It turned out the Saint Barrier Device had a tendency to topple over when deployed on soft ground.
Apparently, this hadn't been an issue on the planet where we initially tested it.
Once the problem was identified, the road to a solution was a straight line.
I equipped the base with anchors and dampers—well, shock absorbers, really.
I reviewed every single component, right down to the last screw, switching them all to vibration-damping specifications.
Next came the countermeasures for the device’s thermal runaway.
Water cooling wasn't really an option for a portable unit, so for the time being, we decided to just vent the heat using a heat exchanger.
The software also needed some serious refinement, but that was a task for another day.
Today, I had something much more enjoyable to do.
We had already pushed deep into the central territory of the Taikyoku Nation.
We were currently making use of the spaceport on a certain Local Urban Planet. The groundwork and negotiations had been handled in advance.
General Woo’s army was continuing its rapid advance—or rather, the fact that we were systematically installing Saint Barrier Devices everywhere meant the Ghouls couldn't lift a finger to stop them.
Once the Ghoul-controlled upper echelons were eliminated, the soldiers underneath were more than happy to surrender.
After all, we had a legitimate candidate for the Next Emperor on our side, and General Woo strictly forbade looting.
In fact, because Latarnia and our group were providing massive amounts of support, there was simply no need for his troops to pillage anything.
Our Military Police were functioning perfectly, cracking down hard on looting and assault. Even arbitrary executions were being prevented.
This meant the enemy could surrender with peace of mind.
Furthermore, we made sure to advertise those facts through constant broadcasts.
Following our advice, we were providing constant live broadcasts of the occupied zones via surveillance cameras.
“See? Nothing bad is happening here~.”
If the police or Military Police had to take action, all that information was made public too. We even disclosed information that was inconvenient for us.
Most of it was just drunken brawls or petty thefts by people with sticky fingers, though.
Basically, those cases were handed over to the local police. As for the drop in troop numbers, if we put out recruitment calls with clearly defined salaries and benefits, people gathered naturally.
There were plenty of people who wanted to be part of the story of a princess and prince standing up during a national crisis, just as the citizens of the Galactic Empire wanted to be part of the Emperor's saga as he fought against Zork.
As for me, a small part of Wifey’s story... I was busy frying yakisoba in a park with an event space near the spaceport.
I was running a stall for the Taikyoku Nation, Latarnia, and Galactic Empire Goodwill Fair.
Was this another one of my schemes?
No, not at all.
It started when a bunch of teenagers, starved for entertainment, mentioned they wanted to set off some fireworks. When that reached Wifey’s ears, she decided, “Well, if we’re doing it anyway, let’s prepare some proper skyrockets and throw a festival.”
Then, a trading company caught wind of the plan and came to negotiate directly, bringing their subordinate event companies with them, shouting, “Let us handle this!!!”
At that point, we just gave up. We accepted that this was simply our fate.
“Here you go.”
I handed some yakisoba to Zashiki-warashi-chan, who had apparently leveled up enough to be able to manifest outside the ship.
It felt exactly like a school festival.
Well, you tend to get bored of summer festivals after a few hours, so we figured it would be more fun to join in on the management side.
Next to me, Isono was busy grilling yakitori.
Nakajima was frying up potatoes and karaage.
Eddie was grilling sausages while steaming potatoes. Buttered potatoes, huh? I’d have to buy some later.
The girls took charge of the candy apples, chocolate-covered bananas, and other sweets.
Claire, Melissa, and Ren were busy making crepes.
Kevin was frying donuts.
Nina-san was working the cotton candy machine.
What happened to our status as Imperial Nobles? I have no idea.
Zashiki-warashi-chan was in heaven, surrounded by the mountain of food being offered to her. She sat quietly on a bench we’d prepared, munching away.
Tatiana was currently on standby, as she had to appear for the main event later.
“Raven-kun, could you take this over to Tatiana and the others?”
“Yes, sir!”
I felt like someone might scold me for what I was making a bodyguard do, but I didn’t care. I had him carry the food to the building where Tatiana, Shiyun, One-oh-one, and Wifey were waiting.
Piggett was guarding the four of them, so it was perfectly safe.
Before long, Thomas and his group arrived. They were dressed in yukatas, holding skewers in both hands. They were in full festival-enjoyment mode.
I starting to think Thomas was the one who gained the most from the imperial succession struggle.
Cyrus was there too, munching on buttered corn.
These guys were way too free!
“Hey, Leo!”
“Here’s your yakisoba. Big Brother Cyrus is with you, right?”
“My apologies.”
Regarding Cyrus, his presence was essentially a public secret. Every citizen understood that the Empire would have been doomed if Maro had stayed in power. So, the general consensus was a shrug and a “Well, it can't be helped~.”
Ah, right. My other brother-in-law.
Walter had returned to his senses, so we had him working back in the Imperial Capital. We didn’t have the luxury of wasting talented human resources. We put him in charge of managing the civil officials.
One might worry about him forming a faction and creating a new power base, but as Wifey put it, “Let him do as he likes.”
She argued that because the Leo Kamishiro Clan was becoming too powerful, it was actually better to have an opposing force. Her ideal was to have numerous factions monitoring one another.
She said that while large-scale corruption and the concentration of power were dangerous, a sustainable country could be maintained if the small-scale corruption of minor groups was kept in check through regular pruning.
In short: “Don't get too carried away.”
It was fine if a soldier’s meal on the front lines got an extra side dish through some accounting magic, but if an official demanded a bribe directly, they’d be executed. That was the important distinction.
I also had the fairies monitoring that side of things.
While I was chatting with Thomas and the others, an announcement rang out.
“The Unveiling Ceremony of the Barrier Device by Saint Tatiana will now begin.”
“Shall we?”
I took off my apron and handed the stall over to a general soldier who was a trained cook. We changed into our ceremonial uniforms and headed toward the building where Wifey and Tatiana were waiting.
Skyrockets launched into the air.
We walked in a two-column march. Isono was at the very back, waving a flag, while I acted the part of the important leader at the front.
I had total confidence in this version of the device. Perhaps because that confidence showed in my stride, the march seemed to leave a very positive impression on the onlookers.
When we reached the building, we found the four girls still in their jerseys, finishing off their yakisoba.
Raven-kun was busy coordinating with Piggett.
“L-Lord Groom! T-This isn’t what it looks like! It just smelled so good! I really did intend to wait until after the ceremony was over!”
It seemed Wifey hadn't been able to resist either.
“Was it good?”
“It was delicious!”
Seeing Wifey happy was enough for me.
A court lady entered and gave a deep bow.
“It is time for the final preparations. Would the gentlemen please wait in the lounge?”
With that, the female guards moved to the dressing room, and we headed to the waiting room for a quick break.
It had been a relaxing, slow-paced holiday event.
Up until that point.
Yes, back then, the Ghouls who had seized the Taikyoku Nation still felt they had room to breathe. They were convinced there was no way we could ever actually destroy them.