The large force moving with the land battleship Jotun at its center slowly came to a halt.
At the front were the multi-legged ground carrier platform and its escort units.
“...”
Facing them were the cleric-soldiers guarding the <Demon Forest> frontier settlement.
A detachment of the Chimiya Family.
They seemed to have noticed the doll-machine communicator leaning out from the upper hatch of the multi-legged ground carrier platform, so they did not immediately go into full alert.
A few of them slowly began approaching the multi-legged ground carrier platform, which had stopped several hundred meters away.
After confirming that, doll-machine communicators jumped down from the multi-legged ground carrier platform.
Three doll-machine communicators, and three multi-legged attack craft serving as escorts.
To show that there was no immediate hostility, only those units resumed advancing.
‘Is dialogue possible?’
The distance between them was about 10 meters.
Ordinarily, that was not a range where one could immediately make a move, but the other side consisted of cleric-soldiers who could use magic.
It was close enough to count as right in each other’s faces.
Well, the same was true for <The Tree>’s side, which was equipped with electromagnetic projectors.
“We are prepared to talk.”
Using a loudspeaker, the Chimiya Family gave that reply.
◇◇◇◇
“So they really can hold a conversation.”
Watching the live feed, Eve let out that impression.
“The capture of the Holy Capital ended exactly as planned, but I wonder how this side will go.”
A few days earlier, the second Holy Capital invasion operation had been carried out.
As a result, although <The Tree>’s side had lost a considerable number of automatic machines, it had succeeded in eliminating all hostile units and completed the full suppression of the Holy Capital.
While pinning the Archbishops at the front line in place with saturation attacks, it had destroyed the Bishop-class units with energy attacks.
After that, it had poured enough energy into each Archbishop one by one to turn the ground into boiling lava and vaporize them.
Along the way, the surrounding shells and the constituent elements of various automatic machines ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) caught up in it had also been vaporized and dispersed, so apparently the soil contamination from toxic heavy metals and the like had become rather serious, but it would probably all be recoverable in a few months.
At present, no one was left alive there, so it was not having any particular effect.
Incidentally, the melting point of silica, SiO2, which is a major component of rock, is apparently 1,650°C, and the boiling point is 2,230°C.
Just a side note.
“By some means or another, news of what happened in the Holy Capital should have reached them. We don’t know how they’ll react, but Iris predicts it won’t go badly.”
“I see. Their area is close to the <Demon Forest>, so if things get too noisy it feels like it could become a pain. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a fight...”
The Chimiya Family was developing the <Demon Forest>.
Naturally, its base of operations was at the entrance to the <Demon Forest>.
Since there had already been a case where a wyvern came flying in because of a battle several hundred kilometers away, they obviously could not afford to let their guard down.
◇◇◇◇
“Let us hear your demands.”
“That you offer no resistance to us. In return, we will provide food and all other supplies.”
“...”
At the invader’s words, the cleric-soldier on the Chimiya Family side fell silent.
Most likely because the answer was completely different from what had been expected.
The victors were offering aid to the defeated.
Measured against their way of thinking and their common sense, it was probably incomprehensible.
“We are interested in your ongoing development of the <Demon Forest> and your reaching the Holy Land. We are willing to support that.”
“...Wait a moment. That is not a judgment I can make. ...Teronia, call Lord Ureberia.”
“Yes, sir.”
A man who appeared to be an attendant soldier ran off as a messenger.
Watching him go, Ichihatsu=Iris, in doll-machine communicator form, turned and raised a hand.
Reacting to that motion, the ground carrier platform slowly lowered its body to the ground.
A side hatch opened, and self-propelled machines came running out from inside.
“It is difficult to remain at ease while standing. We will prepare a table.”
“...Understood.”
The tarp loaded on the self-propelled machines was deployed automatically, and an improvised conference site was set up.
Once a table and chairs had been placed, serving units arranged a glass pitcher filled with water.
With a clink, ice sounded in the glasses as Ichihatsu=Iris poured water from the pitcher.
“Please.”
“...I will.”
Apparently without worrying about poison, the man who seemed to be the representative there put the glass to his lips.
“This is good water.”
By the time everyone present had finished their water, a man in somewhat more elaborate clothing and several attendant soldiers came walking over.
“...This is Lord Ureberia, who will be handling negotiations with you.”
“I see.”
Ichihatsu=Iris nodded, then walked forward herself to greet the man.
Behind her, two guards accompanied her.
“Welcome. I am Ichihatsu, dispatched to negotiate with you.”
“I am Ureberia. I had assumed this was a demand for surrender. Is there something else?”
“It is a negotiation. We wish to negotiate with you.”
With that, both sides took their seats at the table.
Ichihatsu=Iris took the lead in eating the prepared light snacks.
Ureberia seemed slightly taken aback, but he too reached for a baked sweet.
“We have demonstrated power. We judged that necessary in order to hold dialogue with you.”
“Hm... It seems you know about us.”
At Ureberia’s check, Ichihatsu nodded.
“We have investigated you. Even so, this is the first time we have actually spoken. And you are also the first power-holder in this country with whom we have been able to hold a proper conversation.”
“............”
Ichihatsu’s words were nothing more than a statement of fact, but Ureberia seemed to take them as a warning, or perhaps a complaint.
Furrowing his brow, he closed his eyes, folded his arms, and let out a slight sigh.
“The people of the Holy Capital have no flexibility. Their objective was the same as ours. That was why there was no problem. But with you, a clash became inevitable.”
“As for that, there is no need to concern yourself with it here. We began it, and we ended it. And we understand that, in essence, it had nothing to do with you.”
“...I see.”
He did not seem to doubt Ichihatsu’s words.
By some means unknown, Ureberia appeared to know about the battle at the Holy Capital.
Whether because he understood <The Tree>’s power or for some other reason, he seemed willing to continue the conversation.
“Fighting you would involve heavy sacrifice. Therefore, negotiation. We are prepared to provide you with food and all other supplies, and we want you to continue developing the <Demon Forest>. Use that strength only for development. Do not oppose us. That is what we ask.”
“...I see. That is rather too favorable to us. I would like you to explain what advantage there is in it for you.”
“The development of the <Demon Forest>. And reaching the Holy Land. We are also aiming for that.”
“................”
Unbelievable.
That was probably the unanimous opinion of the Chimiya Family.
In a negotiation with an ordinary state or group, it would have meant stumbling at the very first step.
But for better or worse, the Chimiya Family was not ordinary.
Its calculations of profit and loss operated on a basis different from that of normal human groups.
“If you mean that you will not hinder the development of the road to the Holy Land, and will support it, then that is something we would welcome and would not oppose.”
“There is no need to worry about the amount of support. We can prepare more than enough.”
“Understood. I cannot accept everything on the spot here, but let us continue these negotiations through words.”
He could not judge the truth of Ichihatsu’s words.
But the negotiations would continue.
That was Ureberia’s answer.
“I am pleased that we are able to hold verbal dialogue. It will be difficult to continue much further today. Let us leave the rest for tomorrow. First, however, we have brought gifts.”
“...Gifts?”
“Food. And samples of weapons. Especially the food—you have likely been struggling with that.”
“...That is true, though only because you stopped everything.”
The infrastructure of the Prava Divine Kingdom was almost entirely at a standstill.
Naturally, that was because the transport convoys had been unable to move due to the invasion.
