The Capital Planet of the Algrand Empire.

The place, whose entire continent was referred to as a palace, was in an uproar for the first time in several hundred years.

The residents of the Capital Planet were out on the main streets, talking amongst themselves.

"I heard that it wasn't just the Hegemony Kingdom, but other nations have launched a simultaneous attack."
"They must have coordinated it."
"And right after our subjugation force suffered a major defeat, too."

Not even a year had passed since the Banfield Subjugation Force, led by Crown Prince Cleo, had suffered a miserable defeat.

The Empire had poured its strength into that subjugation force, leaving it with few reserves.

Other nations had taken advantage of that opening to invade.

The residents of the Capital Planet were experiencing a fear they hadn't felt in a long time.

However—they likely perceived it as something that had little to do with them personally.

"At this rate, the Empire's territory is going to be significantly reduced."
"Is this the end of the era when we were a giant interstellar nation that overwhelmed our neighbors?"
"The Empire just made too many enemies."
"Well, I'm sure things will be back to normal in a hundred years or so."

No matter how many other nations invaded, they had the confidence that the Capital Planet itself would never be attacked.

As long as you're on the Capital Planet, you're safe—that was the perception of the people living on this world.

"Looks like we won't be able to live so luxuriously for a while."
"We were just unlucky this time."
"If Duke Banfield hadn't done something so unnecessary, our lives wouldn't have been affected."
"He really did cause a lot of trouble, didn't he?"

The residents of the Capital Planet watched the war unfold with a sense of detachment, like enjoying a scary experience in a haunted house.

They were utterly convinced that they would never be caught up in it.

◇

Inside the palace, there was a great commotion.

Information from the borders was being delivered to the new residence prepared for the Crown Prince, Cleo.

The one who brought the information was not his sister, Lysithea, but a newly hired male knight.

"I have scrutinized the information from the borders, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

As his knight performed a salute, Cleo anxiously urged him to report.

To signify his status as Crown Prince, he had a chair prepared that resembled a throne.

Cleo sat there, but his anxiety caused his leg to shake restlessly.

"What's the situation?"

"It seems they had confirmed that enemy nations were massing their forces for some time and had been preparing to intercept them. Thanks to that, they are holding the line, but every front is short on manpower."

"They knew about it beforehand? Then why wasn't I informed!"

Cleo shot up from his seat and flew into a rage. The knight's gaze wandered.

He chose his words carefully as he explained the reason to Cleo.

"—It seems they had been reporting it to the palace for some time, but it was judged to be a mere show of force, and they only sent a small number of reinforcements."

Cleo complained about the palace's judgment.

"If those fools in the palace were more competent, we wouldn't have lost this much territory!"

The invading fleets of other nations were carving away at the Empire's territory.

They had lost several star systems and many important planets.

And the problem now was—who was to blame for this failure?

The reason Cleo was complaining so much about the palace's judgment was that he was on the verge of being saddled with the responsibility for this mess.

The knight wore a bitter expression.

"The voices demanding Your Highness's accountability are growing louder. They say we should temporarily declare a ceasefire with the Banfield family and focus on the external war."

If they were to declare a ceasefire with the Banfield family, the Empire would have to show a commensurate level of resolve.

That would likely include Cleo's disinheritance.

Cleo raised his voice, adding gestures for emphasis.

"Don't be ridiculous! The fact that we've been invaded this far is the fault of the incompetent palace! They're the ones who thinned out the border defenses!"

In response to Cleo's complaints, the knight spoke apologetically.

"The bureaucrats are claiming that the cause was the siphoning of forces for the subjugation army. They also say that if Your Highness had not approved the acceptance of the volunteer army, more forces could have been sent to the border—"

A fleet calling itself a volunteer army had joined Cleo, who led the subjugation force.

It started with the private fleets of nobles who hated Liam, and included patrol fleets that were a dumping ground for troublesome nobles in the military.

While they were inferior in terms of quality, their numbers were still significant.

The bureaucrats' argument was that if they hadn't lost those forces in the battle against the Banfield family, they could have sent more reinforcements to the border by now.

Everything was Cleo's fault.

Cleo slumped back onto his throne, his head hanging low.

"My position was recognized by His Majesty the Emperor. Don't think those bureaucrats can just make a fuss and drag me down whenever they please."

His words were laced with the wish that it were true.

◇

Bagrada, the Emperor of the Algrand Empire, was in high spirits as he met with his Prime Minister.

"I never thought other nations would attack the Empire all at once. No, Duke Banfield must be pulling the strings behind the scenes. Don't you think it's a truly brilliant move?"

The Prime Minister, when asked, furrowed his brow.

"Your Majesty, this is no time for laughter. At this very moment, the soldiers of the Empire are fighting to protect their homeland. In this instant, tens of thousands of soldiers and citizens are losing their lives."

Such a war could continue for years, decades, or even centuries.

From the Prime Minister's perspective, this was not an acceptable problem.

However, at those numbers, Bagrada's eyes shone with a brilliant light.

"I understand. I, too, am pained by the number of victims."

His attitude was more one of a warm welcome. The Prime Minister sighed softly in resignation.

"Even the high-ranking bureaucrats are clamoring that Prince Cleo is not fit for the position of Crown Prince. In fact, this incident has made me question his qualifications as well."

