第１６４４堀：妻たちの夜 (Part1)
Chapter 1644: The Wives' Night
Side: Milly
"...and that’s how it went."
Seraria said this as she took a sip of her drink. Well, "sipped" might be an exaggeration; she was simply tilting her wine glass.
"That sounds like quite the ordeal."
I replied, nursing my own beer.
The reason we were both drinking was simple: it was already night, and this was our designated free time. Our duties were finished, the time for interacting with our families had passed, and this was that quiet window before bed. The children were asleep, and our beloved husband, Yuki, was off spending time with his other wives.
But not a single one of us would dream of getting angry about that.
We used these moments to simply be together, to relax and unwind. We weren't really having a serious discussion; the alcohol in our systems saw to that.
"Right? I mean, it’s not that my husband is at fault, but the people bringing these requests to him... they can be a handful."
"I get that. The nature of the work is what matters, after all."
From what I’d heard, the task involved shuttling between three or four different departments. Under normal circumstances, that would take months. It was only because of our organization’s unique structure that such a reckless pace was even possible. Then again, if we didn't push like this, the port town would never be operational.
"So, is the progress on the port town going well?"
"Well, considering the scope of the project, it's moving along smoothly. In terms of speed, it’s unprecedented. After all, the time spent on construction and land development is practically zero."
"Haha, Yuki-san is truly something else. Using the functions meant for creating dungeons to handle architecture and civil engineering..."
It was true. The techniques we took for granted were originally meant for dungeon creation. Using them for urban development was unthinkable to anyone else. To a Dungeon Master, those powers were for self-defense. Thanks to that, the shell of the port town was ready in the blink of an eye.
"Though, the contents are still struggling to keep up."
"Better that than both lagging behind, right? It’s infinitely better than when we first arrived and thought we’d be tossed out into the middle of nowhere."
"That’s true. When you and I first got here, we both thought we’d have to start by building our own shelters."
"Mhm. Seraria, you even brought your own materials, didn't you?"
"Of course. If we didn't build something, we would have been living in tents—hundreds of us! With children involved, I decided it was better to have a house with a proper roof."
"You're right. Even if it was just wood, it was better for defense than a tent."
"Exactly. There were monsters, and I was genuinely worried about what would happen, but then you and the others cooperated to build structures inside the dungeon. You made all my worries pointless."
"I was shocked myself when this inn was built right in front of my eyes."
We shared a bitter laugh. We really had been terrified back then, and Seraria, having brought so many of her people with her, must have been relieved to the point of disbelief.
We paused the conversation to take another drink. The fizz of the alcohol as it hit our throats felt wonderful.
"Ahhh..."
We both let out the same sound and burst into laughter as we looked at each other. It wasn't exactly ladylike—it was the behavior of a couple of drunks. But this was the kind of thing we could only show each other. It would be embarrassing to let Yuki-san see us like this, so I felt truly grateful to have companions who understood.
We supported each other not just in raising our children, but in managing our homes and our work. Having someone you can truly open up to is a blessing. I’d heard rumors of other households where the wives didn't get along, so I knew how lucky we were.
As I was thinking this, Seraria spoke up again.
"Oh, that reminds me—I’ve been talking about myself, but what’s the status of the Adventurer’s Guild’s expansion into the port town? I know Sis-a and Sona have prepared the land, but they mentioned they hadn't received any word yet."
"Ah, we’re thinking about it, but there’s the issue of who will take the lead and who will be on the staff."
"Oh? I thought Kina was going to take the position?"
"Well, that’s if we’re sending someone from the Weed branch."
"...Ah, that way."
"Exactly. If we send someone from Weed, they’re family. There’s almost no risk of factional infighting, right?"
"That’s true. We’re all united under our husband."
"Exactly. But the Adventurer’s Guild doesn't seem to want the Weed branch to have too much influence. They complain about it despite claiming they can't send anyone themselves because they're short on staff."
"Sigh... it’s a tale as old as time, but you’d think they’d realize that as long as the organization functions, it shouldn't matter."
"Tell me about it."
As far as the Adventurer’s Guild was concerned, it shouldn't matter which branch was earning the most, as long as the Guild’s overall reputation improved. But the people inside had their own internal rankings. Those rankings affected their personal honor and their pockets. It was impossible to separate it from individual greed.
And besides...
"I can understand why they’re threatened by the Weed branch gaining power."
"That is... true. We’re the same, aren't we? For instance, if the towns in the various countries that are Weed’s exclaves started building up more military strength or influence than we have, we wouldn't be happy about it either."
Right. If the provinces became more powerful than the home country, it meant the home country was losing face. People would start asking if we were incompetent compared to our subordinates. And then, those local leaders would start negotiating directly with other nations, effectively stripping the home country of its sovereignty.
I was exaggerating, perhaps, but the Adventurer’s Guild felt that same sense of crisis.
"Plus, the Grand Master is always hanging around Weed."
"Sigh... I admit it’s a comfortable place to be, but it’s only natural for the headquarters to be wary."
"Yeah, they seem to think Weed might end up becoming the new headquarters."
"Being at the top of an organization is hard work. But setting that aside, does that mean the port town’s Adventurer’s Guild is undecided for the time being?"
"No, it’s tentatively decided that Kina will be the Guild Master. We can't afford to delay it."
"Tentatively? Does that mean they plan to drag her down later?"
"The possibility isn't zero. If Kina causes a major problem, everyone will agree that she should be replaced."
"Well, I suppose so."
"More than anything, we’re focusing on subjugation at sea. We don't have a clear methodology for that in the Rogali continent yet."
"Ah, so that’s the issue. Gathering information while dealing with the threats."
"Most likely."
If a high-ranking adventurer were to die during their first maritime subjugation mission, the Adventurer’s Guild would be held responsible for failing to provide proper information or countermeasures.