Chapter 131

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second. What kind of mental gymnastics did you have to perform to land on that conclusion?"

Teiro was currently having a minor meltdown. They were looking over the results of the Post-war Settlement Meeting between the representatives of the EAP and the Enzio Alliance, and he was not a fan of the fine print.

"What do you mean, 'what kind'? That’s my line, you idiot. You were literally sitting right there when they decided it!" Marl shot back, her face a mask of pure exasperation.

They were all gathered in the Katsushika office—Alan, Bella, Clark, and the rest of the Rising Sun’s heavy hitters. The only one missing was Phantom, who was apparently currently en route to join them.

"Well, sure, I was physically present, but whether I actually agree with it is a whole different ball game, right? Besides, come on. Halfway through, they started talking about all that technical, deep-dive stuff. I didn't understand a lick of it, so I spent the entire time sketching caricatures on my tablet. Here, check this one out."

"Wow, that’s actually really good. It’s that bald guy from the Enzio delegation, right? Pfft, it’s a spitting image... Wait, no! That’s not the point!! What is wrong with you?!"

"H-hey, relax! I was listening. Sort of. I didn't have any specific complaints at the time, so I just stayed quiet... but I didn't think they’d actually pull this move."

Teiro gave a sheepish, wry grin and looked up at the massive screen dominating the meeting room wall.

"'Form the Alliance for the Construction of a New Order within the heart of the Enzio Alliance Territory,' huh? Haha... they sure make it sound easy. Do they have any idea what a colossal pain in the ass this is going to be?"

Alan looked over at the disgruntled President. "Alright, Boss. Let’s just take it one step at a time. How much of the map did they actually carve out for our sphere of influence?"

"Let’s see... it says we’re responsible for everything from Alpha through Katsushika, including the Otto Star System and the Roma Star System."

"Roma?!" Alan barked. "That’s their economic nervous system! I can’t believe Enzio actually signed off on that... Ah, I get it. The Resistance must have been pulling strings in the background."

"Oh, so that’s how it is?"

"Roma aside, every other sector on that list is a primary hub for Resistance activity."

Teiro groaned. "Man, if I’m going to be popular with a crowd, I’d prefer it to be beautiful women... but no, it’s just a bunch of middle-aged dudes."

Muttering complaints under his breath, Teiro tapped the screen to highlight their new territory on the map. It was a long, narrow, yet gargantuan strip of space piercing straight through the center of the Enzio Alliance Territory. It encompassed twelve star systems, twenty space stations, and a total population of thirty million people.

"Eight former Resistance-affiliated corporations and three large-scale Unions have already reached out to us. Additionally, we have received inquiries regarding Alliance membership from over one hundred and fifty other companies, Mr. Teiro. We cannot refuse the Unions or the Resistance-aligned companies, as their inclusion is a formal part of the Post-war Reparations. However, we will need to vet the remaining one hundred and fifty."

Koume’s voice rang out sonorously as she stepped through the door of the meeting room. The entire group stood up with a collective "Oh!" of surprise.

"You’re all fixed up?!"

"Indeed. Thanks to your efforts, I am fully restored, Mr. Teiro. It took some time, but I have been successfully reconstructed using all of my original components."

To demonstrate, Koume performed a graceful pirouette. Her frilled skirt fluttered upward before settling back down in accordance with the artificial gravity.

"By the way, Mr. Teiro. Underneath this skirt, I am wearing a garment known as a 'pannier.' There is absolutely nothing to be gained by assuming a posture as if you were trying to lick the floor."

"Dammit! Foiled again!"

"Hehe. Another man falls victim to Koume’s demonic charms," Bella chuckled.

"Alright, alright! Focus! Serious meeting happening here!" Marl shouted, clapping her hands together. She looked back at the map with a grimace. "The real problem is the reparations we have to pay to the EAP. It’s not the whole bill, but since we’re being handed the keys to the 'heart' of the territory, our share is the largest. It’s going to be a massive monthly payment. Can we even afford that?"

"No way. Not a chance. Between reconstruction and everything else, we’re going to be hemorrhaging cash for a while. I’ll be lucky if we aren't in the red. I mean, wait, why are we the ones getting fleeced if we’re on the winning side?"

"It’s just the way it works," Marl explained. "The EAP needs to collect their dues, but Enzio refuses to pay their enemies directly. Having a third party step in and shoulder the debt is the most efficient compromise."

"Right... I keep forgetting, but technically we aren't part of the EAP, are we?"

"Exactly. Psychologically, Enzio doesn't want to admit defeat to the EAP, so our position is perfect for them. It probably helps that we’ve been lending out those Food Stations for free. Even though we were technically the enemy, our favorability ratings in the surveys are absolutely through the roof."

A bar graph detailing the popularity of EAP-affiliated companies popped up on the screen. Rising Sun’s bar was so high it practically pierced the top of the frame, leaving the runner-up—Takasaki Shipbuilding—in the dust by a factor of five.

"Man, we’re popular. But the fact that a Porno Goods Transport Company is this well-loved makes me seriously worried about the future of Enzio."

"Well, yeah, but... considering the situation, do they even realize we're a porn company?"

"Oh, they definitely do," Teiro said with a confident nod. "When we sent over the Food Stations, I made sure to pack them full of our leftover porno stock. Advertising, baby!"

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!"

