The world was changing.
I didn't understand the meaning of those words.
Even when I asked Zashiki-warashi-chan, no clear answer came back; she only replied with a cryptic, "I don't know."
She was a god, after all.
I suppose it was too much to expect clear instructions.
Now then, Lou-chan's procedure was underway while Himorogi-chan emitted its light.
We were connecting Lou-chan's device to the new body resting within the life support system.
Fairy fired herself up.
"All right! Let's do this!"
Meanwhile, the Chronos Personal Guard Knight Order had me sitting in seiza while they lectured me.
"Your Majesty! We have told you many times! Please do not just go running off!"
I watched over Lou-chan while being scolded like a preschooler.
It couldn't be helped.
Zashiki-warashi-chan had called me.
Lou-chan remained quiet throughout the process.
Before the procedure began, she had told us, "It's okay if it fails. I was able to see the sky, and everyone has been so kind."
But I absolutely wanted to avoid failure.
"The patient's vital signs are dropping."
I had been warned about this.
When the soul—or whatever it was that people called a soul—left its vessel, the physical body would cease its vital activities.
Apparently, it had been the same for Fairy.
"Here we go, Lou-chan!"
Fairy raised both her hands high.
Himorogi-chan shone brilliantly.
It was a light so intense I couldn't keep my eyes open.
"My eyes! My eyes! Aaaaggghhh!"
Once that obligatory scene played out, my vision returned.
Then, Lou-chan, resting inside the life support system, opened her eyes.
Her telepathy, converted into synthesized speech, flowed from the speakers.
"Thank you. I... I think I'm alive."
"Uoooooohhhhh!"
The doctor present let out a roar of joy.
He hoisted Kevin into the air and struck a guts pose.
Kevin did a guts pose too.
Somehow, they were a group of very high-energy extroverts.
Now, time for greetings.
"It's big brother Leo here. Rest well for now. Once you're discharged, let's play together."
"Oka~y!♪"
With that, the greetings were over.
Claire, the Consort of the Grand Duchy of Chronos, was scheduled to hold a press conference.
Kevin and Kevin's Master Group were to be present as well.
I planned to head to the press conference venue as soon as the Colonel's operation was finished.
I turned to the Imperial Guard Knight Order to give my commands.
"You guys, contact Raven-kun. I'm going to watch the Colonel's defense operation from here. As soon as the opening phase is over, I'm heading straight to the press conference."
"As you wish."
I called him a Colonel, but he was already a General.
He was one of the surviving high-ranking officers of the Chronos Army.
I trusted him quite a bit.
He was the type to do the obvious things precisely.
Much like Eddy, he had a great sense of stability.
The Ozen Alliance ships—destroyers and battleships alike—were models I had never seen before.
I had memorized the current catalog from the military industries of Latarnia and the Taikyoku Nation.
These were unknown to me.
"Unidentified craft approaching; manufacturer and specifications unknown. His Excellency the General has commenced combat."
"Do your best out there."
I had already told Raven-kun, the Minister, that they should retreat if it looked like they might lose.
That was fine by me.
This time, the Ozen Alliance had invaded under the pretext of 'Protection of One's Own Citizens.'
A formal declaration of war had been sent.
Using that as their justification, they had invaded the Ozen-side territory of Magellan.
It was a planet where seventy percent of the population were Ozenians.
We had already surveyed the residents beforehand regarding whether they wanted to become citizens of the Grand Duchy of Chronos; those who requested Chronos citizenship had already been evacuated.
Even if we retreated here, Ozen would be bogged down trying to secure their own citizens.
Furthermore, Magellan wasn't strategically necessary for us.
Personally, I didn't want any part of it besides the regions where we were growing rice.
It wasn't that I was abandoning them.
But honestly, there was no point in holding onto a planet where most of the remaining residents wanted to be part of Ozen.
Our attitude might have seemed cold, but we had no inherent responsibility toward Magellan.
By even sending out the military, we had fulfilled our social obligations.
Now, if they had attacked Chronos directly, I would have slaughtered them.
"High energy reaction detected! High output!"
Raven-kun contacted me again.
"As soon as we identify the enemy's weaponry, we will begin a fighting retreat using unmanned drones."
"Oka~y. Make sure to keep casualties as low as possible. We don't owe this planet anything, after all."
Unfortunately, we couldn't risk our lives for the sake of Magellan.
Naturally, I would protect the regions that had wished for complete annexation by Chronos. They were Chronos citizens.
But I had no obligation to protect a world that wanted to be Ozen. A line had to be drawn.
I had no intention of indulging a misplaced sense of justice here.
Sending the army to give them a slap on the wrist was the extent of our duty to Magellan.
Beyond that, I didn't care.
"The primary goal of this battle is data acquisition. Make sure the troops understand that."
The locally recruited Magellanic soldiers might insist on fighting to the bitter end.
But there was simply no reason to protect a planet that was seventy percent Ozenian.
Moreover, those local recruits were soldiers of the Magellan Provisional Government.
While we had de facto command, on paper, we lacked any legal authority—it was a delicate situation.
Even if I explained that, they likely wouldn't understand.
Ultimately, I was the Grand Duke of Chronos.
I had a duty to prioritize the lives of Chronosians.
I had no choice but to draw the line there, as sad as it was.
The Ozen Fleet opened fire.
A direct hit on the Chronos Fleet.
However, it was dampened by the fleet-grade shields—the so-called barriers.
Even so, their attack scorched the hulls.
Missiles were intercepted by drones.
Yikes, their attack power was higher than expected.
I'd have to wait for the analysis on that one.
"Commencing retreat!"
"Got it. Good work."
"A portion of the Magellan Army has defected! They are continuing the fight!"
"I figured they would. Ignore them and pull the Chronos forces back! But keep supporting them with drones!"
Since they wouldn't follow orders, I had to cut them loose.
The Magellan Army... they were likely the ones who refused to see their territory carved away.
They charged toward the Ozen Army.
They likely believed it was an opponent they could fight on equal terms based on the previous balance of power.
I thought that was naive.
I believed Ozen had only picked this fight because they saw a guaranteed path to victory.
That was why we were abandoning the initial positions!
The Magellan Army fired their main cannons.
Their firepower was insufficient for a head-on engagement.
Magellan had likely understood that as well.
They scattered, attempting to launch attacks from multiple vectors.
And then, it happened.
A flash of light, followed by a delay, and then the Magellan battleships exploded.
"The Ozen Army's main cannon. We believe it's a Monopole Cannon!"
The Magellanic forces were being sunk one-sidedly.
Then, just before they were completely wiped out, the unmanned drones we had placed as substitutes for mines latched onto a destroyer and detonated.
Its speed dropped instantly.
We had succeeded in destroying its engine block.
The wreckage became an obstacle to the Ozen fleet, stalling their advance.
The remaining Magellan Army took that opening to begin their own retreat.
Damn, that's the same level of weaponry as the Galactic Empire.
The attack power was massive.
The enemy likely... viewed this as a battle they were staking their very existence on.