Chapter 306 – 306. Everyone’s Second Countermeasures Meeting (2)
– One –
“I think the most reasonable way is to constantly cause chaos in the Imperial Army through the assassination of the commander, my love.”
Jose spat out a heavy word.
Among the ways to deal with many with a small number of people, it was also the most standard way.
However,
“I don’t agree with Jose.”
Octopoda opposes it head-on.
Jose doesn’t seem offended by that at all, he nods his head at him to keep going.
“We have enough ability to assassinate the commander, and there is no dispute that it is the best way to stop the enemy’s advance with the lowest cost and high efficiency. However, I think it is the most suitable method in a situation where there is no preparation. Don’t you already have the high-fire weapons you’ve been preparing for a long time, and the battlefield to outwit your enemies?”
“Ah…”
Jose sighs and nods his head.
It was because he accepted the fact that his opinion was reasonable.
“Besides, since we destroyed all the enemy forces with only other means during the first expedition, it is clear that the enemies will not have any secrets about the weapons we developed. Besides, neither the magicians, shamans, nor the church, If we do not participate in the war, it is obvious that the effectiveness of the weapons we develop will be maximized. Aren’t they the weapons that Monohorn developed in the first place to reduce the number of infantry who make up the majority of enemies?”
“Mmm. Octopoda is right.”
As Jose agrees, Octopoda’s voice gains strength.
He explains by supplementing his comments.
“Besides, even if Regal spyed on the battlefield we created, he hadn’t set off a trap yet, so he’s sure not to know. We have a lot of cards, so we can lure enemies deep and distract them with traps and weapons. At the same time, it seems reasonable for Estrus and Benison to assassinate the commander and annihilate the 2nd Expeditionary Force as well.”
“Certainly… If the highest commander is assassinated only on the battlefield, isn’t the lower rank immediately promoted by one rank and takes over the commander’s position? If you shake the enemies and assassinate them at the same time, it will break the morale of the enemy troops and lead to desertion. In that case, the commander’s post will become vacant, or the time leading to paralysis of the chain of command can be drastically shortened. No see.”
The two men look at each other and nod.
They agreed.
But,
“I don’t agree with either of them.”
Demosi vehemently denies their unanimous opinion.
Octopoda and Jose look at Demosi in amazement.
So did others.
Because of her usual personality, she knew that it would happen easily without a fairly strong conviction that she would contradict the two people’s opinions head-on.
“My mother-in-law, if you have any other opinions, please feel free to speak up.”
“Yes. I believe we must make a full retreat anywhere, erasing all traces of us before the enemy arrives.”
“Um…”
Jose frowned slightly, as if he didn’t like her opinion.
However, what was contained in it was not anger, but deep doubt to understand the true meaning of her opinion.
“May I ask why you thought that, Demosi?”
“Of course, Jose.”
She smiles round her face.
Her smile contained a coolness.
Everyone who looked at her expression couldn’t hide their surprise.
It became clear that she did not make such comments out of her timidity, but that she insisted on retreating in order to enact a plan to outwit the enemy.
“Margarita did that. One of the true purposes of this war is to prove Regal’s innocence.”
“Ah…!”
“That’s right…!”
Jose and Octopoda widen their eyes and let out exclamations.
It was clear that they had lost sight of it for a while, focusing only on the swarm of enemies in front of them.
“To prove Regal’s innocence, first, he must prove that he did not plot treason by denying that he is the leader of the rebels, and second, he must prove that the rebels clearly exist and that they are separate from him. And finally, thirdly, you must prove that you have nothing to do with the devil and that you are not a devil worshiper. Do you all agree?”
“I agree.”
Margarita laughs and nods her head.
Judging by the look on her face, she seemed to agree with Demosi.
