For some reason, I was hauled off by Piggett and lectured by my wives and Kevin.
It was strange... this was supposed to be a meeting about the war.
Instead, the main item on the agenda was my complete lack of delicacy.
Shi-yun had been made to wait in another room while I was surrounded by my wives and interrogated.
Wifey declared with dead eyes.
"Surely even the Lord Groom has noticed how Shi-yun feels by now?"
Ah, this was one of those situations where I would die if I tried to crack a joke.
Therefore, I voluntarily sat in seiza on the floor and spoke with total honesty.
"Look, I’m the groom of the Galactic Empire Emperor... I figured if it’s a love that can never be realized, I should just commit to the 'Dense Protagonist' bit. Yes..."
I’d toyed with playing the 'nice University Student from next door who brought his girlfriend over' card, but since she already knew I was a married man, I leaned into the dense act instead.
Everyone looked like they were nursing a collective migraine.
"Um... everyone... you don't have to get such bad headaches over it..."
"That’s because! This is what happens when you try to be 'considerate'! Why on earth do you overthink things in such a bizarre way?!"
Even Melissa, who usually took part in my pranks, was clutching her head.
"Perhaps what the Lord Groom really needed was a normal school life..."
Wifey was also clutching her head.
"Leo... no matter how you look at it..."
Even Kevin was clutching his head.
As for Claire, she was frozen in a silent daze.
Ren offered a smile.
"My Lord, you mustn't run away."
That was the scariest thing I’d heard all day.
"Ah, yes."
Good grief.
What should I have done instead?
Maybe I should just ask.
"But look, what was I supposed to do? No matter how much of a 'Harem King' people think I am, we can't make this happen. Not politically."
"...True. If it were fulfilled, it would be indistinguishable from an invasion."
Wifey wore a complicated expression.
I bet she hadn't even thought of that!
"And I don't want to divorce Wifey."
Not a single thing! Don't take anything else from me!!!
By the way, my life is treated as the ante in almost every gamble.
"I am happy to be loved, but... when I think about Shi-yun's feelings..."
It was a difficult subject.
It would be bad to lecture her strictly and earn her resentment, and nonsensical responses like 'making a one-time memory' were out of the question.
As for her joining the harem, there was no telling how many people would die. It would be like leaving a terrifying bomb for future generations.
It would be overwhelmingly bad for Shi-yun's sake!
"That is true, Lord Groom. Should we just go ahead and create a Unified Government centered around you?"
"How many people would die for that?!"
A galactic-era Genghis Khan? I couldn't handle that!
Something like ten percent of the total population would die... I couldn't involve people in something like that!
Especially when the scars of the Zork War were already showing up in the population statistics!
"It was a joke. Even I wouldn't have a reason to cause a massacre."
"Right?!"
"Hearing the Lord Groom's side of the story, it makes sense. My Lord... you were actually thinking about it properly..."
"I choose the people I mess around with too, you know!"
"Eh?"
Everyone looked at me.
What was with those eyes?
"Eh? But Commander, you messed around with Katori-sensei."
"Well, Sensei forgives me even when I mess around."
Everyone looked at me again.
"What about messing around with the enemy?"
"Well, if I don't mess around, I'll get weaker, right? So..."
They started whispering among themselves.
Then, Claire tapped my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Leo. We've been making you go through such painful times all by yourself until now."
"What's with that patronizing pity?!"
Then, Shi-yun was shown into the room.
I was getting tired even before the meeting had actually started.
"Ah—sorry, Shi-yun. It seems the Lord Groom was just exhausted and chose his words poorly."
"Um... what are you talking about...?"
"You see, the Lord Groom was saying he wants to recover your parents' bodies soon so he can build a grave for them. He wasn't telling you to just leave. I'm sorry, men are just like this! Right, Lord Groom!"
"I am terribly sorry."
I dropped into a full dogeza.
I didn't care! If bowing my head would get me forgiven, I'd do it as much as needed!
"Ah, no! I—I'm sorry for acting like a child too! I didn't mean it that way!"
Shi-yun grabbed my hand.
"A-And... to think you were worrying about me that much... I'm happy..."
Saying that, Shi-yun blushed.
This was bad. Wifey, this was bad.
We were heading straight into a quagmire.
When I looked at my wives, they all had 'oh boy' looks on their faces.
Strange... I could have sworn I wasn't living in a rom-com world.
Suddenly, Tatiana burst into the Operations Room.
"Everyone! Latarnia started a Live Broadcast!"
You know, this world had rapidly started adopting our methods—like Propaganda techniques.
Or the 'This isn't for our own profit! It's to save the other party!' logic.
We were getting a ton of inspections regarding the protection of the Proone, too.
Even the pro wrestlers were being invited to serious Latarnia gatherings for lectures on how to stage events.
This time, Latarnia probably intended to prove their own legitimacy by performing a Live Broadcast of the war.
Tatiana put the screen on.
The Latarnia army was counterattacking without leaving their own territory. In contrast, the Ghouls—who were in a sense an invincible mob—were trampling the territory without any sense of restraint.
I wondered how long they could keep insisting, 'This is a legitimate military operation of the Taikyoku Nation'?
Latarnia was guiding them while minimizing sacrifices. They set an ambush, and then—counterattack!
"There's even a theory that we aren't needed here."
I was starting to feel a bit heartened by the sight. But then, Shi-yun's face suddenly filled with shock.
"N-No way! That is...!"
It was a literal dragon. A battleship in the shape of a Dragon Pattern had arrived.
"It's the Taikyoku Nation's new ship, the Huanglong!"
Whether they had become desperate or had some kind of secret plan, I could no longer tell.
They were no longer even trying to hide the relationship between the Taikyoku Nation and the Ghouls.
The only thing I knew for sure was that both the Taikyoku Nation and the Ghouls were dead serious.
As long as they won this battle, their domestic problems would be solved in one go. Is that what they thought? I was skeptical... but I didn't know. It was difficult to accurately predict the actions of another country with completely different customs.
"The Huanglong should have Humanoid Fighters stored inside!"
Sure enough, Humanoid Fighters emerged.
"Stand by until there is a request from the Latarnia side," I announced.
I had a very bad feeling about where this was going.