"The capital planet is being targeted by the enemy's main force?"

The news that the Banfield family's capital planet was being targeted by the enemy's main force, led by Cleo, had also reached Marie.

Still locked in a standoff with the noble fleet led by Tryde, Marie, unlike Tia who was in the midst of a fierce battle, had made no moves.

While she was frustrated by her inability to achieve any military glory, she continued to exercise patience to avoid making any rash moves.

Her adjutant knight reported the number of enemy ships, his expression bitter.

"According to the latest intelligence, it's a massive force approaching four million. Honestly, where did they scrape together an additional two million ships?"

As her adjutant expressed his disgust at the Empire's national power, Marie placed a hand on her chin.

(I'm worried for Lady Rosetta and Lord Edward, but more than that, reinforcements at this timing? Has the Imperial Army constructed such a reliable supply base in their rear?)

The thought that the enemy had solved their supply problems made her anxious, but she pondered whether it was truly possible.

(I've heard that among the relics of fallen civilizations, there's a mythical tool that can create gold from garbage. It wouldn't be strange if the Empire possessed such a thing. It wouldn't be strange, but... is it really possible?)

Has the enemy played their trump card?

Marie thought so, but something didn't sit right with her.

(If that were the case, they should have used it from the start. There would be no need to rampage through the territory collecting treasure. And yet, they've even brought out a pirate fleet to cause havoc—is it just for harassment?)

Deciding she had too little information, Marie shifted her focus back to the enemy right in front of her.

"Our enemy is the fleet before us. The one leading it is the head of the Moss family, wasn't it?"

Her adjutant deliberately displayed the information in front of Marie.

She confirmed it as she looked.

"Like Lord Liam, he's a viscount who has been building up his power in the frontier. The fleet he commands is also composed of fleets from powerful nobles within the Empire."

Hearing this, Marie considered the future.

(Nobles from the Empire's side. And if they're all powerful figures, sinking them here would be beneficial for the future. If the family heads disappear, their houses will be unable to move for some time.)

Succession disputes and the problems arising from the absence of a family head would paralyze the nobles' houses.

Furthermore, if the forces they dispatched to the Banfield house were to disappear, they wouldn't be able to take military action for a while.

The enemy before her was a force that could influence the future of the war.

Realizing this, Marie began to chuckle softly.

Her adjutant stared at her with startled eyes, but she ignored him and issued her orders.

"Relay this to all forces under my command. When the battle begins, we will annihilate the enemy without mercy. Until then, they are to rest and build up their strength. And—don't forget your training."

"Do you think the time to attack will come?"

"It will."

At Marie's immediate and confident assertion, her adjutant shrugged.

Then, he relayed the order to all forces under her command.

◇

Tryde, who was in a standoff with Marie's forces, shot up from his seat upon hearing the news.

The news was so shocking he looked as if he had bitten into a bitter bug.

"What is His Highness the Crown Prince thinking?!"

He slammed his fist on the armrest, enraged by Cleo's shortsightedness.

His subordinates exchanged glances.

"Where did he get a fleet of two million?"

"I've never heard of such a reserve fleet."

"But they're actually on the move and gathering on this battlefield."

Tryde covered his face with his right hand, trying to imagine where that fleet had come from.

Only one possibility came to mind.

"There is. There is one. There was a plan to dispatch a fleet to put pressure on the faction led by Banfield. If it's the noble and Imperial fleets meant for that purpose, gathering them together should result in a force of that size."

The fleet originally intended for the nobles belonging to Liam's faction had, for some reason, rushed to Cleo's side.

Hearing this, Tryde's subordinates looked on in disbelief.

"They ignored their orders to attack the Banfield house? That's impossible!?"

"But they're actually gathered here! Contact the capital planet immediately. At this rate, the local lords cooperating with Banfield won't stay silent."

If things went poorly, they would likely dispatch fleets to aid Liam.

He didn't think they would lose to such a force, but it was an unnecessary hindrance all the same.

Moreover, this volunteer army that had shown up uninvited was a nuisance that would dip into their own supplies.

"It would be fine if His Highness the Crown Prince could take the Banfield's capital planet in a swift assault, but if not, we'll be the ones at a disadvantage."

At this rate, they would run out of supplies in enemy territory.

No matter how elite a fleet is, it can't move without fuel.

They would become nothing but sitting ducks.

One of his subordinates, trying to lighten the mood, brought up some good news.

"However, the force attacking the Banfield's capital planet is a grand fleet of four million. Repelling it will not be easy. If things go badly for them, the Banfield house might even surrender."

He was likely speaking from the perspective that they themselves would surrender in such a situation.

However, Tryde couldn't shake his unease.

(I could believe that if Klaus weren't the opponent, but the problem is Liam, who has vanished from the battlefield.)

Reports that Liam had appeared on the battlefield had also reached Tryde.

He had wondered many times what the commander-in-chief was doing, but now the situation felt eerie.

Where was Liam's elite fleet, and what was it doing?

To Tryde, it was unsettling and terrifying.

"—Have we grasped any details about where the Banfield fleet is and what it's doing?"

When he asked his subordinates, all their faces tensed.

"No, we haven't obtained any information."

In other words, it was unknown what Liam was doing.

Tryde voiced a hopeful observation.

