Chapter 6:
The Expeditionary Army
A FLEET OF OVER six million ships had gathered in a sector of space
within the Empire's territory. It was a grand sight, but mobilizing a force
of this size cost no small amount of money. Even for an intergalactic
nation like the massive Empire, it was difficult to muster such funds. This
was a fight to eliminate the forces of the United Kingdom of Oxys from
the Empire's territory, though, so they couldn't skimp on expenses. In
other words, they had to be victorious here.
On the bridge of the three-thousand-meter-class superdreadnought
serving as the force's flagship, Claus, the acting supreme commander,
endured the pain in his stomach as he stood beside Prince Cleo.
Numbers alone aren't enough in a huge fight like this. Can we really
win?
Just in terms of fleet size, they had gathered twice the fighting
power of their enemy, but they couldn't focus all their ships on one battle.
Space was vast and their enemy would split its forces, so the Empire had
to do the same. That would mean managing multiple battlefields at once—
and not just two or three, but hundreds or thousands of fronts. If one
counted small skirmishes individually, the number of engagements might
even be in the tens of thousands. If the Empire forces lost in some areas, it
would be all right as long as they won the larger conflicts, but it was
impossible for one person to effectively keep track of that much fighting.
A number of bridge operators shouted out messages.
"Standing Supreme Commander Claus! We're getting complaints
that supplies aren't reaching our patrol fleets!"
"Standing Supreme Commander Claus! The patrol fleet nobles are
demanding that we hold a banquet before they commence activities!"
"Standing Supreme Commander Claus! One of the patrol squads is
fighting amongst themselves! They're firing on their own allies!"
Complaints were coming in from the patrol fleets that had been
scraped together for the war. They were commanded by useless nobles that
Calvin's faction had known would get in Cleo's way. Anyone in the force
who wasn't in Cleo's faction was basically just there to be a liability,
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likely an arrangement with Calvin's faction. These patrol squads were
already causing problems and holding their own army back.
The nobles in charge didn't really care if they won or lost the war,
and if things started looking bad for them, they would no doubt find some
excuse to flee the fight. Desertion was an offense punishable by death,
even for nobles, but Calvin's faction likely planned to make Cleo—or
Liam, rather—take responsibility for any deserters to help tear Cleo's
faction down.
If the war was lost, it would be the end of House Banfield. Knowing
this, Claus felt crushed by the weight of the responsibility sitting on his
shoulders.
Oh, my stomach hurts! I figure only half the force—three million—is
on our side, and the rest are enemies!
The United Kingdom of Oxys's ships numbered about three million,
and the Algrand Empire's numbered six million—but half of the latter
were essentially enemy craft too. It wasn't an advantageous engagement of
six million versus three million, but a precarious fight of three million
versus six million.
Claus's one solace was the fact that they even had three million
allied ships, which was all thanks to Liam. Liam had convinced many
Imperial nobles to join his forces and was making use of his personal
merchants to help keep his ships supplied during the war. He may not be
joining the fight himself, but he was certainly doing his part by supporting
the force from the rear.
It's all thanks to Lord Liam's support. I suppose that isn't a bad
tactic for him...but why am I here again?
Seated next to Cleo on the bridge was the knight Lysithea. A short
distance away sat his bodyguard Chengsi, who was buffing her nails as
though she wasn't the least bit worried.
Prince Cleo has never commanded a fleet before, and this is
Princess Lysithea's first battle of this scale. Not to mention mine as well.
And Chengsi doesn't seem interested at all.
If Liam were here, Claus wouldn't have to worry about anything
either, not besides simply following orders. But Liam wasn't there. The
only way they even managed to gather a fleet of this size was because of
Liam's remote support. Things in the rear were stable because Liam was
taking care of supplies and everything else of that nature.
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If Liam were here in command instead of on the Capital Planet,
Claus had no doubt that Calvin's faction would be sabotaging their supply
lines. When Claus thought of things that way, Liam was right about his
own placement. If he miscalculated at all, it was in making Claus the
acting supreme commander of the fleet.
Clutching his stomach, Claus turned to Tia. The woman's eyes
shimmered dangerously.
"I see the idiots are still making noise. Operators, just add those
complaints to the list. None of them concern us right now," she said.
Liam was far from stupid, and he wouldn't expect Claus to
command the fleet all by himself. Therefore, he dispatched Tia to work
under Claus. Still, Claus decided to think of himself as Tia's observer
rather than as her commander.
Lady Christiana said she's had experience with wars of this scale. If
that's the case, I should be supporting her instead of the other way
around. What could I achieve on my own anyway?
Tia tended to ignore busywork, so the fastidious Claus ended up
doing it for her. Tia had noticed this, so she'd stopped complaining about
it to Claus and behaved as though she was the actual supreme commander.
"Do you have a strategy to use against the United Kingdom, Lady
Tia?" Cleo asked nervously. Claus had met with Cleo previously in
private, but he hadn't been able to come up with any kind of real
beginning strategy.
Smiling, Tia replied, "We'll play it by ear. Nothing will go as
planned in a war of this scale, anyway."
That answer made Lysithea nervous. "Can we really win this?
We're effectively outnumbered two to one..." Like Claus, Lysithea didn't
feel all their allies could be trusted to work in harmony with them.
Tia cocked her head and smiled at Lysithea. "Two to one? You have
to think about this the right way, Your Highness. From our perspective,
there are indeed three sides to this fight...but the United Kingdom won't
distinguish between us and Prince Calvin's allies when they see Imperial
ships."
A visual representation of their fleet of six million ships appeared on
the bridge's main screen before them. There, they could see numerous
ships moving about, ignoring orders and breaking formation before the
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battle even started. These were the uncooperative ships of the main fleet,
plus the patrol fleets. While half of their ships were now setting forth
toward their specified destinations, the other half were obviously moving
wherever they pleased.
Tia watched them with some amusement. "Ah, the traitors are
showing themselves already. Well, let's start by taking care of them."
Tia opened a communication channel and sent out orders to the
trusted ships of the fleet. "We fight for Lord Liam's victory! Let's put
those traitors to good use!"
The last thing she said before signing off was said in such a cold
tone that it startled everyone around her. "Pershing... You'll regret
betraying Lord Liam."
***
The fleet of 60,000 ships commanded by Count Pershing in the
United Kingdom's army was but one part of a larger fleet of ships
belonging to other nobles. Altogether, their force numbered 100,000 ships,
and they were currently stationed at a planet that belonged to the Algrand
Empire.
The personnel of this combined fleet were all citizens of one of the
nations that comprised the United Kingdom. During the United Kingdom's
recent internal conflict, this nation had risen up against its rulers. Normally
for such a betrayal these people would be forced to fight on the frontlines,
but they made a deal with the United Kingdom to avoid that fate.
The Empire withdrew from the vicinity of this planet when the
invading force arrived, so the fleet already managed to achieve something
without causing or suffering any damage.
Smoking a cigar on the bridge of his ship, Count Pershing was
notified of a communication from the Imperial Army.
"It's our regular update from the Imperial Army, my lord," one of
his operators announced. "It details their next moves."
Pershing received the report from his subordinate and examined its
contents. "Hmm... Prince Cleo's flagship is secretly moving with a small
number of ships? So they want to trick us into thinking he's still with the
main force, eh? Looks like the Imperial Army has no idea how to fight."
