Side: Mino-chan
I was currently making my way toward Enaria on foot.
Using a vehicle would have made the trip easy, but if we did that, we'd leave behind the Enarian guide escorting us. Besides, if we let them see a car, we'd only invite even more trouble. So walking leisurely was the safest choice.
"I'm terribly sorry for this inconvenience..."
Hein-san, riding his horse beside me, apologized once again.
Unlike Yuki-anchan's group, we had departed for Enaria ahead of them. Our guide was Hein-san—the same man who had negotiated with us earlier.
Well... there really wasn't anyone else who could've come.
"Don't worry about it. It's only because there wasn't a horse big enough for me. Besides, it's actually faster for me to just run."
I offer those words to put Hein-san at ease.
Since this trip to Enaria has to be kept a complete secret from Zilva, they had to move with as much stealth as possible. Because of that, there wasn't a massive army waiting to greet us. Though with my appearance, being stealthy is pretty much impossible anyway.
Well, if nothing else, this serves as great training for us.
Ever since arriving on the New Continent, our monster forces had barely been allowed outside. Steve and, to a lesser extent, John—the goblins and orcs—could move around without causing much concern.
It's great that we finally made it to the new continent, but our monster units basically aren't allowed outside the dungeon. Steve and barely John—meaning the goblins and the orcs—can go outside without causing too much of a stir, but the rest of us are incredibly rare on this continent. In my case, I'm practically a legendary monster. If we used Wyverns for transportation, it would cause absolute chaos.
That's why the members who had been doing nothing but waiting patiently in the depths of the dungeon ever since we arrived on the new continent held a massive rock-paper-scissors tournament.
As a result, a group of one hundred monsters got the right to tag along. Oh, for the ones who didn't have hands to play rock-paper-scissors, we just gave them tournament cards. It was one of those setups where one person stands on a stage and plays against the crowd until the numbers thin out.
"I'm grateful for your understanding. However, is the other group alright?"
"Yeah. My subordinates know how they're supposed to act around humans. Unless someone actually attacks them, they'll ignore any insults."
"Thank you... Though I do apologize. Since there are monsters we've never seen before accompanying the Minotaur General, the populace would panic. Officially, we've claimed that we captured them."
"You don't need to keep apologizing like that. My subordinates understand the situation perfectly. We don't have any reason to go around terrifying regular folks who are just trying to live their lives. Though, if anyone decides to attack us, we will deal with them accordingly, see?"
"That is perfectly fine. Anyone foolish enough to defy His Majesty's orders deserves punishment."
That said, there isn't a single person under my command who would actually struggle if attacked. Every single one of them is well over level 120. They are strong enough to completely shut down a Magic Sword wielder of General Aegil's caliber without breaking a sweat.
If there is one thing to complain about, it's the fact that none of us—myself included—can openly equip firearms. Everyone has their guns hidden away inside their Item Boxes. Given the civilization level of this continent, I suppose it can't be helped, but relying on axes and swords still feels a bit nerve-wracking.
After all, as monsters who have come to know An-chan's world, we don't want to rely on old swords and magic. We want to do something cool that fits our massive builds—like holding a Gatling gun in each hand, shouting "STARS!", and looking like an awesome boss from Biohazard.
Right! When I get back, I should ask Narjia-san to make me a black leather coat and sunglasses. Come to think of it, I haven't played RE 6 yet. After this mission, I'll play some games.
"By the way, how is General Aegil doing? Is she doing all right?"
My mind drifted through various thoughts before remembering her.
We took General Aegil into our custody as a prisoner in exchange for supplies, but we still have to be on guard in case they try to use it as an excuse to fabricate a grievance and launch an assault against us.
For the record, General Aegil was perfectly healthy up until the moment we handed her over. In fact, she had too much energy. Well, I shoved all the babysitting duties onto Steve, so we didn't suffer any real damage.
"Yes, there are no issues. However, for some reason, she threw a massive tantrum because she didn't want to leave the dungeon, which left us rather exasperated."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, General Aegil possesses the soul of a researcher, you see. She kept whining that she wanted to conduct a thorough investigation into you, General Minotaur, as well as the dungeon itself."
"Ah, now that you mention it, she did ask a whole lot of questions."
I offer a casual nod in response.
Just as An-chan's said, she really is quite the eccentric genius within Enaria. Prioritizing her safety if anything goes sideways is definitely the right call.
Still, I think General Hein, who is currently handling the negotiations with us, is a remarkably rare and valuable individual as well. Maybe I should consult with An-chan and make him our second priority for extraction?
"At any rate, General Aegil has taken quite a liking to your side. Once the treaty with Enaria is formally established, she will likely be the first in line to visit as part of our diplomatic exchange."
"You're jumping the gun a bit there. But it would be great if things turned out that way."
"Indeed. To ensure that happens, we will make absolutely certain to escort you safely all the way to the Enaria capital."
"I'll be in your care for the journey."
We look at each other and share a hearty laugh.
""Nahahaha.""
We both have our fair share of struggles, it seems.
* * *
Side: Yuki
Having finished dinner, it is just about time to head to bed when the final status report of the day arrives.
『—And that's pretty much how things stand. No real issues on this end.』
"I see. Well, Aegil comes over through cultural exchange, that'd be a welcome bonus. Tell them we have no objections."
Based on what Mino-chan gathered from his chat with Hein-san today, it really feels like everyone is struggling in their own way, regardless of the era. Whether the civilization is ancient or modern, the core struggles of governance never seem to change.
