To handle the pirate situation, I brought Claire along to meet a key figure.
This person was the trendsetter behind a certain fad that had emerged in the Ogre God Nation following the influx of our culture.
They operated in the shadows, always wearing a mask.
Yes, they were the underground publishing group known as the Rose Society.
...Or so the story goes.
"Kirti, aren't you hot in that?"
I could tell who it was just by her silhouette and hairstyle.
She probably thought she was hiding her figure, but she couldn't fool my biological woman-sensor.
It was definitely Kirti.
"I-I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, regarding the supply of the 'One-Shota,' 'BL,' and 'Disgusting Wealthy Man... Twitch Twitch' books..."
"Lower your voice!"
"It’s fine, isn't it? I consider you a comrade who shares the same sexual fetishes as I do..."
"A comrade... N-no! It's still too embarrassing, so stop it!"
"Anyway, about this Acrylic Stand Handmade Kit..."
"You just brushed my modesty aside like it was nothing!"
"It’s fine, it’s fine. Here are the materials. It’s printed on resin paper—whatever, just call it paper. If the authorities raid the place, just burn it."
"U-understood. And what about the illustration lectures?"
"Right. Over to you, Claire..."
I passed the baton to her.
"We've secured the Illustrator Teacher's schedule. She will be live-streaming lectures every night on this site. An edited version will be distributed the following day."
While the Ogre God Nation had plenty of construction craftsmen, they lacked professional designers and illustrators. There were likely people who drew for their companies, but it wasn't viewed as a specialized skill.
Consequently, there was no research into technique; they simply followed traditional methods. While it existed as a hobby to some extent, it lacked the diversity found in the Empire. Or rather, in this regard, the Empire—which had inherited the culture of ancient Japan—was the outlier.
So, while bypassing Saria's watchful eyes, we would teach them from the ground up, starting with basic sketching.
The illustrator we chose was a woman in her early twenties who was active primarily online. She had actually graduated at the top of her class from the Imperial University of the Arts! And then, she failed to find a job.
She had missed the court artist exam because she had the flu. Then, she was forced to give up on graduate school due to harassment from a professor who belonged to the talent-jealousy faction. Following that, she became unemployed...
While living as a semi-shut-in, she began posting illustrations on social media that laid her libido bare, which eventually led to her debut.
I felt a strange sense of kinship with her!
She was practically a representative for people like us, so I recruited her by dangling the bait of a stable income.
...Being a freelancer is rough.
As someone in a freelance-like state within the military, my heart swelled with a sense of camaraderie. After all, my salary had finally shifted to some mysterious commission-based system!
"It's only natural since you're effectively a Minister now, isn't it?" Claire remarked.
What kind of logic was that?!
Sure, the money was rolling in for now, but I never knew when the tap might run dry!
Because of that, I empathized with the teacher completely. Kirti was also leaning in with intense curiosity. Wholesome content alone wouldn't satisfy the demand... I mean, even the God of Manga used to draw lewd doodles. The urge to create is universal.
This was the choice of the world.
I-it’s not like I was thinking this would be a great way to win over Kirti, the future Queen, or anything!
Regardless, the Cultural Contamination Project was proceeding apace.
Then came the propaganda. Since I’d already primed the public with the 'Ikkyu-san' cartoons, I ran commercials saying, "Pirates: Absolutely Not. If you spot a pirate, report them immediately!"
Gwahahaha! Taste the baptism of capitalism!
"By the way, Claire... why is your skin so... glowing?" Kirti asked.
"It's a secret."
...It looked like Claire was planning to take the illustration lectures, too. Apparently, several students from the military academy—both boys and girls—were signing up. I had a feeling a God-tier Illustrator might be born from our unit.
Good luck, everyone!
The pirate countermeasure propaganda had an immediate effect. The number of reports was staggering. As expected, public security in the Ogre God Nation had been neglected during the war with the Proone. First, I would sweep the pirates from the surrounding space.
We rounded them up with ease. The Imperial Army had spent ages doing nothing but pirate suppression; our expertise in catching them was vast.
"You bastards! Do you have any idea who's backing us? A major power!" one of them shouted.
It was the usual cliché, so I set about making them talk. Which 'major power' was supporting them, exactly?
Most of them couldn't actually answer. They weren't letting me catch the tail of the beast so easily. I didn't actually care if they had a major power behind them. If I could just draw out a single stupid statement like, "We're declaring war because you won't let us plunder!" then I could stir things up from the inside and crush them.
In reality, they probably weren't that moronic. Or so I thought, right until Wifey summoned me.
"Lord Groom, what do you make of this?"
What the medical officer had lined up on the desk was... drugs.
The Empire had its share of drug problems, but the variety was limited. They were mostly old, well-known substances. The only recent addition was 'Electronic Drugs'—programs that used illegally modified nanomachines to induce euphoria.
However, the sheer variety of drugs the pirates were trafficking was insane. What was all this?!
"Look at all these different kinds!"
There were mushroom powders, plant resins, microbial byproducts, chemically synthesized compounds... I understood that different races required different drugs, but the sheer diversity of ways to 'get high' was incredible. There were drugs with a ten percent chance of stopping your heart. There were even drugs designed to take you right to the brink of death. They were literally betting their lives on these substances. Instead of trying to make them safer, they were intentionally increasing the risk. Were they idiots?
"Is this the ultimate fate of a world with no entertainment?" I wondered aloud.
"It's beyond stupid!" Wifey snapped.
"It seems they find the risk itself to be the only thing worth living—or dying—for," the medical officer agreed.
I felt a chill.
"Why wouldn't they try to make the drugs harmless?"
"Apparently, the danger is where the value lies. In a word, it's slow-motion suicide."
Upon hearing the medical officer's assessment, Wifey let out a heavy sigh.
"Analyze the components to ensure none of this reaches the Empire."
"At once!"
Wifey clearly couldn't wrap her head around it. Neither could I! I’m the type who’d rather survive by slurping mud if that's what it took. I would probably never understand people like this.
Hmm... Wait a second. Is this whole galaxy... just one giant Marginal Village?