Ultimately, the planets that defected chose to become Children of Chronos.
Most were food-producing regions—which made sense, as these were the planets that most needed protection from external threats. When the central government was in such a shambles, of course they would be abandoned.
The neighboring countries—or more specifically, Parcion—issued a Statement of Condemnation regarding this.
I didn't care. At the very least, our country wasn't the one in the wrong. The fault lay entirely with the Zen God Race.
As for the Prime Minister of Magellan, he was cornered by a rioting mob and lynched. Terrifying. It wasn't just the Cabinet, either; members of the Diet were being executed one after another.
Did they really think I would be happy about this? They should have settled things through discussion, like a recall or something.
The governors who fled the meeting would likely see their planets share the same fate as the capital. Not my problem.
My stance was simply, "Since this is an emergency, let's cooperate." It also carried the subtext of, "If you can't cooperate, then get lost."
I wasn't trying to be hostile. In fact, some of the municipalities at the meeting stated they didn't want to be annexed by Chronos. Many of those planets had regular passenger routes to the Magellan Capital Planet. Naturally, they feared a potential war with Magellan. I understood that. They wanted the rescue without the political baggage.
I was the type of leader who considered other perspectives, so I didn't force the issue. It was fine. Cautious types like that would just stay on the fence even if a war broke out. Being opportunistic and giving me time was a contribution in itself. It was worth the investment.
Consequently, the Construction Corps began mass-producing infrastructure. Unemployment rates were no longer a concern; they just built whatever they wanted. However, the planets that became Children of Chronos received top priority.
We also established Lady Claire's Bright Rural Zones. Since Claire was a hardcore expert in agriculture, I didn't breathe a word of interference. As the third son of a farmer, I excelled at identifying the people you should never, ever defy. Long live Lady Claire!
Thus, Chronos was finally overcoming its food production issues. Up until now, we'd still been farming right in the middle of our Capital Planet.
Now, for military matters. Magellan possessed many Chronos-made weapons from back in its democratic era, so we refurbished them. The software was provided by the Galactic Empire. Weapons and fighter craft, including humanoid units, were manufactured by the Kamishiro Group.
Lately, I'd noticed that our technological progress was moving at an insane speed, likely due to the constant warfare. We'd probably advanced a hundred years' worth in a short span. Between Zork, the Proone, Ghouls, and the Zen God Race, we'd reverse-engineered almost everything and were using the data to churn out new materials and weaponry. I believed we'd vaulted into the top tier of scientific power even by deep-space standards.
And then, for some reason, the Magellan Remnants declared war on me.
They labeled me an invader! They started whining to Latarnia, the Taikyoku Nation, and the Galactic Empire about the "expansionism" of the Grand Duchy of Chronos. Isn't Chronos the only one actually expanding here? Besides, in this galaxy, isn't it the victim's fault for being weak enough to be invaded? What were they even talking about?
"We resolutely oppose the hegemonism of the Grand Duchy of Chronos!" the Magellan representatives declared.
Wait, had they forgotten the whole premise that the Ozen Alliance was the one that invaded them? Since Oswald had been executed, I went to greet the new Prime Minister, a fat middle-aged man named Garbe.
"We protest the Grand Duchy of Chronos in the strongest terms for releasing Locusts to destroy Magellan!" he shouted.
"Wasn't the registry of the culprit's ships the Ozen Alliance?" I asked.
"...Shut up! Silence! Everything is Chronos's doing!"
"Actually, we're the ones currently exterminating the Locusts."
"Exactly! It's all a staged performance! You're likely in league with the Ozen Alliance behind the scenes!"
Ah, damn. There was no getting through to him. Was he a conspiracy theorist? Or a traitor being paid to stir the pot? Either way, a rational discussion was impossible.
"Look, if you're going to denounce us, could you at least provide evidence? Chronos itself was nearly wiped out by the Locust Terrorist Attack. We don't even have a diplomatic channel with the Ozen Alliance..."
"Shut up! We will never forgive you! We'll destroy you!"
He just wouldn't listen. I looked up "Magellanic Debate" in the Latarnia Encyclopedia.
Magellan-style Dialectics: 1. Denounce the opponent with a loud voice. 2. Shout continuously to prevent the opponent from offering a rebuttal. 3. Ignore all counterarguments. Shut them down with a roar. 4. If the opponent falls silent, you have won the debate. 5. Maintain the status of 'victim' at all costs. *Note: Due to this national character, Latarnians are advised to avoid involvement with Magellanic people.
Was he an idiot? What was I supposed to do? I hadn't dealt with someone this illogical since the Proone.
"I understand," I said. "Then, shall we fight?"
"Eh?" Garbe looked shocked. Why was he surprised?
"W-Wait, fight? Are you saying you're going to invade us?"
"Who knows? It depends on what you do."
You're the one who declared war! We really weren't on the same page.
"Fairy... I think the translator is bugged."
"Leo-kun, you're speaking normally in the Chronos Language without a translator. He's just being incoherent. I don't understand him either."
So he was just impossible to talk to. Great.
"L-Listen! Hand over food for all eternity! If you do, I might let this slide!"
"I refuse."
"Shut up! Then it's total war! I'll show you the terror of our nation! I'll curse your evil deeds for all eternity!"
"Understood."
"Are you sure?! We are an invincible army!"
"Even though you lost to the Locusts? Whatever. I accept. Come at me."
"What heartless, wicked people! Unforgivable! We'll spread word of your atrocities to the entire universe along with the Ozen Alliance!"
"I keep telling you, we have nothing to do with them! Ozen is the culprit!"
"Silence! You demon!"
I couldn't reach him at all. Strange... I could hold a conversation with the local governors. It was like the people on the Capital Planet were the only ones who were broken. Maybe the capital was just a giant asylum. Even the Proone had been more reasonable. Now I understood why the Latarnia Bank wouldn't touch this place. You couldn't even have a basic exchange!
Even a simple proposal like: "If Chronos isn't involved, Magellan shouldn't be either. If you want your territory back, negotiate directly with the regions that defected. I don't care about the outcome," wouldn't register.
I wasn't the one being weird here, right?
"I won't forgive you, Chronos! You devil! I'll definitely destroy you! Come and face me!"
"We aren't the ones planning to attack."
"Tremble before our relentless assault! Death to the enemies of Magellan!"
He was getting worked up all by himself. I was tired of being the straight man in this comedy. Annoyed, I patched a call through to Latarnia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the middle of our talk.
"I can't get through to Magellan. Can someone provide an explanation or mediation?"
"You can't talk to Magellan, Archduke. Please, don't worry! They don't have the spine to actually deploy troops. It's all just hot air!"
Magellan was hated way too much. And so, without a single productive word being exchanged, we entered a state of war with Magellan.
Thank you for waiting!
Galaxy of the Rakshasa Vol. 12 goes on sale December 25th!