“Suppose, however, that the Imperial army sets foot in the northern unexplored lands, and we slaughter them with the means we have prepared. Then, of the three things that Regal must prove, the first and second can be proven with certainty. If we If he resisted strongly and slaughtered numerous imperial troops, he might lay the blame on us for the fake rebels he raised and the atrocities they committed.”
“Umm…”
Jose let out an uncomfortable moan.
The man they’ve been dealing with, Regal, is obviously cunning.
However, it is also true that his brain is extraordinary.
It seemed that such a brilliant opportunity would never be missed by someone so brilliant and adept at seizing opportunities and turning them in his favor.
“Moreover, suppose we succeed in annihilating all of the Imperial forces again, for once. How will the Empire react to that fact? Imagine that you are the Emperor and the Imperial nobles.”
“… I think I will conclude that there are a lot of rebels stronger than I imagined here, and that they will definitely threaten the safety of the empire, Mosi. And the fact that we are, Emperor If that happens, the Empire will be able to lure us back to the negotiating table and either enlist us as their subjects, or, if things don’t go their way, capture or kill us. “
Octopoda’s point seemed very feasible.
Because of that, a dark cloud hangs over everyone’s faces, including Octopoda, Demosido, and the others who voiced their opinions.
“Yes. Brother Foda is right. Over 400,000 imperial troops, tens of thousands of enlisted soldiers, and even the troops of the church have not been able to do anything about us, maybe they will get entangled in other schemes, or in the worst case, even assassinate them after making them careless. I’ll consider it. The Empire has always done that, and it still does it, against enemies with mighty powers that cannot be tamed, so it is certain that it will continue to do so.
“I really hate them~ Fucking bastards~ Emperors bastards~”
Iron pudduck.
Estrus frowned, leaning her cheek on Monohorn’s thigh and prostrated herself.
She caressed Monohorn’s thighs carefully, as if she were arranging something precious.
As if she took some comfort from his warmth, her furrowed brow slowly straightened.
“Anyway, I’m saying this on the assumption that we succeed in defeating Regal. If,”
“Wait, before that, I have a question for you, Sister Demosi.”
Margarita interrupts Demosi’s explanation.
As if Democy was willing to accept Margarita’s question, she smiled and nodded her head without any hint of displeasure.
“I said that the predicted scenario assumes that we succeed in defeating Regal.”
“Yes.”
“The Empire’s only duke is missing or murdered, can the imperial family just condone that?”
Margarita, as if deeply concerned about it, frowned slightly between her brows and showed a look of nervousness.
If the imperial family took issue with it, it was probably because they thought that it would be difficult for them to defeat Regal in the future.
But even after hearing her concerns, Demosi didn’t stop smiling.
“If it had been earlier, there was a high probability that Margarita’s concerns would have come true. But now I can say for sure that it is not.”
“Why?”
“You’re already being accused of treason, Regal.”
“Ah…”
Relief spreads across Margarita’s face.
With that one word, she seemed to see through her circumstances.
However, Estrus, as if not understanding, tilted her head and asked for an explanation with her expression toward Demosi.
Democy nodded her head at Estrus and continued her explanation.
“Even if Regal is fortunately cleared of treason charges this time, there are not just one or two suspicious circumstances. Besides, the Imperial Army suffered a serious blow in the first expedition, but Regal’s privates are still alive and well. Under such circumstances, Regal falls into the hands of others. If removed, for the imperial family, to use Monohorn’s expression, it would be equivalent to holding your hand and blowing your nose.”
“Ahang~! The thorns that I couldn’t cook because I didn’t have a justification for cooking~ Other guys will do it on their own, so I’m sure my insides will be relieved~?”
“Exactly.”
Even Estrus understood.
The only thing I didn’t understand was Urmama, as always.
But she said it didn’t matter to her, nor did other people ask Ur Mama to understand it all.
Not only did she do her part well enough, but no one knew that using her brain was beyond her ability.
Her world always revolves exclusively around Monohorn.
