第６８４堀：こっちの問題 (Part1)
### Chapter 684: A Problem Over Here
**Side: Yuki**
"Wahahaha! So Gartz is the same, huh?"
"Aye, I’ve already left the country to the children. Nahahaha!"
The Kings of Roschur and Gartz laughed together. To me, they are the fathers of my wives, making them my fathers-in-law, but they remain as frivolous as ever...
When I received letters from Seraria and Shera and began making preparations, these two were already staying at the Weed guesthouse. Since we had a welcoming party planned, I went to grab them to send them back to their respective countries, only to find them drinking together at a bar.
Drunkards are a nuisance; they were making such a scene about not wanting to return home that I couldn't handle them. I had no choice but to contact Seraria and Shera and have their families come to collect them.
They must have been given a grand lecture, yet here they are, acting like this. I don’t know whether to be impressed by their kingly resilience or just plain exasperated.
"Honestly, the Kings of Roschur and Gartz are as incorrigible as ever."
"Well, they have supported their nations for a long time. Perhaps a little indulgence is acceptable?"
The one sighing at the sight of the two laughing men was Alstaire, the Saintess of the Ritea Holy Nation. And the one engaging her in conversation—not quite soothing her, but keeping her company—was Liliana, the Queen of Last, the land of the demons.
These two visit Weed often, but unlike the two old men who are practically retired, they are young rulers who face their own share of hardships.
Alstaire is busy purging and reorganizing a corrupt upper echelon and rebuilding her nation. Liliana is working to resolve the various issues that arise now that demons are finally being recognized as non-hostile creatures and formal exchanges with other nations have begun. They are truly in the thick of it.
Well, the Demon Lord before Liliana was a "panty-eater," a harmful creature in the name of a pervert. Incidentally, a law was added to the Kingdom of Last making the consumption of women's undergarments a capital offense. Most people tilt their heads at that, but apparently, there are some who still pine for it. Deep-seated karma, indeed.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Deua, sent from Rumel."
Finally, the ambassador from Rumel, Deua, introduced herself. She is, for some reason, a beautiful woman in her early twenties.
One might wonder why she is here while the others sent royalty and saints, but thinking about it logically, it’s actually strange for heads of state to attend a meeting like this in the first place. Rumel isn't doing anything wrong.
"Nice to meet you. I am Yuki, the consort of Queen Seraria of Weed. I have heard of the great achievements of your heroes."
"My apologies. I should have come to greet you sooner, but we were cautious because this is a dungeon..."
"No, please, don't worry about it. That kind of caution is only natural."
"I appreciate your consideration."
*Tch.* As expected, they wouldn't just jump into our territory so easily.
"However, since Ambassador Deua has come, does this mean you are in favor of establishing a Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"Yes. As you have likely heard, we have also discovered a new world, a new continent across the sea. In that regard, having unified rules for diplomatic affairs would be a great help. Once things settle down, we hope to trade with everyone on the Rogari continent as well."
"Oh? You’re willing to share the interests?"
"Yes. Our Majesty, the Prime Minister, and the heroes all realize that our nation alone will eventually reach its limits. This is a foothold for that future."
"I see..."
I thought Rumel was a self-centered, dictatorial regime, but they seem to be thinking further ahead than I gave them credit for.
"But what about the Rogari Continent Alliance?"
"Regarding that... our nation is still skeptical of gates that use dungeon abilities. We have the will to join the alliance, but we believe gates should be limited to border areas at most... according to Mr. Tanaka."
"Ah, the guardian of the heroes?"
"Yes. However, his words are reasonable. I know it may be unpleasant, but I hope you understand..."
*That bastard.* He’s playing a crafty hand.
Well, perhaps that’s for the best. It means Tanaka and Rumel can no longer afford to ignore the rest of the Rogari continent.
"I understand. The matter of joining the Rogari Continent Alliance will be put on the agenda again today. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes. Please do."
Well, I doubt there will be any opposition. It should be a unanimous decision. After all, this would mean all five major powers of the Rogari continent are participating in the alliance. No one will be able to ask why the If continent has all six major powers participating while we lag behind.
Though, I don't know what the burden of joining the alliance will be in the finer details.
"Alright, let’s end the small talk and start the meeting."
" "Oh." "
" "Yes." "
"Eh? U-um, is that attitude really alright?"
Rumel’s Deua doesn't know our power dynamics, I suppose.
"Well, the four major nations are all connected; we’re like family."
The four of them nodded in agreement.
"I-is that so? But I have no such connection, so I will maintain proper decorum."
"Well, don't be too stiff."
It’s hard to tell someone to speak casually to kings, so that’s the best I can do.
And so, the meeting to establish the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for intercontinental exchange began...
"Generally speaking, I think your son's proposal is fine."
"Agreed. I think A4 paper should be the standard size for official documents. Rolling up parchment for storage is just a bulky mess."
"Indeed. And keeping the agreements between nations on proper parchment makes them easy to distinguish, which is good."
"The problem is that even if we produce paper, there are issues with facilities, materials, and funding..."
"That can be covered by the profits from the trade Yuki-sama mentioned..."
"I think the formatting and the content can be simplified, too."
"I agree. Unless it’s a grand treaty, writing flowery greetings in every trade document is a hassle."
"...There is a certain etiquette tailored to each nation's culture, but I agree that it is cumbersome."
"I would appreciate that as well. We only just connected with other nations in the last few years, so it’s been difficult. It’s not that we don't need to learn the etiquette, but increasing the efficiency of the lower-level work is a good thing."
"I agree with the Queen of Last. What’s important is being able to tell that the document is a proper, official one..."
Like this, when it comes down to it, they actually do their jobs. As expected of the heads of their nations.
The meeting proceeded smoothly. Most of our proposals were accepted as is.
Well, things will likely change again when we discuss things with the If continent and the new continent involved, but having this meeting in Rogari first has meaning.
If the ones who proposed the intercontinental exchange hadn't decided on anything, it would have been a loss of face—or worse, it would have looked like we had no motivation.
"Then, let’s call it a day for this meeting. Everyone, please take this back to your respective countries and give it careful consideration."
When I said that, everyone nodded.
They will relay what was discussed here to their countries. Only after getting the green light will things start moving.