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Pershing suspected that a dummy flagship with the main force was
being used to make it seem as though Cleo was there. This strategy had
been used in the past. Several nations had even been defeated by thinking
their enemy wouldn't possibly send out their flagship with so few ships to
defend it. This strategy was a gamble, though, because if their enemy
found out what they were up to, the small group would be in jeopardy.
Count Pershing decided to forward this information to his superiors.
"Report this to our sovereign. It's nice and easy just sitting back to
watch this war, isn't it? I pity those who actually have to kill one another
out there."
Count Pershing fully intended to wait out the whole war here
without once going to the front lines. The other nobles in his fleet were the
same—they had no intention of fighting.
"Don't think too poorly of me."
Was he saying that to Liam, or to his allies? His staff on the bridge
had no idea.
***
Meanwhile, the Imperial Army's commanding flagship received a
new report.
"300,000 United Kingdom ships have met the mixed fleet! Our side
just lost 60,000 ships!"
Tia acted devastated to hear the news. She held one hand to her
chest and covered her face with the other. "What terrible news. I ordered
them to quickly return to their posts too...but they just wouldn't listen."
That one report confirmed the elimination of a good number of
delinquent nobles and their soldiers who were only getting in Tia's way.
Most of them were related to Calvin's faction in some way. To put it
simply, they were fellow soldiers in the Imperial Army, but they were all
Liam's enemies. Tia eliminated them by sharing misleading information,
and her display of sadness was simply an act. Behind the hand that covered
her face, Tia wore a dark smile, knowing that she sent so many of Liam's
enemies right into the jaws of doom.
Claus felt a chill run through him when he caught her expression.
She really did that!
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They lost 60,000 allied ships in the blink of an eye, but Tia felt no
remorse. After all, they had only done away with some traitors.
Cleo looked frightened as he watched Tia. "Should we really be
sabotaging our own allies...?" The prince couldn't understand why they
should fight amongst themselves when they had a real enemy to face, and
he didn't seem to approve of Tia's glee from annihilating their own troops.
Tia, on the other hand, actually found it charming that Cleo reacted
with such disgust to her actions. "I used to think the same way you do,
Your Highness, but life-or-death conflicts with your own allies are exactly
what ends up happening in wars of this scale. One small mistake and we
could have been the ones eliminated instead of that mixed fleet."
If they didn't outmaneuver their enemies first, they eventually
would be the ones to become space dust. When Tia helped Cleo see this,
he held his tongue. Beside him, Lysithea couldn't say anything to refute
Tia's logic either.
Seated nearby, Chengsi just looked up from her nails to smirk.
Perhaps Tia's style of command appealed to her—her cheeks were flushed
with excitement over what was transpiring on the battlefield.
"Now this is war," Chengsi said. "No—this is humanity itself. The
battlefield is where humans shine the most beautifully and act the most
repulsively. Ahh... Our homeland truly is wonderful."
Tia stared at the elated Chengsi with chilly eyes—not as one would
look at an ally, but as one would a detestable foe. The reason for that was
because Chengsi had made an attempt on Liam's life to see if she could
beat him in personal combat...and because after that, Liam had taken an
interest in Chengsi and forgiven her. House Banfield's knights didn't feel
the same way about the bloodthirsty woman as Liam did, however, and Tia
would happily kill Chengsi as soon as she got the chance.
Tia spoke indifferently to her with undisguised hostility. "Why not
die on the battlefield yourself, then? Give your life for your beloved
homeland."
At Tia's words, Chengsi tapped a finger against her lips and
narrowed her eyes. Tia was completely open about her desire to see her
dead, and yet she was still smiling casually. "It's too bad I can't kill you
right here," Chengsi replied. "But if I fool around too much, Liam won't
play with me again, will he?"
Chengsi was plainly stating that if not for Liam, she would have
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taken out Tia at that very moment.
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The other knights on the bridge were filled with rage, Tia foremost
among them. "You're just a savage berserker who was only spared
because of the mercy in Lord Liam's heart," she spat back.
Things were getting dangerous, so Claus intervened. "That's
enough, both of you. Lady Christiana, this is no time for us to be fighting
amongst ourselves."
Claus pointed out that there was a bigger battle to be fought, and Tia
looked away from Chengsi. "I suppose you're right." Tia still didn't hide
her contempt for the other woman, however, and gave off the vibe that she
was just waiting for the right time to kill her.
Claus cautioned Chengsi as well. "And Chengsi, if you're bored, I'll
give you an opportunity to fight. Be ready to sortie."
Chengsi was supposed to be acting as Cleo's personal guard, but
Claus decided to use his authority to send her into the field instead.
The woman smiled, her expression both bewitching and ominous. "I
bet it'll be fun to test out my new toy." The "new toy" Chengsi referred to
was a customized mobile knight.
She left the bridge to prepare to sortie, and the tension in the air
immediately lessened. Everyone around him relaxed, but for Claus, the
pain in his stomach had intensified.
Why are there so few normal knights in our order? Anyway... Since
I reassigned Prince Cleo's bodyguard, I guess I'll have to write a report to
explain that later.
While Claus nursed his aching stomach, Tia announced her next
strategy. As she had done with the traitors in their own force, her aim was
to transmit misinformation for Count Pershing to intercept that would lead
to more losses—but this time, on the United Kingdom's side.
"Now, let's see if we can get Count Pershing to dance for us too."
Claus watched Tia manipulate the battlefield like a gameboard. Lady
Christiana definitely should have been made acting supreme commander
from the start.
***
The flagship of the United Kingdom's forces was a type of vessel
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called a fortress-class ship. This mobile fortress was housed within an
asteroid—the latter of which was outfitted with powerful engines for
propulsion—and therefore boasted a command center far larger than a
superdreadnought could support.
In addition to the supreme commander, dozens of generals and
hundreds of staff officers and operators occupied the fortress' command
center. Information on every battle occurring in every location was
gathered there. In addition, information provided by Calvin's faction
regarding the movement of Prince Cleo's forces was displayed alongside
it.
From taking in all this data, some of those in the command center
noticed the situation looked very unusual in several locations. Still, the
team couldn't hide their excitement as reports of their allies'
accomplishments poured in.
One of the operators shouted, "Our ground forces have captured the
enemy base on Planet Two!"
To better organize things, they numbered the planets in the sector of
space serving as the battlefield. A landing force had been dispatched to a
world in the battle zone called Planet Two, which had a livable
atmosphere, and they had overwhelmed the Imperial forces there and
captured their base. The planet was now under United Kingdom control. It
was a great victory to be sure, but that wasn't the only good news the
bridge operators had to share.
"The Eighth Roaming Fleet encountered an enemy fleet and
completely destroyed it!"
"The Second Fleet just won a battle against a fleet of over 100,000
ships!"
"Report from Fleet Thirty-Nine! An enemy fortress has surrendered,
and now our people are occupying it!"
Morale was high as the United Kingdom's forces pushed into
Imperial territory with incredible momentum. Everyone other than the
flagship's officers were surprised to hear these reports. However, the
operators didn't know that their allies had connections in the enemy army
—specifically, to Calvin's faction. They believed these victories were
solely due to their army's own abilities.
Secret information or no, one cool-headed staff officer was
becoming suspicious. "This is too easy," he observed aloud.
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It was practically a miracle to win on so many fronts so quickly in a
war of this scope. This staff officer was wary, knowing that they should
expect some losses of their own.
The supreme commander of the United Kingdom's forces, a female
general, was nothing but pleased by their victories. "This is a good thing,"
she said.
