《The Exiled Count Acquired the Space Fortress of a Super Advanced Civilization》 CH 1 ¡°Are you awake?¡± A voice woke Sett up. ¡°Hn¡­?¡± A pleasant drowsiness was still enveloping Sett¡¯s body. ¡°Master, Sett-sama is awake!¡± The maid, who was beside the bed, is calling someone. Sett¡¯s head was still mostly in sleep. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± I heard the bitter, parched voice of a middle-aged man and felt someone running up to the bed. ¡°Sett, are you able to speak? It¡¯s me, your father.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± Little by little my mind began to clear and I began to recognize my surroundings. The man who rushed up to me was my father, Haglar-Drag-Vayel. He is the head of the Count Vayel family. (T.L. Note: In the original MTL, Sett referred to himself in the third-person here, but I changed into first-person for consistency.) ¡°I¡­¡± When had I fallen asleep? My mind is still kind of hazy. ¡°Thank God. We thought you¡¯d never wake up.¡± My father¡¯s face was kind. He looked concerned about me. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for three days since you received the connection crystal implant. Are you okay?¡± (Ah, I remember now.) Connecting crystals. At the age of fourteen, I had undergone surgery to implant the connection crystal, in order to prep me to succeed the family¡¯s title as heir. I looked at the back of my left hand. There was a round, deep blue crystal embedded in it. Connective crystals are very expensive, and the one implanted in Sett was one of the purest and most expensive crystals money could buy. It was worthy of a nobleman¡¯s children, priming them to defend territory and empire. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m a little sleepy, but I¡¯m not in bad shape.¡± ¡°Good¡­ that is truly heartening news. Can you get up?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I finally woke up; strangely, I didn¡¯t feel sore, at least not as sore as I would have expected for someone who had stayed in bed for several days straight. The maids must have been taking care of him. ¡°I¡¯m so glad. When you are cleaned up and fed, come to the hangar. I¡¯ll give you a lift to the dragoon.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± I was looking forward to my fourteenth birthday, when I would receive a connection crystal that would allow me to ride in a dragoon. A Dragoon is a space combat ship that can achieve high performance by connecting with its pilot through a connection crystal. Every nobleman is obligated to fight for the Empire aboard a dragoon. I, the eldest son and legitimate son of Count Vayel, am the heir apparent of the Vayel family. I was helped by a maid who changed my clothes and did my hair. After going to the dining room and eating a simple meal of bread and egg rolls alone, I went to the hangar. The Vayer¡¯s dragoon is a beautiful, streamlined craft that is 100 meters long. Sett was very fond of this ancestral dragoon, which has been passed down from generation to generation. I entered through the boarding gate and made my way through the corridor to the cockpit. In the cockpit, my father and the butler were waiting for me. The butler was operating the control panel and was ready to make the connection at any time. On the screen at the front, ¡®Ready to connect¡¯ was displayed. ¡°Come, Sett. Take a seat.¡± My father pointed to the cockpit. I was never able to sit here before, but now I can finally enter this forbidden area. I sat there with great excitement. It felt like a long held dream had come true. The machine in front of the cockpit has a connection crystal on an inner portion of the fuselage. I touched the connecting crystal in my left hand to it. ¡°Connect.¡± I then uttered a voice command. The fuselage¡¯s connection crystal flashed for a moment and then went dark again. The screen still displayed the words ¡®Ready to connect¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± Strange. I¡¯m sure the crystal on the fuselage side was supposed to stay glowing, and that should have said ¡®connection complete¡¯. ¡°Connect.¡± I tried again. The result was the same. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°A malfunction?¡± My father muttered to himself and touched his own crystal to the fuselage. ¡°Connect.¡± The crystal on the fuselage side glowed, reading ¡®Connection complete¡¯. ¡­¡­. I was unable to speak. I¡¯m not sure I understand what was going on. ¡°Sett, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because you just woke up and aren¡¯t feeling well. Let¡¯s go back to our room.¡± I returned to my room at his father¡¯s urging. After some time had passed, a crystal engineer was called in to inspect my crystal. They were to test it to see whether there were any abnormalities with it. However, no matter how many times the technician inspected the crystals, they appeared to be normal and did not exhibit any strange properties. They ran every test they could think of and tried various methods. A week later, a conclusion was reached. I was the problem, not the crystals. I was unable to leave the room. It¡¯s not that someone told me not to come out, or that I was prevented from leaving. I just didn¡¯t want to leave my room. I didn¡¯t want to meet anyone, not even my maid, so I had my food brought to my room and wiped myself with a tub of water to cleanse myself. What should I do? Can someone who can¡¯t ride the dragoon inherit the Count¡¯s house like this? I have a smart father, maybe he¡¯ll be able to find a loophole and allow me to handle a dragoon. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. And so, after two weeks of being cooped up in my room, a maid came knocking on my room. It wasn¡¯t meal time yet, sometime was up. ¡°Sett-sama, your father is waiting for you in the study.¡± It was the first time in the past two weeks that my father had called me. ¡°I understand.¡± I can¡¯t say no to my father when he calls me. I left my room and went to the study. On the way, I met my cousin Bergfud. Bergfud is the second son of the Baron of Thurrawood. We weren¡¯t very close. ¡°Hi.¡± When I greeted him, Bergfud raised his hand to return the greeting. He was smiling at me, but for some reason his smile unsettled me. I suppose there is nothing more to say. I passed Bergfud and entered my father¡¯s study. My father was waiting for me on the reception sofa in his study. ¡°Father, you wanted to see me?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Please sit down.¡± When I sat down, the butler held out a cup of tea for me. ¡°I was worried when you didn¡¯t come out of your room, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I replied in a nervous tone. In order to calm myself down, I took a sip of tea. It worked, I could feel my nerves calming. ¡°This incident had father worried. I know you¡¯re probably feeling down about it, but don¡¯t let it bother you.¡± My father¡¯s voice was gentle. I was happy to hear him say that. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the future, and I¡¯ve decided that this is the only way to go about it.¡± My father¡¯s face grew serious. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Setsu, you became sick and died of illness after the connection crystal implantation surgery.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The Count therefore decided to adopt Bergfud, the second son of the Baron of Thurrawood.¡± ¡°Father, what are you-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask for forgiveness. Anyone who cannot connect to a Dragoon cannot be considered a nobleman.¡± I felt as if I had been pushed off a cliff. ¡°You must leave the orbital castle by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°That, father¡­ I¡¯m afraid I ca-¡± My vision wobbled. My body grew weak. I even lost consciousness for a moment. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Haglar muttered this softly. The bastard, he spiked my tea. CH 2 When Sett woke up, he found himself in the living quarters of a small ship. It was a small craft with a capacity that could not have been larger than four people max. Sett was the person on board. He tried to control it, but he could not establish a connection with the craft, forcing Sett to leave his direction at the mercy of space. There was enough food to sustain him for ten days. He took control of the navigational computer to check the destination of the cruiser and found that the destination had not been set. ¡°Ah, so I really am just flying through space.¡± He couldn¡¯t control his craft. Outside, it was just darkness. No planets, no sign of civilization, nothing. The blood drained from Sett¡¯s face. ¡°This is equivalent to being told to die. I¡¯m being put to death because I can¡¯t pilot a dragoon!¡± He was stunned. After a few moments of gazing at the stars on the navigational screen, his stomach rumbled, and Sett finally began to move. He ate a piece of bread from the storeroom and he slowly regained his bearings. (T.L. Note: Looks like this guy is a stress eater.) ¡°For now, I just have to do whatever I can.¡± Every spacecraft has an SOS transmitter. If he was able to successfully transmit a signal, then he might be able to get help. So, the first order of business was setting up a SOS signal. The next priority is food. Even if help arrived, it would be useless if they arrived after he was dead. In order to make the food last as long as possible, the ten-day supply was divided into smaller rations, enough to buy him 30 days of time. The water can be recycled due to the onboard systems. The energy in the cruiser likely wasn¡¯t a problem either, as the craft was simply idling in space. The only thing left to do was to wait. Ten days passed, spent looking blankly at the stars. No help had arrived. For the next ten days, he stopped looking at the external images shown through the computer. He had little to eat and felt hungry all the time. The temptation to eat a full meal of food was tempting, but Sett doggedly resisted the urge. Sett had almost given up. He became convinced that he would die of hunger. On the 30th day, he ate the last of his food. Still no help in sight. It was just as he fell into complete despair that a communication arrived. ¡°Uh, can you hear me? Did you send a distress signal?¡± Sett jumped to the computer, heart gladdened by the female voice. ¡°I hear you!¡± ¡°Oh, my God. You¡¯re alive¡­ what do we do now? Yeah¡­ okay.¡± It seemed that the woman was discussing with someone on the other end of the line. ¡°Okay, then. Will you let us help you?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Sett had no more food, and he had no other options left. ¡°Okay. How many people are left?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one.¡± ¡°Understood. Can we unlock the airlock externally?¡± ¡°I can unlock it myself.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there in about ten minutes, so leave it open. Do you have any space suits?¡± ¡°Yes, there is one on board.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll see you later then. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive.¡± The communication was cut off and Sett sank back into his seat, collapsing in exhaustion. (Thank God¡­) The words ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive¡± brought tears to Sett¡¯s eyes. However, this was no time to cry, he had to put on his spacesuit soon. Sett left the cockpit to put on the spacesuit that had been provided in case of emergency. Ten minutes later, help really came. Two people boarded the cruiser, one of them a woman and one of them a man. The woman was a vivacious young redhead, about 20 years old. The man was a bearded uncle who looked to be around 60 years old. It was a curious combination, looking almost like a father daughter pair. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time and I need to go quickly. Do you have anything you need to take with you?¡± The woman hurriedly asked. ¡°No,¡± Sett replied, and the two stared at each other. ¡°You should at least bring a change of clothes.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Sett had forgotten about it. He hurriedly returned to the living quarters, packed a change of clothes and stuffed them into a bag. Setsuo was then led out of the cruiser, with Sett being carried on the old man¡¯s back. Looking back at the now abandoned craft, he finally realized what exactly his prison of more than a week had been. It was a nondescript type of craft that the count¡¯s servants occasionally used, missing any marking that could implicate the count should his craft, and likely his corpse, be found. (Goodbye, my coffin.) Sett gave a final greeting to the cruiser. Having made his goodbye to the craft, he turned and saw a huge ship. It¡¯s hard to compare sizes in space, but it was probably several sizes larger than the cruiser he was on. The three of them entered through the ship¡¯s airlock, orienting themselves with the thrusters on their spacesuits. When the outer bulkhead was closed and the air pressure was up to one atmosphere, Sett took off his helmet. The two who had brought Sett here quickly began to take off their space suits. They were both dressed in short-sleeved shirts and pants, which seemed to be easy to move around in. Sett, following their lead, also hurriedly took off his space suit. ¡°That hand, is that a connection crystal?¡± The woman noticed Sett¡¯s left hand. ¡°Eh, uh, yeah¡­¡± Sett quickly hid his hand behind him. ¡°That one looks top of the line, it would be a fine piece even for aristocrats.¡± Her gaze was inquisitive, her eyes asking him what the crystal meant. Sett was troubled as to how he was going to answer her. ¡°Well that¡¯s fine.¡± The woman cracked a smile when she saw the difficulty Sett was having in answering her. She lazily pointed a finger at one of the ship¡¯s doors. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the details on the bridge.¡± With that said, she walked towards the door, with Sett and the old man following close behind. ¡°Dardov, bring the boy something warm to eat.¡± ¡°Yes head.¡± The man then turned and disappeared into one of the ship¡¯s other passages. ¡°Head?¡± It¡¯s a word that Sett has only heard of in books. In such media, the head is usually the top of the ¡®bad guys¡¯. (Are they¡­ space pirates?) I had heard about them on the news. ¡°Ah, that face. That¡¯s the face of someone realizing that they were on a space pirate¡¯s ship.¡± The woman was surprisingly blunt when she admitted her ¡®profession¡¯. ¡°By god, you offered me help because you were trying to capture me!¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± (T.L. Note: This puts a whole new spin on what she meant when she said ¡°I am glad you are alive.¡±) Sett began to regret his previous decisions, maybe it would have been better to have stayed on the cruiser. ¡°Well put, my dear noble child. By the way, my name is Kittitia and I am the head of this pirate ship.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I have no value as a hostage.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it is true.¡± He is officially dead. A dead man has no value as a hostage. ¡°Hmm.¡± Kittitia, having reached the door to the bridge, opened it and entered. The bridge of the spaceship was a cozy one, about 50 square meters large, with about eight men sitting in front of various control panels. Half the men turned to stare at Sett as they entered. In the middle of the bridge, there was a sofa large enough to seat two people comfortably. It was terribly out of place, but it looked as though it was the captain¡¯s seat based on its central location. Kittitia sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs with an air of confidence. ¡°You. Sit down next to me.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Sett approached the sofa with a fearful expression. ¡°Sit.¡± Kittitia slapped the spot next to her. ¡°Well then, excuse me.¡± Sett was nervous about sitting right next to a woman, an experience he had never had before. Moreover, the woman is the head of a space pirate ship. I¡¯m not sure what will happen to me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to eat you. So, what¡¯s your situation?¡± She looked like she was curious about his situation. (Well, there is no point in hiding it.) ¡°I¡¯m a failure.¡± Sett told the whole story. He told her that he was the eldest son of the Count of Vaye1, he told her about receiving the connection crystal implantation and not being able to connect to the dragoon, and he told her about being kicked out of the orbital castle hall. He told her everything. At first Kittitia exclaimed, ¡°A count¡¯s heir! What a catch.¡± But as the story went on, her excitement waned. ¡° And that¡¯s why I sent out an SOS and was drifting aimlessly through space.¡± As Sett finished his story, a sobbing voice sounded on the bridge. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Denius, don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s awful. He basically killed his own son.¡± ¡°Hey, crying won¡¯t help anything.¡± ¡°Let him cry man, it¡¯ll help.¡± The men on the bridge were mumbling to each other, with one of them even crying. ¡°Hey, Cook, check the news for me.¡± Kittitia motioned to someone on the bridge, with one of the men quickly responding, staring intently at the console. ¡°Found it. Sett, the eldest son of the Countess Vayel, died of illness 20 days ago, according to the announcement.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Sett once again began to feel the weight of the sudden events. He was no longer a part of this world, as far as it cared. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I am dead¡­¡± Sett let out a small cry, with tears pouring out of his eyes. Kittitia gently pulled Sett closer and hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m just comforting the poor boy. Get back to work.¡± ¡°Yes, head.¡± That¡¯s all the light-hearted banter that could be managed with such a gloomy mood pervading the bridge. For a few moments, no one said anything and the bridge was silent. Then, breaking the silence, the bridge door slid open and Dardov walked in with a tray. ¡°Head, I¡¯ve brought the food.¡± ¡°Thank you. Leave it there.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Dardov laid the tray upon the console in front of the captain¡¯s seat, leaving the room as soon as he accomplished his task. Sett could smell the appetizing smell of beef stew. A few moments later, Sett pulled away from Kittitia. ¡°Are you settled down now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Okay, so, do you know where you¡¯re going to go next?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then how about you ride with me for a while. I can¡¯t make any promises, but I¡¯ll make sure to keep you fed, at least.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. So long as you don¡¯t go throwing your weight around because of your connection crystal, you are welcome on my ship.¡± ¡°¡­Then, please. If you¡¯ll have me.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, it¡¯s nice to meet you, Sett.¡± ¡°Thank you, head.¡± And so Sett became a space pirate. It was then that events took a sudden turn. ¡°Attention! Incoming artillery fire!¡± Several beams ran across the monitor on the bridge. (Huh?) Sett was confused by the sudden attack. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t tell you. This ship is being hunted right now.¡± Kittitia said such ridiculous things with an annoying matter-of-fact face. (You should have said something!) As Sett silently exclaimed his protest, the ship began to shake under his feet. ¡°Ah, the one Sett was on blew up.¡± Someone made quite a terrifying remark. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky we found you, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, yes I am.¡± Sett gave a limp smile. ¡°Okay, bastards, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Kittitia¡¯s commanding call echoed in the bridge. CH 3 Space pirate Kittycia-Havenberg. As the daughter of Lager-Havenberg, a space pirate of great repute, she inherited his pirate ship and crew, and is a space pirate who travels from star to star. She was a freelance space pirate, contracting with some country to ravage enemy countries and participate in conflicts. About six months ago, she began to appear in the territory of the Empire, and many merchant ships were damaged. So the Empire put a hefty bounty on her head. If you put a bounty on her, people who know what they¡¯re doing will come after her as a way to show off their skills. Two months ago, Kittithia¡¯s ship, the Black Silver Glory, disappeared from the neighboring Kudrasia system; a month ago, damage to a merchant ship revealed that it was here in the Nueve system. Ten days ago, one of the ships that had scattered to capture the Black Silver Glory finally discovered it and recruited its friends to pursue it. It was in the middle of this escape that Kitty picked up Settsu. The ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± had successfully dodged the pursuing fleet, but synchronized its speed path with that of the slow-flying spacecraft, and finally entered the range of the pursuing fleet. The ten ships of the pursuit fleet bombarded the Black Silver with beam cannons, but the Black Silver¡¯s maneuvering was skillful. Several shots landed on the ship, but they did not cause any serious damage, and the Black Silver flew into a nearby asteroid field. ¡°Are they following us?¡± Kitty asked, confirming that the ship had entered the asteroid field. ¡°No, they¡¯re waiting outside¡± ¡°Yeah. How¡¯s the damage?¡± ¡°There¡¯s some damage to the thruster system, so I¡¯d like to take it down somewhere and fix it¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t come after us, we¡¯ll do it. Pick an asteroid where they¡¯ll be less likely to find us and land.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± Kitty¡¯s orders were rough, but her subordinates carried them out with aplomb. Setsuko was standing next to Kitty, watching with admiration. ¡°By the way, head, how do you want to arrange Setubochan?¡± The man who had been called Keuk asked. ¡°Hmm? I think we¡¯re good here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no empty seats on the ¡­¡­ bridge¡± ¡°So, here, here.¡± Kitty pointed to the spot where Setsuto was currently sitting. In other words, next to Kitty. ¡°Uh, head?¡± ¡°A female pirate with a beautiful boy in her service seems like a great talent, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Oh, my God. ¡­¡­¡± Keuk was dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t trust you to handle the ship, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to ask you to stay in your room. But he was the son of a nobleman. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve studied a lot.¡± Kitty asked, and Setsuko answered, remembering the past. ¡°Well, yes. I know a little about military history and the art of war¡± ¡°So let him see the field for a while so he can feel the difference from the book, and then eventually the Wisdom Officer will be the right person for the job¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, well. But what can you do for us, who are constantly being compared to a beautiful boy?¡± ¡°Okay. You can make a seat around here later. Don¡¯t get too far away. I don¡¯t want to have to fight for my life.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Keuk¡¯s most vigorous reply of the day rang out. The is slowly descending towards the surface of the asteroid. It was an asteroid about five kilometers in diameter. There was a good hollow spot, which would hide the hull to some extent even if a chase fleet entered the asteroid field during repairs. The plan was to land, make the necessary repairs, and then break through the asteroid field and escape. The landing legs extended from the hull. The ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± is descending in altitude. ¡°Altitude 10, we¡¯re about to land¡­ three, two, one, chuckle¡­ what? I heard the confused voice of the helmsman. ¡°They¡¯re not going to land. Altitude dropping. Minus five, ten, ¡­¡­ and stop.¡± The descent has stopped. ¡°Liquid?¡± The negative number on the landing altimeter is the number you see when you are in liquid water. On hard land, it will not be negative unless you are sinking into it. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡± From the images on the bridge screen, the asteroid appeared to be made of rock. ¡°What do you want to do head?¡± ¡°Can you get the footage below?¡± ¡°Private¡± The image on the screen switched. It was pitch black. ¡°Lights.¡± The lights on the bottom of the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± were turned on. Finally, something appeared on the screen. ¡°What is this?¡± The question Kitty had raised was shared by everyone on the bridge. It was a deep hole. It was not a valley. The walls were flat, obviously man-made, and I couldn¡¯t see what was at the bottom in the video. ¡°Ground scan. Bring up the terrain.¡± ¡°Private¡± The radio waves scanned the hole. ¡°There it is. It¡¯s a rectangular hole, 200 meters long and 80 meters wide. 150 meters deep.¡± ¡°Choo-choo, yeah¡± This is not possible in the structure of nature. ¡°No heat signatures. There¡¯s no heat signatures, and the only radio signal is from this ship. Is it unmanned?¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming down.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s dismount¡± The ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± resumed its descent. Descending through a vertical hole, the ship landed at the bottom of the hole. ¡°Still no heat signatures. It looks like there¡¯s a little too much dust on the surface¡± ¡°Guys, what do you think this is?¡± ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t a portal to the underworld, I don¡¯t know what is¡± The men on the bridge shrugged their shoulders. Setsuko had one thing in mind. ¡°Could it be the ruins?¡± The men all made a ¡°huh?¡± face at the same time. ¡°That¡¯s the lexicographer. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Kitty was the only one who seemed to be having fun. ¡°Repair teams, begin repairs. Those of you brave enough to explore these ruins in their entirety will go with me!¡± ¡°Hey¡± Kitty asked the crew to run for the expedition, but unfortunately, no one did. So, Kitty has given up on exploring, but that can¡¯t be it. ¡°Then come with me, Set.¡± Kitty nominated Setsueto, and he was allowed to accompany her. As soon as she did, a few people raised their hands, saying that two was not enough and that they wanted me and me too. In the end, the expedition team was decided to be four: Sett, Kitty, Dardov, and Bit. Bit is the co-pilot of the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡±. If the junction crystal technology was obtained from the ruins, then there might be something in the ruins that can be controlled by the junction crystal. Durdov is an escort. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Under Kitty¡¯s command, the explorers sprayed the thrusters of their space suits and floated up. First, they flew toward the nearest wall. As far as I could see, there were no structures. Once the four of them reached the wall, they examined the perimeter along the wall. ¡°Ah¡± It was Dardov who spotted it first. ¡°Hey, head¡± There was a part of the wall, about ten meters high, that jutted out like a platform. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Kitty took the lead and flew to the platform, followed by the other four. There was a huge rhombus-shaped connecting crystal, about two meters long. ¡°Bit, give it a shot¡± ¡°Hey. Hey.¡± Bit stepped forward, jittery. He had been brought here even though he wasn¡¯t too keen on the idea in the first place. In addition to that, he could not help but feel uneasy when he was asked to connect with something he did not understand. ¡°Connect.¡± Bit tried. However, the connecting crystals did not cause any change. ¡°No, no, no¡± Kitty¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°If I can connect and control it, something will come up. ¡­¡­¡± Kitty¡¯s eyes, which had almost given up, caught Settsu¡¯s. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Set lucky, too?¡± Connecting crystals. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m ¡­¡­.¡± There¡¯s no way it¡¯s going to respond, Settsu said. ¡°Just a little touch. Just touch it. I couldn¡¯t even do the bit, so it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There, there, there, there.¡± As she said this, Kitty took Settsu¡¯s hand and touched the connecting crystal on the back of her left hand. (I¡¯ll take my chances!) ¡°Connect.¡± Settsu muttered. A moment. The connecting crystals on the wall gave off a strong light. ¡°Oh!¡± Kitty squinted her eyes in admiration, blocking out the light. ¡°You did it!¡± The light gradually subsided, and the connecting crystal became a faint glow. ¡°Did you ¡­¡­?¡± Setsuko had no sense of reality. There was no sense of ¡°connection¡± that he had been told existed, no sense that the ship was like a body he had been born with. ¡°Do you think you can control anything?¡± ¡°¡®No, ¡­¡­. I don¡¯t feel like it. ¡­¡­¡± (It¡¯s probably a failure after all.) The glow was something of a mistake. [The fortress management core system has been activated] Just as he thought this, he heard a voice in Setsu¡¯s head. The other three didn¡¯t hear it. Only Setsuko seemed to hear it. ¡°Oh, what?¡± [Your orders, please] ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± [Check the question. Question intent unknown. Activating communication unit for confirmation.] The voice in his head had left Settsu unable to keep up with the situation. The wall right next to the connecting crystal slid down. There was a gap, and a girl came out of it. It was a girl with a ponytail, wearing a fluttery outfit that I had never seen before. Durdov quickly pointed his gun at her. There was no air here. This was not a place where a flesh and blood person without a space suit could operate. The girl looked at Settsu, not caring about the gun, and said ¡°Good morning, Commander. You wanted to see me?¡± A voice came from the communicator, even though the girl didn¡¯t seem to be holding it. ¡°I didn¡¯t call you!¡± Settsu quickly denied it. The girl was unconcerned about this, and with a blank look on her face, she crowded in front of Settsu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sir. ¡°Oh, y-you-you-you, right?¡± The tone was strong and uncompromising. She didn¡¯t seem to want to let him go on unless he said he wanted to. ¡°¡­¡­ Okay, I got it. I called it.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Excellency. Sir, I am Mitsuki, the communication AI unit for fortress control support.¡± The girl, who introduced herself as Mitsuki, made a strange gesture, stretching the fingers of her right hand and placing them against her eyebrows. ¡°Mitski. I¡¯m Setsuko. I¡¯m Setsueto Vaile.¡± The nobleman¡¯s courtesy of returning the name when it was given to him came naturally. ¡°Very well, sir. Commander Sett. So, Your Excellency, are those around you enemies or allies?¡± ¡°They¡¯re on our side. Can you explain to me who you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a communication AI unit from the Earth Federation Space Force¡¯s Ark No. 5 Operation Fleet, and I¡¯m here to assist in the control of the interstellar navigation-enhanced mobile fortress, the Vara Skirv. I am here to assist you in handling this fortress, Commander.¡± It was only the last part that Setsu understood, but since she said she would help him, it seemed unlikely that she would harm him. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that this is a fortress and you¡¯re here to help operate it, is that correct?¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, my lord.¡± Mitsuki called Setsuto ¡°Your Excellency¡± and refused to budge. He seems to recognize the commander as the one who activated it by touching the connection crystal. ¡°I will assist the Lord Commander with all matters pertaining to the fortress.¡± ¡°Can the commander be changed from Set?¡± Kitty interjected with a question. ¡°No, sir. Even if His Excellency the Commander were to pass away, there would be no change of commander.¡± ¡°Good for you, Set.¡± Kitty suddenly turned her attention to Setsu. ¡°Now you can go back to the Count¡¯s house.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The idea had not crossed Setsueto¡¯s mind. ¡°It¡¯s not a dragoon, but I¡¯ve managed to connect with an ancient fortress. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. Moreover, the fortress says that you can¡¯t change commanders. Neither the Count nor the Empire can ignore you.¡± ¡°But ¡­¡­¡± ¡°But no, no, no, no. You go back to where you belong. Pirates are too unsuitable for the children of nobles. Mitsuki, do you have a place to live in this fortress?¡± ¡°Of course we have. We are well stocked with what we need for survival.¡± ¡°Okay, you stay here, Set. We¡¯re almost done with repairs, so we¡¯ll be leaving the asteroid field as soon as we¡¯re done. You¡¯ll be communicating somewhere after the chase fleet leaves.¡± Kitty decided to talk to him. ¡°Thank you, Head.¡± When Settsu thanked her, Kitty smiled. ¡°We put our henchmen¡¯s happiness first.¡± CH 4 ¡°The Black Silver Glory¡± jetted its thrusters and moved away from the fortress disguised as an asteroid. Setsuko was watching his back on a large screen set up in what he thought was the fortress command center. ¡°¡®The Black Silver Glory¡¯, relative velocity now five kilometers per second. We will be leaving the asteroid field shortly.¡± Mitsuki will tell us what¡¯s going on. ¡°Good luck, head ¡­¡­.¡± It had been a short relationship, but Settsu felt that he had helped her a lot. In more ways than just life. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s going to be difficult¡± When Mitsuki said that, Setsuko felt his heart stop. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Yes. Please take a look at this. This is the situation in the vicinity of the fortress and the asteroid belt¡± A map-like object appeared on the screen. In the center was the asteroid belt, and around it were many small dots moving around. It was a schematic diagram. ¡°As of now, we have confirmed 34 ships in the vicinity of the asteroid belt. We have identified seven ships from further away that will arrive within the next 30 minutes alone. All of them are expected to be enemy ships of the Black Silver Glory, but according to their positions and expected performance, there is a 0.5% chance that the Black Silver Glory will be able to escape without being sunk¡± ¡°Such a ¡­¡­. What are the chances that your predictions will be wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been factored in. The tactical simulation of this fortress has been confirmed in numerous battles to be extremely accurate in predicting battles, especially when fighting in small numbers¡± In the schematic diagram on the screen, a small dot of light suddenly began to move. They seemed to be gathering towards the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡±. ¡°The Black Silver Glory has been captured.¡± (Run away, please. Run away. Somehow successfully ¡­¡­!) Setsueto prayed. On the screen, dots of light were streaking across the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡±. ¡°Commander, I have an update on the status of this fortress¡± Suddenly, Mitsuki spoke up. ¡°Many functions of this fortress are currently disabled, but the fortress¡¯ main gun is still operational. That¡¯s all I have to say.¡± ¡°The main gun?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. If used, there is an 87% chance of sinking all enemy ships with a single blow.¡± ¡°87% ¡­¡­¡± Settsu spat. If we shoot it, we can save the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡±. However, even though he is a bounty hunter, he is chasing the Black Silver Glory, for which the Empire has put a bounty on his head. To interfere with this would be treason against the Empire. (What should we do?) If I abandon the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡±, I can return home. Even after everything that happened, the Count¡¯s house is the house where Setsu was born. I have a desire to return. But is it right to abandon them? There were people who cried at Setsu¡¯s story. There were people who hugged me. Some of them were the first to tell me that I could go back home. A long time ago, my father, Hagglal, told me. ¡°A nobleman must fight for what he believes in, for justice. Once they betray that, the Dragoon becomes nothing more than a violent device¡± I am sure that my father¡¯s decision to banish Setsuto was also his own belief. For this, Setsueto, the Count Duke of Weil, died. ¡°¡­¡­ Mitski, prepare to fire main gun.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. The main turret group of the Varauskirv fortress, Gungnir, is beginning energy loading. The target is thirty-four hostile ships, and the prohibited target is the Black Silver Glory, both of which are registered in the fire control system. Sir. Are you sure you want to sink them all?¡± For a moment, a desire to minimize sacrifice flashed through Setsu¡¯s mind. However, this is a bad idea. If we don¡¯t know the extent of the enemy¡¯s will to fight and the extent of the damage to the Black Silver Glory, we can¡¯t afford to minimize it. ¡°Show no mercy to the enemy. Shoot them all down.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. You have one minute to complete your energy charge.¡± Setsueto nodded. If I shoot this, I can¡¯t go back. I have to say goodbye to the person I¡¯ve always believed I would be riding a dragoon and fighting for the Empire in the future. Settsu clenched his fists. At that time, the ¡°Glorious Black Silver¡± was staggering through space. The damage is extensive. With the loss of a third of her evasive maneuvering starter, and a large hole in her belly, she could no longer maneuver with the same agility as before. It was a situation where the best they could do was to fire on the enemy ships that were swarming to finish them off and check them. ¡°Oh, head, this is no good.¡± On the bridge, Keuk had his head in his hands. ¡°All of them are like a bowl of rice that I don¡¯t even know the name of, but there are too many of them¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s impossible. We took too many detours¡± Kitty is rather relaxed. ¡°You know. Too much charity, you know.¡± The men on the bridge laughed, no doubt about it. They had been reckless from the moment they found the spacecraft that had sent out the SOS. It was immediately clear that the spacecraft had left the castle compound of the Countess of Weil by calculating the trajectory backwards. This was the same Count family that had announced the death of their eldest son. Thinking that something was going on, they dared to choose to rescue him. In addition, they had gone to the trouble of landing in the asteroid field to make some non-emergency repairs. It was indeed unexpected that there was a fortress of ruins, but even if there wasn¡¯t, he was going to get them off the ship for the right reasons. The result of all this is this number of enemies. ¡°Well, it¡¯s always nice to die doing something good.¡± ¡°Well, head, you¡¯re gonna have to have sex with me one last time.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, no! I kept my virginity for you¡­¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re an amateur virgin. My virginity can only be done by a beautiful boy virgin.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve killed that Count-duke.¡± The bridge was filled with laughter. The ship was hit and shook violently. Seeing that the counterattack of the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± has faded, the enemy ships are coming at us more boldly than ever. (Sinking.) The moment everyone thought so. ¡°Fire¡± ¡°Roger¡± Hundreds of lightning bolts tore through space. The 25 ships that took direct hits were instantly obliterated. Five of the ships that survived the direct hit were also sunk, losing engines and other vital parts of their hulls, and most of the rest were severely damaged and wrecked. Some of the ships had their main thrusters induced to explode, while others had their electronic systems destroyed. Only two ships were unharmed. ¡°Enemy ship destroyed. ¡­¡­. Firing point, Sett¡¯s fortress. ¡­¡­¡± The bridge of the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± was filled with surprise. ¡°Oh, my God. ¡­¡­¡± It was far beyond the level of any weapon I had ever seen. With just a single shot, it could sink or destroy over thirty battle ships, a feat that not even the Empire¡¯s pride and joy, the Dragoon, could accomplish. ¡°Head, not yet! Don¡¯t dawdle!¡± The two remaining enemy ships began to accelerate at full speed towards the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡±. He¡¯s going to ram it in. The ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± opened fire to stop the two ships, which made random evasive maneuvers as they closed the distance for the kill shot. Lightning flashed from the fortress again. Both enemy ships were vaporized by the excessive and concentrated fire. ¡°Telegraphic communication from the fortress. [Are you all right, head?]¡± ¡°¡­¡­ That Count duke is surprisingly stupid, isn¡¯t he?¡± Kitty muttered. ¡°No, I think he¡¯s in love with you head.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m such a sinful woman. Send me back a telegram. It says, ¡®I want to see you soon. Okay.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll send back [We need immediate repairs].¡± The bridge of the ¡°Glorious Black Silver¡± is light. ¡°That¡¯s strange. When did the traitor get on my ship? Can¡¯t you just connect us on video?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll connect you¡± Soon, Setsuko¡¯s image appeared on the screen. Right beside him was that person, Mitsuki. ¡°Set, you idiot.¡± Kitty cursed as she opened her mouth. ¡°Head. I want to live with you.¡± Kitty was taken by surprise. It was too vivid a surprise. ¡°What the hell are you talking about, you idiot? ¡­¡­¡± Kitty¡¯s face turned red and she did her best to reply. ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s going on ¡­¡­¡± At that time, one of the ¡°Rice in a Bowl¡± was stunned on the bridge of his ship. This is the man who hurriedly set sail when he was approached by his companions who were in pursuit of Kittycia¡¯s ship, the Black Silver Glory, for which there was a large bounty on his head. The ships of my companions that were heading ahead of us finally caught the and began to fight, and with a large fleet of 34 ships attacking one ship, we would have had a battle that we could not lose. If we don¡¯t catch up soon, we won¡¯t be able to receive our share. As I was chasing after them with this in mind, the reactions of most of the 34 ships that were fighting ahead of us disappeared in an instant. The few remaining companions seemed to be simply drifting at constant speed through space, following their previous inertia. If this ship had been observing with an optical blunderbox, he would have been able to see the beam bombardment, but unfortunately his ship did not have optical observations. ¡°Is there a malfunction in the detection system?