第１０４７堀：決戦準備中 (Part2)
That said, the foreign nations sending troops are regions that have never faced the fires of war before, and every faction that has fought against the Zurable Great Empire thus far has been crushed. I find it impossible to believe that taking such amateurs as allies will lead to victory.
If they were capable, they would have pulled monsters from their dungeons, but there is no sign of that happening. Besides, allies that act on their own are nothing but a nuisance; they are impossible to control. Therefore, if any Dungeon Master were to appear now without responding to the summons, they would be an enemy, not an ally of the Highn Empire.
"Ah, I see. That is why you are on guard, Brother. A stab in the back at a critical moment would cause immense damage."
"But you have already completed the necessary surveys, haven't you?"
"No, this plain is incredibly vast. The depth isn't much, so moving between countries isn't a problem, but... regardless, it is excessively wide—or rather, long. It stretches out in a band, the very definition of a 'borderline,' spreading out beautifully and narrowly."
As I said this, I zoomed out on the displayed map until its full scope finally came into view.
"What is this size?"
"Whoa, that’s huge."
"Mm. Wide."
"At this rate... it will be difficult to narrow down the actual combat zone, won't it?"
Indeed, the plain between the Forma Kingdom and the Highn Empire is incredibly wide—or rather, long. Well, being a plain, a certain degree of vastness is expected, but it isn't like the flatlands of Japan, which are surrounded by mountains. It is literally a vast, almost featureless expanse where you can see the horizon in the distance, stretching on forever.
The distance along the border is roughly 300 kilometers. Fortunately, the depth—or the distance to cross it—is only about 50 kilometers. A surprising plain, to be sure. Earth has larger plains, but do you see "armies" engaging in direct combat in such places? They would be decimated by a barrage of modern weaponry. The only ones who could fight directly in a place like this are the armies of old, relying on formations and sheer numbers. If you were to make this a front line on Earth, you would be digging endless mazes of trenches to fight.
But I digress. The question is, where on this endlessly wide plain will the battle take place? Even though large armies are clashing, the combined total of both sides doesn't even reach a million. In Japan, a city with a million residents isn't rare, but such a city covers at most 20 to 30 kilometers. Once you go 50 kilometers, you’re usually in another prefecture.
And yet, this is over 300 kilometers. Honestly, there is no way to know where they will start fighting on such a desolate, sprawling plain, and there is no way to easily survey the presence of dungeons across it.
"But they won't stray too far from the roads, will they? They wouldn't be able to transport supplies otherwise."
"True. That is the saving grace. Still, even sticking to the roads, it spans 80 kilometers. And they aren't all connected in a straight line, either."
"Predicting where they will collide is truly difficult. And as for seizing the land..."
"It’s not impossible, but the return on investment is low. If I do it, I could certainly monitor them in real-time, but that’s all. I could use terrain manipulation to obstruct a third army if they appear, but that only works if the enemy doesn't notice us."
"And if the enemy has already seized the land, our movements will be exposed instead, right?"
"Exactly. If I happen to seize a location where an enemy base is hidden, I’d be wasting DP that could be used for something more critical. I want to avoid running out of resources at a vital moment."
Unfortunately, the budget is finite.
"In that case, shouldn't we consult with Emperor Eupia and the others to limit the combat zone?"
"That would be best. To avoid being caught off guard, it would be better to fight in a specifically designated area."
"But will the enemy really just walk into a place where we're waiting for them?"
"That's true. They'd be on guard, wouldn't they?"
"...I don't think they would willingly head toward where the enemy has already set up camp."
Riel, Tori, and Kaya voiced their doubts regarding Seraria and Deryu's proposal to designate a combat zone. They have a point. If the opponent is waiting in full strength, walking straight into it would be the height of stupidity. There is a high probability that traps are laid out. Charging into such a place is suicidal.
"In that case, although it will increase the budget, instead of pinpointing a single spot, why not seize a larger area around the range we designate?"
"That makes sense. Clashes between armies begin with a standoff from one or two kilometers away. Considering the deployment range of each unit, taking about 10 kilometers in every direction from the designated area should suffice. At the end of the day, it's just infantry and cavalry fighting; they wouldn't be able to move further than that in time for the battle. I'm a bit worried about detached forces, but if they enter the seized range, we'll be able to sense them, so we'll know up to 10 kilometers out."
And so, Weed began to refine its support strategy for the Zurable Great Empire.
Weed begins preparations for the decisive battle.
Will Zurable and Highn play along with these intentions?
And will the battle proceed as planned without any interference?