“If Margarita verifies it, it will be more certain, but it is highly likely that Regal wants secession or civil war. However, for now, it is too early and he has bowed to the imperial family, and no one thinks that his ambition is small. There won’t be. Whether it’s the Regal’s limbs or the Emperor’s limbs, it’s clear that the idiot who doesn’t know that has long been dead or purged.”
“So if we can, killing Regal is in our interest, and it’s in the imperial family’s interest, Demosi-sister? And the imperial family will never take issue with that.”
“Yes.”
After her answer to Margarita’s question to clear things up, Demosi looks back at everyone and makes eye contact.
There seemed to be no questions about them now.
“Then let’s continue what we’ve been talking about.”
Everyone nods.
Democi hardens his expression.
Judging by the color of her complexion, she probably had to mention a future she didn’t want to think much about.
“If this time we clashed head-on and went to war with the Imperials, let’s assume that some survivors exist and Regal survives. And this is my personal opinion, if the Monohorn doesn’t wake up during the war, it’s probably the highest probability. So, this scenario has the best chance of becoming a reality.”
“That’s it… I think it will be, Demosi.”
Jose nodded in agreement.
The fact that there was not a single survivor from the first expeditionary force was largely due to the fact that Monohorn had been active beyond common sense.
No matter how hard they try, and no matter how much Urmama struggles on behalf of Monohorn’s share, they won’t be able to catch and kill all the enemies fleeing in all directions.
It was more a matter of numbers than a matter of ability.
Under normal circumstances, and common sense, it is impossible for the few to encircle and annihilate the many with a difference of tens of thousands of times.
“If that happens, the survivors may see our ability and mistake it for the power of demons, and testify that demons exist in the North. Regal will also encourage it. It’s obvious that the saintess will advertise that she’s corrupted to the point where there’s no way to save her.”
“Ahhh…”
Ada lets out a groan.
No matter how much she let go of her title as a saint and became a natural person, as the first and most faithful follower of the goddess and the daughter of the goddess, she couldn’t bear to be accused of worshiping demons and depravity.
“In conclusion, in order for us to risk a head-on collision with the 2nd Expeditionary Force, even with all these risks, the two most important issues are: First, can we completely eliminate all Expeditionary Forces, including Regal? Second, Is there any way we can suppress the anxiety of the imperial family? Thirdly, what is the benefit of annihilating our enemies?”
“…”
Everyone is silent
Demosi’s point was so sharp, it was because it was not easy for them to raise an objection.
“I completely agree with Demosi and her sister’s opinion that we should run away somewhere first.”
Margarita opens her mouth, and all eyes turn to her.
Her face was also hardened.
“And to answer the three points raised by her sister, I’m sure both the first and the second are impossible, and I don’t think there’s much benefit to the third either.”
“Okay…”
Jose nodded his head earnestly.
He also listened to Demosi’s explanation, and it was because she was inclined to accept her opinion.
“But at the same time, I want to ask you a question.”
“What is it, Margarita?”
“If we run away somewhere, where are we supposed to go?”
“Ah…”
Demosi’s face is stained with despair.
It seemed that she hadn’t even thought about it.
“We all evaded Regal’s clutches and fled to the north, where he was the most untouched. And while Regal never met us directly, he obtained our impressions and created a detailed montage of each gateway that reached his influence. He knows us in detail, to the extent that he distributed them. Did I mention that he whispered to my family to flee as soon as the hounds began to pursue him? Its influence spans the entire empire except here in the northern wilderness.”
She makes eye contact with everyone.
One last time she looks down at Mono Horn.
“Does a place where we can escape exist in this world?”
“That…”
Octopoda is about to comment, but shuts her mouth.
Even with his knowledge, it seemed difficult to find an adequate answer to her question.
“Even if you run away somewhere, it’s the end if the Regal Hound is discovered. Every time it happens, you will have no choice but to run again.
