And so, the strategy meeting began.
One of the first concerns raised was whether suddenly dispersing the gas would kill children or the elderly.
"They won't die from just that," Baron Ohno said, sounding as if he were stating the most obvious fact in the world. "Besides, the people on the planets in this sector have all undergone Chlorella Treatment. I heard that back in the early days of colonization, the infant mortality rate from disease was sky-high."
It was called "Chlorella Treatment," but it didn't actually involve chlorella.
It referred to a group of photosynthetic microorganisms found on a certain planet that people simply called "Chlorella." When someone was infected with these microbes—usually by undergoing DNA treatment as a fetus to ensure the infection took hold during childhood—they gained powerful resistance to starvation and infectious diseases.
In essence, they were a type of enhanced human, highly resistant to parasites and chemical pollution. However, on more "civilized" worlds like the Imperial Capital Planet, the treatment was viewed as the mark of a country bumpkin. People with it faced blatant discrimination in employment, marriage, and promotions.
Ren’s Beast Race was similar in that regard—a race that had undergone genetic manipulation for labor. They possessed incredible physical strength and could survive in harsh environments, but both they and the Chlorella-treated had their downsides. They were susceptible to diseases that normal humans weren't, and there were certain things they simply couldn't eat.
The fact that Ren only ever ate meat was a direct result of that influence. As for those with the Chlorella Treatment, I’d heard they were prone to developing nasty rashes from herbicides.
Ah... I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this.
It wasn't a premonition of danger, but rather a hunch about the truth of the situation.
"Hey, Kevin. You were born on a colony, right?"
"Yeah, but it was a high-security one near the Imperial Capital," Kevin replied.
"Did you get the Chlorella Treatment?"
"Nope. There’s no point in a colony that only uses artificial lighting."
Good grief. So that’s it.
"Lord Groom, what have you discovered?" Veronica asked.
"I think I know why everyone on Planet Caron is turning into a girl. Kevin is a standard human, but he’s the type where the Zork Factor suddenly manifests. The Zork want to make it easier for the host to leave offspring, so they make them attractive. However, since the Zork don't really understand humanity, the gender of the person expressing the factor often defaults to female. They probably figure that as long as there are females, the population will multiply."
"And what does that have to do with the current situation?"
"The Chlorella Treatment made the factor manifest more easily. That’s why all the men here are undergoing TS one after another."
"So, a far higher percentage of the population connected to the Zork Network than the original probability allowed!?"
"Exactly. And here’s the real kicker: the residents of Caron are suffering from a bunch of side effects that Kevin didn't have."
"Then we simply need to make them inhale the alcohol, yes?"
"There’s a problem there, too. Even if we use alcohol to temporarily sever the connection, we can't have them simply reconnecting to the network afterward."
Apparently, a high fever from something as simple as a cold could cut the connection. But as long as the network didn't register the host as "dead," they could reconnect. Death determination seemed to be based on how long a node remained disconnected.
"That is a valid concern. What do you propose?"
"We take down the Node at the same time we disperse the gas. You handle the Gas Operation. I’m going to go deal with the boss."
With the plan set, we started by sending in drones for reconnaissance. Ren managed the feed, searching for our target.
"Is that it?" she asked.
It was an Ogre. A massive creature covered in a thick exoskeleton. It looked as though it were lying in wait for someone.
Definitely a boss-class.
I felt as though our eyes met through the camera lens.
"Jester... come..." the creature rumbled.
As it spoke, it swung its metal club, and the video feed cut to static.
It talked! And it actually seemed smart!
"Drone lost," Ren reported.
This was bad. That was the kind of enemy that required a Linear Blazer—the kind of thing you had to kill instantly without a moment's hesitation. Size-wise, it wasn't an impossible fight, though.
Well, I suppose I’d have to give it a shot.
"Right then, I'm heading out."
The other drone feeds showed swarms of armed girls. I decided I’d dump that problem on the other boys.
I moved to join up with Claire, but I knew I couldn't take her with me. That Ogre looked seriously dangerous—a new model that hadn't even appeared in the game.
"This opponent looks like trouble. I’m going in alone."
"All the more reason you need me there, right?" Claire countered. "Come on, let's go."
I couldn't find the words to refuse her. Just as I was weighing my options, I felt a sharp thwack on my backside.
"Captain, I'm coming too," Melissa said.
"Wait, was that sexual harassment?"
"Yes, it was."
She didn't even try to deny it.
"Look, personally, I’d rather have Claire and Melissa helping my wife with her part of the operation..."
Before I could finish, someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck.
"Meow."
"Lord Groom, we are going," Major Piggett announced.
"Major Piggett!? Why are you over here?"
"Because I am worried about you, Lord Groom. Her Highness is also quite distressed."
By the way, since Edge and the rest of his group didn't have pilot licenses, they were forcibly assigned to the Gas Operation.
And so, we set off to save the planet. With any luck, this would liberate Planet Ohno as well. Since the planet lacked an air defense system, we deployed in a transport craft. Once we were clear of the ship, a transmission came through.
"Yo, Leo."
"What is it now, old man?"
Baron Ohno was grinning ear-to-ear on the screen.
"I was thinking... wasn't there an option to just ignore this place and move on?"
"No. The Zork are serious about this. Even if we ran now, they’d just hunt us down."
That was why I’d decided to settle this now, while we still had the tactical advantage.
"I see, I see. Well, in that case, I’m coming too."
"Huh? You can pilot a Humanoid Fighter?"
"Nah, I can't. Don't have a license. That’s why I’m bringing out my prize possession."
Wait, what?
Something was approaching from the direction of Planet Ohno. It was a battleship, an older model from a previous generation.
"Come on, you lot, hop aboard! She’s a military surplus hull that I’ve been steadily modifying with weapons I 'liberated' from pirates!"
You stole them from pirates!?
Still, having a mobile base was a plus. We docked the transport craft and boarded the battleship. It would have been cruel to compare the interior to a modern state-of-the-art vessel; it wasn't dirty, exactly, but it felt more like a functional factory than a ship.
"Yo, brats... and Piggett-san. What do you think of my ship?"
"Where did you acquire these weapons?" Piggett asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Who knows? The pirates I took them from are all dead and buried, after all."
"These are previous-generation railguns with excessive output. Every single one of them was supposed to have been scrapped. How did pirates get their hands on them!?"
"Just because the high command decides something should be scrapped doesn't mean the grunts on the ground always follow through," Ohno replied coolly.
Terrifying.
The fact that Ohno could go toe-to-toe with Major Piggett was scary enough, but knowing that these illegal railguns were in circulation was even worse.
"Well, seeing as there’s someone here who looks like they’ll be running the country one day... I’m counting on you, Leo. Make the world a better place."
"No way. Tell that to my wifey."
"Gyahahahahahaha! Piggett-san, make sure you educate this lad properly!"
"I... I shall do my best," Piggett stammered.
Wait, what just happened? Somehow, this all ended up being my fault.
The battleship drew closer to the planet. We stopped slacking off and climbed into our respective machines.
Now then, time for some ogre slaying.