第１４６２堀：会議その２ 大氾濫中の通常業務について (Part1)
Chapter 1462: Meeting Part 2 – Regarding Routine Operations During the Great Overflow
Side: Sasari
I was still marveling at how smoothly Yayui had spoken when I realized Master had already begun to address the room.
"Alright, thank you, Yayui. We’ll pause here for now. This concludes the first half. The specifics of the Great Overflow and our response to the two nations in the latter half are separate matters, and the discussion will be quite lengthy. Does anyone have any questions or concerns regarding what has been covered so far?"
Despite the length of the explanation, the report had felt surprisingly brief. Was it because Yayui hadn't stuttered, or had my sense of time simply warped as I replayed the events in my mind? Regardless, the fact remained that a troublesome situation had unfolded. Even I, a maid who rarely involves herself in the front lines, was deeply unsettled.
After all, this was a Great Overflow. It is a catastrophic disaster where monsters spill forth like a flood, swallowing villages, towns, and depending on the scale, entire nations. There are two primary causes for such an event: spontaneous generation from a mana pool—purely a matter of chance—and the more problematic second cause: an intentional overflow orchestrated from a dungeon.
In other words, a Dungeon Master is pulling the strings.
While it is true that monsters can occasionally wander out of abandoned, auto-generating dungeons, the information from the Adventurer’s Guild and reports from Litea confirmed that no dungeons existed within the borders of Suurus. Furthermore, the Suurus officials who joined us later corroborated this. With the "coincidence" theory dismissed, it was proven that a Dungeon Master was behind this Great Overflow.
Naturally, Weed had to take this seriously. We, more than anyone, understand the threat a Dungeon Master poses: the ability to reshape terrain into labyrinths or fortresses, the power to command and lead legions of monsters, the logistical capacity to procure supplies—limited, perhaps, but far more easily than normal—and the super-technology of gates that allow for instantaneous travel across vast distances.
Knowing all of this, it would be impossible not to be on high alert. That is why Master, and indeed all of us, had suspended our current duties to respond. Fortunately, the result was something of an anticlimax, but that only added to the eerie feeling of it all.
But, putting that aside, did I have any questions about what had been said so far?
"Yes, may I ask a question?"
"Go ahead. What’s on your mind, Rurua?"
It was Rurua-sama, who had served as our liaison to Litea and played a vital role in treating the victims in Suurus. Surprisingly, Rurua-sama hadn't been deeply involved in the chaos of the Great Overflow itself. Since Alstaire-sama and Lilishe-sama from Litea had headed to the scene, Rurua-sama had remained stationed in Weed, only venturing out to provide medical care. Thus, her perspective was indeed objective.
"Master, what is the status of routine operations in each department since the Great Overflow began?"
Exactly. I knew the question was coming, but I only knew that the departments had prepared their answers; I didn't know the actual state of affairs. I could guess, of course, but I lacked the details. It was a necessary question.
"First, the General Hospital here in Weed is operating as usual. There has been no particular unrest regarding the Great Overflow or the two nations' invasion of Suurus. As for our coordination with Litea, they are in a state of total disarray. They are desperately trying to maintain routine operations, but they seem to be facing significant delays due to the response to Suurus and the deployment of their military."
"Thank you. You’re right, Rurua. It would be a problem if Weed’s operations suffered because we were distracted by the Great Overflow. I’d like a report from the representative of each department. By the way, regarding the survey of rare species I was handling, the visits to the spirits believed to be in Suurus are currently on hold. As for the military and diplomatic fronts, we are still tracking the Dark Guild, but business is proceeding as usual. Isn't that right?"
Master turned his gaze toward Fiora-sama. While Master’s own reports are sufficient, he often involves himself in various departments, offering opinions and assistance, so he isn't exactly a "representative" of any single one. And, as mentioned, there are tasks that simply won't progress without him. I had forgotten that before the Great Overflow, we were in the middle of investigating rare species—so much has happened since then.
Fiora-sama began her report.
"Yes. As Yuki-sama stated, there are no issues on the diplomatic front for the time being. Prof-san arrived to provide guidance, so while there was some initial confusion, we are proceeding with the parallel investigation into the Dark Guild."
"Ah, that’s right. Prof was helping out with your brother’s work, wasn't she?"
"Indeed. She was seconded to my brother’s side due to the issues in the Resident Affairs Division after the International Exchange School opened. How is it going, Prof?"
I remembered that now, too. Prof-san, who was standing beside Master as a matter of course, hadn't been very involved with us until recently, but she had begun working as Master’s personal attendant and an instructor for Orelia and the others following the trouble in the Resident Affairs Division. Ever since we opened the International Exchange School and began accepting various parties, intelligence agents—or rather, shadows—had started infiltrating. We needed Prof-san nearby to keep those lines of communication tight.
"Yes. The tasks under Yuki-sama’s purview are being processed without delay. Initially, Orelia and the others were overwhelmed by the increased workload, but—and I hesitate to say it’s fortunate—the Great Overflow allowed us to reduce the volume of processing, and we have adjusted our schedule to collect information on the Dark Guild in the afternoons."
"Ah, I know that feeling. You hire more people because you're understaffed, and then the higher-ups dump more work on you because 'you have more hands now,' right?"
Agil-sama responded to Prof-san’s words, and the members of the military and police nodded in unison. I understand that sentiment all too well. They hire more staff because they're short-handed, only for outsiders to bring in more cases under the assumption that we can handle more work. It’s infuriating. The training at the Maid Guild has concluded, and while the number of maids has indeed increased, we didn't train them to be sent out to external parties or to sit in endless meetings.