"Did he learn his capital planet was under attack and rush back? If so, His Highness the Crown Prince's fleet won't escape unscathed."

Tryde felt sorry for Cleo, who had to face both Liam and Klaus.

At first, Tryde had feared Klaus more.

He thought that no matter how strong Liam was as an individual, when it came to leading a fleet, he would be inferior to Klaus.

But now, faced with the ominous presence of Liam's fleet on the battlefield, Tryde revised his assessment.

"—So he has the magnanimity to handle the Empire's strongest knight."

Deeply regretting underestimating Liam, he now focused on pinning down Marie's forces.

◇

The Banfield Family Capital Planet.

Klaus, commanding the army, was encouraged by the valiant efforts of his subordinates.

"Everyone is holding out well."

On the numerous battlefields displayed on the giant monitor, the fleet commanders were defeating Imperial forces one after another.

They were utilizing defensive installations and bases to minimize attrition while destroying the enemy.

Klaus was doing his utmost to ensure his subordinates could continue to fight.

"Your Excellency, a request for reinforcements."

"Send them immediately."

"But all our reserve fleets have already been dispatched."

"Dispatch a fleet from under my direct command."

He sent reinforcements to his subordinates even if it meant weakening his own defenses.

But if he overdid it, the capital planet's defenses would become thin.

Drawing on his experience in providing support, he made his decisions and commanded his forces.

An operator shouted.

However, his shout contained a note of joy.

"Mobile Knight unit has destroyed an enemy fleet's flagship! The fleet that lost its flagship is retreating!"

Hearing that, Klaus's subordinates issued orders one after another.

"Pursue! Just don't let them chase too deep."

"What are the attrition rates for the Mobile Knight unit?"

"Which unit was it? That's a great achievement!"

Having neutralized a fleet of around ten thousand ships, the surrounding staff officers joyfully checked the affiliation of the Mobile Knight unit.

Then, the operator reported back, his cheek twitching.

"It's Colonel Chengshi's Mobile Knight unit."

Upon confirming who led the unit, the expressions of the staff officers, who had been celebrating just moments before, turned bitter.

The collection of problem children had just scored a major victory.

One of the staff officers looked at Klaus.

"—Your Excellency, this is the time to have them undergo resupply and maintenance. However, it might be better to let them rampage a bit more. They themselves would probably wish for it."

It was a gathering of knights who loved to go on a rampage.

If ordered to fall back now, there was a chance they would rampage in protest.

However, Klaus shook his head.

"Have them resupply and undergo maintenance. The battle is far from over. Tell them there will be more chances to rampage and force them to fall back."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

At Klaus's command, the staff officers began to move.

And as for Klaus himself.

(They might want to use this as a chance to wear them down, but I'd rather not have a major mistake occur because of that. I want them to focus on the enemy before them for now.)

◇

Colonel Chengshi's Mobile Knight unit returned to their mother ship.

As maintenance on the mechs began in the hangar, mechanical arms and maintenance crews swarmed over them.

When Chengshi emerged from her cockpit, she was met by her dissatisfied subordinates.

"Captain, we haven't rampaged nearly enough."

To her subordinates who claimed they could still fight, Chengshi smiled and kicked their representative knight away.

Her form, twisting her body in zero gravity to deliver a clean kick, was beautiful.

The one who was kicked was sent flying, crashing into a Mobile Knight undergoing maintenance and bouncing off.

Chengshi's gaze swept over her surroundings.

"The battle is still going on. As per Klaus's orders, you will rest your bodies in silence. Besides, when the time comes, I'll let you fight until you die."

At the smiling Chengshi's words, her subordinates were convinced and headed towards a nearby break room to rest.

As they left, they also retrieved the kicked pilot.

Once her subordinates were gone, Chengshi's smile vanished, replaced by a look of dissatisfaction.

"I heard the Empire's elites were being sent, but the ones we fought offered no challenge at all."

◇

Cleo, facing Klaus's fleet, narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction as he watched the fleet he had entrusted with the vanguard.

"All talk and no action. Useless."

He had sent in the volunteer army first as a probe against Klaus.

It was to gauge the strength of the rumored Klaus, but as expected, a fleet motivated by plunder had poor equipment and low troop proficiency.

They were being whittled down and destroyed at will by Klaus's forces.

Seeing this, one of Cleo's knights spoke to him from the side.

"Your Highness, the attrition rate is becoming ridiculous. We should pull them back and commit the main force."

Cleo gave a fearless smile.

"I want to avoid losses to the main force. If they rushed here for my sake, it would be a pity not to give them a chance to shine, wouldn't it?"

Though he said it was a pity, Cleo wore a vulgar smile.

The knight, sensing Cleo's intentions, realized that further argument was pointless and backed down.

But he added one last thing.

"As you wish. However, the enemy is gaining momentum. On the contrary, if we suffer any more losses, our allies will be intimidated, thinking, 'As expected of the Empire's strongest knight...'"

Before the Empire's strongest knight, Klaus, their allies were being defeated one after another.

He added his concern that seeing this would lower the morale of their allies.

Cleo understood that as well, but his desire to minimize losses to his main force was stronger.

"They are sacrificial pawns. At best, they can wear Klaus down. We'll take all the glory for ourselves."

Watching his allies being worn down, Cleo still felt as if he himself had suffered no damage.