第１３７０堀：内部の敵は？ (Part1)
Chapter 1370: Enemies Within?
Enemies Within?
Side: Deryu
The sun had already climbed high into the sky, and we had finished our breakfast, waiting inside the vehicle. Thanks to the driver maintaining our scheduled pace, we were currently positioned about five kilometers from the eastern gate. The only thing left to do was to storm the royal capital once the appointed time arrived, but...
Before that, Steve and his team were in the process of turning the royal capital of Surus into a dungeon to determine if it had already fallen to the enemy. There was always the possibility that a Dungeon Master had already seized control from the shadows. If that were the case, storming the capital would be impossible for us. There is no reason to walk willingly into the belly of the beast.
Initially, the plan was to do this under the cover of night, but it was postponed due to the concern that if Surus had already fallen into enemy hands, they might eliminate the VIPs and frame us for the deed. By performing the dungeonization in broad daylight, the King would likely be in the midst of his official duties, and with the presence of guards and others, it would ironically be safer. A Dungeon Master would surely hesitate to attempt an assassination in such a public setting. We intended to use that window of hesitation to carry out the rescue.
And so, the moment of tension arrived...
『This is Steve. The dungeonization of the Surus royal capital is complete. There is no sign of direct control by a Dungeon Master.』
『"『Phew.』"』
A collective sigh of relief echoed from everyone. I felt the same sense of reprieve. It couldn't be helped; knowing a Dungeon Master like Yuki, I knew firsthand just how dangerous they could be. They are nothing if not troublesome. I realized then that I had only survived this long because the Dungeon Masters I had crushed in the past were fools.
『Next, I’m searching for details on the people inside the Surus capital. Running the search function now... and, it’s up.』
As Steve made his declaration, a screen materialized before us.
『I used the following keywords: race/monster-type, origin of the two nations, title: murderer, anti-Weed faction, and Dungeon Master.』
I wondered how many results would appear, but... aside from "murderer," the list wasn't actually that long. Or rather...
"We should probably remove 'murderer' from the search. There are too many hits."
"Agreed. We have all committed murder ourselves."
"And often, we have done so out of duty."
Indeed. I agreed with Agil and the others. There are many who, by virtue of their positions, must kill. Soldiers, and even myself, for instance. Once we removed "murderer" from the search parameters, the number of results dropped visibly. There was no longer any need to scroll down.
"At most, there are about twenty people, I suppose."
"That seems correct. But it appears there are no Dungeon Masters."
As Kagura noted, the list contained no Dungeon Masters. It seemed they hadn't made the move to infiltrate this far. Well, the fact that the city hadn't been dungeonized already made that possibility low, but...
"Well, it’s not like they could just waltz in that easily, right?"
"I suppose that’s a relief, in a way?"
Both Micos and Enola seemed reassured by the absence of a Dungeon Master. Even so, that didn't necessarily mean we were safe.
"So, what remains are ten people from the two nations—the Kingdom of Kinauf and the Kingdom of Ilina—five from each. Among them, six are of the anti-Weed faction. There are ten anti-Weed faction members within Surus itself," Difes read the data aloud.
"Is that a lot, or a little?"
"It’s a matter of standing. The people from the two nations are envoys, so there are ten at most. But if the anti-Weed faction members within Surus hold high-ranking positions, they can command others. Even if those subordinates don't hold a grudge against Weed, they have no choice but to follow orders."
Claudia answered Kaya’s question. She was right. The number of soldiers that could be mobilized would depend entirely on the status of those anti-Weed faction members within Surus.
『I’m checking their job titles now. Ah, they aren't at the very top, but they have wormed their way into various high-ranking positions. They could likely tamper with things like dispatches.』
As Steve said this, the backgrounds of the high-ranking officials within Surus appeared. A captain of the guard, a head of messengers, what looked like the chief of a civil department, and military unit commanders.
"Um, is it possible they’re just jealous of Weed?" Ria muttered.
"That possibility isn't zero, but since they are explicitly labeled as the 'anti-Weed faction,' they are likely part of an organization."
『That’s right. They aren't exactly harmless, but as for who could openly harm the envoys... ah, it’s this one.』
As Steve spoke, one profile was brought to the forefront.
"Hmm, a Viscount? That’s a delicate position."
"Indeed. If it were a Duke, they might be in a position to offer opinions to the King, but a Viscount class would only be able to speak with a Duke to a certain extent. Perhaps this is because it is a country that was originally under the Litea umbrella and has deep ties?"
Menou and Show seemed to judge that while a Viscount has some standing, they were still punching below their weight. Certainly, our position as envoys of our respective nations meant that, in a sense, we were acting as proxies for our Kings. A mere Viscount shouldn't be able to do much...
"Looking at the situation, we can assume this Viscount is the ringleader of the group for now. We shouldn't lose, but the possibility of them causing harm isn't zero. Let's be careful about that."
Everyone nodded at Agil’s words. Whether this was truly enemy territory was debatable, but there was no need to give the opposition an opening.
"Alright. Let’s depart. There’s no point in waiting any longer."
With that, Lady Lilishe pointed toward the royal capital of Surus. The time was just past nine o'clock.
"Agreed. It’s close to the scheduled time, so let’s get going. Can we leave the surveillance of the opposition to Steve and the others?"
『You got it. Leave it to us. Also, is there anything from the Boss? You haven't said a word, have you?』
Oh, that’s right. Yuki was participating in this conversation, but he hadn't uttered a single syllable since the beginning.
"Um, Yuki-san, are you not feeling well?"
At Ria’s words, we all jumped in surprise.