—Planet Augur—
The planet which was once under the management of a cruel governor dispatched by the Empire has made great progress.
It’s become an important base in our war against the Kingdom of Dominion, and a huge budget has been set aside for its development.
Resource satellites have been brought over, a mine has been opened up, and a base is being built.
The spaceport’s constantly getting expanded, attracting merchants from all over the Empire. To support us in our fight, they’ve been gathering whatever materials we need.
With human resources, money, and materials, it’s no wonder the planet’s undergoing rapid development.
I’m currently receiving a report inside a conference room that has been prepared at the spaceport.
“Our army has been reduced to half of what it was in the past.”
Klaus is representing the commanders, with the pale-faced Tia and Marie beside him.
Looking at the results alone, the Banfield Family has lost the war.
“We’ve also dealt a considerable amount of damage to the Kingdom of Dominion, so strictly speaking, it can be considered a tie. However, the damage we incurred in exchange is too great.”
Klaus tries to hold me accountable, and for good reasons too.
“I know, I know. I won’t blame you guys for the losses.”
We then move on to discuss what to do next.
“It’s going to take some time reorganizing the army. Meanwhile, we won’t be able to deploy our troops.”
“I’ll leave that to you and Tia. I have something to do back in our territory.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Klaus appears taken aback after hearing that the commander-in-chief is leaving the field to return to his territory.
“Yeah, you heard that right. After we finish sending off the dead, I’ll be returning to my territory. Argos needs to undergo maintenance and get resupplied, so we’ll be using Marie’s fleet instead. Might as well also bring the injured with me. You’ll take my place while I’m gone.”
“U-understood.”
I stand up from my seat after handing Klaus the position of deputy commander-in-chief.
The trio seem confused as I let out a small sigh.
“—I wasn’t able to make it in time.”
It’s not only the four of us in the room, and Klaus looks over at the two that are standing a distance away from us.
Rinho and Fuuka are standing there with their cheeks red after being slapped by me.
“Lord Liam, will you be taking them with you?”
I direct a sharp gaze at the two, prompting them to tense up.
“Slackers have no right to meet Master.—I’ll entrust them with this planet’s defense. Klaus, command them as you please. If they disobey orders, tell me. I’ll teach them a lesson myself.”
Rinho and Fuuka tremble hearing my angry words.
The School of One Flash isn’t a place for losers.
They seem to have put up a fairly good fight against Aluna’s Arachne, but they’ve sullied our reputation by not bringing home victory.
As I approach the two of them, they lower their heads in shame and frustration.
“Don’t embarrass Master in your future fights.”
And with that, I turn my back on them.
◇
Marie, who had returned to the Banfield Family’s home planet, was accompanying Liam through the corridors of the mansion.
They were in a convertible, heading for a place where medical facilities were located.
“Lord Liam, why are we heading there?” Marie asked in wonder.
“Hm? Oh, it’s because Rosetta’s there.”
“Lady Rosetta? Did something happen to her?”
Marie turned pale when she heard this.
An event significant enough for Liam to return to his territory despite being in the midst of war had taken place at the mansion.
Did something happen to Rosetta?
Her worries had unfortunately hit the mark.
“Yes.”
Liam seemed composed, not the least bit worried about Rosetta’s safety.
As an aristocrat that governed a territory, his conduct was exemplary.
However, his indifferent attitude hurt Marie greatly.
Rosetta had confided in her that she genuinely loved Liam, not as a partner for a political marriage, but as someone she truly cared for in her heart.
Hence, the lack of concern from her liege left her slightly dismayed.
When the two arrived at Rosetta’s room, they got off their vehicle, upon which they were greeted by Brian, who rushed over.
Falling to his knees, he began to bawl in front of Liam.
“Why…why didn’t you come a little sooner…”
Brian shed tears on a daily basis, but something felt different today, which fueled Marie’s anxiety further.
She would usually keep her mouth shut, but her emotions got the better of her.
“Brian-dono, what happened?”
“Lady Rosetta…she…!!”
Marie broke into a cold sweat at the mention of her lady’s name.
Liam brushed passed Brian while Marie braced herself for the worst.
Marie clung to his sleeves after witnessing how exasperated he seemed.
