第１２３５堀：仕事はやっぱり忙しい (Part2)
"Yuki, you’ve got that look on your face again—the one that says you don't quite grasp the gravity of the situation. Let me spell it out for you: even for subordinates, being invited to dine with a Queen or a Prince Consort is not exactly a casual, everyday occurrence."
"She’s right. To those three, it’s like having a bomb dropped on them."
"Yuki-sama, you really are hopelessly dense when it comes to things like that."
Honestly, I understand that if we were in the royal castle, I’d have to be drowning in etiquette, but at my inn, as long as you have the manners of a typical patron at a Weed commercial district eatery, you’re golden. Still, I suppose I can’t blame them for being nervous about being invited to their boss’s home.
"There’s no need to be so tense. Though, I suppose saying that won't help much. Just make sure there are no slip-ups in your work."
"Yes, sir!"
With that settled, we managed to finish our work on time. Wazfi and Narjia, who had brought over the documents from the If Continent, decided to tag along to my place as well.
"You guys have it rough, don't you? Yuki is just so unpredictable."
"Not at all. But tell me, Narjia-sama, you don't seem flustered in the slightest. Have you experienced this before?"
"Mhm. I’m friends with Cleena and Samantha, you see. They drag me over quite often to toss me into the bath."
"E-excuse me? T-tossed into the bath?"
"W-well, I’m not exactly used to it yet. If I slack off on my bathing, they get so angry."
"Ah, well, from a hygiene perspective, that’s simply not acceptable."
"I understand the necessity after hearing the explanation, but it’s still hard to get used to. I’ll admit it feels good, though. It’s just the drying of the hair that’s a chore."
"W-well, at least you have it easy, Wazfi. Your hair is short. M-mine is long, you know."
I couldn't help but smile. The fact that they’ve started bathing properly is a monumental evolution. Narjia, by the way, has long, pink hair. She used to be a disheveled mess—a total "pink disaster"—but now she’s grown into a genuine beauty. She really does clean up well.
"…I-I don’t know why, but I feel a sense of disdain in Y-Yuki’s gaze."
"No, I’m just wondering if you truly grasp what you looked like before."
"Ugh… T-that stings… words are so c-cruel."
Narjia winced, clutching her chest as if physically wounded. Words, after all, can be sharper than any blade. But, moving on…
"Thanks again for the documents today. But is everything alright with the Great Forest?"
"Mhm. We’re still aggregating and analyzing the data, but nothing suspicious has turned up yet."
"Y-yeah. And we still haven't located Hivia. We’re starting to think we’ll have to head into the heart of the Great Forest."
"I see. Agil is probably busy sorting out the information from the Goblin village, so coordinate with Comet and set a schedule. I’m genuinely swamped with this international student program."
"Leave it to us. Oh, that reminds me—I heard from the Principal."
"Ah, right. She said she wanted to s-speak with you, either before or after the meeting."
"Popuri, huh? Fiora, what about Popuri and the others?"
"They haven't arrived in Weed yet, sir. According to the schedule, they are due to arrive tomorrow."
"Then we’ll talk after the meeting. It’s probably about the status of the Magic Academy, isn't it?"
"Most likely. If Weed establishes this student exchange program, they might fear losing their standing."
"S-she’s your mentor, Yuki. P-please, help her out."
"Of course. Popuri is a vital collaborator."
I have no intention of doing anything with this program that would cost Popuri and her staff their position. A proper discussion is definitely in order.
"Anyway, leaving that aside—is it really okay to leave the people from the Zufia Kingdom who came along for the Goblin village matter to their own devices?"
"Ah, don't worry about them. Kagura is leading the way, and Eris and Ratz are acting as their guides."
"I-I see. To the people from the New Continent, Eris and Ratz are essentially priestesses of the spirits, aren't they?"
"Exactly. Plus, those two are the very heart of Weed. It’s much smoother than having me handle them and dealing with the budget processing later."
It’s true. If we handled the Viscounts from Zufia ourselves, the expenses would come out of our pockets initially, requiring a mountain of paperwork for reimbursement. I’d personally prefer to just pay out of pocket to save the headache, but Eris and Ratz won't have it. I understand the need to keep public and private matters separate, but the time wasted on filing those invoices is a nightmare.
"By the way, the Viscounts are scheduled to attend tomorrow’s meeting. They’ll have fresh perspectives precisely because they’ve only been in Weed for a few days."
There is truly so much to do. As we talked, we stepped into the house…
"Oh, curry today, is it?"
"Indeed. That aroma—there’s no mistaking it."
Just as Ria and Jessica said, the scent of curry wafted through the air. This should be perfectly fine for Orelia and the others to eat, I thought, just as Aslin and the others came struggling out with the heavy curry pots, accompanied by…
"Oh, welcome back, big brother!"
"Welcome back, indeed!"
"Welcome home, Yuki-sama."
"Heh, I helped out today, too, you know!"
Yupia puffed out her chest with inexplicable pride, while Shau bowed her head as they all carried the meal together.