The meeting with Parcion ended with them giving some vague, noncommittal excuse.
Idiots!
The real issue was that I’d been asked for a rescue in a private conversation with the Magellan diplomat, but…
I was left wondering what I was even supposed to do about it.
It would have been one thing if the request had come from someone still living.
Given his secret connections, the man himself was likely dead now.
There was nothing to be done.
I wondered if anyone was even left alive over there.
I mean, I could charge in if I wanted to.
But if this turned out to be a plot by Parcion, there was a chance Chronos would end up looking like the villain.
"Don't let Chronos get away with being looters at a disaster site!"
"Great Power Parcion will stop them!"
It felt like that was exactly how things would play out.
The difference in military strength between us—still rebuilding from the brink of extinction—and Great Power Parcion was glaringly obvious.
I didn't mind the risk of a fight, but I had to be able to show my citizens some kind of return for it.
And the issue didn't go any deeper than simply wanting to help the People of Magellan.
"Well then, what profit does our country gain from this rescue?"
That was the hard part.
If we’d had a flourishing trade relationship from the start and a mutually beneficial bond, we probably would have signed a disaster relief treaty long ago.
However, Magellan was a Taker Nation.
As far as the people of Chronos were concerned, they only remembered Magellan causing them trouble.
"I mean, Magellan didn't do a damn thing during the Locust Terrorist Attack, did they?"
"We owe a debt to Latarnia, the Taikyoku Nation, the Ogre God Nation, and the Battle Dome… but we don't owe Magellan anything, right?"
"Why should we have to help the trash of Magellan?"
"Don't waste our taxes on a place like Magellan!"
That was the general sentiment.
Wasn't there more hate directed at them than the Zen God Race at this point?
That was why I kept telling people they should engage in mutual aid, even in small amounts.
Like sending volunteers or something.
Everything comes back to you doubled later anyway!
They should have just put out money or manpower with the same mindset as buying a lottery ticket!
Cutting off ties with your neighbors only makes things complicated later!
Some people were absolutely livid.
"Just burn Magellan to the ground!"
"Serves them right!"
"I’m sure as hell not helping them!"
I heard these voices most often from the unemployed.
Well, I suppose it couldn't be helped.
I basically ignored it as long as they didn't speak ill of my Wifey.
Freedom of speech was important.
Erotic content was also important.
I would fight to the last soldier to protect erotica!
I’m sure Wifey would stay by my side until the very end, too.
To that end, I would tolerate people badmouthing me or the government!
But stop badmouthing my Wifey.
You get it, right?
The Archduke of Chronos was "free material" and people could comment on him however they liked.
But the Galactic Empire Emperor was a different story!
If any of you bastards spoke ill of my Wifey, I would kill you!
Though Wifey herself was the type who didn't let things bother her much.
Setting that aside, the point was that it was currently difficult for Chronosians to justify helping Magellan.
It would be fine to reluctantly deploy after a survivor begged for help, but I couldn't move while Parcion looked ready to interfere.
I suppose the rest depended on the movements of Latarnia and the Taikyoku Nation.
For the time being, I spoke with Shiyun, who was currently on Wifey’s ship.
"Even in our country, favorability toward Magellan has dropped, so rescue efforts would be difficult."
"Aren't they hated a bit too much?"
"The Latarnians and the people of the Ogre God Nation were also somewhat disliked… but they have proven themselves to be honorable in their own way, and their reputation has improved. Even the people of the Galactic Empire were once evaluated as barbarians from outer space. Now, however, they are regarded as a great power that values law and contracts."
She had an expression like… she was holding something back.
"And the reality?"
"The view of the political commentators in the Taikyoku Nation is this: the Sealed Warrior Race of outer space was unleashed by the Battle Dome—or more accurately, the Ogre God Nation. That Warrior Race occupied Chronos with overwhelming power, then democratically ascended the throne as monarchs with overwhelming support. And now, the occupied Chronosians are beginning to show glimpses of that Warrior Race as well…"
They were talking about us like we were a classic Sealed Demon Race.
