Episode 106: The Ghostwriter and the Virgin

Taro stood there, jaw practically hitting the floor at Sakura’s casual admission.

"Wait, what? Seriously? You’re for real?"

He searched her face for even a glimmer of a prank, a smirk, or a sarcastic twinkle. Surely, she was messing with him. But Sakura’s expression was dead serious. She didn’t look like the kind of woman who even knew how to tell a joke.

"I am well aware of my own ignorance," she said, her posture remains perfectly dignified despite her words, "but is it truly that shocking? I’ve received the standard lectures on basic strategy, yet I have no memory of ever seeing that term."

She sounded almost defiant in her lack of knowledge. Taro felt a wave of lightheadedness wash over him. He massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off a looming migraine.

"I see... Come to think of it, Marl and Alan said something similar..."

I remember now. He recalled a conversation about the nature of war that had gone completely sideways. To the people of the Galactic Empire, "war" was just a glorified corporate dispute—a skirmish fought within a strict set of bureaucratic rules.

This is bad. If the general public is this clueless, do Alan or even Phantom-san actually understand the concept?

Total War. It wasn't just about the soldiers on the front lines; it was about the weapons, the food, the supply lines, and every single resource a nation could muster. It was the realization that everything—including the civilians who would one day become soldiers—was a military asset. On Earth, this nightmare had begun with World War I. It was the foundation of modern warfare—though calling it "modern" in this sci-fi setting felt a bit ridiculous. It was the kind of thing any middle-schooler back home would have known.

But Imperial warfare? Thinking about it now, it was more like Earth’s transition from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. Specific parties fought over specific interests in a limited arena. Kind of like the Sengoku Period in Japan, where farmers would pack a lunch and go sit on a hillside to watch a massive battle like it was a sporting event.

"I’m going to have to explain this to everyone, Lin included..." Taro muttered, scratching his head. "Ah, sorry. Bad habit. I talk to myself when I’m thinking."

Sakura was peering at him with narrowing, suspicious eyes. Then, she broke into a sudden, guileless smile. "I see. You and I are alike in that regard."

"I don't quite follow, but I assume you’ve had a breakthrough. I doubt I’ll understand the specifics, but feel free to enlighten me later. Regardless, regarding the reason I summoned you today—"

She trailed off, looking at the ceiling as if searching for the right script. Taro realized he’d been so caught up in the "Total War" revelation that he’d forgotten why he was even in her private quarters.

"Hmm. I’m quite poor at the 'subtle' part of business," Sakura admitted, tilting her head with a troubled frown. "So, I’ll be blunt. What is it you want?"

Taro blinked. "Huh?"

"Our exchange during the battle... Oh, don't look so worried. I’ve had the room swept for bugs. You secretly fed me tactical data and handed me the glory on a silver platter. You clearly had a motive. So, what’s the price?"

She looked genuinely baffled. Taro realized she was talking about his "monologue" over the comms during the heat of the fight.

"Oh, uh, no. I didn't really have a 'plan.' I just did it because if I hadn't, a whole lot of people were going to die. I didn't have much of a choice."

Taro tilted his head in sync with hers. Sakura let out a dry, helpless laugh.

"Perhaps. But the fact remains that I snatched away the honor that rightfully belonged to you. I must compensate you. As long as the request isn't completely insane, I’m prepared to grant it. So, give me something."

She flashed a pleasant, broad grin. Taro realized he had to say something to satisfy her, so he went with the most harmless, professional thing he could think of.

"In that case... how about a Business Alliance between Takasaki Shipbuilding and my company?"

"Done. What else?"

"Wait, what?"

That was supposed to be my high-ball offer! Taro’s plan to gradually haggle his way down to a few scraps was instantly vaporized by her immediate "yes."

"............Uh, okay. Well, we’re currently developing a new Railgun, and it would be really helpful if you could, I don't know, lend us a few factories?"

"Consider it done. Factories, was it? I’ll secure a few for you. Is that all?"

Holy crap, Takasaki Shipbuilding is terrifying. They really are the backbone of the EAP...

"Actually," Taro continued, getting bolder, "do you guys have the know-how for building small space stations? If you do, I’d love to put in an order soon."

"Hahaha! What a ridiculous question!" Sakura puffed out her chest, laughing heartily. "The components of a station are fundamentally identical to those of a starship. We are shipbuilders! It is our bread and butter! I’ll give you a steep discount, just leave it to me... However..."

Her laughter died down. She fixed Taro with a piercing, analytical stare. Taro let out a weak, nervous chuckle, wondering if he’d finally pushed his luck.

"You are a man of surprisingly little greed," she noted, her shoulders finally dropping as if she’d let go of a heavy burden. "I expected you to blackmail me for half the company, but it seems I overthought things. Honestly, I would have approved those requests even without our recent 'arrangement.' Setting you aside, your company has a stellar reputation, and even if you failed, your scale is too small to hurt us. Ah, that was rude. My apologies."

Wait, 'setting me aside'? What kind of rumors are out there about me? Taro decided he was better off not knowing and swept the thought under the rug.

