第１７３７堀：現場の情報 (Part2)
"Precisely. While abandoning them is the most logical course of action for preserving our combat strength, doing so risks fracturing our own ranks."
Indeed, rescuing them requires a significant investment of force, making a reckless charge impossible. Yet, to an outside observer, it looks like nothing more than cold-blooded abandonment. Reason is often incinerated by the heat of raw emotion. Moreover, with the enemy openly taunting them from behind the walls, the residents are undoubtedly aware of the situation.
*This is turning into a precarious situation for the northern front, isn't it?*
And if they intend to deploy us here, then...
"Pardon the intrusion. Lord Tsunai, forgive me for interrupting your discussion. As one entrusted with the military affairs of our side, I find the news of hostages held by the enemy to be utterly unacceptable. I assume King Oue and his council failed to inform us of this, did they not?"
Stasia cut into the conversation, her voice dripping with palpable displeasure as she pressed him for an answer. I understood her sentiment perfectly. There was a distinct possibility that they had intended for us to be the ones to "dispose" of those hostages.
Perhaps realizing the implication, Lord Tsunai began to deny it with a flustered air.
"No, that is not the case. Yuki-sama and his party expressed a desire to attempt negotiations as fellow humans. We intended to bide our time and wait for that opening. We would never dream of forcing our allies to dispose of hostages—not when we are relying on your cooperation and the supplies you have brought."
"……I see. My apologies; I was perhaps too hasty."
"It is quite alright. Our explanation was insufficient as well. However, because hostages are involved, your cooperation is absolutely essential. We simply wished to ensure that you would take that into account."
Ah, I see. If we were to see the hostages and decide against helping, or if we chose to act independently, it would create a logistical nightmare for them. If casualties occurred as a result, that would be an entirely different problem.
"Now then, that being the case, we need to confirm the situation in detail."
"In what sense?"
"You wish to rescue the hostages, do you not?"
"That goes without saying. We have no desire to abandon our kin. We wish to save them, but we simply lack the means to do so."
As Lord Tsunai suggested, rescuing hostages is an incredibly difficult task. It is precisely because there is no clear path to success that this mess has persisted for so long.
"Then, let us begin by thoroughly assessing the situation."
"Assessing the situation?"
"Tell me, do you have any means of viewing distant locations through magic? Familiars or similar methods would suffice."
"Ah, we do have such things, but they are hardly enough to rescue our kin who are being pushed to the front lines of the enemy army..."
"Well, well, let us call it a fresh start. There may be options available once we have a clearer picture."
With that, I decided that showing them the information gathered by my drones and familiars—which I had been deploying on my own—would not cause too much of a stir. I proceeded to display the footage and maps inside the vehicle.
The vehicle itself was shaped like a large bus, with chairs arranged around a central table. In essence, I had designed it to function as an impromptu war room. Furthermore, the passenger cabin was a state-of-the-art model that hovered, eliminating any vibration or jolting. Without such comforts, a calm strategy meeting would be impossible.
"Now, this is an aerial photograph of the northern town. Please confirm that there are no discrepancies."
"T-this... how incredibly precise."
As expected, they were stunned by the clarity of the aerial imagery. They had likely seen things through the eyes of familiars before, but seeing it rendered in such high-definition print was clearly a novelty.
"And this as well."
A projection monitor emerged from the table. It displayed live footage being beamed back from the drones currently circling overhead.
"This is... is this long-range scrying magic? No, looking at the movement, are you projecting the perspective of a familiar?"
"Indeed. Convenient, isn't it?"
"Convenient? That word hardly does it justice... Ah, forgive me. It is a great help. There is no doubt—this is the northern town."
"Very well. Now, regarding the enemy's positioning..."
And so, while confirming the locations of the enemy forces and the hostages, we began to devise our countermeasures, and Steve and his men began their deployment.
Human shields.
It is a sickening tactic, but undeniably effective. That is precisely why hostages have been used as pawns throughout history. You simply cannot afford to discard them.