第８２５堀：各部署正常に稼働中 (Part2)
"Understood. I'll be off to get back to work, then."
Having finished airing his grievances and aligning the upcoming schedule, Steve promptly exited the CDC.
"Hmph. As Taiki said, it seems even Steve and his lot are reaching their limits. It’s rare for that one to complain so vociferously."
"Indeed. It must mean the frustration down the ranks is truly piling up."
Well then, it seems I’ve reached the point where I can no longer rely on the Convenient Goblin Squad, given the string of troubles—or rather, events—we’ve been facing.
Should I bring in John next? Or perhaps, as Steve suggested, the Undead Squad?
Should I have Kirue lead a fleet operation?
Though, zombies are out of the question. Only skeletons or the more pristine undead will do. I can’t have bodily fluids dripping onto precision machinery; the cleanup would be more trouble than it’s worth.
As I pondered which units I could deploy, a sudden exclamation caught my attention.
"Wow! It’s the sea! The ocean!"
"The o-cean! It’s the real thing!"
"It’s beautiful. It feels quite different from the Weed sea."
I noticed Aslin and the others gathered around the monitor, beaming at the footage.
"Come to think of it, Steve. How is the situation on the sea surface?"
"Hm? Oh, it’s calm as can be. The wave height is standard if you use the Weed sea as a baseline. Though, I wouldn't know what’s 'normal' for these waters."
"I see. Any monster signatures?"
"Nothing abnormal so far. If anything pops up, I’ll get a report immediately."
As I was confirming the conditions of the Seasipher’s waters with Steve, Aslin and the others realized I was checking the sea, and they leaned in to peer at the call.
"Hey, Steve! Are there any dolphins?"
"Are there any big jellyfish?"
"Uh, Your Highnesses, we haven't confirmed any marine life like that yet..."
"Aww. That’s a shame."
"A shame, indeed."
They slumped their shoulders in disappointment. They had been so excited at the prospect of finding fun creatures in these waters. Personally, living in a world teeming with monsters, the very idea of entering the ocean terrifies me, but they seem to lack that sense of caution entirely.
Just as I was thinking that, Steve’s voice boomed through the comms.
"Leave it to me!! Hey, you lot, it’s beach day!! We’re going to find the marine life that Her Highness Aslin and the others want to see!"
" " "Yeahhh!!" " "
"Yay! Then we all have to work hard, or we won't have time to play!"
"Yay! Aslin is right, everyone! Let’s work hard and finish our tasks!"
With that, they scurried back to their stations to resume their duties.
Though, since this involves checking the ship's status, if Steve and his team are heading out to the sea, the workload will naturally increase. As I was coming to that realization...
"Should I say it’s a relief to see Steve and the others regain their motivation?"
"...Who can say? And Labyris, shouldn't you have been chasing after Aslin and the others?"
"They aren't idiots, you know. They understand perfectly well what they can and cannot do. And they didn't say that just for their own amusement. They did it on purpose to fire Steve up."
"A terrifying prospect. Don't go teaching them such blatant schemes."
"Fufu. A woman has to be shrewd, Yuki. Don't you think?"
"On that front, I’d ask you to go easy on them, just as I do with Deryu."
It’s a shame I can’t honestly be happy that Aslin and the others have grown that much. Well, they are growing every day, so I suppose it’s only natural.
As I was lost in these thoughts, a knock echoed at the CDC door. Chancellor Aquamarine and General Lake entered together.
Their expressions were significantly better than when they first boarded the carrier. They looked as though they had steeled their resolve. It seems Hairen’s words actually serve a purpose in situations like this. What a truly troublesome deity you are...
Well, I’ll handle this like a professional.
"How are you finding the ride on this ship?"
"It is truly magnificent. The lack of vibration is astounding. That said, I would like to discuss a few matters with you, if you have the time."
Ho. So, this is where the real business begins.
"Certainly. We have a conference room; let us move there to talk."
I look forward to hearing what they have to say.
As for Steve and his crew, dangling Aslin and the others as bait should be enough. Even if they are a bit calculating, Aslin and the others are just too cute to blame!