"No, you’re right. Your company is about thirty times the size of mine, so I get it. Don't worry about it. Really, that’s more than enough. Let’s just forget about the whole battle thing."

He really didn't want this to turn into a long-term extortion scheme. He was fine with "gray" business, but "black" was a bridge too far. But his refusal seemed to make Sakura panic.

"N-No! That isn't enough to settle my conscience! Isn't there anything else? Administrative rights to a star system? The blueprints for our latest ships? Come on, man, work with me!"

"No way! Those are way too big! I can't take those! That would be blackmail!"

"Ugh! No! If I’m happy to give them, it’s not blackmail! That’s how it works!"

"That’s not how it works at all! It’s about what everyone else thinks!"

"Then we’ll just keep it a secret!" Sakura declared, puffing her chest out again.

"Stop being proud of that... Look, I’ll be straight with you. What do you want?"

Taro saw right through her. She was acting too weird for this to be just about gratitude. She tried to play dumb, but she was as transparent as a clean cockpit canopy.

"Look, my company might not be in the EAP, but we’re allies. Heck, we’re practically in the same boat at this point. If there’s something I can do to help, I will—as long as it’s not totally insane."

Taro had already decided that profit was secondary to survival. If they lost the coming conflict, all the money in the world wouldn't matter.

"U-Ummm... Do you mean that?"

Sakura crossed her arms, peering at him through her eyelashes. Taro felt a strange sense of awe—how did this woman ever make it to the board of directors?

"……Fine! Then I have a request. Taro, I want you to become my Staff Officer. In the shadows."

She looked him dead in the eye, her expression regaining its regal gravity.

"Oh. Sure, I don't mind."

"I know I’m being a coward and asking the impossible. You are clearly a commander with immense training and—wait, what?"

Sakura’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Wait, do you actually understand what I’m saying? I’m asking you to be a Ghostwriter for my entire military career!"

"Yeah, sounds fine."

"I’ll be taking all the credit! All the glory! People will cheer for me while you do the work!"

"Yup. But that also means if we screw up, you take all the heat, right?"

Actually, this was a dream come true for Taro. He didn't trust the EAP's tactical competence as far as he could throw a battleship. If he could control the fleet without having to deal with the bureaucratic nightmare of being an official commander, he was all for it. If anything, he felt a little guilty for dumping the responsibility on her.

"Well, yes, obviously," Sakura sighed, her shoulders slumping. "And if I tried to command personally, I’d definitely end up responsible for a much larger disaster... Sigh..."

She hung her head, muttering to herself like a broken woman.

"I was supposed to step down after that last fight. But because of 'my' brilliant performance, they’re forcing me to stay on... Hmm, when I put it that way, this is actually your fault."

She shot him a resentful side-eye. Taro waved his hands dismissively.

"Don't pin that on me! Look, I’d help out an ally anyway, so consider it a deal. If you want it kept secret, fine. I don't need a reward. Honestly, I’m the one who should be thanking you for the factory space."

Taro offered his hand for a handshake, hoping to seal the deal before she changed her mind. Sakura reached out, hesitated, and then yanked her hand back.

"Nnggh!! No! That’s not good enough! You might be sincere, but I can’t trust a deal where I’m the only one gaining! I need to pay you something of equal value so I can sleep at night!"

She looked genuinely distressed. Taro just gave her a wry smile.

"Even if you say that..."

"Something... there has to be something... I’VE GOT IT!"

With a sudden burst of energy, Sakura stood up and grabbed Taro’s hand, dragging him toward the back of the room.

"Hey! Wait! I can walk on my own—woah! What are you doing?"

Taro was hauled into the adjoining room. In the center sat a massive, wooden canopy bed. It lacked a Comforter, but it was covered in plush, napped sheets. Before Taro could process the decor, Sakura threw herself onto the bed, limbs spread wide.

"Take me!"

It was the shortest, most blunt command he had ever heard. Taro stood there, brain-dead for several seconds, before his voice finally caught up.

"GWEEH!!?"

There she was. Exposed white thighs, a generous cleavage, and an utterly deadpan expression. Taro instinctively leaned forward, arms out in a defensive "stop" gesture.

"I’m not well-versed in these things," Sakura said clinically, "but I am in peak health, and I am frequently told my appearance and figure are quite desirable. Granted, that may be corporate flattery. Regardless, I imagine I would not be an unpleasant partner."

Taro’s jaw clenched so hard he thought his molars would shatter. He fought the internal battle of the century before managed to choke out a response.

"M-m-m-m-miss! Don’t s-s-sell yourself so cheap! Let’s start with... I don't know... tea? A nice cup of tea-ea-ea-ea?"

"Hmm. I see. You’re a virgin, aren't you? Well, it’s a first for both of us then. That’s actually quite reassur—"

"…………I-I-I-I’M NOT A D-D-DAMN VIRGIN!"

Taro bellowed the lie at the top of his lungs and bolted for the exit with the speed of a man being chased by a black hole. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice screamed, What are you doing, you idiot?! But for some reason, the image of Marl’s smiling face flashed in his head, and he didn't stop running until he hit the hallway.