“Lord Liam, how could you be so cold? Was Lady Rosetta nothing in your eyes!?”
Liam narrowed his eyes and shook Marie away.
“—Let go.”
Marie shed tears of grief as she sat on the floor after being shaken off.
—That was when the door opened, and the one standing there was Rosetta.
“Welcome back, Darling! Wait, what’s wrong? Why is Marie crying?”
“Eh!?”
Rosetta was in her nightgown, and she looked as energetic as ever.
Liam shook his head.
“How should I know? More importantly—”
Rosetta smiled seeing Liam hesitate and invited him into the room.
Unable to process what was happening, Marie inquired Brian, who still had tears in his eyes.
“Brian-dono, I thought Lady Rosetta was unwell?”
“Did this Brian ever say that Lady Rosetta was unwell? Oh, how long I’ve waited for this day to arrive!!”
And with that, Brian began weeping again.
Someone inside must have heard this as a cry rang out from inside the room.
More precisely, it was a baby’s cry.
“Ugyaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Marie was so surprised that she let out a shriek before jumping up and dashing into the room.
◇
Inside Rosetta’s room.
A small bed has been prepared next to the big one.
In addition to some maids, there are several nurses inside, and though they’re hidden from view, Kukuri’s subordinates have also been stationed there.
And then there’s Amagi.
Upon seeing me, she briefly shuts her eyes, lowers her head, and raises it back up.
There’s a soft smile on her face.
Rosetta makes her way to the tiny bed and holds the baby there in her arms.
“Darling, look, it’s our child.”
Rosetta seems to have awoken her motherly instinct as she hugs the child like he’s the most precious thing in the world. [1]
I look at the baby in her arms. Oh, the baby has stopped crying.
I would’ve been moved to tears if it was my previous life, but the first thought that comes to my mind is ‘Is he really my child?’
I’m one of the most powerful aristocrats in the Empire, and there’s absolutely no room for an adulterer to enter my mansion.
This is something I understand clearly, but I can’t help but worry if he’s really my child.
Rosetta urges me to hold the baby.
“Here, Darling.”
“Nn.”
The baby looks at me sleepily when I hold him in my arms.
“He doesn’t seem to hate it.”
“He must feel safe in your arms. By the way, you seem quite accustomed to holding babies, Darling.”
“Hm? Maybe you’re right.”
I didn’t think there’d come a day when I use my experience from my previous life.
Marie watches enviously from afar as I hold the baby.
Brian, on the other hand, is filming us.
“Lord Liam, please smile more.”
“I refuse.”
Saying that, I return the baby to Rosetta.
The figure of Rosetta cradling the baby overlaps with the image of my previous life’s wife.
Well, ex-wife.
—Even after climbing all the way to the top, gaining enough power to threaten the Empire, I’m disturbed by the memories of my previous life.
It’s pathetic.
“Rest your body. I’ll take care of your work. Marie, tend to Rosetta’s needs while I’m gone.”
Marie quickly scurries over to Rosetta’s side.
“Leave it to me, Lord Liam! Lady Rosetta, I’m glad you’re safe.”
“You’re such a worrywart, Marie.”
I walk away, turning my back on Rosetta and the baby.
◇
I ignore the lonely expression on Rosetta’s face and exit the room with Amagi tailing behind me.
“Master, what was that attitude just now?”
“—What a pitiful child.”
After leaving the room and coming to a place where Rosetta can’t hear us, I confess my feelings to Amagi.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said.”
“He was born as the young master of a ducal household, and he’ll be able to live a more privileged life than most people. I don’t see how he’s at all a pitiful child.”
“You’d be right, if his father wasn’t me.”
“?”
“I’m an evil lord.”
Being born into the Empire’s number one ducal household with a caring mother like Rosetta.
Everything’s great up until that, but as luck would have it, his father is the Empire’s number one villainous lord.
All because of that, he’ll be remembered as a pitiful child that was born into a wicked household.
He might’ve been better off being the child of another family.
Unfortunately, he’ll have to bear a heavy burden due to all the misdeeds his father has committed.
Amagi silently stares at me.
There’s something sad about her expression that I can’t quite grasp.
