Chapter 210: Post-War Cleanup
The fourth ship of the Aerial Escort Ship (Titan) series, Kreios, unleashed its cannon fire, causing the Mountain Boar to reverse its course and retreat deep into the forest. Originally, it had merely fled in fright from the Wyvern’s breath attack, and once it regained its senses, it would likely return to its original dwelling.
It was frustrating to see it escape unscathed after enduring a barrage of shells, but as a magical creature, there was little choice but to accept it.
Perhaps a magical attack like the aforementioned Pierce could penetrate that defense, but…
A simple arrow attack had managed to pierce the magical barrier of the Hidden Player, which had deflected a railgun shot. If one person could achieve such a feat, then once the forces of The Tree mastered the art of magic, they might find themselves without any enemies in this world.
For now, however, using magical technology required both Magic Stones and parts from magical beasts, raising concerns about the absolute quantity of resources available.
“Well, it seems we’ve reached a bit of a pause,” one of the commanders remarked.
From the massive proliferation of Big Moss to the titanic battle with the Wyverns, and finally the Stampede caused by the monsters, the situation had been chaotic.
Fortunately, the Stampede itself remained small-scale, limiting its impact on the Forest Country (Lebresta). For the time being, the distribution of power in the Demon Forest would likely become a jumbled mess.
“The evacuees have safely reached the towns in the rear. It is expected that those capable of fighting will reorganize and move to reclaim their villages,” another officer reported.
“Of course. Make sure to assist them. At a bargain price, of course,” the commander replied with a smirk.
“Yes, Ma’am. We will seek materials from the magical beasts.”
They planned to purchase the remains of the Big Moss, reinvesting the funds into defense costs. This would continue as a mercenary contract for the foreseeable future. However, it would be somewhat embarrassing for the Forest Country (Lebresta) to rely entirely on such a meager compensation for full cooperation.
After the defense settled, the Council of Elders (Le Elphia) in the capital, Linda, had promised some form of reward as a gesture of gratitude.
While they did not fully trust those words, if it ended with a simple letter of appreciation, it could serve as an excuse for various matters. If they received a fair price, there would be no complaints.
Regardless of the outcome, it would provide immediate benefits for The Tree.
Subsequently, the villagers of Pioneer Village Ralan executed a plan to reclaim their village, aided by hunters, defense officers, and the forces of Paraiso. They utilized the Multi-legged Tank for transport, a maneuver known as Tank Descent. Due to the movement characteristics of the Multi-legged Tank, the body remained relatively stable, ensuring a comfortable ride.
As they hunted large animals and stray magical beasts along the way, they successfully returned to Ralan Village.
Having been away for only a few days, and with no breaches in their defenses, the village remained largely intact. Some areas had been disturbed by animals, but overall, it was in good condition.
Now, they only needed to conduct a hunt in the surrounding mountains to ensure safety.
With the Multi-legged Tank stationed, they could repel a certain number of magical beasts. If no powerful creatures had settled nearby, the villagers could return home soon.
◇◇◇◇
“Well then, have we seen the results of this Stampede?” one elder inquired.
“Everything went smoothly,” another replied.
“Thanks to the girls,” a third added.
“We managed to suppress the troublesome radicals. If we could push them to self-destruction before our intervention, that would be the best outcome, wouldn’t it?”
“Though we did rely heavily on the forces of other nations,” another elder noted.
“Ha! We were prepared for that from the start,” the first elder chuckled.
“Without the girls, what do you think would have happened this time?”
“Let’s see… Territory would have shrunk. Half of our soldiers dead. The radicals would have gained influence, and other nations would have looked down on us, leading to a shaky economy. We would have had to declare total mobilization, and it might have taken decades to recover our national strength.”
“That sounds about right. A major purge within the country might have been necessary as well.”
“If the girls had been hostile, we could have faced military invasion and complete annexation,” another elder mused.
