Chapter 316 : The Beginning of the Political Storm
Chapter 316: The Beginning of the Political Storm
Gigantic monsters like Behemoths also influenced the behavior of other [Mystics].
Even those with intelligence no greater than wild beasts were not so foolish that they could watch a being tens of thousands of times larger than themselves be torn apart and killed without feeling fear.
Immediately after Behemoth's defeat, those possessing even the bare minimum survival instinct began to slowly retreat. Only a handful of species possessed a command structure like demons; the overwhelming majority simply acted on instinct.
And an army was always at its weakest while retreating.
The leaderless monsters began running in every direction, exposing their backs. Many were trampled to death by other monsters, while others exposed fatal openings to the human forces and were cut down without resistance.
"They're running!!"
"Kill every last one of them!!"
Seizing the opportunity, the human side immediately launched a counterattack. They aggressively hunted down the fleeing [Mystics] while beginning to tend to the casualties they had been unable to help during the battle.
The desperate battle had finally eased, if only slightly, thanks to Behemoth's death.
However, the crisis was far from over.
Although the Monster Wave was roughly nearing its end, the enemy had never been an organized army, so localized battles were still continuing.
Furthermore, defensive facilities such as the railgun turrets, interceptor drones, and defensive barriers that had formed the backbone of the city's defense were beginning to fail or reach their limits.
"Report! Barrier No. 601 has collapsed!"
"We've run out of Reconstruct Form reserves! We've also confirmed a large number of Orcs breaking through the area where Barrier No. 962 collapsed!"
The terrifying thing about a Monster Wave was that no one knew exactly when it would begin, how long it would last, or when it would finally end.
At first glance, it seemed as though they were gradually gaining the upper hand, but their own losses were far from insignificant.
According to the latest reports, nearly twenty percent of the barriers in Sector E had already collapsed. The monsters might have begun retreating for now, but if another wave arrived before repairs and maintenance could be completed, defending the sector would become nearly impossible.
"The worst-case scenario would be abandoning Sector E."
There was another defensive wall between Sector D and Sector E.
In other words, it was the second line of defense against monster invasions. If necessary, the citizens of Sector E currently sheltering in bunkers would be evacuated to Sector D and make their stand there.
"The problem is that the higher-ups hate that idea."
In New Valhalla City, where the wealth gap was severe, nearly half the city's population lived in Sector E.
And the vast majority of Sector E's residents were impoverished.
To make matters worse, many residents from the Fallen District had either died during this incident or illegally slipped into the city.
With so many problems already tangled together, allowing criminals from the Fallen District to enter Sector D and beyond would be no different from carrying around a massive ticking time bomb.
Naturally, the middle and upper classes would fiercely oppose allowing both the poor of Sector E and the criminals from the Fallen District into their residential areas.
And that would directly affect votes.
In the end, the City Government would do everything possible to hold onto Sector E instead of abandoning it.
Whether that was fundamentally the correct decision or not...
...the burden of that choice would fall entirely upon the soldiers fighting on the front lines.
New Valhalla City Defense Force Central Command Headquarters.
Ordinarily, only the highest-ranking commanders and senior military officials would be gathered in a command center like this.
But New Valhalla City was different.
"I'm sorry, but our company can no longer continue providing support."
More than half the people seated around the command table were military and negotiation specialists dispatched by private corporations.
Excluding the Stingray Group, representatives from roughly fifty companies were currently arguing over stacks of documents.
The first to speak was the representative from JH Foods.
It was a megacorporation that had grown rapidly after purchasing the facilities and expertise of the long-bankrupt Smile Corporation at bargain prices.
Although it wasn't influential enough to attend the G20 Corporate Summit, it was still a well-known mid-sized megacorporation that almost every citizen recognized.
The fact that such a company had suddenly announced it was pulling out left not only the government officials but also the City Defense Commander utterly bewildered.
When the commander was too stunned to respond, one of his staff officers stepped forward and asked,
"You're Mr. Ellingston, Director of Sales at JH Foods, correct? I hope you understand what you're saying. The Monster Wave hasn't even ended yet. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since it began."
"That's precisely why I'm saying this."
The JH Sales Director's response was unwavering.
"Do you have any idea how much our company has already lost in less than a single day? Just the cost of the private soldiers, equipment, modules, and ammunition we've provided to the City Defense Force has already amounted to losses worth billions."
"Is it really only about money? At a time when the fate of the city... no, of all humanity hangs in the balance, I'd be deeply disappointed if that's your attitude."
"The fate of human civilization, you say? Yes, compared to that, I suppose it really does look like we're making a fuss over mere money. But let's be honest with each other. Isn't everyone here ultimately just trying to make a living?"
"Director!"
"I'm not finished yet. Countless companies, including ours, have stepped forward to defend this city. But what has the government promised us in return?"
"Once this situation is over, we'll discuss that together with the Mayor..."
"We're not philanthropists."
The Sales Director cut off the commander's words and pressed even harder.
His expression radiated complete confidence.
"It would certainly be wonderful for you if our sacrifices were enough to save the city. But what happens after the fighting ends? When our company is staggering from the cost of supporting this war, what if rival corporations begin squeezing us both economically and militarily? Will the government compensate us with taxpayers' money?"
"That..."
