Having captured a key stronghold of the Hegemony, Tia watched from the spaceport as the defeated allied forces gathered one after another.

The massive fortress, constructed by connecting three mined-out asteroids, was equipped with almost everything from weapons development and production to residential areas and military facilities.

A colossal fortress capable of operating a fleet of tens of thousands of ships.

This fortress, the core of the surrounding space sector, must have been one of the Hegemony military's most important strongholds.

And it was Tia who had brought this key stronghold down.

Tia was watching the allied fleet from a passageway connecting the asteroids.

The cylindrical passageway was an autowalk, allowing for movement without walking.

From this vantage point, Tia sent a cold gaze toward the allied ships and muttered as if spitting.

"Disgraces to the Banfield family."

The many fleets gathering one after another at the captured fortress were in a pitiful state. Had they won, even after a hard-fought battle, Tia would have praised their struggle and welcomed them warmly.

But most of them had been defeated.

Her words were harsh for defeated allies, but the Banfield family had provided its military with ample compensation.

They were also provided with a sufficient environment and equipment, on par with the Empire's regular army.

In fact, they received better treatment than most regular forces.

To go into a real battle under such conditions and lose—it made her want to ask what in the world they were doing, ally or not.

Tia's adjutant, standing beside her, also looked down on the defeated army with a contemptuous attitude.

"Most of them have only ever fought against pirates fleeing in terror. They show a certain fragility against opponents of equal or competitive strength."

The Banfield family showed no mercy to pirates.

Many of the rapidly expanded fleets had only ever fought pirates who fled in fear of the Banfield name.

As a side effect, they showed weakness against evenly matched opponents.

Many soldiers were bewildered by real combat, something that training could not fully prepare them for.

The adjutant turned to Tia to confirm their future plans.

"The reorganization has been entrusted to us, the Third Army, but how do you intend to handle them? Our fleet is receiving reinforcements from Lord Liam's personal guard, so there's no need to forcibly absorb them."

In capturing the key stronghold, the number of their ships had decreased more than expected.

Liam, who held the Third Army in high regard, had sent elite troops as reinforcements.

Liam's personal guard was composed mostly of exceptional individuals.

They were the ones who had supported the Banfield family since the early days when Liam became the head, and they had experienced numerous fierce battles.

For Tia, this was the best news she could have hoped for.

After all, Liam had spared some of his own elite forces.

It was proof that he recognized their value.

"There's no problem if they're from Lord Liam's personal guard. But giving these losers another chance... he's a bit too soft."

If it were up to Tia, she would have dismissed them on the spot.

Depending on the circumstances, she might even have them court-martialed.

The adjutant shrugged.

"If this is their last chance, they'll probably get serious."

"—Incompetent fools."

"Rather than the losers, what about those who performed well?"

Data on the generals and knights who had distinguished themselves appeared on the reinforced glass in front of them.

Among an army of elites that possessed a certain fragility, these were the ones who consistently produced results.

Tia had her eye on them.

"Send out recruitment offers to those who performed well. Don't let Klaus or Marie poach them."

Even though it was the Banfield army, Tia had her own subordinates to lead.

She wanted to recruit the competent ones and form an even stronger fleet.

Especially—she couldn't lose to Klaus.

The adjutant's gaze sharpened as well.

"Of course. We lost to Lord Klaus in terms of military achievements this time as well. We can't let the gap widen any further."

Tia's expression became blank.

"His time monopolizing Lord Liam's favor is over. I will definitely reclaim the top position!"

Within the Banfield family, a fierce competition was unfolding.

◇

Meanwhile, Marie, who led the Fourth Army's mobile fleet, was in a furious rage.

On the bridge of her flagship, she kicked the commander's chair, destroying it, then glared with bloodshot eyes at the commanders and staff officers of the fleet she had just rescued.

"'We thank you for the rescue' my ass! You were entrusted with a fleet of fifteen thousand ships by Lord Liam, and you lost to an enemy of ten thousand? Are your heads just for decoration!"

Her fake high-class lady-like speech vanished as she vented her anger on those she had rescued.

Marie's own subordinates, surrounding the rampaging Marie, directed cold gazes at the commanders and staff of the other fleet.

When Marie placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist, the commander hurriedly apologized.

"Your scolding is well-deserved! B-but, private punishment is forbidden by military regulations!"

A blade emerged from the hilt Marie gripped, and she pressed it against the commander's neck.

The blade trembled with her rage.

"On the battlefield, you can make any excuse you want!"

To stop Marie, who looked ready to kill an ally at any moment, her adjutant approached and punched the commander, sending him flying.

Then, he ordered the staff officers.

"Take him away."

"Y-yes, sir."

The members of the other fleet left the bridge.

The adjutant turned his gaze to Marie, whose breathing was ragged with anger, and lamented the incompetence of their allies with her.

"As expected, they lack real combat experience. There are too many who don't know what a real war is. That said, the fleets absorbed from other houses are particularly fragile."

"Dammit!"

"—Lady Marie, your tone is still quite rough."

"I'm at my limit! Every last one of them, dragging me down!"

Many of those who had survived fierce battles alongside Liam were now led by the key figures.

The fleet Marie commanded was no different.

It was an elite fleet centered around the one formed when Liam was traveling incognito, equipped with high-performance vessels and Mobile Knights.

There was no doubt it was superior to other fleets, and being entrusted with a fleet that had such a large budget was proof of Liam's trust.

But for Marie, it still wasn't enough.