“—I sympathize with the baby, but he has nothing to blame but his luck for being born as my child.”
◇
Inside the room where Liam and Amagi have left.
Marie was crying tears of joy as Rosetta held the baby in her arms.
However, Rosetta looked sad for some reason.
“I wonder if Darling’s not happy about this child.”
To relieve her anxiety, Marie reassured her by saying how absurd it was for Liam to be in the territory right now.
“That’s not true at all! We’re currently at war with the Kingdom of Dominion. Normally, it’d be impossible for Lord Liam to be back before the war ends. He had to force himself to rush back.”
“Is that so?”
Having finished recording, Brian chimed in to comfort Rosetta.
“Absolutely. Lord Liam is simply unsure of how to interact with his child.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. —After all, Lord Liam spent very little time with his parents. From an early age, he had to behave maturely and act as the lord. Although it was reassuring, I can’t help but feel sorry for the way he grew up.”
Liam’s parents had moved to the capital when he was five years old.
And even before that, they didn’t spend much time with Liam.
Brian revealed a sad smile.
“But the Banfield Family has finally welcomed an heir! This Brian is extremely—”
Brian covered his face and started crying.
Seeing this, Rosetta brought her face close to her baby.
A dog’s spirit was watching them from the corner of the room.
It had been keeping an eye on Rosetta and the baby to make sure the Guide didn’t do anything funny.
This was the perfect opportunity for him to inflict mental damage on Liam, and if something had happened to the mother and child, Liam would no doubt have suffered a blow.
Now that its job here was done, it disappeared from the room.
◇
Half a year later.
The war between the Empire and the kingdom had temporarily calmed down as both sides had suffered considerable damage.
The Banfield Family’s fleet had been reduced to half its former size, whereas the kingdom had its territory ravaged by Liam.
While the kingdom had also wrecked some of the Empire’s territory, it had nothing to do with Liam in the slightest.
And that was why they were at a standstill.
In that timeframe, Liam had returned to Augur with his fleet.
“We lost half our fleet six months ago, but it was worth it,” he said in a meeting for executive officers.
He spoke openly about the Banfield Family’s army.
“Our army grew too quickly, and a bunch of unnecessary people got mixed in. The war helped weed out the useless ones.”
The high-ranking officers weren’t too happy about Liam using the war with the kingdom to screen the soldiers.
However, all the big shots including Klaus remained calm, with individuals like Marie and Tia even showing a faint smile.
“It’s as Lord Liam says. Klaus-dono and I have reorganized the fleet. Now, it can be considered elite again.”
The expression on the soldiers had changed after experiencing real combat, and Tia was pleased to report that the Banfield Family’s army had regained its former quality.
Marie was glad to see that the riffraff was gone.
“We were able to rid ourselves of those incompetents.”
Nevertheless, a lot of allies had died.
Representing those that weren’t happy about this, Klaus issued a complaint to Liam.
“Even so, we went too far this time.”
Liam, however, smiled fearlessly.
“Normally, I wouldn’t have done something this extreme, but we didn’t have much time. His Majesty and His Highness were urging us on after all.”
Having said his piece, he stood up from his chair with a serious expression.
The air around him made the officers hold their breath.
“—It’s no longer convenient to leave the territory unattended for an extended period. We’re not going to waste time anymore. We’re going full throttle from now on.”
“You mean—”
Before Klaus could stop him, Liam laid down the orders.
“We’re moving out.”
————————————————————————————————————–
Brian (´；ω；｀): “CONGRATULATIONS LORD LIAAAAAAM!! This Brian is moved to tears!”
Wakagi-chan (゜Д゜): “Yeah, yeah. Congrats, congrats. Now, get on with the promotions.”
Brian (´・ω・｀): (So she’s back already…It’s painful.)
Wakagi-chan (゜Д゜): “Pre-orders for Volume 9 of ‘The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs’ has started. If you’re looking to buy a copy, don’t forget to pre-order!”
Brian (´；ω；｀)ノシ: “Thanks to everyone’s support, we’ve decided to print more copies of Volume 4’s Melonbooks limited edition. Thank you very much!”
[1] For now, I’ll assume the child’s a boy.
