第１７４０堀：忙しい我が家 (Part1)
Chapter 1740: Our Busy Household
Side: Labyris
"And so, our Weed units have already deployed to the northern town."
"Honestly, you really do push things to the limit, don't you?"
"Yeah, truly."
I’m listening to Yuki’s report alongside Seraria and the others. Naturally, Aslin, Firia, and the rest are here too. In fact, all the key members of Weed are gathered to watch the proceedings—though we’re still attending to our duties while we do so.
『If I didn't push things, a lot of hostages would end up dead.』
"I understand that, but there’s no denying you’re overextending yourself."
"Exactly. And regarding the treatment of the hostages, are you planning to make do with just Enola and Rushi?"
"Ah~, I can go too, you know~."
"Firia can go as well."
"Hiiro, too..."
"You girls can't. You have school and your duties on-site, don't you?"
That’s the truth of it. We’ve all learned the basics of medicine, and thanks to Lilishe-sama’s divine protection and the skills Yuki granted us, we’re capable of decent recovery magic. We’d certainly be useful, but we have our own hands full with plenty of work.
『It’s fine, it’s fine. Lilishe and that "extra" Hairen are over there, aren't they?』
"We are~."
"Who are you calling an 'extra'!"
Besides, as Yuki said, we have experts in recovery standing by, so there’s really no need for us to step in.
"The enemy has twenty thousand troops. Under normal circumstances, this would be a suicide mission..."
"But we’re relying primarily on mortars. It’s not as if the enemy has managed to breach the gates yet..."
As Jessica and Fiora say, there isn't actually that much danger to us. Well, the Steve unit standing by to rescue the hostages is in a precarious position, but given the armor and levels reported, the enemy forces can’t even scratch them. The real concern is just how many hostages we can manage to save.
"So, is there actually a way to rescue all of them?"
『I wouldn't be moving if there wasn't. Well, for those who are already dead, the only option is to turn them into zombies, so I’ll need to have a discussion about that.』
"You’d better handle that discussion carefully. If you mess it up, you’ll turn the Aue side against us."
『I know, I know.』
Resurrection as a zombie is a delicate matter. Vital functions have ceased, and depending on the amount of magical power involved, it’s impossible to stop the body from decaying. Furthermore, as an act against life, the Intercontinental Alliance—including Weed—does not officially recognize the resurrection of the dead as zombies, or undead.
Of course, some places use them as part of their defense mechanisms, and among our own members, we have people like Comet and the Holy Sword users who are Liches, but they are the rare few who possess their own will and can maintain order. As I mentioned regarding the decay, if the magical power isn't sufficient to maintain consciousness, they simply become monsters that lose their reason and attack the living just to sustain their bodies and mana. That’s the main reason it’s prohibited.
In other words, resurrection as a zombie is a high-risk gamble... Yuki must know that, so why would he even suggest it? It could lead to a massive diplomatic disaster. Unless, perhaps, their culture is different? But if that were the case, it wouldn't be strange for the enemy to be using undead already.
『Anyway, Jessica and Fiora, you’ve received the strategy details from Stasia, haven't you? What are your thoughts?』
We’ve received the strategy documents as well. The content is so thorough I wonder when he even had time to draft it; it feels like he’d anticipated this outcome from the very beginning. I suppose that’s why he had Steve move in advance.
"We demand the release of the hostages and a dialogue, then initiate the attack one hour later. Well, there’s no way they’ll agree to that. Which means hostilities with Weed are guaranteed. It secures our legitimacy, gives us an excuse for the Intercontinental Alliance, and allows us to request reinforcements."
"Exactly. It’s only natural that Weed’s military presence is small, so we’ll have to pull in help from somewhere. If it were just an interception, that would be one thing, but this time we have to deal with the northern human tribes. We’ll need an expeditionary force, and a pacification force as well. We can’t just turn everything into ash, so showing our strength while building alliances is essential. This course of action is sound."
That’s how it is. We are truly short-handed in this New Continent. This continent is incredibly vast—long from north to south, and even its width matches or exceeds the Rogali or If continents, with a length more than ten times that. The number of people and nations living there must be astronomical. I suppose there might be reasons for the population to be sparse, but it’s pointless to bank on that.
Since we’re stepping into a place like that, we have no choice but to secure our rear. This isn't just some exploratory diplomacy in an uncharted land; we are dealing with a nation that is already becoming a hostile state.
"Why are you so certain that other countries will get dragged into this?"
『I’m not saying it’s a certainty. There’s a non-zero chance they’ll agree to talk, and for a while, we’ll be busy absorbing the surrounding nations. In the meantime, there’s a possibility that a separate venue for negotiations will be established.』
"You always have an answer for everything, don't you?"
Yeah, I’m with Seraria on that one. Still, it’s not entirely impossible. If they get hammered by Weed’s weapons before they even reach the negotiating table, those with even a shred of sanity might decide that talking is the correct choice. Though, since they were the ones to pick the fight, I doubt they’ll surrender gracefully just because they suffered heavy losses.
『That’s why I’ll explain all of that during the completion party for Glass Port Town. Seraria, I’ll leave the preparations to you. It wouldn't look right if the official documents and invitations didn't come from the Queen, would it?』
"You’re the Lord of that place, you know. You should add a line yourself. Have you told Sisia and Sona about the preparations?"
『I have. I also had Orelia and the others relay that our existence has been discovered, and apparently, they were quite surprised.』
"That’s only natural. Finding a New Continent and then holding a completion party for a port town? Usually, you’d postpone it because you’d be getting dragged into a war."
As Seraria says, postponing it would be the normal thing to do, but I suppose Yuki thought this was the perfect opportunity to inform the people of the Intercontinental Alliance of the situation and ask for their cooperation.
『Besides, on the surface, this also serves as a preliminary step for us to request investigative cooperation from the Ousa and Aue Kingdoms.』
"Right, that too. Nina and the others are conducting an investigation in that mountain village, aren't they?"
When I ask, Yuki opens the data and Nina’s screen.
『That’s right. Nina, how are things on your end?』