Kozmo, leading the pirate fleet, wore a sour expression.

The one giving the orders was Hampson.

"The Banfields have struck our supply base. But they've gotten greedy and are plundering supplies. Now's our chance, strike Liam."

Kozmo spat.

"Wasn't our policy not to fight Liam?"

Was he abandoning that policy? Hampson answered that question immediately.

"At this rate, our supplies will run out first. If His Highness the Crown Prince hadn't brought along that extra baggage, we would've had a bit more leeway."

The "extra baggage" was the volunteer army.

If it weren't for the volunteer army, the punitive force could have fought a little longer.

There would have been no need to force a fight with Liam.

"The number of ships led by Banfield is less than thirty thousand. Crush him with the sixty thousand you command and the pirates who have joined you."

Kozmo felt uneasy about those numbers.

"Don't say it so lightly! He's a master strategist who can overturn a four-to-one disadvantage. He may not be on Klaus's level, but if we're going to fight him, give us a proper force!"

When told to dispatch reinforcements from his own fleet, Hampson, perhaps having expected this, accepted it readily.

"—Fine. But I can only spare thirty thousand ships. If I send any more, we'll be the ones in danger."

Hearing the word "danger," Kozmo narrowed his eyes.

"Are you really that cornered?"

Kozmo knew Tia was competent, but he had perceived her to be within the realm of common sense compared to Liam or Klaus.

However, Hampson's reaction was strange.

"She's enduring our fierce assault. To be honest, she's holding out longer than expected."

Hampson's words, delivered with a frown, made Kozmo suspicious.

(Is she better than I thought? I figured as long as we were careful with Liam and Klaus, the rest would be within the realm of common sense.)

After folding his arms and pondering for several seconds, Kozmo demanded more forces to fight Liam.

"It's not enough. In addition to the thirty thousand ships, send Dustin over too. He's with your fleet, isn't he?"

At that, Hampson's expression turned sullen.

"He's using his right of independent command as a shield to ignore my orders. There's a saying that you're invincible if you never fight an opponent you can't beat, and he's a Sword Saint for thoroughly embodying that. I'm impressed."

His words might have sounded like praise, but Hampson's attitude clearly showed his disappointment in Dustin.

Kozmo clicked his tongue.

"So the Empire's last Sword Saint is useless, huh."

◇

Hampson's fleet was attacking the planet Tia was defending.

A developed planet within the Banfield territory would surely be storing and producing large quantities of war materials.

It should have enough provisions to resupply a grand fleet of three million ships.

Hampson's plan had been to take it quickly and then head to Tryde's rescue.

He had been aiming to defeat them one by one, but Cleo's selfish actions had drastically altered his plans.

"What appears to be the enemy's elite mobile knight unit is taking heavy losses on the front lines!"

Upon hearing the operator's report, Hampson immediately issued an order.

"Send in Dustin."

Then, another report came in.

"The enemy mobile knight unit has begun attacking our retreating allies!"

The battles taking place everywhere were a seesaw of advances and retreats.

Hampson, wanting to crush the elite unit, ordered Dustin to intercept them. However, the man himself opened a communication channel to complain.

"Vice Commander, I've assessed the situation."

"Then, to the enemy's elite unit—"

"No, rescuing our retreating allies takes precedence. My mobile knight unit will now proceed to assist our friendly forces."

At Dustin's blatant insubordination, Hampson slammed his fist on the armrest.

"Your job is to crush the enemy's elite unit. Leave the small fry to the other knights!"

However, the Empire had granted Sword Saints the right of independent command.

They were a unit that could act on its own judgment in a pinch, and was outside the normal chain of command.

Using this as a shield, Dustin chose to fight the easier opponents.

"I have the right of independent command. I will simply do what I believe is necessary right now."

When the communication was cut off unilaterally, Hampson seethed.

"A phony who only cares about the title of Sword Saint!"

◇

Dustin, leading a few dozen battleships, was surrounded by his disciples in the hangar.

The practitioners of the Roman style of swordsmanship had been given the latest state-of-the-art mobile knights, built at the Imperial Arsenal.

These were machines built with technology from every weapons factory and data gathered from all over the Empire.

The Banfield family's mass-produced models were excellent, but in terms of performance alone, Dustin's mobile knights were superior.

Dustin addressed his subordinates, who were also his disciples.

"Three of the Empire's Sword Saints have been defeated, leaving only me. —This situation is extremely fortunate."

The other Sword Saints were defeated, and he was the only one left. Dustin rejoiced in this fact without hesitation in front of his disciples.

"There's no need to fear anyone from the One-Flash style besides Liam. I hear they've replicated the One-Flash in their mobile knights, but how is that any different from a standard weapon?"

Only Liam was to be feared.

He believed the rest could simply be destroyed with long-range cannon fire.

"And on this battlefield, kill as many enemies as you can. Numbers are justice. No matter how many strong foes you defeat, the common folk only pay attention to the numbers. Kill ten average men rather than one strong one."

