第１８９３堀：とりあえず仕事を進めましょう (Part1)
Chapter 1893: Let’s Get Down to Business for Now
Side: Yuki
“...And so, these are the documents from the wives.”
“...Thank you.”
I wonder about this.
Lushi has been making appearances on her own quite a bit lately.
That in itself is a good thing, but she’s also inserting herself into marital issues—or perhaps, speaking about them rather bluntly...
No, it’s a bit late to be surprised by that, but still, it’s a strange feeling.
“Sorry for dragging you into all this trouble.”
“Oh, no, no, it’s quite alright. It just made me think that you, Yuki-sama—or rather, the wives—have it quite tough.”
“Hmm. The matter of children, is it? Indeed, for the wives who also serve as representatives of their respective nations, it is a matter of life and death.”
“That’s true. There are considerations like preferential treatment for supplies, and the presence or absence of children is something that ends up being calculated, regardless of the personal feelings of you or the wives, Yuki-sama.”
I wasn’t the only one listening to this.
Prof and the others working in the office were doing the same.
Prof and Orelia, in particular, seem to understand the gravity of such matters, and they wore troubled expressions.
“Well, I understand what they’re saying, but I really don’t want to treat children like that.”
“I agree with Ria-sama. Children aren’t tools for politics; they are the crystallization of love with you, Yuki-sama.”
“Yes, yes, I think so too.”
Ria, Hobis, and Yayui seem to hold the common view—the type that believes using children for political gain is unacceptable.
That’s the standard way of thinking, but for those who carry the weight of a nation on their shoulders, even that becomes a means to an end.
That is precisely why they possess more power and wealth than the average person, I suppose.
It is, after all, a matter of emotion.
“But this is the first time we’ve had trouble regarding the inability to conceive, isn’t it, Yuki-san?”
“Ah, you’re right, Ria. Trouble of that sort—well, this is the first time. Though, when I first met Kagura and the others, Seraria and the others had already given birth, and Milly and her group were already pregnant.”
“That’s true. And then we were summoned, so it was a huge uproar back then.”
“...I’ve heard the stories, but hearing again that even pregnant women were summoned... it really is preposterous.”
I couldn’t help but nod at Prof’s words.
It truly was an absurd situation.
Still, it was fortunate that we happened to be gathered together chatting at the time.
“And then, during the Haiden trouble, Milly and the others gave birth, and after that, it was Samantha and her group, so the pace hasn’t been strange at all. Even after Kagura and the others officially joined Weed, we had the Zuraburu incident and various other things.”
“In terms of timing, it feels like it’s about time, doesn’t it? Well, right now, Kagura and the others are handling diplomacy for the New Continent, so there’s that.”
That’s exactly it.
I’m not about to deny the prospect of pregnancy, but if that happens, we’ll need replacements for Kagura and the others when they go on maternity leave.
However, there is no talent that can truly replace Kagura and Mikos.
There really isn’t.
Someone who understands our circumstances and can coordinate with various nations...
In that sense, pregnancy is a difficult prospect right now, but...
“Ah, regarding those replacements, there is talk of Samantha-sama and Cleena-sama stepping in.”
“Huh? Aren’t those two in charge of the If Continent? With Jessica and Agil currently dispatched to the New Continent, wouldn’t it be a problem if those two left as well?”
“Yes. As you say, Yuki-sama, the direct window for them would be gone, but there are other channels—the embassies—so the talk is that communication from there would be sufficient. Apparently, they are quite frustrated with the progress of the New Continent expansion, and they want to see the New Continent for themselves, hoping it might provide some kind of breakthrough.”
“I see.”
Indeed, the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance’s expansion into the New Continent has been slow.
Of course, part of that is due to delays in our own investigations here in Weed, but the South Fort is built, and it’s in a state where it could be operational whenever the various nations decide to arrive.
Therefore, the problem lies more with the nations themselves.
Of course, there are various risks and questions about who should go, but at the end of the day, they are the ones lagging behind.
After all, we’ve been talking about providing the equipment for factories to build cars and medical supplies since before the New Continent was even a factor.
Considering the time that has passed, one could say they are the ones at fault.
Well, I’m not going to criticize them for it, but for mediators like Samantha, it must be boring.
Everyone else is working themselves to the bone, living in an environment of constant, overwhelming busyness, so I’m sure they feel a bit awkward.
“Understood. Wait, I haven’t given any permission, and there hasn’t been any consultation from their side. What’s going on?”
“Well, initially, the talk was mainly about the pregnancies of Kagura-sama and Mikos-sama, so it felt more like a casual chat than a formal meeting.”
“I see. So it wasn’t a proper meeting. Well, it is about pregnancy, so it’s a private matter.”
I suppose it will all be summarized later.
I was just thinking that we should at least prepare for it, when—
“Yuki-sama. I understand about Kagura-sama and Mikos-sama, but what about Enora-sama and Stasia-sama? They should also be hoping for your children, should they not?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, that’s true.”
From what I heard, it was only Kagura and Mikos.
Since the two of them are at the same stage, it wouldn’t be strange if there were developments on that front as well.
“Regarding that, Enora-sama was present during the discussion, but it seems it wasn’t brought up to that extent. As for Stasia-sama, she was commanding in the Northern Town, so she did not attend the discussion.”
“So that’s how it is. Well, that’s to be expected.”
Stasia is in charge of defense in the Northern Town.
She can’t just easily return to Weed.
No, she does return home every night, but during the day, she is in the Northern Town, preparing for emergencies.
Of course, there are soldiers on the other side at night as well, so she is ready to move at a moment’s notice, which is fine.
So, naturally, she couldn’t participate in a sudden, impromptu discussion.
“Therefore, Prof-san, it is possible that the result of your question will be discussed later.”
“I see. If they haven’t had the discussion yet, it is only logical that nothing has been heard.”
“In that case, the results of those talks will come later. For now, just keep in mind that such discussions might be happening, and be careful. In a sense, it’s a delicate matter.”
“““Yes.”””
Everyone replied to my words.
I shouldn’t let them be too overtly surprised, so I had to make sure they stayed calm like this.
“Now then, that was a bit of a detour—or rather, a side note to the report—but let’s get to the main topic.”
We’ve talked about many things, but that was just something that came up while Lushi was visiting.
“So, Lushi. How are the demi-humans we’ve taken under our protection doing?”