落とし穴番外：マスコミュニケーションの基礎 (Part1)
**Pitfall Side Story: The Fundamentals of Mass Communication**
**Side: Mikos**
“……I’m dying. Mikos-chan is going to die.”
I collapsed onto the desk, my voice barely a whisper.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting? It’s not like it’s been that long since you last came here.”
“Um, Kagura-senpai? Mikos-senpai really looks like she’s struggling… What exactly happened?”
Kagura, the cold woman of ice, and Solo, my cute junior.
Well, just lying here face-down isn’t going to change anything.
“I wasn’t hiding and slacking off, you know! Mikos-chan is working hard at her new department. I squeezed this visit in between my incredibly busy schedule, so you should be as kind as Solo is!”
“Say that after you’ve actually worked yourself to the bone. You’ve been face-down on that desk ever since you arrived. I’ll tell the Princess, you know? That Mikos isn’t being useful to Yuki at all.”
“Don’t you dare! If you do that, the people who are dying to take my place will jump at the chance to trip me up, I’m sure of it.”
Ever since this cute Mikos-chan got married into the fold, the terrifying talk of "rotations" has disappeared, but if Kagura were to make some strange suggestion, the Princess might actually tell me to come back.
If that happens, I’m dead.
No, I’d commit suicide. There’s no point in living if I’m separated from Yuki-sensei and everyone else.
“If you think that, then work harder. You might be tired, but at this rate, I don’t see the point in having you come here.”
“Boo. Try experiencing a friend’s hardships for once.”
“Say that after you’ve experienced the hardship of having you gone from here.”
“Fine, fine. So, what is this job you want to entrust to the ace editor-in-chief, Mikos-chan? Once that’s done, you’re helping me out, okay?”
“So that’s your real goal.”
“Ah, ahaha…”
Well, obviously.
I haven’t even finished my own work yet; there’s no way I’d go out of my way to take on another task without a trade-off.
Well, since I’m getting help, I’ll lend a hand, I suppose.
“Fine. If it turns out that Mikos is being useful to Yuki and Weed, the Princess will be pleased. Now, about the job, Solo?”
“Ah, yes. Um, well…”
Solo stood up and began explaining while handing me some documents.
“The job we want to entrust to Mikos-senpai this time is a market survey of the Mall.”
“You mean the Weed Mall, the commercial facility centered around the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance countries?”
“Yes, that’s right. Last time, because the preparation period was so short, the products handled were limited, but it’s been open for a while now. The content of the shops has changed significantly since then.”
“Well, that’s to be expected.”
A shop that never changes its inventory is incredibly boring.
However, a question arose.
“Hey, Kagura. I understand you want me to look into that. But aren’t there people from Haiden working at the shops on-site? Wouldn’t it be normal to leave that to them?”
Exactly—I didn’t understand why they were bringing this to diplomats like Kagura in the first place. They could just tell the shop staff to investigate.
Just as I was thinking that, Kagura sighed deeply, looking exasperated.
“*Haaah*. Mikos, you’ve really been poisoned—no, accustomed—to Weed, haven’t you?”
“What do you mean by that?”
As I tilted my head, Solo smiled wryly.
“The thing is, we already had the shop staff take a break from minding the stores to investigate the situation inside the Weed Mall, but the reports that came back were all identical, as if they were stamped from the same mold.”
“Identical?”
“Yes. They all said: ‘I’ve never seen a shop with such a selection,’ ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen an indoor facility that brings so many different shops together,’ and ‘I’m completely satisfied.’”
Once it was put that way, even Mikos-chan could understand.
“In other words, you have no idea what the strong points are or what needs improvement?”
“Exactly. Weed is the only place in the world with a commercial facility of this level. We’re investigating it because of the plan to build them in other countries, but since there’s nothing else to compare it to, we have no idea what to imitate or what to improve.”
That makes sense.
Indeed, a normal person would just be surprised and satisfied by it.
“Hmm, hmm. So you want a direct investigation from Editor-in-Chief Mikos, who is well-versed in the information of Weed and the various countries?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m asking for your help as Mikos the individual, not as Weed’s intelligence department.”
“Ah, is it bad to ask Weed for any more favors?”
“‘Bad’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Think about the Aquenoki incident, the Sea-Siphon matter, the Aurelia Port issue, and the war between the Zurabul Great Empire and the Hain Empire. Do you have any idea how many difficult problems you’ve solved for us, all related to our continent?”
“Ah, that’s true. Alright, understood. I needed to do some reporting for my magazine anyway, so I’ll go. When do you need the report?”
“Let’s see. The same time the magazine is finished will be fine. The Princess was quite happy that you became the head of magazine production, so it’ll be better to present the results together.”
“Got it. Then, I’ll head out right away.”
“Eh? Already?”
“I won’t get any work done just sitting here. Are you and Solo coming, Kagura?”
“I suppose I should see how you work for once. Solo, you come too. You have to start reporting on Mikos’s activities from now on.”
“I see, understood. I shall accompany you.”
And so, the usual Haiden members headed to the Weed Mall.
It was 11:00 AM, about an hour after opening, but…
*Buzz, buzz…*
Yeah. Still as crowded as ever.
“……Wait, isn’t the Weed Mall even more crowded than before?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Merchants have moved into the regular tenant spaces, so even more people are gathering.”
“I mean, there’s no way Mikos-senpai wouldn’t know that, right? You seem to come here often.”
“Ah, I meant at this time of day. Even for Mikos-chan, I don’t usually have the luxury of coming to the Weed Mall at 11:00 AM.”
Yeah, I usually come after 6:00 PM.
And for the clothes I usually buy, I go to the individual shops in the commercial district… oh, I see.
“I might have found a scoop.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Wait a second. Solo, you have the information pamphlets, right?”
“Yes, right here.”
Led by Solo, we headed to a nearby service counter.
That’s right, the Weed Mall is so vast that they have these information desks set up in several places.
If you come here, they’ll find shops that match your needs, guide you there, and even help find lost children.
“Excuse me, could I have a set of pamphlets?”
“Yes, certainly. Here you go. Are you looking for something in particular?”
“No, I just wanted to look around.”
“I see. If you have any trouble, please—wait, aren’t you Kagura-sama, Mikos-sama, and Solo-sama?”
“Oh? You know Mikos-chan?”