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, since Black Silver Glory Black Silver is in the picture and moving. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then what is it? A mysterious new weapon?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been watching too much fiction¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So, you¡¯re saying that the Grand Fleet is being kept under wraps?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most realistic, but it¡¯s still impractical.¡± The captain was just about to say, ¡°Then what?¡± when an electronic beep sounded. ¡°It comes with a video from ¡®The Glory of Black Silver.¡± ¡°Get it out¡± The captain of the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± was projected on the screen in front of the bridge. A beautiful red-haired woman was sitting cross-legged on a red sofa that looked out of place on the bridge of a spaceship. She is only nineteen years old, and could be called a little girl, but the bounty placed on her by the Empire is one billion. I¡¯m sure the ¡°bloodline¡± and ¡°inherited ship and crew¡± were taken into account, but I¡¯m also certain that the bounty is worth the achievement. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to introduce myself, but I don¡¯t need you to introduce yourself either. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not interested in being trapped¡± Kitty challenged him with a quick smile. CH 5 The reaction of the provoked party was swift. From the other side of the boat, I heard a few small voices saying, ¡°What a bitch!¡± ¡°I think it was the voice of the captain of the other ship we were chasing.¡± ¡°Queequeg, cut off the people who just made that noise. They¡¯re not in the mood. They¡¯re fifth-rate.¡± ¡°Hey. So the four of you didn¡¯t get along this time.¡± There is a terrifying amount of room on the other side of the screen. We were supposed to have been attacked by a large fleet of 34 ships just a moment ago. (It¡¯s a trap after all.) The captain was convinced. All those who had gone before us had been destroyed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to meet the three of you who have been chosen. I¡¯m Kitty, captain of the Black Silver Glory. I¡¯ll give you a chance to escape with your tails between your legs.¡± ¡°Can I run away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll even give you a special deal on the cargo. Oh, sure, I¡¯ll take it if you want to give it as a gift.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t even have a bouquet of flowers.¡± ¡°Well, you attack a pretty lady and you don¡¯t even bring her flowers. You have one minute to slow down and reverse. I¡¯ll leave it to your imagination what will happen if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Just one minute?¡± ¡°Yes. How sweet of you to give her time to grab her bangs. Fifty seconds left. See you.¡± Kitty waved her hand and the communication was cut off one way or the other. ¡°Captain ¡­¡­, what do we do?¡± ¡°Reverse it. Tell the guys that got cut off that they have 40 seconds left.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The seven bounty hunter ships flip. It¡¯s a mishmash, I guess. ¡°Enemy ships are retreating.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± Mitsuki put it into words for me. Setsueto nodded and turned to face Kitty, who had left her comms connected. ¡°Thank you, head.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯m good at bluffing.¡± Kitty looks completely at home. The Black Silver Glory should be making its way towards this fortress now. ¡°But I¡¯m sure the enemy will be back soon, what do we do?¡± What are you going to do? I mean how are you going to act? The fortress main gun performed as prescribed. However, it was something that had been abandoned for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Various parts of it were no longer able to withstand the torrent of high energy, and the function of the fortress was further degraded. ¡°Fusion reactor output has dropped to 10%, energy transfer circuits to the main guns have collapsed, and 94% of the main turrets have failed in some way¡± That was what Mitsuki had reported. If seven ships had rushed in without Kitty¡¯s negotiation, the Black Silver Glory would have been in danger. I wondered if Setsuko could call that a negotiation. The following is a summary of the current status of the Varasskirve fortress. The main source of energy, the degenerate reactor, is unusable due to the lack of a black hole, and the sub-reactor, the antimatter reactor, is out of fuel. The sub-reactor, a fusion reactor, is barely working. Hyper-lightspeed navigation is impossible. Having lost its ability to move, the fortress is now simply drifting through space. The main turret group had just been disabled, and all other weapons were also out of service. They originally had a variety of production facilities, but all of them were still unusable. It is as if the coffin of the spacecraft has been upgraded to the coffin of the fortress. When Mitsuki saw Setsuko¡¯s disappointed face, she finally revealed what seemed to be her emotions. ¡°We have no choice but to abandon it for conservation purposes after its long dormancy, except for what we need to return. With time and supplies, we can restore the functionality of the fortress. It¡¯s better than a coffin.¡± Since the fortress was in such a state, the question was what to do in the future. ¡°Can¡¯t we just pretend to be an asteroid, like we¡¯ve been doing?¡± ¡°The use of the main gun has blown the disguise quite a bit. It will take some time to disguise it again. In terms of time, I think it would be faster to restore a minimum level of mobility.¡± ¡°How long until we can restore mobility?¡± ¡°Two days¡± ¡°Head, can you make it?¡± ¡°As long as they can observe us from a distance and not find us, we¡¯ll be fine¡± ¡°I think the current situation is sufficient for electronic disguise and optical disguise for very long distances. We won¡¯t be detected unless we get close enough.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go in that direction then. Mitsuki, can you show me the plan when it¡¯s ready?¡± Setsueto felt the need to get to know this fortress better. At the moment, it was the only thing Settsu could count on in his life. ¡°It¡¯s already there. Go ahead.¡± A plate-like image appeared in the air in front of Setsu, showing the plan. The arrangements for restoring mobility were divided into two major parts. The first is to repair the living fusion reactor and restore the tractor beam and mining lasers by using the urgent equipment in the fortress as materials. This will allow us to attract what is around us and turn it into resources. In the second, we will use the surrounding asteroids and the wreckage of the spaceship we just sunk to regain our mobility. ¡°I see. Do you have a stockpile of propellant?¡± ¡°No propellant is required. The main propulsion system of this fortress is an infinite propulsion system with energy conversion¡± ¡°What kind of system is that?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll convert the energy we generate directly into kinetic energy for the fortress. Propulsion engines that are bound by the law of action-reaction, such as those that use propellants, are too vulnerable to attack.¡± Rather than explaining the principle in detail, Mitsuki¡¯s explanation was more for the purpose of understanding it as a function. But even Setsuko would not be able to understand the theoretical explanation. ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡± In space, movement is a physical quantity of propellant. Without propellant, it would be unable to accelerate, decelerate, or even control its attitude, and could only drift away like a shooting star. Managing the remaining propellant level is fundamental to space combat, I was taught. It can move without being tied to its propellant supply. The strategic advantages are immeasurable. ¡°Are you sure about this plan?¡± Mitsuki will check it out. ¡°Yeah, no problem. Here, please.¡± Setsueto nodded and stood up from the fortress commander¡¯s seat. I have to pick up the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± from the port. The anti-matter carrier Bayledge. It is a specialized ship for transporting antimatter from an antimatter production plant located near a star to a spaceport or mobile facility in the Nueve system. Since it transports a large amount of antimatter, any accident would be a serious problem. For this reason, the carriers have multiple reactors and are heavily armored to the level of warships. Kitty¡¯s voice echoed on the bridge of the Bayledge. ¡°Stop the ship. Stop the ship, or I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± The Bayledge meekly complied with Kitty¡¯s recommendation to stop the ship. In the unlikely event that they were attacked and the airtightness of the antimatter was affected, the antipodal annihilation and the resulting calorific energy would obliterate the ship. Anti-matter carriers were very vulnerable to pirates. Stopping the ship is a pirate term referring to the prohibition of acceleration/deceleration and attitude change, since we are in space. ¡°Captain, would you be so kind as to dump the anti-matter container?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The captain followed Kitty¡¯s instructions. Antimatter, along with propellant, is an essential strategic material for spacecraft. Both warships and civilian ships get their electrical energy from antimatter reactors. Without antimatter, they would have no energy and would not even be able to move. It was inevitable and common for antimatter carriers to become targets of space pirates. The rectangular container that had been fitted into the belly of the Bayledge was removed and began to drift through space. The Glorious Black Silver slowly approached the container and placed it inside its hangar. The ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± is pulling away from the Bayledge. ¡°Well, here comes the hard part. We¡¯ve got to get away from those dreadful Imperial troops that are probably chasing us.¡± On the bridge of the Black Silver Glory, Kitty was on her usual couch, looking at the front screen. The arrangement on the bridge was the same as usual. A new simple chair had been installed diagonally to Kitty¡¯s right as Setsu¡¯s seat. ¡°You could make a lot of money selling this much antimatter¡± ¡°Set, will you give me my share?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Ask Mitsuki, and take what we don¡¯t use.¡± Setsuko was observing the work of the Black Silver Glory. The men were working one after the other without Kitty giving them any instructions. It was a lean and tame act of ¡°piracy¡±. It was different from the neat and tidy operation I had seen when I rode with my father¡¯s dragoon, but I thought it was another form of sophistication. CH 6 There¡¯s a reason why Kitty and the others took the anti-matter. The enormous output of the degenerate reactor was necessary to warp the massive Varauskirv fortress at superluminal speed. In order to activate the main engine of the fortress, the degenerate reactor, or to generate a black hole inside the degenerate reactor, the sub anti-matter reactor must be activated and the black hole generator of the degenerate reactor must be activated. Procurement of antimatter to power the antimatter reactor. That¡¯s what this mission is all about. When viewed as an act of piracy, raiding anti-matter carriers is highly profitable, but also highly risky. Because of the nature of the carriers, which operate between stars and planets, the raids are deep in the star system. Deeper in the star system, that is, closer to the star, warp is not possible. Warp is inhibited near high-mass objects. The larger the mass of the object, the wider the warp blockage zone. The warp hindrance sphere of a star, the largest object in a star system, was usually large enough to encompass the planet¡¯s orbit. In the Nuve system, the stellar warp block zone is beyond the orbit of the first planet and just before the orbit of the second planet. Right now, Kitty and the rest of the Black Silver Glory are in the warp blockage zone of the star Nuvu. They can¡¯t escape at warp. Even if we continue to accelerate, it will take 30 hours to get out of the warp blockage zone. The calculation was that the defense fleet deployed in the system would be able to get ahead of them. It was observed that the defense force was now looking for the ¡°fleet¡± that had wiped out the bounty hunters chasing the Black Silver Glory ship. We have a plan to deal with it. ¡°The container is secure.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll accelerate as fast as we can.¡± The lights on the bridge dimmed a notch and a red light came on. Denias, the helmsman of the Black Silver Glory, maneuvered the ship, firing the main thrusters with all his might. The propellant was accelerated by the power of electricity, pushing the hull forward. The acceleration was so great that the ship¡¯s internal gravity control system could not counteract it, and the people on the bridge pressed their bodies against their seats. The hull creaks. Although we had made some repairs, the was still badly damaged. ¡°You got it?¡± Kitty asked if the hull would be able to withstand the load of full acceleration. ¡°It¡¯s a game of chicken. How far do you want to play?¡± Denias¡¯ answer was to ask how far he would go before he was destroyed. I guess I won¡¯t be able to keep it for long. ¡°Leave enough energy for one more game.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll have it at 80% in about six more hours. Denias had been the helmsman of the Black Silver Glory since the time Kitty was born. He¡¯s nearly sixty now. ¡°The ship is my child, the head is my grandchild.¡± That¡¯s what he says. Kitty has complete trust in Denias¡¯ judgment. ¡± Keuk, plan revision.¡± ¡°Private¡± If it could withstand six hours, it would give us a slight advantage in the situation. Just then, the Noob System Defense Force Headquarters received word of the appearance of the ¡°Black Silver Glory. The captain of the defense forces, Viscount Genius, had just had dinner with his family, but when his second-in-command reported, he cut his meal short and hurried to his office. ¡°Give me the details.¡± As I walked down the aisle, I talked to my second-in-command through the communicator attached to my ear. ¡°Yes, sir. The Black Silver Glory attacked an antimatter carrier that was sailing slightly beyond the orbit of the first planet and stole its antimatter. As far as we could see from the carrier¡¯s radar, it was moving to get out of the warp blockage zone.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the enemy fleet?¡± Viscount Zinias believed that an enemy fleet had infiltrated the system. It was a fleet that served the Black Silver Glory. Whether it¡¯s a regular army or a group of pirates is still unknown, but it¡¯s a fleet large enough to take out 30 bounty hunters in an instant. ¡°We haven¡¯t found them, sir. They don¡¯t seem to have been involved in the attack on the carrier.¡± ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± The system defenders are scouring the system for possible hiding places for the enemy fleet. We are looking for them everywhere, on the surface of planets and satellites, and in the asteroid belt. Other places are being searched by radio and visible light, but still no enemy fleet has been found. What is strange is that the enemy must know that we have noticed the fleet, but they are keeping their appearance hidden and only moving the Black Silver Glory. ¡°Is it a trap?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a possibility. But even if it¡¯s a trap, we can¡¯t just leave it there. Have you told the Count?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just getting started.¡± ¡°Tell them. It could be a trap, but they¡¯d better hurry.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Viscount Genius¡¯s words were passed on to Count Vaile. The Count is out in space as the commander of the search for the enemy fleet. Count Vaile received those words in the cockpit of the Dragoon Direwild. ¡°An attack on an anti-matter carrier? The Count felt the same way as the Viscount. ¡°Is it an invitation or a diversion¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t figure out the intent of the action. ¡°The honest answer is that Starfleet¡¯s remaining anti-matter and propellant reserves are inadequate?¡± The words were spoken by the Chief of Staff Officer on board. ¡°Propellant levels are probably low. Even if they¡¯re coming in a straight line from the nearest border, they must have consumed a lot of it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what is the enemy¡¯s goal?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need antimatter, but most of all we¡¯ll need propellant. Only the spaceport on the second planet and the factory on the third planet have enough propellant stored in this system to power the fleet.¡± ¡°The spaceport also has defense facilities. The more likely target is the third planet. All right, the battle fleet will assemble at the edge of the warp hindrance zone on the third planet. Dragoons and frigates will deal with the Black Silver Glory. Draw up a battle plan.¡± The strategy that the Count had set was a reasonable one, given the existence of the ¡°enemy fleet¡±. The speedy dragoon and frigate, or ¡°cavalry¡± as they are called on the ground, are all that is needed to chase down the pirate ships, leaving the slower warships, or ¡°infantry,¡± to protect the propellant. Even if the Black Silver Glory is a decoy and the enemy fleet comes for the propellant, the battle line ships can check it out. In the meantime, the Dragoon Corps can warp near the battlefield. On the other hand, if the Black Silver Glory is the bait, you can escape with only a fast dragoon force. Depending on the size of the enemy fleet, you may be able to warp a line of ships and challenge them to a battle. ¡°Yes, sir. At the start of the mission?¡± ¡°Two hours.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The general staff immediately began to plan the operation. Superluminal communications were still only in the realm of the creative. It would take a long time to communicate with their own forces scattered over a wide area in the system. Even if the operation was to start in two hours, the plan had to be put together in half an hour. ¡°Please.¡± The Count used his communicator to call the steward of the ship¡¯s cabin. ¡°Tea for Bridge, please.¡± The Count was planning to take a break until the operation started. CH 7 The Glorious Black Silver continued to accelerate at 80% thrust after six hours of full acceleration. In space, the more you accelerate an object, the more it speeds up. After about half a day of acceleration, the Black Silver Glory had attained a speed of 20 kilometers per second. It was ten hours after the start of full acceleration that the fleet of the Star System Defense Force appeared in front of it. The defense force warped out to block the orbit of the Black Silver Glory, which was trying to get out of the warp blockage zone. ¡°What a neat warp-out.¡± Kitty sighed as she looked at the warp-out situation. It had been a very beautiful warp out, with minimal disruption to the formation after the warp out. ¡°Surely the commander has sold his soul to the demon of meticulousness.¡± ¡°I wonder, why doesn¡¯t the military let a few more random people come up through the ranks?¡± ¡°If you put the right guy in charge, you¡¯ll win.¡± ¡°So what, you want the army to lose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s their natural temperament. They¡¯re dominant.¡± On the bridge of the Black Silver Glory, the conversation quickly digressed. ¡°So, what¡¯s the make up of these dominatrixes?¡± It was Kitty¡¯s job to bring that story back to the point. ¡°Twenty frigates and ten dragoons, that¡¯s almost the entire cavalry force of the defense force here.¡± ¡°Dragoon.¡± The eyes of the bridge gathered on Set. ¡°Are you there?¡± No one could mistake the meaning of Kitty¡¯s question. ¡°Wait a minute. ¡­¡­. There you are. The Count¡¯s tiger cub, Dia-Waide.¡± ¡°Well, then I guess I should return the favor for raising you so well.¡± Kitty¡¯s voice tone was laced with a dangerous hue. It¡¯s definitely not what the phrase ¡°return the favor¡± means. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, head.¡± ¡°What course should we take?¡± ¡°No, no, no, wait a minute. ¡­¡­¡± Setsueto panicked. ¡°Oops, I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I have to listen to Botchan¡¯s opinion on this. ¡°What do you say, Set? We¡¯ll do anything you want.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Kitty held back the distracted pirates. ¡°If you guys ask me with scary faces, I won¡¯t be able to answer you honestly. Hey, Set.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Setsuko turned and looked at Kitty. Kitty leaned back from the couch and rested her cheek on his lap. ¡°Do you want me to beat you up, rip you apart, or pin you down?¡± (What¡¯s the difference?) It seems that Settsu has no choice. ¡°Try to be as gentle as possible. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because, Keuk. Thanks for the idea.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of any way to thank a beautiful, innocent woman like me in a quiet way. I expect you to be the most sly thing on this ship.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll be expecting a nice gift.¡± Ten minutes later, the Black Silver Glory changed course. The ship was turned directly sideways against its previous trajectory and the main thrusters were sprayed. The ship took the sideways force and bent its orbit. This information was immediately brought to the Count¡¯s attention. The Count¡¯s fleet was already monitoring the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± with optical and radio radar systems. The Count¡¯s decision was quick. ¡°Dragoons only, pursue the Black Silver Glory. Frigates, stand by, form up, and be ready to warp.¡± The Count¡¯s orders were relayed to the fleet. The Frigate was designed to accompany the Dragoon, but its performance was inferior to the Dragoon¡¯s. It was better to use the Dragoon alone for tracking, so that we could get closer to the Black Silver. Ten dragoons slipped out of the line of ships, a mixture of dragoons and frigates. They were controlled by Count Vaile and the other ten noblemen sealed in the Nube system. The dragoon squadron formed an orderly spindle-shaped formation and began to accelerate at full speed with a large jet of flame. The acceleration of the Dragoon is faster than the acceleration of the . ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯ve done the math and we¡¯ll be out of the warp blockade before we can catch up.¡± The report came up to the Count. ¡°Can¡¯t you reach it? ¡°Yes, sir. Even at warp jammer range, we¡¯re an hour short.¡± ¡°Good. Pay attention to the movements of the Black Silver Glorious Black Silver after it leaves the impediment zone. It¡¯s either warp or come to warp, one of two things.¡± That is, we can warp from the Black Silver Glory ship to where the enemy fleet is, or the enemy fleet can warp to us. ¡°Until then, I¡¯m taking a half day.¡± The Count decided to let half of the crew rest. It would be another fifteen hours before the Black Silver Glory exited the warp blockade. If nothing happens, there won¡¯t be a battle until then. The Count himself decided to take a rest. The Count disconnected from the ship and returned to his quarters. After enjoying a glass of whiskey for dinner, he was about to take a rest when he was called from the cockpit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The Black Silver Glory has stopped accelerating. ¡°Oh, and?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be in range in eight hours. What is the target?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I believe the Black Silver Glory had a battle with a bounty hunter the other day, correct?¡± If we had just accelerated, we would have been able to get out of the warp blockage zone and warp safely. If we had stopped accelerating and let them catch up to us, we would have thought they wanted to fight, but that was impossible. A single ship against a dragoon, and ten of them at that. It¡¯s reckless. As far as the Empire knows, the Dragoon has been the most powerful combat ship in the universe for the last 200 years, ever since the Empire became an interstellar nation. The Dragoon is a battlecruiser from the only production line that was miraculously available at the remains of what was probably a large shipbuilding arsenal. Some of the technologies have been analyzed and imitated to the point where they can be made on their own without the need for ruins, but they are still far from the Dragoon. There was an overwhelming lack of theory, technical understanding, smelting technology, and workmanship precision. ¡°Are you eager to die, sir?¡± ¡°Space pirates, huh? They¡¯re businessmen. They don¡¯t have the ball-breaking hobby we do.¡± The Imperial aristocracy had a widespread belief that they should disperse gracefully rather than live to be prisoners and hand over the Dragoon to the enemy. The Count¡¯s words were meant to make fun of that. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s malfunctioning, there¡¯s no need for us to tamper with it. We¡¯ll simply launch the attack as soon as it¡¯s in range.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An hour later, the Black Silver Glorious Black Silver began to accelerate again. However, the loss of one hour of acceleration was significant, and we would be in range of the Dragoon just before we left the warp blockade. CH 8 Communication with the ¡°Black Silver Glory¡± has been established. A video communication frame appeared on the monitor in front of the Dragoon¡¯s Dire Void cockpit, and the image of a red-haired female pirate appeared on it. It was the same face as the one recorded in the handbook. It was definitely Kithia-Havenberg. ¡°Good day, Count. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°Good morning, Captain Havenberg. I¡¯m recommending immediate surrender.¡± ¡°Well, that was sudden. Do you come to conclusions like that when you seduce women, my lord?¡± ¡°Our troops will begin their attack in 30 minutes. The Count politely ignored Kittithia¡¯s flippant remark. ¡°Cease acceleration immediately and stop the ship. Your right to a trial is guaranteed.¡± ¡°I see, and it may be difficult to escape your forces and reach the warp at this rate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re analyzing the situation so calmly.¡± ¡°But, my lord, I have my own pride as a wandering space pirate. It would ruin my reputation as a pirate if I were to simply stop sailing because it is difficult.¡± ¡°I also think it¡¯s an extremely difficult question to decide which is more important, pride or life. The Count nodded slowly. ¡°But with ten times as many Dragoons after you, who would laugh if you stopped the ship without a fight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand.¡± ¡°But no.¡± Kithia stopped playing the cat. ¡°No stopping. There¡¯s something the Count would like you to see.¡± ¡°The image was sent from the Black Silver Glory display.¡± The communications officer operated the device and a picture appeared on the display. Setsuko and Kitissia are shown side by side. The Count¡¯s eyes opened wide for a moment, but any further agitation was stifled. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? ¡°I don¡¯t make threats, and I don¡¯t expect you to. We¡¯re going to buy our own safety.¡± ¡°Well, what then?¡± ¡°Just thought you¡¯d like to know. Your family¡¯s treasure has been given to me, and since you don¡¯t seem to need it, I¡¯ll make it my ship¡¯s treasure. That is all.¡± Communication was lost. ¡°You¡¯re a funny man, Count.¡± Kitty muttered on the sofa as she let the communication drop. ¡°Is that a compliment or a put-down?¡± Setsuko couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°That¡¯s a compliment. That was a short but enjoyable conversation. Now, Denias, let¡¯s try again.¡± ¡°Sir¡± As Denias complied, a warning tone sounded throughout the ship and the lights dimmed. ¡°Full acceleration, and five seconds before disposable booster ignition! Watch out for high acceleration!¡± Setsueto sat back firmly in his seat. ¡°Ignition!¡± The main thrusters of the Black Silver Glorious ship burst into flames, and at the same time, the long, thin boosters on the side of the ship burst into flames. It is a chemical booster packed with fuel. Unlike normal thrusters, which use a lot of power, these thrusters use almost no power and can temporarily provide a large amount of thrust. It was something that I had prepared for pirates in the Imperial territory, in order to escape from dragoons. The acceleration of the Black Silver Glorious Black Silver exceeded that of the Dragoon. The scheduled injection time is 5 minutes. During this time, the and its crew are subjected to such high gravity that they can only endure. The hull of the ship creaked loudly as if it was screaming, and the explosion from the boosters shook my body. (The ship¡¯s going to fall apart, isn¡¯t it?) That¡¯s what Setsu thought. As long as you live a normal life, you will never experience an acceleration that cannot be counteracted by the ship¡¯s gravity control. My body was pressed against the seat, and my breathing was labored. Setsueto clenched his back teeth and endured the high gravity. ¡°Three minutes to go.¡± Denias¡¯s voice echoed on the bridge. X¡¯s appeared one after another on the diagram of the ship¡¯s status displayed on the monitor. However, Settsu couldn¡¯t tell which X was for what function. He just hoped that it was not an important facility. ¡°One minute.¡± Time is moving too fast. Just one more minute seemed like an infinite amount of time. The ship¡¯s interior was covered with X¡¯s from bow to stern. The vibrations stopped. The lights on the bridge remained dim. ¡°Thrust 80%¡± ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡± Denias said. ¡°We¡¯ve reversed our relative speed to the Dragoon Corps. If we can keep it at 80%, we¡¯ll be able to escape until we get out of the impediment zone.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll let you get through this.¡± ¡°Okay, this time it seems to be working out.¡± Kitty took a breath and released her tension. ¡°What was your score, sir?¡± Keuk asked. ¡°70 points. The idea of pretending to have a breakdown, attracting people, and then sending them images is not bad, but it¡¯s a bit risky. Also, I would have liked to see the Count¡¯s expression a little more broken up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Look forward to your next work, Mr. Quek.¡± Keuk¡¯s plan was to take the risk of sending a single image. ¡°How was the set?¡± Kitty turned the conversation to Settsu. ¡°All I could think about was whether the boat was safe. How can you have fun?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re unlucky, you¡¯ll just die. It¡¯s important to make sure you know what¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Is that what it is? ¡­¡­¡± Setsuko is not yet ready to make such a distinction. ¡°That¡¯s about it. Now, let¡¯s get back to the fortress.¡± If we can warp, we can meet up with the fortress. Once we are inside the fortress, we can bluff our way out. ¡°The Black Silver Glory is preparing for warp.¡± The Count stared at the paper in his hand and ordered nonchalantly. What he had in his hand was a printout of the image that had just been sent to him from the Black Silver Glory. ¡°You don¡¯t seem threatened, sir.¡± The steward who brought it to him spoke to the Count. In the photo, Setsuko is blushing as Kitty kisses him on the cheek. There was no sense of tension at all. It was not the atmosphere of being held captive by pirates. Seeing that the pirates didn¡¯t demand any ransom or guarantee of safety, they might have just picked it up. ¡°I suppose so. I was wondering what happened when the spacecraft went missing from the course we had set.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our fault, sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done. But I think we need to make sure this thank you is done right.¡± ¡°They are pirates in the employ of the enemy, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. In that case, as if we were dealing with pirates, our family will add a bounty to the price. It¡¯ll be live capture only, only alive.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea.¡± For a moment, a soft wave of emotion spread through the cockpit. The crew were all men who had long been employed by the Count¡¯s family. ¡°Black Silver Glory, warp in.¡± The communications officer monitoring the Black Silver Glory informed me of the situation. In a few minutes, we¡¯ll be able to analyze the warp direction and approximate distance. The Count switched his mind to that of a commander. ¡°What is the status of the third planet?¡± ¡°No enemy ships in sight, sir.¡± ¡°Very well. Then leave the battle cruiser in place. The frigates will scout the area at immediate warp. The Dragoon will warp out and join the frigate as soon as we leave the impediment zone.¡± The policy was presented. CH 9 The warp through the star system was only a few seconds. The starry sky was once again displayed on the main monitor of the bridge of the , which projected images from the outside. ¡°We¡¯re out of warp. Error of 5 kilometers from the planned point.¡± ¡°We found the fortress. We¡¯re right where we planned. Relative velocity measurement complete. Kewk, calculate orbital route.¡± ¡°Give me a minute.¡± The men on the bridge are going through the necessary tasks to get things done. Just after warp-out is a very busy time. The ship rocked for a moment. ¡°A small explosion in the warp drive of the super-lightspeed engine. Oh, thank God we¡¯re not at warp.¡± ¡°We have a visual transmission from the fortress. Setsuto, it¡¯s for you anyway. It won¡¯t show up if you stay seated, so stand near your head.¡± Setsueto tried to get behind Kitty without being prompted, but Kitty grabbed his arm and made him sit beside her. Mitsuki¡¯s image appeared on the main monitor. ¡°Welcome back, sir, and captain.¡± Mitsuki made a gesture that was an Earth Federation military-style salute. ¡°I¡¯m back, Mitsuki. How¡¯s it going over there?¡± ¡°Everything is fine, sir. No spaceships have appeared within range of the main fortress. I see you¡¯ve had a slight plan revision?¡± Mitsuki was probably pointing out that the warp out point and speed of the Black Silver Glory ship were different from the prior plan. ¡°I had some business to attend to.¡± ¡°I see. Mr. Quek, do you need any help over here?¡± ¡°Prepare the tractor beam. I can match your speed.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. We¡¯ll be waiting for you in port.¡± ¡°Be gentle, like you would with a live girl.¡± That was the end of my talk with Mitsuki. The Glorious Black Silver began to slow down in order to match speed with the fortress. A short time later, a frigate squadron of the defense force warped out at a distance. They were more than far enough away, and with the speed difference, it seemed unlikely that there would be a battle. ¡°Sir, may I remove the disguise as planned?¡± Mitsuki confirmed over the comms. ¡°Take care of her.¡± ¡°Understood¡± The fortress that had been pretending to be an asteroid was now completely out of disguise. The rugged appearance of the rocks peeled away, revealing a shiny metallic surface. The radar should be able to see us clearly now. This would reveal the existence of the fortress to the frigate fleet. Once the disguise is removed, it will be obvious at a glance that it is not a natural object. ¡°Attention all spacecraft in our space station.¡± From the fortress, Mitsuki¡¯s voice was transmitted on several frequencies commonly used by the Empire. ¡°This is a mobile fortress belonging to the Earth Federation Space Force. In the name of the Fortress Commander, all combat activities within a radius of one light second of this fortress are prohibited. I repeat. This is¡­¡± The same phrase was repeated three times. ¡°A fortress belonging to the United Earth Federation Space Forces.¡± After the Count joined the frigate fleet, he received a report on the situation from the frigate commander, Quarter Admiral Claudet. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve never heard of this army, but from what I¡¯ve observed, the sheer size of it is bizarre.¡± Claudette is scowling behind the monitor. ¡°It¡¯s not public knowledge. The Earth Federation is the name of the former interstellar nation that built the ruins.¡± The Count folded his arms and leaned back. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to be what I was looking for, thinking it was the enemy fleet. This is going to be important.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Claudette still didn¡¯t seem to understand what the Count was worried about. ¡°That¡¯s right. This dragoon is a ship made of ruins, but it is reasonable to assume that the fortress called the Vara Skirve is made of the same technological level. If the dragoon is that size, how much of a force do you think it would be?¡± The dragoon is about 100 meters long, while the Varaskirvu fortress is measured to be about 30 kilometers in diameter. Claudette finally looked at me as if she understood. ¡°The worst case scenario is that the fortress has the ability to build ships. In that case, whoever gets their hands on that fortress will be able to build Dragoons, and possibly even more ships than that.¡± ¡°Count, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°The military balance among the countries will change in a flash. But that¡¯s still just a fantasy. In the meantime, let¡¯s give some thought to what we should do first.¡± The Count spoke calmly, daring to show his composure. Inwardly, he was tempted to break out in a cold sweat, wondering how much turmoil that fortress would bring to the Empire and the nations. However, if you show such behavior, your subordinates will get upset. The more upbeat they get, the more mistakes they will make. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Claudette¡¯s fears seemed to have eased a little. (It¡¯s a headache.) There didn¡¯t seem to be many options the Count could take. In the fortress command center, Settsu was pondering. The antimatter brought back by the Black Silver Glory has been transferred from the container to the antimatter storage room of the fortress, and preparations are underway to start up the antimatter reactor. The reactor, the degenerate reactor, and the superluminal engine have already been repaired and are just being activated sequentially. ¡°How long until we can warp?¡± ¡°Five hours. Most of the fortress¡¯ combat capabilities remain lost. The main turret is undergoing repair work, but only a few guns are still usable. As for the defensive capabilities, since the repair of the shield generator has not been started yet, there is nothing that can be done except to withstand the surface armor of the fortress and the structure itself. If the Imperial fleet decided to attack and enter, there was nothing they could do. I asked Mitsuki to analyze the situation, and her answer was as follows. ¡°Ten dragoon class assault destroyers and twenty similar destroyer class vessels would be a no-brainer if this fortress was fully capable, but as it is, it¡¯s hard to deal with. We¡¯ll barely be able to sink five of them before we get close.¡± Apparently, the Dragoon was also known as the Dragoon in the Earth Federation Forces. Setsuto had no idea what an ¡°assault destroyer¡± was, but according to Mitsuki, ¡°It is the smallest of the regular combat ships of the Earth Federation Space Force. It is the smallest of the regular combat ships of the Earth Federation Space Force,¡± according to Mitsuki. It is the current level of humanity that treats its smallest battle ship as the strongest battle ship. The fleet led by Count Vayel, my father, is forming a formation at a distance from the fortress. They have not shown any signs of approaching the fortress, but they may be waiting for the battle fleet to arrive. I know what Setsu should do. But I can¡¯t make that decision. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve received a request from the Imperial Fleet for a visual transmission.¡± While Setsueto was hesitating to make a decision, the things he needed to do were coming at him from the other side. ¡°To the Fortress Commander, over there is the Fleet Commander, Count Vayel.¡± What do you want to do? Mitsuki asked with her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with ¡­¡­.¡± Settsu nodded. ¡°Yes. We can process the video and audio here to make you look like someone else, though?¡± Mitsuki¡¯s suggestion was a strong temptation for Settsu. He was a little afraid to talk to his father now, and it seemed more likely that they would be able to reach an agreement. But somewhere in my heart, there was a voice telling me not to run away. Maybe it was stubbornness. ¡°No need. We¡¯ll just keep going.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. But at the very least, I would like you to change your clothes. In those clothes, there is an interstellar distance between you and the clothes suitable for a commander.¡± Settsu¡¯s attire was the relaxed shirt he usually wore in his luggage. ¡°Yeah, I think you should change your clothes too.¡± With Kitty¡¯s push, Setsueto decided to accept the offer to change his clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°The commander¡¯s uniform is in his private quarters.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go change.¡± Settsu walked out of the fortress command center. Kitty, who was left behind, poked Mitsuki with her elbow with a happy look on her face. ¡°You did a good job.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Mitsuki, on the other hand, had her usual dull expression on her face. ¡°Boys grow up with every decision they make.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested. I will only show His Excellency the options that may be needed. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t know how to put on a uniform, so I¡¯ll go help him.¡± Mitsuki saluted and walked out of the commander¡¯s office. CH 10 With Mitsuki¡¯s help, Setsuto put on the uniform of the Earth Federation Space Force. The base color was white with gold thread decorations. The size was perfect for Setsuko, and Mitsuki had measured and adjusted the size before I knew it. He returned to the commander¡¯s office and took a seat. ¡°Sir, may I?¡± Mitsuki confirmed, and Settsu took two big deep breaths. He folded his hands under the desk. ¡°Please.¡± Communication has been established. The Count, who appeared on the communication screen, looked at Setsu, and his eyes widened for a moment. ¡°I beg your pardon. You look like a dead relative of mine.¡± It was a sudden preemptive punch. Setsuko passed it off. He knew his father¡¯s character well. I know my father¡¯s character well, and this is an indication that I will not treat Settsu as my own child in this communication. As for Setsueto, he had no intention of responding as the Count Duke of Vaile. ¡°No problem. I am Shia Azna, Commander of the Fortress of Varathkirb.