第１７８５堀：休憩中に何をしてもよいわけではない (Part1)
Chapter 1785: Just Because It’s a Break Doesn’t Mean Anything Goes
Side: Yuki
"Here is a report from the Monster Research Institute."
"And here is one from the northern town’s detention center~."
"A new report regarding summoning has arrived from Kagura-sama."
"Tori has submitted a report stating she has found a suitable location for the southern base."
"Yuki-sama, Seraria-san has a report regarding the hosting of the party."
What are the odds of being bombarded with reports all at the same time like this? I’m no Prince Shotoku, capable of listening to ten people at once. Fortunately, there weren't ten of them, so I managed to keep track.
"Uh..."
"What incredible timing."
Watching from the sidelines, Ria and Cleena looked stunned by my situation, and the people who had spoken up seemed equally surprised, glancing at one another.
"Well, I suppose this means things that were stagnating have finally started to move. Or perhaps they were already moving, and the reports just happened to overlap. Since something this rare has occurred, let’s calm down and have some tea. Oh, just leave the reports on the desk."
When I said that, they complied obediently, stacking the reports on the desk, with Ria and Cleena adding theirs to the pile as well.
"Ahaha..."
"Actually, we had some too."
Now, that leaves only Jessica, who is currently in this office...
"Unfortunately, I have nothing in particular to report."
Jessica said. So, it wasn't a perfect sweep of reports. Honestly, that’s just fine. It means no more paperwork to review and judge for today.
"Then, I shall prepare the tea."
"Ah~, I’ll help too~."
Orelia and Hobis moved to prepare the tea in accordance with my words. The other members, caught up in the tea-time atmosphere, began to take their seats and relax.
Meanwhile, I was left with the mountain of reports on my desk. It’s a chore, but at least this way I avoid the stomach-churning dilemma of whose report to pick up first. It’s not as if my wives or subordinates would actually mind, but who I prioritize can lead to all sorts of speculation.
Thinking this, I picked up the report on top of the pile. It was from Cleena. The content concerned the school. I found it strange that it wasn't from Eris or Ratz, but as I read, I realized the students had heard about the completion of Glass Port Town and were interested in whether they could visit the school after the party. Apparently, this request hadn't reached Eris or Ratz yet, but had come from those connected to August in Cleena’s home continent, the If Continent. It was likely a common request, and it was better to handle it early.
"Indeed. Eris and Ratz must be busy with the negotiations with Ohe in the New Continent, but I can't ignore this."
I decided on the response and began writing the matter into today’s schedule when Hobis came to my side.
"Here is your tea~."
"Thanks. Once you’re done serving everyone, take a break and have some tea yourself."
"Oka~y."
I sipped the hot tea and checked the next report. This one was from Ria. Ah, right. Since Ria and Cleena were the last to submit theirs, it was only natural they ended up on top.
Ria’s report was about the management status of the bento shop she’s running with Canaria. The princess of the former Vinosia seems to have grown quite accustomed to it. She’s surprisingly a hearty eater, so I had suggested she try her hand at the production side, and it seems to suit her better than expected. She’s no longer the "manufactured" princess she once was; she’s acting with her own sense of self. Whether that turns out to be a good thing for Canaria, however, depends entirely on her.
Setting that aside, the business is doing well. She’s communicating effectively with the part-timers sent by Kirika and managing the shifts smoothly. The balance sheet is in the black; it’s not a failing business. They are supplying fried chicken and other side dishes to the hotels. This is a collaboration with Ratz’s resort hotel. To ensure the shopping district in Glass Port Town doesn't dry up, the resort hotel is purchasing goods from them.
The report also touched on whether Canaria should be allowed to stand on her own. She seems to have learned accounting and is handling the procurement herself, so Ria sees no issues. There was even a suggestion that if she’s that capable, she could be brought here to help me...
My help, huh? She finally found a job that suits her interests, so I’d hate to drag her away. Still, it is true that I am short-handed. And Canaria herself is still a bit of a ticking time bomb. The royal family of the former Vinosia has earned quite a lot of resentment from various quarters. Well, I’ll at least hear her out. I added that to today’s schedule as well.
"Yuki-sama, the tea snack is a manju."
"Oh, thanks. Orelia, take it easy and have some tea and sweets too."
"Yes. I’m fine."
As I nibbled on the manju Orelia gave me, I moved to the next report—this one from Samantha. The content was about the party Seraria is organizing. This one wasn't complicated. Since confirmations had arrived from all parties that the date I specified was fine, the plan would proceed as scheduled. There were no delays, so I added this to my schedule as well.
Incidentally, the reason Samantha brought it was that the old man Blade from the Roadi Kingdom is clamoring to sneak in early to have some fun. The report stated that he’s likely to try and infiltrate disguised as a commoner, so they intend to stop him. No permission needed for that; it’s a "don't interfere, we'll handle it" situation. He’s as persistent as ever, and I felt for Samantha having to deal with it.
As I sipped my tea and looked around, everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their break, their chatter blooming. It’s clear our relationship isn't just about work. Orelia and the others were talking with Samantha and Cleena, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
...There isn't any bullying going on behind the scenes, is there? Prol is honest, and if anything like that happened, she’d report it immediately. And my wives wouldn't do such things. Shaking off the rude thought, I moved to the next report—this one from Fiora.
It was from Tori, reporting that a candidate site for the fortress construction had been found. There was also a secondary report regarding monsters, but perhaps because the northward migration of monsters has temporarily halted, they are only being spotted sporadically. It’s hard to say anything definitive about that until we build the fortress and conduct a full-scale investigation. Indeed, it’s impossible to draw conclusions based solely on the time spent searching for a construction site.