We were killing time playing around... cough, I mean, we were preparing for the sortie with some truly intense training.
The mountain of paperwork also started to shrink once things actually got moving.
We even managed to automate a fair amount of it.
Today followed the usual routine. I went diving for coral reef security duty, took out the cruiser we’d seized from that Duke bastard for some fishing, and felt quite satisfied after catching a marlin. By the afternoon, my clan and the Personal Guards of Cyrus and Thomas—who were all bored out of their minds—held a Grand Sumo Tournament.
"Hah! Take that! Nekodamashi!"
Toss.
I was thrown down with a simple trip. In a narrow ring, I just couldn't compensate for the lack of raw power. This was where physical build truly mattered. I wasn't exactly small, but I was nothing compared to the top contenders.
Or rather, among the men, the Chlorella-treated Group was unrivaled. Every one of them was over two meters tall.
Among the women, Ren of the Beast Race was a force of nature.
As for Kevin, since it wasn't right to put him in either the male or female category, he served as the record keeper.
"All right, Leo. Your punishment is Log Striking."
"Yes, sir... Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"
I struck the log with a thick branch labeled "Yokozuna."
Why was even the punishment game Satsuma-style? I finished my fifty strikes.
Power!!!
"Hahaha, I’d heard your training was intense, but this is something else."
Thomas was laughing at me.
"Intense? This is just playing."
"But you’re doing sumo after your actual training, right? It might not be 'work,' but that’s a monstrous amount of exercise."
...I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell him we’d been messing around like crazy even before that. Come to think of it, we were basically moving the entire time we weren't working.
After the sumo came dinner. I had the fish we caught prepared, though that wasn't enough, so we added the usual cultivated fish as well.
We spent our vacation days like that. For some reason, my muscle mass actually increased.
In the midst of those days, our additional soldiers arrived. The First Contingent consisted of a thousand men. Since everyone was a Second Lieutenant and a squad leader, I distributed them among the group.
Wifey and the other wives strictly blocked any women from being assigned to my unit. Wait, that made it look like I was some kind of womanizer! The only one I ever went "Hehehe, you shall be my wife!" to was Claire! Why was there so little trust?!
"Because you are unnaturally popular."
Ah, yeah, fair point.
It was probably because I was a young, wealthy, powerful noble. I'd have to make sure I didn't let it go to my head.
And so, I found myself surrounded by dozens of young men. The soldiers sent this time were quite young; I was told they were personnel with high growth potential destined for an Elite Unit. Their faces were full of anticipation.
But after the usual training... why were they all on the ground?
"T-this is hell..."
"We're still just doing the Warm-up Exercises, right? Guys?!"
We’d only run while carrying supplies and done some log striking so far. Next was running along the beach and sparring, and then the warm-ups would be over. When I looked to the side, I saw that the rookies from the other units had collapsed too.
Why?!
We hadn't even started the hard push yet!
"Ahahaha! This is a disaster! Leo-kun, your sense of scale is completely broken!"
Thomas was also down. Cyrus had collapsed in silence as well. Why?!
"But look, if you don't have the stamina to handle this with ease, you won't be able to defeat the Zork army. You'll die, you know?"
I told the men in the unit plainly.
"G-guu... uooooooooo!"
There were many in the Kamishiro Clan who had risen from commoners to become Counts—men dreaming of making something of themselves, those seeking to restore their houses, and even those seeking revenge against the Zork. They all had their own ambitions, and regardless of what they were, they didn't lack motivation.
The men stood back up. Training continued.
After the session...
"You've got to be kidding... the captains... they're playing around after moving that much..."
Why was everyone watching us from a distance with such judgment? Of course we were playing! This is an Everlasting Summer Paradise! If you have excess energy, you won't be able to sleep soundly!
We played more. We played our hearts out.
...And then, just as we were getting used to this lifestyle, the Expedition Order arrived.
"All right, let's move the supplies!"
Everyone had gotten used to driving heavy machinery. For the kids who didn't have their qualifications, I’d prioritized putting them through the simulators until they got their licenses. Because of that, everyone could help with the work.
"Moving out, sir!"
Even One-oh-one could drive. I wouldn't take no for an answer. Tatiana had also secured her Humanoid Heavy Machinery license and was busy transporting crates.
Once the loading was finished, our ship was ready. It was a Newly Built Large Battleship, and Wifey was the captain. I had to make sure at least she made it back alive. Thomas and Cyrus had their own ships, and we were accompanied by a massive fleet of warships seized from the Duke, carrying the various other nobles.
The Kamishiro Knights were also participating. My brother Sam was fundamentally unsuited for combat, so I let him stay behind. Well, as the Head of the Main House, I was going, so I doubted anyone would complain.
our weaponry consisted of massive amounts of Ballistic Weaponry and a modified version of the Bolt Thrower—the bullet-type that emitted electrical discharges for a period after impact.
Learning from the failures of Thomas's previous expedition, we also prepared a Production Ship this time. We wouldn't have to worry about ammunition. We’d also updated the Humanoid Fighters for anti-Zork combat. The Massacre Night was too fast; no one below the Ace Class could handle it. So, we'd performed a Minor Update on the Standard Machines to compensate.
Furthermore, anticipating missiles and worst-case scenarios, we brought along Planet-destroying Missiles. I’d rather not use them, but I was keeping the total destruction of Planet Sanctuary in my sights if necessary.
"Phew. Now for the food."
While I was loading the provisions, the Steward approached me.
"My Lord... you look truly magnificent!"
For some reason, he was sobbing. The previous lord hadn't been a military man, so he’d likely never seen a sight like this.
"I'll be back soon. I'm counting on you to look after the territory."
"I shall do so even if it costs me my life!!!"
It was good to see him so motivated. I had to do my best too.
Wifey arrived.
"Lord Groom, come here for a moment."
"What is it?"
"Well... here. Register this."
She handed me a resin test tube. Reading the instructions... I see, it was for cryopreservation. For that "Genetic Material" stuff.
"I have already registered mine. If we do not return... you understand?"
"Ah—yeah, okay. Understood."
Wifey’s face was beet-red, and she looked adorable. I really had to make sure we came back alive.