Side: Yuki

Now then, leaving the general announcements in Jessica's hands, I spent my time at the royal capital of the Jilva Empire dealing with the King and making preparations to receive the units heading this way.

Well, everything would be assembled in just three days, so my preparations mostly consisted of securing usable land and obtaining permission to use housing facilities.

I had requested food as well, but judging by Steve's reaction, its reputation definitely wouldn't be good. Morale matters, so we'd be bringing our own supplies. Food is important, after all.

"Now then, how did the final formations turn out?"

While saying that, I looked over the documents listing the units and supplies that Jessica had relayed and that Seraria, Eris, and Ratz had organized.

The supplies were mostly as expected and aligned with my requests.

While firearms are strictly to be kept hidden under normal circumstances, they represent our ultimate trump card in an emergency. Consequently, approval was granted for the goblin squad captains, spearheaded by Steve, to permanently carry firearms within their personal Item Boxes.

To an outside observer, their equipment looks completely standard—swords, shields, armor, and bows.

On the outside, at least.

In reality, the internal components are standard-issue, custom-made weapons courtesy of Narjia-san, completely locked behind a strict user-authentication system. Even in the absolute worst-case scenario where they are somehow plundered, the enemy wouldn't be able to use them.

Since it relies on mana-signature authentication, it functions instantaneously without needing physical cards, keys, or password inputs like back on Earth, leaving zero input lag. If an unverified user attempts to wield them, the weapon is designed to emit a localized electrical shock sufficient to render them unconscious, meaning these features can easily double as proximity traps.

This will serve as the core standard equipment baseline for the Enaria Invasion, the Royal Capital Dispatch, and the Dungeon Defense teams.

Displaying this level of logistical superiority will undoubtedly play a major role in ensuring the enemy thoroughly understands exactly why they lost. While showcasing such things out of nowhere usually invites intense pushback, since our formal agreement has already been finalized, the locals should find it relatively easy to accept for the most part.

The primary roster for the active Invasion Unit consists of myself, Ria, Jessica, Sheila, Tori, Riel, Kaya, Labyris, Aslin, Filia, and roughly 50 members selected from the goblin squads.

Honestly, it was a gathering of our highest combat power.

As for the Royal Capital Dispatch, we'll be providing them with armored vehicles and an assortment of specialized weapons. Rather than standard baseline armaments like swords, bows, or spears, they will be carrying heavy maces, exceptionally long pikes, and various archaic, pre-modern weapons to fulfill our explicit promise to the King.

Naturally, because this contingent includes the dedicated research team, they will also be transporting all the necessary equipment and devices for data analysis.

The core roster for the Royal Capital Dispatch includes Steve, Zargis, Kurse, and roughly 100 members of the goblin squads. The reason we are concentrating so many goblins here is to handle the worst-case scenario where we are suddenly requested to deploy immediately from the capital.

Though frankly, this contingent alone possesses more than enough raw power to completely suppress the entire royal capital by themselves.

It goes without saying that Zargis and Kurse are our dedicated specialists for mana-signature analysis, as well as our primary assets for sifting through the literature in the castle archives.

As for Dungeon Defense, it is an absolute baseline rule that no one is permitted transit—let alone entry—unless they are a verified ally or part of our internal faction. Naturally, this strict restriction extends to the local demi-humans as well.

Because of this, the aforementioned "standard baseline equipment" represents our external, public-facing gear; our actual internal defense mechanisms exist on a vastly superior level.

We have completely ringed the dungeon's exterior with ten heavy fixed-artillery emplacements, strategically arranged to provide full 360-degree coverage across the cardinal directions.

Eight anti-aircraft artillery batteries have been deployed specifically to intercept and neutralize any hostile forces attempting an approach from the skies.

Finally, we've deployed four M1A1 units. Officially known as the M1 Abrams, it is, simply put, the main battle tank utilized by a certain global superpower. It features a 44-caliber 120mm smoothbore gun as its primary armament, capable of firing multiple specialized munitions depending on the tactical situation.

Furthermore, the penetrator core of its APFSDS rounds utilizes depleted uranium, allowing it to effortlessly punch through standard armored vehicle plating.

While fully expecting a fair bit of misunderstanding, I gave a brief, simplified explanation of its mechanics to my wives and our monster combatants: these APFSDS rounds don't merely punch a clean hole through armor. Upon impacting at extreme velocities, the immense kinetic energy generates catastrophic thermal energy, causing the remnants of the shell and fragmented shards of the target's own armor to violently spray throughout the interior compartment.

In other words, rather than a mere clean penetration, it should be understood as a munition specifically designed to completely pulverize the internal cabin.

And by "internal," I don't just mean disabling mechanical components—it is explicitly designed to utilize that kinetic shockwave and shrapnel to instantly neutralize the enemy soldiers operating inside. After all, no matter how indestructible a vehicle's outer chassis might be, the organic crew residing within remains entirely vulnerable.

