I couldn't help but wonder if the reply from Despair was some kind of diversion.
But I couldn't quite read their intentions.
A lot had happened before that message even arrived.
I think I'll start by talking about that first.
Following Wifey’s orders, we ended up recovering the bodies.
The Empire might commit every atrocity imaginable behind the scenes, but culturally, they still believed in burying the dead—even if they were enemies.
Once a person died, they were considered a soul to be honored.
So, we moved in to collect the remains.
As expected, there wasn't a single living soul left, let alone an enemy combatant.
We recovered the bodies without any issues.
Accounting for the possibility of biological weapons, we placed them inside Anti-biological Weapon Airtight Containers within a Complete Isolation Block for the duration of the investigation.
First came the examination of the remains.
No known toxins were found.
The viruses and bacteria found on the bodies were all common varieties.
The medical team concluded that this wasn't a case of life support via freeze-drying or anything of the sort.
Ultimately, the plan was set: cremation followed by a Joint Funeral.
Handling the remains with this much care was more for the mental health of our crew than for the sake of the Republic citizens.
Even if they were enemies, nobody wants to treat human-shaped remains like garbage.
After all, we even made sure to bury the crabs properly whenever we could.
Regarding the funeral, I checked with Wifey since a few of the soldiers actually held a Monk Qualification via Correspondence Course.
She told me, "That is a special exception for regions without temples."
Apparently, the fact that Planet Kamishiro—a world so close to the Imperial Capital—had lacked any temples or shrines was considered highly abnormal.
Yeah, I'd figured as much.
Now there are temples there, so all's well that ends well.
They’re just tenants in a shopping center, though.
Now, unlike the Republic, which relied on the brute force of numbers, we in the Galactic Empire excelled at the underhanded schemes of grimy old men—otherwise known as "Newaza," or political maneuvering.
Technically, the term refers to the art of internal organizational consensus-building, but the old men standing at the top were truly, truly terrifying.
These weren't the lazy fools from the Duke Association who just coasted on their status.
These were genuine, battle-hardened veterans.
They were the real monsters who had kept the Empire from collapsing while the Duke Association sat enthroned above them, doing nothing but making a mess of things.
Those old foxes were prepared to squeeze every bit of utility out of a joint funeral for Republic citizens.
First came the propaganda.
Information was funneled to the War Correspondent Big Sister at a breakneck pace.
Specifically, the narrative that this was undeniably a massacre.
There wasn't any hard evidence in the initial report.
But it didn't matter if it was wrong.
As long as it wasn't an official government announcement, they could say whatever they wanted.
In reality, once the autopsies were performed, it was immediately clear that the deaths were caused by a Zork crab attack.
And just like that, the massacre was confirmed.
Domestic public opinion shifted instantly toward the sentiment that the Zork were unforgivable.
The Empire's various recent scandals were completely forgotten.
You could laugh at how foolish people are, but the scandals had already been dealt with and the perpetrators punished anyway.
Besides, everyone wants to believe they're on the side of justice.
The evil Empire had perished once, only to be reborn through Wifey's hands into its true form: the Empire of Justice.
We shall unite as one to fight the evil Zork and reclaim our freedom!
The fact that the Emperor and her spouse were personally leading from the front lines also made a great impression.
Thanks to that, unemployed people from across the galaxy were flooding into the military.
The unemployment rate dropped to nearly 0%.
Originally, the lower ranks of the Imperial military served as a massive public works project for the jobless.
Now, those ranks were being filled by highly motivated recruits.
Meanwhile, the Regional Reconstruction Product Exhibition being held in the Imperial Capital by the reclaimed planets was a massive hit.
Initially, I’d been terrified that we were just borrowing against future demand and that a horrific recession was coming, but those concerns vanished once the Duke Association was wiped out.
Development in the local sectors was moving at a frantic pace, with military bases and various factories under construction around Planet Sanctuary.
To be honest, while it was dangerous, the economic boom was staggering.
Opportunities were everywhere.
The claim that "dreams can be found on local planets" was no longer just a delusion.
It’s a good thing to give people something to dream about.
Anyway, despite not knowing if the deceased were even Buddhists, we prepared for the funeral.
Even though I was practically a bystander, I was swamped with work.
Being a Major means the paperwork just never stops piling up!
That was when the reply from Despair finally arrived.
God, that was a long preamble!!!
[Who is Ayame?]
Excuse me?
In that moment, a chill ran down my spine.
They didn't know who Ayame was?
We were out here on a planet next to Planet Sanctuary—which was actually incredibly far away—specifically because of information provided by Ayame.
What do you mean, you don't know her?
"Fairy..."
"I've already forwarded the logs to Veronica-chan!"
Fairy’s expression had turned grave as well.
Ayame was supposed to be the Third of the Despairs.
And they didn't know her?
Wait, wait.
Even though Ayame clearly knew them?
What did this mean?
"We were being deceived..."
"No, but... it didn't feel like she was lying to us."
"The person herself might not have been lying. But what if she was designed to believe that?"
That was the worst-case scenario.
It was a classic Zork move—toying with life itself.
It made me sick to my stomach! Seriously!!!
"Or... and this is just a total hunch... could that have been Mother?"
"What!?"
The Last Boss!?
But the appearance was all wrong.
I thought she was supposed to be way more grotesque.
"I understand their intentions even less now!"
"I don't get it either!"
Tell me about it.
Nothing made sense.
I decided to put the mystery on hold for a moment.
The funeral began.
A "gaming monk" chanted sutras via a remote link.
After listening to chants with unintelligible lyrics for about thirty minutes, the bodies were committed to the flames.
Yes, this ship actually has a crematorium.
Finally, Wifey and Thomas gave their speeches, and it was over.
The participants—well, the entire crew of the ship—were given a Sushi and Tempura Set, with alcohol added for the adults.
Throughout the whole thing, I kept thinking.
Thinking about Ayame’s intentions.
Hmm... I felt like something was missing.
So, after the funeral, I went to find Kevin.
"I think we missed something!"
"I was thinking the same thing."
As expected, it was bugging Kevin too.
We decided to search the area with the drones again.
"Fairy, can you trace the facility's layout through the electronic components?"
"Sure thing, Kevin-chan. Connect the drone to the terminal."
"Roger that."
The three of us went exploring on our own.
Because something was definitely wrong!
But I just couldn't put my finger on what it was!
Then, Fairy spoke up.
"I found it... a hidden room..."
The drone slipped inside. The room contained something resembling an altar.
And there, we found a body.
A body that looked very familiar.
"I'll create a Reconstructed Facial Photo..."
I had no idea what was going on anymore.
But I knew exactly who the body belonged to.
"It's Ayame."
It was exactly as I’d suspected.
But seriously!
I don't understand anything anymore!
If that's her... then who the hell did I meet?!