¡± It is a pseudonym. The name that Setsuto gave was the name of the main character in an old story passed down in the empire. ¡°Commander of the Nueve System Defense Fleet, Imperial Count and Admiral Hagral Drag Vayel.¡± The Count also took his name. Since this was our first meeting, it was only natural that we should follow the proper etiquette. ¡°Sir Azuna, I would like to begin by thanking you for accepting our communication. What position do you hold in the United Earth Federation Space Force, Lord Azna?¡± ¡°My fortress and I are not currently under the command of the Earth Federation Space Force. We are currently acting on our own initiative. Therefore, all authority over this fortress rests with me.¡± ¡°I see. Then I would like to ask you two questions, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Perhaps that was the reason why the Count had asked for a communication. ¡°Now, first of all, the starship that was just admitted to your fortress is one that has committed acts of piracy against our empire. I would like to know the reason why the fortress is housing him.¡± The Count must have seen the photos of Setsuko and Kitty, so he must have a good guess. But if he dared to ask, he was asking for an official opinion. This negotiation is not a father-son negotiation. This is a negotiation between the Count, a nobleman who is in charge of the defense of the Nueve system and the Empire, and the commander of a fortress that has appeared in the system and is not under the protection of the Empire. It is a public negotiation. ¡°Her ship is currently under the protection of this fortress. I don¡¯t know the details of the situation, but the ship was seriously damaged and we took her into custody for humanitarian reasons.¡± It is an obvious lie. Even Setsuto doesn¡¯t think that this lie will go unnoticed. It is not possible to protect the Glory of the Black and Silver, which was flying at a very high speed, by accident. If you don¡¯t adjust your speed with the intention of protecting it from the start. But this is the official answer. If he told the truth, the Count would have no choice but to antagonize him. Setsueto thought that this would convey that he had no intention of outwardly antagonizing the Empire. ¡°I see. As I told you earlier, those men are pirates. I would like to hand them over for proper trial in our empire.¡± The Count stepped into the room. The reply was, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be hostile, hand them over. It also means that the intention of not wanting to be hostile was conveyed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t do that. We are unable to determine whether the Empire has a system that would be recognized as a formal and fair trial in the Earth Federation. In such a state, we cannot hand over those we have promised to protect.¡± Settsu replied according to his setting as a fortress commander in the Earth Federation Space Force. Based on what Setsuto knew of the Count¡¯s personality, he would not have chosen to fight against this fortress of ruins. Calm and prudent. He was an excellent nobleman who could consider the interests of the entire empire. This was the kind of person he wanted to be in the future. ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± It was a nice thing for Setsu to hear. He felt that his father had approved of him. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll leave that as an issue for future negotiations.¡± After all, the Count had not gone any further. He shelved the matter. It will probably stay up forever. However, it is safe to assume that they have now reached an agreement that they will not publicly antagonize each other. Setsueto expected that in the future the Count would think of a direction in which the fortress could be placed under the protection of the Empire or occupied and put to use. As a Set, I have to prevent myself from being forced to do so. From here, it¡¯s defensive negotiations. I have to be careful. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. What¡¯s the other question?¡± ¡°I would like to know the purpose of your presence here. What are your operational objectives?¡± ¡°The military would not normally reveal its purpose to the outside world, but I will be honest with you, Count. This fortress has been dormant in this system, but it has recently returned. We will be leaving this system tomorrow, in accordance with the last target given to us by the Earth Federation government.¡± In fact, we only need to gain five hours, but it¡¯s just in case the Count tries to set up a plan and we misjudge the time to prepare. ¡°What is the target?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It¡¯s a military plan.¡± Of course, there was no such goal. It was just an excuse to leave the system in one piece. ¡°I see. I thought you said earlier that you were acting on your own judgment, but are you bound by the orders and rules of the Earth Federation government?¡± Settsu¡¯s heart jumped. I wonder if I misspoke. (No, it¡¯s not.) Something like this is not a crucial mistake. The Count is trying to use a small mistake to draw out a big one. If you panic here, he will take the initiative. ¡°Of course, Count, we who are in charge of violence must not be bound by anything like orders or beliefs. We only do our best for the end goal we have been given.¡± I wonder if I can dodge this. I¡¯m sure the words will resonate with the Count. ¡°You have a point. So what are you going to do once you¡¯ve achieved your goal?¡± ¡°Count. Do you think you can win the battle in front of you by thinking about the next battle before the one in front of you is over?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to lose. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Their gazes crossed as they searched for their next move. ¡°Are there any items in your fortress that require resupply? If so, I¡¯ll make it my responsibility to supply them.¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer, but our supplies are in order.¡± To tell you the truth, there are a myriad of things I want, but I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll set up or how much information they¡¯ll take with them. We can¡¯t just accept the supply. We¡¯ve already taken the bare necessities. ¡°I see. If there is anything you need, please let me know. The Empire wishes to remain on friendly terms with the Earth Federation.¡± ¡°Thank you, Count.¡± The Count gave a slow nod. ¡°Thank you as well, my lord. Thanks to you, we were able to learn of your situation and avoid an unnecessary fight. This fleet will see you off at your current position.¡± There was no way they were going to leave an unidentified fortress unsupervised. It was a natural response. They may try to take over the country by using such a pretext. Such caution is necessary. ¡°I understand. Thank you for seeing me off. I¡¯ll let you know when we have a warp time.¡± ¡°Thank you. Bye.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Setsueto gave his father the Earth Federation salute. The Count¡¯s expression wavered for a moment at the unfamiliar gesture. Before I could get anything back, the communication screen disappeared. ¡°Whoo.¡± The moment the screen disappeared, Setsu sank into the seat with a sigh. It was manageable, but I felt like I had been tolerated a bit. I have a hard time making excuses for the future, now that I think about it. I heard a crackle of applause. It was Kitty. Kitty was sitting in an empty seat in the commander¡¯s office, watching the negotiations. ¡°It was a good bargaining session. It was aristocratic, full of nastiness.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t beat the head with bluffing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can talk with my teeth in my mouth like that, you¡¯re both so naive.¡± ¡°According to the Count, candor is a virtue for humans, but a vice for nobles.¡± ¡°Oh, scary, scary.¡± Mitsuki came over from her seat and took a cup and pot from the wagon in the corner of the commander¡¯s office. A cup was placed in front of Setsu, and the black drink was poured into it. There was a savory scent that Settsu had never smelled before. ¡°Thank you for your time, my lord.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drink called coffee. It was the most popular drink among the officers of the Earth Federation Forces, with the exception of alcohol.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Settsu took a sip. Bitterness, sourness, and sweetness flowed together, and the aroma penetrated his nose. It seemed to relax his stomach, which had been tight with tension. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see.¡± Kitty took the cup from him and took a sip. ¡°This is a new taste. But I like it. Mitsuki, can I have some?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Mitsuki took another cup from the wagon and poured coffee into it. ¡°Thank you. Now, let¡¯s see if the Count has any tricks up his sleeve.¡± ¡°We¡¯re maintaining surveillance. There¡¯s been no movement so far.¡± CH 11 Mitsuki finished getting everything ready. ¡°Sir, this is the first time in 12,000 years that we¡¯ve had to activate the condensers. Since you¡¯re here, give the order.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Shrink reactor, turn it on.¡± ¡°Copy that. Antimatter reactor output at 70%, power required to restart the degenerate reactor has been reached. Final inspection of the condensers is complete. All components are intact. Mitsuki proceeded unhurriedly. ¡°Activate degenerate furnace. External input open. Holding field deployment complete. Generating micro black hole.¡± There were no vibrations, only Mitsuki¡¯s voice telling me the progress of the process. ¡°Generation complete. Event horizon and Hawking radiation observed. Energy conversion complete. Confirmed 90% of rated output. We¡¯ll adjust the mass input to achieve the specified output. All systems in the fortress have been converted to energy transfer from the degenerate reactor. Shut down the antimatter reactors.¡± There is no one who can understand what Mitsuki is saying. Mitsuki is responsible for almost all the operations of the fortress. For Setsuto and the rest of the crew of the Black Silver Glory, it was hard to understand that Mitsuki was an AI. It was a very simple way of saying that she was a human being made of machines. ¡°This fortress is navigating in a degenerative reactor. Are you sure you want to go to warp next?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Copy that. Entering warp process. Attention, all hands. This fortress will enter interstellar warp in 30 minutes from the present time. All activities outside the fortress must cease within ten minutes, and all personnel are requested to make the necessary preparations.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve observed spatial microtremors in preparation for warp.¡± The fact that the fortress was preparing to warp was immediately communicated to the Count. ¡°You¡¯re still going to warp.¡± Despite what Setsuto had said, it was still a surprise to the Count that such a massive object could actually warp. Humanity¡¯s technology today is probably no more than a fraction of what the Earth Federation had. ¡°Do you wish to interfere?¡± ¡°No, we should not engage in hostile action. Is the warp in a star system?¡± The Count was preparing to have people infiltrate the fortress to gather information. The plan was to occupy the fortress as soon as possible. Although he did not believe Setsuto¡¯s words that it would be tomorrow, the Count did not expect it to be this early. (If I¡¯d known from the start that this was the only time we¡¯d have, I could¡¯ve thought of something else.) The Count thought that Setsuko had gotten the better of him on this point. I thought he was just a child. ¡°The fortress has sent us an estimated time of warp-in. Twenty minutes out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The Count nodded and thought about it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can you send out a message?¡± ¡°Yes. Which way, sir?¡± ¡°The fortress commander in front of you, of course.¡± ¡°What kind of text should I send?¡± ¡°I salute you for your valor and wish you good health until the day we meet again.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The Count¡¯s words were immediately delivered to Settsu in the fortress. When he heard what Mitsuki had read out, Settsu felt an emotion that was hard to describe. ¡°Am I supposed to be happy about that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The Count must be very frustrated that you sent it all the way. I can just imagine how frustrated he must be.¡± Kitty looked honestly happy. Setsuko can¡¯t imagine that the Count is so young that he¡¯s trembling on the ground. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°We will successfully achieve our goal of flying at warp from this system. We¡¯ll win this battle.¡± ¡°I see.¡± When Kitty said that, joy began to occupy much of Setsu¡¯s mind. ¡°Do you wish to reply?¡± When Mitsuki asked him, Setsuko thought for a moment. It wasn¡¯t something that he expected a reply to, but he wanted to reply. ¡°Yes, it is. The content is: ¡­¡­ Pray for the longevity of the Count¡¯s fortune, then. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Setsuko stared at the dragoon on the monitor. It might be the last time he saw it. ¡°Understood¡± Twenty minutes later, the fortress warped in. The Count quietly watched the scene. According to his analysis, the warp destination seemed to be the uninhabited Stellar System, thirty light years away. Perhaps they would repeat the warp from there and go somewhere else. ¡°Where do you think we¡¯re going?¡± The Count visited his chief of staff. ¡°First of all, it must be the employer of the Black Silver Glory. It¡¯s somewhere in the frontier independent countries. I¡¯m sure the Imperial Capital is aware of it.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll take it?¡± ¡°I doubt it. Setsu-sama has become quite resourceful, and I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t give up his fortress to the enemy without a fight.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so. Now, I¡¯ll have to report this to the imperial capital, as this may be the first time in two hundred years that the situation has changed significantly.¡± The Count foretold. If you throw a stone that big into a pond, there is bound to be a big splash. I didn¡¯t think it would come off. Frontier independent countries. Independence sounds good, but the reality is that the three major powers are too busy bickering with each other to be left alone. The three major powers are the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Federation. Of course, each country has its own official name, but since everyone knows which country it is without saying the official name, the official name is rarely used except for rituals. The general feeling was the same for the independent countries, but this was due to the fact that there were ¡®too many to remember¡¯ and ¡®no big problem if you don¡¯t remember them. Therefore, most of them were lumped together as ¡°independent countries¡±. The Kingdom of Mars-Camino was one of those independent countries. Of the three major powers, it is considered to be better than the Kingdom, and many spaceships made by the Kingdom are flying around the system. The third planet of the Janota system, Kaliko, is the only inhabited planet, and the territory is held by building orbital facilities and other facilities in four neighboring systems. The Glory of Black and Silver has arrived at the spaceport on Calico¡¯s satellite. The spaceport is a simple spaceport that was built by leveling the surface of the satellite and turning it into a ship parking area. The spaceport terminal was built a short distance away from the parking area. ¡°Landing complete. All clear.¡± The damage that the Silver Glory had sustained in the Nueve system had already been repaired. The dock facilities at the fortress were made available to them, where they were thoroughly repaired. ¡°We¡¯ll fix our ship.¡± The maintenance team of the Black Silver Glory insisted, so the fortress only provided materials and tools. The materials were the wreckage of a bounty hunter¡¯s ship, which the fortress reworked to fit the Black Silver Glory and provided. Then, a phenomenon occurred where the performance of the part using the provided parts increased. This is due to the different dimensions of processing technology. Therefore, a plan to remodel the ¡°Glory of Black Silver¡± is currently under consideration. The person in charge of the project is Keuk, a jack-of-all-trades. ¡°The ship that was such a jerk has become as obedient as a five-year-old¡¯s head. ¡­..¡± Denias, who had made the landing, lamented. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a five-year-old head?¡± ¡°Why, Keuk, are you a pedophile?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. The only good thing about being five is your head. Aren¡¯t you cute?¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah.¡± ¡°There, do that where I can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°It makes sense to do it so I can hear you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Use a loud voice when you praise.¡± ¡°If you think that¡¯s a compliment, you¡¯ve got it all twisted up.¡± ¡°Your head is pretty cute now, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pretty now, I¡¯m beautiful. Can you make no mistake about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t help but think of your head when you were five.¡± Durdov and Mitski entered the bridge. ¡°Head, I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go finish up some bureaucratic work, Keuk, so I¡¯ll see you around.¡± Kitty took the captain¡¯s seat. Setsueto followed, and the four of us left the bridge together. I put on my space suit in the airlock. Mitsuki could handle the vacuum on her own, but I asked her to wear it so as not to startle the viewer. The four of them got out, caught in the hull of the ship. In the black space, which was completely devoid of atmosphere, the surface was covered with fine dust. In front of me, I could see a blue planet floating in the sky. Once outside the ship, the ship¡¯s gravity control system was no longer in effect. My body seemed to float softly. The gravity of this satellite is small, about 0.1G. There were various spaceships lodged around us. Some of them were large cargo ships, while others showed fresh signs of damage. This may be a spaceport, but it is a spaceport for pirates. CH 12 As he stepped out of the Glorious Black Silver, Settsu looked down and saw that a low-gravity baby carriage had been prepared. It would run by sticking to the ground with a jet. Settsu took his hands off the boat. He descended slowly and landed by the baby carriage. The surface of the ground was covered with fine dust and a little fluffy. After landing on the surface, the four of us got into the bogies and headed for the terminal building. Their destination was Mars, located in the terminal. We went through the airlock at the entrance of the terminal and went inside. The gravity was still 0.1G inside the terminal. This made it easier to move around in the large space. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the Havenberg of the Black and Silver Glory.¡± The officer in charge of the business office is a muscular man with a face as strong as a pirate. His tone is polite, but more intimidating than a badly armed man. ¡°Yes, this is the record of our catch.¡± Kitty handed the officer a small chip-like recording terminal. In it was a record of the ships Kitty had attacked and the damage they had caused on this voyage. ¡°Thank you for submitting the pirate report. How would you like to sell your catch?¡± The officer quickly checks the contents of the chip. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a mixed bag, one anti-matter container. It¡¯s only half full.¡± ¡°All right. Please apply for it. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± ¡°Two new crew members registered¡± Kitty pointed to Setsuko and Mitsuki. It was for this reason that she had brought Mitsuki along this time. ¡°Yes. What is your name?¡± Kitty showed her white surprise. ¡°The Count is a madman. You¡¯re too drunk to spend such a large sum of money to spend a night with me.¡± Setsueto dared not to say anything. The officer seemed to have decided to keep quiet. ¡°Two crew cards, sir. Do you have anything else?¡± The attendant bundled the two cards that came out of the machine in front of her and handed them to Kitty. ¡°No, thank you.¡± While leaving the business office, Kitty handed the card to Setsuko and Mitsuki. There was a mug shot printed on it that had apparently been taken some time ago. It read, ¡°Private, Royal Space Force.¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic card that will allow me to be contacted if you are ever arrested in this country. Other than that, it won¡¯t do you any good.¡± ¡°Useless?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s officially fake, so be careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to it if you just have it. It¡¯s no secret that this country lends its name to pirates.¡± Known fact. I¡¯ve never heard of Sett at all. ¡°I¡¯m talking about in the industry. It¡¯s quite common in independent countries. They usually do it to get support from one of the big powers.¡± ¡°I see.¡± There are many things in the world that Set does not know. For a while after that, the ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡± stayed in the Kingdom of Mars-Camino. The crew would take turns going to the restaurants and entertainment facilities in the terminal to kill time. ¡°People do that all the time.¡± Settsu mumbled as he sipped his packaged tea. It was a cafe in the terminal. Not being able to drink, and not being used to playing in such places, Settsu had nothing to do but drink tea in the cafe. It was indeed a port for pirates. There were many taverns and gambling establishments. Mitsuki is sitting across the table from me. Her expression was as unsure as ever. Mitsuki said that she would never leave my side if she didn¡¯t know what was going to happen. ¡°Yes, because things like vacations and entertainment are very important when putting your life on the line.¡± It was a little refreshing to hear Mitsuki say that, since she didn¡¯t seem to be interested in entertainment at all. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Stress has a very serious effect on the activities of living organisms. We need to rest when we can for the sake of accuracy of judgment, emotional stability, and so on.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That¡¯s probably why all the crew of the ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡± are heading off to wherever they want to go. The unlucky few who were left behind at the end looked uncomfortable, and it had become standard practice lately to say, ¡°I¡¯m going to rest at the cafe, so go ahead and do what you want.¡± On the Glorious Black and Silver, Settsu had not yet been able to fit into the circle. Kitty had been good to him, and the rest of the crew cared for him, but seeing the bonds they had formed over the years, he sometimes felt mildly alienated. ¡°There are recreational facilities in the fortress as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a natural facility for long-term personnel stays. It¡¯s not ready for use yet, though.¡± ¡°Given their current antics, it might be best to get them serviced sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. However, we can¡¯t help but give it a lower priority compared to combat equipment.¡± The first priority for fortification repair is combat-related equipment. The main guns and other offensive weapons, shield generators and other defensive weapons, and ammunition production facilities were the first to need repair. The next facility proposed for restoration is the manufacturing facility for android soldiers. The current fortress is helpless once they land inside. Therefore, they wanted to prepare androids like Mitsuki, but specialized in white combat. Finally, the construction equipment. However, this is the last in the list of priorities because without a flesh and blood person, the ship cannot be built and used. The reason why a flesh-and-blood human is needed is because an AI like Mitsuki is not allowed to make decisions. ¡°See if you can¡¯t tuck it in there somewhere.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As Setsuto and Mitsuki were discussing practical matters, Mitsuki suddenly stood up. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Mitsuki stood in front of the soldier who was walking towards the table of Setsuko and the others. He was a short, stocky man in a Royal Space Force uniform. He was not an acquaintance. He wore a sense of urgency that did not fit the relaxed atmosphere of the cafe. This caused Mitsuki to react and stand in the way. The soldier did not expect to be blocked by Mitsuki. ¡°And you are?¡± When the soldier did not say anything for a while, Settsu asked. ¡°Excuse me. My name is Luke Vetsia, and I am in charge of the Third Fleet in this country. I¡¯m here to ask a favor of Lord Sia Azuna, or rather Lord Setsueto Vaile.¡± Now it was Setsueto¡¯s turn to be silent. CH 13 ¡°Before you go any further, Sett Vayel is a dead man.¡± That was the first thing Setsu chose to say. Admiral Vetsia took a sip of the packaged tea that had just been delivered to her seat. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve heard the information, but officially, that¡¯s the biggest problem we have.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to explain to you that official announcements don¡¯t represent the truth, but now the debate among us is, what is the point, then?¡± Admiral Vetsia speaks with the certainty that Settsu is Settsu. (I may have acted a little too carelessly.) For Setsu, who had no title other than Count Duke, he thought that no matter where he was or what he was doing, he would be left alone and could push his way through with an empty pretense. However, it seemed that this was not the case, given that Admiral Vetsia had actually visited him like this. For the independent countries caught between the great powers, it seemed that even a dead count duke would have to have some kind of agenda. I need to be a little more careful in the future. ¡°Some say they are spies for the Empire, some say they are being used as an excuse to invade. The majority versus the overwhelming minority, though.¡± Setsueto nodded in understanding. ¡°The majority opinion is this. Let¡¯s capture them quickly and hand them over to the Kingdom or the Federation.¡± ¡°I see. So, who are you as an overwhelming minority?¡± Since Admiral Vetsia is here alone, she is not of the capturing faction. ¡°We as a nation should not be involved in this matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to do that for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are.¡± Admiral Vetsia laughed dryly. ¡°So, by request, do you mean you want me to leave promptly or something?¡± As an overwhelming minority, they probably came to Setsu to deal with the root of the problem before the majority pushed them away. ¡°I wish that were all.¡± Admiral Vetsia replied, and he knew that things were even worse than Settsu had imagined. ¡°A fleet under the control of the majority party is already preparing. Even if we set sail now, a battle will be inevitable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± I wonder if the ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡± can escape. They even managed to escape the dragoon. However, the Black Silver Glory is a pirate ship under contract with this country. It didn¡¯t seem like a good idea for them to escape with Settsu on board. So far, the Black Silver Glory has been a nuisance. I didn¡¯t want it to become the one being pushed around by Set¡¯s convenience any more. ¡°So, what¡¯s the Admiral¡¯s plan?¡± ¡°There is an embassy of the kingdom in our country. Therefore, I would like you to go there with me and apply for asylum.¡± I see. It¡¯s not a matter of capturing them and handing them over, it¡¯s a matter of voluntarily. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If Azuna decides to apply for asylum in the Kingdom, we can maintain our position that we have nothing to do with it. At the very least, it will be impossible for us to capture him and hand him over.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about splitting the army in two with an overwhelmingly small number.¡± Setsueto mixed it up. The reason Admiral Vetsia spoke of now was for their own reasons. Frankly, I don¡¯t care. ¡°As you say. But I¡¯m a Starfleet commander, after all.¡± ¡°A few in number, but not in strength.¡± Admiral Vetsia must have talked to the ambassador of the kingdom before coming here. But the ambassador must not have been able to confirm the intentions of the home country. We don¡¯t have that many days. Even if the ambassador said yes, it would be up to the home country to decide whether or not to grant asylum. Then again, it may not be a good condition. The Kingdom is a nation that was originally a compatriot of the Empire. The two countries were separated in a dispute over the succession to the throne and are now enemies. It¡¯s unclear which way the former compatriots will work. As far as Settsu knows, there is no precedent for an Imperial nobleman defecting to the Kingdom. As for Setsu, he wanted to choose the third option, to escape somehow. Settsu took a sip of his tea and bought himself some time to think. As Admiral Vetsia, he has no intention of stepping into a situation where his forces are split up. Then, it would not be feasible for him to have his fleet escort us out of the country. I thought about it, but there seemed to be few options for action. The fortress was placed in a remote system so that it would not be easily discovered in the aftermath of a warp out. Unless a warp-capable ship was sent to the vicinity, no contact could be made and the fortress could not be moved. This was Settsu¡¯s own fault for underestimating the situation and carelessly enjoying the tea. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s take the Admiral¡¯s offer.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ll get right on it, but I¡¯d like to hurry.¡± The Admiral stood from his seat. ¡°Is it really that tight?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Admiral Vetsia¡¯s expression was serious. Apparently it¡¯s true. As Setsuto stood up, Mitsuki stood up as well. ¡°Mitski, you don¡¯t have to come.¡± ¡°Not so fast. I can¡¯t leave your side.¡± ¡°After I return to the ship and inform them of this, you are free to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t hear that order. I don¡¯t have the freedom to make decisions.¡± He spoke decisively. ¡°Lord Azuna, she will be your escort. You should have an escort.¡± Admiral Vetsia interrupted him. ¡°You sure you want to go to ¡­¡­?¡± Settsu confirmed with Mitsuki. He was not sure how much she would understand, but it implied that he might not be able to return to the fortress. ¡°My mission is to help you, my lord. Even if it is outside.¡± Setsuko¡¯s thoughts seemed to have been conveyed, but Mitsuki¡¯s reply was as hesitant as ever. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Understood¡± The three of us started walking to leave the cafe. Just as we were about to exit, the door of the caf¨¦ opened and men in military uniforms came in. There were ten men in total. They all had blasters on their hips. Admiral Vetsia stiffened. Not a good reaction. Mitsuki quickly moved between Setsuko and the men. ¡°Well, well, well, Admiral Vezia.¡± The man in the center of the group of men spoke to Admiral Vetsia. He was a tall, slender man. From the look of him, he seemed to be the commander of the men. ¡°Look who it is. It¡¯s a dog.¡± Admiral Vetsia¡¯s words were a thorn in my side. In other words, they must be the ¡°majority¡±. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. I¡¯m just loyal to the state.¡± ¡°I was just complimenting you on your faithfulness to orders. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± An exchange of sarcasm. ¡°Will you accompany me, Count Setsueto Vayel, my lord?¡± ¡°Here is the crew of the pirate ship Black Silver Glory, Lord Shia Azuna.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll also check later to see if he¡¯s the count duke who calls himself Shia Azuna.¡± Admiral Vetsia and the commander are having a verbal exchange. ¡°Do you want to cut it open?¡± Mitsuki asked in a whisper. Settsu gave a small shake of her head. There was only one way in and out. He was facing ten armed men. The situation was too bad. ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯ve decided to protect Azuna-dono with the First Fleet. I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t interfere.¡± The commander¡¯s expression of composure did not waver at all in response to Admiral Vetsia¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Admiral.¡± (Oh, this is¡­) The majority of them had already made up their minds. Setsuko understood that. The commander drew his gun from his hip holster. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you to come with me, Admiral. The charges are, well, let¡¯s go with treason, shall we?¡± The ten people around him also pulled out their guns at once. CH 14 At gunpoint, Settsu and the others raised their hands meekly. ¡°Handcuff him.¡± On the commander¡¯s orders, three soldiers moved to handcuff Setsu and the others. The soldiers did a body check on their clothes. I guess they were checking to see if we were carrying weapons. The sound of a slap was heard. It was the sound of the soldier who was checking Mitsuki¡¯s body hitting her on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that cocky look.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always had these eyes.¡± Mitsuki was not offended at all. ¡°Don¡¯t play, you fool.¡± The commander came to a halt faster than the soldiers could do anything more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± The soldier looked unconvinced, but obeyed the commander¡¯s order. ¡°A great man?¡± When Setsuko called out to her, Mitsuki looked the same as always. ¡°No problem at all, my lord.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s reply clearly irritated the soldier. However, the commander did not allow them to do anything more. ¡°I¡¯m taking you in.¡± Setsuko and the others were taken out of the cafe. Keuk was playing in the terminal¡¯s casino. ¡°Well, I guess that makes me the overall winner.¡± The men at the same table looked despairing as Keuk turned over the cards that were lying face down in his hand. The coins were piled up in front of Keuk¡¯s eyes. The coins belonged to a man who had plunged everything he had into a reversal of fortune. ¡°Keuk, you¡¯re looking good.¡± Jack, a member of the crew of the Black and Silver Glory, took the empty seat next to Kyuuk. Jack shook his head in response to the dealer¡¯s look asking if he was going to participate, and replied that he had no intention of participating. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to lose today. Aren¡¯t you going to do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to fight a guy like you.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here to haggle?¡± ¡°Nonsense. But I¡¯ve just been beaten to a pulp, so if you want to buy me a drink, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. And?¡± You have something to do, Keuk said. ¡°Oh. I got beat up, so I thought I¡¯d freshen up, and they got that kid. ¡°You¡¯re really pushing me to lose.¡± ¡°I thought if I kept saying that, maybe you¡¯d buy me a drink.¡± ¡°There it is, I¡¯ll make you drink yourself to death later. And why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t look like a drunken rampage. He was on his way to the military police station, but it wasn¡¯t the military police that caught him. That was the uniform of a fleet officer you see every once in a while.¡± ¡°Do you think they knows?¡± ¡°Maybe so.¡± ¡°I wanted to win some more. I would have liked to have won a few more games, but I guess I¡¯ll call it a night.¡± Keuk sat up. ¡°Jack, you find out what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ll round up the guys who are playing.¡± ¡°Okay¡± It wasn¡¯t until half an hour later that Kitty received a voice-only transmission from Keuk. Kitty was just relaxing on the bridge, watching the news. ¡°And that¡¯s how the fleet guys got hold of Set.¡± Keuk recounted the situation he had gleaned from the employees and customers of the caf¨¦ where Setsuko had been captured. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I may have given you a little too much freedom.¡± ¡°Freedom is the motto of our ship.¡± There was no air of reproach in Kitty¡¯s voice. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard anything from Mitski?¡± Mitsuki has a built-in communication device. If Mitsuki wanted to, she should be able to communicate with the Silver Glory. ¡°No. I think Setsu won¡¯t let her, she¡¯s too reserved with us.¡± ¡°Well, sure. So, what can I do for you?¡± Keuk asked Kitty. ¡°We¡¯re pirates under contract with this country, so some people think we shouldn¡¯t be fighting with them.¡± Kitty kept her mouth shut for a moment and closed her eyes. She recrossed her legs and, with a willful effort, inhaled. ¡± Keuk. Do you think you can fool me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I am the daughter of the pirate Lage Havenberg. Freedom and pirates, that¡¯s the rule on my ship. We are free to live as we please and die as we please. I don¡¯t need to ask you what you will do. He¡¯s my prey, our prey. He¡¯s my prey, our prey, and I¡¯m not going to sit back and let him snatch it from me. You say we have a contract with this country so we won¡¯t fight. That¡¯s no way for a pirate to live. There is no such coward on my ship. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m glad we could confirm your intentions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave that side to Keuk. No one¡¯s really going to hesitate, are they?¡± ¡°Ever since Raja¡¯s head died on a woman¡¯s stomach, we¡¯ve dreamed of dying with him.¡± Kitty laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll show you a good dream.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this one here, and you get the ship ready.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Communication is over. Kitty called out to the remaining men on the bridge. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get ready to sail!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± A vigorous reply went up. One hour later, the terminal¡¯s military police sub-branch received a report that a group of pirates had gotten into a dispute at a bar and were about to start a fight. The military police immediately formed a unit and went to break up the fight. In some cases, they even overpowered them. More than half of the soldiers were mobilized due to the large number of pirates involved in the dispute. The soldiers formed a line in front of the sub-office and ran toward the tavern. The terminal is large. More calls came in to the military police. This time there were three locations, all of which were involved in pirate fights. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± In order to cope with the sudden storm of fighting, the military police further divided the remaining soldiers in the sub-office and went to the scene of each fight. Keuk and the others watched the scene from a store near the sub-branch. Surrounding Keuk were twenty members of the crew of the , who had gone out to the terminal. They were armed only with the guns on their hips. ¡°So most of the people who are supposed to be working now have left.¡± ¡°I like it.¡± Keuk nodded in satisfaction. Over the years, I¡¯ve made a few loans here and there, and I¡¯ve had a few pirates I know use them to create a ruckus. Try not to get arrested, and keep them around as long as possible. The pirates accepted the offer without being told the details. The military police, who usually did not do much, had become a source of annoyance to many pirates by claiming to protect the security of the terminal. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to hear that.¡± Keuk with a smirk. The one who asked me also gave me a bad smile. ¡°Okay. You¡¯re going to give these guys a run for their money, right?¡± ¡°Come on, man.¡± That¡¯s about it. Keuk gulped down the packaged spirits in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± He placed the empty pack on the table and stood up. The men around him stood up as well. Keuk walked quickly to the business office. The rest of the men followed Keuk to the office. ¡°Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait.¡± Even when the men behind him stopped, Keuk did not stop walking. The two soldiers guarding the entrance to the business office noticed Keuk and showed signs of alarm. ¡°Hey, Poli.¡± Keuk said in a bottomlessly cheerful tone. His face was also red. ¡°No, wait!¡± The men behind him tried to stop Kyuuk. A drunken pirate had gotten into a tangle, and his friends were trying to hold him back. That¡¯s what the soldiers understood. ¡°What the hell are you doing spying on me like this, hmm?¡± Keuk tangled with the soldier. ¡°It¡¯s my job. Get away from me or I¡¯ll arrest you.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like the military police to arrest you for drinking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he¡¯s had a little too much to drink.¡± Jack finally caught up with him and apologized to the soldier. ¡°Be careful. Get him out of here.¡± ¡°Hey, excuse me. Here, Keuk.¡± Let¡¯s go, Jack pulled Keuk, and Keuk paid for it as he shook him off. Jack staggered and fell on one of the soldiers. ¡°Hey!¡± The soldier who had tried to spring him stopped moving. Jack had pressed the muzzle of his gun against the soldier¡¯s chin. The other soldier, startled, was dealt with by Keuk. With a sharp turn from his drunken movements, he jumped into his pocket and held his gun to his head. ¡°You guys, what is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a pirate. We¡¯re always getting along, right?¡± Keuk said in his usual light tone. Keuk¡¯s face turns red as soon as he drinks. He gets red, but he doesn¡¯t get drunk. He was that kind of man. ¡°You have a contract with us. Come on.¡± ¡°Contract. Contract.¡± Keuk muttered to himself as he chewed and included. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, but we just notified the pirate bureau of our cancellation a minute ago. Hey.¡± The soldiers looked at each other, wondering what he was talking about. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you low-level guys don¡¯t know anything about it. Now, let¡¯s talk a little inside. If you make any noise, I¡¯ll shoot you. My fingers are light, so be careful.¡± Keuk and the soldiers walked into the business office in good company. CH 15 Settsu and the others were in a military police detention center. As a spaceport for pirates, any pirate or civilian who commits a crime is dealt with by the military police. The pirates ostensibly belong to the Space Force and are professionals in combat, even if they rarely engage in hand-to-hand combat. The inside of the building can be described as a prison. Steel bars lined a single corridor, and the cells for criminals were divided into ten. Setsuko and Vetsya were placed in one of the cells, and Mitski was placed in the opposite cell. It seemed that they wanted to keep the men and women in separate cells. ¡°The ship will be here soon. You¡¯ll have to wait quietly.