"What about the general public in the Taikyoku Nation? I’d… really like to know their true feelings."
"Many people died, and that is a tragedy. But… beyond that, the politics, society, and even the economy, which had been stagnant in the effort to eradicate disease, were purified all at once. The youth unemployment rate has dropped. Crime has decreased since the peace with the pirates. In fact, there are some who even whisper that the Imperial people might be emissaries of gods or spirits."
That was a compliment I couldn't purely be happy about.
As I made a conflicted face, Shiyun smiled.
"Those are the remarks of people who don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Please, don't let it bother you. I—no, everyone understands how many hardships you’ve endured, Lord Leo."
"Shiyun, you're such a good girl."
I wanted to pat her head.
"Fufufu, I'm not exactly a child anymore, you know."
It was true; nearly two years had passed since I first met Shiyun.
She had become far more feminine than back when she was being raised as a man.
If anyone saw the current Shiyun, they would never dream she had once lived as a boy.
…And yet, even after two years, Tatiana had hardly changed at all…
In a way, it was reassuring.
That was just how it was.
Take One-oh-one, for example.
Sure, I knew that female-type Zorks had their appearances optimized to make it easier to leave descendants!
Female-type Zorks were all beauties!
Even the female-type Zorks who used to be middle-aged men were all gorgeous women!
"Are you finished, sir! I wish to speak with Shiyun, sir!"
One-oh-one arrived.
Ah… when should I tell her?
She was so defenseless it was dangerous.
"Hey! Wan! Don't get in the way!"
This time it was Kevin.
This was getting way too dangerous…
The stage where her bouncing chest could be played off as a gag had ended long ago.
"What's wrong, Leo?"
Honestly, she had become the biggest concern for the current Kamishiro faction.
Even the girls were constantly arguing over how to handle her.
No, because seriously!
It wasn't just a matter of having an "idol face" or anything like that!
Her features were way too perfectly formed!
"We'll treat Kevin-kun as a girl, right?"
The girls who used to say that with such smug composure had now turned dead serious.
For example, my classmate Yuri—who was already engaged to the second son of Count Shinagawa.
She used to make a joke out of it, saying, "So cute, so cute!"
But lately, she had been saying terrifying things like, "I… might have awakened to something… could this be true love?"
"Hey! What's wrong?"
"It's nothing…"
I almost swooned just now!
The pheromone debuff was taking effect.
Even for those of us who knew for a fact she used to be a guy, it was like this!
It was enough to make a man go crazy!
She was becoming a true demonic woman…
Fine, yes, I admit it!
Kevin is a woman! A girl!
But her own self-perception hadn't been updated in three years!
Well, she seemed aware that she was female, but…
She didn't realize she was being targeted from every possible direction, excluding those of us from the academy who were used to holding back!
"Um, look… you know Dr. Ben, right?"
Dr. Ben was a doctor who had been dispatched to Chronos.
Kevin was a medical student and had been helping with surgeries and such under special provisions.
Kevin herself didn't know it yet, but the National Medical Examination she took recently was trending toward a pass.
It wasn't because of political pressure, either.
She had already been assisting with countless surgeries on the front lines.
She was also studying under the doctors of Chronos and had submitted multiple Surgical Comparison Papers of Imperial and Outer Space Humans as a co-author with Dr. Ben.
In fact, her grades were excellent and her personality was genuinely good. There was no reason to fail her.
According to Wifey, it looked like she got a nearly perfect score on the exam, too.
She hadn't even stepped on any of the "taboo" questions.
After all that work, no one could bring themselves to say, "I’m failing her anyway!"
Though it seemed some doctors were still resisting because she was a Zork.
"Hey, Leo."
"Ah… yeah, so what about Dr. Ben?"
"He asked me on a date."
"Denied."
Why did I answer with a literal spinal reflex?
"Ehehehe. I thought so. Ehehehe."
Why are you happy?!
It was chaos… chaos was descending…
Between Magellan, Parcion, and the problem of One-oh-one and Kevin being far too beautiful… my head was spinning.