第５７０堀：イフ会談始まる (Part1)
### Chapter 570: The If Continent Summit Begins
**Side: Yuki**
"Ugh, I'm sleepy."
"Pull yourself together. If you don't, all the hard work Jessica and the others from the If Continent put in will go to waste."
"I know, I know."
I ended up talking with Noble until late last night, so I'm exhausted today.
I intentionally made the kings and their aides from the If Continent wait for a full day. According to Horst’s report, there are some idiots among them who were caught bad-mouthing the maids, so I decided to let them stew for a day to see if it was just a bluff or if they were genuinely that stupid.
If they were complete fools, their attitudes would surely sour after being made to wait a day and seeing me show up in such a relaxed manner. Plus, it serves as a clear signal that I won't be dancing to the If Continent’s tune. After all, I have to coordinate with the Rogali Continent members as well.
*Heh. May misfortune befall you, you useless goddess. Specifically, may you stub your pinky toe on the corner of a dresser.*
*“Ouch!? Nooo, my pinky—!? Hey! Don’t go making weird wishes! That actually hurts, you know!?”*
Evil shall perish. My mood improved slightly, and my sleepiness began to fade.
"…I just got a complaint from Luna telling me to stop making weird wishes about her. What did you wish for?"
"That she’d stub her pinky on the corner of a dresser."
"…That’s a dull, lingering kind of pain. But try to keep it in moderation, okay? Luna isn't exactly a bad person… or rather, she isn't an evil god."
Even Seraria seems to have a hard time thinking of Luna as a "High God," as she corrected herself mid-sentence. Well, I can't blame her. Even setting aside the fact that she’s left everything to us, seeing her slothful behavior here in Weed makes it hard to see her as a "good person" or a "good goddess." "Goddess of Sloth," "Fallen Goddess," or just "Useless Goddess" fits her much better.
"It’s fine. I just wished it, and she let her guard down and hit it. If she could be fixed just by me wishing for it, I would have turned her back into a decent person already."
"…I suppose that’s true. So, are you sure about the summit with the If Continent? Are you really sure you don't need me to go?"
"Seraria, you are the representative of the Weed Kingdom of the Rogali Continent. This time, they specifically asked to meet me personally. It’s better if you show your face alongside the other countries during the Rogali-If summit. If you start talking to them beforehand, it’ll just breed jealousy."
"We’re the ones who have been investigating them from the start, though."
"Exactly why. Countries in the Rogali Continent that don't know the situation in Weed might start thinking that Weed is siding with the If Continent."
"What a pain. But if anything happens to you, I’ll move to suppress them immediately."
"I’m counting on you for that. Though, I’d prefer you didn't, since that would be an absolute nightmare."
"Fair enough. Well, I’m heading to the command room. You do your best at the Betan."
"Yeah."
Seraria and I parted ways to head to our respective workplaces. That said, all it takes is stepping through a gate to reach the Betan. It’s nice having my workplace so close, though in reality, it just means I end up flying back and forth between here and there, so it’s more of a mixed blessing.
Lost in thought, I arrived at the same office as yesterday. Horst and my wives, who have been working tirelessly as diplomats, were already gathered. I was the last one to arrive.
"Alright, I know it’s been tough since yesterday, but today is the main event. I’m counting on you all."
"Yes!"
Seeing everyone respond clearly, I confirmed that no one seemed to be in poor health. I decided to sit down and hear the reports on the effects of our "ignore them" strategy from yesterday.
"So, how did each country fare?"
"There hasn't been any particular movement from Zilba. They brought Marly-sama and the others as escorts, and since the high-ranking officials are the same people who were present during that 'visit' back then, I don't think they’ll say anything foolish."
I see. They avoided unnecessary trouble from the start and brought Marly—Jessica’s former superior and someone with whom we have a long history. And the diplomatic window for the high officials knows us, too. King Zilba actually took that into account. Given his personality, I expected him to bring troublemakers on purpose... Oh, wait, didn't he say he’d charge us a processing fee if we handled them for him?
