第１７７５堀：人手を増やす (Part2)
"But if we take too much time, won't the Usano and Ae Kingdoms start meddling with the dungeon? You've already reported this to the branch, haven't you?"
"I mentioned that information is leaking from there. It feels like there's pressure coming from the top, after all."
"I think I said this before, but if that's the case, it's a given that they'll send people—and the military, too, right?"
It was precisely because the Usano and Ae Kingdoms were up to something that we mobilized our forces.
"The people in that remote village were the losers of a power struggle from long ago, right?"
"That’s correct. Or rather, that’s the information I had passed on from you, Rock."
I understand that the situation is a headache, but it’s the kind of thing that makes you want to escape from reality.
"It all seems to have very deep roots, doesn't it?"
"Deep indeed. That’s exactly why I want to secure our rear with a party and conduct a thorough investigation. It’s not that I’m looking to pick a fight, and if they want to scheme on their own, they can go right ahead. As far as we’re concerned, we just need to ensure the Dark Guild isn't involved."
That’s right. For Weed and the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, all that matters is confirming whether the Dark Guild is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Because they refuse to let us investigate, we have no choice but to dig desperately ourselves.
"That said, they were kidnapping people from the New Continent too, weren't they?"
"That’s right."
"Doesn't that make the whole thing a complete mess?"
"A total mess. Because of that, we’ve had to split our response, and in the New Continent, we’ve had to divide our forces even further between the north and the south."
"Come to think of it, I hadn't heard the details about that side of things either."
"True. I need to fill you in on that as well, so please, listen."
And so, I explained the chaotic situation in the New Continent to Rock and Kina.
"Discrimination against demi-humans... and the Church. Yeah, just hearing about it makes me realize what a pain it is."
"In that continent, it seems like Oue is the only place that’s even remotely safe."
"I wouldn't recommend going to the countries in the north for the time being. That said, a nobleman from the enemy army finally surrendered, so I’m hoping that will lead to some information."
"Hasn't it only been about twenty days since you went to Oue? I’m surprised you managed to capture enemy troops that quickly. Well, I suppose if it’s Weed, anything is possible."
"No, no. You intervened between Oue and the enemy attacking them, right? How did you manage to persuade the Oue side?"
"That was mostly because of the kidnapping and summoning incident; we promised them support and such."
It was a rough summary, but not an inaccurate one. For Oue, the support from Weed was truly a godsend. They were on the verge of withering away to nothing.
"Now, for the next problem—or should I call it a stroke of luck? I mentioned that monsters are moving north from the south, right?"
"Yeah, you split your forces—or rather, Weed’s troops—to deal with that, didn't you?"
"Yes, that’s correct. But we have to investigate why those monsters are moving north. Plus, the human coalition claimed that a country called 'Weed' didn't exist, and since we didn't officially hold land, that caused various problems. So, we decided to carve out a path through the wilderness where the southern monsters are coming from."
"Excuse me? You’re going to carve out a path—are you planning to build a village there, too!?"
Kina looked shocked. That’s the normal reaction, of course. Building another village in Weed’s current state would be an act of madness.
"No, Kina. It wouldn't be possible unless it was town-sized. Since the enemy is throwing around the name of a country they don't recognize, we’re just securing a location for the sake of legitimacy, right?"
"Yes. Well, a town is impossible, so we plan to build a fortress and use it as a forward operating base."
Rock is calm and has a firm grasp of the situation. I suppose that’s the difference experience makes. I really need Kina to reach that level, too.
"Oh, so that’s how you’re proving Weed exists."
"Exactly. Plus, since we’re starting an investigation into the monsters, I’m asking for cooperation from the monster researchers in Weed, as well as the Adventurer’s Guild."
"It certainly is necessary to investigate the monsters of the New Continent."
And so, we ended up requesting the Adventurer’s Guild’s cooperation for the New Continent survey. Well, since the Grand Master had already been helping us with various things regarding this matter, we were going to ask for their cooperation anyway, but we decided to start with the Weed branch.
Incidentally, neither Rock nor Kina knows that other countries might join the fray. After all, Weed is definitely short on manpower. It seems almost certain that we will end up dragging other nations into the defense and investigation of the southern region.