“I am Acht=Ringo, Corps Commander for the United Kingdom of Aphrasia Area Army, belonging to Paraiso.”

After confirming that everyone had taken their seats, Acht opened her mouth.

“As you have already heard, West Gate City is under the complete occupation of us, Paraiso.

Today, you have been summoned so that I may deliver a certain notice to you.”

“......”

This was a conference room prepared in the guesthouse annexed to the West Gate City lord’s manor.

The lord and other principal figures, ambassadors included, were under a form of house arrest somewhere together with their families.

It had been three days since the lightning capture of West Gate City succeeded.

Resupply for Paraiso’s resident forces had been completed, the search devices had been «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» installed, and all preparations were in place.

And now, at last, the summons for the lord and the ambassadors of each country was issued.

“I am aware that you harbor various doubts.

And at this time, we will not be answering them.

This is a venue for us to convey our demands to you.”

The Strategic AI dispatched after completion of the occupation began to speak while directly operating the Android Communicator Acht.

“First, I address the lord of West Gate City, Kalibari Western Aquania.

Effective immediately, I strip you of all command authority within West Gate City, and simultaneously suspend all of your rights.”

“......!”

Kalibari Western Aquania—no, Kalibari Aquania—slightly knit his brow at Acht’s words.

However, he voiced no objection to them.

To begin with, even though he had been summoned to this place and made to sit in a chair, that position was the lowest seat.

In the seat of highest rank where he would ordinarily have sat, Paraiso’s representative, Acht, had taken her place.

It was only to be expected.

“I expect you understand this, but this is a settled matter, and you have no right of refusal. The moment you resist us, you will be dealt with as a rebel. Bear that well in mind.”

“......”

To the words of Acht, the highest responsible authority, Kalibari Aquania answered with silence.

Quite naturally, the Android Communicator waiting behind him drew a ceremonial sword and thrust it out beside his face.

“Know time and place. That attitude in a setting like this is unseemly. I will have to deem it a sign of recanting.”

“...Understood. I will comply with your demands.”

“Good.”

The Android Communicator withdrew the ceremonial sword.

Yes.

This occasion was a meeting attended by rulers and ruled.

Naturally, the ruled had no right to speak.

Because the Android Communicators looked delicate and lovely, the tension had been a little lacking.

“Let me state it again. We are invaders, and you are in a state of having surrendered to us. Take the utmost care with your words and actions.”

Twenty-four Android Communicators assigned as security and guards were deployed in the venue. They outnumbered those gathered; even if anyone tried anything, they would be pinned by at least two Android Communicators.

“Now then. I also have a notice for the representatives of each country.

We, Paraiso, are conducting an invasion of the United Kingdom of Aphrasia.

And ultimately, we will exercise rule over the United Kingdom of Aphrasia.”

When Acht stated this plainly, several ambassadors blanched.

Why did countries with no direct highway connection bother stationing ambassadors in West Gate City in the first place?

It was to manufacture a pretext for Fuelstone mining.

They placed embassies in West Gate City and, whatever the reality, maintained the pretense that Fuelstone mining had been permitted.

Acht had deliberately touched that nerve.

There was no way this would be an agreeable conversation.

“Accordingly, we request of each country:

Withdraw at once any personnel who have entered the United Kingdom of Aphrasia.

Henceforth, border control will be executed by us, Paraiso.

If you continue mining without our permission, we will treat you as intruders.”

At that declaration, the ambassadors looked to one another.

They wanted to lodge protests.

But the moment they spoke the first word, they might be purged.

Thus the deterrent applied to each in turn.

“...May I?”

Amid that probing of intent, the first to raise a hand was the ambassador among the participants with the greatest power to speak—

namely, the Wheat Country of Weizenland in the west.

“Permission to speak.”

Confirming Acht’s nod, the ambassador began.

“First, with regard to this act of aggression by your country, mine hereby lodges a formal protest.

