Apparently, they were quite frustrated.
The Proone had begun broadcasting propaganda over the net.
A melody that sounded like it belonged in some rural hotel near Lake Biwa played specifically for my ears.
“You shall be forgiven for your sins by becoming meat!”
Ta-da!
...How dull.
Their performance was so blatantly deceptive it was painful to watch; with their over-the-top acting, they were essentially saying, “You meat, I eat.”
Did they really think that would get through to anyone?
They could learn a thing or two from the Pro-wrestling Research Club, who had just swept the Ogre God people up in a whirlwind of emotion, you punks!
Since then, the old-timers Zaurus and Tank had been flooded with interview requests at the Battle Dome.
In a single day, they had become stars on a universal scale.
It really drove home the fact that the Empire’s civilization had dumped every last skill point into its entertainment capacity. I’m being dead serious.
The old guys understood exactly what was being demanded of them. After all, they were pros.
Every time they appeared, they brought a photo of Wrestler Kiba with them.
While they understood it was what the audience wanted, they weren't doing it as a mere performance; it came from a deep, heartfelt friendship for Wrestler Kiba... I mean, who wouldn't cry at that?!
I could have sworn the photo of Kiba-san was smiling, too.
The people involved with Imperial Pro-wrestling, the organization Kiba-san had once belonged to, were summoned.
I couldn't exactly ask them to travel all the way into outer space, though.
Instead, everyone was assigned various tasks by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It was becoming a daily news fixture even on the Imperial Mainland.
The Imperial Capital Citizens, in particular, included many who had lost relatives or friends in the recent conflicts.
Naturally, they’d rather watch this than some mindless variety show.
The Ogre God Nation had also lost a considerable number of people to the coup d'etat.
Propaganda isn't great if you overdo it, though.
Saria even remarked, “Propaganda accounts for only about ten percent of this. It mostly just serves as a sign that the Ogre God Nation is providing subsidies.”
Wifey also added, “The propaganda is naught but an appeal for our reconstruction efforts. I did not imagine it would be such a resounding hit.”
And then, there was one more.
Two others had become massive celebrities: Claire, who had performed in the women's pro-wrestling match, and her opponent, Wrestler Koto... Her real name is actually Kotoko, but her ring name is Koto!
Their photobooks sold with terrifying momentum.
Even though I’d just had the Photography Club whip them together haphazardly...
Since they had been receiving guidance from a professional War Correspondent, their skills had improved remarkably.
The advisor’s company sold the books not only in the Ogre God Nation but back in the Empire as well.
They blew past professional gravure idols and mainstream pop stars to claim the number one spot on the Weekly Photobook Sales Ranking.
By the way, number two was the memorial photobook featuring Zaurus, Tank, and Wrestler Kiba.
No one dared call Claire a "Jimiko"—a plain Jane—anymore.
“I have said it before, but the Lord Groom has terrifyingly good taste in women,” Wifey murmured as she snacked on the takoyaki I’d grilled.
“Oh? Let’s hear your theory.”
“The Lord Groom shows no reaction to the obvious idol or actress types, yet he manages to seduce one woman after another of the sort who commands a secret, devoted following.”
“So what you’re saying is, I’m the ‘Yankee’ specialized for NTR plots?!”
“You showed no reaction to Alexia, did you?!”
“As if I’d ever be attracted to a former middle-aged man!”
“Aoi is an orthodox beauty, you know.”
Come to think of it, I hadn't really reacted at all after talking to her properly.
Was it because she had the same vibe as Kevin?
“Wifey... you’re the most important person to me.”
Secret Technique: Inconvenient Topic Evasion!
“Ehehehehe. Oh, you! Honestly!”
Phew, saved.
I managed to distract her after that by single-mindedly focusing on the takoyaki grill.
Later, I went to check on Claire.
She looked utterly drained.
It seemed she had never expected the day would come when she’d be treated like a pop idol.
“Want some takoyaki?”
“Thank you.”
Yeah, she was definitely worn out.
“I’ve done interviews before as a venture executive or as one of the leads at your place, Leo... but I never imagined I’d see the day where I’d release a photobook...”
“We did release a photobook of the mechs a while back, though.”
We had published the Massacre Night Series Machine Photobook quite some time ago.
Apparently, it was a massive hit with the hardware geeks.
And with the manufacturers, too.
After all, they were the strongest machines currently in existence.
They required specific pilots because they were so difficult to operate under manual control, possessing an almost sentient level of responsiveness.
She was the most beautiful person in our ranks.
I wouldn't budge on that point.
Oh, right, I had to bring up the Proone.
“The Proone have started a propaganda strategy.”
I showed Claire the video, which I had converted to our viewing format.
“What is this...? It looks like some low-budget show that airs at three in the morning on a local public access station.”
She had the exact same impression I did.
“To begin with, their claims are so fundamentally incompatible with reality that it’s just plain boring. And yet, they seem to think they’re being entertaining.”
“That! That’s exactly it!”
It really was dull.
At first, I thought maybe the disconnect was because we were from different civilizations.
But when I asked Saria, he told me, “They’re a religious state that believes only they are righteous, so that’s how they end up.”
We were also a society of humans, but our values were still diverse.
Yeah, that made sense.
“Anyway, Saria asked me to schedule the next match.”
A sharp crack echoed as a fissure appeared in Claire’s glasses.
Was that some kind of supernatural phenomenon?
“The... next one?”
“Yeah. It’s so popular that he said he’d prostrate himself or do anything if we’d just agree.”
“T-This time, focus on the men.”
“Hahaha. Please take the fact that nobody is talking about them as a hint. Student Pro-wrestling was still a bit too advanced for the Ogre God Nation...”
You see, when I interrogated the boys from the Pro-wrestling Research Club, they cried out, “I didn't want to do pro-wrestling! I wanted to do Student Pro-wrestling!”
Was that some kind of philosophy?
For the time being, Zaurus and Tank had promised, “We’ll beat some spirit back into them,” so I was relieved.
I should also note that several inflatable dolls and similar items were discovered in the research club’s equipment room; they have since been disposed of by incineration.
Anyway, I had assumed the battle with the Proone wouldn't happen until after March.
I wanted to form alliances with the other nations involved in the Battle Dome first.
The Ogre God Nation and I were already Besties, but it was always better to have multiple business partners and allies.
No one knows what the future holds, after all.
But as it turned out, those Proone bastards were more desperate than I’d imagined.
When I thought about it carefully later, the signs had been there for a while.
I mean, they were a religious state, yet they were willing to team up with Ghouls and Pirates.
But at the time, we didn't have the luxury of worrying about the Proone's hidden internal affairs.