『Oh, right. If a worst-case scenario unfolds, I'd like to secure General Hein right after General Aegil. Would that be alright?』
"Hmm? Ah, yeah, that's fine. A man of Hein's caliber is well worth putting in our debt. In fact, I'd love to have his seasoned, veteran wisdom on our side, so feel free to recruit him if the opportunity presents itself."
『That's going to be impossible. From what Hein-san said, his relationship with the Holy King of Enaria is practically like that of childhood best friends. A man like that would never betray his homeland.』
"Which means, conversely, he will fight tooth and nail for the sake of his country, right?"
『...As usual, you're plotting something wicked, An-chan.』
"Calling it a wicked plot is rude. It's called diplomacy, Mino-chan. Diplomacy."
『It's barely diplomacy at all. The other side doesn't even realize that the country pulling the strings from the shadows is a nation called Weed.』
"It is diplomacy. This kind of negotiation doesn't just end between the immediate nations or organizations involved. Other countries will display all sorts of reactions based on these talks, and the very fact that we successfully negotiated serves as a powerful card against outside factions. If you don't look at the broader picture, you can't run a nation or an organization. Though, I won't deny that we're operating heavily in the shadows."
『I get what you're saying, but isn't that a bit too ruthless? Practically speaking, the disparity between us is like pitting a superpower against a mom-and-pop shop. And the poor guy is negotiating without even realizing he's dealing with state officials.』
"Well... it just goes to show how absolutely vital information gathering is, doesn't it?"
『No way, there's literally no method for him to dig that up.』
"True, there's no way he could investigate it normally, but Hein-san is operating on pure instinct to cover those gaps. That's exactly why I want him. No matter how much Hein-san struggles, the moment I make my move, he'll be dancing right on the palm of my hand. Fuhuhu..."
『...The scariest part about you, An-chan, is the fact that you effectively leave the other side with zero choices.』
Mino-chan lets out a heavy sigh over the line.
Given his personality, he is perfectly suited to be a general, but political maneuvering really isn't his strong suit. He isn't stupid by any means, so he wouldn't accidentally sign off on a disadvantageous deal during negotiations, but this kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation is a different story. These things come down to personal compatibility, so it can't be helped.
"For now, we'll take a breather in Enaria before doing anything else."
『Aye. It would be grand if everything wrapped up without a hitch.』
"Honestly, I don't see how any major issues could disrupt us this time. We're heading right into the heart of the country. Even if anti-ceasefire factions attempt sabotage, it has nothing to do with us. We just protect Princess Miffy and dump any subsequent political fallout straight onto Jilva's lap. Our job is strictly to investigate."
『...That feels incredibly irresponsible. Then again, it's not like we have any right to meddle anyway.』
"Exactly. It's internal state affairs. A mercenary band has no business running its mouth. As long as we keep Princess Miffy safe, the ceasefire negotiations will keep moving forward. After all, both heads of state desperately want peace."
Yes. Even if a third-party nation wants to disrupt the ceasefire, or if internal factions oppose it, the negotiations will proceed as long as the representatives aren't assassinated. Assassinating Enaria's representative is an option, but I highly doubt anyone can easily take out the King. If he gets assassinated that easily, then he simply wasn't an ally worth partnering with in the first place.
『Is there any chance they try to pin the blame on us?』
"No way. What would they even gain by blaming us? My wives are right here with me. Instead of a peaceful ceasefire, the Holy Kingdom of Enaria would instantly vanish from the map and become an isolated territory of Weed."
『...True. Let's pray it doesn't come to that.』
"More importantly, if a disaster like that happens, my workload is going to double. I'll make absolutely sure to avoid any movements that would dump the responsibility onto us."
『Understood.』
"Well, the Assassins vanguard we sent ahead should be digging up the local details as we speak."
『Come to think of it, was it truly alright to send Kirika and her crew ahead? They're undead, after all. If the ruins over there are still functioning as a dungeon, Kirika and the others might be in danger. In a worst-case scenario, they could get brainwashed, see?』
"That's part of the assessment. We have countermeasures in place, and I told them to contact us immediately if anything happens. It should be fine. If it is functioning as a dungeon, I ordered them to seize control right away. We also have a dungeon core with plenty of DP, so Kirika and the others should be able to take over the dungeon's control."
While Mino-chan and I are having this conversation, a report comes in from the person herself. Perfect timing.
『Aruji-sama, we have successfully brought the Enaria ruins under our administration.』
"Understood. Good work. Anything else to report or any problems?"
『...Nothing specific. We have full access to the Map Monitor. As planned, we will establish a link to the dungeon managed by Mino-chan.』
"Got it. Mino-chan, make sure to get in touch with John. I'll send word from my end as well."
『Understood.』
So Kirika and the others arrived safely in Enaria...
They only just got there, so I can't be too optimistic yet.
"Kirika, follow the plan and spend the next three to four days conducting a thorough sweep of the dungeon. Find out how much time has passed since it fell into ruin, and look for any records or data left behind by the previous master. Until that's done, keep your scouting outside to a bare minimum."
『Understood, Milord.』
"Just in case, there might be someone in Enaria who used to manage that place, so keep your surveillance absolute. If anything happens to you all, Aslin will cry."
『We bear that in mind. None of us wish to see Aslin-sama weep, so we will take no unnecessary risks.』
"Good. If anything happens, contact me immediately."
『Yes, leave this place to us. Please look after Aslin-sama and the others.』
Alright. With this, even if problems arise, it'll be easier to deal with them.
We've secured at least an escape route, and we're ready to send in more of our forces.
The rest depends on Enaria... Please, whatever happens, don't let Seraria and the others go on a rampage...
