Everyone was decked out in incredibly sharp tracksuits.
They looked like the kind of party-goers you’d find dancing at an EDM club.
Since I was the one who had suggested all of this, I was dressed in an Ogre God Nation outfit with a traditional Waso flair.
It was a Waso tracksuit, I suppose... if that’s even a thing.
The design featured a horned tiger, making it far more flamboyant than I’d anticipated.
This was a high-grade item with a prototype price tag of 2 Million Credits!
The sort of garment that made me terrified to even move!!!
Apparently, there were specific colors reserved for certain social ranks, so this design had been finalized during a meeting between the trading company, Saria, and the Battle Dome.
Wifey, however, wasn't wearing a tracksuit; she was clad in traditional Ogre God Nation attire.
It was likely a Phoenix Pattern.
It really suited her.
As for the price, it was the sort of piece you simply couldn't put a value on. It was the kind of thing that would go straight into a museum the moment the event and photo shoot were over.
With her looking this stunning, I would normally have spent my days fearing someone might try to steal her away, but my heart remained steady.
That was because the Ogre God Nation’s standard of beauty was being tall, having large breasts, and possessing wide hips.
Saria had explained it to me: "Ogre God Nation infants are born quite large. Since ancient times, women with frames that minimize the burden of childbirth—meaning tall women, specifically those with wide pelvises—have been considered beautiful."
It was a very practical, earnest reason.
I didn’t know about the focus on breasts, though... Eh? Recently? Because of Kevin?
Apparently, she had systematically dismantled the aesthetic preferences of the Ogre God people. There was even an Empire's Ultimate Weapon Theory circulating regarding the boyish big-breasted boku-girl.
I was not to blame for this.
Melissa arrived, dressed in an Imperial kimono.
She looked every bit the daughter of a prestigious martial house. She was clearly used to wearing such clothes.
However, her outfit featured a Dragon Pattern.
It was simply styled in the Ogre God Nation fashion.
"It suits you."
"I’ve studied tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and even the koto. I’m quite comfortable in traditional clothing!"
She truly was a member of the Samurai Clan.
She had even used extensions to add volume to her hair.
She looked like a refined young lady from a high-ranking family... well, she actually was one.
With the Proone remaining quiet for the moment, we held a public relations photo shoot for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The war journalist served as our photographer.
The couple of the hour, Saria and Kirti-chan, posed for the camera in their traditional attire.
"Is it just me, or is this marriage becoming a foregone conclusion in all the chaos?" Saria whispered to me.
He tried to corner me on the subject, but I had to be honest.
"Everyone around you has started saying it. At this point, it’s an established path..."
"That’s terrifying!"
"Oh? And what exactly is so terrifying?" Kirti-chan asked.
"Nothing at all!"
Yep, they were close. Hahaha!
Saria had a tendency to be indecisive, so I thought it would be for the best if Kirti-chan prodded him along to make up for it.
With my 'diplomatic' work for the photo shoot finished, I sat down to drink some tea.
The rest of the Officer Academy bunch finished their respective shoots as well.
Since everyone was terrified of staining the expensive tracksuits, they all changed back into their usual Officer Academy tracksuits before heading to the dining hall.
Hahaha! I wouldn't let anyone complain about that!!!
Saria was also back in his usual clothes. He mentioned they were his people's national costume.
Meanwhile, Kirti-chan was wearing a standard-grade national costume.
She simply didn't want to get anything dirty.
"You wouldn't wear expensive clothes if there was a risk of ruining them, right?"
"I don't dislike that practical side of you, Lord Saria."
"Eh? Ah, thanks."
Saria looked a little embarrassed.
"I truly am grateful to Lord Kamishiro from the bottom of my heart," Kirti-chan said to me. "If you had not been here, Lord Saria would never have stood up as the Great King. If we can defeat the hateful Proone like this, Lord Saria’s position will be rock-solid."
From her perspective, that was likely very true.
I was watching them with a smile when a buzzer suddenly blared.
"Combatants, take your positions. Kamishiro Squad, on standby."
Huh?
I wondered why we were being told to wait.
"Perhaps it's to let the regular officers gain some experience?" the Fairy suggested.
"Aww!"
As the Fairy spoke, Kevin stood up and turned on the large monitor in the dining hall.
The internal ship broadcast appeared on the screen.
A grimy, dilapidated ship came into view.
"It’s the Pirate Guild," Saria informed us.
"Ah, the ones who are friendly with the Proone and the Ghouls..."
"They aren't to be taken lightly. In terms of the scale of their economic sphere alone, they are larger than the Battle Dome."
"But they’re just pirates, right? Why haven't they been dealt with?"
No matter how I looked at it, they weren't like Nina-san’s family, who acted as guides through dangerous sectors in exchange for a toll. These guys were clearly a plundering Hyahhaa Legion.
"It’s because their reach is so vast. They even have dealings with the upper echelons of society."
"Hmph."
I watched the screen, thinking to myself that the 'upper echelons' weren't all that impressive if they dealt with trash like this.
A transmission came through.
Naturally, the signal was broadcast for all of us to see.
"Are you the Galactic Empire that decided to pick a fight with the Proone?!"
The speaker had pointed ears, but he was otherwise humanoid.
Wifey answered him in a relaxed, almost bored tone.
"And who might you be? State your name."
"We’re the notorious Pirate Guild! The name that makes even crying children shut their traps! Listen here! The rule of this galaxy is that you put us in the middle of your trade!!"
I wondered where they’d heard about us. They already knew we’d begun establishing trade routes.
"Cut your ties with the Ghouls and the Proone. We shall talk after that," Wifey stated.
"Hah?! What the hell are you talking about! I’ll kill you!!"
"Oh? Is that a declaration of war?"
"Y-Yeah! Don’t you dare look down on the Pirate Guild!!"
"Understood. Thomas! Shoot them down!!!"
"As you command!"
The exchange was incredibly smooth... She had clearly intended to do that from the very beginning.
Thomas’s forces deployed immediately. They began tearing through the enemy with their non-humanoid fighters.
There was no mercy shown at all.
I mean, all the pirates had to do was surrender, but their leader was clearly an idiot. He was likely just a thug who had come to harass us and demand a cut of the profits.
I figured their next move would depend entirely on how we responded here.
If this were the Sengoku period, we would probably be carving up their bodies and sending them back to their home base.
Then, a transmission came in from Thomas.
"Your Majesty. Shall we take prisoners?"
"Annihilate them."
I thought so!!!
Now, I wondered how the rest of them would react.
The Proone, the Ghouls, and now the Pirate Guild. Dealing with three hostile factions at once was going to be a headache.
But if we didn't crush them here, the Empire’s safety could never be guaranteed.
Strategic military affairs are certainly difficult when you’re the one making the calls.
Public opinion at home, future uncertainties, political standing, and the sheer difficulty of assessing the current situation... when all those factors combine, your options become much narrower than they appear to an outsider.
The "it would have been better to do X" critiques from later historians simply aren't options you can choose at the time.
This is quite a learning experience.