My overactive stomach was already starting to act up.
I made a mad dash for the toilet!
“Leo-kun... if you were going to get sick, it would have happened by now. Besides, weren't we taught at the academy that the nanomachines in an Imperial soldier’s gut handle the dirty work so we can survive even in harsh environments?”
Rikochi said that to me, but my stomach was already growling and churning.
“Boss... they told us during recruitment that an Imperial soldier can drink muddy water and be just fine,” Tatiana’s voice added.
“But my tummy hurts!”
“Quit acting like a brat all of a sudden!” Melissa snapped.
But my tummy was really, truly hurting.
“You see... everyone... Leo is borderline obsessive when it comes to food safety,” Claire sighed.
“Master is surprisingly delicate, it seems...”
Delicate... was I?
Ultimately, it was all in my head. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my digestive system.
A few days after that heartwarming exchange, I spent my time gathering irrefutable evidence before dropping the bombshell on the public.
“The public has been forced to drink untreated water. Estimated annual death toll: 200,000!?”
“Rampant negligence in government-contracted projects. Raw sewage being dumped into rivers?”
“Conglomerate-linked firms dumping waste in the mountains.”
Fortunately, Mike & Hammer Co. was already operating under the Chronos Standard, so they came out clean. The other companies, however, were getting absolutely slaughtered.
True to form, the corporations tried to intimidate the public by deploying private militias, Yakuza, ninjas, and Armored Rikishi. But this time, things didn't go their way.
The police and the National Army stood their ground to protect the citizens. They remained in a tense standoff with the corporate soldiers.
Naturally, the corporate higher-ups figured they could just assassinate the police brass. That’s their go-to move—the idea that displaying a severed head would cow the masses into submission.
Anticipating this, I had the National Army move first, intercepting the conglomerates' ninjas and Yakuza and beating them to a pulp. Never underestimate the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the Mike & Hammer ninja squad.
I personally led the raid on the ninjas' headquarters.
“G-gh... You're the strongest ninja of Mike & Hammer Co., Kawagon?!”
I bound the High-ranking Ninja of the Sukagawa Conglomerate—the former number one conglomerate—Tiger Hattori.
As for the rest of his ninjas, Rikochi had already handled them. Or rather, she’d basically chased them with her Gatling gun, firing wildly until they were too exhausted to keep running. Once they collapsed, the ninja squad moved in for the capture.
“Sukagawa's military power is effectively halved now. I mean, come on... why not just defect? Your pay is garbage, right?”
I had their finances laid bare. The ninjas weren't being paid nearly enough. Seriously, don't skimp on military labor costs. I’d understand if there were legal hurdles, but this was just greed.
“But... our tradition!”
Ah, the classic mindset of someone who thinks everything is fine just because they can still put food on the table.
“Take a look at this.” I handed him a printout.
“W-what is this...?”
“The Sukagawa Conglomerate's balance sheet. They’ve been hiding the truth with bookkeeping magic, but they’ve actually been insolvent for ten years straight. Honestly, has this company done anything but engage in window-dressing since its inception?”
“Pardon?”
“They’re functionally bankrupt. Right now, I bet the board is scrambling to figure out how to avoid a total collapse.”
The Anti-government Army was already looking into filing for involuntary bankruptcy on behalf of the creditors. Like Raymond-san said, a world without bankruptcy proceedings leads to economic rot. If you don't drain the pus and let the economy metabolize, the wound becomes fatal. Sentimentalism is useless here. Ultimately, the best thing for a corrupt giant is to be forced off the stage. If they have tech, sell it. If their products are mere commodities, move production to rural planets or foreign nations. That's the only way. Prosperity and decline are inevitable cycles of fate. Even if you choose the Optimal Solution every time, a period of decline will eventually come.
Sounds like the Pirate Guild might be looking at a major expansion.
“Our offer is simple. Become civil servants. Work for the nation instead of a corporation. You're already fighting Parcion, anyway.”
Tiger looked conflicted.
“B-but... Parcion is...”
“I know the conflict was a fixed match up to a certain point.”
“!!!”
Tiger’s jaw dropped.
“Why the shock? Parcion and Lepsitol are essentially colonies for the Zen God Race. The Sukagawa Conglomerate and the second-ranked Masuda Group—both of them are Zen God Race fronts, aren't they?”
“H-how... did you know...?”
“It's not like they were hiding it very well. Anyway... where exactly is this 'Mainland' the Ghouls kept talking about?”
Tiger managed a bitter smile.
“Allow me time to prepare my death poem and seppuku.”
“I’m not a fan of that. Isn't it irresponsible to just die and run away?”
“I do not mean it in that sense. A Ghoul has been planted in my brain. It will likely awaken soon. I must be dealt with before I turn... King of Chronos.”
“You knew who I was?”
“Such a masterful overthrow of a nation... there was no way you could keep it hidden.”
Fair point.
“King of Chronos... I beg of you, spare the members of my clan.”
“I promise it on the name of Leo Kamishiro Chronos.”
I’d come here planning to grant amnesty to everyone from the start, though. The best move is to fold these armed factions into the National Army or the police force.
“...My thanks. The Mainland is located in the Yeta Empire.”
With that, Tiger walked unsteadily toward a Japanese-style room.
“Hanzo. I request your service as my Kaishaku. Take my head and deliver it to the National Army.”
I figured I should let him have his final moment of dignity. We began to pull back.
Seriously, though. I wish people would stop with these dramatic exits that would make even Jester sick!
Wait...
“Hold on a second, stop right there!”
I burst back into the room and used Cleaving in Two to shatter the wakizashi he was about to use for the ritual. I snapped Hanzo’s katana for good measure while I was at it.
“Phew... made it in time.”
“W-what are you doing, King of Chronos?!”
“The Ghouls... I've already neutralized them.”
The old man was acting so frail I almost forgot.
“What?”
“I’ve already established barriers across this planet.”
It was true. I had set up multiple barrier devices on the Mike & Hammer grounds. The Ghouls had been purged. The real problem was that the food and water were still contaminated, and the social infrastructure was effectively dead. Manual labor had been neglected for so long that there were hardly any engineers left. Seriously, people need to stop thinking a society can function with nothing but people who tap their ID cards at a desk.
Yours truly is going to get cranky. I’m actually getting mad now.
Anyway, our control of Lepsitol was at about seventy percent. The only thing left was Parcion-kun. They were trying to act innocent and cover their tracks, but... I’m not letting them slip away. (Smile)
I gave a gentle, pleasant smile.
“Ah, Leo's making that evil face again...”
I'm not evil.