As auxiliary armaments, each tank is outfitted with two machine guns of differing calibers.

To be completely honest, from a fuel efficiency and general performance standpoint, the M1A2 variant would have been vastly superior, but its DP cost was more than triple, placing it entirely out of my budget.

So, after practically begging my wives for approval, we secured four units. Each tank cost a staggering 20 million DP, and that's entirely separate from the baseline cost of the ammunition.

While it represents a massive, concentrated expenditure, it serves as an excellent opportunity to properly field-test exactly how well modern conventional weaponry can be operated within this fantasy world, so I requested the purchase anyway.

Naturally, I have another two units tucked away inside my personal Item Box just in case.

All told, the total expense came out to roughly 180 million DP.

We truly owe it all to the 17,000 residents currently living in Weed. Even at a baseline minimum income of 1 MP per person per day, that generates roughly 400,000 DP daily.

That amounts to roughly 12 million DP over the course of a single month.

"Wait, isn't that math completely short of the total?" you might think. But that baseline of 1 MP is the absolute bare minimum; thanks to active adventurers and the massive influx of tourism from foreign nations, our actual revenue is easily triple that amount.

To be completely honest, the thought of purchasing Mobile Suits or Armored Cores did cross my mind, but when I carefully thought about it, that useless god priced a conventional tank at this astronomical rate. It makes absolutely no sense that a fully functional MS or AC would be listed for a mere 10 million DP.

Well, in a sense, the literal phrasing isn't wrong. I strongly suspect it's a bit of bureaucratic document fraud—meaning that 10 million DP is simply the unlocking fee required to add the specific MS or AC blueprints to the purchase catalog.

Ultimately, I chose a highly reliable conventional tank over a flashy vehicle whose operational capabilities remain completely unverified in this world. Besides, I have absolutely zero confidence that I could effectively hide or make plausible excuses for a massive Mobile Suit or Armored Core out in the open.

For those exact reasons, along with various other logistical constraints, we have yet to introduce high-speed aerial fighter jets or combat helicopters. If dragons show up, we can just swat them down with standard anti-air missiles anyway, or simply neutralize them using conventional high-tier magic.

That being said, even these tanks aren't particularly well-suited for launching major offensive campaigns within this world.

They are simply far too vulnerable to magic.

If that concept doesn't instantly click, it brings to mind a casual chat I had back in the day with Tanaka, where we concluded that even if you managed to secure modern conventional weaponry after being transported to a fantasy world, you couldn't afford to lower your guard for a single second.

The core issue isn't armor thickness or raw destructive firepower.

While one could theoretically imagine magical spells designed to directly target the crew inside the cabin, if spells that convenient actually existed, massive large-scale army-versus-army warfare wouldn't even exist in this world to begin with. You'd simply utilize long-range precision spells to assassinate the enemy nation's representatives and battlefield commanders from afar.

The absolute worst enemy for a tank is the terrain itself.

Granted, terrain and weather conditions represent the single greatest obstacle for any living creature as well. But unlike infantry, a tank is entirely incapable of jumping, leaping, or scaling vertical surfaces. It cannot march through dense, tightly packed forests, and it cannot climb rugged mountain ranges. Consequently, it is profoundly vulnerable to spells that manipulate the battlefield terrain.

If an enemy mage instantly tears open a massive fissure or sinkhole beneath a tank using earth magic—making it deep enough that the vehicle gets completely wedged—the tank is rendered almost entirely useless.

Conversely, however, if we ensure our own ranks include mages capable of actively reshaping the terrain to clear a path, advancing our armor becomes incredibly simple. It really hammers home the fact that Earth has its own style of warfare, while a fantasy world relies on its own distinct rules of engagement.

Because of those exact factors, the tanks are strictly designated as a highly mobile, reactive defensive force.

Since we have a mountain of other portable firearms tucked away, if this dungeon ever managed to fall, we'd simply abandon this entire continent and run away immediately.

Oh, by the way, the core defense roster includes Mobu, Raiya, John, Mino-chan, and their respective subordinates.

"So this is how the final layout looks, huh? Entirely reasonable. Though frankly, a bizarre, experimental composition would have been a massive headache in its own right."

There's absolutely no point in trying to inject eccentric novelty into a strict logistical deployment anyway.

At any rate, since the formal negotiations with the Jilva Empire side have been completely wrapped up, I might as well head out and check on how the units currently preparing are holding up.

"Oh? Is something the matter, Yuki-san? Weren't we finished for today?"

Ria looked puzzled as I stood up.

In response, I simply gave the documents in my hand a casual wave.

"I'm heading back to check on how the units are doing."

"I see. In that case, let's head out together."

Ria fell into step beside me as a matter of absolute course.

Well, I'd gotten used to it. She really was always with me.

You'd think she'd want a bit of personal space to unwind every now and then, but even on her days off, she's usually hanging out with Seraria and the others. Those moments are pretty much the only times Ria is ever truly by herself.

