The excavation team was expected to take quite a while.
I was banned from the site because I’d just stumble onto things I shouldn't and end up nearly dead.
Essentially, I was barred entry.
The sad part was that they weren't wrong.
Charlotte’s Planet-class Battleship was currently under repair.
The expedition to Rosaria was still a long way off.
And so, I headed to the Gate.
Well, you see, it turned into a whole thing of, "Have the wedding already, you moron, or we'll kill you!"
As a couple, we were genuinely scolded by both the Galactic Empire and Chronos governments.
I felt like something would happen if we actually went all the way back to the Imperial Capital.
It had seemed like all the prior preparations went to waste, but those fears turned out to be unfounded.
Since it was a galaxy-scale ceremony, it centered around things like battleship parades.
The half-finished spaceport at the Gate was finished with a rush job.
The facilities built for the wedding were scheduled to be repurposed for international trade fairs and world expos.
And so, the wedding began.
Back in the Galactic Empire, everyone was buzzing about Towa.
Ark, Amane, Tamaki, Sora, Mahiro, Honoka, and Yuka were also popular.
Images of Ren’s sextuplets, in particular, were being broadcast constantly for educational purposes in both the Galactic Empire and Chronos.
Was it propaganda? You bet it was.
It was strange that people wouldn't know the reality of them despite existing throughout the Empire from the start, just because they didn't live nearby.
Besides, even the nobles had inherited plenty of Beast Race genes!
We were even going to be crossbreeding with female Zorks from now on, so who did these idiots think they were, looking down on them with that discrimination crap?
The conclusion was simple: hiding it was what was bad; hiding it only made them look like a suspicious group.
That was why I decided to go with total transparency.
It wasn't like the cultures were even that different.
The Beast Race didn't have a culture of its own.
Fundamentally, they didn't deviate much from the common sense of the Galactic Empire.
However, there were "scary local paisens" among them, so we were rounding those guys up one by one and putting them into the army or Amada Security.
Was there any paisen scarier than the Pirate Guild Great Leader?
If they seemed useful, they became non-commissioned officers in the army.
The useless dregs would be sent to Outer Space to be forged by the old men who used to be pirates.
Former pirates were good at handling trash.
In the worst-case scenario, I’d considered the eunuchs, but I decided to pretend I hadn't seen that.
Personally, I had a setting where I simply didn't see things that were inconvenient.
I wasn't a demon, either. If they were lucky, they could join the Chronos Army or become one of Ren’s underlings.
Furthermore, if they were useful but their sense of ethics was non-existent, they were off to Repsitore.
Welcome to the inhuman demon world where ethics aren't required.
Anyway, have some sushi and calm down.
I was thinking of having them all become genin from now on.
When I actually implemented that policy, I somehow became a figure of terror among the Beast Race.
Many chose to enlist in the army or become monks at a temple before I could be the one to catch them.
The temples even started a business using "strict training" as a selling point.
I thought those kinds of idiots would just rot from the inside, so the aftermath would be a pain.
In the army, if they were truly harmful, we could just finish them off on the battlefield.
"If you're bad, Kawagon will come for you!"
That was how young Beast Race mothers were already educating their kids.
I didn't think they needed to be that scared.
Now, as for the wedding, Claire and Ren were scheduled to have theirs in the Chronos capital.
Even so, the crowds here were huge.
People were flooding in from Chronos too.
It was an event that didn't even require a visa.
The top brass of the Galactic Empire Army were lined up in a row.
The top brass of the Chronos Army were... oh, it was Isono and the guys.
If I thought too hard about it, I’d already lost.
And so, the wedding.
Apparently, it was going to last for three days.
I didn't even understand the logic behind that.
The VIPs gave congratulatory speeches.
Standing at attention to listen to those was impossible.
So, we gathered everyone in the VIP seats for a banquet.
On the windows of the spacious VIP seats, images of us waving with smiles were displayed.
Inconvenient things weren't shown.
Drinking alcohol would obviously be discovered, so it was juice and snacks.
No open flames, and electronic cookers were also banned.
I couldn't cook. It was sad.
I popped open a bag of snacks!
I piled them on a plate.
Nina-san prepared portions for the chamberlain staff and the ladies-in-waiting.
I took the liberty of installing a drink bar machine.
I wanted people to think I was being rational just because I didn't bring in a beer server.
I also brought in a popcorn maker.
It was the best.
I installed the same setups in Shi-yun and One-O-One’s rooms.
Victory was mine.
"Lord Groom, it is time."
While I was enjoying a relaxing time, Wifey spoke to me.
It was time for our march.
"When I get back, please put out some cake for them."
I asked the lady-in-waiting and got changed.
A tuxedo.
It looked incredibly bad on me.
I was pinning my hopes on the Japanese clothes for the second day.
Wifey wore a white dress.
"You look beautiful, Wifey."
Usually, I’d give a cheeky grin, but this time I was dead serious.
"Lord Groom is... well..."
"I know it doesn't suit me."
It was a sad fact, but it doesn't suit me.
It really didn't.
What was it, I wondered?
That masculine ruggedness was decisively lacking.
I had an overwhelming air of flippancy.
I looked a bit like a host.
I looked somewhat dignified when I was wearing a military uniform, though...
Why was that?
"Lord Groom, I love you dearly."
"Wifey... ever since the moment you chose me, you've been my number one."
This was the truth.
Whether it was the Emperor’s order or whatever else, Wifey had chosen me.
Wifey had saved my life... no, was that an excuse?
I loved Wifey.
Love... what was that exactly?
Well, whatever. In any case, Wifey and the children were the ones I’d stake my life on.
That was enough.
My head could stay simple.
Me... protect wife.
I’d try my best not to lose my life.
We walked, were congratulated by some important person, and then had the parade.
A priest of the Chronos Religion offered a prayer and a blessing.
Apparently, it was fine even though neither of us were followers of the Chronos Religion.
The Chronos Religion... its secularization had really progressed under the Gaming Monk's influence.
They realized that the important thing here was the effort to reach out to non-believers by participating in events.
Yes... in order to preserve the religious organization, it was necessary to discard stubborn faith.
It was starting to sound like that martial arts talk of "don't tense up if you want to be strong."
In short, there was a limit to maintaining rituals.
At the very least, the Chronos people had already encountered another religion that had become extremely secularized, and the Chronos monks were fundamentally kind.
After all, they were the bunch who had come all the way to another galaxy.
They don't send fanatics; they only send people who can get along with the local residents.
The shrines were the same.
That was why things like the kindergartens operated by the Gaming Monk were popular.
That was just how it was.
Tomorrow would be the military parade.
The third day would be the Gaming Monk and the shrine.
...I’ll do my best!