"Supreme Commander?"
"If they have traitors on their side, they won't be able to fight at
their full strength. Let's keep our momentum going, and victory will be
within our grasp. It was frustrating that their supreme commander eluded
us in that first battle, but other than that, the Empire's practically handing
us victory. We just need to keep racking up the wins."
If they were triumphant in this war, the supreme commander would
be promoted to field marshal, becoming the youngest person ever to hold
the position. That glory seemed so attainable to her now, and she was
blinded by it.
"It's just too unnatural," the staff officer persisted. "Shouldn't we
pull back for a bit to get a better perspective of the war as a whole?"
The supreme commander wasn't listening. "If we pull back now,
we'll lose our momentum. Not to mention, I want my people to win some
achievements of their own. If I'm the only one promoted after this, they'll
be jealous."
The supreme commander wasn't about to be swayed, and the staff
officer's brow furrowed.
The supreme commander laughed as she gazed upon the
holographic overview of the battleground projected before her. "If I carve
out enough of the Empire's territory, my name will go down in history."
She fantasized about how her name would be passed down—the
great general who led the United Kingdom to victory.
***
Things were going so well for Count Pershing that it was actually
creating problems for him. Chief among these was a request from other
nobles in the same fleet he was a part of.
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"Can't you consider it, Count Pershing?"
"I'm not sure what to tell you."
Faces of other nobles were projected all around him on his ship's
bridge. Surrounded this way by his fellow nobles, he suffered under the
pressure of their demands.
"We don't desire any sort of grand victory; we just want to be able
to say that we fought against the Empire ourselves. With our allies
winning so many battles, our own achievements will pale in comparison."
Other fleets of the United Kingdom were achieving so much success
that these nobles, who'd previously decided to wait out the war, now
wanted to fight so they could have some victories to their names as well.
"Our sovereign commands this fleet," Pershing replied. "We can't
very well bring our sovereign to the battlefield, can we? We may be in a
superior position, but danger still remains."
"But our sovereign is the one who wants to fight! Count Pershing,
your information network can find us a suitable foe to engage, can't it?"
"Well...I suppose so."
Count Pershing didn't anticipate something like this happening. The
Cleo faction is worthless. I heard that Count Banfield was an
accomplished fighter, so I didn't expect his force to be so weak. You really
can't trust the rumors, I suppose.
Count Pershing was disillusioned with House Banfield after having
heard so much about their pirate-hunting exploits. At the same time, he
couldn't help but feel his own aspirations rising.
I suppose if I don't make a name for myself here, I'll regret it when I
get back. There shouldn't be any problem if we find some small fleets and
overwhelm them, right?
The United Kingdom nobles were getting restless, seeing the steady
progress their allies were making in the war.
Count Pershing made his decision. "Very well. I'll find a suitable
enemy for our sovereign's forces to fight."
"We're looking forward to it, Count Pershing."
***
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On the bridge of the Imperial Army's flagship, Tia stood imposingly
with her arms crossed. Her face remained expressionless as she heard each
new report of the Empire's losses.
Cleo and Lysithea had gone to their rooms to rest for the time being,
so she was alone on the bridge with two female knights who served as her
adjutants.
Tia asked, "Where might the acting supreme commander be?"
"Sir Claus is resting. You should take a break as well, Lady
Christiana."
"I can't rest right now."
Tia continued to monitor the status of the war. The Imperial Army
was losing battles or being pushed back in various areas. The bridge
operators reported each new piece of information with professional
indifference, but more blood seemed to drain from their faces with each
new report of a loss.
Tia was waiting for the right time to mobilize their forces. We're
almost there...
The door to the bridge opened and a refreshed Claus entered.
"What's the situation?" he asked.
"No change," one of Tia's adjutants responded curtly.
"I see."
It was a rude way to speak to the acting supreme commander, but
Claus didn't reproach the officer.
This adjutant seemed irritated at the current state of affairs, and
whispered to the other adjutant, "Why did Lord Liam appoint Sir Claus as
acting supreme commander and not Lady Christiana? I still can't
understand it."
She was obviously displeased that Claus wasn't as talented as her
own superior. Tia, however, was unconcerned. She was just waiting for the
opportunity she needed.
Then, one operator called out an urgent report. "A new enemy fleet
has appeared, headed in our direction. They are 100,000 in number!"
Tia smiled. "It's time to make our move. Deploy the ships on
standby."
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While the operators hurriedly contacted the sister fleets, the adjutant
sighed, "We sure did put out plenty of bait for them."
"And managed to eliminate a lot of traitors in the Imperial Army,"
said the other adjutant. "We should be thankful to the United Kingdom's
forces."
Tia's strategy to use misinformation to pit Calvin's faction's forces
against the United Kingdom's army had reaped great success. When the
fleets of Calvin's faction clashed with the United Kingdom's, they must
have realized they'd been betrayed. They tried to defend themselves
against the United Kingdom's army, but they were easily overwhelmed
thanks to the information Tia had allowed Count Pershing to intercept,
even though Count Pershing had no idea he was also being played
that way.
Pershing was under the impression that Tia and her allies were
members of Calvin's faction, but it was actually Cleo's faction that he was
going up against. Tia had pitted their two enemies against one another, and
in the process, reduced their forces...while her own faction hung back and
maintained its full fighting strength.
"I feel sorry for the soldiers fighting for Calvin's faction," Claus
said.
The nobles and officers who actually opposed Cleo's faction only
made up a small proportion of Calvin's forces. Many common soldiers
who were merely following orders were sacrificed in Tia's plan.
"Would you prefer it were our subordinates dying?" Tia replied. "I
chose this plan to make sure as few of our people as possible would be
killed. Do you disagree with my thinking, Sir Claus?"
Tia addressed him without using the title "Acting Supreme
Commander," and Claus sensed something dangerous in her tone. Tia must
have felt that Claus was criticizing her plan, because she was giving him a
fierce glare.
Claus shrugged to play down his comment. "I was the one who
approved your plan. The responsibility lies with me too. Still, I intend to
respond to any distress calls, regardless of the faction they come from."
What Claus was saying was that now that her plan had served its
purpose, he intended to assist any allies he could. Even if requests for help
came from Calvin's faction, he intended to act on them.
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Tia didn't contest him. "Of course, Acting Supreme Commander."
***
A special craft waited in the flagship's hangar. Its distinctive red
paint job was Chengsi's signature color, and the unit was her personal
mobile knight. House Banfield commissioned it for her from the Seventh
Weapons Factory since she possessed incredible talent as a knight. A one-
of-a-kind machine for a one-of-a-kind knight: the Ericius.
The Ericius had a slender frame and conical shoulders. There were
firing lenses for beam weapons all over it, so it was amply armed, but the
Ericius had no weapons that it could hold in its hands like other mobile
knights. The machine's long and slender claw-like fingers weren't suited
to holding weapons. Because of the firing lenses all over its body, it would
be difficult to equip the machine with optional weaponry as well. That fact
seemed to confuse several of the maintenance techs, and they could often
be seen staring at the atypical machine with puzzlement. Even so, this was
the way the craft was designed to be.
"It's finally time to shine, my cute little hedgehog."
Wearing a red-and-white pilot suit and with helmet in hand, Chengsi
drifted over to her machine in the gravity-free hangar. She had taken the
mobile knight for a few test drives since receiving it, but this would be its
first real battle.