¡± The commander said and left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I guess they were moving a lot faster than I thought.¡± Vetsya looks apologetic. ¡°No, it was my fault for not being vigilant.¡± With that, Setsuko put an end to the conversation and sat down on the bunk. The bunk was very narrow and looked like it would be difficult to sleep on. There were two bunks in the cell, taking up half of the space. As I sat down, regret and anxiety overcame me. There were so many opportunities for a different outcome: leaving the fortress in a different system, relaxing in the terminal unguarded, not running away immediately. As a result, the option for Setsu to take action disappeared and the future was left to someone else¡¯s decision. I felt uneasy when I drifted alone in space in the Nube system, but it was a different kind of uneasiness. At that time, I could see the outcome of death if chance did not work. Now, I don¡¯t even know what will happen. I felt as if I was wobbling on my feet. When I looked at the cell across from me, I saw that Mitsuki was sitting in a strange way, with her knees folded together and her eyes closed. Her eyes were closed, and she hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. Setsuko¡¯s head regained a little of its composure at the sight of the unsentimental figure. ¡°That girl is as good as it gets.¡± Vetsia complimented Mitsuki. ¡°At her age, she¡¯s so calm. She¡¯s a good guard.¡± ¡°Uh, Admiral. She¡¯s not an escort, sir.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s kind of like a second-in-command, you know?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Vetsia nodded, but did not look convinced. Setsueto didn¡¯t feel like explaining in detail. ¡°Admiral, do you have any idea how to help?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give orders to anyone when I¡¯m like this. By the time I can do that, they¡¯ll have suspended my authority.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I wondered if there was anything I could do. As Settsu was thinking, he heard footsteps. It was one person. They are coming towards us. I wondered who it was, but it was one of the soldiers who arrested Settsu and the others. I haven¡¯t forgotten, he was the man who slapped Mitsuki. With the eyes of his superiors gone, the man smiled a sly smile without reservation. ¡°Hey, squid.¡± The fact that he went out of his way to talk to Settsu shows how bad his character is. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What a pity, I brought you the key.¡± The man said, showing off the key in his hand. ¡°Whoa, don¡¯t get too excited, this isn¡¯t your key.¡± (I thought so.) There should be no reason for this man to do such a thing. You shouldn¡¯t judge people by their faces, but as long as you judge them by their faces and their criminal records, they¡¯re not good people. ¡°Now, you¡¯re the one I want to talk to.¡± The man turned behind him and called out to Mitsuki. Mitsuki didn¡¯t react in any way. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± ¡°I can hear you.¡± Mitsuki finally opened her eyes. ¡°Then do something about it. So, here we are. I¡¯m here to make a deal with you. If you¡¯re a little more obedient, I¡¯ll unlock the men¡¯s door for you.¡± With that, the man unlocked Mitsuki¡¯s cell and opened the door. ¡°Come here.¡± The man didn¡¯t seem to expect Mitsuki to refuse. The man thought Mitsuki was Setsuko¡¯s valet or something. He thought there was no way she would refuse. ¡°I have no reason to go.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s reply was curt. The man looked unamused for a moment, but quickly withdrew. ¡°Well, if you¡¯d rather do it in front of the master, I don¡¯t mind.¡± The man said and walked into Mitsuki¡¯s cell. He closed the door and locked it with his hand through the bars. Mitsuki did not move. She seemed to think it was a waste of energy to move. ¡°Say something.¡± The man grabbed the base of Mitsuki¡¯s ponytail and pulled, making her look up at him. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to get violent.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s condition was not broken. ¡°There¡¯s a certain amount of attitude involved, huh? The man lifted her by her hair as he grabbed her. The slight gravity lifted Mitsuki¡¯s body and she was thrown directly onto the bunk of the cell as the man waved his arms. ¡°Mitski!¡± ¡°Shut up and watch, master!¡± Mitsuki finally looked at Setsuko when Setsuko called out to her. It¡¯s an eye that asks you to decide what to do. It¡¯s easy to say that. But what would be the result? We didn¡¯t know what was going on outside, how many guards would be on duty, what would happen next, there were too many unknowns. What we don¡¯t know is scary. It was so tempting to take the option of doing nothing. However. (I thought I played it safe, and this is the result.) Everything that had happened since he had been thrown out of the Count¡¯s house instantly flashed through Setsuko¡¯s mind. £¼The men of the Silver Glory, Kitty, had never failed to do something because of the risk. She would do what she wanted to do. If the worst that could happen is that you die, you do it. I was both horrified and envious. But. Now, I¡¯m sure. That¡¯s when you have to bear the risk. ¡°Shake it off, Mitski.¡± Settsu ordered. ¡°Understood¡± The response is brief. ¡°¡±What the fuck are you talking about?¡± £¡£¡£¡£¡£¡£¡£¡£¡¡± The man¡¯s words were cut off. Mitsuki¡¯s knee had kicked up the man¡¯s kryptonite as hard as it could. The man flew through the air from the impact of the kick, plunged into the wall, and screamed in agony. ¡°No!¡± Next to Settsu, Admiral Vetsia shrank back. It was such a powerful blow. Mitsuki slowly got up from her bunk. She walked over to the man lying on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m also equipped with the minimum level of competence necessary for self-defense.¡± However, that standard is based on a comparison with the Earth Federation¡¯s white warfare androids, not the current level. Mitsuki grabbed the man¡¯s head with one hand from behind his back, lifted him up, and pushed him against the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have been disappointed in the end, though, since I don¡¯t have any feminine functions installed in the first place. As she said that, her eyes were looking at the garbage. ¡°Sir, what do we do with this man?¡± Mitsuki asked. ¡°He¡¯ll be out soon anyway, just let him pass out.¡± ¡°Understood¡± Mitsuki slipped her arms around the man¡¯s neck and tightened them. In a few seconds, the man¡¯s body lost its strength and fell. Mitsuki let go of his hand, and the man slowly fell to the floor, following the slightest gravity. Mitsuki pulled the key from the man¡¯s pocket and opened the door to her cell. ¡°Next is your cell, but it looks like you don¡¯t have the key, so please stay away for a while. I¡¯ll burn off the key.¡± As Setsuto and Vetsia moved away from the door, Mitsuki held her index and middle fingers together over the lock of the door. A light shone from the tips of her fingers, and there was the sound of the lock breaking. The door opened. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, sir. ¡°What would you like to do, Admiral?¡± Setsueto asked Vetsya about it. Vetsya was puzzled. ¡°What the hell are you doing at ¡­¡­?¡± Vetsia couldn¡¯t hide his shock as he watched her grip a person¡¯s spine with her bare hands and cut off a prison key with her fingertips. ¡°In a word, it¡¯s a machine¡¯s body.¡± Setsueto explained, but the look of incomprehension on Vetsia¡¯s face did not change. There is no time to wait for an explanation. ¡°Admiral, you may remain here, or if you wish to flee, you may do so with us.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Then I¡¯ll stay with you until we get out of here. Then I think I¡¯ll return to the fleet.¡± ¡°All right. Okay, let¡¯s go then.¡± There were no guards inside the jail. The entrance to the jail had a door that could not be opened from the inside, and the guards were only on the outside. ¡°Yes, sir. Your Excellency, I would like to make sure before we go any further that we can expect interference from the soldiers. What should we do?¡± Mitsuki asked Settsu. We don¡¯t have time to check it out ahead of time, nor do we have time to tighten it down like we did earlier. The idea was to clarify the policy ahead of time. ¡°I am a mere weapon. No hesitation, no desire to kill, no sentimentality, just a sword. It is you who wields it. The determination, the will to kill, the future, it is all yours.¡± Her tone was theatrical, which was unusual for Mitsuki. ¡°Sir, your orders.¡± To kill or not to kill? Settsu clenched his fists. It was different from when I ordered them to fire the fortress main gun. That time, it was somewhat indirect. The order he was about to give should be the same in theory, but his emotions were rejecting it. I clenched my fists as hard as I could and suppressed my body from trembling. ¡°Obstacles will be smashed. There are no limits. Kill.¡± ¡°Understood¡± Mitsuki¡¯s responses were always short. CH 16 The doorway to the jail was made of a heavy metal door. There was only one latticed window, and there was no such thing as a doorknob on the inside. None of the guards on the other side had peeked out yet, and it seemed unlikely that the other side would have discovered what we were doing. ¡°Mitski, can you open it?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°Understood¡± Mitsuki brought the index and middle fingers of her left hand together, and a short blade of light was generated from them. Mitsuki¡¯s fingers have a built-in blaster. With two fingers together, it¡¯s cutter mode. Mitsuki ran the blade around the entrance door where the key had been, melting and cutting the lock. Mitsuki put her left hand directly on the melted door and opened it inward. The door to the detention center opens. On the other side of the door, one of the soldiers on guard was sitting in a chair. The soldier noticed Mitsuki and the others. Before the soldier could say anything, a bullet of light shot out from the tip of Mitsuki¡¯s index finger and hit the soldier in the forehead. ¡°We¡¯re under control. Let¡¯s go.¡± Mitsuki jumped two steps to the soldier, pulled the blaster from his waist, and offered it to Settsu. ¡°Sir, take it.¡± Setsu took it. When he checked the energy, it was full. ¡°Do you know the way out?¡± ¡°The route was already recorded when we came in. However, there seems to be a battle going on up ahead.¡± ¡°Battle?¡± ¡°Yes. This voice is Keuk. You can also hear the voices of the crew of the Black Silver Glory.¡± Settsu¡¯s ears didn¡¯t hear anything. But if Mitsuki can hear it, then it must be true. Setsuko did not know how they knew, but they had come to help. Perhaps in a rough way. ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡± ¡°They seem to be locked in a standoff over a single corridor. If we move, we can pin them down.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Sir, you are never to step in front of me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Setsuko had also learned how to use a gun, but only briefly. If you take the time to aim and hit the edge of the target, you¡¯re good. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mitsuki quickly hurried on ahead. Setsuko and Vetsia followed her. We were soon at the site of the battle. At the T-junction, the soldiers who had arrested Setsu and the others seemed to have gathered and were confronting the end of the vertical bar of the letter T. The Settsu group approached the T-junction from the left side of the bar next to the letter T. Mitsuki walked up to the soldiers, showing no sign of alarm, and pointed both index fingers at them. Mitsuki¡¯s built-in blaster shot out a light bullet, knocking them both down. The soldiers, who had been focused on Keuk and the others, finally noticed Mitsuki there. ¡°You guys!!¡± The soldiers were shaken. In the meantime, Mitsuki opened fire. The soldiers quickly return fire. The bullets Mitski fired silenced them even more. The soldiers¡¯ bullets were bounced off something in the space in front of Mitsuki and scattered. The fight was one-sided, even before Settsu could get his gun up. Two more men fell and the soldiers broke off. The tall commander who had been holding the soldiers together seemed to be gone. Mitsuki pointed her gun at the backs of the fleeing soldiers and took out the remaining soldiers in the blink of an eye. ¡°You¡¯re really good at this.¡± Settsu admired. ¡°If they had defensive shield generators, it wouldn¡¯t have been so one-sided.¡± Mitsuki says it is a matter of course, but no one has such a thing. The ships are equipped with them, but not for personal use. ¡°No way?¡± Mitsuki was surprised when she read Settsu¡¯s expression. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I understand now that Mitsuki is part of the ruins.¡± Mitsuki was modest enough to say that she wasn¡¯t designed for combat, but the difference in equipment was too great. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t take their attacks, but we can hit them with a hundred shots. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. It was my fault for not checking the personal equipment as well.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s just get out of here as fast as we can.¡± ¡°Understood¡± In response, Mitsuki walked out to the T-intersection and announced her presence to Keuk and the others. ¡°Mitski?¡± A voice was thrown at me from the other side. ¡°Yes, sir. Your Excellency is with me.¡± Mitsuki replied, and Keuk and the others came running. ¡°Oh, little man, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Thank you, Keuk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s your call. Thank you for your help. The guards were more understanding when we took hostages, but the fleet guys didn¡¯t get it. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have time for chit-chat. I¡¯m going to get out of here before the soldiers I stripped as bait come back.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Setsuto and the others ran off to meet up with the pirates of the Black Silver Glory. As we exited the terminal, we separated from Vetsia. No one is following us. I quickly put on my spacesuit in the airlock. Riding the baby carriage to the ship, we wasted no time and left the carriage there and boarded the ship. After confirming that everyone was on board, the Glory of Black and Silver immediately took off. The main thrusters are firing and we are leaving the spaceport. Setsuto and Mitsuki went up to the bridge with Keuk. ¡°Welcome back, Set. Did you have fun?¡± Kitty greeted me in her usual tone. ¡°Thank you for the head. But are you okay? I know you had a contract with this country.¡± ¡°If they think they can stop us with just a contract, they¡¯re mistaken.¡± Kitty puffed out her chest. ¡°It¡¯s their fault for taking away our precious crew set without permission. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Welcome back, Keuk.¡± ¡°Oh. I went out of my way to help him, but he came out on his own. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be this unhelpful.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on your own. You¡¯re good.¡± Kitty asked Settsu. It was the first time that Kitty had asked Settsu where he wanted to go. Settsu exchanged glances with Kitty for a moment. ¡°To the fortress, please. I¡¯m sure there will be pursuers, but I don¡¯t care if they track me.¡± ¡°Oh, so we don¡¯t have to throw them off completely?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Settsu assured her. Kitty stared at Setsu for a few moments, as if trying to figure out his true intentions, and then smiled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go with that.¡± The course of action for the Black and Silver Glory has been decided. ¡°He got away, huh?¡± The tall commander was horrified when the man on the other side of the monitor asked him back. On the other side of the monitor was Admiral de Nalle, the commander of the Second Fleet. He had insisted on taking forceful measures this time, and had ordered the soldiers under his command to capture Settsu and the others. ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to send a car to pick you up just half an hour ago because we caught him. Do you think we were all taking a nap together after that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Commander. The pirate ship Black Silver Glory has attacked the detention facility and has been recaptured.¡± ¡°I see. Then the subject is aboard the Black Silver Glory, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Very well, then, the matter is simple. I¡¯m going after them with the 2nd and 3rd Fleets as per Plan B. You return to the fleet.¡± ¡°Well. What do we do about Admiral Vetsia?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the guts to shoot his own people. He won¡¯t be able to catch up with us when he gets back to the fleet anyway.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± CH 17 After taking off from the satellite where the spaceport was located, the ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡± escaped from the satellite¡¯s warp blockage zone at maximum acceleration and made a short warp. The armada of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino had already departed from the fleet base on the satellite orbit of the planet Calico, and had begun to pursue the Glory of the Black Silver. From what I¡¯ve observed from the Glory of the Black and Silver, there are 500 ships in total. Of these, 400 are slow warships, so they are useless in tracking the Black Silver Glory. In effect, 100 frigates are chasing us. ¡°A fleet of frigates without dragoons is like a flock of chickens.¡± Kitty has plenty of room. ¡± They can¡¯t keep up with us flying.¡± The fleet warped in pursuit of the ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡±. The formation was in disarray, but they began to accelerate before they had time to get into line. The acceleration capability is slightly higher on the Black Silver Glory. If the fleet stayed in formation, the Glory of the Black and Silver would continue to accelerate in the meantime, eventually creating a large speed difference. In order to prevent the difference from becoming too large, the fleet had to start accelerating immediately. The Glory of Black and Silver repeated its routine of accelerating for a while, warping a short distance, and then accelerating again. It uses the planet¡¯s warp blockade to escape. As soon as they warp out, they rush in to skirt the hindrance zone, and as soon as they are out of the hindrance zone in a short time, they warp a short distance again. The pursuing fleet was scattered far and wide, its ranks breaking apart with each warp. ¡°You¡¯re an amateur.¡± Keuk, who had been watching the chase, murmured. They do not have the know-how to track a pirate ship of equal or greater performance. If this were the Imperial Fleet, they would have to be more skillful to escape. The Black and Silver Glory only needed to follow the escape theories of fast ships to escape. ¡°You¡¯d think they¡¯d do a better job with a schoolgirl in charge.¡± Settsu stared at the way the Glory of the Black and Silver escaped and the way the fleet chased after it. ¡°Here¡¯s the problem, Botchan. How do you think we should chase this fleeing us with that fleet?¡± Keuk, who had a lot of time on his hands, asked. ¡°I think it would be better to warp out a little to the side so as not to enter the impediment zone, instead of simply warping out behind the Black Silver Glory.¡± ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°Depending on the orbital calculations, we should be able to fire on it for a short time before it leaves the impediment zone.¡± ¡°40 points.¡± The evaluation was harsh. ¡°No?¡± ¡°Not at this stage. It might be possible to attack for a moment or so, so there¡¯s a chance. But if the situation gets to this point, even the Count¡¯s dragoon won¡¯t be able to do anything about it. That move had to be done within the first few warps.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come up with something like that soon, so I¡¯ll show them how to deal with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Once again, the ¡°Glory of the Black and Silver¡± warped out. This time, the warp-out point was the fifth planet, in the vicinity of a giant gas giant. The rings made of fine dust were beautiful. ¡°Warp out signs confirmed. Keuk, that¡¯s exactly what I was talking about.¡± The warp-out point of the fleet was displayed on the front monitor. While the Glory of the Black and Silver was diagonally entering the impediment zone of the fifth planet, the fleet was warping out diagonally in front of it. The fleet immediately changed its trajectory and began to move so that its orbit intersected with that of the Black Silver Glory. ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s time for some acrobatics. Deniers, it¡¯s a gravity maneuver swing-by.¡± Gravity maneuver swing-by. It is a method of changing the direction and speed of a spacecraft using the gravity of a planet. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°What about the gravity maneuver swing-by calculations?¡± Mitsuki interrupted. Mitsuki was currently in charge of calculating the orbit of the Glory of Black Silver. The arithmetic device in Mitsuki¡¯s head was more powerful than the computer on the Silver Glory. In order to get faster calculation results, she was performing calculations on behalf of the computer. ¡°What? Calculations?¡± The bridge was buzzing. ¡°No way, you¡¯ve been doing all this without doing the math?¡± Mitsuki was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s all intuition and experience. No one knows how to calculate it.¡± Mitsuki could only exclaim. ¡°I¡¯ll calculate it at ¡­¡­. Do you have a desired final trajectory?¡± ¡°You got it. I¡¯m all about speed.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. One moment, please.¡± Mitsuki thought for a few seconds. ¡°This will do, please. After interstellar warp, another gravitational maneuver swing-by in that system and deceleration by the planet¡¯s atmosphere will allow us to quickly enter the fortress.¡± Mitsuki operated the device at hand and displayed the orbit change numbers on the monitor. ¡°I¡¯m with you.¡± Following Mitsuki¡¯s instructions, Denias took control of the ship. The Glory of Black and Silver moves inward in its orbit, closer to the planet. ¡°Can you really make a plan like ¡­¡­?¡± Keuk murmured, looking at the plans on the monitor. ¡°I¡¯ve completed the necessary calculations. It¡¯s not 100% accurate because it contains some guesswork, but I think we can handle it with some modifications.¡± ¡°For the first time, I thought you were scary.¡± Even though the Glory of the Black and Silver changed its orbit, the fleet did not. If it approached the planet at a deeper angle, it might crash straight into it. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve learned your lesson. If you have a planet, you can change its orbit like this even if it¡¯s ahead of you, so you can¡¯t be ahead of it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a serious Imperial fleet, they¡¯ll chase you with dragoons, close the distance, and then send the frigates ahead of you to do a gravitational maneuvering swing-by, and then warp the battle fleet out of the way. It¡¯s a terrible way to attack. If you do this when you¡¯re not yet up to speed, you¡¯re going to get hit by a salvo of battleships, so it¡¯s pretty tough.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the fleet going to do a gravity maneuver swing-by?¡± ¡°If there are that many of them scattered around, they¡¯ll all end up going in the wrong direction and at the wrong speed. Then it can¡¯t be called a fleet. So they can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I could do a gravitational maneuver swing-by while keeping the fleet unified, though.¡± ¡°Mitsuki, what do you want to do, put us in a state of fear?¡± ¡°However, in the current situation, with my own computing power, I will run out of time. Please rest assured.¡± ¡°Where the hell am I supposed to feel safe?¡± Keuk blurted out, looking unconvinced. The Glory of the Black and Silver performed a gravitational maneuver swing-by on the fifth planet without being attacked by the fleet, simultaneously accelerating and changing direction. During the gravitational maneuver swing-by, the main thrusters were sprayed to gain further acceleration, and the Glory of Black Silver left the fleet completely behind. After exiting the warp hindrance zone of the fifth planet, the Black and Silver Glory executed an interstellar warp. Our destination is the neighboring Ossicle system. There, you will find the Vara Skirv fortress in covert stealth mode. The ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡± took a trajectory just as Mitsuki had calculated and entered the ¡°Vara Skirv¡± fortress. The people on the Bridge of the Black and Silver Glory had been looking at Mitsuki as if to say, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ s great about the fortress, but she¡¯s not very friendly. CH 18 Two fleets of Mars-Camino appeared. The first was a fleet of 500 ships that had been tracking the Black Silver Glory from the beginning. This fleet consisted of a horizontal formation of warships, with frigates above and below them. This is the basic formation of fleet warfare. Of them, the frigates had come to interstellar warp as soon as they saw the interstellar warp of the . Because of this, the originally disparate lines of ships were scattered beyond recognition, and it took quite a while for them to reunite. The way they got together was not very well defined, and Keuk described them as ¡°like a bunch of infants.¡± Then the battle group ships came through interstellar warp, and it took some time for them to meet up with the battle group ships. Therefore, the Mars-Camino fleet could only watch with their fingers as the entered the fortress. Then the battle group ships came through interstellar warp, and it took some time for them to meet up with the battle group ships. Therefore, the Mars-Camino fleet could only watch with their fingers as the Black Silver Glory entered the fortress. The other fleet was 200 ships that had warped into the system just before Settsu and the others entered the fortress. This one had a battle cruiser and a frigate that warped out at the same time, and their formation was not disrupted in any significant way. The crew of the Black and Silver Glory declared a rest as soon as they entered the fortress. ¡°Well, our work here is done! Settsu, buy us all a drink for going out there and saving the day.¡± ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t have a taste for suicide, so it¡¯s up to this fortress to do the rest.¡± Settsu couldn¡¯t say that he had been so reckless. ¡°I understand. But the drinking is only after we¡¯ve dealt with that fleet.¡± ¡°I can live with that.¡± Soon after entering the fortress, Settsu was in the fortress commander¡¯s office. As a matter of course, Kitty and Keuk were following him. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you cook that fleet, Botchan.¡± That¡¯s what they said. ¡°Mitski, what¡¯s the status of the fortress?¡± After changing into his commander¡¯s uniform, Settsu sat down in the commander¡¯s seat. The monitor in front of them showed a map of the surrounding area and real-time optical observations of the Mars-Camino fleet. ¡°Main and secondary cannons are 40% and 50% repaired, respectively. Defensive shields can be deployed at 70%. We have a 98% chance of winning if we engage the enemy fleet.¡± ¡°What about the other two percent?¡± Mitsuki made an offer to Starfleet for a call, which was immediately accepted. ¡°I¡¯ll connect you.¡± The image of the fleet commander appeared on the front monitor. He was a large man. ¡°I am Sirota de Nalle, Commander of the Second Fleet of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Seer Azna, commander of the Varaskirv Fortress.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not Sett-Vaile?¡± It was a disgusting way of asking, with a hint that he knew what he was doing. ¡°He told me that I look a lot like him. It¡¯s annoying to be misunderstood, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm. So you¡¯re just going to surrender?¡± ¡°Surrender?¡± ¡°Our fleet is already preparing for battle, and it looks like the Vetian fleet is coming too, but he doesn¡¯t have the guts to trigger a civil war. He won¡¯t fight with us, and he won¡¯t help us.¡± The arrogant tone of voice bothered Settsu. But thanks to them, we now know that the other fleet that has appeared in the system is Admiral Vetsia¡¯s first fleet. No wonder they¡¯re going their separate ways. ¡°It¡¯s no use crawling into the cave of such an asteroid. If you don¡¯t want to be flushed out of there and caught naked, I suggest you just surrender.¡± Settsu gasped. Is it an irony that the asteroid is a hole in the ground? Or does he really not know what he¡¯s talking about? I wonder why this admiral is so confident. ¡°The five hundred elite ships of the Royal Army of Mars-Camino will commence operations in thirty minutes from now, and I will accept your surrender up to ten minutes before.¡± I don¡¯t know how he took Setsueto¡¯s lack of response, but Admiral de Nalle kept saying what he wanted to say. Settsu clapped slowly. Admiral de Nalle was puzzled. ¡°Thank you for your kind words. I was going to give you a warning to withdraw as a courtesy, but since you don¡¯t seem to intend to, I¡¯ll stop. That¡¯s enough.¡± Settsu said. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about this case. It seems that life has a tendency to go from bad to worse if we don¡¯t take an active role in it. So I¡¯m thinking of taking an active role in life. I¡¯m done relying on someone else for my future.¡± Setsueto looked Admiral de Nalle in the eye. Admiral de Nart has a look on his face that says, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Well, I guess so. I don¡¯t care. Settsu was only going to say what he wanted to say. ¡°In order to do so, I will first reveal to you the extent of my capabilities, and you can begin your mission now, not in half an hour. My fortress is prepared to crush your entire fleet and reduce it to a speck of dust floating in space. It will make you feel a little more graceful.¡± ¡°You said it, kid. Don¡¯t you regret it!¡± Admiral de Nalle became angry and the transmission was cut off. Kitty clapped her hands. ¡°That was a pretty good way to start a fight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just barely passable. I think you should have used your aristocratic origins to your advantage and sold it in a more seductive manner.¡± These two are drinking coffee and watching on the sidelines. ¡°Now, how¡¯s that lead teacher coming along?¡± ¡°From his confidence and the current state of the formation, I think it¡¯s fair and square.¡± ¡°Ignorance is a sin.¡± Keuk murmured sincerely. Knowing the fighting strength of the fortress, it was easy to see that fighting it head on was a fool¡¯s errand. What is about to happen is not a battle, but an overrun. ¡°I¡¯m the one who instigated the crime.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not going to believe you if you tell them the truth. They don¡¯t know they¡¯re nothing but praying mantis.¡± Unusually, Keuk comforted me. The fleet started to move. Just as Setsuto had predicted, the battleships and frigates were moving forward at speed in a fair and square manner. ¡°If we maintain our current acceleration, we¡¯ll be in range of the main guns in ten minutes.¡± Mitsuki told me. ¡°All right. What about the warp jammer?¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± ¡°Warp jammers, then.¡± Warp jammers are a type of beam cannon, but they are used more for the purpose of inhibiting warp than destroying it. The beam causes the energy situation in space to fluctuate constantly, making it impossible to warp. Because they are not designed for destruction, they have a long effective range. The fortress¡¯ warp jammers sighted the enemy fleet and fired an invisible beam. A status diagram on the monitor showed that the ship was in warp jammer. ¡°Warp jammer good.¡± ¡°As soon as the enemy fleet is in range of our main guns, we will fire them all at once with our main guns that we can sight. We¡¯ll hit the battle line ships first.¡± ¡°Copy that. We¡¯re getting ready.¡± In a spherical fortress, only about half of the guns can be aimed at the enemy in one direction. Of the 1,200 main guns, 480 have been repaired. Half of that is 240 guns. The 240 main guns took aim at the enemy. The fleet advances unguarded. They think they are still too far away for the beam to reach them. ¡°Two minutes to range. Commencing main turret group energy charge.¡± Neither Kitty nor Keuk made any teasing at this point. Only Mitsuki¡¯s voice announcing the status of the fortress preparations flowed through the air. ¡°Energy loading complete. We have 30 seconds until the front line of enemy warships are in range.¡± Settsu stared at the monitor. The number of crew members on each of the battle cruisers is approximately 300. A single salvo should sink quite a few of the battle cruisers. Originally, Settsu thought that he might participate in the war as an Imperial nobleman in the future. Even if the form was different, once he crossed the line, he no longer felt any hesitation. ¡°We¡¯re in range, ten seconds, five seconds.¡± The countdown goes on. ¡°Four, three, two, one, we¡¯re in range. Main guns are firing.¡± The 240 main cannons spit out a torrent of energy in unison. The beam pierced the space towards the aligned lines of battle ships. Nine beams were concentrated against each ship in the battle line. The Gungnir, the main turret group of the fortress, concentrated its beams with a precision befitting its namesake, the ¡°divine spear of inevitable victory¡± in the mythology that was once handed down on Earth. The battlecruiser¡¯s defensive shields could not hold out for more than two seconds under the excessive concentration of beams. The defensive shields disappear and the beam hits the ship. One of the ships was burned through the center of its hull, splitting it in two. Another ship was hit by an antimatter reactor and exploded due to the annihilation of the antimatter stored in it. Many of the ships had the same end result, with some differences in the circumstances. The energy storm is clearing. ¡°Electronic warfare commencing.¡± Settsu ordered the fortress to begin jamming communications. Due to the high-powered radio interference, the Mars-Camino fleet was unable to communicate with other ships and was unable to assess the damage. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Admiral de Nard, who saw the flash of the fortress¡¯ main guns firing, asked his subordinates to report, but no status report came in to the fleet command center. This is for radio interference. ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir! It¡¯s a powerful signal jammer!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t know! Use whatever means are available to you!¡± ¡°Optical observations indicate that there was a beam attack!¡± ¡°Idiot. At this distance? What¡¯s the extent of the damage?¡± ¡°Many explosions! Details unknown!¡± The command center had been knocked into the depths of confusion in an instant. In the meantime, the fleet continued to move forward as previously ordered. If each ship decided to change its course on its own, it could result in a collision. Each ship was not allowed to move without orders. ¡°I have a second shot!¡± Once again, the fortress¡¯ main guns opened fire. A scream went up in the fleet command center. CH 19 ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vetsia murmured while watching the battle situation on the bridge of the Serion, the flagship of the Mars Camino First Fleet. By the time Vetsia returned to her own fleet and departed, the Glory of the Black and Silver was at interstellar warp. The combined fleets of the 2nd and 3rd fleets had followed the Black Silver Glory into interstellar warp, and based on that information, Vetsya and the others had also warped into the Ossicle system. Since the First Fleet was positioned 400,000 kilometers from the battlefield, the effects of radio interference from the fortresses were minimal, allowing for communication within the fleet. The situation on the battlefield can only be observed with visible light. However, just by visual inspection, the fortress¡¯s combat power was overwhelming the Allied fleet. The Allied fleet had yet to return fire. It was still out of range. The fifteen rows of warships had been reduced to eleven. The four rows in front of them had been destroyed, or rather, obliterated. How many ships will be sacrificed before we are in range? ¡°Admiral, what are we up against now¡­¡­¡± The chief of staff attached to the command post shuddered. ¡°They have opened the gates of hell.¡± As the commander, Vetsia could not tremble. He was a little jealous of the general staff. This is it, I thought. There was no doubt that something was wrong with him. He also knew that it wouldn¡¯t be a spy or any other kind of thing he could immediately think of. There were too many unnatural things about him that were begging for attention to make him a spy. That¡¯s it. Vetsia had become convinced. The Empire intends to use this to sway the affairs of the independent nations. Vetsia believed that Sett remained connected to the Empire behind the scenes. I don¡¯t think the empire can build such a huge structure with this much fighting power. It¡¯s probably just a ruin as they say. ¡°It¡¯s not fair, all the empires.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Only the Empire can draw powerful ruins. In this three-way tie, the empire may win.¡± ¡°Huh. Admiral, I¡¯m sorry to be so forward-thinking, but it would be helpful if you could also think about the immediate future.¡± The Chief of Staff gave me his honest opinion. ¡°Right. I¡¯d like to do something about it before two-thirds of my army¡¯s total strength disappears, but is there anything I can do?¡± I should recommend that we retreat to the Allied fleet, but I can¡¯t communicate with them due to radio interference. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe you could ask them to stop jamming.¡± One of the general staff came up with an idea. ¡°So you¡¯re asking for mercy.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m angry. In fact, there is so much difference that we can only hope for mercy. But how can I ask for it?¡± The radio interference would be too strong for them to reach the fortress even if they tried to communicate with it. The general staff didn¡¯t seem to have any ideas about that either. Help came from the communications officer. ¡°Admiral, someone named Shia-Azna has sent us the coordinates for laser communications. How may I assist you?¡± With laser communication, we can communicate without being affected by radio interference. Communication cannot be maintained between combat ships that are randomly performing evasive maneuvers in combat, but it can be maintained between the first fleet that is not in combat and a fortress that is not performing evasive maneuvers. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re here. Establish communications. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± Soon, Setsu¡¯s image appeared on the monitor. ¡°Hello, Azuna. It¡¯s been a day.¡± Vetsia spoke to him in a friendly manner. They were friends who had been in jail together. ¡°Good day, Admiral. Actually, there is something I would like to ask you in anticipation of the Admiral.¡± The reply came back a few seconds later. Even at the speed of light, the distance that it would take to get there is empty. Vetsia laughed. I¡¯m the one who wants to ask for help, but I can¡¯t help but ask if you tell me first. ¡°Anything I can do to help.¡± ¡°I would like you to advise them to withdraw.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Vetsia made a dumb sound indeed. ¡°I no longer see the point in further combat, but it seems that the commander of the fleet there has no intention of listening.¡± ¡°I see, so you want me to approach you as a friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Settsu nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll give it a try. But first, we need to get this interference under control.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stop the jamming in one minute.¡± Settsu said, ending the communication. ¡°I wonder what it is.¡± Vetsia nodded his head. ¡°I think you¡¯re a little too sycophantic to be the star of a conspiracy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, it does have a nice, old-fashioned feel to it. ¡°Admiral, don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s creating the hell in front of us.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. What a great sinner you are. At this rate, our country will have no choice but to surrender unconditionally.¡± Vetsia smacked his cheek. As the army of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino, we must prevent further loss of strength. As Settsu had declared, the radio jamming ended a minute later. ¡°To the Combined Fleet, uh, to both fleet commanders.¡± The Commander of the 2nd Fleet, de Nalle, who is in command of the Combined Fleet, is an unreasonable man, but the Commander of the 3rd Fleet, Reydon, is a possibility. He¡¯s a man who belongs to the majority because it¡¯s easier to be in the majority. ¡°I¡¯ve got a connection.¡± The monitor was split in two and showed the figures of Do-Nar and Raydon. ¡°Sorry to bother you, Admirals.¡± ¡°What do you want now, Admiral Vetsia?¡± De Nard still seemed to be in good health, but Raydon was exhausted. He only smiled dryly at Vetsia. ¡°No offense, but you need to leave.¡± ¡°Withdrawal?¡± De Nard looked at me in disbelief. ¡°We¡¯ve lost so many ships and men, and we¡¯re retreating without firing a single shot. That¡¯s no joke!¡± ¡°Take a look at the situation, Admiral. It¡¯s not something we can handle.¡± ¡°You cowardly traitor, I know, what have you sold him?¡± De Nalle screamed. He did not seem to be in a normal state of mind. He began to ramble on about his determination to win and his pride as a soldier. ¡°Easy, Admiral. Don¡¯t waste your ship and your men.¡± Vetsia patiently placated him, but finally his patience ran out. ¡°Communications Officer, lock him out. I can¡¯t talk to him.¡± The communications officer obeyed the order and the bridge fell silent. The remaining Reydon shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I disagree with him. Looks like we¡¯d better pull out of this one.¡± ¡°Thank you, Raydon.¡± ¡°¡®Objectively speaking, it¡¯s clear that we¡¯re not in the game. Will you forgive me if I reverse and take off at full speed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯re hoping the fleet will withdraw.¡± ¡°No prisoners?