第４６０堀：最終ブリーフィング (Part1)
Chapter 460: Final Briefing
Side: Taizo
They say that in this world, one can never be fully prepared.
That is only natural.
Even if the word "perfection" exists, it is an impossibility in reality.
"However, isn't this the closest we've ever come to perfection?"
I muttered to myself inside the conference room.
No, I am careful not to let arrogance take root, and I have no intention of doing so.
Whether the intelligence is accurate, whether our forces are sufficient—these things can only be known once the battle begins.
Our assessment of the enemy's strength is merely our own estimation; we do not know their true capabilities.
But still, compared to *that* war, the state of our camp is enough to bring tears of joy to my eyes.
Abundant supplies, highly trained personnel, secured logistics—with such blessings, how could I not call it perfect?
Back then, the naval officers would say not a single drop of oil could be wasted, and the army would go around collecting spent shell casings.
"Hmm. This won't do. In this situation of abundance, complacency is beginning to creep into my heart. I must discipline myself."
In fact, back then, the U.S. Navy, which had assumed the conflict would be resolved quickly, suffered immense damage at the hands of our Combined Fleet.
If the forces had been equal in number, one could even say we achieved a complete victory.
Yes, because the U.S. had grown complacent due to their own abundance.
Well, we were eventually overwhelmed by sheer volume. The difference in national power was absolute; there was no way our production could keep up.
In this instance, my position is closer to that of the United States.
That is precisely why I must not underestimate the trump cards or unconventional tactics the enemy might bring to bear.
"That is why this is the final meeting."
Yes, Yuki-kun calls it the final briefing, and this is indeed the last one.
Nogosh and Bicks have already lowered their blades, and we are within three days of the climax.
To ensure we finish them off, we are explaining the operation, checking for any holes, and preparing to move.
We will definitely—absolutely—get the Shimazu Ichimonji back.
A Western sword is far more fitting for a simple stick-swinger like you.
"Taizo-san, are you ready?"
Yuki-kun entered, peering into the conference room.
"Yes, I am fine. Could you please guide everyone in?"
"Understood."
Within ten minutes, the relevant parties for this operation were gathered in the conference room.
The fact that four of them are gods makes for a somewhat humorous story, in a way.
Furthermore, one of them is my wife.
...Well, as I was thinking this, it seems everyone has taken their seats.
"Ahem. We will now begin the final meeting regarding the capture of Nogosh and Bicks, and the recovery of the swords."
I thought I would be more nervous, but it seems that isn't the case.
It feels no different from a presentation for an invention.
No, it’s even easier than that.
It is far easier than explaining a new concept and begging for development permission and funding.
"First, I will explain the cause and the progression of this situation."
To call it the "cause" is a bit trivial, but simply put, according to Luna-den, it stems from jealousy toward Yuki-kun, the final Dungeon Master.
It is a common story in Earth's history that the sparks of great turmoil often originate from small things.
Well, setting that aside, it is the classic case of a veteran employee harboring resentment because a new hire achieved massive results in a short period and built a formidable power base in the blink of an eye.
Into this, Bicks—the former princess who had been ruling over Rankus, which is governed by my distant relative Taiki-kun, with tyranny—somehow obtained the powers of a Dungeon Master and formed a cooperative relationship with Nogosh.
Since both held dissatisfaction and grudges against their targets, the logic of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" made their mutual understanding swift.
Afterward, they brought in Nonoa-den, who harbored similar grievances in the Magic Kingdom, and the shadow war between the Weed/Three-Nation Alliance led by Yuki-kun and the Nogosh/Nonoa/Bicks coalition began.
Initially, Nogosh and the others used internal sabotage, inciting defection, and stirring up anxiety among the populace to damage the Weed/Three-Nation Alliance. Weed investigated and identified the hostile forces, moving first to suppress Nonoa-den or resolve the matter through dialogue.
As a result, through my desperate persuasion, Nonoa-den’s misunderstandings were cleared, and we succeeded in reconciling.
At this point, we obtained information that the leader of the hostile faction was Nogosh and that Bicks was a Dungeon Master. Fearing for the safety of Rankus, we immediately dispatched a defense unit.
A few days later, General Mino-chan and General John successfully intercepted a monster invasion force likely sent by Bicks.
We also succeeded in capturing the commander of that force, Ray, the former Vice Captain of the Royal Guard of Rankus.
Everything was going smoothly until information provided by Luna-den changed the situation entirely.
It was revealed that Bicks had used her Dungeon Master abilities to summon one of the "Tenka Goken" of Japan, the Dojigiri Yasutsuna.
It is said that the vengeful spirit of the Shuten-doji, one of Japan's most formidable demons of Mt. Ooe, is sealed within it, and if handled improperly, the seal could be broken.
If that were to happen, its strength would surpass that of the gods in this world, and immense damage would be expected.
Therefore, it became an urgent priority to recover the Dojigiri Yasutsuna and my master's family treasure, the Shimazu Ichimonji, before the seal could be broken.
A few other swords were taken, but since they are not from my master's house and their current existence is uncertain, they are of little consequence.
We are currently preparing for the execution of Ray, with the goal of recovering the blades and luring out Nogosh and Bicks to defeat them.
I have properly swapped my role and Yuki-kun's in the explanation so that Nonoa-den does not become confused.
"That concludes the cause and the progression of the situation. Are there any questions?"
As I looked around the room, one person raised their hand.
"Seraria-den, is something the matter?"
"I’ve never heard that they had a few other swords. Since you haven't mentioned them, I assume they aren't particularly troublesome, right?"
"That is correct. There are three others, all of which are replicas. First is the Bizen Osafune Nagamitsu, a nodachi commonly known as the 'Clothes Drying Pole.' It is famous as the sword possessed by Sasaki Kojiro, who fought the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. However, the existence of Sasaki Kojiro himself and the duel at Ganryu Island are shrouded in so many theories that it is ambiguous. Many view it as a fictional creation. Naturally, the 'Clothes Drying Pole' is only rumored to be a work of Bizen Osafune based on the stories; the actual item has never been confirmed."
"I see. So it’s something that didn't exist to begin with, and the user is unknown. There is no way to guard against it, then. What about the other two?"
"The second is the cursed sword Muramasa, said to have destroyed the Tokugawa shogunate. However, swords made by Muramasa were mainstream—or rather, they were widely used at the time—so there are countless swords bearing the name Muramasa. Furthermore, it only has a special effect against the Tokugawa family, so..."
"That doesn't seem worth worrying about. What about the last one?"