Chapter 1683: Founding Festival with Shallow Vernal ⑤

While Shiro-san waited for my answer to her suggestion to have a match, a person with a Loudspeaker magic tool rose on the center stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. Although very popular in Trinia, target shooting is not considered a casual challenge as it requires a relatively high level of magical skill to take part. This time, we have prepared an attraction that even children enjoy while experiencing the atmosphere of target shooting.”

And like that, the explanation began, but to summarize, what’s about to occur here in this tent are reproductions created by Illusion Magic…… thus, they’re somewhat like an illusion, where the wood we currently have in our hands now appears to be a gun, and the inside of the tent turning like the players are conducting an aerial battle, the real thrill of target shooting…… Well, it really is just a change in landscape, just giving the players the feeling like they’re in the air.

The original target shooting is one where players battle against other players, but this time, it’s an attraction and shooting at people is forbidden…… Well, since it’s purely Illusion Magic, it only appears as though magic bullets are being fired. It seems there are no real injuries even if you do actually shoot people with the illusory magic bullets, but nonetheless, shooting at people is strictly prohibited.

On top of that, flying targets appear randomly in the venue, and the format of this venue is to aim at them to score points. Each target is attached with points ranging from 100, 70, 50, 30 and 10, with more points gained when struck in the center, getting lower the further it is from the center. If you get a certain number of points, you get a prize when you leave.

In addition, it seems that they also reproduced the original target shooting…… No, calling it like that is just confusing things up in my mind, but in any case, it seems that they also reproduced TARGET SHOOTING’s magic power limitation for magic crystals, with each player having limitations to the number of shots they can take, so it follows a format where you aim for a high score within that constraint.

Indeed, even children can have fun with things being like this…… but in a way, with how customers are shooting at a target, it’s become more of a target shooting than TARGET SHOOTING.

I also understood the handicap that Shiro-san proposed earlier. In other words, Shiro-san can only hit as many targets as I do. For instance, if I hit 10 targets, Shiro-san would also be hitting 10 targets.

On top of that, Shiro-san isn’t allowed to score more than 50 points, which means that if I hit 70 or 100 points, I would have a considerable advantage, and once I hit 100 points, I would still be at a lead even if my next score was just 10.

……This match is quite advantageous for me. Looking at it the other way though, it also means that I have to have at least this much of a handicap to have a chance of beating Shiro-san……. What is clear though is that there’s a good chance that I can win depending on my performance.

After all, there’s no demerit for me at all even if I miss a target, and as long as I don’t hit the 30 points or 10 points, Shiro-san won’t be able to take the lead, and if I score 100 points, I can even recover from hitting low points quickly.

[I see. If this were the case, this could definitely be a proper match. I mean, whether I can win or not depends on my skill.]

[That’s right. Isn’t it good to have this kind of competition once in a while?]

[Hmmm, I’m still wondering what it is that Shiro-san is going to ask me but…… Alright. I accept.]

[I’m looking forward to it.]

When I told her I accepted the match, Shiro-san’s lips joyfully formed a smile. In the end, this competition is about whether I can exceed an average of 50 points.

Shiro-san is nearly omnipotent. I understand that even if this is her first time trying this game out, I know she can do things with ease, so Shiro-san will undoubtedly hit every target I hit right in the 50-point spot.

[Arehh? By the way, is their Illusion Magic going to be affected by Shiro-san’s blessing?]

[I’ve adjusted it, so there’s no problem.]

[As expected of Shiro-san. In that case, I can rest assured.]

She’s very well prepared. How should I say this…… I can feel Shiro-san’s desires…… She seems to be very motivated.

[By the way, Shiro-san, what do you intend to have me do if you win?]

[……If I tell you that now, it will probably spoil the fun. I’m going to leave that for later…… However, I’m having some second thoughts. Which way should I go here…… Well, either way is a significant advantage for me, so it’s more of a luxurious dilemma.]

As I had expected, it seems that Shiro-san really is enjoying the current situation, as she seemed to be enjoying the competition with me, including this kind of strategy and maneuvering.

Unlike the previous time we went to the beach together, Shiro-san now has a better understanding of emotions and feelings……. Having such a thought in mind, while there’s a part of me that’s anxious about what she might ask of me, the feeling of joy that Shiro-san is enjoying also increases…… How troubling.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [As for me, I’m really scared of the current Shiro because I seriously can’t tell what she’s going to propose. She won’t do anything Kaito wouldn’t like…… so it’s probably gonna be something flirting related.]