—Planet Augur—
The planet which was once under the management of a cruel governor dispatched by the Empire has made great progress.
It’s become an important base in our war against the Kingdom of Dominion, and a huge budget has been set aside for its development.
Resource satellites have been brought over, a mine has been opened up, and a base is being built.
The spaceport’s constantly getting expanded, attracting merchants from all over the Empire. To support us in our fight, they’ve been gathering whatever materials we need.
With human resources, money, and materials, it’s no wonder the planet’s undergoing rapid development.
I’m currently receiving a report inside a conference room that has been prepared at the spaceport.
“Our army has been reduced to half of what it was in the past.”
Klaus is representing the commanders, with the pale-faced Tia and Marie beside him.
Looking at the results alone, the Banfield Family has lost the war.
“We’ve also dealt a considerable amount of damage to the Kingdom of Dominion, so strictly speaking, it can be considered a tie. However, the damage we incurred in exchange is too great.”
Klaus tries to hold me accountable, and for good reasons too.
“I know, I know. I won’t blame you guys for the losses.”
We then move on to discuss what to do next.
“It’s going to take some time reorganizing the army. Meanwhile, we won’t be able to deploy our troops.”
“I’ll leave that to you and Tia. I have something to do back in our territory.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Klaus appears taken aback after hearing that the commander-in-chief is leaving the field to return to his territory.
“Yeah, you heard that right. After we finish sending off the dead, I’ll be returning to my territory. Argos needs to undergo maintenance and get resupplied, so we’ll be using Marie’s fleet instead. Might as well also bring the injured with me. You’ll take my place while I’m gone.”
“U-understood.”
I stand up from my seat after handing Klaus the position of deputy commander-in-chief.
The trio seem confused as I let out a small sigh.
“—I wasn’t able to make it in time.”
It’s not only the four of us in the room, and Klaus looks over at the two that are standing a distance away from us.
Rinho and Fuuka are standing there with their cheeks red after being slapped by me.
“Lord Liam, will you be taking them with you?”
I direct a sharp gaze at the two, prompting them to tense up.
“Slackers have no right to meet Master.—I’ll entrust them with this planet’s defense. Klaus, command them as you please. If they disobey orders, tell me. I’ll teach them a lesson myself.”
Rinho and Fuuka tremble hearing my angry words.
The School of One Flash isn’t a place for losers.
They seem to have put up a fairly good fight against Aluna’s Arachne, but they’ve sullied our reputation by not bringing home victory.
As I approach the two of them, they lower their heads in shame and frustration.
“Don’t embarrass Master in your future fights.”
And with that, I turn my back on them.
◇
Marie, who had returned to the Banfield Family’s home planet, was accompanying Liam through the corridors of the mansion.
They were in a convertible, heading for a place where medical facilities were located.
“Lord Liam, why are we heading there?” Marie asked in wonder.
“Hm? Oh, it’s because Rosetta’s there.”
“Lady Rosetta? Did something happen to her?”
Marie turned pale when she heard this.
An event significant enough for Liam to return to his territory despite being in the midst of war had taken place at the mansion.
Did something happen to Rosetta?
Her worries had unfortunately hit the mark.
“Yes.”
Liam seemed composed, not the least bit worried about Rosetta’s safety.
As an aristocrat that governed a territory, his conduct was exemplary.
However, his indifferent attitude hurt Marie greatly.
Rosetta had confided in her that she genuinely loved Liam, not as a partner for a political marriage, but as someone she truly cared for in her heart.
Hence, the lack of concern from her liege left her slightly dismayed.
When the two arrived at Rosetta’s room, they got off their vehicle, upon which they were greeted by Brian, who rushed over.
Falling to his knees, he began to bawl in front of Liam.
“Why…why didn’t you come a little sooner…”
Brian shed tears on a daily basis, but something felt different today, which fueled Marie’s anxiety further.
She would usually keep her mouth shut, but her emotions got the better of her.
“Brian-dono, what happened?”
“Lady Rosetta…she…!!”
Marie broke into a cold sweat at the mention of her lady’s name.
Liam brushed passed Brian while Marie braced herself for the worst.
Marie clung to his sleeves after witnessing how exasperated he seemed.
