The prototype was slated for a total redesign. We needed to reconsider everything, starting with the roles of Zashiki-warashi-chan and the others. I had a hunch that Momo-chan, the Pomeranian, might also be essential to the control system. The truth was, we still understood next to nothing about ancient technology.
In the meantime, Selene-chan’s due date was fast approaching. In the Galactic Empire, where the birth rate had plummeted, childbirth was a monumental event. Even Maro, despite having hundreds of wives, only managed to father about a hundred and twenty children. It seemed that the higher one’s status, the fewer children they had. Honestly, it was just my household and Duke House Mistral that were the outliers!
Furthermore, despite her marrying into a lower status, Selene-chan was still a former member of the Imperial Family. Public anticipation was at a fever pitch even before the birth. Festivals broke out everywhere in an explosion of celebration. Shopping centers launched Congratulations to Lady Selene Sales one after another, and celebrities held free concerts billed as Congratulations to Lady Selene Lives.
The surge in consumption was unstoppable, reaching from the Imperial Capital across the entire Empire, and even into Chronos. Purse strings were loosening everywhere. The Himorogi-chans I’d planted throughout Chronos were glowing, practically frolicking in the atmosphere. Zashiki-warashi-chan was likewise frolicking with the animals back at my place, Momo-chan included.
I had Helga-san serving as the Animal Nursery Teacher for them. She was incredibly capable. She made sure Kinako-chan didn’t feel lonely while I was busy...
Rub, rub.
"What’s the matter, Kinako-chan?"
"Nahn."
Rub, rub.
O-Oh, hey. I was right here too, you know.
"Kinako~" I called out to her.
"Nya."
She gave me a perfunctory reply without even looking my way. It was heartbreaking. She’d crawl into the duvet with me when it was time to sleep, and in our ultra-king-sized bed, she’d curl up right between Wifey and me, forming the shape of the character for "river." But now... She usually used my leg as a pillow, for heaven’s sake.
I’d also planted a Himorogi-chan in the Taikyoku Nation, where she was apparently being worshipped as a sacred tree. I heard she glowed there whenever a baseball game was on. It seemed her light responded to the collective excitement of the people.
As the baby rush continued, related stocks soared. Chemical manufacturers and paper industries producing diaper materials were seeing incredible growth. Companies making pediatric medicine, disinfectants, and syringes were all riding the wave. It turned out the economy really did flourish just by having more children. Population control was a difficult science, indeed.
Helga-san sat there stroking Kinako. Despite being a cat, Kinako seemed to be the undisputed boss of the pack. Even the massive Momo-chan seemed to obey her.
A wild hawk flew down and perched on my shoulder. You were the only one who’d pay attention to me, buddy.
"Here’s some meat."
"Gua!"
"Yes, yes."
I was in the middle of enjoying my day off like that when a breaking news bulletin flashed across the screen.
"Lady Selene has been transported to the hospital."
Ah, it was a bit earlier than her expected date. Natural childbirth was a rarity in the Galactic Empire, typically reserved for planets where medical facilities were lacking. Cesarean sections had become far superior in terms of safety. Medical technology had advanced at a staggering pace since the Zork War. Childbirth was always a life-threatening ordeal, after all; we wanted to minimize risks as much as possible.
While surgical robots handled nearly everything, the Imperial Court Physicians remained on standby for any contingencies. There was no place for a guy like Amada to be in the delivery room. Once the anesthetic wore off and Selene-chan regained consciousness, they’d administer love hormones to her. Statistically, there was supposedly no difference in the outcome compared to a natural birth.
It would likely take half a day for the formal announcement. There would be virtually no surgical scars, and the chance of failure was astronomically low. While some might have viewed it as inhumane, the recovery prospects were excellent, leaving little room for rational opposition. Wifey was planning to give birth via the same procedure.
First, they administered nanomachines. These would heal Selene-chan while simultaneously entering the infant’s body to prevent postnatal illnesses. Then came the robotic C-section to deliver the child. This was all done in conjunction with surgical nanomachines. Since Selene-chan possessed a Female-type Zork Body, the risk was predicted to be near zero.
All that was left to do was pray.
That was essentially all I’d managed to absorb from the childbirth lecture Dr. Kevin had forced me and Isono to attend.
We waited restlessly in the Dining Hall. To me, Selene was practically family. To everyone else, she and her husband were comrades who had managed the back-office logistics of our operations. If Amada and Selene-chan hadn’t been there, we all would have been worked to death.
For Wifey, this was a matter of family, but it was also a pivotal political moment: the social acceptance of Female-type Zorks. Many people had lost family members to the Zorks. The depth of that resentment was unfathomable. Even among our group from the Officer Academy, though our immediate families were mostly safe, many had lost friends and acquaintances. A lot of people still harbored a quiet, burning rage.
Despite that, we had all sat down and decided to end the war. We’d debated it countless times, bringing One-oh-one and Dr. Kevin into the discussions.
There was Ren, whose father and brother had been killed. Melissa, whose master and senior disciples—practically her family—had been slain. Tatiana, whose original body had been destroyed. Wifey, whose biological father had been assassinated. Edge and Alyssa, whose home village had been devastated.
I was about the only one who had come through unscathed. Perhaps spending the entire conflict running away had been the right move after all. Even Isono and Nakajima had seen their people suffer. And then there was Dr. Kevin, who had been brainwashed and used as a tool to try and kill me, and was a victim herself, having been forcibly turned into a woman.
We all knew the truth. Simply pinning the blame for the Zork War on Maro, the Duke Association, and the Grand Chamberlain didn't actually resolve the lingering hatred. Having a new enemy like the Zen God Race helped, but it was easy to predict that the arrival of peace would embolden factions who wanted to label Zorks as public enemies.
That was why we had spoken with absolute sincerity, laying our true feelings bare. The sentiment that all Zorks should be exterminated was deep-seated. Even Melissa had truly hated them. It might have been a difficult conversation for One-oh-one and Tatiana to follow, but we had included Shiyun as an advisor and hashed it out.
Our conclusion was that there was no reason to continue the war. If we chose a path of annihilation, the Zorks would undoubtedly resist with everything they had, rallying behind Dr. Kevin and One-oh-one. That path would lead only to further death and destruction.
While she didn't demand that everyone forgive them, Wifey had declared that she would abdicate the throne if the Empire moved toward Zork extermination. She wouldn't take responsibility for such a choice.
Thus, Selene-chan’s child was an essential milestone—a bridge between the two species. This birth marked the true end of the Zork War.
Both the men and women in the room were crying. The people around me had just been the lucky ones. Many others knew the gruesome details of what had happened to their hometowns. Above all, these people were victims who had seen their youth stolen by a horrific war.
But now, it was finally over.
It had already been publicly announced that Selene-chan’s original body had been taken from her during the Duke Association’s inhumane experiments, and that her form had been reconstructed into a Female-type Zork Body. Because of that, her child with Amada—the police hero who had brought the Duke Association and the Grand Chamberlain’s clique to justice—carried immense symbolic weight.
The Gaming Monks and the Shrines released joint statements, declaring the Zork War over in every sense of the word.
Isono sobbed, his voice thick with emotion. "Dammit... I’m just so glad I lived to see this war finally end!"
"Yeah," I replied. "I know what you mean."
That jerk Nakajima was clinging to Isono, both of them bawling. Even Wifey, who had been especially emotional lately, was sobbing.
Half a day later, the official announcement was made. Selene-chan had given birth.
It was a girl.