Kousuke had just started his nap when Sol arrived and was struggling in the Lounge Space.
Floria entered then, having finished her work for the day.
“Oh? It’s rare for you to come here twice in a row. What’s wrong?”
Floria, noticing Kousuke was asleep, approached Sol and asked in a hushed voice.
“Yes, I have a report for Master…”
Sol, intending to tell her about his recent conversation with Kousuke in the same hushed tone, suddenly stopped and looked at Floria with a startled expression.
“I have something I’d like to discuss, may I?”
Sol often consulted Floria about how to manage the goblins in the tower she oversaw.
Therefore, he considered her to be the best person to consult with on this matter.
Floria, sensing something from Sol’s demeanor, gave a small nod and pointed towards the meeting room.
Sol understood what Floria meant by that gesture and nodded back.
Then, the two of them quietly left the place, careful not to wake the sleeping Kousuke.
***
Floria entered the meeting room and immediately asked Sol, after he took a seat, “So? What is it you wanted to discuss?”
“Yes—”
Sol nodded once and then relayed everything Kousuke had told him to Floria.
Upon hearing it, Floria nodded as if she understood. “I see. So, Sol’s consultation is about whether or not you should settle into the management layer as Kousuke suggested?”
Taken aback by Floria’s direct question, Sol looked at her with a surprised expression.
Seeing Sol’s face, Floria chuckled and said, “What’s with that face? Judging by the content of your story and your usual behavior, I have a rough idea.”
“I-is that so?”
Sol felt a bit dejected by Floria’s casual words.
Seeing this, Floria’s smile deepened. “There’s no need to be down. That’s one of your good qualities too.”
“Huh?”
Floria looked momentarily surprised at Sol’s expression, as if he had not expected it. “What? You hadn’t realized? …Well, never mind. Let’s put this aside and get back to the main topic.”
“Huh? …Huh?”
Sol was bewildered, not understanding why the topic had suddenly changed, but Floria did not delve further into discussing Sol’s personality.
Leaving the confused Sol as he was, Floria thoughtfully placed her hand on her chin, striking a pose as if deep in thought. “Still, for Kousuke to say something like that… How many years has it been since that happened?”
“What?”
The latter half of her words were muttered, so they didn’t reach Sol’s ears. “No, it’s nothing. More importantly, before you decide, I think it would be best to talk to everyone first.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
Since Sol had intended to do so from the beginning, he nodded without any opposition. The reason he was talking to Floria was not just because she was the easiest person to consult with, but simply because she had entered the Lounge Space at the perfect timing. If someone else had entered first, Sol would have consulted them instead.
Floria, having understood Sol’s intentions by looking at his face, said, “I see. If that’s what Sol intends, I’ll go call Shurein and Silvia. As for the other two, it’s impossible to get them here right now, but…”
“Really?”
“Of course. Besides, it will be faster to discuss things if they are here. Wait a moment. I’ll go call them.”
Floria declared this and immediately left the meeting room. According to their schedules, neither Shurein nor Silvia were planning to go out that morning. Following Floria’s instructions to wait, Sol remained in the meeting room for a while, waiting for the three of them to gather.
***
Although Floria had said she would bring Shurein and Silvia, by the time Sol was speaking with her, Colette and Peach were also present. Colette had been called along because Silvia happened to know her schedule, and Peach was coincidentally in the management layer when Shurein caught her. Peach, who had intentionally come to the management layer knowing Kousuke was napping, readily agreed to participate in the discussion. She had originally just come to see Kousuke sleeping out of boredom. As for Colette, she decided to participate just by Silvia hinting at Sol’s consultation. By the way, Kouhi, who was assigned as Kousuke’s guard, was in the Lounge Space, while Mitsuki was participating in the discussion. Thus, with all the main members of the management layer gathered, Sol’s consultation began.
The first to speak was not Floria, who had gathered everyone, but Mitsuki. Since the general content had already been discussed during the gathering stage, there was no need for Sol to repeat himself. “So? Did you gather everyone just for Sol?”
“What?”
Sol tilted his head, not understanding the meaning, but Floria looked at him with a sigh. “Listen, Sol. Whether you come to the management layer or not was already almost decided when Kousuke made the proposal. In the first place, there’s no need for anyone to oppose it.” It happened a long time ago now, but the reason Floria came to the management layer was also almost solely decided by Kousuke. Kousuke had no intention of refusing to accept new members unless there were significant issues. Furthermore, although Sol had rarely visited the management layer, he wasn’t completely unknown, so no one would oppose him. In the first place, if they intended to oppose, they would have gone to Kousuke instead of coming here.
Confused as to why this opportunity was being created, Sol wore a bewildered expression. Seeing this, Silvia offered a helping hand. “Well, Sol, if you’re going to live here, you’ll be interacting with people other than us, you know?”
“Indeed. If you remain ignorant of the world as you are now, you’ll surely run into trouble then, won’t you?”
Shocked by Shurein’s unexpected words, Sol looked as if he had been struck. “Am I ignorant of the world?”
“I want to say ‘what’s new,’ but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Mitsuki said with a sigh, nodding.
From the time Sol was born as a goblin from a summoning circle, he had spent his entire life within the confines of the village or the management layer. Unlike Floria and Silvia, who spent their childhoods in castles and temples, Sol was also a pampered daughter in a different sense. “That’s why, in order for Sol to live in the management layer without any shortcomings, it is absolutely necessary for him to acquire a certain level of common sense,” Mitsuki explained. Sol finally nodded as if he understood. “However, I have no idea how I can acquire this common sense?”
“We know that~ That’s why we’ve all gathered here,” Peach and Colette added. “If there’s no good method, we’ll have to oppose your living in the management layer, so it’s better for everyone to be here.” With that, everyone except Sol nodded. By the time the women had gathered, they had already reached this shared understanding. Sol finally understood that he lacked common sense after being told by the women. As the one managing the village, he possessed common sense as a ruler (perhaps a bit exaggerated? lol), but when looking at the outside world, he was indeed a pampered daughter.
