第９０７堀：竜をどう紹介しよう？ (Part1)
Chapter 907: How Should We Introduce the Dragons?
Side: Yuki
*Scritch, scratch... Clack, clack...*
Those sounds echoed from every corner of the room. It was the sound of myself and everyone else signing documents or typing away at keyboards—a sound I had heard more times than I could count.
"Haaah..."
*Darn it, I just yawned.* Even the sound of work was starting to feel like a lullaby, inviting me to sleep.
"Yuki-san, are you alright?" Ria asked, looking at me with concern.
"Yeah, sorry. It was a late night yesterday."
Indeed, it had been late. We had stayed up on standby, prepared for any trouble from the Dragonfolk who had arrived yesterday.
"Honestly, they should have just gone to sleep."
"In the end, they just started a banquet, didn't they? *Haaah...*"
"Dressa. You’re yawning too. Let's focus on our work."
"Guu..."
"Hiiro, wake up!"
As Dressa mentioned, we had ended up starting a banquet that lasted until the early hours. Apparently, they were too excited to sleep after arriving in a new place, and Queen Miyabi and Gaul-dono seemed to have hit it off while sharing stories of the past. Thanks to that, those of us on guard duty were exhausted.
"Well, it’s a relief that nothing actually happened," one of them said.
"...Mm. The worst-case scenario would have been our inn being set ablaze by a dragon right before the wedding."
As they said, that was the one thing I truly wanted to avoid. No matter how much Queen Miyabi or Gaul-dono insisted they were fine, I couldn't help but worry. I had even had Steve and his troops on standby, not to mention Kirika and her team.
"So, what is the plan for today? We are less than a month away from the Intercontinental Exchange Conference. What are you planning to tackle first?"
"...First, I plan to spend the whole day sleeping soundly."
"Please, spare me the jokes. Do you have any idea how much work will pile up if you take a day off? Shall I report that comment to Seraria and Eris?"
"It was a joke. If those two found out I was slacking off, they’d squeeze me dry tonight."
"That is only natural. If you rest well, your energy will return, after all."
"And then being exhausted tomorrow would defeat the purpose."
My wives are all strangely predatory... No, that’s nothing new.
"Anyway, jokes aside, the problem is how to guide the Dragonfolk today and how to present them at the Intercontinental Exchange Conference. I’ve put together a plan while keeping them under surveillance, but..."
"We’ve got the greeting with Seraria and the tour of Weed covered, but what exactly are we going to do for the practice presentation of the Dragonfolk? My mind is a total blank."
"Dressa, we brought the Dragonfolk here to introduce them at the upcoming Intercontinental Exchange. We need to present them in a grand way, one that will make the representatives of every nation sit up and take notice."
"Vili-onee-sama, that’s not specific at all."
"That’s the problem, isn't it?"
Exactly. The issue is how to present the Dragonfolk in a way that convinces the kings and high-ranking officials of various nations.
"Just saying, 'These are the Dragonfolk, nice to meet you,' won't cut it."
"That’s true. If we suddenly change the seating arrangements and take up time just to introduce a group whose authenticity is questionable, the smaller nations—who are already desperate to participate not just as observers but as speakers—will be furious."
"They’ll start demanding that we introduce them next time, too."
"Jessica and Dressa are right. If we want to avoid dissatisfaction when the Dragonfolk are introduced at the Grand Conference, we need a performance that justifies it."
A simple introduction isn't enough. We need a reason that justifies pushing aside the other small nations. As it stands, it just looks like we brought a rare species. I don't want to turn the Dragonfolk into a spectacle. The goal is to make their status known to the world so that no one dares to lay a hand on them.
We must never introduce them as if they were pets or some mere curiosity. If we did that, idiots would flock to the Dragon Village and turn it into a sea of flames. Well, one could argue that it wouldn't matter if the idiots just ended up as charcoal, but I couldn't face Queen Miyabi, who trusted Weed enough to share her information, or Gaul, who trusted me enough to follow me here.
As I was agonizing over this, Hiiro suddenly spoke up.
"Onii-sama. In that case, just have them transform into dragons. It’s easy to understand."
"Hiiro, we can't do that at a conference table, can we? We barely managed to secure their seats as it is."
I had considered Hiiro's idea once, but it would require clearing out the entire conference floor. During that time, the leaders of every nation would be left standing in the corners of the hall. ...Yeah, that’s a no-go. I can't treat them like that. It would take too much time and effort, and only breed resentment.
As I wondered if there was a better way...
"Ah, then what about the reverse?"
"Reverse? What do you mean, Ria?"
"It’s simple, Jessica. If they can't transform inside the venue, they can just be transformed from the start and turn back into human form when they enter."
" " "Ah, I see." " "
Everyone was convinced by Ria’s suggestion. That’s it—that’s possible. Well, having dragons flying overhead might cause some confusion, but that should be fine if we explain it beforehand.
"Let’s go with Ria’s plan. Now, I need to discuss this with Seraria and get her approval. By the way, what is Seraria’s schedule?"
"...I believe she is at the cathedral today for the wedding rehearsal. There is a ceremony for Seraria to grant her official approval of the marriage, after all."
"Why is that? For the wedding itself, we have Priestess Lilishe and Saintess Alstaire from Rogari, Archbishop Enaria and Holy Saintess Hifie from the If Continent, and Archbishop Enoru from the New Continent all officiating together..."
As Vilia said, this wedding involves many countries from different continents, each with entirely different religions. That’s why we asked the leaders of each faith to officiate or lead the vows—to represent the religions of each continent. But they are merely presiding over the ceremony...
"Ultimately, it’s a wedding to Yuki, the consort of Weed, and Seraria is the top of Weed. So, we need Seraria’s permission. But doesn't this mean that instead of just a wedding to Yuki, it’s also a declaration of loyalty to Seraria, acknowledging her as their superior?"
"Dressa is right. That is one of the objectives. This wedding is also a formal declaration that Princess Stasia, Kagura, and the others are becoming subjects of Weed. Marrying me carries that meaning as well."
The officiating Saintesses and Archbishops are merely there to conduct the ceremony and act as witnesses. The legal authority of the nation rests with Seraria, and we have to demonstrate that. It’s only natural. No matter how many ceremonies you hold, if you don't file the official marriage registration, it doesn't exist on paper.
Besides...
"If I don't do it properly, it could end up looking like I just went around marrying women from various countries on my own whim."