"While that top dog Klaus and that mincemeat woman Christiana are capturing strongholds one after another, I'm stuck cleaning up after incompetent allies? If it weren't for them, I could have produced tangible results!"

She grabbed a piece of the destroyed chair and crushed it in her hand.

Originally, Marie had also wanted to target strongholds and enemy fleets.

But she was overwhelmed by too many rescue requests from allies.

The adjutant repeated the report from the messenger to the impatient Marie.

"Lord Liam said he holds us in high regard."

"What I'm aiming for is much higher. I want achievements greater than Klaus or that mincemeat woman. I'll kick them all down. The only one who needs to stand by Lord Liam's side—is me."

◇

On the bridge of the Second Army, the messenger, a colonel, returned and reported with his chest puffed out.

"Lord Liam was overjoyed with Your Excellency Klaus's performance!"

"Huh?"

Hearing that his military merits had been recognized at the debriefing, Klaus was bewildered.

He had certainly achieved results, but from Klaus's perspective, he had only been supporting his subordinates.

Besides, there was another reason he couldn't be purely happy about it.

(Th-this is bad. If I stand out too much, those two will start making a fuss again.)

By 'those two,' he meant Tia and Marie, of course.

They were constantly aiming for his position as Head Knight.

If he performed too well, there was no telling what the two of them might do—or so Klaus thought.

In reality, there was a terrifying intensity about them, and Klaus lived in fear of assassination.

He was convinced that those two would do it!

Truthfully, he had intended to prioritize supporting the other fleets this time.

And yet, because Chengshi and the others kept pushing deeper and deeper into enemy territory, he was being dragged along.

The colonel praised Klaus's achievements.

"A performance befitting the Head Knight of the Banfield family. No, you've shown the Hegemony that your title as the Empire's Strongest Knight is not just for show."

"The Empire's Strongest?"

As he wondered what they were talking about, even his surrounding subordinates began to praise him.

"It's the title for Your Excellency, who serves as Lord Liam's right-hand man in various places."

"A title!?"

(I've had weird ones like 'Godly Strategist, Demonic Tactician' before, and now there's another one!?)

Other subordinates also talked about the rumors surrounding Klaus.

"The rumor that you didn't even nod when you received a recruitment offer from the Imperial Prime Minister has also spread. You're being called the greatest knight, possessing both unparalleled skill and immense loyalty."

"Th-this is the first I'm hearing of it?"

(No, it's impossible. I turned him down because there's no way I could live up to the expectations of the Imperial Prime Minister! Why is everyone overestimating me so much?)

The bridge was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"We of the Second Army feel proud as well."

"Lady Christiana and Lady Marie are amazing, but when you talk about the Banfield family, it has to be His Excellency Klaus."

"I heard that for a while now, many children born in the Banfield territory have been named Klaus. You're quite popular, Your Excellency."

In direct contrast to the bright atmosphere around him, a cold sweat broke out on his skin.

Klaus wasn't enjoying this at all.

"You're overestimating me. I'm not that kind of person."

"Lord Liam praised that humble attitude of yours. Lord Klaus, you truly are a wonderful knight!"

In a situation where nothing he said got through, Klaus held his head in his hands.

(Whyyyyy!!)

Just then, a communication from Liam came through to the bridge.

The act of communicating without regard for the possibility of interception in enemy territory indicated a high level of urgency.

"Your Excellency, an urgent message from Lord Liam!"

◇

The First Army had rendezvoused with the second wave of the fleet from the Banfield territory.

Their number was three hundred thousand ships.

The fleet reorganized on Planet Augur was also in the process of joining them, but it seemed there wasn't enough time.

In the conference room of the flagship Argos, the commanders and staff of the second wave were blaming the officials of the First Army.

"Why did you attack!"

"I-it was Lord Liam's order."

"It's the job of the commanders and staff to stop him from doing that!"

"We tried to stop him! B-but..."

The commanders and staff of the First Army kept glancing over at me.

Leaning back arrogantly in my chair, I looked at the second wave's people and smiled.

"I just prefer attacking over defending."

"Are you saying that with a full understanding of the extremely dangerous situation we're in?"

My subordinates looked displeased, but they couldn't defy me, their leader.

"Of course. There are millions of enemies behind us and three hundred thousand in front, right?"

The current Banfield forces are around seven hundred thousand, I suppose?

"First, we'll crush the three hundred thousand enemies, then we'll intercept the fleet that invaded Imperial territory. I've already contacted Klaus, so he should be joining us soon."

The report from the second wave was about the Hegemony's supreme commander.

"The fleet that invaded is apparently led by Her Highness Aluna, who has assumed the position of Crown Princess."

"Aluna?"

I was reminded of the party celebrating the ceasefire with the Hegemony.

I remembered the heroic woman who had demanded 'Give me your genes!' at that party.

"Her... that's a little unpleasant."

I meant that I found her a bit difficult to deal with.

And yet, my subordinates misunderstood on their own.

They seemed to think I was wary of Aluna's abilities.

"As the Crown Princess of the Hegemony, her abilities are certainly formidable. Lord Liam, you defeated His Highness Izel before, but that was an event where luck played a large part. We cannot expect the next time to go the same way."

Izel—that fool who challenged me, but he was certainly strong.

I won personally, but in the end, the Empire was defeated.

He was a troublesome guy even in death.

In the Hegemony, which values strength, the Crown Princess's power was as good as proven.

It was understandable that my subordinates felt anxious.

"If we can't overcome something of this level, how are we supposed to keep fighting in the future? Besides, I want to get back to my territory as soon as possible. You all better be prepared for that."