A count's wedding takes a lot of time.

You can't just casually say, "Hey, I'm getting married next month~." That kind of lightheartedness isn't allowed.

To have all the relevant parties attend, it's considered normal to start preparing several years in advance.

You could just ignore them and hold the wedding on your own, but nobles have ridiculously high pride.

Some of them will suddenly fly into a rage, shouting, "Why wasn't I invited!"

Also, if you hold a simple wedding, you'll be looked down upon with comments like, "Is his house actually poor?"

Ceremonial occasions have become far more troublesome than in my previous life.

"Lord Liam, when you announced your wedding to Lady Rosetta, so many people expressed their desire to attend. This Brian is so happy he can't stop crying. The Banfield house is now more prosperous than it was even when Lord Alistair was in charge!"

The Banfield house, until about a hundred years ago, was recognized as a poor, rural count's family.

But with my birth, it developed greatly and is now one of the foremost great noble houses in the Empire.

"It was an easier path than I thought."

"That is only because it was you, Lord Liam. I cannot imagine any ordinary count's house achieving the same results even if they did the same things."

I feel bad for my butler, Brian, but there's a secret behind all this success.

"I'm just lucky."

"I don't think it's just luck, though?"

—That's right, it's all thanks to the Guide who protects me.

He's a good guy who has helped me many times since reincarnating me into this world.

He hasn't shown up much recently, but I've seen him a few times, so there's no doubt he's working for my sake.

"Still, there are a lot of people applying to attend a mere wedding."

"There are many who wish to use this as an opportunity to form a connection with our house. What's unfortunate is that many of them are just trying to leech off us by forming ties."

Brian looks at one of those unfortunate houses while going through the documents of the many applicants.

Like me, they're a rural noble from the frontier, but they're saddled with enormous debt.

Their debt has ballooned so much they can't repay it, so they probably want support from me.

"A lot of shameless bastards."

"But it's also proof that our house is seen as that reliable."

"It might be fun to give them some pocket change and make them my underlings."

"Surely you don't intend to invite them all without vetting them?"

I have no interest in serious, good-natured people.

After all, I'm a villain.

I should be joining hands with other bad guys.

"I'll work them to the bone from now on."

"No, but, sir—"

Brian seems to be against the invitations.

He's desperately trying to persuade me, and just as I'm thinking it's too much trouble and maybe I won't invite them, an urgent communication comes in.

"Who is it at a time like this? Amagi!?"

Realizing the urgent call was from Amagi, I hurriedly grant permission.

An image of Amagi from the bust up was projected in front of me.

"Master, please excuse the intrusion for this urgent matter."

"For you, any time is fine. More importantly, what happened?"

It bothered me that Amagi, who would normally visit me in person, was using a communication channel to report.

"There has been a development on the Capital Planet."

"—Is it related to His Highness Cleo?"

As I narrow my eyes and put on a serious face, Brian also straightens his back and tenses up.

"Yes. A petition has arrived from a baronial house for His Highness Cleo. It's a territorial dispute between two ruling nobles. It seems a baronial house and a viscount's house have gone to war over a single planet."

"That's not an unusual story."

It's not uncommon for nobles to fight over a single planet.

Whether rare metals were discovered or ancient ruins were unearthed—whatever the case, nobles are fighting over that planet.

In the Empire, disputes are happening somewhere every day, so it's not strange for a petition to reach Cleo.

"It is certainly not an unusual story. However, the viscount's house, which opposes the baronial house, has sought help from His Highness the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince's faction has announced they will offer their full cooperation."

"What?"

Data files from Amagi arrive and are displayed around me.

Checking them, something felt a little off.

"It's fine that rare metals were discovered, but the problem is that Calvin has gone all-out over such a trivial matter."

How should I explain this?

It's like a nation getting serious over a squabble between two towns?

There's no reason for the country to get involved; from its perspective, it's a trivial matter.

At most, they should just mediate.

And yet, they're seriously trying to dispatch an army.

"—What is His Highness Cleo saying?"

"On the Capital Planet, he has apparently promised the baron that he will not spare any cooperation. He has publicly declared that he will dispatch an army with you, Master, as the commander-in-chief."

"He's doing unnecessary things."

Hearing all this, Brian becomes flustered.

However, he didn't interrupt my conversation with Amagi.

I decided to take action immediately.

"His Highness Cleo has done as he pleases. Amagi, call Klaus at once."

"Understood."

When the communication ends, Brian, who had been silent, makes a bitter face.

"Knowing that this is an important time for our house, what is he thinking, starting a war on his own whim? This is a problem that could have been resolved through discussion. And to make Lord Liam the commander-in-chief..."

Cleo must have known that I had a wedding with Rosetta coming up.

The Third Prince and His Highness the Crown Prince have declared they will seriously cooperate in the dispute between a baronial and a viscount's house.

In other words, this is a proxy war between Cleo and Calvin.

On the surface, it's a dispute between a baron and a viscount, but they probably intend to settle the succession dispute with this battle.

Whether His Highness Cleo wished to end it quickly, or if Calvin is getting impatient—in any case, it seems both sides were looking for a reason to fight.

"—Now then, what to do."

A conflict between large factions takes time.

If things go wrong, it could last for decades and end without a clear winner.

In a way, it's a convenient development for the wedding to be called off.

◇

At Liam's mansion, a female executive from the Henfrey Company had come to visit.

The female executive, visiting the fitting room, was explaining with a smile to Rosetta, who was looking in the mirror wearing a pure white dress.

