第１８３３堀： 出来ることを積み重ねる (Part1)
Chapter 1833: Stacking What Can Be Done
Side: Yuki
"……I imagine you’ve heard the situation on your end, but how is it?"
The voice belonged to Kagura, currently stationed in the Kingdom of Jeyaes.
The results had exceeded expectations, though in a sense, the intelligence gathered was surprisingly sparse.
"It’s a relief that the Kingdom of Jeyaes is willing to cooperate with us. The fact that they’re willing to lobby other nations on our behalf is a massive achievement."
"Indeed. You have Mikos’s hard work to thank for that."
"I suppose so. I was surprised by that frenzy."
That’s right. After we explained our respective situations, detailed the nature of Weed, and presented the catalog, the King and his subordinates present were not only astonished but genuinely delighted.
They immediately began using the items we presented as gifts, and they were so impressed that they practically begged to purchase whatever else we had on hand.
Well, things like water dispensers are convenient, aren't they? Having hot and cold water on demand, or a refrigerator—it’s easy to see why they’d be impressed.
Though, I suppose one could argue that magic could replicate those functions.
Or perhaps the appeal lies in the fact that you don't need to expend mana to use them?
Regardless, the food items sold well, too.
It turned into quite a scene when the King and his court started eating them right there on the spot.
It seems they have a surprising sweet tooth; I’m glad we were able to provide Alfin’s cakes.
Is it because sugar is a luxury item here?
"Thanks to that, they’ve expressed a desire to maintain friendly relations with Weed and have promised to spread the word about us to other nations."
"I see. Let’s consider this a baseline for our reputation. You handed them the catalog, right?"
"Yes. They said it would be useful for bringing other countries into our fold."
"That was the intention from the start, but I’m grateful they’re taking the initiative. What about the budget for that?"
"I intended to offer it, but they waived the cost in exchange for the catalog items."
"Exactly. They insisted that the items themselves were worth many times more."
I see.
Indeed, in this New Continent, these are items that money simply cannot buy at the moment.
The fact that they possess them carries a value far exceeding mere currency. They must hold Weed’s technological prowess in very high regard.
"That means the talks were a grand success, then."
"Yes. They’ve agreed to resume trade with Ohe, and regarding the envoys, they’ve already inspected the vehicles and requested to ride along."
"That’s a welcome development for us as well."
"Also, the topic of sending envoys to Weed came up, but I told them that was uncertain for now."
"That’s unavoidable. We use the Gate, after all. If we speak too loosely, they might think we’re mocking them."
If I were to explain Weed honestly, it would sound so absurd—so detached from reality—that they might take it as an insult.
To explain Weed, I have no choice but to bring envoys there in person and show them the reality of it while we talk.
"Regarding those envoys, the King of Jeyaes said he would accompany them to Ohe and wait for a response from Weed’s upper management. They’re that eager to establish a connection. It seems they view us as the key to shifting the tide of this war."
"Well, after showing them that much magic tool technology, it’s only natural."
It makes me a bit uneasy that they can’t grasp our national strength after seeing such a concentrated display of technology.
At the same time, I don’t want them to be overly wary of us. The balance is difficult to strike.
"Other than that, we’ll stay for a few more days to take their orders from the catalog and bring them back. Since it’s a matter of diplomacy, we should be able to manage some banquets and sightseeing in the city."
"That’s good to hear. You might not be able to fully grasp the culture of the Kingdom of Jeyaes, but I want you and Mikos to get a feel for it. From there, you’ll start to understand how we should engage with them."
"Leave it to Mikos-chan! We’ll conduct a thorough investigation. Oh, and what about the cameras?"
"The cameras, huh. We’ve shown them in the catalog, so I think it’ll be fine, but what do you think?"
I’ve been telling them to watch the situation before making cameras public.
Yes, both still photos and video.
The reason is that in Japan, there used to be a bizarre superstition that photographs could steal a person’s soul.
More importantly, taking a photograph creates a clear, permanent record of a person’s appearance and face.
In the context of protecting VIPs, this is an unexpected disadvantage.
It makes them easier to target.
Being unknown is a form of safety.
In the modern world on Earth, this is largely meaningless, but in this world, it would undoubtedly become vital intelligence for those looking to target key figures.
I truly don’t know how to judge this.
"For now, I don’t think it’s a problem. They’re too dazzled by our technology. Still, if we’re talking about photos that are more precise than portraits, we’ll need to explain it beforehand."
"But it’s not like they can mass-produce them over there, and I think Mikos-chan will be fine~."
"I suppose. They can’t build cameras there, so if we convey our concerns from our end, it should be fine, right?"
"That’s a judgment call for them. Anyway, leaving us aside, what’s the status of the messenger who made contact with Baron Siana and the others?"
"Ah, right. That."
It has been over ten days since Baron Siana and her group departed.
Perhaps because their military presence is small, or perhaps thanks to the physical enhancement accessories we entrusted them with for their safety, they have passed one-third of their journey. That was when the messenger from the Kingdom of Giadana—or rather, the Clearstream Church—made contact.
It went as planned, or rather, they had been maintaining contact—if you can call it that—and it made me anxious.
However, we had anticipated this as well, so we immediately had the messenger return to the Kingdom of Giadana with the response that Ohe had fallen.
"Is there any chance a messenger reached Ohe via a different route?"
"Not that I’m aware of. Though, we can only track if people approach the vicinity. If they were observing from afar, we wouldn’t know."
I can’t provide coverage for that much ground. Even though it’s been turned into a dungeon, it only extends about two kilometers around the northern town.
"Then shouldn’t it be fine? I mean, the dungeon’s range is only two kilometers, right? Even if Mikos-chan uses magic to enhance her vision, she can only see the defensive walls; I don’t think there’s any way to gather intelligence beyond that."
"Perhaps. Even so, information will be gathered. There is no doubt that the battle is over. It depends on how the messenger interprets that."
"Normally, if the battle were over, wouldn’t they approach to investigate? If that hasn’t happened, isn’t it highly likely that no messenger has arrived?"