One Week Until War
One Week Until War
[Ho-eek! Please use your turn signal before coming in, Obenia! You scared me...!]
〔The Execution Bureau is the shadow hidden in the moonlight of Lunatium. To serve the Shogun perfectly, one must always operate in the shadows.〕
The Execution Bureau.
A surveillance organization that reeks of horrifying human rights abuses, having tacked a counter-intelligence agency onto judicial powers.
Add a Neo-Tokyo vibe to this, and you get Obenia.
Nine-tailed fox, katana, shrine maiden—it's a bit too much, even for a cyberpunk concept.
The problem is, because of her unique determination, I can't even laugh at that ridiculous getup.
"Obenia. Summarize the information I need to keep in mind from the intelligence operations conducted recently."
〔As you command.〕
Poong-!
True to her concept, fox-fire holograms lined up in front of me, each transforming into a document folder.
I clicked on a blurry, light blue AR folder that seemed low in priority.
〔Since the Shogun proposed an immensely benevolent treaty to the primitive Small Folk, a cultural upheaval has been erupting within the Dwarf settlement.〕
Inside the augmented reality document, the image of Dwarves spitting at each other while brawling is rendered.
It seems the young Dwarves and the elderly Dwarves are divided in opinion.
But the object they're fighting over in the middle looks strangely familiar.
An empty, finished soda can...?
-Look at this! We've been guzzling the same old hop-barley ale every single day, but the folks down the mountain make drinks as amazing as this!
-And, and, the packaging too! It's thin, light, and cool; they processed it using stuff we wouldn't even look at, calling it scrap metal. Can't you see how light and durable it is? Forget ancestors and forefathers, while we were busy worshiping ghosts long gone to the nine springs, the humans down the mountain were making stuff this incredible...!
-You scoundreeeel!! How dare you insult the pride and spirit passed down from our ancestors for generations!!
"...Are those guys really fighting over a single Fanta?"
〔Indeed. As tariff barriers were lifted and Lunatium's consumer goods companies freely distributed their products, the Small Folk masses have been inevitably divided upon encountering the advanced civilization of our Lunatium, which they had never experienced before. I hear that a pro-Lunatium political faction advocating for the acceptance of our advanced culture has been established, centered around a young dwarf named Yorim Greg. If we provide some unofficial support, I believe we can project greater dominance over the Small Folk through them in the future.〕
I have to hand it to the companies for being quick on their feet.
To think that a mere soda can could inspire people to spit at each other in a heated debate.
It's a moment where I'm once again grateful to have possessed into Lunatium, which I had taken for granted.
Imagining possessing into some other primitive creature that would have to use a traditional toilet where you store waste without water and have to scoop it out separately, with no refrigerators or showers... ugh.
As someone pickled in the grace of modern society, the drop in diet, hygiene, and daily life would have been immeasurable.
In other words, compared to other protagonists of possession novels, I am living an incredibly happy life.
As for the fact that I have a body that doesn't need to deal with physiological phenomena... well, let's just say the feeling is what matters.
"I approve. Squeeze whatever budget you need out of Colonia."
〔As you command.〕
Besides that, there were cases of Empire spies attempting to smuggle into Lunatium, domestic criminal organizations successfully entering the Empire's black market and building distribution networks, and the Dragon clan refusing to be the Empire's guardian dragon anymore, etc.
After going through the minor domestic and international news, I opened the AR document folder that was glowing with a golden light, which was clearly important.
Jwi-ung-!
It showed a view from a terrace somewhere, with a golden beam of light striking the ground from the distant sky.
〔The Empire's Saintess has proclaimed a 'Divine Revelation'.〕
"Come again?"
〔The orbital gamma laser beam fired previously was observed all over the world. The citizens of Lunatium, the proud frontier of civilization, accepted it without any anxiety or agitation as a minor daily amusement, and as a signal that we are rebuilding the lost pride and glory now that the low-orbit platform, which hadn't functioned for hundreds of years, has been successfully reactivated... but...〕
Pat.
Obenia points to the next reference video.
-It's divine punishment!! Kyaaaaak!!
-The prophesied judgment is coming! Judgment Day is near!!
-God is angry. We must prove that our faith has not waned...!
In the video, I could see the Empire's people plunged into a crucible of chaos after witnessing the laser beam that had fallen clearly in the distance.
〔The Empire barbarians, under a primitive religious system, misunderstood our superior technology as the wrath of a transcendent being and fell into fear. Up to this point, it was a satisfactory result from Lunatium's perspective. If it's a society paralyzed by surreal superstition and irrational fear, we would be able to infiltrate, divide, and control it much more easily. However...〕
Beep.
Obenia flips through the data.
〔The one called the Saintess has, as if to show off, calmed and rallied the chaos of the Empire.〕
-This is not judgment, subjects of the Empire...! It is proof that the Goddess has responded to our will. I have received a revelation directly from the Goddess and have been able to discern Her will! This is a positive sign. The golden pillar is not an ominous judgment! It is the opposite. The Goddess, moved by the Empire's will to preach Her doctrine beyond the world, has personally responded to us...!