Chengsi opened the hatch and boarded the craft she'd nicknamed
her "hedgehog." The cockpit was decorated in a traditional design, to her
tastes. Hovering paper lanterns illuminated the space, set in spots where
they wouldn't obstruct visibility.
Chengsi settled into the pilot's seat, and the control sticks and pedals
shifted to the perfect positions for her to make use of them. Clasping her
hands together and stretching her arms out, she checked the Ericius's
various control panels.
In exchange for not having a rifle or close-proximity weapon, the
Ericius was fully loaded with firing weapons, their controls arrayed before
her. Thanks to this arrangement, her mobile knight had almost no armor,
so if the exposed frame took a direct hit, it could be seriously damaged.
However, Chengsi felt that she didn't need defense. She directed all the
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energy that would normally be used for defense to offense instead. The
frame did make use of rare metals in its construction that bolstered its
strength, but it was a craft that didn't seem very practical for real battles.
However, that was exactly what Chengsi had asked for.
"I could fight forever like this."
Chengsi waited for her orders to sortie, her eyes narrowed into
blissful slits.
***
Information on both allies and disoriented enemies came flooding
into the bridge of the Empire's flagship. Even as they struggled to process
it all, the operators made their reports without emotion.
"The enemy landing force on Planet Two has retreated, and we've
retaken our base there."
"An allied fleet just reported that they've driven off the enemy's
Eighth Roaming Fleet."
"Remnants of some decimated enemy fleets are trying to reform.
Our allies request permission to engage before that happens."
All reports indicated that their previously inferior position had
reversed completely, and their allies were now fighting with a clear
advantage over their foes.
As Claus listened to the reports, he reflected on Tia's plan. She lured
the enemy into our territory, then threw our forces at them after they
expended a good deal of their fighting strength on the traitors.
The United Kingdom's army had been advancing steadily, fighting
against Calvin's faction, which should have been on their side. Though the
Kingdom had won many battles, their forces were still depleted in the
process. Cleo's faction waited for the perfect moment to strike—when the
Kingdom's numbers had dwindled, and they were running low on
ammunition, supplies, and energy.
Claus was secretly terrified of Tia. I don't know how she got false
information out there to get them to believe we were Calvin's force.
Anyone can come up with the idea to manipulate the enemy's intel, but it's
impressive that she actually pulled it off. That being said, Calvin's people
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are still officially our allies and they've taken too many losses.
Tia was showing no mercy toward their opposing faction. The
severity of her ruthlessness was unimaginable when one considered her
regular behavior. Tia often acted rather ditzy when Liam was nearby,
though Claus had been under the impression that in general she was a
good-natured knight. However, when faced with enemies, she apparently
became a different person. Even now, when she received the reports on
how Calvin's forces had been reduced, she simply smiled coldly with
satisfaction that her plan had proved successful.
I've heard that the more talented a knight is, the more darkness they
hold in their heart. Does Lady Christiana possess that darkness at her
core?
If Claus had any hint as to the reason for those feelings, it was the
knowledge that she had once been captured by pirates. He heard that she'd
been subjected to torments the likes of which he couldn't even imagine
until she was finally rescued by Liam. Tia and the other knights who had
been captured along with her didn't like to talk about the experience, but
they felt deeply indebted to Liam for saving them and expressed that
feeling through unflinching loyalty.
In a way, it was more unusual that Tia, someone who could
slaughter her enemies mercilessly, became so emotional when she was in
front of Liam. Some part of Tia's humanity was broken, and Liam brought
out her vulnerabilities. She could still be human, at least around Liam. And
Marie—despite always fighting with Tia—was the same way.
While considering how dangerous Tia was, Claus was thankful that
they weren't enemies. If she was all on her own, she could either go down
in history as a great hero...or as a demon. But I should stop doubting my
comrades. For now, I need to focus only on the battle ahead.
Tia suddenly turned to face Claus, her eyes glittering. Her lips were
curved upward in a crescent-moon grin. "Acting Supreme Commander
Claus, what would you say to using this fleet to attack the enemy's main
force at this time?"
Claus was taken aback by Tia's suggestion that they pit the supreme
commanders of both sides against each other to decide the outcome of the
war. It didn't show in his face, but on the inside, he wanted to reject Tia's
suggestion. Still, based on her strategies thus far, if Tia believed they could
win the battle, he decided he should take that chance.
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Still keeping his expression stoic, Claus nodded at Tia. "Very well."
Lady Christiana is the real supreme commander here. All I can do is
go along with her decisions and support her in whatever way I'm able. I
can't say I expected her to suggest we attack the enemy's main force
ourselves...
***
The United Kingdom's main force was called the First Fleet. It was
made up of some 300,000 ships—a tenth of the entire army—though its
numbers were currently divided. Its ships were scattered, providing aid to
other fleets, as the situation for their army had worsened.
Currently, some 100,000 ships guarded the fortress-class flagship,
and within its command center, the supreme commander was seething. She
didn't show it on her face, but her arms were tightly crossed and her
pointer finger tapping.
"Why is our army suddenly losing?"
From her tone, which was more tightly wound than usual, her staff
officers knew she was in quite a foul mood.
"The Imperial Army has bolstered its forces," a female staff officer
answered. "Supreme Commander, I suggest we fall back and regroup."
The supreme commander didn't approve of the staff officer's
reasonable suggestion, however. No, she couldn't back off like that, and it
wasn't just because of her ambitions.
"It will only confuse our allies if we show our backs to our enemy
now. Not to mention that most of our fleets have pushed too far into
Imperial territory."
Hearing this, the staff officer grimaced with dread.
The supreme commander went on, "The fleets who got greedy and
rushed in too recklessly are probably going through hell right now."
It was the supreme commander herself who had ordered her forces
to advance, but some fleets ignored her specific orders and pushed in too
far. The First Fleet ordered them to return, but the overeager fleets found
some reason or other not to.
"Communication failure..." "We're already in pursuit of an enemy
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fleet..." "We're going to the aid of some allies..."
"If they're so far in," the staff officer suggested, "why not have
them chain a series of short-distance warps to meet up with our main
force?"
"Do you want to lead the enemy straight to us?" the supreme
commander snapped back. "Fleets chaining warps will just call attention to
themselves."
In a universe with widely separated intergalactic nations, simply
cruising through space wouldn't get anyone anywhere. For that reason,
ships were designed to jump instantaneously between two points, but their
warp engines were meant only for short distances. Special structures were
required for long-distance warping: enormous rings that floated stationary
in space, connected to one another by wormholes. Only by moving
between those rings could ships perform long-distance warps.
Thus, if a ship fled by using its warp engine, an enemy could do the
same and follow it. Short-distance warps also required a huge amount of
energy. It wasn't uncommon for a ship to flee from a threat via warp only
to run out of energy immediately and become a sitting duck. So, even if
these ships were able to meet up with the First Fleet, they would be useless
by the time they got there.
The staff officer understood all this, but she was anguished, unable
to simply abandon her allies. "At this rate, they'll be wiped out..."
"I know that. We'll send aid and rescue them—"
Before the supreme commander could finish, an operator raised a
panicked cry. "Allied fleet approaching via short-distance warp! Message
from the fleet: 'Encountered the enemy, requesting aid.'"
The supreme commander and all her staff officers tensed up.
Outwardly, they tried to remain calm in front of their subordinates, but
their expressions turned grave when they heard the bad news.
"Who are these idiots?" one of the staff officers shouted.
The operator identified the approaching allied fleet. "It's the Dahl
Principality's fleet!"
