第３９５堀：演習前の癒し (Part1)
### Chapter 395: Healing Before the Exercise
**Side: Hifii**
"Ho. These are some quite formidable monsters."
Noble is looking at the monster army that we—no, that Yuki-dono and his people have prepared—with a look of genuine admiration. That is to be expected. After all, these are the monsters directly under Yuki-dono’s command.
"However, is this really enough?"
"This is also an experiment of sorts. Since this unit is centered around Minotaurs, they possess a simple power difference of ten to twenty times that of Goblins or Orcs."
"I see. If there are about a thousand of them, does that mean they are equivalent to a force of ten thousand?"
"That is the idea. I will need you to prepare at least ten times that number of soldiers, Noble. Can you do it?"
"So it’s a question of quality versus quantity. Fortunately, we have been gathering monsters with quantity in mind, so it is possible. But, of course, I have no intention of losing. Are you sure about this? Are you prepared for these Minotaurs to end up as corpses?"
"If they lose to this level of opposition, then conquering the world is clearly impossible. It would be better to use them as materials for your magic swords."
"Indeed. If my side loses to this, then that is all we were worth. No holding back, then. On both sides."
"Indeed. Let us face each other with everything we have."
When I say this, Noble’s expression turns serious, and he nods.
"However, was it wise to show me this strength? Do you not need to see my troops?"
"If the God of War can grasp the enemy's strength and still lose, then I see no need for us to cooperate. You seem to be under a misunderstanding; it is not just you who wishes to grasp the power of the opponent. I am watching as well."
"Understood. The power they call the God of War—I shall show it to you, Hifii. I will defeat you completely. I am not like the heroes of the past who relied entirely on others."
"I look forward to it."
With those words, Noble leaves our camp to make his own preparations.
"My, my, you really provoked him, didn't you? He’s definitely going to try and crush us with everything he’s got now. Hahaha...!!"
Emerging from between the Minotaurs while laughing is Comet.
"...I’m glad you’re having fun, but did you do your job properly?"
"Of course."
"I hope so. Please give me your report."
"How cold of you. Well, whatever. For now, the reports from each unit say they are ready. Or rather, Steve and the others have already begun the dungeon attack. Everything is proceeding on schedule. Kirika has also started moving, and Eris and her group have made a show of leaving the castle for a 'sightseeing trip' so they can retreat at any time. All that’s left is for us to move, and it will be perfect."
"I see. And what about the preparations for the monster army that will be moving with us?"
"That’s not something for me to explain. I’ll leave it to you, Mino-chan."
As Comet says this, Mino-chan steps out from behind the other Minotaurs.
...As expected of a monster said to be one of Yuki-dono’s direct retainers. This is my first time meeting him face-to-face, but the magical power oozing from his body and the sheer intimidation from his physique—he is majestic from every angle. Is this the monster of the Four Heavenly Kings said to be on par with Steve-san, John-san, and Surakichi-san? He is likely the most capable fighter among all the monsters.
"Nice to meet ya, Hifii-san. I’m Mino-chan, and I’ve been tasked with commanding this operation."
"Huh?"
I let out a voice of surprise, unable to help myself. I mean, how could I not? I expected him to be terrifying, but he bowed his head deeply and spoke with a thick rural accent. It’s just too bizarre!
"Uh, Comet-san, it looks like Hifii-san is a bit stunned..."
"Don't worry about it. She was probably just surprised because it didn't match her image. Sorry, Hifii is a bit rigid in her thinking."
I am not rigid!! But Mino-chan looks at my reaction and turns back to Comet.
"Ah... I guess my way of talkin' really is strange, huh?"
"It’s not strange at all. Rural accents exist everywhere. She’s not making fun of you, so just ignore her and keep going with the briefing."
"Is, is that so?"
He’s surprisingly delicate! Even though Comet is covering for him, he clearly seems self-conscious about his accent.
"Oh, come on, Hifii. Apologize to Mino-chan. Bullying is not cool."
"Who is bullying him!! I was just surprised by his polite demeanor. My apologies. I was bracing myself for a battle-hardened type like Steve-san..."
"Ah, I see. Steve and the others are pretty rough, aren't they? Well then, once again, nice to meet you. I’m Mino-chan, and I’ll be in charge of the operation. I mean, I am in charge. Hifii-san, I look forward to working with you."
"Yes. Thank you for the polite greeting. Mino-chan-san, nice to meet you. I am Hifii, a god on this continent. Thank you very much for lending us your strength despite the circumstances."
*Phew*, I’m relieved he’s a polite person. There was a possibility he might have ignored our intentions and just gone on a rampage.
"So, if I may ask, what is the state of the army?"
"Yes. The preparations are already finished. We can start the attack with a single command. The rest is how we keep drawing the enemy's strength out into the open. Also, we have to keep an eye on Noble. We can't let him move from this spot under any circumstances. If he does, everyone else will be in danger."
"I understand. For now, to keep drawing them out, I would like you to defeat them as quickly as possible. Given his personality, being defeated in an instant will likely be more mentally damaging to him. Comet and I will be watching Noble from the side, so we have no intention of letting him escape."
"Understood. In that case..."
Just as Mino-chan starts to say something, I hold up a hand and continue.
"However, this is all predicated on winning. ...I must ask, is there any chance you will be overwhelmed by the enemy army? No, I am not mocking you, I just want to know if there is a certain path to victory. You are not my subordinates or underlings. I have no intention of forcing you to throw your lives away."
"You’re as kind as I heard, miss. Well, you never know until you try. That’s what war is. It’s not all decided by numbers."
"That may be true, but..."
"So, back to what I was sayin'. Here is the list of weapons and magic that the Boss gave us permission to use. I want you to check if you think this will be enough to handle the enemy."
He hands me a single sheet of paper. And then, I freeze.
"Comet-san, you too."
"Thanks. Now let's see..."
Comet freezes as well. Because...
Handguns, assault rifles, hand grenades, RPGs, portable rocket launchers, miniguns, bunkers, multiple rocket launchers, combat flamethrowers, directional landmines, prototype laser weapons, armored vehicles, tanks, Narjia-made weapon groups, strategic-class magic, tactical-class magic, and so on...
...Are you planning to destroy the entire country?
"Is there a problem?"
However, Mino-chan seems completely serious. It is true that you never know what will happen on a battlefield. But still, this... won't this shatter Noble’s pride as a God of War into dust?
"Is there a problem?"