第１８３０堀：彼女が選べる道 (Part1)
Chapter 1830: The Path She Can Choose
Side: Yuki
When Ria informed me that Canaria wanted an audience, I assumed she had finally reached a decision.
So, she’s decided to return to her homeland?
Well, whether she can actually pull it off is a matter for the future.
"Eh? But Canaria, you’re running a bento shop, aren't you? Is that going to be alright?"
"For the time being, thanks to Yuki-sama’s cooperation, the shop runs smoothly even without my constant presence. So, there is no issue there. However, if you require me to let it go for the sake of my objective, I am prepared to do so."
Canaria answered Hairen’s question without a hint of hesitation.
Well, trying to manage a bento shop while juggling politics is a tall order, to say the least.
She’d be lucky to manage just being the owner.
Much like Ratz, who leaves her plushie shop in the hands of Nina and the others.
"Yuki, are you telling her to give up the shop she worked so hard to build?"
"No, I think Canaria can remain the owner in name. Besides, even if she returns to that world, she should keep an environment where she can interact with common people. It’s necessary."
"Oh, so you aren't asking her to do anything harsh, then?"
"Well, I don't know about that. From Canaria’s perspective, she probably feels like she’s being selfish, right?"
"…Yes. Despite the fact that I was already being selfish by asking Yuki-sama and the others to let me open the shop, I am now speaking of quitting just as the immigration in the port town has begun. I expect I deserve a fair amount of scolding."
Well, shops don't just appear out of thin air, after all.
In the sense that all the effort put into it would go to waste, she isn't wrong…
"You don't need to worry about that. As I’ve said before, while you are the manager, I am the owner of that shop. It also serves as a base for gathering information in Glass Port Town. You just happened to be there and took on the role of manager. The fact that you’ve found your own will like this is something to be celebrated."
"Yeah. I think so too. So, Canaria, you don't need to worry about it. Though, I suppose you will anyway."
Ria chimed in to support Canaria, but yeah, she’s the type to worry.
Considering how she was treated before, her current situation is nothing short of a luxury.
That said, I don't consider it a wasted investment.
It became our greatest weapon in cornering the Dark Guild.
Seraria and the leaders of the other great nations all agree that for Canaria’s cooperation in tracking down the Dark Guild, she deserves support that ensures her lifelong security—meaning she should never have to worry about money again.
I feel the same.
She’s been through enough.
There is value for us in protecting her as well.
Still, that’s our opinion.
Canaria likely knows her own worth, but not worrying about it is a different matter—it’s a question of her humanity.
"I cannot help but worry. However, may I still continue to frequent 'Ohana'?"
"You’re the owner, just like me. We’ll have someone else take over as manager. As I said, it’s a good place for you to interact with ordinary people. That kind of connection is necessary for those who govern or stand at the top. Besides, no one knows the taste of Ohana’s food better than you. If you leave and the quality changes, people might drift away. That affects our reputation, so I insist that you keep Ohana going."
The bentos and side dishes Canaria created through trial and error have become one of the specialties of Glass Port Town.
Several items served at the buffet in Ratz’s resort hotel are also from Ohana.
Those are popular, too.
And when you’re always standing at the top, you tend to forget what it’s like below.
To ensure we never lose that perspective, places like that must remain.
"Thank you for holding me in such high regard. …Now, to the main point of my consultation: given what I have just discussed, how should I move, and what should I do for the people?"
"Ah, that is the problem."
"It’s a problem?"
"Even you don't get it? Well, let’s reorganize Canaria’s situation. Hairen, you listen too—your ideas are brilliant, at least."
"What do you mean 'at least'? I’m amazing at everything I do! Right, Enora?"
"Yes. That is undeniably true. Hairen-sama is a magnificent person."
Enora, I’m pretty sure that praise is pointed in the wrong direction.
Her capacity for causing trouble is truly something else.
In every sense of the word.
Well, if I say that out loud, the atmosphere will just get chaotic again, so I’ll let it slide. I had Prol and the others bring a whiteboard to explain—or rather, to clarify—Canaria’s situation.
"First, the reason Canaria was in Weed was to track down the Dark Guild. Following the Great Flood in Sulus, the incident with Lyushi, and the opening of the International Exchange School to promote the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, we pushed for slave regulations that could have caused chaos."
"???"
Crap, she doesn't even understand the basic premise.
This useless goddess…
Calm down.
I’m providing this explanation for people who don't understand.
So that she can grasp it.
"To put it simply, we met Canaria because we announced that we were going to strictly regulate the slave trade."
"Ah, that was easy to understand."
Specifically, thanks to the formation of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, the value of a 'person' had skyrocketed.
After all, nations used to go to war to become wealthy or to defeat their enemies, but with the alliance, there was no longer any reason to fight.
If you start a conflict, you’ll be crushed by the alliance and your nation will surely fall.
And as for how to become wealthy, we provided Earth’s technology, starting with the gate technology Weed possesses.
So, while there isn't much arable land, there are plenty of places to develop, meaning everyone is currently preoccupied with reclamation.
To reclaim land, you need manpower.
So, countries started scrambling to gather slaves.
Everywhere, indiscriminately.
In other words, the price of slaves went up. Especially for rare races.
The Dark Guild set their sights on that, we predicted it, and after the Sulus incident, we decided to crush the Dark Guild, headed to the site of their transaction, and secured Canaria."
"And then, Canaria’s home country, Vinosia, had gone bankrupt and become territory of the neighboring country, Hinsua. Well, it wasn't that Hinsua plotted to bring them down, but rather that the King and the high-ranking officials of Vinosia were incompetent."
"That sounds familiar. It’s the story of how they self-destructed, right? I even went to help out at the church in Vinosia."
"Exactly. Lilishe went there and took full command. I also heard you suddenly unleashed your power on the entire church."
"Well, it worked out because it allowed the sisters and everyone else to be healed, didn't it?"