It was an envoy.
The Kingdom of Latarnia.
A major power among the top-tier nations.
The man who arrived had pointed ears and wore glasses.
He looked young, but apparently, he was older than the Great King.
I really can't tell the age of these aliens.
The man introduced himself as Exsas.
"Congratulations on your inauguration as Great King. I have come to fulfill the promise made fifty years ago. Furthermore, to the people of the Galactic Empire, it is a pleasure to meet you. We welcome you."
That was his greeting.
I wasn't sure how to react... Since they were called a major power, I'd expected someone much more aggressive and intimidating.
But precisely because they claimed to be a major power, they seemed to be a sensible nation, at least on the surface.
Saria spoke while breaking into a cold sweat.
"A promise? I haven't heard of such a thing..."
"Regarding the extermination of the Proone. We exchanged a promise with the Great King from four generations ago. He requested our assistance once a path to victory became visible."
Wait... you seriously remember a promise from four generations back?
Moreover, showing up right at this moment when the Proone's defeat is in sight means... have you been monitoring us this whole time?
Scary! Latarnia is terrifying!
They're ultra-persistent... the type of people who'd remember a hundred-credit debt for a soda decades after the fact!
"That Great King died in battle against the Proone..."
"Yes, the Great King of that era intended to seize victory and exterminate the Proone himself."
Saria informed him.
Even if the person who made the promise died, the promise itself remained valid.
It was enough to make my stomach drop.
Wifey was also breaking into a cold sweat.
Saria asked timidly.
"Um... and the price? That is... since it was such a long time ago, we haven't made any preparations on our end."
"There is no need for concern. The Proone were an eyesore to us as well. The price and our actions are one and the same: the total disappearance of all living things on the Holy Capital Planet."
The atmosphere shifted instantly at that statement.
"Currently, we do not desire the extinction of the Proone. Our policy is to render them harmless while preserving the species,"
Saria said, but Exsas declared without a change in expression.
"That is irrelevant. A promise is a promise. We uphold our word even unto death, and we do not permit amendments to our agreements."
Even if circumstances changed, a promise was a promise.
So they were that type of civilization.
It was probably useless to say anything more.
We would only end up being identified as enemies by them.
Then Wifey opened her mouth.
"Lord Exsas. You do not mind if we rescue the Proone before the attack, do you?"
"We will notify you of the attack time, so please do as you wish until then. Our promise only covers the act of the attack itself."
"I see. I thank you for the prior notice."
There was nothing else she could say.
Since we hadn't been in a full-blown total war with them, our claim of 'they're our prey!' was weak.
Even if we did claim it, there was no telling how they would react.
We were nothing more than outsiders to this promise.
The concept of human rights was an issue far beyond legal or illegal.
In all likelihood, that concept... did not exist in Latarnia.
If I had to say, it was the Great King from four generations ago and the successive Proone leaders who had been fools.
There was no benefit for us in protecting the Proone to the point of making an enemy of a major power.
It was a relief that he at least explained it to us.
At the very least, I had to assume they recognized the Galactic Empire as a nation.
Though it did piss me off to have the sandcastle we worked so hard to build kicked over and destroyed.
However, that was strictly just my own emotion.
"We hope to build a long-lasting friendly relationship with the Ogre God Nation and the Galactic Empire. Well then, I shall take my leave."
After giving his one-sided notification, Exsas left in a hurry.
His words were polite, but he treated us as complete inferiors.
It didn't matter if we resisted.
If we did, they would simply hand out punishment.
That kind of arrogance, hidden behind his top-down perspective, was clear.
"Well, I think you've understood what kind of country they are from that... sigh..."
Saria let out a heavy sigh.
"Another nation with an intense character has arrived..."
"That country is obsessed with promises above all else. They have no concept of a statute of limitations, and they're famous for collecting small change from their grandfathers' generation. That's why even the Battle Dome doesn't do business with them. They're out of their minds."
Scary!
So they were the type of country you couldn't trade or negotiate with!
Well, I guess it's better than being evil... or is it?
Wifey asked.
"Do they actually keep their promises?"
"They keep them even if they die. Even if it was just a random comment made over drinks. That's why you can't carelessly make promises with them. What were you thinking, previous Great King?! Are you an idiot?!"
Their particular brand of madness was different from the Proone's.
"First, let us notify the Proone."
"That's the only choice we have..."
So, we told the Proone.
Normally, we weren't obligated to tell them anything.
But still, killing every living thing on the entire Holy Capital Planet was a bit much...
The Proone side sent out a Bureaucrat, still looking down on us.
We told them out of goodwill, but the message probably wouldn't reach the leadership.
"Next is the Revolution Army."
We notified the Revolution Army as well.
They responded immediately.
"Please, save only the children."
"Is that all you need?"
Wifey asked.
But the leader's determination was firm.
"We have committed too many sins. To break the cycle of hatred, we must perish along with the Proone Faith itself."
"I see..."
Wifey was at a loss for words.
Opinions like "We must not miss this chance! Let's exterminate the Proone from every planet!" came from Mr. Turtle, Mr. Wolf, and Mr. Rabbit.
However, we eventually got them to agree by pointing out that the Ogre God Nation had been the one doing the heavy lifting.
On the day we planned the transport of the children, Wifey came to the Dining Hall.
"Lord Groom... everyone... I do not understand... The Proone are evil. But I think extinction is going too far. Yet, I also dropped a colony on a capital planet during the Zork War and scorched planets. But... for them to butt in after the fact and do this..."
"We're ultimately just outsiders. I suppose the resentment runs that deep."
Isono said something uncharacteristically sensible.
"The Proone have just screwed up too much,"
Nakajima agreed.
Afterward, there were objections from the Officer Academy Bunch, but they weren't realistic.
The Graduate Student also said he didn't understand.
The only thing we understood... was that there was nothing we could do.
We were merely the catalyst.
The Proone had already been walking the path to ruin the moment we stepped through the Gate.
A few days after we hurriedly took in the children and placed them under protection on an Uninhabited Planet owned by the Ogre God Nation,
the Proone were wiped out.