"And I will report on Enaria. Agil-sama mentioned that things are a bit restless over there."
"What do you mean? They should have been thoroughly humbled back then..."
"No, she says there shouldn't be any public complaints. The problem is that we are seen as being closer to the Church. They’ll likely pressure us to side with the Royal Family."
"Ah, I remember that. Power in that country is split between the Enaria Church and the Royal Family, right?"
"Yes. Since this If Summit specifically requested the top leaders—the kings—the Enaria Church couldn't get involved. For the Church, which worships Rurua and the others as saints, not being able to interact with you here today is a significant blow."
*Keep your political maneuvering elsewhere. Don't drag my wives into it.* Still, I suppose the reason for that is that my wives, led by Rurua, went a bit too far in Enaria. No, the real cause was the Holy Sword users, Sia and Kishua, who attacked us.
*Maybe I should use them to keep things quiet. It is Sia’s country, after all.* The mental control from the Holy Swords has been broken, and they seem to have regained their senses after reuniting with Comet and being "disciplined" by my wives. It’s about time I collected on the debt for all the relaxing they’ve been doing in Weed. If they complain about being short-handed, I’ll tell them to bring their Holy Sword-wielding friends along.
"Alright, next is August or Roday..."
"I will report first. As for Roday, the King is... well, the King, so there are no particular complaints. In fact, ever since His Majesty arrived at the Betan, he’s been wandering around aimlessly, so his escorts and officials have been busy bowing and apologizing to everyone. I was dragged around by him yesterday, too."
"I see. That old man is as free-spirited as ever. Wait, is his attendant the Magic Sword user from Roday? I don't think I’ve heard her name."
"Yes. It’s 'Rock Wall' Doje, who specializes in defense using earth and ground-based magic swords. She’s a relatively quiet type, and since she’s been focused on border defense in Roday, it’s no wonder you don't know her name. However, her reputation within Roday is high. She’s a brave general skilled in defense, capable of creating massive moats and walls in an instant to suppress enemy invasions. Because it looks like mere gardening to the enemy, her evaluation is low, but..."
"I see. An unsung hero. Since that old man brought her, she must have real trust and achievements. Is she the type to cause trouble with others?"
"No, as I said, she’s the quiet type and doesn't like trouble. When I was dragged into searching for the Roday King yesterday, Doje participated and was bowing her head to the townspeople right along with us. So, I don't think there’s any need for concern. If anything, she looks like she needs some stomach medicine."
"…Samantha, you have my permission to give her some. I’d hate for her to collapse while inside the Betan."
"Understood."
Even if the cause is that old man from Roday, it’s unreasonable, but since it’s only for a few more days, we’ll just have to have Doje, the Magic Sword user, hold things together. I won't spare any support for that.
Finally, the last one. Well, Ex and White Forest are family, so I’ve already heard from them directly. That leaves only August. Cleena, however, is in a particularly bad mood.
"…Reporting. The people from August basically look down on Weed. They’re even pestering me to make you listen to them through me. Can I burn them?"
"No. Where is this coming from? Would the King of August say something like that? He has a friendship with Popuri, the headmistress of the Lancer Academy, after all."
"It’s not the King. But using the headmistress and Amanda as a cover has backfired. The idiots from August finished their business without knowing the true power of you and the others, so they just think of you as mere upstarts or people who are just bluffing."
"I see. So, not having any flashy battle records is a problem in this regard, huh?"
"It’s not a disadvantage. They’re just idiots. I’m burning them."
"Cleena, calm down. Since the King didn't say it, they’re doing this on their own. I’ll make it known that I’m angry about this. And since you’ll be acting as a princess at this summit, there shouldn't be any problem if you confront the King of August directly to deal with the fools who tried to use you."
"I see. Finishing them off with the power they love so much. How thrilling."