Medals aren't something you should be stingy with. The production cost is practically nothing.
It's commonly thought that handing out too many diminishes their value, but you just need to separate them by rank and let the rare medals carry the prestige.
Both Chronos and the Galactic Empire have conscription systems, so low-rank medals will end up being something anyone can earn. As a commemorative item, isn't that fine? Even if they do eventually end up at a recycle shop.
The important thing here is making them obtainable by anyone. A sense of equality is extremely important. It's crucial that the Galactic Empire and the Kingdom of Chronos are recognized as entities that won't abandon anyone.
These kinds of non-monetary rewards—memories and mementos—don't show up in statistics, but they matter. It's not enough to just throw money at people. Individual pride is truly important.
That's the point of reflection in how Magellan, Ozen, and Persion Nation were handled. I thought I was treating them equally, but it seems I got absolutely torn apart by the citizens far more than I imagined. No, I knew I was getting torn apart, but the blows were far harder than expected.
But if I had treated them better than the Chronos Army, people would've said, "You're prioritizing outsiders over your direct retainers, you garbage!" I guess I have no choice but to educate everyone that "military personnel are great!"
But take that too far, and the military gets full of itself and starts staging a coup d'etat like it's a casual trip to a snack bar...
Fwah! Organizational management is way too haaaaaard!
I can't leave this to the military brass. Since it's about education and public relations, that means the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education... but they're on bad terms with the military.
I get yelled at by the Civil Servants all the time: "Why do you always allocate so much budget to the military!"
I've told them over and over: "We're at war, they have a huge headcount, they conduct production activities internally, and fundamentally they're an organization that repeats mass production and mass consumption, so costs are negligible! As long as it doesn't bloat out of control, it's an excellent economic stabilizer!"
But they just won't understand...
Why...
You guys are the ones wasting money all the time! Scattering cash on weird consultants! You don't have any taste to begin with, so stop trying to get involved! Like those pointless wooden buildings constructed with zero regard for maintenance costs!
You're the ones flushing real waste down the drain! I haven't made anyone suffer in deteriorating facilities, have I? I've properly fixed the roads too. I'm just being cautious about Land Readjustment Projects in areas that didn't suffer damage from the Locust Terrorist Attack. It's not like it's ever succeeded in the Galactic Empire either!
Learn the difference between vested interests and necessary projects already. Seriously!
So with that said, I'll hold memorial services for the war dead equally. For the deceased, there's the Condolence Payment and Military Insurance payouts. For the families, civil servant Widow's Pensions are provided. Since they're sailors in high-risk duty roles, the bonuses pile up.
I'll also dispatch Social Workers to check on them periodically. Full support from remarriage to employment. Since it's the Navy, that covers everything from children's admission to the military academy to their enlistment!
History has proven that being stingy here leads to enormous security costs down the line. If people who've given up on the military turn into Militia, it's over. In other words, support is practically free!
Surveillance? Even if it is surveillance, what's wrong with that!
"Why won't you understaaaaaaand?!"
While I was agonizing over that, Wifey, who had come to hang out in my office, burst out laughing.
"Lord Groom has really grown into the role of king!"
She kept laughing hysterically, kicking her legs.
"A monarch is supposed to be lonely! I'm glad we're a couple who can understand each other!"
"Waaaaah! I was perfectly fine just being Wifey's gigoloooo!"
"Kah-hah-hah-hah! Give up!"
"Waaaaaah..."
So went our marital conversation before I got to the main topic.
"Hey, Wifey. What do you think about the fact that Melissa and the Idiot Boys like Eddy have gone to Katori-sensei's place?"
Even Raven-kun is saying things like, "I will redo my training." And Pigetto got in a bad mood and started doing super intense training! Pigetto wasn't even at the front lines!
"Oh, what's this? Are you asking me about other women?"
"I figured if you're the best woman in the universe, you might know something."
"If you put it that way, I must answer... Only Lord Groom and Leonidas were able to move during that attack. Their pride was shredded to pieces by the fact that they alone avoided total annihilation. Claire and I accept such things as they are, though."
"But even Rikochi going into training is weird..."
It's not like her unit is built for swift movement to begin with.
"The problem is that they couldn't react at all. Melissa, Eddy, and Saijou take pride in their skills, after all."
In other words, it's a crisis of identity. The ground crumbled beneath the feet of those who thought themselves strong.
No, I think that was unavoidable. The only reason I could react was because Leonidas-kun and Zashiki-warashi and Himorogi-chan were there.
"Only Leonidas-kun was able to react out there! Something like that is impossible!"
"Katori's view is the same. It is already beyond the realm of swordsmanship."
"Right?"
"That is why they aim to surpass their limits."
"Huh?"
"They are no longer master and disciples. They are undertaking martial training as peers who could not react to the Railgun."
"Why..."
"That is not all. How to defend against the Railgun. The Technology Development Department has also raised this as an urgent agenda item. Furthermore, the people of the Martial Houses are raising their voices, staking their family pride on it."
"Why does it turn into that!"
Giving a hundred steps, I can understand the Technology Development Department. It'd be great if there were a device for that. But the Martial Houses are ridiculous! It exceeds human reflexes!
N-no, I can understand Melissa. I can understand Saijo-kun and Eddy too. ...Katori-sensei... well, I can understand.
"The other Idiot Boys are ridiculous!"
"They're a bunch who rose to prominence by sheer brute strength!"
"Isono's guy is excellent as a Diplomat too!"
"Even so, his pride as a warrior was shredded! Lord Groom, be aware that your own mentality is far too strong!"
Ehh...
Victory and defeat are common in military affairs. Sun Tzu said that when you lose, there's always a reason, so you should press the advantage, but still. This time we retreated, but it's not like we lost. Our strategic objectives were met. Just figuring out that there's currently no way to conquer the enemy is an excellent result in itself.
The Galactic Empire's secret technique of Colony Dropping can't be done simply because the enemy has the advantage in both speed and range. If anything, I think they're terrified too. Both of our certain-kill Massacre Weapons were dealt with, after all.
I think everyone is just too serious.
While I was saying all that, I suddenly got hungry.
"I'll go make something."
"Ooh, I want something sweet."
"Roger."
Kawagon thinks he'll just roast some sweet potatoes and take it easy.