第１２７５堀：ウィードの現状把握 (Part2)
"Agil is right; we could take the route of building up a track record over time, but if we’re that patient, Milly won’t be able to rest for a good while. That said, we do have candidates like Tori and Riel, who have experience as adventurers."
"Mm. Reasonable. But those two are busy right now."
"Indeed. They are tasked with the security of the international student academy."
It was true. The option of using Tori or Riel to fill in for Milly was no longer viable.
"In that case... oh, wait! What about Mauve and his group? They’re adventurers who already know how things work around here. Can’t we use them?"
Comet suggested this as if it were a stroke of genius, but...
"Mauve and his crew are instructors at the Weed academy, and they’ve already taken on contracts for the outlying Aurelia Port and the demi-human villages..."
Exactly. While they might seem free at a glance, the reality is quite the opposite. I’ve already worked them to the bone, and they’re shouldering a significant portion of the town’s security—not to mention the responsibilities in Micos’s hometown.
"However, is there really a need to be so impatient? Even while Milly-san was on maternity leave, the Adventurer Guild continued to function, and we occasionally stepped in to show our faces. While we can’t simply ignore the need for a successor, as I mentioned earlier, we could potentially groom someone from within our own ranks to become an adventurer."
"...You’re right. I’ll keep that direction in mind and discuss it with everyone. Still, 'adventurer' is a heavy word."
I’d rather not put my wives in harm’s way. Adventuring is a line of work where you don’t just worry about tomorrow—you’re never even sure if you’ll see the end of today.
"Well, let’s leave that for later. For now, just write down 'Regarding the Adventurer Guild successor' on the board."
At Seraria’s prompt, I scribbled the note onto the whiteboard with a sharp squeak.
"And as for the 'Dungeon Master,' wouldn't it be fine for Seraria, as Queen, to simply appoint someone?" Comet proposed.
It was true. The authority of the Dungeon Master was ostensibly transferred to Seraria by Elju, which, in a sense, was an extension of the transfer of Weed’s royal power. By Seraria then delegating that dungeon authority to Labyris, it signaled to everyone that we value merit and capability regardless of who you are.
"I suppose so. Though, as for Labyris’s position as Dungeon Master, there’s no rush. If she’s tired, she can take a break. Have you heard anything from her?"
"Labyris hasn't mentioned anything regarding her role as Dungeon Master. If she’s feeling worn out, she’ll come to me for comfort, so I’ll keep an eye on that."
"She’s clever enough to handle that side of things, but don't you forget to be mindful of it, too."
"I won't."
Labyris is a young prodigy with a long future ahead of her. Since her role is tied to Weed as a dungeon entity—and by extension, derived from Seraria’s royal authority—she can remain the Dungeon Master for a long time without issue through a royal appointment.
Conversely, representatives like Tori, Eris, and Ratz are on the practical, administrative side of Weed, so we always assumed they would rotate out relatively quickly. For those looking to climb the ladder, having the same people at the top indefinitely can be an eyesore. Well, we actually use that dynamic to keep the citizens’ motivation high.
That’s why the representatives and the Dungeon Master are distinct roles. In any case, if we need to fill the Dungeon Master position, we can just keep it within the family, so it shouldn't become a major problem.
"We’ve reviewed things up to this point, but should we consider the 'Management of Weed' to be basically problem-free?"
"No, there are problems, but none that require an immediate fix. And since the solutions are already in sight, we should be fine. Rather..."
* Diplomacy with other nations
* Investigation into the magical depletion phenomenon
Yes, those two are the real headaches. Let’s get these properly organized. Both are incredibly troublesome, but they aren't things we can just leave alone. Man, this is truly a massive undertaking.
Thinking this, and reflecting on the work ahead, I set my pen to the whiteboard once more. Let’s re-verify the situation in Weed. It’s been a whirlwind, but writing things down to confirm them is essential. You might think it’s obvious, but you’d be surprised at what you can discover—or remember—by doing so.
Also, I’ve enabled the "Like" feature for this work, so please feel free to use it if you’d like.