第７８１堀：技術者ぶらり (Part1)
Chapter 781: A Technician’s Stroll
Side: Agil
"Phew... I'm exhausted."
I muttered this to myself as I stepped out of the Enaria Embassy after finishing my work. The sun had already completely set.
"Still, it’s a relief that the streets are well-lit."
It was true that the sun had gone down and darkness had fallen, but the streets themselves were far from dim. Streetlamps lined the paths, illuminating the way brightly.
"Heading home, Agil-sama?"
As I stood there taking in the view, one of the Enaria soldiers on guard duty at the gate called out to me.
"Hm? Ah, yes, that’s right. Have you guys already started your shift change?"
"Yes. Please, leave the night watch to us. Though, I highly doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try and sneak into Weed."
"True, there’s nothing of monetary value here. Just government directives and policy papers. You should be more worried about spies from other nations than thieves. Though, we aren't exactly at each other's throats enough to be sabotaging one another, either."
"Indeed. It’s a peaceful life. I’ll just make sure not to fall asleep on the job."
"Good idea. If you’re caught dozing off, I won’t be able to cover for you, so handle that carefully. As for me, I’m going to grab a drink before heading home."
"Understood! Thank you for your hard work!"
After that exchange, I left the district where the embassies were lined up and headed toward the commercial district. Ever since intercontinental exchanges began, it’s been nothing but desk work...
It’s proof of peace, but we diplomats are being buried alive under mountains of paperwork.
"Well, it’s only like this at the beginning. It’ll settle down eventually. Once it does, I’m quitting this job as soon as possible."
To be honest, I’ve already decided on a "permanent employment" at Yuki’s place, but I just can’t seem to find the right timing. Yuki seems incredibly busy lately, and I haven’t seen his face at all. What should I do?
Then again, asking for a meeting as a diplomat just to propose marriage would be a bit... awkward.
While harboring such ambitions, I arrived at my usual haunt, and...
"My, that was a fascinating discovery, wasn't it?"
"Indeed. I still can't understand how they arrived at that line of thought."
"I suppose we should assume there was a basis for the idea. It’s too well-formed to be something someone just thought up and built on a whim."
"Well, the structural integrity is completely insufficient. That’s why we should view it as a tool designed specifically to fire magic."
Hearing those familiar voices, I asked the server to wait a moment and peeked toward where the sound was coming from.
"It’s a bit amateurish, isn't it? Oh, the hot pot is looking good!"
"Oh, hot pot, hot pot! Hm? Oh, isn't that Agil? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, how rare to see you in a place like this."
"Are you on your way home from work?"
It was the greatest minds in Weed—no, the world—gathered around a hot pot.
"Well, I am on my way home from work. But what are you all doing here...?"
Technically, I should be mindful of my position and speak with proper etiquette, but since these four had become close as fellow researchers, we spoke like this whenever we weren't in an official setting. When it comes to debating research topics, formalities go out the window anyway.
"What do you mean, 'what'? We're just having dinner."
"Exactly. We got an interesting case, so we decided to fill our stomachs properly before diving in."
"If I don't drag them out to eat before we start, Narjia-san would just eat ice cream, and Comet would try to work without eating at all. I have to manage their health, or I’m the one who gets scolded by the Director."
"Haha, Zargis-dono, you have it rough. But I understand the feeling of being obsessed with research. Anyway, setting that aside, if you’re here for dinner, Agil-dono, why not join us?"
"I see. In that case, I’d be happy to."
I was interested in the topic they were discussing, after all. I told the server to excuse me and joined Narjia and the others for the meal.
"Hafu-hafu... Mmm. The tofu is delicious."
"The chicken is good, too."
"The broth is excellent."
"The miso base is quite addictive. How about it, Agil-dono? Does the miso soup suit your palate? Please, help yourself."
"No, I love it. Actually, this is my regular spot; I come here quite often. Mmm, delicious."
The rich broth and the miso blended together perfectly—you could eat a whole bowl of rice with just this. Well, rice is for the end, but udon is hard to pass up, too. It’s the ultimate dilemma when eating hot pot.
"Hoho. That’s good to hear. I’m glad you enjoy the taste of home."
"Oh, come now. What are you saying? It all started when Taizo-dono made hot pot for us during a break in our research."
"Oh, did that happen?"
"It did!"
"It did indeed. Thanks to that, we’ve started visiting this hot pot shop quite often. Not that I’m complaining—it’s delicious, so it’s a win-win."
"Personally, I enjoyed the hot pot tasting competition we held at Yuki’s place."
"What was that!? You held such a delicious event at Yuki’s place!?"
"Yes. If I recall..."
According to what I gathered, Yuki and his group regularly invite acquaintances over for hot pot parties. How enviable. I’d love to be invited.
As we ordered extra ingredients and continued eating, the conversation shifted back to the "interesting thing" they mentioned earlier. Apparently, a military force wielding those "guns"—the super-weapons—had arrived in Haiden, the homeland of Kagura and her people, under the ridiculous pretext of "reconstruction aid."
"So, Yuki has landed himself in another mess."
"It involves guns, so he can't just ignore it."
"Wait, wait a minute. Is it really okay to tell Agil-dono all this? It’s classified, you know?"
"It’s fine. Even if he tells people on the If Continent, there’s nothing they can do about it anyway."
As Narjia-san said, even if I knew something, there was little I could do. Besides, how many people in the upper echelons would even understand the concept of a "gun," a super-weapon they’ve never even seen? Even if they were ordered to build one, it wouldn't be easy.
The best thing to do is let it go in one ear and out the other. If I report it and get tasked with investigating, my workload will just increase. My dream of retiring through marriage would drift further away.
As I was lost in such delusions, Taizo-san said something unexpected.
"That’s right. If you’d like, Agil-dono, why don't you join us in the analysis?"
"Eh? No, surely that would be a problem. It’s classified, after all."
I certainly had the desire to participate, but this was a matter of national security. I knew it was a bad idea to include me.
"Well, that’s true, but we currently view the threat level as low. Or rather, I said 'gun,' but at a glance, the structure is that of a magic staff."
"A magic staff? You mean a staff that fires magic?"
"Exactly."
"In the shape of a gun?"
"That’s right. That’s why it’s so interesting!"
"Exactly. That’s why we’re inviting you, Agil. You might make some interesting discoveries."
"...*Sigh*. I’d prefer not to, as I’ll be the one who has to write the apology letter for the security breach."
Zargis seemed to be the only one against my participation, but the others were welcoming—or rather, they were insisting I join. If I didn't have my regular work, I would have said yes immediately...
"Ah, don't worry about the work. I’ll explain it to them myself. Besides, Agil-dono is the top student of technology, isn't he? You’re more than qualified."
"Ah, now that you mention it, that’s true."
It had been decided at the intercontinental exchange conference that people from various countries would come to Weed to learn technology. We were currently in the middle of selecting those students, and I had already been confirmed as a member. After all, even if I’m a shrimp, I’m still the greatest genius in Enaria.
Though, compared to these people, I pale in comparison.
Well, that doesn't matter! I finally had the perfect excuse to slack off on my paperwork!