Chapter 268: Assessing the Right Moment to Withdraw
“If we intervene, we will lose a significant number of combat machines, ammunition, energy, and most importantly, time. We need to secure the entire boundary of the Demon Forest, which spans over 2,000 kilometers. To protect all of it would require an astronomical investment of resources.”
“Ugh… Yes, that’s true… Even if we set up defenses every kilometer, that would be 2,000 locations. It’s certainly not realistic at this point…”
If we were to intervene as the Paraiso, it wouldn’t be limited to defending a specific area. We would need to secure everything. However, that was simply impossible.
“Even if we deployed that many automated machines, there would be no return on investment. There’s no prospect of recovering resources, and more importantly, we would be facing potential hostile forces behind us.”
“…So, you mean the upper echelons of each country?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
To defend without question and even rob the locals would be no different from a home invasion. In fact, it would be worse than robbery, as it would strip away the trust of the local populace and instill distrust in the governing bodies. It would quickly escalate into a crisis of civil unrest.
Yet, there was no time to negotiate with each country. By the time we managed to summarize favorable conditions, the connection to the Demon Forest would likely be in ruins.
Thus, the conclusion had been reached: it would be easier to simply topple the countries altogether. If we brought a nation down, we could freely harvest its resources. The benefits of that option were far greater, perhaps.
“Ugh… Humanity’s nations are such a hassle…”
“Hey, just so you know, dealing with countries is even more troublesome. You girls don’t have to worry about losing. When we do, a moment of carelessness can lead to being devoured.”
Amagio Salmon said with a weary expression. His words carried the weight of experience from a man who had reshaped nations.
“When considering a stable existence, a society managed by AI seems to extend both population and lifespan, doesn’t it?”
“Are you talking about the original world?”
“…Yes. Back then, I never considered such things.”
Before Eve became who she was, before she was transferred to this world, she lived in a world where AI managed humanity, a veritable prison disguised as a utopia. In that world, humanity lived leisurely, served by AI. There were no burdensome social obligations; they merely fulfilled tasks assigned by AI to maintain their vitality.
“Well, I don’t intend to recreate that for now. Ringo would probably dislike it.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I have no interest in managing humans.”
“…”
Eve patted Ringo’s head, who seemed to want to assert something, and attempted to reset the conversation.
“So, what would happen to us if we left the overflow from the Demon Forest unattended?”
Originally, the issue was the encroachment of threat creatures into the northern part of the Piata Empire. Ringo should have already been considering optimal responses.
“Yes, Ma’am. If we leave this unattended, the national power of the countries bordering the Demon Forest, including the Piata Empire, will gradually decline. These nations have been obtaining various materials from threat creatures in the forest, so they will lose a part of their income source.”
“The most obvious impact of declining national power is the deterioration of public safety. And then, the emergence of refugees.”
With the decrease in hunters who had been culling the threat creatures, the territories of these creatures would shift. While it wouldn’t reach the level of a stampede, the activity range of the threat creatures would gradually expand.
And those capable of preventing this were all being conscripted into wars.
“To respond to this situation without our direct involvement, we would have to bring back the conscripted hunters.”
“If we leave it be, this area will revert to a warring states period. It’s a hassle, especially since we’ve managed to consolidate into larger nations.”
When considering relations as nations, they would want to avoid a situation where the leader of an armed group, whose origins were unknown and changed every few months, was in charge. In such circumstances, proper transactions and agreements would be impossible.
“If we want to ensure regional stability, we need some form of compensation, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. However, for us at The Tree, the situation in these regions doesn’t particularly affect us. If I had to say, there’s a possibility that the production of metal ore mined in certain areas could stagnate.”
“For The Tree, that’s likely within the margin of error. In our kingdom, that production was quite important.”
The Kingdom of Reputari was in a state where domestic consumption was outpacing production, making the import of metal resources from abroad a crucial matter. However, if trade with Paraiso could continue, it would no longer be necessary.
“Resources, huh… The Afrasia United Kingdom is also doing well, and underwater resources are abundant. We could even take over the entire Prava Divine Nation, so perhaps we don’t need to worry too much…”
“I think it would be fine to provide supplies under the guise of humanitarian aid.”
Food supplies were being overproduced in the Afrasia United Kingdom and the Prava Divine Nation, leading to a surplus. Giving them away for free or at a low cost wouldn’t hurt their finances. At most, it would only incur some transportation costs.
“The invading forces from the Prava Divine Nation are completely stalled, you know. They’ve been pulled back to defend the Holy Capital.”
Currently, the Prava Divine Nation was calling up forces to the Holy Capital, unable to withstand the pressure from the south. The Holy Capital, where the Sanctuary stood, was a core area they absolutely had to defend.
“Yes, Ma’am. In that sense, there’s a possibility that the hunters could be freed and return to the north.”
“I don’t think the higher-ups will accurately grasp the situation. They’ll prioritize reclaiming territory, even if it means the destruction of the northern frontier villages.”
“So it’s true that the upper echelons don’t understand the realities on the ground.”
Eve, who had gained knowledge from war chronicles depicting foolish upper echelons, nodded in agreement.
“…”
Whether Amagio Salmon had thought of the boomerang as a hunting tool was known only to him, but wisely, he chose not to speak. Well, in Eve’s case, it was a reverse situation where she didn’t know just how capable the field personnel were.
“Hmm… Yes, it seems that trading food and supplies might be just right. As long as we receive compensation, sending out forces wouldn’t be a problem.”
That was a very passive approach. However, it was certainly a more humanitarian response than doing nothing and leaving the situation unattended.
“Sounds good, right? If it goes through our kingdom, there will be less backlash. We can also gain some goodwill.”
“Oh, that’s true. It’s better than having some unknown country like Paraiso suddenly appear.”
While the name Paraiso would likely spread in the future, it would be better to continue presenting the Kingdom of Reputari as the front in initial approaches. This could also provide various reasons for aiding the Kingdom of Reputari.
“Alright then, let’s add transport machines and food supplies from now on. We should probably start scaling back on weapons and ammunition, right?”
“Yeah. The pressure on the front lines is decreasing. Beyond this point, it would be an oversupply. We only need the bare minimum. Otherwise, we’ll see an increase in fools thinking unnecessary thoughts.”
If we don’t assess the right moment to withdraw, the goddess of the battlefield can easily transform into a demon. While I’m not too worried since we’ve entrusted the tactical decisions to the local strategic AI, it’s still a concern.
Eve, who had been somewhat detached from reality, I hoped would find her feet on the ground a bit more. With her personality, it seemed she might inadvertently become a demon lord… Humanity is foolish. They should be managed by a higher intelligence.