第６３４堀：潜入ブリーフィング (Part1)
**Chapter 634: Infiltration Briefing**
**Side: Steve**
"Are you for real, boss?"
"I’m for real."
The General and I were staring each other down.
We were currently in the briefing room for the upcoming infiltration mission into the Holy See of the Haile Religion. The reason for my shock was the presence of Princess Carrie of the Heiden Kingdom and Her Highness Stasia of the Findal Empire.
And they weren't just here as dignitaries listening in on the plan. They were here as full-fledged members of the infiltration squad.
I mean, yeah, I’d heard talk about them coming along when we slipped in. But I specifically said we couldn't take them unless they completed the minimum required training. So why were they here?
"With all due respect, amateurs are a serious liability, boss," I said.
Taking amateurs on an infiltration mission is basically asking for the whole thing to blow up in our faces, right?
"Don't worry. They’ve finished the necessary training. It hasn't even been a week, but your subordinates gave them the green light."
"What? You’re joking, right?"
"Unfortunately, I’m not. Those two princesses have endured and trained specifically for the sake of revenge. Apparently, they tackled the infiltration drills with that same level of grit."
The General handed me a stack of documents. I scanned them, and sure enough, they were marked as 'Fit for Infiltration.'
I rubbed my eyes and looked again... but the words didn't change. It even said their aptitude was high.
*How is that even possible?* I wondered, until I remembered something the General had mentioned before. He’d said the princesses had been training for a while. That meant they’d likely been practicing scouting and reconnaissance too. If they had prior experience, I guess the high aptitude made sense.
Well, as long as they didn't trip us up, I suppose it was fine.
"Wait, it’s not just about them being a liability! They’re princesses! This is an international incident waiting to happen!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
Dammit. I’d let my protest get too loud. The princesses definitely heard that.
I looked over at them tentatively, and...
"Your concern is perfectly justified, but you needn't worry about that point," Princess Carrie said.
"Indeed," Stasia added. "We are accompanying you to grasp Weed’s operational capabilities. This is a formal request from our respective nations. Should we fall in battle, it will not become a diplomatic issue for you. If anything, it would simply serve as a pretext to condemn the Haile Religion."
"No, no, no... My head as the field commander would definitely be on the chopping block! Even if it wasn't, I’d be hated for the rest of my life!"
"Then please manage the situation so that such a thing does not occur, General Steve. That is an order."
"As a General, I understand that taking foreign royalty into a war zone is something you should oppose. However, as Carrie said, this has already been decided by the higher-ups."
"Guh...!"
Talk about an airtight argument. Even if I thought it was impossible, a soldier has to follow orders.
"Look, if I thought the risk was too high, I wouldn't have allowed it either," Yuki said. "But we can pull this off, right?"
"...It’s not impossible. *Sigh.* Fine. How about we go through the briefing first? We’ll make a final judgment after they’ve heard the details."
Personally, I was hoping they’d hear the plan and realize they couldn't keep up. It’s way more of a pain if someone realizes they’re out of their depth once we’re already on-site.
"Fair enough. Is that acceptable to you two?" Yuki asked.
"I doubt our conclusion will change, but it is only right to make a judgment after hearing the plan," Carrie replied.
"I agree. Hearing the details is vital. Please, proceed," Stasia said.
And so, the briefing for the infiltration of the Haile Holy See began—now with a significantly larger roster than originally planned.
"Alright, first off, I’m sure you all know the gist, but let’s recap why we’re investigating the Haile Holy See. This time..."
* **Background:** It was discovered that the Ohnok Haile Church was involved in kidnappings. Evidence suggests this wasn't just a few rogue elements, but a systemic practice across the entire Haile Church. Thus, an undercover investigation of the Holy See is required.
* **Objectives:** Confirm the existence of Magic Gear gathered through kidnapping and torture. Determine if Magic Gear is being exported to nations other than Heiden and Findal. Identify the ringleaders. Locate the members of the "Middle-tier God Faction" believed to be pulling the strings. Confirm the will of the goddess Haile (also known as Hairen). Additionally, gather intel on troop numbers, equipment, food supplies, etc. (Basically, dig up everything possible.)
* **Rules of Engagement:** This is strictly a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering mission. Use of force is to be kept to an absolute minimum. We will crush the enemy in a single blow during the subsequent full-scale assault.
"That covers the background and the general objectives. Any questions so far?"
Everyone nodded. By the way, there were other infiltration specialists in the room besides the princesses, so this was for their benefit too.
"Next is the 'how.' Let’s look at the layout of the Holy See."
I pulled out a map. Honestly, I’d done some preliminary scouting, and the place was unnecessarily huge. What was with all these prayer halls, main sanctuaries, and sacred zones? It was a weird mix of Eastern and Western styles.
Then again, Sota had been involved, which explained the eccentric architecture. In a religious headquarters like this, there are always monks, pilgrims, and a fair number of tourists—though not as many here. People were everywhere, and the living quarters were strictly separated from the areas for training and prayer.
On top of that, there were treasure vaults, granaries, and detached villas for guests. In short, there were a ton of places to search. Since we weren't charging in through the front door, I explained that the investigation would need to be spread out over several days.
"Any questions up to this point?"
I checked the room, and my adjutant, Britt, raised his hand. Since this mission involved gods, I’d dragged Britt along as my second-in-command despite how busy he was. I figured it was better to have someone with high individual combat prowess if things went south. He and I had been together since the boss first started building dungeons. Give this guy a gun, and he wouldn't lose to even the senior ladies of the dungeon.
Actually, a brilliant idea just struck me: I could just leave the princesses entirely to Britt.
"...Britt. You have the floor."
"...Was it just me, or was that a weirdly long pause?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about something. What’s your question?"
*I was thinking of a plan to use you as a convenient shield! Bwahaha!*
But the fact that Britt sensed something fishy in that split second just proved how competent he was. That sixth sense—or rather, the ability to read the room through experience—isn't something you just pick up overnight.
Yeah, I’d definitely leave the princesses to Britt while my unit handled the dangerous spots.
"How was the atmosphere during the preliminary scouting? How were the people acting?" Britt asked.
"Nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. It’s full of people following the teachings, reciting scriptures, and praying. Their conversations didn't sound suspicious either."
I mean, to us, a bunch of monks huddled in a church training all day is the definition of weird, but for them, it’s normal. Just like how we’re soldiers who train every day—to a civilian, we’re the weird ones.
"Is their food supply mostly purchased from outside?"