第１５０４堀：ホテルの朝食は基本全部取るかな (Part1)
**Chapter 1504: I Generally Take Everything at the Hotel Breakfast**
Side: Yuki
"Ugh, I'm sleepy."
"My, you should have slept perfectly fine last night, shouldn't you? Did someone sneak into your bed, I wonder?"
Seraria’s eyes narrowed as she questioned me.
"No, it’s not that. Look, you heard from Kirika, didn't you?"
"Ah, that. So that’s why you’re sleep-deprived?"
"I ended up spending more time than I thought coming up with countermeasures."
Before I knew it, the hour had come when even the trees and grasses were asleep.
"It can't be helped. Well, if they decide to make a move, that in itself will stir up both friend and foe. There’s no guarantee that discord won't arise within the alliance, but that’s been true from the start."
"True enough."
I understand Kirika’s concerns.
We haven't achieved any clear, tangible results.
Well, we have the result of buying out the slaves, but the original objective—flushing out the dark guilds—hasn't yielded much progress at all.
Still, by participating in the auction, we’ve forged many connections with non-aligned nations, so in a sense, you could call it a success; the results aren't bad. But there are always people looking to pick a fight, no matter where you go.
Especially when those people are nations.
Since we dragged the heads of state out here, there are places where government affairs have stalled, and the bureaucrats caught in the fallout must be furious.
It’s not about logic; it’s about emotion.
Having their work interrupted and their schedules ruined, causing them personal hardship—it’s only human to be angry.
It’s natural for resentment to sprout from that.
"If they openly make a move or criticize us and the alliance here, they’ll be marked as suspicious, even if they aren't part of a dark guild, right? Or rather, wasn't that part of your intention all along?"
"Maybe. They were already dissatisfied, so I was hoping we could flush them out as dark guild affiliates here."
I wouldn't orchestrate such a large-scale event for a single purpose.
I’m doing this because it allows us to achieve a variety of goals.
That said, I haven't revealed the full picture to our allies.
It would be like testing their loyalty. If I were too blatant about it, some might take offense and refuse to cooperate.
Well, international relations involve this kind of maneuvering more often than not, and some nations have already sensed our intentions and are playing their own games accordingly.
That’s just how the world works.
"Fortunately, the nations that have come here seem to realize that much."
"If they didn't, the major powers wouldn't have chosen them."
In the direction of our gaze, the dignitaries of various nations were elegantly enjoying their breakfast.
Yes, despite all the complicated talk, the participants in this auction were small-nation representatives carefully selected by the major powers, who understood our circumstances.
They couldn't possibly be unaware of what we’re doing.
And as for whether that causes dissatisfaction—well, it’s complicated.
It’s not that they don't trust us, but it’s not as if everyone will do exactly as they’re told. However, their superiors knew that coming here, so in that sense, a selection process was already in effect.
"That’s true. Which means, in the days to come, there might be some internal turmoil, not just in the small nations, but in the major ones as well."
"Ah, so they’ll be tightening their internal control? Though, if they push too hard, the country will fall into chaos, you know?"
"I’m well aware of that. I’m just saying it’s a perfect opportunity to keep an eye on them."
"I suppose you're right."
After what happened in Suurus, every nation must have their own thoughts on the matter; they’ve likely been investigating to see if there are any suspicious elements among them, though they probably haven't found anything definitive.
If they had, they would have sold the information to the major powers or done something similar by now.
As I was talking to Seraria like this, Rushi and Orelia returned.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Please, Yuki-sama, Seraria-sama, help yourselves. Or... would you like us to bring you some?"
"That’s right. You two seemed to be deep in conversation, so it would be better if we brought it to you," Rushi and Orelia offered considerately, but Seraria and I stood up from our seats without a second thought.
"I’ll get it myself. You two go ahead and eat."
"Yes. I like choosing things for myself. Besides, if I wanted someone to bring me food, I’d ask Prof, Yayui, or Hobis, who are coming along anyway."
"Yes. Leave it to us, both of you. I shall carry the tableware..."
"I will secure the food you desire."
"And I’ll feed you with an 'ahhh'~"
" "No, that won't be necessary." "
Seraria’s voice and mine overlapped perfectly.
The mark of a married couple, perhaps.
With that little bit of banter, we headed toward the buffet, where the crowd had thinned out.
"It’s surprising how late everyone started their morning."
Indeed, since this is a medieval era without electricity, I had expected them to wake up at sunrise to eat, so we shifted our time to arrive after 8:00 or nearly 9:00, but it was still quite chaotic.
"They said they were enjoying the hotel until late last night. It was worth the effort to prepare it. This is one of the most luxurious hotels in Weed, after all. Though, I wonder if it’s profitable?"
"In terms of profit, it’s in the red. No, in the end, we’ll recover the DP, and we plan to have the users pay for services in the future, so it’s not a problem. But I agree it was excessive. Now, I’ll take some bread."
"I’ll have some too."
At Seraria’s request, I used the tongs to pick up some bread for her.
And while I was at it, some white rice and miso soup.
"Eh? Rice too?"
"Yeah, don't you want to eat everything at a time like this?"
"I understand the sentiment, but don't overeat. And is the reason for the excess to build future relations with the non-aligned nations?"
"That’s right. It’s a 'hoping for future development' gesture for the town of Wean in the Ewai Kingdom. Though, if they aren't accepted from the start, people won't come..."
"That doesn't seem to be a concern. It’s a huge hit. The people from the non-aligned nations seem to be eating themselves into a stupor."
"They were eating until they were half-dead yesterday, yet they still aren't tired of it."
"You jest, Yuki-sama. If they return to their own countries, they’ll never be able to eat this again, will they? They have no choice but to stuff themselves."
"Yes. As Prof-san says, they’ll never be able to eat this again, so they have no choice but to eat."
"That’s right~ even if we start trading, it’ll be a while before they can have it again~ so it’s a waste if they don't eat a lot~"
It seems that from the perspective of Prof, Yayui, and Hobis, eating until they drop is only natural.
"Japanese food culture is invading the other world, too."
"Why are you saying that now? It’s obvious that there’s a world of difference between a place with carriage-level logistics and a place with farm-to-table delivery via Gates. No matter how much money you pile up, that’s usually impossible."
"Yeah, well, Earth built countless means of transport—air, sea, and land."
"I’ve heard that, and I’ve seen it in books and images, but you really have accomplished things that are mind-boggling."