第９５９堀：女大皇望と皇帝 (Part1)
**Chapter 959: The Great Empress’s Ambition and the Emperor**
**Side: Shou Rorism**
"Good grief, what on earth..."
The more I look around, the more I feel the sheer abnormality of Weed. I mutter this to myself as I sink into the sofa in my room, reflecting on everything since I arrived at Aurelia Port.
The impossibly fast reconstruction, and above all, that super-large ship.
The fact that it is made entirely of iron—it is an absurdity that defies common sense.
I had hoped that by coming to Aurelia Port, I would understand Weed’s true intentions, but it has only served to make them more opaque. The technological prowess required to build such a massive vessel. And their communication capabilities, like the wireless radios, combined with their impossible mobility on land via those vehicles.
"They cannot maintain an exclave, so they should need our cooperation. That premise has crumbled away completely. With a ship possessing that much transport capacity, they could easily move thousands of people at once."
...Then why did they choose not to fight?
No, perhaps the people of Weed never intended to fight in the first place.
That much is certain. The reason Weed came to this land was, by any measure, because the Gusdo Kingdom seized the messenger and the ship from Sea-Saiph.
No matter how much military power one possesses, recklessly increasing one's enemies will only lead to exhaustion.
Yes, just like the Zurable Great Empire is experiencing now.
Weed understood that from the very beginning.
...In other words, they are even ahead of us in their philosophy of war.
"Honestly, only unpleasant predictions keep crossing my mind. Still, fortunately, we are not enemies. Even if it is only on the surface for now, I should be glad that we have such reliable allies. Now, if only I could get my hands on those radios and vehicles..."
That is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Well, that is to be expected; in any nation, the export of strategic materials requires the King’s approval.
Making that happen is my job.
But for now, I must report today’s findings to His Majesty.
I have been entrusted with a wireless radio, and I am obligated to report to His Majesty every night.
"Your Majesty. Can you hear me?"
"Aye. I hear you. Let us hear another delightful report today, shall we?"
His Majesty’s voice coming through the radio sounds incredibly cheerful. It seems he finds it immensely entertaining to hear my outlandish reports every day.
"And what happened today? Lamps that make the night as bright as day, magic tools that can record sound, iron ships... what is next? I cannot imagine it at all."
"Unfortunately, there was nothing particularly novel today."
"What a pity."
"I am glad it was boring. Now, I shall report. First, as of today, I have fully grasped the damage situation at Aurelia Port. I have compiled it into documents and already sent them; please check them upon arrival."
"Very well."
The moment the conversation turned to business, his playful tone shifted to one of sharp dignity. If he were always like this, I would have no worries... No, I shall consider his jesting a sign that he relies on me.
"I have also sent a list of necessary supplies; I ask that you arrange for their transport."
"Understood. I will look over the documents, and if there are no issues, I will send them immediately. Now then. From your perspective, how severe was the damage to Aurelia Port?"
"Overall, I would say it is relatively—no, extremely—favorable. I judge that it can continue to function as a port town without any special intervention."
"Ho. So Aurelia Port had the strength to stand back up on its own?"
"Yes. Though, that is not quite right. In the first place, we were unable to invade Aurelia Port. We were repelled along the road leading up to it, so the port town itself suffered no direct damage. Because they were preparing to fight against our invasion, some houses or furniture were damaged to create makeshift wooden shields and barricades. Ah, along the road, most houses remain in a state where they can basically be used as they are. However, the inhabitants have been cleanly and thoroughly removed, just as planned."
When I told him that fact, His Majesty Yupia’s voice immediately turned difficult. He must have understood the implication of my words.
"...So that is how it is. I knew it, but it means that our Second Front Army, led by Vol, was truly not even a match for Weed."
"Yes. Judging from the situation, that is how it appears. Weed and Sea-Saiph did not use clever stratagems in cooperation with the people of Aurelia to collapse our army."
I state this clearly.
"Why can you say that so definitively?"
"It is simple. It is likely because the people of Aurelia Port suffered virtually no damage, and they did not show any signs of viewing us, the Zurable Great Empire, as enemies. Well, they seemed anxious, but..."
Yes, Yuki-sama was concerned for my safety, but that was unnecessary worry.
Of course, along the road, I was met with hateful glares from the survivors.
But they are in the minority.
The residents of Aurelia Port know that they suffered no particular harm and that the battle was avoided and a reconciliation was reached, so they have no particular reason to hold hostility.
"The common folk are easy to understand."
"That is how it is. Just as we desperately protect our people and our land, they too protect their own families. Even if it means sacrificing themselves."
"...We were the same."
"Yes. We were."
"Is the difference between a nation and a family merely a matter of scale? You carry a heavy burden, indeed."
"Yes. But I respect Your Majesty for carrying that nation. And I will ensure that Zurable becomes a shield that protects many families."
"Indeed. But we have strayed from the topic. So, it is clear that Weed was not just using the weapons they showed in the Zurable Imperial Capital, is it not?"
"Yes. They called it 'artillery,' but that only works if the enemy's position is accurately observed. Yet, Weed—even if it were daytime, let alone at night—accurately targeted the enemy from a long distance, and specifically targeted where Lord Vol’s main camp was. It is impossible for a human to do such a thing. But Weed has..."
They have a way to make the impossible possible.
Moreover, it is thought that they were able to do this with only what they had on hand, without relying on sheer numbers.
"...Possible, you say? Come to think of it, according to Vol’s report, the attack began with the Wyvern squad being shot down out of nowhere."
"Yes. It is written as such in the report. It is likely that the attack is related in some way."
"I suppose so. However, have you found any magic tools that would make that possible?"
"No. Unfortunately. Even on that super-giant steel ship called the 'Kuubo,' nothing of the sort could be found."
"Kuubo, was it? The ship that Weed and Sea-Saiph arrived on. That was the true base of Yuki-dono and his people, was it not? And you found nothing there?"