第１５４６堀：抜けているところはないか (Part1)
Excavation 1546: Is Anything Missing?
Side: Labyris
“*Haaah*.”
I couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh.
The clock had already ticked past two in the afternoon. Morning classes were over, and while everyone else had headed off to their own elective studies or free time, I was still sitting in the classroom for some reason.
Well, I knew the reason.
“It’s the report for today’s classes.”
It wasn’t exactly homework. It was part of our job as monitors sent from Weed. We were tasked with documenting any points for improvement or disruptions in the curriculum, then submitting those reports to Ratz and the other administrators for feedback.
“...But is it really fair that I have to do Dressa’s share too?”
If it were just my own workload, it wouldn’t be a problem. But for some reason, since Dressa was away on a business trip to Hinsua, my submission requirements had mysteriously doubled.
“I mean, I get that it’s for the sake of keeping the If Continent members informed, but still.”
Dressa’s role was the same as mine: monitoring the Senior Division. Since children of the nobility from every continent gathered here to study, we were there to observe, prevent trouble, and improve the environment. We each wrote specialized reports to be sent back to our respective homelands.
In my case, I focused on the students from Weed—basically checking if there were any issues between them and the others. Dressa’s reports were intended for the people of the If Continent.
And that was the problem. I was currently struggling with the report meant for them.
“The phrasing is just so... finicky.”
I was writing in their language so they could read it, but I didn’t have a perfect grasp of all their unique cultural idioms and nuances. I’d tripped over those hurdles, which was why I was still stuck here at this hour.
*Good grief, if it’s going to be like this until Dressa gets back, I’m in for a rough time,* I thought. Just then...
“Ah, you really were still here.”
Hearing a voice, I turned around to see Shera standing there. Like me, she attended the Senior Division and handled the reports for the Rogari Continent. Unlike me, she didn’t seem to struggle with her paperwork; she was supposed to have gone off to scout the afternoon classes already.
“Do you need something?” I asked. If she was here, she must have been looking for me.
“It’s not that I need anything, exactly. I just thought it was strange that you were still lingering here. Did something happen? We finished class at the same time, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. Well, look at this.”
It seemed Shera had come back out of concern for me. There was no reason to hide it, so I gave the documents a frustrated little wave.
“Oh, the reports. But it hasn’t taken you this long before, has it?”
“Yesterday, you were the one doing this part. See? It’s Dressa’s.”
Shera and I were splitting Dressa’s workload between us. Specifically, we took turns handling her share on alternating days. Of course, if one of us was too busy with our own work, we’d swap, but we’d planned the schedule carefully enough that it usually wasn’t an issue.
“I see. So you’ve been stuck here all this time trying to finish that?”
“Exactly. But Shera, it didn’t seem to take you nearly this long yesterday. How did you manage?”
I recalled Shera submitting her reports yesterday without any apparent trouble, all while handling her usual diplomatic duties.
“It isn’t particularly difficult,” she replied. “If I don’t understand something, I simply go and ask someone who does.”
“Meaning?”
“Well, for instance, Jessica, Samantha, and Cleena are still here. Or I could go to the Academy administration and ask Principal Popuri or Vice Principal Lara. The two at the Academy are especially skilled with this kind of documentation.”
“Oh... I see.”
That made perfect sense. Experts were right within reach. There was absolutely no reason for me to be agonizing over this all by myself.
With that realization, I decided to rely on others immediately.
***
“I see. So that is why the two of you came here together.”
“A perfectly reasonable explanation,” Samantha added with a nod.
“...Where are the other three?” Cleena asked.
I had paid a visit to Jessica and her colleagues, who were currently serving as Yuki’s guards and diplomatic liaisons. Fortunately, I’d found them in Yuki’s office.
As for Cleena’s question...
“Aslin and the others sent word that they’re at a café studying with Fusora,” I answered.
“I see. It is wonderful that they get along so well.”
“It is. If I weren’t so bogged down with work, I could have joined them.”
“It cannot be helped. Let us just consider today a day for study,” Jessica said.
“Haaah, I guess so. Anyway, I’d like some advice regarding these documents for the If Continent. Do you have a moment?”
When I honestly asked for their help...
“Certainly. I do not mind at all. My work has settled down for the moment,” Jessica replied.
“I don’t mind either. What about you, Cleena?”
“...Mm. I’m fine too.”
And so, they began to coach me. As it turned out, it wasn’t nearly as complicated as I’d feared. I managed to finish editing the report in no time at all.
“Actually, I’m surprised that it’s better *not* to try so hard to match the If Continent’s style. Was it the same for you, Shera?”
“It was. However, I felt that if I were the one to teach you, your writing would end up mimicking mine too closely.”
“That’s true.”
I’d initially thought she could have just told me from the start, but if I’d done that, my report would have ended up being a carbon copy of hers. That would have defeated the purpose of me writing it.
And besides...
“The fact that you consulted us is also important,” Jessica noted. “Since we have given our approval, it carries weight.”
“Indeed. If there is a record that you consulted with people from the If Continent, it demonstrates that the final product is the result of your own careful consideration,” Samantha agreed.
“...Labyris’s perspective. A report written with consideration for the If Continent, but from an outside point of view, has its own unique value,” Cleena added.
The members from the If Continent were all in agreement. It was true that a perspective from another continent could often lead to new discoveries.
“So, as long as Shera and I are writing the reports for the If Continent, this approach is fine?”
“Yes. If you have any concerns, you can ask us, or even have Dressa look over them when she returns in the evening. There is no problem with a one-day delay for the sake of verification.”
“Though you should make sure to communicate whenever there is a delay,” Samantha cautioned.
“...It will make things harder for Dressa, though,” Cleena pointed out.
“I’m not going to pile more work on her,” I said. “It’s not like she’s just away on a vacation.”
“True,” Shera added. “Dressa did say she would handle it if it became too much for us, but that would be pushing her too far.”
In reality, the members who had headed to Hinsua—Dressa included—were set up so they could return to Weed at a moment’s notice. They were placing cores at every point the bus traveled, expanding Weed’s dungeon territory as they went. This ensured they could call for reinforcements or use it as an escape route in an emergency. Since their opponent was also a Dungeon Master, they had to be prepared.
That said, as I mentioned, everyone on that bus was there because they were needed for a specific job. They weren’t exactly on a leisure cruise. I had no intention of dumping my work on Dressa while she was busy with that.
“Alright. Thanks for the advice and the info, everyone. With this, my work for the day is done.”
Since this approach was acceptable and there were no more corrections to be made, I was finally free.