第１５０８堀：別の参加者の視点 (Part1)
Chapter 1508: Another Participant’s Perspective
Side: Mikos
"Ugh, I'm dying."
I, the lovely Mikos-chan, am currently face-down on my desk. And I have every right to be. Because...
"Stop slacking off. Finish summarizing those auction documents already. Don't you have magazine work to do as well?"
The one cracking the whip over the lovely Mikos-chan is Kagura. Thanks to her, I’m buried in paperwork. I mean, it’s true that I actually attended the auction, but...
"Why do I have to submit a report all the way to Haiden?"
"Mikos. Have you forgotten the capacity in which you attended?"
"...I went there to secure personnel for Father’s territory, so shouldn't those reports be addressed to him?"
"What are you talking about? You’re the one who went to the site, Mikos. Besides, if you had brought your father to that place, he probably would’ve died of stress."
"Ah... I can't deny that. He looked like he was dying during the wedding, and there were dinners and such... yeah, it would’ve been seriously dangerous."
Father is such a timid man. Then again, it’s already bizarre for a mere baron to be meeting with the heads of major nations. If I really think about it, as a baron’s daughter who isn't even the heir, my current situation shouldn't even be possible in the first place.
"But still, Mikos-chan and the others were just there to fill the numbers, right? Can’t we just say there was nothing to report?"
"If the Princess thinks that’s acceptable, then go ahead and submit it. I won't be involved."
"That’s impossible, isn't it?"
"Exactly. The Princess would never approve a report like that."
"Haaah. But even so, all I can really write about is the state of the town and the auction. Plus, the part where everyone ate until they collapsed and had to be transported by Rurua."
"That’s fine. If you report everything in detail, I won't complain even if the conclusion is that there were no issues. Besides, as an editor-in-chief, if you came back from an assignment and handed me a manuscript with a single sentence saying 'It was fun,' do you think I’d approve it?"
"No way. I’d punch you."
I’d tell my subordinate, "What was the point of this assignment?" and then punch them.
"That’s what I mean. The answer can be 'nothing happened,' but you have to write *why* you concluded that nothing happened. You must have had some concerns while you were editing the information, right?"
"Yeah, I did have some."
"The higher-ups, the Princesses, are doing the same thing. Yuki collects a lot of information from us, investigates it, and connects the dots, doesn't he?"
"Haaah, when you put it that way, I guess I have no choice."
Kagura’s explanation makes sense. So, the people at the top are essentially doing editorial work. With that, I turn back to my computer and start summarizing the report. The rhythmic sound of typing fills the room.
"What’s wrong? You’re writing it quite easily now."
"Because I understand the direction of the report now. I was struggling with how to report that 'nothing happened,' but just like with a news assignment—or rather, because you taught me, Kagura—I can see the light. It’s just like when I used to put out school news back in my student days."
"If you say it’s the same, the level of information you’re handling is on a completely different scale, but well, I suppose it’s fine if you’re motivated."
Kagura says this and returns to her own paperwork. She, too, has been ordered by the Princess to submit a report on the auction. I wonder why both of us have to do it, but I suppose it’s because of our differing perspectives. Plus...
"Come to think of it, Kagura, didn't non-aligned nations ask you about trade with Haiden after that?"
"Yes. It’s quite difficult for a small nation to petition a major power directly. It’s customary to go through a small nation that is already acquainted with a major one. If you try to book a meeting head-on, it could take months, or even years."
"Ugh. So it’s better to contact them through Weed?"
"Exactly. Since I’m a former duke’s daughter, they might think that by contacting them through Weed, they can get a meeting with Haiden sooner by going through my father, the Duke."
"No, in a way, that’s correct, isn't it?"
In truth, the one who is effectively the representative of that alliance and holds all the major nations together is Yuki-sensei. So, negotiating with Weed isn't wrong—it’s the absolute right move.
"Well, it is correct, but no one has actually seen through Yuki’s true identity to negotiate. Actually, only a few people talk to me; most of the non-aligned nations are asking Yuki to mediate."
"Directly to Yuki-sensei?"
"At a glance, it seems they find it easier to ask Yuki than to ask me directly. That said, some of those requests are coming to Orelia and her circle."
"Ah, they are the members meant to be that point of contact, after all. Including Fiora-sama. In a sense, that’s correct."
We continue to summarize the report while chatting. Just as I’m about to finish:
"By the way, from your perspective, Mikos, was there anything in that town—including the auction—that caught your eye?"
"No, I told you from the start. Nothing really happened."
"That’s about whether the situation moved or not. I’m asking if there was anything you found suspicious. If you think like an editor, maybe something like a horror special?"
"That theater is an antique, and it feels like ghosts might come out at night, but we have the real deal in Weed, so..."
As I answer, I try to recall. Things that caught my interest in the town of Wean. If I, Mikos-chan, were to write an article...
"I guess it would be the theater owner, Bamai-san."
"Bamai-dono, huh. Well, if we’re talking about someone unique in that town, that would be him. He seemed to be fighting the Dark Guild quite openly."
"Considering his background with his parents and all... it feels like it could be a whole book, or at least a feature story."
"That’s the way to think."
"You’re the one who said that, Kagura. Well, I did get his contact information, anyway."
"Eh? You, not Ratz or Eris?"
"Yeah. Look, I attended as the daughter of a local lord in Haiden, after all. I was the odd one out even there. Everyone else was a top official from some nation, right? I kept wondering, 'Why am I even here?'"
Yes, Mikos-chan was truly an anomaly at that auction. With the heads and key figures of various nations present, it felt like a baron’s daughter had wandered in.
"Well, that was also because there was an intention to send defensive forces as Weed. And perhaps it was a trigger for local lords to secure labor in the form of slaves?"