第１５９７堀：港を作る前に前提の確認 (Part1)
Chapter 1597: Confirming Prerequisites Before Building the Port
Side: Nina
"Burp."
I was rubbing my distended stomach while taking a break in the office when Yuki and the others returned.
"Welcome back."
"We’re back—wait, you were eating too, weren't you?"
"Of course I was. Besides, since I’m tracking the Dark Guild, the results of the sea survey are essential for me as well."
That’s right. If I had just been eating, it would be a simple meal, but that location was a site for investigating a new species of monster. I have been tasked with hunting down the Dark Guild on this Rogari Continent. That means it is entirely possible that the Dark Guild, having fled to the coast, is utilizing these sea monsters—either as raw combat power or as a source of revenue by selling their materials. In short, this excursion was absolutely necessary.
However...
"It is also a fact that it was incredibly delicious."
"...That’s true. It was surprisingly good, wasn't it, everyone?"
"Yes. The flavor was excellent. Ratz-sama was pleased as well, so I believe it serves sufficiently as a source of revenue."
"I agree with Prof-san’s opinion. It was simply that delicious."
"...Mm. All the monsters we caught were tasty..."
As Prof, Samantha, and Cleena said, it was a fact that the monsters caught in the sea were quite delectable. Personally, I preferred the sashimi and tempura. Of course, grilled and stewed dishes were good too, but I felt that cooking methods with fewer steps were better for bringing out the quality of the ingredients.
"...Not to mention, they are also very interesting as research subjects. Now, I look forward to seeing how Narjia-san and the others utilize the materials."
"Narjia-san and her team were investigating with such intensity, even while they were eating."
"From where we were watching, their movements were quite peculiar."
"...Indeed. Seeing them circling the materials while holding bowls and chopsticks, I thought it was some sort of ritual."
Just as Samantha and Jessica said, the sight was bizarre. It felt as if they were performing an investigation and a meal simultaneously.
"Besides that, Rurua and the others are looking into whether the flesh and blood can be brought back and repurposed for medicine."
"Now that you mention it, I’ve heard of that. Materials from monsters and the like are rich in magical energy, so using them in medicine or equipment can enhance their effects."
"That’s right. As Orelia says, since the materials contain a high concentration of magical energy, it seems they can be processed in various ways. We might be able to create new types of medicine."
"In that case, I want a medicine that can pinpoint the location of the Dark Guild."
I said that quite plainly, but...
"I’d be happy if something like that could be made. That said, we don’t have the luxury of sitting around waiting for convenient gadgets to be invented. The primary survey of the sea monsters is finished, so now we need to move forward with the discussions regarding the port."
At Yuki’s words, everyone’s expression tightened. Well, he was right. We didn't have the leeway to just wait for such hopes.
"However, Yuki. We’ve only investigated one of the planned sites, haven't we? Are you really going to build a port there?"
"It’s not like we’re rushing into it, but you’ve seen the strength of the monsters, right? If we take that as the average, then even if we try to find a weaker spot to build..."
"...We wouldn't be able to reach out to other regions. Or rather, it would imply that the weaker regions are the suspicious ones."
"Cleena is right. If that region is the average, we have to find a way to govern it calmly, or we won't be able to place a port anywhere. There is also the question of whether there might be some sort of guardian in the weaker regions."
That is certainly true. As I was thinking that, Riel raised her hand.
"Is there no possibility that only that specific location is strong?"
"Ah, well, there is a possibility that it’s an outlier, but the established theory on the Rogari Continent is that, fundamentally, countries cannot be built or sustained on the coast. Which means..."
"It means the possibility that the sea monsters are weak is low."
"I see..."
Right. If the sea monsters were weak, there would be more towns along the coast, and information would be more readily available. While I’m sure there are variations in monster strength depending on the region, the very fact that no towns or villages have been established tells us that it is a harsh environment for ordinary people to live in—in other words, the monsters are strong.
"Now, since we’ve established the strength of the monsters, the question is how we should go about building the port with this as our baseline. What do you two think, Sisia and Sona?"
Yuki turned the question to the two who had transferred from Quar’s Imperial Guard. These two had accompanied us on the monster survey and had eaten their fill. Well, that aside, since these two are slated to be the magistrates of the port we plan to build, it is essential for them to consider these matters.
"Let’s see. There is too little information to say for sure, but if we take the strength of the monsters we’ve encountered as the average... then clearing out the surrounding area is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, it is not an environment where ordinary people can live."
"I agree with Sisia. However, since they are wild, they will likely continue to spawn indefinitely. Perhaps we should issue warnings to avoid dangerous areas and station guards or patrol soldiers in the vicinity? As for the sea itself, if we station subordinates of Shera-chan and the others, I think we could manage at least the port’s bay."
Hmm, hmm. That’s about all we can say for now, isn't it? Regardless of whether the enemies are strong or weak, those are the basic countermeasures.
"That’s right. That will be the foundation. If I were to add anything, it would be that ships entering and leaving the port will need to meet certain conditions."
"Indeed. I’ve heard that small ships would be pulverized, and they seem to view humans as nothing more than bait."
"Yeah, yeah. We’d need to be able to defeat those monsters, wouldn't we? So, that means we’d need tests and such, right? Wow, I see—so you’re saying we should get these things sorted out first?"
"Well, if there are things we can do, we should. It’s fine to spawn monsters from the dungeon for training, but then the question becomes where we’re going to pull that kind of talent from."
"...I see. So we start from those basics. Indeed, nothing had been decided yet, so I was wondering where we should even begin. Yuki-sama, did you take us along knowing it would come to this?"
"Hmm, I wonder. Honestly, I’m not sure. Even regarding securing personnel, even if we know the strength of the monsters, it’s unclear if we can actually secure the manpower. We also need to select which buildings to construct; it’s a matter of where to start."
Yes, we talk about building a port as if it’s simple, but it’s the same as building a town. No, actually, because of the environment of the sea, it’s even more troublesome than a typical town.
"In the first place, the premise of building the port is that fishing is a secondary objective, right?" Prof confirmed.
"Yeah. The primary reason for surveying the coast is to discover the Dark Guild. The investigation of monsters and fishing are just the public reasons."
That’s right. Now that he mentioned it, I remembered. The hidden reason and the public one.