第１９０１堀：頼むことは多岐になりがち (Part1)
Chapter 1901: Requests Tend to Multiply
Side: Samantha
I am currently in the New Continent Command Room, summoned by Yuki-sama to provide counsel on rescuing the demi-humans in the town that Vilia and Nina-san are set to visit. However, as I gaze upon the array of strategic weaponry laid out before Vilia and the others... my consciousness begins to drift.
*Thud.*
A dull impact resonates from my abdomen, and an unrefined sound escapes my lips.
It was quite painful, to be sure, but my first thought was simply, *Who?* As I pull my wandering consciousness back and look down to see who was responsible, I find a familiar, slender arm retracted from my stomach.
"Whatever was that for, Cleena-san?"
The culprit was none other than Cleena-san, whom it is no exaggeration to call my best friend since our student days.
"...You were about to lose consciousness."
"Ah, you’re right. My thanks."
"I understand the feeling."
Thank goodness. It seems that to Cleena-san, those devices look just as consciousness-shattering as they do to me.
"Hahaha, I truly understand the sentiment."
"Ehh..."
On the screen, Vilia is offering a bitter smile, while Comet-san—that foolish researcher—and Agil are literally flying away in their excitement to explain the gear. I wonder if it’s safe for Narjia-san to be holed up in the workshop?
Well, that is beside the point.
"For now, I understand that this is meant to double as a field test for the power suits for the three or four of you. Vilia, leave the weapons aside and try equipping the suits for now."
"Eh? Seriously?"
Nina-san is also staring at the mascot costumes in front of her, completely stunned. I share her sentiment. Even if a disguise is necessary, using mascot costumes to rescue demi-humans feels rather questionable.
"I’m not saying you have to wear the mascot suits. They brought a variety of things expecting us to use them, so just choose what you find easiest to use."
"Ah, I see."
"Ehh~. I really wanted you to use the mascot suits at least once~."
"That’s true. Evaluating them in actual combat is important, you know."
"I don't find your enthusiasm hard to understand, but it’s a struggle to even grasp things in those suits. Even if we do use them, it won't be this time."
"Ahhh~."
I see. Indeed, the hands on the mascot suits are quite large; one cannot expect to move them with the same dexterity as one's own hands.
"Well, you could probably manage to grab something, but opening a shelf or flipping through documents would be difficult, wouldn't it?"
"When you put it that way..."
"I suppose I hadn't considered doing paperwork in a mascot suit."
I should think not. And those very documents are the reason I have been brought into this mission.
"In this case, I would very much like for you to secure those documents, so please ensure you choose suits that allow you to handle paperwork properly."
"Exactly. We are securing the evidence ourselves. Since this is a country that is largely uninvolved, holding evidence of such corruption will be advantageous for our future developments. Or rather, evidence of the Clearstream Church’s scandals is essential for our upcoming movements in the North."
As Cleena-san says, we are about to go up against the Clearstream Church. We need to win over as many allies as possible. As things stand, the Giadana Kingdom could easily be crushed by its neighbors, and that runaway fool could end up attacking the southern nations. We are managing to push back for now, framing it as a northern issue, but the situation could collapse at any moment.
"I understand the situation, but didn't Samantha and Cleena have diplomatic duties on the If Continent?"
"We are holding both positions. However, since the other side is currently debating various aspects of their expansion into the New Continent, it would be helpful to have more material to base our judgments on."
"They keep dragging their feet and won't move forward, so we need a decisive blow."
"Ah, I see. They’re having a hard time on their end, too."
Kishua-san responds to Cleena-san’s words with a look of exasperation. It is true, isn't it? We have prepared so much, yet they still haven't moved forward. Perhaps they see the risks, or perhaps they are struggling to control their subordinates. Either way, we are here to create an environment where our country can act more freely.
"So, information regarding the circumstances of the North—or better yet, leverage—would be most welcome to us. That goes for Weed as well, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. You’ll be investigating various things as adventurers in the Iana Kingdom, but you’ll be passing through three countries on the way. If you can gather information on things other than the Church, that’s all the better."
That is exactly it. Information on the Clearstream Church is our top priority, but that doesn't mean we don't need information on other countries.
Well...
"Ahaha, Onii-sama. The amount of things to do is increasing far beyond what was planned..."
The workload for Vilia and the others is increasing significantly, indeed... Still, Yuki-sama is not wrong in his judgment. If they can hide their identities with transforming hero suits, they should take this opportunity to do whatever they can.
"That’s right. So, I won't force you. That said, if the Clearstream Church branch is gathering demi-humans, it’s unlikely the Church is doing it entirely on its own."
"...The authorities of that country must be cooperating to some extent."
"Cleena-san is correct. And if we listen to the stories from the King of Giadana and his Chancellor, in every country, these people were previously recognized as citizens who paid their taxes normally. Even if there was prejudice, the idea of throwing all of that away just like that feels wrong. After all, even on the If Continent, there was a fair amount of exclusion, but places like Roday still have normal relations with the White Forest."
That is correct. Even if the Clearstream Church is leading this, a project of this scale cannot be executed without the cooperation of the state or a similarly capable organization. We are forcing a lot onto Vilia and the others, but in a sense, this is a brilliant move. It allows us to conduct investigations into other countries that we had previously been lagging behind on.
"...Honestly, I want you to storm the lord’s mansion and seize the documents as well."
"No, no—that would just be plain robbery, wouldn't it?"
"No, this is an irregular operation. It’s robbery from the start."
"..."
I understand Cleena-san’s point perfectly. If it’s already practically robbery, it would be helpful if they could just break into the lord’s mansion and secure all the relevant documents.
However, they are planning to pose as righteous heroes saving demi-humans, after all. It is precisely because they act under the banner of "Justice is on our side" that the populace will follow them.