"So then, regarding the tentacles mentioned in the report... is destroying them ultimately the best option?"
Ranga nodded gravely at Daskar's words.
"Based on the information we've gathered, it is. That said, the location is problematic—that much is also true."
"Wouldn't it have been better to just leave it to Rei, who was already fighting them yesterday?" The one who cut into Ranga's words was one of the knights participating in the conference.
Rei, who possessed tremendous individual power, and Vihera had been fighting the tentacles in the Underground Space. Judging from the submitted report, they had indeed held the upper hand.
Given that, if they had simply not stopped the fight yesterday and left it to them, the tentacles would have been defeated, and there would have been no need for everyone to agonize over it like this now.
So the knight argued, but another knight countered him.
"You say that, but at the time we had almost no information about those tentacles. We interrogated the captives, and only then did we manage to grasp the situation to this extent. Considering that, this incident was unavoidable."
"Besides... it's Rei, you know? Let him fight those tentacles to his heart's content in the Underground Space, and it wouldn't be surprising if the whole space collapsed and the entire area was engulfed in flames."
"Indeed. Well, if it were only that area, it wouldn't be a problem. But if the damage extended to the Noble District... considering that, I'd say Lord Ranga's judgment was appropriate after all."
When one heard the name Rei, the first thing that came to mind was his wide-area annihilation magic—the Flame Tornado.
Among those present, some had witnessed it with their own eyes during the war with the Bestia Empire, so they inevitably thought of it that way.
In reality, Rei could use many types of magic besides wide-area annihilation, and he was also highly experienced in one-on-one combat. But still, it was only natural that the impression of what they had witnessed firsthand would remain stronger than anything else.
There were also those who had not participated in the war for some reason—such as Gilm's defense—but none of them questioned their comrades' accounts.
That was because Rei had accumulated exactly that kind of track record.
...And the proof of that was the Gigant Turtle dissection currently taking place right beside Gilm.
Of course, the Gigant Turtle hadn't been defeated by Rei's power alone, but it was an undeniable fact that he had played a major role.
Given that, there was no one here who doubted Rei's ability.
"Let us return to the topic." At Daskar's words, the chatter ceased.
Taking a sip of the tea on the table, Daskar spoke again. "In this case, the problem is indeed the location. Being near the Noble District is too costly. ...Ranga, is it possible to lure the tentacles that emerge from that Underground Space to another location—somewhere far from Gilm, preferably? If the creature emerges from a spatial rift, it seems like something that could be done."
At Daskar's words, Ranga shook his head with a troubled expression.
"That would be difficult, I think. No—if we took the time, it might become possible, but we would need to continuously offer sacrifices to the tentacles to keep them pacified until it was completed."
"...Specifically, how much time would that require?"
At the mention of it taking time, Daskar asked after a moment's thought.
A low, low, low voice—one that could fittingly be described as echoing from the bottom of the earth. What it carried was the strong will of the Lord of Gilm.
As if pressed by Daskar's voice, Ranga spoke. "I can't say exactly how long. There aren't many who possess information about the tentacles. We did capture the mastermind, a man named Javis, but while he was entrusted with this incident, he doesn't appear to be particularly knowledgeable about magic."
"I would expect so."
Daskar had also read the report. According to it, the man named Javis was a martial artist, and did not seem likely to be well-versed in magic. There might be martial artists in the world who were knowledgeable about magic, but even without having met him directly, Javis did not strike Daskar as that type.
Given that, while they could learn the general circumstances from Javis, there was no way to find out from him how to stop the tentacles from being summoned or how to break the contract.
If so, there were not many options available.
"How many condemned criminals remain at present?"
There was no one in the room who failed to understand the meaning behind Daskar's words.
What it meant was... sacrifices. To keep the tentacles from going on a rampage, sacrifices naturally had to be offered.
Given Daskar's position, offering innocent people as sacrifices was out of the question. But... if it were the other way around—if they were people who had committed crimes—then what?
That required no deliberation.
Condemned criminals—and not those with light crimes, but those whose execution was certain—would present no problem at all. It might seem heartless, but considering Daskar's position as the Lord of Gilm, this was in a sense only natural.
And, whether fortunately or unfortunately...
"At present, there are about thirty individuals in need of execution."
Because Gilm was a frontier land, rare materials and Magic Stones were easy to obtain, and with many High-Rank Adventurers present, punishments tended to be severe when crimes did occur. As a result, condemned criminals whose execution was certain existed in abundance—numbers unthinkable for a city of this scale.
Using such criminals as sacrifices against the tentacles was not something Daskar should hesitate over. ...Regardless of his inner feelings on the matter.
"I see. And how many sacrifices are needed per day?"
"I will look into it and inform you promptly."
"Good. Do so."
"Lord Daskar."
Daskar, who had been speaking with Ranga, was suddenly addressed. Turning his gaze toward the source of the voice, he found one of the civil officials entrusted with internal affairs.
Prompted by a glance to continue, the man gave a small bow before speaking. "If we continue offering sacrifices as is, the Cobolt situation will likely persist as well. According to the report, Cobolts were summoned due to the sacrifice system—so considering that, there is a possibility that monsters stronger than Cobolts might appear."
