第７４７堀：新たな脅威と対策 (Part1)
**Chapter 747: New Threats and Countermeasures**
**Side: Eris**
"Oh, Ratz, Milly."
"Oh, Eris. What a coincidence."
"Indeed. It’s rare to run into each other in a place like this."
We had bumped into one another by chance in the middle of Weed’s streets.
"Usually, we only see each other at the government building or back at the house, don't we?"
"That’s true. That’s about the only time we get a chance to meet."
"I work at the guild, so I rarely see you all. I see Ratz when she’s making deliveries, but for everyone else in different departments like Eris, I only see you at home."
"So, what brings you two out today?"
"Big Brother said we should have a meeting while eating our favorite snacks, so I came out to do some shopping."
"That’s right. You got the message, didn't you?"
"Yes. It seems he’s returned from Heiden. I’m just glad he’s safe."
I am truly relieved that Yuki has returned safely. Even if he is a Dungeon Master—or a Doppelganger—the thought of him being put in harm's way is terrible for my heart, even if he is the most capable person I know.
"And it seems there was more troublesome business, as usual."
"Well, he’s always dealing with things that shake nations. I suppose that kind of trouble is to be expected."
"I’m dissatisfied with how busy Yuki is. He still dotes on the girls properly, but our time together has decreased."
As Ratz said, I know that problems are inevitable, but as Milly pointed out, I’m a bit frustrated that our time together is dwindling. I find myself wishing that he would leave the adjustments of other nations to someone else so we could just relax at home. Well, in reality, that’s difficult. *Sigh.* Yuki is the one working the hardest, so I have to be patient.
"Well, I share that opinion. Let’s make sure to get a proper reward later. If we ask Big Brother for a hug, he’ll give us one, and I’m sure he wants to rest too. It’ll be a 'let’s take a break together' kind of thing."
"That’s true. Let’s take a vacation together and enjoy some intimacy."
"Yuki pushes himself too hard. I’ll be the one to heal him. Though, before that, I have to deal with the guild side of things..."
"Milly, your side doesn't have a successor in sight yet, does it?"
"It’s tough for you, unlike us."
Milly’s position involves managing the Adventurer District, which includes negotiations with the Adventurer’s Guild, putting her on par with or even above the Guild Master.
"I never thought my background as a receptionist would come back to haunt me like this. It seems there aren't many people as 'convenient' as I am. Not that I’m some kind of handyman..."
"Well, you’re the only one among us with a background in guild work."
"Just endure it. It only shows how much everyone relies on you."
I both envy and pity Milly’s position. I’m not sure if I should resent that I was a jobless wanderer, or be grateful for it... Wait, am I the only one among the slave members who was just a jobless person wandering the continent? Aslin, Firia, and Labyris were too young to work, Tori and Riel were adventurers, Kaya was in the village vigilante corps, Ratz was a merchant-in-training while adventuring, and Milly was, of course, a guild receptionist. And then there’s me, Eris, just wandering around without a job.
...Looking back, my employment history is terrifying. Elves really are hopeless, aren't they? I’ll have to teach the value of hard work to the elves who arrive later.
As I was thinking this, Milly groaned with a dissatisfied look.
"Ugh. I get that, but I want to relax with Yuki and everyone else, not just work. I mean, with intercontinental exchanges starting, the Adventurer’s Guild is having meetings every single day about how to deal with the mercenary guilds on the If continent."
"If we’re talking about being busy, my trade department is swamped. Weed’s goods—or rather, Earth’s goods—are incredibly popular. I’m constantly racking my brain over how to call for regulations on bulk buying and hoarding."
"And I’m in accounting, struggling with Tiffany every day over budget requests and the sloppy financial management submitted to us."
Regardless of the past, there is no doubt that we are all busy every day. As I thought that, Milly suddenly looked up at the sky and muttered.
"Ah, man. It’s fulfilling, but... it really turned out just like Yuki said, didn't it?"
"'It’s going to be harder than when you were slaves,' he said."
"That brings back memories. At first, I was terrified of being oppressed, but it really did turn out that way in a different sense."
"We’re busy every day, aren't we?"
"I never imagined we’d be entrusted with such important matters."
"That’s true. At first, I thought we’d just be building a village..."
Once we opened that door, we ended up flying all over the world, not just the country.
"Alright, enough complaining. Let’s buy our snacks and go see Yuki."
"Yeah!"
Following Milly’s lead, we ran off toward Super Ratz to do our shopping. Now, what were those snacks Yuki likes to eat again?
***
"Oh, you bought quite a lot."
When we reached the conference room, Yuki greeted us. I heard he had just returned from Heiden, but he didn't look tired. Well, we’ll have Rurua give him a proper check-up later. That aside, I need to put the snacks on the table.
"Yes. They had some new items, so we thought we’d try them."
"There were so many new things."
"It’s amazing how the variety of snacks just keeps growing."
"Ah, well. The production capacity for seasonal items from Japan is terrifying. They aim to increase profits by making things tailored to the season."
"That makes sense. But it must be hard for the person doing the stocking every time. I often think about that."
It’s true; clothes increase with the seasons, and snacks and food appear in droves. Our life here used to be so precarious. Did we even have a sense of the seasons? In winter, our food was mostly dried goods...
"Well, that aside, this is a report on what happened in Heiden and a discussion about future intercontinental exchanges. This is still internal, so let’s talk while we relax and eat."
"Yes. But the others haven't arrived yet."
"Right. You guys were the first. Well, I’ll go prepare some tea."
"Oh, we’ll help you."
"Thanks."
As we prepared the tea together like a happy couple, the others gathered one by one, and by the time the tea was ready, everyone was present, and the meeting began.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. The meeting is about what happened in Heiden and the schedule for future intercontinental exchanges. Since this is just family for now, please listen while you enjoy your snacks."
The meeting began in a relaxed atmosphere, but as we heard about the Seasypho Kingdom we visited in Heiden, everyone stopped eating and wore troubled expressions.
"Shovels, huh? I understand why you wanted to keep this internal. We can’t tell the Rogali or If continents about this. They wouldn't understand the existence of guns, and if they did, it would only trigger a massive war."
Yes, the emergence of the "shovel"—a tool essential for modern combat on Earth—had been acknowledged by the Seasypho Kingdom. This is a major problem. It means there could be nations that use firearms as weapons. Dealing with such a country would be difficult in many ways.
"Hey, Yuki. Do the people in Heiden and Findall know about this?" Riel asked suddenly.
Indeed, if Heiden and Findall knew this fact, it could lead to widespread chaos or even war. That is how terrifying a weapon a gun is. Even without training, one can pull a trigger and gain the power for a child to kill an adult. A weapon that exerts power regardless of talent means anyone can be a soldier. Can an ambitious nation understand that and still show restraint? The same applies to the countries we are involved with, like Heiden and Findall. We don't know what will happen if they possess excessive power. Riel is worried about that.
"No, I told Heiden and Findall about this fact, but their reactions were dull."