Even if a god was pleased, politics remained business as usual.
It was just meetings, meetings, and more meetings about the massacre...
Once those wrapped up, I had a session with the Mayor of the Magellan Autonomous District. At noon, I had lunch with an agricultural organization.
We discussed ways to prevent further Locust Terrorist Attacks by Ozen, but the bento I was served for lunch wasn't tasty at all. It was tragic.
Once that was over, I had to do some legwork with the military. Then, that evening, I attended a party—though it was really more of a meeting—with Wifey and several business leaders.
We discussed the economic impact of the Ozen invasion.
It hadn't turned into a formal conference yet because they hadn't reached Chronos, so we had no choice but to talk shop at functions like this.
I hated it. Being a king was so tedious!
People claimed I was just playing around, but if I were actually allowed to have fun, I certainly wouldn't be attending events like this!
By the time the party ended, I'd hardly eaten anything, so I headed to the Dining Hall to make something for myself.
Of course, One-oh-one showed up. And if One-oh-one was there, it meant Tatiana and Shiyun weren't far behind.
Eating this late is going to make you fat, you know.
I grumbled to myself even as I started on the late-night snacks.
It was Taikyoku-style porridge, the kind made with chicken bone soup.
"Phew. I am famished~"
Then Wifey arrived as well.
Luckily, I had already prepared Wifey's portion! I checked to see if there were any side dishes Nina-san had left... There!
Salted salmon!
Side dishes, side dishes...
"Here you go, it's done."
I served the food, and we had our dinner. If it weren't for this war, I wouldn't have to work this late into the night. I wanted to believe this exhausting lifestyle was only temporary.
"Hey, One-oh-one. How's Lou-chan doing?"
There was no point in talking about the war, and this was the topic I was most concerned about.
"She is doing great, sir! Lou-chan's Mama gave her some ice cream, so she shared it with Tatiana and Shiyun, sir!"
"I see. That's good."
"Yes, it is, sir!"
"Tatiana, have you heard anything about Lou-chan?"
"She can walk now, so she says she wants to go for a stroll," she replied in her usual blunt tone. "Slack off on your work and take her yourself."
She really had no sense of tact.
"Roger that. Shiyun, what do you think of Su-san?"
"I had my side look into her as well, and there seem to be no issues. Her husband was a producer at the same station; he went missing during the Locust Terrorist Attack. This means that, like many other Chronosian Victims, his body was never recovered. Both of her children are girls; it seems Lou-chan's Sisters were safe because they fled to their school's basement during the attack."
"I didn't know schools had basements."
"Apparently, the capital of Chronos was originally a densely populated area, so private schools tended to build large underground facilities. In the Taikyoku Nation, our car culture means we have many buildings that are wide and sprawling. Considering the danger of these attacks, we may need to expand our own underground facilities... though it is a difficult logistical issue."
"I see. Any connections to suspicious organizations?"
"None, it seems. She appears to have ties with the Chronos Citizens Network, but for a journalist, that is only natural."
Well, I was the one who funded the Chronos Citizens Network. It was an organization I personally sanctioned.
"By the way, is she an announcer or a journalist?"
"She seems to be both. Here is a list of her published works. ...There are books that criticize Lord Leo, but please do not be angry."
"Heh, is it because I'm a foreigner after all?"
Yes, go for it! Write more!
"No, it is a critique of the fact that power is too concentrated and that Lord Leo fights in person. She bitingly asks: 'What would happen to the country if Lord Leo were to die?'"
"Well, that's a perfectly valid critique. Right, Wifey?"
Yes, this is good! Topple me!
I wanted nothing more than to quit and live a lovey-dovey life with my wife.
"It cannot be helped until someone else grows into the role," Wifey said calmly. "There is simply no one else."
"I want them to wait at least until I grow up."
Specifically, I wanted them to wait until I was in my late forties. Even then, that was young for a head of state!
"Lord Groom is an immediate asset. Give up."
"Waaah!"
"Consequently," Shiyun continued, "while she is currently on the supportive side, she maintains a critical stance toward the concentration of power in the current administration. Since her criticism is neither off-target nor a character assassination, she has a reputation for being reasonable."
Shiyun's assessment was spot on. Of course people would feel that way; I felt the same.
"...I want her to help with politics. I'd rather have her do it instead of me."
"Cease this," Wifey said, looking exasperated. "Do not turn a commentator into a player. If it were possible to actually execute those ideas, everyone would be practicing the politics of idealism."
She was right, of course. Power had become concentrated precisely because things couldn't be done even if people wanted to do them.
Even those considered influential were young; the people in my inner circle were all in their early twenties. In the business world, the second and third generations were the better ones, but most were merely Salaryman Presidents with incredibly shaky power bases.
That was why the Kamishiro Group and the trading companies of the Galactic Empire had to provide constant support. It would take a long time before a politician emerged who was actually capable of kicking me out.
"It seems there are no problems, then. The contents of her books are sound."
"I also believe there is no issue in entrusting Lou-chan to her," Shiyun added. "She is a good person who wants to improve society. In fact, she evaluates Lord Leo highly for having wiped out corruption."
"That wasn't my achievement; it's just that most of the people who were the cause of the corruption died..."
Sadly, the Former Power-holders were almost all dead. Chronos had essentially stumbled into a windfall and escaped its corrupt nature by default. In other words, I hadn't actually done anything.
I'd even left the urban planning entirely to experts. All I'd done was use my authority to push work through with an emphasis on speed. That was really it. I suppose that's just how these things go.
"Then, I'm happy to leave Lou-chan in her care."
"Regarding that, I have an idea."
Shiyun smiled. Ah, I knew that look. It was the look of a schemer.
And so...
"Big brother!"
Lou-chan cried, throwing her arms around me. She was still a little wobbly, but they said that would resolve once she got used to her new body.
As for why Lou-chan was in the Palace? That was simple.
Su-san's Family was now living in the Palace Annex. I had converted the annex into a residence and invited several journalists to live there. Since multiple agencies were represented, there were no complaints of favoritism.
This way, I could also keep an eye on Lou-chan's recovery. Two birds with one stone. The War Correspondent Big Sister from the Empire lived here too.
If people called it collusion with the press, I couldn't really deny it. But I had told them they were free to write whatever they wanted about me. I had no ego to protect, so I figured this was for the best.
I was letting journalists into parties and meetings as much as possible, keeping politics as transparent as I could.
In the middle of this heartwarming atmosphere, however, something went wrong.
Fairy appeared, looking flustered.
"The Magellan Provisional Government has been routed... I can't believe they didn't even last a week. At this rate, Magellan might be wiped out entirely."
The time to settle things with Ozen once and for all had finally arrived.