第２６３堀：精神攻撃は基本である (Part1)
**Chapter 263: Psychological Warfare is Fundamental**
**Side: Yuki**
"……And that’s the situation."
I sank deep into the sofa and let out a sigh.
*“I see. It would be best to keep those five Holy Sword Users under your management until the negotiations and information gathering are complete.”*
*“Agreed. I could go over there myself, but…”*
I was on a call with Seraria and Taiki-kun, explaining that I had safely arrived at the Duke’s territory—Samantha’s father’s domain—and detailing the situation regarding the Holy Sword Users.
"There’s no need to push yourself that hard. Rather, you two should coordinate with the Principal. Convey the situation, gather intelligence on Cleena’s country, and make sure we’re ready to move at a moment’s notice."
*“Understood.”*
*“Got it. But I’m surprised they actually spilled the information so easily.”*
"Well, they’re a bit air-headed. It was more of a 'declaration of victory' than a confession."
*“A declaration of victory?”*
"Yeah. The Holy Sword Users were so confident that even if they lost, they had already set in motion simultaneous attacks on Cleena’s country, the activation of monsters throughout the Academy district, and the triggering of a Great Flood. They told us that even if they were defeated, it was already too late to stop the catastrophe."
*““……””*
Incidentally, while they were making that grand declaration, the Holy Sword Users were in a rather peculiar state—held by the scruffs of their necks by our miniaturized animal companions, completely unable to move.
*“That’s… kind of pathetic. Once they handed over that information, the game was effectively over for them.”*
*“They were dead serious about it, though. While there’s a slight possibility of trouble in Cleena’s country, the idea of activating monsters across the entire Academy district is just impossible.”*
"Well, our base capabilities are just different, and there’s no need for us to play along with their pace. If we let them dictate the flow, we’d be the ones losing. We’ll make effective use of this intel to seal their movements before they can do anything."
That’s right. This isn’t some battle story where we wait for the enemy to make the first move. Since we’ve already detected the threat, we crush it before it can manifest. That’s the standard procedure in any world. Predicting danger and having the evidence, only to do nothing or face it head-on—that only happens in fiction.
In any world, no nation would let a terrorist organization run free once they knew they were preparing for mass murder.
Sure, in movies and stories, tragedies make for a compelling narrative, but in the process of those "heroic" stories, ordinary people often have their lives ruined. We’ve managed to prevent that and keep the damage to an absolute minimum. This is a peacekeeping activity that won’t get any special praise, but realistically speaking, it’s infinitely better than the heroes and heroines who only shine atop a mountain of tragedy.
*“Well, that’s true. Our goal isn’t to have a flashy showdown with the enemy. Anyone who calls this situation ‘boring’ is basically telling the general public to go die. Besides, it would mean putting our own lives at unnecessary risk, so I’d rather not. Minimizing troop losses and avoiding war is the basic policy of every nation. War is the fastest way to drain national power. For us, the whole ‘Holy Sword User’ business was just a side quest to begin with.”*
*“Exactly. We only investigated them because they seemed linked to the cause of the mana depletion; it wasn’t our primary objective. Since we never really considered them a major threat, this whole affair is a stroke of luck. It’s given us a reason to build connections with Popuri and Roday, after all.”*
"Haa. Reality isn’t as simple as ‘fight, win, and it’s over.’"
*“Indeed. The post-war cleanup is the real headache. Besides, from the perspective of our home nation on Earth, these Holy Sword Users are basically just terrorists. It’s not even a war. We’ve just gained some useful intel on Principal Popuri and her predecessor, and made some connections in Roday. To us, these Holy Sword Users aren’t even the final boss.”*
Exactly. For us, investigating the cause of the mana depletion in this continent is the priority. Getting into a brawl with the Holy Sword Users was never the goal. We only prioritized them because they seemed to have the most information and the most immediate influence on the mana depletion.
…The aftermath is what’s going to be tricky.
We’ve captured most of the Holy Sword Users, but we can’t restrict the movements of entire nations. As long as the Large-Scale Mana Accumulation Magic Circle is active, we can’t afford to trigger a massive conflict between countries. We have no idea what will happen if too much mana accumulates.
