Fortress-class spaceships were battleships large enough to be considered mobile fortresses.
On the bridge of one such spaceship, Cleo was sitting on the commander’s seat, with escort knights, butlers, and maids waiting on her.
There were other knights and soldiers present on the bridge as well, but the imperial soldiers outside Cleo’s immediate surroundings were moving busily on deck.
“Short distance warp, success!”
“No enemy troops detected!”
“Immediately get into formation!”
The commanders and captains on the fortress class spaceship gave out commands one after another as Cleo watched on, grabbing a drink that one of the maids had offered.
“Am I just here to watch others do everything?”
A general who served as her military adviser answered her question. He was an elderly man with a lot of experience on the field, and his uniform was decorated with many medals, similar to the other soldiers nearby.
“Your Highness, a supreme commander must do what a supreme commander has been tasked to do. Marquis Hampson and his fleet have arrived before us and have built a base, so we will be joining them once the entire fleet is ready.”
The general was given an annoyed look by Cleo for stating something so obvious.
“We’re just performing short-distance warps. Why is it taking so long?”
Due to the sheer number of troops, even short-distance warping took a good chunk of time.
She watched on as more and more troops arrived. Soon, she received a call from Marquis Hampson.
A screen was projected before her.
‘Your Highness, your fleet is several days behind schedule.’
Cleo wasn’t too pleased by this sudden remark. After all, it wasn’t her fault that they arrived late.
“Tell that to my subordinates.”
Hampson frowned when he heard this.
However, there was nothing he could do about it, so he continued helplessly.
‘Your Highness is the leader of the fleet. It is part of your responsibility to keep your subordinates in line and in good spirits.’
Cleo snorted.
“You won’t mind an amateur like me interfering with your work?”
‘No, I won’t, so please try to raise the soldiers’ morale. —Also, we’ve figured out the Banfield Family’s lineup.’
“Come again!?”
Cleo jumped up from her seat as a layout map of the Banfield Family’s fleet was displayed around her.
Liam had abandoned most of the planets under development and had selectively chosen to protect planets and bases that were important for the family.
Cleo smirked when she saw this.
“Too predictable. It won’t even be fun this way. It seems even Liam couldn’t come up with any creatives strategies this time.”
They had made predictions about the Banfield Family’s formation ahead of time, and they weren’t surprised by the results. There was nothing noteworthy about the formation.
Cleo was disappointed, having had her expectations betrayed.
Hampson, however, remained grim.
‘It’s better not to underestimate them. Liam aside, there’s his confidant, Klaus, to worry about. He must have had something in his mind when he came up with this strategy.’
“Klaus…you mean the Empire’s Strongest Knight, huh?”
If Liam was the strongest in terms of personal prowess, Klaus was the strongest when it came to leading an army.
The mere mention of his nickname sent shivers down the crew’s backs.
As terrifying as Liam was, it was unlikely for them to encounter him on the battlefield.
However, Klaus was different.
They were about to face was an army led by the man known as the Empire’s Strongest Knight, one that supported Liam as his right-hand man.
Hampson was also wary of him.
‘He’s an extraordinary man, to say the least. He wouldn’t hesitate to use his lord as bait if it means achieving victory. Banfield, who employs such a man, is also crazy in his own right. The worst thing about them is their synergy. Your Highness, if worse comes to worst, please follow through with the plan.’
“—You mean the plan where I flee if I come across Liam?”
‘It’s all for the sake of victory. Victory comes to those that devote themselves to making the situation worse for their opponents.’
Winning this way was hardly desirable, and Cleo wasn’t too happy with Hampson’s plan, but he was much more reliable than his predecessors that failed miserably after underestimating Liam.
(If it’s him…)
As unlikeable as he was, Cleo was confident that Hampson would be able to defeat Liam.
“For now, I shall do as you say.”
‘Much obliged.’
◇
(Defeating an enemy that outnumbers you is easier said than done!)
A man by the name of Klaus was experiencing a severe headache.
He was the Head Knight of the Banfield Family and Liam’s most trusted knight, one who had been bestowed the number of “One”.
Several fortress class battleships had been positioned near the Banfield Family’s home planet, surrounding it in a protective manner.
