“Which do you want to hear first, bad news or good news?”
I went to meet Suella, who was commanding the base while enduring a headache after returning from the battlefield. Instead of her usual smile, she met me with a serious gaze and presented me with two choices that didn’t bode well.
She wasn’t displeased.
If she were displeased, she would definitely tell me directly what she wanted me to improve.
It probably wasn’t an emergency.
If it were an emergency, she wouldn’t have time for such jokes.
“…I want to be a little prepared, so the good news first.”
As I entered the office, I gave my report standing up, without even having time to sit.
I was wearing armor, and she was wearing a robe.
We were in our battle attire, but the atmosphere wasn’t tense.
“Understood. The front line on the continent has been pushed forward, and Undead King captured General Kuzuri. Therefore, the enemy’s military strength has drastically decreased, more former nobles have surrendered, and the encirclement of the Aristocratic Union’s headquarters is complete. Unless something extraordinary happens, we foresee being able to subdue them as is.”
“Oh, that’s certainly good news. So, that means we have no lingering worries.”
“Yes, probably because support from the Empire has ceased. They’ve also declared war on the Kingdom and Tris unilaterally, so they’re probably trying to maintain a balance as a nation.”
However, the city remained in a state of high alert, with a somber atmosphere.
This would likely continue for several days.
In fact, soldiers were still fighting on the battlefield.
The overall outcome was decided, and unless something unexpected happened, we were safe.
“Overall, it feels like things are going our way due to their blunders. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Our damage is also minimal, so it’s good. Ah, if only we had our information…”
However, one aspect being good doesn’t win a war.
If you look at the whole picture and there are bad points, the war situation cannot be considered good.
“Let’s hear the bad news.”
It’s not good to keep postponing bad news.
I braced myself and listened.
“The front line of Lunaria is not favorable.”
“What?”
Appalling news emerged.
Lunaria is struggling?
I thought it was a joke, but Suella handed me a report as if to say it wasn’t.
I took it to read it.
“The enemy’s offensive appears to be intense. We confirmed multiple divine weapons there, and while we succeeded in destroying some of them, a gate to the celestial realm was created using those weapons, from which multiple divine beasts appeared. Currently, they are fighting using the dungeon, but I’ve heard that their losses are increasing beyond expectations due to the surprisingly large enemy forces and the participation of multiple heroes.”
About seventy percent of the shallow areas of the dungeon have been occupied, and the front line has been designated a fierce battle zone.
“What about the support supplies from my dungeon?”
“They are arriving. Thanks to that, it can be said that a front line has been established, primarily by the Dark Elf warriors, preventing further incursions.”
Was it because the enemy’s forces were concentrated on Lunaria that we were able to repel them so easily?
Or are we considered sufficient with this level of strength…
“Is there any notification from headquarters?”
“There is a notification that reinforcements will be sent from our side, but the scale will be reduced. I believe they will likely concentrate their forces on Lunaria.”
The enemy’s movements have been truly incomprehensible since the war began.
They expend their forces as if sacrificing pawns, and now they’re deploying a large force as if it’s the decisive battle.
Where do they possibly have such military strength?
“That’s reasonable. Our front line isn’t that chaotic. Rather, it might be better to push forward and put pressure on their side.”
I wish this were the end, but I have a feeling it’s not.
Their ability to make you feel like there’s something more is their scary aspect.
Not because of that fear, but the thought of further worries continuing from here makes me want to sigh.
“They’ve asked us to wait on that as well. Some rather strange information has come in, and Evia-sama wants us to investigate that before moving.”
As expected, that concern was valid, and Suella, with a troubled expression, urged me to continue reading the report.
“The flow of people in Tris’s capital has ceased?”
I thought the report only contained information about the war situation, but it also included spy reports. As I turned the pages, I found information compiled by Suella, likely brought by Ann.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? Normally, urban areas are vital hubs where the flow of people never stops. However, recently, not only merchants but also soldiers and adventurers have ceased entering and exiting.”
“Spy shutdown? No, even so, the method…”
I was bewildered by the information that could be interpreted as information deprivation.
It’s too poor a method to prevent giving information to the enemy, and it’s one of the worst choices for deploying troops.
“Ann and the others are also hesitant to enter the urban areas in this situation, so they are focusing on evacuation rather than forcing their way in.”
“That’s probably the right approach… Losing talented individuals who can gather information would be a greater blow in the future. If we can provide support from our side, please do.”
“I anticipated that, so I’ve made arrangements for transportation.”
“As expected.”
What are they doing?
I racked my brain, thinking from the other person’s perspective about what they might be doing, and then felt grateful for Suella’s proactiveness.
