Book 12: Epilogue
Liam's Main planet.
Unlike the battlefield, everyday life was the same.
However, the atmosphere is tense due to the proximity of the battlefield.
In such a situation, the government office prepared several screens projected in the sky to announce the good news and the status of the war.
"The defending fleet led by His Excellency Klaus has dealt a heavy blow to the main fleet of the enemy's main force. With a fleet of several hundred thousand, they have temporarily routed a fleet of several million."
The battlefield is projected in the sky, informing the Banfield family that they are winning the battle.
Other.
"Colonel Shishigami Fuuka has greatly increased her shot-down score. In a truly lion-like performance, the Mobile Knights are announced to have destroyed over three hundred aircraft.'"
"Colonel Chengshi Cera Towrey's number of destroyed vessels has exceeded one hundred. The military has announced that it will present a medal to the knights for their efforts."
"This is the planet defended by Rear Admiral Christiana, which is defending against the onslaught of the enemy fleet. We are now bringing you images from the area."
The people living on the planet were cheering as the good news was announced one after another.
The Banfield family residence.
Rosetta is squinting at the news that arrives one after another.
Amagi, who is supporting her, wonders about Rosetta's feelings.
"She is now judging the situation to be closer to a great victory, with less damage than anticipated. Yet, why does Rosetta-sama look so sad?"
Rosetta's expression is not excellent despite the situation being a bigger victory than expected.
Rosetta puts her forehead on her folded hands.
"--Too many people are dying. People are dying by the tens of thousands so easily. It's not just our friends. Many of our enemies are dying, too."
In fact, the conquering army was probably the worst affected.
The damage to the soldiers who were forced to charge unprovoked by Cleo's orders is off the charts.
Liam understood that human life is the cheapest thing in this world.
And because of his hatred for people, he does not even care about the lives of his enemies.
Amagi shows a certain understanding of Rosetta's grief.
"--War is inefficient, isn't it?"
"So you think so too. I wonder why people continue to fight."
Rosetta stops thinking and gets on with the task at hand.
The courtyard of the mansion.
Edward was playing with the children who accompanied him.
The dark side of the house is guarded from an unseen place, in addition to the knights who are guarding the perimeter.
However, Edward was depressed.
Wallace couldn't help but notice.
"What's the matter, Edward?"
"--What is it, Wallace?"
"You call me Wallace? I'm a former member of the royal family and a friend of Liam's."
"The royal family is the enemy, isn't it? Nata told me."
When Wallace looked at the girl called [Nata], he saw a child close to Edward's age.
However, the atmosphere she was wearing was different from the others.
She seems to blend in well, but there is no doubt that she is a member of the dark side - the Kukri clan.
(I knew that the dark side was also producing the next generation, but would you put them on Edward's side?)
Would you put the dark side that does the backward, dark work on the side of your children? We must not let the ungodly near Master Edward! --and other opinions exist even within the Banfield family.
However, Liam kept them by Edward's side, even if they were the dark side, because "they are competent."
The girl is from such a Kukri family, but there is a murderous intent in the way she looks at Wallace.
(I heard that you are a family with a grudge against the royal family, but I hope you don't pass on your grudge to your children. And I had nothing to do with it in the first place.)
Wallace speaks to Nata to improve the relationship.
"--Nata, you misunderstand me, you know. I--
Then Nata turned away.
"Please don't talk to me. If you weren't a friend of the master in the first place, I wouldn't have wanted you near Edward-sama either."
"I-Is that so?"
Nata was so hostile that Wallace gave up trying to convince her and spoke to Edward.
"Edward, I am not your enemy. I am on Liam's side. After all, Liam is my patron now."
Edward looked up and nodded his head.
"But Wallace didn't do anything, did he? If you're on our side, help my father."
Wallace's cheeks scrunch up at the child's honesty.
"I'm helping Liam? I'm no use to him on the battlefield, let alone at a party. I'm just too busy to help you like this."
The children around them, who had heard Wallace's comment, looked appalled.
Only Nata glared at him.
As for Edward.
"--Wallace is useless, isn't he?"
"Hey! How much do you think I have contributed to Liam so far! It's Chino who hasn't done the most work in the first place!"
Wallace pointed to Chino, who had wolf ears and a tail.
The silver-haired woman, dressed in a maid's outfit, is petite and lovely looking.
She now has a rug on the lawn, on which she is eating the sweets prepared for her.
Edward, who saw her sitting upright and happily eating the sweets, shook his head before turning his gaze back to Wallace.
"Father said Chino is a pet frame for watching and enjoying."
"For viewing!? That's a terrible way to treat a Chino!"
Edward looked up at the sky.
"--Wallace, am I going to have to go into battle, too?"
Wallace wonders what to say to the child's question.
