Well then, time for a civilian ship... Oh, we're using the Imperial Family's exclusive vessel? Right, then.
We set out for Ren's family home, located near the Imperial Capital, aboard a dedicated Imperial Family's Exclusive Passenger Ship. The crew consisted of the usual gang and our escorting Knights. It was an incredible number of people; it certainly didn't feel like a simple family trip.
Claire, having finished her own homecoming, had joined us. Our first stop was Ren's family home. Tatiana's mother and siblings were currently being protected there due to a variety of circumstances, so we were dropping by to see them.
After that, we would head to the Kamishiro Main House before finally going to my own family home. We would visit Melissa's house and then Kevin's, dropping everyone off at their respective territories as we went. Eddie was scheduled to disembark where the liner for Minerva-chan's family home departed, and Isono and the others would be dropped off along the way as well. For the return trip, everyone was expected to make their own way back.
Me, the wifeys, Shiyun, and One-oh-one were in a total vacation mood. Shiyun, however, looked deathly pale.
"I... I've thought this since I first saw the Imperial Capital... but is the Galactic Empire perhaps a superpower?"
Well, the territory was certainly vast. However, the fringes of the Empire were just as rural as the Taikyoku Nation. While our own territory had become quite urbanized thanks to direct flights to the Imperial Capital Planet and an influx of I-turn migrants, the reality for territories held by the Count rank and below remained difficult. Showing her these aspects without filters was the primary purpose of Shiyun's inspection tour. Shiyun's older brother was also accompanying her.
"I don't know about 'superpower,' but it's certainly wide,"
"Umu. It was fine while the population was growing... but with a low birthrate lasting this long, I think things might have been better if the Empire were a bit more compact."
No matter the cultural sphere, one couldn't escape the cycle: rapid population growth leads to a land bubble, which leads to pointless development in remote areas, which eventually leads to ghost towns. This cycle was exactly why employment difficulties for the Beast Race and Enhanced Humans who had undergone Chlorella Treatment were so prevalent. If I had been told there were no jobs after I'd modified my body and genes just to adapt to manual labor, I’d probably be seriously considering a government overthrow.
Ah, wait. I, Jester, was a modified human too. Well, things were going fine for me as a civil servant for now, so I didn't need to worry about that.
In any case, we arrived at Ren's home. Given the lack of active combat, the distance was negligible. It was essentially a high-end resort—as long as the trash house, or rather the museum, was kept clean.
"By the way, what happened to all that trash?" I asked Ren.
"The Empire is still investigating it, as they believe more Ancient Weapons might be found. They say it will take about ten years."
Figures. They'd already found the fairies' beds and the Linear Blazer—which was now the Empire's mainstay weapon—right there! If anyone messed with that place carelessly, the Empire might actually collapse. Imagine the history books: The Empire fell because of a trash house. That would be a special kind of hell.
When we arrived at the spaceport, the Duke House Mistral's Knight Order was there to greet us.
"Onee-sama!!!"
Marma-kun, the current head of house, came running up. When we first met, I had addressed him with "-sama," but now I was an Archduke. This meant I could treat him entirely like a younger brother-in-law. I'd always wanted a younger brother! We could go catch beetles, go fishing, play in the sea—all that stuff!
"Marma-kun... let's go bug hunting with your big brother."
"The pressure! Husband, stop putting so much pressure on him! Besides, Marma hates bugs!"
"Ehh..."
My dream of bug hunting with a younger brother was crushed in an instant.
"Then, what do you want to do?"
"P-Please, teach me the sword!"
"Eddie-san, he's all yours," I said, tossing the request to Eddie.
"Why me!?"
"If I teach him and Marma-kun picks up my weird habits, what then!?"
"Leo-san! If you're that self-aware, then do your own kata practice properly!!!"
He gave me a sharp retort, but I was eventually forgiven after promising to do the kata practice with them. We were staying here for a few days—maybe two or three nights. Since the Emperor was attending, a dinner party was mandatory.
"Being royalty is hard work... Ren, I'm sorry you have to deal with this too."
"Not at all! This is actually a prime opportunity to bolster the clan's loyalty."
House Mistral was now a heavyweight within the Pro-Emperor Faction. It was apparently vital to unite the vassals who supported the still-underage Marma-kun. Having the Emperor show up in person to express his gratitude was a powerful gesture. The goal was to make every member think, 'Our house is part of the Emperor's inner circle! As a member of this clan, I'm also AWESOME!!!'
After that, they would just prune any idiots who got too big for their boots. Conversely, those who reached the 'correct' conclusion—that they had to live more virtuously because of their status—would be favored. The peerage system was a harsh society indeed.
Doing this in various regions was the wifeys' job this time around. In parallel, my companions and I would discuss industrial development, logistics, and personnel. Without Claire-sama, this would have been an impossible game.
On top of that, there were the petitions from influential locals. They wanted new facilities built or letters of recommendation for the national university in the Imperial Capital. Specifically, they wanted hospitals and spaceport upgrades. As for the university recommendations, we were happy to increase the quotas. There was a chronic shortage of highly educated talent in both the arts and sciences.
Of course, they still had to pass the entrance exams. If their performance was poor, they'd be crushed under the weight of people asking, "Are you trying to shame His Majesty the Emperor?" Everyone involved would end up miserable, and it would likely breed resentment. Thus, the entrance exam remained an absolute barrier. In this sense, politics was just one long string of grassroots legwork.
For the dinner party, the men wore military formal dress, while the women braved the event in dresses selected by the Loli Auntie Squad. They had brought an absurd amount of clothing. Apparently, unlike men, a woman can't wear the same dress twice. I didn't really understand the logic, and the constant costume changes were giving several of the girls stress-induced stomach aches. Our sense of money was still firmly rooted in our commoner origins.
When the dressed-up women entered the hall, the atmosphere shifted. Every one of the Officer Academy girls was already a current head of a Count House. Moreover, they were a pool of talent guaranteed to reach the rank of Duke. The members of the Mistral clan were equally desperate in their social maneuvering. They didn't look like they were searching for daughters-in-law; they looked like they were facing off against business partners.
Furthermore, both the men and women of our group were elites who would one day lead the national military. Even the men weren't being ignored. Both the Mistral clan and the Kamishiro clan were in full hospitality mode.
As for me, while being entertained, I used Claire as my secretary to talk business incessantly, covering everything from the military to trade. We were so, so short on civil officials.
Tatiana was being mobbed. That was to be expected for the Saint of Outer Space; everyone wanted to get close to her. However, she was fine this time because she had her manager. Manager-san was a capable man—a former soldier who had handled security and management at an entertainment agency. He was a modified human with Chlorella Treatment, a mountain of muscle standing over two meters tall. After retiring, he'd apparently gone to university on a military scholarship before entering the entertainment industry. Manager-san was smoothly setting up appointments and managing the nobles. If he hadn't been there, my own workload might have increased to the point of killing me.
Shiyun had her older brother, and One-oh-one had her steward...
I really want a secretary. I won't be picky and demand a woman or anything, so please, I'm begging you!