The Ozen side unilaterally cut the transmission, bringing the meeting to an abrupt end.
I wondered why their boiling point was so low.
They prattled on about cursed blood and the like, even though Jester’s own self-image was that of a crayfish that had escaped from a breeding farm.
Why bring that up now of all times...?
Even when I was insulted, I took zero damage.
I was the third son of a "prestigious noble house" (lol).
In the first place, the Marquis House Kamishiro only existed for the purpose of letting a comedian rule a planet and laughing at the sight of them perishing.
That was far too twisted a hobby.
...Looking back on it that way, my ancestors really were impressive.
No matter how I looked at it, they had cleared an impossible game.
Even I was only barely managing to play the monarch thanks to the backup from the Fairies and the support of the country.
...Were my ancestors monsters?
So, I didn't care what Ozen said to me.
I was a fake noble with a long and distinguished history!
As for Ozen, they stopped responding to any attempts to contact them.
It didn’t seem like a country with much interaction with the outside world anyway.
As long as this place wasn't crawling with locusts, it wouldn't be a problem.
I intended to leave them be until the absolute last moment.
Now, for some happy news.
Proone, which was similarly a dangerous nation, had won the Excellence Award in a student paper contest at the Galactic Empire Officer Academy.
Splendid!
I’ll have to send them a present later.
It wasn't exactly a reconciliation, but they had at least recognized me as their superior.
We had no malicious intent to brainwash them with propaganda.
We simply wanted to cultivate human resources who could understand our values and the context of that era.
Even if that resulted in a brilliantly raised Proone eventually clashing with the Galactic Empire, I didn't mind.
By that time, Proone would have grown into an entity that shared our values to some extent.
I didn't think it would end in a total massacre.
In fact, we would probably be able to resolve things through dialogue before it ever came to war.
It would be ideal if our economic ties became strong enough that everyone felt it was better to coexist than to destroy each other.
That was the goal.
Well, if our descendants turned out to be incompetent, there was no telling what would happen.
But that would just be a trial for them to overcome.
While it was important to leave a safe world for our children, they couldn't grow without challenges.
Humans are lazy creatures by nature.
The corruption of the Galactic Empire’s upper brass, who had lived in total safety, was proof of that.
Granted, even without me, the Hero Edge would have defeated the Zork Mother.
The fall of the Empire might not have happened in that timeline, either.
Even so, my route—the one where I constantly stared death in the face—was currently the best possible future.
Alyssa was alive, too. This was the future Edge had wished for.
Regardless, I intended to leave behind a balanced legacy of safety and trials.
Today was the opening party for Count 1-2-3 Magellan Store No. 1.
You might think, "This scum is always at a party," but this was actually work.
I was a major shareholder of Count 1-2-3, after all.
Furthermore, the foreign ministries of both the Galactic Empire and the Grand Duchy of Chronos had invested funds into this.
This was diplomacy.
That was why I was attending.
I entered Magellan the day before.
I had planned to stay at a hotel... but I couldn't even do that.
I was told there were no hotels yet that were capable of proper operation.
To be precise, there were simple lodgings made from converted shipping containers for business travelers, but we couldn't exactly stay in a place like that.
Even Claire prioritized infrastructure over our own comfort.
So, we stayed on Wifey’s battleship, which was moored at the spaceport.
The roads were cracked and in a pitiful state.
"They were like this from the start,"
A Magellan diplomat told me with a smile.
Except his eyes weren't smiling at all.
"Pardon?"
"They have been in this state from the beginning. It is the result of stupid, corrupt bureaucrats and politicians."
He seemed to be seething with rage.
Scary.
Looking at Magellan and Ozen made me realize that the Ogre God Nation actually had a very high level of civility.
Saria would happily handle it, saying, "Oh, infrastructure? I love public works! If the government does it, it's practically free!"
I would have liked to say we headed there in a luxury car... but we took a bus instead.
However, Claire and the guards rode in an open-top car.
"This is so embarrassing!"
This was our fate, unfortunately...
She sat in the open-top car wearing her military dress uniform and waved to the crowds.
Full Armor Rikochi was also riding in the back.
It was a complete dictator aesthetic.
I made sure to record it because it was hilarious.
Citizens along the roadside waved hand-held flags.
Wifey was on the bus with us.
When I asked her about it, she said, "I prefer the bus where everyone is."
I really did marry a good woman.
We all took a group photo in front of the Count 1-2-3.
We popped the decorative kusudama ball, cut the ribbon, and gave three cheers of Banzai.
Then Claire changed into a suit to handle the media interviews.
Wifey and I joined her to provide answers.
That was when we received the customary baptism of sharp questions from the press.
"His Majesty the Grand Duke of Chronos. How does it feel to have conquered Magellan?"
How snide.
So, I gave it to them straight.
"From the beginning, our country has spoken of nothing but rescue and aid. It was the former Prime Minister and his Cabinet who refused those offers. Those who requested annexation were the local governors and mayors. None of this was under our control. I simply pray for a swift reconstruction and for the souls of those lost."
I didn't care. It wasn't like we actually conquered them.
"Grand Duke! Then why did things turn out like this for us?!"
"Perhaps because you sided with the terrorists?"
"I won't forgive you!"
The moment he shouted, the reporter was hauled away by security.
"Even if you say you won't forgive us, we are not the culprits. Please do not misunderstand that much."
That was all I could say.
Then, Wifey snatched the microphone.
"If these insults continue to be this excessive, our nation and the Grand Duchy of Chronos will withdraw entirely. I do not say this to mean you should know your place. I am simply saying you should show us some respect."
As expected of the Bread Faction!
She said the very things that we in the Rice Faction couldn't say!
The Kamishiro clan’s loyalty to Wifey spiked instantly.
In the end, the media fell silent.
It wasn't as if we were threatening them. We were just stating that if they were going to paint us as the villains, we wouldn't associate with them. We should be allowed at least that much freedom.
If they wanted to become Ozen's territory, fine. It would just mean war later.
As long as Ozen was ruled by the Zen Divine Race, conflict was likely unavoidable anyway.
I personally thought it would be fine to talk it out, though.
If you asked whether having Magellan would be an advantage for Ozen at that time... not particularly. They had destroyed too much with their locusts.
It would likely be the same even if Parcion helped them.
Whether we helped Magellan or not was our choice. This time, we chose to help, but we could have just as easily abandoned them. We could have just annexed the regions that wanted in and been done with it.
If they pushed too hard, we could even abandon the regions.
I had already conveyed that reality to the Magellan bureaucrats. The rest was up to them.
So, what was I trying to say?
Well... you see, Ren has been wearing this cold smile for a while now.
I’m washing my hands of whatever happens next...