第１７２１堀：心配な部下たち (Part2)
"Whether I’m 'all right' or not is irrelevant. We’re in the middle of a drill, so would you mind not interrupting? This is the perfect opportunity to practice maneuvering in heavy seas. If you slack off out there, you’re dead. To the monster units: tighten the perimeter. We can't rule out the possibility of enemies using this gale as cover to slip in, so keep the lines of communication—anyway, I’m hanging up now."
"Yeah, stay safe out there."
"Of course."
The conversation with Dressa ended in a flash, and Yuki turned back toward us.
"So, there you have it. A storm of that level isn't a problem for them. That said, don't go out on the water when it’s this rough unless you have to. If you aren't used to it, the sea will swallow you whole before you can blink."
"I can certainly understand that," I replied. "I’m not even sure I could swim if I were tossed into those waves, let alone deal with monsters appearing."
"Well, I don't actually have much data on whether monsters come to the surface when the water is this choppy. I imagine that’s part of why they’re out there—to find out."
"I see."
He spoke of it so casually, but the thought of being cast into that churning abyss with monsters lurking beneath was terrifying. Dressa certainly was a Spartan when it came to her training methods.
"Well then, let’s head to the town hall."
"Understood," we replied in unison.
Having seen the violent side of the ocean, we began making our way toward the municipal office.
"Oh, Master Yuki."
"Hey there, Canaria."
"It’s Yuki!"
We happened across Canaria and Ria in front of the bento shop, Ohana. Since the shop was located in the shopping district just before the town hall, it wasn't unusual to run into them, but seeing the two of them out together was a rare sight.
"Good to see you, Ria. Are you on a break?"
"Yes. We were just saying we should take a little rest together."
"Ria has been so kind to me," Canaria added. "Master Yuki, seeing you here... are you on your way to see Sisua and Sona at the town hall?"
"Yeah, work stuff. I wish it were for pleasure, but as it happens, this is something you two should probably hear as well."
It made sense; since the discussion involved the public opening of the port town, having them informed was for the best.
"Has something happened?"
"Well, I was talking with Seraria. Glass Port Town is essentially finished—or at least, the foundations are all in place, right?"
"That’s true," Canaria said with a nod. "Now it’s just a matter of officially declaring it open and waiting for people to gather."
"Exactly. But before that, we’re planning to invite representatives from the various countries that helped us. It’ll serve as both a thank-you and a formal introduction to the facilities."
"That certainly seems necessary," Canaria agreed.
"Wait... I understand the logic, but aren't you incredibly busy right now, Yuki?" Ria asked, her brow furrowing.
Their reactions were split. Canaria didn't fully grasp the extent of Yuki’s current workload, so she saw greeting and thanking dignitaries as a natural duty. Ria, however, knew that Yuki was currently spearheading the investigation into the disappearances—a task that was proving to be an absolute nightmare.
"I appreciate the concern, Ria, but doing this now will serve as a great way to promote the town."
"Ah, I see. So that’s the angle."
"I don't quite follow the details, but looking at the two of you, I assume this is a matter of politics?" Canaria asked.
"In a way. I’ll need your help too, Canaria, so come along. Mostly, I’ll be asking you to help coordinate the reception for the VIPs here in town."
"Certainly. If I can be of any use."
And so, with Ria and Canaria in tow, we continued toward the town hall.
"Oh, that reminds me. Should we bring some fried chicken or something?"
"Good idea," Canaria replied. "We were thinking of having some for our break anyway."
"Right. It might be a bit heavy, so I don't know if Sisua and Sona will want any, but it’s better to have it than not. Do you have rice balls too?"
"Won't that just turn into a full meal? Fried chicken and rice balls?"
"Think of it as a heavy snack," Yuki insisted.
With that, Yuki bought twenty rice balls and twenty pieces of fried chicken from Ohana before we resumed our walk.
"Um... I assume some of those are for us as well?"
"Of course. You’ve been working hard; you must be hungry."
"Ah... yes. Haha..."
Honestly, Yuki was far too indulgent with us. I really needed to watch my—no, I needed to watch *him* to make sure he wasn't overextending himself.
Yuki was meticulous with his work, so he looked fine on the surface, but the sheer volume of tasks he was juggling made me worry about his internal state. He was clearly running on all cylinders to finish everything on time, and there was no doubt he was exhausted.
Even so, he insisted on sharing his food and looking after everyone else, which only made it harder to tell him to slow down. We really needed to make sure he took proper breaks.
But I suppose that’s just how things go when work gets truly busy.