The moment Leonidas-kun opened his eyes, Uta rushed toward the sickroom with incredible momentum.
Well, she couldn't actually get inside.
Leonidas-kun was confined to a room isolated by glass. After all, the surgery to remove a novel type of bomb was a procedure no one had ever attempted before. We had him in isolation specifically to monitor for any signs of Zork-ization.
He lay in bed, looking completely dazed. Machinery was attached to his cleanly shaved head, and the wounds, though sealed by nanomachines, looked painful. He was hooked up to an oxygen mask, and a tube hung from the side of his bed—the kind for collecting urine.
Those really hurt when they take them out. Plus, you become prone to cystitis, which is a total nightmare. Every trip to the bathroom becomes an exercise in agony. I knew this only too well from being a regular hospital inpatient myself.
"H-Hey... Uta."
His tongue was clumsy, likely because his mouth was parched.
"Captain."
Ah... I see. So this was how Wifey and the others felt whenever I was the one hospitalized. I really needed to reflect on that.
"Leonidas-kun, you’re on leave for a while. Try to have some fun with Big Sister-in-Law Uta, okay?"
"L-Let me... punch you..."
Good, he could still manage a quip. He was doing just fine.
"I’ll handle all the hospital paperwork and the minor details on this end," I added.
"Th... Thanks..."
As he spoke, a Lady-in-waiting gave a polite bow and stepped out of the room. It looked like she was going to handle the administrative side of things for me. It seemed I wouldn't have to lift a finger.
"Big Sister-in-Law Uta, I’ll give you some money."
I transferred some electronic money to her. Cha-ching.
"Thank you very much... Is this much really all right?"
"Just don't go out to eat yakiniku by yourself. Wait until he's discharged and go together."
"Thanks a bunch!"
To begin with, the hospitalization costs were covered by the Galactic Empire Army's Military Mutual Aid Association insurance, making it free. Furthermore, Leonidas-kun was enrolled in private insurance, so his compensation for lost wages during his recovery was perfectly secured. He was even signed up for Latarnia Insurance... That pessimistic attention to detail proved he really was my twin brother in all but name.
"Well then, see ya."
With that, I headed out. It wasn't right to get in the way of those two any longer. I had fulfilled my duty as the head of the Main Family by showing my face.
It might seem small, but this was the most important part of leadership. This kind of meticulous consideration—this grassroots, door-to-door style of care—mattered more than anything. If you tried to bind people through fear alone, management just became a massive, exhausting chore. You’d end up executing even the competent subordinates until you became a "Naked King" with no one left to trust.
"We are family. We are a community bound by fate." That was a much better approach—provided you were serious about it and it wasn't just the empty platitudes of a black company.
I had learned this from Wifey. Whenever the family member of a local noble fell ill or passed away, she never failed to send a letter. To noble houses that had lost family members to battle or war damage, she sent a Medal along with a handwritten letter. She truly poured her heart into the service of her nobles.
The data didn't show it, but the effect was incredible—enough to cause the Anti-Emperor Faction to weaken all on its own. The power of someone thinking, "Well, if the Galactic Empire Emperor herself says so, I suppose it can't be helped," was terrifying.
Following her example, I kept my antenna up and responded to the weddings and funerals within the clan, the Galactic Empire's military factions, the Chronosian Nobles, and the business world. I even sent letters in joint name with Wifey whenever anything happened to the management of the Kamishiro Group. The amount of paperwork was astronomical, but it was much easier than slacking off and letting a rebellion event trigger. And as long as things remained peaceful, the paperwork stayed manageable!
After grumbling to myself, I headed toward the obstetrics department where Ren was waiting. Melissa was there with her. The gaze Melissa directed at Ren was warm, but the look she gave me was pure "dark element" hostility.
Hey, I wasn't neglecting her! It’s just that members of the Beast Race are extremely fertile!
"Ren, do you still have more tests to go through?"
"Husband-sama... It seems I'm having sextuplets."
"Six! Is that going to be okay!?" My face turned pale instantly.
"It is fine. This is common for the Beast Race. It is a natural process."
"...Thank goodness."
Wait... if that was true, what about the Duke of Mistral?
"Ren, you don't have any brothers or sisters your age, do you?"
"That is... because my father was at an advanced age..."
I see. It was an issue on the father's side. Too many Imperial Nobles married late in life, leading to situations like that. It had improved quite a bit since Wifey's generation took over, though.
"But are you really going to be all right?"
"They will be born smaller than a Normal Species human."
"Is that so!?" As a father, I felt completely out of my depth.
"The pregnancy period is only about two months. Since quite a bit of time has already passed, the birth will likely overlap with the Galactic Empire Emperor's scheduled date."
"Is that really okay?"
"There will be no problem. We of the Beast Race are strong."
I couldn't help but worry.
"Come to think of it, what happens when a child is born between the Beast Race and a normal human?"
It was a question that bordered on taboo, but as her husband, I had to ask.
"There is a high probability they will be born as Beast Race. There are cases where they look like a human child due to a genetic throwback, but even then... they are stronger than a human. Since I am a half-blood myself, the probability of them looking human is somewhat higher."
"I see... Sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic."
"It is an important matter."
"By the way, about their names..."
"When it comes to sextuplets in the Beast Race," Ren said thoughtfully, "I believe the standard would be 'Oso●', 'Kara●', 'Choro●', 'Ichi●', 'Jyushi●', and 'Todo●'."
"Absolutely not!"
Those names were so problematic I had to censor them even in my own head!
I locked eyes with Melissa. We had to make sure Ren didn't handle the naming on her own. Without a single word, our thoughts synced perfectly.
"Ren... listen. These children will be the next generation of Beast Race royalty, and members of the Galactic Empire and Chronosian Nobility. The naming process must be discussed with Wifey—the Galactic Empire Emperor—and the Chronos Government."
I blurted out that official-sounding excuse with a straight face. Melissa was nodding frantically beside me. Her eyes were deadly serious. We had to stop those "standard" sextuplet names with everything we had. As a father, I wanted to avoid my children's names being mocked more than anything else. No "sparkly" names, and no "shrivelled" old-fashioned names either. I just wanted them to have normal names.
"I understand. I leave it to you, then."
My heart was pounding. Names alone could be enough to cause the collapse of the Galactic Empire! Humanity stood no chance against a Beast Race that actually got serious; they were only tolerated because they were usually easygoing and generous!
Melissa let out a sigh of relief. "I was thinking I wanted a child of my own, but that thought just got blown right out of my head."
"I'm truly sorry for being such a useless husband..."
"No... You're doing a good job, Captain," Melissa said, actually comforting me.
At any rate, the crisis facing the Galactic Empire had been averted for the time being. If Ren had gone through with those names, even I might have considered destroying the country.
I stepped out into the hallway and contacted Wifey, reporting the news about the sextuplets and the naming situation.
"Well done, Lord Groom!"
Thus, a catastrophic galactic crisis was avoided. Don't worry, kids—Daddy will protect you!
I struck a heroic, dignified pose.