第１７２４堀：向こう側の言い分 (Part1)
**Side: Yuki**
Well now, should I say things are moving according to plan, or perhaps faster than anticipated?
"Forgive my late introduction. I am Suena, Princess of the Kingdom of Oue."
As I watched the princess speak through the video feed transmitted by Holy and Vilia, the two girls began their own introductions. Meanwhile, one of the staff members at headquarters raised their voice.
"Coordinates for Holy and Vilia confirmed! Bringing up the world map!"
At that shout, nearly everyone shifted their gaze from the negotiation monitor to the map. A red dot pulsed on the display.
"Their position is in the southern region of the world’s third-largest continent—a long, vertical landmass separated by sea from the primary continent where Lord Tanaka and the others are located, spanning the Heiden, Zurabul, and Habuekubu regions."
It was a stroke of luck, or perhaps a rare moment of competence, that the world map Luna had recorded during her solo atmospheric reentry proved useful. Had they been in an uncharted territory, a legendary hidden land, or some magically veiled location, I would have been even more on guard—or rather, I would have been forced to accept that Luna truly was beyond all trust.
For context, the regions of Heiden, Zurabul, and the Habuekubu area where Tanaka and the young heroes were currently stationed were all interconnected, occupying a position similar to Eurasia on Earth. The second-largest continent lay to the south across the sea, akin to Africa. This third continent was a vertical stretch of land positioned where the Americas would be. They were right in the center of it.
"Based on the footage previously provided by Lady Luna, the location is deep within a forest—unless it has been developed recently."
"It certainly looks that way," Seraria murmured.
The coordinates for the Kingdom of Oue sat in the heart of the woods. Looking closely at the imagery, there was a distinct clearing where structures appeared to be clustered. That was likely the capital or a major town.
"Alright, we have the location. Now the question is whether we can stage a rescue..."
As I pondered this, the conversation between Holy and Princess Suena continued on-site.
"So, in short," Holy summarized, "the Kingdom of Oue is a multi-racial nation of elves, beastmen, and demi-humans who lived hidden in the forest. But now, humans are invading from the north while a Demon Lord leads a tide of monsters from the south, and you’re backed into a corner."
"Yes," Suena replied. "The human nations have always sought to exclude us. They claim the Demon Lord’s northern advance was orchestrated by our hand, yet we cannot even establish a dialogue with the monsters he leads. Attacked from two fronts, our very existence is at stake."
I see. Listening to the princess, the desperation was palpable. If her story was true, Oue was fighting a lonely war against two different powers without a single ally.
"And so, you attempted a summoning to break the deadlock?" Holy asked.
"Precisely. We hoped for a hero capable of repelling our enemies... but, well, those who answer the call are almost exclusively humans."
"It’s natural to be bewildered when you keep summoning the same race as your enemies. But is it really not a problem to use humans as your military strength?"
"Ah, you seem to have misunderstood. It is not that our nation lacks humans entirely. As a multi-racial state, we have them among our citizens. Our confusion stems from the fact that, as a fighting force, they are somewhat..."
She trailed off, hesitant.
I could see her point. Generally speaking, humans were the "average" race compared to others. To put it less kindly, they were jacks-of-all-trades and masters of none. Elves had their vast knowledge and mana, beastmen had their raw strength and speed, and dwarves had their peerless smithing and craftsmanship. Humans lacked such a distinct, innate advantage. While they weren't useless, they were a disappointing result for a kingdom looking for a single, overwhelming trump card to turn the tide of war.
"Hah... I understand the situation," Holy sighed, "but I don't think any other race would be much more of a 'force' either. You can't just drag people into a war against their will and expect them to risk their lives. Very few would actually fight for you."
Holy was right. Kidnapping someone and then telling them to go to war isn't exactly a recipe for high morale. If anything, it would plummet. They’d be looking for the first chance to desert.
"Which is why... in order to return home..."
Ah, so that’s why they resorted to the ultimate threat. The princess seemed to realize how ugly it was, as she didn't finish the sentence.
"If you want to live to see home, kill the enemy. Is that it? It’s simple enough, but it makes me want to vomit."
Holy’s voice turned cold and hard. She had suffered through this kind of filth before—the same methodology of being coerced, with her family held as hostages.
I expected the princess to flinch under that gaze, but Suena looked Holy straight in the eye.
"The method is certainly not something to be praised. However, when weighed against the lives of my people, the life of one individual... I, no, the Kingdom of Oue, will not hesitate to stain our hands."
She was declaring her resolve. I suppose from a ruler's perspective, the lives of a hundred citizens cannot be weighed equally against a single stranger. To her, the summoned weren't even her people; she likely didn't even view them as a sacrifice. If Weed were ever pushed to such an extreme, I might have to make a similar choice.
...Though, I would exhaust every diplomatic and strategic avenue possible to ensure we never reached that point. It sounded harsh, but being in this situation suggested the kingdom's management had been flawed from the start. Not that saying so now helped anyone. And all of this was predicated on the assumption that Princess Suena was telling the truth.
"And that applies to you two as well," Suena continued. "However... you are different from the others, aren't you? Carrying those weapons... were you warriors?"
"Well, yes. Though 'warrior' might not be the exact word..."
Holy hesitated, likely trying to figure out how much to reveal. On the surface, the other side seemed more cooperative than expected. But as I said, there was no telling if it was true. Using a sob story to manipulate people was a classic tactic.
...Hmph, well, whatever. This was better than my initial projections.
I made my decision.
"Holy, Vilia, open a monitor on your end. I’m taking over."
"Are you sure, dear?" Seraria asked, checking my resolve.
"Yeah. The slime Vilia left behind has already secured the gate's location—it’s even used a Core to claim the land. If push comes to shove, we can seize the castle in an instant."
Indeed, I had given Holy and Vilia various instructions on how to handle a summoning. This applied to Kagura, Enora, Nina, and the rest of the investigation team as well. Among the many contingencies, the most vital was using a Dungeon Core to establish a direct gate. Once that was done, moving forces would be trivial. Being able to send reinforcements changed the entire nature of the problem.
The slime that had been left to its own devices had successfully infiltrated the heart of Oue’s castle. Specifically, the ownership rights had already been transferred to me, and I had expanded the dungeon to create an entrance at the edge of the fortress. On the other side of that gate, Steve’s suppression unit was already standing by, ready to storm in at a moment's notice.
"Well, I suppose it’s necessary to ensure the safety of Holy, Vilia, and the other abductees," Seraria conceded.
"Talking further doesn't look like it'll get the hostages back peacefully. In that case, it’s probably best to teach them exactly what it means to pick a fight with another nation."