The Dahl Principality—the same nation Count Pershing served.
***
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Just what is going on? Seated on the bridge of his battleship, Count
Pershing trembled uncontrollably. It was supposed to be a simple win.
How did this happen?
As the ship powered down its warp engine, an operator yelled, "The
Imperial Army is in pursuit!"
The Dahl Principality's fleet had successfully completed its warp,
but an Imperial Army fleet followed right behind them. Count Pershing
was terrified by the sight of the pursuing Imperial Army on the monitor
before him. Within the enemy fleet was a group of ships with the crest of
House Banfield displayed on them.
"Eeek!"
The reason he covered his face with his arms in terror was because
they'd already just fought a battle with the Imperial Army. Out of a sense
of ambition, the Dahl Principality had decided to go on the offensive and
attack the Empire, targeting a small fleet numbering fewer than 10,000
ships. The enemy fleet was made up of old ships that could hardly put up
any resistance, so the Principality's 100,000 ships easily annihilated them.
Sovereign Dahl was pleased by this...that is, until a fleet of 30,000
Imperial ships suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The Imperial fleet did
heavy damage to their forces. The enemy fleet only had a third of their
numbers, but they quickly destroyed half of the Dahl Principality's fleet.
The Dahl flagship had also been eliminated; their sovereign died in battle.
The surviving nobles were in the process of fleeing to save their own
skins.
In a panic, Pershing fled in the direction of the United Kingdom's
main force, the First Fleet.
"Can you see the main fleet yet?" Count Pershing shouted.
"We're approaching visual range!" an operator answered.
Out of fear for his own life, Count Pershing led the great Imperial
fleet right to the United Kingdom's main force. Imperial ships now
appeared one after another behind them—almost 300,000 of them. Attacks
from the rear picked off Pershing's allies one by one. He had no idea when
he would be caught up in an explosion himself.
A red mobile knight suddenly began to approach from behind them.
Seeing this on the bridge's main screen, Pershing trembled even harder.
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"I-it's her!"
The slender red mobile knight had uniquely flared shoulders.
Particles of red light emitted from these cone-shaped parts, trailing behind
the mobile knight as it moved. When the red craft caught up to one of the
Dahl ships, it fired powerful lasers from the lenses set into its body.
Pierced by the laser beams, the ship burst into pieces.
The red mobile knight came swooping out of the explosion, setting
its sights on its next victim. It pointed one large arm ahead of its body and
its claws glowed gold, a beam forming at their tips. This energy beam took
the form of a giant set of claws, which the unit swung down at the ship it
had targeted. Slashed by the mobile knight's energy claw, the ship burst
into bits.
The sight of a single mobile knight destroying one ship after another
was like something out of a nightmare.
"Is that thing a monster?" Count Pershing cried. "Deploy all our
mobile knights to slow it down!"
Count Pershing was hoping to survive long enough to reach the
main fleet by sacrificing all the knights who served him.
***
The Dahl Principality deployed its mobile knights. Giant, human-
shaped craft spilled from each ship, forming a loose unit. The mobile
knights' heads had the bucket-like look of great helms, and many of them
featured horns to mark them as the elite commanders.
Leading the mobile knights with their ominous glowing eyes was a
female knight who was a top ace in the United Kingdom's army. A veteran
of the frontlines, she had already taken out more than ten enemy units in
this battle. This top ace held the current record for the most craft taken
down in the Dahl Principality, but it reassured her to know that other Dahl
knights with admirable reputations fought alongside her in their own
cockpits.
"Our orders are to defeat the red craft," she barked over her
communication system. "Take it down no matter what you have to do! If
you go after any other unit, I'll take you out myself!"
Sufficiently intimidated, all her subordinates answered, "Yes,
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ma'am!" And indeed, they couldn't afford to look anywhere else right
now. After all, they were up against—
"Now these are some lively foes."
The beautiful face that appeared on every communication screen,
enemy and ally alike, was one that was well known, even in the United
Kingdom.
"It's the Empire's Red Devil! Spread out!"
The Principality's mobile knights maneuvered to surround
Chengsi's red mobile knight. Their deft movements marked each and
every one of them as ace fighters, but the woman grinned fervidly
nonetheless.
A chill ran down the top ace's spine, and a second later the red
mobile knight demolished one of her allies. The red craft carried no
physical weapons, instead lashing out at the machine with its gold,
glowing claws. The Dahl unit tried to block the attack with the huge sword
it held, but the blade shattered instantly, and the unit was torn in two.
Chengsi ripped her claws out of the mobile knight's wreckage,
tossing aside its ruined halves.
"I'm impressed you could react to the Ericius's movements at all.
I'd prefer it if you people put up a bit more of a fight, though." Chengsi
sighed, clearly unsatisfied, but she continued on to crush more of the
mobile knights.
The top ace ground her teeth as she watched the Dahl Principality's
top fighters go down one after another. She swung her craft about, firing
beam weapons at the red mobile knight, but none of her attacks found their
marks.
The red mobile knight exhibited a shocking range of movement for
such a machine. It dodged the many attacks launched at it as if it were
putting on an acrobatics display. The craft had been made with mobility in
mind, forgoing bulky armor. It seemed like an absurd design, but with
Chengsi as its pilot, it was a frightening threat.
"I'll stop you here, even if I have to give my life to do it!" The top
ace's mobile knight tossed aside its rifle and took up a blade instead. It
became difficult to pilot her craft well as she accelerated toward Chengsi,
her body pressing back into her seat, but the female knight didn't care
about that. Instead, she intended to ram her unit into the enemy and go
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down together.
As the top ace chased after the red craft, dodging its attacks,
Chengsi laughed wildly. "Good! Oh, you're very good! And ready to lay
down your life, too! Wonderful! It's too bad about that poor machine
you're piloting, though."
A moment later, the top ace's mobile knight was bisected by a blow
from Chengsi. The attack rocked the ace's cockpit, causing jagged
shrapnel to fly about the chamber. One chunk of metal impaled the female
knight through her guts.
"You monster..." she rasped, coughing up blood. She heard
Chengsi's voice through her failing control systems in return.
"Unfortunately, I'm just human. There are stronger monsters than
me out there in the universe."
"The universe...truly is...a vast...place."
"I agree."
To ensure the female knight's death, the red craft pierced the ace's
cockpit with an energy claw.
***
In the cockpit of the Ericius, Chengsi was elated. Her cheeks were
bright red, and she panted with excitement.
Letting out a satisfied sigh, she smiled at the next wave of enemy
mobile knights approaching her. "You've given me such a warm welcome.
I suppose I have to live up to your expectations, don't I?"
Chengsi pressed down on the acceleration pedals and expertly
manipulated the control sticks. She was enjoying herself, and not just
because she was piloting her custom-made mobile knight. She was
enjoying killing people.
The nuclear reactors in the Ericius's shoulders emitted their trails of
red particles, and the beam weapons built into the machine's body began
to glow. Then, the Ericius went into a spin as it plunged into a group of
enemy mobile knights. The enemy craft burst apart, pierced by the
Ericius's many lasers. Chengsi had hacked into the enemy's
communications channel so she heard the anguished cries of the pilots in
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their cockpits. That, more than anything else, excited her.
One pilot shouted, "How can a mobile knight have lasers that
powerful?"
"It'll run out of energy in no time! We just have to endure!"
"Th-there's no way! My energy shield was destroyed in one hit!"
