“I became tired of explaining the situation over and over. And so every time you reset, I sent the recorded video over to Fi.”
‘Still, this ‘veedio’ or whatever it’s called, is quite impressive, isn’t it? Look, look, Sheto. We both look quite fearsome here.’
‘You, too reckless. The spear, almost hit Fi.’
‘Woah! I’m spinning around on the bull. I’m never riding on your back again!’
Furukamuto pressed his lips into a tight line, desperately holding back a scream.
‘So that is how it is. Still, there was no need to explain this to the Hero, was there?’
‘And yet you gave up the advantage of this footage, just to set up this negotiation meeting?’
The Seer nodded at the strategist’s words.
From the outside, it might look as if the monsters had the upper hand here. But that was only within this situation.
If they were to withdraw their forces immediately and gather the armies scattered across the other cities, they could easily overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers and bring down the demon general.
‘In the end, all you’ve done was bring the situation into a temporary stalemate. Once the Hero leaves the battlefield and begins the counteroffensive, all that will await you is a slow death. So you came here to secure a decisive battle in order to avoid that, didn’t you?’
‘Well, something like that. If we miss this chance, there is no way that we can defeat you. And we cannot afford to have everything reset and wiped clean again.’
If they were to retreat now, the monsters would likely pursue them with everything they had. And there would definitely be casualties during the withdrawal.
More than anything, it would be far too dangerous to attempt a mountain march while evading pursuit from the kobold and wolf, while also fending off the demon general’s charge.
‘What are your demands?’
‘Indeed… First of all, how about doing this ‘save’ thing right here and now?’
So it’s come to this. The Seer thought.
Currently, the area around the encampment was being kept under surveillance, with magic detection continuing in order to prevent invisibility and ambushes.
But the fact that they had set up this meeting and were requesting a save…
‘…The use of the divine rule, it must align with the Seer’s intent. I cannot decide that on my own.’
The Hero spoke at last. It seemed that the child at least understood the situation to some extent.
‘I do not mind. I will drink slowly over here and wait.’
‘Be careful, you don’t drink too much.’
‘We should eat too then. Being nervous has made me hungry.’
The monsters ate their late meal right there on the spot.
‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to conduct negotiations in a very favorable way.’
“It doesn’t matter. I knew that they would use their past achievements as leverage to make such demands.”
In fact, the Seer was rather impressed that the general had seen the world before the reset, and was still able to respond so calmly.
“I will hear your opinion then. Do you think that we should save here?”
‘If I can speak frankly…I think we should.’
“And the reason?”
‘For them, this experience of repeatedly starting over cannot be pleasant. After all, plans they carefully prepared were overturned at the last moment. And so they would wish to prevent that by securing some certainty about what lies ahead.’
Vengras’s point was a sound one. As a surface-level motive, it was probably correct.
The Seer remained silent, allowing him to continue.
‘However, this can be an opportunity for us as well. In the footage of the past, we saw the demon general bewildering us with various tactics. But…’
“By saving, their future actions become fixed. Even if not completely, it would at least place certain restrictions on them.”
‘Furthermore, they haven’t revealed all of their demands yet. I believe it would not be too late to decide after we hear everything they want.’
“Very well. I will leave the negotiations to you, Vengras. Yasuharu, watch the magician’s methods carefully. It will help you in the future.”
He seemed likely, his blue robe fluttering as he walked back to the demon general. That appearance of enjoying the situation was quite similar to the Dragon God.
And then an unpleasant premonition stirred in the Seer’s mind.
Would someone who had been laying elaborate traps this whole time…really agree to settle for such honest negotiations?