第１７４４堀：やるからには盛大に (Part1)
Chapter 1744: If You’re Going to Do It, Do It Grandly
Side: Stasia
"Ah, I'm exhausted. I managed to gloss over it somehow."
The one saying this is my husband, Yuki.
"Gloss over it? It felt more like you steamrolled them. Honestly, I have a headache just imagining what’s going to happen after this."
Enora is clutching her head.
And rightfully so...
"Well, we did treat them to Weed’s cuisine, after all."
As Ratz said, not only did we report our victory to the soldiers who were looking for answers and the civilians who were confused, but we also added to the chaos already unfolding at the food stalls.
I am genuinely worried that the town’s restaurant industry might collapse after this.
And as Enora fears, I wonder just how many people are going to eat themselves into a stupor...
If only the portions had been smaller.
"We’ve got plenty of stock, anyway. Might as well consider it getting rid of the old stuff. Even if the Item Box stops time, I don’t like the idea of things I made ages ago just sitting there—I’d probably forget about them."
"Come to think of it, can you actually recognize what you put in there a long time ago? I’ve never tried."
"If you focus on the dates and think about it, it comes up. That’s how I check if I’ve forgotten anything. You should try adding a sort function."
"That skill is way too convenient."
The quantity was perfect, too.
Enough for the townspeople to eat to their hearts' content.
When I wondered when he had made all of this, he said he had simply released a stockpile he’d been building up for quite some time.
Just how much has he been hoarding?
Yuki, you really do keep a massive stock, don't you?
Well, since we’re never at risk of starving, it’s a welcome boon for the army.
But, putting that aside.
"Yuki, I know you’re tired, but what shall we do about the enemy?"
"Ah, I’ve already notified Steve and the others, but for now, we leave them be. I told them we’d provide some support if they stayed quiet, but they’re in such a state of confusion that there’s no talking to them yet."
With that, Yuki turns his gaze toward Steve.
"Yeah, that’s about right. When I first tried to talk to them, they fired arrows and magic at me, so I fired back in a way that was easy to understand. I made sure to distinguish between fatal and non-fatal wounds."
"Balance is key. If you kill them all, they’ll resist thinking they’re going to die anyway. If you don’t kill anyone, they’ll think you lack the resolve and get cocky."
It’s true. Yuki’s policy is to avoid killing as much as possible, but from the enemy’s perspective, that can be mistaken for a lack of resolve.
There is no doubt that if an enemy thinks they won’t be killed, they will grow bolder.
And causing more injuries rather than deaths is the correct way to hinder an army.
After all, you can’t just abandon the wounded, and if you do, morale plummets.
That is especially true if the wounded are important figures, like nobles.
"…My army was on the receiving end of that, wasn't it? Should I be grateful that they were blown to bits instead?"
"Who knows? The monsters Holly led didn't have that kind of awareness among the lower ranks. There’s little point in just wounding them."
"True, monsters don't care about the wounded. They just make more."
That is exactly it.
Monsters don't need to worry about attrition.
I wouldn't say they lack fighting spirit, but it is thinner than that of humans; it is more efficient to finish them off than to leave them wounded.
That is why, even if adventurers are excellent at monster subjugation, it’s debatable how useful they are in a war between humans.
Well, I only learned this after interacting with Weed.
I have plenty of experience fighting monsters, too.
Specifically, I fought them under the premise of a "Great Outbreak" caused by Dungeon Masters and bosses, and it was truly a nightmare.
"Well, we have no choice but to wait until they ask us to help their wounded. Logistics aside, you sealed off their magic, right?"
"Of course. I made sure to block it whenever they tried to cast. I told them, 'Now you can't even heal yourselves.' That’ll make their resentment toward the higher-ups who ordered the attack even stronger."
The magic-nullification zone created by the dungeonization.
Because of that, they can no longer use magic for recovery or treatment.
The responsibility falls on the leaders who ordered the attack.
Where will the soldiers' hatred turn? Likely toward those very leaders.
After all, it is a fact that we offered concessions at the start.
"Now, I wonder how many days they’ll last. Steve, Surakichi-san, what do you think?"
"Hmm, we’ll be doing this in stages every day... maybe three days?"
"You think so? They’ve done all that, so they probably won’t surrender easily, right? Wouldn't it be a civil war by the fifth day?"
"A civil war?"
At that ominous word, not only I, but Tori and the others nearby tilt our heads in confusion.
"Yeah, by the fifth day, they’ll realize the frustration has piled up, and they’ll restrain their superiors and hand them over to us in exchange for medical supplies and aid."
" " "Whoa..." " "
By the fifth day, the higher-ups—the commanders—might still have some breathing room, but the lower ranks will undoubtedly be exhausted by the repeated harassment.
That is when we will offer them a helping hand.
...Even for those with high loyalty, many would choose the path of survival rather than being sacrificed in a hopeless battle.
"That said, unexpected trouble can happen—and it will. If I’m not around, Stasia, Tori, you two are free to make your own judgments."
" "Yes." "
What happens from here on out won't be a war, but a struggle where the enemy will do anything to survive.
It means we will need to make ruthless decisions.
It makes sense that I and Tori, who have stood on the battlefield as commanders, are the ones to handle it.
It’s not that the others couldn't do it, but Enora, for instance, is on the side of saving lives.
Inflicting wounds and mentally cornering the enemy would go against her principles.
Above all, as a beastman—or an "adjutant" as they call it here—she is a target for exclusion and would be in danger.
I cannot allow that to happen.
"And, as I’m sure you all know from the meeting with Seraria and the others, the completion party for Glass Port Town will proceed as scheduled. This is to inform everyone about the New Continent and to discuss subsequent countermeasures, but it’s also to protect the remote village where the missing persons are being investigated. Incidentally, a suspicious cave was found in the monster forest near that village."
Oh? So the shameful secret of that country has finally been uncovered?
"Heh, so you found out what they’re doing?"
"No, not yet. We’re organizing a unit to investigate tonight, soon. It might just be a regular cave, though."
"They don't let their tails be caught easily, do they?"
I suppose if Nina and the others were to storm in, our movements might be exposed.