第１３３４堀：お仕事は順調かな (Part2)
It seems that great minds truly do think alike.
"I want to start a business as a Weed tour guide. The specifics would involve assisting with entry and exit procedures, as well as providing guided sightseeing tours."
They were proposing a service that handles everything from passport and visa applications to structured tourism itineraries. In modern terms, it was essentially a travel agency—a company specializing in international tours.
"Yayui... no, Orelia, Hovis. It might sound dismissive to call them 'small nations,' but how is this proposal being received on their end? And Fiora, I’d like your input as well."
I understood the merchants' perspective, but I needed to know how the administrative side of these smaller states was reacting.
"W-well, there is dissatisfaction regarding the time it takes to issue passports and visas," Orelia replied.
"My side is the same," Hovis added. "In the past—or rather, when it came to trade with neighboring countries—merchants only needed a simple permit. There’s a sentiment among them that entry into a town should be managed by the town itself."
Well, that was to be expected. The procedures had become more complex, and the time required was a source of frustration. It was an undeniable hassle. But still...
"It’s a matter of whether the state really needs to be the one issuing them, isn't it? Though, when I point out that without proper identification, their people could easily be poached by other nations, they have no choice but to fall silent."
Exactly. As Hovis noted, unless you clearly define who belongs to whom, your people will be taken. There was no evidence to prove their origin otherwise. One would like to believe in patriotism, but unfortunately, people will go anywhere if it means survival. Especially when there is no education in place to foster that sense of national pride. In these places, one’s livelihood could be stripped away at the whim of a noble. Patriotism doesn't just sprout on its own; moving to a place where one can actually live is the natural conclusion.
Finally, I asked about the opinions of the high-ranking officials in those small nations.
"Indeed. While they are certainly frustrated by the bureaucracy, the higher-ups seem to understand why it’s necessary. It’s not like deploying soldiers to the border to physically stop people from leaving. They aren't passing through multiple towns to reach a frontier; they just walk through a gate and it’s over. They understand that issuing proper identification is the only way to keep their citizens within their borders. After all, these are small nations with limited national power. They realize that if they don't manage this properly, the great powers will simply absorb their entire population."
Yes, the rival is the great power. To citizens who have never received a proper education, their own country is the entire world. But once that horizon expands, once they realize what kind of environment exists elsewhere, the desire to move to a better place is only natural. If the leadership understands that, then perhaps we’re on the right track.
"That said," Fiora interjected, "they are consulting with us on how to raise the consciousness of their people—to make them feel more like citizens of their own land."
"Education is the only answer, though it’s a difficult path."
"Easier said than done, certainly. But perhaps that is why, as per the documents Yayui provided, the plan is for someone to act as a representative to handle the applications, management, and tourism."
"Even if I offer support to build educational facilities..."
"They won't look too kindly on it," Fiora said, her expression darkening. "Generally, a state doesn't want its people to be learned. To put it bluntly, they don't want the people to realize they are being exploited. They prefer them to be ignorant. Knowledge is the root of rebellion."
At Fiora’s words, Orelia and the others winced. The idea that the masses don't need wisdom—that it’s better for stable governance—was a sentiment I could understand, but...
"In reality, that’s impossible. People learn on their own, and if you trace the lineage of those small-nation nobles, they were just commoners once, too."
"That is true," Fiora agreed. "History is complex, but at the end of the day, they were just people. Perhaps that is exactly why they are so terrified of returning to being 'just people' again."
"They’ve forgotten why they became the ruling class in the first place... but fine. For now, the solution we can offer is the establishment of educational institutions. Tell the small nations that the great powers already have precedents for this."
"Understood."
"As for the tourism plan Yayui and the others brought, I have no objections. I’ll pass it on to Seraria."
"Understood!"
Well, even with the student exchange program coming to an end, it seems I’m still buried in work. Should I finally start thinking about taking a break? Fiora, Yayui, and the others seem to be running their departments without any major issues. Orelia, Hovis, and Yayui are working diligently, functioning quite well as the public-facing windows of our operation. Fiora, too, seems to be handling the liaison duties for the small nations effectively.