第３８９堀：結構ぎりぎりだったりする (Part1)
**Chapter 389: It’s Actually Quite Close**
**Side: Seraria**
"You're full of energy today too!"
"Ai!!"
"Yes. That’s a very good answer."
I was spending time with the children before heading off to work.
There was my daughter, Sakura, of course, but also Sumire, Eria, Yuyu, Schans, and Shael—all of them. Except for Sakura, I wasn't the one who gave birth to them, but they are the children of my eternal friends, women who share the same husband and have sworn to support one another.
To me, they are no different from my own.
In fact, being surrounded by such adorable children makes me incredibly happy. Raising children is certainly hard work, but everyone helps out, and my husband does his part as well, so I don't find it a burden.
Well, it might seem strange for a Queen and her consort to be raising children themselves, but both my husband and I are more like commoners at heart. It would be a problem if it interfered with government affairs, but those tedious tasks have already been delegated, and the majority of operations are handled by the citizens of Weed.
While proper management is necessary, I’m never in a situation where I’m permanently chained to my desk. Because of that, there are no issues with the current arrangement.
"Now then. Mama has to go to work. Be good little children, okay?"
"""Aai!"""
Lately, they’ve started responding to my standard phrases. Since they’ve learned various words starting from 'Mama' and 'Papa,' we can even hold light conversations. Though, since they’re children, their interest quickly darts elsewhere, and the conversation gets cut short.
"Have a safe trip, My Lady."
The one bowing to me as I left the nursery was Kirue. She is the pillar of our home, taking charge of the children’s care and general housework.
"I’m sorry for leaving the kids and the house entirely to you lately. You too, Sasari."
Recently, trouble has been cropping up one after another regarding Ex, so I’ve often had to leave the domestic duties to Kirue and Sasari.
"Not at all. With this, I feel I have finally reached the level of service expected in a royal palace... barely. Besides, how could I ever grow tired of caring for my own child and the daughters of Lady Seraria and the others?"
Kirue’s crisp, immediate response was incredibly reassuring. To be honest, I don’t think I ever had a maid as capable as her even among my personal attendants back in the old days. When we first met, I wondered what to do with a maid who had received Goddess Lilishe’s blessing, but now she is an indispensable presence.
As expected of Lady Lilishe. She must have seen all of this coming.
"Ahaha. I can't say I'm completely tireless like Kirue-senpai, but this is much easier than working in a noble's manor, so I'm perfectly fine."
Sasari laughed as she spoke beside me. She often takes the role of seeing me off at the entrance. Unlike Kirue, she isn't nursing a child right now. It’s a matter of the right person for the right place.
"Now, enough small talk. It is almost time for your work. Sasari, see her off properly, understood?"
"Understood!"
Sasari snapped into a salute at Kirue’s words. She used to be a knight, so those old habits tend to surface. Well, she’s excellent as a maid too, so it’s not a problem.
Honestly, both of them are so talented it feels like a waste to keep them as mere maids. It’s not just that they’ve become strong after being trained by my husband—though all the wives and associates are—it’s that they have the talent of commanders.
They say they’re happy being maids, so I leave them be, but if they ever wished for it, I’d consider giving them generalships during emergencies, just like Tori, Riel, or Kaya.
That said, while Kirue is one thing, Sasari was brought here as Samantha’s attendant. I wonder if she has any concerns?
"By the way, how are you doing, Sasari? Unlike Samantha, you spend most of your time here in Weed. Any problems?"
"No, nothing in particular. Thanks to the Master, I can speak the language fluently now. Though, honestly, my head hurt more when the Japanese language was first shoved into my brain."
"Ah, I can relate to that. And are you getting along with the residents?"
"There are many kind people here. I’ve never seen a city where you can just walk around and take a nap without a care in the world. The public safety is shockingly good. Oh, wait, there is one problem."
"What is it?"
"There are too many shops with delicious food... my weight is..."
"I can't do anything about that. You'll have to work hard."
...That is a trial that almost every woman who visits Weed must overcome. To make matters worse, there are scales placed in the bathhouses, so you’re forced to face the reality of your situation. Honestly, who was the person who decided that putting scales in bathhouses should be the norm?!
"And, Lady Seraria. There is one thing I wanted to ask before you leave."
"What is it?"
"The recent reinforcement of the forces deployed to the Ex Capital. Personally, I felt it was a bit... excessive. The Master doesn't talk about work at home, and looking at the documents alone, I feel like there isn't quite enough justification for such a move. Do you have any detailed explanation regarding that?"
"I've been curious about that too. That's why I'm going to ask him today. He happens to be in Weed right now regarding Dressa’s enrollment."
"I see. In that case, have a safe trip."
"Yes. I'm off."
I had seen those documents too. A reason was provided. However, there was no way my husband was moving exactly as the text suggested. Or rather, he *was* following the text, but he is an expert at moving through the loopholes within it.
As Sasari said, it felt like overkill, and the timing seemed too rushed. If he said the information gathering was complete, that would be that, but he isn't the type of husband to move for such a simple reason. I have to assume he’s in a situation where he *has* to move.
Normally, my husband is the type to use his silver tongue and clever hands to manipulate the opponent and avoid the fight altogether. Yet now, he is in a state of full military deployment.
This is definitely strange.
***
"So, out with it. Start talking."
"Eh. Why am I being treated like the bad guy here?"
Before me stood my husband, his arms held firmly by Ria and Jessica. Cleena and Samantha were currently with Popuri, so they weren't here.
"Now that you mention it, it is extremely unnatural. Yuki-san, please speak," Ria added.
"Indeed. I was so surprised by the lineup of Steve and the others that my doubts were blown away, but Yuki, were you aiming for this all along?" Jessica asked.
"He probably was. Right?" I pressed.
"I wasn't aiming for it. It just turned out this way because of the situation."
"Then would you mind explaining that situation?"
"...Sigh. I didn't really want to say it."
"I knew you were hiding something. What is it? What’s the reason for deploying this much power?"
As Ria, Jessica, and I stared him down, Yuki took on a serious expression and...
"For now, let me sit down. Also, I want some tea."
...He was his usual self.
Well, as he said, it would be difficult to listen to a long explanation like this, and we were all getting thirsty, so I decided to hear him out after preparing some tea.
"Now then, after having some tea... it feels like I should just get to the explanation first."
"Yes, you should."
"Where do I even start? Honestly, you read the explanation in the documents, right?"
"Yes. But why go that far with the deployment? And why are you taking such aggressive measures?"
"Ah—well, everything is connected. Like I said in the documents, it's to ensure the goal is achieved. It’s too optimistic to think we can keep infiltrating over and over, right? Even if the enemy hasn't noticed us, things could change just because of a shift in their operations. It’s important to move while the intel is fresh."
"True. But that’s not the only reason, is it? Oh, is it about the zombies?"
"Well, I left the zombie stuff out because I couldn't show that to Popuri and the others. But that's not all. Ah, where to begin..."
"Why are you hesitating so much? I just want to know the reason for deploying enough force to crush the Ex Capital. Isn't it because you're working behind the scenes and need this to make it succeed?"
"No, it’s hard to understand this move without knowing the story that came before it."
"The story before?"
Yuki muttered that he should start from there and leaned back deeply into his chair.
"Yes, the story before. That’s the reason we’ve taken such aggressive action this time. First, let’s review the problem—no, the goal. Ria, tell me: why did we head to the Ex Capital in the first place?"