第１３５４堀：ウィードとしての結論 (Part2)
To be sure, the Great Outbreak itself is a significant issue, but if the Principality of Suurus could handle it alone—or with a modicum of cooperation—there shouldn't be any problem at all.
"The candidate being put forward for that is the Holy Nation of Lithea."
Yuki said this, casting a glance toward Rurua.
That’s right; Rurua is a former saint of Lithea, meaning she is on good terms with the current top leader, Lady Alstaire.
Naturally, Rurua should have been the one to secure information from Lithea, yet for some reason, it was Lady Lilishe who stood up.
"Hey now."
Yuki gave her a half-lidded look, his voice clearly signaling for her to sit back down, but...
"Oh, don't be like that. It was thanks to me that the discussion came together, wasn't it? Right, Rurua-chan?"
"Ah, yes."
Rurua—or rather, all of us—find Lady Lilishe intimidating and struggle to push back against her.
Well, she is a goddess, so that’s only natural. Unlike Yuki, who treats gods with such casual disrespect, we honestly can't bring ourselves to be rude to her.
I mean, she’s the type to drop a fist on Lady Hairen, after all.
Even with Yuki acting the way he does...
"So, I'll be the one to explain."
She couldn't be stopped.
That is the nature of the Goddess Lilishe.
If it were Lady Hairen, a solid punch would have silenced her, but this person doesn't even care about such things.
Actually, she surprisingly doesn't do that sort of thing to us.
Perhaps it means she truly acknowledges us?
"First off, the Holy Nation of Lithea wants to avoid handling the rescue of the Principality of Suurus entirely on its own. After consulting with the Adventurer Guild, it seems highly likely—given the nature of the Great Outbreak—that a dungeon has suddenly manifested and monsters are pouring out from it. In other words, there is a possibility that a Dungeon Master like Yuki-san is behind it. That would mean the danger level has skyrocketed."
Indeed, if a Dungeon Master is pulling the strings, the situation is incredibly perilous.
I can understand Lithea’s desire to avoid tackling this alone.
"That’s why they asked Weed—or rather, Yuki-san—for reinforcements. But then the question arose: is it really best for Weed to handle this entirely on its own?"
"What do you mean by that? Is there a problem with Weed handling it alone? If anything, wouldn't dragging other nations into this just waste time?"
Samantha tilted her head as she asked this.
She’s right.
If Weed is capable of dealing with it, we should act swiftly.
Every moment wasted only increases the damage suffered by the Principality of Suurus.
"When I say 'drag them in,' I don't mean their armies. I mean bringing along representatives from other nations. In other words, everyone here."
"...Hmm. Following Yuki is a wife's duty. But what is the meaning of this? Wouldn't it suffice to just take us along?"
"Cleena-chan, it’s not quite that simple. If we move only after properly obtaining permission from each nation here, it establishes a track record of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance assisting a nation outside the alliance. That makes it easier to act in the future should something like this happen again."
So that’s it.
Indeed, Yuki’s hesitation stems from the fact that this is outside the alliance’s jurisdiction.
Without Lithea’s request, he couldn't have intervened.
Above all...
"We would be demonstrating the sincerity of the allied nations, wouldn't we?"
"Spot on, Kagura-chan. For nations that have caused Yuki-san trouble until now, following this request is a way to pay back some of that debt. And it’s a chance to make our nations' prestige known to the world."
It’s a place to spread the names of our countries in a way that’s easy to understand.
Since this alliance was formed, war has become difficult to ignite, so the only way to earn military merit is through situations like this.
Now that such an opportunity has presented itself, we would naturally want to participate for that reason as well.
"But is there no risk that the Principality of Suurus will fall while we wait for everyone to assemble? If the nation falls before we can gather, wouldn't that conversely tarnish the alliance's name?"
"Don't worry, Enora-chan. Kirika-chan and the others are already scouting the area, and we plan to open gates from there to deploy Weed’s forces for defense. Isn't that right?"
"Yeah. *Sigh*, don't spill everything. So, I think you all understand the situation now. It’s a good opportunity to make this alliance known to nations outside our borders. Besides, the Great Outbreak itself is the first in ten years; it’s a chance to gather valuable data on the magical depletion phenomenon. We’ll be able to develop countermeasures. In that sense, too, I want to intervene."
So, there is no point in handling it alone.
Once explained like that, it makes perfect sense.
"The documents are already prepared, so take them and relay the information directly to your superiors—or rather, your kings."
With that, we immediately set into motion.
The faster we act, the better, after all.
We are creating a grand justification to act as the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, receiving reinforcements from Lithea.
Everything seems to be in order.
As for the potential backlash or other such problems, we can deal with those carefully later.