第７９３堀：できる女の仕事部屋 (Part2)
"Mikos-senpai was asking questions about everything she saw, wasn't she?"
"Oh, absolutely. I was so embarrassed for her."
As we were chatting, Yuki suddenly spoke up.
"Quiet. They've started talking. Can you pick up the audio from the monitor?"
"Yes, sir. I’ve planted devices in the desk as well, so I’ll route that audio to you now."
The operator responded to Yuki’s request immediately.
*“...It is astonishing, General.”*
*“I never imagined that such a place or such objects could truly exist.”*
*“...”*
It seems that while they didn't look surprised at first glance, the guards were clearly stunned. Well, of course they were. You can't come to a place this incredible and not be shocked. But General Lake alone remained silent.
*“...General? Are you feeling unwell? You didn't show much reaction to the innkeeper’s explanation earlier, either.”*
*“Hm? No, there is nothing wrong with my health. I was just like the rest of you—so shocked, or rather, so overwhelmed by the shock that I couldn't even react.”*
Ah, so that was it. Yeah, I get that. That feeling of being completely dumbfounded. You really have no choice but to be stunned or left speechless.
*“I see. As long as you aren't feeling ill, that is a relief. So, what do you think of this country, Weed? As Yuki-sama suggested, could there be a possibility that it is all an illusion...”*
*“Do you really think so? Do you think Yuki-sama, the consort of Weed, would go out of his way to lie and claim his own country is a mirage? And involve King Haiden in the process?”*
*“...That is...”*
Exactly. Having been shown all of this, anyone who saw it with their own eyes would know that it’s impossible for it to be a fake.
*“Besides, the diplomats from Haiden, Findall, and the Haire Church followed us here without a hint of doubt. I find it hard to believe that the Knight Princess of Findall or the Bishop of the Haire Church would go along with a charade, let alone Haiden.”*
*“That is true.”*
Oh, that’s right. Princess Stasia and Enora came along too. I turned around to look at them.
"What? Did you just remember we were here?"
"Now, now, Bishop Enora. We were brought here to such a place, so it couldn't be helped."
"Princess Stasia, you are too lenient. Kagura has really been slacking off lately."
Stasia-sama aside, Enora has been acting cold lately. Well, I suppose if she thinks I’m slacking off, her coldness is understandable. But as a diplomat for Haiden, I couldn't just take that lying down, so I retorted.
"That's not true. I'm just focusing on my mission. You were the one acting all excited during Christmas, weren't you?"
"That was—! Enjoying oneself is part of the job!"
"Why are you panicking?"
As I was teasing Enora, someone suddenly spoke from behind me.
"I envy how you all can chat so happily while I am working."
"K-Kirika-san!?"
Kirika-san had returned before I even noticed.
"Don't be like that. I was just admiring Kirika's handiwork."
"Is that so? Well, regarding that work, based on our conversation, General Lake seems quite surprised. It barely shows on his face, but judging by his demeanor, he was definitely shaken."
"I see. I was just saying the same thing to the others—that General Lake was just as shocked now that he's alone with the Seasypho Kingdom officials. Combining that with your report, it’s certain that he is genuinely surprised."
Yes, the more I hear from Yuki and Kirika-san, the clearer it becomes that General Lake is truly astounded by Weed’s environment and technology. This is what they call increasing the accuracy of information through cross-referencing.
"And one more thing. Something that concerns me."
"What is it?"
"While I was explaining things, General Lake asked about the monsters working at immigration."
"The monsters in charge of immigration are basically Goblins and Orcs, right? I don't think they're particularly rare monsters, even in the New Continent... or rather, in the New Continent, they are classified as people, aren't they? Treated like a branch of the Spirit Priestesses?"
At Yuki’s question, I answered instinctively.
"Y-yes, that should be it."
"Monsters stopped appearing thanks to Hairen-sama’s barrier, so the recognition here is that they are people."
"Yes. I was surprised when I heard Goblins were called 'monsters' here. Because General Steve and the others are such good people. The idea that we couldn't even hold a conversation with them..."
"General Steve and our monsters in Weed are a special case. Regardless of the reason, General Lake is concerned about the monsters—the Goblins—so if we press him on that, we might be able to glean some information."
"I see. Thank you. Once some time has passed, we'll try to approach him from that angle."
As we talked, Yuki and the rest of us stared at the monitor, watching General Lake and his party’s movements.
I mean, we tagged along, but we aren't really being very useful, are we? Well, this is Weed, so it’s not like it would be right for us to take the lead, but it’s frustrating not being able to help Yuki. I really wish I could be a capable woman like Kirika-san.
Of course, the inn where Kirika works is no ordinary inn. It’s Kirika’s home turf, used for both safety and surveillance. It’s where they usually lodge dignitaries to gather intelligence. Naturally, if it’s in Weed, Kirika’s subordinates are everywhere, so they are constantly being watched.
Well then, the surveillance of General Lake is now perfectly in place. Will the mystery of the Seasypho Kingdom finally be solved?!