第７３６堀：驚かされる事態 (Part2)
"You can just contact us once school is over, and besides, there are plenty of people who can reach the major powers of our continent, like Princess Stasia or Princess Arju."
Yuki-sensei’s connections—or rather, his social reach—are beyond imagination.
In fact, if Yuki-san were so inclined, he could likely arrange a summit meeting with the leaders of Haiden, Findal, and the Haire Church on our continent this very instant.
That being the case, was there some sort of trouble that required taking Micos-chan and the others along?
It seemed Micos-chan’s intuition was correct, as Yuki-san gave a vague, side-to-side shake of his head.
"The conference on the If Continent ended successfully. But judging by your reaction, it seems you haven't heard yet."
At those words, Kagura and Solo realized something had happened, and their expressions grew stern.
"According to information from Kirika, there are reports of monsters appearing in a region of the New Continent that belongs to a major power other than Haiden or Findal."
"Could that be... M..."
The moment Kagura started to speak, Yuki-sensei pressed a hand over her mouth.
"We’ll discuss this further once we’re back at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Understood?"
With that, everyone nodded in unison and left the school.
"Yuki-sensei. I’m sure you have a lot to do, but please don't push yourself too hard. That goes for you too, Kagura-san and the others."
"Yes. If it comes to it, I’ll just scoop Kagura and the others up and make a run for it."
"Yes. It’s alright to run away. All we want is to be able to see you again with a smile."
Seeing them off with those words, Micos-chan made a silent vow to return safely.
Ah, but what about how to calculate the area...?
No, I shouldn't worry about things like that just yet.
For now, the focus is on the Magic Gear.
"Now then, Yuki-shonen. Tell me the details."
Upon arriving at the Foreign Minister's office, for some reason, Hairen-sama was standing there with her arms crossed.
"...Souta-san. Why is this goddess here?"
Yuki-sensei ignored Hairen-sama entirely and addressed Souta-san, who was offering a bitter smile.
"My apologies. As luck would have it, she was here when the report arrived."
"Hairen. Outsiders are supposed to be prohibited from entering, aren't they?"
"I am not an outsider!! What is with you two? Is my presence here that much of a nuisance? Were you two hoping to have some alone time?"
"That’s not what this is about, Hairen."
"Indeed. It is a matter of confidentiality. Hairen, you are not a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are you?"
"Ugh. I suppose, but aren't we the parties directly involved in this?"
You know, Hairen-sama really is quite adorable.
I’ve had the chance to speak with her personally a few times, and she’s truly easygoing; she gives off the same impression as Luna-sama.
The only slight difference is that while Luna-sama feels like an elder, Hairen-sama feels like a peer, making her very easy to talk to.
I thought this might be "goddess power," but Enol-sama says this is just how she is naturally.
Truly terrifying.
Regardless, Hairen-sama was absolutely right about being a party involved, so neither Souta-sama nor Enol-sama could refute her, and they turned their gaze toward Yuki-sensei.
They were likely waiting for him to decide what to do with her.
Perhaps sensing this, Hairen-sama stared at Yuki-sensei...
"Yuki-shonen. As a party involved in that battle, I need to see it through to the end. This is the one thing I will not concede."
She declared this firmly. Her face was entirely serious, and unlike her usual smile, she looked like a sharp, striking beauty.
However, what would Yuki-sensei do?
"...Understood. I will allow you to accompany us. However, you are not to speak a single word in front of others until I give you permission."
"Grrr!! What is with that tyrannical order!! Why can't I at least talk!!"
"Hairen. You are a well-known goddess on that continent. If you speak carelessly and reveal your identity, people won't believe you're the real one; they'll think you're an impostor. If that happens, it will cause endless trouble for the Church when they try to judge the truth of the matter."
...Indeed. It’s not certain people would believe she’s the real goddess, and if the Church were to acknowledge it, it would inevitably cause a massive uproar about a goddess descending.
If that happened, various factions would surely target Hairen-sama.
"Hmph!! That doesn't mean you have to tell me not to speak at all!!"
"No, I mean in front of important people. If you speak carelessly in front of them, it will cause trouble. You can talk in the middle of town all you want. Thanks to your hard work, 'Hairen' seems to be a relatively common name—a blessing-filled one, apparently. It seems it’s a play on 'Haire'."
"Oh, then that’s fine. Talking to important people is a pain anyway. I’ll leave that to you!!"
...Ah, yes. That’s exactly the kind of person Hairen-sama is.
Behind her, Souta-sama and Enol-sama bowed their heads apologetically, radiating a sense of melancholy.
Well, setting that aside, the best couple—Micos-chan and Yuki-sensei—along with the rest of the crowd, headed back to the continent that Micos-chan and her friends call home.
What was it that surprised Micos? Was it the Magic Gear, or Hairen? Or perhaps, her relationship with Yuki?