on the field.
If this were a normal school day, he might have been met with suspicion, but given that he had spoken to her yesterday and considering the unusual situation, there was no doubt she would respond to the conversation.
As expected, she tucked her beautiful black hair behind her ear and replied.
"Nagakura talked to me again."
"Sorry. If it's a hassle, just say so."
"No, no, it feels like a rare event. I'm not dating Takakuni, though. We're just childhood friends."
"I see. Still, that guy is amazing. He's wielding a sword engulfed in flames."
"I heard yesterday that it's some awesome thing called 'Messenger of the Sun, Agni.' Apparently, it's top class among the gold ranks."
"Wow, that's cool."
"Is it something guys really admire?"
"I admire it, but it looks hot."
"That's for sure. I can feel the heat from here."
Setsuna laughed lightly.
"By the way, Yukishiro, aren't you going to join the training?"
"I think I'm already tired. Plus, I'm a bronze-level 'Mage,' so I'm not really motivated. Nagakura is bronze too, right?"
"Unfortunately. And I don't have anyone who seems like they'd protect me, so it's a bit tough."
"Someone who would protect you?"
"Well, in your case, that childhood friend of yours would protect you, right? He's been glaring at us for a while now."
"Eh...?"
At the end of Chishi and Setsuna's gaze, Yuunagi, having just finished sparring with Rinyuu, was looking back at them with a bored expression.
"That's scary."
"Ah, haha. Sorry about that."
"I don't mind. Anyway, I'll take off so I don't get in the way."
"Okay."
With that, Chishi wrapped up the conversation with Yukishiro.
He spoke to a few more people, casually asking about their reasons for not being very active and their social circles, all while maintaining a friendly demeanor to facilitate smoother information gathering in the future.
Chishi lay down on his bed in his room.
There were many things he wanted to think about, but his body was reaching its limit after the unfamiliar exercise. Before he knew it, Chishi's consciousness slipped into a dream.