第１９０７堀：敵の位置が割れてくる (Part1)
"…And that's the gist of it," Yuki said.
He had just finished relaying the information he'd gathered from King Giadana and the Prime Minister regarding the northern territories.
"No, the more pressing issue isn't the north, but the ominous signs coming from the central regions, wouldn't you agree?" Kishua interjected.
Indeed, as Kishua pointed out, the information from Giadana suggested that the northern territories served as a shield against monsters, and seemed largely uninvolved in the current problems originating from the Clear Stream Church. This meant the true source of the trouble lay somewhere in the central regions.
"Um, is it really alright for us to be acting as heroes here?" Viria asked, her voice laced with concern.
They hadn't even reached the Kingdom of Ioa yet. While they had been asked to rescue demi-humans in towns along the way while dressed as heroes, Viria's worry was understandable given the current conversation. Could they really afford to be so leisurely?
"Ah, you can proceed with that as planned," Yuki replied. "In fact, I want you to thoroughly carry out the demi-human rescues, your hero activities, and information gathering. This isn't just about the Demon Lord anymore; there's a high probability of internal conflict, a civil war among humans."
"…Indeed. From what you've told us, it seems impossible to avoid the conclusion that some nation in the central region has colluded with the Clear Stream Church to spread rumors of anti-demi-human sentiment and the Demon Lord. So, you're saying we need to gather information to confirm this?" Sia asked.
"Precisely. Sia, you're correct. Though, that means we'll be incredibly busy."
"Right."
Their mission had expanded. Not only were they to rescue demi-humans and investigate the Clear Stream Church's wrongdoings, but they also had to investigate the enemies secretly operating within the central nations.
Sigh. Having tasks pile up like this was such a hassle.
"What about extending the deadline?" Viria inquired.
"Well, perhaps a day or two at most. I don't want you to change your plans to go to the Kingdom of Ioa. We also need to confirm if the northern territories are as described in the intel," Yuki stated.
"That's true."
There was no guarantee that the information from King Giadana and the others was accurate, and the situation could have changed. It was essential for them to see the situation firsthand. They couldn't afford to be swayed solely by information and have Weed exploited. They would absolutely not assist the enemy. They would act for their own sake.
"Speaking of which, Comet and Agil have already returned, haven't they?" Yuki asked.
"Somehow. They were endlessly explaining the hero suits, and I couldn't see an end to it," Kishua replied.
"Yes, they were explaining with blindingly bright smiles the entire time," Sia added.
"Ahaha, well, to big sister Comet and big sister Agil, they're their prized creations," Viria said.
"Viria, you don't need to defend them. It was just a nuisance," Kishua retorted.
"Oh. I understand it was difficult. I've confirmed they've returned and are in their laboratory. They're saying absurd things like they want to make more," Yuki said.
"Absolutely stop them. We don't need any more than this."
Each of them already had ten or more suits. Since each one had slightly different usage, they couldn't bring themselves to constantly switch to unfamiliar equipment. Fortunately, Yuki had initially requested that the usage be standardized, which was why they had only ended up with this many. The suits they had created independently, ignoring such requests, were so heavily modified that they had no idea how to operate them. Yuki's true intention, that they should be versatile and standardized, became clear. These researchers packed in as many functions as they possibly could.
Of course, their performance was insane. However, that was only if they could master them. The thought of them increasing again was just bothersome. Moreover, even the suits they had chosen now, while they could transform… or rather, wear them and move, they weren't accustomed to them yet.
"Is it still difficult to move in them?" Yuki asked.
"Wearing them is fine. Changes in reach, height, and physique are things you get used to. That's precisely why having too many means you can't master them. They have strange, excessive decorations," Viria explained.
The helmets had peculiar horns, and the shoulder pads were sharp, causing their senses to be slightly off and leading to collisions. If these collisions merely caused them to bounce off obstacles, it would be fine. But when their own raw strength combined with the power of the transformation suits, the collided materials would tear or shatter. In other words, if they were facing people…
"Ah, is it at that level?" Yuki asked.
"Yes. Just colliding could be life-threatening. Adjusting that level of reinforcement is difficult," Viria replied.
"Right. To that extent. They're walking weapons, those things," Kishua added.
"We'd end up annihilating enemies rather than defeating them," Sia exclaimed.
"Perhaps it's because they're made with us as the standard…" Yuki mused.
"I see."
Yes, as Viria said, the reinforcement level of those transformation hero suits was designed with the assumption that they, the upper echelons of Weed, would be wearing and fighting in them. Without that level of enhancement, there would be no point. While they might seem like mere novelty items, the transformation hero suits were not to be underestimated. After all, they were the result of a collaboration between Weed's Narjia, Zargis, Comet, Agil, and Filia, or perhaps the culmination of their individual eccentricities. They hadn't held back. They had poured in all their current technology with full effort. In a sense, they were the strongest equipment imaginable, as far as Yuki could conceive. If a child were to say such a thing, it might be endearing, mentioning a steel sword and full plate armor. But the creations of that group, including enchantments, were truly troublesome. They had thrown common sense out the window.
"Therefore, we genuinely need to get used to them. Otherwise, we might end up with a pile of corpses from those who attacked us," Viria stated.
"Seriously, they have automatic counter-attack functions and such. Unless we figure those out, we can't possibly be harmed."
"That's true. We want to avoid rumors of us massacring townspeople to rescue demi-humans," Yuki said.
"We don't want to do that either."
Yes, Yuki agreed with Kishua. In fact, they were currently practicing to prevent such a situation.
"Because of that, we're waiting to be attacked after infiltrating the town. Or rather, we're postponing our actions," Viria explained.
"That can't be helped."
Yes, their plans were delayed, but they didn't want to commit murder, so it couldn't be helped. Naturally, the townspeople and even the guards were responding to them as suspicious individuals. Ah, but the church folks, they didn't care what happened to them. They had done enough to deserve it, so it would be a fitting stimulus.
"Nevertheless, I'd like you to proceed with the overall movement as planned," Yuki said.
"Are you saying we should adhere to this unreasonable schedule?" Sia asked.
"Ah, the original objective is still to do our best in the Kingdom of Ioa and investigate the Clear Stream Church from the inside. The towns are secondary matters," Yuki replied.
"Hmm, that's true."
Rescuing the demi-humans was Viria's wish. No, that was unfair. They wanted to rescue them too.