I was Mobuko!
I had the name Riko Sakazaki, but I was still Mobuko!
I served as the Military Police Captain for the Hound Squad, the unit directly under Emperor Veronica—the kind of group that could make a crying child fall silent.
...How did it come to this?
I stared blankly at my own hands.
Right now, I was acting separately from Veronica-chan and Leo-kun, staying in my own fief.
I planned to rejoin them in time for Eddie-kun’s wedding party.
My family home belonged to a viscount who ruled a small planet.
It was a light-industry world that manufactured things like clothing.
However, because the population was aging so rapidly, the factories were being converted into nursing homes one after another.
At the spaceport, which only saw a flight once every three days, the glowing advertisements for funeral homes were painfully prominent.
To any observer, it was a planet that was essentially finished.
That was why I planned to have my parents move to my new fief and simply leave a deputy on my home planet.
You might think the place would just end up empty, but on a dead-end planet inhabited only by seniors, there was apparently a mysterious demand for people who wanted to run a cafe while dabbling in primary industries...
If I just left that mysterious demand to its own devices, though, former pirates would eventually start moving in and using the place for illegal drug cultivation.
I certainly didn't want to have to commit seppuku to take responsibility for that.
When I consulted with Veronica-chan, she offered to dispatch retired military personnel to help!
...I really could never escape the military's reach.
I turned my eyes away from that harsh reality and descended to the planet's surface.
As for my guards, they had been provided from the fleet of Thomas-sama.
My debts were piling up all over the place...
"Oof..."
The spaceport was surprisingly metropolitan.
There were several shops from the Imperial Capital as tenants, and I even saw a direct-sales shop owned by Claire-chan’s family.
...Oh, they sold Matsumaezuke. I loved that stuff. I decided to buy some.
It was the complete opposite of the backwater where I grew up!
When I passed through the spaceport’s boarding gate, a group of knights met me.
They were all women...
The previous lord—that Idiot Duke from the Duke Association—was a man, yet his knights were nothing but beauties.
The female knight from Thomas's Personal Guard, who was standing by me, leaned in to whisper.
"I shall investigate them immediately."
For a second, I thought she had read my mind.
...She was so competent it was actually frightening.
With such guards around, I didn't expect any trouble.
We headed to the Lord's Mansion by car.
This place was formerly known as Planet Redrum.
It was the land once ruled by Duke Redrum.
I hadn't decided on a new name for it yet.
It felt a bit uninspired to just stick "Main House" onto my family name.
Besides, I had an older brother who was the heir to the family title.
He was coming to live with me too, though.
After all, in our hometown... the only career path was working at a funeral home.
I figured it would be best to let a deputy handle the actual administration.
Now, regarding this former Duke territory—I wanted to give it a fresh start with a new name, but nothing good came to mind.
Maybe New Duke Redrum would suffice for now.
Planet Redrum was a cold world, much like Eddie-kun's home.
However, while summer was short here, it did exist.
Apparently, in Eddie-kun’s place, the mountain snow didn't melt even in the height of summer.
It was currently autumn, and I heard that swimming in the ocean was out of the question because of the jellyfish.
That didn't really bother me.
The sea was only fun when you went with friends.
It wasn't exactly a solo destination.
Now, about my plan—I hadn't just come here for a simple inspection.
My goal was to get my parents settled here as my deputies.
To do that, I needed to ensure the place was safe.
"As I suspected... are these knights actually the former lord's concubines?" I asked.
The female knight from earlier responded.
"Most likely... it is a deplorable situation."
This knight was a total beauty herself.
She had a slender build, long blonde hair, and a sharp, intrepid face. I wouldn't have been surprised if someone told me she was a Wifey Candidate for Thomas-sama.
As for me...
Well, those who lacked had no choice but to remain silent.
And the knights of this land were the same—every single one was a beauty.
However, there was a clear difference between them and the knight from Thomas-sama's side.
Thomas-sama's knight didn't flaunt her womanhood. She was competent in the truest sense of the word.
On the other hand, the Redrum knights felt like idols... no, that wasn't quite it. They were more like ladies from the nightlife industry. Yeah, that was the vibe.
They radiated an aura like hostesses working the night shift.
That would be fine if they were actually capable, I suppose.
But it would be a huge problem if they were the Duke's former lovers and held a grudge against me.
If they laid a finger on my mother or father, I was ready to bring the entire Military Police force down on them.
"I have a message from His Excellency Grand Duke Leo Kamishiro," the guard interrupted. "'Please, I beg of you, do not launch a full-scale raid with the Military Police. The mountains are cold and I will die.' That is all."
Leo-kun, just how harsh of an environment are you in right now?!
And what was with my reputation?! Why did everyone think I was some kind of wild ruffian?!
"...I'll call off the raid."
"A wise decision."
"I think I'll have some tea..."
Just as I reached for the teapot, my hand was grabbed.
"You must not."
The female knight placed a device into the tea.
Then, she let out a bone-chilling smile.
"It is poisoned."
"That's way too blatant!"
Was the culprit an idiot?!
The knight immediately contacted another squad member.
"Poisoning confirmed. Apprehend her."
I heard a commotion out in the hallway.
"W-what are you doing?! I am the wife of Duke Redrum!"
"I wonder which number she was?" I mused.
"Given the records, she is likely in the double digits," the knight replied.
I swore then and there that I would never volunteer to be one of Leo-kun's wives.
I truly felt that Leo-kun was a man best enjoyed from a safe distance...
"Would it be possible to just... fire everyone at once?" I groaned.
"If you are prepared to physically perform a decapitation, it is likely possible."
I needed that much resolve?! I didn't want any of this!
"Ugh, this is such a pain!"
"I agree."
I hated this! A new female master in the middle of a festering harem!
The setup sounded like a juicy story, but the reality was absolute hell!
"How on earth did Leo-kun manage to be a harem king?!!"
"That man is an outlier."
"I guess he is!!!"
Waaaaaah!
I definitely pulled the shortest straw here!
I needed to calm down and...
"Um, if I'm overwhelmed, let's look at some other work..."
I skimmed through the incident reports.
Let's see... 'New ruins have been discovered.'
"Burn this document! Pretend I never saw it!"
"Regrettably, it has already been forwarded to Lady Luna," the knight said. "There is a message from Her Majesty the Emperor: 'I won't let you. Military police always burn documents the moment they find themselves at a disadvantage. Now, let's see how you handle this!'"
"Piyeeeeeeeee!"
She had read me like a book. She even anticipated my attempt to burn the evidence!
I didn't sign up for this!
Idiot!
Leo-kun, you idiot!
I didn't even want this planet!
"Miss Knight... what was your name again?"
"I am Vilma, Lieutenant Colonel Riko Sakazaki."
And so, my life as Mobuko—a struggle for survival surrounded by enemies on all sides—began.
I only wanted to pacify the land so my parents could live here!