A mummy man wearing an afro wig was prostrated on the floor in a deep dogeza.
Facing him were Wifey, Claire, Ren, and my beloved children.
They were all starting to look more and more alike.
Ren’s children were growing fast; they already seemed capable of moving around quite a bit. While I felt joyful at my children's growth, my wives were genuinely furious.
"I understand your consciousness was hazy due to reckless piloting... however... to nearly die because you choked on snacks is beyond the pale! You lack the self-awareness of both a king and a parent!"
"That is... well. I am terribly sorry."
"Currently, I am having the Lord Groom’s Imperial Guard dispose of the snacks you had hidden all over the place."
"Wh-What did you say?!"
Gummies, candies, various snacks, potato chips, tortilla chips... wait!
"Please, anything but the tortilla chips! Those are a side dish! They’re meant to be eaten with vegetables and taco sauce—"
"Shut up, you idiot! Reflect on your actions, Lord Groom!"
No way... my tortilla chips...
"Leo... even I can’t defend you this time..."
Even Claire had abandoned me.
"Husband-sama... please, live for the sake of the children..."
Ren’s words stung the most. Being the object of such genuine worry hurt my heart more than anything.
"Well... I am terribly sorry..."
"Hmph. See that you are."
"At least the tortilla chips..."
"Unopened snacks will be sent to the foster care facilities in Ha. Opened ones in individual packaging will be distributed to others, and the rest will be thrown away."
"Uwaaaah!"
"Leo, for now, just eat this."
Claire handed me some get-well fruit. I peeled the banana. It was delicious.
"Also, Lord Groom. The list has arrived."
"Wifey’s child is 'Towa,' right?"
"Huh?"
"It’s probably on the list."
"What? I shouldn't have handed over the list yet... Was it an oracle from Zashiki-warashi... no, from the God of 'The World'?"
"That’s right. I had made a request, but to think the god herself would act as godmother. Boy, was I surprised."
"I see... I understand."
"...I thought Wifey would resist the idea."
She was the highest authority in the Galactic Empire and, by official status, on par with a god. Besides, Wifey didn't even believe in them; she was a staunch atheist. Even while acknowledging Zashiki-warashi as a high-ranking entity, she surely didn't subscribe to the concept of her being a deity. Perhaps because real gods had been descending one after another lately, her values were wavering a bit.
As for me, I made it a policy not to think about things that had no clear answer. I had my hands full just dealing with the tasks right in front of me.
"A friend possessing power beyond human knowledge named them out of goodwill. There is no reason to go out of my way to oppose it. Besides, I was the one who agreed to ask 'The World' in the first place."
"True."
There was no other way to answer. But Towa—it sounded elegant and nice.
Wifey was probably thinking things like, "A return to tradition will help emphasize the difference between me and the previous Emperor... Perhaps I should take this opportunity to engage in politics with a more aggressive stance..."
"As for Ren’s children: the eldest daughter is Amane, the second daughter is Tamaki, the eldest son is Sora, the third daughter is Mahiro, the fourth daughter is Honoka, and the fifth daughter is Yuka."
That was the order in which they were delivered via Caesarean section.
"Was that also decided by 'The World'?"
"Exactly."
Ren silently gave me a thumbs-up.
Claire smiled. "Don't you dare go changing Ark's name, okay?"
"So he stays a normal human, then. I get it."
Claire was particular about him being normal—a child of man, born to an ordinary couple. Well, the parents were a king who was essentially a hired-CEO type and a wife who was the dictator Persion desired, but we chose "normal" for him nonetheless.
I’ve been thinking lately... isn't Chronos many times more shrewd than I thought?
Let's use a supermarket as an analogy. From Chronos's perspective, the Galactic Empire was a giant supermarket chain. Meanwhile, Chronos was a failing local grocery store. So, they hired me—the son-in-law of the giant supermarket—as their "hired president."
At first glance, they were a mere subsidiary of the giant supermarket, but they maintained their independence. They named their children themselves and designated them as the next president. As long as I kept generating profit, they could keep me as president. If I proved useless, they could just kick me out. And if they kicked me out, they’d keep Ark-chan as the president (hostage) to maintain the capital relationship.
I needed to drill Kawagon-style Escape Art into Ark-chan. I’d give him a proper education as a Lepsitol Ninja, too. In any case, I had to make sure he could run away if things ever got inconvenient.
I could already read the upcoming developments. From the time he was a child, children of powerful Chronos nobles would be assigned to Ark-chan as "friends." Since his dad was loose with women, Wifey candidates would also be assigned to him for the future—multiple ones, at that. They’d bind him tight with human relationships and social obligations until he couldn’t move. Then, bound by human ties, his strategic range and vision would become extremely narrow, leading him down the path of a foolish ruler... I had to prevent that.
Wifey and Ren were probably thinking the same... but at least the Galactic Empire’s movements were predictable. I had my comrades, and even my Bavaa was here. Worst case, if a revolution happened, we could just flee to the Zork Territory or the Beast Race Territory.
I was starting to get anxious... I decided I would drill that space-monster-level fleeing speed into all our kids.
Alright, the policy was decided. I broke into a smile.
"Dad... will work hard so you won't ever want for food!"
"Is that the statement of a King?" Wifey asked, looking exasperated.
Yes, it was absolutely the statement of a King. Having gone through living in nagaya tenements after the post-war reconstruction, the thing I feared most was food shortages.
"Hmm... I’m starting to feel like the side effects of making the Lord Groom work too hard are starting to show."
"No, that's not it. My son has been greedy since the day he was born."
Ah, Bavaa had arrived!
"He’s had the habit of growing and hoarding potatoes and fruit since he was a brat..."
"That's because the old men in the territory would give me cull potatoes and pruned branches!"
"So it’s been that way since the old days..."
Wifey’s expression turned into one of total resignation.
"Leo... um... should we increase the number of fields? You want fruit trees, don't you?"
"Claire-san, stop looking at me like I'm a pitiful creature. I'm your husband!"
"Husband-sama. I’ll peel some fruit for you."
"Ren! Don't try to avoid eye contact! Hey!"
Then Bavaa poked my mummified body with her finger.
"Leo! It's because you're so fixated on eating! What was that about almost dying because you choked on a snack?! If we hadn't suppressed the reports, you'd be a galactic laughingstock!"
"Because! Because! I thought they'd be confiscated if they were found!"
And they actually were confiscated.
"I’m telling you that having that mindset means you lack the awareness of a King!"
Even as a grown man, I was still being scolded by Bavaa. It was a hard life.
And so, the subjugation of the Planet-class Corpse Eater was complete. This time, we had truly won the war against the ghouls.
Though we hadn't even grasped the true identity of the Star God or the Zen Divine Race yet, I supposed I would focus on domestic affairs for a while.