第１８６２堀：分からない届かない場所であるなら (Part2)
"Yes, that’s only natural, isn't it? That’s exactly why I’ve been agonizing over it."
"Then, you simply need to say that you will be conducting the investigation alongside Aslin."
"I see. So, we just need to become the personnel for the investigation ourselves."
"Exactly. The issue was always about who would manage it and who would gather the team, but if Firia and Aslin handle it, there shouldn't be any problems. After all, the investigation is currently stalled and everything has come to a standstill. How about it, Aslin?"
"I feel the same way. Like I said before, I’ve been wondering what to do about the investigation, so I’d be happy to cooperate."
"I’m so glad."
With that, Firia and I decided to hammer out the details, taking our seats to discuss the matter properly.
"Now, just because we’ve decided to do it doesn't mean we can just go ahead; Brother and the others won't give us permission if we just present it like that."
"We have to draft a proper plan, don't we? We are proper adults, after all."
"That’s right. We aren't spoiled little children anymore."
Nowadays, we are treated as full-fledged adults, so for work like this, we have to submit formal plans and presentations. When I think about how my brothers used to handle all this follow-up work for us when we were little, I realize just how much they cherished us.
"So, do you have a concrete proposal?"
"Of course. I wouldn't have come to see Aslin otherwise."
With that, Firia produced a stack of documents. I took them in my hands and began to read through.
"...I see. So the strategy is to follow the cliff you discovered and head south?"
"Exactly. Rather than wandering aimlessly, we can combine it with a mineral survey. And if we want to add a pretext, we can include an investigation into the monsters beneath the cliff."
"That makes sense. There were monsters on the plateau, but they were surprisingly peculiar."
"If I recall, they were mostly slimes and smaller monsters, weren't they?"
"Yeah. The plateau isn't exactly small, but it limits the range of activity for larger monsters. Oh, though the avian-type monsters were quite large."
That’s right; there were monsters on the plateau. But aside from the bird types, they were mostly small fry or slimes. It’s likely an environment where large monsters struggle to thrive. The plateau is reasonably vast, but the wilderness is even wider and offers more prey. Some monsters manifest spontaneously, but many are living, breathing creatures. By "living," I mean they eat, sleep, and reproduce. That implies a food chain, and the plateau simply doesn't have the biomass to support a population of large monsters. Well, if we investigated thoroughly, we might find some centuries-old boss-like individual, but that would be an exception—just a squatter, not a thriving population.
But I digress. The point is, the area beneath the cliff is a different environment, so it wouldn't be strange to find new species of monsters there.
"So, that means I can put in a good word for this, right?"
"That’s the idea. Now, as for the budget and the size of the unit..."
"A single platoon would be problematic, so maybe three platoons?"
"That sounds reasonable. One platoon for the investigation, one for backup, and one for drone surveillance and data processing."
"Wouldn't that mean no one gets any time off?"
"Ah... you're right. How about four platoons, then?"
"I think that’s better. Now, about the equipment..."
"It needs to be sufficient for combat against monsters. And we should have recording devices separate from the drones."
"True. And we’ll be collecting mineral samples, right?"
"Yes. While it’s not impossible to do with magic alone, we should have them carry pickaxes as well."
In this manner, Firia and I continued to draft the proposal for the investigation unit. I wonder if Brother and the others will grant us permission? Well, even if they say no, they’ll likely point out where we can improve, and the most important thing is to get a rough draft into a tangible form first.
Aslin and Firia are already handling this kind of work as a matter of course. While we mostly carry out tasks as instructed, we have reached the point where we draft plans and make proposals for things we believe are worth doing.