“Lord Liam, how could you be so cold? Was Lady Rosetta nothing in your eyes!?”
Liam narrowed his eyes and shook Marie away.
“—Let go.”
Marie shed tears of grief as she sat on the floor after being shaken off.
—That was when the door opened, and the one standing there was Rosetta.
“Welcome back, Darling! Wait, what’s wrong? Why is Marie crying?”
“Eh!?”
Rosetta was in her nightgown, and she looked as energetic as ever.
Liam shook his head.
“How should I know? More importantly—”
Rosetta smiled seeing Liam hesitate and invited him into the room.
Unable to process what was happening, Marie inquired Brian, who still had tears in his eyes.
“Brian-dono, I thought Lady Rosetta was unwell?”
“Did this Brian ever say that Lady Rosetta was unwell? Oh, how long I’ve waited for this day to arrive!!”
And with that, Brian began weeping again.
Someone inside must have heard this as a cry rang out from inside the room.
More precisely, it was a baby’s cry.
“Ugyaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Marie was so surprised that she let out a shriek before jumping up and dashing into the room.
◇
Inside Rosetta’s room.
A small bed has been prepared next to the big one.
In addition to some maids, there are several nurses inside, and though they’re hidden from view, Kukuri’s subordinates have also been stationed there.
And then there’s Amagi.
Upon seeing me, she briefly shuts her eyes, lowers her head, and raises it back up.
There’s a soft smile on her face.
Rosetta makes her way to the tiny bed and holds the baby there in her arms.
“Darling, look, it’s our child.”
Rosetta seems to have awoken her motherly instinct as she hugs the child like he’s the most precious thing in the world. [1]
I look at the baby in her arms. Oh, the baby has stopped crying.
I would’ve been moved to tears if it was my previous life, but the first thought that comes to my mind is ‘Is he really my child?’
I’m one of the most powerful aristocrats in the Empire, and there’s absolutely no room for an adulterer to enter my mansion.
This is something I understand clearly, but I can’t help but worry if he’s really my child.
Rosetta urges me to hold the baby.
“Here, Darling.”
“Nn.”
The baby looks at me sleepily when I hold him in my arms.
“He doesn’t seem to hate it.”
“He must feel safe in your arms. By the way, you seem quite accustomed to holding babies, Darling.”
“Hm? Maybe you’re right.”
I didn’t think there’d come a day when I use my experience from my previous life.
Marie watches enviously from afar as I hold the baby.
Brian, on the other hand, is filming us.
“Lord Liam, please smile more.”
“I refuse.”
Saying that, I return the baby to Rosetta.
The figure of Rosetta cradling the baby overlaps with the image of my previous life’s wife.
Well, ex-wife.
—Even after climbing all the way to the top, gaining enough power to threaten the Empire, I’m disturbed by the memories of my previous life.
It’s pathetic.
“Rest your body. I’ll take care of your work. Marie, tend to Rosetta’s needs while I’m gone.”
Marie quickly scurries over to Rosetta’s side.
“Leave it to me, Lord Liam! Lady Rosetta, I’m glad you’re safe.”
“You’re such a worrywart, Marie.”
I walk away, turning my back on Rosetta and the baby.
◇
I ignore the lonely expression on Rosetta’s face and exit the room with Amagi tailing behind me.
“Master, what was that attitude just now?”
“—What a pitiful child.”
After leaving the room and coming to a place where Rosetta can’t hear us, I confess my feelings to Amagi.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said.”
“He was born as the young master of a ducal household, and he’ll be able to live a more privileged life than most people. I don’t see how he’s at all a pitiful child.”
“You’d be right, if his father wasn’t me.”
“?”
“I’m an evil lord.”
Being born into the Empire’s number one ducal household with a caring mother like Rosetta.
Everything’s great up until that, but as luck would have it, his father is the Empire’s number one villainous lord.
All because of that, he’ll be remembered as a pitiful child that was born into a wicked household.
He might’ve been better off being the child of another family.
Unfortunately, he’ll have to bear a heavy burden due to all the misdeeds his father has committed.
Amagi silently stares at me.
There’s something sad about her expression that I can’t quite grasp.