To commit such outrages without a declaration of war and without notice to neighboring states is to invite the charge of barbarism.

I have never heard of a country called Paraiso, but the Wheat Country of Weizenland does not condone your military invasion.”

At that statement, Acht smiled faintly.

Proof that the words of the great power Wheat Country of Weizenland did not shake her in the least.

“I see. I will receive that protest.”

Put off by her composure, the ambassador nevertheless continued.

“When you spoke just now of personnel who have entered, you refer to the workers engaged in Fuelstone mining, do you not?”

“That is correct.”

Acht nodded without missing a beat.

“...Fuelstone mining is an inter-state project formally contracted between my country and the United Kingdom of Aphrasia. You are free to make your demands, but we cannot accept the delusion of an unconditional withdrawal.”

“Indeed! To suddenly strike by surprise and then tell us to withdraw—such an outrage...!?”

Following the Weizenland ambassador’s lead, another country’s ambassador raised a cry of protest—

At Acht’s glance, the Android Communicator moved at once: seizing the back of his collar from behind, lifting a full-grown man with one hand, and pressing a ceremonial blade to his throat.

The mood shifted as a petite girl performed this act with utter ease.

“You do not have permission to speak. Restrain yourself.”

The Android Communicator drew back the sword and released him. Freed, the man dropped with a thump onto his chair.

“For a civilized nation, that is rich. To cut into another’s conversation and drown it out with a loud voice—do we have a hilltop troop of monkeys in our midst?”

Soft giggles, a tittering chuckle.

The guards standing around Acht covered their mouths and laughed with refined grace.

“Filzich. Unbecoming.”

“Oh, do forgive me. But, dear sister, really—everyone here is just so dim. I couldn’t help it.”

The girl who had been standing there in the guise of a guard—

apparently, she and Acht were in a sisterly relationship—so runs the setup.

“You truly don’t understand, do you. Haven’t you seen it? Haven’t you heard it? How we came here. We even went to the trouble of transferring the lord and his party from Great Horse Town to this side. Have you not heard their account?”

Casting her gaze around the conference room, No. 40 Filzich let fly in a bell-like voice.

“If you misplay your response here, you might all be slaughtered. We might invade your home countries. You really don’t understand a thing.”

No optimist could bring himself to say, flatly, that such a thing could never happen.

None such seemed to be present here.

“We are not that barbaric.”

With a light backhanded swat, Acht tapped Filzich; Filzich offered a light apology and stepped back.

“But as I said at the outset, this is a place for us to convey our demands, not a place to answer your questions.

Whatever you think, whatever you say, this decision will not be overturned.”

It was a two-Android-Communicator farce, and yet even so, everyone in the room understood.

They were indeed prisoners, and their treatment could be made into anything by a single word from these girls.

And that the very forces which had trampled this city might be turned upon their homelands.

“If necessary, we will permit you to send messengers to your home countries. If you wish to do something, speak to our personnel who are guarding your residences. If it is something we can permit, we will arrange it.”

With that, the day’s business is concluded.

So saying, Acht rose from her seat.

“Filzich. They are unaccustomed to this and must be fatigued. Accompany them at table.”

“Yes, as you command, dear sister.”

Thus the highest authority in the room departed—

“Now then, everyone. Here is cuisine prepared with all the care and soul of our Paraiso. Please, do not hold back; don’t trouble yourselves about poison. After all, we wouldn’t bother to go to the trouble of poisoning you. You see, if we wanted to kill you, we could simply cut you down right here.”

Smiling sweetly, she spoke.

“Oh, and do rest easy about the ingredients as well. They are all things obtainable in the United Kingdom of Aphrasia! The cuisine itself bears no sin, so please partake to your hearts’ content.”

And so began a luncheon which should, by rights, have been delicious, yet whose flavor none could discern—cowed as they were by Filzich, who insisted on soliciting impressions at every turn and even came round expressly to pour their water.