Unease!
Layla was currently feeling extremely uneasy!
She was just a twelve-year-old girl! It was one thing to follow behind the big shots on missions, picking up combat credits and padding her resume—she had some experience with that. But dealing with demons? And not just any demons, but the Demons of the Books of Zeref...
Wasn't it a bit too early for this?
However, facing the young girl, Brain simply shrugged his hands.
"The order to raid 'Tartaros' came from the top. There's nothing I can do about it."
"Also, while I am the teacher and you are the student, I am intelligence personnel and you are combat personnel. Even if I wanted to go in your place, it wouldn't do any good."
Layla: (╥╯^╰╥)
"Then, Teacher, did you even think about going in my place?"
Brain blurted out instantly: "Not at all!"
The group: "..."
Layla: (╬◣д◢)
"Ahem..."
Brain's face flushed with sudden embarrassment. "You lot, show your teacher some consideration!"
"After all, I'm a middle-aged man with a child. Could you really bear to let a child lose his father?"
As soon as he said this, everyone present turned their gazes toward him in shock.
"Huh?!"
"Brain-sensei actually has a family and a child?"
Brain looked speechless. "Please, I'm at least forty years old. Isn't it normal to have a child?"
Everyone looked at each other.
"When you put it that way, I guess it is..."
"But why have we never heard you mention it before?"
Brain closed his eyes and replied with practiced composure, "I don't like mixing work and family."
Everyone realized: "Understandable, understandable..."
That being said, the group couldn't suppress their gossiping hearts and began discussing Brain's family without restraint.
Silver's surprise was completely unconcealed: "It's truly surprising. To think even Brain-sensei could manage to find a wife..."
Serena sighed with emotion: "Yeah, that Brain-sensei..."
Gildarts began to question the world: "He's so dark-skinned; can he actually get girls to like him? The aesthetic of the older generation is truly strange..."
Bluenote frowned in dissatisfaction: "What's wrong with being dark? Some girls like dark skin! Besides, if that's the case, shouldn't there be girls who like men with thick body hair?"
Ur couldn't help but roll her eyes: "You can find anything you want in your dreams! By the way, what kind of woman do you think Brain-sensei's wife is?"
Layla joined the topic with a giggle: "I don't know, I'm just guessing, but maybe..."
Descartes' brain sparked, noticing a loophole the others had missed: "Wait a minute! Brain-sensei only said he has a child, he didn't say he has a partner. Maybe it's an adopted child?"
"..."
The seven voices grew louder and louder, while Brain's face grew darker and darker.
"Enough!"
"That's quite enough!"
"Stop focusing on my family! The issue is you guys!"
"In short, that's the situation with the mission. Hurry up and tell me your thoughts!"
Brain shouted to cut off their discussion, thrusting the unavoidable reality back in front of them.
"What 'thoughts' could we have?"
"When has the 'Seven Kin of the Holy Knights' ever backed down?"
"Just do it and be done with it!"
Serena was the first to jump out, a wild grin on his face as he excitedly rubbed his hands together.
"Weren't the enemies we met in previous missions all claimed to be extremely vicious and a great threat to the magic world?!"
"And the result? They were all just a bunch of trash!"
"This opponent... the Demons of the Books of Zeref... their reputation is indeed louder, but as for their actual strength, we won't know until we exchange blows!"
"Actually, I've heard of this lot for a long time, but never had the chance to encounter them. This is the perfect time to use them to verify my strength!"
Layla: Σ(⊙▽⊙"a!!
I almost forgot, we have a combat fanatic like this in our team!
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Ur delivered a sharp chop to Serena's head. "That's a demon's nest!"
"The number of demons inside could be in the thousands, or even tens of thousands. It's obvious that a surprise attack with just the few of us is impossible!!"
Layla: o(╥﹏╥)o
Waaaah... as expected, Big Sis Ur is more level-headed and understands the heart of a delicate young girl!!
Silver also chimed in: "Ur is right. No matter how you think about it, the odds of success are too low."
Layla: (～￣▽￣)～
Good, good. Most people in our team are still sane.
Bluenote thought a bit deeper than the first three, turning the point of the question toward the issuer of the order: "Will the Magic Council also dispatch troops to help?"
"The enemy is unique this time. If they are willing to act with us and deal with the demons together, I have no objection. But if they plan to stay in the back and just pick up the credit like before, then I cannot agree to this!"
Layla: ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
Although you have a point, the Council's troops don't seem to have any combat power at all, right? What use is there in having them join? Isn't it just sending them to their deaths?
Gildarts gently stroked his messy stubble with his palm: "The Council indeed has no reason to stay out of it this time. But more importantly, shouldn't we scout the enemy's strength first and then make a reasonable deployment based on that strength?"
Layla: (T＿T)
So you actually know how to do strategic deployment? I thought you only knew how to charge forward and clear the way with Crash magic...
Descartes followed up: "Gildarts is right!"
"The Demons of the Books of Zeref can't all be the same; there must be strong ones and weak ones among them, with various methods."
"We, who are stronger, will deal with the stronger demons; the Council troops, who are weaker, will deal with the weaker ones."
"General against general, soldier against soldier—such a strategy should be fine."
"But before that, we must first confirm intelligence on Tartaros' top-tier combat power!"
"If their top-tier power is insufficient, it might be necessary for the Council to bring in the Wizard Saints as well!"
Layla: (๑╹◡╹)ﾉ"""
That's a great idea! As expected, Descartes is far-sighted and exceptionally brilliant!
If the Council can really bring in all of the Ten Wizard Saints, our top-tier combat power will definitely be enough!
After that, by following the 'strong vs. strong, weak vs. weak' tactic for deployment, with my level of strength, I should completely be assigned to the squad fighting the small fry!
I can't beat high-level elite monsters, but surely I can handle a few minor demons?
If I'm lucky enough to meet a Wizard Saint who is indifferent to fame and fortune, and then...
[A certain Wizard Saint: I have decided to retire to the mountains; fame and titles are like drifting clouds to me! This girl is so cute, I'll just give the demon's head and the combat credit to you!]
Layla: (๑◡๑)
Hehe... hehehehe...