“—I sympathize with the baby, but he has nothing to blame but his luck for being born as my child.”
◇
Inside the room where Liam and Amagi have left.
Marie was crying tears of joy as Rosetta held the baby in her arms.
However, Rosetta looked sad for some reason.
“I wonder if Darling’s not happy about this child.”
To relieve her anxiety, Marie reassured her by saying how absurd it was for Liam to be in the territory right now.
“That’s not true at all! We’re currently at war with the Kingdom of Dominion. Normally, it’d be impossible for Lord Liam to be back before the war ends. He had to force himself to rush back.”
“Is that so?”
Having finished recording, Brian chimed in to comfort Rosetta.
“Absolutely. Lord Liam is simply unsure of how to interact with his child.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. —After all, Lord Liam spent very little time with his parents. From an early age, he had to behave maturely and act as the lord. Although it was reassuring, I can’t help but feel sorry for the way he grew up.”
Liam’s parents had moved to the capital when he was five years old.
And even before that, they didn’t spend much time with Liam.
Brian revealed a sad smile.
“But the Banfield Family has finally welcomed an heir! This Brian is extremely—”
Brian covered his face and started crying.
Seeing this, Rosetta brought her face close to her baby.
A dog’s spirit was watching them from the corner of the room.
It had been keeping an eye on Rosetta and the baby to make sure the Guide didn’t do anything funny.
This was the perfect opportunity for him to inflict mental damage on Liam, and if something had happened to the mother and child, Liam would no doubt have suffered a blow.
Now that its job here was done, it disappeared from the room.
◇
Half a year later.
The war between the Empire and the kingdom had temporarily calmed down as both sides had suffered considerable damage.
The Banfield Family’s fleet had been reduced to half its former size, whereas the kingdom had its territory ravaged by Liam.
While the kingdom had also wrecked some of the Empire’s territory, it had nothing to do with Liam in the slightest.
And that was why they were at a standstill.
In that timeframe, Liam had returned to Augur with his fleet.
“We lost half our fleet six months ago, but it was worth it,” he said in a meeting for executive officers.
He spoke openly about the Banfield Family’s army.
“Our army grew too quickly, and a bunch of unnecessary people got mixed in. The war helped weed out the useless ones.”
The high-ranking officers weren’t too happy about Liam using the war with the kingdom to screen the soldiers.
However, all the big shots including Klaus remained calm, with individuals like Marie and Tia even showing a faint smile.
“It’s as Lord Liam says. Klaus-dono and I have reorganized the fleet. Now, it can be considered elite again.”
The expression on the soldiers had changed after experiencing real combat, and Tia was pleased to report that the Banfield Family’s army had regained its former quality.
Marie was glad to see that the riffraff was gone.
“We were able to rid ourselves of those incompetents.”
Nevertheless, a lot of allies had died.
Representing those that weren’t happy about this, Klaus issued a complaint to Liam.
“Even so, we went too far this time.”
Liam, however, smiled fearlessly.
“Normally, I wouldn’t have done something this extreme, but we didn’t have much time. His Majesty and His Highness were urging us on after all.”
Having said his piece, he stood up from his chair with a serious expression.
The air around him made the officers hold their breath.
“—It’s no longer convenient to leave the territory unattended for an extended period. We’re not going to waste time anymore. We’re going full throttle from now on.”
“You mean—”
Before Klaus could stop him, Liam laid down the orders.
“We’re moving out.”
————————————————————————————————————–
Brian (´；ω；｀): “CONGRATULATIONS LORD LIAAAAAAM!! This Brian is moved to tears!”
Wakagi-chan (゜Д゜): “Yeah, yeah. Congrats, congrats. Now, get on with the promotions.”
Brian (´・ω・｀): (So she’s back already…It’s painful.)
Wakagi-chan (゜Д゜): “Pre-orders for Volume 9 of ‘The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs’ has started. If you’re looking to buy a copy, don’t forget to pre-order!”
Brian (´；ω；｀)ノシ: “Thanks to everyone’s support, we’ve decided to print more copies of Volume 4’s Melonbooks limited edition. Thank you very much!”
[1] For now, I’ll assume the child’s a boy.