The disciples who had received Dustin's teachings did not object to these words.

Any who would have objected had already been excommunicated.

Dustin headed for the cockpit of his mobile knight to sortie.

(I've become quite pathetic since becoming a Sword Saint. In the old days, I took pride in honing my skills and fighting the strong. But only the two major sword styles ever get any recognition. The common rabble can't even comprehend which is superior.)

He once had his pride as a swordsman.

But even when Dustin became a Sword Saint and defeated the acting heads of the two major sword styles, the people of the Empire did not acknowledge the Roman style.

For Dustin, who believed the Roman style to be the strongest, that was unforgivable.

(Hampson, who uses me as he pleases, is also an enemy. He'll throw me at the elite units, and when I'm exhausted and defeated, he'll just offer empty praise. My reputation will be that of a loser who was defeated despite being a Sword Saint.)

Dustin had his own way of thinking.

It wasn't wrong, either; if Dustin had followed Hampson's orders, he would have been worked to the bone.

The man named Hampson saw no value in the title of Sword Saint.

He saw him as just another pawn.

Sitting in the cockpit's seat, Dustin hoped to encounter a swordsman of the One-Flash style on the battlefield—anyone other than Liam.

(Though I'm focusing on numbers, I'd still like the achievement of felling a One-Flash swordsman. Their heads are worth more than killing a hundred—no, a thousand—commoners.)

◇

On the planet where the punitive force's supply base was located.

Having arranged my forces in formation around it, I was speaking with Thomas over a communication channel.

Before me, I could see the figure of a middle-aged man wiping sweat with a handkerchief.

"Lord Liam, we have finished loading the supplies as you commanded."

"Good work. I'm sending you an escort, so get off this battlefield at once."

"Y-yes, sir. But are you sure about this? If the main Imperial fleet turns back, you'll be fighting millions of ships. Even for you, Lord Liam, isn't it impossible to face such numbers?"

What insolence towards me! I wish I could say that, but even I can't defeat a million enemies with less than thirty thousand ships unless the conditions are perfect.

And I have no intention of trying.

In the first place, anyone who creates such a situation is an idiot.

"They can't come back, which is why I'm staying here, isn't it?"

"Huh? B-but..."

To the confused Thomas, I explained in a voice loud enough for those around me to hear.

"That idiot Cleo made a misjudgment. Getting cocky because his forces increased and attacking my home planet was a mistake. All he had to do was stick to the original plan."

When we hit the supply base, we captured a large number of Imperial officers and soldiers.

Putting together the information we got from them, it seems Cleo chose to attack my home planet himself upon the arrival of unplanned reinforcements.

"—If it were me, I would have immediately sent that rabble away. With limited supplies, I wouldn't want to be saddled with such baggage."

Faced with an overwhelming force of two million ships, Cleo was the one who made the wrong call.

"So, you're saying only a small force will come to retake this place?"

"If he attacked my home planet with all his might, he might have a chance of winning. But do you think Cleo can get past Klaus and take my home planet?"

"No."

Leaving my most trusted subordinate, Klaus, at my home planet was the right decision.

Conversely, sending Klaus out on raids would have yielded some results, but I'm better suited for it.

However, it was then that I realized something.

"Oops, calling Cleo an idiot is a mistake. He's the best man for the job, after all."

"Huh?"

Seeing me call a traitor the best man for the job, Thomas tilted his head in confusion.

"I mean, isn't it obvious? He's moved exactly as we'd hoped. I suppose I should be grateful to him."

I won't give him the pure gratitude I'd show the Guide, but an incompetent enemy is as good as a competent ally.

While I'm at it, I'll thank Cleo for a few seconds, just as I would the Guide.

I checked the time and ordered Thomas to fall back immediately.

"—It's about time. Thomas, you get out of here."

"Lord Liam, may you have fortune in battle."

"Fortune in battle? No, that's not it. —Pray that the hunt goes well."

◇

A few days after Thomas's departure.

Sitting in my seat on the bridge of the Argos, I sighed at the enemy that had finally appeared.

"They're a few days later than expected. —Is this proof that Tia is doing her best?"

Eulisia, who had overheard my muttering, stood beside me, looking at me with a gaze that was both tense and exasperated.

"The enemy fleet that appeared via short-range warp is an Imperial regular army, with a pirate fleet as its core. We've also confirmed other groups that appear to be pirates."

"So the pirates called on their old buddies?"

"Their fleet size is one hundred and twenty thousand."

Faced with an enemy more than four times our number, the bridge grew frantic.

I stood up from my seat, stretched, and gazed at the enemy fleet displayed on the monitor.

"—I'll give them credit for not running away and coming back to retake the base."

The enemy I wanted to defeat most in this battle was the pirate fleet that had ravaged my territory.

I had decided to destroy them with my own hands.

"Now then, shall we play?"

I'll start by engaging them in a fleet battle.