"What do you think? It's a dress made with thread using mithril. It's made to be light and durable by the advanced techniques of our craftsmen. Since it uses mithril, which repels evil, it's a good luck charm. The price is commensurate, but I believe it is a dress truly befitting of you, Lady Rosetta."

The ridiculously expensive dress was priced so high that you could probably buy a mobile knight with it.

Rosetta felt like her head was about to explode.

"It's, it's dazzling. It's really glowing faintly."

The faint glow of the dress made Rosetta's eyes hurt a little.

All the embroidery was done with thread made of gold, Liam's favorite.

However—several dresses like this had been prepared.

In the fitting room lined with expensive dresses, Rosetta was checking one outfit after another.

Watching over her was Marie.

"Hmm, it's fine as a spare. Is there nothing of higher quality?"

Questioned by Marie, the female executive was a little flustered.

"A-As for anything of higher quality, our company does not have any. This is a one-of-a-kind item designed specifically for this occasion."

"Problems can arise on the day of. Prepare at least two. There's also the dress change, so I'd like a few more types."

"O-Of this rank!? Normally, people would prepare a dress to their own liking, even if it's of a lower rank, but?"

"Silence! I have been entrusted with a sufficient budget from Lord Liam. You just need to prepare a dress to Lady Rosetta's liking."

"Y-Yes!"

Marie was saying this and that, but Rosetta had reached her limit.

Surrounded by items that were too expensive, her thinking was becoming muddled.

"Marie, I don't think I need that many. I'll only wear it at the wedding, so I'd rather have a cute dress of a minimal rank."

(T-To spend this much on something I'll only use once... I think it's strange.)

When Rosetta said that, Marie turned her upper body and showed a smile.

Rosetta was relieved, thinking Marie understood, but Marie turned back to the female executive and glared at her.

"Finish the highest-rank dress in a cute style. I'll send the materials later, so prepare at least three hundred design proposals."

Just having top-class designers create hundreds of designs would involve an outrageous amount of money.

Rosetta tries to stop Marie.

"Marie, that's enough. I like this dress, so this one is fine."

"No compromises! This is a once-in-a-lifetime grand stage, you know."

Rosetta was at a loss with Marie, who wouldn't listen to anything she said.

Just then, an urgent communication arrived for Marie.

"Who at a time like this—Lord Liam!?"

As soon as Marie read the message that arrived on her terminal, her earlier high spirits plummeted, and she became visibly dejected.

Worried about Marie, Rosetta spoke to her.

"What's wrong, Marie?"

"Lady Rosetta, the wedding might be canceled."

"Eh?"

"There's been a development on the Capital Planet. His Highness Cleo and His Highness Calvin are preparing to wage a proxy war."

"Uh, umm..."

Rosetta understood what Marie was trying to say.

(Darling will probably participate, right? It looks like it'll be a big war, so it's sure to take time. So, we won't make it for the wedding.)

As Rosetta looked down, the maids around her were at a loss for words.

But Rosetta quickly raised her head.

"Then it can't be helped. Marie, weren't you summoned by Darling? You should go at once."

"—Are you sure?"

Marie asks if she won't protest this, but Rosetta shakes her head.

"If it's something Darling decided, I won't complain. Besides, this is an important time, isn't it?"

"I will be sure to convey your words to Lord Liam."

As Marie left the room, Rosetta smiled a little sadly.

"The wedding's been postponed again."

◇

The Seventh Weapons Factory.

At the Imperial weapons factory that did business with the Banfield house, several basic frames for the mass-produced Avid, which Liam had prepared for his junior disciples, were ready.

The one involved in the construction of the mass-produced units was not Nias, who was close to Liam.

"Eh? You want to buy all of these units? N-no, that's impossible. These are all being built at the request of Count Banfield. You'll have to place a new order."

The one who had come was a noble from Calvin's faction.

"I know all that. And I'm still ordering you. We'll be taking them out immediately."

The maintenance soldiers the noble brought with him swarmed the three basic frames, including the spare.

The man in charge of construction tried to stop them.

"Please wait! We'll be in trouble if you do that. Besides, they're not even finished yet."

"We'll do the finishing touches. You just need to hand over the data."

"I'm telling you, we're in a bind if you say that!"

If the mass-produced Avids being built at Liam's request were to be stolen, the credibility of the Seventh Weapons Factory would be at stake.

When the man resisted, the noble drew a pistol and fired.

A beam of laser light pierced the man's leg.

"Aghhh!"

Glancing at the man writhing in pain, the noble raised the corners of his mouth and looked up at the Avid's basic frame.

In the zero-gravity space, the Avid's basic frames began to be carried out.

"The basic frames are all made of rare metals, huh. This alone is worth quite a bit."

The frame-only units had no armor, their components exposed.

The maintenance soldiers also carried out the unprocessed rare metals.

The shot man, clutching his thigh, looked at the noble with a frightened expression.

"If you do this, Count Banfield won't stay silent."

The noble spread his arms.

"Excellent! We need your mobile knights precisely to defeat that Count Banfield."

"W-What are you talking about?"

The noble left without a word, but the maintenance soldiers approached the man and showed him an electronic document.

"Those units are being requisitioned by the Imperial Army."

"Why would the army do that? Even if it's called a mass-produced model, it's a one-off machine. It shouldn't be a unit that the military can operate."

Although it's called a mass-produced model, it's still a mobile knight built without regard for budget.

It's a machine that only Liam's junior disciples can barely pilot besides him, a weapon unsuited for military operation.

But the maintenance soldiers left without answering.