第１７５４堀：彼女のメイスの行方 (Part2)
"Well, to put it simply, among the members I've brought up, Vilia is the only one with the experience and track record of leading an army. With the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance set to mobilize, I need not just military advice, but data as well. So, Vilia, can you handle it?"
"Yes. If that is what is required, please leave it to me. Oh, but in my current form..."
Indeed, Vilia remained in her youthful state, not the girl she appeared as within Weed. It would be quite a stretch for her to act with any authority in the southern town looking like that.
"You can revert to your usual form; that won't be a problem. By the way, I need you to take half of the monster units currently deployed in the northern town with you."
"Half? Wouldn't that put you and the others in danger, Brother?"
"No, we have a gate established here in the northern town, so reinforcements from Weed are always available. The problem is the southern town, which is only accessible by land. Even half feels like too few, but since it would thin out our defenses here, both Weed and the Oue side are against it."
"Naturally."
As Vilia said this, Prol and the others standing by nodded in agreement. While we were overwhelmingly outnumbered, considering the quality of our forces, we could defeat a force ten times our size if the conditions were right. If we didn't care about collateral damage to Oue, the Weed units could fight without taking a single scratch. Still, the conditions for victory were different here, and Yuki didn't care for that style of warfare.
"Even though we can replenish them..."
"No, Brother. I have heard about that matter as well. The training of the monsters cannot keep up. If we were to send reinforcements from here, it would have to come from our existing units, which would reduce Weed's own combat strength. Unless it were an emergency, we should manage with the forces we have. After all, we haven't fully grasped the situation yet."
"When you put it that way, you're right. Well, once we can set up a gate there, we can send reinforcements, so Vilia, once you arrive, talk to the representatives and secure a location immediately."
"Understood. And who will be our escorts from the Oue side? Surely you don't expect us to head to the southern town all by ourselves?"
"That won't happen. It would look too suspicious. You'll be moving with Lord Tsunai, who guided us here."
"Him?"
That earnest-looking elf. He had explained the situation in detail, so in that sense, he seemed trustworthy. It would be easy for someone less scrupulous to betray us, so having someone we were already acquainted with was a relief.
"To be more specific, Lord Tsunai’s subordinates and the men of General Daua, who is defending the northern town, are also scheduled to accompany you."
"My, how generous. They must feel confident enough to spare their soldiers."
"It seems so. I’m just grateful that Weed is trusted to this extent. Besides, the Oue side is telling me that instead of going to the southern town, I should return to the royal capital for a conference."
"That is only natural. There is no need for you, Brother, to be on the front lines. The last battle was an unavoidable necessity."
At those words, Prol and the others nodded in unison once more. It was only logical; no one wanted their commander-in-chief suddenly appearing on the front lines. Of course, that was only possible because of the support fire and the separate unit that had moved in, but it was clear that Yuki shouldn't be the one on the field. Even if saving the children was the right thing to do.
"With that said, Lord Tsunai and his group will join up with you later, so please handle the selection of the half-unit. Stasia has likely already started, but you'll need to handle the finer details. I’m sure Holly can manage a group, so I expect there will be some coordination or practice involved."
"Are you asking me to take command?"
"Yes. The land ahead is vast. Oh, and I’ll hand over the monster data we’ve gathered from aerial surveillance, so Vilia, please go over it with everyone."
"Understood."
"However, they might look similar but behave differently, so treat it only as a reference. Niarua and the others are compiling that data, so try contacting them later. They’re stationed at the countermeasures headquarters."
And so, Vilia and I began our preparations to head toward the southern town. I wonder, is being tasked with hunting down monsters some kind of trial for me?
Whether it was a deviation from the original plan or not, Holly, having fulfilled her purpose, would now be deeply involved in monster countermeasures. If things went poorly, she might start talking about "humanity's annihilation" again.