第４４６堀：平穏な時間は破られる (Part2)
"Oh, that won't do. I need to report to Taiki-kun."
Watching that comedy routine almost made me forget my schedule entirely. I'm on duty too, and there's no guarantee I won't end up like Lowel-san. I should take that as a warning.
"Ah, Mino-chan. Good work."
"Good work to you too."
When I arrived at the office, Taiki-kun was clearing through his administrative duties as usual, his call screen open. He was likely surveying the territory of Gartz. I believe he used the DP I handed over recently to secure it. Well, that’s a state secret, so there’s no reason for me to stare at it too closely.
"Here. It's tea. Is this your scheduled report, General Mino-chan?"
"Ah, thanks. Yes, just as Airi-san said, it's the scheduled report."
"There are no abnormalities on this monitor, but how about your watch, Mino-chan?"
"No issues with the naked eye either."
"I see. It's good that today is peaceful, too. Though, I wish it would just end already. It’s so nerve-wracking."
"That it is."
I sipped the tea provided and agreed with Taiki-kun’s sentiment.
"The fact that our investigation shows everywhere is still untouched is a good result, I suppose. But the lack of any movement is just too eerie."
"You'd think that princess hasn't finished preparing her forces, but since we don't know when she'll move, we have to stay on high alert. The troops can't maintain this kind of situation forever."
Tension and professional discipline inevitably slacken due to habituation, and even if they do manage to maintain it, the soldiers will fatigue much more easily than usual. A war with no end in sight is a difficult thing. It’s because we still haven't managed to pinpoint the location of the enemy dungeon.
"Yeah. We can't be the ones to make the first move. We just have to pin our hopes on the hard work of Mauve-san and Kirika-san, who have infiltrated the Kingdom of Swords."
"That's true. Oh, by the way, did you hear? There are reports that a significant number of adventurers have been disappearing over there."
"Ah, I heard. It seems that was their main focus, so they weren't laying a hand on other countries."
Actually, our members embedded in the Kingdom of Swords had picked up on some strange information. Apparently, adventurers have been going missing in the vicinity of the Kingdom of Swords quite frequently. Well, adventurers going missing is a common enough occurrence, so it doesn't seem like they were paying much attention to it, but since three high-ranking parties have vanished in the last few years, there are rumors in the streets that some powerful monster might have appeared.
However, it clicked for us. The members of Weed were unanimous: they were being used as bait. Currently, we are in the middle of investigating where exactly these adventurers disappeared. If we aren't careful, there's a possibility that the Guild and Nogosh are in cahoots, so we are proceeding with caution.
"Well, thanks to the slow pace, we were able to thoroughly check the territory, but..."
"Did you find any land that could be put to use?"
"No, I found a place that looks like a bandit stronghold, so we'll subjugate it later. Of course, there was some usable land, too. Man, 'Call' is really convenient."
"Well, I'm glad you like it."
As we were chatting and I was about to return to my post, a message came in from John.
"What's wrong?"
"I have visually confirmed a massive swarm of monsters rushing out of the forest in the direction of the Kingdom of Swords. Please contact the Hero King immediately. I repeat, from the forest..."
Coincidentally, that voice reached Taiki-kun directly...
"Confirmed. The number is about 1,500. Where did they come from? I'll expand the dungeon toward the back... wait, what? It's managed by a dungeon master from another affiliation, so I can't expand without conquering it!? It wasn't like this before!!"
"That means the princess has come to attack. Can you confirm any human figures?"
"No... I can't see any humans in the invasion force."
"Hmm. I can't tell if she intended to convert them to DP or if her goal was to annihilate us. Well, Taiki-kun, report this to Yuki-anchan."
"Understood. What will you do, Mino-chan?"
"I'll need you to set up a dungeon exit 10 kilometers to the rear. Set up a gate as well; we'll remove it after we move through, and if we're still standing after the battle, I'll ask you to set it up again for extraction."
"Understood. Just as planned. ...I'll explain the situation and be right back. Please, handle the defense."
"John seems to be on the scene, so we'll manage somehow."
I said that and left the office.
Now then, 1,500 enemies, huh? I'll have to select my subordinates' equipment based on the types of enemies. It's going to be a busy one.
Somehow, the previous bit about Bicks, which I thought would be unpopular, saw an abnormal spike in comments. But I have one complaint. Why don't you think Yuki and the others will struggle?! That's terrible!! Bicks is trying his best too!! With his limited intellect!!
Also, Lowel and Higil, who made their first appearances in a while, were immediately removed from the scene. Mostly because of the older sister.