160 Free-Float Planet Arc 2: Cultural Invasion?

side: Crowney System, Factory Mothership, Living Quarters: Shira's Estate (Akira, Wife Members, Wives-Plus)

I was lounging in the mansion I’d set up inside the factory mothership, going over plans with the mothership itself.

We were discussing the isolation of the Near-Hyume fleet in the Crowney System, and how to handle the small mothership in the Rasty System.

Mostly just waiting around, so I was relaxing on the living room sofa of the estate, working.

My wife crew were around me, but the air was thick with tension—everyone eyeing the same position.

Princess Stephanie, daughter of the Emperor, was holding down the primary wife spot to my left.

To my right, Sayaka had been there—but while she was momentarily distracted, Jane from the Lateral tribe had muscled in with a firm grip.

Miyu is seated between my legs, perfectly in position.

Ayame’s too cautious for her own good—she’s stuck against the wall like a flower.

Behind me, Carrie the cat-tribe and Marie the dog-tribe are keeping watch, circling each other at a distance that doesn’t interfere with my work.

Ah, Kae-de got bored waiting and left.

Which means the wives who were holding back for Kae-de’s sake have gone full-on lewd mode with zero restraint—and I’m feeling seriously threatened for my life right now.

“Darling, the transport ship’s ready.”

A transmission comes in from the factory carrier.

The massive transport ship—equipped with a dimensional isolation facility for isolating Neahyume—has finally been completed.

Seven annihilation-reactor cores. Six high-capacity Dimensional Storage Vaults.

The Neahyume fleet, immobilized in the Crowney system, numbers sixty thousand ships.

Designed to isolate them all.

Store ten thousand ships each in the six Dimensional Storage Vaults, keep broadcasting the disable signal.

Should be safe to declare the Crowney system secure now.

"Could we teach the Neahyume the concept of peace?"

Steff, watching me work from the side, suddenly asks.

True, if they share a collective consciousness, implanting the idea of peace might instill an aversion to warfare.

"Could be worth trying.

We're already dousing them in disable signals—might as well piggyback some information on the transmission."

"Then play us our song, yeah?"

Ayame wraps her arms around the back of my head, whispering.

My spot in the back got snatched by Saya after she came back from the loo.

But hey—right on the head. Saya.

“Could work. There are six isolation pods. We could try different approaches for each.”

My suggestion sparks a brainstorm.

“How about a good-versus-evil period drama?”

“Huh. Interesting.”

Ayame, whose family runs a swordsmanship dojo, pushes for the historical epic.

Maybe showing the Niahyume’s actions as inherently evil would stick better.

“Period drama might plant weird values, though. Anime’s better. Magical girl stuff, maybe?”

“Yeah. We’ve got room for both. Let’s do both.”

Saya pushes for anime. Soft, but still pressing into the back of my skull.

Maybe something for girls—moral tales, friendship, that sort of thing—could work.

"……Classical……"

Ayame pushes for classical music.

"Yeah, calming. Might be good for the Niahyūm, since they don’t understand words.

Huh? Don’t understand words...

Wait a second! That’s it—historical dramas and anime need to be translated into a language the Niahyūm can actually comprehend!"

This is Gail’s moment.

We’ve funded research on communicating with the Niahyūm, after all. Time to put that investment to use.

I’ll have the footage of the period dramas and anime sent straight to Earth via President Kamizawa’s station.

Make sure to buy the proper broadcast rights. No pirated copies—absolutely not.

Classical music? Copyright’s expired. No issues there.

"Leave the Neihyūm language translation to Steff. The footage’s coming from Earth via President Kamizawa."

I glanced sideways, suddenly noticing Stephanie.

Head down. Looking like she’d lost a bet.

Right—like the beastkin wife, she’d been quiet, too.

"What’s wrong, Steff?"

Still staring at the floor, Stephanie murmured.

"We Imperial folk... we’re behind in entertainment culture compared to Earthlings.

Here’s a chance to serve my lord, and I can’t do a damn thing... it’s infuriating..."

"Ah. Then let’s host a screening. Expose the Empire to Earth culture, and adapt it back for our own.

Yeah. Broadcast anime in our territory. Have Steff, Carrie, Marie, and Jane handle the dubbing.

If we use the auto-translator, we’ll understand Earth’s language just fine."

"Let's do this!"

My proposal brought the bride back to life—she promised cooperation with a smile.

They already had their own fashion culture, to begin with.

Could probably develop on its own if you’re interested enough.

‘Um… about the Neahyume quarantine in the Lusty system…’

Right! Sorry about that.

The factory flagship had had enough.

I still had that meeting to get to.

Later.

There was a wife who was completely hooked on magical girl anime.

What I'm watching right now is an anime where magical girls keep dying one after another.

Who the hell mixed this up?

No, it's a masterpiece... but I think it's too soon for them.

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side: Imperial Capital Dimensional Radar Observation Room

At that moment, a celestial body was detected approaching the Imperial Primary System.

"Dimensional Radar, picking up quantum echo. Gravitational anomaly detected. Planet. A planet is approaching!"

"No star. No companion. Free-floating planet, perhaps?"

"Could it be a Neahyume?"

"Regardless, if it hits the primary star, that’ll be trouble!"

"Course?"

"Still unknown."

"We should dispatch a fleet for precise observation."

"Send first report to the Emperor!"

A crisis loomed over the Imperial Primary.

The sense of the days is off.

Basic update schedule: every two days, with weekend updates every three days—irregular, but that’s how it goes.

Accidentally uploaded.

This is officially the Wednesday, 00:00, 29th edition.