I suppose trying to enforce a strict modern Japanese concept of "valuing individual privacy" is entirely impossible given how far removed it is from the cultural norms of this world.

Amused by those thoughts, I made my way over to check on the active Invasion Unit first.

"How are the preparations?"

"Ah, Yuki-san. We're all set~"

"Indeed. We have properly packed all of our primary tools right inside our bags."

"...The Marauders are fully loaded. We've also put stuff in item boxes, so we'll be fine even in emergencies."

Riel walked over with her cat ears twitching rhythmically, accompanied by Tori wagging her tail happily, and Kaya with her fox ears perked straight up toward me.

It looks like my wives are completely sorted.

"Where did Labyris and the others go?"

"Ah, they went shopping for snacks."

"......I see."

'What is this, a school field trip?!' The thought nearly slipped out of my mouth, but keeping a solid supply of luxury treats and snacks is actually standard practice to prevent morale from sagging during a long campaign, so it's perfectly normal.

The problem is their body shape. Especially Labrys, whose chest is disproportionately large.

"Steve, how's the goblin unit we're sending here?"

"All good-ssu. Everything's completely green on our end. Britt's going to be leading them out."

"Him? That's unusual."

"Well, since we're quite dispersed this time, he reluctantly agreed-ssu."

Britt was one of the first goblins I summoned along with Steve and served as vice captain.

However, he was extremely lazy, so he didn't take on any heavy roles and just lazed around. He could handle anything competently but deliberately stayed out of the spotlight.

In a way, he was similar to me.

The fact that he'd never once been dragged into Seraria's training sessions proved he was much better at navigating life than Steve.

"...By the way. Why is Zargis tied up over there?"

Yes, lying right on the ground beside Steve was Zargis, rolled up like a sushi roll.

"Ah, that? Well, according to Zargis—"

Kurse, who was also part of the investigation team, tried to explain.

"I'm a desk worker! A desk worker! Sending me elsewhere for field work is absurd!"

"No, I'm pretty sure your duties over there will consist entirely of desk work too. It's an archival investigation, after all."

"That's not it!! I'm sure I'll be forced to participate in and help with Steve's training under the guise of being on the investigation team!!"

"That's not entirely wrong."

"See!? Then I'd rather do leisurely research in the dungeon!! Researching in a place with inferior civilisation would just be a hindrance!!"

He did have a point.

Even if we transported equipment, working in an unfamiliar environment with limited resupply options would be inconvenient.

"But that's just the nature of field research. Give it up. You might stumble upon some incredibly fascinating ancient texts over there."

"...Sighhhh, I suppose resisting is entirely futile. Let us pray that these fascinating ancient texts actually exist."

Still wrapped up like a burrito, his head slumped downward in utter defeat.

To be completely honest, since you're practically a borderline shut-in, a big part of my motivation was simply forcing you to get outside for a change.

In any case, while the research dispatch clearly has its quirks, they seem perfectly fine. Hmm? The phrasing sounds a bit contradictory, but the underlying sentiment is entirely accurate, so let's roll with it.

"Yo, if it isn't Yuki! Here to check on us?"

While I was staring at bundled-up Zargis, Mobu arrived with Raiya, John, and the others.

"Yeah. Looks like you guys are completely packed and ready to roll out?"

"Yeah. As you know, we're on dungeon defense duty. We can resupply supplies anytime, so we're ready to deploy immediately."

"Any particular problems?"

"Not really. If I had to complain, I wish we had more alcohol."

"Alcohol? Shouldn't it be included in the supplies?"

"No, Yuki, he doesn't mean the standard rations. He's talking about his personal luxury stock."

Raiya chimed in with a dry smirk, and the realization immediately clicked in my mind.

"Sake?"

"Yeah, but it's expensive. With the current funds I had on hand, I could only manage to secure a maximum stock of 100 bottles."

"That should be more than enough. You can replenish your personal inventory whenever you want, so just head back to Weed and buy more on your next payday."

"Well, what Yuki says is perfectly logical, but Mobu has a terrible habit of constantly pouring drinks for his subordinates and juniors. As a baseline, at least three bottles completely vanish every single day."

"A minimum of three bottles a day? You're drinking way too much. Take this deployment as a perfect opportunity to practice a bit of self-restraint."

"Aww, man. You sound exactly like Raiya. Fine, fine. Let's just pray that the local alcohol brewed by the demi-humans actually tastes decent."

"I'm going to go ahead and tell you the mathematical probability of that being true is exceptionally low."

"Don't ruin the dream, man."

Overall, everyone seemed capable of carrying out their assignments without issue.

As for our expedition force...

Yeah.

Things definitely weren't going to go that smoothly.

"...Yuki-san, speaking of which, what happened to Olive and Mist?"

"...Ah, I completely forgot about them."

According to our official cover story, they were officially listed as not having returned yet.

I'd better head over to their hideout and call them out.