第１３２２堀：医者と技術者の意見 (Part2)
"Comet says the same thing. She believes we should discuss our future policy in advance."
"Ah, you're right. Ask if she can come over now. Everyone involved is gathered at the stuffed toy shop anyway."
"Understood."
And so, we decided to begin our discussion regarding how to handle Lyushi.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"I'm here."
"Yoo-hoo!"
Rurua, Agil, and Comet arrived in less than thirty minutes after being summoned. It felt almost too fast.
"Rurua, was your work alright?"
"Yes, no problem at all. As the director, my main task is organizing documents, so I have a fair amount of flexibility with my time. As for diplomacy, the diplomats established by Lady Alstaire seem to be functioning quite well."
"I see."
"Though, the foundation was laid by my husband, of course. And it’s also thanks to the hard work of Fiora, Aurelia, and the others on the front lines. Thank you all."
With that, Rurua offered us her gratitude.
"Wait a moment. Does our work actually lighten your load, Rurua? We are, after all, merely the Master's assistants..."
Indeed, we are the Master's assistants. How could our presence possibly reduce the burden on Rurua and the others? Aurelia and the rest seemed to share this confusion, tilting their heads in unison.
"Whenever matters came to my husband from Litea, there were many instances where I had to step in. From meeting with nobles to dealing with merchants, and even handling the immigrants."
"I see."
That was certainly true. Because so many fools came directly to the Master to consult him, we were assigned to his side to assist him. Before that, however, it was the wives who had married into Weed from various nations—like Rurua—who handled those interactions directly.
Of course, the citizens of Weed must have helped, but considering the necessary procedures and the level of expertise required, it was undoubtedly smoother for Rurua to handle things herself rather than delegating them. Above all, Weed wasn't as well-known or stable back then, so that was likely the safest approach.
"We used to have meetings for every little thing back then, didn't we?"
"Yes, those were nostalgic days. Well, to be specific, we would hold a meeting every single day before starting our work."
"Now, everyone can just focus on their own posts. But, enough small talk. Let’s get to the main point."
As the Master spoke, everyone’s expression tightened.
"So, about the matter of Lyushi. What is your take, Rurua?"
"Yes. I have heard about the request for a meeting. Regarding that, since it is her own wish, I believe it is important to grant it as soon as possible. If she is left ignored, she may become unstable."
"Right, that makes sense. Now, Comet, Agil, do you have any opinions on the ring?"
"For what it's worth, we’ve been tracking her brain waves and electrocardiograms at the hospital, and she seems to be stabilizing. We’ve also replicated the ring and provided it to the hospital, and it seems to be showing results."
"Yeah. Well, while they aren't as mentally shattered as Lyushi, there was a significant difference between those who wore the ring and those who didn't—adventurers, merchants, and war slaves who were brought in after losing limbs."
As Agil said this, she handed over some documents. The Master took them and scanned through them, but without spending much time, he looked up.
"Alright. It’s decided that we’ll meet Lyushi tomorrow. We’ll have her continue wearing the ring. The question is whether or not we should tell her about the ring's effects..."
"We should not tell her the truth. She might feel as though her own emotions are being manipulated. It would be better to describe it simply as a ring with a calming effect."
"That’s true. We should tell her it’s just a good luck charm. If we don't, she might take it off. Wait, if it's just a charm, she might take it off anyway."
"That is a problem, isn't it? Oh, how about we tell her it has healing properties? That her wounds haven't fully healed yet and the ring is continuing the treatment. If we say that, she won't take it off."
And so, we continued our discussion regarding Lyushi. I personally harbored doubts about whether it was truly necessary to go to such lengths for her, but I kept those thoughts to myself.
The mind is truly a difficult thing. Generally speaking, snowmen aren't very good at dealing with such complexities.