第１８５９堀：現場復帰のために勉強中 (Part1)
Chapter 1859: Studying for a Return to the Field
Side: Ria
"Hey, Fiora, what about this part here?"
"Ah, that would be..."
I am currently in Yuki-san’s office, having Fiora assist me as I review the current workload Yuki-san is shouldering. Since I’ve been entirely focused on Canaria, I’ve only had a superficial grasp of his recent affairs.
That said...
"I’m sorry. I know you’re busy with the New Continent, too."
Indeed, I’ve asked Fiora to go out of her way today to explain the situation in the New Continent. Ever since the connection was established, Fiora—who handles diplomacy for the smaller nations—has been heading out to the southern part of the New Continent to command the surveys.
Tori is technically the representative for the demi-humans, but she isn’t particularly adept at large-scale command. With Agil prioritizing research on the plateau, Fiora has been forced to take over the overall command, keeping her quite occupied. That is why she is here now.
"Not at all, it’s fine. The defense on the southern side isn’t that busy right now. Well, it’s more that there’s no way for it to progress, really."
"Ah—the monsters haven't been moving north, right?"
"Yes. They stopped dead the moment we arrived in the south. We’ve scattered the ones that had gathered and are utilizing the area, but there are no successors coming. Well, thanks to that, the land and plateau surveys are proceeding, so I’m grateful for that much."
"Come to think of it, didn't you find a few mineral veins?"
"Yes. Yuki-sama was delighted, saying it would provide a boost for the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance’s expansion."
"Well, I suppose so. It’ll become a resource for building things like vehicles and the like."
Originally, the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance’s expansion into the New Continent was just a way to get free land and support Weed, but now it’s turned into a situation where they’ll also be gaining mineral resources. It’s only natural he’d be happy about that.
"But there hasn’t been any movement yet, has it?"
"Well, they seem to be proceeding with selections domestically, but it is, after all, a major undertaking involving moving an army and building an entire town. Above all, it’s a massive project to establish facilities for vehicles and medical care. It’s not something that can be decided easily."
"I see. It’s not as simple as it is for Yuki-san, is it?"
"Indeed. He is not a Dungeon Master like Yuki-sama, and he has a multitude of subordinates and territory to manage."
"Managing subordinates, huh... Big countries are such a hassle. We’re all gathered under Yuki-san, but it’s not that simple for others, is it?"
"There is history involved, after all. There is the accumulation of the past to consider, and one must decide on their associations and evaluations based on that."
"Ugh... Just hearing about it sounds exhausting. I really understand why Yuki-san doesn’t want to be a big shot."
I’ve truly experienced so much by Yuki-san’s side, and the more I understand, the more I realize that being in a position of power is nothing but a burden. Of course, there are idiots who just act like fools and throw their weight around, but those who truly understand their position are inevitably weighed down by it.
...That is why Yuki-san hates being in such a position. He says that carrying the weight of people’s lives is a heavy burden. Well, he ends up doing it anyway, though.
"Indeed. And yet, Yuki-sama is such a troublesome person that he cannot help but reach out when he sees someone in need."
Fiora seems to understand this as well, offering a wry smile.
"After all, I was one of those troublesome people."
"I’m the same. He always says his capabilities are limited, and then he goes and manages to fix everything anyway."
Everyone here in Weed was essentially saved by Yuki-san, after all. It’s his habit to say he only acted out of necessity and that he received compensation for it. But while it is a fact that he receives compensation, from an outsider’s perspective, it’s hardly... well, it doesn’t balance out.
Having them work for the development of Weed—that is the compensation Yuki-san speaks of, but it never looks like a fair trade to me. It’s not as if he’s making them work for free; he pays them salaries and provides an environment where everything is taken care of.
"However, Ria, couldn’t you have just stayed by Yuki-sama’s side and had him teach you, rather than going to all this trouble?"
Suddenly, that question comes from Fiora. It’s true; if I returned to my post as Yuki-san’s guard, I’m sure he would teach me whatever I needed to know. But, how should I put it...
"I just thought it would be better to hear about the situation on the ground from the people around him. You know, that 'unique perspective' Yuki-san often talks about?"
"I see. Indeed, that is important. This current matter is, in a way, quite baffling, so if you happen to notice something, we would be grateful."
"The movements in the north, right? It really makes no sense."
"Yes. They are doing things that could potentially lead to conflict among the northern countries if handled poorly. And yet, they are complying with the exclusion of demi-humans. What is the cause? If things go wrong, it wouldn’t be strange for us to have to intervene with force immediately."
If things go poorly, there is a possibility that the demi-humans of the Giadana Kingdom could be annihilated. In that case, as someone siding with Ohe, I have to protect them. It is also to diminish the momentum of the Clearstream Church. If we don’t, enemies will end up swarming Ohe.
"Are Vilia and the others getting information from Archbishop Dodona of the Clearstream Church?"
"That is the plan. Well, there is the question of whether there is actually anything to be taught..."
"Well, isn't it better than nothing, just to know the enemy's strength?"
It’s a delicate matter to say we’re "teaching" Vilia and the others, but when it comes to technical matters or experience, even Vilia and the others can sometimes be lacking. Well, in terms of raw power, they would likely overwhelm them, but being able to extract that kind of information is something to be thankful for.
"That is certainly true. We should be able to gauge the strength of the Clearstream Church to some extent from Archbishop Dodona’s own prowess."
Yes, I suspect the Clearstream Church is stronger than Archbishop Dodona, but I don’t believe there is an overwhelming gap. If there were, they wouldn’t be trying to invite them in.
"Are they being taught right now?"
"I believe so. We’ve left the surveillance to others for now. We are busy ourselves, after all; we can’t be with them every step of the way. Yuki-sama, the person most responsible, is also out on business. Was it at Glass’s shop, I believe?"
"Ah, right. There was talk about letting Orelia and the others manage a shop, separate from Canaria’s bento shop, and Ratz had secured a property for it. Well, there were so many things going on that it was left neglected, and now it seems people who want to open shops are pressuring us, saying if we aren’t going to open it, we should hand it over."
"I see. For those who want to do business, if there’s a vacant shop, they want it for themselves, is that it?"
"Yeah. So, we’re rushing to prepare the shop."
And that place will become an information-gathering hub run by Orelia and the others.