落とし穴外伝：世間は師走と申しまして……あれ？ (Part2)
"But can't you do something about it, Luna?"
"It’s precisely because this runaway situation was caused by a god that I’m telling you now. You should be grateful."
"I’m not feeling particularly grateful. You’re dumping a pile of trouble on me right at the turn of the year, and it’s not like I can just ignore it."
Dealing with affairs on a separate continent—this is the very definition of spreading our forces too thin. As I was thinking this, she continued:
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. It’s a bit tragic, or perhaps just natural selection, but the people on that continent are already reduced to a single castle and its surrounding town. Simply put, they’re on the verge of extinction."
"That’s a dire situation."
"It just goes to show how hard the Demon Lord is working. Well, the objective of solving the mana depletion phenomenon remains the same, but I can't just ignore it when it starts causing trouble for other jurisdictions."
"So you’re telling us to handle it?"
"Exactly. You’ll have to do these kinds of things repeatedly later on, so think of it as a good dress rehearsal. Above all, there are barely any people left there. They’re just barely clinging to survival. No one’s going to complain if the members of Weed show up. Consider it your final job of the year."
"I understand that it’s causing us trouble. But if we launch an expedition to such a distant place, we won't be finished by the New Year."
She makes it sound easy, but it’s anything but. Just moving the aircraft carrier alone is a logistical nightmare, and currently, our carriers and battleships are tied up with surveillance and defense duties in the waters of Zuraburu and Seasifo. It’s not something we can just up and move on a whim. While moving them via the Item Box is simple enough, we can't just rush it—there’s the matter of supply placement, aircraft maintenance, and a dozen other variables. This isn't a task that can be wrapped up in a few days. And if the place is surrounded by mountains, approaching from the sea won't even grant us an easy entry point.
"Ah, I’ll provide proper support for that. In fact, they’ll be the ones calling for you."
"Calling for us?"
"Yes. Since they’re on the brink of collapse, the remaining royalty is desperate to perform a summoning ritual. I’ll give them a little push."
So, the transit issue is solved. If we open a gate, the supply problem will be settled, but...
"That’s going to create diplomatic issues. Can I really handle any more headaches?"
If this leads to the discovery of yet another continent and a new nation, I’ll die of exhaustion. Luna, however, didn't seem to care in the slightest.
"It’s fine, it’s fine. I told you the scale of that place is smaller than a minor nation, didn't I? With my backing and your supplies, they’ll listen to whatever you say. After all, they’ll be summoning you as their saviors."
"...I don't see how that’s 'fine' at all."
Usually, the moment you save people like that, you end up being treated as a nuisance.
"Besides, the fact that no one else lives on that continent is an advantage, right? You could use it for all sorts of research and experiments."
"Maybe we could, maybe we couldn't. I’m not the type to count my chickens before they hatch."
Still, if we could utilize it, it would mean gaining land outside the dungeon where we could act freely, ignoring the major powers of the continent. Establishing an airbase there would be tempting, but I don't know if it’s feasible.
"Above all, we don't have the funds or supplies to spare."
Even with the land, nothing can be done without the capital to back it up. Weed is currently pouring DP, funds, and supplies into countermeasures against the Dark Guild, the anti-Weed factions, and the Great Overflow; we have no room for that kind of capital investment. We have a surplus, of course, but I’m hesitant to sink it into a project that might not even work.
"You don't need to worry about that. As a success fee—though I’ll need to verify it myself—I’ll provide the DP for the airbase, coastal base, town, research facilities, and supplies. Naturally, I’ll prepare a separate budget for whatever else you want to acquire."
"..."
At Luna's words, Ratz, Eris, and Milly all gulped audibly. It sounded like an incredibly sweet deal, though she was only offering the budget necessary for operations. And, as they say, there’s always a catch to a deal that sounds too good to be true.
"Furthermore, if you go, how about a full refund of this year’s dungeon operation and maintenance DP?"
"Brother, we should go. Luna-san is in a bind."
"Indeed. We would need to explain it to Seraria and the others, but there is a problem occurring on that continent as well. We must go."
"People are about to be heartlessly slaughtered! Let’s do our best!"
In a rare turn of events, Ratz, Eris, and Milly—the three who form the very heart of Weed’s internal administration—had been completely won over.
Ah, so this is my job for the end of December. Will I actually be able to relax over the New Year?
Cleaning that doesn't get finished by the end of the year often spills over into the New Year. Just like before the family New Year’s party. Let’s blow away the big dust bunnies.
By the way, the next update will be on January 1st.