第９２０堀：介入 (Part2)
Well, that certainly has a high chance of leading to war.
Still, it buys us time and allows us to grasp the situation.
I doubt General Lake’s opinion will carry any weight. If things go poorly, we won’t just lose the general; we’ll lose Steve and the Weed soldiers as well. That would be a loss for Weed, too. From the perspective of Seasifo, there is no merit in risking the destruction of their diplomatic fleet just to save them.
Or so I was thinking, when...
"Steve. Report the movements of that army."
*“Eh? Wait, that voice is...”*
"You recognize my voice, don't you? By the authority of the Queen of Weed, I command you: confirm the status of the deployed army. General Lake, you may follow if you wish, but I cannot guarantee your safety."
*“Understood. My gratitude!”*
"Queen Seraria! How can you make such a selfish decision!"
Yes, the one who had appeared out of nowhere and issued those orders was Seraria.
"Honestly. I heard the report and rushed over, only to find you all dithering."
"Well, usually one would deliberate, or at least wait for higher-level judgment."
"You can't make a judgment without any information, can you? Is Steve so incompetent that he can't even perform basic reconnaissance?"
*“Hey now, that’s basically charging right into the enemy...”*
"If we keep chanting 'safety, safety,' we’ll never be able to do anything. Sometimes you have to step in. As the Queen of Weed, I am ordering the Weed army to conduct reconnaissance. General Lake just happened to tag along on his own. That’s fine, isn't it?"
"Roger that. Give it up, Menou."
"Hey!! If this goes wrong, Seasifo will be dragged into a war! Who is going to take responsibility for this?! This kind of thoughtless..."
Menou shrieked at Seraria’s decision, but...
"Don't worry. If it escalates into a state of war, Weed will take full responsibility. Besides, this place is a foothold for investigating the cause of the mana depletion. If we can secure even a portion of it as our territory, all the better. Right, dear?"
"Well, I suppose it is a foothold for the investigation. But if it turns into a war, it’ll be a headache. I’d like to avoid that."
War is nothing but a nuisance. That’s why I’ve been working so hard behind the scenes until now. I managed to avoid the war between Haiden and Findall, and occupying land with Weed’s current national power is impossible to begin with.
"I know that. That’s why this is for the investigation. If that army were maintaining order, there might be room for negotiation, but..."
Just as she said that, a report came in from Steve.
*“This is Seeker 1. We’ve approached the army. It’s no good.”*
*“The houses along the road have been systematically looted, and there are no survivors...”*
The footage showed houses left in ruins by the army, with corpses scattered about. Naturally, it seemed they had killed everyone indiscriminately, regardless of age or gender.
"Ugh..."
Seeing the gruesome scene, Kagura and the others instinctively covered their mouths. Perhaps it reminded them of what happened in the church basement. Enola had turned pale, but she was still keeping her eyes open; she was trying her best.
And then...
"It’s decided. With this, I judge that once that army occupies the area, the safety of the Seasifo diplomatic mission cannot be guaranteed. We, Weed, will move our aircraft carrier to the port of Aurelia to rescue the Seasifo mission. Any complaints, dear?"
"None."
It seems the enemy army doesn't see any value in this port. There is no doubt the port will be trampled as well. In this land, such violent rampages by an army might be accepted as a way to blow off steam, but we are a nation of laws. The absolute rule for our military is that even against an enemy nation, civilians must not be harmed. Since our fundamental philosophies are incompatible, negotiation will be difficult. Even if we do negotiate, it will only be after we’ve clashed once.
"Notify all nations! Weed has entered a state of combat against unidentified rioters in order to rescue the Seasifo Kingdom’s diplomatic mission."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Dressa, move the carrier forward. Prepare the carrier-based aircraft for launch!"
"Understood. Carrier Lilishe, full speed ahead! Prepare aircraft for launch!"
Whoa, she’s actually planning to deploy the aircraft—she’s serious. And she’s officially labeling them as "rioters."
"This will provide us with an international excuse. Well, this is a new frontier; the other nations will want to gain a piece of the pie, so they won't dare to condemn this battle."
"Seraria, you’ve really adapted to this, haven't you?"
"Oh, why thank you. That said, we can't let our guard down. Seeker unit, arrange a meeting with the head of Aurelia Port."
*“Understood.”*
Well then, it looks like things are going to be a massive headache right after getting married. A large, unidentified army is deploying along the road, and we’ve confirmed they are looting. Under Seraria’s judgment, Weed has decided to intervene. The enemy is a group of rioters.
What is their true identity?
And will the carrier-based aircraft really be launched from the carrier?