That was a lie.

The Prime Minister had doubted Cleo's qualifications for a long time.

If not for Bagrada's favoritism, he might have even had Cleo eliminated.

"I take your words, as one who serves the Empire, very seriously—but I will not remove Cleo from his position as Crown Prince."

Seeing that Bagrada would not listen to his opinion, the Prime Minister gave a small nod and decided to back down without pressing the matter further.

"More importantly, regarding the matter of the Banfield family."

A smile spread across Bagrada's face at the Prime Minister's words.

"A ceasefire? As if. I shall have him dance for me as much as possible."

(Thanks to him, my long-cherished wish will soon be fulfilled. I truly have no choice but to be grateful to the foolish Cleo and the competent Liam. The negative emotions gathering from all over the Empire will fill this vessel that is the Capital Planet.)

For Bagrada, this situation was all according to plan.

◇

The Capital Planet of the Algrand Empire.

Standing inside the planet, which was covered by a metal shell, was the Guide.

It looked as if he were floating upside down in the sky, but it was merely a projection of a sky on the inner surface of the shell.

The Guide, hanging upside down like a bat, spread his arms and then stretched.

"Being here is truly soothing to the soul. Moreover, the entire Empire is currently embroiled in war, with negative emotions swirling about. —A situation quite to my liking, I must say."

The Guide's connection to Liam was so strong that his constitution had been altered, making it so that absorbing unrelated negative emotions provided him with little nourishment.

However, the negative emotions gathering on the Capital Planet were on another level.

No matter how inefficient it was, if he kept absorbing it, the Guide's power would grow.

"It seems I'll soon be able to regain my full power. Once that happens, I will take Liam with my own hands—"

As the thought I'll kill him with my own hands! crossed his mind, the Guide broke out in a cold sweat.

"—No, it's not enough. Haven't I failed time and again by rushing ahead in my impatience? I must regain my power, and then proceed with caution. Fortunately, the Empire shows no signs of giving up the fight against Liam. —Not that I would ever let them declare a ceasefire, of course."

From the Guide's perspective, a ceasefire was absolutely out of the question.

He wanted the Empire to keep fighting and defeat Liam.

"In fact, after they defeat Liam, they can all perish for all I care. I'd love to see the looks on the faces of the carefree residents of the Capital Planet as they run about in a panic when they're invaded. It would be a truly comical and amusing sight."

The Guide chuckled to himself, then clapped his hands over his mouth in a start.

"This won't do. I have no time to be thinking about the future when I haven't even defeated Liam yet. In any case, I must think of a way to defeat him."

However, with the defeat of the subjugation force, the Empire's military strength had been greatly diminished.

With reinforcements dispatched to the borders, their forces were even more dispersed.

In this situation, they couldn't possibly dispatch another subjugation force to the Banfield family.

"In that case, the one I can rely on is—"

The Guide passed through the shell enveloping the planet and flew out into space.

Visible there was the Empire's most elite fleet, which protected the Capital Planet.

"—Perhaps I'll have them pit the Capital Planet's forces against him."

The space battleships and mobile knights developed by the Empire's military arsenals were built using the culmination of all the technology handled by the weapons factories.

Their numbers alone amounted to a million vessels.

The knights and soldiers gathered were also all elites.

In terms of quality, they were far superior to the subjugation force led by Cleo.

This elite fleet, intended for the defense of the Capital Planet, would not have its strength reduced even while the Imperial Army was in a panic over its lack of forces.

It existed solely to protect His Majesty the Emperor and the Capital Planet.

"With my restored power lending a hand, they won't lose even to the Banfield family. Probably, surely—no, absolutely."

The Guide relied on the Empire's elite fleet to steel himself.

◇

Meanwhile, at that same time.

On the Banfield family's home planet of Hydra, Marie, having completed her mission, had returned to visit Edward.

"Sir Edwaaard~. Marie has returned~."

Edward wore a sullen expression as Marie spread her arms with a smile.

"So it was your fleet that came back."

Embroidered on Marie's cape was the number "6," indicating her knight number.

When they repelled the subjugation force, her achievements were recognized, and she was inducted into the Numbers.

Marie looked deeply shocked.

"Oh my!? Are you not happy that Marie has returned!?"

"My master had to deploy in your place."

"Less than Ellen!? After all this time by your side, Marie is treated as less than Ellen!? This Marie has watched over you, Sir Edward, yet such cruel words—could this be what they call a rebellious phase?"

Edward let out a deep sigh at Marie's use of pseudo-noble lady speech.

(She's not a bad person, but she's just not the same as Master.)

Marie doted on Edward, Rosetta's first child, a great deal.

Edward himself understood this, but he also understood that it was on the premise that he was the child of Liam and Rosetta.

"You're so noisy. I don't have time to deal with you right now."

Marie checked the electronic data that Edward was looking at.

"—Hmm, these appear to be blueprints for some kind of amusement facility."

Edward felt a little awkward that she had understood at a glance.

"Don't look."

"There is no need to hide it, is there?"

Marie was smiling, but as she examined the details of the facility, the color drained from her face.

"Uh, um, Sir Edward? I think this might be a bit much, don't you?"

Marie gently suggested that the plan be canceled, but Edward ignored her.

"It has nothing to do with you. I'm just going to do what I want."