It was the final day of the rally.
Honestly, I was glad I had gone through with it.
Even the Parcion team, despite retiring on the first day, had made a fierce pursuit on the second. They fought remarkably well.
Then, that bastard Isono got a flat tire in a wasteland that was practically a desert. He fumbled the tire change, allowing Lepsitol to overtake him and knocking him down in the standings.
Well, that made sense. The Lepsitol side of the planet had similar terrain, so they had tires optimized for that kind of wasteland—the type with no air that used the wheels to disperse shock.
Despite having scouted the route, the Isono Team had underestimated the Parcion wastelands and swapped to their sturdiest tires instead. However, they had to reduce their speed and drive carefully, causing their times to drop. It couldn't be helped; that was just what happened when you weren't used to the conditions.
Isono was fuming with irritation.
Gyahaha! It was stressful for Isono, but it made for great TV!
Lepsitol, in particular, was riding a wave of massive excitement. The Taikyoku Nation, meanwhile, remained quiet. As long as it wasn't baseball or soccer, they were a reserved bunch. Still, even people who weren't engineers had gathered to discuss tire specs and motor output. I expected them to go all out from the next event onward. They were a serious people, after all.
By the third day, once they were through the wasteland, Isono had dropped in rank, but he began a fierce pursuit from there, closing in on the Lepsitol Team.
Incidentally, both companies were mine. My inbox was overflowing with tragic pleas: "We... can't keep up... with production... please help us..."
I had put out plans for factory expansion, but that wasn't something that could happen overnight. Parts produced in a factory simply had more durability than those from a Shaping Printer. We could make them if we ignored profitability and relied on pure grit, but it wasn't sustainable.
While I anticipated my personal hell starting the next day, Isono kept driving. The rally had a speed limit, so he stayed within a reasonable range. He pursued them fiercely, but in the end, he took second place. Still, he achieved his goal of finishing the race.
Lepsitol claimed the victory. The deciding factor had been tire performance. Parcion, at least, finished without bringing shame upon themselves.
As for the next race... an abnormal number of applications were already pouring in. They were even telling me to create an entirely different tournament!
I started a Correspondence Course with that bastard Isono while he was resting after the finish.
"Isono! You handle the tournament management!"
"No way! I'm a racer!"
You still plan on being a racer, you bastard?! I was forced into early retirement from bike racing!
Consequently, the work was distributed. The ones in charge would be Karen-san and... Shiyun? For some reason, she looked eager to do it. She even came over dressed in formal attire.
"Shiyun, can you handle it?"
"Yes!"
So, I dumped the responsibility on Shiyun. Karen-san also seemed to be getting pestered by citizens and companies asking, "When is the next one?!"
Just as I was taking a breath and drinking tea, a Correspondence Course came in from Claire.
"Exactly as expected. The Parcion Army Lieutenant General has begun his coup d'etat."
"Put me through to him!"
A middle-aged man with a shaved head appeared on the screen. He was someone I already knew.
"Old man! What are you thinking?!"
"I cannot betray my subordinates."
Ugh... it was the Saigo Takamori Pattern. My policy had been to keep the organization intact as much as possible, but there were inevitably people who had to be removed. If someone, from top to bottom, was passionately insisting on killing me, I had no choice but to let them go.
But from the perspective of the upper brass, those people were family. And so, he had been placed on a pedestal as a figurehead and became unable to move.
"You know you can't win, right?"
"I understand that."
"Then what are your demands?! I'll compromise to a certain extent!"
If it was about increasing rations, I would listen. While avoiding discharge entirely was difficult, I could increase pensions to stabilize their lives or reduce the number of people being let go.
"It is the life of the King we require."
"Listen, should I just give Parcion back right now? I'm fine with withdrawing."
As I had said repeatedly, I didn't want Parcion at all. I wanted to provide medical and sanitary support and then pull out.
"We have a responsibility to protect this nation's culture and traditions."
"Then rule it yourselves!"
"I personally understand that Your Majesty's words are righteous. However, my subordinates will not accept them!"
"You're only saying that because the military operation has already begun! Can't you somehow persuade them?! If you give me demands, I'll listen!"
"The die is already cast."
"Ah, damn it! Why does it have to be like this!"
He was terrible at negotiating. I was telling him I would compromise as long as we talked.
"I have a personal request. I ask that you spare my family."
"That's what I'm saying! I told you I'd listen if you just gave me your demands! Why won't you talk to me!"
Claire cut into the conversation.
"Lieutenant General, what is it you want to do?"
"First Consort... You should use this opportunity to wipe us out and stabilize your power base. I am sending the list now. It contains information on our supporters and patrons."
Claire let out a sigh.
"Leo... give it up. They are serious."
"But doing something suicidal like this is just..."
"That is merely our side of the story. Leave this to us, Leo."
"No, I should be the one taking responsibility—"
"They likely cannot endure your light. I won't go so far as to call them evil... but they must be buried in a fitting place."
"Why are you starting to talk like Shiyun's First Consort?!"
"It's because I am your wife. I didn't understand it when I was a cadet at the academy, but I understand it now. What you say is correct, but it is something they cannot accept."
Agh! Damn it!
"Fine! Claire, crush them!"
"Understood. Eddie-kun, dispatch the Subjugation Squad we organized in advance."
"Acknowledged!"
They had already prepared it!
"The Taikyoku Nation Support Unit is standing by," Shiyun reported.
"The Lepsitol Relief Army is also ready."
...Was I the only one who didn't know?
"The Imperial Army can deploy at any time."
Wifey...
"Now, Lord Groom, stay firm! Witness the prowess of our strongest soldiers!"
They had calculated for my loss of power. I see.
"I know nothing of this," Charlotte added via correspondence.
Rosaria would be like that, I supposed.
And so, a civil war without the Jester had begun.