第１７９８堀：ウィードの忙しさについて (Part1)
Chapter 1798: On the Busyness of Weed
Side: Jessica
"I thought it was just some minor trouble, but it’s turned into something far more troublesome than I anticipated."
"Indeed. Truly."
I nodded in deep agreement with Seraria’s assessment.
It is absurd; even with the situation in the New Continent looming over us, the problems surrounding that remote village have grown to an alarming scale.
"Still, we cannot ignore it. The message we received can be taken as a formal request for aid from the Adventurer Guild, who are currently assisting with our investigation."
"True. We were already planning to host the completion party for Glass Port Town to facilitate an investigation into Usano and Aeh, so ignoring this was never an option. Though, I must admit, I didn't expect them to be this obstructive. To think they’d be putting pressure on the local Adventurer Guild branch..."
"Nothing is confirmed yet, though."
"In this situation, it’s impossible to dismiss it as mere coincidence. Looking at the state of that abandoned dungeon, it’s certain there’s another base of operations, and that town is clearly connected to it, isn't it?"
Exactly. That is the crux of the matter.
Until now, we had been searching for whatever scheme was being plotted near the remote village, but we found nothing but the abandoned dungeon.
However, given that the town has been acting so suspiciously in the interim, it is impossible to claim they are unrelated.
"Don't you think so too, Yuki?"
When I asked, Yuki nodded with a wry smile.
"I do. It’s obvious that someone—or rather, the town, or perhaps the lord himself—is up to something. Still, since the Aeh side across the forest is also refusing to allow any investigation of the woods, I suspect the base, or at least the source of the trouble, lies within that forest. Why that would make the town’s Adventurer Guild branch a target, however, is beyond me."
"…Indeed, that part is quite curious."
I understand why they would want to keep the forest from being searched and why they would pressure the guild, but what exactly is the danger...?
I tried to puzzle it out, but the connection remained elusive.
"Well, we have no choice but to investigate. And the situation at the remote village is under control, right?"
Ah, that’s right.
The most immediate danger is the remote village where the trouble began.
It is a fact that they have drawn the attention of Weed and the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, and more importantly, it has effectively become a target point for summoning.
"Steve’s subordinates are keeping a watch on that side, so it’s fine. Though, they don't know anything about the town itself, so when I told them about the current situation..."
*"Sounds like something that would happen,"*
"That was their reaction."
The fact that they accepted it so readily shows just how much hardship Steve has endured.
Even though he holds the same rank of General as I do, he somehow manages to command his troops while simultaneously participating in infiltration and assault missions himself.
Well, it just goes to show how versatile he is, though it does make me tilt my head and wonder if that’s really what a General is supposed to be doing.
But, putting that aside.
"So, Yuki. How shall we proceed?"
"Right. Even if the Grand Master decides to take action, we’ll be supporting him, won't we?"
"That’s the plan. It’s become a race to see whether Usano and Aeh will fold at the Glass Port Town party, or if the Adventurer Guild will uncover some concrete evidence of wrongdoing first. Either way, we’re committed."
"Ultimately, we have no choice but to conduct an official investigation of that forest. It’s just a matter of whether it happens sooner or later."
"That said, I want to ask you and Seraria: how much force can we spare from Weed right now?"
"..."
At that question, we exchanged glances and fell silent.
The recent string of troubles has drained a significant portion of Weed’s military personnel and resources.
"It’s not zero, but I certainly wouldn't call it a surplus. At most, one company."
"As you are aware, Yuki, the deployment to the New Continent has taken its toll. While the main force is technically on standby in Weed, they are being dispatched to various regions one after another. Further deployments would be extremely difficult."
As Seraria said, it isn't zero, but the front lines are spread so thin that we have no margin for error.
If one more conflict breaks out, Weed’s military strength could be pushed to the brink of exhaustion.
We aren't at zero, but we would no longer be capable of anything resembling large-scale warfare.
One company is all we can spare, especially considering the need for supply lines.
Yuki seemed to understand this, nodding with a grimace.
"I suppose that’s true. We’re already splitting our forces between the reconstruction support for Old Vinosia, the naval escort for Glass Port Town, the defense of Zuraburu’s Aurelia Port Town, the surveillance and protection of the remote village, and stopping the Northern Human Alliance and the southern monster migration in the New Continent. It’s a staggering level of dispersion."
It is a truly dire situation; it’s a wonder we’ve managed to spread ourselves this thin.
Then again, the fact that we’ve managed to keep things running is perhaps the very reason our burden continues to grow.
If we were a Great Power with an abundance of commanders and soldiers, we might manage, but Weed only owns two towns—three, if you count the port town.
And since we don't use conscription, our manpower doesn't exactly grow on trees.
Well, I suppose with the Dungeon Master’s power, we can conjure up makeshift forces... so perhaps we’ll be fine in an emergency?
"Exactly. That is how widely Weed is currently stretched. The military headquarters is managing it for now, but under normal circumstances, this would have collapsed already. The distances alone are a nightmare."
"That’s all thanks to Earth’s communication technology and our own teleportation magic."
"That is the absolute truth."
Without either of those, maintaining these isolated territories would be impossible.
They would either declare independence or be conquered.
After all, if they cannot receive protection from the nation of Weed, they have no choice but to fend for themselves.
In that case, there would be no point in submitting or following the state.
"Anyway, getting back to the point. I’ll say it again: given the current state of Weed, one company is the limit. Will that be enough to suppress the town, or rather, the people behind the scenes who seem so deeply entrenched?"
"No, that wouldn't be enough. That’s why we need to team up with the Adventurer Guild. It depends on the information Alca-san—the Grand Master—gathers while infiltrating the site. Well, it’s almost certainly related to the remote village, so we should be able to merge our forces from there."
"Indeed. It’s not as if we are expected to solve the problem with only one company from Weed."
"And while that problem has emerged, we can actually use it to our advantage. At the Glass Port Town completion party."
Yuki grinned as he said this.
Seraria and I both understood his intent.
"You mean to strike during that period. We’ll have a perfect alibi. Even if trouble breaks out over there, Usano and Aeh will be here with us, unable to move."
"That is, of course, assuming they are acting under the orders of their respective nations."