第６４４堀：大丈夫（物理的に） (Part2)
"I'm fine!! I can do this!! I fought at Baide, where the disparity in military strength was overwhelming, after all!"
"Same here. I was on that battlefield too, so I don't think I'll be unable to move when the time comes."
As I stated this clearly, Micos replied with equal firmness. I suppose Micos has made up her mind as well.
But Solo...
"I, I am..."
She was trembling as she spoke. Her only experience with real combat was when we were attacked in Onock recently, and she had never participated in a battle before. She had only seen hell in the church basement.
I wondered if I should send Solo back. Her help with the testimony was finished, and there was no reason to force her to expose herself to danger.
Just as I was thinking this, Amanda placed a hand on Solo's shoulder.
"It's okay. You don't have to worry about a thing. The basement in Onock was much worse, and the training at Weed is even more brutal than that. With people like Steve-san and Eagil-san here, there's no problem at all. Let's report back to Eoid that it was fun."
"Amanda-san..."
"Right?"
"Yes!! I'll do my best!!"
Encouraged by Amanda, Solo also clearly declared her participation.
"So, everyone is participating. Well, it would be awkward to retreat now, so perhaps this is for the best?"
"Indeed. If anyone leaves now, the strength available to guard the headquarters will be reduced by that much. While Aju and the others are scheduled to arrive in two days, there is a possibility that could be moved up, so staying here is less of a hassle."
As the Princess and the Prince watched us and said this with wry smiles, Hiiro, who was in the Prince's arms, muttered:
"It's not just about being 'okay.' Since this is an emergency situation, I believe Onii will grant permission to use firearms. So, there is nothing to worry about."
"..."
Firearms.
Guns.
They were not weapons native to Weed, but common weapons used on Earth. One should not underestimate them just because they are common. By simply pulling a trigger, a small lump of iron is launched faster than an arrow—or rather, at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye—piercing holes into bodies.
Their power is such that armor cannot stop them; for a human, a hit to a vital spot means instant death, and even a non-vital hit generally renders the target incapacitated. Moreover, they are terrifying weapons that anyone can use, regardless of whether they possess special talents like magic.
During my training at Weed, I had the chance to practice with them, and I still cannot forget the shock and terror I felt. I remember thinking that if those guns were ever turned against our country, we would have no chance of winning.
And now, permission to use them was being granted. In other words, the enemy would have no choice but to be turned into a beehive.
"If you need to talk, just keep a certain distance. If they don't listen to orders and keep advancing, just shoot. That's the end of it. In principle, it's no different from keeping watch with a bow. We just had that trouble with the Mad King, so there's no problem with taking such measures. Actually, since they are likely enemies, we have to do it. By the way, why didn't Sota-ojichan make guns?"
Hiiro tilted her head, asking as if she found it very strange.
"Uh, I heard that the development didn't go well, or something like that..."
"Ah, well, he did try to make them."
"Yes. I have heard that story as well. It seems there was no leeway for such development during the war, and there were no development bases. Once the war ended, it was judged that guns were unnecessary, and development was eventually abandoned."
"That story has reached Findarl as well. Because they didn't know the true value of guns, and because magic only required paying the practitioners' salaries, development and production costs were deemed too high. And as Carrie says, since the war was over, development was frozen."
Yes, that was the story.
"Hmm. Well, I think we can use guns this time, so I don't think there's anything to worry about."
"..."
Hearing Hiiro say that, we were reminded once again of Weed's incredible nature, and at the same time, we felt a strange sense of sadness as we imagined the First Generation and the others, who should have been our enemies, being shot down in an instant.
"...Ahem. Even if we have guns, that doesn't change the fact that we must not let our guard down."
"That's right. Let's keep our focus. Besides, it would be a disgrace to our descendants if we were to lose in a situation like this."
"Yeah, yeah."
Everyone nodded seriously.
I feel like I'm getting nervous in the opposite way now...
Listen, a zombie that runs is an enemy. A zombie that doesn't run is a well-trained enemy.
As a certain sergeant once famously said.