My report threw the upper echelons of Latarnia into an absolute uproar.
While Latarnians are expected to maintain constant emotional control, a declaration of total war against the Zen God Race would cause anyone's judgment to falter. Even though the Taikyoku Emperor was right beside me, the Latarnia Ministry of Foreign Affairs bypassed me and contacted the Taikyoku Nation directly.
Naturally, this caused a panic within their borders. A deluge of inquiries followed, and Lady Shiyun looked utterly dejected as she conducted meetings with her home country.
While it wasn't strictly my fault, the situation was becoming precarious. I didn't want to see our relationship with the Taikyoku Nation deteriorate any further, so I went to visit Lady Shiyun, bringing a gift of apology I had purchased at the Chronos Department Store.
I had used the personal shopping service at the Kamishiro Group Shopping Center to buy sweets and alcohol. Unfortunately, I wasn't well-versed in the current trends for Taikyoku women in their mid-teens, so I did some thorough research beforehand.
I learned that the Imperial Guard Captain was the son of the family that had raised Lady Shiyun. Information suggested she looked up to him like an older brother, so I decided to bring alcohol and snacks for him as well.
I requested an audience and was shown into the office, where I found Lady Shiyun dressed in her imperial robes. She usually wore a Galactic Empire uniform, but she apparently changed into traditional attire when performing her official duties as Emperor.
"Pardon the intrusion. I have come to pay my respects to Her Imperial Majesty, the Taikyoku Emperor."
"Polina, please don't be so formal," she said. "What can I do for you?"
"I've come to apologize for the blunder made by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
I quickly handed the gifts to a civil official, who promptly inspected them. They were all individually packaged to ensure no foreign substances had been introduced.
"Oh, you really didn't need to worry about that," Shiyun said. "That sort of thing is a common occurrence here."
"A common... what?"
"Because it involves the things Lord Leo does."
"I... I beg your pardon?"
This sort of thing was a daily occurrence? I was stunned.
Lady Shiyun smiled as she looked over the list of gifts. She was adorable; in moments like these, she truly acted her age.
"Thank you for the sweets. Oh, and alcohol too. Brother!"
"Yes, Majesty."
"I shall leave these with Lady Claire."
"...Understood."
That was odd. Did her "brother" not drink?
"Aha, the alcohol? Lady Kevin told us, 'If I leave you to your own devices, you'll all drink without limit! Keep it in one shared place and only drink it during parties!'"
It seemed to be some kind of internal regulation. Kevin was a physician and a high-ranking official of Chronos. Records stated she was originally an infiltration agent for Zork who had single-handedly driven Leo Kamishiro to the brink of death. After that, she had allegedly become one of Lord Leo's lovers.
I had thought this before, but that history felt entirely inconsistent with Lord Leo's current persona. He didn't give the impression of a savage, barbarian warrior; he seemed like a bright, pleasant young man. Yet, public records depicted him as a Galactic Overlord, a ruthless invader. Even those who had spoken with him directly, like my father, the King of Latarnia, all said the same thing: "He’s a pleasant young man, but..." and then they would always trail off.
"Brother, look! It’s your favorite, strawberry roll cake! Come now, say thank you."
"Ah... thank you. You see... I have a bit of a sweet tooth..."
"I... I see..."
So the Imperial Guard Captain had a sweet tooth. I made a mental note to share that information with the Ministry later.
Regardless, there seemed to be many people with sweet teeth here, starting with Lord Leo. This was evident from the sheer volume of whipped cream and sugar they consumed. Though, it seemed Lord Leo consumed most of it himself—likely because he was the one making the food and sweets in the first place.
The spice-laden foods favored by Latarnians didn't seem popular here. Even though things like spicy gummies and spicy juice were delicious, I supposed I would have to enjoy Latarnian food on my own.
Lady Shiyun continued to smile warmly.
"Do you enjoy sweets, Lady Shiyun?" I asked.
"Yes. I love the time I spend eating them with Wan and Tatiana."
A Zork Queen and a Saint.
Without Lord Leo, Lady Shiyun would be in a precarious political position. Yet, he had compensated for that by fostering friendships between her and the military might of Zork and the religious authority of the Saint. To make those three best friends... as expected of Lord Leo, he left no openings.
If anyone harmed Lady Shiyun, the other two would never remain silent. It was a terrifyingly brilliant strategy. I found myself looking forward to Lady Shiyun's future. She possessed beauty, but it was her innocence that made one want to protect her. That friendliness was a tremendous talent for a ruler.
It seemed Lord Leo was seriously grooming her to be the Taikyoku Emperor. I wondered if the rumors about her becoming one of his wives were true. If the Taikyoku Nation merged with Chronos, it would signal the birth of a true galactic hegemon. And he would have Zork and the Saint in his hands as well.
The rumors that "he just lumped them together because they were close in age" were likely false. As I thought, Lord Leo was no ordinary man. He was a terrifying individual.
"What are your thoughts regarding the Zen God Race?" I asked.
At my question, Lady Shiyun's expression clouded over.
"To me, they are the enemies who killed my foster parents and my benefactors... and to many of my people, they are the enemies who killed their families. They are an opponent I must settle things with one day."
"It seems the citizens of Chronos feel the same way," I noted.
Sentiment in Chronos was overwhelmingly in favor of total war. It wasn't just Chronos, either. Magellan and Ozen felt the same. Even Lepsitol and Parcion, where many had died due to the biological terrorism, supported seeking revenge.
"The Zen God Race has claimed far too many victims," Shiyun said. "This is already a problem that exceeds the will or authority of any single ruler. I can do nothing but go with the flow. The same likely applies to the King of Chronos, Lord Leo. And to Latarnia as well, of course."
"Yes, you're right. We no longer have the power to decide."
"Personally, they are an enemy I can never forgive."
As she spoke, Lady Shiyun looked as though she were enduring a sharp physical pain. I apologized once more and left the office.
As I exited, Lord Leo, dressed in his military uniform, came walking toward me with his staff. He was drenched in sweat, appearing as though he had just come back from a run while wearing equipment that must have weighed dozens of kilograms.
"Lord Leo, were you training?"
"I am a professional soldier, after all," he replied. "I have to make sure my conditioning doesn't slip. Right, everyone?"
"Next time, it's mountain climbing training!" a male executive shouted back.
Lord Leo took off his helmet and set down his gear.
"There's a lady present, so don't start stripping right here, you morons!"
"We know, we know!"
The atmosphere was exactly like an all-boys school.
"Where are Lady Claire and the others?" I asked.
"I think their training block starts next. They should be in their offices right now."
I see. They were training in shifts.
"Hey, Leo! Let's play soccer after we eat!" Lord Isono, one of the top executives, called out.
Soccer? Immediately after eating, following a grueling run in full gear?
"Got it," Leo said. "What about the rest of you?"
The other executives chimed in one by one.
"Weight training at the gym."
"Sparring at the martial arts hall."
"Practice swings."
They were monsters of physical endurance. They were looking to move their bodies even more during their "break." Their fundamental stamina was simply inhuman. They were on the level of the Ogre God Nation... actually, I didn't think even the Ogre God people would push themselves this hard.
"Lord Leo, what are your thoughts on the total war with the Zen God Race?"
He simply chuckled.
"Whatever happens, happens."
With that, Lord Leo picked up his gear and vanished into the changing room.
Things had become truly extraordinary. I let out a deep, heavy sigh.