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worth taking prisoners?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Now, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like to get out of here as fast as possible. That¡¯s it for now. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± The communication with Raidon was also cut off. ¡°Send a message to Lord Azna. Just send a text.¡± Vezia must inform Settsu of this result. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The Third Fleet decided to retreat. Admiral de Nard of the 2nd Fleet was an idiot, and I¡¯m sorry to bring shame on his people. And.¡± Almost as soon as the text was delivered to Settsu, the order was issued at high power from the flagship of the Third Fleet. It was not even coded. It was as if everyone could hear it. [Third Fleet, turn around immediately and flee at full speed. This is not a rollover. This is not a rollover.] It was a graceful order. Following orders, half of the Allied fleet began to turn around. The other half, the second fleet, is still advancing. The frigates of the Second Fleet accelerated, as if De Nalle had given the order. Forward. Towards the fortress. They approached not as a single unit, but scattered and spread out. CH 20 The fifty frigates of the Second Fleet scattered in as they came toward the fortress. ¡°Switch targets to frigates.¡± ¡°Understood¡± On Setsu¡¯s orders, the aim of the main guns was changed from the battle line ships to the frigates. The situation of the enemy ships being scattered was not a big problem for the fortress. It wasn¡¯t like Mitsuki to be confused by that, as her aim was scattered. Frigates are smaller, more maneuverable, and have weaker defensive shields when compared to battlecruisers. In response to the characteristics of the frigates, the fortresses did not concentrate their fire in a single point, but rather in a way to fill the area where they would take evasive maneuvers. The frigate was immediately shot down and shredded. Still, many of the ships were able to get through the main gun fire. The frigate¡¯s beam cannons will be arriving soon. ¡°Five minutes to effective range.¡± Gilead, the captain of the frigate Rashees, was in a desperate state of mind. The spherical embodiment of hell was firing at intervals of approximately one shot per minute. In other words, you have to dodge the attack four times to get into effective range. Do we shoot them in the distance? Gilead thought about it. For beam cannons, the effective range is set uniformly for tactical reasons. It is only set up for the reason that if energy is used for bombardment, less energy will be used for the defensive shield, and if the beam is too attenuated, the effect on the enemy¡¯s defensive shield will be less than the energy invested. ¡°We will open fire in two minutes. Prepare to fire!¡± Gilead had decided. It was a decision based on the importance of hitting the target with even a single blow. A beam from the fortress grazed the space near the Rathys. Even though they hadn¡¯t been hit, their defensive shields were being cut down. A direct hit would render the frigate¡¯s thin defense shield useless. If I can avoid one more shot, I can shoot. At this moment, the crew of the RACIES were all united in thought. At least one shot. Hoping that this would be the case, the Rassies and their colleagues dodged the gunfire. It¡¯s almost time for the next bombardment. The crew prayed and continued their evasive maneuvers. They don¡¯t know yet. The frigate fleet had been in range of the fortress sub turret group just moments ago. In addition to the main guns, the secondary guns also set their sights on the frigate fleet. The bombardment was more dense than ever. It was as if all of space had been dyed white. The impact shook the ship. ¡°Defense shield is gone!¡± ¡°There¡¯s damage to the ship!¡± The damage done to Laciesse is becoming clearer. It¡¯s still at a fightable level. Gilead clenched his fists. We can shoot. ¡°Do you have a ship?¡± ¡°Checking. ¡­¡­ not responding. All ships appear to have been destroyed.¡± Something cold took over the bridge. Fifty frigates in the Second Fleet of the Mars Camino. Now the Rathys was the last ship. Gilead slowly opened his clenched fist and weakly grabbed the armrest of the captain¡¯s seat. ¡°Open all guns. Open fire at once.¡± His voice was grave. We have to shoot them. No one should be wiped out without a single blow. It probably wouldn¡¯t do more than a scratch of damage, but still. ¡°All guns open. Targeting good. It¡¯s too big to miss. It¡¯s many times bigger than the target in the exercise.¡± The artillery officer interjected with as much humor as he could muster. Gilead smiled. ¡°Right. All right, shoot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll shoot.¡± The beam cannon of the RACIES opened fire on the fortress. The beam turned into a thin strand of light and headed for the fortress, only to disappear in the space in front of it, blocked by the defensive shield. The fortress returned the favor with a bombardment of secondary guns. The main guns were once again pointed at the battle line ships. The Rashees, which had lost even the strength to take evasive maneuvers, was bombarded and scattered. In the end, this bombardment by the Rashees was the only counterattack that the Mars Camino fleet made. Seeing that the frigate fleet had been wiped out, some of the battlecruisers of the Second Fleet, which had been advancing, began to turn around. It¡¯s not a controlled movement. Admiral de Nard was still shouting for a charge, but the captains of the battleships made their own decisions and decided to turn around, and the hesitant battleships followed suit when they saw their colleagues turn around. All the battleships began to turn around. The flagship of the Second Fleet, the Regalia, continued to move forward even in the midst of all this. All the battleships in front of us reversed and slowed down, and the main fortress guns finally caught the Regalia. The regalia was gone in a single blow. No one knows what Admiral de Nalle shouted at the end. On the bridge of the Therion, there was no one left to speak. Even the word ¡°overwhelming¡± is lukewarm. It was hopeless. No one in the fleet would obey orders, even if the king shouted for defiance. Fighting that thing is insane. If we were to fight it, we would still be better off taking on the entire Imperial army. At the very least, our attacks would reach the Imperial Army. We can die fighting. ¡°Can you connect me to Lord Azna?¡± After a while, Vetsia opened his mouth. ¡°Probably because I¡¯ll have to mediate after the war.¡± The majority, who had been trying to deal with Settsu, would have to shut up if they saw this result. However, Vetsia knew that they would not be able to ask him to leave quietly and politely, as the minority had been hoping. Sett¡¯s demands of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino were as follows. Some ministers in the kingdom reacted hostilely, saying that the army had initiated the battle on its own in the first place. However, since Vetsia and Raydon were of the opinion that the entire kingdom would be burnt to ashes even if the fortress¡¯s fighting strength was underestimated, they concluded that they had no choice but to be friendly. The kingdom accepted Settsu¡¯s request as it was. This gave Set free access to the resources needed to restore the fortress. Although there were occasional visits to the fortress by pirates who were old acquaintances of the Black Silver Glory, six months passed without any major incidents. The Varauskirv fortress is now focused on recovery, and has regained roughly all of its functions. But Settsu had no way of knowing. For the past six months, the universe had not just been sitting idly by and doing nothing. TN: Decided to focus on one story at a time for a bit. There are a total of 60 episodes/chapters for this one before I catch up to the author. Hoping to get caught up sometime over the weekend. CH 21 On that day, Jack Orblad, the president of the Federation, one of the three major powers, was gathering the press for a big announcement. As many as a thousand reporters crowded into the press conference room of the presidential office, and the conference was to be broadcast live to the capital system and recorded to the other systems. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to discuss the history of our Federation again.¡± Olbrad began his talk that way. ¡°The Republic of Asyria took the lead in calling for the establishment of the Federation, and the nations of the Federation rallied together to oppose the Empire¡¯s rampant aggression. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the destiny of our Federation to frustrate the ambitions of the Empire.¡± The reporters were puzzled. What is the President going to start talking about? I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t gather all these reporters to give a history lesson. ¡°Now, once again, a plot has been exposed. The empire had been unofficially sending troops against the independent nations that had declared their peaceful neutrality.¡± It is always the case that the President of the Federation takes the Empire at its word, and it usually ends with ¡®I sincerely regret it. ¡°We have received confirmation that the Empire has already secretly conquered the Kingdom of Mars-Camino and several other countries. As a federal government that loves freedom and justice, I must say that this is truly regrettable.¡± The reporters were caught off guard by the usual pattern. ¡°So, I¡¯ve just made a momentous decision.¡± The President trailed off. Not the usual pattern. They all realized it immediately and waited for the President to speak. ¡°Tomorrow at noon Galactic Standard Time, I will exercise my presidential powers under Article 85 of the Federation Charter and declare war on the Empire and the nations under its de facto control. The official names of the countries to be targeted are as shown in the list I am about to distribute to you.¡± There was a groan from the reporters. In the 200 years since the formation of the Federation and the establishment of the Kingdom due to the internal strife of the Empire, humanity has not had a major war. There have been a few skirmishes, but never a declared state of war. ¡°This is a war of justice to liberate the star systems that have been deprived of their freedom and forced to be controlled by the Empire. All Federation forces will immediately assume a warfighting posture and begin maneuvers.¡± There was even more excitement as the list of countries to declare war began to appear in the hands of the reporters. There were more than 100 countries on the list. This was because all the independent countries were listed. At the same time, in the kingdom, King Kauros was gathering the main nobles and civil and military officials in the audience hall. ¡°Two hundred years have passed since the emperor¡¯s throne was unjustly usurped. I believe that we should not overlook this situation any longer.¡± Kauros spoke to the assembled officials. The name ¡°king¡± is based on the will of the first king to reclaim the usurped imperial throne and take his place as the only emperor. For this reason, he does not claim the title of emperor, but is on a temporary throne. ¡°Therefore, I hereby declare that as of tomorrow noon, I will commence a war against the false Emperor Rexxar III in order to regain my position as the rightful ruler of the Empire.¡± Most of those gathered in the audience room knew about this beforehand, but they created a stir worthy of the declaration ceremony. ¡°My son, Alex.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Called by the king, Dauphin Alex knelt before the king. ¡°The entire army is at your disposal. Assemble the fleet and get to work immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Still, I must inform you. This war will be fought jointly with the Federation. From now on, the Federation will be our ally, albeit temporarily. Be mindful of that!¡± Many of us couldn¡¯t believe our ears. This is new to me. Although not as close as the Empire, the Kingdom and the Federation are not on the best of terms. In the eyes of the Federation, the Empire and the Kingdom were like two peas in a pod. What an alliance it is. ¡°That is all I have to say. I expect your loyalty.¡± Kauros stepped back. The assembled officials hurriedly bowed their heads and sent for the king. As Kauros returned to his room to rest, the Marquis of Al-Rad, the vizier, inquired about him. ¡°Marquis, how was everyone?¡± ¡°You seem surprised. An alliance with the Federation was previously thought to be unfeasible.¡± Kauros nodded. Under normal circumstances, such an alliance would never have been formed. If it were not for the fact that the Empire had acquired new ruins. The information that the Kingdom had gotten from the Kingdom of Mars-Camino and the Empire included information that did not seem to indicate that the Empire was using the ruins. There is no doubt that the one who has control of the ruins is the one who was the Count Duke of Vaier, but looking at the situation of the Count Vaier family and the subsequent situation of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino, there is a point where they no longer seem to be connected to the Empire. But for the Kingdom and the Federation, what they needed was not the truth, but a pretext. If two of the three major powers unite, they can defeat the other one. If two countries have an excuse to declare war on the empire together, then the enemy of my enemy can be my friend and we can form an alliance. Kauros had deliberately passed on some of the information to the Federation in order to bring about this alliance. The diplomats under his command had done a really good job. Those ruins. According to the information Kauros had received, it was called the ¡°Vara Skirv¡± fortress. Although a good number of remains of the weapons themselves have been found, few of them are operational. Even if there were, only some of the functions were usable. It is a fully operational weapon, capable of anti-ship combat. And it¡¯s that huge, and it can warp. The military says, ¡°Just one of these will change the war.¡± ¡°I want it.¡± ¡°The fortress?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I wonder if I might be of some assistance.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but I have a few ideas. I think it would be worthwhile to start by gathering information to see which one is best.¡± ¡°I have no doubt of the Marquis¡¯s ability. I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°The times they are a-changin¡¯. No, we¡¯re going to move it. We will.¡± There was fire in Kauros¡¯ eyes. CH 22 The news of the declaration of war by the Federation and the Kingdom, and the formation of the Imperial Alliance, spread through space in no time. A space vessel carrying the special news transmitted the information to each star system through repeated interstellar warps. It was a shock. There had been skirmish-level battles, but they had never turned into a decisive war, and everyone had been somewhat relieved. The Empire is no exception to this rule. However, the upper echelons of the empire, who had some information, immediately issued a declaration in the name of Emperor Rexxar III. ¡°The declaration of war by the Federation and the Kingdom is nothing less than a declaration of war of aggression against the independent nations. It is they who have the territorial ambitions, and the Empire will immediately take the necessary actions to protect the independence of the independent nations.¡± It is the independent countries that have been thrown into the most confusion. Until now, independent countries have kept their countries close to or equidistant from one of the three major powers. Suddenly, the Federation and the Kingdom declare war on each other, and we face an existential crisis. The countries that had originally established relations with the Federation were still in good shape. The solution was to surrender to the Federation as soon as possible, and the Federation had developed its foreign policy in that way. Countries that had close ties with the empire immediately jumped on Lexxar III¡¯s declaration. They asked for support and tried to buy their safety. The price would not be free, but it was better than being attacked and destroyed. The countries closest to the kingdom were the most miserable. The Kingdom was not going to acknowledge their surrender. This was due to a secret agreement between the Kingdom and the Federation. It is a secret agreement that independent nations will be ruled by the Federation and imperial territories will be ruled by the Kingdom. The kingdom that I had been working so hard to build a relationship with suddenly picked a fight with me and refused to allow me to surrender, leaving me in a situation where I had no choice but to scream that I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Especially our country, which has been named by the President of the Federation.¡± Vetsia told Settsu as he sipped his coffee. It¡¯s a reception room set up in a private space reserved for commanders within the Varauskirv fortress. It has deep, soft sofas for relaxation and faces a small garden with a beautiful harmony of ponds, rocks, and plants. Vetsia had often visited the fortress. Sometimes it¡¯s official, sometimes it¡¯s completely private. It¡¯s the Admiral¡¯s personal reconnaissance mission, he laughed. Mitsuki had been very cautious at first, but now she was no longer nervous to interact with him. Of course, she maintained the necessary vigilance and surveillance. However, Setsu could only think that they were there to beg for coffee. He would always bring back some powder as a souvenir. ¡°When I serve them to visitors, they are very popular. Some of them even want to sell it. Would you like to sell it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Setsueto was gloating, but he had already started growing beans in the fortress. Once we can harvest them, we¡¯ll have a steady supply. It would be nice to sell them, but he thought it would be better to use them as something to give to others like this instead of selling them. Maintaining the scarcity value is important. ¡°And what of your country?¡± Settsu asked. ¡°Yes. As for our country, it seems that we have no choice but to ask the Empire for help.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that our country has done more for the empire than the kingdom so far. I¡¯ve heard that just asking for help might not be a good idea.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose so.¡± I had a bad feeling about this. I thought it would be the usual personal name. ¡°So, Azuna-dono. Would you please go with me to the Empire?¡± My hunch was right. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with the Empire anymore.¡± ¡°But you are the only one who can help us. I beg you. If I may put it badly, I would like you to take responsibility for our current situation.¡± Vetsia was sincere when he said it in a bad way. ¡°I have no intention of going to the Empire.¡± Settsu refused. ¡°No one will meet a person who is supposed to be dead, and more importantly, few people know each other in the Imperial City.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°I have no choice. I understand.¡± Vetsia backed off surprisingly easily. ¡°What do you intend to do in this situation, Azuna-dono?¡± ¡°Admiral, would you mind keeping me company for a moment?¡± Settsu got up and started walking. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Vetsia stood up after her. Mitsuki followed further behind. Settsu left his private space and headed for the port. There were docks in the harbor where incoming ships were stored. His destination was one of them. We didn¡¯t go into the dock itself, but went into a room on the side of the dock that overlooked it. It was a glass-walled room with a view of the dock. He opened the door and stepped inside. ¡°This is ¡­¡­!¡± Vetsia¡¯s eyes widened at what appeared in front of him. Walking up to the glass, he shook his head and looked at the whole big thing. ¡°Battle cruiser?¡± It was probably inevitable that Vetsia had a question mark. It¡¯s about the same size as a battle cruiser. It is about 500 meters long. It has a wedge shape. ¡°It¡¯s not a battle cruiser.¡± Mitsuki denied Vetsia¡¯s words. ¡°Sagittarius-class battleship. We haven¡¯t decided on a name for the ship yet.¡± ¡°Battleship ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sir. It was built in this fortress.¡± It¡¯s called ¡°Building ¡­¡­. Then, this is no way.¡± Vetsia, unable to contain his excitement, stuck to the glass of the room. ¡°It was the main ship used by the Earth Federation Forces.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your attack capability?¡± ¡°It is equipped with 51 beam cannons, 24 main guns and 27 secondary guns. The main guns have a half range of 7,000 kilometers, and judging from the data we collected during the recent battle, we should be able to achieve sufficient results against your warships even if we start firing at 10,000 kilometers.¡± The nightmare of being shot down unilaterally from out of range came back to Vetsia¡¯s mind. The effective range of the Mars-Camino Kingdom¡¯s warships is set at 4,000 kilometers. ¡°So, defensive capabilities.¡± Mitsuki did not choose her words. ¡°It¡¯s like my heart is being gouged out.¡± ¡°Taking the frigate¡¯s only attack as a reference, the shield¡¯s resilience would prevail against a bombardment from over 1,000 kilometers.¡± ¡°Can I cry?¡± ¡°Be my guest.¡± ¡°¡®No, I¡¯ll be patient. What happens when you fight against a dragoon?¡± ¡°Against a Dragoon class assault destroyer, assuming both sides start the battle from out of range at synchronized speeds, there is a 50% chance that 10 Dragoons will finally be sunk.¡± When Vetsia asked what would happen if they fought one-on-one, Mitsuki¡¯s answer was diagonally different. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s horrible.¡± After collecting 10 dragoons, we are finally evenly matched. Such an existence was outside of Vetsia¡¯s imagination. ¡°I think so, too.¡± Settsu nodded. ¡°Well, Admiral. The reason I¡¯ve taken the trouble to show you this is not to make you sad, Admiral. What I¡¯m proposing is this.¡± ¡°This?¡± What does that mean, Vezia wondered. ¡°If you cooperate with me, I will give you to the Kingdom of Mars-Camino.¡± ¡°Ho!¡± Vetsia¡¯s eyes regained their sparkle. CH 23 4th power. That¡¯s how I would sum up Setsu¡¯s vision in a nutshell. Today¡¯s independent countries are like bubbles; the three major powers are too strong and they can only dance to their will. Rather, they have tried to survive by dancing aggressively. The declaration of war by the Federation and the Kingdom was to turn that structure upside down. The independent nations are perplexed. In their bewilderment, they dangle the bait of naval vessels manufactured by the ruins and put them together. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of work.¡± Kitty said carefree as she sat down next to Settsu. The situation had become a cosmic one, and the Black Silver Glory had too much time on its hands. ¡°We can¡¯t just run away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t owe the Mars-Camino Kingdom any favors.¡± ¡°So, if I tell you to drop everything and run away with me, will you come with me?¡± Kitty let Setsu¡¯s words pass with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of your sister by saying things she doesn¡¯t want to hear.¡± Settsu laughed as well. ¡°Have they found out?¡± ¡°Of course. Just the other day you said something cool about being actively involved in life.¡± ¡°I told you. You can just run away with your head, okay?¡± Kitty put her arm around Szeto¡¯s shoulders and pinched his cheek. ¡°Is this the mouth that talks nonsense?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Fortunately, the cheek was soon released. The shoulder would not let go. ¡°Do I look like the kind of woman who would run away alone when the boy she picked up and saved is doing well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ no.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Kitty was satisfied. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve convinced me, I¡¯ve been very bored lately. Do you have anything to do, Mr. Wisdom?¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while, and I was wondering if we could get a group of pirates together?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What we¡¯re missing is people and ships.¡± There are not enough ships and people to board them. I don¡¯t know how much of a fleet the Federation will mobilize, but I¡¯m sure it will be in the tens of thousands. Considering the fact that it would attack us within a few months, we would not have enough strength if we had to build it every time. ¡°The Black Silver Glory is no different, but just by replacing the guns and defensive shields, its combat power can be increased considerably. If I can gather a group of pirates, I think I can build a decent fleet by replacing only the guns and defensive shields.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re trying to turn me into a mercenary.¡± ¡°We provide the ship¡¯s facilities, drinks and entertainment. ¡°What we offer, as always, is ships and lives.¡± ¡°Can you do that for me?¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about it. ¡°I¡¯m expensive. After all, I¡¯m a woman with a bounty of 1.2 billion.¡± ¡°Um, is there anything you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna tell you.¡± I wonder what it is. Even when she was in the spaceport of the Mars-Camino Kingdom, she didn¡¯t seem to be obsessed with anything. Settsu was troubled. I was torn, but I couldn¡¯t figure it out, so I decided to play it off as a surprise. He kissed the cheek in front of him. At that time, Count Vaile was in the Imperial Capital. (What? I had a feeling that he had just done something very bad.) The Count nodded his head. I used to scold him a lot. Whenever I questioned him, he was usually doing something wrong. No, this is not the time to be worrying about such things. The Count returned his attention to the conversation in front of him. ¡°So, the Federation first? ¡°Yeah.¡± Admiral Alec-Deagusto, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Space Fleet, nodded. ¡°I thought I was from the Kingdom.¡± The Count had come to the imperial capital to report on the fortress himself, because he felt that what he had to report was extremely important. Initially, the Count had planned to return to the Nueve system as soon as he finished his report. However, he was asked to stay behind to help with the planning of countermeasures, and was forced to accompany him in his deliberations. But then he found out that the Federation and the Kingdom were making suspicious moves, and when war was finally declared, the Count could no longer leave the Imperial City. ¡°I¡¯m aware that there are many people who would agree with me. However, the kingdom will not expand its territory drastically if we concentrate on defending it, while the federation is ready to go around annexing independent countries. In the long run, that¡¯s not desirable.¡± ¡°You want to fight the Federation while preventing an offensive from the Kingdom? Aren¡¯t there enough ships to do that?¡± While the Federation was going around annexing independent countries, they would put all their efforts into defeating the Kingdom and then fight the Federation in return. This is the idea of the faction that wants to attack the kingdom first. On the contrary, they could not concentrate their forces. There was a possibility that we would lose both the Federation and the Kingdom. ¡°Admiral Vaile, why do you think I¡¯m calling on you now?¡± Here¡¯s DeAugusto¡¯s answer. ¡°You want me to use the fortress as my ally? ¡°You guessed right. It¡¯s probably your son who¡¯s handling it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Count has only revealed this to a few people. Of course, Deergust is among the few who know about it. ¡°I want to leave 40,000 with you. Will you do it for me?¡± ¡°40,000¡± The Count cleared his throat. It is a large army. But the Federals are expected to mobilize 70,000 to 100,000 ships, and 40,000 won¡¯t be enough to compete. ¡°You look like you need more.¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°I know. In addition to the 40,000, we have recruited 10,000 from the independent imperialist nations, and that fortress, which Starfleet Command considers to be the equivalent of 10,000 ships.¡± ¡°Is it really that important?¡± ¡°Intelligence has gone to a lot of trouble to get me the battle logs of the battle against the Mars Camino fleet. I have to admit, I even felt pity for them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Count¡¯s prediction had proven to be correct, and he had mixed feelings about it. Settsu would never be able to escape from the world of Shura. The world would not allow it. ¡°Sixty thousand worth, conveniently. Please make do with this. We can¡¯t hold the line against the Kingdom any longer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tough fight.¡± DeAugusto nodded slowly. Even if we get 60,000, we still have a numerical disadvantage. ¡°We¡¯re going to war with half of humanity. We¡¯re going to go deep into the vault, and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can.¡± ¡°You must win. If you don¡¯t, the Empire will fall.¡± De Agusto stated the facts in a nutshell. CH 24 There were so many things that Settsu had to do. Even though Mitsuki would take care of all the mechanical operations, Setsuko would have to make the policy decisions. ¡°I don¡¯t have the authority or the capability to make decisions.¡± Mitsuki would not budge. ¡°The Earth Federation was destroyed when it turned everything over to AI. As a result, I was designed not to make decisions, and not to change myself to make them. Therefore, the decision must be made by You.¡± That was Mitski¡¯s explanation. He would interpret and respond to even some rough decisions, but he never said he would do anything on his own. Thanks to this, Setsuko had to go through several proposals and explanations from Mitsuki in a day, and each time he had to make a decision. The Varasskirb fortress is currently locked in position within the Ossicle system. The fortress was located at the gravitational equilibrium point between the star and a giant gas giant named Ossicle-c. The fortress was here to stabilize its orbit against the star and to build external facilities. In order to gather pirates and build a makeshift fleet, it was necessary to set up a spaceport outside the fortress. This was for the security of the fortress, to prevent any more information about the fortress from leaking out than necessary, and for physical limitations. In the Earth Federation, where there was no external enemy, the fleet was not very large. The number of ships that can be accommodated in the fortress is five hundred. From the perspective of not increasing the size of the opening, the number of ships that could arrive and depart at one time was limited to a few. It was not a good idea to operate a fleet in a fortress port. Therefore, it was decided to stabilize the orbit of the fortress and build a port and ancillary facilities to berth the ships in the nearby space. The basic structure is a square bar. I lined up a tractor beam oscillator there so that I could lock onto the spacecraft. The space inside the bar is equipped with entertainment facilities such as bars and casinos that pirates love. These entertainment facilities are operated by those who used to open stores in the pirate spaceport of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino. The recruitment of pirates was going well. It had been a month since Kitty had gone out to talk to the pirates, and now 100 ships had gathered in the Ossicle system. Three countries decided to accept the Set¡¯ proposal, and negotiations are underway with five others. The production of component parts for equipment outside the fortress, the production of armaments for pirates, and the construction of naval vessels for independent nations. The fortress¡¯ production facilities are in full operation. Kitty returned a month and a half after she left, with a fleet of fifty ships accompanying the Black Silver Glory. Fifty pirate ships are led by one pirate. His name is Vido Glorious. He is a well known man in the pirate world. ¡°My dad was a pirate.¡± Kitty told me about a man named Glorious. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for 30 years, and all of my men are battle-hardened. Many pirates have their eyes on him, so he¡¯s a good guy to bring in. I like women anyway.¡± Settsu was to meet the head of this pirate fleet inside the fortress. Glorious came into the reception room, accompanied by Kitty. Glorious was a tall, slender, well-proportioned man. With his gray hair and flashy, almost primary-colored clothes, he was a man who would catch your eye just by walking around. He had a cool, confident smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Setsueto Vayel, commander of the fortress. Although I ostensibly go by the name Seer-Azuna. Welcome to my fortress, Headmistress Glorious.¡± [TN: Not sure if it is supposed to be a man or woman¡­] ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Commander.¡± It was a soft and graceful bow. He almost forgot that he was the head of the pirates. ¡°Please have a seat.¡± Setsueto proceeded to seat Glorious, but Glorious did not move and stared at his face. ¡°¡­¡­ something wrong?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Glorious nodded slowly. ¡°I can see why Kitty is so fond of him. He looks like a good man with a promising future. He reminds me of myself as a boy.¡± Kitty pinched Glorious¡¯ arm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important. Raja has asked me to take care of Kitty for you, I-¡° ¡°In your dreams.¡± ¡°In my dreams. But no doubt Raja would have asked me to do it if he had the chance. There is no one else he could have asked but me.¡± ¡°You can count on Keuk more than you can count on me.¡± ¡°How can you not understand this love that watches over you from afar? Kitty, you need to work on your womanhood a little more.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Kitty quickly sat down on the sofa. Next to Setsuko. She seemed to be saying that this was her fixed position. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Glorious also put down his shattered mood and sat in front of Setsu. He was sitting cross-legged at a slight angle. Even the way he was sitting was in style. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re getting along so well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve even changed diapers in our relationship.¡± ¡°Vee, do you want to be thrown into a reactor?¡± Kitty¡¯s words were a thorn in my side. ¡°When you¡¯re my age, you¡¯ll survive that long.¡± Kitty is being distracted from her pace. Settsu felt that he had seen something unusual. ¡°Can we get down to business?¡± Glorious came back to the point exactly. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Settsu nodded. The tension in the place was easing thanks to his interaction with Kitty. I wonder if he did it on purpose. ¡°Thank you. Whatever it is, you want to hire us by providing us with armaments.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I can promise you the equivalent of what is on Dragoon. It¡¯s not something you can get for money.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen the current issue of the Black and Silver Glory, I¡¯d laugh at it, but I have to believe it. It¡¯s certainly more attractive than half-baked money.¡± ¡°We¡¯d love to have your help.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a ¡°yes, I understand¡± kind of thing. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need to meet. What additional demands will they make? Settsu prepared herself in his mind. ¡°Before we go any further, let me ask you, what do you want to do with the rest of the universe?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If you do not intervene in this war, there is a good chance that the Empire will lose. What do you seek and what do you hope to accomplish by intervening? I would like to know.¡± Glorious looked straight at Settsu and questioned him about it. CH 25 ¡°I want to hear your hopes, your ambitions.¡± Glorious said repeatedly. Settsu thought for a moment, wondering where to begin. Glorious¡¯ eyes were serious. ¡°I was born in the Empire, the eldest son of Count Viel.¡± We should probably start from scratch, even if it¡¯s brief. ¡°Until recently, I thought idly that I would inherit the title of Count and ride a dragoon in the future. But it was never to be.¡± As he said this, he patted the crystal that was still embedded in the back of his left hand. ¡°I can¡¯t connect to the ship. Mitsuki has done some research, but she doesn¡¯t know why. I¡¯ve been officially declared dead and released from the Count¡¯s household.¡± It hadn¡¯t been a year since then, but it felt like a long time ago when we talked. ¡°Kitty was the one who picked me up when I was drifting in space in a spacecraft that I couldn¡¯t control. She told me to throw away the idea that I had to use the connection crystals, and I felt like I had been saved. Then I found this abandoned fortress, and somehow I was able to connect to it, and it woke up from its slumber.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Kitty interjected. ¡°Yes, I did. Kitty wanted me to return to the empire with the fortress as a souvenir, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. To return to the empire, I had to leave Kitty to die. I can¡¯t do that. If I did that, I¡¯d be the worst person who ever killed a benefactor for my own reasons.¡± Glorious was listening in silence. I couldn¡¯t tell from his expression what he was thinking when he heard Settsu¡¯s story. ¡°I decided to help Kitty and leave the Empire. At first, I thought it would be good to hide the fortress as much as possible and go pirating on the Black Silver Glory. The Glory of the Black and Silver was a good ship. The crew was great.¡± ¡°Of course. The ship my friend Raja left me, how could it not be the best?¡± Glorious nodded with a smile. Settsu nodded as well. ¡°But apparently, the world is not that simple. The ex-count duke, this thing is always following me around. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s still haunting you.¡± I feel as if I¡¯m a ghost. ¡°I want to get rid of this. I want to be able to live as just another Set. I want to fight for it.¡± ¡°Hou¡± Glorious nodded his head slightly in interest. ¡°Not an empire, not a federation, not a kingdom, not an independent nation, but a single fortress with its own place in the universe. That¡¯s what I want now.¡± ¡°You say you fight because you want to be independent of any country.¡± ¡°Yes. In order for that to happen, we can¡¯t let the Empire fall first. If the Empire is destroyed in this war, the world will belong to the Federation and the Kingdom, and one of them will win in the end. But then, those who can¡¯t stay in the country that wins will have nowhere to go. They would not be able to live. Just like me, who couldn¡¯t live as an imperial aristocrat.¡± Setsuko cut off his words. I wonder if I conveyed it well. Glorious was silent, thinking about something. The silence continued for a while. Glorious recrossed his legs. ¡°I mean, where do you want to end up in this fight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a painful split.¡± ¡°Do you still wish to continue the division of the human world?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you continue. For the sake of freedom. You never needed to be unified in the first place.¡± Settsu assured him. ¡°Good.¡± Glorious opened his mouth. ¡°My fleet will take you up on your offer.¡± ¡°Thank you, head honcho. But why?¡± ¡°Those closest to me call me Vee. Please, call me that.¡± ¡°All right, Vee. Then you can call me Set. And why is that?¡± ¡°There are three reasons. Do you want to hear them?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear it.¡± ¡°One, I have a duty to help the man Kitty has chosen.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Secondly, we fight to get a free place, that¡¯s what pirates are all about. We are a race that cannot live in peace. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­3 What¡¯s the third?¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll tell you about that when you and Kitty get married.¡± Glorious chuckled. CH 26 Glorious¡¯ participation had a greater impact on Settsu and the others than they had expected. Pirates who have been pirates for a long time are sensitive to the situation. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to fly between the independent nations. Most of the veterans had predicted the consequences of the alliance between the Kingdom and the Federation, and the possibility that it would lead to the collapse of the pirate industry itself. However, it is also dangerous to follow the lead of an unknown fortress. For the opportunistic pirates, Glorious¡¯ participation was enough to push the fortress from ¡°unknown¡± to ¡°possible. Ten or twenty pirate ships a day came to the Ossicle system. When Setsuto was almost too busy to deal with the situation, Glorious offered to organize the pirates. ¡°The Settlers will have the job of figuring out how to use these troops.¡± This gave Settsu more time, but it was time that was synonymous with having to worry about the future. The ships are gathering. So far, there are 400 pirates and 3,000 surrounding nations¡¯ armies. Once we finish refitting our guns and shields, our fleet alone will be able to fight a fleet of about 5000 ships on even terms. How many Federation ships will be approaching and when? It¡¯s a race against time. It was expected that the Federation fleet would gather and base itself in the Artlante system, near the territory of the independent nations. The Artlante system was originally equipped as a base to dispatch fleets in case something happened to the independent nations. There was no other place to maintain a supply line for the fleet that would invade the independent nations. From there to the vicinity of the Ossicle system, 20 days of non-stop continuous interstellar warp. However, this is the number of days for a single warship, not including the time required to adjust the line of ships that have been disrupted by warp-out errors. The Federation fleet will be coming with the disarmament of the independent nations in its path, so it will take many more days. Glorious estimates 50 days. Mitski¡¯s estimate is 45 days at the earliest. Some of the ships under Glorious¡¯ command are currently on a reconnaissance mission to ascertain the size and number of days. Imperial movement is also a problem. I called out to the nearby imperialist countries and asked them about it, and they told me that they had received word that an interceptor fleet was being sent. He also apologized for not being able to join the fortress because he had been asked to join the interceptor fleet. ¡°If the Empire is sane, it will surely call on us. Let¡¯s wait.¡± Which one of us approached the other may have an impact on the situation afterwards. I want to take the form of the empire asking us to cooperate with them, rather than Settsu and the others seeking out the imperial army and asking them. It was Mitsuki who found them. