第１２９０堀：仕事仲間とは仕事の話になることが多い (Part1)
Dungeon 1290: Work Colleagues Often Talk Shop
Side: Seraria
I was only supposed to have come to Weed's commercial district with Quar for a quick "lunch," but...
Sizzle...
In front of me, the delightful sounds and aromas of meat sizzling one after another filled the air, and on top of that...
"I see. So, Principal Popuri has approved the Great Forest survey plan. Oh, this looks good. *Munch*..."
"Yes. There was nothing to object to, really. More than anything, I'm hoping this will ensure a certain level of safety around the academy. Mmm, the offal is perfect."
"A magical depletion phenomenon survey team led by Yuki... Considering it's preparation for the Great Flood, my country would certainly want one too. Thank you. Vice Principal Lara, would you like some as well?"
"Thank you. Hmm, I've been grilling and eating meat for many years, but this 'yakiniku' is truly delicious, isn't it? Quar, how about you?"
"I'll have some. It really goes well with rice."
For some reason, I found myself sharing a table at a high-end yakiniku restaurant with Emperor Yupi, Grand Emperor Showu, Principal Popuri, and Vice Principal Lara. And the topic of conversation was the Great Forest survey that had been decided yesterday. Well, I understand why they'd be interested, given it concerns monster outbreaks...
"So, why did we end up talking about that here?"
When I posed that question, rather belatedly, the others were fine, but even Quar looked at me as if to ask why I'd say such a thing.
"Now that you mention it, why *was* it?"
"We had come to Weed's commercial district for a bit of shopping after lunch, but we happened to run into Empress Seraria and Emperor Zuraburu, so we decided to eat together here."
"That's right. And various topics came up, but we were also interested, so we asked for a bit more detail about the survey."
"Yes. As Grand Emperor Showu said. And as for the academy, we weren't particularly hiding this matter, so I thought it would be fine?"
"I didn't think there was anything wrong with it either, Your Majesty, was there something amiss?"
"No, the content of the conversation itself is fine, but I just thought it's become so commonplace."
Even as I said that, I took a piece of kalbi and ate it. Mmm. Delicious. But I have dinner later, so I need to manage my portions.
As I was thinking that, Yupi also reached for a new piece of meat...
"That's true. Normally, this would be impossible. But it's something to rejoice over, isn't it? For the leaders of nations to meet like this without any pretense, and leisurely share lunch."
"It simply means that Weed's public order is excellent, and other nations trust it. I'm quite envious. In my country, we're still far from that..."
"No, only Weed can do this. It's thanks to the Dungeon's abilities, after all."
"Even so, it would be wonderful if something like this could eventually be possible in any country."
"Ahaha, in other countries, one inevitably has to suspect the possibility of assassination through poison or other means."
That's right. As Quar said, it's precisely because this is Weed that everyone can relax and eat safely anywhere. Checks are constantly being performed using the Dungeon's functions, so it's impossible for anyone to poison someone in the first place.
"Even if it weren't Weed, if we just dropped in casually like this, I don't think anyone could attempt to poison us, do you?"
"No, such actions would eventually become patterned. It's entirely possible that assassins could infiltrate or take over a shop to attempt poisoning."
"Grand Emperor Showu is right. I understand Yupi's sentiment, but those in power are targets for assassination. If you weigh the costs and risks of starting a war, taking over one or two shops would be trivial."
"It's an unpleasant truth, but it is fact."
"Indeed. I was thoughtless. Let's stop talking about things that spoil our meal."
Right. If I start thinking about "poisoned food," I won't be able to eat. Now, as I wondered what to talk about next...
"Speaking of which, Empress Seraria. How is the student exchange program going? Is it proceeding smoothly? Oh, this is just casual conversation, so please keep it within non-confidential bounds."
Showu brought up the topic. Indeed, this kind of topic is safer. If we tried to talk about "hobbies," I couldn't think of anything common to everyone, and the only common interest would be the student exchange program.
"There's nothing really confidential about it. There's no talk of favoritism, and no bribes. Well, there are subsidies, though."
"Subsidies, hmm... Giving under such a guise is quite common, I believe?"
"It's truly just support for the student exchange program in Weed, so we've properly restricted it. We've set an upper limit and don't accept any subsidies beyond that, nor do we intend to treat anyone poorly just because they don't pay a subsidy."
"I see. So that eliminates advantages or disadvantages based on continent. However, other countries probably can't manage that..."
"That's true. There will be various struggles within each continent. But really, I don't think you could be unaware of the 'subsidies,' could you? In fact, I confirmed that the documents from Zuraburu arrived as stated, you know?"
"No, I just didn't think that the only subsidies accepted would be those written in the documents. I've already confirmed that those subsidies have been sent."
Ah, I see, he thought there might be bribes disguised as subsidies.
"In the first place, there's no meaning of 'bribe' in this student exchange program. It's just about teaching global common sense and the fundamentals of various fields. Well, there are inevitably differences in performance based on test scores, but even those are just for reference."
So, we've determined that there's no point in offering bribes in the first place.
"However, good test scores can also indicate someone who is knowledgeable, insightful, and strategically adept. We, who stand at the top, first look at people in that regard."
"Indeed. As Principal, I believe character is important, but a clear evaluation of talent comes from test results."
However, it seemed that Yupi and Popuri didn't quite share my sentiment. Well, being the top student among the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance students this time would be an honor for both the individual and their country, I suppose.
"I understand what you two are saying, but tests are fundamentally also a way to show how much the students have understood. In other words, if there's someone with a perfect score and another with only twenty points, that must be considered a problem on the teaching side. The premise of the student exchange program's tests is not to sort students by superiority or inferiority, but to indicate whether everyone has thoroughly understood the material."
Yes, this is where it differs from typical tests. Initially, I also thought it was meant to highlight those with exceptional talent and diligent study, but my husband...