-The Saintess herself has received the Goddess's intentions...
-If the Saintess-nim, who is more faithful than anyone, says so, we can believe it!
-The Goddess is watching over the Empire!
-Waaaaah!! Long live the Empire!
-Long live the Saintess-nim!! Glory to the Empire!!
-A world united under the Empire! Prepare for the Holy War!!
Fanatical cheers sweep through the masses at the Saintess's speech.
As the fear that dominated the public is overcome, zeal and madness dominate the streets in return.
"Hmph."
〔Milady de Symphonia. She is the Saintess of the Empire's Goddess Cult. By arbitrarily interpreting Lunatium's demonstration of cosmic weapons, which the primitives dare not understand, she has resolved the fear of the unknown. Using this as an opportunity, her political standing within the Empire, as well as her cult's, has solidified.〕
"The Saintess will enjoy a solid position as the Empire's spiritual pillar. She has become a major thorn in our side for bringing the Empire to its knees in the coming war."
There is no answer for a group united by religious conviction unless you kill them all.
The fact that the Roman Empire suppressed Christianity so much in the past, yet it survived and continues to the present day, is proof of that.
And 3 billion people united under a prophet called the Saintess, acting with one heart and one mind to resist?
This won't be easy.
〔Indeed. Therefore, the cleanest method would be, now that their emotions are at their peak, to fry her with another laser strike as a show of force. The faith would surely fall apart, with the Saintess accused of faking her faith and divine punishment coming down...〕
"But?"
Chiking-!
Suddenly, Obenia glares at Elara, who was standing still next to her, and slightly pushes her katana out of its scabbard.
[Why, wh-why-why-why-why-why... why are you looking at me like you're going to kill me? I really, truly don't know what I did wrong to make you look at me like you're going to eat me alive, geez, seriously...]
"...."
〔....〕
Elara whistles, pretending to look away.
She looks like a puppy that clearly did something wrong and is walking on eggshells.
"Just spit it out honestly and quickly."
[Last time, after listening to the General Director-nim, I got excited and pulled all the output from the orbital platform to fire it, so it needs to recharge...]
"How long?"
[Ab-about a year...? You know solar panels, they have bad efficiency, aha, ahaha...]
One year.
Even if a lightning bolt strikes late by then, would there be some separate revelation?
People would just think God had a reason for taking the Saintess into His embrace.
It would surely be packaged as a very holy anecdote and only increase their cohesion.
〔My Lord. This maiden's sword is weeping. Please, just give the order.〕
"Go ahead and chop her head off."
[Ugyaaaaaaaak-!!]
Udangtang-!
Obenia starts a scuffle to shut Elara down.
As an Execution Bureau AI, it seems she can turn other departments' AIs on and off.
Leaving the two playing around for a moment, I looked outside and fell into thought.
'To think the laser that subdued the Dragon would return with such a butterfly effect.'
But I feel a strange sense of incongruity.
Considering that the Saintess in the story came up with shameless ideas like a 10 vs 1,000 encirclement or supplying rations by foraging for grass roots, this national lie isn't entirely incomprehensible.
'The soft-hearted mindset fitting for a female lead was genuine, though.'
It's just that the author threw in unreasonable moves whenever war or battle scenes appeared.
She was a pure, kind, and honest character, enough to make the typical depressed and mentally unhinged male leads of romance fantasy novels fall for her.
It means she isn't the type to openly mislead the public with delusional bullshit like that.
'It's time to change my thinking.'
Like other novel possessors, becoming a 'canon-obsessed' person who frustratingly clings to the original work, denies the changed reality, and is irrationally dragged around by the original plot?
I have absolutely no intention of doing that.
'From now on, I must act on the premise that the Saintess here is not the Saintess from the novel I knew.'
That is not the airheaded Saintess from a romance fantasy who would go around seducing multiple men while performing a handful of cute miracles.
Whatever her identity is, she is an intelligent schemer who clearly recognizes her position and abilities and can convert crises into opportunities.
And such a person is now standing on the front line threatening Lunatium and my comfortable retirement life?
"Saintess. As expected of a protagonist, she's not an opponent to be taken lightly..."
Unlike single-player games where the AI can't catch up to the player once a gap starts to form, multiplayer games, which are person-to-person fights, are fun because you can't let your guard down until the very end when the results come out.
"One week until war? Yes, that's perfect."
Flashy neon signs and skyscrapers.
Streets bustling with no room to step, and safe back alleys.
The laughter of children layered over efficient straight lines and futuristic designs.
The precious city I have protected for the last 10 years is no longer overshadowed by the darkness typical of SF dystopias.
But if someone else wants to take away the happiness of the hundreds of millions of people I lead in this Lunatium...
"Let's play properly for once."
I am fully prepared to repay the invaders with as much vicious malice as they can handle.
Of course, world conquest is just a bonus.