Security Detail!! To Battle Stations!!
-Suuung
Thinking I was going home, I operated the Cosmic Network, and before I knew it, I was back home.
"You're back, my lord."
"You've returned, Lord."
Tia and Holly were there to welcome me.
They were still in the same place where they'd seen me off.
Naturally.
The council meeting in the Cosmic Network had taken quite a while, but less than a second had passed in real time. From Tia and Holly's perspective, I'd returned the instant I left.
Even so, they'd been with me through thick and thin since the beginning, and this wasn't the first time they'd seen something like this. They weren't particularly surprised.
"Yeah, I'm back. Now, let's head inside. There's a lot to do."
With that, I went into the enormous house that covered 20% of the planet's surface, with Tia and Holly in tow.
Before we launched a full-scale invasion of the Prodiums' microcosms, there were a few things we needed to take care of first.
The first was welcoming the inspectors who'd conduct a thorough analysis to see if there were any dangers in the microcosms Uncle Agu had mentioned, as well as the 12th Fleet troops who'd come to escort me.
"Make sure the welcome party is spectacular."
"Yes, leave it to me."
"To prepare a banquet that will satisfy the Humans-nim, we'll have to call in all the other girls and work together!"
I left those tasks to Tia and Holly.
Holly would decorate and prepare the interior of the house for the welcome party, while Tia would coordinate the schedule and arrange the supplies and personnel needed for it.
They were both capable, so I could leave them to it without micromanaging.
The second thing to do was use the authority granted by the temporary military rank the ministers had assigned me—Legatus—to secure weapons and equipment equipped with military technology, issue them to my wives, and then draw up a full-scale invasion plan.
"Hm... A space-shattering conceptual cannon? That's expensive... A military space manipulator, a military space-computing brain upgrade kit, a time-reversal bombardment system, a dimensional fault cutter, a space pair-annihilation cannon, a Big Bang resonance-guided cannon... They're all expensive!!"
After accessing the military weapons sales sites that had become available to me with my new Legatus rank, I found that every piece of military equipment for Humanity that looked useful was far too expensive for a little man like me to buy.
'Well, of course. By 21st-century standards, how's a member of the middle class supposed to buy a fighter jet?'
Besides, weapons equivalent to military firearms by 21st-century human standards weren't much different from civilian weapons, and they weren't particularly cost-effective, either. They weren't very useful.
'Hm... Come to think of it, the 12th Fleet said they'd protect me anyway. Maybe I don't need military weapons for Humans?'
Though the 12th Fleet was said to be the weakest of the Human Empire's twelve fleets, both in strength and size, it could still wipe out hundreds of universes in an instant.
It was a level of firepower that civilians would never see in their entire lives.
Thinking of it that way, military weapons for Humans really did seem like a waste of money.
'Maybe I'll think about it later, once I've made some money selling slaves.'
"Hm..."
On the other hand, military equipment for 2nd Class Citizens was reasonably priced, and its performance was better than what the girls were using now.
That was because created beings were legally prohibited from using weapons and technology powerful enough to harm Humanity, even in case of an emergency.
Military equipment for 2nd Class Citizens, however, was powerful enough to work to some extent against Humanity, too.
Of course, that still amounted to no more than poking with a toothpick.
'It'll make things a little tight, money-wise, but... Well, let's think of it as an investment.'
I was buying a few pieces of equipment when—
-Knock knock
"Allfather. It's me. May I come in?"
Someone knocked on the door of my office, and at the same time, I heard a voice that was beautiful and feminine, yet somehow rugged.
'Ah, there she is.'
"Come in."
-Creeeak
The moment I gave permission, the door opened, and four beautiful women with gold, blue, red, and black hair entered my office.
They gave off a robust, healthy aura and wore hats that looked like military headgear, with black coats draped over their shoulders.
Instead of military uniforms, they wore high-leg bodysuits in the same colors as their hair. The parts that should have been covered—their pussies and breasts—were left exposed through openings in the fabric.
The four women entered my office, lined up as if for inspection, and immediately snapped to attention.
And then—
"Cunt!!"
A woman with the bold, warrior-like bearing of a seasoned fighter, distinguished by a mane of golden hair like a lion's, bronze skin, and an eyepatch over one eye.
Like Tia and Holly, she was one of my wives who'd been with me since the beginning. She was also one of my five closest confidantes and the head of the Bodyguard Office: Leona S Primus, nicknamed Leo.
With a lewd word, she saluted me with one hand, while using the other to spread the lips of her pussy, already soaking wet and dripping with fluid, exposing its insides.
And following her lead—
"Cunt!"
"Cunt!"
"Cunt!"
The other women who'd come in with her also saluted me with their pussies spread open, just like Leo.