In addition, a large fleet consisting of hundreds of thousands of ships had been prepared and was under the command of Klaus.
The man in question was on the bridge of a super dreadnought class battleship, a flagship which spanned thousands of meters.
With his arms crossed, Klaus stared motionlessly at the gigantic monitor reflected before his eyes.
“Your Excellency Klaus, each fleet is in position.”
“The enemy fleet has also entered our territory and is arriving via short-distance warps.”
“Some of the fleet commanders believe we should intercept the enemies.”
Among Klaus’ fleet, there were many fearless knights and soldiers willing to charge toward the enemies.
Klaus, however, remained firm in his decision.
“No, tell them to stay put and be alert.”
One of the military officers voiced his complaint.
“However, if we were to clash with the enemies as they are now, we’ll be at a massive disadvantage. We must turn the table on them by assembling a small elite fleet and having it strike at the enemies.”
If they did nothing, they would be crushed by the subjugation force’s sheer numbers.
Klaus knew this as well, but if they weren’t careful, the elite fleet would only end up surrounded and decimated by the enemies, at which point the Banfield Family would be left with even fewer troops.
“We mustn’t underestimate our enemies. They would instantly see through such a simple plan.”
(Not to mention, what we’re facing is the Empire’s regular army along with the private armies of influential nobles. They’re equipped with all the newest models, and they’re worlds apart from the enemies that we’ve faced so far, be it in terms of quality or quantity.)
They weren’t special per se, but they were simply strong. And this made them extremely troublesome to deal with.
Klaus, who knew his limits as a normal person, planned on beating the enemies by making use of their geographical advantage.
As he was looking at the monitor, he heard a shout from one of the operators.
“Your Excellency! Lady Christina’s fleet have engaged with the enemy fleet!”
Amidst the commotion around him, Klaus made up his mind.
(I must do whatever I can to support her. It’s probably going to be alright. Christina-dono should have no trouble even if she’s facing twice the number of enemies.)
Despite her problematic behaviors, Klaus acknowledged and trusted her ability.
However, what the operator said next blew everything out of the window.
“The size of the enemy fleet is estimated to be about…t-three million!?”
Klaus’ eyes became wide open.
(They sent in half their troops!?)
◇
A number of fortified asteroid bases surrounded one of the habitable planets owned by the Banfield Family.
It was a planet that Liam had painstakingly developed, and one that the Banfield Family could not afford to lose.
Tia, who had been tasked with protecting it, was annoyed by the enemy fleet that surged in.
At the same time, she admired the enemy commander’s decisiveness.
“Crushing each base one at a time. It’s certainly an effective strategy.”
She had assumed that the subjugation force would be complacent due to their numbers’ advantage and spread out their troops within the Banfield Family’s territory.
However, they had dispatched half their troops to the planet that she was protecting.
Her adjutant was feeling slightly flustered.
“Lady Tia, your orders!”
Tia was quiet for a few seconds, but soon after raised her right hand and gave out orders.
“We’ll whittle down the enemy fleet using our defensive equipment. It’s only a tenfold difference.”
Tia’s fleet had three hundred thousand ships in it.
In addition, their base was built to withstand attacks and was equipped with countless defenses.
If their enemies only outnumbered them by twice or thrice the amount, they could’ve easily repelled them.
However, she became slightly agitated facing ten times the number.
Her adjutant raised her voice in alarm.
“Enemy attack incoming!”
They were showered by ammunition and attacks from optical weapons.
Using the asteroids as shields, allied troops withstood the attack, even going so far as to retaliate using their defensive equipment.
As a result, their only causalities were several defensive equipment, whereas the enemies that got blasted by their attacks were forced to disperse.
Unfortunately, just a few losses weren’t enough to stop the enemies’ momentum.
Tia immediately ordered to request for backup.
“—Have Klaus send in the reserves.”
This came as a great surprise to her adjutant.
“Are you sure, Lady Tia? The battle has just begun. Requesting backup so early on will tarnish your reputation.”
Tia responded with an angry shout.
