The Gathering of the Five Pillars, Regular Meeting(3)

-Next is the agenda regarding the remaining criminals after the major slum eradication…

-The recently built underground illegal mana stone factories…

-Suspicious movements of vampires from the American defense city…

Various agenda items come out of Yeon-ah’s mouth and are disposed of under the five team leaders as the regular meeting begins.

And in this process, there were rarely cases where the ancestors, including myself, opened their mouths.

The reason for the ancestors being here was only to utter a few words when there were occasional large agenda items, or when there was a matter that required the permission of the existence called an ancestor.

Therefore, since there had been no such agenda items so far, I was quietly keeping my mouth shut throughout the meeting time, just like the other ancestors.

‘Still, fortunately it’s not boring.’

『Each and every story being listened to quietly is not easy to pass over.』

However, it wasn’t that it wasn’t interesting just because I was quietly watching.

Rather, each and every agenda item that had flowed from Yeon-ah’s mouth from the start of the meeting until now was so interesting that it was pleasant to the ears.

Moreover, beyond the blackout curtain where the inside could be seen from the outside, all the Five Pillars’ team leaders were seriously handling the agenda items, so the entertainment was doubled.

As there was a lot of emotion in seeing humans put their heads together to handle big agenda items, I was looking down at the meeting place with a joyful heart.

‘I do feel some gazes though…’

If there was anything bothersome, it was one persistent gaze that I had been feeling for a while.

It wasn’t a gaze coming from Arashi on my left or Lavina on my right.

Gazes occasionally came from Arashi, but they were only light gazes that came and went, and from Lavina, no gaze came at all.

The place where this persistent gaze was coming from was none other than the seat of the Judgment Team’s ancestor, located diagonally to the left.

‘…They keep staring to the point of being burdensome.’

『At this level, the effort is commendable.』

Although their appearance was hidden by the blackout curtain, the gaze from the Judgment Team’s ancestor kept coming to me.

Continuously, from the moment I entered the conference hall and sat down until now, 40 minutes into the meeting.

As Hwa-gon said, at this level, it was worthy of praise even just for the effort.

‘I wonder why they’re staring like that…’

I didn’t know the reason, but since they had been staring for 40 minutes, it was impossible not to be bothered.

However, I couldn’t just be distracted by the Judgment Team’s ancestor, so I chose to ignore their gaze.

‘If they have something to say, they’ll speak up on their own.’

If the reason they’ve been giving their gaze for 40 minutes is important, wouldn’t they speak up on their own later?

Therefore, I decided to consistently ignore it until that time came, and I brought back my attention that had momentarily shifted towards the Judgment Team’s side.

“…Ahem!”

…

……

………

“Excuse me, I have something to say to the General Management Team’s ancestor.”

Honestly, speaking up this quickly was unexpected.

---

40 minutes.

That was the time Esi needed to fully organize her thoughts and make up her mind.

Under the hypothesis that the General Management Team’s ancestor was certainly a goblin, the time needed for Esi herself to decide what to say when she met him, how to persuade him, and to bring up the words of request for this.

And finally, Esi cleared her throat to pause the meeting momentarily and opened her mouth.

“Excuse me, I have something to say to the General Management Team’s ancestor.”

“…What is it, Judgment Team’s Ancestor?”

As Esi pointed to the General Management Team’s ancestor and halted the meeting, everyone’s gaze focused on Esi along with Yeon-ah’s questioning response that seemed cautious.

It was truly a statement that completely cut off the flow, so Esi also swallowed a subtle tension in the gazes gathered on her, but it was something she had to say at some point during the meeting anyway.

If she couldn’t say it now, the possibility of meeting the General Management Team’s ancestor would become remote again.

Therefore, Esi gathered her thoughts again and calmly put into words the thoughts she had organized.

“General Management Team’s ancestor, I would like you to stay after this regular meeting ends without leaving. There is something I want to request of you.”

The request Esi herself wanted to make to the General Management Team’s ancestor was not something she wanted to let fall on others’ ears if possible.

Therefore, considering such conditions, this conference hall building was very suitable.

No electronic devices were allowed to operate, it had a one-way soundproof structure where sounds from inside couldn’t be heard from outside, and walls without even a single window so that no one could peek.

So when Esi asked the General Management Team’s ancestor to stay after the meeting instead of leaving immediately, Yeon-ah, who was listening to those words, twitched her eyebrows and opened her mouth.

“I will consider that request on the condition that I accompany him.”