The Vice President promptly smacked the President upside the head, while the rest of the crew watched with pitying, "lukewarm" expressions. After the chaos subsided, Bella raised a hand and stood up. "Can I say something?"

"The practical issue here is defense. This is a massive amount of space, and our fleet is nowhere near large enough to patrol it. We took a beating in the last fight, and if we don't reinforce our numbers immediately, we won't be able to hold this Alliance together."

Teiro crossed his arms, humming in thought. "What if we leave the defense to the member companies?"

"We’ll have to do that to some extent, obviously. But we can’t let them do too much, boy. We have to be the ones holding the leash. In this business, military might is the same thing as credit."

"I get it... but that just makes our cash flow problem even worse. We need money for the startup phase. Can't we just ask them to wait?"

"We can push them a bit, but if we push too hard, we’re going to have other problems. The other EAP companies will start complaining."

"Oh, I see. They’ll start saying, 'We could make way more money if we were in charge of that sector,' right? Dammit. I’d like to see them try."

"Exactly. We beat out some of the biggest corporations in the galaxy for this spot. If we don't show results fast, the jealousy is going to get ugly."

The room fell into a heavy, contemplative silence. After a moment, Clark raised his hand tentatively.

"Actually, regarding the initial funding... we might have a solution."

"Are you serious?! Talk to me!"

"Yes. In fact, starting the day after the war ended, we have been receiving massive, unsolicited deposits from various corporations within the Enzio Alliance Territory... excuse me, the former Alliance Territory."

Teiro blinked, tilting his head. "Wait, what? Why?"

Clark gave a knowing, slightly mysterious smile. "Can’t you guess?"

"Not a clue," Teiro replied flatly.

"The transfer reason listed for all of them is: 'Voluntary Payment for Patent License Fees.'"

"Patent fees? We don't have anything that fancy... Oh! OH!"

Teiro practically leapt out of his chair. Marl and Alan looked equally stunned, while Bella let out a bewildered laugh. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Yes, it is exactly what you suspect," Clark confirmed. "They are paying voluntary fees for the use of the Food Stations and their Seedlings. The amounts are staggering. In some cases, the sums are so high I’d almost suspect they were bribes."

Clark tapped his terminal, bringing up a list of the deposits on the main screen.

"Whoa... that’s insane. I guess when you have this many people, even 'small' voluntary fees add up to a mountain of cash. Wait, is this mostly the Resistance guys again?"

"Indeed. Approximately sixty percent of the funds come from companies affiliated with them. I suspect this is their way of saying 'thank you' in a way that helps us move forward."

"I see. I mean, I only did it to help our own cause, but I guess it really does pay to do people a favor. So, is this enough to keep us afloat for a while?"

"It is. However... that is assuming we can repay the Wartime Fund we borrowed from the EAP."

Teiro’s face immediately soured, looking like he’d just bitten into a lemon. To fund their various combat operations, he had taken out massive loans from the EAP. Even with the EAP covering their half of the bill, the remaining debt was astronomical.

"Well, skipping out on the bill isn't an option... so, I guess we'll just have to ask them to let us slide for a bit..."

Teiro started muttering to himself, but Koume cut him off mercilessly.

"I am afraid that is not possible, Mr. Teiro. The contract contains extremely rigid repayment clauses. Failure to comply could result in late fees that would drive the company into bankruptcy."

"Are you for real? Dammit, it was the middle of a war! I didn't have time to read the fine print!"

"No, no, no! You have to stop doing that!" Marl wailed, looking horrified. "One of these days you’re going to accidentally sell the whole company!"

"Which is precisely what is happening now," Koume added helpfully.

"That’s not funny!" Marl snapped. She stared at her own terminal for a long minute before throwing her hands up in defeat. "She’s right. This contract is ironclad. There isn't a single loophole. They must have had this paperwork ready to go for years just waiting for an emergency. We really need to step up our game."

"Ugh... I guess I took Lin too lightly just because we're friends... but business is business, I guess. What are we gonna do? Oh! I know! What if we get a loan from Takasaki-san?"

Marl’s eyes narrowed. "Oh, that sounds wonderful. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to just give a giant pile of money to their 'future son-in-law.' They’d probably enjoy it, even."

"Hey, hey! That 'son-in-law' stuff is just something they’re saying on their own, okay? Marl-tan?"

"I wouldn't know. I have no intention of meddling in your 'private' life," she said, turning her nose up at him. "But yes, that would solve the funding issue."

"Wait, wait! Don't be like that, Marl-taaan!"

As Teiro frantically tried to soothe a pouting Marl, a voice crackled through the office intercom.

[I HATE TO INTERRUPT WHILE YOU’RE ALL BUSY.]

"Oh? Phantom? You back already?"

[YEAH. I’M STARTING MY FINAL APPROACH NOW. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I’VE BROUGHT AN INTERESTING GUEST. I THINK YOU’LL ALL BE QUITE PLEASED TO MEET HIM.]

"Oho? Is it a lady? Biologically speaking?"

[AHAHA. UNFORTUNATELY NOT. HE’S MALE... DAL ENPHO COLEMAN. FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE IMPERIAL MILITARY’S SPECIAL WEAPONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE. FINAL RANK: COLONEL. HE’S A HUNDRED-AND-SIX-YEAR-OLD MAN, AND ALMOST CERTAINLY THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THIS ENTIRE WAR.]