With the Cultural Festival finally wrapped up, I headed out to check on Isono.
Since he was already in the neighborhood doing some shopping, we agreed to meet up at a cafe.
"Yo! How’s the wife doing?" I asked.
"Good, things are going smoothly," he replied. "Anyway, about the work for the Sports Festival—"
"Forget it. You just focus on resting."
"Hey... Leo, why are you being so insistent about me taking time off? Isn’t this a bit much?"
"It’s a story from back in the day," I said solemnly. "About my paperwork mentor... and what happened when Raymond-san’s wife was pregnant."
"Huh? But isn't Raymond-san single... Ah!"
Read the room, Isono.
"There was an accident involving the Duke Association within the military," I explained. "Raymond-san ended up getting caught in the crossfire while trying to defend a young soldier who’d been dragged before a military court as a scapegoat."
"My stomach’s doing flips just hearing this."
"He pulled all-nighters for days on end. In the end, Raymond-san worked himself to the bone and won an acquittal... That’s right. But when the overworked Raymond-san finally made it home, he found divorce papers waiting for him on the table. Apparently, his wife went back to her family’s noble estate, and now he’s only allowed to see his kid over video calls..."
"Hey, man! Why are you telling me that now!?"
"Just watch yourself. The wife always comes first."
"Leo..."
After reaffirming our bromance, I handed him some sweets and fruit with a "Give these to Hanako-san," and we parted ways.
Right, time to get to work!
The stadium was already built, so I just needed to check the schedule for each team... Oh wait, they were already here. Figures.
The Ogre God Nation had already prepared their festival floats. Meanwhile, the Taikyoku Nation was spending every night at a baseball bar, singing fight songs until the early hours. Even their Emperor, Shiyun, was getting in on the action, visiting various shops and rushing around to cheer on the athletes to drum up excitement.
The Ogre God Nation wasn't just focused on baseball, either. Over at the soccer team’s practice, the swordplay and martial arts athletes were waving banners that read, "Defeat Big Brother."
Wait, what? I thought this was all going to end with pro-wrestling? Didn't you guys just do the trial sessions during the Eve-of-Festival?
"Yo, Leo. I went ahead and entered you in the swordplay and martial arts competitions," Eddy told me the second I got back.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat!?"
Stop it! I refused to succumb to such a blatant conspiracy!
"I’m absolutely not participating!" I shouted.
"Oh? But..."
Eddy reached over and clicked on the national broadcast.
"Our very own King of Chronos has been officially entered! We're all looking forward to his performance!" the announcer chirped.
"Give me a break..." I groaned.
Spare me, please.
"But everyone’s expecting it now," Eddy said with a shrug.
"You’ve gotta be kidding me!"
They’d even put me down for the Humanoid Fighter matches! Are these people insane?
"Give it up, Mr. Popular," Eddy teased.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
As for the Cultural Festival, we’d brought in outside corporations to handle the interior work and logistics. Because of that, prep for the event hadn't even taken a week. In fact, business negotiation meetings were breaking out all over the place. Trading companies from the Rosaria Empire were holding one session after another.
I mean, honestly! We all knew where this was headed. They were all going to petition me to build colonies! I already knew!
The Ogre God Nation, the Taikyoku Nation, Latarnia, Lepsitol—even Parcion-chan, please! Parcion-chan, don't just shut yourself away! Go out and earn some money!
And so, the colony construction project was officially launched.
Chronos wasn't exactly great at this sort of thing, so I went through Wifey to order colony blueprints from the Imperial military trading companies. We bought the designs for the parts and the standard specifications, then manufactured them at the local Chronos branch of the Galactic Empire Enterprise.
The market was absolutely boiling over such a super-massive project. Consequently, Chronos’s tax revenue was looking excellent. If you don't do anything stupid, the money really does come back to you...
Yeah, yeah, international friendship and all that.
However, the Sports Festival wasn't going to be quite that simple. It required a proper preparation period. I mean, we were talking about Humanoid Fighter battles here. For that matter, it was weird enough to have baseball, soccer, and basketball alongside martial arts! The fact that I was entered in three separate events was even weirder!
Anyway, the venue was set, and the schedule was... why was Shiyun smiling like that?
"Since there is an International Association for baseball, the schedule is already set," she informed me.
Ah, right. Baseball was decided in a flash.
"What about soccer?" I asked.
"I took care of it," Nakajima said, having already scheduled a match against the Ogre God Nation.
Basketball was practically the national sport of Lepsitol, so they handled their own arrangements. Latarnia, on the other hand, was watching from a safe distance. They were participating, but they weren't exactly fanatical about it. They were more the type to snatch up tie-ups and broadcasting rights for the tournament.
The Taikyoku Nation, dressed in their red uniforms, marched around singing fight songs. The Ogre God Nation, not to be outdone, sang their own...
Juice and alcohol tied to the tournament sold like wildfire, and many companies just started taking holidays for the duration of the event. The local supermarkets couldn't afford to close, so they just installed monitors for their employees to watch.
The interior of the Galactic Empire was also in a total frenzy. The number of teams had increased drastically since last time. Previously, the media coverage had been half-volunteer work, broadcasting what felt like heartwarming amateur matches.
This time, it was for real. They were recruiting sponsors like crazy and broadcasting with professional intensity. I could only laugh at the sheer amount of money moving around; apparently, a percentage of it, including tax revenue, would ultimately flow back to the Galactic Empire.
Haha... Wifey is amazing...
The Rosaria Empire was also participating. They were currently busy teaching the sports to their soldiers. In a few years, they’d probably have a terrifyingly strong team.
And, you know, I hadn't even noticed, but Master Tank had already prepared his own show. Apparently, there was a public gymnasium near the baseball stadium, and he was holding a "Sports Tournament Support Performance" there. He’d even timed it so the matches didn't overlap...
Good grief, man, you’re too good at business.
I heard the tickets sold like wildfire. After watching pro-wrestling, people would head to the baseball game; after soccer, they’d go back to the wrestling! As expected, the business sense of pro-wrestlers was truly elite. Apparently, during the martial arts tournament, they were even going to hold outdoor pro-wrestling matches right in front of the venue...
I’m not participating, okay! I’m absolutely not doing it! Seriously, stop!
With Isono gone... it was just uncontrollable chaos. Isono really was a pillar of the community. Even Claire was becoming impossible to manage.
While I was slumped over a table in the dining hall, Charlotte came over, flanked by Tatiana and One-oh-one. It seemed they’d become fast friends.
"King of Chronos, give me something to eat," Charlotte demanded.
"Ugh... what do you want?"
"I want to eat this!"
Charlotte pulled out a gourmet guidebook. Not another unreasonable request...
She was pointing at omelet rice. Well, I could manage that.
"Do you want the eggs runny? Or the kind that’s firm and wrapped?"
"Runny!"
If this were my mother, she’d be getting a lecture right about now. (Though, to be fair, my mom can't cook anything at all.)
But me? I could do it.
One-oh-one, please don't look at me with those sparkling eyes! I’m cooking it right now!
Then Shiyun showed up too.
'Sup. Yeah, yeah, I'll make one for you too.
And so, I ended up spending the afternoon churning out massive amounts of omelet rice.
Personally... I had nothing but anxiety regarding the Sports Festival. I had a feeling there wouldn't be any assassination attempts, but Intuition-chan wasn't doing her job at all.