第１３０３堀：現場からの情報 (Part2)
It seems it took longer than I anticipated; the sun was already beginning to dip toward the horizon.
"I’m back."
"Ah, welcome home. How did it go? Did you get the data?"
"I did, in a manner of speaking."
"That’s a vague way of putting it."
"My apologies. It seems the Mercenary Guild hasn't exactly been keeping a granular, categorized tally of their records."
Popuri stepped in for me, offering a brief explanation as she handed over the documents.
"Ah, I see. I see, I see..."
Agil immediately began scanning the papers. After flipping through a few pages, she stopped.
"Alright, Nailua, Wazfi—drop what you’re doing and get to work tabulating these documents."
"Wh-what? Right now?"
"What are we even looking for?"
Nailua and Wazfi, who had been busy with their own tasks, tilted their heads in confusion as they walked over.
"It’s what we talked about this morning. They brought back the last three years of subjugation data from the Mercenary Guild, but frankly, it’s a mess to look at."
She gestured to the papers, which were filled with minute details of income and expenditures, making the actual combat data difficult to parse.
"We’re going to organize this and make it legible. You’ve learned how to use the computers for a reason, haven't you?"
"I-it’s not like... I learned it just for d-data processing..."
"It’s basically the same thing. Besides, this data looks incredible! I can't wait! Come on, let's get started."
"For now, categorize the totals by day, week, month, and year," Agil instructed.
"Understood!"
"Ugh..."
I felt a bit sorry for Nailua, but this was a necessary part of research—and it would ultimately benefit her own studies. Organizing information through statistics and distribution is vital in any field.
Of course, as a researcher, one usually wants to leave such trivialities to subordinates. You feel like it’s not 'your' job.
But sorry, Nailua. In this Great Forest investigation, you’re at the bottom of the ladder. Hang in there.
"So, has there been any movement on your end?" I asked.
"None at all. Even after recovering Hivia’s remains, we haven't encountered a single monster. I mean, we’re already deep inside, so it’s not like we’re in a low-level zone for Goblins or Kobolds, but still."
"...Hm? Wait a second. Come to think of it, what exactly is the habitat range for Goblins and Kobolds?"
"Huh? I mean, I don't really know for sure."
"Popuri, do you know? How are the boundaries drawn?"
"Right. Let me explain that as well."
With that, I handed Popuri a tablet displaying a map of the Great Forest that allowed for annotations. She projected it onto a section of the large screen and began her briefing.
"First, starting from the Academy in the north, this area here is the 'accessible zone.' In reality, there are iron stakes driven into the ground to mark it."
She drew a yellow line just south of the Academy, followed by diagonal slashes. In the grand scheme of the forest, it was a tiny sliver, but in terms of actual scale, the furthest point was twenty kilometers away. It really drove home just how massive the Great Forest was.
"So, while we haven't surveyed the entire perimeter..."
Using the yellow slashes as a guide, she traced a circle around the forest's edge.
"This outer ring is considered the habitat for Goblins, Kobolds, and Orcs. It is believed that much more powerful monsters reside beyond this yellow line."
"Ahhh," we all murmured, the explanation making sense.
"Hey, Yuki. About this..."
"Yeah. We probably didn't run into them because we sprinted right through the area."
"B-but, isn't it s-strange that we haven't seen them at all until now?"
"Exactly. When we ran through the outer perimeter, we saw them all the time. Even if they don't attack us, isn't it weird not to even spot them?"
Nailua and Wazfi voiced their doubts, countering Agil’s and my initial thoughts.
Well, they had a point.
"For now, just get that data organized. I’ll look into things on my end as well."
"Understood!"
The two of them seemed to have found a renewed sense of purpose now that their curiosity was piqued. Nothing gets people moving like a genuine interest in the problem.
"And what will you do, Yuki?"
"It’s getting late, so I’ll head home for today. Tomorrow, I think I’ll visit the Adventurer Guild in Weed."
"Ah, I see. You’re going to share our current situation and see if there are any similarities with their records."
"Exactly."
For now, the work continues.
The accumulation of years of data is incredibly important. It allows you to speak with the weight of evidence behind you.
Of course, there will always be unprecedented events. But if you can't get those around you to believe in the reality of the situation, it means nothing.
It’s a staple for protagonists to secretly solve unprecedented problems, but often, they only do it secretly because they have no other choice. Perhaps that’s what’s baked into the "tropes"—those underlying circumstances.
***
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