第３６５堀：供給源 (Part2)
"Should we wake Princess Dressa up and explain the situation?"
"No... seeing another version of herself might cause a massive panic. Just bring her as she is. If she starts screaming again, it’ll only draw suspicion and cause trouble for everyone around you."
"Understood. Then, Mauve, Raiya, Curse, good luck."
"You stay safe too. That princess is a real wild card."
As Mauve said this, Kirika vanished from the room without a sound.
"So, Yuki. How capable is this Doppel?"
"Eh, level-wise, she’s about half as strong as you guys. She can handle swords, spears, bows, and firearms, and she’s carrying supplies in her Item Box, so she shouldn't be a burden."
"I am still getting used to this body, so I apologize for any inconvenience, but I look forward to working with you."
"I see. Well, we’ll be training starting tomorrow, so I’m sure we’ll manage."
Since she’s shorter than the original Doppel, it’s probably awkward for her to move. Normally, a Doppel would copy skills and movements, but copying the abilities of a level 3 Princess Dressa would be pointless. So, she’s essentially relying on what the Doppel itself has acquired through training.
It’s a shame you can’t overwrite skills. Then again, if you could, you’d be able to stack skills easily by having a Doppel copy another Doppel, so I suppose it’s a safeguard against bugs.
"By the way, Yuki. You told Kirika to head to extraction point B, right?"
"Hm? Yeah, what about it?"
"Why not the closest one, A? Point B is another 20 kilometers away."
"Ah, that’s to confirm if there are any pursuers. Since the area around point A is under our control—meaning we’re monitoring the surface—I’m intentionally making her retreat to point B to double-check if the enemy has deployed any surveillance or trackers."
It’s a common tactic. It’s easy to fall into a trap if your retreat is spotted, so this is a strategy to catch whoever is tailing you.
It’s all a game of bluffing. It’s important to act like you have a trump card even when your hand is weak, or conversely, to act weak when your hand is strong to lure the enemy into attacking. Or, you could just cheat and swap your entire hand for trump cards.
The point is, it’s crucial to position yourself advantageously without the enemy realizing it. To do that, you need to know the enemy’s hand—which means information is everything.
"You’re as black-hearted as ever, I see."
"How rude. I’m trying my hardest to prevent casualties, and that’s the thanks I get? It’s so sad that I’m tempted to spread a rumor in the Ex Royal Capital that you guys came to defeat the Overlord."
"Don't you dare!!"
"Well, no plans for that yet. For now, just focus on the intel gathering as I asked."
"Fine, fine. I’m hanging up. If we keep talking, I feel like you’re going to end up ordering us to go take the Overlord’s head ourselves."
After ending the call with Mauve and his group, I immediately placed another one.
"What is it? I’m incredibly busy here in Zilba."
"Paperwork again, I assume?"
"No, wait! I’m questioning why all the top brass in Zilba are dumping their paperwork on me!! Zargis is holed up in his lab, and my workload is just piling up!! Paid leave!! I want paid leave!!"
"How about you take Alfin and the kids to that new beach we made?"
"Why would I go out of my way to get even more tired?!"
"If you think spending time with your family is tiring, you’re a terrible father."
"I’m still single!! Anyway, stop teasing me and get to the point. What is it?"
"You’ve confirmed the locations of the ruins near the Ex Royal Capital, right?"
"Of course. There’s a chance the enemy might be using them, or that we could use them ourselves. I already handed in the report, didn't I?"
"I saw the report. But that’s just paper; it’s always best to hear about the situation on the ground from the people actually there. To put it briefly, we’ve received information suggesting the enemy might be doing the same thing we are—housing people inside and harvesting DP."
"...I see. So you want us to have the goblin squad go back to acting like wild goblins in nothing but loincloths to investigate the interior in detail?"
"Exactly."
"There’s a chance my subordinates might get captured, you know?"
"Hmm, I don't think so. It doesn't look like everyone infiltrating the Royal Capital is being monitored. Well, I won't say the possibility is zero, so tell them to equip proper countermeasures."
"...Understood. I’ll gather everyone for a meeting right away. I’ll report back once we’ve sorted things out."
"I’m counting on you."
Now, whether it’s multiple locations, just one, or a misunderstanding—I should eliminate the possibilities one by one.
(Chapter 364: I tweaked the story about Dressa that I heard from Rosetta. It’s to keep the consistency of the later chapters. Make sure to re-read it. Oh, and that’s two chapters from now. Post it right now? Don't be ridiculous. If I don't have a buffer, I’ll be chased by daily deadlines. Plus, there’s the doujin event on the 29th, and once that’s over, I have to resume 'We Do As We Please,' so things are pretty hectic.)