第１２７６堀：外交の状況 (Part2)
"Haha, that's right, the two of you were like that, weren't you?"
Ria replied to Agil and Jessica with a wry smile.
Those two had both crossed blades with Weed when I visited the If Continent.
Well, I suppose it was still better than Olive and Mist, who had been subjected to a barrage of gunfire—a concentrated hail of lead.
"...Mmm. Samantha even chased Yuki away."
"Guh. That... that was hardly a war, you know..."
Samantha would surely be teased about that by Cleena forever.
Thinking that, I steered the conversation forward.
"Anyway, regarding the current situation: while the diplomatic workload appears excessive at a glance, it’s actually functioning quite well. The embassies are starting to operate, and from here on, we’ll gradually shift the resolution of issues to the lower-level organizations through those channels. Or rather, it has to be that way, or we’ll run into all sorts of problems."
"That’s true. We have the embassy structure for diplomacy, and in the worst-case scenario, we’re here to step in, so there shouldn't be any major issues. Thinking about it that way, I suppose there aren't any significant problems on the diplomatic front, are there?"
"I agree. As of now, there isn't a single issue where we can't even reach the negotiation table. Sure, there are times when conditions don't align, but that’s a separate matter entirely."
Indeed, improving negotiation skills is crucial.
Well, that’s something for the successors of Ratz and Eris to work on in due time.
Grasping what is lacking and what is in surplus to create win-win exchanges—that is something they will learn as they go.
Furthermore, since the details of those negotiations are essentially made public to all nations, there’s no room for underhanded backroom deals.
On top of that, it’s already been decided within the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance that we will provide support to those in need.
"Still, looking back on it now, if I didn't have you all as my wives, diplomacy would have been a massive struggle..."
"Mmm. I hate to admit it, but it was obvious that the Hifi Holy Kingdom's invasion of August, and the subsequent civil strife, would have dragged on much longer if not for you, Yuki."
"The same goes for Zilba. My presence as an intermediary made the exchanges with them much simpler."
"That’s right. In that regard, Enaria, having been late to send a wife, complained quite a bit about how difficult it was to rely on you, Yuki. After all, even though Enaria granted you the status of royalty, you’re always wandering about. It was impossible to call you back easily."
As Agil said, I move from place to place with specific objectives in mind. Without my wives acting as a point of contact, I would have faced the tedious reality of having to go through Horst in the town of Betan just to get a message to Weed from the If Continent.
So, from any angle, the benefits of having these women by my side were immense.
Well, the useless goddesses, Comet, and the other Dungeon Masters who know the inner workings of the dungeon and possess their own abilities don't have that same need, but that’s a fact I have to accept.
"See? It was the right choice to increase the number of wives, wasn't it?"
"I suppose so..."
It’s not that I dislike my wives, but sometimes it feels like they’re just there to act as messengers.
And to be used as part of the mechanism to protect the nation.
For the daughters of royal and noble families, that might be a matter of course, but as someone originally from Japan—a commoner, at that—I wanted to avoid political marriages if at all possible.
Perhaps my thoughts were written on my face, as Seraria and the others offered a wry smile...
"You’re still not used to that, are you? Well, I think that’s fine. It shows you cherish us, after all."
"Yes. Yuki-san is a wonderful husband."
Everyone nodded at Ria’s words.
Perhaps that alone is my salvation.
I must continue to protect them properly.
"Alright, and next—or rather, this is the biggest problem."
Yes, the item that is consuming a vast amount of our labor:
・Investigation of the Mana Depletion Phenomenon.
Could we make things a bit easier by re-examining this?
It seems things are going well regarding diplomacy, now that we’ve established a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and set up embassies.
The current busyness seems to have been caused by the launch of the international student exchange program.
So, as long as I don't carelessly show my face in too many countries for investigations, it seems we can manage for now.