第６６２堀：根回し (Part1)
**Chapter 662: Laying the Groundwork**
**Side: Yuki**
"Hey! Is Kagura and the others around?"
I called out as I visited the Haiden Embassy. The gate guards had already been briefed, so I was let in without issue, but there was no one there to greet me. That was only natural, as the Haiden Embassy currently only employed three people: Kagura, Mikos, and Solo.
There were maids managing the embassy, but they weren't personnel from Haiden; they were staff dispatched from Weed. I had hired them as temporary caretakers. Since they were technically Weed’s subordinates rather than Haiden’s, they immediately bowed and greeted me as I walked in.
"Good work. How’s the new workplace?"
"Thank you for your concern, Yuki-sama. We find it to be a very pleasant place to work. As for Kagura-sama and the others, they are currently in the office. It seems Eris-sama and Milly-sama are explaining the necessary documentation for Weed."
"Ah, I heard about that."
If those two were teaching them, it would certainly be thorough. But they were really putting them through the wringer, weren't they?
"We were informed of your visit, Yuki-sama, but since it has been less than ten minutes since we received word, we were unable to prepare properly. Please forgive us."
"Ah, don't worry about that. That’s my fault. I just came by on a whim, as usual."
"I believe that easygoing nature of yours is a virtue, Yuki-sama. However... please try to understand the concerns of Seraria-sama and your other wives. You are the Prince Consort of Weed, after all."
"I know, I know."
Damn it. Everyone has so many complaints about me lately. Even Ria and Cleena behind me were nodding in agreement.
As we chatted, we reached the office, and...
"..."
Three women were slumped over a mountain of paperwork. Naturally, it was Kagura, Mikos, and Solo. Beside them, Eris, Milly, and Ratz were sitting comfortably, sipping tea.
"Yuki-san. Thank you for coming."
"Ria and Cleena are here too, I see."
"I’ll pour some tea now," Ratz said, beginning to prepare the drinks. We sat down on the reception sofa in the meantime. Incidentally, Kagura and her group didn't react at all.
"They look pretty exhausted."
"It can't be helped. They didn't know how to write Weed's diplomatic documents."
"And they're trying to cram it all into one week, so..."
"Here’s your tea. Eris and Milly were teaching them at first, but trade-related matters are my department, so I got called in too."
I see, I thought. It really reinforced my belief that a unified agency and set of rules for diplomacy were necessary. While it was true that cultures differed between nations and there were things that had to be learned, standardizing document sizes, writing styles, and categories would reduce the burden on people like Kagura and Eris, making work much smoother.
As I was thinking this, Eris shook Kagura awake.
"Kagura-san, please wake up."
"Ah, yes... I'm sorry, Eris-san."
"Not at all. You've been working very hard, so don't worry about it. More importantly, Yuki-san is here."
"Eh!? Yu-Yuki!? Since when!?"
"Just got here."
The air between Eris, Milly, and Kagura was surprisingly peaceful. Having imagined there might be some bullying going on, I had to rethink my perception of Eris and Milly. Well, Kagura and I had already reconciled, and my wives weren't the type to hold a grudge. I needed to trust them more. They were my wives, after all—the ones I was so proud of.
While I was lost in thought, Mikos and Solo were also woken up by Milly and Ratz and returned to the land of the living.
"Looks like things are tough."
"...I-it's not that bad. I have to be able to do at least this much."
When I offered my sympathy, Kagura put on a brave face. Well, I suppose she had to. Her instructors were handling it as a matter of course, so she couldn't admit she couldn't do it. It was a matter of Haiden's pride, after all.
"So, did something happen? To our shame, as you can see, the embassy isn't fully functional yet. We're still learning the procedures from Eris-san and the others."
"Ah, it's not so much that something happened, but rather, I'm the one who caused it?"
"Yes? What do you mean? I don't quite understand."
"Well, to put it simply. Here. A letter from Princess Carrie."
I didn't want to explain it all, so I handed her the letter directly.
"Huh? Why would Yuki have a letter from the Princess? Why not through Solo?"
"Well, I had some business with her. It was just an afterthought."
"Hmm. Sorry. I'm going to take a look."
"Sure, go ahead. I'd be in trouble if you didn't."
The "business" was about Sota-san and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I knew it would take forever if I went through intermediaries, so I went to talk to her directly.
As Kagura read the letter, her expression grew increasingly stern, her eyes widened, and finally, she glared at me.
"...It says here that Sota-san and the others were 'taken' by you?"
"Taken is a bit harsh. It should say that it was what they desired, right?"
"...And that they are to head this 'Ministry of Foreign Affairs' thing?"
"That's not wrong. I believe they have the skills for it."
"...And it also says we are to help establish this Ministry and bring the know-how back to Haiden?"
"It's about creating unified diplomatic rules. If Kagura and the others know those rules, it will make things easier for Haiden when you deal with the Rogali or If continents later, right? Plus, being involved in the formulation of those rules is an honor, and it's a great opportunity for Haiden to adopt a more efficient system."
That was it. I had come here to get Kagura and the others involved in setting the rules for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which I planned to establish on the Rogali and If continents. Both continents would be curious about the New Continent, and having a Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be a great performance piece, showing them that there was a convenient window for diplomacy.
Incidentally, Princess Carrie had wept with joy and agreed to the plan, honored that Sota-san and Enol-san would be cooperating in the establishment of a Ministry that could be used by any nation. I hadn't forced her. It wasn't a debt collection for the trouble they’d caused me, either. I’ll say it again: she was crying with happiness to cooperate.
"..."
"..."
A silence hung between Kagura and me for a moment, but then...
"Whaaa!? Are you kidding me!! Both you and the Princess!! There's no way we have the energy to help establish a Ministry of Foreign Affairs!!"
She snapped. Kagura had snapped.
She had been working until she was ready to vomit, so I didn't know why she was so furious now. I had assumed she would sigh but help out anyway. Besides, it wasn't like I was asking them to do it all simultaneously. If we established the Ministry, the rules for diplomats would change, so we had to build the Ministry first; otherwise, we'd just be wasting time revising the rules later.
So, for a while, Kagura and the others would only be helping with the establishment of the Ministry. As I stood there, confused by her anger, Eris stepped in to calm her down.
"Kagura-san, please calm down."
"B-but... once this is over..."