I was Anomaly-chan, the entity that brought an end to all she met.
I was currently talking with Lao-chan.
“General Lao, you’re aware of the Ghoul invasion, I assume?”
“Yes... The Imperial Child, who should be dead, is the one issuing orders, and my comrades are becoming different people. Everyone is trembling in terror, reduced to living like livestock.”
“But you’re different, right?”
Finally, all the pieces fell into place.
The reason General Lao hadn't deployed his troops wasn't due to internal strife or a wait-and-see approach.
He had been preparing for a coup d’état.
Cleverly. In a way that no one would notice.
He had conserved his military strength at the very limit of what could be considered his usual routine.
Ah, General Lao was the same type of commander I was.
Was that why I’d been able to predict that he would eventually contact us?
I had kept quiet because I had no evidence, but now I understood.
If I were in the same position, I would protect Wifey and the others even if it meant cutting ties with the country.
If it were me, would I consider it a guaranteed loss the moment Shiyun was captured?
General Lao must have admitted defeat at around the same time.
I wondered if this time lag was because the First Consort had resisted until the very end?
That was likely the difference between General Lao and me.
General Lao probably wanted to protect the First Consort's value as the First Consort as well.
I understood the feeling.
The cry of “How am I supposed to live if I’m no longer the First Consort?” was likely a genuine cry from the heart.
However, I didn't confuse Wifey’s life with Wifey’s value.
I couldn't care less if the Imperial Family or the Empire fell.
Even if she ceased to be Empress, Wifey would still be Wifey.
Life always took priority.
In the worst-case scenario, I could just have them forgive her in exchange for my own life.
General Lao confirmed my coup d’état theory.
“I am currently gathering those who can be trusted, with the intention of retaking the Palace.”
“I understand. We will dispatch a Saint. Once safety is confirmed, we'll have Shiyun return as the Emperor.”
“You have my gratitude.”
“So, when shall we carry out the operation?”
“As soon as preparations are complete... I shall contact you.”
“Also, this is an important matter, but we prioritize Shiyun’s personal safety. We won't demand that you make Shiyun the Emperor, but... we deem the First Consort unsuitable as a negotiation partner. If the First Consort is to rule the Taikyoku Nation, we will cease our aid to your country and leave everything to Latarnia. That includes the post-war settlements and the subsequent governance.”
“I... I will keep that in mind...”
After that, we exchanged final greetings and ended the correspondence.
Well then, the situation had shifted.
“Lord Groom, what do you think?”
“About whether she’s aiming for a last-minute reversal by killing Shiyun?”
“If I were in the Ghouls' position, I would do it.”
“That’s why I’m thinking of sending Tatiana ahead. If we activate the device and kick the Ghouls out, they won't be able to complain. If the First Consort insists on ruling the country, we can just leave it to Latarnia and withdraw, right?”
“That is fine.”
That meant, in other words, becoming an economic colony for loan sharks.
The Taikyoku Nation had a history of treating Latarnians crudely as slaves, so their future would likely be bleak.
But since the Taikyoku Nation was the one that chose that path, it couldn't be helped.
I was the type of person who distinguished between what I could and couldn't do.
If they chose the route of governance by the First Consort, we would have no choice but to pull out.
Even if the result was inhumane, they were a faction we hadn't even signed a treaty with.
If they didn't like that, they should have valued trust and credit.
We were a faction they could negotiate with, and we had prepared various routes other than the one where Shiyun ascended as Emperor.
General Lao probably understood that. Probably.
The Empire wouldn't take responsibility, and in the first place, our goal was complete once we destroyed the Ghouls.
After that, we could just become a great power of free trade and recoup our war expenses.
And so, I ended up spending precious time with my spouse talking about work.
We were a close-knit couple, after all!
The next day, when I thought about announcing it in front of everyone, everyone already knew.
Shiyun and her big brother knew too.
How boring.
I knew who the culprit was.
It was the Fairy.
We held a meeting while eating in the dining hall in the morning.
For breakfast, one could choose between a set meal of scrambled eggs, natto, and rice, or toast with scrambled eggs and salad.
This was the result of a long-standing conflict between the Rice Faction and the Toast Faction, who could not understand each other.
The soup for both was miso soup, though.
Oh, radish. My favorite ingredient.
I complained while eating my rice.
“Fairy! Giving away spoilers is just...”
“I only informed those who wouldn't let it leak, you see.”
“In any case, we're going to have Tatiana do her best.”
By the way, Wifey, Tatiana, Melissa, and Ren were part of the Toast Faction.
People like Claire, Isono, and Nakajima, who looked like hardcore Japanese Ethnicity from their appearances, were part of the Rice Faction.
Japanese people couldn't muster their strength unless they ate rice!!!
Eh? Me? Come to think of it, I didn't know my own roots.
Well, based on my behavioral patterns, I was likely of Japanese Ethnicity.
Shiyun and the other Taikyoku Nation people had a special meal of fried bread and soy milk soup.
The portion wasn't that large.
I wondered if it was military rations, but apparently, it was a standard menu for civilians.
A soldier who was a former cook from the Taikyoku Nation had made it.
I apologized to Shiyun, thinking I might have pushed her too hard until now.
“I’m sorry. I hadn't considered the cultural differences.”
“The food on this ship is delicious, you know?”
That was a relief. She didn't seem to have minded much.
It seemed there had been no cultural clashes. Safe, safe.
Then, Kyoko-chan, dressed in work clothes, came running in.
She was covered in machine oil.
Had she built something in a rush!?
When she spotted us, she rushed over with a thumping sound.
Don't trip, now.
“It’s finished!!!”
She put her hands on the table and was hopping up and down.
Was she a toddler holding back the urge to use the bathroom?
“What’s finished?”
“It’s the Saint System. I was able to make the same thing!”
“Amazing! You understood how the mechanism works!?”
“No, not that at all! But I was able to make something that has the same effect!!!”
O-Oh.
The usual Empire quality, then.
“U-Umu. Let us verify it at once.”
I locked eyes with Wifey. But she immediately averted her gaze.
Wifey was also thinking, “Is that going to be okay...?”
Claire and the others also looked away.
I looked at Tatiana’s face.
“Tatiana, let's become guinea pigs together.”
Tatiana had an extremely disgusted look on her face.
“I guess I have no choice, man.”
Tatiana had also given up on various things.
Would it explode? Or would the set break?
I didn't know which, but I could predict that there would be a punchline.
Yes, that was exactly the Fate of the Jester.