第１２０８堀：仕事ばかりだと疲れます (Part1)
**Chapter 1208: All Work and No Play Makes for a Weary Soul**
"…Phew, I’m beat."
I slumped in my chair before the monitor, my posture collapsing into a state of utter, unrefined exhaustion.
"Still, this marks a moment of respite."
Indeed. Once this final task for the day was wrapped up, all that remained was to await the results. I had even managed to carve out a sliver of time for a break. Truth be told, my own physical limits were beginning to make themselves known.
Just as I was mulling this over, a voice I hadn't expected to hear in this place drifted in from behind me.
"That’s true. With the Academy’s support secured and the survey of the Great Tree Sea underway, all that’s left is to wait for the reactions from the various nations and analyze the data we’ve gathered, isn't it?"
"Yeah. That’s about the size of it, Seraria."
I turned around to find Seraria, the Queen of Weed, standing there.
"I didn't expect you to come all the way here. Is everything alright with your work back in Weed?"
Seraria was the Queen of Weed, after all; she didn't exactly have the luxury of wandering off whenever she pleased. Though, to be fair, she had been quite aggressive lately, making trips to places like Zurabl, which surely must have piled up her workload back home.
"I’ve finally crested the mountain of tasks on my end. Well, the daily mountain of paperwork remains, as always. But I managed to find enough time to come and see how things were progressing. After all, this is an investigation into the magical depletion phenomenon."
I see. So, Seraria had managed to clear the bulk of her own duties. Honestly, being a queen is no easy task, yet she handles it with such grace.
"So, what’s the status of the Great Tree Sea survey team?"
Seraria asked, her gaze shifting to the monitor displaying a map of the Great Tree Sea. I followed her eyes to the screen.
"Well, it’s only the first day. Even though they’ve finished their training, we’re keeping the pace slow to observe how Wazfi and Nairua handle the field."
Four points of light were visible on the map, though they hadn't strayed far from the Academy yet. Given that the plan was to spend a full week circling the great forest, this pace seemed appropriate.
"And, in the end, Comet tagged along, didn't she?"
"Yeah. To put it bluntly, her 'meddlesome' trait seems to have gotten the better of her."
She had decided to go along, claiming it was for Popuri’s sake. Though, in truth, half of it was likely the researcher’s spirit within her, dying to see the site with her own eyes.
"That sounds just like Comet. But what about the ocean data, including the Blue Hole? Will that be alright?"
"That area is under the jurisdiction of Sea-chan—the Sea Dragon. I’ve left the practical side of things entirely to her. It seems she finds the Blue Hole much more comfortable than the laid-back waters of Weed."
"I see. That means you have some leeway regarding the surveillance of the Blue Hole, then."
"Exactly. That’s why Comet and Agil are able to be here."
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to summon them. That said, given the recent 'ghost incident,' they likely would have come even if it meant putting their primary duties on hold.
"And where is Havia right now?"
"Havia? She’s with Noriko and Sota-san, studying 'ghosts'."
"Studying ghosts?"
"Yeah. Havia is aware that she’s a ghost, but she doesn't know what *type* of ghost she is. Neither do we, for that matter. She isn't the type tethered by grudges or resentment; she seems to retain her self-awareness and can move about freely. We need a proper investigation into that. Above all, I want to avoid a situation where she accidentally hears a sutra and passes on to the afterlife."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense. Since she’s the first ghost ever discovered in this world, we don't know the conditions for her death—or rather, her 'ascension'."
"Exactly. If she were a living person, we’d have ways to prevent things like cardiac arrest."
But a ghost doesn't have a heart to stop, nor even a physical body. And we’ve already confirmed she lacks a 'Magic Stone' core, unlike the ghosts we’ve encountered before. She’s a miracle lifeform, if you will.
"She doesn't want to pass on either, so she’s studying hard. At the very worst, I might have to ask Luna, Hairen, Lilishe, or Hifi if they can do something about it."
"Relying on the gods, then?"
"Yeah. I’d prefer not to, though."
"It’s surprising, though. I didn't expect to hear Hairen’s name right after Luna’s. Did something happen?"
"Hairen truly shines when it comes to 'acquaintances in trouble.' Her perspective might be narrow, but she pours her full strength into the things she focuses on, so I judged she was the right choice."
"Haha. She’d probably be furious if she heard you say that. But she doesn't seem to be here?"
"Prepare to be surprised: she insisted on staying behind at the Ritea Church in Weed, saying she didn't want to become a burden to Havia."
"Oh? She’s surprisingly considerate."
"I was surprised too, but she told me, 'I don't feel even a shred of danger from Havia.' So, I suppose she’s just there in case of an emergency."
If that creature who moves entirely on intuition says that much, then Kagura and the others are likely safe. Still, we’ll remain vigilant, of course.
"I really wish we could quantify Hairen’s intuition."
"Well, if we could, we’d be able to value her even more... though I doubt that’s something she would want."
We let the conversation drift off, sharing a quiet cup of tea.
"So, what are your plans moving forward?"
"Plans, huh? First, I need to survey the goblin village in the New Continent—a task that’s been delayed far too long. I also need to verify the impact of excluding the Blue Hole waters from Hairen’s Great Barrier."
"Ah, that was on the list, wasn't it? Are you taking Orelia and the others?"
"Of course. They’ve grown accustomed to their duties lately. Besides, they need more exposure."
"That’s true. We’ve notified the nations of the Logari Continent where Weed is located, and they’ve met people through Rurua and Shera, but the New Continent is still a blank slate."
Indeed, Orelia and the others have been working hard. They’ve managed to organize the workload, but there’s still so much to do. Especially regarding the New Continent. I’ll need to coordinate with Kagura and the others on that front.
"On top of that, the If Continent only knows about the Lancer Academy. Orelia and the others mentioned that we’re getting pestered by various parties demanding an introduction."
"From Orelia and the others? What do you mean?"
"It means they’re already proving their worth. While I was delegating my work to them, those requests started coming in."
"I see. That must have been difficult for them to tell you. After all, they’re supposed to be handling the work, only to be told they need to go out and show their faces."
"They were trembling, actually. Not just Orelia and Yayui, but even Hoviss, who is usually so laid-back. But it couldn't be helped. Every single one of those letters was a direct summons from a king."
"Pfft. Well, they’d be terrified, wouldn't they? It’s unheard of for kings to demand an audience with slaves. Though, I suppose it shows how much importance they place on them. Even I was curious, given that they were slaves chosen by you."
Seraria finds it amusing because it doesn't concern her, but for those involved, it must be nothing short of a nightmare.