第１６４７堀：仲が悪いというのは洒落にならない (Part2)
The police, the hospitals, and the Adventurer Guild all face their own struggles, but the military is a different beast entirely.
"That said, unlike other organizations, we are fortunate in that we aren't quite so independent."
"We are, at best, treated as a regional force."
"If we were anything more, we would essentially be stationing an independent army in a port town, which is unthinkable for Weed. Normally, a lord would gather their own private army—or rather, organize a defensive force to protect the town—but in Weed, there is no point in doing such a thing."
"Because we have the Gates. In an emergency, we can deploy a massive force instantly, and since the chain of command remains unified, there is little risk of confusion. There is no need to separate them."
"Well, in that sense, the police and the hospitals are ultimately under Weed’s umbrella too, so they are the same, but..."
"The military has far less direct contact with the populace. That makes things much easier."
Indeed, while the ultimate authority is Weed, the military does not necessarily need to be deeply rooted in the local community. Of course, they cooperate with the police to maintain public order, and they must deal with new types of monsters emerging from the sea, but that is the extent of it. The soldiers interact with the townspeople only on an individual level, and they never interfere in politics.
The police, doctors, and the Adventurer Guild must solve the problems of the people living on that land, which is precisely why their relationships with the locals are so vital. It is not that the military’s job is simple, but as an organization, their level of social entanglement is far more manageable.
"To be honest, I had hoped to leave it to the Navy since they are already there."
"Having Dressa serve as the commander-in-chief for the port town’s military would be problematic. She is the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. We shouldn't have her holding a dual position."
As Jessica pointed out, Dressa is at the top of the Navy. It would be a waste to tether her to a single region. In times of crisis, she needs to be ready to move alongside Yuki—or rather, my husband—and above all, she has the task of tracking and monitoring the dark guilds, not to mention responding to threats within the ocean.
"That’s true. But in the end, we must station enough force to hold that port town for at least a few hours during an emergency, which means we need to appoint someone capable of commanding that force."
"That is true, but since the right to hire and the power of personnel management are fundamentally ours, the rank doesn't need to be exceptionally high. A battalion commander class should suffice. Let’s see, in Earth terms, would that be a field officer?"
"Yes, that sounds appropriate. Which means... honestly, why does the conversation always progress when we’re in the bath? We haven't talked this much until now."
The three of us exchanged glances and shared a wry smile. It was true; the discussions during our formal meetings never progressed this far.
That was because...
"It’s not as if we were slacking off. We were properly attending to the realities of the military, the deployment of reinforcements, and deciding who would represent the hospital, among other things."
Exactly. We were simply occupied with other matters. There was also the issue of who to pull from where.
"In that case, could we pull someone from the hospital’s list of representative candidates?"
"I believe so. The director of the hospital is expected to handle much more, so if we consider this position to be of a lower tier, we can certainly choose from those candidates. The military will likely utilize the hospital, so there is value in selecting someone with that in mind."
"It would be a nightmare if the head of the hospital and the head of the port military didn't get along."
Indeed. While they aren't openly hostile, there is always the matter of career advancement, and there are more than a few subordinates who harbor personal animosity. I don't believe they would go so far as to refuse treatment to a wounded comrade, but it would certainly lead to delays in judgment. Rurua has drilled into us that in medicine, a single moment can be a matter of life and death, so it is better to handle these things properly.
"I feel refreshed and my head is finally clearing. Shall we head out, eat a delicious meal, and prepare for tomorrow?"
At Seraria’s suggestion, we climbed out of the bath, ready to enjoy a fine fish dinner and steel ourselves for the day to come. People are only human, and personal likes and dislikes are inevitable, but it is troublesome when they bleed into one's work. Still, it is a fact of life that they cannot be entirely separated. It is a difficult balance to strike.