第１５９２堀：新しい部下 (Part1)
Chapter 1592: New Subordinates
Side: Yuki
"We look forward to serving you!"
The ones who had come to my office with those words were Quar and two of her subordinates.
I recognized both of them, or rather, I felt like I had seen them before.
"Sisia and Sona, right?"
"Oh? You know them, my lord?"
Quar asked, looking genuinely surprised.
"I wouldn't say 'know' in the intimate sense, but the members of the Royal Guard—or rather, the Imperial Guard as they are now—who came with you were among the few active-duty soldiers left. We’ve discussed various matters together, haven't we?"
"Yes, that is true, but that was mostly back during the initial days in Litea. Since then, the military branches have diverged, and we haven't had much contact, so I am surprised."
"Ah, I suppose that’s true, but we actually run into each other quite often. You’re always guarding Seraria, after all."
"Now that you mention it, you’re right."
As Quar said, in terms of our workplaces, they are completely different, and our professional paths rarely cross. However, the Imperial Guard’s primary duty is to protect Seraria.
And I, along with those around me, are essentially Seraria’s family.
Naturally, there are plenty of opportunities for us to interact.
"Thank you for always bringing us snacks."
"Next time, could we request donuts?"
"You’re just casually making requests now? My apologies, Yuki-sama, my subordinates are being forward."
"No, it’s fine. They’re usually quite serious. Besides, are you two really sure about becoming my temporary subordinates?"
I had heard that this had been discussed beforehand, but I needed to hear it from them directly to put my mind at ease.
"Yes. We volunteered ourselves. We have been indebted to you, Yuki-sama, since the very beginning, and if our nominal baronial titles can be of any use to you, then we are honored."
"I feel the same. Being a woman, this title is just a name to me, and it doesn't bring any real income. Besides, like Sisia, I earned this knighthood by running across the battlefield with Seraria-sama; being granted land would have only been a burden."
The two of them said this with wry smiles.
I see, so they feel indebted to Seraria as well.
"I appreciate you saying that, but the position involves being granted land. Are you sure about that?"
"As for acting as a governor, we’ve done plenty of that in Weed. Just like Her Majesty, you were often away, Yuki-sama, so we’ve handled quite a bit of that administrative gap."
"In the beginning, Eris and the others were new to it, and the departments were short-handed, so we helped out. We can handle the basics. And you mentioned being granted land, but the work isn't really any different from what we do in Weed, is it?"
"Well, it isn't much different. It’s just that your authority will expand. Above you will be Seraria and myself. As for peers in similar positions, there’s Horst of Betan and Catherine of Baide."
Yes, those two are the first names that come to mind when thinking of town leaders.
"Ah, those two. We have met them on several occasions."
"Indeed, we would be in the same position as them, but since we are starting from zero here, it’s a good thing there’s no baggage or old grudges to worry about."
It’s a relief to see they view starting from scratch as a positive.
For the record, Sisia has a mushroom-cut hairstyle, is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman who looks every bit the knight, and is actually taller than Seraria. She is the serious, diligent type.
Sona, on the other hand, has brown hair in a ponytail, brown eyes, and is about the same height as Seraria. She has a more feminine air about her. As she just showed, she’s the type to give advice—or requests—regarding snacks, making her quite approachable.
In short, the two of them will likely provide a good balance.
Two people are better than one when it comes to handling things flexibly.
And, needless to say, both of them are beautiful.
Which is why...
"I understand your feelings, but what about your families?"
Yes, family.
These two—or rather, the Imperial Guard—were all single women when they first came to Weed, but now they are married and have children here.
They didn't bring their families like Una did; they built their families here.
They have truly put down roots in Weed.
"That won't be a problem. You plan to make it so we can travel back and forth via the Gate, right? I heard we would be able to return home once our duties are finished?"
"Oh? Yuki-sama, did you think we were going to be locked away over there without any rotations?"
"No, that’s not it. I do plan to set up a rotation so you can return home, but there will likely be more emergency tasks and time-consuming work than you’ve had before. I was worried that if your families didn't understand that, it might cause trouble."
The nature of their work will change significantly. No, it will increase, so it’s obvious that the unfamiliar tasks will take more time.
"We fully intend to return home properly. When Captain Quar told us about this, we spoke to our families and received their consent. My husband and daughter told me to take them with me someday."
"Same here. My husband and son said they wanted to go fishing for real fish in the ocean, so they’re very supportive. Oh, and since your policy, Yuki-sama, is 'no overtime,' we will be sure to return home on time."
"I see. If you’ve consulted with your families, then that’s the best I could hope for. I’ll do my best with the development so you can take your families to the harbor and the sea."
"Yes, sir!"
The two of them saluted.
Watching the scene, Jessica remarked:
"If it’s those two, it’ll be fine."
"Do you know them too, Jessica?"
"Yes. If anything, they are the ones whose positions are closest to mine. Quar included, of course."
"We both have superiors who tend to run wild, so we talk quite often. The training methods in the Rogari Continent and the If Continent are different, after all."
"Ah, now that you mention it, your positions are quite similar."
After all, they are both dealing with Seraria and Marly, two people who charge forward based on intuition.
It’s no wonder they get along so well.
"I’ll refrain from commenting on that particular matter."
"We are here precisely because of Her Majesty, after all. Unlike Vice-Captain Quar, we can't complain to the Captain of the Imperial Guard face-to-face. We’ve been allowed to live in such luxury, too. If we weren't in Weed, we’d probably still be huddled together in a cold barracks."
"Is that so? Both of you had quite the track record, didn't you? Plus, you hold titles."
I said that without much thought, and the two of them offered wry smiles.