第１８６５堀：どちらを選ぶかの話 (Part1)
Chapter 1865: The Matter of Choosing
Side: Yuki
The preparations for Orelia and her team’s shop, which I had secured in Glass Port Town, were nearing completion when she appeared.
"Yuki-sama, if you please."
"Ah, good to see you, Chaea."
The one bowing with such reverence was Chaea, the mentor to the Grand Strategist Show and the woman once hailed as the chosen of Emperor Yupia of the Zuraburu Empire. Currently, she is working alongside Yupia’s childhood friend, Hope, under Havia’s direction to advance space development.
That said, according to Agil and the others, her military aptitude is supposedly monstrous—to the point where there have been discussions about whether she should be drafted into the military. Oh, and for the record, she is already deceased; the person standing before me is a ghost, much like Havia. Of course, thanks to Luna’s dubious concoctions, she has been granted a physical form to assist us in this manner.
"It’s rare to see you paying a visit. Did you come up with some interesting plan for space development?"
Currently, the space development project, centered around Havia, is still in the study phase. It might sound strange, but even on modern Earth, our knowledge of space is incredibly limited. We are sending many intellectuals into space as astronauts, conducting a wide variety of experiments, and exploring the possibilities of the cosmos. Naturally, we are also in the stage of researching the very basics: the means to reach space. We are starting from the question of whether this Arowrit can reach space at the same atmospheric escape velocity as Earth. It seems to have the same 1G, so I don’t think there’s a problem, but we can’t exactly just whip up a spaceship easily.
If it turns out we can’t escape the atmosphere due to some other factor, and a spaceship ends up exploding because of it, I can already see Eris and Ratz turning pale. So, for now, we’re sticking to unmanned space exploration. Well, even building that unmanned ship is a struggle...
As I was thinking this, she spoke.
"No, this time it is in assistance to Director Havia, regarding the investigation of monsters on the New Continent."
"Hm? Ah, Havia is over there right now, isn't she? Was there some sort of problem?"
If there were a problem, I’d expect Havia to come talk to me directly...
"There is no mistake that a problem has arisen. However, everyone is currently gathered to discuss it."
"Discussing it? What about the problem itself?"
"Yes. I thought I would convey the details to you beforehand."
As she said this, Chaea produced a document and handed it to me. My eyes caught the title, and I understood.
"I see. So, you want to push forward with the investigation of the south."
"Yes. From what I have heard, the New Continent is vast, and expanding the defensive line is effectively impossible. Yet, to conduct an investigation, we lack the personnel, supplies, and budget to spread our forces out indiscriminately."
"That is correct. Besides, we don't know when the next Great Deluge will occur. We cannot send out an investigation team ahead of time without sufficient defensive capabilities."
That is exactly where we are stuck regarding the southern investigation. If it were just a matter of sending an investigation team, we would have done so already. But the Great Deluge happened—or rather, since there is a possibility it is still ongoing, we cannot simply send a team in.
"Indeed. Considering the risks, we should not send an investigation team. If we were to suffer losses, it would be a significant blow to us as well."
Chaea nodded honestly at my explanation. Being Show’s mentor, she must be able to calculate the pros and cons of such things instantly.
"Exactly. Plus, the investigation of our currently occupied territory is still unfinished. It might be boring for members like Havia who want to make discoveries on the front lines, but we haven't fully mapped the wasteland or the plateau environments yet."
That’s right. The range Weed currently holds hasn't been completely surveyed. Or rather, I don’t know what the correct way to define 'surveyed' is, but if we set it as having sent teams to investigate the details of the land, we haven't even covered 10% of the total area. We’d be lucky to hit 5%. It’s hard to justify moving to other lands without finishing that.
"I see. That is logical. However, Yuki-sama, you do not believe that the investigation of the outside—the south—should be put on the back burner, do you?"
"Of course not. No matter how you look at it, the source of the Great Deluge is still far to the south. It would be great if we could send someone there, but considering the safety..."
If things go poorly, the entire investigation team could be wiped out. And yet, it’s difficult to say whether we could accompany them with enough force to handle a Great Deluge if one were to occur. In that case, it’s better to intercept them at the defensive line. Still, it’s a difficult situation; if we investigate, we might find the cause.
No, the probability of finding the cause is extremely low. It is rare for the cause of such things to be identified quickly. We have to prepare for a long-term battle. In other words, if we don’t use our resources wisely, they will run dry. After all, the south isn't the only battlefield for Weed. Things are moving in the north as well, and we can’t let our guard down there either.
"Hmm. I understand that you have many considerations, Yuki-sama. Nevertheless, I would like you to look through this."
"Ah, you're right. My apologies. I didn't mean to dismiss it."
If I say things like this before even accepting the plan, it would look like I have no intention of reading it. Reflecting on my tone, I looked over the submitted plan.
"Hmm, this isn't bad."
"It is 'not bad'?"
"Yes. It’s content I had originally considered. Sending a small number of people to investigate important locations. Fortunately, we have been using drones to take solo aerial shots, expanding our range. There are several suspicious areas. I had thought about sending people only to those specific spots to gather information."
"But, since you haven't put it into action, does that mean there are problems?"
"Several. First, how to extract the combat power. Then, how to gather personnel capable of conducting the investigation. And how to manage those investigation members."
This plan specifies the locations to investigate. It’s an investigation of the cliffside where a discovered mineral vein runs. It’s a massive fissure—a crack over 100 kilometers long stretching toward the south. Well, since it’s so long and reasonably wide, while it isn't exactly sandwiched between mountains, one could call it a canyon. It’s the kind of place that overflows with romantic potential.
However, as I just said, it comes down to how to gather the combat power, how to recruit the personnel for the investigation, and how to control them. Regarding the combat power... well, at worst, a monster unit might suffice, but the investigation side cannot be assembled so easily. A corresponding level of knowledge is absolutely necessary. There are things you can only understand by going to the site, so individuals who possess such capabilities are preferable.
I might be being too picky, but this plan calls for a small, elite force of only four platoons. It would be better to be able to investigate deeply in a single trip. It’s an ideal, but our budget, personnel, and supplies are finite. And the stamina of the team members heading to the site won't last forever, either.