第７９６堀：宴会と目的 (Part2)
"Yes. I do not know the definition of monsters in Weed, but in our Kingdom of Seasypho, research has led us to define them as living creatures that possess magic stones within their bodies. Recently, these monsters have been increasing at an alarming rate. In the past, they were merely stories of creatures occasionally spotted during deep-sea fishing expeditions, but lately, they have begun appearing in our coastal waters, causing harm to our fishermen. Because monsters were considered nothing more than fairy tales in our continent, we did not initially treat the matter with the gravity it deserved."
Well, that is understandable. It is difficult to expect people to believe in things they have never seen.
"……I have many questions, but please, General Lake, continue your account."
"Yes, thank you. However, the military could no longer dismiss it as mere hearsay after an incident occurred that could not be ignored. A swarm of monsters attacked our naval vessels. The first to suffer were the large patrol ships; half the crew perished, and the ships were left in ruins—a devastating loss."
Oh? For a naval vessel to suffer such damage, they must have been quite formidable monsters.
However, General Lake continued his explanation of the circumstances without identifying the nature of the monsters. Well, the monsters themselves are not the priority right now. Hearing the circumstances of the Kingdom of Seasypho comes first.
"Upon receiving that report, I—no, the entire upper echelon of our country—finally understood that monsters truly exist. To prevent further damage, we reinforced our equipment and shifted from single-ship patrols to fleets of two or three. But the sea is vast, and the frequency of monster appearances has only increased, causing the damage to escalate further. We have even lost entire fleets; the situation is becoming increasingly dire. The greatest problem is that the areas where these monsters appear are creeping closer and closer to our shores. If this continues, we will be unable to harvest the marine resources our nation prides itself on. The impact is already being felt. But as I mentioned, even our own country was skeptical at first, and we judged that if we approached the inland nations, they would not take us seriously. After all, they have never seen a monster themselves."
People from the New Continent would be even less likely to believe in them, wouldn't they?
"……So, that is why you set your sights on the incidents in Haiden, Findal, and the Haire Church?"
"Indeed. In a sense—and I apologize to the people of Haiden, Findal, and the Haire Church—our leadership was pleased by this situation. By sending a military force under the guise of reconstruction aid, we could secure their cooperation in resolving the monster crisis."
"Is that why the army arrived in Haiden at such an abnormal speed, without waiting for the envoy's reply?"
"Because our leadership judged that we had no more time to lose. Naturally, they assumed that Seasypho would not be refused."
Ah, so that is why the timing was off. They hadn't cared about the content of the reply at all.
"I see. You buy their favor and then demand a return on the investment. Even if you were refused, by sending the reconstruction force first, you could act on your own and return later. You were likely planning to request their cooperation after the fact."
"But, wouldn't that risk a war?"
"No. The Kingdom of Seasypho likely had a grasp of the situation in Haiden and Findal, outside of Weed's involvement. The Haire Church is not an organization that engages in war, and the other two nations would not dream of making an enemy out of a great power like Seasypho. They would both try to win you over as an ally."
"So, the fact that they were already at war made it even more convenient for you?"
"That was the reasoning behind the deployment."
Wow, that is underhanded. Or perhaps, it just shows how desperate they are.
As we were discussing this, my husband asked a question:
"General Lake. How effective were the guns your army carried against the monsters?"
"……You are familiar with that weapon? Well, it was said the original blueprints leaked from Haiden. As for their effectiveness, they would achieve significant results against human opponents, but they are not very effective against monsters. Still, they are better than attacking with arrows, which is why we utilize that equipment."
Well, that is to be expected. The magical firepower of those guns was only enough for anti-personnel combat.
Finally, I understood General Lake's true objective. He had let us hear this story while the fishermen were present for a reason.
"I was convinced that you and your people, Yuki-sama, would be capable of handling our nation's situation, which is why I spoke so openly. What do you think, fishermen? Yuki-sama, I believe Weed could solve this, could you not?"
"Well! If it's the Boss, he can do it! Right, everyone?"
"Yeah! Solving a monster problem is a piece of cake."
"I see. My intuition was correct, then. Just as the King of Haiden said."
He was forcing Weed into a position where it would be difficult to refuse the request for cooperation.
"……That General. He really was no ordinary man."
As Kirue-senpai said, General Lake is indeed a troublesome person.
The Kingdom of Seasypho is suffering from monster attacks at sea and has moved to seek aid.
Why have these monsters begun appearing in the coastal waters of Seasypho?
What could the cause possibly be?
I wonder if everyone knows?