“If the Monohon awakens~”
“Perhaps, at that time, we will have no choice but to face off against Regal, Estrus-sister. And wouldn’t the odds be infinitely low? If there was a place like this where we could thoroughly prepare, I wouldn’t know…”
“Um…”
Thinking deeply, Octopoda cautiously opens her mouth.
His eyes were on Jose.
“Leaving aside the place, let’s start with the means. If José transports us to another location, how many people can we transport at one time?”
“When traveling at once, even if only people are riding, four people is the limit. Even that is too slow, so there is a high risk of being intercepted by enemies and becoming dangerous.”
“Um… Assuming that I and Moshi take turns boarding and covering everyone with mimicry, is there still a risk of being intercepted?”
“Um…”
Jose ponders his thoughts.
If the breeze shield he created and the mimicry covered by Octopoda or Demosh were applied together, it seemed that he would not be discovered at all.
It would be possible to find them through sensory system magic or magic, but even that would not be easy, unless it was a group chant or high-ranking acts.
Even hemispheres have to sense three-dimensional space.
Therefore, unless the enemies had implanted location-tracking magic tools in their bodies in advance, the chances of them being discovered would be remarkably low.
“If you do that, it seems that you can somehow transport them, but in reality you can only move two people at a time, so you have to move at least four times. The biggest problem is that the movement speed is too slow.”
“How slow do you think it will be?”
“I don’t know for sure because I haven’t tried it, but I think it will take about three to four days to travel 100 km.”
“Ah… Is that so…”
Octopoda lowers her head.
It was the surest way to secure temporary safety, but it was too unrealistic.
“Furthermore, if someone of the level of the Grand Shaman sets out to pursue them, it won’t be that difficult to find out our whereabouts, as long as time doesn’t pass year by year after we escape. Actually, when I was working as a mercenary, There is a precedent for finding the whereabouts of a target by requesting it.”
“Are you referring to that spell that tracks a target that has been in one place for a long time?”
“Yes. Even when the quest was carried out, the shaman was able to quickly track down the target because he found out the base of the target.”
“Ah…”
After hearing Jose’s words, Demosi sighs.
“If our stronghold is discovered by the Imperial Army, it will be meaningless to run away…”
“Yes. Even if we do run, even because of the shaman, we must thoroughly cover the trail so that the enemy cannot find our base.”
“If we run away, it will take a considerable amount of time to prepare…”
Everyone’s expression becomes calm.
Head-to-head confrontation and escape were extremely difficult.
It was a moment when something extraordinary was needed, but it was not easy to come up with such a secret plan with their common sense.
“Haa… For now, I think it’s better to end today’s meeting with this. I don’t think I’ll come up with a good idea just by wasting time like this, and I’m starting to get hungry.”
“Now the evening weather is getting chilly, so even though it’s indoors, I feel a little chilly from being completely naked like this. It’s also time to eat dinner.”
Ada agrees with Margarita to end the meeting.
Others laugh bitterly.
“Speaking of which, after dinner, shall we all take a bath after a long time?”
Demosi grinned and proposed to everyone.
“I’m totally in favor!”
Rocking, rocking!
Margarita raises her hand and her eyes light up.
“It’s time to wash the warrior too! I’ll wash every nook and cranny of the warrior, so let’s all take a bath together, take a bath!”
Ur Mama smiled brightly and nodded her head.
Octopoda raises her hand sneakily and opens her mouth.
“Um… Wouldn’t it be nice to have dinner with Slammer and Fraffin?”
“Ah… Well, it’s been quite a while since I haven’t eaten with you two.”
Ada agreed with him with a worried look on her face.
“Then I’ll prepare enough for you two to eat together. Someone go and get the two of you while I prepare the food.”
“Big eyes! Benison will go with Valentine and get her older brother!”
“Will you do that, my dear Benison?”
“Yes!”
Whoops, whoops.
Ada smiles kindly and strokes Benison’s hair.
Thus, the meeting ended inconclusively.