第１０８１堀：合流と出発 (Part1)
Chapter 1081: Joining Forces and Setting Out
Side: Yuki
"I have arrived, Yuki-dono."
"Greetings, Yuki-dono."
Appearing before us were Miyabi, the Queen of the High Elf Kingdom, and Gaul-san, the leader of the Dragonman village.
I had asked Aslin and the others to reach out to them, and they had graciously accepted. If they had dismissed it by saying the dragon had nothing to do with them, they might not have come at all.
Regardless, the fact that they were here meant they were willing to cooperate, so it was best to get down to business quickly.
"Do you require an explanation?"
"Let's see. If there are any discrepancies with the information we received from Aslin and the others, I would like to hear them."
"Indeed. I heard that you have limited your actions to surveillance for now, but have you discovered anything since then?"
"Unfortunately, there is no new information. Or rather, if I had to say, the dragon we are monitoring does not seem to have noticed our drones or familiars at all. It is possible that it is sleeping quite soundly."
"Hmm, once a dragon falls into a deep slumber, it takes quite a while for them to wake up."
"Yes. At the very least, three days to a week. In long cases, they can sleep for years."
I see. Even just that information is helpful.
Like in some dragon-slaying tales, dragons really do sleep, don't they?
It made me feel like it would be faster to just get it drunk and cut off its head.
No, if I were to do something like that, I wouldn't know why I called Gaul-san in the first place.
"For now, we consider removal by force to be a last resort. If we can settle this through discussion, that would be ideal."
That’s right. Killing it is easy. I could just have Steve take care of it in a flash.
However, if it turned out to be an acquaintance of Gaul-san, that would be a significant problem. Even if it were a dragon from another village, I could only foresee various troubles, so using force is truly the final option.
"Well, that is for the best. So, Gaul, when shall we go to speak with that dragon?"
"If you are not too tired, tomorrow morning would be fine."
"Understood. That works for me."
With Gaul-san’s ready agreement, I left Steve in charge of explaining the reconnaissance route to him for the rest of the day. I spent my time with Princess Fiora, confirming that the water equipment had been installed successfully.
Fortunately, there were no issues with the water supply system so far.
However, as Agil had feared, the absolute volume of water that could be supplied was insufficient, so the fact that it would take time for the water to accumulate remained unchanged.
Oh, by the way, Princess Fiora, who had been getting along well with the toilet, had returned to the castle to report that the preparations for the water supply were ready.
Well, I couldn't take her along on our investigation. I had asked her to leave so she could report back and prepare for any contingencies.
I couldn't let it slip that we were going to negotiate with a dragon.
If word got out that a dragon had taken up residence in the mines, the current water supply project would be blown to bits. The villagers would flee without a second thought.
In fact, it wouldn't just be the Dafaio Kingdom; the Roschur Kingdom would get involved, and it would turn into a full-blown dragon extermination mission.
If that happened, it would hinder intercontinental exchange.
Yes, I’ve thought it through calmly, and this is a situation that must be prevented at all costs.
Regardless, to resolve this peacefully, I would first have Gaul-san attempt to persuade it.
If that failed, we would immediately secure the target and extract information.
And depending on the situation, we would dispose of it.
Though, the possibility that it is a Dragonman like Gaul is quite low. It is entirely possible it is just a wild dragon.
Well, in that case, I’ll just have to turn it into meat.
While I was lost in such thoughts, the next day arrived before I knew it...
"Gaul-san. In the event of combat, you can just use Steve as a shield."
"Hey! Aren't you saying something pretty extreme there?"
"What are you talking about, Steve? You protect the escort target with your own body. I’m a former general, so I know what I’m talking about. There is no such thing as freedom for a soldier."
"This place is hell!!"
Before I could retort, Agil lectured Steve, telling him that he was a soldier.
As expected of my wife.
Also, don't make it sound like my working conditions are bad.
In the first place, you were scheduled to be in the investigation team from the start.
"That aside, I'm talking about physics here. I'm a goblin. Gaul-san is a dragon. I'm not Surakichi-san, so I can't really act as a shield."
Ah, that’s true. It’s physically impossible given the size difference.
I can understand why a goblin protecting a dragon makes no sense.
"No, no. If I have Steve-dono’s escort, I have nothing to worry about."
"Eh—you have that much absolute trust in me? Isn't that a bit misguided?"
"I understand your feelings, but we won't get anywhere if you keep complaining. Above all, you are capable of it in terms of pure strength, aren't you?"
"Ugh. That may be true, but..."
He’s being lectured by Gaul.
Yes, what I’m prioritizing right now is whether or not we can protect Gaul if a battle breaks out.
Without a doubt, Steve’s unit would be able to protect Gaul and handle the hostile dragon as well.
If that were impossible, I would stop caring about appearances, contact every nation, and bring in modern weaponry to suppress it.
That would be a crisis for the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, after all.
"Steve. Regarding the training of personnel you mentioned, I’m looking at it positively—or rather, it’s physically necessary, so I’ll create that unit. So, please just go quietly this time."
"You really mean it?"
"Don't worry. I don't lie."
Well, it’s easy to just match the levels to Steve’s, but it’s quite difficult to match the 'experience' gained in the field.
To do that, we have to start by creating a unit with the same level of proficiency as Steve’s current one.
However, that is Steve’s job.
He’s been saying he needs another unit, so he’ll surely work hard as a mentor for his successors.
A level 100 with just stats and a level 100 with extensive practical experience are not the same.
Levels and theoretical knowledge can be supplemented by the dungeon’s abilities, but 'experience' is something that cannot be forced.
There are things that can only be cultivated through personal experience.
Well, of course, having knowledge versus not having it is a world of difference, so it is essential.
Therefore, I am not 'lying.'
In any case, there is no doubt that creating a new unit is the right move.
"...I have a really bad feeling about this."
"What? If you really don't want to increase the unit size, we can maintain the status quo. But this isn't something we can decide on our own."
"Ah, no. I'm just joking. I would definitely appreciate the reinforcements."
Alright. I’ve gotten the confirmation from Steve himself.
All that’s left is to decide on the candidate goblins and send them to Steve.
Now, in order to increase the size of that unit...
"Alright, I’ll explain the operation."
I immediately began explaining the mission.
"I’ve said it countless times since yesterday, but the goal is to somehow remove that dragon, and as a result, 'return the river's water level to normal.' In other words, simply defeating the dragon or getting it to leave isn't the end goal, so keep that in mind."