第７７６堀：マジック・ギア・スティーブ２ ＋ジョン (Part1)
### Chapter 776: Magic Gear Steve 2 + John
**Side: John**
"What even is 'peace,' anyway?"
The goblin grumbled beside me.
"It’s a concept that has nothing to do with soldiers like us," I replied.
From the start, a soldier’s place is on the battlefield. Well, not exclusively, but that is where we are at our most useful.
"Fighting to protect peace—isn't that a contradiction?"
"Ugh, shut it. Don't go spouting lines you heard somewhere else. It just makes things feel empty."
I don’t know if fighting for peace is a contradiction, but if soldiers work hard to establish it, the reality is that the military force itself becomes unnecessary. If there’s no work, we can’t eat. It’s a simple fact of life.
"Anyway, quit the philosophical act. You’ll get yourself killed."
"I know, I know."
With that, we sprinted across the plains.
We were currently heading out to observe the reconstruction support army of the Seasypho Kingdom, acting on orders from the General. We needed to verify the details of the mysterious army transporting supplies, which had been reported by young Lady Kagura earlier that morning.
"Shovels and iron staves... from what we heard, it sounds exactly like rifles and trench warfare equipment, doesn't it?"
"That’s why we were dispatched as the top priority. If the Seasypho Kingdom possesses firearms, the Intercontinental Exchange Union cannot send a defensive force."
"If you charge a line against firearms, you’re just a target. The casualties would be catastrophic."
"Worse, if things go south, the blame will fall on Weed. People will say, 'Don't drag us into a war like this.'"
"It's not like we can win every war, but that’s a convenient excuse for the anti-union factions to use. If we mess this up, we’re going to be even busier."
"Ugh. Still, taking on an entire country with just us? We’re severely under-equipped."
The General said that in the worst-case scenario, we are to handle it with our current forces. Of course, we’ll set up a Gate so reinforcements can arrive quickly, but if it comes to that, it means war with the Seasypho Kingdom. Officially, it would be framed as "monsters acting on their own."
That means we can’t fight alongside the main Weed force led by the General. It’s up to us monster units to take down the Seasypho Kingdom alone. If that isn't a tall order, I don't know what is.
As I was thinking this...
*Zzzzt... S-Team, J-Team, do you read? This is Aerial Recon. Repeating, this is Aerial Recon. Do you read?*
A magical communication came through from the aerial recon unit that had gone ahead. We stopped immediately to respond. Well, "aerial" just meant a unit of bird monsters. You can't exactly use helicopters out here.
"This is S-Team Leader. Signal is clear, no issues."
"This is J-Team Leader. Same here, signal is clear."
*Understood. No noise on our end, continuing magical communication. Reporting to both team leaders: we have discovered the target group. The enemy is not watching the skies.*
No aerial vigilance. Well, we expected as much; the enemy seems to be at that level. That’s a stroke of luck.
"What’s your altitude?"
*Currently at 1,000 meters. The clouds are a blessing. There’s no moonlight, so they can’t see us, but we have a clear view of their encampment. They’ve lit torches, making them easy to spot.*
1,000 meters is lower than most mountains. As the recon unit said, the darkness of the night was hiding us well.
"Can you scout further? How should we move?"
*I’m sending the data we captured. It’s dark, so we can’t grasp the terrain clearly.*
"Understood. We’ll analyze it. You guys continue the surveillance."
*Acknowledged. Continuing to monitor the group suspected to be from the Seasypho Kingdom.*
The connection ended, and the data from the sky arrived, complete with our current positions marked.
"I can't tell the scale, but it’s not that far," Steve said.
"Yeah. It’s just past that hill."
In the aerial footage, the area where the Seasypho group was gathered was clear due to the torchlight, but the surrounding terrain was a mystery. The fact that it was a plain was a disadvantage; it’s incredibly hard to see the elevation of the ground on a green field. On a moonless night, there were no shadows to give it away, either.
"So, Steve, what’s the move?"
"Well, I propose we split the unit in two to advance and scout the terrain. Simultaneously, the aerial team can keep a closer eye on things. Oh, and we’re using optical camouflage, of course."
"Obviously. I agree on the terrain scouting."
Small goblins aside, it’s tough for Orc-types like us to hide in the grass. It’s not impossible, but our stealth is lower, so using optical camouflage magic is the safest bet.
"The problem is the route. Do we go straight through the high ground?"
"Better not. Even if we’re transparent, the grass will sway. Moving quietly along the sides is the way to go."
"Agreed. I’ll take the 9 o'clock direction."
"Then I’ll circle around from 3 o'clock. Based on this photo, maybe around here?"
Steve and I traced the map on the call screen to designate our positions.
"I hope there are some depressions suitable for scouting."
Looking at the photo, the surface irregularities were still impossible to read.
"Well, we won't know until we get there. And don't forget the scheduled check-ins. If you miss one, I’m marking you as KIA."
"Same to you. I’ll tell the General that Steve became a stain on the grass."
We exchanged our usual banter, then...
"...They likely have firearms, so be careful."
"...You too. Don't get yourself killed by a stray bullet."
We bumped fists and began moving toward our target points.
"J-Team, don't stick your heads out. Keep movements to a minimum. Even with optical camouflage, the sound and movement of the grass will give us away."
"Understood!"
I gave orders to my subordinates and moved cautiously through the plains. The enemy camp was close if we went straight, but moving with caution took time. To make matters worse, the night dew soaked us the further we went. Even with fur that repelled water, it eventually seeped through.
*Scheduled check-in. This is Command. J-Team, respond.*
I hadn't realized it was already time for the check-in. We hadn't made much progress.
"This is J-Team. Moving to the destination without issues."
*Acknowledged.*
"Any word from S-Team?"
*They are also advancing smoothly.*