As I mentioned before, if a King of Monsters is born, that’s one thing. But it wouldn’t be strange if a massive explosion—complete with magical contamination—occurred, much like a power plant disaster.
Anyone who knows this situation and still wants to have a head-on clash with the Holy Sword Users or the nations is beyond an idiot; they’re a suicide seeker.
To avoid that, we need to actively build connections with these nations and grasp the details of their movements. In other words, our activity on this new continent isn’t about physically eliminating enemies, but about maneuvering to prevent them from fighting. It’s… political work.
What did I do to deserve having to manage the geopolitical climate of a world and continent that isn’t even my own?
*“You’ve been busy ever since you learned the state of this continent. Truly, no time to rest.”*
"Tell me about it. We’ve got this restriction against fighting, and now the dungeon construction is backfiring on us."
*“Is that really true? In the end, the Academy district hasn’t moved, and we can travel between Zilba, Betan, Enaria, and the Lancer Magic Academy in almost no time. I don’t think it was a mistake.”*
*“That’s right. Like Taiki said, you haven’t done anything wrong. We’ve started thinning out the monsters around the Academy, and there haven’t been any problems. Besides, even if a problem does occur, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re the cause.”*
"If the countries within the magic circle start brawling, it’s game over… though we don’t even know where the critical point lies."
Well, it’s 400 years’ worth of mana. If someone uses that mana for an explosive spell, it’s like lighting a match in a warehouse full of dynamite. Mana doesn’t usually detonate on its own, but if you connect it via a spell, it’s a convenient, versatile substance. If it’s accidentally triggered in a destructive direction, the resulting catastrophe would be unimaginable.
*“Oh, that reminds me—regarding the dungeon, wouldn’t it be better to set up at least a minimal transit point in each country? Relying on a wyvern to get to Roday every time is not only a hassle, but it puts us on the back foot in an emergency.”*
*“I agree with Taiki. As we said, the mana thinning in the Academy district has begun, and it would be bad if we couldn’t rendezvous immediately if something happens.”*
"Hmm. I agree. I was hesitant, but you’re right—not being able to link up is dangerous. But as I said, we’ll only do it once we’ve tightened surveillance around the Academy district to ensure we can handle whatever comes."
*“That goes without saying.”*
*“Indeed.”*
"Well, I’ll find a base here by tomorrow. If I talk to the Duke through Popuri, he should be able to introduce us to some property."
At that, Seraria and Taiki-kun blinked in surprise and clapped their hands.
*“Oh, I almost forgot. Did you tell the Duke about Samantha?”*
*“Yeah, I wanted to ask that too! How did it go? Was it a ‘you can’t have my daughter’ duel!?”*
"Not yet. Once he heard about the monster activation from the letter Popuri sent, Samantha’s father immediately started moving to mobilize his troops."
*“Oh, that’s impressive. But it’s pointless, right? We already captured the cause before he could call them out. It’s a waste of money.”*
*“I wouldn’t say that. It’s good for maintaining public order, and it’s not like there are zero monsters left.”*
"Well, I’ve provided some operating funds through Principal Popuri, so that shouldn’t be an issue."
*“My, you’re being so generous that the Duke might get suspicious. Like, wondering if the Principal made a mistake and let monsters overflow from the Academy district.”*
"That doesn’t seem likely. Samantha mentioned it, remember? Her father was also a student of Popuri’s. I don’t think he’d say anything that would jeopardize the Academy. He seems to know how troublesome Popuri can be."
*“Ah, I see.”*
*“Hmm. Well, that’s fine. But what’s your intention? Are you going to say, ‘Please give me your daughter!!’?”*
*Tch*, couldn’t dodge that one.
"The thing is, I’ve never actually had to do that before…"
*“Haah!? You have all these beauties serving you, and you’re saying that?”*
"No, no, it’s not about marriage or confessions—it’s the ‘please give me your daughter’ part. Look, my wives were either assigned to me as overseers or were slaves I took in. If I go and ask for a daughter’s hand, I’m the one in the position of power, aren’t I?"
*“Ah, I see what you mean.”*
That’s right. I’ve never had to bow my head to any parents to take a wife until now.