第１３６６堀：相手の狙いは？ (Part2)
"That's true. As the one at the top, I can push myself, but if I come up empty-handed, I'll be forced to step down."
Ah, I see... Even I can understand that.
Back in the day, it was all a bit vague, but I was once the head of the police force, after all. Budgets and personnel aren't infinite. If you exhaust your resources and have nothing to show for it, the responsibility falls on the one in charge. In other words, if Lady Alstaire issues this order and it fails, she could be held accountable and stripped of her position.
...Just as it had been for Rurua.
Rurua, listening in beside me, keeps her expression blank as she hears Lady Lilishe speak. Deep down, she must be desperate to secure Ritea’s safety, but since this also involves Lady Alstaire’s career, she’s likely in a state of internal turmoil.
As I wonder what to do, Yuki-san speaks up.
"Understood. We can handle the aerial reconnaissance from our end, so we'll divert resources to that."
"Oh my~. Thank you."
"Haa..."
Yuki-san lets out a sigh that sounds truly exhausted.
Wait, does this mean he only said that because he was being nudged to help? When I realized that, I was struck by Lady Lilishe’s cunning. I mean, I knew she was a bit black-hearted, but still...
"And since you headed out there yourself, Lady Lilishe, I assume you have some idea of what to expect, don't you?"
"『"Eh?"』"
We all cry out in unison at his words.
Does Lady Lilishe know something about this situation? No, she must have known something from the start, which is why she headed to the Suurus Principality, right?
"Well now~. I could say yes, and I could say no~."
Her reply is as slippery as ever.
"Don't play coy. Just tell us."
"I’m not trying to be difficult, you know~. Originally, this Suurus Principality was where I lived with that idiot."
"By 'that idiot,' you mean Faide-san?"
"Who else could it be~? Though, we moved around so often that we didn't stay there for very long. That was about a hundred years ago, too~. Still, I was well aware of whether or not there was a dungeon there, so..."
"So, based on that experience, you're saying it's impossible. I get that, but what made you think the enemy might be invading?"
"Well, Suurus has the Spirit Spring, you see~. Do you know whose territory that is considered to be?"
"『"Ah."』"
We all gasp at once.
That’s right. While it is the territory of the Suurus Principality, it is under Ritea’s umbrella. Which means it is also under the protection of the Ritea Church.
That means...
"Exactly. I won't go so far as to say that land is 'mine,' but if someone comes trampling on my precious children, I’m going to step in. More than that, I don't think the Dungeon Master side is attacking without knowing that."
"True. Originally, there was talk of Dungeon Masters cooperating with the gods to deal with the mana depletion phenomenon. They wouldn't be unaware of its existence."
"None of them were as friendly as you, Yuki-san, though~. In short, this invasion is a declaration of war against me. If the King of the Suurus Principality is some fool thinking he can change his allegiance by surrendering..."
"He'd certainly be threatened by the Suurus Principality. Though, the army he used as a bargaining chip has already been wiped out. Still, he might have some reserve forces."
"Even if he does, I doubt he has that many~. Probably just enough to seize the royal castle, don't you think?"
I don't know, that sounds like plenty of force to me. But...
"Why now? There must have been other ways to go about this."
"That, I’m afraid, is beyond even me~. Well, considering that there hasn't been a Great Outbreak until now, perhaps they’ve finally decided to move~. Or perhaps, they’re late to the party?"
Hmm, what could that mean? As I struggle to grasp the implication...
"Alright, let's look at this from a different angle. Ratz, Eris, Milly, Tori—do you have any reports from your respective departments?"
Yuki-san looks at us as he says this.
Given the situation, if a solo operation is difficult, we have to investigate the surroundings. But that, in itself, highlights how difficult this is going to be.
The world never makes things easy, does it?