第１４１１堀：調べるべき場所 (Part1)
Chapter 1411: Places to Investigate
Side: Cleena
We are traveling by car.
I have already grown accustomed to this, so I have no particular thoughts to share.
Actually, I’m just sleepy.
"Oh, Cleena-san. You look tired?"
Samantha notices my state and strikes up a conversation.
There’s no need to hide it, so I answer honestly.
"I was reading until late last night. That’s why I’m sleepy. There’s nothing to do while traveling by car."
That’s right. Or rather, ever since we arrived at the Northern Fortress, we’ve essentially been under orders to stand by.
It’s incredibly boring, so I spend most of my time reading books.
Well, since our bodies here are doppelgangers, our consciousness can return home, but as long as we are here as envoys, we have to show our faces as much as possible.
Going out into the town of Weed is strictly forbidden.
If someone from the August Embassy were to see us, they’d start complaining.
No, it’s common knowledge among the alliance that we are out as envoys, so we can’t go out because it would look like we’re slacking off.
That’s why reading is the only thing I have to do.
As for Yuki...
*“Eh? You’re free to rest openly, so just do whatever you like.”*
He told us that while he wasn't sure if we could truly relax at our assignment, we should take it easy.
Well, there had been wars and such, and I couldn't say it hadn't been difficult, but it was still less busy than being in Weed.
"Honestly, even if Yuki-sama told you to take it easy, please don't let it affect your work."
Samantha seems to have understood, sighing as she says this.
"Mm. We're in transit, so it's not a problem. Also, lap pillow, please."
I don't wait for Samantha’s reply and collapse into her lap.
"How selfish. Well, that’s nothing new. It would be a problem if you fell asleep once we reached the site, so go ahead and rest."
"Mm. Samantha is kind, and your breasts are soft."
"That last part isn't a compliment, you know. Still, I never thought I'd have a relationship where I could talk to you so casually, Cleena-san."
"Agreed."
We both—well, perhaps Samantha might have been interested in my position as third in the school caste—but I had almost no interest in Samantha back then.
Now, not only are we in a relationship where she gives me lap pillows, but we love the same man and have even borne his children.
And we trust each other immensely.
"So, are you going to sleep? Or shall we continue our talk?"
"Mm, it’s about what I was looking into yesterday..."
"I thought you were reading?"
"No, I was reading for the sake of my research. It was a book about methods for holding a castle under siege."
"A siege... are you thinking about the Western Town?"
"Yes. We’ve been tasked with finding important locations, but what defines an 'important location'?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I can imagine the Lord’s Mansion became the command post for the Western Town during the Great Outbreak. It likely has the strongest defenses."
"Yes, that’s true. They are usually built that way, after all."
Exactly. As Samantha says, the Lord’s Mansion is where the highest authority of the town works and lives; it’s also where important people and documents are kept.
In other words, it’s the place that requires the most attention regarding security and defense.
"But doesn't that make it the primary target for the enemy?"
"Eh? Well, yes. Because it draws the enemy in, you can concentrate your forces and defend it."
"Mm. What you say is correct, Samantha. But it’s different from the basics of a siege."
"And that is?"
"A siege assumes that reinforcements from allies will arrive. That’s why you hole up in a place with high defensive capabilities and endure."
"Ah, I suppose so."
Samantha looks at me as if wondering what I’m talking about.
"Sigh. I see that only magic and Yuki are on your mind, Samantha."
"What are you saying? It goes without saying that Yuki-sama, the children, and you, Cleena-san, are my top priorities."
"Mm. I’m happy to hear that, but that’s not what I mean. In this case, do you think they believed reinforcements would make it in time?"
"...I see. Is that what you mean?"
"Yes."
She seems to have understood my point, and Samantha’s voice turns serious.
Incidentally, I can’t see her face.
There is a mountain range of large breasts towering in the way.
I can’t exactly ask her to move them, so I continue the conversation as is.
"Considering the scale of the Great Outbreak, even if reinforcements came, the Western Town couldn't possibly hold out. In other words, there’s no point in a siege. In such cases, it’s normal to use an obvious defensive target as a decoy and escape or hide."
"Indeed, now that you mention it, that’s true. You only hold a siege if there’s a prospect of winning. If there’s no chance of victory, holing up is..."
"It means there was some other objective. Isn't that right, Jessica?"
I speak to Jessica in the passenger seat while still in Samantha’s lap.
"That is certainly true. I understand what Cleena is saying. There’s little point in a siege if there’s no hope of winning. However, in this case, there is another possibility."
"Which is?"
"The objective of those who remained in the Western Town was to send the refugees safely to the Northern Town. In other words, they had to let the Great Outbreak know they were holding the fort. It was a decoy. And they also had to prevent the Great Outbreak from heading toward the Royal Capital."
"...I see. So there was a purpose for the siege?"
"Exactly. But as Cleena says, it is indeed questionable whether they needed to hold out until the very end."
"That’s true. Personally, I’d like to believe they bravely stayed until the end, but I can understand that not everyone had to die. If there was a hidden passage somewhere, they could have escaped through it without issue. They had already achieved their goal. That said, such hidden passages are usually located in the Lord’s Mansion, so we still need to investigate it regardless."
Hmm.
Even from the opinions of military personnel like Jessica and Agil, there was no need to hold out until the bitter end.
"So, are there survivors?"
"I don't know that much. However, we have confirmed that there are no survivors out in the open. If we want to confirm such things easily, turning it into a dungeon would be the best way."
"Come to think of it, hasn't it been turned into a dungeon yet?"
"In this instance, we’ve decided not to be careless. We secured the area around the fortress, where the urgency was high, and the Royal Capital, but we haven't touched the origin point or the Western Town. If it’s discovered, the alliance will be labeled as an invading nation. However..."