Shiyun was a graceful, soft-spoken young lady—as long as baseball wasn't involved.
"Dammit! We lost to the Ogre God Nation!"
Having finished her match and joined the picnic, Shiyun proceeded to kick a nearby wooden crate.
...So graceful.
"Shiyun, calm down."
"Lord Leo..."
And just like that, she was back in Lady Mode.
"Here, have some bread and juice."
"You have my deepest thanks."
"Now then, Big Brother, bring out the koto!"
"On it!"
I set down Shiyun’s koto.
"I’d really love to hear you play, Shiyun!"
When I said that, Shiyun gave me a sweet smile and began to pluck the strings.
In the old days, the plectrums—the artificial nails—used for the koto were apparently made of ivory. Nowadays, they were made of cellulose. They were said to be harder than ivory while producing the exact same tone.
A clear, resonant melody drifted through the air.
It really did wash my soul clean... even if I knew this particular song was actually a baseball team’s fight song.
As an aside, while Shiyun’s obsession made her favorite team seem like they might be weak because she was always screaming about them, that wasn't the case at all. In the far reaches of the galaxy, they were a powerhouse on par with the teams from the Ogre God Nation. In fact, the major corporations of the Taikyoku Nation all competed to establish their own teams. There were enough of them within the Taikyoku Nation alone to sustain an entire League Match.
The Latarnians had also formed a team once they realized the high promotional value it had in other countries. But they were weak. It couldn't be helped, really; Latarnians simply lacked the necessary physical strength.
But they looked like they were having fun, so it was fine! Having fun was the most important thing.
Zashiki-warashi-chan joined us for the meal as well. One-oh-one and Tatiana played with her, while Melissa joined in for a game of volleyball. I spent a pleasant afternoon relaxing with my wives.
Partway through, Lou-chan and her mama arrived to interview me.
"The voting in Lepsitol is currently underway. Do you have any comments?"
"I’ll make my judgment once I see the results."
Please, just stop. Don't say anything about annexation!
And so, the delightful picnic came to an end. It was about time for the polls to close in Lepsitol. My stomach suddenly began to ache.
As I started tidying up the leisure sheets and the trash...
"I shall handle the rest, my lord."
Suematsu-san appeared out of thin air and began hauling the trash and sheets away using a turret truck. When I handed him some bread, a frozen bento, and some ramen for his trouble, he looked genuinely delighted.
Suematsu-san... what a terrifying man. He was a Knight Commander who possessed every possible stat except for personal combat power. In an RPG, he’d be a weak mob character, but in a strategy game, he’d be an ultra-tier unit with 100s in internal affairs, charisma, and luck.
Man, I really was lucky. If Suematsu-san had risen to prominence within the Duke Association and become the new Duke Association Leader, I definitely would have struggled. I might have even... lost.
There were likely many people in this galaxy whose abilities far surpassed my own. With that humbling thought, I took a shower and returned to my room.
Wifey was already waiting for me. Instead of her usual jersey, she was wearing a negligee. Could this be... Lovey-dovey Time?
"Lord Groom, get some sleep. The results will be in by the middle of the night."
I see.
"And here I thought this was an invitation for sex...!"
"Just go to sleep."
My life was a tragic tale that could only be told through tears. I crawled in beside Wifey and shut my eyes. I drifted off almost immediately.
Zzzzz.
"...Phew... I couldn't find the courage again today."
I thought I heard Wifey’s voice whisper in the dark.
"Lord Groom, wake up."
"Huh? What?"
It was time for the Lepsitol election results. Since it felt far too nerve-wracking for just the two of us to watch alone, we changed clothes and headed for the Dining Hall. We held hands like a couple the whole way there.
"Claire, how does it look?"
Claire was already there, watching the Chronos Election Special. Even though it was a foreign election, it was being treated as a major special program in Chronos because the stakes for us were so high. Lou-chan’s Mama was appearing as a correspondent on the screen.
"Where’s Lou-chan?"
"She’s sleeping with Tatiana-chan and the others."
Then she’d be fine. Those three were surprisingly good at looking after children.
The election special began with an introduction of the various parties.
The Democratic Reform Party aimed to rebuild as an independent nation through democracy. Most analysts considered this a pipe dream. They had no real plan for fiscal reconstruction; they essentially intended to manage the economy through "fighting spirit" while insisting on absolute independence.
The Liberalism Party was the one I had been secretly funding. They were the party that aimed for reconstruction under Latarnian oversight after transitioning to a democratic government. From the perspective of Chronos's interests, this would have been the best outcome. Though, if one viewed it as a Latarnian colony, we might face hardships in the future being surrounded by their influence.
And then there was the dark horse... or rather, the terrifying juggernaut currently sitting at a seventy-percent approval rating.
The Chronos Annexation Party.
As the name implied, they wanted to become part of Chronos. Their platform was brutal: they would force a hard landing, dissolve the conglomerates, and liquidate non-performing loans. Any shortfalls would be covered by international aid. The military would be reorganized—or rather, handed over to Chronos entirely. It was a party founded on the idea of compensating for their lack of administrative capacity by simply letting Chronos swallow them whole.
It was regrettable, but it was realistic. Essentially, they would pay back their debts to Latarnia with everything they had and then lean on Chronos for support. They would surrender their entire country to Chronos to solve the security vacuum left by their failing National Army.
Talk about selfish! I really wanted to scream, "Are you guys kidding me!?" but...
Geographically, I knew I couldn't just reject them. Lepsitolians were exceptionally malicious when it came to things like this.
"The results are coming in."
The moment Lou-chan’s Mama spoke, a projected victory for the Chronos Annexation Party flashed across the screen.
I knew it! I knew it would end like this!
Meanwhile, the fringe Taikyoku Nation Party was immediately projected to win zero seats. The sheer level of hatred the public had for those castrated ghosts was truly something else.
"Can I just go back to bed and sulk?"
"It cannot be helped. Being annexed by Chronos is the most realistic path forward for them."
"But I don't want them—!"
"In that case, turn them into a colony and bleed them dry! Squeeze out every bit of wealth and then toss them aside once the place is a ruin!"
"I can't do that! I'm not that kind of character! Besides, Jester will suffer! Someone from Jester might actually die!"
"If you understand that, then find your resolve!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"
And so, Lepsitol officially became a Chronos Protectorate.
At this point, the only remaining option was a Galactic Empire Style Franchise Nobility System. Local Lords who shared their fate with their territories, overseen by a central King. Since the system would inevitably rot over time, I’d just have to prune it frequently. We would have to trudge along a path that was sustainable even in a state of decay.
Charisma alone couldn't fix everything. You had to build the infrastructure and the systems of a nation so that the machine itself could generate wealth.
Phew... this was going to be a nightmare.
Now then... what should I do? For starters, I’ll have to consult Karen-san...