第７５１堀：お出迎え 新大陸 (Part1)
### Chapter 751: The Welcoming – New Continent
**Side: Yuki**
*Buzz, buzz... chatter, chatter...*
Even though it was still morning, a line had already formed at the general entrance of the Grand Conference Hall.
"I thought I said no camping out overnight?"
"There were no reports during the night, so I assume they started lining up at the crack of dawn," Tori replied.
I had checked with Tori earlier, worried about the potential unfairness to other general attendees, but it turned out to be within the rules.
"We've had precedents for events like this before. You know, like the New Year’s lucky bags."
"Ah..."
"Since that time, the police patrols have been instructed to disperse anyone who lines up before the designated time. And if they don't listen, they get arrested."
Ever since we started those lucky bags, people began camping out overnight, so we had to implement those measures. In a way, it was actually for my own sake—a strategy to spare fathers and boyfriends the nightmare of being forced to stand in line for hours for their wives or girlfriends.
"But if that's the case, does this mean this entire line formed all at once when the morning restriction was lifted?"
"Yes. That is what I’ve been told. It’s on the same level as the lucky bag rush."
"I see. Thanks. Keep up the good work."
"Understood. You do your best as well, Yuki-san."
I ended the call with Tori and looked at the line again. It was 8:00 AM. The declaration and opening greetings for the Intercontinental Exchange Conference were scheduled for 11:00 AM, and the doors weren't supposed to open until 9:00 AM, but... looking at the crowd, where even was the end of the line?
"The end of the line is over there," Ria said.
I looked in the direction she pointed and saw people sitting in perfectly square, orderly rows.
"Do you not often see sights like this, Yuki-san?"
"...No, not really."
Is this some kind of World Series, a climax series, or the summer and winter conventions in Ariake? It was beyond me why so many people would gather just for a declaration and a greeting at an intercontinental conference. They should just stay home and sleep.
"Regardless, it won't start unless we get inside. Let's go."
Spurred on by Ria, I felt a bit sheepish, so I headed toward the back entrance—the one reserved for VIPs—to enter the Grand Conference Hall.
"Now then, how are the preparations for the hall?"
"Everything was mostly finished yesterday, so it’s just final checks now."
I immediately began walking around to inspect the venue. Since Weed is the host nation, I couldn't afford to just lounge around in the waiting room. Seraria was likely busy with speech preparations and getting into her dress right about now. Being a woman is tough work.
"What about Surakichi-san’s unit?"
"Already in position," a voice said as Surakichi-san, Weed’s strongest slime, plopped down from the ceiling.
Today, he was in charge of covert security for the Grand Conference Hall. Since slimes can change their volume—and thus their size—based on their magical energy, he was set to act as a defensive barrier should any trouble arise. Naturally, he could also use magic, so he was doubling as a medical responder. We did have an infirmary, but I figured the Surakichi-san unit would handle most minor issues.
Actually, if it were anything serious, it would be more reliable to bring them to us or send them to the hospital where my wife, Rurua, and my sister-in-law, Elju, work. Still, there was always the possibility of unforeseen circumstances where we were spread too thin or transport couldn't keep up, which is why we had the infirmary ready. We had brought three full teams of doctors, recovery mages, and nurses from the hospital, so we could handle any general health issues. We also had emergency transport units on standby; there would be no slip-ups.
"That leaves the refreshments and drinks, then?"
"Those are being brought in now. I imagine Ratz-san will be bringing them over."
"I wonder. I heard there was some trouble at her shop this morning."
Sometimes being too successful is a problem.
"Well, even if Ratz-san can't make it, someone else will bring them."
"True."
The Intercontinental Exchange Conference wouldn't grind to a halt just because Ratz couldn't move. We had built a system where everyone could support one another precisely for that reason.
"Any issues? Including the observers from the various nations?"
"Nothing suspicious. Oh, Kagura and her group are still being bullied, as usual."
"That’s not good, but it’s fine for now. I’ve already taken steps to address it."
"Seems so. They don't look as dejected even when they're being complained at anymore."
It seemed Kagura and the others were regaining their spirit, using their desire for revenge as fuel. That was a relief.
"Oh, by the way, when the General arrived here, it seems King Reye was caught."
"Is that so?"
I couldn't care less about that debauched king anymore. He’d show up when he was needed. Ever since he arrived three days ago, he’d been wandering the commercial district of Weed, eating and playing around, repeatedly going missing and forcing Samantha to run around in a panic to find him. I could confirm his location with a call, so finding him was easy enough.
"For now, there don't seem to be any urgent problems on this end."
"The rest is just a matter of seeing how it goes."
"I suppose so. Alright, I’m going to give the order to start welcoming the VIPs. Keep up the security."
"Got it. Leave it to me. This is where the real work begins."
We returned to the management room and began making calls.
"Seraria? The preparations on this end are done, so we’re starting the VIP arrivals."
"Oh? Is it that time already? *Sigh*, I haven't even finished changing into my dress yet..."
"You’ll make it in time for the entrance, right? You’ve already finished the preliminary greetings, so just focus on getting dressed."
"*Sigh*. I hate these bulky things; they’re so hard to move in. But I suppose it can't be helped..."
It wasn't some extravagant costume like you'd see on a televised singing contest, so I asked her to bear with it. If I let Seraria choose what was "easy to move in," she’d probably show up in a tracksuit. Fortunately, she had been well-trained, so she could wear a dress without any trouble. Despite her complaints, she was disciplined when it came to etiquette and poise. She was a reliable wife—that was exactly why I entrusted her with being the Queen of Weed.
"Understood. Go ahead and start welcoming the nations to the Grand Conference Hall."
"Roger. I'll notify the various nations."
With that, I sent the notification to the diplomats of each country, and everyone immediately sprang into action.
"Alright, let's head to the entrance to greet them."
"Yes!"
We headed toward the VIP entrance to await the dignitaries participating in the Intercontinental Exchange Conference. Dedicated buses were provided from the hotels where the VIPs were staying, so there would be no issues with transportation. We had separated the lodging facilities by continent—the official reason was to avoid friction caused by cultural differences, but the real reason was the difference in food culture. We were worried that if everyone stayed in the same hotel, the staff would be overwhelmed trying to accommodate at least three different types of cuisine. As it turned out, they all ended up liking the food in Weed, which saved us a lot of trouble.
As I was thinking about this, the first bus from the New Continent arrived. The order of arrival was the New Continent, the Rogari Continent, and the If Continent. The reason was simple: it was based on the number of participants and the number of countries involved.
The participating countries from the New Continent were the two nations of Hayden and Findal, and the Haire Faith.