第１４４６堀：警備の情報共有 (Part2)
"The true intent remains unclear, but my hypothesis is that they sought to drive a wedge between both parties. They likely deemed targeting just one side insufficient."
"In the current climate, the Dark Guild would be the first suspect anyone would point to, wouldn't they?"
"……I’m not sure that changes even if they harm both sides, does it?"
If anything, wouldn't that make it even more obvious that the Dark Guild is behind it? Am I the only one who thinks it would be better to focus on one or the other?
As if to answer that doubt, Kirika opened her mouth.
"Indeed, the suspicion surrounding the Dark Guild will never dissipate, but if both sides are wounded, the investigation will inevitably be delayed. While both parties may believe the other is not the culprit, they cannot afford not to investigate, just in case. I believe you two, as leaders of the police, understand this well."
She was right. When an incident occurs, it is only natural to hear from both the victim and the perpetrator. If the scale of the incident reaches the national level, the investigation becomes arduous and time-consuming. There are times when one is forced to probe into matters one would rather leave untouched. Yet, without concrete evidence that the Dark Guild is the culprit, one cannot simply pass judgment.
"I see. So that’s how they create the rift."
"They were hoping to stall for time, then."
"Likely. Though, given that they were aiming for casualties, they seemed to believe they could actually succeed."
"Hah."
I let out a scoff at those words. Leaving the Irinau side aside, the mere notion that they could kill our friends only invites laughter.
"I share your sentiment, but the ones carrying out the task are mere pawns. There was likely an element of testing the waters as well. From the interrogation, it seems that while they were prepared for death in the event of failure, they were also promised rescue should they survive."
"Rescue? Does that mean there’s an accomplice inside Irinau?"
"In all likelihood. However, their status does not list them as members of the Dark Guild, so they are merely collaborators. On the surface, they are simply individuals within Irinau who have accepted bribes. They likely do not even realize they are dealing with a member of the Dark Guild."
An unwitting collaborator, then. Or rather, in this case, someone who knows they are committing a crime but hasn't been told the full details of the party they are dealing with. Nothing good ever comes of money. And that is something we must be wary of within Weed as well. The memory of Fusora being used by Yuki to lower the defensive functions flashed through my mind. It seemed Tori was thinking the same, as we both nodded in unison.
Then, a thought occurred to me.
"……Didn't Yuki say something about how to handle situations like this?"
"Now that you mention it, during the post-mortem after the Fusora incident, Yuki-san said……"
"Ah, indeed, he did mention something……"
Since we can confirm the smuggling of poisons and the like into the dungeon, we could just apprehend those individuals? No, simply possessing a poison is not enough grounds for detention. Especially since we don't know if such possession is illegal within Irinau. In that case……
"……"
After a moment of shared silence, we spoke in unison.
"Caught in the act."
That was it. To pin down these unwitting accomplices, we have no choice but to catch them in the act. Which means……
"Kirika. Is it possible to intentionally let them attack?"
"……It would allow us to flush out the collaborators within Irinau and lead the enemy to believe their operation is a success."
"……It is certainly not impossible. I have already sent replacements for those we captured, and while the executives have not yet noticed, if we do not manage the adjustments carefully, it will, as I mentioned, become a significant hindrance. Furthermore, this is not a decision I can make on my own. I will relay this to the Master, but is that acceptable to you?"
"Yes, please do. That’s fine with you, Kaya?"
"Of course. Make sure you explain the situation properly."
"Understood. Then, please leave Irinau to me. I shall leave Weed to you."
With that, the situation in Irinau was clear. All that remained was……
"Unwitting collaborators, huh? We’ve been vigilant until now, but perhaps we should look for further measures to address that."
"I agree. There might be unwitting collaborators in places we’d never expect."
And so, we returned to our work with renewed focus, monitoring the screens for anything suspicious. The outside world was chaotic, while inside, things remained quiet. But when the outside is this noisy, it makes you want to re-examine your own security, doesn't it? It’s like when you finish a test early, but everyone else is still working hard to solve it. In those moments, you can't help but wonder if you’ve overlooked something yourself.