“If we get past this, we’ll be closer to victory! —It’s true that crushing us one at a time is effective, but our enemies can’t get resupplied that easily!”
They were within the Banfield Family’s territory, making it much easier for them to obtain supplies compared to the subjugation force.
Should the battle become prolonged, the subjugation force, having deployed half of its troops, would find itself in a precarious situation.
It would no doubt be a difficult fight, but it would prove even arduous for their opponents.
Furthermore, if they managed to survive this battle, the outcome of the war would tilt in their favor.
In other words, this battle could serve as a turning point, rendering victory infinitely valuable.
“It would’ve been much more troublesome if they had dispersed their troops and looted the various planets. If we can trash half of their troops here, our victory will be all but—”
Assured! Or so she was about to say before an unpleasant news arrived.
An operator reported what happened on a different battlefield.
“An enemy fleet has landed on one of our planets!”
Tia turned toward the operator and asked for more details.
“Are they having a separate fleet loot the planets? What’s the guerrilla fleet doing?”
The operator became pale once he realized the identity of the fleet that was ravaging one of their planets.
“It’s the Empire’s Special Tasks Fleet! The guerrilla fleet is believed to have been annihilated!”
Tia, who heard this, became furious, and her hair became disheveled.
“IT’S THE DAMN PIRATES!!”
◇
Cosmo was onboard a fortress-class battleship named Hydra with his arms crossed.
On the richly decorated bridge, Cosmo had beauties wearing modified military uniforms serving him.
The women were in miniskirts, and their revealing uniforms did little to hide their cleavage as they leaned on Cosmo.
Looking at the image projected on the huge monitor, Cosmo smirked.
“The Banfield Family doesn’t seem to be as strong as the rumors say. Even their elite guerrilla fleet turned out to be nothing much.”
Remnants of the destroyed ships and mobile knights of the Banfield Family were floating about in space.
One of Cosmo’s beautiful secretaries reported on their current situation.
“Your Excellency, the troops that landed have begun looting.”
Cosmo let out a small sigh which didn’t sound genuine.
“Now, now. We shouldn’t call it looting. Since this is the Empire’s territory, requisition should be the right word.”
Most of Cosmo’s pirate fleet had landed on the planet, intent on looting the place clean.
“Pardon my mistake, Your Excellency. The requisition is proceeding without a hitch. As expected of the Banfield Family, their planets are a complete treasure trove. However—”
A frown appeared on the beauty’s face as she made her report.
“—It seems they evacuated its residents ahead of time.”
Cosmo’s eyes narrowed, failing to comprehend what he had just heard.
“He chose his citizens over his treasures? —Is Banfield really that stupid?”
Cosmo, who valued treasure above lives, couldn’t understand Liam’s thought process.
The beautiful secretary continued.
“The fleets that have finished the requisition are starting to return. Your Excellency, what shall we do now?”
“Of course, we’ll aim for the next planet—”
Cosmo was about to hurry his men to the next planet but was interrupted by the shout of his operator.
“General! It’s the Banfield Family’s elite fleet. —Their flagship is Argos!”
Cosmo pushed away the beauties that were serving him and stood up, quickly laying out orders.
“Is it Banfield?”
“Y-yes! There’s a high possibility that it is!”
“Alright! —Sound the retreat!”
Noticing that the elite fleet led by Liam was about to arrive, Cosmo’s pirate fleet immediately turned tail and fled.
———————————————————————————————–
Wakagi-chan (#゜Д゜): “Sonuvabitch! I’ll kill ya, mother f*cker! Come at me!”
Brian (´；ω；｀): “The plant that’s meant to advertise has turned rogue, it’s painful. That aside—”
Brian (｀・ω・´): “Volume 5 of the light novel ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ is now on sale! Lord Liam’s brilliant performances have finally made their way to the fifth novel! It’s all thanks to everyone’s support!”
Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “Episode 4 of the anime for ‘Mob Seka’ will also air today, so look forward to it! Arroganz will be finally making its appearance!”
Brian (´・ω・｀): “I am waiting in front of the television in a seiza, waiting for the episode to air.”
Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “I’m a plant, so I can’t perform a seiza, but I’m eagerly awaiting the episode as well!”
