第８９０堀：不自然な森 (Part1)
**Chapter 890: The Unnatural Forest**
**Side: Riel**
"We’ve arrived! Phew! Man, cars are convenient for travel, but they really make your body stiff."
I stepped out of the vehicle and stretched my cramped limbs. Indeed, we had just arrived in front of the town that supposedly lived under the protection of the Dragon Mountain.
"I agree with you there, but since it’s much faster than a carriage, I’m not going to complain."
"…That aside, we just drove right up to the town in a car. Is that really okay?"
Ah, I was thinking the same thing. We’d just rolled up to the town in a car, but showing up in a vehicle like this usually invites trouble due to its novelty. I remembered the Beast God’s country... I wonder what happened with that, anyway?
Well, it doesn’t matter. Yuki-san didn’t say anything about it. For now, I need to focus on the task at hand. But about the car—was it really the right call?
"Hm? It doesn't matter. Thanks to Weed, cars are already being used in the great nation of Rogari, even if it’s just for military purposes for now. The townspeople aren't all that surprised by them anymore."
"Yes. Especially since Dragon Mountain requires strict surveillance and emergency response, a vehicle that is faster, sturdier, and more tireless than a horse is the optimal choice."
I see. It makes sense that they’d want to keep a close eye on where the dragons are. Wait, though…
"In that case, wouldn't a Gate be better?"
"I did propose that, but the town residents said it might provoke the dragons. Since that’s a valid concern, we decided to hold off on installing a Gate directly in the town."
Ah, that makes sense. We don't know how the dragons would react to a Gate appearing out of thin air.
"But if we don't put one here, we can't fulfill the request Yuki-san gave us, can we?"
"Ah, that’s not a problem. Weed and our forces have already begun moving. The dragons will have to make a choice regardless. If they decide to rampage, we’ll have a perfectly valid justification to hunt them down."
"Charl… is there no chance they’ll just run away?"
"I can’t say it’s impossible, but given that they’ve excluded outsiders up until now, it’s highly unlikely."
"Well, if they try to run, we can handle it. Once the Gate is deployed, Steve and the support team will arrive, and we have the Wyvern Corps on standby. Considering their range and speed, there’s no way the dragons will be able to escape."
Come to think of it, Yuki-san had arranged for Steve and his team to provide rear support. If that’s the case, I suppose there’s no way the dragons could get away.
"But even if Lowell and the others say it’s fine, the townspeople won’t agree to fight the dragons, right? Won’t they get in our way?"
"Yes, which is why we only came to this town for information gathering. We intend to have the Gate—our base of operations—installed somewhere else."
"…That makes sense. So, who’s doing the information gathering?"
"I will go as the mediator, and for the Weed side, Mauve and his group are the best choice. They’re well-known. So, Tori and the others will go with Charl to install the Gate."
"Eh? But isn't this land technically ownerless?"
"Correct. No one has claimed ownership, and there’s no law against building something here. The people in the towns and villages that have been in this region for ages might complain, but they won't take direct action. They all believe that we’ll just end up destroying ourselves anyway."
"If the negotiations with the dragons go well, it would be a huge help if Weed could take over the management of Dragon Mountain from here on out."
Whoa. Charl just dropped a massive request on us. There’s no way we could actually pull that off. We’re already busy enough as it is.
"…You should talk to Seraria about that. We can’t answer for her."
"Well, I suppose that’s true. I’ll talk to Seraria later."
She’s definitely going to say no.
And so, we split into two teams: one for the town and one for the Gate installation. But…
"We’re supposed to find a spot that’s far enough from town, hidden from enemies, and yet positioned to respond to threats… that’s a tall order. I have no idea where to put it."
"…It’s surprisingly difficult."
Zargis’s request was quite the challenge, and we ended up just wandering around, looking for a decent spot.
"Building it along the main road is out of the question…"
"Indeed. If we build a dungeon in a place like that, it’ll cause a commotion. We’re doing this in secret, not with official permission."
Building a dungeon is surprisingly nerve-wracking. If we mess up, there’s the risk of adventurers discovering and conquering it, and we have to account for the dragons, too. There’s so much to consider.
As I was mulling this over, a thought suddenly struck me.
"That’s it! This is exactly when we should consult Yuki-san. We took aerial footage with the drones, so let’s send it to him and ask for his opinion."
"…That’s a good idea. We’ll get nowhere just worrying about it ourselves. We should ask an expert."
"Indeed. Yuki-sama has built countless dungeons; I’m sure he’ll have a great suggestion."
With Charl’s approval, I immediately contacted Yuki-san. I’m not great at explaining things, so I left that part to Tori.
*"Hm? Tori, what’s up? You just gave me a status report. Did something happen in town?"*
"No, Mauve-san and Lowell-san are handling the information gathering in town, and there are no problems there. The issue is the location for the dungeon."
*"The location? Ah, right, you said you were building it in secret. And you’re struggling to find a spot?"*
"Yes. We’re going to send you the photos we took from the air. We were hoping you could give us some advice."
*"Got it. Send the data over."*
And just like that, Yuki-san started helping us out…
*"Considering that Steve and his team will be deploying, it’ll be tough if the exit isn't wide enough… and we have to account for the Wyvern Corps, too. So, the conditions are: an open area that’s still hidden from human eyes…"*
"Hearing it laid out like that, those are some outrageous conditions."
*"Well, yeah. It’s natural that it’d be tough for you guys to find a spot that fits those criteria on your first try. I’ll have to have a word with Zargis later. Actually, Zargis’s style has always been to show up after I’ve finished all the prep work. He probably didn't even realize that this kind of planning was necessary."*
Ah, I see. Zargis always shows up after Yuki-san has everything ready. I guess Zargis relies on Yuki-san for a lot more than I thought. I’d been feeling a bit sorry for him, thinking he was just being dragged around as a convenient researcher, but maybe it’s not that one-sided after all. It feels like they both get something out of it.
"So, Yuki-san. Did you find a good spot? We really couldn't figure it out."