第１７１７堀：動くために必要なこと (Part1)
Chapter 1717: What is Needed to Move
Side: Jessica
Once the decision was made—the naturally righteous choice to protect the future of those living in that impoverished village—we immediately sprang into action.
Milly headed off to relay our conclusion to the Adventurer Guild, while the diplomats went to deliver the official word. As for those of us who doubled as military leadership—Seraria, Stasia, Fiora, and myself...
"I’m sorry to keep you here when you have diplomatic duties as well, Seraria," Yuki said.
"It’s fine. Roschur is the one at fault this time, and besides..."
"Our primary duty has always been commanding the troops," I added.
"Exactly," Stasia agreed. "Please, give us your orders as you see fit."
"Yes," Fiora chimed in. "I won't say diplomacy isn't important, but Yuki-sama’s words take priority."
Indeed, we belonged to the combat arm of our organization. We remained in the monitor room to confirm our next moves. Oh, and...
"The police squad is ready whenever you are~!"
"Mm, we can head out at a moment's notice."
"...Leave the evacuation guidance to us."
"Well, this is what we do, after all."
Riel and the rest of the police force remained as well. Dealing with the public—the villagers—fell under their jurisdiction. Eris, Ratz, and the rest of the administrative members were present too, but their work would truly begin once the villagers arrived. For now, the focus was on the steps required to get them here.
"I appreciate it, Tori. Alright, let’s get started. First, the map."
At Yuki’s command, a map of the area surrounding the village appeared on the monitors. Since we had already dispatched drones, the geographical data for the region was precise, leaving no room for ambiguity. It showed the neighboring hamlets and the nearest town.
"Hmm. It certainly earns the title of a 'remote village.' The distance is significant," Deryu observed. "One could walk between the villages in half a day, but the town is another story. Even at a brisk pace, it would take seven days by carriage. Though, it’s only about half a day by car."
"That means even if an army mobilized and began to move, it would take them at least seven days to arrive," Seraria noted. "We can maintain constant surveillance, so we’ll have plenty of time to react. It shouldn't be a problem."
As Deryu and Seraria pointed out, given that distance—and assuming the enemy lacked Weed’s advanced transportation—we could easily handle any threats simply by preparing our countermeasures after they started moving.
However...
"We should still gather intelligence on this country’s military. It’s best to be cautious."
"I agree," Tori said. "We’ve turned down Roschur’s 'assistance.' We don't know how Gartz will react, but it’s only natural for them to want to handle things independently. In fact, they’ve already stated they would deal with it themselves. It’s to be expected that they’ll make a move. There’s no harm in gathering information."
I nodded along with Tori. Experience had taught me that if you let your guard down in situations like this, you’ll find the rug pulled out from under you.
"Speaking of which," Riel interrupted, "Roschur is one thing, but what about Gartz? They raised the same issue, didn't they?"
"True," Stasia added. "Seraria, what’s the situation on the Gartz side? Is there a chance we’ll need to dispatch someone to a village there as well?"
Until now, our focus had been on the village within Roschur’s borders, but Riel’s question shifted the focus to Gartz. As Stasia suggested, the possibility of us mobilizing for Gartz was far from zero.
"We’re still investigating that," Seraria replied. "Though, they don't seem quite as stubborn as Roschur. Charl said she’s going to try negotiating a bit more."
"Hm? Is the difference that stark?" Yuki asked.
"Like I said before, my sister mentioned that Roschur’s refusal was instantaneous. They told us not to worry, claiming it was just a simple missing persons case."
"I’ve heard the details again, but it really is a bizarre response," Yuki muttered.
We all nodded in agreement.
"It is strange," Deryu mused. "They are a vassal state of Roschur, are they not? To refuse a request for cooperation so blatantly... It is far beyond the hesitation Charl is seeing in Gartz."
"Wait, if I recall, Gartz was acting similarly at first," Yuki recalled. "Lowell wouldn't budge, even when we suggested the Adventurer Guild or the Dark Guild might be the cause."
"Hmm. That is also peculiar. Actually, isn't it a bit too obvious?"
Indeed, as Deryu suggested, for a country under protection to be that obstinate felt forced—unnatural, even.
"Well, I figured every country has things they don't want people digging into," Yuki said, "but..."
"But for both of them to act this way? That's what's strange," Seraria countered. "If it were just one, maybe. But this behavior creates a bad impression for both. Certainly, an investigation might hurt their reputation, but that happened with Suurus under Litea as well. Usually, the fallout from this kind of friction is seen as a much bigger negative."
"That’s true."
"Yes," I added. "And there should be compensation from the other nations. Everyone knows that cooperating with an investigation can damage a country's prestige, so there are protocols to offset that."
The Intercontinental Exchange Alliance was well aware of how rumors could tarnish a nation's dignity. They would have offered support. To refuse the investigation despite that... the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it became.
"So, you're saying there's a possibility that Roschur and Gartz are involved in something shady together?"
"It wouldn't be surprising," Deryu said. "Refusing like this only makes their future more difficult."
"I suppose... In that case, when we speak next, we’re planning to formalize the relief efforts into a specific treaty. Should we include a clause that imposes severe penalties for any false reporting?"
At Seraria’s suggestion, the room fell silent for a moment.
"...I wonder," Fiora spoke up, her voice tinged with uncertainty born of experience. "My home, Dafaio, was in a difficult position as well. If you start with the threat of punishment, won't they just become even more defensive?"
"That’s a fair point," Yuki admitted. "They’re already blocking the investigation. However... if there truly is no problem, then Weed is satisfied and the other country has nothing to fear. Setting aside the matter of the village for a moment, we know for a fact that summoning kidnappings are taking place. It’s not confirmed yet, but there’s a high probability that this refusal is linked to that trouble."