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve detected an interstellar warp-out of one of the Dragoon class ships in the system. We are currently synchronizing our velocity with the main fortress and expect to enter the warp control area in three hours.¡± Mitsuki is currently in charge of controlling all the spaceships around the fortress. She does not need to speak out loud to make voice communications, but she can handle hundreds of communications at the same time and guide the spaceships accurately. One bored pirate counted and said that there were 542 Mitsuki at the same time. ¡°Do you know which country it¡¯s from?¡± Only the Empire or the Kingdom operates the Dragoon. Either. ¡°Yes, sir. Immediately after warping out, he sent a transmission identifying himself as the Imperial Viscount Alk-Drag-Lich. He wishes His Excellency Sia-Azna to see him through. How can I help you?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°Which way for guidance?¡± ¡°To the fortress. And get Vee and Admiral Vetsia over here.¡± There are many who suspect a connection between Settsu and the Empire. Under the current circumstances, even if that were the case, it would not be a problem, but it would be better to have the two of them present to avoid spreading any unwarranted suspicion. ¡°Yes, sir, we¡¯re due in port in six hours. Why don¡¯t you go get some sleep?¡± ¡°Today?¡± It was still early afternoon in the fortress. ¡°Your Excellency has not been getting enough sleep lately. Naps are important. It restores the brain and reenergizes the spirit.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Settsu followed Mitsuki¡¯s suggestion and went back to his room. As soon as he laid down, he felt sleepy. He had fallen asleep for about an hour. After waking up, he adjusted himself and went back to the command center where Mitsuki was. Nothing in particular had occurred that Setsu needed to decide. Viscount Lich¡¯s dragoon arrived in port as scheduled. Settsu let Viscount Lich into the parlor of the fortress and exchanged names with him. Viscount Lich was an intelligent young man in his twenties. ¡°So, what can I do for you?¡± Settsu asked. ¡°Yes, sir. Our fleet is currently on its way here under the command of Count Vaile. The total number is 50,000. We¡¯ve come to ask for your assistance in fighting the Federation forces.¡± I¡¯d say it was a blessing in disguise, and the request came as expected. ¡°You want to help?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. From what I¡¯ve seen in the system, His Excellency is preparing to fight. I think it would be a good idea for us to work together to fight the Federation forces.¡± Settsu returned with a question. ¡°The Count has asked me to tell you what I know, so I will tell you what I know. The Federation forces have mobilized approximately 70,000 to 100,000 ships. We believe that they will assemble in the Artlante system and then attack the independent nations. I estimate that the sortie from Artlante should have been made by now.¡± Settsu nodded. 70,000 to 100,000. That¡¯s an awful lot. ¡°General Drad Sarko is in charge of the operation. We have confirmed the participation of Lieutenant-General Ariech-Reise, Major-General Schenz-Falange, and Major-General Sey-Riek as the principal generals.¡± Settsu heard the general¡¯s name, but had no knowledge of the person. ¡°Federal All-Stars. I¡¯m picking four of the best of the best, of all people.¡± Vetsia was growling. ¡°How dreadful. To bring out the most beautiful woman in the Union army.¡± Glorious has a different perspective. Judging from Vetsia¡¯s reaction, it seems that she is a tricky opponent. ¡°The Count is planning to challenge the Federation forces to war. The Count¡¯s plan is this.¡± Viscount Lich began to explain the proposed strategy. CH 27 The Glorious Fleet¡¯s reconnaissance brought the news of the discovery of the Federation forces. The pirate ships that had gone out to scout the area were returning one after another. The progress of the Federation forces soon became apparent. The first team is a fleet of three. There are 70,000 ships, 30,000 in the center and 20,000 on each wing. Each of them is approaching the Kingdom of Mars-Camino along different and parallel routes. It¡¯s close enough that we can meet up with them after about two interstellar warps. If something happened, they could meet up immediately. That was the course we were taking. As they neared the Kingdom of Mars-Camino, the fleet converged into a single large fleet of 70,000 ships. Settsu and his crew left the Mars Camino Kingdom to intercept the Federation fleet. They chose the uninhabited Karneda system, which has no inhabited planets, and set up camp. It is a star system with swirling interstellar gas. The beam attenuation rate is high due to the gas, and the detection system is impaired. The combined fleet of pirates and neighboring independent nations, tentatively called the ¡°Independent Defense Fleet,¡± had grown to 6,000 ships. It consists of 3,500 warships and 2,500 frigates and other vessels, including pirate ships. Because pirate ships are basically frigates that emphasize speed, there are fewer battle-ready ships than in the Federation and Imperial formations. The lack of battlecruisers was to be made up by the fortresses and the seven Sagittarius-class battleships that had been built in time. If anything, we are relying on fortresses. The next day, the Independent Defense Fleet and the Imperial Fleet joined forces. A total of 56,000 ships (40,000 from the Imperial Fleet, 10,000 from the Imperialist Independent Countries Fleet, and 6,000 from the Independent Defense Fleet) and the fortress were the entire force. The formation was kept separate. The only way to consolidate the chain of command was to centralize it under Count Vaile, but the pirates and the fleet commanders of the countries that participated in the Independent Defense Fleet clearly did not want to do that. Many of them had a history of piracy against the Empire. It was only natural for them to be reluctant to line up their ships. The Imperial Fleet was on the right and the Independent Defense Fleet on the left. The space between them was wide open. That is how the two battlefields were set up. The aim was to make sure that the Federation fleet would have to split into two as well. If the Federation forces place emphasis on the Imperial Fleet, the independent defense ships will push in around the fortress, and vice versa, the Imperial Fleet will push in. And as soon as the enemy in front of them is destroyed, they will cover the other fleet from the side that is holding on. Although simple, complex operations were difficult because of the problems of command and trust between the two sides, and this was considered to be the most effective operation. Three days after Settsu and the others set up their position, the Federation fleet of 70,000 ships appeared on the outer rim of the system. ¡°I can see you¡¯re having a hard time keeping up.¡± With a glance at the information from the frigate that had conducted the reconnaissance, Reise had seen through the situation of Settsu and the others. General Sarko, the man in charge of the operation, was in the rear of the system, maintaining supply routes and expanding the occupied area with the remaining 30,000 ships. Command in the Karneda system was left to Reise. ¡°But this means we¡¯ll have to split our forces in two.¡± Rear Admiral Phalanges said the obvious. If we head for one side of the fleet in a lump, we will be pinned down. ¡°The question is how to divide it.¡± Major General Reek crossed his arms. The three of them were discussing how to fight while looking at the situation in the star system displayed on the floor. ¡°Which one of them is the main attacker?¡± ¡°In terms of numbers, it¡¯s the Imperial Fleet¡¯s 50,000.¡± The main ones we are discussing are Phalanges and Leaks. ¡°The fortress side is probably armed with the remains. We should assume that they are all Dragoon class. It¡¯s dangerous to look at numbers alone.¡± The federal army knew what Settsu had called out to the surrounding countries and pirates. They had also obtained records of the battles between the fortress and the army of the Kingdom of Mars-Camino, and it was clear that they should not be seen in numbers. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. However, it would not be wise to devote too many troops to them, considering that we also have to deal with the Imperial Fleet.¡± ¡°I think we can hold them off at least. If we hit the Imperial fleet in the meantime, we can win.¡± The Phalanges are thinking of using a small fleet to hold the fortress side of the battlefield, and then conduct a battle against the Imperial fleet. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tough defense. They probably have a longer range than us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that defense. I¡¯ll hold them off.¡± He was confident in Phalanges. When it came to defensive tenacity, this was something that Phalanges was good at. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Rayse finally interjected, listening to the discussion between the two of them and formulating a plan in his mind based on the results of the General Staff¡¯s review of the operation. ¡°I believe this is the one we should be targeting.¡± Rayse pointed to the fortress side of the army with his sword, which was still in its sheath. ¡°I mean¡­¡± ¡°Because this huddle is their weakness. Phalanges, add my 10,000 to the 20,000 under your command. With this, hold the Imperial Army. Pull wide, never be shattered, and never let go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Reek, you and I will beat them with our 40,000.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. Do you want a frontal assault on the fortress?¡± When asked, Rayzee sneered. ¡°There¡¯s no need for an offensive.¡± The 70,000-ship Federation force split into two fleets before warping into intra-stellar warp and warping out in front of the Settsu and crew. 40,000 in front of the Independent Defense Fleet. Thirty thousand in front of the Imperial Fleet. It is an organization that is heavily weighted on the side of the independent defense fleet. ¡°Forty thousand over here. It seems the enemy commander has taken a liking to you.¡± Seeing the arrangement of the enemy, the Black Silver Glory ship immediately began to talk lightly. The Federation fleet in front of us consists of 33,000 battlecruisers and 7,000 frigates. The Federation warships were in formation as usual, but 3,000 of the frigates were deployed up and down, and 4,000 to the left and right. The formation was widely spread out horizontally. ¡°It¡¯s hard being a pretty boy.¡± ¡°I heard that the enemy commander is quite a beauty. Are you smart?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. We must never let him meet Settsu. Everyone, please!¡± ¡°Rather, let¡¯s just capture him, pull him out in front of us, and turn him over.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯ll turn so conveniently, do you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where pretty boy power comes in. I mean, look at that, our unrepentant, Starfleet-allergic head is running the fleet.¡± The Black and Silver Glory was among the pirates of the Independent Defense Fleet. Glorious is in command of the pirate force. The Independence Defense Fleet had a fortress in the center, with a line of battle ships on either side of it. The frigates and pirates stood by in wedge-shaped formations above and below them, respectively. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m patient. I¡¯m holding back a lot. I want to fly as I please. When this battle is over, Set and I are going to pirate as much as we can and work on trade destruction. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say it like that, it¡¯s bad luck.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s think about the lunch in front of us today instead of the fancy dinner tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh, that doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± Kitty gave him a bitter look. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to eat.¡± Keuk chided him. The Federation fleet finished forming up and began to move forward. Finally, the battle begins. CH 28 It was the Independence Defense Fleet that started the war in the first place. The Federation battle line was advancing in two halves in the center. They wanted to attack the battle ships, not the fortress. The Federation fleet was now in range of the fortress¡¯ main guns. ¡°Fire¡± At Setsuto¡¯s order, the main guns of the fortress opened fire. Because of the large spread of federal troops, more than half of the main guns, 700 guns, were capable of targeting the enemy. It is a raging fire. Immediately, more than eighty of the Federation¡¯s battle fleet ships were scattered. The Federation battle cruiser near the center stopped moving and retreated to get some distance. They saw that the range of the fortress¡¯ main guns was there and moved away from the range. The Federals continued their advance, moving away from both sides of the battle line ships to keep them out of range as much as possible. At the same time, they rearranged the line of ships so that it was time for C. The fortress continued its bombardment. The beam¡¯s attack power doesn¡¯t instantly drop to zero when it is distanced. A super high-powered fortress main gun would not be able to avoid damage at some distance. Although the number of ships that exploded was decreasing, the fortress was steadily inflicting damage on the Federation fleet. Even with the decay, 60 to 70 ships were still blown up in a single salvo. The battle fleet ships of the Independent Defense Fleet also changed their shape into a c-shape so that they could face the Federation fleet squarely. As the figure of C reached a 90-degree angle, the Federals stopped spreading out and resumed their advance. The one-sided attack by the fortress¡¯ main gun continues. The federal troops were unfazed and continued to advance while taking evasive maneuvers. ¡°If you know what you¡¯re doing, you¡¯ll be ready.¡± Vetsia looked at the situation and muttered. The sight of his former army, disfigured by an unexpected attack, was a thorn in his side. Vetsia¡¯s fleet, the 1st Fleet of the Kingdom of Mars Camino, was on the left wing of the Independent Defense Fleet. Next to it was the same 3rd Fleet. Even though it was joined by the remnants of the 2nd fleet, it was still smaller than the 1st fleet. The Sagittarius-class ship that was given to us was named Varion and was at the head of the line. ¡°The Federation fleet will soon be in effective range of the Sagittarius class.¡± ¡°Yes. Right on schedule.¡± All Sagittarius class ships are concentrated on the left wing. In terms of numbers, the left and right wings are equal, but in terms of strength, the left wing is the stronger of the two. The initial plan was to use the left wing to defeat the right wing of the Federation fleet and then go on to encircle the center and left wings of the Federation fleet on one wing. The seven Sagittarius-class battleships began firing almost simultaneously. The Federation warships held their ground defensively. Ten minutes later, the fortress sub-cannons opened fire this time. In one fell swoop, nearly double the previous number of 150 battlecruisers were killed. ¡°The bombardment¡¯s more intense than recorded! What the hell is going on?¡± In Rayse¡¯s fleet command center, the general staff screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, you¡¯re still the Chief of Staff. Stay cool.¡± Rayse chided the chief of staff. ¡°Your job is to calculate the lives of soldiers as if they were counted in pennies. Do the math. Do you need a response?¡± ¡°Excuse me. Now.¡± ¡°No apology necessary. Soldiers will die for every word you say.¡± Having said that, Rayse had a gut feeling that they needed to respond. The number of ships in the battle line was dwindling much faster than expected. More than 1,500 battlecruisers had already been lost on the right flank of the Federation forces under the concentration of the attack. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°All frigates, charge.¡± At the general staff¡¯s straightforward report, Rayse made an immediate decision. ¡°All battlecruisers are to maintain top priority on defense after the bombardment begins.¡± Rayse¡¯s orders were immediately relayed to the fleet in an encoded luminous signal. The frigates that formed the upper, lower, left and right sides of the Federation fleet blew propulsion flames and began to accelerate. The target is an Independence Defense Fleet battle cruiser. Seeing this, the frigates and pirates on the Independent Defense Fleet side also moved. They began to accelerate in order to stop the frigates in front of them. Federal frigates approaching from both sides will be met with fortifications. I decided to have some of the main guns that had been targeting the battle line ships target the frigates. While the frigate was moving, the battle line ships were in effective range of each other. ¡°Fire!¡± The orders were almost simultaneous. The bombardment happened almost simultaneously. The beam arrows fired by the warships rained down on each other¡¯s fleets. Neither side was able to inflict significant damage on the other, as both warships focused their energies on defense and evasion with survival as the top priority. However, the Federation¡¯s battle fleet was steadily reduced in numbers by the bombardment of the fortress. Even though only secondary guns were used to target the battle fleet, about 70 ships were sunk in a single salvo. In just 10 minutes, nearly 500 ships were sunk. It was not a pleasant situation. It was safe to say that the Federation¡¯s battle fleet was holding up well, despite the large holes here and there in its ranks. The Federation frigates that tried to approach the battle fleet from above and below were not able to move as they wished, as a melee between the pirates and the frigates of the Independent Defense Fleet began. The pirate force was small in number, but the guns and shields provided by the fortress were effective, and they were more than a match for the federal frigates. Even as the frigates tried to close in from both sides, the ferocious fire of the fortress¡¯ main guns sank the ships at an incredible rate. Seeing the situation, Rayse gave the order. ¡°Have them lower the battle cruiser.¡± The Federation warships began to reverse. They stopped firing and continued their evasive maneuvers, trying to move away from the fortress as fast as they could. The fortress and the battle cruiser begin their pursuit. The warships of the Independent Defense Fleet matched the speed of the fortress. The fortress was huge, and it couldn¡¯t accelerate very fast. The acceleration it could produce was slower than the battle cruiser. The distance between the pursuing Federation warships and the chasing fortresses gradually diminished. The frigates on either side of the Federation also began a movement to distance themselves from the fortress. The frigates on either side of the Federation began to move away from the fortress, taking trajectories that would allow them to get out of range of the fortress most quickly. Frigates above and below the fray are unable to retreat. Retreating in the midst of a melee would be difficult and could result in heavy casualties, and the fact that they were in a melee meant that they were not being bombarded by the fortress. By the time the Federation battlecruisers were out of range of the fortress main guns, the 33,000 ships had been reduced to less than 20,000. The only remaining Federation forces were the upper and lower frigates, but the frigates made no attempt to break up the melee. Even if the Independent Defense Fleet tried to resolve the melee, they would not let it happen. Once the melee is over, the fortress will be subjected to a full-scale bombardment. The Federation forces were desperate to keep the melee going. The Federation battlecruisers continued to retreat out of range of the fortress. They seemed to be trying to avoid the warp jammers, out of range, to the point where they could warp. ¡°I can¡¯t even keep up.¡± Settsu was inside the fortress command center, watching the situation. He was a little disappointed with the slow pace of the fortress. The frigates were still engaged in a melee nearby. The Black and Silver Glory seemed to be continuing the fight without any major damage. We¡¯re pushing it. It won¡¯t be long before this is settled. Looking at the situation on the Imperial Fleet side, the Imperial Fleet was pushing hard. Originally, it was 50,000 to 30,000. If you¡¯re looking for the best of the best, you¡¯re going to have to look no further. The 30,000-strong Federation fleet continued to fight in retreat, but finally the Imperial fleet deployed dragoons and frigates to force a breakthrough in the center. (Looks like we won.) Settsu thought. ¡°All Federation battlecruisers and disembarked frigates are preparing for warp. Warp destination analysis in progress.¡± Mitsuki brought up the report. ¡°Analysis complete. The Imperial Fleet is behind us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thirty seconds to Federation warp-in.¡± This is not good. The Federation ships are accelerating at almost full speed to get away from the fortress and gaining speed. They will rush to the Imperial Fleet soon after warp out. The fortress was unable to warp in due to the frigates brawling in the immediate vicinity, the aftermath of their beams acting as warp jammers. The Federation forces have entered short-range warp. Less than 20,000 battlecruisers and 3,000 frigates attacked behind the Imperial fleet. CH 29 The time goes back a bit. Count Vaile was in command of the fleet in the cockpit of the Dragoon Dire Vaid. It is the command of a large army. The Count had gathered his own ships and about five hundred dragoons behind the battle fleet to form a headquarters squadron, and was watching the entire battle situation from within it. It was surprising that the Federation fleet that came this way was 30,000. I wonder if that¡¯s how much of a threat the Federals considered that fortress to be. (But I¡¯d hate for you to think that 30,000 can do anything for us.) The Imperial Fleet majestically advanced its battle fleet and entered into a firefight with the Federation fleet. The Imperial forces were outnumbered by the battle line ships and their skill level was not much different. The 10,000 that came from the independent countries were dragging their feet a bit, but not enough to overturn the war situation. The Federation forces were fighting to endure the attacks of the Imperial Fleet. They are defending themselves by gradually retreating to distance themselves from the Imperial Fleet. There was no sign of any special maneuvering by the Federals. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the fortress side of the battle?¡± The Count asked his chief of staff. ¡°The fortress¡¯ firepower is tremendous. The Federation fleet is melting like ice.¡± The Count called up a map of the battle situation on the fortress side on the monitor at hand. In fact, the number of Federation ships was dwindling at a frightening rate. The Federation battle lines are beginning to retreat, but quite a few of them will be sunk before they get out of range of the fortress. ¡°The Fleet Admiral estimated 10,000, but I¡¯m afraid he was completely wrong.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it is strange that the Federation fleet in front of us is so quiet in this situation. It¡¯s a scene that requires a comeback, isn¡¯t it?¡± Or are they planning to withdraw all their forces at this point? With a sense of discomfort, the Count observed the entire battlefield. The Federation fleet that was attacking the fortress side is pulling back. They are out of range of the warships, out of range of the fortress, and still accelerating. (This speed, this direction, no way?) One possibility crossed the Count¡¯s mind. Possible options when you look at where the Federation fleet can warp to, the speed, the direction, everything put together. If the Federation fleet on the fortress side were to leave and warp to warp range, it would be possible to encircle the Imperial fleet in the hinterland. If it ends up being a possibility, fine. In reality, they may just be running for their lives in a total collapse. But what if this is a Federation fleet operation? The first thing that bothers me is that the frigates in the melee are still in the melee. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re covering their fleeing allies. As long as we are engaged in a melee at that location, neither the fortress nor the frigates and pirates over there can warp. ¡°Contact all ships. Reorganize formation into a spindle shape. We¡¯ll attempt to break through the center of the enemy fleet in front of us.¡± The Count decided to use a strong hand. It would be nice if the possibility that just occurred to me ended up being just a possibility. It will end up being just a matter of moving a little too quickly to break through the center. But what if this is as far as the Feds have painted it? We have to break through the center while we still can. Once we are surrounded, it will be too late. Proceed with the breakthrough in the center while you still can, and turn around after the breakthrough. This is how you will fight the enemy fleet that has joined you. ¡°Very well, sir. How¡¯s the breakthrough coming along?¡± ¡°As soon as it¡¯s ready. Hurry.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Count¡¯s orders were relayed to the fleet. The warships began to change formation as they continued to fire their guns. ¡°Dragoons and frigates, charge immediately. Dragoons, run ahead of them.¡± The Imperial Fleet¡¯s dragoons and frigates began to move toward the center of the Federation battle fleet. The frigates of the Federation fleet began to maneuver to stop them, and the battle cruisers began to concentrate their fire on the dragoon. ¡°Surprise!¡± In the midst of all the hostility, 2,000 dragoons raced through the air. With an agility that no ship but the Dragoon could match, they evaded enemy bullets, shielded against them, and rushed in. They had already left their own frigates behind. Even the Federation¡¯s frigates were unable to block their way in the face of the Dragoon¡¯s mobility. They were excited to see the firepower of the fortress. The bombardment power of the fortress was nothing short of terrifying. However, they were proud to say that the fastest and largest impact force in the universe was theirs. A forceful assault, much appreciated. That¡¯s what I want. What¡¯s the point of a fortress? The Dragoon is also a legacy of a former civilization. We must remind them of the folly of concentrating their forces on fortresses without us. The Dragoon Corps attacked the line of Federation battle ships. They close in on the warships, pounding them with artillery from an unavoidable distance, blasting them to pieces and then breaking away. In a matter of seconds, 100 warships were sunk. As subsequent dragoons moved in, the damage quickly increased to another 200 or 300 ships. Deep. Forward. A Federation frigate caught up behind the dragoon, and a melee dogfight began to unfold. More Imperial frigates rushed in behind them. A wedge of dragoons and frigates was driven into the Federation fleet. ¡°All ships, assault.¡± The warships that had finished changing formation began to move forward. It was to push through the wedge driven by the dragoon from behind. ¡°Admiral, signs of warp out behind us!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just keep going!¡± It was just as I had feared. In this situation, the only way was to get through before the hinterland attacked us. ¡°Headquarters squadron is also advancing. There is no other way for us to live but to break through here.¡± The Count connected to the Dire Void¡¯s control system. CH 30 The Federation fleet, which had warped out behind the Imperial fleet, headed towards the Imperial fleet without even forming up. If the battle turns into a melee, the formation is of little importance. The Federation Fleet attacked the Imperial Fleet with a mixture of battlecruisers and frigates. The imperial army, which had been pushing forward, was not in a position to shoot at it. ¡°Push forward and avenge your enemy!¡± The frigates rammed into the imperial battle fleet, one after the other. Rayse was checking the situation in the fleet command center of the flagship Sancruze. ¡°Stranded frigates, 30 minutes out.¡± The chief of staff informed him. Rayse just nodded. Reise¡¯s plan, which did not require an offensive on the fortress, was based on the assumption that his forces would be damaged. Aside from attack power, there is no data on defense. With that huge body and that kind of attack power, it must be quite something. How much of an attack would it take to destroy the protective shields and surface armor? And how much damage will it cause before then? We can¡¯t make uncertainty the mainstay of our operations. Leave the fortress alone. The only miscalculation was that the bombardment of the fortress was twice as intense as the battle record, but somehow the battle fleet managed to endure without collapsing. ¡°What the hell is that artillery power? If we really want to fight head on, we¡¯ll have to bring 100,000.¡± Rayse poisoned the fortress. ¡°It¡¯s horrible.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Well, I¡¯m not going to let him do any more work this time.¡± What would happen to the frigates we had left behind to hold us back? If the fortress prioritizes revenge on the enemy in front of it instead of rescuing the Imperial fleet, it will suffer catastrophic damage. The frigate fleet will have to make the difficult decision of when to attempt to leave. Rayzee¡¯s orders were unreachable. In the midst of the melee, where people were shooting beams at each other, it was impossible to communicate by radio waves or even by light signals. In the first place, the distance from here is too great. The decision was left to the respective commanders of the frigate fleet. ¡°I¡¯m done with monsters. Let¡¯s have a battle of the humans.¡± Rayse raised her voice so that all of the general staff could hear her. Rayse and his team¡¯s job was to inflict decisive damage on the Imperial fleet before the frigate fleet broke off and the fortress became warp-capable. ¡°Did you say Count Vayel, commander of the Imperial side? I see you noticed last minute.¡± If the Imperial Fleet hadn¡¯t moved to break through the center, we would have been completely surrounded by now. ¡°You¡¯re a very observant guy. I can¡¯t wait to see what he¡¯ll do next.¡± The staff secretly looked at each other. The only one who is looking forward to it is our blonde demon admiral. But when it comes to beating the Imperial Fleet, we¡¯ll do our best. That¡¯s what I was looking for. At the same time, Count Vaile, who is admired by Reise, is controlling his own machine and fighting a Federation frigate. The 500 dragoons of Headquarters Squadron are struggling to protect the rear of the Imperial Fleet. They challenge the frigates that try to attack the battle lines and drive them away or sink them. Not all of the damage can be prevented. The Count spotted a frigate attempting to approach a nearby battle line ship. The battle line ships were firing small caliber anti-aircraft beam cannons to resist the frigate from approaching. The Count turned the Dragoon and took a trajectory towards the frigate. The frigate noticed this and turned the sights of its cannons on the . The Count fired first. The beam was dodged by the frigate, which performed an evasive maneuver. The frigate shoots. It¡¯s a scattershot shot that assumes the Count will try to evade. One of them hit Direwild¡¯s defensive shield. The shield was pierced and the impact was transmitted to the ship. The connection made with high-purity crystals exclusive to noblemen gave a detailed picture of the ship¡¯s situation. The damage was to the armor. No problem. The Count shot again. This time it hit and penetrated the frigate¡¯s defensive shields. It damaged the hull, but was not fatal. Frigate counterattack. There were fewer of them than before. It seemed that the current attack had disabled some of the guns. The Count dodged this effortlessly by turning the ship around and fired again. The beam pierced the frigate¡¯s reactor. Explosion. ¡°Good.¡± The Count gave a small cheer. But at the edge of his vision, the battle line ship he was trying to protect exploded. It was sunk by an attack from the other direction. There were far too many enemy ships rushing in. Imperial warships were being steadily reduced in number. I hope the leader has broken through by now. Two thousand dragoons shouldn¡¯t be an easy number to stop. Dia-Waide also hasn¡¯t received any information about the overall situation since she entered the battle. I¡¯ve already ordered them to turn around and form up once they break through. The Count turned his attention back to piloting the ship. This is to finish off the enemy frigates. A beam of light suddenly struck Direwild as it approached. The beam penetrated the defensive shields, scorched the armor and the hull of the ship, and damaged the antimatter tanks. The magnetic field that held the antimatter was lost, and the antimatter bonded with the normal matter that made up the hull, releasing an enormous amount of energy and annihilating it. The Dragoon exploded. The battle situation, as seen from the fortress, appeared to be unfavorable to the Imperial fleet. The Dragoon Corps at the head of the Imperial Fleet is tearing through the Federation Battle Fleet. On the other hand, the tail end of the Imperial Fleet is a line of battle ships, and they are getting beaten up by the rushing Federation frigates. How the battle was going where the Federation and Imperial forces were intermingled could not be determined by observation from here. However, the spreading area of the melee suggested that there had been considerable damage to the imperial warships. ¡°Mitsuki, do you think the Imperial forces will succeed in breaking through?¡± ¡°Yes. The lead group will definitely be able to break through. It¡¯s unclear how much of the following battle fleet will be able to break through, though.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Setsueto nodded and looked at the battle chart on our side. The frigate melee is still going on. It¡¯s an even fight. There is no way to get into this melee. If he fired, he would hit his allies. All Setsuto could do was sit back and watch the battle. The head of the Imperial fleet has broken through the Federation fleet. The leading dragoon squadron split off to the left and right, moving to assist the following frigates and battle cruisers in their breakthrough. The frigate slipped out and the battle fleet followed further, spreading out into the hinterland of the Federation fleet. The breached Federation fleet spread out to the left and right, giving way to the fleet attacking behind the Imperial fleet. The reversed Imperial and Federation fleets faced each other squarely. The Federation fleet did not run straight into the enemy fleet, but formed a battle line of battle ships. The frigate, which had been pursuing the Imperial Fleet until the very end, was positioned in the center, and the battle fleet was lined up on both sides of it in an unusual formation. The Imperial Fleet did the same, with the dragoon and frigate in the center, and the battlecruisers lined up in a V-shape. The Imperial Fleet has 35,000 remaining, while the Federation Fleet has 40,000. Once the fortress is able to warp, it will be able to attack the Federation fleet from the rear and decide the game. The Imperial Fleet is slowly retreating while maintaining its formation. The Federation fleet did not follow suit, but began to retreat into the distance itself. The distance between the fleets is closing. ¡°Why?¡± The Imperial fleet was not yet greatly outnumbered. They should be able to win by simply fighting and waiting for the fortress to warp away. Why would they move away to avoid a fight? ¡°The melee has been resolved. Ten minutes to warp, sir.¡± Finally, the melee near the fortress was over. The Federation frigates were moving away. The frigates and pirate ships of the Independent Defense Fleet did not follow. They knew the situation. ¡°Both Imperial and Federation fleets are within warp range. They¡¯re preparing for warp.¡± Clearly, both sides were trying to avoid the fight and end it. I know who the Federals are. It¡¯s the side that has to win or leave before the fortress can rejoin the fray. What I don¡¯t understand is the Imperial Fleet. What¡¯s going on? What is the Count thinking? ¡°There¡¯s a warp-out indicator in the vicinity.¡± ¡°One?¡± What¡¯s going on? Settsu felt the need to check with someone. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯re warping out. Shadow confirmed. It¡¯s Viscount Lich¡¯s dragoon. Requesting communication.¡± ¡°Put me through.¡± As soon as Settsu responded, Viscount Rich¡¯s image appeared on the monitor. ¡°Viscount, why in the world would the Imperial Fleet retreat?¡± Settsu asked directly. Viscount Lich¡¯s face was dark. It was an ominous darkness. ¡°Commander, I regret to inform you that Count Weil has been killed in action.¡± ¡°!!¡± Settsu was speechless. Viscount Lich¡¯s next words were even more shocking. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it. Our dragoon attacked the Count¡¯s Direwild and sank it.¡± [TN: Not sure if this is just translated wrong, but is he saying it was friendly fire??] It was as if the floor beneath my feet had disappeared. All thoughts and letters were lost from my mind. CH 31 How long had I been in a daze? The gears of his thoughts were spinning in circles. Why? It was the only thing that floated in and out, and then floated back in and out again. ¡°Your Excellency!¡± Mitsuki called out loudly, and Setsuko flinched. ¡°Sir, this is still a war zone.¡± Mitsuki spoke as slowly as she dared. Hearing those words, the gears finally began to mesh in Setsu¡¯s head. ¡°Yeah.¡± Settsu slapped his cheeks with both hands. This is no time to be shocked. This is a battlefield. Thinking about death would have to wait. If the commander, the Count, had been killed in action, it made sense that the Imperial Fleet had retreated. Command would be transferred quickly in accordance with Starfleet¡¯s seating arrangements, but it may have been difficult to continue fighting given the upheaval of the commander¡¯s death. Setsueto turned to Viscount Rich at the monitor. ¡°Viscount, I apologize for the distraction.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me know. So, which way did the Imperial Guard head?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. They said they were headed for the Indar system in the rear. We¡¯ll be resupplying and performing emergency repairs there.¡± ¡°I see. Is the Viscount going to be there now?¡± ¡°But considering the severity of what I¡¯ve seen, I think it would be extremely dangerous for me to remain in the Imperial Army. Would you please allow me to work with the fortress?¡± It was an unexpected offer. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. The dragoon that shot the Count was Viscount Korn¡¯s. He is not a man who would make the decision to shoot his commander in the back during battle. I believe that there is always an ulterior motive.¡± Viscount Korn. It was not a name that Settsu remembered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they are aware of what I saw or not. I don¡¯t know if he knows I saw him or not, but if he does, he will kill me before long.¡± Settsu nodded. ¡°You want to get somewhere safe before that happens, that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s accept it for now.¡± ¡°Thank you. So, what will the fortress do after this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to decide.¡± It¡¯s not something that Settsu can do on his own. The pirates and other nations are only cooperating with him. Considering the strength of the fortress, we might as well decide and move alone, but not unnecessarily antagonize them. ¡°All right. Please let me know when you¡¯ve decided.¡± Settsu nodded and ended the communication. ¡°Mitski, connect me with the commanders on a simultaneous call. The first one who connects can join.¡± The last thing he added was that he didn¡¯t want to pause. ¡°Understood¡± Mitsuki responded shortly as usual. ¡°Mitsuki never really changes.¡± ¡°I have a role to play. Glorious, you¡¯re connected.¡± Vee¡¯s image appeared on the monitor. ¡°Hi, Set. Am I first in line?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When Settsu responded shortly, Vee looked at him with serious eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± It was a serious question that I was not going to be allowed to answer in a mumbled tone. ¡°The commander of the ¡­¡­ Imperial Guard has been killed in action.¡± Settsu chose his words. ¡°Oh, yeah. Tough timing.¡± ¡°This is a war zone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I have many bitter memories of the battlefield.¡± ¡°Vee has bitter memories, too.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, of course. It¡¯s not like I can pick up a hundred girls and get a hundred guys.¡± Setsuko smiled. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good one. I could tell that Vee was trying to make me laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve hit on a hundred people, how many can you get?¡± Settsu dared to go along with the conversation. ¡°There is a risk that the pure Setu boy will despair if he hears that. It is better not to ask.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more.¡± ¡°No, no, no, you¡¯ll only cause an accident by trying to compete with me.¡± Vee gave a quick wave. ¡°Vee. Since you¡¯re not sure?¡± ¡°Set. Kitty¡¯s gonna stab you.¡± ¡°Oops. I forgot about that risk.¡± Settsu and Vee both laughed. I felt a little better when I smiled. ¡°Sir, may I connect the others now?¡± Mitsuki asked. Apparently, they kept the others waiting. ¡°Yeah, please.¡± Setsueto tightened his face and adjusted his expression to look distant. Soon, the commanders of the independent nations appeared on the monitor. Admiral Vetsia, Kingdom of Mars-Camino. Admiral Sadat, Ullah Confederacy. Admiral Ealon, Haswarda Kingdom. Admiral Rateki, Bialowsky Empire. The four of them. ¡°The commander of the Imperial Fleet, Count Weil, has been killed in action. Therefore, the Imperial forces have withdrawn.¡± Settsu explained the situation in a straightforward manner. The four of them showed their surprise in their own way. ¡°How dare you. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°But the Federation fleet still numbers 40,000, and there are tens of thousands more ships in the rear.¡± Settsu didn¡¯t give him time to make any unnecessary exchanges. ¡°Can the Imperial Fleet be rebuilt?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The three commanders, except for Vetsia and Vee, looked uneasy when Setsuto told them honestly. Before the battle, he said he couldn¡¯t trust the Imperial Fleet, but now he¡¯s doing this. He¡¯s relying on the Imperial Fleet inwardly. ¡°However, the Federation fleet must be withdrawn at all costs.