第１３９０堀：交渉の結果 (Part1)
Chapter 1390: The Result of Negotiations
Side: Ria
"I’ve sent five units to the west as a precaution, but do you think that will be enough?"
"It should at least prevent them from scattering too wildly. Besides, we intend to call for their surrender. If a force that annihilated a thousand men in an instant appears before them, the stragglers won't dare to resist... or so I’d like to think."
As I discussed this with Deryu, we kept our eyes fixed on the Irinau Kingdom army deployed to the east. Agil’s strategy was, in a word, straightforward.
*“Well, I’ll split the troops and send them west. As long as I can dictate the direction of their retreat, we’ll manage. In the worst-case scenario, we can just use the dungeon’s management functions to hunt down anyone who goes into hiding.”*
Her words were difficult to gauge—it was hard to tell if she was being reliably confident or dangerously reckless. But when it comes to chasing down a fleeing, scattered enemy, there really isn't any other way to handle it.
"The best outcome would be for the negotiations to go well, though."
"That would indeed be ideal. However, our numbers are clearly inferior, and there is the matter of the Kinauf Kingdom army to consider as well. I don't have a very good feeling about this."
"I agree."
I, too, didn't believe that the princess and the envoys from Suls, who were currently heading to negotiate, would succeed. Since they had aligned themselves with the Kinauf Kingdom, backing out now would be a breach of their agreement. Besides, they likely couldn't fathom that a small force like ours could actually defeat them. That was precisely why the Kinauf Kingdom army had chosen to fight in the first place.
"Still, why go through the trouble of diverting water from the Suls River? Surely, that isn't the only water source available."
"I wonder if there was a specific reason for that? I didn't hear the details on that front."
As we were talking, Jessica approached us.
"It seems the Irinau Kingdom did not receive any rain this year. A drought, so to speak. There are records indicating they requested water aid from Weed via Litea."
"Just like the Dafaio Kingdom and Fiora, then?"
"However, the records state that Litea refused. It wasn't an urgent situation, was it?"
"Indeed. In reality, only about three ponds had dried up, and any damage was easily covered by imports from other countries. However, the upper echelons seem to have concluded that securing water was an urgent necessity for the future. That is why they first inquired about Weed’s reputation in Dafaio."
"…Isn't that backwards? Usually, you’d try various construction projects first, and only turn to this when you’re truly out of options, right?"
"Exactly. And their next move—trying to siphon water from someone else’s territory—is sheer madness. Water rights are a casus belli anywhere in the world."
"Well, that is likely why they decided that Suls, currently in chaos due to the Great Flood, was the optimal target. It is possible they were pulling strings behind the scenes; if they had planned this far ahead, they wouldn't just give up now."
Ah, so they switched their target to us because they calculated it was doable. But…
"If they have the power of a dungeon, couldn't they just secure a water source easily? We’ve built all sorts of things in Weed."
We’ve even created an ocean, let alone a few ponds.
"They likely lack that kind of leeway. Or rather, we should assume they aren't receiving that kind of support."
"In other words, Deryu, you believe the dungeon masters aren't really involved with those two nations?"
"That would be my assessment. If anything, it is assumed that both nations are already receiving support. Both the Kinauf and Irinau Kingdom’s problems could be solved without war if they had the power of a dungeon. The fact that they are going out of their way to invade Suls suggests there is some ulterior motive at play. Or, they are simply fools who can only use a dungeon for war."
"That’s a depressing thought."
If they can only find solutions through conflict, I don't think there’s any room for conversation.
"Nevertheless, most dungeon masters throughout history have been exactly that—or rather, that was all they were."
"…That is a grim reality."
"It really makes you realize how rare someone like Yuki-san is."
"He was originally recognized as an enemy of the world, after all. In some cases, he was considered even more dangerous than a Demon Lord. That assessment is certainly accurate, given that he can churn out monsters endlessly as long as he has the resources."
"The public's perception was part of the problem, too, wasn't it?"
"Well, it was the same on the If Continent, and Comet-sama had no choice but to operate in the shadows."
As Deryu said, it’s a fact that before we knew Yuki-san, we viewed dungeon masters as nothing more than natural disasters; the idea that one could actually converse with them was unthinkable. Kaya and Claudia were helped by Comet, but back then, the reputation of dungeon masters on the If Continent was at rock bottom.
Thinking about it that way, perhaps choosing anything other than war is difficult. I’ve heard that even the gods despised dungeon masters, so I truly believe they were surrounded by nothing but enemies.
While we were occupied with these thoughts, the deployment on our side seemed to be complete, and a message came through from Agil.
*“The units that were circling around have reached their positions. Be careful of their movements; the enemy might try to launch a surprise attack to scatter us and buy themselves some time.”*
"Understood. Though, there is a significant distance between us. Our attacks will reach them first, and we should be able to retreat if necessary."
*“Right, we’ve kept enough distance. Our magical range is overwhelmingly superior, after all.”*
That’s true. We saw it back in the western town of Suakania—the enemy’s magical range is, at best, about 200 meters. Honestly, even bows and arrows have a longer reach. Though, those bows only go about 300 meters, and it’s not like they can actually aim; it’s more of a ‘fire enough shots and hope one hits’ situation.
No, wait, is that the same for us? It’s hard to hit a moving target at over 100 meters, even with a gun. Well, in a war, the enemy is charging straight at us, so they’re easier to target. Maybe if we had scopes, we could hit them? Regardless, I don't think I could hit targets from kilometers away like Eris can. I’ve heard there are even more incredible snipers in the world of manga, but I often wonder how the people of Earth come up with such wild imaginations.
Anyway, while the enemy’s range is capped at 300 meters, we are capable of pinpoint magical strikes from 500 meters to a kilometer away, provided there is no magical interference. Even so, in the context of modern warfare on Earth, that’s still considered quite short. If the enemy charges, that distance closes in the blink of an eye. It seems there is still plenty of room for research, and Yuki-san has been directing Zargis and the others to work hard on it.