At my wife’s behest, I headed over to see Kevin.
I expected to find him in the underground brig, but it turned out he’d been admitted to the hospital instead.
When I stepped inside, there he was.
His face, which had been androgynous to begin with, was now entirely feminine. His physique had shifted as well. Vast, bountiful fruits forced themselves into my field of vision, whether I liked it or not.
“Uh, well… it seems they’ve grown quite impressively.”
“Sexual harassment right out of the gate!?”
“No, but you used to be a guy, so you should understand, right!? My eyes just go there! My gaze gets sucked in even though I’m not thinking anything lewd at all!”
“I get it! But it’s disgusting when it’s directed at me!”
“I mean, come on! If your buddy suddenly went ‘boing,’ you’d be caught off guard too, wouldn't you!?”
“Drop dead!”
As we shouted at each other, we both ended up utterly drained. I didn’t know what it was, but my spirit felt like it was being scraped away.
“…Let's just set the chest aside for a second. Please!”
“Fine.”
A heavy silence followed. I had no idea what to say.
“Could you say something? I can’t handle the dead air.”
“Right… so, what’s the plan from here?”
“I’m your property, aren’t I? Do whatever you want.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, ‘whatever’?”
“Turn me into a lab rat. Or play with my chest?”
“I’m not doing that, you moron. Look, I have to govern this planet with the rest of the school from now on. No matter how much of a traitor you are, who’s going to follow some psycho who tortures his friends? It would just sow seeds of discord, making everyone think they’re next on the chopping block. Listen, we’re an organization teetering right on the edge between a military unit and a social club. If I clamp down on internal control too hard, we’ll crumble instantly. I’m being serious here.”
I’d already discussed this with my wife. Unless we merged with a large-scale base and became an official part of the military, we had to remain a circle of friends. Of course, we couldn't actually merge as long as the regular military refused to let go of their outdated weapons.
Regardless, how we handled Kevin would dictate whether we collapsed from within. That was why there would be no "erotic developments." Besides, I hadn't even had an erotic development with Melissa yet, so there was no way in hell it was happening here!
“Look, I’m thinking of entrusting you to Gordon and Finn. I recall you were pretty close with those two, right?”
“Are you planning to let them lynch me?”
“Don’t be stupid. We’re going to encounter plenty of Humanoid Zorks from here on out; we can’t just kill every single one of them. If you’re there and being treated normally, plenty of them will probably defect, don’t you think?”
We had talked this through as well. No matter how brainwashed they were, the Zork didn't pay a salary, nor did they look after anyone’s quality of life. There were bound to be many who would flip for money or status. Kevin, who had enjoyed a stable life without needing money at a public Officer Academy, was the exception among exceptions.
To gain their trust, it was best to have a Humanoid Zork among our ranks who wasn’t being mistreated. I would gain the mental peace of not having to abuse Kevin, and I could prevent discord from spreading through the organization. Kevin wouldn't be mistreated, even if he had tried to spill my guts. We’d just call it a sentence reduction due to diminished responsibility.
I’d keep him isolated until things were safe. From the perspective of other Humanoid Zorks, the criteria for the decision would be easy to understand, allowing them to betray the Zork with peace of mind. There were nothing but benefits.
I swear, characters in adult manga must have some kind of superpower. As a “Schrödinger’s Jester” who constantly bounced between comedy and high stakes, I simply didn't have that talent.
“If I had to mention one thing, though…”
“What now?”
“Since your human rights have been suspended, you can kiss your pension goodbye. There’s nothing I can do about that.”
“The whole system failed the moment the Zork revolted! Are you an idiot!?”
“What am I supposed to do…? I… I was putting half the money I got from the state into the Military Pension Fund…”
Since we were at a national Officer Academy, the Empire paid us a salary. I had been funneling mine into the pension fund and buying data to spice up my nightlife. I’d actually wanted to invest directly in stocks, but I couldn't because of the age limit.
“How should I know!?”
I was devastated. Just as I was turning into a truly pitiful monster, the hospital room door was thrown open.
“Kevin! Are you okay!?”
