Rikochi was grinning.
I wondered if this was the composure of a wife. Or perhaps she had simply given up on me.
Now then, there was the matter of the Battleship Kamishiro, which I had completely forgotten about.
"It’s an unwanted child, so let's cancel the project—"
"You can't do that~"
Fairy appeared.
"And why not?"
"It’s already under construction."
"Can't we just repurpose it as a spaceport?"
"No. Do you want to see the current state of things?"
...Most of the hull was already finished.
"Why has it progressed this far? Shouldn't this take years?"
"Well, it's because a massive number of migrant workers have come from Lepsitol, which is currently suffering a total economic collapse. Lepsitolians are the kind of people you should never let near politics, but they are incredibly dexterous. They’re also great at operating heavy machinery. They're excellent—as long as you don't put them in management."
"Don't put them in management? Did something happen?"
"Gambling, debts between workers, and bar fights have caused criminal incidents to skyrocket to dozens of times the usual rate."
I had thought this for a while, but Lepsitolians really did have zero morals. It was similar to how the Yakuza were strangely obsessed with cultural traditions and discipline.
"That's why I've attached terrifying site supervisors from military backgrounds to the Lepsitol subcontractors. I've even authorized the use of force. Here, this is the official permit. Thanks to this, unauthorized specification changes, kickbacks, accidents, and incidents have been significantly reduced, and the work efficiency per person has nearly doubled. They were diligent to begin with, after all..."
I see.
Lepsire-kun... even with peak racial specs, the reason they never achieved galactic supremacy was because they had zero morals. They were so clever, yet such absolute idiots.
"Is it being built according to the blueprints?"
That was my biggest concern with Lepsitol-kun. From the material procurement stage onward, they thought of nothing but kickbacks.
"It's fine~ I’m inspecting it properly. Twenty cases of seppuku have already occurred."
"They're idiots... Ban seppuku."
"Even if you say that, we can't stop suicide itself. To begin with, the value of life is abnormally cheap to them."
That was also true.
"I've had enough of Lepsitol! I want to let them be independent already!"
As I was grumbling in the dining hall, Karen-san unfortunately happened to pass by.
"H-How could you... We've finally reached the point where we can provide jobs for our people..."
Karen-san was trembling.
"I didn't mean right now!"
"P-Please, don't! Without the credit guarantee from Chronos, our loans from the Latarnia Bank will be cut off! I'm begging you."
This had truly turned into a massive situation.
"Is it a purge? Do you need a purge!"
No, I think it's more an issue of education.
"I'm talking about the future."
"That would be a problem."
"Why?!"
"The Latarnia Bank is only being polite because we are part of Chronos. If we don't become children of Chronos, we have no choice but to face extinction..."
"That's an exaggeration..."
No, wait. There was no way Latarnia would allow someone to default on a debt. That obsession with credit and the Lepsitol temperament were a terrible match. They would be on the Proone Course in no time. Even if they gained independence, their past trickery had already been exposed to the light of day. The Lepsitol brand was already completely finished.
"I get it! I'll look after you until things settle down!"
"No, we must remain part of Chronos. If that's not allowed, a colony is fine too!"
See, that was already a deception. Since they were far from the capital, there was no benefit in making them a colony just to squeeze resources out of them. But if I didn't save them, they might attack us from behind those planet-class ships. If we abandoned them, they would have every reason to betray us. Considering defense, I had no choice but to treat them as equals.
"Ah! Jeez! This is why I can't let my guard down! Fine, I get it. Lepsitol is Chronos!"
No doubt they'd say that while also starting independence movements to aim for various subsidies. If I were the ruler of Lepsitol, that's naturally what I would do. I'd keep an eye on things while making arrests. If I insisted it was just to let the citizens blow off steam, even I wouldn't be able to complain.
Mastering double-dealing was emotionally annoying, but politically correct. Lepsitol-kun was tricky like that. They were skilled at political maneuvering to an abnormal degree.
In short, Lepsitol handled politics and production. Parcion handled war. They were designed as those kinds of creatures. Though that era had ended because of the changes from interbreeding with Latarnians and because I had dealt the finishing blow to their old system.
The Zen God Race was probably panicking. They must have seen society gradually changing as Latarnian blood entered the mix.
"Is that so... Then, I also have a request."
"I have nothing but a bad feeling about this. Can I run away to my room?"
The moment I tried to flee, the door opened.
"Lord Groom, make me something to eat~"
Veronica, who had a voracious appetite lately, arrived. She just had to come now.
"Oh, Karen, what's wrong?"
Karen-san knelt not to me, but to Veronica.
"I have a request for Her Majesty the Galactic Empire Emperor! I wish to be made a side consort to His Majesty the King of Chronos..."
"Very well. That is the only way things will settle peacefully. In exchange, you shall become the Duke of Lepsitol and Parcion. Lead your kin and govern both nations!"
"Wifey... what about my will?"
"In the future, hundreds of millions will die otherwise."
"I'll do it with all my muscle... By the way... how old are you, Karen-san? I mean, it's not good to ask a woman's age, but if there's a big age gap, Brother-in-law Thomas or Big Brother Cyrus would be fine too..."
Thomas had recently hit the big thirty, and Cyrus was nearly thirty as well.
"I am twenty-five."
The age gap wasn't as large as I thought. We were almost the same age.
"Ah. Right. Well, looking forward to working with you."
"Listen, Lord Groom. My brothers are already busy with the marriage policy. They are unifying the country."
"Heh, so you're leaving the next generation to Thomas?"
"The marriages between the children of Chronos and the children of my brothers have already been settled."
My poor children. They were already reserved.
I wept in my heart.