Book 10: Chapter 3: Planet Charlotte
Imperial Capital Star.
Gathered in one of the palaces were the aristocrats of the Cleo faction.
At the side of the participating named nobles are their trusted knights and subordinates.
The large conference room is stair-stepped and lowered in the center.
Radiating out from the center, the hall was attended by a large number of nobles, knights, and soldiers.
Looking down on the scene from a special seat prepared further up was His Highness Cleo.
In the center, the planet Charlotte was displayed in a three-dimensional image and was rotating.
The person assigned to preside over the event was [Theodore Sera Zack].
Her short, all-back hair was shiny in the light.
She is a beautiful strong woman, but her expression is thick.
"Whoever wins this planet Charlotte will have the reign of the empire! I hope you all understand how important this battle is."
More than words, her demeanor said, "You guys need to get a grip."
She is a quasi-baronet by origin.
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They are a kind of court nobility without a fiefdom, and the palace gives them a salary every year even if they do nothing.
If you hold a position, you receive additional benefits, but Theodore has been unemployed all this time.
The reason she can confidently stand in front of them is because she is a member of the SS, which His Highness Prince Cleo has prepared on his own.
She is dressed in a specially prepared uniform and wears the rank insignia of lieutenant general.
I guess they went to a lot of trouble to prepare me for this rank, just like when I was a special operations officer in the military.
Theodore explains about the planet Charlotte.
"The planet Charlotte is a wonderful habitable planet, and can be settled without any intervention. But the most important thing is the presence of rare metals. Reports are coming in that significant quantities can be mined."
If you check the documents at hand, it is indeed a planet you will want.
Charlotte, a planet that would be dug up and miserable because of the presence of rare metals - it was a very beautiful planet.
"It's a blue planet. Reminds me of Earth."
Klaus, who is sitting next to me, asks as I recall the Earth of my previous life.
"Chikyuu*, is it?" [TL/N: Idk man, it literally means Earth when I translate it.]
"Nothing. Now, how do you see it?"
After looking at the materials, Klaus gives a very honest impression.
"It is certainly a great planet with excellent conditions, but it is not worth our while to leave if there is no succession struggle."
--that's what I mean.
It is indeed wonderful, but not worth the full effort of the aristocrats of the Cleo faction to get the planet Charlotte.
On Theodore's side is Baron [Glynn], who claims ownership of the planet Charlotte.
A slender, neutral man, Baron Glynn had long black hair that almost reached the floor.
He was dressed in a suit, but I couldn't help but notice his hair.
He had narrow eyes and a fox-like face.
"I am grateful for the cooperation of all the Cleoists. Charlotte is the domain of our Glynn family, and yet the [Myatt] Viscounts are trying to take it away from us. I hope that all of you will do your part to show us justice."
"What justice, bald-faced."
Klaus asks me why I'm in a bad mood.
"Liam-sama, you don't think Baron Glynn deserves justice?"
"Because there is no such thing in this world, I want it because there is an attractive planet. That's all there is to it, isn't it? If they hadn't discovered rare metals, they would have left it alone for a long time."
If they had thought the planet was just good enough for habitation, they got serious about developing it because they found rare metals.
But then the neighboring lord, Viscount Myatt, also wanted to take it, and a battle ensued.
In the first place, it is not necessarily true that the bastard Glynn is telling the truth.
From the empire's point of view, it doesn't matter either way, as long as they get the tax money in the end.
It doesn't matter who wins.
It is just a reason to fight with Calvin.
People around him are also giving the bastard Glynn the cold shoulder.
"He's a coward who can't even defend his own territory."
"If it really was his territory, he should have developed it quickly."
"I guess I'm just too incompetent to do that."
When the people around him get to say whatever they want, the bastard Glynn backs down and Theodore comes out.
"Silence! I would like to hear from the Count of Banfield."
When my name is mentioned, the noisy nobles shut their mouths.
After all, I am the head of the faction.
It feels really good to see the bad guys with strong faces following me.
"I'm not interested in what you guys have to say. Talk about winning over the enemy."
If I give an order, Theodore and Glynn are blatantly in a bad mood.
Theodore is still able to mend the situation, and she warns me.
"I am in trouble, Count Banfield, winning is important, but Baron Glynn is one of us. I hear that the war has exhausted his territory, and we need to arrange for relief supplies."
It is fine to cherish ostensible stories, but they do not belong in a gathering of scoundrels.
Besides, it's not Cleo who prepares - it's us.
Why should we give Glynn charity?
If you want to help so much, you do it. The only reason we got together was to beat Calvin."
When I told her I had no intention of helping her, Cleo, who had been watching the meeting, appeared in the air as a three-dimensional image.
It was only his upper body, but it was projected so large that she had to look up at it.
I was strangely annoyed that he was looking down on me.
Cleo is chastising me.
