第９７５堀：予想外の (Part1)
**Chapter 975: The Unexpected**
**Side: Ratz**
Well, I’m truly relieved that the top-level summit regarding the handover of the Magic Gear concluded safely.
We were genuinely worried, you see.
I mean, putting Archbishop Enol aside...
"Hey, Hairen. Why are you here?"
"What’s with that tone? I’m just accompanying Enol-san as a sister. Besides, I’m a stakeholder in this too, so it’s only natural I’d come along, right?"
That’s right. For some reason, the Goddess Hairen, whom the Haire Church worships, is here with us.
Normally, I should be using honorifics like "Her Divine Grace," but Hairen is more like a close female friend, so I just attach her role to her name in situations like this.
She hates it when I do anything more formal, anyway.
The problem is, whenever this person sticks her nose into a serious situation, she almost always stirs up a chaotic mess and ends up ruining the entire discussion.
That’s exactly why we had planned for it to just be Archbishop Enol and her attendants... but Enola, Kagura, and Mikos, who came out of the gate after the Archbishop and Hairen, looked completely pale.
It seems—no, it’s obvious—that Hairen ignored everyone’s attempts to stop her and just barged in.
She certainly has an abundance of initiative, and when push comes to shove, she produces results—like when she decided on this Magic Gear handover—but still...
"Hey, keep it down! Don't mess up my schedule, you idiot!"
"Ouch, ouch!? What are you doing!? I’m not an idiot!?"
"It turned out fine only because nothing happened, but you could have ruined everything. How many times do I have to tell you to let me know before you do something like this!"
As Yuki-oniisan said, there were no actual troubles in the end, but just having Hairen there sent our tension levels through the roof.
I was sweating bullets, terrified she might offend the Emperor of Eupia.
After all...
"It’s fine, isn't it? That kid seems like a good person, anyway."
"I can't introduce you with that half-baked attitude of yours. Besides, that kid has been suffering immensely precisely because she was made ageless by some 'divine blessing.' If you aren't careful, she might hold a grudge against anything 'divine' at her very core."
"Ugh!? What’s that about!"
"I-I am terribly sorry. I had no idea the Emperor of Eupia had such a background. I should have stopped her more firmly."
That’s right. That little Emperor has been stuck in her youth due to a divine blessing—or rather, a curse—and she’s mentioned having gone through a lot of hardships because of it.
It wouldn't be strange for her to have a rejection reaction to the word "god," just like Yuki-oniisan.
Still...
"No. Archbishop Enol, you are not at fault. Yuki, it’s all my fault. I should have been able to physically stop Hairen-sama."
"I am equally guilty. I am so sorry. Because of my lack of foresight, I brought a national crisis upon us."
"...Yuki-sensei. I’m sorry."
Enola, Kagura, and Mikos all hung their heads in shame...
"Geez, enough! Because of you, Enola and the others are depressed. Think about the situation! Making my wives feel down is a grave sin in itself!"
"Ow, ow, ow!? I said I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"
Yuki-oniisan is all about us, after all.
Hairen did the worst possible thing. She begged Enola and the others, and while she probably didn't have any malice or awareness of it, she naturally created a situation where Yuki-oniisan couldn't scold her too harshly.
Hairen does these things unconsciously, which is what makes her so truly troublesome.
"Good grief. I’ll let it slide for now, for the sake of my wives."
"Uuu... Why is Yuki so kind to his wives but so sharp with me and Luna-sama..."
"Put your hand on your chest and think about it."
"Hmm. Don't I only ever do good things?"
"The results might be good, I won't deny that, but don't forget that there are people who suffer immensely during the process. By the way, where are your guardians, Sota-san and Enol-san?"
"Of course, I snuck away from them!"
*Thwack.*
"Ouch!?"
She really never learns, does she, Hairen?
Well, Sota-san and Enol-san are undead, so there’s the issue that we can’t easily bring them here until the investigation is complete, so I’m just glad she didn't drag them along by force.
After the lecture and the punishment for Hairen finally finished, we were finally able to start the actual meeting.
"For now, despite the trouble of Hairen barging in, can I assume the intentions of the Haire Church have been conveyed? Archbishop Enol."
"Yes. The Emperor of Eupia understood us perfectly. That person is trustworthy. If it is that Emperor, she will be able to use the Magic Gear without losing sight of herself. Isn't that right, Hairen-sama?"
"Ouch... Hm? Ah, if it’s that kid, there’s no problem. Besides, if she’s wrong, I can just tell her straight."
"Yes. That is true."
The fact that she can so easily say she’d warn anyone—even an Emperor—if they were wrong is one of Hairen’s good points, I suppose.
Though, like Archbishop Enol, I really don't think the Emperor of Eupia would use the Magic Gear for personal gain anyway.
"Well, if the parties involved are satisfied, then that’s fine. So, it’s been decided that we will begin exporting the Magic Gear. And the day after tomorrow, there’s the meeting regarding Haine. I wanted to bring up the Magic Gear exports then, so I asked for Archbishop Enol to attend. Are you really sure you’re okay with that?"
That’s right. The Emperor of Eupia expressed deep gratitude to Archbishop Enol, but she didn't stop there; she asked if she could introduce her at the upcoming meeting regarding the recent talks between Weed and the Haine Imperial Fleet.
She wants the Archbishop to be present so she can properly convey her thoughts and decisions to her subordinates.
Archbishop Enol readily agreed, but Yuki-oniisan is worried she’s being manipulated by Hairen.
"Yes. I am fine with it. Having the opportunity to speak not only to the Emperor but also to her subordinates is a blessing for me as well. I can properly convey my thoughts, and then entrust them with the Magic Gear."
"Yeah, yeah. It’s important to convey things with words, isn't it?"
"I understand that, but... by the way, Hairen, you are forbidden from leaving the Imperial Capital of Zurable at all."
"Ehh!?"
"Don't 'ehh' me. If you can't listen to me any further, I’m sending you home by force. The image of Archbishop Enol and the entire Haire Church will be decided in these next few days. You stay quiet."
That’s right.
Well, I don't think anything will happen in such a short time, but since Hairen is an "Amazing Trouble Maker," I can't even imagine what kind of trouble she might cause.
"Hmph."