With the ship's cleaning complete, Wifey’s fleet set sail.
The Gate had lost every trace of its original ruinous atmosphere.
It had been renovated and reimagined as a proper spaceport.
A research institute, jointly run by the Galactic Empire, the Ogre God Nation, and the Battle Dome, had been built alongside it.
I heard that when they posted job openings for staff and researchers, the applicant pool was two thousand to one.
I didn't even know what to say to that anymore.
There were researchers of alien life, linguists, cultural experts... and even just plain old biologists.
Agronomists, geologists... anyway, a lot of them.
Photographers and journalists were clamoring to visit as well, but we were limiting access to trusted individuals from state-owned organizations.
I wanted to filter out the scum who just wanted to sink their teeth into a new field, the types who wanted to "spread benevolence" using massive amounts of government funding, and the human garbage who lived just to complain... but it was never that simple.
This part was difficult.
How do you even stop corruption in academia?
If left alone, they would create their own authorities and rot from within.
Some youngsters had already formed groups and tried to exclude minor factions.
Were they monkeys on a mountain or something?
I hadn't even delegated personnel authority to anyone yet.
It annoyed me, so I dumped the whole mess on the group of Officer Academy Graduate Students.
After all, they were the most veteran researchers of outer space.
Being military personnel, they were efficient at group work.
Even on the organizational chart, there was a "boss monkey" named me at the top of the Kamishiro Squad, so I felt secure.
Ukee!
And so, we warped through the Gate.
It felt good to return to the Empire after so long.
Warping is much nicer when your life isn't on the line.
A massive fleet was waiting to welcome us back. The triumphant return had already begun.
Even Thomas’s fleet, which had departed after us, looked stunned.
To be honest, I thought I might get chewed out.
Maintaining the status quo had been an option, after all. I wouldn't have been surprised if someone said I’d just thrown money away.
In reality, the books weren't just in the black—we were in the middle of an unprecedented economic boom.
Establishing trade routes with two major nations in outer space was a massive achievement.
We were welcomed as heroes.
Or rather, between the official welcome and the civilian ships joining in, we couldn't even reach the Imperial Capital! The reception was a bit too enthusiastic!
By the time we finally reached the capital several days later, we were at our wits' end.
"I... I want to go back to the Kamishiro Main House," Wifey muttered. She now viewed the Main House as "home" in every sense of the word.
"We have the triumphant parade to get through first," I said, slumped over my desk.
I was exhausted. I didn't mind the welcome, but the traffic was killing me.
"I won't! I won't! I want to eat melons on a tropical beach!"
Wifey finally snapped.
"Let's relax once the work is over."
I didn't even have the energy to argue. I just wanted to be free.
I started to feel like my own people were my biggest tormentors.
Upon reaching the capital, we were ushered into an open-top car at the spaceport. Does that make sense? No. I didn't get it either.
It was the start of the triumphant parade.
"It's an open car... are we okay for security?"
"Our outer space expedition is far too dependent on us as individuals now. Only we can do what we do. Let them try it if they dare. Hey, guards! If we die, all this work falls on you! Protect us with everything you've got!"
"Sir!"
The guards' response sounded more tragic than usual. My condolences to the security detail...
The citizens of the Empire welcomed us with fanatical fervor.
Unlike the Zork War, this hadn't been a war of loss. We were bringing home new tech and culture, and we had the Taikyoku Imperial Family with us as a symbol of friendship.
Shiyun’s popularity—or rather, the popularity of the three girls, including Tatiana and One-oh-one—simply exploded.
I'd worried Zork might be hated, but the propaganda had worked. The narrative was that he was an Imperial soldier keeping the Ogres in line.
Mr. Berger was here too, doing interviews for State-owned Media as a representative of a long-lived species.
Tatiana had been popular from the start since it was public knowledge that she was a clone.
While the fine details weren't discussed, the word that Shiyun had taken back her country had spread.
As a result, in the Empire, the three girls were recognized as heroines living through a cruel fate with great strength.
I wasn't sure about turning them into idols, but I was willing to use it for now.
By the way...
"Big Brother. Could you maybe stop glaring at me?"
I whispered while waving and smiling at the crowds. Shiyun's Older Brother looked absolutely sour. He was in the Empire for his final skin reconstruction surgery.
"My eyes aren't adjusted to the light yet."
Sure, it's bright, but he was definitely glaring at me! Shiyun giggled.
"Brother, come now. You should smile."
"B-but, Lady Shiyun..."
"Just do it."
Forced into compliance by his sister's request, the Big Brother managed a strained, artificial smile and started waving.
Hours later, we finally reached the Palace. I was dead on my feet.
Inside, a banquet was held with the nation's high-ranking officials. We, the Officer Academy Group, were seated right in the middle of the military brass.
Even though half of them had been wiped out during the Zork War, they’d already been replaced by a new batch of bigwigs with faces like the Yakuza. Mr. Raymond, the General Manager of Administrative Affairs, was among them.
"Ugh, Mr. Raymond..."
Mr. Raymond was my mentor, though in a different way than Katori-sensei. Without him, my career would have been over long ago—at least on the administrative side.
"Leo-kun, you did a great job! On that note, I have a request... I'm thinking of retiring soon—"
"Please stay, I'm begging you! I can't do any work without you, Mr. Raymond!"
As I clung to him, a Square-faced General sitting nearby burst out laughing. In corporate terms, if I were an executive and Raymond a managing director, this guy would be a VP. Or maybe the CEO.
"Hahaha! So even the Great Hero Leo Kamishiro has his weaknesses!"
He spoke in a sickeningly sweet, coaxing tone. Terrifying. Hearing an old man use that voice is a one-way ticket to hell.
"Ah, yes... I'm just not built for paperwork."
Nobody is. It's too hard! It requires high-level decision-making where the right answer isn't always clear. I was just faking my way through it.
"By the way... would you have any interest in taking the top spot in the military?"
"Spare me... I'll get on my knees, I'll do anything, just please spare me that."
I couldn't do it. Being the top of the military meant being the nation's punching bag.
"It's easy to say, 'My job is to take the fall,' but the reality requires insane political maneuvering. Being the Emperor's groom doesn't mean the world just bows to you!"
Therefore, I avoided it with everything I had.
"However, you are the hero of the Zork War and a leader who delivered results in outer space. The people will blame us if you remain a mere Brigadier General."
No, absolutely not. Even a figurehead needs to have some weight to him, and I wasn't there yet.
"I lack life experience. I think I'll need at least another twenty years."
The General's face split into a massive grin.
"Understood. Twenty years it is. It's a promise!"
I'd let my guard down because he wasn't a Latarnian. He'd cornered me into a commitment.
I had no confidence I'd be fit to be a General in twenty years, but that was a problem for future me.
Once this banquet was over, I was going to play. I swore it with bloodshot eyes.