Episode 307: The Council’s Conclusion
Leila and her group arrived in the city of Oxford, located northwest of Brixton. Before them stood a tall Ice Gate.
This, too, was a ‘Ice Kingdom (Ice Kingdom)’ fortified by magical devices. There were seven such cities in England.
Of these, the areas centered around Brixton and Cambridge had already been submerged by the wave of ice.
Only five ‘Ice Kingdom (Ice Kingdom)’ remained.
Among them, the ‘Ice Kingdom (Ice Kingdom)’ centered around Oxford was located in the innermost part of England, making it less susceptible to the waves.
Leila, who had narrowly escaped, felt relieved to have made it this far.
The main gate slowly opened, and soldiers emerged from within.
A familiar figure ran out from behind them.
“Prime Minister! Are you safe? I was worried when I heard that the First District had fallen. Please, come inside.”
The one who spoke with a friendly expression was Nick Dowden, the special mayor who managed the Third District.
He smiled at the evacuees, urging them to enter the city.
Nick appeared to be an approachable person at first glance, but Leila knew well that he was a sly fox with ulterior motives as a politician.
“I want to hold a cabinet meeting. Could you prepare it quickly?”
“Y-Yes, I understand. I’ll gather the Third District’s councilors immediately!”
The First and Third Districts were the official names of the areas called ‘Ice Kingdom (Ice Kingdom)’.
Originally, the name ‘Ice Kingdom (Ice Kingdom)’ was coined by civilians. However, it had now become established, and many politicians had come to call it that as well.
Once the evacuees were accommodated, a meeting was to be held at the Third District’s government office.
Long desks were arranged in a U-shape, and each of the councilors took their seats. Leila, of course, took the seat of honor.
Leila looked around and sighed softly.
Only about half of the cabinet members who had escaped from the First District had survived. The rest were missing, but they were almost certainly dead.
From the Third District, Nick and other key councilors had gathered.
“Now, let’s begin the meeting. First, let us thank God for surviving and making it here, and offer our prayers for the deceased.”
Everyone agreed with Leila’s words, and a minute of silence was observed.
When the moment of prayer ended, Oliver, the Minister of Finance, spoke.
“Prime Minister, what should our policy be from now on? If the Water Monsters are going to invade inland, we won’t be able to protect the people with our current defensive approach. Shouldn’t we take the initiative and strike back?”
The same argument as Hans (he). Leila had expected that such opinions would naturally arise from among the cabinet members.
However, her opinion was already decided.
“It is true that losing the First District was an unexpected event. However, this Third District, Oxford, is located in the innermost part of England, and there are no large rivers nearby. Here, no matter how much they manipulate the great waves, they will not be able to attack.”
“So, are we going to continue to fortify our defenses and wait for rescue from other countries?”
“I believe that is the best course of action. Are there any opposing opinions?”
Leila looked around, and each of the councilors had a troubled look on their faces.
Leila thought that no one would openly oppose her. If they decided to subjugate the Monsters and failed, who would take responsibility?
No one wanted to take responsibility. It was best to settle for the safest option.
At that moment, one of the councilors raised his hand.
It was Dominic Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, who belonged to a different faction than Leila.
“What is it, Dominic?”
“What about them? The Seekers who came from Japan. I haven’t seen them directly, but I hear that they were instrumental in evacuating from the First District. They are terrifyingly strong, overwhelming the Monsters.”
Murmurs arose from the surrounding councilors. Perhaps such rumors had spread.
“Prime Minister, how about we ask for their cooperation and form a unit to defeat the Blue King together? If we miss this opportunity, we may not get another chance to counterattack.”
“Of course, I am also aware that the Japanese Seekers have provided assistance. However, they have a fatal problem.”
“A problem…?”
Dominic frowned and looked at Leila.
“I have heard that one of the Japanese Seekers is a Monster. This is not just a rumor, it is true. He transforms into a form similar to a Monster and rampages like a Monster. Can that be called a human? If we form a unit and he goes on a rampage, the operation will fail, and there will be many casualties. We must consider that risk.”
Leila’s sharp dismissal silenced the councilors in the room.
Since no one had directly seen the Japanese Seekers fighting, they didn’t know what to say.
Amidst this, Dominic spoke up again.
“Is that story really true? I find it hard to believe.”
“Yes, it is true. If you don’t believe my words, let’s call someone who knows the details.”
Leila called over an official who was standing behind her, whispered something in his ear, and the official immediately left the room.
After a while, Hans (he), the Seeker, arrived.
Hans (he) was one of the most skilled individuals in England and was famous as a trusted veteran Seeker.
Urged by Leila to explain, he opened his mouth with a nervous expression.
“It is true that one of the Japanese Seekers, a man named Mitaka, transforms into a Monster form to fight. He was previously known as Black Armor and was being watched by the Japanese government. However—”
As Hans (he) was about to continue, Leila interrupted, saying, “That’s enough.”
“As Hans (he) said, he is an extremely unique individual, and we don’t know how much risk he poses. Can we cooperate with such a person?”
No one objected. Only Dominic questioned Hans (he).
“Hans (he), you are a Seeker with a lot of experience. From your point of view, would you say that this man Mitaka is special and dangerous?”
Asked this, Hans (he) straightened his back.
“If you ask if he is special, he is special to an unprecedented degree. However, I don’t think that Mitaka is a dangerous existence. Considering that they came all the way here—”
“That’s enough! Hans (he), you may step down.”
Reprimanded by Leila, Hans (he) stepped back with a bitter expression.
“Now, let’s take a vote. Do we take a gamble with a risky individual, or do we eliminate the risk and fortify our defenses here?”
Faced with Leila’s glare, none of the councilors objected.