第１３７１堀：女神乗り込む (Part1)
Chapter 1371: The Goddess Enters
Side: Yuki
There is simply too much information...
Or perhaps it’s just that until now, I’ve been able to reach the bosses or the masterminds far too easily and overtly.
I suppose this is what happens when things become organized.
I was nursing a headache, staring at the data I’d gathered by turning the royal capital of Suls into a dungeon.
"I wouldn't call him a mere viscount, but since he’s a viscount within a small nation, compared to the great powers of the Logari Continent, he’s at most the equivalent of a baron..."
It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but in small nations, a territory usually consists of a few towns and a single royal capital. Therefore, those holding towns are usually dukes or counts, while those holding multiple villages are viscounts, barons, or baronets.
Because the scale is small, their power and military strength are naturally limited.
"Is he perhaps just a pawn for the Anti-Weed faction?"
Orelia, who had been looking over the Suls data alongside me, murmured the thought.
"Probably. I can't imagine the top brass of the Anti-Weed faction would be hiding in a place like Suls."
I agreed with Hovis’s assessment.
"T-then, would it be possible to ask Lilishe-sama and the others to have the viscount handed over to us?"
"Yayui, that would be difficult. We only know his true identity through our appraisal; he hasn't actually committed a crime yet. Besides, he is a viscount, a subject of that nation. Demanding his handover is impossible."
"As Prof says, while it would be ideal to do as Yayui suggests, it’s hard to get them to hand over a viscount who has no formal charges against him. More than that, doing so would be a disgrace to their own country; normally, they would judge him internally. If things go poorly, there’s a chance he’s connected to the dungeon master behind this Great Flood, and for Suls, the idea that such a person is lurking within their ranks is a nightmare."
If we approach this clumsily, they might just dispose of the viscount themselves.
If that happens, the information dies with him.
But we don't have enough evidence to warrant a formal punishment.
Just as I was mulling this over...
『Boss. Lilishe-nee and the others are entering Suls Castle. Can you confirm it on your end?』
"Yeah, I’ve got it."
Before my eyes, the map of Suls was projected, allowing me to instantly track the location of Lilishe, Litea, and the rest of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance.
Of course, I also had the positions of the suspicious individuals marked...
"They seem to have gotten in without a hitch."
『Looks like it. For some reason, the hostile viscount and his lot aren't making a move. Maybe they haven't noticed?』
"The possibility isn't zero, but let's not be optimistic. Even if they aren't hostile, are there any movements suggesting they're trying to surround them?"
『None of that, either. I mean, they’ve gathered troops and seem ready to move outside at any moment, but that’s about it. When they entered through the East Gate, there were quite a few soldiers stationed on the walls.』
"Well, they’re on high alert because of the Great Flood. Come to think of it, were people coming in through the East Gate?"
『They were. I don't know if it’s a large number or not, but they haven't stopped the influx. Well, supplies are going to run out, after all. It seems the guards were properly stationed.』
So they haven't locked it down completely.
Well, they can't exactly seal off the royal capital when they haven't even been directly attacked yet.
It would run dry in no time.
"What about the prices in the capital? Are there even supplies left?"
『I’m still checking that, but as far as maintaining the military goes, they have about a month’s worth. There don't seem to be any signs of chaos in the general households either. It’s like they haven't issued an alarm yet.』
"We asked for reinforcements, and evacuating the capital is a last resort."
Once people leave, it’s a massive struggle to get them to return.
Just moving costs money.
It’s not like people would willingly abandon a settled land to return to the capital, either.
『Anyway, that’s all I know for now. Oh, by the way, I haven't received any reports regarding the western town or the enemy dungeon. What’s the status on those?』
"Ah, that... yeah, we’ve got nothing there either."
As I turned my gaze toward Orelia and Yayui...
"Regarding the western town, we’ve only confirmed it via drone, but it’s been wiped out. The remains of what the monsters left behind are scattered everywhere. We’ve dispatched three teams, but I don't know if we’ll find any survivors... and the situation is still unclear."
"Y-yes. Currently, I’m searching the predicted locations with drones and familiars, but I haven't found any likely spots. Thinking they might be hiding in the tall grass, I’ve dispatched three teams—fifteen people—from Steve-san’s unit, but even they haven't found anything."
『Sounds like everyone’s at a dead end.』
"We can't send in a large force carelessly. It could be taken as an invasion. I just hope Lilishe handles it well."
『Can she? Even with the hostile organization there?』
"There’s no need to tell them about the hostile organization. Just getting them to acknowledge our activities is enough. And maybe we can drop a hint about the two nations and see how they react."
It’s not like the Kingdom of Suls is our enemy.
Precisely because they are neutral, it would be convenient to bring them into our fold.
They were originally under Litea’s protection, so they lean more toward being friendly than anything else.
Can we leverage the fact that we saved them from the Great Flood?
Or will they blame the Great Flood on Weed?
『Come to think of it, Kirika’s people have already infiltrated Suls, right? How are things on that front?』
"They’ve been assigned to monitor the viscount and investigate the surroundings. There wasn't anything particularly frantic in the preliminary reports. Ah, though the soldiers are on edge, that much is the same."
After the drones, Kirika’s intelligence unit had also infiltrated the Suls royal capital to gather information, but since there were no reports of an enemy attack, they had been focusing on securing routes and mapping out soldier deployments to ensure safety until Lilishe and her group arrived.
Now that I’ve turned the place into a dungeon, I can send reinforcements using the dungeon functions if things go south, and I’m in a position to receive support from Kirika’s subordinates as well.
As I was discussing this with Steve...
"Yuki-sama. Sorry to interrupt your talk with General Steve, but it seems Lilishe-sama and the others have been guided to the audience chamber. There was almost no wait time."
Oh? While we were busy talking, it seems they managed to secure an audience with the King of Suls quite smoothly.
Well, they were the ones who requested reinforcements; they wouldn't keep them waiting.
It’s a matter of national survival, after all.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down for a moment. Let’s listen to what they have to say."
When I said that, Orelia and the others nodded and fell silent.
"What about the intelligence unit and Steve’s deployments?"
"No issues."
『No problems here, either.』
The support is ready.