第７３５堀：立ちはだかる難題たち (Part1)
Chapter 735: Looming Challenges
Side: Yuki
"Isn't this great? I think we can officially say the If Continent has come together now."
"I suppose so. Having the magic sword users from each country perform together was quite the spectacle."
I returned home and was updating Seraria and the others on the Holy Sword Unveiling Ceremony. It’s safe to say the event in Betan went off without a hitch. If anything, the sight of those magic sword users performing in unison was burned into the public consciousness as a clear sign of reconciliation between the nations. With this, the If Continent is finally ready to begin negotiations with the other continents.
"The next step is to show the If Continent representatives the unified rules for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that we’ve been putting together for the Rogari Continent and get their approval. So, how are things going with Rogari? Have you finalized the export list?"
Regarding intercontinental exchange and trade, while we have been going through Weed, the Rogari Continent has been more proactive, so they have more experience and know-how. Ah, come to think of it, I need to create something like containers so people can tell what’s an export product... Up until now, we’ve mostly been moving things quietly, but from now on, if we don't clearly display the origin—like 'Product of Rogari Continent, Roschur'—the brand won't sell. If the name sells, the products from that region will sell better. Profit is important.
"As for that, it’s been mostly decided in our recent drinking parties... I mean, meetings."
"What do you mean, 'drinking parties'?"
"My useless old man and the King of Gartz. As soon as the meetings end, they head straight to the commercial district. The guards go with them and drink too, so there’s no one to stop them... Well, putting that aside, here are the documents."
She handed me a stack of papers detailing the trade items. There were some minor adjustments from the initial draft, but no major changes. As I was looking through them, Seraria spoke up.
"I was just thinking, the Rogari and If Continents will be having an intercontinental exchange meeting soon, but what about the New Continent? We were originally planning to have them participate, so have you talked to them? What’s the situation over there?"
"Yeah, they seem to be finalizing things, so the situation is similar to the If Continent. I don't think there will be any problem with them participating."
Haiden and Findal have already started their meetings, and since there are fewer participating countries, it should be easier to reach a consensus.
"I see. That’s good. So, we’ll be able to have a three-continent exchange and trade meeting. Has it been a long road, or a short one?"
"Don't get comfortable just yet. We still need to deliver the unified rule documents and have them look them over. We have a mountain of things to do in the next month or so."
"Come to think of it, you’ve already specified the dates to each country, haven't you?"
"Yeah. Even if it’s a bit messy, we need a face-to-face meeting at the very least. If they don't know each other’s faces, they won't truly realize that other continents exist, right?"
Well, the preparations are coming along, so in that sense, things are progressing smoothly.
"True. Oh, that reminds me, I finished the audience with Queen Miyabi of the High Elf country."
"...Ah. Queen Miyabi."
"Judging by that reaction, you’d forgotten."
"Can you blame me? After I left things to Luna, there was the Stasia incident, then the school issues, and then the Holy Sword Unveiling in the If Continent. All of that happened in less than a week. It’s been too intense."
"I suppose so. A lot has happened in this short period."
"So, how did the audience and the talks with Queen Miyabi go?"
That was the real issue. If I recall, Queen Miyabi was supposed to contact us regarding the Beast God's country.
"The talks went without any particular issues. The rest is about the Beast God's country."
"What was the content?"
"She said they are investigating the background of the scum who bullied Riel. Queen Miyabi mentioned that with the formation of the Great Power Alliance, those who lost out are likely flowing into the Beast God's country, trying to incite an uprising."
"So that’s the connection. In a way, accepting war refugees has come back to bite them."
"I suppose. Well, if we say that, we’ve also accepted war refugees and slaves to get where we are now, so it’s just a failure in governance policy."
"And how will the Beast God's country move forward?"
"They’ll participate in the intercontinental exchange, but they’ll adjust the timing."
That makes sense. If they participated now, it’s obvious that the warmongers would cause a scene. They need to pick their moment.
"Queen Miyabi said at the meeting that they would participate. But since the High Elf country opening its doors would cause a stir, they’re waiting for now and will announce their participation when the time is right."
"That’s for the best."
"The timing adjustment is, of course, up to you."
"It’ll be after I resolve a few problems, then."
"Exactly. Well, the High Elf country is fine, but the Beast God's country will need some intervention."
It’s the price of their past actions. It’s a backlash against the movement toward less war. The trouble with the Sword Country that happened at Taiki’s place could also be called a reaction to the decrease in war, but strictly speaking, that was a battle between a god and a Dungeon Master. I can say it’s not my responsibility, but if I leave it alone, it’ll only become a nuisance. If I don't crush it now, the Rogari Continent will be branded with the dishonor of having outlaws who attack tourists from other continents. A continent that claims to start intercontinental exchange can't afford that kind of reputation. That’s why I’ll crush them no matter what. And as for the people who bullied Riel—I turned a blind eye back then, but this time, I’ll crush them fair and square and throw them in the trash.
"And, putting that aside, have you heard about the New Continent from Kirika?"
"Yeah. I’ll make sure to grasp the situation over there as soon as possible."
"Yes, that would be best. From what I’ve heard, their range of activity isn't very wide yet, but..."
"The location is troublesome. It’s not Haiden or Findal. It’s the territory of other major powers. I’d appreciate it if we could intervene or if it would just naturally disappear before the damage spreads..."
"But do you think this is the work of Aquenoki?"
Aquenoki. The idiot who used to call himself Aquenos, who was originally a king and possessed both a dungeon core and the power of a god. Despite having both, he was defeated by the team of Sota, who was summoned to the New Continent, the leader Fable, the demi-human magic swordsman Enoru, and the healer Hairen, who was a child of the goddess with a head full of flowers. Well, he only managed to snatch the dungeon core, and his strategy was incredibly sloppy. Asking if that guy is the culprit behind these rumors...
"I don't know. There’s too little information. But there shouldn't be any regions in the New Continent where monsters appear, so we can assume it has something to do with the Magic Gear the Church was making."
The opponent is too stupid to predict. In a way, I think it’s a brilliant strategy.
"Come to think of it, we had someone monitoring Aquenoki, right?"
"Yeah. Monsters are impossible to track, so we’re using a transmitter. Haiden and the Hairen Church have personnel tracking him."