¡± Vetsia and Vee nodded. ¡°So I¡¯d like to ask your opinion on how best to act on this opportunity.¡± Settsu spoke. I have an idea for one of our next moves if we can¡¯t get the Federation fleet to retreat from this battle. In order to do that, we have to convince, or rather, win over, these opportunistic commanders. ¡°Opportunity? Opportunity?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s an opportunity.¡± Settsu assured him. CH 32 ¡°Opportunity, I wonder.¡± Admiral Ratheke asked, wrinkling his brow. ¡°I see. Interesting.¡± Vetsia clapped his hands to show his approval. This was a little surprising, since Settsu had thought that Vee would be the first one to get on board. ¡°Looking at the course of the last battle, there is no doubt that the striking power of the fortress still stands out in this vicinity. Considering that the Federation¡¯s main force will also have to be on the lookout for the Imperial Fleet, we now have the most free and powerful force in the region.¡± ¡°You say that, Admiral Vezia, but in the very battle that preceded it, we were successfully evaded.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious why that happened. The reason for this is obvious: they split the army in two.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re blaming us for insisting that there should be two halves?¡± Admiral Sadat colored at Vetsia¡¯s provocation. ¡°I¡¯m not going to talk about liability, but if you want to, I can?¡± Vetsia¡¯s words had a strange thorn in them. I¡¯m not a thorny man by nature. ¡°Who says I want to? Your lexicon is somewhat misleading, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Quiet, please.¡± Settsu raised his voice a little. ¡°It¡¯s an operation we all decided on in advance. If you want to say responsibility, you can say it¡¯s everyone¡¯s responsibility, or you can say it¡¯s the Imperial Fleet¡¯s responsibility for retreating. If the Imperial Fleet had held on, we would have won.¡± Settsu said, looking around slowly at all the faces. Sadat looked a little embarrassed. Rateki and Eirune also had a pitying look on their faces. Vetsia¡¯s expression matched his, but Settsu thought that it was only an apparent expression, based on his experience so far. The first person who comes to mind when I say the Imperial Fleet is responsible is the father of the boy in front of me, who was killed in action. It would be very immature to bring that up here and whip him into shape. We have to end this talk of responsibility. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Commander Azna, Admiral Sadat.¡± Vetsia took the initiative in apologizing. ¡°Yes, I suppose I got a little too heated myself. My apologies.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t seem to have any good ideas, myself included. Does Commander Azna have any ideas?¡± Vetsia said. (I knew you were going to take it like this.) Settsu was impressed. If Settsu could come up with a plan in this fashion, it would be difficult for them to oppose it. They had set the stage because they expected Setsu to have a good idea. ¡°I have an idea.¡± He got on top of the stage, which had been set up for him, and cut to the chase. ¡°Today¡¯s battle was an attempt to destroy the Federation fleet¡¯s forces in order to get them to retreat. Unfortunately, that failed, and we probably won¡¯t be able to pursue the fleet at the fortress for the rest of the battle.¡± If Settsu is the commander of the enemy, he will run away first unless he can come up with a special way to deal with them or there are circumstances that prevent him from running away. He wouldn¡¯t try to deal with them with fleet forces. We might be able to somehow destroy or occupy the fortress, but the damage would be too great. ¡°What to do then? It¡¯s easy. Just target the ones that can¡¯t escape.¡± ¡°Something you can¡¯t escape?¡± Everyone raised a question mark. Vee was the only one who noticed anything, haha, and made a face at me. ¡°What the hell are we doing with something that is essential for a fleet of tens of thousands of ships to operate?¡± Essential for the fleet to operate are water and food for the crew, anti-matter and propellant for the ship. The list of other necessities is endless. Water and food are not so easy to run out of, since the ship can carry a large amount of them, but the larger the fleet, the more propellant is consumed. The only way to keep the formation in order is to use propellant. If you take combat actions, the amount consumed will be even greater. Even if we try to procure them within the independent countries, each of the independent countries has an average fleet of about 1,000 ships. The infrastructure to maintain 100,000 combat ships does not exist within the independent nations. ¡°Transported from the Federation homeland.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And in order for the fleet to properly reach the supplies, the supply points must be determined in advance. Naturally, a considerable amount of supplies will be accumulated there.¡± ¡°Ummm, but where?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that from the Glorious Head.¡± Settsu turned to Vee. Vee nodded slowly and pondered. ¡°We¡¯ve been scouting for a possible Federation system to consolidate our supplies. Our fleet has identified a star system that the Federation forces are using as a supply depot.¡± ¡°What a surprise!¡± ¡°If you know where it is, we can talk fast.¡± ¡°But they will have a defensive force. No, you are not an enemy of the fortress.¡± ¡°If we head there, won¡¯t the Raze fleet be on the defensive?¡± ¡°Forty thousand is nothing to be afraid of, considering the battle ahead.¡± ¡°But they¡¯ll be waiting, they might set some kind of trap.¡± A discussion of ¡®how to do it¡¯ began among the admirals. It was a topic that Settsu had been waiting for, so he quickly interjected. ¡°There will be traps. There is a big difference between a fortress and a fleet in terms of durability and ability to deal with traps. So I¡¯m thinking of heading to the supply depot with just the fortress.¡± There was an uproar among the admirals. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going alone. It¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± Many words were swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to avenge my enemies. I have no intention of throwing away my life.¡± Settsu took the initiative to verbalize it. I tried to deny it, but they would be more aware of this. Perhaps it was the fact that Setsuko had covered up his big emotions, but he was now able to calmly analyze the situation. ¡°I¡¯m also a crew member of a pirate ship, the Black Silver Glory. I like to keep the big catches to myself.¡± He shrugged his shoulders. I made a conscious effort to make it seem as if the unfortunate boy whose father had just been murdered was trying to be brave and strong. ¡°All right. But we can¡¯t do nothing either. I want to do something.¡± When Vezia offered to do so, Vee made a suggestion. ¡°If we do that, the Federals won¡¯t be able to keep concentrating their forces. The transports will be coming from the rear one after another.¡± ¡°Hmm, so we¡¯re going to be pirates too. Sounds like fun.¡± Vetsia laughed. The other admirals seemed to be on board. ¡°I heard. We¡¯re going in with one fortress?¡± When Settsu returned to his private office after discussing the details of the mission, Kitty was relaxing in the reception room. Oh, by the way, we had entered the fortress as if we were in the middle of a meeting. ¡°Yes, I do. You¡¯ve got quick ears.¡± ¡°Just for the record, are you thinking something bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thinking anything weird, but I am thinking something bad.¡± Settsu laughed as he sat down on the couch. I¡¯m not desperate. Seeing his smile, Kitty laughed as well. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. Can I come with you?¡± ¡°Come here?¡± Not a pirate fleet, Settsu asked. ¡°Yeah. Fleet operations don¡¯t really suit me. Reconnaissance would be useful.¡± ¡°Even if you say no¡­¡­, I¡¯m going to follow you.¡± ¡°Hmmm, you can¡¯t leave your henchmen out in the cold.¡± ¡°All right. All right.¡± Settsu complied. A single ship would be able to be quickly contained within the fortress in case of emergency, and in some cases, it would be able to escape. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. So, is the alcohol coming out yet?¡± ¡°Alcohol? ¡°Yes, after a hard day¡¯s work, we have a drink. That¡¯s what pirates do.¡± ¡°Mitski, get her ready.¡± ¡°Understood¡± Mitsuki began to move quickly. ¡°Oh, Mitski, two for you, and one for Set.¡± Kitty didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of releasing Settsu for a while. ¡°I still have things to do, though.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve decided on a plan, you can leave it to Mitsuki. You¡¯ll have to go with me today.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Settsu let out a sigh. He was glad that Kitty had taken the trouble to show up, even though he was the one who needed her company. CH 33 The Independence Defense Fleet, after administering first aid to the damaged ships and consolidating the injured, quickly went into action. First the fleet warped, then the fortress, which took longer to warp in due to its greater mass. We¡¯re already going to different places. Based on their actions alone, it would appear as if the Independent Defense Fleet had fallen out and split up. It was a minor bit of harassment, anticipating that the Federation fleet would surely be scouting the area. The fortress headed straight for the Zelve system, where the Federation forces were using it as a supply depot. They didn¡¯t care if they were spotted by federal reconnaissance; in fact, they wanted to be spotted. Seven days at the fortress¡¯ interstellar warp speed. We have reached the Zelve system. The fortress has warped out to the outer rim of the system. ¡°Warp out complete. The surrounding space is clear.¡± There is no ambush. It¡¯s almost impossible to ambush something that doesn¡¯t know where it¡¯s going to warp to. ¡°We¡¯ve got warp-out signs at close range. Two ships at warp in the system. 20 seconds to warp out.¡± The warp out was on schedule. A few star systems ago, he had Viscount Rich and Kitty scouting for him. Dragoon reconnaissance has an extremely high survivability rate. The Federation had no ships that could match the dragoon in acceleration performance. As long as they didn¡¯t make any mistakes, the Dragoon, which was dedicated to reconnaissance, would not be captured and sunk. ¡°Warp out confirmed. This is Dragoon Relvio. Communication established. Receiving reconnaissance data.¡± Mitsuki proceeded with the work without Setsuko having to say a word. ¡°Enemy status on monitor.¡± A monitor in the control room showed the situation around the supply depot, the enemy¡¯s position. The supply depot was located on the surface of an asteroid. It was a space filled with asteroids of all sizes. The Federals used the crater in the middle of the asteroid, which was about 300 kilometers in diameter and one of the largest asteroids in the world, as a collection point. A large reactor, tanks for storing anti-matter and propellant, and containers were lined up. The Federation fleet was already deployed in the vicinity. ¡°Sixty thousand ships of the Federation fleet. 10,000 of which are believed to be transports.¡± The Federals seemed to have gathered quite a bit of strength here. I think it¡¯s safe to say that the Imperial Fleet has been mostly neglected. It was a drastic decision. A doubt crossed Settsu¡¯s mind, wondering if the Federation fleet already knew about Count Vaile¡¯s death. ¡°As far as I can tell from the combat data so far, the threat level isn¡¯t too high.¡± Mitsuki assured him. It was inevitable that their fleet would not pose a significant threat to the fortress. The Federation¡¯s building philosophy and fleet composition is based on the premise of counter-empire and counter-kingdom. The basic tactic of the Empire and the Kingdom is for the Dragoon cavalry to break through the battle lines of the enemy fleet. The Federation forces that opposed them were built on the idea of dealing with dragoons, i.e., brutal opponents. The Federation forces do not envision a massive, heavily armored enemy like a fortress as an opponent in a fleet battle. ¡°If it¡¯s just the fleet. I think they¡¯re bringing out weapons for the base this time.¡± ¡°Weapons for the base?¡± Mitsuki¡¯s question would be, what¡¯s in it for me? ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Federals have, but the Empire had large-caliber beam cannons and mass warhead cannons to place on their bases.¡± Although he said so, Setsuko did not know the detailed specifications. How many kilometers was the effective range? What was the size of the mass projectile? If we had known these things, we could have predicted the weapons of the federal army to some extent. ¡°I see. It¡¯s a question of how far the Federals are prepared to go. I tried to analyze the surface of the collection point, but I couldn¡¯t identify the guns. We¡¯re running out of data.¡± ¡°Yes. I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be collecting data on this battle.¡± ¡°Thank you. As soon as we have Viscount Lich and Kitty in custody, we¡¯re going to attack the concentration camp. Mitsuki, prepare for warp.¡± Two ships versus 50,000 ships is a problem before a battle. Settsu intended to fight the battle only in the fortress as planned. ¡°Copy that. We¡¯ll have it ready for warp as soon as we get it in.¡± Mitsuki recited. The fortress prepared to warp into the system as soon as the Leruvio and the Glory of the Black and Silver entered port. The warp-out position is directly in front of the Federation fleet. A fair and decisive battle. By defeating the Federation¡¯s preparations from the front, the fortress has proven to be a powerful force in the capture of bases. ¡°We¡¯re currently about 15,000 kilometers from the Federation fleet, and we¡¯ll be in effective range of the fortress¡¯s main cannon in an hour and a half.¡± Settsu nodded. The Federation fleet changed the direction of its fleet formation when it saw the fortress appear, and there was no other major movement. The formation of the Federation fleet was strange at first glance. The battle cruisers were lined up in a diamond shape in formation. The frigates stood diagonally behind them. Gradually, the distance between us grew closer. When Settsu got the coffee ready and started drinking it, the battle began to move. The asteroids, large and small, floating in the vicinity, spewed out jet flames and began to accelerate. Thirty of them. A small object is one kilogram in diameter. A large one is 8 kg in diameter. ¡°Trajectory prediction, final trajectory is unknown due to acceleration, but we expect it to take a collision course with the main fortress.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s report told us that this was prepared by the Federals. CH 34 We¡¯ll just hit the asteroid. It¡¯s as simple as it sounds, but it¡¯s not as easy to move as it sounds. It takes a lot of power to move a large object. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an anti-matter booster. ¡­¡­¡± Settsu predicted. Ordinary spacecraft use electricity to inject propellant. Antimatter is precious. It has to be manufactured in the vicinity of a star, and transported over a long period of time due to the star¡¯s sluggish warp hindrance, and if there is a careless mistake, the ship or the spaceport will blow up. For this reason, antimatter is not normally used to propel spacecraft. Even the amount produced is limited. ¡°How dare you do that to ¡­¡­¡± 30 asteroids. I wonder how much antimatter they are consuming. Only a superpower would be able to conduct such a mass operation. ¡°Sir, how do we handle this?¡± ¡°What are our options?¡± ¡°Honestly, we have no choice. We have no choice but to try to avoid each asteroid by predicting its trajectory change and try to change or destroy the ones that are difficult to avoid.¡± ¡°Can you destroy it?¡± ¡°Just enough to break something small.¡± How the 30 asteroids would move, and how the fortress should move against them, such calculations should be left to Mitsuki. ¡°Understood¡± Keep the response short. According to Mitsuki¡¯s calculations, the fortress began to take evasive action. It changed its orbit and tried to avoid colliding with the asteroid. The asteroid did not change its orbit in response to the movement of the fortress. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯ve already decided how it¡¯s going to work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, sir, there are three things that are difficult to avoid. Permission to attack.¡± ¡°Of course. You may use all means at your disposal.¡± ¡°Copy that. We¡¯ll use anti-matter rounds.¡± Inside the fortress, some of the stored antimatter is transported and injected into the warhead part of the elongated missile. It¡¯s not combat gear. The reason was that if used in battle, the fortress would be severely damaged just by the enemy¡¯s beam attack when fired. The equipment was designed to deal with flying asteroids and other celestial bodies, in other words, for situations like the current one. ¡°Antimatter injection complete. Loading launch tubes. Loading complete. Firing tube open. We¡¯re firing.¡± Five missiles flew into the air, blowing flames. The missile flew just as Mitsuki had set it to, pierced the surface of the asteroid, and exploded. The injected antimatter turned all of its mass into energy, taking the same amount of normal matter with it on its way. The heat rays scorched the asteroid, and the impact ran through the rock and ice that built it up. Of the three asteroids hit by the anti-matter bomb, the smallest one changed its trajectory on impact. The second one cracked and broke into three pieces. The last one did not change its trajectory significantly and continued to fly. ¡°The three shattered objects are targets 1A, 1B, and 1C, and the intact ones are target 2. We will launch the second attack.¡± Five missiles were fired again. The Federation fleet began firing on the missiles. It was farther than the effective distance. It would be fortunate if they could hit it and do something about it. One of the beams struck the missile. However, since the beam was greatly attenuated, the missile only slightly altered its trajectory and continued to fly. The fireball exploded again. Targets 1A, 1B, and 1C were broken into even smaller pieces. Target 2 was now split into two pieces. ¡°Targets 2A and 2B, 2B has deviated from the fortress collision trajectory. Target 2A is the only remaining target. We will launch the third attack.¡± Setsuko continued to watch the situation without interrupting. He left it completely up to Mitsuki to decide how to move the fortress. It was for the best, I thought. ¡°Commence bombardment of the shattered 1A through 1C. Main turret group energy charge complete. Fire at will.¡± The debris was bombarded by the main guns. The debris was further broken into small pieces and vaporized, but the number of pieces was too large. In between the bombardment, a third missile attack was launched. The missile shattered target 2A this time. ¡°Commence firing by sub turret group.¡± Fires were carefully focused on the shrapnel. ¡°We have a final damage estimate, sir. Debris impact is expected to cause damage to one side of the fortress. Damage is expected to extend up to the fifth layer of the outer armor plate. Damage to the shield generator and turret is also expected, reducing the combat capability on one side of the damage to fifty percent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s gotta hurt.¡± ¡°Yes. However, there will be no damage to the fortress structure. I believe that one side on the other side will be sufficient to deal with the enemy fleet.¡± ¡°All right. Then quickly turn the safe side to the enemy fleet.¡± ¡°Copy that. I¡¯ll start the rotation.¡± The fortress began to slowly rotate on its own axis. There was a constant bombardment of debris. The larger fragments were targeted first, and the smaller fragments were shredded so as not to cause too much damage. There were several rounds of artillery fire. ¡°We¡¯re about to collide. Brace for impact.¡± Settsu gripped the armrest of the commander¡¯s seat firmly. A countdown was given on the monitor. Five, four, three, two, one, zero. As soon as the number reached zero, the debris began to crash into the fortress. The shockwave traveled through the interior of the fortress and shook the commander¡¯s office. The vibration lasted for about ten seconds. ¡°Any damage? Settsu asked as soon as the vibrations subsided. ¡°It¡¯s within expectations. Damage reduced to 53% of combat capacity on one side. There¡¯s also been a lot of damage to the armor.¡± It¡¯s a good thing it wasn¡¯t more than I expected. The details of the damage were displayed on the monitor. There were a good number of disabled turrets and shield generators. The damage to the shield generator would be significant. It was best not to take the 53% figure at face value. ¡°We have ten minutes until the end of the half-turn. ¡°We¡¯ll make it.¡± One side of the damage can be done on the back side before the gun battle begins. This won¡¯t be a big problem. It¡¯s time to fight back. CH 35 ¡°The front line of the enemy fleet will soon be in effective range of our main guns.¡± There was the report I had been waiting for. ¡°Saito¡± Settsu dared to command, feeling slightly uplifted. At last. The material trap of a body-attack by an asteroid has been broken through. Now we need to hit the Federation fleet in front of us and destroy the accumulation point behind it. ¡°Roger that. We¡¯re ready to fire the main guns.¡± A situation diagram on the monitor showed the fortress inching closer to the Federation fleet. We¡¯re in range. ¡°Simultaneous fire.¡± ¡°Understood¡± The fortress main turret group fired a beam. The beam released flew through the air at sublight speed and extended towards the Federation fleet. But. A large explosion occurred in the seemingly empty space that the beam was about to pass through. The energy released by the explosion interfered with the beam, blocking its path. Many of the beams were caught and less than a third of them made it to the Federation fleet. Even in that third, much of it had been dampened, and the damage to the Federation fleet was minimal. ¡°I¡¯ll examine the cause. Please wait a moment.¡± Mitsuki hurriedly tried to determine the cause of the problem. The conclusion came quickly. ¡°It¡¯s a mine. From the observation data, it appears to be a mixture of antimatter and beam disruptor particles. There are many of them in front of the Federation fleet, tens of thousands of them, though they are too small to get a good reading.¡± ¡°Tens of Thousands¡± Again, a mass operation. ¡°I hate superpowers.¡± Settsu couldn¡¯t help but murmur. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re getting a frontal assault.¡± Just then, a bombardment from the Federation fleet shook the fortress. It¡¯s a barrage with enough offensive power to penetrate the defensive shields. It¡¯s not coming from a warship. ¡°Minor damage. Armor can handle it.¡± ¡°Where did the attack come from?¡± ¡°From the asteroid where the supply depot is. We¡¯ve identified the firing point.¡± ¡°We¡¯re being blocked by mines. ¡­¡­¡± This was probably because they had data on where the mines were placed and what trajectory they were taking. ¡°Do you think we can clear the mines?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a gunshot, if we have time.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Setsuko felt that the pace of the battle was being controlled by the Federals. He had expected this to some extent, since they would be jumping into a place where they would be prepared for anything, but it was as expected. We¡¯re not going to let them do what they¡¯re good at, bombardment. The only card Settsu has, after all, is artillery fire. A single dragoon and a single pirate ship is nothing in a fleet battle. ¡°Energy signature behind us. Incoming artillery fire.¡± Then, a new beam came from behind the fortress. There was an ambush. The fortress took a bigger hit than before. The back of the fortress was weakened by the asteroid debris that had hit it earlier. ¡°How many are back there?¡± ¡°Thirty thousand ships. We think they were mixed in with the asteroid.¡± There¡¯s 50,000 in front, for a total of 80,000. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± The numbers don¡¯t add up. You can¡¯t possibly gather that kind of strength here. ¡°What¡¯s the configuration?¡± ¡°Most of them appear to be battleships, but we¡¯ve observed some large diameter beams that we haven¡¯t seen in previous data.¡± Is it a beam cannon for use against bases? It seemed that the Federation was bringing out anything and everything that might be effective against the fortress. ¡°We¡¯ll fight back.¡± ¡°Understood¡± The rear main turret took aim at the ambush fleet and fired a beam. This one was not hampered by mines. Even though the number of available turrets had been reduced, they still seemed to have caused some damage. The ambush fleet returned fire. The impact shook the fortress. To Settsu, who was in the command center, it felt like an earth tremor. ¡°They¡¯re targeting the damaged areas. Some of the external armor has been breached in all layers.¡± Bad news. Even if we try to rotate the fortress, there are large caliber guns of the accumulation center in front of us. No, it would still be better to rotate it and repel the ambush fleet. It is not necessarily the end of the Federation¡¯s countermeasures against fortresses with mines. It would be better to repel the ambushers first and ensure their safety. The options went round and round in Settsu¡¯s head. ¡°Mitski, can we defeat the enemy fleet behind us at this rate?¡± To get a better idea of what to expect, Settsu asked Mitsuki about the results of the simulation. ¡°I assume from the results that you¡¯ve just seen that it¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°What if I flip it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. We can expect some damage from a frontal assault, but we can repel it before it does any serious damage.¡± Okay, that¡¯s a reversal. Settsu decided. Just as I was about to tell Mitsuki about it. ¡°Warp out signs. The Federation fleet behind us is heading for the zenith.¡± The situation moved again. ¡°What¡¯s the number?¡± ¡°Fifteen hundred ships. Estimated to be frigate class based on the scale of the warning. Warping out.¡± Could it be a federal frigate? ¡°Data cross-referenced, identified. Pirate fleet.¡± ¡°What?¡± Settsu was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected appearance. ¡°Do you want to stay with us?¡± ¡°Pirate fleet.¡± Of course, Mitsuki was unfazed even in this situation. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him? I just got the message.¡± Vee¡¯s image appeared on the monitor in the command center. ¡°Hello, Set. I hope you¡¯re surprised.¡± He has a bad smile on his face. It was a hateful, happy smile. ¡°Vee, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why, we¡¯re pirates. Of course we¡¯re here to push mercenaries.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking.¡± Trade destruction in the vicinity. Isn¡¯t that what you were talking about? ¡°That¡¯s an entirely unlike you question. Did you really think that pirates would behave as reason dictates, after having the irrationality of Kitty so close at hand? ¡°Ha, ha.¡± I started to laugh. ¡°We couldn¡¯t stand to be outdone by the Federation fleet, either. We¡¯re here to slap them on the side. Now, let me ask you, if we were to enter the fray right now, what would be our reward?¡± It¡¯s a terrible sales pitch. In this situation, I had no choice but to buy. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a full restoration and refit of your ship, and I¡¯ll turn your sunk ship into a new one.¡± ¡°Can you put on a big party for me, too?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days and three nights of all-you-can-drink-and-eat.¡± ¡°All right, sold! You hear that, boys? If we take enough damage to get out in time and win, we¡¯ll be rich!¡± Vee raised his spirits and cut the transmission. The pirate fleet is heading towards the ambush fleet at full speed. The ambush fleet hurriedly began to move to form up against the pirate fleet. ¡°Sir, this time it¡¯s the irrationalist we¡¯re talking about.¡± Before Settsu could say anything, the communication was connected to the Glory of Black Silver inside the fortress. ¡°Set, can we go out and take them out too?¡± ¡°Oh, you heard me, head.¡± ¡°Of course. Aside from the modifications, we¡¯d be doing ourselves a huge disservice if we didn¡¯t participate in the three-day, three-night extravaganza.¡± ¡°All right. Please go. Good luck.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll let you take care of the back, so you can get on with your job. Come on you guys, let¡¯s show those fleet-footed soft pirates what a lone wolf can do!¡± I heard a cheer go up on the bridge of the Black and Silver Glory. Communication was lost. ¡°Where do we start next?¡± Settsu asked half-jokingly. ¡°It¡¯s Viscount Rich.¡± There really was another one. ¡°This is a telegram. If you are hiding in a safe place before the battle, you will lose your noble name. In order to repay you for your righteousness, I will help you. In addition, I will attend the grand banquet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± They can do whatever they want. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant. It felt so good that I was jealous. ¡°Well, sir. What shall we do?¡± Mitsuki asked. ¡°The one behind us is a battle cruiser. I think we can manage, but what do you think?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In the long run, though, we¡¯ll be more than evenly matched for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the back to them then. Let¡¯s get rid of the front as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Understood¡± Even so, there are still mines in front of us. What are we going to do? Settsu had already made up his mind. ¡°I was going to hold off on using it so as not to give away any information, but Mitski, let¡¯s use it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll use the thing.¡± Mitsuki responded with the ¡°thing¡± so matter-of-factly that Settsu felt a little uneasy. ¡°¡­¡­ You know what I¡¯m talking about, right?¡± ¡°Of course, the V¡¯Lasskyrv fortress will now begin to transform.¡±, she said. CH 36 The fortress is cracking. The first Federation soldier who witnessed the scene thought at first that he had won. They thought it had been hit by a large-caliber beam cannon and collapsed from the inside. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that this was apparently not the case. Indeed, the fortress is cracked. However, the cracks were symmetrical, up and down, left and right, and were not accompanied by any explosions, and the broken parts were clearly in controlled motion. The fortress, which appeared to be perfectly spherical, shifted to an elongated, flattened shape. From a sphere to a flattened cone. If a sphere is an omnidirectional shape, then a cone is a specialized shape for the front side. The external armor plate from the spherical form was used as the exterior as it was, and most of the turrets that had been installed spread their wings wide enough to attack the front. General Sarcou, who was positioned with his back to the supply depot, knew almost exactly what the shape change was about. ¡°Spread out the fleet to maximize the effectiveness of the mine defenses.¡± The order was given. The general staff under Sarko embodied the orders and passed them on to lower level commanders. The Federation¡¯s main force is the Reise fleet, which is behind the fortress. The Sarcophagus fleet at the front is only a role to deceive the fortress by padding the fleet numbers with dummy balloons, and to succeed in a surprise attack from behind. After that, mines were used to prevent the fortress from being approached and overrun, and the Reise fleet aimed to destroy or neutralize the fortress before the depot was destroyed. Sarko¡¯s order to disperse was in line with that basic policy. It¡¯s not wrong. But it¡¯s not the right answer either. The fact that the federal troops had begun to disperse was immediately conveyed to Settsu in the command center of the fortress. Regardless of how the fleet moved, it no longer mattered much to Settsu. ¡°Transformation complete.¡± The transformation of the fortress is complete. It is an assault form that can concentrate its attack on the front. Compared to the spherical shape, it almost doubles the power of frontal gunfire. But one more thing. There is another weapon that can only be used in this form. ¡°Mitski, prepare to fire the doomsday gun.¡± ¡°Copy that. We are preparing to attack with the Doomsday Gun, Levatein, the Flame of Dusk Surt. We¡¯ve set our sights on the Federation supply depot.¡± As usual, Mitsuki proceeded with the preparations. No matter what kind of destruction it would bring, for Mitsuki, it was something she could proceed with without hesitation. ¡°Burst time calculated based on distance to sighting point. Adjust the mass of the degenerate core. Antimatter and fusion reactors to maximum power.¡± What kind of preparations they are making, the specifics are unknown to Setsu. What kind of black hole is said to be in the degenerate core? What does mass adjustment mean and why do we do it now? No Sett, or perhaps anyone else in the current human universe, had the knowledge of physics to understand. ¡°Mass adjustment complete in one minute. Open the gun ports. Activate the shell acceleration and body protection mechanisms. Final launch preparations are complete.¡± The way it works is simple. The black hole in the degenerate core is turned into a cannonball and shot straight out at the enemy. The only thing I knew was the result it would bring, having seen the video of the test firing. If you shoot this, the battle is over. Hence the doomsday gun. The tip of the fortress split in two, opening a path for the shell black hole to fire from the center of the fortress. ¡°Full release of gun ports confirmed. Mass adjustment complete. Retractor opening. All attack preparations complete.¡± ¡°Fire.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯m firing the Levatein, the Flame of Dusk Surt.¡± The trigger was pulled. The black hole in the center of the degenerate reactor was accelerated and flew out of the opened degenerate reactor. The shell black hole flew towards the target point, adding more acceleration as it passed through the chasm that had opened up for the shell black hole. The cannonball black hole glowed with super-heated heat. Black holes give off heat in proportion to their mass. The phenomenon used to be known as Hawking radiation. The smaller the mass of the black hole, the greater the amount of heat released, and the more heat the black hole releases, the less mass it loses. In other words, a black hole that has lost mass releases even more heat to further reduce its mass, and finally evaporates, radiating enormous heat and the light it produces. The black hole cannot escape even light and does not reflect any light, but just before it evaporates, it glows explosively due to the heat it releases. Earth Federation scholars had predicted that at the end of the universe, countless black holes with galaxy-sized masses would swallow everything and then evaporate as if to burn the universe to the ground, leaving nothing behind. This is the final flame of the end of the universe. The trump card of the Vara Skirve fortress, the Levatein Flame of the Dusk of Surt, attacked through the heat radiation generated when the black hole evaporated. Cut off from the continuous supply of mass by the degenerate reactor, the cannonball black hole flew through space with decreasing mass, and the amount of heat it released increased at an accelerating rate as time passed. Entering a minefield does not stop a shell black hole. The enormous amount of heat released by the shell black hole melted the mines, and the antimatter in the mines exploded due to annihilation. The flashes of the mines that induced the explosions colored the airspace. It swallowed up the beam disruptor particles, the energy from the antimatter annihilation, the mass of the mines themselves, and everything else, and the shining black hole went straight ahead with even more brilliance. The shell black hole broke through the minefield and shifted the target of the overrun to the Federation fleet. At the center of the ship, in close contact with the shell black hole, the ship was instantly vaporized. General Sarko was unfortunately in the center of the fleet. Before he could comprehend what had happened, his flagship was vaporized and turned into plasma. The ship that was a little farther away than that, its hull melted and exploded due to the annihilation of the antimatter it was carrying. Farther than that, even the lucky ones on the outermost edge of the ship had their exteriors melted and all their armaments rendered unusable. The cannonball black hole now shines more brightly than a star. It twisted everything in its path with overwhelming heat and light, and landed on the asteroid where the supply depot was located. The cannonball black hole evaporated with a final burst of brilliance. This was also observed by the Federation and Pirate fleets that were engaged in a melee behind the fortress. After the cannonball black hole evaporated, the universe regained its calm as if nothing had happened. ¡°What¡¯s ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± Rayse was stunned in the command center. The asteroid where the supply depot was located had disappeared. The Federation fleet in front of it would have suffered irreversible damage. We do not need to observe and measure the details of the damage. It is a devastating blow. The battle against the pirate fleet had stopped. The ships of both camps had ceased their attacks and were drifting in the air. I guess we all share the same sense of confusion about what happened. What would happen if that thing was pointed at us? No, I¡¯m not going to shoot it because I have allies. More importantly, this is the battlefield. As long as we lost the supply depot, the federal army is defeated. ¡°¡­retreat!¡± His duties as a commander prompted Leyse to make an immediate decision. At the same time, Settsu was also stunned in the commander¡¯s office. Even though they had expected considerable damage, it was more than they had anticipated. The asteroid and two-thirds of the Federation fleet in front of it were gone. The rest had lost their ability to continue the fight. Even the fortress we shot from is not intact. The damage to the exterior was so severe that many of the turrets were rated unusable. The degenerate reactors that released the core itself are of course still shut down. We need to start the restart process. ¡°The Federation fleet is in retreat, sir.¡± Mitsuki was the only one who maintained her composure. For her, this result was rather natural. ¡°The pirate fleet will not pursue.¡± ¡°Yes. Mitsuki, turn the fortress back into a sphere.¡± As long as the Federation fleet is retreating, the battle is over. This marks the end of the first chapter: The Count Prince Becomes a Pirate. Next up the the second chapter: The Flames of Empire CH 37 The Federation forces lost their front-line supply depot and their operational commander along with many of their ships. We are not in a position to continue the operation. Considering the presence of not only the fortress but also the fleets of the independent nations and the imperial fleet, the situation was no longer in the Federation¡¯s favor. Reyze gathered the remaining fleet and proceeded to retreat into Federation territory in an orderly fashion, not allowing a full-scale pursuit. As the Federation forces withdrew, the Imperial forces also pulled out. The Imperial Army also suffered the loss of their general, Count Vayer. It was truly a painful split. Even though the federal troops had withdrawn, the remaining countries did not immediately regain their peace. With the withdrawal of the federal troops, the independent nations of the Federation faction had lost their standing and were facing heavy criticism from the people, jeopardizing the foundation of their government. Even the nations that had been occupied after resistance suffered devastating damage to their spaceports and other facilities, and it was expected to take a considerable amount of time to recover. The pirates should have a big party to celebrate their victory. However, Settsu was not given the time to enjoy such a thing. Even though Mitsuki was in charge of repairing the fortress, there was still a lot of nerve-wracking work to be done: negotiating the order of repair for the damaged ships, seeing off the Imperial Fleet, and negotiating with the independent countries that had joined the fleet. As soon as they had settled down, emissaries from independent countries began to arrive one after another. ¡°Please take care of my country. ¡­¡­¡± The Settlers hold the greatest military power in the independent nations today. As if there is nothing wrong with asking for a good mood, a messenger from some unknown country bowed respectfully and left the commander¡¯s office. After leaving and watching the door close, Settsu sighed loudly. ¡°That was awful. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Mitsuki¡¯s response always kept her calm. ¡°I¡¯m offering you a hundred beautiful women. What do they think I am?¡± I politely declined, of course. ¡°Maybe you should have kept it.¡± ¡°Aha, Mitski, what do you think would happen to me if I did that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have to deal with him, so I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Kitty will stab me just to get it.¡± ¡°It hadn¡¯t occurred to me that it was a possibility. But since you¡¯re not married, it¡¯s not a problem, is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Setsuko smiled. Mitsuki has this tendency to divide things into black and white. ¡°So, what now?¡± ¡°Next is a messenger from the imperialist countries. The messengers are not of official status, but pirates.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the pattern.¡± Settsu gave a small nod. The envoys sent by independent countries were often diplomatic officials or nobles, but sometimes they were pirates under contract to the country. When there was a domestic situation that made it difficult to make official contact with the Settlers, they would unofficially send a pirate with a document to act as their emissary. It was a kind of unspoken diplomacy. ¡°Let me through.¡± Settsu said, and a moment later the door to the office opened. A man and a woman walked in. The large but cautious-looking man walks ahead, and the woman wearing sunglasses follows half a step behind him. They walked up to the desk where Settsu was sitting, and the man bowed lightly and bobbed his head in a salute that was straight out of an Imperial court etiquette textbook. ¡°I am the captain of the pirate ship, the Dawn Cannon, Pruktoa-Vernante. This is my second-in-command, Maia.