"That may well happen. But it's better than letting those tentacles run rampant in the city."
"Besides, regarding the Cobolts... it's exactly as written in this report, isn't it? Rei built a wall and is blocking most of the intrusions. On top of that, they're also being drawn to the Gigant Turtle dissection site."
One of the knights said so while reading the report. Of course, the report also noted that a few individuals were climbing over the Earth Wall and infiltrating Gilm.
"Hmm. So Rei has been this useful for Gilm's sake. ...That's a great help to us as well."
The Gigant Turtle dissection alone was already extremely welcome, providing work for those without employment. On top of that, Gigant Turtle meat had begun flowing into the market to some extent. Even among those present, some had acquaintances participating in the dissection who shared meat with them, or had bought and eaten the meat being sold.
In that sense, many were even grateful to Rei.
...Similarly, there were also those who had been inconvenienced by Rei's actions, though.
"If the Cobolt situation is manageable as is, then there's no problem. Even if, as has been suggested, monsters more powerful than Cobolts were to appear... Gilm's adventurers, including Rei, should have no difficulty dealing with them."
Many nodded in agreement at Daskar's words. Among them were some who were inwardly opposed, but when asked whether they had an alternative, they had none—and so they had no choice but to go along with the idea of buying time through sacrifices.
They could hardly rely on the optimistic hope that, if they simply did nothing, the tentacles might disappear on their own. That was why, even though they were opposed, they couldn't voice it directly.
"Then, Lord Daskar. Shall we inform Rei of this matter? We've been relying on Rei quite heavily in this incident, and above all, he's the one who fought those tentacles in the Underground Space. Since the fight was interrupted midway, Rei will undoubtedly come asking about the situation."
All things considered, Ranga had a long relationship with Rei. Since he was the one who had dealt with Rei when he first arrived in Gilm, he knew Rei's personality well.
He wasn't looking forward to explaining the plan to use death-row inmates as sacrifices, and Rei certainly wouldn't take it well... but even so, he understood that Rei would come around if they spoke to him honestly.
However, that was only if they told him straightforwardly. If they tried to hide it or brush it off, it would only fuel Rei's distrust.
Understanding that, Ranga asked Daskar whether they could explain the circumstances to Rei.
At Ranga's words, Daskar thought for a few seconds, then nodded.
In terms of standing, Rei was no more than a mere adventurer. Ordinarily, there would be no need to go out of the way to share important matters with him. But Rei, while being a mere adventurer, was also special in a variety of ways.
First, he was associated with Elena, Vihera, and Marina—figures who wielded significant influence. Furthermore, he possessed a Gryphon as a means of transportation and even had something like an Item Box.
Given such a person, keeping him informed so they could call on him for help immediately in an emergency was only natural.
Also, if they carelessly hid the fact that they were using death-row inmates as sacrifices, there was a possibility—however remote—that some misunderstanding might drive Rei to oppose Daskar.
Daskar was confident he had built a friendly relationship with Rei, and he was aware that he was even respected to a degree. But that didn't mean the option of neglecting close Communication with Rei existed.
"Do so. If monsters other than Cobolts appear, we'll need him to move immediately."
"What about High-Rank Adventurers other than Rei?"
Naturally, there were High-Rank Adventurers in Gilm besides Rei. In response to the civil official's question about how to handle contacting them, Daskar turned his gaze to Ranga.
"Ranga, how many High-Rank Adventurers were involved in yesterday's forced search?"
"If we're talking B-Rank and above, about twenty or so."
"...That's many. No—in this case, I should be pleased."
The forced search conducted yesterday was a request that barely offered any compensation and hadn't even gone through the Guild. Through the Guards' personal connections, calls went out to those who harbored patriotic sentiments toward Gilm—no, since it wasn't a nation, perhaps civic pride was the better term. To those who held such feelings and were able to act.
Given that, as the Lord of Gilm, Daskar should be pleased.
"Indeed. This incident had many negative aspects, but conversely, it also brought about good things—that's what this tells us."
That there were many who loved the city of Gilm where they lived was something that made Daskar... no, most of those present nod happily at those words.
This incident had brought plenty of headache-inducing problems, but that particular point was extremely gratifying.
"But... yes. While I'm glad about that, let's limit our notification to Rei for now. Ah, and also those acting alongside Rei. Crimson Lotus Wings are one of the key combat assets when it comes to dealing with the tentacles."
"Understood. I shall do so. ...Still, is it already this time?"
One of those in the room turned their gaze toward the window. Outside, morning had already passed and it was nearing midday. They had taken a few breaks along the way, but even so, quite a few people showed weary expressions at this conference, which had been running since last night.
The fact that the knights, who prided themselves on their stamina, appeared more exhausted than the civil officials who rarely exercised... was likely because this was a conference, after all.
"Hmm, indeed. You each need to rest, and there are also matters such as issuing instructions to your subordinates and gathering information that need to be done. Let's end the conference here for now and resume tonight. By then, we should have more information that we currently lack."
With those words from Daskar, the conference came to a temporary close.