第９０１堀：仕事が増えるよ！！ (Part1)
Chapter 901: The Work Just Keeps Piling Up!!
Side: Yuki
"What is this? Are you trying to work me to death with busywork?"
"Of course not, Master."
I glared at Zargis, who was projected on the monitor.
"Besides, you already know the sequence of events leading up to this, don't you?"
It was true. I had been listening to everything in real-time through the microphone I’d had them carry and the 'Call' spell, so I was fully aware of the conversations and negotiations that took place after they entered the Dragonfolk village.
I knew, but still...
"Why on earth are the Dragonfolk chief and his attendants coming here?"
"For that, you’ll have to ask Riel and Princess Lowel—they worked very hard to make it happen."
"Damn it! I can't exactly say that to them. But, looking at the situation, it’s a brilliant idea."
Indeed, welcoming the Dragonfolk to the Intercontinental Exchange Conference and introducing them would be beneficial not just for the Dragonfolk, but for us as well. It was the perfect venue to broadcast the fact that we had solved yet another problem in the Rogari Continent.
Once the nations of the If Continent and the New Continent heard that news, they would feel at ease, confirming that joining our alliance was the right choice. So, what Riel and Lowel did was the best possible move.
However, in exchange...
"Master, I apologize for the interruption while you're busy, but regarding the seating arrangements for the wedding guests, where should we place the Dragonfolk..."
"Master! About the snacks and drinks at the main hall for the Intercontinental Exchange Conference—what do the Dragonfolk eat? If we serve sandwiches, are there any taboo ingredients? Also..."
"Darling, if we’re going to include the introduction of the Dragonfolk, I think the best timing would be during the roll call for the Rogari Continent participating nations..."
"To make the Dragonfolk’s standing clear, I think it would be best to place them after Roschur and Gartz, but that would mean pushing the major powers, Litea and Rumel, further down the list. Rurua-san, what order do you think would be best?"
"Well, as Shera says, if we introduce them before Litea and Rumel, there will be many who claim it’s an insult to their status. I especially don't want to provoke Rumel unnecessarily."
"Yuki-san, if the Dragonfolk attend, we’ll need to allocate an additional budget. And which rooms should they stay in? We need to decide on security soon, so if you could make a judgment call..."
"Big Brother, can I make some Dragonfolk-related merchandise? I have a feeling it’ll sell surprisingly well..."
As you can see, the Dragonfolk participating in the Intercontinental Exchange Conference meant not only a massive change to the program but also that we would be swamped with adjustments.
"Alright, everyone, hold on a second. I haven't even heard the full report from Zargis yet. For now, just keep moving forward with your other tasks. Actually, it’s already night, so let’s discuss the details regarding the Dragonfolk tomorrow morning."
I sent my wives away as they gathered with their stacks of documents. There was no point in asking me questions when I didn't even know the details myself. It backfired that I had listened to the report with them present. I ended up hearing every request—or rather, every potential problem—from every department at once.
"You seem very busy, Master."
"That sounds like sarcasm, you know. Anyway, before you return here, get the specifics from Gaul regarding their diet, customs, and etiquette. I’m getting inquiries from all sides because we lack the information to prepare."
"Ah, certainly. I understand. By the way, what shall we do about transportation? Would it be a problem to use the dungeon gates?"
"Using them is fine, but make sure you ask Gaul properly. We use them as a matter of course, but they might be the type to dislike such things."
The prejudice that new things are difficult to use is common everywhere, after all.
"If they dislike the gates, have them travel by car. And absolutely no flying in dragon form, understood?"
"I am aware of that. If a dragon were to fly through the sky, it would be total chaos. Even if we notified everyone in advance, it would take too long. It would be faster to just walk."
In this world, just because you have wings doesn't mean you can fly freely. It feels like the concept of "airspace" is about to be born in this other world. Well, since only dragons or wyverns can fly, maybe it hasn't reached that point yet. After all, there aren't many groups with aerial combat capabilities.
Setting that aside...
"But tell me, was there no wariness regarding the fact that Weed is a nation located inside a dungeon?"
"No, there was nothing of the sort. They accepted it as if it were a normal thing."
"Do they have no knowledge of what a dungeon is?"
If that were the case, I’d understand why they weren't wary, but if they *did* know, it would be strange not to be on guard when hearing the word 'dungeon.'
"Who knows? They didn't seem to be listening with the consciousness that it was a dungeon. Well, perhaps they were just overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information provided about Weed itself?"
"Overwhelmed to the point of mental capacity overload, huh? That sounds plausible. Regardless, explain to them once more before they arrive that this is a dungeon-nation. It would be too troublesome if they started rampaging the moment they saw it."
"Understood. That would indeed be troublesome. Oh, by the way, how are Steve and the others doing?"
"Steve and his team are stationed at various points in that empty forest, building dungeons as planned and waiting to sortie at any moment. Well, that turned out to be a waste."
"No, we don't know what might happen yet, so it’s not entirely a waste."
"True."
They were there to "protect" the Dragonfolk village, which was a piece of information that would reassure the nations that had been wary.
"I’ve told Steve to leave only a skeleton crew for security and return to Weed. I intend to have them go pick up Gaul and the others. Seeing goblins and orcs living together should put the Dragonfolk at ease."
"I agree. And it serves as a backup in case anything happens, right?"
"Exactly. Steve and his team are guards, but they are also there to keep an eye on Gaul and the others."
Naturally, I want to trust Gaul, but I can't just leave it entirely to faith.
"Oh, and regarding the investigation into the mana depletion..."
"That’s on the back burner for now. There aren't any obvious anomalies that require an urgent investigation, right?"
"Yes. Well, I heard from Gaul that because the Dragonfolk are exuding such pressure, there are almost no monsters or animals in the area, so it’s possible that is having some sort of effect..."
"We can't immediately determine that causal relationship. We have the monitoring system from the dungeons Steve installed, so for now, we’ll just have to deal with any mana-related irregularities through that."