Dali featured a guest house specially prepared for ceremonies of this scale.
Every foreign dignitary in attendance was scheduled to stay there. While each delegation was assigned their own wing or floor, there were no restrictions on movement between them, allowing guests to mingle and converse freely throughout the building.
"……I see. So that is what happened."
"Yes. I felt this was no longer a matter I could settle on my own. With Rita’s consent, I have brought her here as my servant."
"A wise decision. So, this is the deed of sale, and the tattoo on her chest marks her former owner, I take it?"
"……Yes."
A three-way meeting that would normally be unthinkable was taking place: the Empress of the Shouro Empire, Gerhardt Hilde von Rubis Shouro; a Lieutenant Colonel of the Expeditionary Force, Fritz Randol von Grosch; and Rita, a young woman from eastern Celuroa.
They sat in a lounge area situated by a bright, sunlit window. Despite the pleasant setting, Rita was understandably paralyzed with tension, unable to even lift her head.
Elsa arrived a moment later, accompanied by Edgar. Jin was apparently off on his own and was not with her.
In truth, Jin was currently agonizing over what to buy as a souvenir for Hanna, since she hadn't been able to come on the trip. He was currently making the rounds, asking the Celuroan maids and servants for their recommendations.
"Your Majesty, please excuse me.……Brother, you said to come to your room, but..."
"You should sit down too, Elsa. I was just listening to a brief report from Fritz," the Empress said, gesturing for her to join them.
"Thank you. Pardon me."
Elsa took a seat and immediately noticed the girl sitting next to her brother.
"Brother, who is this?"
She already had a general idea from Laojun’s reports, but she asked to be certain.
"Ah. This is Rita. I’ve…… taken her under my protection."
"I see."
Since she hadn't received a detailed description of the girl’s appearance, Elsa took a moment to observe her. Knowing that staring would only make the poor girl shrink further, Elsa limited herself to brief, casual glances.
(……She looks a little…… like me, perhaps?)
Elsa felt a flicker of sympathy for her.
(Could it be that the reason Brother protected her was……)
Elsa was perceptive in such matters.
"……Hey, Elsa, are you listening?"
Fritz’s voice snapped her back to reality.
"Mm. What is it, Brother?"
"I knew you weren't listening.……I asked if you could erase that tattoo on her chest."
"……It’s fine. I can erase it easily," Elsa answered immediately, having already treated ten other girls in similar situations.
"O-Oh, right. Good. I’ll count on you later, then."
"……Later? Not now?"
The Empress was the one to answer.
"That’s right. I feel for Rita, truly, but I want her to serve as a living witness to show the other nations the darkness lurking within the Celuroa Kingdom. If all goes well, we might be able to ensure that no more children are bought and sold like she was."
Rita gave a small, resolute nod. She had agreed to the plan, hoping that her cooperation would prevent others from suffering as she had.
"……I understand.……Rita, you’re brave."
Elsa gazed at her with kind eyes, realizing how heavy such a decision must have been for a simple village girl.
"Oh, Prince Arthur."
Just then, Prince Arthur, the representative of the Klein Kingdom, happened to pass by. The Empress called out to him. Liones Ashford was at his side.
"Greetings, Empress. You look as youthful as ever."
"My, thank you. Tell me, won't you join us for a chat?"
As the Empress extended the invitation, Prince Arthur nodded with a smile.
"I would be delighted. If you'll excuse me."
Prince Arthur took a seat next to Elsa.
"Lady Elsa, thank you again for all you did for my father. Is Master Jin not with you?"
"Your Highness, it has been a long time. Jin is currently off doing something else……"
Just as Elsa was explaining, Jin himself walked into the room.
"Ah, perfect timing! Jin-kun, won't you join us? We’ve all gathered for a talk."
Jin took in the scene: the Empress of the Shouro Empire—a woman perfectly described by words like "innocent" or "uninhibited"—was at the center of an assembly of truly formidable figures.
"It’s getting a bit cramped here.……Everyone, why don't we move over there?"
The Empress pointed toward the recreation room adjacent to the lounge.
Several games were set up in the recreation room, though the main attraction was "Lorette," a game currently all the rage in Celuroa. It was positioned in the center of the room, with a large table that could accommodate about twenty people.
Lorette was very similar to roulette—essentially a more primitive version of it. There were no bets for Red/Black or Even/Odd; one simply predicted the number and placed a wager. However, since there were only twelve slots, "straight-up bets" were the standard way to play.
Regardless, the table was the perfect size for a group. Perhaps wanting to emphasize that this was an informal gathering rather than a stiff diplomatic meeting, the group moved from the lounge to the game table.
Reinhard and Mattheus were there, along with Gloria and her father, Boulton. Marchioness Firenziano and Marcia were present as well, and even Duke Blue joined the group, making for an impressive sight.
To any uninformed observer, it would look as though a sudden world summit had just convened.
"First, let us exchange information on the status of the food crisis," the Empress suggested, taking charge as the highest-ranking person in the room.
"A good idea," Prince Arthur agreed, bowing his head deeply. "The Klein Kingdom is just barely managing to pull through. I cannot express enough gratitude to the Empress and to Her Excellency Marchioness Firenziano of the Kingdom of Elias for their aid."
"Think nothing of it. We must support one another in times of need," the Marchioness replied.
"As for us, we believe it is thanks to Master Jin teaching us that Devil's Potatoes can be eaten safely."
"In that case, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Master Jin as well……"
"No, I…… well, in truth, I mostly just wanted to eat them myself, so……" Jin stammered.
After a few more minutes of pleasantries, the Empress turned to the representative of the Kingdom of Egerea.
"And how is the Kingdom of Egerea faring?"
Duke Blue, the King’s cousin, answered. "The northern regions were in a precarious state, but by transporting food from the south, we have managed to avert a national crisis."
"That is wonderful to hear."
The exchange regarding food supplies continued for some time before the topic shifted from the immediate famine to long-term food self-sufficiency.
"If we can solve the issues with preservation, I would like to find a way to significantly increase our production," one of them noted.
Land was not the issue; every nation suffered from a shortage of labor.
"I suppose the time has come to consider using golems for agriculture," the Empress mused.
There were many tasks better suited for golems than humans, such as heavy labor, repetitive simple tasks, and pest control.
"However, when one considers the manufacturing cost per golem……"
"Quite right."
At that remark, every eye in the room turned toward Jin.
"……Even with my help, while I can reduce the labor required for construction, lowering the cost of the raw materials is difficult," Jin admitted. It was the truth; he had not yet mastered the ability to freely transmute matter on a whim.
"Indeed, that is the crux of the problem."
Beyond just the metal, the materials for the artificial muscles and the magi-crystals were inherently expensive. Even if the labor costs were zero, it wasn't feasible for every individual household to own a golem.
"What if we utilized a system where a community, such as a village, owns one or two golems and uses them on a rotating basis?" Jin suggested.
"Oh! For a large village, that might actually be viable."
Jin offered a further suggestion. "And perhaps the government could provide subsidies to help cover the costs."
"My, that is an interesting thought."
Jin was making these suggestions based on his vague memories of how agricultural cooperatives functioned back on Earth. However, in this world’s strictly vertical society, the concept was revolutionary. The leaders of the various nations began to consider the idea with profound seriousness.