第５７８堀：今後の予定 (Part2)
"Whether this is a blessing or a curse is hard to say. Well, things are moving along smoothly, so I'll count it as a blessing."
Right. I have to stay positive and keep my head up in life.
"In the meantime, Yuki, you'll be handling the coordination with the New Continent?"
"That’s the plan. I’ll be going as Seraria’s proxy. We can’t have Seraria leaving Weed right now, after all."
"And the guards for that trip will be the combination of me and Ria. I’ve never been a secretary before, so I don’t really know what I’m doing."
"There’s nothing particularly difficult about it. You just make the reports and hand them over. That’s about it. The rest is just schedule management, but since the New Continent hasn't standardized things like clocks yet, it’s a bit loose."
"So the schedule is set in rough, day-by-day increments? What a pain."
Exactly.
The members of my wives who serve as my guards and secretaries have been working as efficiently as any modern-day secretary. However, when it comes to documents involving other nations or high-level negotiations, my final approval and response are still required. I also can't just ignore the reports from the intelligence unit I head, so I’m never truly free from the busyness.
They handle all the busywork, of course, so I don't have to deal with that burden. If it weren't for my wives, I probably would have died from overwork by now.
Well, if it weren't for my wives, it’s doubtful that Weed would even exist in the first place.
It’s unavoidable that the schedule is set in daily increments. While the concept of time exists and there are clocks, they only work within their specific location. If you go to the next town, you’re dealing with that town’s time. It would have been nice if there were inventions like the small, portable clocks on Earth or a standardized time system, but such things don't exist in this world.
That’s why the schedule ends up being set by the day.
Well, in a way, it’s a relief that it isn't scheduled down to the minute.
"If the mana depletion issue hadn't been involved, I would have just dumped the New Continent matter onto Weed entirely."
"Either way, an investigation would have been necessary, and I suspect you would have ended up leading it and getting just as busy, Yuki."
"I agree with her."
"...You're probably right. Once a new frontier is discovered, an investigation is essential, and there's no way I could avoid getting involved."
This chain of work is inescapable. No, I suppose it just means you have to work to live. This is the endless hell that everyone experiences. I remember reading in some document that living is both hell and heaven at the same time.
Thinking about that while sipping my tea, I finished checking the documents.
"Anyway, that’s it for today’s work."
"Ugh. Finally done!"
"Good work, you two."
"Deryu, you need to keep learning the ropes of this work, too."
"I know, I know. But I’ve always been terrible at paperwork."
"Come on, you were doing that as a matter of course back at the police station, weren't you?"
"I left all of that to Tori!!"
...Sigh.
I can practically see Tori’s struggle. No, in this case, is it Tori’s fault for spoiling her? I’ll have to talk to her about it sometime.
Tori is currently the Vice Representative—or in police terms, the Deputy Chief—supporting Poni. In other words, she’s in a position similar to a secretary. I’m starting to worry if she’s been shouldering everything herself. No, Poni herself was asking clear, sharp questions at the last meeting, so maybe there’s no need to worry? Still, I’ll talk to her just in case. It would be a disaster if Tori collapsed.
"But Deryu, I heard you were helping Eris with the accounting long before you were involved with the police?"
"Accounting? I was being worked to the bone with everything from cleaning the public bathhouse to stocking shelves and working the register at Super Ratz. I’m done with all of that..."
Ah, so that’s where Deryu’s hatred for paperwork comes from. It’s true that back then, there were few people who could do calculations, and we were short-handed. And then, the Demon Lord Deryu just happened to fall into our laps! Honestly, she was a lifesaver.
Ria wasn't around back then, so she tilts her head in confusion at the sight of Deryu trembling as she speaks. When I explain the situation from that time...
"Oh... that sounds rough, Deryu."
"It was!! I may be a Demon Lord, but Yuki and the others worked such a beautiful girl to the bone without a shred of hesitation!!"
"There, there."
The image of a Demon Lord crying on the shoulder of a Hero. By the way, this Demon Lord is also a mother of one.
"But you’ll help with the work here, right?"
"I know. I won't be that selfish."
And so, the guard members for the New Continent will be a combination of the Hero and the Demon Lord. Well, Vilia, Dressa, and Hiiro are coming too, but they’re still apprentices.
Let’s turn over a new leaf and do our best.
Oh, come to think of it, what about Tori, Riel, and Kaya? I’ll have to ask them later. They probably won't be coming along for the New Continent investigation because of their children, but I should check regardless.