第８０２堀：対策会議 (Part2)
"I’d like to say that, but since Weed is still virtually unknown in the New Continent, we have to worry about that. Our credibility is low, you see. That’s why we’ll station a standing army in the Kingdom of Seasypho under the guise of training their youth, and in doing so, demonstrate the true power of Weed. By establishing that presence, we can exert influence within the kingdom. That, in turn, will lead to our compensation. General Lake has acknowledged that approach, hasn't he?"
Knowing the military might of Weed, the fact that he would even entertain the idea of allowing a standing army within his own borders means he intends to use this reality to extract a price.
Well, if the top brass of the Kingdom of Seasypho had even the slightest inkling of our true strength, they would never, in a million years, permit a standing army. But since they have no way of knowing who we are, General Lake is clearly banking on the assumption that they won't suspect a thing.
"I see. So that’s how it is. But is this really okay? Won’t this put General Lake in a precarious position?"
"Are you really the one asking that, Taiki? Didn’t you abandon your position as a Hero for the sake of your people, accepting the stigma of a man from a fallen nation just to lower your rank?"
"……Ah, I see what you mean."
Taiki nodded, seemingly convinced by Taizo’s explanation. I found myself half-convinced by Taizo’s logic as well.
"Well, there’s a certain noble pride in that, I suppose, but he must have realized that if he just stood by and did nothing, the Kingdom of Seasypho would fall. That’s why he pushed through the impossible. He swallowed my absurd proposal just to bring Weed into the fold."
A ridiculous proposal, really: *I want to train your military and your leaders in your own country—is that alright?*
And I’m already anticipating demands for even greater rewards. He couldn't possibly be unaware of the problems that will arise from us going to Seasypho.
"Even if you call it 'impossible,' at the moment, General Lake is the only one who truly grasps the significance of bringing Weed in, isn't he?"
"A grateful state of affairs, isn't it? That’s exactly why I can push through such an unreasonable request. Man, it’s a good thing we haven't made a name for ourselves yet."
"Lately, both the Rogari and If continents have been on high alert the moment they hear the name 'Weed.'"
"A natural reaction, I suppose."
"Well, of course. Considering how much we’ve squeezed out of them until now."
"No, no, that was just fair compensation."
"Oh, right. I know that. Just playing along."
We laughed off the joke, but as Taizo said, it’s become a fact that we can no longer act quite so brazenly toward the folks on the Rogari or If continents. They’ve correctly gauged our value and tracked our movements, so they know the proper way to deal with us.
That said, as Taiki pointed out, they are on guard precisely because we’ve bled them dry so many times.
But with Seasypho, a kingdom that lacks that experience? We’re going to squeeze them for everything they’re worth! Right up to the very limit, just before they run out of the ability to pay!
"So, are we targeting the sea as our reward?"
"I’d like that, yes. But what I want most right now is information on the developer of those magic guns."
Exactly. The reason I wanted to negotiate with the Kingdom of Seasypho in the first place was the existence of those pseudo-gun weapons. When I showed them Weed’s sea, I made a demand, and the fact that they avoided giving a clear answer proves that the Seasypho upper echelon considers that developer to be of extreme importance.
In other words, there is a high probability that there is something else beyond just those guns. To get closer to that secret, we need to be in Seasypho for the long haul.
Well, I suppose we could have Kirika and her team kidnap them, but we aren't at that stage yet. The collateral damage from such a move would be far too great.
"Ah, I see. That was why you were placing so much importance on the Kingdom of Seasypho, Yuki."
"Come to think of it, that’s right. The conversation had grown so large that I’d completely forgotten. Oh, speaking of forgetting, was this current plan a good way to deal with the monsters in the water?"
"Exactly. It’s a way to buy favor with the Kingdom of Seasypho."
"Hmm. While the training of Dressa and her soldiers is necessary for our future interests in Seasypho, we’ll certainly need clear results from the subjugation. Aside from that, I assume we’ll need a separate detachment to investigate the root cause."
"Yes, considering the current situation, that seems like the best approach."
The discussion proceeded along those lines, and we concluded that the best strategy was to split our forces: one unit to serve as the bait—or rather, the force defending the Seasypho absolute defense line—and another to investigate the source of the problem.
The only thing left to decide was how to divide the units.
By the way, the ships we’ll be using were decided based on Taizo’s recommendation. That, of course, goes without saying.
The flow of the conversation might lead some to think that Yuki and his group are planning to help the Kingdom of Seasypho out of the goodness of their hearts, but their true objective is the stability of the New Continent. Furthermore, the reason the monsters are expanding their range of activity might be linked to the phenomenon of magical depletion.
In other words, they aren't acting out of altruism; they are moving for their own goals.
And just who is the developer of the guns? Will they be able to stay on guard against the Kingdom of Seasypho and uncover the truth?