第７３０堀：相談事に答えましょう (Part2)
"Yes. I was truly impressed by the philosophies of the developed nations on Earth, Yuki’s home—or rather, the foundations of Weed," Cleena remarked.
"There are so many thoughts, ideas, and technologies that the people of this world simply cannot grasp, yet they are entirely logical. They are the result of countless years and immense wisdom, refined through constant research. They are, quite literally, the crystallization of human ingenuity. Is this decision another example of that?"
"You make it sound a bit grand, Cleena, but you’re essentially right," I replied. "Things like this happened all the time on Earth. People would designate indigenous populations as targets for invasion just to expand their own living space, often based on nothing more than differences in skin color. The consequences of those actions still cause problems today."
I was thinking of the history of colonization and racial conflict. It sounds complicated when put into words, but the core message is simple: communicate properly.
"We aren't looking to invade anyone. Our goal is to establish contact with the locals and bring prosperity to our own country. We have no desire to start a war and waste resources on military spending."
"Furthermore," Samantha added, "the next location is on a different continent. The transportation costs alone would be astronomical."
"Invasion offers no strategic advantage," Jessica agreed. "As Yuki says, it is far easier and more profitable to treat them as trading partners."
"I see. I understand what you’re getting at now, Yuki," Cleena said with a nod. "In the next place we discover, there may be monsters living with their own culture and intelligence. It would be wrong for us to barge in and unilaterally decide they are enemies. We must pursue dialogue first."
It seemed Cleena finally understood.
"Of course, if they attack us, you’re free to fight back," I clarified. "If our lives are in danger, I have no problem with you taking them down."
"So... Yuki-sama’s policy of avoiding killing whenever possible stems from this perspective?" Jessica asked.
"I had assumed you simply disliked the diplomatic headaches that come with international friction..." Samantha murmured.
"No," Cleena countered. "What Jessica said isn't entirely wrong, but Yuki chooses to avoid exclusion and killing based on this historical context and knowledge. It isn't a matter of being 'soft.'"
Cleena hit the nail on the head. It wasn't some naive aversion to blood; it was a policy built on looking toward the future.
"Well, this is exactly why the other nations are leaving Mino-chan and the others alone. The kings of the If continent probably have a hunch. We’re about to start large-scale interactions with the White Forest demi-humans, who were considered enemies until now. They likely sense that this trend is going to spread."
"Understood," Cleena said. "I will adjust my approach toward monsters in the future."
"Just remember, if they attack, you defend yourselves. Moderation in all things. Now, our immediate goal is the success of the Holy Sword unveiling ceremony on the If continent. we’ve lost some time chatting, so let’s work hard to make it up. I’m not a fan of overtime."
The three of them nodded and immediately set back to work. I prepared to dive back into my own tasks, but first...
"So, Ria, did you follow all that?"
Ria had been with us from the start but hadn't said a word, so I figured I’d check in.
"I don't really get the complicated stuff," she replied with a bright smile, "but I know that you, Jessica, and everyone else are working hard for the sake of the people. My job as a guard is to protect you all, so it doesn't really matter if I don't understand the details, right?"
"..."
We all stared at her. Her honesty was blindingly pure... but her final comment ruined the moment.
"Ria," Jessica sighed. "We appreciate the sentiment. Truly. But it is high time you learned how to handle basic paperwork on your own."
"I—I can do it! I write things down by hand properly, don't I!?"
"Even if you are a Hero, you need to at least learn how to use a computer," Samantha added.
"I can use a computer!"
"Ria," Cleena interjected, "just doing a bit of typing, printing things out, and watching videos doesn't count as 'using' it."
"But... but Excel and all those formulas are so confusing! I feel like I’m going to accidentally delete all the data..."
And therein lay the problem: our Ria was hopeless at administrative work. Since her official role was my guard, the only documents she ever had to produce were security reports, which was the only time she touched the keyboard for work. During her downtime, she mostly used the PC to watch videos, so she wasn't tech-illiterate, but accounting and procurement forms were a complete mystery to her.
"Well, it’s fine," I said.
"Yuki-san!" Ria’s face lit up.
Sorry, Ria. We’re a bit too busy this time.
"You just have to learn, starting now."
"Eh?"
"He’s right," Jessica said firmly. "You just have to learn."
"Wait, what?"
"In that case, I’d like you to help process this data..." Samantha held out a stack of papers.
"Whaaa!?"
"Don't worry," Cleena said. "We will all teach you kindly. There will be no problems."
"No! Wouldn't it be way faster if you guys just did it yourselves instead of teaching me!?"
And so, with Ria added to the administrative workforce—since she actually *can* learn if pushed—we set about clearing the mountain of work in preparation for the Holy Sword unveiling.
"Heeen!? The numbers!? The procedures are so confusing!?"
Hang in there, Ria. If you're a Hero, you can do anything.
Once again, I felt the weight of how convenient the word "Hero" was. I spared a sympathetic thought for Taiki.
*Note to self: When facing a tank, never stand directly in front of it. Wait for air support. That’s the basic rule, okay? Now, let’s see you try to take down a tank as infantry. This isn't a video game where you can just shoot the engine and win. Those things don't leave their weaknesses exposed, and if you get too close, the machine guns will turn you into swiss cheese.*