第３０６堀：味方の思わぬ動き (Part2)
Seraria, Ratz, and Eris were deep in thought after hearing about the envoy situation. The risk-to-reward ratio was delicate, especially given the nature of the opposition.
"But still, Popuri, is it really okay to appoint Amanda as an envoy? Personally, I think her life is at the highest risk," I asked.
"True. Wai-chan is wild by nature, so as long as she agrees, there's no risk of her DP control being hijacked, and she could escape alone if the worst happens. But Amanda..."
"She doesn't have that kind of strength. She's a klutz," Kaya added.
"Kaya, let's try to sugarcoat that a bit more, shall we?"
Riel, Tori, and Kaya were worried about Amanda, who would likely have to participate in this envoy mission. If the Doppel control were seized, it would just be Amanda and Eoid left on their own. In that scenario, I suppose the best course of action would be to surrender quietly rather than try to run. Though, there’s a high probability they’d be executed anyway as a display of power.
"...Personally, I don't want Amanda and Eoid to take such a risk."
That goes without saying.
"...But if we turn this down, does the problem actually go away? We’re right back to that."
Exactly. The issue is whether delaying this will lead to a resolution.
"...That would be impossible. If Amanda isn't involved, we have no reason to tag along with the envoys. The envoys would likely just be killed, and that would be the end of it."
"That's right. According to Moment—the mercenary I heard talking in the cafeteria—the Hifi Holy Kingdom seems fully intent on this. It’s too convenient to expect those envoys to successfully negotiate a ceasefire."
"And ultimately, the front lines will expand. That makes it highly likely that Amanda will be drafted as a Dragon Knight."
Deryu, Milly, and Rurua all concluded that things would only get worse from here. I agreed with them. Once combat begins, it’s the Hifi Holy Kingdom that stands to profit. It’s much harder to intervene once the situation has already escalated.
"So, what do the three of you from the New Continent think?" I asked, turning to Jessica and the others.
Aside from Jessica, Cleena and Samantha were still new, so they had mostly been listening, but they might have a good perspective.
"...I believe we should accompany the envoys, even if it means taking the risk."
"Mm. I agree with Jessica."
"I agree as well."
"May I ask why?"
"Yes. First, as Cleena deduced, the goal is to recover the DP. It is only natural that we should aim to delay that."
"Mm. And by blending in with the envoys, we can directly investigate Hifi's true objectives. Right now, we only suspect that the Hifi Holy Kingdom is luring enemies into their territory to recover DP, but that is merely a hypothesis. Even if DP recovery is the goal of this war, if we don't know what comes after, we will always be one step behind, even if we manage to prevent the war itself."
"I’m embarrassed to say I haven't thought as deeply as Cleena, but if we go, we can gather information, and above all, we can minimize the bloodshed. We can handle a bit of rough work. After all, this is likely a problem within our own circle. I feel we have to take care of it ourselves."
Their points were valid. Especially as Samantha noted, since a predecessor Dungeon Master had appeared, I should consider myself the primary party involved, rather than August. Well, I was essentially forced into that role.
"I also think we should go with the envoys. If it’s that person—the Otherworlder—there’s a possibility that Yuki-san or I could get through to them."
Taiki-kun was in favor, too. The irregularity of an Otherworlder was indeed frightening. That was exactly why Taiki-kun and I needed to meet them directly. If things went well, we might even be able to recruit them.
"Indeed. There seems to be an advantage to taking the risk."
"Hmm. I don't understand the complicated stuff, but I don't think it's a bad thing to try and keep more people from getting hurt."
"It will be fine! Narjia-san and I will do our best to make lots and lots of armor and charms!"
Shera was in favor, Aslin had reached her own conclusion, and Firia was raring to go.
"Fufu, I see. Fortunately, no one is pregnant, so a little injury from the Doppel should be manageable. That is your concern, isn't it, Yuki?"
Yeah, yeah. That’s right. If it were just me, I’d have infiltrated the place alone already, but my wives are my priority.
"What about you, Ria and Kirue? It’s clear that I’ll be going as one of the envoys..."
"Honestly, as your guard, as a Hero, and above all, as your wife, I am strictly against it."
"I agree. As a maid and as a wife, I am against my husband heading into such a dangerous place."
So, they were against it. Well, it couldn't be helped...
" "However." "
Before I could finish my thought, they cut me off.
"I will protect you no matter what, so it will be fine."
"Following the decision my husband has carefully reached is what a good wife does. Please, do not worry about us and achieve your goal. I do not believe this decision is wrong. I will make sure there is a place for you to return to."
"Yes, yes, Husband. I will protect this house, so please, go do what you need to do. I’ll keep this place safe with my senior! If necessary, I’ll go with the envoys alongside Lady Samantha!! And by the way, did you forget about me?"
In the end, Ria, Kirue, and Sasari were all in favor. It seemed the decision to infiltrate the envoys was set. As I was deciding this internally, Narjia-san rushed into the meeting room.
"Oh, good, you're still in session. Regarding the mages that Steve and the others captured—as you and Labyris suspected, they appear to be undead. I don't know the principle, but they weren't resurrected through high-level magic... it seems they are corpses being manipulated by formulas. It might be rude to call them 'materials,' but you wouldn't be able to create such Liches without high-quality bodies—those skilled in magic. For example, someone like Popuri-san, the Holy Sword users, or perhaps, at a stretch, a Magic Sword user? By the standards of the New Continent, that is..."
That settled it. Laraina, the Magic Sword user, was likely an envoy. If anything happened, she would be the first target. If we set a trap, we might be able to uncover a lot. Conversely, if we didn't accompany the envoys, the enemy's strength might increase.
Now, who should be in the party? Should we go with maximum force, or keep it minimal? Running a country isn't just about fighting, but we were heading right into the heart of the enemy.
Well, let's see how this turns out.