“…Suella, if, hypothetically, we were to disregard any means, disregard sacrifices, and not consider the future at all, but only focus on defeating the enemy, what methods would you think of?”
Considering their past actions – their disregard for life, their disregard for humanity, and their strong ideology – I found myself asking a terrible question.
“Are you saying they’re that cornered?”
“No, I’m not saying they’re cornered. It’s just that, logically, one would know that doing such a thing would be futile, but if they’ve already been shown the correct answer and are convinced it’s the right way, then anything is possible.”
As I said it, I might think about what I’m thinking, but considering their past achievements, I can’t help but feel they might be trying to do something outrageous.
Think.
This is not the time to fight; it’s the time to think.
I stood and thought.
“…If we consider victory under the conditions I just mentioned, I would consider divine descent.”
“Divine descent? Is that a technique of channeling a god into a body?”
Even if I ponder, a simple answer won’t come with so little information.
If I had some other good information, I might get a flash of inspiration.
“No, it’s a method of summoning the god itself.”
“A god? Is that possible?”
Perhaps that good information might come in.
I don’t want to do it, but her expression, which showed a subtle discomfort and disbelief, suggested that while she judged it possible, she found it hard to accept.
“Yes, it’s possible.”
Even the word of affirmation was hesitant, but deciding it was better to say it all since she had come this far, she closed her eyes for a few seconds to compose herself before speaking.
“Originally, gods exist in a world separate from this one. This applies to the Sun God and the Moon God, whom we revere. But why do you think gods with immense power only interfere to this extent? If they could freely wield that power and travel freely, they could easily defeat beings like us.”
I don’t know if this is relevant, but Suella presented the method that would most surely lead to victory under the conditions I proposed.
Indeed, if an external entity like a god were to intervene in a war between humans, it would be the ultimate fighting force, beyond compare.
Power beyond human comprehension should possess strength that truly surpasses our imagination.
The reason why they cannot freely use that power?
“Simply put, they are under some kind of restriction. Perhaps a being superior to gods, or among gods themselves, or perhaps issues with the gods themselves. I don’t know about that, but there might be conditions that prevent direct intervention in the world.”
“That’s largely correct. This is information from temple officials, but only one piece of information is confirmed: gods require an enormous amount of Energy to maintain their bodies.”
“Energy… To use immense power, it requires commensurate Energy. That makes sense.”
Gods are inefficient.
Thinking of it that way, they can’t interfere so easily.
“The celestial realm is said to be a world brimming with the Energy needed to sustain a god’s body. In fact, I had an opportunity to hear about the celestial realm from Himik, and she said it’s basically a world with nothing. No scenery, no plants or animals, nothing. All that exists is immense Energy. Only angels, created by the gods, and divine beasts can live in such an environment of immense Energy.”
“…In other words, the celestial realm is a world solely for maintaining that god?”
“Precisely. Considering that, a god is a being that can only live in a specialized world to gain immense power. To such a being, our world is like a world with extremely thin oxygen. Even if summoning them were possible, they could only survive without breathing until the oxygen in their lungs runs out. However, in that short amount of time, the possibilities are limited.”
“Even summoning them would require a significant price, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, even if it were actually done, it couldn’t be summoned with just a half-hearted price, but…”
“It’s not impossible.”
However, that condition alone is weak.
“But, it’s still inexplicable.”
According to that logic, if they don’t care about fuel efficiency, gods could descend to this world.
If they can resign themselves to incurring some expense, accepting that the cost is unavoidable, they could mercilessly intervene on Earth.
“I understand that we need to provide Energy to summon gods, but that doesn’t explain why they can’t intervene from their side. If they ignore the fuel efficiency issue, they can do as they please.”
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
“But in the last few thousand years, gods have rarely intervened on Earth?”
“Rather than rarely, it’s almost nonexistent.”
Yet, they don’t do it.
Or is there a reason they *can’t*?
“Why?”
“Unfortunately, even the Moon God refuses to answer that point.”
“…Silence often indicates a weakness there, but we have no way of knowing.”
Whether it’s a fatal weakness or something inconvenient about descending to Earth, we don’t know.
But, there is definitely something there.
I can’t help but think so.
“It’s no use thinking about what we can’t figure out. For now, let’s focus on Tris’s movements. I’d also like to know about the Empire’s movements. Once Ann and the others complete their withdrawal, tell them to concentrate on that.”
“Understood.”
I can sense an ominous atmosphere, but I have no means of knowing what it is.
Should I be satisfied with just knowing that something is happening?
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Jiro-san’s premonitions are usually correct. It might be best not to ignore it.”
“You’re right.”
Should I trust this bad premonition?
I thought to myself, this must be what they mean by dark clouds gathering.
A word for today:
Sometimes, in the blink of an instant of change, I want to know the reason.
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