"I'm sure JH isn't the only company worrying about this. We all gathered because the situation was urgent, but fundamentally, we're businessmen. If there were at least some verbal promise from the government, that would be one thing. But as things stand, with Commander, you've offered us nothing. Frankly, we no longer feel confident continuing to pour resources into this effort."
"...Ha. Really."
These bastards...
Although the City Defense Commander maintained a gentle smile on his face, inwardly he ground his teeth.
This damned city resembled a medieval feudal kingdom.
Just as regional lords would refuse to dispatch troops if it didn't benefit them, these corporations would withdraw their soldiers the moment they decided it was no longer profitable.
The same thing was happening now.
Only a few hours ago, they had been terrified that the city might truly collapse beyond recovery and had volunteered to help without hesitation.
Now, however, they had started calculating profits and losses.
That was probably because the greatest obstacle of this Monster Wave—Behemoth—had fallen, causing the monsters to retreat.
Now that victory was beginning to appear within reach, they had decided the danger had passed.
And so they had begun looking around to see what they could profit from.
The truly troublesome part was that he had no choice but to tolerate this shameless extortion.
If JH Group suddenly pulled out its private army, a massive hole would immediately open on the front lines.
The foundation of victory they had barely secured could collapse in an instant.
And it wasn't just JH Foods.
The other corporations that had helped during the Monster Wave would undoubtedly see JH's success and begin demanding payment as well.
"Damn it... I can practically feel my ulcer flaring up again..."
Last week, his wife had suggested he get a new cybernetic stomach implanted.
He should have listened.
At least then, he wouldn't have felt bile rising every time he dealt with these people.
Damn it all.
Suppressing the burning pain in his stomach behind a forced smile, the commander spoke in an intentionally relaxed voice.
"So then... what exactly is it that you want?"
To be fair, he hadn't failed to anticipate a situation like this.
The Mayor had already quietly informed him of several negotiation cards to use in an emergency.
Tax benefits.
Urban reconstruction development rights.
Priority rights for supplying defense equipment.
He had even calculated, more or less, how those tempting pieces of bread could be divided among the fifty greedy beasts known as corporations so that each would leave reasonably satisfied.
But corporate greed knew no limits.
Whether or not they were doomed to repeat the same mistakes throughout history, the demand JH Foods made next lay well outside the commander's expectations.
"Naturally, we have no desire to gamble humanity's survival on a scale. There are other things that belong on that scale instead. As for the losses our company suffered during this incident, we won't seek compensation."
"...Excuse me?"
"Instead."
The eyes of the JH Sales Director gleamed.
"I think it's time we talked about the Stingray Group."
"W-What exactly do you mean by that?"
"There are rumors circulating that Chairman Drake Stingray was the one who triggered this Monster Wave. The information is highly credible, so there's no need to doubt its authenticity."
"So?"
"Our request is simple. 'Justice.' You could also call it 'reaping what one sows' or 'good rewarded, evil punished.' We believe the Stingray Group must be held fully responsible for the disaster they caused."
Only then did the commander finally understand their true intentions.
They weren't after bread.
They wanted whale meat.
They intended to use this disaster as an excuse to hunt down the enormous whale known as the Stingray Group, tear it to pieces, and divide the remains among themselves.
"Hmm..."
The commander fell into thought.
What would happen if he threw the Stingray Group to them as prey?
Personally, he would have preferred to let the law take its course and allow the corporations to tear each other apart afterward.
The problem was that this city didn't work that way.
The Stingray Group was the Imperial Household.
Not only did the Stingray Group itself play a vital role in maintaining the city, but its influence extended throughout the City Government, politics, and even the judiciary.
Even the commander himself had received several rather impressive "gifts" from Stingray over the years.
Could he really draw his sword against such a power?
Even if they truly had endangered all humanity, opposing them was something only a great noble corporation like Militech could afford to do—not government officials like himself.
"JH was aligned with Militech, if I remember correctly..."
In other words, JH wasn't merely speaking for itself.
It was voicing the position of the entire Militech faction.
They didn't merely want to destroy the Stingray Group.
They wanted to replace every influential figure connected to Stingray across every industry.
And, more immediately, they were asking everyone in this room to abandon Stingray and side with them instead.
Stingray... or Militech.
As the commander pondered the choice, something suddenly struck him as strange.
Come to think of it, weren't there quite a few companies here that belonged to the Stingray faction as well?
Why hadn't any of them objected to JH's proposal?
His gaze swept across the faces of everyone attending the meeting.
Before long, he arrived at a single conclusion.
"They're all in on it."
Even the pro-Stingray corporations had apparently decided to switch sides to Militech after this incident.
Then again, who would continue supporting a mad emperor who had destroyed his own colony?
"It's still impossible to predict exactly how this war will end... but at most, this situation will be over within two days."
Historically, no Monster Wave had ever lasted longer than a week.
Judging from the movements of the [Mystics] and all the intelligence gathered so far, if they could just overcome this moment, they would emerge victorious.
Provided the corporations attending this meeting continued supporting them as actively as they had been.
"Tomorrow. Or the day after. The war ends... and then the whales begin fighting each other."
The exhausting political struggle would begin.
And naturally, he would be dragged into it.
If he wanted to survive what came next...
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer.
"What exactly is it that you want?"
When he asked, the JH Sales Director responded with a question of his own.
"Have you, by any chance, heard the name 'Aaron Stingray'?"