第１３９７堀：まずは対話を (Part2)
King August remarked that it might already be too late to address my concerns, while the King of White Forest suggested that we should proceed alongside the army.
"Traveling with the army would certainly be safer, but it would inevitably slow our movement to a crawl. Besides, wouldn't that signal to the other side that our only intention as an alliance is their total annihilation?"
"That would indeed be problematic. Still, the danger to our envoys remains high..."
Emperor Zurable noted the various complications of marching with an army, and Queen Emerald concurred. Every choice, it seems, carries its own burden.
Nevertheless...
"We will not be accompanied by an army. We shall proceed with standard wartime negotiations as always. There is no evidence that our envoys have been killed thus far, so such a show of force would be unreasonable."
"…Seraria is correct. While I personally wish to crush them as quickly as possible, we cannot act recklessly without first issuing a final ultimatum."
As Seraria pointed out, we had successfully negotiated with enemy forces within Suurus before. It served as a testament to Princess Hasnia’s diplomatic record, though it also suggested that the other side possessed a modicum of common sense. Given that precedent, bringing an army along would be an unnecessary provocation.
There is always the possibility that they might use a dungeon to launch an attack, but it is currently unthinkable that they would trigger a Great Stampede within their own borders. While a Dungeon Master or a dark guild might resort to such a thing to destroy evidence, doing so would surely result in the total annihilation of both the envoys and the enemy nation itself. More importantly, if such a thing were to happen, information regarding the Dungeon Master or the dark guild would circulate across every continent. I imagine it would make their operations significantly more difficult, though who knows how things might play out? Some might speculate that those with malicious intent would simply join forces, but if a nation is wiped off the map to cover one's tracks, no one would ever trust them again.
"So, is there any objection to having Litea lead the post-war negotiations with Suurus, while we conduct our investigations through separate channels?"
"None."
With the response of the two nations decided, the conversation shifted.
"And tell me, Yuki-dono, have you managed to locate the dungeon where the Great Stampede supposedly originated?"
The question came from Emperor Eupia of Zurable.
"No, I’m still searching. I find it hard to believe that such a massive number of monsters could simply spring into existence, so I’ve been tracking them, but I haven't found a single lead."
I opened a map of the region where the Great Stampede was believed to have occurred, marked with numerous 'X's.
"Have you confirmed all of these locations in person?"
"No, so far it’s only been reconnaissance via drones and familiars."
"Then on what grounds have you concluded that there is no dungeon?"
"Well, look at the sheer numbers. You’d know if you traced the route they took."
"Ah..."
At the King of Zilba’s question, I displayed the tracks of the monsters that had assaulted the fortress. The grass across the plains was trampled flat, leaving a clear trail. I had assumed that following these tracks would lead me straight to the dungeon, but there was nothing there.
Or rather, the trail simply ceased to exist...
"…It’s incredibly troublesome, but the monster tracks only begin from the western town."
"Wait a moment, that means..."
Exactly. Despite my best efforts to search with drones and familiars, I could find no footprints leading up to the western town. It is not impossible that they used the same path, but given the circumstances...
"The current working theory is that the dungeon manifested inside the western town itself."
"..."
Everyone was left speechless. This was far beyond the scope of merely deploying a dungeon to stage a Great Stampede. There was a distinct possibility that they had manifested a dungeon within the town and devoured it from the inside out.
"Wait, the initial reports stated that the townspeople fled to the northern town, and that the lord and his soldiers fought back, did they not?"
"They did. However, we have no way of knowing how much of that is true. Litea and the Adventurer’s Guild have the same records, but who knows what is actually happening on the ground?"
"This makes no sense."
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion, but to gain any real information, we would have to visit the decimated western town.
"Well, we’re currently waiting for a response from the alliance envoys who have gone to Suurus to request permission for that investigation."
Well then, I wonder what is truly going on.
If you don't show your stance, those around you will never understand. That sort of thing is important. Truly important.