第１０４２堀：霧は夜の闇と共に (Part1)
Chapter 1042: The Mist Accompanies the Night’s Darkness
Side: Kirika
Hoo-hoo...
From somewhere, the cry of an owl echoes.
It seems that even in a place like this, birds manage to thrive; it’s surprisingly lively even at night.
Well, considering the abundance of prey—mice and the like—it might actually be more habitable than an average forest.
"...Still, this is strange."
I am currently in the Imperial Capital, the stronghold of the Hain Empire.
Yes, right in the heart of the nation that my comrades in the Zuraburu Great Empire have designated as their enemy.
And yet, it is quiet.
Of course, I chose the night to move so as not to be detected by the enemy, but even so, it is unnervingly silent.
We are currently at war.
Furthermore, the Forma Kingdom was defeated in the blink of an eye, barely able to offer any resistance before becoming part of Zuraburu’s territory.
In the end, the Forma Kingdom was distracted by the possibility of being attacked from the rear by the Third Army, led by General Mirabel of Zuraburu, which was acting as a diversion. While they were preoccupied, the Second Area Army, led by General Vol, launched a lightning-fast invasion. Before they could even return to defend their home, the Royal Capital had fallen.
They are fools.
Utter fools.
Normally, one would ask, "Can someone explain the point of an army whose home country has already fallen?" But...
Surprisingly, there was almost no confusion afterward. Those who were supposed to be the remnants of the Forma Kingdom’s army were immediately incorporated into the Hain Empire’s forces.
My, what a masterful stroke of manipulation.
In fact, Master, Seraria-sama, Emperor Eupia, and the Great Imperial Advisor Show all suspect that this was their goal from the start.
By letting the Zuraburu Great Empire take the Forma Kingdom, they were able to take in the isolated remnants of the Forma army and turn them into their own fighting force.
And the pretext? "Support born of justice, sparing no effort to reclaim the Forma Kingdom from the wicked Zuraburu Great Empire."
What a blatant case of setting a fire just to put it out.
As for the Forma Kingdom itself, there were actually few casualties, and the royal family remains intact.
While the capital did fall, there was effectively little damage; they simply shifted their allegiance to the Zuraburu Great Empire.
The remnants of the Forma army should have just quietly returned home... but instead, they were easily turned into the vanguard for the Hain Empire.
The reputational damage is truly severe.
We at Weed must be careful about such things as well.
Since Micos-sama is producing information magazines in Weed, and the subordinates of Milly-sama and Ratz-sama have taken over radio production, they are working to permeate support for Weed through the media. I, too, shall actively cooperate for Master’s sake.
But that is beside the point.
Given that the Hain Empire has bolstered its forces in this manner, one would expect them to be on high alert for the Zuraburu Great Empire, which is practically at their doorstep, with sentries posted throughout the night. Instead, I am met with a quiet night and very few patrols.
"Captain. Is something wrong? You seem to have stopped moving."
"Yes. I’m surprised by the total lack of enemy movement. Have the drones picked up any anomalies? Are there traps set that I might be walking into?"
When a place is this quiet, the silence itself is often the trap.
In such a stillness, anything that moves is clearly an enemy.
"...No, the drones show no human shadows or magical signatures. The possibility of a trap is low."
"I see... If it’s just my imagination, then so be it. This intelligence gathering is crucial to finally ending this war. Perhaps I’ve just been a bit too cautious."
"I think that level of caution is appropriate. Shall we continue the mission?"
"Of course. As long as my presence remains undetected, there is no reason to abort."
"Understood. However, our support is merely support. Captain, please trust your own intuition. Master would never deny or reprimand you for your judgment."
"I am well aware of that. But I cannot simply rely on that grace."
I replied as I continued forward.
To avoid being seen, I had been moving through what appeared to be an empty park in the capital, but from here on, I would head toward the Imperial Castle, which towered in the center of the city, by leaping across the rooftops.
"Still, to build a park with a forest inside the city... This is a country with quite a lot of leeway."
Parks are surprisingly expensive to maintain.
I’ve realized this in Weed.
Between cleaning up trash, pruning, and maintaining the lawn, it’s a costly endeavor that will fall into ruin if not constantly tended to.
The fact that they maintain this without the support of a dungeon, using only human labor, speaks volumes about the wealth of the Hain Empire.
And parks are meant for people to use. Yet, this area is not the aristocratic district.
This means this park was prepared for the general populace.
"Yes. According to our confirmation, there is one park in each of the four cardinal directions. They seem to be bustling with citizens during the day."
"I’ve confirmed that as well. And yet, this silence now. That is what bothers me, but investigating that will have to wait. For now, Master’s orders are the top priority."
I accelerated as I spoke.
No hostile forces were detected within my sensory range.
Is it because this is the commoner district?
Ah, I finally spotted a patrol.
Even so, it’s just a pair of soldiers.
That’s as good as having no guard at all.
Or perhaps they feel the commoners aren't worth protecting?
Well, it is true that if one were to attack the core of this Imperial Capital, the targets would naturally be the aristocratic district and the central castle, not the commoner district.
The structure of this capital consists of the Imperial Castle at the center, the aristocratic district in the second layer, and the third layer divided into four, where the commoners reside.
Military forts are scattered around the outskirts of the capital, creating a situation where an enemy would have to conquer both the capital and the forts simultaneously. An interesting structure.
Normally, for safety, one would place military bases inside the capital as well. That would allow for faster deployment and easier defense of the capital.
As I pondered the oddities of the Hain Empire’s defense system, I arrived at the wall separating the commoner district from the aristocratic district.
Before me stood a defensive wall nearly ten meters high.
It’s impressive that they built this by human hands alone. Under normal circumstances, there would be no place harder to attack.
According to the drone data, the top of this wall serves as a walkway, allowing reinforcements to arrive quickly.
Taking the high ground is vital in warfare, after all.
"That said, it’s meaningless to me, as I’ve already crossed the outer walls with ease."
Confirming that there were no signs of people nearby or on the wall, I took a running start and sprinted straight up the wall.
If I couldn't even climb a wall, I wouldn't be of any use to Master.
Fortunately, there were no patrolling soldiers on top of the wall, so I jumped over into the aristocratic district without being challenged.
"Captain has arrived in the aristocratic district. Any abnormalities?"
"None. I am heading toward the Imperial Castle."
"Understood."
After reporting, I continued to run across the rooftops, just as I had in the commoner district.
Once in the aristocratic district, however, there were, as expected, many more patrolling soldiers.