Episode 83

"—Therefore, in order for Katsushika Station to achieve even greater heights of prosperity, it is vital that we establish a cooperative framework centered on both major and minor enterprises. We must dedicate ourselves to even further efforts toward this objective. Furthermore—"

The audience consisted of several hundred bureau members involved in station operations. They weren't employees of Rising Sun, but rather civil servants of a public corporation known as the Katsushika Station Management Committee. Their job was to handle the nitty-gritty administrative work of the station, following the investments and directives of the Station Master.

Technically, the station's future was decided by the Director of this Management Bureau alongside the representatives of the corporation holding the system's ownership. In other words: Teiro. He also had to work with the People's Representative, a position filled via a new public voting system he’d established. The office of Mayor had existed before, but Teiro had essentially gutted the old selection method and rebuilt its authority from scratch.

"How many hours is this going to take? It’s just the same speech on a loop. I’m bored to tears," Marl whispered, venting her frustration.

She was directing her venom at the new Mayor Silverman, who had been droning on with his inaugural policy speech for ages. Teiro gave a sympathetic nod but kept a polite, professional smile plastered on his face. They were currently sitting on a stage in a massive hall, their every move broadcast live to every network site across the station.

"Ooh, check it out. Viewership is at 82%," Teiro muttered, stealing a glance at his handheld terminal. "That’s roughly four million people watching us right now. I feel like I’m about to awaken to a very specific kind of exhibitionist fetish."

Teiro was used to the thousand-odd eyes of Rising Sun’s employees, but four million was a daunting number. Marl responded with a heavy, weary sigh.

"I hate being the center of attention. People just tease you or write utter garbage about you online. I suppose it’s a bit late to worry about that now, though."

She gave a small, defeated shrug.

The name Rising Sun had already blazed across the star system; by now, there wasn't a soul in Katsushika who didn't know the company. As the corporation destined to be the Station Master, that was only natural, but for Teiro and the rest of the crew, it was their first time dealing with actual fame.

Having already made a name for themselves as the "Protectors of the System" before taking over Katsushika, they had become the celebrities of the hour. Marl was worshipped as a "Goddess," while Alan was currently lighting up message boards as a "Master Strategist." Naturally, Teiro drew the most eyes, but his alias—The Guardian of Virgins—was still going strong. Apparently, he even had a dedicated core of hardcore fans.

I really think it’s about time I got a cool nickname... Teiro grumbled to himself.

He let the Mayor’s voice flow in one ear and out the other. Silverman’s tone was starting to sound like a soothing lullaby, and it was doing dangerous things to Teiro’s sleep-deprived brain.

"…Hey! Teiro, wake up! It’s your turn!!"

Marl’s whisper was sharp as a needle. Teiro snapped awake, practically launching himself out of his seat in a panic. His chair let out an agonizing, metallic screech across the floorboards, the sound echoing through the silent hall with maximum awkwardness. Mayor Silverman stared back at him with an expression of profound concern.

"…Ahaha! My bad. Don't worry, I was listening! Totally! Koume, give me the TL;DR!"

The first half was directed at Silverman out loud. The second half was sent via BISHOP to Koume, who was waiting in the wings.

[BISHOP: UNDERSTOOD, MR. TEIRO. SUMMARIZING HIS SPEECH AS FOLLOWS: "LET'S ALL WORK HARD TOGETHER." END OF SUMMARY.]

Thanks, Koume... Man, Galactic Standard Language is a pain. How does it take that long to say something so simple?

[BISHOP: HAHA. QUITE THE JOKE. WOULD YOU LIKE A REWARD CUSHION FOR THAT BIT?]

It’s an old gag, I’ll pass... "Ahem! Yes, thank you. I am Teiro Ichijo, representative of Rising Sun, and as of today, your new Station Master."

He strolled to the center of the stage, addressing the crowd, the cameras, and the millions of people watching at home. Thanks to high-performance sound-collecting mics, he didn't even need a podium. The stage felt empty. To compensate for his awkwardness, Teiro clasped his hands behind his back.

"Now, as you all know, Rising Sun is a very young company. As its representative, I’m also a bit of a greenhorn. I narrowly missed the record for 'Youngest Station Master,' but I’m still quite the rare specimen."

Teiro scanned the staff, ensuring every eye and ear was locked onto him.

"I imagine many of you are feeling pretty anxious. You’re probably wondering if a kid like me can actually handle this. As you can hear, I’m a bit crude, and no matter how you look at me, I don’t exactly scream 'child prodigy' or 'charismatic hunk.' Oh, but if there are any ladies out there who do think I look the part, please send me your contact info privately. As for the men, I recommend immediate laser eye surgery. Or perhaps a career in abstract art."

The hall rippled with a wave of laughter. Teiro maintained a bright, charming smile and pressed on.

"But don’t worry. Rest easy, everyone. I might be a novice, but Mr. Silverman is anything but. He’s a grizzled veteran of the economic world and a comrade who grew up here alongside all of you. He’s not a newcomer like me. And as you know, he’s the one who will be at the heart of the station’s management. Not me."

