第１８７７堀：動き出す北部 (Part1)
**Chapter 1877: The North Stirs**
**Side: Ria**
While I suppose I should feel proud as an older sister that Vilia is successfully climbing the ranks as an adventurer, I can’t help but feel… well.
"Yuki-san, isn't it a bit absurd for someone to jump two ranks in just three days?"
"It is strange. I expected her to take more time to get her bearings, so this is certainly unexpected."
Yuki-san agrees with my skepticism. Adventuring is indeed a meritocracy, but that system relies heavily on trust. You don't build a reputation in three days. From an outsider's perspective, she’s been taking on an unreasonable volume of requests and hauling in massive amounts of materials; if anything, this is the time when people should be growing suspicious of her.
"Well, she has the backing of Archbishop Dodona and Chancellor Daeda. I suppose this is the point where we verify that. They did mention that such things aren't unheard of in their environment."
"I know they said that, but… is it really normal for a rank to skip ahead like that in Rogari?"
"Hard to say. You might want to ask Milly about that later."
"That’s true."
Milly is stationed at the Adventurer’s Guild; she would know the ins and outs of the ranking system better than anyone.
"Anyway, let’s set that aside for a moment. As we discussed earlier, let’s hear what the higher-ups have to say. Prol?"
"Understood. I will contact Ena."
At Yuki-san’s command, Prol moves instantly to establish the connection. She really has blossomed into a perfect secretary. As I watch her, Yuki-san looks at me with a curious expression.
"Something on your mind?"
"Oh, no. Just thinking about how much you and the others have grown since I was busy with Canary."
When they first became Yuki-san’s personal attendants, they were immediately sent off to various departments for intensive training, and we swapped places right when I was busy supporting Canary. I still had the impression of them being "the new girls," but watching them work together lately, they’ve become truly capable assistants to Yuki-san.
"I understand the others, but Prol was already quite competent to begin with, wasn't she?"
"Ah, well, yes. In terms of work, certainly. It’s just… you know, she used to be so stiff whenever she was around you."
It’s true. Prol was fine when she was in "work mode," but in her off-hours, she was such a massive fan of Yuki-san that she could barely string a sentence together.
"I see. And how does she feel about that now?"
Yuki-san, seemingly satisfied with that explanation, calls out to Prol. Wait, wasn't she supposed to be contacting Ena?
"Yuki-sama, I have established contact with Lady Ena. She says she will request an audience with King Giadana and Chancellor Daeda. Please wait for their response. And, regarding Ria-sama’s assessment of me—it is entirely accurate. I was indeed paralyzed with nerves when I first became your attendant. However, Yuki-sama noticed that this was exhausting for me and went to great lengths to help me relax."
Prol answers my question perfectly while simultaneously handling her duties. She truly lives up to the diligence that even Eris and Ratz admire. As I’m thinking this, Yayui, who had been working nearby, pipes up as well.
"It’s true. I was just as nervous as Prol-san, and Yuki-sama did the same for me."
"Ah, that’s right. You were a nervous wreck around Yuki-san too, Yayui. You kept stumbling over your words."
"Indeed. She used to stutter quite a bit at first, but that’s faded significantly of late."
It wasn't just Yuki-san, either; Yayui was terrified of the entire upper echelon of Weed, myself included. Well, when you consider that the group includes Queen Seraria, the Prince Consort Yuki-san, and all the other heavy hitters of the nation, being nervous is only natural.
"Haha, well, I came to Yuki-sama as a slave, so I was terrified that one wrong move would cause a massive catastrophe."
"Yeah, I get that."
Once you spend time with Yuki-san, you realize his sensibilities are no different from any ordinary person, but the first time you meet him, the aura of greatness is so overwhelming that it’s impossible not to be tense.
"Even you, Ria? I thought you hit it off with me pretty quickly."
"That’s because I spent time with you and realized who you were. Besides, I crossed blades with Seraria and talked her down."
"I remember that."
Back then, Seraria saw Yuki-san as someone truly special. That’s why I pushed back, telling her he was just a normal person. Though, I did lose that duel. As we’re reminiscing...
"Yuki-sama. I have received word from Ena regarding the audience."
"What’s the content?"
"She says it is possible to hold it immediately."
"During the day?"
"She intends to do it while working in the office—or rather, use that as a cover."
"I see. Better than gathering at night and drawing attention, I suppose."
"Likely. How shall we proceed?"
"Connect us right away. The sooner we gather information, the better."
The connection was made faster than I expected. Yayui and I fall silent, watching the proceedings from our own desks.
*"This is Ena. Can you hear and see us?"*
It has become standard practice for us to monitor these kinds of meetings from a separate window nearby. We record and archive everything, of course, but there’s a nuance to these conversations that we can only grasp by watching and listening in real-time. Yuki-san encourages this.
"Yes, we can hear you. Can you hear and see us?"
*"Yes, Yuki-dono. We hear and see you clearly."*
*"Same here."*
As the voices come through, King Giadana and Chancellor Daeda appear on the monitor.
"I’m glad to hear that. You mentioned you were in the office—is the Chancellor working in the same room as you, Your Majesty?"
*"Oh, heavens no. We are handling different tasks; if we worked in the same room, we’d be buried under mountains of paperwork."*
*"He’s right. Though, since there are matters the Chancellor passes to me, perhaps working in the same room would be more efficient?"*
*"There are some things that would be more efficient, but there are also matters that require consultation with only you or me, Your Majesty, which would become inconvenient."*
*"Ah, I see. It would be a hassle to have to step out every time..."*
It seems every nation faces the same logistical problems. We’ve had the same discussion here in Weed about whether we should all work in one place, but we ultimately decided that keeping separate offices is better for those who need to consult with us individually.
*"But, I digress. You said you had something to discuss?"*
Ah, right. We need to get to the point.
"Yes. It concerns the adventurer activities of the person introduced to us by Archbishop Dodona. There have been some developments."
*"Developments?"*
*"I heard she only became an adventurer a few days ago?"*
"That’s correct. It’s only been three days since she started, but it seems she has been told she is being promoted from E-rank to C-rank."
*"Ho. C-rank in just three days? That is quite surprising."*
*"Indeed. It is rare—or rather, practically unheard of. However, given the message from Archbishop Dodona, I suppose it is not... entirely impossible."*