第３０４堀：情報整理と方針 (Part2)
On top of that, this continent is twenty times the size.
I could guess the question of why they hadn't used such things before.
They couldn't afford to waste them.
That was likely why they had been compensating with their own indigenous technology. If they were to import mass-consumable items like bullets at twenty times the cost, their DP would be depleted in the blink of an eye. Unlike us, they didn't have the same financial resources.
"That's about it for the weapon discussion. Everyone, stay even more vigilant than before. Now, the problem is that since our predecessor appeared on the front lines as an undead, it means there is someone else in charge. Furthermore, there is someone with knowledge of firearms from another world. It would be too convenient to assume the leader and this person are the same, so we should treat them as separate entities."
"Hmm. The Hifi Sacred Kingdom has existed for a long time. Since I don't know about this person from another world, we should assume they were summoned while I was at the academy."
"There is a possibility they were keeping it a secret, but since they seem to be announcing it quite grandly, that doesn't make much sense."
"For now, the leader of Hifi, our predecessor Comet, and the person summoned from another world—these three are our opponents for the time being. Regardless of whether we defeat them or not."
Ratz said this.
Certainly, it would be ideal if we could settle things through discussion, but...
"That won't be possible this time, surely. Whatever the reason, the war has already begun. Or rather, they were the ones who provoked it. If they were willing to talk, they wouldn't have declared war from the start."
"I suppose you're right."
Seeing Seraria say that, and Ratz responding immediately, it seemed Ratz knew that as well.
"The problem is that there is a very high possibility the enemy retreated on purpose. And that the August main force will join up and attack Hifi in ten days. If we don't do something about this first, the August army will suffer catastrophic damage. I feel bad for Popuri and the others, but we'll deal with what to do about our predecessor, Comet, after we handle this. If they appear as enemies in the meantime, I won't show any mercy. Since there's a possibility the opponent can use Dungeon Master skills, we can't let them escape. If they show themselves, we'll crush them all at once. We'll lure them into our territory and defeat them in a location advantageous to us. Luring them in and then gaining even more DP—that's something we've done often. We must not, under any circumstances, let the August army be turned into DP."
That's right. As I had discussed with Seraria beforehand, the reason for luring them into our territory was likely also to gain DP.
Of course, since some weapons are difficult to transport, they were likely preparing to fight advantageously by building trenches and pillboxes.
If the August army were to be defeated, it would become even more troublesome.
"As Seraria says, the fact that our predecessor has appeared means that, in the worst-case scenario, we will have to conduct a dungeon attack."
We would have to conquer our predecessor's dungeon.
Tension ran across everyone's faces.
That is how difficult it is to challenge someone else's dungeon.
The more one knows about the original functions of a dungeon, the more daunting it becomes.
In order to continuously gain DP, they wouldn't build a dungeon with a structure meant to be conquered; instead, they would likely fill it with countless ruthless traps designed to be a matter of life and death.
"Well, it won't come to that immediately. First, we need to gather information on both friend and foe. The information we're discussing now could very well change, so please keep that in mind."
"Understood."
We talked for a long time, but this time, we had almost no information.
We had even less than we did during the time of Alfin and Grad.
Or rather, the true identity of the enemy remains unknown.
What is clear is that the enemy is the type of person who would send a former Dungeon Master to the front lines, whether they know their identity or not.
The leader of Hifi might not even be the true mastermind...
The predecessor, the person from another world, and whoever is coordinating them.
I asked Luna about the predecessor, and she said it was the first time she had ever heard of one being used as an undead.
There is a possibility that the person themselves resurrected through their own power, but...
In our current state, everything is just speculation.
For now, I'll follow the Princess's request, bring the King back, and then see how the main force acts. If I know their marching route, I can provide support.
Even though the Hifi Sacred Kingdom is a small country, it's not impossible for us alone to take all the key points. However, I don't want to show our hand just yet.
We need to neutralize the enemy with the minimum amount of effort possible.
...Still, this is starting to feel like modern warfare.
Ah, what a pain.
And so, the conflict escalates while the information remains opaque.
For now, the enemy has the upper hand.
Well, the enemy doesn't know anything about us either, so it's an even playing field.
How will this turn out!!
What is the enemy's goal!! Why was the predecessor turned into an undead, and where and what is the person from another world doing!!
I don't really know either.
The concept is set, but there are still parts I'm struggling with.