第３８９堀：結構ぎりぎりだったりする (Part2)
"Eh? Ah, well, isn't it because there was a possibility that the opponent possessed the powers of both a god and a Dungeon Master, which meant we couldn't use our usual strategy of building a dungeon and slowly suppressing them?"
"Exactly. I wanted to avoid building a dungeon and revealing our hand before we knew the opponent's abilities, technical prowess, and military strength. At worst, it could have been taken as a declaration of war, and that was something I absolutely wanted to avoid. There was a possibility that they would be reasonable, like Hifi was, so I thought it best to proceed cautiously."
"Then, wouldn't it have been better to continue proceeding cautiously? Fortunately, they sent an invitation to Popuri and Hifi, so even if we waited until their discussions were finished..."
"As Jessica says, if we knew nothing, that would indeed have been the most cautious approach."
"It's about the zombies, isn't it? Now that we know, we have to take countermeasures. Since Popuri and Hifi, who wish for the peace of the people, are here, we owe it to them to act."
"That's it. The scale of it is quite staggering, so we have no choice but to send in someone capable of a 'one-man army' performance to compensate for our numerical disadvantage. That is the reason for this deployment of force."
"However, isn't that fine, given the proposal Eris made yesterday to have the monsters conduct exercises against each other to wear down their forces?"
"No, that is not fine at all. Recall what Ria told us."
At those words, we fell silent, realizing a certain fact.
"I see. The problem is that the opponent is a god and a Dungeon Master, right?"
"Bingo. Unlike with Hifi, Luna isn't acting as a mediator. Can you predict how Noble would react if he felt at a disadvantage after we made a move in such a state?"
"If we show them the difference in power, wouldn't they be willing to listen to us?"
"...Jessica, that's only if things go in a good direction. At worst, there's a possibility they might immediately run to secure more military strength. For example, the citizens of the Ex royal capital?"
"Th-there's no way they would do something like that. I mean, he is a king, right?"
Ria answered my question as if surprised. Unfortunately, sacrificing the people to protect the country is a common occurrence. ...In the first place, since Noble is a god, I can't measure how much his values align with those of humans, so the possibility might be higher than usual.
"...I understand the situation. But then, why did you give permission for Eris's plan? Wouldn't this put the people of Ex in even greater danger?"
"Simply put, I judged that we cannot afford to give them any more time."
"Time?"
"Unlike with Hifi, Noble has a situation set up where he can replenish DP almost indefinitely, just like us. In other words..."
Ah, so that's what it means.
"In other words, if we take our time, not only will their forces be replenished, but they might even increase, and their facilities could grow as well. If that happens, we, with our limited deployable forces, won't be able to keep up. And if that happens..."
"...It will no longer be a matter of just the Ex royal capital, will it?"
"If it comes to that, they could march on every country, and we have no idea how the effects of magic depletion might manifest!"
"It would have been fine if it were just magic swords. There are people who should be using them. But..."
"Noble is producing zombies and undead alongside the magic swords. ...We have to make this a short, decisive battle, or it will be bad."
"Exactly. That's why I approved Eris's plan. We can reduce their forces in one fell swoop here, and the opponent will likely have some doubts about using zombie soldiers, which will force them to rethink their reinforcement strategies. That will delay their replenishment and expansion. Furthermore, we can improve the standing of Hifi and the others, which is a good plan for infiltrating their ranks. And what's more..."
"It's the perfect chance for Steve and the others to safely penetrate deep inside, isn't it?"
"Yes. If we can seize control of the dungeon there, we can capture Noble, who is likely watching the exercises from within the dungeon, without letting him escape. Just taking over the dungeon might lead them to abandon it and flee, but there might be a Dungeon Master separate from Noble, and they would likely be in the dungeon too, so we can round them all up at once. ...Well, those are the reasons I came up with this operation."
"...I understand. You want to put an end to this right here. And to aim for that, you wouldn't deploy half-hearted forces. You're going to deploy our top strength to ensure it's done right. Even me."
...However, now that it's been pointed out, I realize the situation on the new continent is extremely dire. If things fail in Ex, the situation could spiral downward like a landslide. We must make this operation a success at all costs.
"Hey. I think all three of you understand that the situation is very dire, but will you tell the people on the front lines? 'The future of this continent rests on your shoulders. You absolutely cannot fail.'"
"...There's no way I could say that."
"...Soldiers just need to carry out their assigned tasks. We shouldn't tell them things that would cause anxiety."
"...I absolutely couldn't. If someone told me that, I'd freeze up."
...What a stomach-churning prospect. One day until the operation begins. I hope the opponent is a reasonable person who will listen to Hifi's words...
Ah, I'll go see Steve later. If he looks like he lacks motivation, I'll whip him into shape.
Well then, since there was a possibility of this becoming a quagmire if we didn't settle it now, this is the strategy we've decided on. No, if we didn't care about the damage and went all-out with modern weaponry, we could handle it, but that would be putting the cart before the horse.
Well, to put it simply, Noble is checkmated. And the next chapter will be about Noble and his group. Unlike Hifi, what was he thinking, and why did he choose this path? That is the story.
Oh, and this is irrelevant, but the movie "Sadako vs. Kayako" is coming out on June 18th, isn't it? It sounds like a dream match and interesting. But honestly, I feel like it's just going to be a double-punch of curses... is it wrong to say that? You know, like in Alien vs. Predator, where both sides just end up getting whittled down.