第１５１７堀：手土産を求めて (Part2)
She was being incredibly attentive and polite, though in reality, she was Coral, a member of the Dragonkin race and one of the most formidable figures in all of Weed.
That said, she was still a notch below the upper echelon of Weed’s leadership.
*Wait, focus. Don't get lost in those thoughts—I need to answer her.*
"I’ll leave it to you, then. If I say it was chosen by Coral-dono, I doubt anyone will raise an objection."
"Hmph. Using my name to silence them feels a bit heavy-handed, but I suppose if they’re foolish enough to complain, they deserve to be shut up."
"Exactly. Though, I don't think either of them would say such a thing."
"If anyone would, it’d be Milly. She’s more interested in the bottle. Still, she’s sharp enough to grasp the situation."
"Haha, true. Even if she loves her drink, she wouldn't touch a drop while on duty."
"Fair point. Wait here a moment."
With that, Coral-dono set about preparing the goods.
This was a famous establishment in Weed, a confectionery shop run by Alfin, one of the Holy Sword Users. Coral-dono had been so moved by Alfin’s sweets that she had ended up working here.
It might look like a standard employment relationship, but having a dragon working a normal job is an anomaly even in this Rogari Continent.
Dragons are typically forces of nature—calamities that no human could hope to manage. Yet, under the leadership of Yuki-sama, Weed had managed to do just that.
More than anything, the current peace was likely built on the fact that Coral-dono was surprisingly rational and willing to engage in dialogue.
Though, as I thought that, I couldn't help but reflect that I was the one who had forged that connection in the first place.
Coral-dono had taken up residence in the mountain’s water source, causing my homeland of Dafaio to suffer from chronic water shortages, bringing us to the brink of war.
If we hadn't sought help from Yuki-sama and his people, we would have been annihilated by Coral-dono or dragged into a war with our neighbor.
Both outcomes were equally catastrophic.
"In a sense, it was the best possible course of action," I murmured, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
"I’m back. Wait, what was that? 'Best possible course of action'?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that if we hadn't relied on Weed, I never would have been able to have a leisurely chat with you like this, Coral-dono."
"Ah, I did cause quite a bit of trouble back then, didn't I?"
"Not at all. It was just an unfortunate accident."
At the time, neither of us understood the other's circumstances. And, consequently, we couldn't even hold a conversation.
"Heh. Indeed, an unfortunate accident. Who would have thought I’d be the one beaten into submission?"
"And I never could have told my father that a dragon was the true cause of our problems. He never would have believed me."
Neither the fact that a dragon had been soundly defeated, nor the fact that a dragon had been living in Dafaio, were things that would be taken seriously.
"But thanks to that, I was blessed with good fortune. Not just with my husband, Yuki-sama, but with all our companions."
"I see. Well, thinking about it, I’ve been able to meet not only my own kin but the shopkeepers here as well. Here, take this."
After sharing a laugh, I accepted the bag of *manju* from Coral-dono.
"Thank you very much. I hope we can talk again soon."
"Aye, I’ve been busy lately. But once things settle down, a chat sounds fine. Take care of yourself."
With those words, she saw me off, and I headed toward the Adventurer’s Guild.
Now, the guild would certainly have gathered information on the smaller nations, but...
"I find myself bracing for bad news."
The people passing by on the street were all smiling. Here in Weed, the public heart was stable, but what about the other small nations?
Especially those under the umbrella of Litea.
When my own homeland, Dafaio, suffered from the water shortage, I knew we couldn't rely on Roschur, so I had resorted to underhanded tactics.
It would be far too optimistic to assume Dafaio was the only one doing so.
Moreover, the Dark Guild was lurking in the shadows.
They surely knew that if these small nations were to easily drift toward us, it would create problems.
In other words, it was only natural that there would be unpleasant information—information detrimental to Weed. The only question was how bad it would be.
With less than two hours left, the thought of having to listen to something that would make my stomach churn...
"I wonder if the 'fixed hours' policy is actually a blessing," I mused, tilting my head at Yuki-sama’s work philosophy.
To be honest, it’s easier to just ask for what you want and buy it. Leaving it all to someone else is truly exhausting.