Teiro paused for a beat, clearing his throat and bringing his left hand to his mouth. He covertly bit down on a tube hidden in his sleeve, letting a trickle of water moisten a throat that was parched from nerves.

"Now, I’m sure that’s a relief for many of you, but it raises a question: What is Rising Sun actually trying to do by letting someone else manage their money? Or rather, aren’t we being a bit too hands-off?"

The stage lights made it hard to see individual faces, but he saw several silhouettes nodding in agreement. Teiro gave a few small nods of his own.

"Yes, that’s a perfectly natural question. Normally, a corporation would run a station to maximize its own profits above all else, and you all know Mr. Silverman isn't that kind of man... But here’s the thing: I am absolutely certain that Mr. Silverman will prioritize Rising Sun’s profits above everything else."

The venue erupted into a low murmur. Teiro caught a glimpse of Mayor Silverman, who looked deeply offended by the suggestion. The man looked ready to tackle him, so Teiro raised a calming palm.

"Don't get angry yet; at least hear me out. The reason isn't because there's a flaw in Mr. Silverman’s character, nor is it because of some shady backroom deal. Not that such things are forbidden—everyone does it, after all. No, the reason is much simpler than that."

Teiro paused, letting the silence hang to build the tension.

"It’s simple because your interests and our interests are exactly the same. Therefore, by acting in your best interest, Mr. Silverman is, by definition, prioritizing ours. It’s a perfect alignment."

Teiro shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He felt a wave of relief as he saw Mayor Silverman settle back with a satisfied, knowing smile.

"I... or rather, Rising Sun... wants a long-term relationship with Katsushika. Not just five or ten years. I’m talking fifty, a hundred. Hell, if possible, I want us to be together for a thousand years."

Teiro looked upward with the dreamy eyes of a visionary. Then he snapped his gaze back to the crowd.

"And when you look at the math, a funny thing happens. No matter how you crunch the numbers, the final profit is much higher if every company in the system grows together rather than Rising Sun growing alone. In that scenario, the profit increases exponentially, and the break-even point is just around the corner. This isn't some starry-eyed ideal or a corporate platitude."

Teiro’s right hand shot up, rapidly overtaking his slowly rising left hand to mimic a graph. A thousand eyes followed the gesture. He lowered his hands and tucked them behind his back again.

"Everyone, the current situation in Katsushika isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows. New-type WIND units have appeared, our networks are being shredded, and our way of life is under threat. We’ve also got the Enzio Alliance being a general pain in the neck. But this is also an opportunity. Katsushika is the projected New Main Trade Route, and there’s a massive demand for defense contractors. At a time like this, policies that sap the system’s momentum or exploit the people benefit absolutely no one."

He unclasped his hands and spread them wide in an inviting gesture. Every move was exactly as he’d rehearsed with Alan.

"Everyone, let’s do this freely. Not 'do whatever you want,' but freedom within a framework of order and mutual respect. Let those who work hard be rewarded, and let those who don't face the consequences. We will decide our own future. Let’s protect our liberty and our duties with our own two hands! It’ll be hard, sure. But there’s nothing we can’t handle if we try!"

He ramped up the modulation, his voice rising in power.

"We have no intention of dividing this station into 'rulers' and 'the ruled.' Let’s take each other's hands and give it our all! I’m not going to ask you to trust us today. Trust is something you earn after years of results. But don't worry—you all know that merchants are honest about one thing: greed. If there’s a profit to be made, you can bet your lives we’ll give it 110%!"

He threw both hands into the air, shouting his final line at the top of his lungs.

"Freedom and prosperity to Katsushika! Let’s walk this path together!"

Teiro closed his eyes, signaling the end of the speech. He braced himself, a smile ready for the expected reaction, but within seconds, his expression crumbled into pure confusion.

The silence was deafening. It was eerie.

...Wait, what? Did I blow it?

He hadn’t expected a standing ovation, but he’d at least hoped for some polite, "we-have-to-do-this" applause. Instead, the total lack of sound made cold sweat prickle down his spine. The people in the hall were looking around anxiously, their brows furrowed as if they were terrified of how they were supposed to react.

"President Teiro. If I may?"

Marl stepped up from behind him, looking completely unruffled. Teiro nodded frantically like a drowning man grabbing a life preserver and moved aside. As they passed, Marl gave him a smirk that clearly said, Nice try, rookie, before raising her hand to the crowd.

"In place of our President, I, Vice President Marl, will provide a brief clarification. The President is on extremely close terms with high-ranking officials of the Imperial Military. Furthermore, his sister, President Riza, is a high-level executive within the TRB Union. Our formal declaration of intent has already been sent to the Empire and has received official sanction."

A split second of total silence followed.

Then, the hall exploded. The roar of cheers and the thunder of applause were so loud they threatened to bring the ceiling down.

"Haha... I see," Teiro muttered with a wry, pained smile amidst the fanatical ovation. "When I said 'freedom,' they were just terrified the Empire was gonna come kill them..."