The unique thing about the Ericius was that it utilized almost all of
its energy for offense. The beam weapons built into its body were as
powerful as those normally used by battleships.
Chengsi's unit stopped spinning and reached out with its golden
claws to grab the head of a mobile knight that had gotten too close.
"I have more than just lasers," Chengsi said, and the Ericius's hand
began to vibrate. Aided by this high-powered oscillation, the claw easily
ripped through the enemy craft's head. The claws utilized a combination of
physical blades and beam weapons, making them as versatile as they were
deadly.
The Ericius's other hand plunged mercilessly into the enemy's
cockpit. The sharp claws slashed through the enemy mobile knight like it
was made of paper.
Her unit then kicked the destroyed craft away. Other enemy mobile
knights surrounded it, aiming their guns at Chengsi. A rain of lasers and
projectiles flew at her craft, but Chengsi piloted through it all, avoiding
any strikes without breaking a sweat.
"That's good. You should collaborate and come up with a strategy."
Needles made of light materialized from the firing lenses of the
Ericius's beam weapons. They all fired at once, streaking toward enemy
units. The enemies tried to evade them, but the needles followed their
movements and exploded when they found their targets.
"I believe they're called needle missiles..." Chengsi said casually
over the open communication line. "They're not bad, but the name could
use some work." She sighed at that, but she was satisfied by their
performance.
Chengsi had destroyed dozens of enemy mobile knights by now, but
others still kept coming. "I'd like to play with you more, really, but Claus
told me to take down some ships," she said reluctantly. "Sorry, but I need
to finish up here quickly."
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Suddenly, the Ericius manifested energy swords from various points
on its exterior. With these long energy blades poking out from its body like
the spines of a hedgehog, the unit began to spin. The energy blades slashed
through her enemies like a whirling sawblade, leaving them shredded in
her wake.
Spinning so fast it looked like a glowing orb, the Ericius reduced
everything it struck to scrap. Not only mobile knights, but even some
enemy ships were caught up in the chaos and destroyed.
"Oh, I like you, Ericius! Let's have some more fun!"
This mobile knight had just the sort of functionality Chengsi had
hoped for, and she was growing quite fond of it. To her enemies, though,
the craft only inspired terror.
Chengsi laughed gleefully as she instilled fear into the hearts of the
Dahl Principality's army.
***
"It's hard to understand what a berserker is thinking."
"You said it."
On the bridge of the Imperial Army's flagship, Tia and one of her
adjutants were appalled as they watched Chengsi fight.
The lone knight pushed deep into the enemy ranks, having left her
allies far behind. Her red craft, which looked unarmed but actually housed
weapons all over its body, seemed like the perfect machine for Chengsi, a
woman with a penchant for using hidden weapons. Her allies, meanwhile,
kept far enough away from Chengsi's Ericius to avoid friendly fire.
The Imperial fleet continued chasing the Dahl Principality's army as
it fled. House Banfield's ships led the charge, shooting down the fleeing
ships without mercy.
As Lysithea stood beside Cleo, her face grew more and more pale as
she watched the situation unfold. House Banfield's top knights are
terrifying—no, the entire army is. With every instant this fight goes on,
tens of thousands of lives are being lost on both sides. But they're so calm
watching it, as if none of that death is really happening.
From Lysithea's point of view, Tia was just as fearsome as the
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berserker Chengsi. She had been the architect of this hell, and she watched
over it as if it didn't affect her in the slightest. Even Claus, the acting
supreme commander of their force, kept watch over the battle with a
complete lack of expression on his face.
That man is just as fearsome in his own way. He seems to be around
my level when it comes to his abilities as a knight, but he's completely
unfazed by the situation we've found ourselves in...and he agreed to Tia's
plan in the first place.
She glanced over at Cleo, who was just as pale as she was. The
prince looked horrified by the battle that raged before them but was doing
his best to wear a brave face.
"We've located Count Pershing's ship," one of the operators
reported to Tia.
Lysithea clenched her fists at this information, but not out of anger.
Rather, she was terrified to find out what sort of retribution Tia and Claus
had in mind for their traitorous enemy. She prepared herself to hear
something truly horrifying, but it seemed Tia had more mercy in her heart
than Lysithea expected.
"Notify all ships. They are not to attack Count Pershing's ship, nor
any other vessel in the fleet he commands. I want them spared."
"You're not attacking them?!" Lysithea couldn't help exclaiming
upon hearing Tia's unexpected command.
She slapped a hand over her mouth after blurting this comment, but
Cleo looked at her with exasperation. "Please keep your voice down,
Lysithea."
"I-I apologize."
Tia turned around to face them with a sunny smile on her face.
"Don't worry...Count Pershing's fate is already set in stone," she said with
an eerily happy tone.
***
On board the fortress-class ship serving as the United Kingdom's
flagship, the staff officers were clamoring.
"Spread out! Try to surround the enemy fleet and take them out!"
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"Call back the fleets we dispatched elsewhere—we need
reinforcements!"
They began to engage directly with the enemy's main force, which
their allies had brought right to their doorstep. The First Fleet's response to
the unexpected situation had been swift, but the enemy's forces were three
times the size of their own.
They'd considered retreating, of course, but the immense size of
fortress-class ships made it very difficult to maneuver them quickly. They
turned slowly, they cruised slowly, and they even warped slowly.
"The fleets we dispatched are already engaged and can't return!"
one of the operators shouted.
"What?"
"All of our fleets throughout the zone are under fire from the
Empire! No one can spare ships to send as reinforcements!"
Listening to the conversation between the operator and staff officer,
the supreme commander crossed her arms tensely. "Those incompetent
fools led the enemy right to us... Hmm? What's that?"
She noticed something on the main screen. "Zoom in on Count
Pershing's fleet! Hurry!"
One of the staff officers manipulated the screen, focusing on Count
Pershing's warship. The approaching Kingdom fleet was surrounded by
Imperial ships, but Count Pershing's forces alone were taking no attacks
from the enemy. Their other Kingdom allies were being shot down without
mercy, but the Imperial Army was leaving Count Pershing's fleet
untouched.
The supreme commander lowered her brows in anger and spat out
words of loathing. "You've betrayed us, Dahl Principality—no, wait.
Pershing!!!"
To the United Kingdom's supreme commander, there was no other
possible explanation. Pershing had clearly betrayed them and was leading
the Imperial Army straight to them.
***
As the two nations' main forces clashed, Claus monitored each
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individual report that came into the flagship's bridge.
Ships that were low on energy from performing short-distance
warps requested instructions, so he had them switch positions with less-
depleted ships. He sent resupply ships to the rear of the battle so they
could safely reorganize. He found himself managing the particulars of
fewer than two thousand ships. It was far too small a task for an acting
supreme commander to be bothered with, but Tia was busy, so Claus was
taking care of it as if they'd reversed roles.
I'll put the refueled ships on cleanup, I suppose. Hmm...the United
Kingdom's flagship definitely is impressive, isn't it? It's like a mobile
military base.
The Empire had fortress-class ships of its own, but theirs were
smaller than the United Kingdom's. By now, the United Kingdom's army
was fighting a force three times its size, but they were holding their own
thanks to the impressive power of their fortress-class flagship. The
Imperial Army was taking increased losses, and more and more ships were
being sent to the rear to regroup, but Tia was too focused on maintaining
the offensive to concern herself with damaged or exhausted ships falling
back.
"They're tough," she remarked to her adjutant about the fortress-
class ship.
