第１２６２堀：具体的な対策案 (Part1)
**Chapter 1262: Concrete Countermeasures**
**Side: Yuki**
Unexpected, perhaps? Or, considering the circumstances, was it only logical?
"What’s the matter, dear?"
"Ah, no. It’s just... I thought you’d all be much more against this."
I had asked my wives to discuss the strategy of drawing enemies into Weed to strike them down, or using the situation to extract intelligence. To my surprise, the answer I received was a resounding agreement.
After all, this plan involves intentionally exposing Weed—a place we’ve poured our hearts into building—to danger.
Furthermore, we have children now. Their protective instincts toward Weed should be even stronger than they were in the past. That was precisely why I was so taken aback when they listened to my explanation without a word of protest and accepted it so readily.
"I see. Emotionally, both I and the others wanted to oppose it. It’s not just the danger to our children; there’s the risk that the people of Weed and innocent tourists could be caught in the crossfire."
"Yeah, I understand that perfectly. That’s exactly why I wanted you all to talk it over..."
I was stunned that, even with those concerns laid bare, they had granted their permission so easily.
While it’s true that my plan keeps the actual probability of danger quite low, and that it carries the support of various nations and benefits our future development, I still believed that some things were simply unacceptable on an emotional level.
For me, and especially for them, the "safety of our children" is more precious than life itself. I thought that even the slightest possibility of threatening that would be enough to get the plan rejected. Yet, they accepted it without hesitation.
I don’t know how to put it—I’m grateful, of course, but I worry that I might be trampling on their feelings as mothers.
"Husband, please don’t look so worried. We agreed to this while fully acknowledging those 'problems'."
Sensing my inner turmoil, Rurua stated clearly that they were "fully aware of the risks."
Shera followed up:
"We simply judged that, when considering the children's safety in the long term, we should accept this. If we leave things as they are, once the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance expands further, our children could be directly targeted."
"That’s right! That’s why we decided we need to strike them hard now," Ratz added in agreement.
They were right. As Eris and Ratz pointed out, avoiding this now wouldn’t make the danger disappear.
"Yes. The children won’t want to stay under our wings forever, and they need to see the outside world. I, too, left the village where I lived to become an adventurer."
"That is why we will defeat the enemies as much as we possibly can."
"Mhm. Well, I suppose having zero danger is also a problem in its own right, but as mothers, we have to do our best."
"…Exactly. This is our duty as mothers. We aren’t doing this reluctantly. It’s for my husband, for our children, and for our own sake as well."
The adventurer group—Milly, Tori, Riel, and Kaya—chimed in with their reasons.
They’re right. The children will eventually go out into the world. By then, we might not be able to reduce the number of people who hold a grudge against Weed to zero, but we can certainly thin their ranks. Moving now is the right call.
"It’s not just about the children, of course. Executing this operation will also save our homelands."
"…Mm. If we wipe out the idiots now, the nations supporting the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance will become even more secure."
"Yes. Their positions will undoubtedly be solidified. We can show that we have no mercy for adversaries, and even if there are hostile elements within their own borders, by cooperating with the investigations, those nations can avoid being held liable—they might even be praised for their track record. That will discourage countries from harboring such individuals."
"Jessica is right. Usually, a nation would want to cover up the shame of harboring criminals—especially those who would tear apart the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance—but this shows that we solve these problems together. That’s huge. Especially regarding the If Continent, where nations backed by Magic Sword Users are part of the alliance. It’s reassuring to know that such countries will cooperate and intervene to resolve issues, and it’s a relief to leave it to those who are clearly more powerful than we are."
Indeed, the Magic Sword Users of the If Continent are an elite group. If they are the ones conducting criminal investigations, the public is far more likely to feel secure. After all, there’s the guarantee that if a nation cooperates properly, they won’t be held responsible.
Well, there’s always the possibility of secret back-channel connections, but once those are exposed, they’ll be forced to behave. It’s the best possible track record for stabilizing the current administrations of each country.
"Besides, we’ve been told by our home countries to 'bring back all sorts of things' from Weed. If we can establish a track record of not just the student exchange program, but also creating the opportunity to find and capture these hostile elements, our positions back home will be even more stable."
"Yup. I get to help Yuki-sensei, help my family, and help my home country. Everyone’s happy!"
"That’s true. The Haire Church had that incident, too… We really want to rebuild properly and flush out and annihilate those subversive elements. Above all else…"
"This is a request from Weed, to whom we owe so much. We could never turn it down. There are only benefits for us here. And no matter what countermeasures we take, it is inevitable that such people will sneak in among the students and their attendants. We cannot allow such people to run rampant in Weed."
Kagura and the others also agreed that this must be done in Weed.
And, in truth, they were right. No matter how much my wives might dislike it, the students are coming regardless, and there is no way to prevent those with ulterior motives from slipping in. Even if they don’t intend to be hostile toward us, Weed and the other nations are prime positions for gathering intelligence.
In that sense, student spies are guaranteed to infiltrate. If a country *didn’t* send such people, I’d actually be worried. Whether or not they cause trouble is an entirely different matter.
"Are you convinced now?"
"Yeah. Thank you, everyone."
"So, what are your concrete plans? We’ve thought about it to some extent, but we wanted to hear your proposal first."
"Understood."
I had already discussed this with Taiki, Taizo, and Souta to prepare the materials. I distributed the documents detailing what we had discussed yesterday and began my explanation.
In short:
1. The schools and dormitories for the exchange students will be located on separate floors or in remote areas, with the premise that they must use gates to travel to the commercial or adventurer districts.
2. Carrying identification will be mandatory at all times. Without it, the gates cannot be used.
3. There will be no discrimination based on status. However, should we separate the nobles from the commoners?