Fortress-class spaceships were battleships large enough to be considered mobile fortresses.
On the bridge of one such spaceship, Cleo was sitting on the commander’s seat, with escort knights, butlers, and maids waiting on her.
There were other knights and soldiers present on the bridge as well, but the imperial soldiers outside Cleo’s immediate surroundings were moving busily on deck.
“Short distance warp, success!”
“No enemy troops detected!”
“Immediately get into formation!”
The commanders and captains on the fortress class spaceship gave out commands one after another as Cleo watched on, grabbing a drink that one of the maids had offered.
“Am I just here to watch others do everything?”
A general who served as her military adviser answered her question. He was an elderly man with a lot of experience on the field, and his uniform was decorated with many medals, similar to the other soldiers nearby.
“Your Highness, a supreme commander must do what a supreme commander has been tasked to do. Marquis Hampson and his fleet have arrived before us and have built a base, so we will be joining them once the entire fleet is ready.”
The general was given an annoyed look by Cleo for stating something so obvious.
“We’re just performing short-distance warps. Why is it taking so long?”
Due to the sheer number of troops, even short-distance warping took a good chunk of time.
She watched on as more and more troops arrived. Soon, she received a call from Marquis Hampson.
A screen was projected before her.
‘Your Highness, your fleet is several days behind schedule.’
Cleo wasn’t too pleased by this sudden remark. After all, it wasn’t her fault that they arrived late.
“Tell that to my subordinates.”
Hampson frowned when he heard this.
However, there was nothing he could do about it, so he continued helplessly.
‘Your Highness is the leader of the fleet. It is part of your responsibility to keep your subordinates in line and in good spirits.’
Cleo snorted.
“You won’t mind an amateur like me interfering with your work?”
‘No, I won’t, so please try to raise the soldiers’ morale. —Also, we’ve figured out the Banfield Family’s lineup.’
“Come again!?”
Cleo jumped up from her seat as a layout map of the Banfield Family’s fleet was displayed around her.
Liam had abandoned most of the planets under development and had selectively chosen to protect planets and bases that were important for the family.
Cleo smirked when she saw this.
“Too predictable. It won’t even be fun this way. It seems even Liam couldn’t come up with any creatives strategies this time.”
They had made predictions about the Banfield Family’s formation ahead of time, and they weren’t surprised by the results. There was nothing noteworthy about the formation.
Cleo was disappointed, having had her expectations betrayed.
Hampson, however, remained grim.
‘It’s better not to underestimate them. Liam aside, there’s his confidant, Klaus, to worry about. He must have had something in his mind when he came up with this strategy.’
“Klaus…you mean the Empire’s Strongest Knight, huh?”
If Liam was the strongest in terms of personal prowess, Klaus was the strongest when it came to leading an army.
The mere mention of his nickname sent shivers down the crew’s backs.
As terrifying as Liam was, it was unlikely for them to encounter him on the battlefield.
However, Klaus was different.
They were about to face was an army led by the man known as the Empire’s Strongest Knight, one that supported Liam as his right-hand man.
Hampson was also wary of him.
‘He’s an extraordinary man, to say the least. He wouldn’t hesitate to use his lord as bait if it means achieving victory. Banfield, who employs such a man, is also crazy in his own right. The worst thing about them is their synergy. Your Highness, if worse comes to worst, please follow through with the plan.’
“—You mean the plan where I flee if I come across Liam?”
‘It’s all for the sake of victory. Victory comes to those that devote themselves to making the situation worse for their opponents.’
Winning this way was hardly desirable, and Cleo wasn’t too happy with Hampson’s plan, but he was much more reliable than his predecessors that failed miserably after underestimating Liam.
(If it’s him…)
As unlikeable as he was, Cleo was confident that Hampson would be able to defeat Liam.
“For now, I shall do as you say.”
‘Much obliged.’
◇
(Defeating an enemy that outnumbers you is easier said than done!)
A man by the name of Klaus was experiencing a severe headache.
He was the Head Knight of the Banfield Family and Liam’s most trusted knight, one who had been bestowed the number of “One”.
Several fortress class battleships had been positioned near the Banfield Family’s home planet, surrounding it in a protective manner.