The adjutant displayed data on the enemy's supreme commander
and her staff officers. "Their commander is known for being the youngest
person ever to be promoted to general within the United Kingdom's
army."
Tia narrowed her eyes when she heard that, a smile forming on her
lips. "She sounds very aggressive. I like that, but she's still Lord Liam's
enemy. I'll have to destroy her myself."
Her adjutant raised her eyebrows. "You plan to enter the fray
yourself, Lady Christiana?"
"I want to take care of that fortress-class ship as soon as possible. If
we let this drag on too long, the rest of their main force will return and
surround us."
"Still, the commander can't go out and fight herself," her adjutant
protested.
Tia smiled again. "I'm just following Lord Liam's example.
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Honestly, I would send Chengsi in to take care of this, but it's too much
responsibility for that berserker."
The adjutant gave up on trying to convince Tia to stay behind. She
pressed two fingers to her ear and opened a communication line to the
hangar. "Prepare Lady Christiana's craft for launch."
As Tia left the bridge, the woman shot a look at Claus. "You can
take care of the rest, can't you? I'll leave you my adjutant, so you can rely
on her for anything you might need."
"I'll do that," Claus replied, keeping his opinions on the matter to
himself.
I really don't think the person who's actually commanding the fleet
should go out in a mobile knight, but... Lord Liam's the same way. There's
not much I can say about it, is there?
In that regard, if he said anything to criticize Tina's decision, it
could be taken as criticism of Liam as well.
Well, I'm sure Lady Christiana will be fine. She's a talented
commander, but in a mobile knight, she's a first-class ace. I don't need to
worry about her.
Claus felt a bit disheartened whenever he compared himself to Tia,
but he shook off the feeling and concentrated on the matters at hand.
Now, I should get aid to the wounded and continue reorganizing our
forces.
***
A squad of mobile knights, led by a white-colored Nemain-class
unit, charged through space toward the fortress-class ship. Commanding
the team from her cockpit, Tia gave orders to the ace pilots she'd selected
for her entourage.
"Our task is to capture the fortress-class ship. We'll need to secure a
path for the landing force."
Hundreds of Nemains followed after her with the cape-shaped
boosters at their backs spread wide. Behind these came small troop-carrier
craft with the landing force on board, guarded by Raccoons with large
shields. These Raccoons were heavily armored mobile knights with more
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rounded frames.
"We're in interception range, ma'am."
Tia moved her control sticks in response to the report. As they
approached the asteroid, lasers rained down on the Nemains, but the pilots
skillfully wove through these attacks and accelerated toward the fortress-
class ship instead, switching their boosters to reverse thrust when they
closed in.
Lowering their speed, the human-shaped units alighted on the
surface of the fortress-class ship. At first, there appeared to be nothing but
barren rock all around them, but suddenly, various weapons and mobile
knight guards popped up out of hidden trapdoors. Tia's fellow pilots were
ready for this, however. Rifles in hand, the Imperial mobile knights
eliminated all nearby threats, and then proceeded to search for a secret
access point for the fortress.
"Over here, ma'am!"
Tia's Nemain used its massive sword to slash at a nondescript-
looking area of rock, breaking right through it and exposing a path to the
inside.
"There you are..." Tia sneered.
She and her elite pilots then infiltrated the base.
***
Inside the huge fortress-class flagship, the Imperial Army's landing
force approached the command center. The United Kingdom at least had
foot soldiers of their own, and for now, the command center was still
heavily fortified.
Keeping track of the situation on various monitors, the supreme
commander gritted her teeth. "So they got inside."
The staff officers were anxious that the enemy invaded their
fortress. "Supreme Commander, you're in danger here. You should get to
safety."
The supreme commander shook her head. "It will only plunge our
allies into chaos if I flee. The command center is still secure and
functioning. If I can just help the First Fleet hold its own against the
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Imperial Army until reinforcements arrive, we can still win this."
The enemy was already inside their fortress, so it seemed their
chances of victory were slim at this point. Even so, the supreme
commander insisted on remaining in the command center and presiding
over the battle until the very end—if only for the sake of their allies.
Her staff officers were moved, but they were still crushed by the
situation they found themselves in. "If not for Pershing..." one of them
murmured bitterly.
The supreme commander knew better than to focus on what couldn't
be changed now. "What's done is done. The enemy was one step ahead of
us...and I was too hasty in dispersing the First Fleet's forces. You were
right."
"No..."
The supreme commander regretted not listening to the others'
opinions, but it was too late for that. "I want you to escape," she said to her
staff.
"Supreme Commander?"
"It'll be better for our nation in the long run if you survive, not me.
Our ground forces will defend you until you can escape from this ship."
"Supreme Commander!"
The staff officers resisted, but members of the ground forces were
already stepping forward to escort them out of the command center.
"Now then," the supreme commander muttered to herself. "I'm
going to take every Imperial down with me that I can. But there's someone
else who has to pay too..."
***
Within a single extensive battle zone, a fight raged between millions
of ships. Perhaps it was more fitting to describe it as a strategy game set
against the vast backdrop of space. Planets were captured, bases were
constructed and then lost. Allies betrayed allies and found themselves
betrayed again. An incredible story was unfolding here. Had certain things
not gone the way they did, this war could have lasted hundreds of years,
but it was coming to its conclusion far sooner than anyone anticipated.
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As for Count Pershing... At the moment, he was so tightly
surrounded by Imperial Army ships, his fleet couldn't even move from
their current position.
"What's going on? What is happening?" he cried in frustration.
The sixty-thousand-ship fleet he commanded was now a mere
several hundred. All the Dahl Principality's allies had been wiped out, and
the only ships remaining were those under Count Pershing's direct
command. With Imperial Army mobile knights pointing guns at them,
Pershing's ships were completely immobilized.
It was at that point that Pershing received a communication on his
monitor.
"Things are working out well for you, aren't they? You traitorous
bastard."
Pershing had played both sides—the United Kingdom Army and the
Imperial Army—and now the supreme commander of his own forces
called him out on it.
"S-Supreme Commander? Y-you're wrong! There's been some kind
of mistake!"
"I'm not listening to the words of a turncoat," the supreme
commander snapped, contempt plain on her face. "I have two things to tell
you. One: I'll make sure every person in the Kingdom knows what you've
done. And two: I underestimated you. I thought you were nothing more
than a typical greedy noble. I had no idea you would continue to ally
yourself with House Banfield, even now."
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. You tricked us into taking out Calvin's forces
instead of Cleo's, weakening ourselves in the process."
Count Pershing didn't understand what the supreme commander was
saying. How could he have betrayed the United Kingdom and Calvin's
faction? The one he betrayed was Count Banfield...or at least, that's how
it should have been.
The supreme commander's anger was only growing. "I hate the
Empire, but I loathe you even more. On my name as a general of the
United Kingdom's army, I swear I will crush you if it's the last thing I do.
That is all."
The supreme commander cut off communications and Pershing's
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complexion went from flushed to ashen. He slid from his seat onto the
floor, trembling feverishly.
"What in the world is happening? I knew I was getting information
from Imperial spies, yes, but it was House Banfield I aimed to betray! How
could I have betrayed my allies instead?"
Pershing had spies in the Empire who had been feeding him
information, which he diligently passed on to those above him. For a
while, everything had been going wonderfully. So how come now, all of a
sudden, he was being treated as a traitor?