Those three were the highest-ranking officers in the Bodyguard Office under Leo. They, too, were my wives and 2nd Class Citizens.
For the record, that lewd salute of theirs was a traditional salute of the Bodyguard Office that I'd invented myself, and it had been going strong for a whopping 800,000 years.
Anyway, calling it a bodyguard detail was a bit of a joke. I was stronger than all the members of the Bodyguard Office combined, including Leo, so it didn't serve much purpose as actual protection. They were more like the guards and honor guard for my home and the Omega Galaxy.
But that rather ambiguous role was ending today.
"You read the message I sent earlier about why I called you here, so you have a general idea, right?"
"Of course, Allfather. An invasion of another world... We've been so peaceful for so long, I've been itching for a fight. I'm truly looking forward to it."
-Grin
Leo gave a combative smile at my words.
Most of the members of the Bodyguard Office, including her, belonged to the Amazoneia, a race of warriors I'd created myself, composed entirely of women.
Among them, Leo was a being I'd created by bringing together every combat-oriented biological technology available for civilian use. She was powerful enough to rank among the top 100 of all 2nd and 3rd Class Citizens—not counting military beings.
Anyway, the Bodyguard Office was the only force in this galaxy I could deploy immediately...
'If I want to requisition other residents for anything besides the work of managing and maintaining the galaxy, I have to pay them.'
If I wanted the residents of my galaxy to do personal work for me, as I did my wives, I'd have to pay them wages, too.
But I wasn't exactly rolling in money right now, so it was smarter to use the guard detail, whom I was already paying, until the microcosm invasion started turning a profit.
Someone might ask, "What about the 12th Fleet?" But the fleet's mission was limited to escorting me and establishing a defensive perimeter around the microcosms in an emergency. Invading the microcosms and hunting slaves was something I had to do myself.
"You're already full of enthusiasm. Good to see. I knew I could count on you, Leo."
"You flatter me."
"Anyway, first I have something for you."
I took out the military equipment for 2nd Class Citizens that had been delivered to my personal storage space in the Cosmic Network.
Four jewel-like objects appeared before my eyes, each a flawless red sphere about the size of a fist.
-Bwoong...
An ominous rainbow of colors swirled inside the red spheres, emitting a faint glow that made it clear these were no ordinary objects.
"That's..."
The moment Leo saw the spheres, she looked surprised, as if she already knew what they were. Then her eyes began to sparkle with excitement.
"Right. It's a [Military Entity Reprogramming Toolkit] made for 2nd Class Citizens."
"Ooh~"
"Ooh!!"
"Wow..."
Not just Leo, but the three officers standing behind her also let out gasps of admiration, their eyes shining.
Two of the three were original Amazoneia, designed as a warrior race to revere martial prowess and pursue strength. Their desire for power was correspondingly intense.
How intense? It came just after their loyalty to me, their reverence for Humanity, and their instinctive desire to survive.
That was no small thing.
"Before we use them, do you all consent to having these implants inserted?"
"Yes!! Of course, Allfather!!"
"A military toolkit? I'm so excited, I can't wait to study it~ I consent~"
"Ooh!! With that, we can make even bigger Ka-booms!! Of course I consent!!"
"Hehe, now we won't be civilians anymore—we'll be soldiers!! Of course I consent, Allfather!!"
Even for 2nd and 3rd Class Citizens, inserting an implant without their consent was illegal. So I asked for their consent in accordance with proper procedure, and they agreed.
The moment I heard their answers, I controlled the Military Entity Reprogramming Toolkits and sent them flying toward the four women, who were gazing at them with sparkling eyes.
-Swoosh!!
The toolkits touched their bodies and disappeared as if being absorbed into them, without so much as bouncing off.
And immediately afterward—
-Woooong!!
A golden aura poured out of their bodies, and their very essences began to twist and reconfigure.
The Military Entity Reprogramming Toolkit was based on Reality Programming. Like handling a character in a game, it manipulated its target's abilities and components to modify a 2nd Class Citizen's body, making it suitable for military use.
Their physical abilities were boosted across the board, and they became capable of using standard supernatural abilities tailored to 2nd Class Citizen military specifications.
If they already had abilities suited for combat, those, too, were strengthened to a level suitable for military use.
Above all, their security clearance as citizens rose by one level, allowing them to operate weapons and equipment they hadn't been able to use before due to their low clearance.
-Bwoong...
Once the reprogramming was complete, the golden light pouring from the four women faded.
-Squeeze...
The three officers of the Bodyguard Office were momentarily dazed, perhaps because of the changes to their bodies, but Leo was the first to regain her senses.
As if testing her own strength, she stared down at her hand, repeatedly opening and closing her fist.
"Well? How does it feel?"
