第１８３３堀： 出来ることを積み重ねる (Part2)
"That is true. But even if they were messengers or intelligence units, what if they witnessed the battle from start to finish?"
"……That would expose our deception. Though, if they have returned, shouldn't they find the return of Baron Siana and her group suspicious?"
"They should. The possibility that they are lying in wait on the other side isn't zero, but Kirika's subordinates, who were sent ahead, have already reached the royal capital of the Giadana Kingdom, and it seems there are no signs of them massing an army."
It’s strange, really.
Even if we are talking about numbers on the scale of a regional army, it is unnatural to send that force out and then leave the capital undefended.
No matter how elite they believe their own troops to be, the higher-ups couldn't possibly think they could take Ohe with those numbers.
Or perhaps they do?
I’ve heard rumors that the North is fractured, so maybe they are just gathering numbers at the border?
Gathering an army at the royal capital is a sign of a desperate situation, if nothing else.
"……The report that Baron Siana and her group are heading there has been sent, right?"
"Yeah, the last contact with Baron Siana’s group and the messengers was five days ago. It’s unlikely that the messenger has already returned to the royal capital, but with fast horses and rotating personnel, five days... should be enough to make it."
"It’s a delicate situation. Even if a messenger on a fast horse is significantly faster than a normal traveler, they might have arrived by now."
"But even so, regardless of whether the messenger is there or not, wouldn't it be too late to gather troops? Well, I suppose the royal capital would have a standing army, at least~"
"As Micos says, they are defending the royal capital. They’re likely elite enough that they might think they can manage with just that. Besides, according to the testimony from Baron Siana’s group, the impression of the Clearstream Church within the Giadana Kingdom isn't exactly favorable. That might be a factor, too."
I don't know enough about the authority or the sphere of influence of the Clearstream Church to say for sure.
Baron Siana and her group could potentially become the very force that crushes the opposition.
The fact that they haven't prepared an army for that possibility is...
No, well, only about ten representatives will be entering the royal capital and the castle, so perhaps they aren't concerned about the rank-and-file soldiers?
"In the end, we know nothing."
"Unfortunately, that's the case. Still, it seems we can count on the cooperation of the Jeyaes Kingdom. We have no choice but to build things up one step at a time. Honestly, a war on the enemy's terms would be preferable in some ways."
"Giving the opponent no information and crushing them in one fell swoop. Indeed, there is nothing more troublesome than that."
"That's true~. In reality, Micos-chan and the others don't have any reliable information; it's all just groping in the dark. It feels like we can't even be hostile if we wanted to."
That’s right. Up until now, Weed’s activities in the New Continent have been strictly ad-hoc.
We haven't even clearly defined our enemies.
You could say we are in the midst of a vortex of chaos.
The northward migration of monsters, attacks from humans, and the kidnapping via summoning.
Yeah, thinking about it now, I really did jump into a bizarre situation.
Currently, we have temporarily repelled all three of these issues and are investigating the root causes.
Fortunately, the cause of the summoning kidnappings is understood, and since we can suppress the people using the tools—or rather, the techniques—it is mostly resolved. All that remains is the analysis of the summoning rituals and moving toward countermeasures, so that can be put on the back burner.
As for the northward migration of monsters, the movement has stalled—either because the monsters are gone or they’ve run out of stock—so we are building a fortress in the south and starting an investigation centered around Tori and Fioria.
The biggest problem is the Northern Human Alliance.
I seriously don't understand why they attacked.
The stated objective is "to defeat the demi-humans under the Demon Lord and to slay the monsters," but that is completely baseless.
There is no room for conversation, no diplomatic channels whatsoever.
That is precisely why...
"I know it’s a lot to ask, but please, do your best to gather information."
"Understood."
"Leave it to Micos-chan~"
We have no choice but to do what we can.
Let's keep at it.
The enemy's interior, their true intentions, are a complete mystery, but it looks like our allies are increasing.
That’s a good thing, so I’d like to solidify our footing before we investigate the inner workings of Clearstream.
In truth, I still haven't decided exactly what to do about Clearstream itself.