"I want you to help me without saying so. Baron Glynn is one of us. I would like to leave it in Count Banfield's hands."
He glanced at Cleo's supposedly injured right arm.
His attitude sounded as if he was saying, "You're the one who injured me, so you're going to have to give in here."
Klaus next to me also decided he couldn't resist this, and shook his head when I looked at him.
He stared at Cleo, who was looking down at us from a room on the ceiling, not a three-dimensional image.
"Let's send relief supplies right away."
"Please. I heard that Viscount Myatt beat you badly, so I want you to send me enough relief supplies. I would also appreciate it if you could send some people to help me rebuild the territory."
-They push us to do troublesome things one after another.
After the meeting, Cleo called Theodore, the head of the SS.
In front of Cleo, Theodore was complaining.
"Your Highness, Banfield's behavior is intolerable! He acts as if he is the head of the meeting!"
It was Licitea, who was at Cleo's side, who showed her anger at Theodore's words.
Licitea is a woman who became a knight despite being a member of the royal family.
In order to protect her sister, now brother, Cleo, she gave up her right of succession and became a knight.
From such a Licitea's point of view, it seems that Theodore's words were unforgivable.
"You haven't forgotten that it is thanks to the support of the Count of Banfield that you are where you are today, have you?"
Teodore also understands Liam's support, but he still can't stand it.
"Licitea-sama, this faction is His Highness Cleo's faction. Isn't it only natural that the nobles supporting it should support it?"
"The only person who reached out to us when we were in dire straits was the Count of Banfield, your behavior is akin to avenging a favor."
When Theodore reluctantly closes her mouth, Cleo speaks up.
"Let's stop there, sister. --Theodore, you will be joining us in this war as a military inspector."
"Yes."
Theodore, who had looked dissatisfied earlier, accepted Cleo's order with open arms.
She looks strangely happy.
Licitea seems to be concerned about that.
"Cleo, if you're going to increase your forces, what do you mean by military supervisor? Just watching and observing without participating would be repugnant."
Cleo did not change his decision even after hearing this opinion.
"I have already made up my mind, it's all right. --I am sure that the Count of Banfield will win. We will wait and watch from a height."
Licitea looked unconvinced to the end.
After the meeting, I gathered the main faces of the faction for a discussion.
Among those who participated was Baron Exner, Kurt's father.
And a white-haired, graceful man [Francis Sera Gyanne].
[Jericho Serra Gaule], a muscular, pirate-like man with an eye patch.
These three men are at the core of the Cleo faction.
Jericho grabbed a snack of the prepared drinks and threw it into his mouth and ate it.
"Those SS cowards are on a roll, aren't they?"
Francis chugs his drink and agrees with Jericho.
"Thanks to our tribute, His Highness Cleo has a fleet of 30,000 ships," Jericho said. "I'm angry too, but isn't it his Lord Liam who is most annoyed?"
Jericho and Francis look at me like they are trying to price me out.
They seem to be assessing how to treat Cleo.
"I hear you bailed out the court nobles who couldn't find jobs? Isn't that a good thing?"
Despite saying so with my mouth, I downed my drink in one gulp.
That was all it took for the three of them to sense that I was dissatisfied.
Baron Exner is worried about the way the SS is being treated.
"It seems that the SS will also be taking part as military inspectors. They want to see us in action, but I don't know what will happen."
That was what Jericho was upset about.
"Pussies with no real combat experience are just dragging us down," he said. "Lord Liam, can't you refuse to join them?"
I would have been able to refuse, but now I owe Cleo.
--I would have welcomed Theodore and the others' participation, but not for that reason.
"If they want to see it up close, let them see it."
The three of them look at each other and Baron Exner asks me on behalf of them.
"Ahhh, more importantly, what will happen to Lord Liam's wedding?"
That's the problem.
Rosetta came to see me off when I left the main planet, and she never once brought up the subject of weddings.
It just seemed like she was forcing a smile.
Jericho says that a battle of this magnitude takes time and suggests that we just get on with the ceremony.
"If it's not done right, it will take decades. We can just have a simple ceremony, then go back and do the real thing."
Francis felt he had no choice, but he was in no hurry.
"The timing was bad, but there's nothing we can do about it. Even if it gets done quickly, it will probably take a few years. But there is no end in sight. A mortal enemy is a terrible thing. I'm sorry to say this Lord Liam, but you should be prepared for a long battle."
Baron Exner remained silent, but I guess he agrees with both of us.
I myself have no problem taking my time.
Now that I have a legitimate reason not to marry, this buys me some time.
--I just had a sad look on Rosetta's face before we left, and it was still flickering in my mind.
"I didn't need to worry. It's all about what happens after we win."
It's time to settle the score with Calvin.
Calvin, the man who pushed me into a corner, is a tricky opponent.
I'll try not to lose my footing.
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