The next day, amidst a grand and enthusiastic send-off, we left the Isono Main House.
I mean, seriously—turning a fifteen-minute stroll into a two-hour parade!
Though I suppose it just goes to show how popular Wifey really is.
I heard the festival in the city would continue for another three days after this. They’d distributed a massive amount of celebratory sake, after all. It was almost entirely thanks to the financial power of Wifey and Claire.
Ah, here I am—living the dream as the kept man of my wives. Well, I’m a figurehead executive too, in my own right.
And so, we headed to Nakajima's Planet.
The Nakajima Main House was located on a military planet, just like Isono’s. However, this one focused primarily on munitions factories. From freeze-dried goods to frozen foods and even canned goods, there were countless rations factories belonging to various food manufacturers.
The spaceport lacked the military edge and overbearing atmosphere of Planet Isono. It just felt like a massive industrial zone. Posters for various corporations and safety slogans were plastered everywhere.
【Zero Accident Campaign in Progress】
Hmm, such a familiar atmosphere. They even had these posters in the hallways of the military academy.
There was no parade at the spaceport. Instead, Nakajima's Family, their retainers, and military personnel came to greet us.
Nakajima's Family members were also machos, but of a different sort. If Isono’s family were attack-type machos, these were the defense-type.
No... let me be honest, without exaggeration. I honestly suspect the entire family consists of total masochists. It’s just a feeling, of course. My intuition must be getting dull! Please, let me be wrong! Just this once, let my premonition be off!
"Emperor, our family has a tradition of cherishing women for generations... Hahaha!"
Every word out of their mouths sounded like an innuendo. If that were the case, then Nakajima and his fiancée were likely the perfect couple.
Ignoring Jester’s mounting premonitions, we headed toward the Lord’s Mansion in a car prepared by the Nakajima family.
The landscape was nothing but factories, though they were apparently putting every effort into environmental preservation. Along the roadside, residents were waving welcome flags. They were probably forced to do it by their companies. Let’s stop with that kind of corporate sycophancy... no one actually gains anything from it.
"Whoa..."
"As usual, the Lord Groom seems to dislike this sort of thing."
"I’d be fine with it if it were of their own free will, but this is the kind of thing people only do because their boss told them to. I just can’t get used to it..."
"What kind of nonsense is that, coming from a high-ranking military official who is the very incarnation of such systems?"
"Ehh..."
Kawagon... so sad...
To summarize: Melissa has her Village of Evil Customs Hot Spring. Claire has her bright, communal collective-farm planet. Isono has a military dictatorship where no one is currently complaining. And Nakajima has a company town where accepting pro-wrestling style interactions is mandatory, and only those at the peak of masochistic evolution can survive.
Every single one of them is preposterous. They are all social systems that every other faction has failed at, yet somehow, they’re succeeding here.
"Why is it working out so well...?"
"These are Duke-type planets, after all," the Emperor replied. "The residents should be able to live even if left to their own devices. In short... the previous lords were simply too incompetent. At Isono’s, they abandoned management and left everything to the military. At Nakajima’s, they turned a blind eye to whatever the companies did—apparently, industrial accidents were rampant. At Claire’s, they kept forcing strange ideologies on the people, which tanked productivity. The only place that wasn't that bad was Melissa’s, I suppose."
Hey, listen up! The Emperor herself is speaking! You useless, incompetent dukes!
Actually, the fact that Melissa’s place is considered "not bad" is the most disturbing part. A woman driven entirely by self-promotion doing whatever she wanted was the better option? That’s terrifying.
Now, Nakajima's Wedding Party was supposed to be a small gathering for only relatives and relations and those involved...
"How many people are even here...?"
The venue was massive—the kind of place usually reserved for a trade fair. Gathered there were Nakajima and his fiancée’s families, their entire extended clans, and a swarm of military personnel, company presidents, and bigwigs. Manufacturers for fighter jet parts, electronic components, the conveyor belts used to make them, and even the companies that made the screws for the belts... I guess they couldn't afford not to show up. Since it was such a hassle, it seemed they decided to just hold a trade fair and business negotiation meeting at the same time. Business deals were being struck all over the room.
I thought Nakajima's fiancée might be annoyed, but she didn't seem to mind at all. Nakajima himself was in formal wear. I hate to say this about him, but... once he takes off his glasses, he actually has the face of an idol. He was even considered a suspect for the Second Female-type Zork back when Kevin almost killed me. So, man, did the suit look good on him. Standing next to his fiancée, they both looked like a pair of celebrity talents.
"My... they certainly look the part."
"It’s a surprise, isn't it?"
Wifey and I were watching from a safe distance, treating it like someone else's business. After all, there was no harm to us. One-oh-one, Tatiana, and Shiyun were busy enjoying the food from the trade fair stalls. Melissa was eating casually. Claire, seeing a golden opportunity, was busy working the room for sales. Ren, however, looked bored.
"Ren, are you bored?"
"No... it’s just... I noticed there isn’t much meat..."
Since it was all munitions, luxury goods were scarce.
...Oh?
"I’ll be right back. Ren, you come too."
"Ah, yes. Where are we going?"
First, we went to Claire. Wifey and Melissa followed along. Claire had just finished a business negotiation.
"Yo, Claire."
"What is it, everyone?"
"Well, Ren mentioned that the current munitions don't really suit her kind. Could you introduce us to someone?"
The moment I let that slip, representatives from several companies came charging over.
"H-His Excellency the Grand Duke! Is something the matter?"
"Yeah, my wife, Ren, says these aren't really for her."
"I see, uhm..."
"Are there no delicious Beast Race Rations?"
Ren’s eyes went wide. For the Beast Race, it was a given that they had to endure whatever they were given; the concept of dedicated food hadn't even crossed her mind.
"I-I see!"
"Twenty percent of the National Army is Beast Race," I said with a smile. "It would be a problem at the front lines if there’s nothing but standard frozen food. I think it might be a prime business opportunity."
The employees present immediately contacted their respective offices.
"I have received instructions from His Excellency the Grand Duke. We are to develop rations for the Beast Race immediately. Yes, highest priority!"
A representative from a manufacturer of canned and freeze-dried goods spoke into his comms with a deadly serious expression. Others were doing the same. Once they finished, they turned back to me with bright smiles.
"A development team is being formed as we speak."
"That’s good to hear."
I smiled back. As the conversation wrapped up, Wifey tugged on my sleeve.
"Lord Groom... was that not essentially an imperial decree?"
"It can’t be helped if they took it that way, but it’s a fact that twenty percent of the army is Beast Race."
The Beast Race tends to have strong fighting instincts, making the current high-conflict military a perfect place for them to be employed.
"You've become quite the wicked man, haven't you?" Wifey teased with a smirk. Hey, even I grow. Ren was also beaming. No one was getting hurt, so what was the harm in using a little authority?
And so, Nakajima’s party finally came to an end. I was feeling relieved that the big events were finally behind us. But then, of course, they went and found some ruins in a mine.
Hahaha... Sigh...