第１６９掘：開戦前 前日
### Dig 169: Before the War - The Day Before
**Side: Yuki**
A month has passed since then.
Ah, I’m talking about the news that the Zilba Empire has begun to move once again.
During that time, Zargis and I have been continuously investigating the cause of the magical power depletion, and we’ve managed to establish a certain "safety line."
And finally, a sample carrying an Oopart—a magic sword—is coming our way.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention: the demi-humans are, for the most part, listening to what we say.
There are still some who try to pester the wives of the beastman group or badmouth us behind my back, taking advantage of the fact that I’m intentionally keeping a low profile. However, Tori, Riel, and Kaya have been crushing those instances one by one.
In terms of numbers, about 1,300 have gathered.
Compared to the total number of demi-humans living in hiding, that’s not even 1/500th of them.
That said, considering the continent is roughly the same size as Weed and the total demi-human population is only around 500,000, you can see how severe the magical depletion really is.
That 500,000 figure probably isn't accurate, but based on what the elders and the gathered demi-humans know, that’s roughly how many are scattered and living in hiding, rather than living in unified groups.
At this point, the demi-humans are in a state where their own power is no match for the sheer numbers of humanity.
This figure of 1,300 is the total count, not just the fighting force. Of that number, only about 800 are capable of withstanding combat.
The remaining 500 are women, children, and the elderly. They are the ones who followed their fighting family members.
Well, originally, most of these 500 were also planning to participate in the fighting. However, since they didn't meet our standards, they are currently busy tilling fields and hunting to feed the comrades who will be fighting in the future.
Weed could have provided support, but there are still many demi-humans who harbor hatred toward humans and are only following us on the surface, so we can’t show them even a glimpse of our true power.
If they realized that supplies could be obtained freely, they’d likely demand as much as they wanted. Some of them even view us as nothing more than convenient tools.
I’m really realizing how difficult cross-cultural exchange can be.
Since we don’t know the cause of the magical depletion, it’s a pain that we can’t just dismiss them.
"Yo. Boss, the formation is complete for now."
"Oh, thanks for the hard work. How are the enemy numbers?"
"Around 5,000, I’d say. Just like the preliminary intel."
"What about Mauve and the others?"
"They’re with the demi-humans, just as planned. Hopefully, that’ll make them rethink their opinion of humans a little bit."
I told Mauve and the others not to use Doppelgangers for intelligence gathering, but instead to spend these past few months—three months, to be exact—with the demi-humans to build a relationship of trust.
The resentment and grudges they hold against us humans are immense; usually, anyone meeting us for the first time scowls.
That’s why I paired Mauve and his group with the demi-humans, acting as both combat trainers and a bridge for building trust.
According to the reports, those who have shared a meal and drinks with Mauve’s group have mostly become friendly.
When it comes to things like this, there’s definitely a "grown-up" way to handle it.
"Well, it’d be nice if things improved even a little. It’s not like bringing in Aslin and the others is going to improve our image, after all."
"That’s true, since the only kid among us humans is Princess Aslin."
"Labyris, Firia, and Shera are all demi-humans on this side, anyway."
"Actually, there was this idiot demi-human adult who tried to ostracize Aslin because of that."
Hey, hey, they did that to a kid like Aslin?
"Naturally, Labyris, Firia, and Shera beat him to a pulp."
"Oh? Is the guy still alive?"
No, I make sure to hear about death reports, so I know he’s not dead, but it’s just human nature to ask.
"He’s alive, for now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?"
"Well, Labyris-nee was there. She’s the leader of the kid group and a huge fan of Princess Aslin—she practically acts as your substitute, Boss—so there was no way she was going to do nothing. In front of everyone, they beat him to a pulp, stripped him naked, and hung him up. With a sign saying, 'I bullied a child.'"
"Oof."
"Even I wouldn’t go that far. Because of the treatment of Princess Aslin, whom they had been getting along with normally, plus being hung up naked and beaten by the kids, the guy has become a shut-in."
"Oh, so he’s just a shut-in? That’s surprising."
If something like that happened in Japan, you wouldn’t be able to live in that area anymore. They’re tough. I’ll be nice to him if he ever returns to society.
"We’ve gotten off track. So, where are the advancing O-liver and P-kun?"
"Ah, you’re right. At that marching speed, they’ll be here by tomorrow afternoon."
"Army movement really is slow. Cars are so convenient."
"That’s true. And yet, you tell us to fight with swords and magic?"
"I’ve told you the reasons before: to avoid giving the opponent any excuses, to keep our own cards hidden, and various other reasons."
"I know, I know. It’s also bad for you to show up, Boss. Leaving aside Ria-nee, if Jessica-nee appears, the position of Marly-nee, whom we let escape, will be in danger."
"There’s that, too. Jessica is treated as my aide, after all."
"Honestly, I want to test how much my own strength has increased in actual combat, but..."
"You’ll definitely cause trouble for the Princess, you know."
"...Yes, regrettably, I will refrain this time. It seems Yuki won't be participating in combat either, so Seraria-sama will be relieved."
"Wait, why are you treating Seraria so carefully?"
"Because she is the Queen of Weed."
"If we’re talking about that, I’m just as important."
"I understand, but that’s Yuki’s stance, isn't it? Compared to that, Seraria-sama carries herself as a King. I think respect for that is necessary. Also, she resembles the Princess—or should I say, she looks like the Princess all grown up?"
"Ah, so Seraria and the Princess really do look alike. On the inside, too."
"Yes. I felt that even more strongly when I heard she was a former martial artist. The Princess is one of the nobles, and while not from a Ducal house, she is a distant relative and technically has a slim chance of succession to the throne."
"They really are similar."
"Yes."
Seraria loves combat, too. I wonder what will happen if she ever meets the Princess.
As we were chatting like that, Ria, who was with us, spoke up.
"Well, it’s getting late. Tomorrow is the battle, so you Generals should get some rest."
"I don't really feel like a General."
"That’s because in Weed, we’re more like handymen than Generals."
"There’s almost no need for an army there, after all."
Talking about things like that, we returned to our respective beds to prepare for tomorrow.
Ah, we barely talked about the enemy army.
Sorry, I don’t really consider them that important.
And so, the battle will be unprecedented!!
Listen, a landslide victory is guaranteed, but a certain situation will occur that will lead to a state never seen before!!
There are many kinds of landslide victories, after all.
But, I have some business tomorrow, so I might be taking a break. Sorry about that.