Ch.178I need your help.

# Chapter 178: I Need Your Help

Ambassador Samiya’s sudden contact left me feeling quite bewildered.

“Um… Ambassador Samiya? I’m just asking to be sure… but did you perhaps receive some special request from your home country?”

“Pardon?”

To ask for help so abruptly like this.

I had always felt that Prosnack’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was somewhat peculiar.

But to completely ignore diplomatic protocols and directly request my help like this…

“I’m sorry, but due to our very strict anti-bribery laws, it would be difficult for me as a public official to accept anything in return for whatever you might be requesting.”

However, when I uttered these words.

Ambassador Samiya momentarily failed to maintain her characteristically cold, ice-like expression, and her face visibly contorted.

[Pause]

But honestly, it’s not fair if I’m the only one feeling awkward.

Sometimes you need to let others experience how you feel to preserve your own mental health.

[Unpause]

But since I was neither an evil mastermind nor the type to enjoy watching people suffer.

I gave a slight nod toward Ambassador Samiya, who was struggling to manage her expression, and said:

“That was a joke, so please don’t be confused, Ambassador Samiya.”

“…”

“So, what matter is so urgent that the Ambassador of Prosnack would contact me directly like this?”

After hearing my words, she let out a deep sigh.

“…This is an extremely serious matter, so I hope you will take it seriously.”

“?”

As Ambassador Samiya continued speaking with a hardened expression, I soon found myself gripped by intense shock.

————————————–

The next day.

After dumping all my administrative duties onto the office slaves who remained after Alina disappeared on a business trip.

-Screech.

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”

Unlike before, we weren’t meeting at Gaia’s café on the asteroid, but right here at the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency headquarters.

With two armored vehicles bearing Prosnack’s seal escorting from front and back.

When the luxurious limousine in the middle came to a stop, I realized that the guest I had been waiting for had arrived.

And shortly after.

“…This is the first time we’re meeting here, Minister Arto.”

“Indeed it is, Ambassador Samiya.”

At the main entrance of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency, along with Riel and other staff members.

And naturally, Commander Meteorun and the Purge Unit members who had stepped up as escorts, I welcomed Ambassador Samiya’s entourage as they entered the entrance.

“…”

And the spirited Prosnack Marines I had seen before were now escorting Ambassador Samiya’s party with a presence befitting our Purge Unit.

Surprisingly, this time they didn’t utter a word, wearing peculiar plain helmets that covered their faces, focusing solely on their escort duties.

‘If they could act like this, why did they behave that way last time?’

I was experiencing a very strange feeling due to the discrepancy between their previous behavior—breaking through the outer wall of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency—and the “professional” demeanor they were displaying before my eyes now.

Oh, and the reason for all this formality…

[Event: As media coverage begins…]

[Originally, to avoid media attention, meetings with Prosnack’s Ambassador Samiya were always held at the café on Gaia’s satellite.]

[Unfortunately, today the situation was too grave to be handled through individual conversations alone.]

[Therefore, you and Ambassador Samiya had no choice but to meet “officially” at the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency, but…]

[Given the current climate, a meeting between the leaders of ISTO’s Holy Sebelli Empire…]

[And the top diplomatic official of the Prosnack Union, which could be said to be ISTO’s main adversary…]

[Has captured the attention not only of the Holy Sebelli Empire’s media, but also numerous neighboring countries.]

[Even the distant eastern Fuchsviet has turned its gaze toward this event.]

[And as a result, all kinds of rumors are running rampant.]

[Attribute “Excessive Media Coverage Frenzy” applied to Holy Sebelli Empire, attribute “Excessive Defamatory Public Opinion” applied to Prosnack Union]

‘Oh, damn it.’

As the event message I just glimpsed and dismissed with a hand gesture showed.

The frenzied coverage from media outlets gathered from across the galaxy was “physically” illuminating this place.

“Currently, a meeting is taking place inside the Holy Sebelli Empire’s Diplomatic Enforcement Agency between the Empire’s Minister of Diplomatic Enforcement, Duke Arto Virtorius, and Prosnack’s Plenipotentiary Ambassador Zhad Samiya Halabi’dus.”

“According to local media, there are theories that this meeting was planned from the beginning…”

‘No, it wasn’t, you bastards.’

And because we couldn’t completely block the media from such an official meeting.

We allowed journalists entry only to the main entrance for security reasons, but…

-Buzz buzz buzz

“Ah, ah, mic test.”

“I am currently at the Holy Sebelli Empire’s Diplomatic Enforcement Agency headquarters, where the Minister and Ambassador have just met.”

“This is Kar-Du Public Broadcasting, bringing you the fastest news. As for why this meeting is taking place…”

“So far, neither the Holy Sebelli Empire nor the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency has provided any briefing about this meeting…”

Perhaps because too many reporters had gathered in the main building.

“…can’t… hear… words…”

“Really…”

Despite neither my voice nor Ambassador Samiya’s being particularly quiet.

The surrounding reporters’ voices were so loud that it was impossible to have a conversation in the main hall.

‘Don’t they have any sense of boundaries?’

I had been doing extreme damage control and media management using Alina and the Master Administrator.

This time I was trying to give them some leeway by providing newsworthy material.

“…”

‘So this is why people working in propaganda departments end up stressed out of their minds.’

I realized there was no need to tolerate the media’s behavior any longer.

While shaking hands with Ambassador Samiya for photo opportunities, I signaled with my eyes.

‘Let’s head upstairs.’

‘Yes.’

Fortunately, Ambassador Samiya seemed to understand what I meant.

As I turned around and walked up to the second floor of the main building, she followed right beside me with modest steps.

“Ah, Minister Arto and Ambassador Samiya are now heading upstairs. We’ll continue our coverage right away…”

Of course, in response to our actions, the reporters tried to follow us to the second floor like an angry swarm of bees, but…

“Access beyond this point is prohibited.”

Those pesky reporter uncles were promptly cut off at the entrance by our reliable Purge Unit members.

Of course, not being able to come up here wouldn’t stop them from writing their articles.

“Yes, it has been confirmed that Minister Arto and the Prosnack Ambassador have gone up to the second floor of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency. This means the meeting is official and there will be no additional secret meetings…”

See, they’re already making up all sorts of things in real-time.

——————————

Of course, contrary to what some unknown reporter said, we went to the second floor of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency.

That is, not to the place where “regular meetings” are held, but…

-Whirrrr… Clank! Thud!

“It’s been a while since we used this. We should oil it soon.”

“I’ll make sure it gets a thorough maintenance later.”

Using a special elevator secretly installed within the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency.

While pretending to go to the second floor, we headed straight to that secret, deep place within the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency…

No, we just went underground.

And Ambassador Samiya, setting foot in our damp, humid, and secretive underground for the first time in her life…

“So this is the famous Enforcement Agency underground dungeon.”

“…Was there such a nickname?”

After looking around at the bleak surroundings, she nodded while mentioning a nickname I had never heard before.

“Yes, our marines submitted quite detailed and thorough reports about the underground of the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency.”

“This place is full of fighting spirit once again!”

And perhaps because there was no need to worry about the eyes of others, namely reporters.

Seeing the Prosnack Marines releasing their limiters, I nodded my head as I continued to lead them forward.