In addition, a large fleet consisting of hundreds of thousands of ships had been prepared and was under the command of Klaus.
The man in question was on the bridge of a super dreadnought class battleship, a flagship which spanned thousands of meters.
With his arms crossed, Klaus stared motionlessly at the gigantic monitor reflected before his eyes.
“Your Excellency Klaus, each fleet is in position.”
“The enemy fleet has also entered our territory and is arriving via short-distance warps.”
“Some of the fleet commanders believe we should intercept the enemies.”
Among Klaus’ fleet, there were many fearless knights and soldiers willing to charge toward the enemies.
Klaus, however, remained firm in his decision.
“No, tell them to stay put and be alert.”
One of the military officers voiced his complaint.
“However, if we were to clash with the enemies as they are now, we’ll be at a massive disadvantage. We must turn the table on them by assembling a small elite fleet and having it strike at the enemies.”
If they did nothing, they would be crushed by the subjugation force’s sheer numbers.
Klaus knew this as well, but if they weren’t careful, the elite fleet would only end up surrounded and decimated by the enemies, at which point the Banfield Family would be left with even fewer troops.
“We mustn’t underestimate our enemies. They would instantly see through such a simple plan.”
(Not to mention, what we’re facing is the Empire’s regular army along with the private armies of influential nobles. They’re equipped with all the newest models, and they’re worlds apart from the enemies that we’ve faced so far, be it in terms of quality or quantity.)
They weren’t special per se, but they were simply strong. And this made them extremely troublesome to deal with.
Klaus, who knew his limits as a normal person, planned on beating the enemies by making use of their geographical advantage.
As he was looking at the monitor, he heard a shout from one of the operators.
“Your Excellency! Lady Christina’s fleet have engaged with the enemy fleet!”
Amidst the commotion around him, Klaus made up his mind.
(I must do whatever I can to support her. It’s probably going to be alright. Christina-dono should have no trouble even if she’s facing twice the number of enemies.)
Despite her problematic behaviors, Klaus acknowledged and trusted her ability.
However, what the operator said next blew everything out of the window.
“The size of the enemy fleet is estimated to be about…t-three million!?”
Klaus’ eyes became wide open.
(They sent in half their troops!?)
◇
A number of fortified asteroid bases surrounded one of the habitable planets owned by the Banfield Family.
It was a planet that Liam had painstakingly developed, and one that the Banfield Family could not afford to lose.
Tia, who had been tasked with protecting it, was annoyed by the enemy fleet that surged in.
At the same time, she admired the enemy commander’s decisiveness.
“Crushing each base one at a time. It’s certainly an effective strategy.”
She had assumed that the subjugation force would be complacent due to their numbers’ advantage and spread out their troops within the Banfield Family’s territory.
However, they had dispatched half their troops to the planet that she was protecting.
Her adjutant was feeling slightly flustered.
“Lady Tia, your orders!”
Tia was quiet for a few seconds, but soon after raised her right hand and gave out orders.
“We’ll whittle down the enemy fleet using our defensive equipment. It’s only a tenfold difference.”
Tia’s fleet had three hundred thousand ships in it.
In addition, their base was built to withstand attacks and was equipped with countless defenses.
If their enemies only outnumbered them by twice or thrice the amount, they could’ve easily repelled them.
However, she became slightly agitated facing ten times the number.
Her adjutant raised her voice in alarm.
“Enemy attack incoming!”
They were showered by ammunition and attacks from optical weapons.
Using the asteroids as shields, allied troops withstood the attack, even going so far as to retaliate using their defensive equipment.
As a result, their only causalities were several defensive equipment, whereas the enemies that got blasted by their attacks were forced to disperse.
Unfortunately, just a few losses weren’t enough to stop the enemies’ momentum.
Tia immediately ordered to request for backup.
“—Have Klaus send in the reserves.”
This came as a great surprise to her adjutant.
“Are you sure, Lady Tia? The battle has just begun. Requesting backup so early on will tarnish your reputation.”
Tia responded with an angry shout.
