第９３５堀：穏やかな道中と不安 (Part1)
**Chapter 935: A Peaceful Journey and Unease**
**Side: Yuki**
"A pleasure to meet you, Vol Wheeler-dono."
"A pleasure to meet you, Yuki-sama of Weed. I shall serve as your guide to the Zurable Great Empire from here on out. Though, I must rely on General Mino and his men for our actual protection."
"Well, this time was simply an unfortunate encounter, wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed. It was unfortunate... But there is no use lamenting the past. Let us depart at once."
When I first spoke to him, he had been a dignified, middle-aged commander. But now...
"..."
He, along with the young officer Kasa and the female officer Mina—who had been prisoners alongside him—were reduced to men with their mouths hanging open like idiots.
The reason for this was simple.
"How is the vehicle running?"
"No problems, sir. Though, General, aren't our guests a bit too surprised? It’s already been an hour since we departed."
Yes, it was the car.
I had known from the start, but the people of the Zurable Great Empire possessed no such convenient means of transportation. Their only high-speed method of travel was flying on wyverns; they had no indigenous technological development of this sort. Consequently, their military movements were conducted almost exclusively by horse-drawn wagons. The lower-ranking soldiers, naturally, marched on foot—a classic, archaic form of military movement.
They simply couldn't keep up with this reality.
"It can't be helped. Anyone would be surprised by something as alien as a car. If they accepted this as a matter of course, that would be the real surprise."
"Well, that is true. Kagura is right. Besides, it is quiet, which is a blessing."
That was Kagura and Deryu. Even though they had surrendered, I couldn't have them riding without guards, so Deryu and Kagura were accompanying us. Incidentally, Ria, Jessica, Cleena, and Samantha had desperately wanted to come along, but I had left them at home, just in case.
"What is the status of the reports from the various units?"
"All clear. But this land is quite interesting. Every unit sent ahead for reconnaissance has reported numerous monster sightings."
"I am aware of that."
"As expected, it just goes to show how powerful Hairen-chi's influence was."
I had anticipated this, but since this new territory was outside the monster-eradication barrier Hairen had erected, monsters lived here naturally, just as Steve and his men had reported.
"Speaking of Hairen, I forgot to visit the goblin village in the New Continent."
"That will have to be for another day."
Ah, why does it always happen that new problems pile up before the current work is even finished?
"And, I'll say it again. Could you please reboot Vol-san at least? I believe we are on the right path, but I’d like to confirm it. Plus, we plan to stay at an inn in a town along the way, so we’ll need him for the arrangements."
"Ah, you're right."
It was true that I needed the people of the Zurable Great Empire to return to their senses. The question was how to go about it.
"Is putting wasabi under their eyes a bad idea?"
In terms of waking someone up, there couldn't be anything more effective... probably. I’d heard it as a joke, but I should verify how potent it actually is.
"What kind of nonsense are you saying? ...What will you do if you make them angry?"
"Yuki. Kagura is right. Besides, that would just be a prank."
"I know, I know. I just wanted to see how surprised they’d be. Very well, then... Vol-dono, can you hear me?"
Since I couldn't get support for my prank, I quietly called out to him.
"Hah! My apologies. Did you require something?"
Oh, he recovered his senses surprisingly quickly. I continued the conversation.
"No, I could see you were surprised, but I was wondering how the ride was. If you aren't feeling well, we can take a short break."
Car sickness is no joke; it can even be fatal in some cases. Vol and his men required special care. Even though they were dignitaries serving as a bridge for our visit, they were essentially prisoners. The tension alone could make them ill. However, since I was treating them as guests, if they were to fall ill from being pushed too hard, the Zurable Great Empire would surely suspect us of being unable to treat even their dignitaries with proper respect. That would make negotiations difficult. I had to ensure their health was in top condition.
"Ah, oh. No, please, do not concern yourself. I am not feeling unwell. Right, Battalion Commander, Strategist-dono?"
Vol called out to the two young people who were still dazed...
"Huh?"
It seemed the sound hadn't reached them, as they were still reeling from the shock, their expressions vacant.
"You two, pull yourselves together!"
Vol barked a sharp reprimand at their state.
"M-my apologies!"
The shout seemed to snap them out of it. Kasa, the Battalion Commander, and Mina, the Strategist, straightened their postures and responded.
"We are here to guide those who have come from beyond the Great Mountain Range to our Empire. How long do you intend to display such dazed expressions? Show some spirit! If you give a poor account of yourselves when we return home, we will be executed as nothing more than defeated generals who tarnished the Empire's prestige! If that happens, they will claim we were merely brought along as excuses, and the repercussions will extend to the people of Weed. And should that happen, the Imperial Capital will be reduced to ashes."
Er, why would it be reduced to ashes?
Before I could ask, the two of them turned pale and began nodding frantically.
"Very well. As you can see, the two of them are in high spirits, so please do not worry. They were simply surprised to experience such a rare vehicle."
"I see. That is a relief. Now, regarding what you said earlier—does the Imperial Capital being reduced to ashes imply that we would be fighting the Zurable Great Empire's Capital Defense Force?"
I had no intention of letting that comment slide. In a way, this was a good opportunity to learn about the defensive strength of the Zurable Great Empire's capital.
"Yes. That is a matter of course. As the commander of the Second Front Army, I am well-versed in the strength of each of the Empire's armies. And yet, you all completely annihilated my Second Front Army with only a fraction of your power. I will be honest: if the Zurable Great Empire were to fight Weed, we would undoubtedly suffer a crushing defeat. The Imperial Capital would, without a doubt, be reduced to ashes."
Surprisingly, he admitted quite frankly that they couldn't win. It was so straightforward that I was taken aback.
"I appreciate your high evaluation of us, but is it alright for you to be so definitive? I don't believe you have a proper grasp of our total military strength, do you?"
Exactly. I hadn't told Vol and his men our total strength, so it was strange that he was so convinced they couldn't win. Usually, people would insist that they hadn't lost due to a lack of ability, but rather due to bad luck, coincidence, or carelessness.