The Proone fleet started loitering around the perimeter of the Battle Dome.
Oh, goodness! Now that I've dipped my toes into diplomacy and studied theory and history, it’s all becoming clear!
Their actions made it painfully obvious: their true motivation wasn't some primal urge to “eat the citizens of the Ogre God Nation and the Empire.” No, it was simply: “We really, really want the Battle Dome’s economic power, de gozaru!”
Whatever shall we do, everyone?
“Why are you speaking like a high-born lady, Lord Groom?”
“I’m just trying to neutralize the topic of the Proone. It’s so repulsive I need something to balance it out.”
Those bastards... their economy was on the brink of total collapse.
They screamed about meat and gods, but at the end of the day, it was all about the credits. This was an invasion born of pure greed.
“Why don't they just try trading for it?!”
“Because they're universally despised.”
Saria’s expression turned cold, devoid of even a shred of mercy.
As the Great King, Saria had personally met with various heads of state at the Battle Dome. He’d seen firsthand just how deep the resentment toward the Proone ran.
“Let’s leave the Proone to their antics for now. Oh, by the way, Lord Groom, did you hear the news?”
“What news? You sound excited, which usually means something terrifying for me...”
Wifey’s “interesting” topics were usually one-way tickets to hell. But the Zork War was over, and the stage had changed. It would be fine. Surely.
“The Imperial Officer Academy is being flooded with new applicants.”
“Huh? Did the aftermath of the Zork War leave people that desperate for a paycheck?”
Territories everywhere had taken a hit. It wouldn't be unusual for people to join the military just to send money home or reduce the burden on their families.
“No, no. It’s because word got out about the prestigious career paths waiting for graduates of the University Division and Graduate Students.”
“But it’s still the military, isn’t it?”
“They get seconded from the military to serve as Senior Bureaucrats. The Empire's university students suffered heavy losses during the war. Ironically, the Officer Academy students who were out on the front lines survived. Now, they’ve formed a massive faction that essentially controls the civil service.”
“Is that much centralized power even safe?!”
That was a recipe for corruption if I ever heard one!
“There's no other choice. Most of the talented students in the Capital are dead. This trend will likely persist for at least a decade.”
“What about corruption? Collusion?”
“I can't speak for the distant future, but for now, they're significantly better than the Duke Association ever was.”
That set a low bar, but I still wanted to avoid birthing a second Duke Association.
“I don't care if the Kamishiro clan or the Officer Academy graduates undergo a Transformation into the Duke Association. Your children will eventually rule the Empire anyway, Lord Groom. With three powerful factions, we can simply have them keep an eye on each other. Balance and harmony won't be an issue.”
“O-Oh...”
I was starting to feel like I’d be the catalyst for the eventual collapse of the Galactic Empire. Well, I’d be long dead by then, so I guess it wasn't my problem.
The “incident” happened about a week after that tranquil meeting.
Just as I suspected they might, they attacked a cargo ship. Since we’d automated our transport with AI long ago, there were no human casualties, but the cargo was plundered.
Excellent. Casus belli acquired.
Until now, they'd just been barking declarations of war. But this? This made killing them perfectly legal. Dealing with a rule-of-law state like the Empire was such a chore sometimes.
Military operations began.
First up: the Operation to Eliminate Proone on the Transport Route.
The Ogre God Nation fleet intercepted a Proone Destroyer.
Using Drones with Small Bombs provided by the Empire, they crippled the engines.
Hahaha!
With Kevin’s Spider-type Drone Army at our disposal, we could carry out assassinations at will. I felt like I was opening the door to a terrifying new era.
Regardless, with the Destroyer dead in the water and a state of war already declared, we boarded and seized it without warning.
In a boarding action, the Ogres were peerless. Close-quarters was king.
The Ogres were perfectly happy to slaughter everyone, but I convinced Saria to take those who surrendered into custody.
As for the ones who resisted?
I didn't see a thing.
The Empire isn't so self-righteous that it demands mercy for those who fight to the death.
We interrogated the survivors. They had the audacity to act like proud soldiers of the Proone.
Should we execute them? Hmm?
Saria threw them into a detention center built on some vacant land. We couldn't exactly serve them human meat, so we gave them Synthetic Protein Meat produced by Imperial tech.
Heh heh heh heh.
We are the Japanese Ethnicity, a people obsessed with cuisine! The heights you've reached are a peak we conquered thousands of years ago!
Predictably, a protest arrived from the Proone.
I thought it was a bit rich for a nation that declared war on us, but it turned out they were protesting the “abuse” of their prisoners—specifically, the lack of human meat in their diet.
Were they actually insane?
The citizens of the Ogre God Nation were reaching their breaking point. They’d been furious for a while, but being lectured about “prisoner rights” regarding cannibalism was testing everyone’s patience.
“Can't we just storm the Proone Capital already?”
Even the usually mild-mannered Saria had snapped.
I felt the same way.
While a direct strike was tempting, we decided to prioritize the Turtle People's Planet Recapture Operation and liberating the Wolf People’s worlds. Legitimacy mattered.
We ignored the Proone’s triumphant lies and broadcast the truth to the public. It wasn’t just about winning hearts and minds; it was about our own mental health. Everyone wants to believe they’re on the side of justice.
We broadcast the reports in the Capital and at the Battle Dome. Criticism? Sure, there was plenty, but I let them squawk. The more the idiots argued against us, the more the Empire's righteousness was proven. It was a self-sustaining cycle.
I mean, they literally want to eat us! There’s no common ground here, so fighting is the only option. “We'll only eat the Ogres, so leave us alone!” Yeah, right. Like I’d believe that for a second.
The current death toll was the direct result of the Duke Association and the Civil Officials insisting on “dialogue” for so long.
Now, we were just waiting for our opening. Given how deranged the Proone were, I knew they’d provide one.
“Hahaha! Prepare to become meat!”
Right on cue.
They broadcast it loud and clear, so we saved the audio logs. The Proone wretches attacked an Imperial vessel. Pure, unadulterated piracy. Everything was going according to plan.
Once we seized their Destroyer, we made a beeline for the Turtle People's former territory. It was time for the Turtle People's Planet Recapture Operation.
But then, a snag appeared.
“The Lord Groom is staying away from the front lines!”
“Wait, what?”
Wifey laid down the law.
“Lord Groom, I intend to appoint you as the Head of Military and Foreign Affairs.”
“Uh... okay. Which means...?”
“It means you need to learn strategy. Acting as a common soldier is strictly forbidden this time!”
So... she wanted me to become some kind of high-ranking strategist? An “architect of war”? That seemed like a total Impossible Game to me.