第１００４堀：各国の交易状況ラスト (Part1)
**Chapter 1004: Trade Status of Each Country - Final**
**Side: Ratz**
"Well, since we're at it, I'll go ahead and explain."
Our Queen of Weed, Seraria, continued her report.
Man, I used to think she was just a muscle-brained fighter, but people really do change. She’s completely settled into the role of Queen now.
Well, that goes for everyone here, I suppose.
I looked around at everyone gathered at the table in the conference hall.
Princesses, ducal daughters, magicians—that much I understand—but even former slaves? Looking at our backgrounds, you’d wonder how we ended up in these positions.
Oh, come to think of it, we former slaves who have climbed to these heights are the biggest success stories of all.
Yeah. I’m truly glad I followed Big Brother.
Plus, I have a cute child now; things couldn't be going better.
Yep, I’m the happiest person in the world!
...Though, that would be true if not for the mana depletion phenomenon.
Thanks to that, we’re still living side-by-side with danger.
But then again, if that hadn't happened, we never would have met Big Brother.
Wait, I shouldn't get distracted.
I need to listen properly.
There hadn't been any talk of major problems regarding the recent situations in Roschur or Gartz.
I glanced through the distributed documents while listening to Seraria’s explanation.
"...And so, both countries are requesting an increase in exports from Weed. Do we need to discuss this with Eris or Ratz?"
"It’s not so much me, but Tiffany who needs to be consulted."
"I’m in the same boat; I’d have to run it by Non. Both Eris and I are just vice-representatives now, after all."
And to add to that, my term as vice-representative is ending this period, so I’d rather not be saddled with heavy work that makes the handover a pain.
"Ah, that’s right. Well, the formal request documents will likely come through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so Sota, Enor, I’ll leave that to you."
"Yes. Leave it to us."
"Indeed. We shall handle everything smoothly. However, it is only natural for countries that are doing well to want more trade goods. Are there no troubles to report?"
True, the current discussion was only about the good news; there hadn't been any mention of trouble.
"In terms of trouble, there isn't any between Weed, Roschur, and Gartz."
"The way you phrased that makes it sound like each country has its own problems."
Big Brother is right.
Now, I wonder what kind of problems those are.
"There’s no such thing as a country without problems. Aside from that old man, my sister has raised the same issues."
Oh? When Seraria says "sister," she means Princess Aria.
I’ve met her a few times during trade negotiations. Unlike Seraria—or rather, she’s like a quieter, more mature version of the queenly Seraria we see now.
If even Princess Aria calls it a problem, it must be quite serious.
Recently, the King of Roschur has been frequently spotted playing around in Weed with the King of Gartz, leaving the actual governance to the next queen, Princess Aria, who has gained the public's trust.
Well, I suppose the King himself is acting in a way that leads to that reputation.
The King of Gartz also seems to be moving to pass the throne to the Crown Prince; these kings are quite similar in their methods.
But that’s not the important part.
"So, Seraria, what exactly is the problem?"
When I asked, Seraria made a look of extreme annoyance...
"It’s a boring story. Within Roschur, a faction has formed, shouting that since Weed is a vassal state, we should be squeezed for all we're worth. Gartz is the same."
"Ah, are those the guys that Dressa and the others encountered during the 'trash cleanup'?"
"Exactly. They weren't completely wiped out back then. That damn old man!"
I see. I can understand why Seraria is angry.
Even though they put Dressa and the others in danger, they weren't able to eliminate them entirely.
To use us as a shield and then have it end like this...
Well, usually, it’s not easy to eliminate enemies that simply, so I suppose they did well enough...
But from our perspective, it’s a huge nuisance.
"I understand the situation in Roschur, but what about Gartz?"
"Gartz doesn't have a direct impact on us, so it’s more of a 'let them handle it themselves' situation. Oh, but since they were trying to use Shera, Lowell and Higil are furious. They’re crushing those scumbags both physically and socially with everything they’ve got, so it’s far better than Roschur."
"Ah, I see. Come to think of it, Charl mentioned the other day that she felt relieved now that the trash had been cleared out."
"She did say that."
Eris agreed with my comment.
Charl is Shera’s sister and Gartz’s representative for diplomacy and trade.
Shera is truly doted on by everyone, after all.
I thought the unity of the entire country of Gartz was solid, but I guess those kinds of factions exist at the lower levels after all.
"So, this problem hasn't been officially brought to us?"
"No. Well, it’s an internal issue. If they came crying to us, I’d have kicked them away."
"Even if it were a request from Sister Aria?"
"If it were a request from Sister Aria, I’d do it for free, of course."
"..."
Yeah, it’s the usual, but the difference in how she treats her father, the King of Roschur, and her sister, Princess Aria, is...
I don't think he’s a bad king, though.
Well, that’s a family matter, so it’s not for us to comment on.
Everyone gave a wry smile.
"What? If Sister Aria is making a request, it means it’s genuinely dire. That old man just wants to use us to make cleaning it up easier."
"Ah, that sounds like him, alright."
"Exactly. So, even if that old man asks you for something, you can just ignore it."
"If anything like that happens, we’ll report it to Seraria first."
At Eris’s words, everyone, including myself, nodded.
It’s true that the King of Roschur isn't the type to get angry if we refuse, but he is a king of a nation, after all.
Others might not take it well.
Many people are very concerned about their face.
"Well, that’s fine. Anyway, that’s all from my end. Next is Rumel, and then the Last Kingdom, but..."
"As for Rumel, they did join the alliance, but they don't seem to be putting their heart into it yet. Well, they have their own independent sea routes to other continents, so they probably don't want to export too carelessly."
Milly said this, looking displeased.
Milly seems to be gathering information from inside Rumel via the Adventurer Guild.
That’s probably why she knows more about Rumel than the rest of us.