While Pershing struggled to comprehend the situation he found
himself in, a lone mobile knight flew up to his ship. The unusual red craft
made a hard landing on the ship's hull. It was the Ericius, piloted by
Chengsi.
As soon as she touched down, Chengsi opened a line of
communication and her face appeared on Pershing's monitor. There was a
strange sensuality to her breathlessness, but Count Pershing couldn't
appreciate that at the moment.
"I had a little too much fun back there," Chengsi rasped. "I need to
take a break. Oh, right... Sir Claus ordered me to serve as your guard,
Count Pershing, all right?"
This red mobile knight had decimated the Dahl Principality's ships
along with the United Kingdom Army's fleet...and yet here was its pilot,
proclaiming that she was here to act as his guard.
Count Pershing covered his ears and rolled onto his side on the
floor, not even wanting to understand anymore. "This can't be. It can't be!
Why is this happening to me?"
Chengsi laughed at the sight of him. "Oh, wait... Were you tricked?
Aw, you poor baby!"
A short while after that, the fortress-class flagship was completely
overrun and fell into the possession of the invading forces. With that great
loss, the United Kingdom's army was defeated, and its remaining forces
retreated from the Empire's territory.
***
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Tia returned to the Imperial flagship after driving off the last of the
United Kingdom's fleet.
By herself, she entered a dimly lit room. Waiting inside were several
spies from Calvin's faction. Tia smiled at them, not with aggression, but
with simple gratitude.
"You've done very well. I'm grateful to all of you."
The spies' bodies suddenly appeared to be swallowed up by a black
liquid. The unnerving liquid columns changed shape, eventually
transforming into a group of masked men dressed in black. These were
Kukuri's people who performed House Banfield's dirty work.
One of the enigmatic operatives stepped forward to represent the
group. "We only did as Master Liam ordered."
"Still, our victory couldn't have been assured without your hard
work. I'll be sure to report as much to Lord Liam myself."
"We appreciate that. Of course, in reality it was Pershing who did
most of the work."
Tia could only feel anger toward Pershing, who had betrayed House
Banfield and hence Liam. Her expression grew dangerous at the thought of
the man. "What a fool he was. He was the perfect pawn to manipulate,
though."
From the moment House Banfield became certain that Pershing
would betray them, they decided to make use of him and remove him after
he served his purpose. To implement that plan, they replaced the spies who
relayed information to him with Kukuri's shape-shifting operatives.
Pershing fell for the ploy hook, line, and sinker, and happily went on to
destroy Calvin's faction's forces for them by feeding his own people false
intel.
"Master Liam was certain that Pershing would move against him,"
Kukuri's subordinate said.
Tia smiled. "Of course he was. The whole reason he allied himself
with that scum was just for this moment. That snake was never fit to be
anywhere near Lord Liam, but I'm glad he was useful for something."
Tia's cheeks flushed with admiration for the count, who had predicted
Pershing's betrayal and made productive use of him.
"What do you intend to do now?" asked Kukuri's subordinate.
Tia's head was filled with thoughts of Liam, but she still had a job
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to do. She quickly moved on to the matters at hand. "The United
Kingdom's asking for a cease-fire. It's been about three months since the
start of the war, hasn't it? I didn't expect it to end this soon."
"Considering the scale, it was incredibly quick, yes. I'm sure Master
Liam will be pleased."
Tia beamed like a child at the thought. Clasping her hands together,
she spoke her true feelings. "Oh, I'm looking forward to making the report
to him! Do you think he'll praise me directly? Ahh, I can hardly wait!"
Kukuri's men exchanged glances among themselves and shrugged.
Overall, the Empire lost about one million of its ships, and
something like 20,000 ships had deserted the fight, but they came out
victorious in the end. A portion of those losses did belong to Cleo's
faction, but they were more than satisfied with the results of the war. After
all, the great majority of the losses were taken by Calvin's faction, and
most of the deserters were theirs too.
One of Kukuri's men chuckled. "If you only see the numbers, it
looks like we took serious losses."
From the statistics alone, the Empire's heavy losses seemed
regrettable, but Tia was entirely unbothered.
"Our losses were few, so it's fine. And by the way, we'll have to
make sure that any idiots who deserted the fight are punished accordingly,
won't we?"
From the standpoint of the Empire, it was a hard-won victory, but
for House Banfield, the war was an overwhelming success.
"We can use this as ammo against Calvin's faction when we're
back," Tia gushed. "Ahh, I can see Lord Liam's victory now! And I'll be
right there at his side for it!"
Tia returned to her fantasy realm, so Kukuri's men left her to it and
faded into the shadows.
***
"Ahh, I can see Liam's defeat now!"
On the Empire's Capital Planet, the Guide—who had been in a
fantastic mood lately—watched the news of the Imperial Army's victory in
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high spirits. He wasn't pleased that the Empire had been victorious, but he
liked that they suffered such heavy penalties in the process.
"While Liam was fooling around partying every day, the Imperial
Army suffered terrible losses. He's sure to get in trouble for this!"
The Guide couldn't stop smiling, reflecting on how Liam had
become more and more troubled recently. His body still burned constantly
from Liam's ever-present gratitude, but he could grin through the pain
now. After all, Liam's fury was building by the day—he'd been
smoldering with rage ever since he first started getting word from his
domain. Large-scale protests were still breaking out all over Liam's
territories, and because of that his ability to rule was coming into question.
The Empire's opinion of Liam was on the decline, and the Guide was so
thrilled about that he could hardly contain himself.
"Soon! Soon, everything Liam has gained will crumble!"
The Guide skipped around the city, feeding on unhappiness as he
went. In the heavily populated capital of a vast intergalactic nation like the
Empire, deep stores of misfortune were everywhere, and he absorbed as
much as he liked from the citizens he passed by.
"The Capital Planet is great! It's the center of everything, so its
misfortune has the most profound flavor." He spoke of it as if he were
tasting a fine wine.
In his happy wanderings, he came upon a man who sat in an
alleyway drinking liquor with a dour look on his face. "Dammit!" this man
was grumbling to himself. "No matter what I do, it never goes well. Why
do I—"
The Guide sucked up the man's discontent to nourish himself. "Oh,
that man's despair was quite good. Mmm, the misfortune is so tasty
today!"
A call came in on the tablet in the man's breast pocket, and he
answered it with irritation. "What? It's just more bad news, isn't—huh? R-
really? You say a noble really likes the clothes I design?"
A second ago, that man was a designer with zero prospects, but
apparently, he'd just won himself a client—and a very well-paying one at
that. However, the Guide had no interest in his good fortune.
"This always happens when I suck out someone's unhappiness:
they're left with only positivity. Ugh, it's just terrible. I need to go on now
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and continue making Liam unhappy. Oh, I mean, make him happy."
The more the Guide worked to make Liam happy, the unhappier the
young man became. It appeared to be working perfectly, and the Guide
meant to continue in this way.
But as the Guide stepped away, a dog poked its head out from
behind a garbage can in the alleyway. It cocked its head, watching the
Guide secretively. Meanwhile, the drunk man expressed his eagerness for
the work that was being requested of him.
"House Banfield's mistress and her attendant, yes? You want me to
design dresses for them? How many? At least ten? Wh-what's the pay? Oh
yes... I'll do it! I'll make ten dresses...or twenty! This is great... I can
support my whole family with this order alone!"
Crying tears of joy, the designer jumped up and ran off. The dog
followed after him, looking back again and again at the Guide as it went.
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