They were a new kind of Jester.
Well, based on the current situation, what I could gather was this...
The Rosaria Empire was in a constant state of perpetual war.
It was one thing for a Jester to be at the top, but it was a situation where a Jester absolutely had to be at the top. In other words, misfortunes were occurring at a staggering rate.
If it were a matter of illness or natural disaster, it would be a tragedy, but you would eventually have to resign yourself to it. You would have no choice but to keep your head up and live on. But war was a guaranteed way to exhaust a people. Under those conditions, Jesters would be born one after another.
However, even in the Galactic Empire, where ten percent of the population possessed the Jester factor, only three had ever been found. The probability was lower than one in a hundred million. That meant the Rosaria Empire had to be a massive nation.
I wondered how I should handle our relationship going forward. Even if they were enemies of the Zen God Race, that didn't necessarily make them our allies. I could have them fight the Zen God Race and then swoop in once they were weakened... but then I realized that wouldn't work. Since their Emperor was a Jester, I couldn't pull that kind of underhanded trick. If I tried something like that, the best-case scenario was that I’d end up dead.
But then again, there was a possibility they had built a system where even the Emperor was disposable. Perhaps they had established a Jester Breeding System. I couldn't fathom the exact method, but perhaps they dug a massive pit, forced children to kill one another, and culled everyone but the survivor. That would certainly charge them with enough misfortune.
But then again, if they did that, the Jester would likely revolt and tear the nation apart. We aren't exactly the type to follow orders from the "important" people. If someone had done that to me, I would have defeated the Zork, become a child of Latarnia, and then personally seen to the destruction of the Galactic Empire.
I found myself at a loss. Seeing me like that, Wifey laughed.
"Whatever decision you make, Lord Groom, I doubt it will turn out poorly. Do not fret forever; decide by intuition."
"That’s the thing—my Intuition-chan isn't working at all this time."
I wondered why. Was it because the opponent was a Jester that I couldn't calculate the future? I started to wonder if the factions that had opposed me until now felt this same sense of uncertainty.
"It is not as if you are in an adversarial relationship, is it?"
"That's true. Neither our opinions nor our interests are in conflict. It’s not like the other side is demanding anything, either."
It seemed like they had simply come to pay their respects. Well, I figured it was best to just stay on good terms with them.
With that in mind, I decided to cook in the Dining Hall to clear my head. I felt like eating something junk-foodish. Rummaging through the warehouse, I found the usual Yakisoba. That said, we had been having Sauce Yakisoba quite a bit lately. I decided to make Ankake Yakisoba instead. It was basically just an Eight-Treasure Stir-fry.
So, I started whipping up a massive batch of Eight-Treasure Stir-fry. Nina-san showed up and helped me out. To be precise, I was the one helping Nina-san, as she was the Catering Officer. While I was preparing the meal, Charlotte and her guards arrived.
Wait, why were they here?
"Yo, King of Chronos. We've arrived."
"Hang on, nobody told me about this."
"Indeed, we forced our way in. Besides, it seems the rumors about cooking being your hobby were true!"
"It's not a hobby! All sailors have a cooking rotation! Honestly, if you're coming, give me a heads-up! How many of you are there?"
"Fifteen."
"Nina-san, will we have enough?"
"Yes, it’ll be fine."
"Then take a seat. I’ll make it now!"
"O-Oh... You’re actually going to cook for us?"
The rotation I had completed in my head had fallen apart, but if I couldn't recover from a minor setback like this, I wouldn't be able to survive in the cutthroat restaurant industry.
"Can you eat Ankake Yakisoba?"
"Umu. I am unfamiliar with the dish, but I am not a picky eater."
"The guards won't be full with just Yakisoba, right? Should I add some fried rice too?"
The guards began to murmur among themselves, but Charlotte replied on their behalf.
"Yes, we shall have plenty."
"Coming right up."
I made the fried rice as well. For everyone else, too, of course. It was a bit of a carbohydrate overload, but I didn't care. I cooked with furious momentum.
Isono was with his wife. Kevin was apparently helping with the delivery as well. It seemed Kevin was highly regarded; she was being trained with everything the staff had. It made sense. She was young, possessed physical strength beyond that of a human, and had experience with medical treatment on the battlefield.
As a side note, the next ones they had their eyes on were Tatiana and One-oh-one, who had both obtained their nursing licenses... but I decided to discuss that later. Neither of them was around anyway, as they were on their shifts at the hospital.
While I was occupied with those trivial thoughts, the sets were finished. Those who were free helped serve the food. Lately, since everyone’s shifts were different, we didn't do a collective "Itadakimasu." We simply distributed food starting with whoever was busiest. I served Charlotte and the others, prepared our own portions, and finally took a seat.
Wifey arrived at that exact moment. Naturally, I had already prepared her portion.
"Oh, you came? The food Lord Groom makes is delicious."
"...So... what is this? Is it always like this?"
"We were originally sailors in the Galactic Empire's Space Marines. Even now that we have risen in rank, we still take turns making lunch... though usually, it is either Lord Groom or Nina who makes it."
"I see... you people are interesting."
"It’s not about being interesting or not. Normally, we’d be at an age where we’d be learning the job while getting kicked in the rear by a Non-commissioned Officer. So, I figured we can start acting all high and mighty once we start going bald."
I sat down at the table. As I thought, when in doubt, Ankake Yakisoba was the answer. It also served to clear out the inventory in the fridge.
"I see. King Leo, what do you think of this world?"
"Nobody ever gives me the time to ponder philosophical questions, though," I grumbled.
As for Charlotte, she watched the people around her eating without concern, had her guards taste her portion for poison, and then finally put the food in her mouth. I wasn't sure if she was worried about assassination or if it was just a formal rule. Mind you, Rikochi and I, who had almost died of food poisoning in Lepsitol, had no right to comment.
"...King Leo. You are a skilled cook."
"Heh-heh!"
"Lord Groom's cooking is delicious," Wifey added.
"Thanks, Wifey."
"...Hmm, is this the proper application of a Jester? It is bright and pleasant."
"Is it different over where you're from?"
"Our country is a little bit darker. We are instructed to refrain from joking."
"And why is that?"
"Because what we say often comes true."
Ah, right. I had definitely had a few tactless jokes hit the mark before.
"I do not believe that phenomena are triggered by my words alone... but there are many who worry."
I see. Her words were taken far too seriously. If you asked me how else to utilize a Jester, I couldn't think of anything. We were the rough sorts, after all. We weren't exactly refined. Besides, intuition wasn't meant for avoiding misfortune.
"By the way, Charlotte, why did you come here?"
"I came to meet the King of Chronos, but also... I heard rumors of Saint Tatiana."
"She’s at the hospital right now."
"Yes, I heard. I wish to have a meeting with the Saint."
"As long as I can be there too, that’s fine with me."
"I would appreciate it."
And then I noticed it. Charlotte’s guards. The way those young men were looking at me... it was the spitting image of the Ogre God Nation People when they were looking for a fight. "Let's settle this later" was written all over their faces.