A pair of boys—one with a very Western face and the other a tan Asian—burst into the room. It was Gordon and Finn.
“Hey, Leo! If you do anything to Kevin, I’ll kill you!”
“You bastard! If you lay a finger on our best friend, I’ll murder you, I swear!”
It was a beautiful display of passionate friendship. Or at least, their words were. Their eyes, however, were glued to Kevin’s chest. Glaringly so.
The moment Kevin saw them, his expression—which had brightened with relief for a split second—froze into absolute zero.
“Ah, well… they certainly grew.”
“Um… uh… can I just touch them for a second…?”
“Get out!”
Even I got kicked out. In the end, Kevin chose to stay under my care, saying, “I can’t stand it; their eyes are terrifying.”
Personally, I don’t think I did anything wrong here.
When I returned home, mentally drained, my wife was lounging about.
“A development just as I expected.”
“You already heard what happened, I take it?”
“Still, what a magnificent chest♪”
“Wifey, can I be honest with you?”
“About what?”
“Even if a chest is amazing, I can’t mate with a friend when I know what he looked like as a guy. Boys are delicate creatures.”
My eyes drifting toward them had been a simple reflex. I didn't actually want to touch them. If I were going to touch anyone's chest, I’d rather beg Melissa for the privilege. If the lewd mood ever struck, I was fully prepared to prostrate myself before her. In that sense, that bastard Finn must be a total deviant.
“Hmph. How boring.”
My wife had a skewed view of men because her father was such a monster. Even from a man’s perspective, the Emperor was repulsive.
“It seems the GPS has been deactivated as well. For now, let’s just enjoy teasing Kevin. Anyway, take a look at this.”
My wife sent some data over. As I scanned it, I let out a long sigh.
“Why the Duke House Mistral?”
Planet Mistral. It was a world owned by the Duke House Mistral. It was a naturally habitable planet with no dangerous local wildlife—a true rarity. You didn't get a world that didn't require terraforming unless you were a direct relative of the Emperor. It was a level of luxury I couldn't even fathom.
Incidentally, it was right next door to the Marquis House Kamishiro territory. However, we’d been completely ignored for years. I suspected we were looked down upon because the previous heads of the Kamishiro family had spent all their time desperately trying to suck up to them.
“The Zork are invading. Apparently, they’re struggling quite a bit.”
“Even if we help them, we can’t exactly requisition the place, right?”
As I thought, seizing a planet belonging to a Duke House was impossible. Besides, I didn't want to launch an attack on a place where I had no obligation and risk casualties. I had priorities, and my comrades came first.
“Regarding that, I’ll connect the call now.”
“Why are you being so roundabout?”
The communication app connected, and a girl with beast ears wearing work overalls appeared on the screen. It was Ren. She’d been busy running back and forth between the engineering squad and the bridge. She was incredibly capable.
Honestly, I’d do anything she asked. In exchange, I just wanted to touch those ears.
“What’s up, Ren?”
“U-Um! Leo-kun!”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“It’s my home…”
“Oh… wait, what?”
I didn't understand. There shouldn't be a Duke House of the Beast Race. Furthermore, Ren wasn't listed in the Princess Registry, which cataloged every princess of Marquis rank or higher. High-ranking nobles were basically treated like idols!
(By the way, my wife’s face was officially barred from public records because the Empire wanted to keep the whole incest thing under wraps.)
“She is an illegitimate child. A non-legitimate daughter, if you will. That is why the Duke House was never mentioned until now.”
“You see… my father said… the Officer Academy would protect me. Because… the Grand Lady was always trying to kill my mother and me.”
A vein snapped in my forehead, throbbing with rage.
“Are you motivated now?”
“Very.”
“I’ve got it, Ren. I made a promise, didn't I? ‘I’ll take back your homes too.’”
“Yeah! I’ll build you the best machine ever!”
“I’m counting on you!”
The call ended.
“Wifey. Start thinking of a plan to take over that Duke House.”
“It is already done. Or rather, our task remains the same. Crush the Zork! I shall leave the rest to you.”
“Roger that.”
I was really starting to feel motivated now.