第１７６５堀：書類って大事だけど、大変でもある (Part1)
Chapter 1765: Paperwork is Essential, Yet Exasperating
Side: Yuki
“...And so, we have received the joint investigation report on the captured supplies from Stasia, Tori, Firia, and Aslin.”
Orelia handed me the documents as she spoke, and I began to review them. It seemed they had taken care of the task I had completely forgotten—or rather, the one I had been putting off.
“So, the food, weaponry, and other supplies aren’t much different from those of the nations in the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, then?”
Well, I suppose that was to be expected. If the situation were otherwise, Oue wouldn’t have been pushed into such a corner, and if they possessed truly extraordinary technology, they would have likely been destroyed long ago.
“Actually, we need to confirm not just the supplies we secured by sending our own people in, but also the existing stockpiles on Oue’s side.”
“Indeed. Since we will be operating jointly from here on out, it is necessary to verify the resources available. Oue likely possesses weapons unique to their region as well.”
“True. Though the question remains: who should we entrust with that selection?”
I couldn’t exactly ask Firia to handle it. Or, wait—she’s a dwarf, so would that count as being one of the demi-humans? In my mind, she’s still just a little sister figure, but she works perfectly fine here in Weed.
“Since it involves appraising supplies, why not leave it to Ratz and Firia? It is the New Continent, after all, so we cannot exactly send Narjia over there, can we?” Orelia suggested.
She had a point. Ratz was already over there handling the transfer of supplies; it made sense to appoint her as the person in charge of verifying the Oue stockpiles. I could consult with Eris regarding the budget, so the timing was perfect.
“I’ll adopt Orelia’s plan. I’ll contact Ratz. Besides, Narjia is bound to demand that we bring over their weaponry and accessories, and we’ll need to purchase those supplies anyway.”
“Ahaha, she absolutely would say that! Very well, I shall contact her immediately—”
“No, I’ll do it myself. I need to clear this with Eris anyway, and it’ll be… somewhat faster if I speak to her directly, I think.”
“Eris-sama is merciless even with you, Yuki-sama, when it comes to money.”
Ryuushi, who was new to the fold, understood perfectly well why I hesitated. Eris was the keeper of Weed’s treasury. Even though she had stepped down as the head of the Accounting Department, she still held a firm grip on the royal family’s purse strings. She managed our personal assets and the "off-the-books" supplies, effectively controlling the entirety of Weed’s wealth.
Naturally, as the former head of accounting, she still had a significant say in the official financial affairs of Weed. Because of that, she was exceptionally strict regarding money. While that was reliable, those around her tended to shrink away from that severity.
Of course, if you had a proper justification and the right paperwork, she wouldn't complain. But even I was frequently scolded by her. That was exactly why I needed to talk to Ratz first.
Thinking this over, I initiated a call, and Ratz answered without much delay.
『Yes, yes~. It’s your cute little rabbit speaking~. What can I do for you?』
“Sorry to bother you while you’re working. I have some things I need to confirm regarding the supplies in Oue.”
『Ah, that topic~. I’m currently preparing the relief supplies. Did something else come up in your talks with Oue?』
“No, it’s not an addition. It’s about the items we intend to purchase.”
『Hmm? Purchase? I haven’t heard that they had enough of a surplus to sell to us.』
“No, no. It’s for our own inspection. Stasia and Firia checked the captured supplies, and we decided it would be necessary for the Oue side as well.”
I explained the situation as it had unfolded.
『Ah, come to think of it, we hadn’t done that yet, had we? Usually, we would have jumped on that already, wouldn’t we? Or perhaps not?』
“We haven’t even been in the New Continent for ten days yet. If anything, I’d say we’re ahead of schedule.”
『True, it’s been chaotic, so I suppose that’s not bad. So, you want to buy up their supplies as part of our standard technical level assessment at the same time we hand over the relief goods?』
“Exactly. The problem is the budget.”
『Ah…』
Ratz understood what I was getting at, and she fell silent.
“Honestly, since it’s for an investigation, I’m thinking of just paying for it out of my own pocket.”
『Well, that’s the safest route, I suppose. You buy it as a hobby, and it just so happens to be useful for the investigation, so you claim the expenses. If I were the one to do that, Eris and Tefa would definitely be furious with me.』
“No, they’d be furious with me, too. They’d tell me to submit the application forms first. But still…”
『Getting those forms approved is a nightmare, isn’t it? Not that I don’t understand where Eris and the others are coming from.』
“We don’t even have receipts, let alone a set exchange rate for the currency.”
『We’re starting from the point of conversion, after all. We could bring in supplies and have them exchanged for cash, but that’s a whole other issue.』
“And if they buy it from us at too high a price, that creates its own set of problems.”
It was truly a headache. Which is why, in times like these…
『It’s just a matter of when to tell Eris, isn’t it?』
“Exactly. If I tell her now, she’ll naturally demand the paperwork, but preparing all that is too much work. It would delay the supply acquisition and the investigation.”
『And we don’t want to delay that. I suppose it’s best if you or I just cover it personally for now.』
That was the conclusion we always reached. We would simply frame it as if Ratz or I had collected the items personally from the start.
“I wish we could come up with a real solution for this eventually.”
『It’s a difficult problem. If it were a territory we already had ties to, it would be one thing, but this is a completely new continent—there’s no budget allocated for it. Shall we just set a flat rate, like a million or so, in advance?』
“We’ve tried that before, but sometimes it’s not enough, and sometimes it’s too much. If that just adds more hassle, then paying out of our own pockets really is the best way.”
『I suppose so. Understood. I’ll handle the budget—or rather, I’ll treat it as your personal expense—and I’ll handle the negotiations as I see fit, alright?』
“I’m counting on you. You’re the one handling the relief supplies right now, so you’ll know the local market rates better than I do.”
『That is this rabbit’s specialty, so leave it to me~! Now, that aside, how are the discussions with the Oue side going?』
Ratz would be curious about that, of course.