第７６７堀：大陸間交流会議閉会 そしていつもの彼女 (Part1)
**Chapter 767: The Intercontinental Exchange Conference Concludes, and Her Usual Self**
**Side: Riel**
We are currently gathered in the grand conference hall, watching as Seraria makes her way to the podium. The long, ten-day conference is finally coming to an end.
Much like the opening ceremony, this closing ceremony for the Intercontinental Exchange Conference has drawn a massive crowd, all eyes fixed on the stage.
"And now, we shall have a final word from Lady Seraria to mark the conclusion of the first Intercontinental Exchange Conference."
As Ratz’s announcement echoes through the hall, the noisy crowd falls silent. Seraria stands at the podium, draped in a gorgeous dress different from the one she wore at the opening. It must be such a hassle to have to change outfits every single time. Besides, those frilly dresses don't look practical at all—they seem so difficult to move in...
I’m attending in my capacity as a Special Investigator for the police, so I have my uniform. It’s nice not having to worry about changing clothes. As I’m pondering my own attire, Seraria begins to speak.
"I am truly delighted that, thanks to the cooperation of everyone who contributed to this conference, we were able to proceed smoothly and reach this closing ceremony. However, this is not the end. This is something that will be held many times over to maintain the peace that follows. This is not a special, one-time event. This is a beginning. I ask for the continued support of everyone participating in this alliance. Thank you. With this, I hereby declare the first Intercontinental Exchange Conference closed."
As Seraria’s declaration ends, cheers erupt from every corner of the room. That’s right—this isn't the end, but a beginning. I join in the applause, happy to see the conference reach its conclusion.
Well... even if it’s over on the surface, there are still plenty of issues to deal with. Yuki-san has been agonizing over various financial matters, which I’m sure is an incredibly tedious headache.
As I’m thinking about that, Eris begins her closing remarks.
"Queen Seraria, thank you very much. With this, the first Intercontinental Exchange Conference has concluded, but the Intercontinental Exchange Festival will continue. The dignitaries from each nation will be touring Weed. We ask the residents of Weed and all tourists to please exercise common sense and consideration. Naturally, we also ask that the dignitaries from each nation remain mindful of their positions and act with appropriate judgment."
With that, the conference officially ends, but as Eris said, the festival continues. Well, festivals are better when they last longer. We’ve planned for about twenty days, so we’ve only just finished the first half.
And for us—those of us in the police force responsible for maintaining order in Weed—this is where the real work begins.
"Tori, Riel, Kaya. How is the police deployment?"
As the dignitaries from various nations begin to file out, Yuki-san immediately starts checking the status. Yuki-san is always so serious.
"Yes. We are already standing by at our scheduled positions."
"No problems here. Everything is perfect."
"...And on your end, Yuki?"
"Yeah, Surakichi-san and Steve’s teams are already in position. I’m especially grateful for Surakichi-san’s subordinates. They were granted permission to shadow the dignitaries directly."
"It’s a huge help that they’ve been accepted as both guides and escorts."
"If anything happens, they’ll contact us immediately."
"...It’s still strange, though. Why did they accept slimes as escorts?"
Exactly. As Kaya says, it’s a mystery why they accepted slimes as their guides and escorts. I had expected them to call for us, the dignitaries of Weed.
"Well, I suppose it’s because it’s easy to stay in touch with us through them. For the remaining ten days of the tour, most of us Weed dignitaries are booked solid with meetings. They probably wanted a convenient way to reach us if something came up. Though, leaving Rogali aside, the folks from the If Continent and the New Continent are probably just curious about them."
"““Ah...””"
Come to think of it, slimes don't exist outside of Rogali. I guess they see them like pets.
"Regardless, I’m grateful we could assign slimes as the dignitaries' direct guides and escorts. It saved us from having to divert our own personnel."
Yeah, that’s true. If we had to follow them around, we’d need even more guards, and we’d have to pull people away from other duties. Plus, it would cut into our meeting times.
That said, since I’m under the police jurisdiction, I don’t have many meetings scheduled. Instead, I have quite a few as a General in the military, which makes me wonder how I should handle them. I hadn't consulted Yuki-san about that yet.
"Yuki-san. What should I do when I have meetings as a General?"
"I believe I heard that Quar-san would be coming with you, though..."
"...The only time we commanded people as the military was during the Litea incident. Or rather, that was when I let Riel push things too far, and we lost goblins and slimes in the battle."
"Augh... I’m sorry."
I was so excited back then, but looking back, it was reckless. I let some of Steve’s and Surakichi-san’s subordinates die. But Yuki-san, not to mention Steve, Surakichi-san, and the goblins and slimes themselves, never blamed me.
*“Well, it was a good experience. If we only dwell on regrets, those who died won’t be honored.”*
*“That’s right. Besides, the others made it back, so they should have learned to maneuver better. Those guys, too.”*
*“Exactly. It’s not just Riel-neesan’s fault. So, keep doing your best.”*
*“““Gob-gob.”””*
*“““Wobble-wobble.”””*
That’s how they felt. I knew Yuki-san wouldn't have forgotten that, so I was a little scared to look at his face. But...
"Ah, that happened, didn't it?"
"It sure did."
"Well, if they saw Riel-neesan now, I’m sure they’d be happy. I don’t think you need to worry about it."
"Whoa!?"
Before I knew it, Steve and Surakichi-san had joined us. Right, it makes sense for them to be here since we’re discussing security.
"As the two of them said. You can just let Quar handle the responses during your meetings as a General, and if you’re asked anything personally, Riel, feel free to answer however you like."
"Freely?"
"Yes. You can think about your answers, or you don't have to. Just answer in whatever way makes you feel comfortable. You’ve always been like a shock troop anyway, Riel."
"Oh, I see. So I can just say that’s the type of person I am."
"...Understood. You can make them think you’re a reckless charger to catch them off guard."
"Hey! You two are mean. I’ve grown since then, you know. I followed orders perfectly during the If Continent operation, and I’ve succeeded in plenty of strategies since."
When I pouted, Yuki-san gently patted my head...
"That’s true. That’s why I think you’ll be fine doing things your own way now. Tori and Kaya were saying the same thing."
"Exactly. Riel, you’ve been studying hard, after all."
"...The 'catching them off guard' part is a strategy. If anyone is stupid enough to pick a fight with you, just beat them up."
I see. Everyone really has been watching over me. I’m a mother now, though—I really need to stay a bit calmer. I reflected on that and said:
"Yeah. I’ll handle the military-related meetings."
"That’s exactly the kind of attitude that gets you in trouble, though."
"Getting carried away so easily is bad."