My children were still just infants.
Ren’s sextuplets, however, were growing at an incredible rate. One of them had already managed to stand up.
"Auu-aaah."
Sora-chan looked right at me and pulled herself up.
Her development was frighteningly fast. We were managing them in what were basically playpens with high railings. It wasn't exactly a prison, but the level of containment felt more like a crate for a dog or cat.
Beast Race children simply possessed too much physical capability. In a normal crib, they would have vaulted over the side and plummeted to the floor. While they probably wouldn't have sustained much injury, it was terrifying to watch. Consequently, we had no choice but to install high railings directly onto the floor.
The bed was a collection of soft cushions where the siblings would sleep in one big huddle. Amane-chan noticed me as well and gripped the bars, scrambling up the side immediately.
In comparison, Sora-chan was quite well-behaved. The girls were definitely the more energetic ones. Before I knew it, they had all started scaling the railings at once.
It was incredible... They were still infants, yet they were already climbing like pros.
"Wait, wait!"
The wet nurses rushed over in a panic to scoop them up. Once they were in their arms, the babies leaned out and reached their hands toward me.
Yes, yes. Sniff, sniff.
After they had confirmed my scent, they let out delighted squeals and laughed. Apparently, they just wanted to make sure it was really me.
"They seem to love Your Majesty very much."
"Ah, sorry for the trouble..."
When I moved on to Ren’s room, Wifey had just finished being examined by Kevin and the instructor physician. Towa-chan received a full medical checkup every single day. As the firstborn child of the Galactic Empire Emperor, she was being watched over with an almost excessive degree of care.
All Wifey could really do about it was use her authority to force Kevin into the position. There were many things that even the most powerful people couldn't avoid.
Yes, like my snack ban!
...I felt like I was going to develop diabetes from the sheer rebound effect once this ban was over. I don't even have a drinking habit, so you'd think they’d let me have some sweets!
Kevin called out to me. "Ren is next."
"I just came from there. Where’s Claire?"
"Claire went to the hospital."
"Eh, is she sick?"
"No. It’s for Ark-chan’s tests. There are some things they can’t check without the proper hospital equipment."
It involved monitoring the development of his bones and internal organs. That was a hassle in its own right. They wouldn't have gone to such lengths for a normal baby, but he was the next King of Chronos. It was just one storm of tests after another. Even a single sneeze was enough to send a team of doctors flying into his room.
I suppose it couldn't be helped while they were still this small. Until they grew a bit bigger, the risk of sudden death was always at the back of everyone's mind.
Kevin was also looking after Ren’s group, though there weren't many experts on the Beast Race to begin with. Their bodies were so naturally robust that there wasn't much of a market for medical treatment. They were so resistant to illness that a disease that would kill a normal human would only give them a mild fever. They seemed to be the type who built up their immune systems by catching things.
In truth, my children rarely got hurt even when they fell from the railings. The problem was that when they did get injured, it tended to be catastrophic... so constant supervision was a necessity.
Perhaps that was why a biologist had been dispatched from the Galactic Empire. He wasn't a specialist in diseases, but rather an expert on the Beast Race in general. The technical details were well beyond my comprehension, so I’ll skip the explanation.
Regardless, even Ren fell ill occasionally. Apparently, when they did reach their limit, they could die just like anyone else.
Stop that! Don't say such terrifying things!
Anyway, that was the current state of affairs. I went to greet Towa-chan.
"It’s your daddy-waddy~"
"Ah~ uuu~"
She wasn't quite at the age to show joy yet. I suppose this was what a normal baby was supposed to be like. Those kids escaping from their playpens were the outliers.
Suddenly, the timer in Wifey’s room went off.
"Lord Groom, it's time for work~♪"
That voice just now... was the timer's alert sound.
"Lord Groom, time for the meeting."
It was the session regarding the disposal of the Parcion Army—specifically, what to do with their resources and weaponry.
Within the Chronos Army, a conflict had broken out between the 'Waste Not' faction, who wanted to keep using the gear since throwing it away was wasteful, and the 'New Model Deployment' faction, who wanted to scrap everything and roll out the latest equipment.
The 'Waste Not' group’s frugality was actually fueled by a fear that the Persion Independence Movement might spark a rebellion.
Personally, my stance was: 'If you want to be independent, go ahead. I won't stop you.'
Meanwhile, the New Model Deployment faction was terrified of post-war disarmament and budget cuts once the conflict with the Zen Divine Race settled down. If they deployed new models now, they could secure their jobs for the next twenty years. Once those twenty years were up, the new models would be considered old, allowing them to justify another twenty years of work...
Both sides were obsessing over the wrong things. We didn't even know the true strength of the Zen Divine Race yet... what on earth were these people talking about? Depending on how powerful the enemy turned out to be, this war could drag on until the era of Towa-chan and Ark-chan.
To be blunt, it was a massive pain.
"I don't wanna work!"
"Just go, already."
Pien! Papa was so sad!
As I had feared, the meeting was a disaster. The 'Waste Not' faction was flipping tables, while the New Model faction was kicking chairs. Was this a Yakuza summit or something?
Would it be okay if I threw the crystal ashtray that was—for some reason—filled with tea snacks? I was the only one banned from eating, so the dish was sitting there empty in front of me.
As I sat there with a strained smile, someone from the 'Waste Not' faction leaned in to whisper to me.
"Your Majesty... we have prepared some grilled corn."
Oho, an attempt at bribery. The offering was a bit low-brow for a King, but I couldn't deny its appeal.
"Grilled corn!"
Seeing my reaction to the corn, the New Model Deployment faction refused to be outdone.
"Your Majesty, we have prepared watermelon, melon, yakitori, and carbonated beverages!"
"What is this heaven?!"
Guh, these people... they’d learned that I couldn't be bribed with expensive delicacies! They were trying to buy me off with fruit and street food!
I glanced at Polina, who was standing behind me. She was smiling, but a vein was clearly throbbing in her temple.
"Ahem. Let us all have a meal together later as a gesture of reconciliation."
"His Majesty is currently prohibited from having snacks," Polina stated firmly.
How cruel...
"Polina-san... My mouth... my mouth has already become a vessel for grilled corn and yakitori."
"Claire-sama. It appears His Majesty is about to be bribed with food."
She reported me instantly.
"Your Majesty, I shall inform your mother as well."
"Not Okan! Anything but her!"
My weaknesses had been thoroughly mapped out. It wasn't like I had a mother complex...
"Ahem... In any case, now is not the time for a final decision. Just replace things within a reasonable scope according to the existing plan. There won't be a rebellion even if we switch to new models, and if they want to be independent, they should just grilled corn and yakitori."
"Your Majesty, the 'grilled corn and yakitori' part is leaking out."
"I'm hungry."
"Please exert some self-control."
Yes, yes, moving on.
The meeting continued. We worked through the agendas for handling Magellan and Ozen, as well as setting up negotiations with the independence faction.
I’m telling you—if you want to be independent, then just do it! Why is it that every time we deal with one organization, another one sprouts up?
Whenever I handed them the pamphlet I’d made that said, 'Feel free to be independent,' they always went silent.
It simply said: 'Independence can be achieved with a majority vote of those participating in a national referendum.'
That was a majority of the actual voters, with no minimum turnout requirement! It would be incredibly easy! Just do it already!
And yet, they all just clammed up. What a hassle.
And so, the post-war cleanup continued. Grilled corn and yakitori.