第３０４堀：情報整理と方針 (Part1)
**Chapter 304: Organizing Information and Determining Strategy**
**Side: Yuki**
We have all returned to the Weed conference room. It is currently 10:00 AM.
After finishing our usual chores and meals, we have gathered, but the real work starts now.
"First, before we dive into the main topic, let’s go over the current situation with Amanda and the others. Eris, if you would?"
"Yes. First, regarding the Wyvern Corps that went to assist the August army: they have successfully secured the credit for the victory under Dragon Knight Amanda."
Yeah. Sorry about that.
But, I was the one who entrusted Wai-chan to Amanda with that exact intention.
Well, I suppose she’ll just have to deal with it.
I heard from Eris about her personal interactions with the King, and it seems he was completely frozen, unable to comprehend the situation.
Naturally, the Wyvern Corps—subordinates of Wai-chan that he had never even seen before—had arrived first, turned the tide of battle, and then all the glory was attributed to Amanda.
She has no self-awareness of the matter, and she isn't the type of person to claim someone else's achievements as her own.
Because of that, Eris handled all the negotiations with the King.
In a sense, leaving it entirely to Eris was safer than letting Amanda try to navigate it herself.
"Next, regarding the escort mission for the current King, August VIII, to the Royal Capital: since they have repelled the enemy and are taking a breather, we cannot simply drag the King away immediately."
That makes sense.
If it were an escape from a crisis, that would be one thing, but we can't just snatch away the person in charge when the dust has already settled.
"It will take about two days for him to finish the general post-processing and issue his orders. Therefore, we plan to depart in a day or two. Amanda and Eoid are already resting in the space prepared within the fortress. As for the guards, we have our Doppelgangers monitoring them, so there are no issues. That is the extent of our current situation."
"Thank you. Now, for the main topic. Let's start with the conclusion. Milly, please."
"Yes."
Milly walks over to the whiteboard and the large monitor.
"As Yuki-san said, I will start with the conclusion. First, the enemy has revived Yuki-san’s predecessor—the former Dungeon Master—as a Lich, an undead."
The footage recorded by the Wyvern is projected onto the monitor.
A beautiful woman with long, straight blonde hair is shown from various angles.
"I will confirm this once more in this room. Popuri-san, Sia-san, Kishua-san, there is no doubt that this is the former Dungeon Master, Comet Tail, correct?"
"Yes. No mistake."
"……There is no doubt."
"……It is a fact."
All three respond with complicated expressions.
"I also checked with Luna-san, and she said, 'Ah, I think she had a face like that.' So... well, I think it’s reliable."
...I suppose it’s impossible for that creature to do anything more than that.
We are likely just the tip of the iceberg to her. It’s a common occurrence, truly.
"Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the enemy is using guns and cannons. And they are quite sophisticated weapons."
The next images on the screen are of the captured guns and cannons.
There are also shots of them disassembled, and it seems they have already attempted to fire them.
As expected of Zargis; he works fast.
I’ll pretend I didn't see Narjia-san beaming with joy in the corner of the footage.
"The performance itself is several notches below what we officially adopt here in Weed, but the destructive power is comparable."
Of course it is.
The upper limit for anti-personnel weapon power was already reached during the Second World War.
As long as the firepower is enough to kill a person, that’s all that matters.
There is no need to go out of your way to pack the power of a cannon into a small firearm.
Well, since they mentioned "performance," it likely refers to differences in rate of fire, ammunition versatility, and ease of maintenance.
"However, there were points that were clearly different from our guns."
Huh?
Differences in the guns?
What does that mean?
As I stare intently at the footage of the guns, trying to find the difference, Narjia-san walks over and stands next to Milly.
"Nufufufu. Even Yuki-san doesn't see it, I see. The difference between their guns and ours is here."
Saying that, Narjia-san holds up an empty shell casing—the container that holds the gunpowder used to propel the bullet.
"Actually, this casing... it wasn't filled with gunpowder."
Hearing that, it clicked.
"Don't tell me... magic?"
"Yes, exactly. I suppose you’d figure it out once I said that much. As you suspected, they are using explosive magic instead of gunpowder. The usage is no different from a normal bullet; it is loaded into the gun and triggered by striking the primer. Still, I have to say, they really went to great lengths, didn't they? Gunpowder is more stable to mix and easier to establish a production system for. With this magic method, you need personnel capable of imbuing the magic. If you ask which is more efficient, Weed would definitely choose gunpowder."
"But that means it’s different in the Hifii Holy Kingdom?"
"Yes. In our case, through the Dungeon Master skills provided by Yuki-san, we order the finished products rather than raw gunpowder. Because of this, we don't have to go through the process of manufacturing it ourselves. There is also the goal of keeping the guns a secret. But in cases where that method isn't available, saltpeter—the main ingredient for gunpowder—is not something easily obtained. In that light, using magic as a substitute for gunpowder is a clever method. Considering all this, we can assume there is another person who taught them about guns and cannons. Someone other than the former Dungeon Master."
"That makes sense. If Comet Tail, the former Dungeon Master, could order guns via DP, there would be no need for such modifications."
"Exactly. Also, many of their other firearms utilize magic as well. The power is acceptable. While they lack the precision, rate of fire, and ease of maintenance compared to Weed’s firearms, they are perfectly capable of being used in actual combat. Still, it’s impressive. It is truly the fusion of science and magic. Compensating for what is lacking with magic—that is a perfect fusion."
Right.
The problem is not just the firearms, but as Narjia-san said, the presence of a mastermind who made this possible.
"Come to think of it, what is the status of the former Dungeon Master's skills? Seeing as they are substituting gunpowder with magic, should we assume the skills have been lost?"
Once you have seen something, or rather, recognized it, you can order it using Dungeon Master skills.
Well, as Jessica says, there is a possibility the skills were lost.
After all, she is an undead.
"Jessica's suggestion of skill loss is a possibility, but I believe there is another one," Eris says.
"And what would that be?"
"Well... honestly, as Jessica said, since the predecessor has become an undead, it would be more convenient for us if the skills were lost. However, it is dangerous to base our strategy on our own hopes."
Indeed, if the world worked out exactly as we hoped, life wouldn't be so difficult.
"Therefore, we should proceed under the assumption that the enemy can use Dungeon skills. In that case, regarding the ammunition, perhaps it was a matter of DP constraints?"
"““Ah.””"
Prompted by Eris, everyone was convinced.
Come to think of it, you need DP to order items.