A few days later.
I spent my days buried under a mountain of training and paperwork.
Finally, the notification arrived: repairs on the Humanoid Fighter were complete.
So, where were we headed next?
That was the million-credit question. For now, we were on leave.
Once we liberated the Viscount Tachibana territory, the Zork fled from the surrounding planets as well.
During the respite, we took the opportunity to contact our families. Most of the guys from the Officer Academy were able to confirm their families' safety... or their deaths.
Those who had lost their loved ones were consumed by grief. And yet, not a single one of them directed a word of resentment toward me.
It was because they had seen me on the verge of death every single time. If anything, they were grateful that we hadn't lost a single comrade from the Officer Academy yet.
Melissa, too, had lost many of the people who were like parents to her. But she never blamed me or my wife. In a way, that made it even harder to swallow.
I almost wished someone would throw a stone at me.
Neither I, nor my wife, nor the rest of the academy group, nor even Piggett... none of us had a better plan for 'what we should have done.' If anything, the current situation was going almost too well.
I was slumped on a sofa in a private officer's room in the fortress. My wife was lying across me, her head resting in my lap.
"I wish someone would at least complain..."
"Even if they resent the Imperial High Command, they have no reason to harbor ill will toward you, Lord Groom. Considering your authority as a Captain, your results have exceeded even the best possible expectations. If anything, I am the one to be blamed. I could have ignored my orders and come here sooner."
My wife looked just as exhausted as I was. She clearly had a lot on her mind.
"You were the one who said that if we ignored orders, that oblivious Walter might have formed a subjugation force, dragged Prince Thomas and us into it, and gotten us all wiped out. It wasn't an option..."
The civil officials still didn't understand the reality of the war, even at this late stage. They didn't even realize that a ceasefire was physically impossible. That was why they were still busy sabotaging one another.
If they thought they could get away with killing my wife, they would probably come crawling out of their holes just to die. Moreover, some of the idiot nobles had joined their ranks and were acting like they owned the place.
What were they thinking, even as their own peers were dying in droves...?
"It is a complete stalemate..." My wife sighed.
If we killed Walter now, the civil officials and the moronic nobles would use 'avenging' him as a righteous excuse to go on a rampage. What a mess—this reality where the utterly incompetent were camping out in the Imperial Capital!
Currently, riots were erupting across the capital. Prince Walter's aura of failure had become so obvious that even the common citizens could sense it. It was no laughing matter that even the police were starting to side with the people.
"Anyway, let's talk about the future."
"How many children do you want, Lord Groom?"
"Not that future. Where are we going next?"
"I intend to facilitate Prince Thomas's escape directly. We must prepare for a fleet battle."
"I've never fought in outer space."
"It will be fine. I have faith in you, Lord Groom."
"What's with that groundless confidence?!"
"Because Prince Thomas's fleet isn't just being stalled—it is being beaten to a pulp. In other words, no one has managed to win yet. Furthermore, as long as you have effective weaponry, you will be unrivaled."
"Ugh..."
"Fret not. We only need to rescue Elder Brother Thomas."
"And the other nobles?"
"They will be used as shields, obviously. Every single incompetent who devised such a reckless operation deserves to die!"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. They gambled with the lives of the Imperial Family for their own gain. Failure is unforgivable. Since they failed, we shall engage in a rooting out..."
"How about... making them allies?"
"I have no use for the talentless. Besides, there are plenty of people on this ship who are young, capable, and well-versed in military affairs. We can simply preserve the noble houses and replace their heads with new ones."
Terrifying! My wife was being completely, 100% serious. Oh no—my balls coincidentally felt a sharp phantom pang of sympathy!
I didn't even know what I was saying anymore!
"Yes. First, I suppose I shall promote Ohno and Lily to the rank of Marquis. That should show those brainless nobles that I am in earnest."
Gyaoooooooooooooooonn!
My wife's long-simmering frustration finally reached its boiling point. I had a feeling this was exactly how House Kamishiro had been established in the first place. My family home really did survive on nothing but sheer luck!
"Uh, Fairy-san. Send a mass message to the boys. Tell them, 'It looks like we might find you wives.'"
"Understood! Sending: 'Her Highness says she'll take care of finding you wives. Note: refusal results in immediate execution. No hard feelings.' And... sent!"
If they had daughters, it would be a forced marriage. They would probably try to make them their wives even if it killed them. The boys were officially in the same position as a stud like me now. I should congratulate them.
"A reply came back already! It says, 'That kind of situation too! Bikun bikun!' It seems the message was generally well-received."
I'm glad they're idiots.
"Oh... a reply from Kevin-chan. 'What should I do?'"
"...What should we do? My wife, what about Kevin?"
"I care not! He is your possession, Lord Groom!"
"Are you still dragging that joke out? Shouldn't we restore his citizenship soon?"
"No. I refuse because his large breasts irritate me."
"An unexpected personal grudge!"
My wife actually sat up just to turn her head away with a huff. She was clearly incredibly self-conscious about her own chest. Her height was increasing, so her breasts would surely follow suit soon enough.
My wife's breasts belong to me—! To me—! To me—! To me—!
By the way, what happened to our promise about the cosplay...?
Cosplay, cosplay, cosplay!
"I think Veronica-chan is worrying far too much. I mean, look at me—my physical bust size is literally zero!" Fairy-san interjected, cackling at her own joke.
O-Oh.
"A-Anyway, let's go help Prince Thomas!"
"Roger that!"
After lingering for a while, my wife headed back to her own room. We were basically in a 'visiting wife' arrangement at this point...
Setting that aside, a fleet battle...
The time had finally come for a heroic battle in the stars to begin.
The problem was what kind of weaponry the Zork would bring to the table. Giant Zorks, perhaps? It would likely be a variation of their Crab-chan tactics.
Come to think of it, how do you even conduct a fleet battle? Not in a game, but in reality. I'd better brush up on my textbooks.
Though, to be fair, they only ever talked about fighting humans.