I was currently in a state of bewilderment over the Colonel's message.
First, we descended to the surface in our Humanoid Fighters.
Our priority was to protect Tatiana.
She immediately set up a barrier, securing a safe zone for our operations.
Ghouls! I’m not afraid of the likes of you!
Next, we assembled a prefabricated hut. The land was likely the site of a former building. As soon as I identified the owner, I intended to pay the rent for the lot.
...Why was I being so scrupulously honest about paying rent? Because if you didn't, the legal disputes could last for a hundred years. Landowners are formidable; those people can fight for a century without breaking a sweat.
We set up a holographic sign that displayed: [Galactic Empire Headquarters].
Construction technology like this had advanced remarkably during the Zork War. With Humanoid Fighters, we could set the whole thing up in under an hour.
Once the hut was ready, I went inside to change. The girls used the hut to change as well. Since we still didn’t know if any of the Chronos leadership had survived, we stayed in combat suits, though we switched to the slightly lighter ground-operation versions.
"...Rikochi, why are you in full armor?"
"I am Leo-kun's guard, am I not?"
I felt as though Rikochi’s marriage prospects had just receded further into the future. Despite releasing information that she was female, her current public model was a 'Sunglasses Macho.' Now, everyone believed she was a buff dude with a gravelly voice.
Well, whatever! These things happen. Yes.
Wifey remained on standby aboard the battleship. The elite units of the Ogre God Nation, Latarnia, and the Taikyoku Nation were guarding Tatiana. Our Galactic Empire had also deployed its own elite squad, 'Isono and Pleasant Companions,' for her protection. The group consisted mostly of athletic types from the Officer Academy Baseball Club. They were strong, albeit idiots who never listened to a word anyone said.
And yet, they were incredibly competent when it came to their missions... I wondered why.
First, I dispatched transport vehicles to the various Latarnia Bank branches. Learning from the Taikyoku Nation’s experience, the basements here had been expanded into shelters. There were bound to be evacuees inside. While that was underway, we began searching for other survivors.
I planned to do some field work myself for the first time in a while using Humanoid Heavy Machinery, but...
"Sit down."
Eddie shoved me into the hut and forced me into a folding chair. On the folding long table in front of me, a piece of paper had been taped that read: [His Excellency the Grand Duke].
Seated beside me was Eddie, marked as [His Excellency the Senior Marquis]. Behind us, the Kamishiro Knight Order and the Anheim Knight Order stood guard—or rather, they were monitoring me to make sure I didn't try to escape.
"Raven-kun, wouldn't you and your team like to sit in chairs too?"
I tried to pull out some folding chairs for them, but my arms were immediately seized by the Knights on either side. I was effectively in the state of a captured alien.
"Please remain in the rear this time. Is that understood?"
"Meow."
Being a Brigadier General was rough.
Left with no other choice, I sipped the bottled tea the Kamishiro Knights had brought me. Hmm, it had that Cervantes' Private Brand taste. I wondered where the leaves came from.
[Product of Planet Kamishiro]
I pretended I hadn't seen that. So, my family home had decided to branch out into tea production. There were quite a few patches of land there unsuitable for standard agriculture, so they were likely using those. They’d been doing it since before I entered the Officer Academy, but it seemed they’d ramped up production. Being suburban farmers near the Imperial Capital, they must have been rolling in credits.
Was my older brother... actually freakishly talented? Without my knowledge, he’d even been attracting drama film crews. Apparently, our home was the perfect 'moderately rural' setting despite its proximity to the capital.
Suematsu-san took the lead in setting up tents and serving tea to everyone. A Knight Commander who could handle every single aspect of the backend... he was far too capable. Suematsu-san was a terrifying man. I genuinely believed that if I ever faced him on a battlefield, I’d lose due to some unanalyzable factor. I’d have no idea why I lost... the thought was chilling! I suspect the previous lord didn't understand him either but kept him as Knight Commander because he was so frightening. I finally understood that now. In that sense, the previous lord might have been exceptionally perceptive.
While I was sitting there, Claire arrived to give her report.
"We have rescued citizens at the Latarnia Bank Chronos Main Branch. Medical treatment is currently underway. I request permission to construct a hospital facility."
"Good work. Permission granted."
Technically, since there was a risk of the population being wiped out, the formal permission was coming after the fact, but we’d already prepared for it. A transport aircraft arrived and began unloading materials. These were also prefabricated. Tents for the lightly injured were lined up, and the setup was complete.
I sat at headquarters in my chair, my mind wandering to thoughts like, 'I really want some gyoza.' Specifically, the fried gyoza sold at side dish shops. However, if I suddenly tried to make fried gyoza, the pan-fried gyoza fundamentalists would start complaining that I should make the standard version. My only option was to make a massive batch of pan-fried ones and use the leftovers for a side dish the next day. Come to think of it, did we have any glass noodles? I wanted a glass noodle salad.
I jotted it down. Seventy percent of my notes were about food.
"Hey, Eddie, what flavor of ramen do you want?"
"Are you hungry?"
"No, I was thinking about setting up a soup kitchen alongside our own meals, but I'm not sure what to serve."
"Shouldn't it be Chronos cuisine?"
He had a point.
Chronos cuisine, huh... Hmm.
"Fairy! Tell me the recipes for Chronos cuisine!"
"Oui~ Monsieur. It should be in Cervantes' data. Checking now..."
"Let's see... in this region, there are many dishes equivalent to gyoza. The fillings consist of potatoes, fish, eggs..."
I broke into a wide grin. I was definitely making fried gyoza.
"Leo... you... do you really intend to cook even here?"
"Because I'm bored!"
I kicked my legs back and forth. I’d already finished the application paperwork, so all that was left was the incident report. The expense and supply reports just needed my approval.
"Rikochi, what do you want to eat?" I asked, turning to Rikochi, who was guarding me alongside the Military Police.
"Yakisoba."
"Roger that. Sauce flavor okay?"
"Put a fried egg on top."
"Understood."
Rikochi gave me a thumbs-up. In her full armor, she looked remarkably gallant. I wished I could be more like that.
Next, a communication came in from Kevin.
"A drone has discovered citizens! They're in an old, abandoned sewer!"
"Send a team there immediately! Colonel, we've found citizens in the old sewers! Send me the map!"
"I will have it sent at once, Grand Duke."
The sewers, huh... That must be rough. Just as I was thinking that, a report arrived from the Taikyoku Nation.
"We have discovered numerous bodies at the assembly ruins! Identification of individuals is difficult!"
There was a high probability that the President had gone down with the official residence and the administration. This was a disaster. We didn't know who the next person in the line of succession was.
"What about the Vice President!?"
"Body discovered! Identification confirmed!"
Dammit!
"The Assembly Chairperson!"
"We found a body believed to be the Chairperson. The remains are severely damaged; we are awaiting forensic confirmation!"
No!
"The Cabinet members!?"
"Unknown!"
From this point on, the hierarchy of power became a blur.
"The Supreme Court Judges!?"
"Currently searching!"
"The military! What about the Chief of the National Army!?"
"Body discovered!"
Argh! What are we supposed to do now?!
I finally began to understand exactly what the Colonel had meant.