"Absolutely incredible. This feeling of my existence having risen dozens of levels... It feels better than spending a night with Allfather or serving Allfather. The only things that feel better than this."
Leo answered with a fierce smile that was both refreshing and excited.
Considering that Leo was the most sex-crazed among my closest wives, the reprogramming must have been extremely effective.
'She's definitely stronger.'
Before being reprogrammed, if Leo and I fought, her chance of winning wasn't just close to zero—it was simply zero. But now that she was a soldier, her odds of winning had become one in a nayuta.
It didn't sound like much, but there was a world of difference between having no chance and having one.
"Good. Then, before we draw up the invasion plan, take some time to get used to your military bodies. And I gave Deus the military weapons and equipment for 2nd Class Citizens, so go try them out, too."
The four women at the heart of the invasion operation needed to know the exact specifications of their own bodies and military equipment before they could draw up a more accurate plan.
The Bodyguard Office and my wives would be responsible for much of the invasion plan itself, so this was all the more important.
"Leave it to me, Allfather. With this stronger body, I'll serve you on the battlefield."
"Right. And it'd be even better if you served me more vigorously not just on the battlefield, but at night, too."
"Hehe, that goes without saying!!"
With that booming response from Leo, who blushed like a girl in love despite her bold, womanly face, the members of the Bodyguard Office left my office.
As I watched the door they'd gone through—
-My lord, the 12th Fleet has arrived at Planet Primus. And the fleet commander of the 12th Fleet is requesting a call with you.
I received a communication from Tia.
When I spread out my senses to take a look, I could see hundreds of ships in orbit near Planet Primus, where I was now.
And at the border of the Omega Galaxy, I sensed tens of thousands more ships, along with colossal weapons that easily surpassed the size of the galaxy.
It was a force capable of wiping out dozens of universes in an instant.
'They're quicker than I expected. Well, they haven't had any wars or conflicts worth mentioning since the Prodium extermination operation, and the military hasn't had much to do besides providing civilian assistance. Maybe they hurried over, excited by their first mission in a while...'
As if to prove my guess, I could sense the joy of the people aboard the ships through my cosmic senses.
"All right. I'll handle the call now, so you and Holly give the welcome party one last check."
-Yes, understood.
As soon as my connection with Tia ended, I connected to the command ship through a network that only Humans could use, one forbidden to created beings.
And the person who answered the call was—
-Connection established. This is Major General James Fernandez, commander of the 12th Fleet.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in the white uniform of a senior-ranking officer.
His brown hair was neatly combed in a military style, but his beard was rather shaggy by contrast.
-It hasn't been long... Well, we met last week, so I suppose it hasn't. Anyway, good to see you, young Omega.
"Oh, who do we have here? Isn't that Uncle James?"
And he was someone I knew very well.
He was one of the members of the Human Antique Club, a fairly sizable cosmic research society and hobby group I belonged to.
As you could tell just by looking at the three ministers who stood at the pinnacle of the Empire, outward appearance no longer meant much to humans who'd become transcendent beings.
Culture, too, had changed considerably from the days of Homo sapiens.
Rather than admiring Humanity's changed appearance and culture, the Human Antique Club was a group of people who found beauty in Humanity's original form and treasured the culture and artifacts of Earth.
For the record, the club president was Uncle Agu, and my childhood friend Airila Purgia was also a member.
Anyway, in an era where death was practically nonexistent and technological progress had made even the concept of distance between people seem faint, Humans generally knew one another.
But, as always, some people were closer than others.
Uncle James was one of those people.
"I knew you were in the military, Uncle, but I had no idea you were the commander of the 12th Fleet. This is the first I've heard of it."
"Haha, the assignments of high-ranking military officers aren't disclosed to civilians. You were still a civilian until yesterday, after all."
"Fair enough."
"Besides, I was only promoted recently. Anyway, enough small talk."
After exchanging a few personal remarks with Uncle James, we got down to business.
The invasion plan hadn't been drawn up in detail yet, so we left that for later. For now, we needed to discuss the role Uncle James and his fleet would play.
"Is that really all you want us to do?"
"Yes, that'll be enough."
"Tsk..."
As planned, I asked them only to escort me and intervene in an emergency.
Uncle James looked a little dejected, perhaps because he'd come expecting to jump straight into a full-scale battle.
But my goal was to enslave the Prodiums, not wipe them out completely. Judging from the information I'd extracted from the doggy and his friends, considering the Prodiums' level of technology, the fleet would almost never need to get involved directly.
"Well, that about wraps things up. Why don't you come down to my home? It's a modest affair, but my wives and I have prepared a welcome party for you and your crew."
"Is that so? Then I'll come down soon."
"I've also prepared liquor and food from Holy Earth, so you can look forward to it."
"Ooh... Now that's something I can look forward to."
And so, the welcome party began.