“…I’m sorry, but that would be difficult. If the General Management Team’s ancestor definitely accepts my request, I don’t mind if you listen together, but as long as there’s a possibility of refusal, I can’t let non-related parties hear the conversation.”

If the General Management Team’s ancestor himself heard the story and relayed it later, it couldn’t be helped, but for now, Esi wanted only herself and him to know the initial conversation.

However, even with this addition, Yeon-ah, being in the position of team leader, didn’t seem satisfied.

When Yeon-ah was about to express her intention to refuse with a dissatisfied expression, the General Management Team’s ancestor, who had maintained silence until now, finally opened his mouth.

“Then of course, a private meeting with our ancestor cannot be allow-“

“…Yeon-ah, wait.”

“Yes, Ancestor.”

The voice of the General Management Team’s ancestor came out modulated into a gender-neutral voice by the specially made mask.

And at his call, Yeon-ah, who had been speaking, immediately closed her mouth.

Esi was momentarily impressed by that sight, which showed a clear hierarchical relationship beyond fanatical loyalty, and the General Management Team’s ancestor asked Esi a question.

“So, you want to create a place for a private meeting with me and make a request?”

“That’s right.”

“You know that what you’ve just said isn’t something that can be easily achieved just by bringing it up, right?”

“…Of course.”

It was absolutely correct.

To begin with, Esi, the Judgment Team’s ancestor, requesting a private meeting with him, the General Management Team’s ancestor, was a request that didn’t make sense, and from his position, it was a problem he could refuse by saying it was troublesome unless there was an appetizing bait.

And therefore, in response to the General Management Team ancestor’s words that couldn’t be refuted, Esi was about to present the bait now.

“…I have been investigating you, the General Management Team’s ancestor.”

What she was about to say could be heard as a threat in some ways.

However, she had organized her thoughts for the past 40 minutes to prevent such a situation.

The sentences already organized in her mind were neatly arranged.

Therefore, Esi suppressed her pounding heart and continued the words she had unknowingly cut off.

“And if… your race is what I think it is, there is one matter remaining between your race and our race. It is a clear ‘promise’. So I would like you to allow a private meeting.”

Esi’s words emphasizing one term.

“……”

And at those words, silence flows from the General Management Team’s ancestor.

Then, the General Management Team’s ancestor lets out a contemplative sound as if deeply considering something.

But Esi was certain from just that reaction that the bait she had thrown had definitely been taken.

The fact that he was contemplating Esi’s own words, which emphasized the word ‘promise’ and mentioned races, meant that there was something that bothered him.

In other words, Esi quietly clenched her fist at the proof that her own investigation had not been wrong.

‘Of course, it could just be ordinary contemplation…’

While that possibility wasn’t non-existent, at least the demeanor the General Management Team’s ancestor was showing now as he contemplated wasn’t of that kind.

Even if this part isn’t logical, how could one explain the feeling that comes through?

Now all Esi could do was wait for the General Management Team’s ancestor, who had fallen into contemplation, to make a decision and give an answer.

And that moment came faster than expected.

“…Interesting story. It’s a story I don’t know, but somehow I can guess. And it’s not that you’re boasting or lying. If your thoughts and mine align, then my race is probably what you’ve deduced.”

“Does that mean?”

“Since there’s a possibility, it doesn’t seem bad to go along with it for a bit.”

A clear response of acceptance echoes.

At his answer, Esi felt the tension she had been holding tightly release in an instant and inwardly cheered.

Of course, the most important matter after the private meeting still remained, but it was certainly something to celebrate that she had excellently buttoned the first button.

Unlike her usual blunt and expressionless appearance, Esi inwardly clenched her fist and expressed her joy, and at the same time began to prepare for what was to come.

Because there could be no mistakes in what Esi herself had to accomplish this time.

“Well then… Yeon-ah? We can resume the meeting now.”

“Understood, Ancestor.”

Therefore, after savoring a moment of joy, Esi looked at the General Management Team’s ancestor resuming the meeting as if nothing had happened.

From his first appearance to the conversation just now, he was an opponent that could never be treated lightly.

It still felt as if the presence she had felt when he first appeared was crawling on her skin.

And in order not to be swept away by him, Esi herself also had to complete thorough preparations.

The promise that the mermaid clan made with the goblin clan 73 years ago.

To fulfill the clan’s long-cherished wish that had been buried until now, an unfulfilled promise due to the Gate Rampage accident.

Esi steeled her resolve.