Change in Attitude and Environment
態度と環境の変化
With my provocation added with intimidation skills, I was able to consent a battle with all parties involved. The commoner’s, nobles and the neutral factions led by their respective leaders and started the non-lethal live combat session.
With permission from Alfred and his clique, the mock battle against me started with the Commoner’s –The Fighting Eagles Faction. Their group was composed of two males together with Magnus as leader and two female students.
“I got this!” acting like a thug, one of Magnus’ cliques started to cast his own magic after me. “Oh!”
“Wait we need to have a strategy.” The girl beside Magnus wanted to call him back but he could no longer hear her through the explosions.
“Emi, let Ray do what he wants, meanwhile we’ll get him on his flank.” Unable to control the one called Ray. Magnus decides to use him instead as distraction to attack me on the rear. While a smart move, as far as aesthetics goes, he was no different from Ray who wildly attacked me.
“…wha-t should I do?” looks like someone was left behind.
Contrary to their enthusiasm their battle against me however was short, although Magnus was hailed their leader his leadership skills are somewhat lacking, his groupmates did whatever they wanted and among them was a girl who did not even know what to do and was left behind.
All members where all over the place and could not coordinate a single attack. While the girl who was with Magnus tried to follow through his attacks, for some reason her spells did not suit her well. With their whimsical battle tactics, they just got on everyone’s way and eventually led to their defeat.
“Ahahahah! I knew commoners could only amount to this!” a burst of laughter echoed where the nobles had waiting for their turn. “To be defeated by a mere janitor.”
There was one among the nobles who was not laughing though, Alfred must have seen through my strength.
“Then would the Noble Stallions care to have their turn?” with the Fighting Eagles’ turn over, it was time for the Noble’s Faction to have their own lesson and as usual I activated some ‘Intimidation’ to provoke them.
“Stella and Anthony, you give support at the rear. Kent will handle defense in the middle.” Ohh, looks like this will be a decent battle, Alfred seems to have a good command at his own clique. “I will handle offense at the front!”
“By your command!” in unison Alfred’s groupmates shouted indicating that they will follow their leader’s instruction.
The battle against the Noble Stallion was half-decent compared with the battle against the Fighting eagles. Alfred, unleashed waves of offensive magic against me, the support in the rear made sure I will not move to any undesired spots disadvantageous to them and the defensive line were protecting the support line.
This would have been perfect strategy against me who has MIS, if I had to point out where they went wrong, was their attitude against me in the battlefield. While Alfred who had to some extent seen through my strength used all of his power to try and defeat me, the others however just kept looking down on me as a commoner and just utility personnel. They did not even bother to use 100% of their actual powers this led to the battle being dragged down and exhausting themselves that eventually led to their own downfall.
Beating the students would have been a problem. If they inform the school that I have roughed up some students. Who knows what will happen, do not even bother when the Nobles make a move. However, the members of the Noble Stallion with their high pride will never allow anyone to hear about their defeat from a mere janitor. It goes the same for the Fighting Eagles, although commoners, they are still chosen elites, they should have the same pride as the nobles and will keep this story under wraps… or so that is what I am hoping.
The ones who are the most worrisome of the three factions in my care would be the two who would be the last to have their try.
“Would the Princess and Miss Sara like a try?” with the disappointment from the Commoners and disbelief from the nobles continued after the battle, I then tried to have the remaining two to have a turn as well.
“Yes!”
“Hm!”
The princess answered enthusiastically by raising both her fists at shoulder level while her friend Sara approves by nodding once. The two had the right attitude in the battlefield and the skills to match it.
“Sara leave the support and defense to me” The princess takes the rear and summons a strong whirlwind to protect both her and Sara. “I will leave the offense to you.”
“Leave it to me…” Sara in affirmation invokes a contract magic. She is probably a Summoner. After a lengthy invocation, Sara’s voice echoed: “…Shilva.”
What are these two girls thinking? I thought to myself. In front of me a strong wall of gale protecting the two and a 6-Meter Lady with skin covered with crystallized Ice taking a solid stance.
“I am not exactly a monster that needs to be subjugated you know!” Looks like these two are serious with this mock battle and their elements are somehow complementing each other making it more difficult to approach them.
“Teacher Ace here we go!”
The battle with the two was the most fulfilling, I was trying my best to hide my skills, but with their strong coordination and powerful attacks, it was very hard to play the fool.
During the battle with the Fighting Eagles, I was able to hide my skills by letting them destroy each other, as for the Nobles I masked it by getting them exhausted until their defeat.
Therefore, I answered the Princes and Sara’s serious mode with my own. While they were strong mages, they had one problem that led to their defeat: Experience. Since I had experience dealing with Strong Magical Creatures, dealing with the summoned being Shilva became somewhat doable.