“If we get past this, we’ll be closer to victory! —It’s true that crushing us one at a time is effective, but our enemies can’t get resupplied that easily!”
They were within the Banfield Family’s territory, making it much easier for them to obtain supplies compared to the subjugation force.
Should the battle become prolonged, the subjugation force, having deployed half of its troops, would find itself in a precarious situation.
It would no doubt be a difficult fight, but it would prove even arduous for their opponents.
Furthermore, if they managed to survive this battle, the outcome of the war would tilt in their favor.
In other words, this battle could serve as a turning point, rendering victory infinitely valuable.
“It would’ve been much more troublesome if they had dispersed their troops and looted the various planets. If we can trash half of their troops here, our victory will be all but—”
Assured! Or so she was about to say before an unpleasant news arrived.
An operator reported what happened on a different battlefield.
“An enemy fleet has landed on one of our planets!”
Tia turned toward the operator and asked for more details.
“Are they having a separate fleet loot the planets? What’s the guerrilla fleet doing?”
The operator became pale once he realized the identity of the fleet that was ravaging one of their planets.
“It’s the Empire’s Special Tasks Fleet! The guerrilla fleet is believed to have been annihilated!”
Tia, who heard this, became furious, and her hair became disheveled.
“IT’S THE DAMN PIRATES!!”
◇
Cosmo was onboard a fortress-class battleship named Hydra with his arms crossed.
On the richly decorated bridge, Cosmo had beauties wearing modified military uniforms serving him.
The women were in miniskirts, and their revealing uniforms did little to hide their cleavage as they leaned on Cosmo.
Looking at the image projected on the huge monitor, Cosmo smirked.
“The Banfield Family doesn’t seem to be as strong as the rumors say. Even their elite guerrilla fleet turned out to be nothing much.”
Remnants of the destroyed ships and mobile knights of the Banfield Family were floating about in space.
One of Cosmo’s beautiful secretaries reported on their current situation.
“Your Excellency, the troops that landed have begun looting.”
Cosmo let out a small sigh which didn’t sound genuine.
“Now, now. We shouldn’t call it looting. Since this is the Empire’s territory, requisition should be the right word.”
Most of Cosmo’s pirate fleet had landed on the planet, intent on looting the place clean.
“Pardon my mistake, Your Excellency. The requisition is proceeding without a hitch. As expected of the Banfield Family, their planets are a complete treasure trove. However—”
A frown appeared on the beauty’s face as she made her report.
“—It seems they evacuated its residents ahead of time.”
Cosmo’s eyes narrowed, failing to comprehend what he had just heard.
“He chose his citizens over his treasures? —Is Banfield really that stupid?”
Cosmo, who valued treasure above lives, couldn’t understand Liam’s thought process.
The beautiful secretary continued.
“The fleets that have finished the requisition are starting to return. Your Excellency, what shall we do now?”
“Of course, we’ll aim for the next planet—”
Cosmo was about to hurry his men to the next planet but was interrupted by the shout of his operator.
“General! It’s the Banfield Family’s elite fleet. —Their flagship is Argos!”
Cosmo pushed away the beauties that were serving him and stood up, quickly laying out orders.
“Is it Banfield?”
“Y-yes! There’s a high possibility that it is!”
“Alright! —Sound the retreat!”
Noticing that the elite fleet led by Liam was about to arrive, Cosmo’s pirate fleet immediately turned tail and fled.
———————————————————————————————–
Wakagi-chan (#゜Д゜): “Sonuvabitch! I’ll kill ya, mother f*cker! Come at me!”
Brian (´；ω；｀): “The plant that’s meant to advertise has turned rogue, it’s painful. That aside—”
Brian (｀・ω・´): “Volume 5 of the light novel ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ is now on sale! Lord Liam’s brilliant performances have finally made their way to the fifth novel! It’s all thanks to everyone’s support!”
Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “Episode 4 of the anime for ‘Mob Seka’ will also air today, so look forward to it! Arroganz will be finally making its appearance!”
Brian (´・ω・｀): “I am waiting in front of the television in a seiza, waiting for the episode to air.”
Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “I’m a plant, so I can’t perform a seiza, but I’m eagerly awaiting the episode as well!”
