第１６４９堀：少しは休めるかな？ (Part1)
Chapter 1649: Can I Rest a Little?
Side: Yuki
“...And so, there are no problems at the moment.”
“Yes. As Kirika-sama mentioned, the situation regarding the newly migrated residents and the rumors within Weed have also settled down.”
“I see. Well, it would be a hassle if they started moving now anyway, so let’s just be happy about it. It’s safe to say the Vinoshia faction was the biggest threat.”
I reconfirmed whether there had been any suspicious activity lately and reached that conclusion.
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
Kirika seemed to harbor doubts about my words and asked as much.
Well, I suppose it’s unsettling not to have found the enemy, and from the perspective of my usual information-gathering habits—which are all about preparation—it might look strange.
“We’re at capacity. We’re completely short-staffed. When you have to give up on something, you have to do it cleanly. Anything beyond this point is within the territories of the allied nations. Besides, we don’t have concrete evidence. And it’s not like we’re obligated to solve every single problem in the world.”
That’s right; at the end of the day, what I’ve been doing is simply operating within the scope of what I—or rather, Weed—can handle.
Well, from an outsider’s perspective, it probably looks like I’m doing whatever I want, barging into countries under Litea’s umbrella, but that was only possible because of the incident at Suls.
By crushing the hideout in Vinoshia, the matter is essentially considered resolved.
I’ve tracked and discovered the remnants, but I don’t have the jurisdiction to conduct investigations in other countries beyond that.
“I’m keeping an eye on the remnants who fled Vinoshia, but I’ll pass information on anyone they contact to the Rogari alliance so they can handle the pursuit. We are only here to provide military force in the event of an emergency.”
“...Certainly, considering the standing and face of the alliance, that is likely the best course of action. However, won’t that lead to a delayed response in an emergency?”
Prol seemed concerned as well, asking a question based on a worst-case scenario.
“If Weed were a single, powerful nation, we could do it, but we are an alliance, after all. Moreover, there’s no certainty that they even possess a Core. We were able to push our luck because of the Suls incident, but now that things have calmed down, it’s normal for countries to handle their own problems with their own strength. It’s unheard of to have your domestic issues cleaned up by another nation.”
It really was just an exception until now.
I only scrambled to respond because the enemy had a Core; normally, as Prol said, having another country clean up your own mess would be a total loss of face.
The people around would probably think, “Handle your own business yourself.”
“Well, that’s why I’m preparing to distribute Cores. If an emergency arises, we can send reinforcements from there, so that should be fine.”
“I see. So that was the reason you needed to distribute the Cores.”
“Since we can’t show up openly, we’re creating new positions from which we can send reinforcements.”
The two of them nodded in understanding, realizing that distributing my Cores also meant establishing new forward bases.
To others, they might look like convenient production facilities, but from my perspective, it means new outposts.
It expands my territory, making it easier to spot if enemy Dungeon Masters make a move, and allows me to intercept them from those bases.
Of course, I haven’t told the various countries this, but they probably realize it.
I can connect them easily with Gates.
They know they can count on me when the chips are down.
“I say this all the time, but peace isn’t something you create alone. It’s something everyone cooperates to build. That’s the same for nations. You do your best for yourself. If that’s not enough, you help each other. That’s how it works. Even I get information from Kirika and Prol like this, and in the office, I have Fiora, Orelia, Hobis, Yayui, and Nina. At home, I have my wives.”
I said that honestly.
I don’t intend to stop being human just because I can do everything by myself.
And it’s nothing but the truth.
There is no such thing as a country of one; it’s a country because many people gather together.
As for having many wives—well, if I went back to my hometown, I might get stabbed, but I have no intention of denying it now.
I’ve decided to protect them properly.
Anyway, setting that aside, the two of them nodded as if satisfied with my explanation.
“You are always like this, Master.”
“Yes. I think that is a very Yuki-sama-like answer.”
“Everyone is the same, though. Well, never mind that, the tea is gone.”
Noticing their teacups were empty, I poured fresh hot water and brewed some more tea.
“Thank you very much.”
“I apologize. I should have been the one to notice.”
Kirika thanked me, and Prol apologized.
“Don’t worry about it. Today is a secret meeting in my room. I’m the host, and you two are the guests.”
“No, I feel like I’m living here as well...”
Is she still embarrassed about that?
Even though she follows me into the bath as my guard.
Still, I understand what she means.
Prol, Orelia, Hobis, and Yayui are always with me as my assistants.
By the way, the reason Orelia and the others aren’t here is that it’s their day off, and Prol is the one on duty.
I called Kirika to join us to hear if there was any new information from the Intelligence Department and Prol’s side.
And it was Kirika who suggested that Prol live with me, so to speak.
Well, originally, it was to ensure information reached me quickly, and to fix Prol’s habit of being overly nervous.
It’s true, she was pinpoint-nervous only around me.
As the head of the Information Division, there was a lot I wanted to ask her, and Kirika had sensed that it was a problem if we couldn’t talk properly.
And now, we can converse normally, and as I mentioned, she even follows me into the bath.
So, I thought her stage fright had been cured, but perhaps Kirika found it suspicious based on her earlier comment.
“Prol. Are you still embarrassed?”
“Ah, no, I don’t get overly nervous in front of Yuki-sama anymore.”
“Then, why were you flustered just now?”
“Ah, well, being told that I’m living with you, even as a guard, while setting aside the wives... I just thought it sounded a bit like we were married...”
Under Kirika’s sharp gaze, Prol honestly confessed her feelings.
Hearing that confession, Kirika’s eyes went wide, and she looked surprised.
“You’re only realizing this now? You were offering your body and soul as if you were worshiping a god, which was a bit off-putting in its own right.”
Ah, I see.
It’s true that part of Prol’s nervousness stemmed from the fact that she worshiped me like some sort of deity.
So, she was the type who thought serving me was an honor and nothing to be embarrassed about, but now that she’s spending her daily life with me, Kirika is likely finding it strange that she’s suddenly become shy.
“Ah, well, I didn’t expect to be involved in your private life so actively.”
“Then, what kind of involvement did you expect?”