I contacted Polina as soon as she woke up. She had regained consciousness at just the right moment.
I had also managed to get in touch with Shiyun of the Taikyoku Nation and Saria. Charlotte from Rosaria participated as well. And so, the remote meeting for our group of companions began.
The chairperson wasn't Wifey... it was me. It was depressing.
"Um, regarding the unused planets on the edge of the Parcion-dominated Territory. Five of them were actually battleships camouflaged as planets."
The King of Latarnia froze. I’m sure he had already heard the initial report, but he still went rigid when I explained it myself.
"I beg your pardon?"
"According to the records, the Zen God Race decided to destroy planets during their war with humanity. It seems they even went as far as destroying the surrounding fixed stars. Because of that, Rosaria and our region were separated for a long time, while Rosaria continued their resistance."
"...My head is in a muddle, but please, continue."
"The humans on this side seem to have built a forward military base on a planet—since it doesn't have a name, I'll refer to it as Cocytus (Temporary Name). It appears they stationed planet-class battleships there. They weren't intended for pure offense; I speculate they were operated as carrier-fortresses capable of both movement and attack. Fortunately, the Former Parcion Government judged the five battleships to be economically worthless planets consisting of nothing but rock, so they never investigated them. I suppose we can only say this was the fault of the Parcion Government's incompetence."
"Wait... then inside them..."
"It’s essentially a treasure chest of ancient weapons."
The King of Latarnia muttered, "Forgive me, but I need a moment to calm my nerves," and we took a temporary recess.
I sipped the tea that Ren had poured for me. Speaking of Ren, she had been strangely eager lately, perhaps out of a sense of rivalry toward Helga. I mean... Helga is a hunter, and you are the Head of the Imperial Court. Your roles don't even overlap!
While I was lost in thought, the King of Latarnia returned.
"Forgive me, but let me drink this."
He was holding ultra-premium whiskey handled through the Kamishiro Group External Sales. So it was the kind of situation where a Latarnian had to boost his spirits with alcohol to cope... I thought as much. I felt exactly the same way.
"And the King of Chronos has discovered those ridiculous weapons... is that correct?"
"I discovered them while using the Ghoul radar to search for important strongpoints. It is speculated that forces of the Zen God Race still exist on Cocytus."
"...Is it possible to destroy Cocytus?"
That was the easiest and most certain method. If there were Ghouls there, we could just burn the whole thing down. But it wasn't that simple.
"I discovered an ancient military base. It’s unlikely that only one exists on the planet; they are probably scattered across various locations. The value of the technology that can be acquired from them is immeasurable. I am certain it will be of help in the war against the Zen God Race."
"King of Chronos. What do you intend to do?"
"Now that I have annexed Parcion, I have the duty of being the Gatekeeper of the Galaxy. I intend to obtain that technology."
"What do you mean by 'gatekeeper'?"
"The Parcionians were likely the descendants of the military personnel who served as the gatekeepers of this galaxy. Lepsitol was the one who supported them economically. That is exactly why Parcion produced military supplies, while Lepsitol incorporated the surplus into the economy. It seems both nations eventually forgot their roles and ended up on the brink of extinction."
"And that led to the Ghouls and the Locusts."
"Precisely. Because the gatekeepers didn't do their job, the Locusts and Ghouls were allowed to have their way. The same goes for the Proone."
The King of Latarnia downed his drink in one go. Ah, he used his boost! The heavy talk was about to begin.
"Do you... still intend to permit the existence of the Proone? If it were me, I would slaughter them all."
"They haven't pledged loyalty to the Zen God Race specifically, so we should protect them. In fact, things are going well so far. They are herbivores to begin with."
Probably, you see, the Proone aren't weapons. I wouldn't say it out loud, though. I think they were likely a slave species meant for labor. They were bound by the Proone Faith and managed as slaves. It's just that their habit of turning ferocious when fed meat was discovered, and they were used to keep the Ogre God Nation in check.
In the weaker nations of the Battle Dome, the opinion that we should seek revenge is still strong. However, I've managed to have them let it slide through economic support and negotiations. They're already halfway to extinction anyway. I expect they will remain an endangered species for a while... likely for centuries.
Proone who don't eat meat have low fertility. The fact that the survivors were mostly children is a big factor, but even then, the number of eggs from individuals who have reached adulthood is abnormally low. I suspect it's a biological adjustment to ensure they don't exceed a certain population while serving as slaves.
In the end, the Zen God Race really did whatever they wanted in this galaxy. The reason this place was stuck in a warring states period was also the result of the Divide and Rule Policy implemented by the Zen God Race.
"If you say so... then it must be right... What about the Ghouls then?"
"They are hostile creatures that cannot be reasoned with. Moreover, they are parasites that can only exist by sacrificing humans, so I believe we have no choice but to exterminate them."
This couldn't be helped. It was a matter of disease and public health. It was a question of whether we exterminated the Ghouls or were killed by them ourselves. The Proone had been neutralized, but that wasn't the case with the Ghouls.
"I see... so you've drawn a clear line... I understand. King of Chronos! We shall support you to the utmost!"
"You have my thanks, King of Latarnia."
"The Taikyoku Nation already considers itself as one with Chronos," Shiyun added. "We shall provide the maximum support."
"My thanks, Lady Shiyun."
Now, as for Saria, he seemed to be contemplating something.
"Great King Saria. Is something the matter?"
"Well, you see, it's been decided for generations that the Ogre God Nation's Great King must come from the martial faction. But as you know, I'm a merchant. I really should be abdicating soon..."
"Eh?" the King of Latarnia exclaimed.
"Eh?" Shiyun echoed.
"Eh?" even Charlotte, who had been quiet until then, voiced her surprise.
"Not happening," I said flatly.
"No, everyone overestimates me like that! I mean, Lady Charlotte, this is our first time meeting!"
"N-No, I can tell you're no ordinary person even at first glance... I thought you were the same type of person as the King of Chronos..."
"Saria-kyun, even Charlotte is saying that. We're Besties..."
"Ah, you—Leo-san! Just because you want to quit yourself, don't keep saying things like that!"
So far, it was my win. Just as I was about to end the meeting with a smile, the King of Latarnia dropped a bombshell.
"By the way, how about Polina?"
"What do you mean, 'how about'?"
"Why not marry her? You've even made her your Personal Secretary. You must not exactly hate her."
"Stop it! I have a Wifey, so stop it!"
Wifey, who had been watching the progress in silence the whole time, spoke just one sentence.
"Lord Groom, take her as a wife."
The look on Saria's face at that moment... he had the most insufferable, smug look on his face! I won't forgive this!