I left the occupation duties to the Chronos Army and headed back to my ship.
Rumors of my reputation as a "Nation Crusher" had already reached Wifey’s ears, and she was absolutely howling with laughter. It seemed the idea had tickled her fancy more than anything else.
“Oh, Lord Groom! You’ve finally ascended to the rank of a Nation-devouring Anomaly!”
Wifey poked and prodded me repeatedly, teasing me with a playful “dyukushi!” each time.
“That’s so mean...” I protested.
I tried to argue, but I had already done enough to be widely recognized as something of an anomaly myself. I really didn't have a leg to stand on.
“Well, even if my Lord Groom is a Nation-devouring Anomaly, I don’t mind. After all, you take such good care of me.”
“Wifey... I wuv you too...”
“Leo, this is bad!”
I was just about to pull Wifey into a hug when Claire stepped into the room. Wifey broke into another fit of giggles.
“It must be fate... What’s the matter, Claire?”
“Um... well... was I interrupting something?”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. We’re all family here, right?”
“I suppose so... You two, I have a report on what we discovered from the Governor’s testimony.”
“O-oh. Did something happen?”
“It’s a massacre. A historical one, by the looks of it. There used to be a Latarnian settlement in this region. According to the Governor, the Parcion National Army burned it to the ground when he was just a child.”
“...You’re joking.”
Another Latarnian landmine. Just great. My heart felt like lead.
“Lord Groom, I’ll leave the negotiations with Latarnia to you,” Wifey said.
“I knew it would be me...”
“You’re the only one who can appease the Latarnians, right?”
“Ugh...”
I trudged toward the conference room and put in a call to the King of Latarnia.
The staff in the diplomatic department seemed to realize something catastrophic had happened just by looking at my face. They connected me to the King immediately. Perhaps this was what true trust and mutual understanding looked like.
“That expression. It seems something incredibly significant has occurred,” the King said.
He possessed the appearance of a man in his mid-thirties, though I had no idea how old he actually was. He was a member of a long-lived species, after all.
I silently sent the file. Once the transfer finished, a heavy sigh escaped my lips. I had entered total resignation mode—a silent plea for him to just read the damn thing.
As the King of Latarnia scanned the documents, his pale complexion flushed a deeper and deeper shade of crimson. I could tell his blood pressure was skyrocketing; the veins in his forehead throbbed with visible intensity.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
“May we conduct an investigation?”
“We will provide all the support you need. However, please keep in mind that this occurred during the Governor’s childhood...”
Please spare us from a retaliatory missile massacre of the locals, I implicitly pleaded.
“Yes, this is Chronos-occupied territory. I am mindful of that. However, I must remind you that there is no statute of limitations for murder under Latarnian law.”
“In that case, we will hand over any perpetrators to the best of our ability.”
To be honest, it would be a nightmare if they demanded I clone the deceased and hand over the copies. A clone is a different person with the same DNA; doing that would be a massive legal violation. Fortunately, the Latarnians weren't the type to make such absurd demands. They were willing to listen when told something was legally unfeasible. They were people you could actually negotiate with.
“Is this document just an outline?”
“Chronos is still at the stage of the initial report.”
“I thank you for the swift provision of information. My people will not forget their debt to Chronos.”
So scary...
I shrank back in my seat. I mean, neither I nor Chronos had done anything wrong!
Essentially, the document stated: "The Parcion National Army burned a Latarnian village" and "They likely buried the remains." The approximate location and a map were also attached. Since it dated back to the Governor’s childhood, the incident was over fifty years old. After so much time, even the Governor’s memory couldn't be entirely relied upon.
“Are there any official documents?” the King of Latarnia asked quietly.
However, I didn't miss the audible grind of his teeth.
“Pardon me. My throat is dry.”
The King of Latarnia drank water from a metal goblet. I waited for him to finish before answering.
“No military orders or other official documents have been found. This may be a matter known only to Parcion Central.”
Crackle, snap, crunch.
The King of Latarnia had completely crumpled the metal goblet in his hand.
“King of Chronos. My friend... may we station our forces there?”
“That won't be a problem. Parcion is hostile territory, and your investigators will need protection. I only ask that any suspects found be subjected to a proper trial.”
The King of Latarnia broke into a smile.
Essentially, I was telling him, "Don't start a cycle of massacres." Honestly, part of me felt like they could do whatever they wanted, even destroy Parcion... but I knew that if I allowed that, a hellish era would follow.
The current King of Latarnia was reasonable, but the next one might not be. The head of the administration was a leader chosen democratically, but the King's words carried immense weight. If the King ever started saying, “We shall unite the entire universe!” the power balance of the galaxy would instantly tilt toward catastrophe. I needed to set legal shackles for the sake of the future.
It’s fine. Chronos is that kind of nation. Even the King is ruled by the law.
With that, the meeting with the furious King of Latarnia came to an end.
Phew, that was tense. I’m just glad he had such self-control. Now, the real hard part begins. I’ll be up all night for sure.
First, I contacted Lou-chan’s Mama.
“Ah, Big Brother♪ Mama~ Leo Big Brother is calling~”
Lou answered. She really was a healing presence.
“Yes, His Majesty Leo... Ah, did something happen...?”
Lou-chan’s Mama took over immediately. She sensed the gravity of the situation from my expression alone. As expected of a high-powered professional.
“We’ve discovered traces of a hidden massacre in Parcion. We plan to hold an emergency press conference at the royal palace immediately.”
“Understood. I will notify all the media outlets.”
“Please do.”
And so, Parcion’s atrocities were broadcast to the galaxy. The news drew massive attention from the very first report. There were even reports speculating whether I was about to dismantle yet another nation, but I swear, I’m not the villain here! I just have a knack for accidentally striking their most vulnerable pressure points.
Soon after, a Latarnian investigation team, a Galactic Empire investigation team, and a Chronos investigation team moved in. We included multiple nations to prevent any single party from exaggerating the damage for propaganda. Even a Taikyoku Nation civil engineering company was brought in, making it a joint effort by the Usual Member Nations.
Essentially, representatives from every nation besides Latarnia were exchanging nervous glances, their eyes silently screaming, “If something goes sideways, somebody stop the Latarnians!”
The key player in all this was Saint Tatiana. Our strategy was to have her plead for peace, even if her heart wasn't entirely in it.
“I will not tell Latarnia to get along with everyone and just endure this. However, the investigation must be fair. I desire justice and fairness for both sides.”
Tatiana, who had become quite adept at maintaining her poised, saintly persona, addressed the public.
Ah, so she decided to show her teeth after all. In essence, her message was: “We of Chronos are the ones running this show! Don’t even think about trying anything funny!”
The impact was staggering. Saint Tatiana’s popularity in Latarnia and Chronos had reached a level that we, who were her close friends, couldn't even fathom. She had become an object of worship in that entire sector.
Hoping this would be enough to prevent a total escalation, the Space Kaiju Kawagon clutched a potato and made a silent wish upon a star.