第１０８１堀：合流と出発 (Part2)
Indeed, the primary objective this time was to resolve the water shortage in the Kingdom of Dafaio. Engaging in a massive battle with a dragon that ended up destroying the river would render the entire mission pointless.
Furthermore, if the dragon’s presence became public knowledge, the ensuing chaos would far outweigh the water crisis, which would be a significant blow to Weed’s interests. Thus, I had issued orders to eliminate the threat before it reached that point.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask—what if it’s more than we can handle, sir?" Steve asked.
"In that case, retreat immediately. At that point, it’s literally a 'natural disaster.' If it comes to that, I’ll authorize the deployment of our entire arsenal of modern weaponry to take it down."
If the creature proved to be a monster that even Steve and his team couldn't touch, Seraria, Eris, and Ratz would surely understand the need for such measures. In fact, that was exactly what the modern weapons were for.
"Lord Yuki, what exactly are the criteria for judging whether the negotiations with the dragon have succeeded or failed?" Gaul asked.
"I’ll be in constant contact with you, but basically, if it launches an attack, it’s a failure. If it refuses to listen, it’s a failure. To put it simply, if it doesn’t do what we say, the negotiation has failed. Success only occurs if it listens to us and follows our instructions. It’s a strict standard, but if it goes on a rampage, things will get messy in more ways than one."
"I understand. My task, then, is to ensure the negotiations proceed toward 'success.' Though, I imagine it will be quite difficult with a dragon I’ve never met before."
"If you decide it’s impossible, Steve and the others will step in to suppress it, so don't worry. We’re only trying to negotiate because it would be ideal if we could resolve this peacefully. Please don't push yourself too hard, Gaul."
Gaul had already informed me that he had no prior connection to this particular dragon. Therefore, the probability of a successful negotiation was quite low.
"Even if negotiations break down, don't jump straight into combat. If you have the leeway to withdraw safely, please do so. Steve and the others can head back in to strike the dragon afterward."
"A reasonable plan," Queen Miyabi remarked. "However, I still do not understand why a dragon would divert water from a river and hoard it."
As the Queen pointed out, we still didn't know why the dragon needed the river water. I had asked Gaul if this was a common habit among dragons, but he had immediately replied that it was not.
However, that was only based on the dragons from Gaul’s homeland. I knew there were dragons that required water, such as the Sea Dragons discovered off the coast of the Kingdom of Seacypho.
"We’ll find out during the negotiations. As for the route to reach the dragon, the basic difficulty isn't high. The Kingdom of Dafaio claims the area is inaccessible due to powerful monsters, but the route was originally used for mining. Our drones and familiars have confirmed that the path is still viable."
I displayed the footage and began explaining the route Gaul and the others would take. It was a stroke of luck that a proper path existed; in some places, even reaching the destination could be an ordeal.
"If you depart at 07:00, you’re scheduled to arrive at 13:00. You’ll need to maintain a fairly brisk pace, though. Is that alright?"
"Yes, that won't be an issue."
The mine was at a surprisingly high altitude, exceeding 1,000 meters. Since Gaul’s village was at 1,500 meters, perhaps high altitude was a requirement for a dragon’s habitat.
Setting aside the dragon's ecology for a moment, our target was located at a mining site near the river at the 700-meter mark.
"It is strange, though," Agil noted. "Back then, people went all the way there to mine, but now the monsters have become so powerful that they can't get close. It’s likely that some change in the state of magical energy is involved."
"Agreed. As Agil said, we need to investigate why the monsters are getting stronger, so please avoid combat with them as much as possible."
Nature yields the best data when observed in its undisturbed state.
"Even if they're 'powerful,' they're only around Level 60 at best, sir," Steve remarked.
"Steve, you know better than anyone that Level 60 is a massive threat to ordinary people. Besides, everything depends on tactics, right?"
"I know, I know. Well, we’re about ready to head out. Are you set, Gaul?"
"Yes, no problems here. Let us depart at once."
And so, Gaul, Steve, and the rest of the team set off to persuade the dragon.
The "Dragon," renowned as the strongest in a fantasy world, and the "Goblin," known as the weakest. What fate awaited these two?
I’m sure everyone is expecting a heart-pounding, super-intense battle, right?
Well, it probably won't turn out like that! Because that’s just the kind of story this is.