第１８８０堀：堂々と殴り込む (Part1)
Chapter 1880: A Bold Incursion
Side: Seraria
"……What on earth is this?"
I could only ask that as I watched the monitor. It displayed a scene of knights from the Clear Stream Church being mowed down by fists, one after another.
"What could be happening, I wonder……? I was under the impression that Archbishop Dodona was supposed to be in talks with the Clear Stream Church, while King Giadana and Chancellor Daeda’s knights secured the evidence, right?"
Ratz, looking just as bewildered, asked this of my husband, who was rubbing his eyes while watching the screen beside her.
"I’m not entirely sure myself. Still, the flow of events is as you described, Ratz. Well, judging by the audio……"
Just as my husband began to speak, a report suddenly came in from Viria.
『Brother, I am terribly sorry. Archbishop Dodona attempted to hold a discussion at the location where the demi-humans are being held, but we ended up in a state of combat with the church members who tried to stop us…… Eek! Get out of the way!』
I see. So, Archbishop Dodona was a total militant.
Incidentally, it sounded like some idiot had tried to ambush Viria, only to be neutralized in an instant. Though, given the sound of a fist connecting with full force, "neutralized" likely meant knocked unconscious by sheer violence. With Enola and the others there, I doubt anyone would actually die.
"Brother. If it’s come to this, the safety of the demi-humans……"
Ratz was right. If they made this much of a scene, it wouldn't be strange for the captors to dispose of the demi-humans to destroy the evidence. If that happened, the entire point of the raid would be lost. At worst, it would put King Giadana and the others in a precarious position. Above all, we wouldn't be able to face the people of Oue, to whom we had promised to save the demi-humans.
"Dear!"
I raised my voice, intending to urge my husband to give orders, when—
『No need to worry. We have already secured the demi-humans. The evidence—video, audio, and documents—is all in our possession. The idiots who were causing trouble have also been neutralized. That said…… the situation isn't exactly good. I’ve treated their immediate wounds with recovery magic, but many of them are unresponsive. Could we transport them to the rear, or at least to Oue’s North Fortress?』
Enola answered, and the feed shifted. The scene was so drenched in blood that the subordinates monitoring the screens couldn't help but groan. Fortunately, thanks to Enola’s treatment, there were no visible wounds on the rescued victims, but most of them had hollow, vacant eyes.
"Understood. Proceed as planned: move through the main street of the Giadana royal capital to the South Gate. Our intelligence unit is waiting there; follow their guidance. As for the propaganda, the knights guarding King Giadana will be accompanying you."
『Understood. I’ll make sure to wring out every drop of sympathy and drag the Clear Stream Church through the mud.』
Enola’s voice was icy, yet laced with fury. Well, having seen that situation with her own eyes—and having once been in a similar position herself—she understood better than anyone how agonizing it was.
"Honestly, they fell much easier than I expected. I thought there would be more resistance."
I agreed with Eris’s observation.
"True. The Clear Stream Church wanted to pull the Kingdom of Giadana completely into the anti-demi-human camp, didn't they? To have it end like this is……"
It’s rare for a stronghold to fall the moment you step inside. Even with Enola and our intelligence agents infiltrated, it was far too fast. The Clear Stream Church had essentially been defeated the moment the raid began. Even with Archbishop Dodona and Enola there, it was far too fragile. Was there something I was missing?
"Ah, don't worry about that. There’s no hidden trick to it."
Perhaps sensing our concern, Yuki began to explain.
"May I ask for the details?"
"It’s not a complicated story. The Clear Stream Church folks have been out and about since just recently."
"Out and about?"
"You know how Baron Siana and her group headed toward Oue, right? The Clear Stream Church members went along with them. That’s why the ones left in the Kingdom of Giadana were spread so thin."
"““Ah.””"
We all nodded in realization at his explanation.
"Now that you mention it, that’s right. They headed out three days ago, including the Clear Stream Church members, as reinforcements for the occupying force. Does that mean they pulled that personnel out of the Giadana royal capital?"
"Exactly. They probably wanted more time, but if we let them prepare perfectly, it would be difficult to secure the hostages on the Oue side. The numbers matter, too. A massive force would be a nuisance. That said, the Clear Stream Church seems to see something in the demi-humans, so if they tried to scrape people together, it would be..."
"They had to pull them from the nearest capital church, then."
"That’s it. And above all, they have a high-ranking Clear Stream Church official over there."
"I suppose it’s only natural to allocate their people there, then."
When it came to which was more important to the Clear Stream Church, they clearly deemed the captured Oue to be the priority. They had incited the invasion themselves and succeeded, so naturally, that took precedence. They never imagined their own foundation would be shaken.
"Still, I think it’s strange that they didn't have any contingency measures."
"I agree. If the Clear Stream Church is trying to dismantle the Kingdom of Giadana, I wouldn't think they’d be so careless."
Yes, as Ratz and Eris said, even if their attention was drawn to Oue, it didn't mean the entire Kingdom of Giadana had fallen under the Church's umbrella.
"That’s likely because it was a lightning strike. They’ve probably sent word to their headquarters, but even if they wanted to send reinforcements, discussing it and mobilizing troops takes a surprising amount of time."
"I see. So any retaliation would be in the future. We just managed to strike at the perfect opening."
Thinking about it calmly, that was true. Unlike Weed, they didn't have tools to bridge distances or communicate instantaneously. Once contact was made, the process of moving troops—not to mention the debate over who to send—would take time. It wasn't something that could be decided in an instant.
"Is that so? But in that case……"
"We’ll need to be prepared for the future, won't we?"
"That’s a problem for them, or rather, for the Kingdom of Giadana. Unless they ask for our support, we’ll just be watching from the sidelines."