“That might have made life easier in some ways,” one elder replied.
“Even now, do you think we could withstand a military invasion from the girls?”
“Probably not,” came the resigned response.
“Did you hear? They say the girls brought out their sky ships,” another elder remarked.
“That’s just a rumor. They claimed to have driven off that Mountain Boar,” another elder added.
“Are there multiple of those flying around? That sounds impossible. Guerrilla warfare would be the best we could manage. From the sky, the towns would be completely visible. If they systematically destroyed our bases, we would have no choice but to hide in the villages to survive.”
“Honestly, I don’t even feel capable of shooting one down. If they can fly large objects, they surely have smaller ones as well. Our aerial troops are simply not numerous enough.”
“Well, let’s leave the countermeasures to the experts. What about this reward?”
“The reward… It seems it can’t be covered by domestic funds,” one elder said.
“It’s not impossible to provide, but for you girls, it would just be unusable money,” another elder pointed out.
“Just matching the face value won’t do. In fact, we might even want to buy from you girls,” one elder suggested.
“Debt bonds with interest wouldn’t be a bad idea,” another elder chimed in.
“Rights might also be an option. Reduced tariffs, priority export rights for magic tools, domestic transit rights, and perhaps flight rights as well.”
“That could work. If we make it a renewable agreement, we can limit the value. In that case, we could arrange the rewards without excess or shortage.”
“For the time being, we might also request the protection of that Pioneer Village,” one elder proposed.
“Essentially, it would be like a local lordship,” another elder noted.
“Let them do as they please. We simply lack the strength to bind them with a treaty,” another elder replied.
“Are we considering a form of vassal state?” one elder asked.
“I wouldn’t go that far. Do you think those girls would interfere with us?”
“I can’t say for sure. However, if they were trying to dominate us, their approach would be far too indirect. We might as well be willing to compromise to some extent.”
“As long as we don’t become dependent, we can manage. It would be a difficult balancing act for a typical nation, but we should be able to adjust well.”
“Hmm. Then, shall we let them choose between debt bonds or time-limited domestic rights?”
“But if that happens, the west will be completely under the girls’ control,” one elder pointed out.
“Should we aim for the east? Expanding territory doesn’t hold much allure,” another elder replied.
“We won’t change the borders. That would allow us to strengthen our national defense. If we can focus on the east, we won’t have to worry.”
“For a while, the Demon Forest will likely remain noisy. If we don’t need to allocate forces to the west, it will be easier to conquer.”
“Honestly, we still don’t understand the girls’ objectives. If possible, we would like to continue dialogue.”
“Should we establish an embassy? We wouldn’t mind granting it as a leased territory.”
“Indeed. In return for our convenience, let’s have them join us for tea and conversation,” one elder suggested with a chuckle.
“Ha! That sounds delightful; it adds a bit of excitement,” another elder replied.
◇◇◇◇
The chaos of the Stampede that had struck the Forest Country (Lebresta) had, for the time being, come to a resolution.
Most of the abandoned towns and villages had been reclaimed, and the damage had been minimized.
By selling the acquired materials from the magical beasts (primarily to Paraiso), the nation might even find itself in the black overall.
Still, life could not simply return to normal. With the transition to a wartime economy, economic activities had come to a halt.
The abandonment of villages and towns had led to incidents of looting. Many citizens had their livelihoods destroyed.
Naturally, the government would provide some compensation, but only a minority could resume work immediately.
For the time being, the goal would be to normalize domestic infrastructure. The ecosystem of the Demon Forest had also undergone significant changes. The activities of hunters would need to be moderated, requiring some form of support.
In response to these challenges, great expectations were placed on Paraiso. Their proactive support during the national crisis in Lebresta had captured the hearts of many citizens.
Of course, there was some manipulation of information from the Council of Elders (Le Elphia). Given the nation’s inherent admiration for the Beastman race, the girls from Paraiso were welcomed with open arms.