第５７５堀：３度あることは４度ある？ (Part1)
Chapter 575: If It Happens Three Times, Will It Happen a Fourth?
Side: Yuki
"Yuki-san! Look, look, we caught them all! I wonder if Riyuru and the others are watching? We moms did our best!"
"Yuki-san, all three are safe. No issues at all. Does this put your mind at ease? Oh, is Yuri being quiet?"
"…Yuki, you worry too much. We can handle things of this level. I’ll leave the cleanup to Steve and head back soon. Just wait there with Kikka."
The messages came from the beastman trio—Riel, Tori, and Kaya—who were currently busy trussing up the demi-humans and hoisting them into the air.
As they mentioned, they had given birth safely before the start of this If Continent conference, officially becoming mothers. Well, they had been helping Seraria and the others look after the children for a while, so they were already mothers in every sense, but this was the first time they had given birth to their own biological children.
That was precisely why I had wanted them to take it easy. The children were only half a month old, and Tori, Riel, and Kaya were only two weeks postpartum.
Usually, one should rest for at least a month after giving birth. Even in the modern world, there are mothers who lose their lives due to complications from poor postpartum recovery. I had told them there was no need to push themselves just for a change of pace.
However…
"Well, I understand where you're coming from, but... you're a Dungeon Master, aren't you? Aren't you being a bit too overprotective?"
"I understand the master's concern, but all three of them have been stuck at home lately and have built up quite a bit of stress. There isn't much danger, so wouldn't it be fine?"
"I agree with Seraria-san and Rurua-san. If you force those three to stay home, it might actually cause them more mental strain."
"That’s right. Those three are the type who need to move their bodies. Being cooped up in the dungeon house for nearly two months has clearly stressed them out. They’ve given birth, and their recovery is going well. We have healers on hand, and as Seraria said, you’re a Dungeon Master. Don’t be so selfish. Besides, those three are highly trusted in the demi-human villages. Think of it as killing two birds with one stone, Yuki."
Persuaded by my wives, I had reluctantly allowed the three of them to head out.
As for their children…
"Look, it’s Riel-mama! Riyuru."
"Auu?"
Held by Aslin, little Riyuru tilted her head as she watched the monitor showing Riel. Like her mother, she was a cat beastman, though her hair was a lighter ash color with less white than Riel’s.
"Fugyaa!"
"It’s alright, it’s alright. Look, Yuri, stop crying. Mommy will be home soon."
Being comforted by Firia was Tori’s daughter, Yuri. She looked exactly like a miniature version of Tori.
"Kuu..."
"Kikka is fast asleep. She takes after her mother in her laid-back nature."
Held by Labyris was Kaya’s daughter, Kikka. She, too, looked like a carbon copy of her mother in infant form.
…Why are they all girls?
I started to worry if there was some sort of curse where mixing with Earthlings resulted only in daughters for the Aulito people.
Regardless, the daughters of Tori, Riel, and Kaya had finally arrived. With their beastman ears and tails, they were now the idols of our household. Of course, Milly’s daughter, Yumi, was an idol as well. It wasn't just the adults who flocked to them; the three-year-old girls would also come over, squealing with joy to see the babies.
…Yeah.
I suppose if I spent every day like that, I’d get depressed too. It’s fine at first, but if it happens many times every single day, it wears you down. You start to crave some time to yourself.
"It looks like they’ve mostly finished up. So, Yuki, do you still think the Six Great Nations are behind this, as you said earlier?"
Seraria, who had been watching the monitor, asked me as the red dots representing the enemies vanished.
"There’s no way they aren't. We should operate under that assumption. Of course, there’s a slim chance it’s a coincidence, but since this gate distribution is suppressing war, it must be an unwelcome development for the warmongers on the If Continent, just as it was on the Rogali Continent."
"Well, I suppose so. Still, I expected the kings of each nation to complain, but they haven't."
"That’s because I drove a big nail into that possibility early on. I told them that since we’ve discovered a new continent, we don't necessarily need to trade actively with them."
When I said that, Seraria pressed her temples and opened her mouth.
"That’s right. We can’t exactly say we planned this now, can we? It was like the worst kind of negotiation: 'If you don't believe us, then let’s just pretend this conversation never happened.'"
"Exactly."
For nations unrelated to the demi-human armed attack, it was natural for them to suspect that Weed had staged the whole thing. After all, Weed was the primary organizer of the conference.
However, that suspicion was wiped away by my statement that we didn't need to engage in intercontinental exchange.
Weed, who had been working so hard to facilitate intercontinental exchange, had suddenly done a 180-degree turn. Normally, nations wanting to advance those exchanges would have tried to pick a fight with Weed to extract better conditions, but because I had driven in that massive nail—saying we didn't *have* to do it—they couldn't carelessly say anything.
"Looking at this situation, we should assume that one of the Six Great Nations acted under someone’s orders. Weed, our prime suspect, was the one who suggested calling off the intercontinental exchange entirely."
"Exactly. Which means the Six Great Nations will now move to purge their own ranks. It’s a perfect opportunity."
"…I see. Because someone leaked information and there was an attempted attack on the kings, the nations now have a valid excuse to conduct forced investigations into those who oppose their current regimes."
"They finally have a reason to properly investigate the suspicious types who were only pretending to follow orders. They can just say, 'If you’re innocent, you should be able to cooperate with the investigation.'"
Well, since they’d give advance notice, the evidence would likely be destroyed, but there’s no better way to keep the opposition in check.
Then again, the kings of the Six Great Nations aren't idiots; they’re capable of rounding up their suspicious subordinates in one fell swoop. They don't want their own people dragging them down, and as I said, it strengthens their current regimes. They’re probably gloating behind the scenes, having found a legitimate excuse to eliminate their obstacles.
"…Darling. Did you foresee this happening?"
"Who knows? Well, Steve and the others are tracking them, and we’ve earned a significant favor from the nation that hired them."
"The other nations owe you quite a debt as well, don't they? Thanks to this, they can further strengthen their current regimes."
"Oh, in that case, the people who want to advance intercontinental exchange should be happy. That’s good, that’s good."
"For the opposition, though, it’s hell."