第１９１７堀：現場での出来立てほやほやがあるんです (Part2)
"Now that I’ve finished my lecture and confirmed that Orelia and the others are doing fine with their work, let’s get back to the New Continent."
"Right. So, what’s the plan?"
"Well, as we discussed, it’s hard for anyone to make a move right now. Information is what matters most. Let’s consolidate what we have."
"I agree. Assessing the current situation is vital," Ria said, nodding at my words.
Updating and summarizing information is essential. It’s the foundation for any decision.
"But Yuki-san, is there anything else besides what we just went over?"
"There is. I can't guarantee we'll get anything groundbreaking, but remember, Kirika’s subordinates are currently in the Giadana Kingdom, right?"
"I heard only a very small number of them could make it in?"
"Yeah, just a handful. But it’s not zero. Ena, can you talk right now?"
I called out, and a response came immediately through the Call.
『Yes. At your service.』
"Oh, Ena!"
『Lady Ria, it has been a while. I see you have returned to active duty without issue.』
"Yeah. It went surprisingly well. It’s not like I was actually taking a break while supporting Canaria, anyway."
『Running a shop is quite the task. I am sure it was a valuable experience for you, Lady Ria.』
"What’s this? Are you two actually close?"
『Yes. I have provided various forms of support to Lady Ria through Lady Kirika.』
"That’s right. We end up crossing paths quite often, one way or another."
I see. Kirika’s intelligence department handles a lot of support and errands for my wives, so it’s no surprise they have personal connections.
"I see. That should make this easier then. Ena, do you have a grasp on the current situation on the New Continent?"
『Yes. While there are people active in every region, most are currently just waiting for results, correct?』
"Yeah. The search area is just too vast. I figured we should see if there’s any new information rather than just sitting around twiddling our thumbs."
『Understood. That is why you called for me. Indeed, aside from the negotiations with King Giadana and Chancellor Daeda, I have been gathering intelligence within the kingdom.』
"I figured. Anything interesting? Even geographical details would be fine. What have you got?"
Until now, information on the Giadana Kingdom and its neighbors had been fragmentary, but I figured enough time had passed for a clearer picture to emerge.
『Yes. It is not yet perfect, but I believe it will be beneficial to review. I am sending the data I have prepared now.』
As soon as Ena spoke, the data arrived for everyone present.
『Please start by opening the map in that file.』
We opened the data as instructed. It was a map of the New Continent provided by Luna, but dimmed, with various notes scribbled over it. Based on the names and lines drawn...
『This map uses Lady Luna’s data as a base, with the nations of the northern and central regions filled in. However, please understand that it is still incomplete.』
The text and the map itself were a bit rough, but that explained why. She’d already warned us it wasn't perfect; field reports are usually like this.
『Now, please turn your attention to the central monitor. I will proceed with the explanation using the large screen.』
I turned on the large monitor in the office, and Ena began her briefing. It seemed she had prepared this specifically for a presentation, making it easy to follow.
『First, here.』
A circle appeared around a section of the central New Continent, and the word 'Giadana' floated up.
『This is the Giadana Kingdom, where we are currently operating and which serves as our allied nation. And these are the locations of Baron Siana and the other small cooperating nations.』
The countries where Baron Siana and the others were located were displayed, but...
"They seem concentrated mostly on the center-right side. Why is that?"
『This is likely the result of Archbishop Dodona’s efforts. As King Giadana explained, it stems from the elimination of monsters in the adjacent forests.』
"Ah, I see. These are the countries that were saved when the forests—formerly monster dens and a major threat—were cleared."
『Precisely. Conversely, as for why there are so few cooperating nations on the opposite side, the side unaffected by those efforts...』
"Well, given the circumstances, it’s because there are people operating in the shadows over there, right?"
『We have no hard proof, but that is our assumption. In other words, we predict that the source of this turmoil lies to the left—the western side—of the map.』
That made sense. It was definitely suspicious.
Still, there were things that piqued my curiosity. I decided to listen closely to the rest of the report.
The nations in the center of the New Continent had territories that rivaled those on other continents, so managing them was a massive undertaking. Even a simple, newly-made map looked like a headache to deal with.
Now, let’s see what else is going on.