第２９６堀：打ち合わせ (Part1)
### Chapter 296: The Meeting
**Meeting**
**Side: Yuki**
Well, first things first, I need to get the details out of Popuri and Lara.
No, wait—before that...
I instinctively used the Call to summon a few key individuals.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Hm? What’s up?"
"Did something happen?"
Reflected in the Call were Zargis, currently in Zilba, and Mino-chan, over in Enaria. Finally, there was Tori, who was keeping watch over the Monster Forest while blending in with the students at the Academy.
"To put it briefly, one of the neighboring countries has declared war on August."
"Oh, is that so? Is it significant enough to affect the Royal Capital?"
Zargis sounded as if it were a trivial matter.
Well, normally, that’s how it would be. If it doesn't interfere with our goals, it’s best to ignore it.
"I heard something strange, though... apparently, they have an army equipped with a massive number of magic swords, fire staves, and enchantment staves."
"What!?"
"That sounds like more trouble, doesn't it?"
"Is everyone going to be alright?"
I answered their reactions one by one.
"Zargis, I’ll leave you for last. That’s the main topic."
"I figured as much..."
"Mino-chan, I need you to check if the equipment we provided to Enaria has been leaked, or if our designs have been analyzed and spread."
"Understood. Though, I think the probability is extremely low."
"I agree. There’s no logical reason for it. Enaria and August are on opposite sides of the Academy; there’s no reason for them to leak the treasure trove you provided, nor would they distribute blueprints that would put their own side at a disadvantage. Besides, if they could be analyzed, Agil would have already mass-produced them."
"That’s true. So, this is just about ruling out the possibility and making sure no one is pulling strings behind the scenes, right?"
"Exactly. I’m sure you know this, but don’t you dare mention this to the King or the generals of Enaria. If you do, we’ll be the ones under suspicion."
"I know. I wouldn't dream of it."
Good. As expected of Mino-chan, the conscience of the Weed Monster Army.
"Next, Tori, I want you to work with Riel, Kaya, and Taiki-kun to tighten the surveillance of the Monster Forest. A large-scale war is about to break out. The flow of magic power might converge there."
"Understood."
"Of course, you have my permission to mobilize the monsters if necessary."
"Yes. Leave it to me."
Tori and the others are the best for this; they’ve acquired the necessary know-how through their police work.
Oh, I almost forgot. I called one more group.
"Yawn... what is it?"
Appearing before me was Mauve, looking like a retired father who had just finished lunch and was settling in for a nap.
"…Never mind. You look peaceful enough."
"Yeah, the Beastman village is peaceful today, too."
"I see. But you might want to increase your vigilance from here on out."
"What do you mean?"
His tone sharpened instantly at my words. Even a lazy old man like him is a top-tier adventurer for a reason.
"One of the countries surrounding August has declared war. I don’t know how it will play out. It’s not just a skirmish between major powers; it’s a full-blown intervention. If things go poorly, the balance of power could shift drastically. There’s unconfirmed information that the enemy is armed with a massive number of magic swords and enchantment staves."
"If that news reaches the Beastmen, they might try to take advantage of the chaos..."
"Exactly. There’s a possibility they’ll move. Assume that someone will make a move toward you, since you’re the largest faction."
"Understood. We’ll tighten our guard. Hey, Raiya, Curse, you heard that?"
"Yeah."
"I heard it. We’ll start by strengthening our meetings and patrols. What else do we need...?"
Now, let’s get back to Zargis.
"Well, I’m sure you already know what I’m going to ask..."
"I’ll investigate to see if there are any strange movements in Zilba. But, a massive amount of magic swords and enchantment staves? It’s too convenient that they just happened to find a stockpile and have enough people with the aptitude to use them, isn't it?"
"Exactly. If they were that easy to gather, the major powers would have already seized them, or that country would have already replaced one of the major powers."
"In other words, someone in that country either found the blueprints or managed to produce them on their own without any restrictions."
"That’s the direction we need to think in. If it were just a lucky coincidence, it wouldn't be a problem, but if they can produce them, that’s incredibly troublesome. They could end up with an entire army of magic sword users."
"Well, they wouldn't pick a fight with a major power in this climate unless they had something like that. This war is going to be a long one..."
"Or it’ll end in an instant."
If they really have a mountain of magic sword users, stopping them will be difficult, and they’ll reach the Royal Capital in no time. If not, as Zargis said, it could turn into a long, drawn-out war of attrition with no decisive blow.
"I’ll leave the information gathering to you."
"Understood."
Now, onto Popuri. I called her, and she answered immediately.
"Hello? Did something happen? Did Princess Inis go on a rampage again?"
"Ah, that was expected. But there’s more trouble. We haven't received official word yet, but a massive number of wounded soldiers are being brought into the barracks where we have Wai-chan docked."
"…Wounded soldiers, you say?"
"And at the Royal Castle, they’ve called an emergency meeting, bypassing us and summoning the Princess, Vixen, and Feigel."
"What happened?"
"One of the countries surrounding August declared war. And they’re equipped with a massive number of magic swords and enchantment staves."
"What!? What are you talking about!?"
"I don’t know either. To make matters worse—and it’s highly likely this was intentional—the enemy attacked while the King of August was away on an inspection. The King had no choice but to take command of the front lines himself, shifting to a defensive battle. It sounds like they’ve issued evacuation orders to the surrounding villages and towns and are now in the middle of a retreat."
"Wait, that means...!?"
"Exactly. So, with the country’s leader absent, Princess Inis is currently taking command based on the King’s reports."
To be honest, it’s a chaotic situation, no joke. If this were Japan, it would be like the Emperor getting caught up in a battlefield. If the public—let alone foreign nations—found out about this, it would be an absolute disaster.
The situation can’t be swept under the rug anymore. You can’t seal information like on Earth, and the news that the King himself is leading the front lines will spread in an instant. They won't be able to hide the wounded soldiers being brought in, either.
"This is bad. Very bad. And a massive amount of magic swords and enchantment staves? That’s impossible. As I’ve told you before, as far as I know, only fifty were ever mass-produced, and more than half of those have been damaged and rendered useless over the last four hundred years. The possibility of a massive stockpile existing somewhere is low."
That’s right. Popuri apparently cooperated with the Holy Sword users when they were imprisoned and forced to develop magic swords, helping them escape. However, she said they destroyed all the blueprints, and with the knowledge and technology level of that time, no one else could create them. To prove it, the perception of magic swords has shifted from something that can be "made" to that of "legendary weapons."
"So, you’re also skeptical about this mass discovery, Popuri?"
"Of course. That leaves the possibility that they developed them independently..."
"Or they got their hands on the blueprints for the Holy Swords created by the previous Dungeon Master."
"That must be it. The location of the dungeon where she spent her time was completely unknown. It’s highly likely it just happened to be within that country."
I’ve gathered most of the information I can get for now.
"Popuri. For now, I’m having members in other countries look for movements from different angles. Milly and the others are already investigating the situation in the August Royal Capital. Given the current information, I want to intervene in this war in some way."
"I agree. I think that’s for the best. It’s highly likely that we are deeply involved in this. *Sigh*, I’m sorry for pushing the cleanup onto you."
"Well, that’s one of the jobs of a successor. So, I have a request for you, Popuri."
"Is it a reconnaissance mission for Amanda and Eoid?"
"Exactly. What August needs most right now is information. Princess Inis seems to understand that, as a reconnaissance team has already been organized and is preparing to depart."
"That’s only natural. And you have a vehicle that can move at high speeds, with the potential to extract the King from the front lines. No, in this case, should I call it a 'rider'?"