第３８４堀：集う化け物たち (Part2)
The underlings who manage such things are usually scum, or rather, their minds are often so fractured just to maintain their sanity that seeing them in action would, as Steve said, surely set the serious ladies off.
"Naturally, Princess Aslin would be furious. Wait, this topic is..."
"Princess Aslin and Princess Firia haven't been informed yet, obviously. If they had, a notice for an all-out war would have already been issued to the Monster Army."
"True. That means the Boss won't be making an appearance, then."
"Definitely not. If the Boss comes out, those four guards of his follow, and while we might be able to tolerate that, he’s not exactly built for stealth, is he?"
"He’d just be a liability. It’d be fine if it were just him, but..."
"The current Boss can't exactly walk around alone. So, effectively, it’s just us."
"...This is insane. There’s no way we can keep a lid on this."
Between Steve’s group and mine, we have at most a little over a hundred people assigned to this mission. With that, we’re expected to find the multiple zombie storage facilities, monitor the production hubs, track down the mages, and so on... It’s impossible.
"And how much time do we actually have?"
"Unknown. How the enemy moves depends on the discussions between Popuri-san, Hifie-san, and the others who have been summoned."
"...Since Hifie-san and the others haven't arrived yet, that means we have at least two or three days. That’s way too short!!"
"At least, I said. At least. It’s not something that can be resolved in two or three days, so the Boss is currently trying to persuade them to drag things out. Telling them not to rush for results."
"Honestly, wouldn't it be fine if Ex just turned into a sea of blood?"
"That would only sour the relationship we’ve built with Popuri-san and Hifie-san, so no. We have to do this properly; otherwise, we won't be able to face them if things go south, right?"
"If things go south, we won't be able to face them no matter how hard we try."
"Besides, even if we work hard in the shadows, there are still people investigating the surface."
"That’s true. In this situation, it’s certain there are entrances to the dungeon in the castle, the city, and nearby. We need people to investigate those..."
But even then, the ladies are busy guarding Popuri-san and the others, and Kirika and her subordinates aren't enough. Where are we supposed to get reinforcements?
"Hmph. You guys look like you're in trouble."
That voice came from above.
"Huh?"
"What was that?"
When we looked up, we saw Covil of the Fairy tribe hovering in the air.
"Her panties are red."
"They are."
"H-hey!? What are you looking at!?"
"Well, you’re the one who showed us?"
"Exactly."
I mean, if you stand akimbo in mid-air, you’re going to see what’s under the skirt.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!! Kiyu!! Perverts, there are perverts here!!"
"Who are you calling a pervert?"
"That’s offensive. Wait, Kiyu?"
"Ahahaha, Covil, you should be more careful. Hey, you two."
"Seems like a face we haven't seen in a while."
"Yeah."
"No, we’ve been seeing each other at meetings regularly, haven't we?"
"Ah, I guess since you didn't show your faces on the New Continent, you had a low profile."
"Right, right. And Covil here, like Surakichi-san, couldn't do much due to magic depletion, right?"
As I said that, a viscous, liquid-like substance dripped down from above and began to speak.
"...That has been resolved. That is why Covil and I have come out to the field."
"Surakichi-san? Don't startle me like that... Wait, is this that new item Zargis made!?"
"Yeah, with that thing that can suppress and cut off magic decay, we can handle anything."
"That’s right!! Yuki begged us to help because you guys couldn't handle it alone, so you’d better be grateful!!"
"...Covil. You could phrase that a bit better."
"Honestly, Kiyu, I don't know how you married such a brat."
"Grrr!! Surakichi-san, I am not a brat!!"
"Yeah, yeah, my bad. So, how is it? This makes things a bit better, right?"
Indeed, personality aside, Covil’s magical skills are top-tier, and the Fairy tribe excels at stealth due to their small, unique bodies—plus, they have the added bonus of being able to fly by default. To top it off, being able to deploy the slime unit led by Surakichi-san is huge. Gravity is meaningless to slimes—well, not entirely, but there is no organism better suited for searching dungeons or indoor areas where walls surround you on all sides.
"This makes it doable. We can handle the production facilities and even the research labs deep inside."
"Yeah. This is a huge help. Right, that invention increased the number of units we can actually use. I completely forgot."
*We’re saved,* we both thought with relief, when another voice called out from behind.
"Yes. I am glad to hear you are pleased. I will also be joining the infiltration of that research facility, so I look forward to working with you."
"Oh, Chief."
...Chief? The Chief of the Fairy tribe? Could it be...
"I, Narjia, as one entrusted with Weed’s technology, believe there is no better person to grasp the technology of a potential enemy nation. May I accompany you?"
She smiled brightly—the leading expert in weapon development that Weed prides itself on. She creates things of such absurd caliber that she acts as a blacksmith exclusively for us and the Boss. Naturally, she isn't weak herself.
And she’s coming along.
Oh, crap.
It’s over.
That’s what I thought.
Finally, these people are moving.
The outcome is already clear.
No, wait—is there anyone who can even imagine how this will end!?
Even I haven't decided the ending yet.
Well, one thing I do know: this won't be a fair fight.
Now then, next up is the reaction of everyone infiltrating Ex when they hear this report.
Will it be the same reaction as yours?