(A kid better have dreams and hopes, don't you think?)
"By the time you take over everything, Liam will have ended it all and the world will be at peace."
Wallace knew that was impossible, but he couldn't bring himself to say the ruthless reality here.
-And besides, behind Wallace, Nata was looking at him with murderous intent.
If he said something unnecessary to Edward, he wasn't going to get away with it.
(I'm afraid of Nata.)
"Why? Why is it that the aircraft prepared by the arsenal is losing?"
In the bridge of the flagship of the main force of the conquering army - the fortress class, Cleo was leaning back in his seat and looking up at the ceiling.
The super large mobile knight used as a trump card was pitted against the mass-produced Griffin prepared by Liam.
The performance of the counterfeit one, built at the Imperial Arsenal, was certainly superior.
If it had been a normal situation, they would have won.
Having lost its trump card, Cleo had to use the straight and narrow method to overtake Klaus and conquer the main planet of the Banfield family.
However--.
"We can't get past the enemy defense fleet!"
"Rear Admiral Rodoria has been killed in action! Rear Admiral Anson has taken over command and is pulling the fleet back--it is being attacked by the enemy pursuit force!"
The Mobile Knights are being destroyed by the enemy ace squadron!
--The news that arrives is far from victorious.
Cleo looks at the monitor and sees the main planet of the Banfield family.
He thought of the knights protecting it and bit his back teeth.
"The name of the strongest man in the empire is not a joke."
A soldier at his side advised.
"Your Highness, we should fall back and retake the supply base. After that, we should reorganize our fleet and invade Banfield again."
The soldiers knew that a retreat would be tough, but they probably expected that they would not win if they continued to attack.
Cleo also admitted inwardly that his plan had failed.
"We're retreating. Tell Hampson--"
But someone appears to stop the order.
On a giant monitor, a recorded image of Emperor Baglada appears.
"Cleo, I hear you are struggling. Oops, it's a recording, so there's no point in asking questions."
The bridge crew members also turn to look at Baglada, who is joking around.
Then Baglada narrowed his eyes.
"Actually, the High Kingdom is on the move, and we can't send reinforcements. Normally, it would be right for us to retreat--but I need you guys to fight as long as you can."
"--What?"
Baglada smiles while Cleo is stunned.
"I'm counting on you to do your part."
The planet that serves as a supply base for the conquering army.
The following is a list of the most common problems that people have with the newest and most popular products and services.
The second-in-command, Elysia, reported to me while investigating the terminal.
"The work is 80% complete. And General Cozmo's cold sleep was reported to have been successful."
"It's a souvenir for Tia, so treat it with care."
The destination to which Cozmo, who led the pirate fleet, was to be handed over was Tia and her team, who were engaged in a fierce battle with the Marquis Hampson.
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Tia and her crew, who hate space pirates with all their hearts, would be overjoyed to receive it.
I can't even imagine how Cozmo will be treated, but I'm not interested in that to begin with.
It's a concern for a hard-working subordinate - well, I'm sure he's not going to get a good deal.
"I'm sure Lieutenant General Christiana and the others would take it with glee."
Elysia's expression is slightly clouded, as if she, too, has imagined Cozmo's future.
"Have you taken pity on the pirates?"
"No. More than them, the darkness in the heart of Lieutenant General Christiana is deeper than I imagined, and it is making me think."
She is a beautiful female knight with perfect looks and top-notch abilities.
The knighthood led by the knight is also powerful, but these tiers have a strong grudge against pirates.
The treatment of pirates is worse than you can imagine.
If these had been ordinary nobles, they might have been kept at a distance, or even used up because they were so capable.
"The darkness of the heart, that's all very well. I try to be generous to the people who contribute to me. --I don't want incompetence, though."
As long as you produce results, I'll laugh at that level of darkness in their hearts and forgive them.
A righteous man might detest it, but I am a villainous lord.
Elysia let out a small sigh, a little taken aback by my attitude.
"It's true you are generous."
"That's an implied way of putting it. If it weren't for you, I would have punished you."
"More than that."
I was swept away by talk of punishing her.
--I'm a little pathetic as a villainous lord, but I'll put up with it because punishing Elysia at this point would be more trouble than it's worth.
--When the war is over and we return to our territory, you'll remember this.
"The supply base has been completely destroyed, but what about us? We can't bypass the mainland because the main imperial army is invading the planet."
I look at the simplified battlefield projected in front of me and think about my next plan - or rather, where I want to rampage.
"Anywhere, but I'd like to do what the enemy would hate the most."
"Liam-sama really does have a good personality, doesn't he?"
"You will be punished for raiding my territory. --I'm going to beat you thoroughly."
If we beat the conquering army here, it will be a sore point for the empire now.
-- Now, this is where it starts.
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