第１８４７堀：偽りの凱旋 (Part1)
Chapter 1847: A False Triumph
Side: Stasia
"Baron Siana and her party have entered the city safely."
The report arrived from our intelligence agents embedded within the Giadana Kingdom. In our command center, the atmosphere was thick with tension; even King Oue and the others were watching the situation with bated breath. It was only natural, given that Baron Siana and her people were potentially walking into a lion’s den. We had prepared to deploy a Gate to support their withdrawal should things turn south, but the anxiety remained palpable.
"This is the general unit stationed outside. There has been no movement from the royal castle."
The report of Baron Siana’s arrival had come in about eight days ago. If the kingdom intended to make a move, their military should have mobilized by now, yet there was nothing. It struck me as odd—even if their forces were depleted, having an army of nearly ten thousand standing right outside their walls should have prompted some reaction from the capital. But the threat level remained low. After all, the army outside was not there to cause harm, and the forces within the city were far too few to pose a real danger.
Thus, we concluded that the army outside was in no immediate peril, and the likelihood of Baron Siana’s party facing an imminent threat was relatively low. Besides...
"It’s a false report... or rather, it seems the word of the messengers has spread. The town is in a celebratory mood. They are welcoming them."
Indeed, we had instructed the messengers who made contact with Baron Siana to spread the lie that Oue had fallen. Believing this, the townspeople were rejoicing. Under such circumstances, showing hostility toward an army that had supposedly fought hard to secure a victory would only tarnish the Giadana Kingdom’s reputation. Furthermore, since these were soldiers from the vassal states gathered for this campaign, treating them coldly would only breed resentment among those allies. They simply couldn't afford to act that way.
"They might still attempt to dispose of them from the shadows. Ensure that all provisions are strictly monitored. They may be aiming for internal collapse."
"Understood. We have already issued warnings regarding that and are conducting thorough checks for toxins."
"Good. Keep that up. Do not let your guard down."
Once the communication cut off, I turned my gaze back to the map of the Giadana Kingdom. It was a standard layout: a castle built on a plain, surrounded by a defensive wall. The scale was roughly ten kilometers in diameter. Of course, there were houses built outside the walls where people lived as well.
"I’ve been looking into it over the last ten days or so, and it’s a country that’s really holding its own, isn't it?" Yuki-sama murmured, observing the same data beside me.
"Yes. From what we’ve gathered, it’s on the scale of a major power on any continent. However, I couldn't find much information regarding monster damage. I suppose that’s to be expected of a royal capital, though."
That was the crux of it: the threat of monsters, which the Clearstream Church constantly preached about, was nowhere to be felt in the Giadana Kingdom. Our agents hadn't heard a single whisper of the military being deployed for monster subjugation.
"Yeah, that’s what bothered me too. Baron Siana’s group didn't encounter any monsters on their way here, either."
"That could be explained by the high population density and the fact that they were traveling along a major road, but when you consider the influence of the Clearstream Church’s 'Demon Lord,' it feels unnatural. Still, if the situation were truly dire, it would have impacted logistics..."
"Could it be an exaggeration? The local adventurer’s guild still had standard monster-slaying requests, after all."
As Yuki-sama noted, the adventurer’s guild in the capital of Giadana did have requests for hunting nearby monsters. However, none of them were urgent, and the monsters themselves were nothing to write home about. I suppose one could argue it was due to the protection of the Clearstream Church, but that didn't quite sit right with me.
"At the very least, based on the topography and geography, there is no doubt that the Giadana Kingdom is situated in a region naturally resistant to monster infestations. Perhaps that is why the backlash against the Clearstream Church was so significant."
"That’s likely true. The Giadana Kingdom is located almost in the center of the northern continent. In other words, it’s surrounded by other nations on all four sides. Well, that’s true for most countries, but they lack the environments where monsters typically thrive in large numbers."
Exactly. The surrounding terrain of the Giadana Kingdom simply didn't support the mass breeding of monsters. Unlike Oue, which had vast primeval forests and unexplored southern territories—environments where humans dared not tread—the Giadana Kingdom had almost none of that. That, no doubt, contributed to its development. After all, fewer monster attacks meant more stability. That was precisely why they were skeptical of the Clearstream Church’s rhetoric.
"Well, thanks to that, I’m starting to see why the Clearstream Church was targeting the Giadana Kingdom."
"Yes. For the Clearstream Church, the Giadana Kingdom is the most convenient place to realize their ideals."
"They can hold it up as a symbol of having 'subjugated' the monsters."
We understood now that the lack of monster damage was due to the environment, but that was only clear because of our experience and information. To the average person, lacking that context, the lack of monster damage in Giadana would be a mystery. If the Clearstream Church were to boldly claim that this safety was thanks to them, what would happen?
"It would become a holy land of sorts."
"Well, environmentally speaking, it is a holy land, but to claim a naturally occurring phenomenon as your own doing... though, I suppose that’s how most holy lands are born, isn't it?"
"I suppose so. Most are designated as such because of high mana concentrations or rare flora, so natural environments are usually the primary reason."
"Still, even if the Clearstream Church takes control of the Giadana Kingdom and spreads that narrative, I don't think it would immediately lead to international cooperation."
"It wouldn't be immediate, but considering their track record, the fact that one nation has bent the knee would be a powerful precedent."
"Yeah, I suppose you could look at it that way. In reality, we still haven't uncovered what the Clearstream Church’s true intentions are. Their local branches just seem to be doing standard charity work."
"Their headquarters is deep in the northern snowy mountains, after all. From what we hear, they are famous as the guardians of the far north, where powerful monsters dwell."
In this northern region, there was no doubt that the Clearstream Church was seen as a protector against the threat of monsters. They had earned a corresponding level of trust. And yet...
"That’s what makes it so strange. Why did they suddenly decide to start ostracizing the demi-humans who were living perfectly normal lives?"