第１７７６堀：よくよく考えたら砦って？ (Part2)
"Then, let's divide the work among the three of us and get in touch with the diplomat group."
"Understood."
Just as we were coordinating with the diplomats' wives to secure a meeting for 3:00 PM...
"I'm back~"
Hovis had returned. She is stationed at the Ohe Royal Castle today. One might wonder why she is there when she could be in the Ohe dungeon, but we decided someone needed to be a direct point of contact, and today, it was Hovis's turn. It is still morning, so it feels a bit early for her to be back for a lunch break.
"What's wrong? You're a bit early."
"Yes. Judging by the look of things, it seems you haven't received word from Lady Stasia yet."
"Hm? Ah, I've been busy coordinating with various parties until now. Did Stasia send some kind of message?"
"Yes. It's about that prisoner. It seems Lady Kagura managed to extract information, so she asked me to relay it."
"I see. That explains why I couldn't get a hold of Kagura."
It seems we couldn't reach Lady Kagura because she was occupied with interrogating the prisoner.
"Understood. Thanks for the update. Hovis, take a rest. I'm going to make the call now. Prof, Orelia, I know you're busy, but I'd appreciate it if you could handle the records."
"Understood."
"I shall join you as well. I am quite curious about the information."
"Is that so? Then let's listen together. Now, how about a drink..."
"Right here."
Before I knew it, Prof had already prepared tea and was offering it to us. She had even prepared some for the rest of us. As always, if we aren't careful, she'll steal our thunder before we even have a chance to act.
"Thanks. Let's take a quick breather before I make the call. And Yayui is currently at the port, right?"
"Yes. Yayui is going back and forth between the fishing port and the hotel preparing for the party."
Currently, only Yuki, Prof, myself, and Hovis, who had been stationed at the Ohe Royal Castle, are present. Yayui holds an important position in the port town of Glass, so she is tied up there.
"Well, share the information with her later."
"Understood."
Even so, we would never leave Yayui out. After all, she is a secretary and personal attendant, just like us, dedicated to supporting Yuki.
After we finished our tea and caught our breath, a monitor screen was projected before us. Lady Stasia and Lady Kagura appeared on the display.
"My apologies. It seems you tried to contact me."
"No, it's fine. We managed to reach you through Hovis immediately. Besides, I imagine you were busy?"
"We had our own schedule to settle on this end, so it's fine. Also, Stasia, Kagura, would it be possible for you to attend a meeting based on that schedule?"
"A meeting? About what?"
Lady Kagura tilted her head. It is only natural that she would wonder why we didn't just discuss it here.
"Ah, the content is separate from what we're discussing now. It's about the fort we plan to build in the southern lands."
"A fort, you say? That means the blueprints are finished, then?"
"Orelia helped me draft the initial foundation, but a problem has arisen."
"Yes? It's just building a fort, isn't it? What kind of problem?"
"If it were just for our own use, there wouldn't be an issue. But for our future plans, we intend to ask the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance for their cooperation to defend against the monsters coming up from the south, right?"
At those words, Lady Stasia's eyes sharpened.
"I see. For the time being, they would use the fort prepared by Weed as a base. In that case, we would need accommodation space for tens of thousands. And other facilities as well."
"Ah!"
At Lady Stasia's words, Lady Kagura seemed to grasp the situation, letting out a cry before immediately clutching her head.
"W-wait a minute. A fort of that scale? Isn't that just a city? Isn't it strange to have over ten thousand soldiers alone?"
"Exactly. That's what I want to consult about. Aside from living space, things like entertainment facilities and dining halls will vary from country to country, won't they?"
"They certainly will. And since there is no doubt this will be a long-term expedition, such facilities are absolutely necessary to maintain morale."
"Right. That's why I want us all to gather at 3:00 PM to discuss it."
"Understood."
And so, before hearing the information about the prisoner, we explained the meeting scheduled for 3:00 PM. Since we are welcoming people from the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, a small fort simply won't suffice. It isn't easy to construct a base, so I have a feeling this is going to be quite a massive undertaking.