第１８３４堀：ウィードに残っている者たち (Part1)
Chapter 1834: Those Who Remain in Weed
Side: Jessica
"I see. Well, isn't that a good thing? The Kingdom of Jeyaes has sided with us. That can only be for the best."
I voiced my thoughts after reviewing the report. Seraria, however, wore a troubled expression.
"...True. There is no doubt about that. It is far better than having our enemies increase in number. Even so, I cannot fathom what the Clearstream Church is thinking. Demanding the surrender of demi-humans for 'disposal'—we know that the proportion of demi-humans in the south is higher than in the north. To say such a thing..."
Quar, who was looking over the report with me, continued Seraria’s thought.
"The South would never agree to that. It can only be taken as a blatant provocation."
"In other words, they have some ulterior motive for intentionally angering the South. Perhaps to annihilate the army currently attacking Ohe, for instance."
I provided the answer following Quar’s observation. Well, even without the help of other nations, the army that had converged on Ohe had already been wiped out.
"It has indeed come to that. Still, no other nation besides Weed has entered the fray. I just hope this doesn't act as a catalyst."
"A catalyst? You mean the result—that the army gathered primarily by the Clearstream Church was completely annihilated?"
"Yes. Their claim is that there is a Demon Lord and that demi-humans and monsters are acting under its orders, is it not? In other words, the fact that their army was wiped out could be twisted into proof of the 'Demon Lord's' threat. It could even be used to unify them against us."
"Indeed. However, Yuki anticipated this and had half of Baron Siana’s forces return, so shouldn't that be fine?"
It wasn't as if we hadn't considered such things. In fact, this kind of indirect maneuver is common—the sort of tactic Yuki would use with glee. He operates under the assumption that no matter which way the situation turns, it will be fine. While it is said that the subordinates of Kirika who accompanied Baron Siana have the skill to survive, "surviving" can also mean simply killing every enemy in their path. There is perhaps no more brutal a way to phrase it.
"That part is fine, but you understand that if the Clearstream Church issues some strange proclamation and the North unites, that would be troublesome, wouldn't it?"
"I understand that. If it becomes a schematic of North versus South, it will be a Great War. It would likely exceed the scale of the conflict between the Zuraburu Empire and the Hain Empire that occurred in the Zuraburu region."
"Even so, isn't that difficult? After all, Yuki-sama is moving through Baron Siana, so wouldn't it be impossible for the North to unite?"
"True. As long as my husband is moving, it will be difficult for the North to achieve complete unity. Especially for the nations that have joined with Baron Siana—it is almost impossible for them to side with the Clearstream Church. That means the opposition will be riddled with holes. How do you think the Clearstream Church, which has held authority until now, will react?"
"“Ah.”"
We both understood what she meant. Indeed, while the situation is chaotic, the other side is in the same boat. They have their own schemes, just as we have ours. I have no intention of letting my guard down, but as it stands, there is no nation that can stand against the country of Weed. In a conventional war, the outcome is clear, but in this specific conflict, the enemy's true objective remains unknown.
"The meaning behind the term 'Demon Lord' will likely dictate the Clearstream Church's next move. But since they are spouting nonsense about executing demi-humans, they are capable of doing the unthinkable."
"“...”"
Neither I nor Quar could deny Seraria’s words.
"Like the fanatics who worshiped Aquenoki in the Haiden region?"
"Exactly. They might turn on their own people and start something incomprehensible."
"...I cannot deny that. But Your Majesty, if we start with that assumption, nothing will ever begin. It is no reason to leave Weed, Ohe, and the nations that have sided with us in the South exposed to danger."
Quar was right. We don't know what they might do, but we cannot simply ignore Weed, Ohe, and the nations that will likely form an alliance with us. If we did, Weed and Ohe would lose their centripetal force.
"I know. Still, in an open confrontation, Weed clearly won't lose. That leaves indirect maneuvers. It wouldn't be strange for them to resort to stomach-turning tactics."
"Is that what you mean? You're worried about the soldiers' mental state."
"Exactly. If they are forced to witness something truly horrific, it would be lucky if they only lost their will to fight. They could fall into madness, or worse, commit insubordination and annihilate the enemy. At least, if they were Weed's soldiers..."
"Ah, I cannot imagine what would happen to the soldiers of Ohe or the Kingdom of Jeyaes."
"No, Jessica. Professional soldiers are essentially an elite class. Regular troops are just civilians who have been conscripted; I highly doubt they would follow orders in such a situation."
That was true. Nations other than Weed essentially conscript their soldiers, gathering ordinary people from towns and villages to serve as a fighting force. Since they have almost no training as soldiers, they would likely crumble in such a scenario.
"However, we cannot interfere with how other nations handle their own troops, can we?"
"I know. This is still just a hypothesis, a matter of speculation. We haven't even reached the point of open war, so to worry about..."
Seraria’s words trailed off. I realized what she had noticed.
"It could serve as a pretext for war. Ohe was the most suitable spark for that."
"I see. You are right, Jessica. Eighty percent of Ohe's residents are demi-humans. In other words, if Ohe had raised the banner of war, it would have naturally led to an invasion of the North."
"If we, the existence known as Weed, hadn't been here, that is exactly what would have happened. I see, that explains why 20,000 was such a small number."
"Yes, we should assume that force was calculated with the expectation of total annihilation. I did say from the beginning that it seemed impossible."
As Quar said, the war between Ohe and the Northern Alliance was strange from the start. It was true that they were in danger of extinction, with supplies cut off, monsters to the south, and humans to the north, but if they truly felt there was no other way, 20,000 troops could easily be scattered. After all, the enemy was on an expedition. If they were willing to use any indirect tactic and abandon the demi-human hostages, there were countless ways to win. They could have launched a surprise attack from the ramparts and turned the tide.
But if they had done that, the hatred toward the people of the North would have only intensified. To the point of seeking retribution. After all, they had to do something to maintain their dignity as a nation.
"In other words, the enemy's goal was the great war between the North and South that Seraria mentioned?"
"That is highly likely. Hearing the movements of the Clearstream Church's envoy in the Kingdom of Jeyaes, I can think of no other conclusion."
"Indeed. Although, even with internal dissatisfaction, if they push through such a reckless policy, the North will surely fall into chaos. Well, it is a good way to flush out the enemy."
"In that case, won't Baron Siana and the others be in danger?"