kscans

Chapter 36 - Let's Measure the Strength of the Races

"Mathter, the Goblin unit has advanced to the third checkpoint-chu!"

Receiving the report from the Vampire Bat Solfi, I looked down at the town below.

"Wow, that's pretty fast. Actually, that's really fast."

"Yes, I never expected the Goblins to be this capable."

We were observing everyone's performance in the mock battle taking place in the town. This had all started because of something Adolnel said.

"I would like to confirm the abilities of each race."

"Abilities?"

"Yes. Several races have gathered under your banner, drawn to your power. However, we do not know how well they can fight. So, if we are to integrate them into our forces, we need to grasp their actual capabilities."

"I see, that makes sense."

And so, we decided to have the newly joined races conduct a mock urban warfare exercise. Having them fight with real swords would be too dangerous, so we decided to use the equipment we found in the knight order's training grounds. Fortunately, all three races readily agreed, seeing it as a good opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

"A victory here will affect their standing within the organization, after all."

Ugh, what a harsh world.

"The objective is a game of capture the flag within the town. The first team to seize the flag inside the building serving as the 'castle' wins. To assess their aptitudes, we will form three teams for each of four roles—'Close Combat,' 'Ranged Combat,' 'Scout,' and 'Defense'—composed of a single race. Each team will have four members."

So, for the Dark Elves, that would be three teams of four, which is twelve people, for each of the four roles, totaling forty-eight. And with three races, that's 144 people.

"That's quite a lot of people."

"Considering future wars, it's actually not many at all."

As we watched their battle unfold, what surprised me was how well the Goblins moved. They used rubble and wooden crates to acrobatically climb onto rooftops, then zipped through the town with nimble movements, rapidly closing in on the enemy's castle. I see, their small size makes them good at that kind of monkey-like movement.

"The Orcs, on the other hand, are the slowest."

Well, given their bulky appearance, it's hard for them to win a speed contest. The Dark Elves were somewhere in the middle.

"However, in terms of simple running speed, the Dark Elves are faster. The Goblins are making quick progress because they can use their lightness to take routes that other races can't."

But of course, it didn't end with a Goblin victory. Just as they were about to sneak into the castle, they were spotted by a patrolling Dark Elf defense unit. To make matters worse, while the Goblins hesitated, reinforcements were called, and an Orc unit arrived.

"In this situation, the Goblins are at a disadvantage due to their size. With only light weapons, it's difficult for them to defeat the larger Orcs. It would be a different story if they could use poison, though."

Indeed, the Goblins were quickly taken down by the Orc and Dark Elf units.

"As expected, using Goblins as a direct combat force isn't realistic. However, their speed of advance makes them extremely suitable for scouting in areas with many obstacles. Since they are light, it might also be a good idea to train them as cavalry."

"Should we have them ride the 'Wolf-chan's?"

The Thousand Wolf "Wolf-chan"s would be perfect mounts for the small-bodied Goblins.

"Ah, that's an excellent idea. With them, they could likely outrun enemy cavalry even on open plains, and if we equip them with bows, they could be a valuable fighting force."

As we talked, the battle progressed.

"Orcs are really strong in close combat. Their muscle and fat act as natural armor, and most importantly, they have incredible power."

Of the three races, the Orcs were the strongest. Both the Dark Elves and Goblins were avoiding direct confrontation, knowing how dangerous a single hit from them could be.

"It would be best to have them serve as our main force and defense unit, equipped with heavy armor and shields that humans can't wear. The terror of being approached by an unyielding force protected by impregnable armor would be immense."

True, it'd be like a fortress grew legs and started walking towards you.

"But as expected, the Dark Elves are superior in overall ability. Their well-balanced physical stats and their ability to attack at any range with magic are wonderful. Above all, their ability to devise strategies on the battlefield is the best."

Watching from a high vantage point, we could see the movements of each unit. The Orc teams moved in the simplest manner. Every unit was basically 'power and charge.' Naturally, with that mindset, they fell for the other teams' decoy tactics and were easily lured out of position.

"Even so, they can still beat the Goblins easily."

"That's simply because Orcs are stronger than Goblins. It can't be helped. The result might have been different if there were traps or other prior preparations."

Next, the Goblin teams, aware of their own weakness, moved rather timidly, as if constantly testing the waters. This cautiousness worked well for their scout units' rapid advance and their decoy tactics against the Orcs, but their low combat power and inherent timidity held back their other units, preventing them from making a significant impact.

"If they had prepared two units to infiltrate the castle and used one as a decoy, the Goblins would have had a chance to quickly grab the flag."

Amidst all this, only the Dark Elf units flexibly adapted their movements to the situation, regardless of their assigned role.

"As expected of a race that can even defeat B-rank adventurers. In terms of ranking, they are at the top. Except for me, of course."

Why did you include yourself in that? You can't even fight, can you?

In any case, the team that successfully captured the flag was, unsurprisingly, the Dark Elves.

"They may have lost, but on the other side of the field, the Dark Elf unit was also the closest to the flag."

"Yes. We've identified the strengths of each race and the areas that need improvement. I will use this to formally organize our units and begin training."

"Okay, I'm counting on you."

I hope this will make our forces even stronger.

"Mathter! I told everyone the battle ith over-chuuu!"

"Good work. You did great."

"Ehehe, it was a piece of cake-chu."

When Solfi returned from her messenger duties, I gently scratched her forehead with my finger, and she purred with pleasure, her eyes narrowing.

"By the way, Solfi, has your speech gotten more fluent?"

Her lisp was still there, but her intonation seemed clearer.

"It hath-chu! I'm gwowing up by eating lotth of yummy food-chu!"

A Vampire Bat's food would be blood, just like mine. But it's only been a few days since Solfi was born. Can she really grow that quickly?

"Ah, but now that I think about it, for me too, I just suddenly realized that's what I had 'become.'"

I have no memory of the time right after I was reincarnated into my Vampire Bat form. I just suddenly became aware that I had been reincarnated as a bat. It was probably because, as Solfi said, I had eaten a lot of good food and grown. Well, I guess it's pointless to apply the growth speed of animals from my past life to a monster's biology.