第１７３８堀：先行偵察の結果 (Part2)
"It doesn't have any effect on me, though."
"We should consider ourselves fortunate that the equipment has been distributed to a certain extent, I suppose."
"I see. So, this coalition is receiving a fair amount of support for this venture, then."
If that weren't the case, it would be quite difficult to procure the necessary equipment and supplies for an army of twenty thousand. Of course, a major power within the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance could easily muster such numbers, but from what I’ve heard, this coalition feels rather thrown together. In other words, they’re likely tripping over each other at every turn. Perhaps they’re holding back their forces, worried that if they commit too many troops, their own homelands might be left vulnerable?
Not that I think they could have just marched in a hundred thousand men and crushed the place, hostages be damned. Even if you brought two hundred thousand, the number of soldiers who can actually assault the town’s ramparts at once is limited. Still, there’s no denying that more numbers would certainly speed things up.
"Well then, as it stands, we won't have any trouble scattering the army currently clinging to the northern town, right?"
"Indeed. Eliminating them is not an issue. The question is what kind of victory you desire."
"True enough. I suppose the Kingdom of Ohe wants the hostages rescued, and they want the credit for the result, don't they?"
"Naturally. It would bolster their reputation and make negotiations with other nations far smoother."
"Which means it wouldn't be a good look for us to go in and steal the show first."
"Precisely. First, Yuki-sama must speak with the Ohe Kingdom and secure their approval for us to intervene."
"Yeah, you're right. That’s only logical."
After all, Weed is merely here by chance, currently in the middle of negotiations regarding the kidnapping and summoning incident. Whether we officially join the war or not depends on the discussions to come, but...
"Come to think of it, aside from the demi-humans, there are humans in that northern town, right? Was there no attempt at negotiation from their side?"
"We have no information to that effect. However, given that the coalition is holding hostages, it is safe to assume that any such negotiations have already collapsed."
"Right. So, it means the humans' attempts were futile. Which means if the Boss goes in to negotiate, it’s bound to fall apart too, isn't it?"
"Yes. And at that point, we proceed as originally planned."
"The declaration that Weed is siding with Ohe. That might just stir the other fence-sitting nations into action, too."
"The countries bordering the forest benefit from the Ohe Kingdom's favor. If they see a possibility of victory, they will likely join our side. That aligns with the judgment of the Ohe Kingdom's upper echelons."
I don't know which country Weed is supposed to be, but if we have the power to push back the coalition, they’ll probably think it’s safe enough to jump on the bandwagon. I agree with that assessment.
"In that case, all we need to do is stay prepared so we can move the moment the order comes down."
"The objectives—rescuing the hostages and eliminating the enemy—are few, but the methods are manifold. How shall we narrow them down?"
"Even if there are a mountain of options, the Boss’s hand is limited to his two hundred tanks and artillery units as the core, plus us, the vanguard monster unit waiting in the wings. If we bring in any more reinforcements, the nature of the operation changes, so we should just focus on breaking through with our current strength."
"Ah, I see. We should limit our scope to the forces currently available to us and Yuki-sama."
"Exactly. With so few pieces on the board, our options are limited. We’ll focus specifically on diversionary tactics and hostage rescue."
That’s right. When your available strength is set in stone, your range of actions narrows accordingly. As my subordinate suggested, the only viable roles for a detached force are diversion or liberation. Well, even then, there’s still plenty we can do.
I began making preparations while lost in these thoughts. Hostages are always such delicate matters. When political agendas get tangled up in the mix, it becomes even more troublesome. Even in the modern era, whether the hostages are civilians or not, the rescue mission remains a high-difficulty operation where failure invites nothing but condemnation.