第８３６堀：拠点確保合流 (Part1)
**Chapter 836: Securing the Base and Joining Forces**
**Side: Cleena**
"He really does have a way of slipping in the most outrageous demands without batting an eye, doesn't he?"
As Seraria voiced this, we all nodded in unison. It was only natural. After all, the price Yuki had demanded in exchange for aiding the Kingdom of Seasiph was...
"Participation in the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, permission for Weed to reside within Seasiph, and finally, authorization to meet with their engineers. On the surface, one might think these are perfectly reasonable requests, but..."
"Depending on how one interprets or implements them, the Kingdom of Seasiph is essentially being laid bare," Jessica remarked, stating the reality of the situation, to which Samantha added the inevitable conclusion.
Not a single one of us could offer a word of dissent. It would undoubtedly play out exactly as Samantha predicted.
"Hah... Yuki-san is as reliable as he is terrifying. If Queen Emerald accepted these terms while fully grasping their implications, should we call her brilliant?"
"I doubt she understands. Well, Big Brother never does anything with ill intent, but from the perspective of this world's common sense, his way of thinking is simply too far ahead of the curve."
As Eris suggested, it would be impressive if the Queen truly understood Yuki’s intentions, but I found myself agreeing with Ratz. Yuki’s—or rather, Earth’s—diplomatic methods were beyond the imagination or comprehension of the aristocrats in this world. His vision, or perhaps his ability to look ahead, was simply on a different plane.
"Regardless of what the Queen of Seasiph’s true intentions are, we have successfully established a foothold for Weed within her borders. From here on out, if anything happens, we can simply head over directly."
"That’s right. I don't really get the complicated stuff, but like Rurua said, we can just go and help if we're needed, right?"
"You need to think a bit more, Riel. But I do agree that we should go to help Yuki-san and the others."
"...Naturally. It’s a good thing we can now reach Yuki and the others quickly. Relying solely on the aircraft carrier was, in the end, just being stuck on a ship."
"As Kaya says, our only base in Seasiph until now was the carrier, which could have delayed our support if something happened. Now, we can respond immediately. That is a positive development."
I nodded in agreement. There were many things I didn't fully understand, but the defensive capabilities of the Seasiph Kingdom had just taken a massive leap forward. With the gates, we could now provide support from both land and sea. We would no longer be caught lagging behind.
"Well, while staying there is a benefit, the permission for fishing and oceanographic surveys is even better. The sea is a treasure trove of resources. Once we deal with the sea monsters, we’ll have free rein to investigate. Of course, it will also become possible to venture far beyond the horizon. Perhaps even tracing the coastline of the continent might be an option."
"We will be encountering new nations and cultures, too. That will surely lead to various discoveries, bringing us one step closer to achieving Yuki-san’s goal."
As Seraria and Shera pointed out, securing a bridgehead to the sea offered more than just immediate gains; it was undoubtedly a step toward solving the magic-depletion phenomenon, which was Yuki’s true objective.
"However, while it is lovely to let our dreams wander to the future, the immediate problem is the sea monsters. I understand we will be meeting the developer of the firearms, and that will have to wait until the meeting, but what is the schedule moving forward?"
At Samantha’s words, all eyes turned to Seraria. While we all had the reports, it was understood that Seraria, as our Queen, would dictate our course of action.
"I assume you’ve all read the reports, but there are no changes. As originally planned, we will split into two teams: one to head into the open ocean to investigate the cause, and one to defend the coastal waters. As for the departure date, we need guidance from Seasiph and to gather preliminary information, so we are waiting for the 3rd Fleet—which is currently out on a deep-sea survey—to return. Their return is expected in about seven days. Therefore, we plan to meet with the firearm developer during that interval. Today, Yuki and his group will be meeting with Seasiph officials in the morning, followed by an inspection of the residence provided to them."
I see, so they are being provided with a residence today. Well, I suppose it would be politically problematic for Seasiph to keep Yuki and his group in the castle indefinitely. ...Though I suspect it’s a futile resistance on their part.
As I was thinking this...
"In that case, we must go and help out, too. After all, if it’s a residence provided to Big Brother, it’s also a residence for us, his wives."
" " " !? " " "
At Ratz’s words, everyone, including myself, looked startled.
"Ratz is correct. Since it will be a place where we reside, it is only natural that we assist. We must also investigate the scale of the town and its surroundings."
"Eris is right. Surveying the town of Seasiph is of vital importance. Therefore, we must head to where our husband is."
They were right. We had to do everything in our power for the sake of Seasiph, for the sake of future intercontinental exchange, and above all, for Yuki.
"Yeah! I agree! I’m worried about the security over there, too! Besides, I didn't want to be the only ones left behind!!"
"Now, now, Riel. That last part sounded like your true feelings! Besides, the children are here."
"...As for that, we can just have Kirue, Sasari, Milly, and Labyris, who are already over there, take over. They must be feeling frustrated not being able to see the children, too."
Riel and the others were clearly eager to go to Seasiph, ostensibly to check on security. As I wondered what reason I could possibly use to justify going... Samantha spoke up.
"We also need to inform Yuki-sama of the subsequent movements in the If Continent. Don't you agree, Cleena-san?"
"...Indeed. As Samantha says. As diplomats, we have a duty to fulfill our responsibilities as Yuki’s wives."
"I feel the same. As a diplomat, and above all as a wife and a guard, I, Jessica, shall also head to Seasiph."
We of the If Continent group had found our reason to go. Seeing this, Seraria sighed...
"Well, I suppose that’s how it would turn out. I am curious about the sea myself, and as a fellow queen, there are things I wish to ask Queen Emerald. That said, it would be a bit improper for a queen to officially visit another queen, so it will have to be an incognito trip. But remember, none of you can stay in Seasiph for days on end. Keep that in mind."
" " "Yes!" " "
We understood that much. We were still incredibly busy with the adjustments for the intercontinental exchange. We couldn't just stay in Seasiph forever.
...The life of reading books quietly by Yuki’s side was still a distant dream.
With the visit decided, the only thing left was...
"So, the question is, who goes in what order? We can't all leave the base at once, so how should we decide?"
And so, it was only natural that we spent the majority of our meeting deciding the order in which we would head to Seasiph.