Princess Hisui’s wall of wind was almost impenetrable combining a solid defense and a strong offensive wall, however there are ways to exploit her wall by utilizing my ‘Crystal Barrier’ skill to counter and destroy it. With the wall gone, I was able to take both of them.
Princess Hisui’s partner, Sara’s control over her summoned being although almost perfect could not follow through my speed and I was able to render the two of them incapable for combat after some time.
“Looks like the only one who can survive the dungeon are these two.” After calming my excitement from the battle, I then give my preliminary evaluation. “I guess everyone other than these two are nothing but talk.”
I sure do hope am not riling them up too much… Now how would they react?
*****
After experiencing firsthand their immaturity and lack of actual strength the students started to lay down their insults and defiance, with this they should to some extent listen to what I have to say.
This should be the first step if I want to supervise them properly. If they do not see me as a figure of authority, they will never follow my instructions. If this happens and we decide to prematurely enter the dungeon, they might do actions that will put theirs or others’ lives in danger against my instructions.
Although there were many ways to make them listen to me, unfortunately, because of my background they will never see me past as being a Janitor, unless they firsthand see how weak they are and so decided to undertake this solution.
“Looks like it went well.” Princess Hisui and Sara both stood beside me, it would seem that they at least saw the logic behind my actions, even though they really did try to kill me using their strongest magic. “As to be expected.”
“Eh!” really this girl for some reason she seems to know me. But I was only summoned a year ago, and this year I was living in Amarante and did not get acquainted with anyone else other than the Romarias and some villagers. “Your Highness, I’ve been meaning to ask, do you perhaps have me mistaken for someone else?”
“I see. Well, it can’t be help.” The princess then stood in front of me and gave me a redo of her self-introduction. “I never did get to say my thanks to my benefactors who had safely escort me here. My name is Hisui I was the noble lady your group escorted at that time.”
“I see, then Princess Hisui I am humbled for having save the princess of this kingdom, I am sure that the other escorts will feel the same way.” I can’t really represent myself for the whole party but since I am the only one here at the moment it can’t be helped.
The princess wanted me to drop the princess part but, of course I can’t really call her by name, while it might be okay with her it won’t be for those who are particular with formality. I definitely do not want to be hanged for lèse-majesté, instead I compromised and added her name after her official title.
Now I know why she was quite familiar with me and did not bother to question my strength, she saw my battle when we were attacked. Moving away from that topic, it looks like princess Hisui is in quite a shaky situation. Well, for now I should focus on fixing the problem before me, in the long run this might help her in dealing with her own situation.
“So have you guys finally settled down.” after they have treated themselves with some restoratives and bandages Sera had given us before hand, I then stood before them. “Are you ready to go under my supervision’?”
“…” they were silent. Well, I will be taking their silence as their approval.
“As I have mentioned beforehand, the only ones who are ready to take on the Dungeon are standing beside me.” Princess Hisui and Sara who have slightly gotten pink due to the attention smiled awkwardly at them. “If you do not focus, worst case scenario will have you or your friends die on you.”
There was no need to sugarcoat my words. They needed to understand that entering the dungeon will be riddled with danger and they need each other to be there for one another.
“Right now, you are one unit and need to move as one, if not you will only get yourselves killed in turn.”
But I also know that change cannot happen in a fortnight, they have hated each other for as long as they can remember, it might not even have started from them but instilled at them since birth, so asking them to change their attitude towards each other will not occur unless they get to know more about each other first.
According to leading psychologist in my previous world, there are two ways to change behavior: one is to change their actions and the behavior will follow; the other, is to change the environment and the behavior also will follow.
For the first condition to be met, the group will need to see that they are not entirely different from each other, that they have their own weaknesses and strengths.
For the nobles who looked down on the commoner and be defeated by a commoner should have mellowed their arrogance. For the commoners who could only see the nobles as people seating lavishly in the chair, saw how Alfred and Hisui commanded an excellent battle. Their defeat earlier should have somehow changed their attitudes.
For the second condition, this little class excursion should have been the answer. Usually, trips like these are meant to encourage students to form new relationship with others. However, this did not go too well when these students brought their environment with them. They kept clinging to the idea that they are members of the Noble Stallions or the Fighting Eagles which meant that their hate for each other remained.
When problems regarding the change of environment come to you, what do you do? The answer is sports. There is nothing sports cannot change.
“Okay everyone, change to your swim wears.” While there were a lot of ‘eh?’, ‘ha?’ or confused look on the background, I continued my grand plan to change their environment. “Let’s play beach volleyball.”
