The Syndicate had collapsed.
Or rather, they had simply slunk back into the shadows. Much like any terrorist group, they were a stubborn blight that resurfaced no matter how many times you crushed them. They were like weeds in a field; you just had to pull them out the moment you spotted them. Complete eradication was a pipe dream.
We were currently stationed at the Planet Kamishiro Main House. Between the mountain of daily tasks, we hadn't even found a moment to visit Planet Sanctuary.
‐Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I’m going to play! Leo, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!‐
One of the idiot boys finally saw his SAN value hit zero. It was hard to blame him. We were being hounded every single day by lordly duties we weren't used to. Between the reports on the Syndicate’s latest antics, reconstruction prevention plans, actual reconstruction plans, and reports on the kidnapped members of the Beast Race... I felt like I was going to die.
The planets we governed had civil officials to handle the paperwork, but since they were originally from the former Duke territories, they were impossible to trust. Every report required a double-check from both the Fairy and the lord himself. You might think, ‘Surely they wouldn't be stupid enough to try something,’ but they were. They would falsify documents, lie in reports, and offer deliberate misinterpretations. They’d pocket public funds the second they saw an opening.
Naturally, we arrested them. One after another! I was beginning to think hiring civil officials actually created more work. Yet, if we pushed them away now, we’d be trapped in a hell where the workload would swell until it was physically unbearable. We were stuck in a bizarre operation where we had to suppress the civil officials with Imperial Law while simultaneously keeping the gears turning.
We were finally starting to understand the cold rationality of ancient dynasties that simply executed everyone from the previous regime. If they looked down on us, we killed them. We were surviving on sheer spite.
Inevitably, those whose SAN values hit zero and surpassed their limits began to spiral into panic.
‐Hold him down!‐
‐Let go! Let me gooooooooooooo! I’m going to play in the seaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!‐
‐Then at least check the documents for the civil trials!‐
‐Uwooooooooooooooo! Who can read legal jargon at a time like thisssssssssss!‐
I felt his pain. Legal jargon was basically a foreign language. My eyes just slid right off the page. But he had to do it; if we didn't finish those civil trials, compensation wouldn’t be paid to the kidnapped members of the Beast Race.
‐Do your work! You can play later!‐
‐Fueeeeeeeeen!‐
I forced him back to his desk. I was reaching my own limit, honestly. But compared to Ren and Kevin, I actually had it easy. I only had the court documents and military reports. Kevin’s workload was 1.5 times mine because of the hideout reports, and Ren’s was double, despite her being the victim!
To make matters worse, my Wifey was currently working in the Imperial Capital. It was our first time living apart in a while. I was so lonely!
‐Good work, sir! Here is some tea, sir!‐
One-oh-one arrived pushing a cart, dressed in a maid outfit.
‐'Sup.‐
Tatiana was also in a maid outfit.
‐What happened to you two?‐
‐It is a punishment game, sir!‐
‐We lost a game against Luna!‐
Ah, that explained it. Challenging the Fairy to a game was pure recklessness.
‐Lady Luna is strong, sir!‐
‐Good girl, good girl,‐ I said, patting her head. I also patted the head of Tatiana, who was actually keeping her promise despite her usual Mesugaki attitude. ‐I hope you two stay just the way you are.‐
‐Gross! Don't touch me!!!‐
She swatted my hand away. She didn't mean it, though; she was soft. I teased her a bit more.
‐Don't touch me!‐
She hissed like a cat, so I finally stopped. I took the tea and took a long sip. It really hit the spot. I needed sugar. Badly.
I finally finished my pile just as my brain was starting to short-circuit. Everyone in the room looked at me, waiting for the signal.
‐Let’s go playyyyyyyyyyyy!‐
We were going outside, damn it. I quickly changed into my swimsuit and dashed for the door. I practically bowled over the Steward on my way out.
‐We’re heading out!‐
As I shouted that, for some reason, the Steward wiped a stray tear from his eye.
‐Ancestors... our silent endurance was worth it! Our current lord is truly magnificent!‐
I got that kind of praise just for doing my job? Nice! Praise me more!
Fueled by overflowing physical energy and brains turned to mush, we athletic idiots reverted to complete monkeys and played with everything we had. After wearing ourselves out swimming, we gorged on tropical fruit. Now this felt like the celebrity life.
Apparently, even this was incredibly modest compared to the excesses of the Duke Association era. That was insane. We were spending as much money as we possibly could!
That said, we had already run out of things to invest in. Development of the Kamishiro Main House was on hold due to security concerns. As for the territories belonging to the guys from the Officer Academy, companies from the Imperial Capital were tripping over themselves to build facilities there now that the Syndicate had been purged. The conditions were perfect—safe, clean, close to the capital, and governed by young, popular lords.
Our planet was the only one being left behind. Reluctantly, I decided to pour money into strengthening our military, but that only led to an absurd situation where even more investment came pouring in and our funds increased. When I opened recruitment for the Grand Duke Army, applicants flocked to us. We were currently building a new colony, and major housing manufacturers and retail enterprises were already pitching to move in.
It felt like we were building a high-end new town. Instead of building a colony to pay back debts, it looked like the project would be profitable from start to finish. I didn't get it at all. Eventually, it became too much of a headache, so I just let the Fairy manage the surplus cash. Her reward was an unlimited budget for video games.
It felt as though the Duke Association had been a massive clog in the system; now that it was gone, the whole Empire was becoming healthy again. The economy in the Imperial Capital was booming, too. This wasn't just the temporary high of a war economy; it was the natural result of removing the people who had been damming up the flow of money for centuries. The Duke Association really had been a cancer on the Empire.
Regarding the Beast Race, my Wifey had officially declared them her subjects. Since they were the descendants of people forced to undergo biological modification surgery for the state, it was the only right thing to do. The underground economy had vanished, and everything seemed to be looking up. Probably.
Claire walked over to me, looking adorable in her swimsuit.
‐What’s up?‐
‐Well, I was just a little concerned... aren't the Zorks being too quiet?‐
‐I heard there are fierce battles happening around Planet Sanctuary.‐
‐Even so, they were on the verge of taking the Imperial Capital once, right? Compared to that, they're being far too still.‐
‐Stop, you’re scaring me. But there's nothing we can do. We haven't received any orders to move from our territories.‐
‐True... but look at this.‐
She handed me an old document.
‐What is it?‐
‐Now that my family's company has grown, I've been granted access to old records from economic organizations. My father found this and sent it to me.‐
The document featured a drawing of a colossal creature devouring an entire planet. It was dated 600 years ago—exactly during the era when almost every record had been scrubbed from history.
Come to think of it, the Zork that attacked the capital was massive... but if there was something even bigger than that out there... No, surely not.