第８２５堀：各部署正常に稼働中 (Part1)
### Chapter 825: All Departments Operating Normally
**Side: Yuki**
"Surely anyone can see that Yuki is a kind person, right?"
"Yup, yup. Yuki-sensei is super kind, after all."
"Now, now. The people of Sea-Cypho haven't been around us long enough to realize that yet. That’s why they’re afraid and on guard."
And so, Enora and the others were having that very conversation in the counseling room.
"Bringing Enora, and Kagura and her group as well, really was the right call."
"Yeah. If we didn't have people from this land, we wouldn't have been able to hold a proper conversation with Sea-Cypho."
Having immense power brings these kinds of drawbacks. Even just shaking hands becomes a monumental task in this world.
"However, Master. Please be aware that not everyone from the Sea-Cypho Kingdom currently aboard this ship is convinced yet, based on my conversation with Bishop Enora."
"Indeed. There is a high possibility that someone might get ahead of themselves and do something foolish, so please, do not move about on your own."
I thought I might be able to stretch my legs a bit since the overly serious Ria and Jessica weren't here, but it seems the defenses of the Demon Lord and her maids remain impenetrable even here. Well, I had anticipated that much, so it’s fine. The real problem is...
"Captain Dressa, here are the reports."
"Dre-onee-chan, here’s mine too."
"Dressa-chan, here is the report on ammunition reserves."
"And this is the report from the weapons maintenance department."
"...Just put them there. I’m currently looking through these reports."
That’s Dressa, serving as the captain in charge. For the time being, she’s handling her duties without issue. Well, perhaps she’s not quite keeping up with the sheer volume of paperwork.
"Seeing the documents pile up like that... it really brings back memories."
As expected of the words of the Hero King. They carry a lot of weight. I’m terrified of returning to my office in Weed, too. Even though we’re here in Sea-Cypho, we return to Weed every evening, and my heart sinks every time I see the mountain of paperwork waiting for me.
"So, Yuki, how do you view the movements of the Sea-Cypho bigwigs?"
That question came from Labyris. As usual, she was perched on my shoulders, riding piggyback. Well, actually, that hasn't happened much lately. But that’s beside the point.
"It’s normal, isn't it? It’s only natural for them to be on guard. That reaction actually puts me at ease. General Lake is the anomaly among them. Sorry to say."
"True enough. I think her adaptability is incredible."
"Well, that’s exactly why we were saved, but I can’t expect everyone to be as accepting as General Lake."
"That’s just how the world works, isn't it?"
Exactly. There’s always going to be pushback somewhere. The key is how much we can minimize it. That’s the whole point of our actions this time.
"Fortunately, the counseling room is functioning properly. Even Chancellor Aquamarine came to seek advice, so others will likely follow. Though, it seems the Chancellor was the last one for today."
"It’s a religion, after all. The more devout they are, the sooner they come. And there are more older people like that than young ones. Besides, the Haire religion seems to be deeply rooted here in Sea-Cypho."
"That’s... unexpected, or should I say, fortunate for us? Honestly, supporting the Haire religion was a brilliant move."
I truly feel glad that we established a relationship with the Haire religion. There was the incident with Aquenoki, but building a cooperative structure has had a positive impact on this situation. Without the Haire religion and Enora’s cooperation, I suspect our dealings with Sea-Cypho would have been far more difficult.
As we were talking, I suddenly felt a presence at my feet and looked down...
"...By the way, could you please give some thought to how you treat us, too?"
It was Steve, the "Convenience General," speaking to me in a resentful tone.
"I know, I know. But among the personnel we can fit on this carrier, you and your group are the only ones with the necessary proficiency and knowledge. The current reality is that I have no choice but to entrust the visible duties to the Goblin squad."
"Sigh, I understand that, but running back and forth between two ships is brutal."
"Taiki-kun pointed that out, too. I want to do something about it, but we’re truly short on manpower. Please, just bear with it for now. I’ve got Surakichi-san and his group handling the behind-the-scenes work, so it should be manageable, right?"
Naturally, it’s not just Steve and the Goblin squad operating and managing these two aircraft carriers. In fact, it’s impossible given the numbers. The Goblin fleet personnel led by Steve number at most 500. A Nimitz-class carrier is said to require over 3,000 people to operate. That means each person has to do the work of six. I don’t intend to push them that far, so I’ve had Surakichi-san provide a slime squad.
"Well, the slimes led by Surakichi-san can move 24/7, I suppose. And it’s helpful that one of them can do multiple tasks at once. Still, even with them, it’s tough. Can’t you summon an undead unit? This is a dungeon, right?"
"Well, I suppose I have to admit it’s a dungeon. But, you know, we had that incident at the Haire religion with the resurrection of the dead—or rather, the undead puppetry."
"Ah, come to think of it, that did happen. I guess the situation makes them hard to use."
Exactly. The fact that Sota-san, Enor-san, and Prince Age were resurrected as zombies isn't exactly recent, but it’s still too fresh to call it ancient history. I don’t want to do anything that might provoke them. Showing no respect for the dead isn't exactly welcomed here, either. Besides...
"And besides, unless they look like normal people like Kirika and her group, if zombies or skeletons were wandering the ship, the normal people who aren't used to the undead would lose their minds."
"You’re right. It might cause more harm than good."
Exactly. I don’t want to turn this carrier into the stage for some bio-hazard incident. Not that my subordinates would attack anyone, but we’re finally trying to join hands. I’m not Luna; I don’t want to go around scaring people.
"So, I guess we’re stuck with this operation for now. I’ll tell my subordinates as much."
"I’m counting on you. Just... don’t push yourselves too hard."
"We’re always pushed to the limit... well, I’ll tell them to slack off where they can. There’s no combat, right?"
"None planned. What we need right now is patrolling and maintenance."
"It’s a relief there are no carrier-based aircraft. Wait, were there no aircraft in the supplies?"
"Same thing. It’s not the time to deploy them yet. They barely understand the carrier itself; there’s no need to cause further confusion. The Wyvern squad is the same."
"You intend to operate without air power?"
"In coastal waters, yes. But when we head into the open ocean, we’ll load them. We need them for an emergency escape. Oh, and the Wyvern squad will use the Gate to provide support for Dressa if things go south."