第５０７堀：現状のマトメ (Part1)
**Chapter 507: Summary of the Current Situation**
**Side: Yuki**
"Well, I’ve sent the three of them off to enjoy Weed’s sightseeing, so I suppose it’s time to organize my thoughts..."
I had finally finished explaining things to the trio—Kagura, Catherine, and Georgin—and returned to my office. Naturally, Shera, Labyris, and the others were acting as their guides, so there was no issue there. Besides, Aslin and Firia hadn't been to Weed in a while, so this was a good chance for them to stretch their legs as well. Under normal circumstances, I would have joined them, but that wasn't an option this time.
"So, Yuki. What do you mean by 'organizing information'?"
"Everything up until now has been ad-hoc. I need to get the facts straight and rethink our strategy."
I answered Jessica’s question directly. As I said, our response to these recent events had been completely reactive. Even if I wanted to consult with everyone, it was difficult to communicate after being summoned. We were divided, our options were limited, and above all, we were dragged into combat without any prior intelligence. If it were just me, I would have stayed hidden, but for the safety of my wives and children, I chose to take control of the situation.
Since it’s already over, I’ll break it down by pros and cons.
First, the pros: It was a stroke of luck to gain prisoners who could generate DP in a place where it costs 5,000 times the usual amount. In terms of gathering intelligence, it was also beneficial to have secured the local bigwigs.
Next, the cons: The existence of "Weed" has been exposed to this continent. That might sound fine, but because we have to act as a nation, it brings restrictions. It’s going to be difficult to run around disguised as mercenaries like we did in the New Continent. Personally, not being able to wander around freely is a pain, so that’s definitely a disadvantage.
Furthermore, we are currently under restrictions regarding the mobilization of monsters. While our magical energy levels are a factor, the information I got from Georgin makes using monsters even more problematic. I never expected to hear that a princess of a nation had been used as a sacrifice. If we used monsters in such a climate, we’d be branded as the masterminds behind the chaos before we knew it.
That leaves Steve’s Goblin battalion or John’s Orc battalion as our most viable options, but honestly, Goblins and Orcs are rare enough that they’d draw attention the moment they moved.
"Uh, is this what you mean by organizing information?"
"Pretty much. It’s more about the state of our own forces. We’re severely restricted. We’re forced to act as a nation, and we can’t use our monsters carelessly. We have to divert manpower to defend Baide, and we need to establish a diplomatic channel here. So, unlike in the New Continent, we don’t have the luxury of slowly gathering information while posing as mercenaries."
"But even when we came to our continent, there were restrictions on us as mercenaries, right?"
"True. But the level of threat posed by acting as Weed versus acting as nameless mercenaries is completely different. The enemy won't let their guard down. In that sense, it’s a real headache."
"Ah, I see. The fact that we suppressed the Findar Empire will spread sooner or later, and Weed will be marked as a threat."
"Oh, right. Since we stopped the Empire so easily, we’ll be watched for that reason, won't we?"
"Exactly as Ria says. Being watched is one thing, but it’ll also invite people to try all sorts of underhanded things. When we were mercenaries, we were just one organization—just hired guns. The level of caution they’d show would be limited."
"After all, being a mercenary is just a job. It’s a mistake to compare that to a nation."
"Which is why it’s nearly impossible to go around gathering intel as mercenaries now. Since we’re operating as a nation, we’re short on personnel to begin with. And if people find out we’re from Weed, who knows what they’ll do? That’s the situation."
Well, if necessary, I could have Steve and John act as scouts. If Kirika can make it here, I’ll have her do the same, though I’m still not sure how the undead will be received. If there’s no other choice, I’ll have to deploy Mauve and his group.
"So, to summarize the situation in Weed very simply: we have too much to do and not enough people. Since we’re acting under the name of the nation of Weed, we have to avoid careless actions to prevent unnecessary trouble. That’s the gist of it."
"I see~"
"Well, that’s to be expected. So, how do you intend to move forward?"
"That’s the next topic, of course. Now, let’s look at the situation around us."
The reason our response was so reactive was because of the summoning—or rather, the kidnapping. And the reason for that summoning was that they didn't want to die, so they called upon a 'hero.' If we were an independent force with no affiliations, this would have just ended as a reenactment of the fairy tales told in Haiden. Unfortunately, because we ended up involving the key figures of Weed, the situation became complicated. It turned into a three-way conflict: Findar Empire vs. Haiden Kingdom vs. the third army, Weed.
Well, even if it’s complicated, now that things have progressed, it’s arguably better than having summoned a random hero.
"Is it really better?"
"It is. From what I’ve heard, the root of the problem is the radical faction in Haiden running wild. There were monster incidents in the Empire, but monsters weren't involved in this battle, so this is the only reason we were summoned. In other words, even if they had summoned a lone hero, it wouldn't have ended with just repelling the Empire. If someone else had been called, we might have ended up in a situation where we had to fight the Empire while simultaneously cleaning up Haiden from the inside."
"Whoa. I see. Since there’s talk of saving the Queen, we would have had to do that all by ourselves, wouldn't we?"
"I see. In that sense, should we say Kagura summoned the best possible partner?"
"Who knows? The damage to the country might be minimized, but they’ve lost the territory of Baide, and they’ve essentially invited a nation with the highest level of threat into their midst. A lone, easy-to-use hero might have been better for them."
"In that case, Kagura would likely have been coughing up blood, wading through a sea of carnage to save her country alongside that hero. Not many would consider that a good outcome. But, putting that aside, by us—Weed—joining the fray, it means a seat for a swift reconciliation with the Findar Empire can be arranged, and we can immediately begin addressing Haiden’s internal strife."
"Exactly. This continent has more strange aspects than even Luna told me, based on what Georgin and the others have said. But to investigate those, nation-to-nation conflicts are nothing but a hindrance. For the sake of Weed’s safety, resolving the issues in Haiden—the cause of this whole commotion—is our top priority."