¡± The woman also performed a perfect salute. ¡°My name is Maia Rayville, sir.¡± Settsu felt uncomfortable. It didn¡¯t seem like the behavior of a pirate captain and vice captain. It¡¯s not surprising that there are people who have learned the imperial style of etiquette in the imperialist countries, but it¡¯s normal for them to be a little awkward because it¡¯s not something that they¡¯re familiar with. However, the two of them behaved naturally, as if they had been born into the imperial aristocracy. They were pirates, after all. Settsu also stood up and replied. ¡°I am Sett-Veiel, commander of the Varaskirv Fortress. Welcome all the way.¡± The language was fluent and imperial. ¡°No. It¡¯s only natural, since you have important business to attend to.¡± Settsu sat back in his seat. Get to the point as quickly as possible. ¡°I¡¯m here today because I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I thought he was going to send a letter of intent, but I guess not. ¡°I¡¯d like you to keep this Maia here for a while.¡± Setsueto looked at Vice Captain Revel¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t see her eyes through the sunglasses, so he couldn¡¯t read her emotions. ¡°¡­¡­ Why?¡± It reminded Setsu of his earlier offer of a hundred beautiful women, and he was reluctant to do anything about it. ¡°As a token of our friendship and as an unofficial ambassador.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean?¡± The whole language is just strange to me. It¡¯s strange that a pirate who has just signed a contract with an independent country should be called ¡°our country,¡± ¡°a token of friendship,¡± and ¡°an unofficial ambassador.¡± Captain Vernante looked clearly troubled. He looked as if he was at a loss as to how to explain himself. A moment of silence passed. ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± It was Revel who opened her mouth. It was not a word that a vice captain would use against a captain. ¡°And¡± Captain Vernante responded briefly and took two steps back. Instead, Revel stepped forward. ¡°I apologize for visiting you under cover of face and name, my lord.¡± Settsu nodded. It looks like she¡¯s going to give us the seed. Revel took off her sunglasses. In the back were bright purple eyes. Revel then ran her hand over her head and took a lock of her hair. It was a wig. Underneath it was neatly cropped chestnut hair. Settsu had to work pretty hard not to show his surprise. It¡¯s a familiar face. Of course, we¡¯ve never spoken. I¡¯ve never even met her in person. However, there is no one who is not a member of the imperial nobility. Revel made a perfect bow again. There is no such thing as a vice captain of a pirate ship there. Meiria-Suirizi-Quarq, First Imperial Princess of the Empire. Setsueto also stood up and bowed to her more politely than before. ¡°Your Highness. I am honored that you have come all the way to such a remote place.¡± For the moment, Settsu bought himself time to think with a formal greeting. I came here under the pretense of being a pirate so that no one would find out about me. There is always an ulterior motive for this. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s a princess of the empire who has to move in secret. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I startled you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something going on. I am not prepared to receive Your Highness, but please have a seat.¡± Settsu led Meilia to a reception set in a corner of the office. ¡°He¡¯s the captain, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I am the captain of the pirate ship Cannon of Dawn, no lie. I happen to belong to an unofficial department of the Empire.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I could see some of the situation. Setsueto and Meilia sat down on the sofa and faced each other. ¡°So, Your Highness. May I ask again what kind of business you wish to discuss with me?¡± ¡°As I was saying, would you mind keeping me here for a while?¡± Meilia smiled. ¡°What reason would that be?¡± Settsu smiled back at her. Depending on the reason, he could be a pestilence. ¡°My father wishes to establish friendly relations with the Fortress of Varaskilv and its commander, Lord Setsueto-Vayer.¡± As an imperial princess, Meilia¡¯s father was none other than the emperor. ¡°To fight the combined forces of the Federation and the Kingdom.¡± ¡°Yes. But there was one problem. While the fortress commander seems to be siding with the Empire for the time being, what will happen in the future is too uncertain. If we were a nation, our actions would be bound by ideals and the will of the people, but that is not the case with the Commander-in-Chief.¡± I thought Settsu was very clear about what he was saying. It¡¯s not wrong in fact, but it¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s telling her to her face that she might betray him and become his enemy in the future. This princess does not seem to have any trouble with her courage. ¡°That¡¯s where I come in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the connection between not knowing what I will do in the future and Her Highness being here. ¡­¡­¡± Settsu blurted out. ¡°There are several possibilities that come to mind, are there not?¡± Meilia then looked at Settsu¡¯s complexion for a moment before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s the simplest of them all. I¡¯m here to find out what kind of man Setsueto-Vaile is.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Not for long, sir. There will probably be a legitimate messenger from the Empire in about ten days. This messenger wants to invite you to Count Vaile¡¯s funeral and the ceremonies related to the succession to the throne. If His Excellency agrees to it, I will return to the Imperial City with him.¡± ¡°Funeral and succession?¡± ¡°A pretext, of course. The Empire would like to take this opportunity to negotiate and conclude an alliance with the fortress.¡± CH 38 ¡°Negotiating and forming alliances, yeah.¡± Settsu chewed on Meilia¡¯s words. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be possible without me going to the Imperial City?¡± ¡°If we were only to form an alliance, that would be sufficient, of course. Like the Federation and the Kingdom. However, I believe there is much more to be gained by having you come to the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Setsuo asked, thinking that there would be a reason why Setsuo would want to go to the Imperial City. ¡°There are rumors that Count Vayel¡¯s death was caused by an attack from an ally.¡± ¡°Rumor?¡± I don¡¯t think they are really talking about it as a rumor. It must be that they are just talking about it as a rumor. Settsu doesn¡¯t have enough information to determine what the facts are. I wonder if the imperial army has anything to go on. ¡°Yes. If it is true, it means that there is a traitor in the imperial army. If I were to guess their aim, they would want to avoid strengthening the relationship between the Empire and the fortress. I believe that His Excellency could lure them by daring to come to the Imperial City and make an appeal.¡± ¡°I see. What if I still don¡¯t want to go to the Imperial City?¡± ¡°Do what you want. I¡¯m not going to force you to do anything. I¡¯ll just have to go back to the Imperial City alone and lonely.¡± Meilia said plainly. I might as well take this one, Setsu thought. I am no longer interested in the title. But at this point, it is important to keep close ties with the Empire, and I feel that I cannot leave my father¡¯s death behind. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s think about going.¡± The Imperial City is a tiger pit. We have to carefully consider how to ensure its safety. ¡°I was hoping you would say that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot that won¡¯t work without me, so I¡¯ll give you a formal answer later.¡± ¡°You can give your answer to the proper messenger. I¡¯m just here to give you a message and see who you are.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a role to play in convincing me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it didn¡¯t happen at all, but if I had to say no, I would have just concluded that¡¯s who he was. Oh, and there is one other point about the terms of the alliance that I am authorized to make.¡± ¡°Just one point? ¡°Alliances are traditionally formed in marriage.¡± ¡°Marriage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a formality that is out of place in this day and age, and this is only if you want me to.¡± He felt like he had been taken by surprise from a ridiculous direction. Settsu decided to let this surprise attack pass. There¡¯s no need to be seriously swayed by something you don¡¯t even know how serious it is. ¡°Your Highness, please stop teasing me. The trust that can only be secured by marriage is too prehistoric.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Meilia nodded, her expression smiling, but I couldn¡¯t tell how serious she was. ¡°Then stay here at your leisure until the messenger arrives. Mitsuki, please prepare a room for Her Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Settsu saw Meilia and the captain off outside the office. From there, he left it to Mitsuki and her army of androids to guide them. He went back to his desk, sat down, and rested his back against it. ¡°Mitsuki.¡± When I called out, the communication screen opened and Mitsuki appeared. ¡°Am I right in assuming it¡¯s real?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve cross-checked the data with everything I know beforehand, and I¡¯m 99% sure it¡¯s the First Imperial Princess herself.¡± ¡°Yes. Any news on the captain¡¯s end?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t within our knowledge. We¡¯re requesting confirmation from Glorious Fleet.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± What should I do now? Setsu decided to think about it for a while. What would be his goal? This is a person I can¡¯t trust, as they say. Three days later, Setsuko and Mitsuki visited a man named Norad-Schwein. He was originally a member of the army of an independent imperialist country. The Valentien Republic, a nation located close to the Federation territory, was ready to fight against the invading Federation forces. Schvein took part in the battle as a squadron commander of the Valentien Republic fleet. The Valentien Republic fleet boldly challenged the Federation fleet, which was several times the size of the Valentien Republic fleet, and was defeated. As the most senior commander of the surviving squadron, Schweben returned to his home planet with a group of defeated soldiers, but what awaited him was a heartbreaking reality. The Republic¡¯s top brass and high-ranking officials who had ordered the fleet to sail had all fled the country. Not only that, but the opposition leader who had been calling for unconditional surrender had become the acting president, and he was preparing an order to cut the fleet loose. According to him. [The Republic Fleet is a traitor who was so overconfident in its own strength that it decided to fight on its own and was even defeated. You must be executed immediately.] The fleet was flooded with soldiers who wanted to take them into custody. There was no one who would accept the execution graciously. However, they could not fight against their homeland. The defeated fleet was forced to flee their home planet without being able to resupply. The fleet was on the verge of meeting up with the fortress after their escape, and now they were here. Even now that the Federation forces had withdrawn, they seemed to have no intention of returning to their homeland. ¡°I would have come to you if you had asked me to.¡± As he greeted Settsu, Schwein showed Settsu the courtesy of a superior officer. There are a few others like Schwein who have left their homeland to join the fortress, but Setsuko thinks that he may be the only one who has taken the stance of obeying Setsuko without any implication. ¡°It¡¯s outrageous that you would call the Commander.¡± Settsu called Shvein by his title as a term of respect. As an elder, Settsu does not lose respect for Shvein. He knows very well that underneath the surface there is the slander of a child who has acquired the powerful toy of a fortress and is getting carried away. ¡°As a self-proclaimed garrison fleet, it¡¯s only natural that we come to you when you call us.¡± Schwein and the rest of the breakaway fleet are currently working to become a fortress garrison fleet. They are not pirates, and they are not a national army, but they are trying to create their own status. The Settos do not allow the garrison fleet to be called by that name at the moment. This is the reason why Schwein uses the term ¡°self¡±. One of the reasons Setsu visited us was that if we called on him, he might think we were one step closer to becoming a ¡°garrison fleet¡±. The other reason is more serious, though. Setsueto and Shvein sat down on the sofa facing each other and quickly got down to business. ¡°Actually, I have a favor to ask the Commander.¡± ¡°Anything I can do to help.¡± Schwein nodded like a hawk. ¡°I would like you to be the acting fortress commander.¡± The first thing that came to Schweben¡¯s face was doubt and confusion. ¡°Deputy, you say?¡± ¡°In about ten days, I will leave the fortress and head for the Imperial City. The time until I return will be around two months. In the meantime, I would like you to take care of the fortress.¡± Shvein crossed his arms thoughtfully. After collecting his thoughts for a moment, he opened his mouth again. ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Are there any limitations on the authority of the acting fortress commander?¡± ¡°Some prohibitions will be enforced. And one more thing, the fortress will reject the order only if the two representatives of the nations¡¯ fleet and the pirate fleet are in agreement.¡± ¡°By two, do you mean Admiral Vetsia and Admiral Glorius?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± They were the two people in their respective forces whom Setsueto trusted the most. Schwein also seemed to have a firm grasp of the situation. ¡°I understand. So, why me?¡± That question had been expected. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have many allies.¡± Settsu replied straightforwardly. Schweyn¡¯s gaze became entwined with mine as he tried to figure out the truth behind it. ¡°¡­¡­ ally, are you low?¡± ¡°Not many.¡± Settsu affirmed. ¡°Do I count as one of your allies?¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t count you right now. But I¡¯m planning on doing so.¡± ¡°You¡¯re honest.¡± ¡°You will not gain any allies if you are not honest. ¡°Well. So that¡¯s your way of getting by.¡± For the first time, Schweben¡¯s mask of a calm commander came off a little. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much of a skill. But I think honesty is the beginning of trust.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right, too. I see what you mean. One last thing, if I may?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°How much does it pay?¡± Shvein made a circle with the fingers of his right hand. ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. The position of Acting Commander of the Space Fortress did not exist in my original country, but considering that it was the Acting Commander of the Fleet, the Lieutenant General was in charge of it. Therefore, I would like to receive 1.3 million Imperial dollars per month as the equivalent of the Lieutenant General¡¯s salary.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Settsu accepted the offer with two words. The fortress currently has a good amount of reserves, as it rents out sections of the outer spaceport to stores for rent. While there are things coming in, there are not many things going out. ¡°Thank you. Although I am not strong enough, I will serve as acting commander.¡± ¡°Thank you, Commander. Now, may I have a quick word with you?¡± Shvein chuckled. ¡°What is it? What is it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mitski, explain the situation.¡± Mitsuki, who had been waiting behind Settsu, opened her mouth. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll explain it to you. Exactly three hours and sixteen minutes ago, an incident occurred.¡± It was a wasteful choice of words for Mitsuki. ¡°What¡¯s the case?¡± ¡°Her Imperial Highness Meilia-Suirezi-Quirk, the First Imperial Princess of the Empire, who was staying in our fortress, was kidnapped along with her small ship while traveling in the vicinity of the fortress.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ royal daughter? Abduction?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s the case of the abduction of the princess.¡± ¡°No, no, wait a minute.¡± Shvain is fuming. The surprise attack was successful. Settsu smiled inwardly. He was annoyed by the fact that they came at him under the guise of a garrison fleet, so this kind of counterattack was fine. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting.¡± Mitsuki cut Schvein off quickly and continued her explanation. ¡°The kidnappers have now left the main system at warp. The pirates are being pursued by the Dawn Cannon and several other ships belonging to the Imperial Unofficial Operations Unit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in pursuit of them shortly. In the meantime, please take care of the fortress.¡± ¡°What, out of the blue?¡± ¡°Mitski will give you the necessary explanation about the fortress. I¡¯m going to go now, as every second counts. Mitsuki, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Settsu got up from the couch. ¡°You¡¯re in charge.¡± Shvain¡¯s mind still hadn¡¯t caught up with the situation. He watched Settsu walk out of the room with a blank stare. ¡°¡­¡­ Can I take this as a sign of hope and trust?¡± Shvain was left behind. ¡°Herr Schwein.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Schvein straightened up when Mitsuki called him. What¡¯s next? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready for this. ¡°Rest assured there are no matters that require the Deputy Commander¡¯s judgment at this time.¡± ¡°That was very, very good.¡± Schweben patted his chest and called his secretary who was waiting in another room. First, he thought, he would have a cup of tea to calm his mind. TN: Sometimes I laugh at how poorly edited these chapters are. Then I cry at how long it would take to properly edit them. No regrets! CH 39 One of the facilities installed in the fortress external spaceport is a naval launch facility. The equipment is designed to give the departing ship a high initial speed, combining two rails with a tractor beam and a gravity control device to provide a super acceleration that the ship¡¯s own propulsion system cannot provide. The Dragoon class destroyer was on its launch pad. It was a reconstruction of the appearance of the lost Dragoon. It was made based on Setsuko¡¯s memory, so he wasn¡¯t sure how much of it was the same as the real thing, but as far as he could tell, it was almost identical. Setsuko climbed into the pilot¡¯s seat of the Dire Vaid II and sank into the seat. The pilot¡¯s seat is equipped with a connection crystal, but Setsuo can¡¯t handle it, so he didn¡¯t even touch it. In the co-pilot¡¯s seat sat an android with the same face as Mitsuki. She had her hair styled in twin tails so that she could be distinguished from Mitsuki. Her name is Satsuki. ¡°Satsuki, are you ready?¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready to go.!¡± A cheerful voice came back. The voice should be the same as Mitsuki¡¯s, but the tone was different and the impression was quite different. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Clear course and execute launch sequence. Launcher energy good, gravity control good, tractor beam good. Condition all green. Firing in ten seconds.¡± The countdown goes on. ¡°Launch in three, two, one, fire.¡± The Dia-Vide II began to slide with acceleration. The passengers could only feel a faint acceleration. This was the result of gravity control. It took only five seconds to run between the rails of the one-kilometer launcher, and the Direwild II leapt into the void. ¡°Firing complete. We¡¯ve shifted to full acceleration by the main propulsion system. We¡¯ll go to warp as soon as we¡¯re out of the warp blockage zone.¡± ¡°Thank you. So, how are the results of your investigation coming along?¡± An investigation is an investigation into a kidnapping. ¡°The kidnappers are from the Glorious Fleet. The kidnapper is a pirate ship belonging to the Glorious Fleet called the Honeymoon of the Void, captained by a man named Roussette Quark.¡± ¡°Glorious Fleet?¡± The Glorious Fleet is a fleet made up entirely of Vee¡¯s old subordinates. Why would that be the case for a kidnapping? ¡°There is no unusual activity on the other ships in the Glorious Fleet as of yet. From the transmissions that have been going around, it seems that some of the more intuitive captains have noticed something unusual, but there hasn¡¯t been any commotion, and the crew seems to be playing as usual.¡± ¡°You mean a single ship gone wild? What¡¯s Vee been up to lately?¡± ¡°Admiral Glorious has been out of the system for five days.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a little hard to judge.¡± Even if he is not here, he can still give instructions. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the kind of man who would betray us, but it may be too early to judge. ¡°Was there anyone who knew or noticed that Her Highness was there?¡± ¡°His Highness¡¯s visit was only shared with Her Highness, Sister Mitsuki and the rest of the fortress management AI within our military, so there can be no leak. Her Highness didn¡¯t move around much, and she never took off her disguise outside of her room.¡± ¡°Could be from the Dawn Cannon side, or the Empire itself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny it, sir. We¡¯ve been monitoring all conversations within the outer spaceport and communications within the system, but we haven¡¯t found any relevant conversations or communications.¡± ¡°I mean, it turns out I don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. However, the Honeymoon in the Void had all its crew on board four hours before the kidnapping took place.¡± It seems certain that it was planned. ¡°Is it possible that you kidnapped her without knowing she was Her Highness?¡± ¡°I can neither confirm nor deny.¡± In other words, there is no information to judge. ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Settsu crossed his arms. Captain Vernante of the Dawn Cannon was also on board with Meilia, so the Dawn Cannon made it a point to rescue the captain. In addition to the Cannon of Dawn, the Glory of Black Silver and three other pirate ships selected by Kitty are in pursuit of the Honeymoon in the Void. ¡°What a nuisance to come in here and get kidnapped, Your Highness.¡± ¡°According to the lore of the Earth Federation, people with the status of princesses and princesses were often kidnapped, so I guess you could say she¡¯ s fulfilling her role.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ What¡¯s with the nasty lore?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s a set of a kidnapped princess and a knight or hero who rescues her.¡± ¡°Is that my role?¡± ¡°It will be.¡± Settsu sighed at Satsuki¡¯s reply. ¡°Satsuki, that¡¯s not a funny joke.¡± The small boat that was kidnapped had two people on it, Meilia and Vernante. They had been kidnapped as they left the fortress in a small boat to transfer to a ship to share and review what they had seen and heard over the past three days. The ¡°Honeymoon in the Sky¡± approached the small boat at a speed fast enough not to accidentally hit it, and fired a sticky Trimochi round at it. It then attached the small boat to the hull of its own ship. Vernante called out over the comms, but there was no response from the Honeymoon in the Sky. The Honeymoon in the Sky warped in and out with a small boat attached to its hull. It was only after they had traveled through interstellar space at warp that they were able to talk to each other. Finally, there was a response to their transmission. ¡°Is Her Highness Meilia there?¡± Captain Quark of the Honeymoon in the Sky asked me that first. ¡°What are you talking about, Captain?¡± Vernante tried to play it off, but Captain Quark gave him a look that said he knew. ¡°I¡¯ve got information. I know you¡¯ve been using aliases like Maia-Revel.¡± ¡°Well, if you know, there¡¯s no point in hiding it.¡± Meilia decided to admit it. She removed her sunglasses and wig and faced Captain Quark on the communications screen. ¡°Oh, my God. It¡¯s really Her Imperial Highness!¡± Captain Quark showed his surprise at the bar. ¡°No need to act all white. Who seduced you into doing this?¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha. I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± Quack is the only one who doesn¡¯t realize that being seduced is an admitted word. ¡°Oh my. Isn¡¯t this the place where you¡¯re going to teach me a lesson?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to give him a souvenir. The pursuers were quicker than I expected, and my plans went very wrong.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°There are a lot of people who want her, and it¡¯s better to pay for her than to kill her.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s scary.¡± Meilia covered her mouth with her hand and showed it. This is also a white acting. ¡°That plan is dead, though. I¡¯m afraid it can only be used to buy our safety.¡± Meilia nodded. The radar of the small boat also shows that there are ships that are tracking us. One of them was the Dawn Cannon. It¡¯s not as if Quark is giving up too soon, but Meilia and the others are the ones who are in trouble for not giving up soon enough, so they decided not to say anything. ¡°Stay quiet, and I¡¯ll let you go before too long.¡± After saying that, the communication was cut off from Quark¡¯s side. ¡°¡­¡­ Your Highness¡± ¡°Yes, it seems that someone tried to seduce him into killing me. Thank God the captain is an idiot.¡± ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± ¡°He will be the one who benefits from my death here. And one who could figure out that I visited the fortress on the Dawn Cannon.¡± ¡°I wonder if my crew is involved.¡± Meilia looked a little thoughtful at Vernante¡¯s concern. ¡°I¡¯m sure the captain is not happy about this, but we may not be able to deny the possibility. It seems that their hands are much wider than we had previously thought.¡± Vernante¡¯s expression was austere. While he couldn¡¯t deny Meilia¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but be amused at the thought of the possibility that his own men were betraying the Empire. ¡°However, that pursuit is far from over, isn¡¯t it? First, let¡¯s see what His Excellency Settsu Vaile has in store for us.¡± ¡°The stakes are our lives? It¡¯s a high stakes game.¡± ¡°Oh, Captain. What do you think you¡¯re saying now?¡± Meilia pointed out that Vernante¡¯s words were not exactly what she had in mind. ¡°Isn¡¯t our life on the table, gambled away long ago?¡± CH 40 A small boat detached from the Direwild II is heading for the Honeymoon in the Sky. It is a hostage exchange. In order to get the hostages released in exchange for letting the ¡°Honeymoon in the Sky¡± go, there must be a reasonable expectation that the hostages will be released. However, if the hostages are worthless, the safety of the Honeymoon in the Sky cannot be guaranteed. The hostage Meiria was replaced by Setsuto as her substitute. Setsuto boarded the ¡°Honeymoon in the Sky¡± and went up to the bridge to see that the small boat Meilia was in was detached from the ¡°Honeymoon in the Sky¡±. The detached small boat was immediately recovered by the ¡°Dawn Cannon¡±. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to take my time getting away from you then.¡± Captain Quark of the Honeymoon in the Void clapped his hands. ¡°No, can you give us a minute?¡± It was Settsu who stopped him. He had just removed his spacesuit helmet and was coming up to the bridge. One of the crew of the Honeymoon of the Void was pointing a gun at his back, trying to take him as a ¡°proper hostage¡±. ¡°Why?¡± Captain Quark seemed to be offended by the unexpected words from the hostage. ¡°¡®I have yet to hear why you are doing this. Did Admiral Glorious send you?¡± Settsu acted as if there was no muzzle on his back. ¡°My head? No way. She¡¯s crazy about you and that floating Havenberg over there.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m out because I don¡¯t want to be forced into a big, unprofitable conflict between countries. I¡¯m out, and this was just to pay for it. I¡¯m out.¡± ¡°Money?¡± Captain Quark looked annoyed and tried to end the conversation. ¡°Can I have one last thing?¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Who told you that the princess was in the fortress?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Shut up. You and the princess are always worrying about such things. Why don¡¯t you worry about your own life? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°No way. It¡¯s just that¡¯s what I was ordered to do.¡± ¡°Orders? Whose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Set.¡± Settsu said to himself. None of the crew of the Honeymoon in the Void, including Captain Quark, understood the significance of this. The hostage in front of me must be Settsu Vaile. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Setsueto-Vayer. ¡°The order is this. After Her Imperial Highness is released, investigate the mastermind behind this, and take control of the Honeymoon in the Void as soon as possible.¡± The man who was holding the gun on Settsu was no fool. The hostage in front of him was not going to be a quiet hostage. The man who was holding the gun on Settsu was not stupid. He aimed it at his shoulder to make sure he didn¡¯t kill him. It was easy for Se-Tsu-To to dodge it. With a sharp movement, he spun around and threw a left hook that caught the man in the temple. The man flew through the air like a comedian¡¯s trick and slammed into the bridge wall. ¡°The life or death of the crew is not in question.¡± Captain Quark quickly pulled out his hip blaster and fired. Just before hitting Set, the energy shell exploded and scattered, as if it was blocked by an invisible wall. ¡°You¡¯re not Sett-Vaile, are you!?¡± Captain Quark glared at him. As Setsuto held his left hand over his face for a moment, the face underneath it changed. It wasn¡¯t Setsuto¡¯s face, but Mitsuki¡¯s, or, unknown to those on the Honeymoon in the Sky, Satsuki¡¯s. Optical camouflage. ¡°It¡¯s Mitski!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I¡¯m Satsuki. My soul AI is like Mitsuki-sama¡¯s sister, but my body is different. My body is made for the Marines, and it¡¯s pretty strong. Nice to meet you.¡± Satsuki said and unguardedly took off her spacesuit. What emerged from inside was the body of a frail looking girl. No one believed that she was as weak as she looked, though. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get to work.¡± Satsuki leapt toward Captain Quark. Be sharp, be flexible. By the time everyone realized that it had moved, it was already closing in on the captain¡¯s seat. Satsuki twisted and took Captain Quark¡¯s blaster with one hand, then walked behind him and twisted his arm behind his back. Satsuki held up the blaster she had taken and thrust it at Captain Quark¡¯s temple. ¡°I¡¯d love it if you¡¯d just give in.¡± Satsuki smiled and looked around at all the crew on the bridge. ¡°I thought ¡­¡­ didn¡¯t care if you lived or died?¡± The flash of the blaster struck the crotch of the crew member who asked the question as if searching for clues. ¡°The next time you say anything other than yes, I will kill you. I¡¯ll kill you if you do anything other than what I tell you to do. I¡¯ll kill you if I find you suspicious, no matter what. I want you to understand that when I say I don¡¯t care if you live or die, I mean that I can decide whether you live or die.¡± None of the crew members were able to move. They realized that both the white-knuckle warfare ability that had blocked Captain Quark¡¯s movements and the marksmanship that had shot through his target were not ordinary. Even if they all attacked him at once, it seemed that they would only be beaten back. ¡°Come on, guys, you¡¯ll give in, right?¡± No hero could shake his head in response to Satsuki¡¯s smiling question. ¡°Lord Setsu, the control of the Honeymoon in the Void is complete!¡± Setsuto received Satsuki¡¯s report in the control room of the Direwild II. ¡°Thanks, what¡¯s the status?¡± ¡°As you ordered, we have subdued them without killing them. The captain and all the crew are in the hold praying to God.¡± ¡°To God, ¡­¡­?¡± It was an expression that made me wonder what Satsuki had done wrong. ¡°It¡¯s called metaphorical modification. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have to ask you more about that later, but what about ship control?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already under my control.¡± ¡°Good. Then I¡¯d like to speak with the captain of the Dawn Cannon.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll connect the communications between Direwild II and the Dawn Cannon.¡± Soon after, the bridge of the Dawn Cannon was connected to the transmission, showing Captain Vernante and Meilia. ¡°What is this situation?¡± Captain Vernante asked for a straightforward explanation. Sesttu, who was supposed to have gone to the Honeymoon in the Sky to be taken hostage instead of us, is communicating with us from the Dire Vaid II. It was only natural that he would ask for an explanation. ¡°It¡¯s just that I made them think I was there. It¡¯s just that I made them think I was there. My men have already finished suppressing the Honeymoon in the Void.¡± ¡°However dumb they are, I don¡¯t think it will be easy to mislead them, what magic?¡± ¡°Captain. Hmm, it¡¯s called a war plane.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°Thank you for your help, my lord.¡± As Settsu and Vernante exchanged a chuckle, Meilia interrupted them. ¡°I was just doing my job, that¡¯s all. But I can¡¯t let them take you away so easily. Do you intend to destroy the Empire?¡± If something happens to Meilia here, the cooperative relationship between the fortress and the Empire will not be able to be established. If that happens, the war situation for the Empire, which is forced to engage in a two-pronged strategy against the Kingdom and the Federation, will have to become more severe. The destruction of the Empire at this point would not be good for Settsu. It¡¯s a three-way battle, and that¡¯s why the independent nations are siding with the fortress. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I was careless.¡± Meilia is being very quiet. ¡°Please be more careful in the future. If there¡¯s anything you need, I¡¯ll make it easy for you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Settsu ended the transmission. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the fortress, then. Satsuki, nice to work with you.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Set.¡± Satsuki¡¯s voice was the only sound. CH 41 Imperial City. There are several cities that call themselves that, but only one planetary system calls itself the Imperial Capital. Originally, it was just a nation that ruled over a region of the planet. However, they were blessed with the fortuitous opportunity to acquire the remains of a ship-building capability, which led to the creation of a vast interstellar empire. The current imperial capital is spread widely over the gravitational equilibrium point of the planetary system. It consisted of space facilities of various sizes, some connected by pillar-like structures, others independent. Many of them were square. The Glory of Black and Silver was about to make contact with a large oval-shaped facility in the L1 space area of the Imperial Capital. According to the information I had received beforehand, the oval-shaped facility was the location of the palace and other central institutions of the Empire. It is a place where only a limited number of ships are allowed to dock. That¡¯s where the ¡°Glory of Black and Silver¡± is headed. Ten Dragoons belonging to the Imperial Guard Fleet were deployed around the perimeter, leading the way. ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you have a Kingsguard escort.¡± Even Keuk¡¯s voice, which never loses its lightness in most things, was slightly strained. ¡°I had planned to have a Starfleet escort at the end of my life when I was sent to the execution block as a great pirate. You¡¯ve ruined the plan.¡± ¡± Keuk, it¡¯s the most amazing thing I¡¯ve seen all century that you¡¯ve tried to run your life according to a plan.¡± Kitty jumped at it, looking for a way to defuse the tension. ¡°It¡¯s not every day that someone has their life planned out like I do. Apparently, the definition of ¡°planned¡± is different from the human dictionary.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it about sticking to the schedule you made beforehand?¡± According to Kitty¡¯s memory, Keuk¡¯s start as a pirate should have been when he shot and killed the captain to save his junior colleague, who was about to be killed because the captain was snubbing him. ¡°The first line of the plan says to be flexible.¡± ¡°I see. So you¡¯re changing your plans this time, too.¡± ¡°Yes. So this is also planned.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I call haphazard.¡± ¡°Please keep this to yourself.¡± There was nothing secret about it, since it was said on the bridge. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll keep that to myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in your debt. Satsuki, how¡¯s the ship handling?¡± The Glory of the Black and Silver was currently being operated by Satsuki. The rules of the Glory of the Black and Silver are to use whatever you can, and if you¡¯re on board, do your job. ¡°All Dragoon ships are predicted to maneuver, sir. We can sink them at any time.¡± On the way to the imperial capital, Satsuki¡¯s remarks had been completely poisoned by the Black Silver Glory. ¡°All right, head, I¡¯m ready to shoot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let Set¡¯s face off for today. ¡°Too bad. Master Setsu, shouldn¡¯t I shoot him?¡± Satsuki was a little too flirtatious when she asked. ¡°Only if they shoot first.¡± Setsuko answered appropriately. It was an unlikely situation. No one would be foolish enough to invite them in and then shoot at them in such a public place. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll wait!¡± While they were enjoying such useless conversation, the ship was solemnly approaching the spaceport. Despite her words, Satsuki¡¯s ship-handling was as good as it gets, and she was able to keep an equal distance from the dragoon and glide through space. Soon the Glory of the Black and Silver was inside the pressurized gate of the spaceport, berthing and securing itself. The pressurization gate was closed and air was injected into the compartment. After confirming that the pressure outside had dropped to one atmosphere, Setsu went outside. A movable ramp had already been erected outside the ship. Setsuko and Satsuki flew along the railing of the ramp in zero gravity. On the other side of the ramp was a little open space, lined with honor guards and a high-ranking soldier waiting alone for a set. When Settsu put his feet on the floor, the magnets on the soles of his shoes caught the metal plates on the floor and stuck to them, causing a small metallic sound to be heard. The soldier who had been waiting for Settsu bowed in welcome to his guest. Settsu, as a guest, bowed in reply. ¡°My name is Alec Deagst, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Space Fleet. His Excellency Sett-Weier, Commander of the Varaskirv Fortress, welcome to the Imperial City.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for welcoming me.¡± ¡°I was an old friend of Count Weil and Hagglal. I know it¡¯s rude of me, but I¡¯ve been forced to do so. Please forgive me.¡± The expression on Deergust¡¯s face softened slightly as he said this, and it didn¡¯t seem to be entirely for ostensible reasons. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not rude at all. I¡¯m rather pleased. Settsu responded honestly. After a few administrative exchanges, Setsuto was led out of the anchorage compartment by Deagst. As they exited the gate, which was also an airlock, a large black car was parked right in front of them. Seeing that Settsu and the others had gotten out, the security man who had been waiting by the side of the car opened the door for them. When Settsu went to get into the car as he was urged, he noticed that someone else was already in the car. The car was spacious, with comfortable seats facing each other, and I was sitting face to face with Settsu, who was about to board the car. I¡¯ve seen that face before. After taking some time to trace my memory, I finally connected with the face in front of me. Emperor Rexxar III. He was already an old man, but his appearance was young and vigorous. There was no way he didn¡¯t know that Settsu was coming on board. When the emperor saw Settsu, he nodded hawkishly. Come on in,¡± he said. Settsu got on, Satsuki got on, and Deagusto was about to get on when he noticed the emperor. ¡°Your Majesty, what brings you here?¡± He acted as if he had just noticed it. ¡°I had some business with Konoe. I was wondering if I could have a word with him. Mister Vaile, may I?¡± ¡°Of course. I would like to speak with you as well.¡± ¡°Thank you. Come on, Deagusto, get in.¡± Impatient with the emperor, Deagusto got into the car. The car began to glide slowly. (Now, what should I say?) I hadn¡¯t expected to meet the emperor at this time. Maybe the royal family likes to be taken by surprise. But the other side barged in. There must be something they want to talk about. Settsu decided to be on the receiving end for his first move. There was silence for a while, as if they were trying to guess each other. ¡°My daughter, Meilia. I think she¡¯s growing up pretty good, don¡¯t you?¡± It was the emperor who broke the silence. The emperor would naturally know that Meilia had come to the fortress. If he is going to start the conversation from there, he is probably planning to find out how the relationship between the fortress and the empire is going to be. ¡± She seems beautiful and has the guts to carry an empire on her shoulders, but I¡¯m concerned about her mischievous streak.¡± ¡°Haha. The reason I sent her to the fortress was because of my orders. I¡¯m sorry for startling you.¡± ¡°Not at all, sir. It¡¯s part of my understanding of the current state of the Empire.¡± ¡°Well, what do you know?¡± The tone was more one of interest than exploration. It was a response that Setsueto hoped would move the negotiation board. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. It seems there are worms in the empire. Worms that are trying to eat through your stomach from the inside.¡± In anticipation, Settsu returned the move. Neither the emperor nor Deagusto seemed perturbed. ¡°I know. The Empire has been fighting that worm for too long.¡± The emperor smiled leisurely and nodded.