Awakened from cold sleep to defend the Empire’s Capital Star, the three knights were gathered aboard the flagship for an operations meeting.

DeeDee pressed a cotton‑swab–like device to her fingernails.

Each time she tapped it, the color changed—and even added little decorations.

“So, we’ve identified the enemy’s order of battle? Family rebellions do make intel fall right into your lap—how convenient.”

Elgin, the one actually drafting the plan, looked exasperated at DeeDee fussing over her appearance.

With dark circles under his eyes, he had already investigated the key figures of House Banfield.

“I’m predicting this ‘family rebellion’ will be our toughest fight. Two of their people are even on the short list for the new Three Knights.”

“Hooh… so there are ones who could swap in for us?” DeeDee lifted her gaze. “Now I’m interested.”

Seeing her interest, Elgin supplied the details.

“The one considered to replace me is a man called Klaus—hailed as the Empire’s strongest at present. He serves as House Banfield’s Chief Knight. The palace, I’m told, has repeatedly sounded him out to become a direct retainer.”

Klaus didn’t seem to spark much curiosity in DeeDee. Even so, she wanted the facts.

“So he’s the type who commands from the rear. What kind of record does he have?”

“He’s won a large‑scale engagement against the United Kingdoms. He’s also defeated the Hegemon Kingdom.”

DeeDee whistled at Klaus’s marquee results.

“Pretty capable, then. Still… not my flavor.”

“…Figured. The other one is the traitor himself—Liam Sera Banfield. He’s mastered a school called Issen‑ryu and cut down a Sword Saint. In a Mobile Knight he’s a one‑man army, and he supposedly went on a rampage even against the Hegemon Kingdom. For the record, he was the candidate to replace Lord Cornelius.”

Cornelius, who had been sitting with arms folded in silence, finally spoke.

“So they judged him capable of matching me?”

Elgin gave a small nod beneath Cornelius’s piercing gaze. The killing intent rolling off Cornelius would have dropped a lesser knight foaming at the mouth, but such things did not rattle warriors of a caliber chosen as the Three Knights.

“At least, that’s what the palace seemed to think.”

“…Liam, is it. I shall remember the name.”

When Cornelius fell silent again, DeeDee looked back to Elgin with a put‑upon sigh.

“So those two are the heavy hitters, yeah?”

Hearing that figures of a level to be named Three Knights candidates would appear, DeeDee’s motivation clearly ticked up.

Elgin told her there were others to watch as well.

“No—there’s also Christiana. The palace rates that knight very highly. One of those types who excels at both military affairs and domestic governance.”

A holo of the dossier appeared across the table. DeeDee sighed.

“A model student type. Not interested.”

As if expecting that, Elgin pulled up one last profile.

“But this one might interest you—Marie Sera Marian… your former colleague, yes?”

At the name, DeeDee’s eyes changed color. She leaned in, staring at Marie’s image.

“She’s alive!?”

Elgin exhaled a deep sigh.

“According to His Majesty, a previous Emperor had petrified her and sealed her away. It seems it was Liam who released that seal.”

DeeDee’s mouth curled into a warlike grin.

“Then Marie is mine. Hands off.”

“I thought you’d say that. In that case, I’ll take Christiana. And Lord Cornelius will handle both Liam and Klaus… or rather, since they’re the main force, that’s how it will shake out in practice.”

Elgin had assessed that Liam and Klaus formed the enemy’s main body, with Tia and Marie operating as detached forces.

Cornelius unfolded his arms.

“Very well. I would see with my own eyes the current era’s Three Knights candidates. But… should they fail to satisfy me, I shall slaughter every Chancellor and Minister in the palace.”

The Three Knights were the Empire’s trump card, and the selection committee comprised those holding posts as Chancellor and other top offices.

Only with that level of clearance would the dossiers of the Three Knights even be unsealed—such was the necessity.

Cornelius’s authority was formidable enough that he could say such a thing and mean it.

When Cornelius smiled, a baleful air filled the room.

DeeDee and Elgin could not see it, but black smoke was spilling from Cornelius’s body.

“How delightful. For command skill, I will play with this Klaus. And for Mobile Knight combat, I shall have Liam face me. If even one of them fails to satisfy, it will be a pleasant exercise to purge the palace.”

As Cornelius began to chuckle darkly, DeeDee scratched her head.

“Isn’t this getting a bit too big? ‘Purge the palace’ covers, like, a lot of ground.”

Elgin wrapped up the briefing.

“More a sharing of enemy intel than a strategy meeting, in the end.”

DeeDee stood.

“That’s fine. Same as always. Each of us fights how we like—and wins. That’s what the Three Knights do.”

Elgin covered his mouth with a fist and chuckled.

“Coming from our senior, those words carry weight.”

“Don’t call me ‘senior.’ You were born after me, sure—but if you don’t count our cold‑sleep time, you’re older.”

As the two started bickering, Cornelius cut in.

“That is enough. Our awakened subordinates are ready and waiting.”

At his words, the two fell quiet, and the three left the room.

Cornelius spoke last.

“A clash between us—the strongest in Imperial history—and the strongest of the present day… my heart sings.”

Cornelius delighted in the coming battle.

◇

“It’s been a while since I’ve come to the Capital Star, but I’ll admit—I never imagined I’d return leading a million‑ship Fleet.”

Looking out at the Capital Star from the Argos bridge, memories of when I’d lived here welled up.

I knew it was mere sentimentality—but even so, it stirred me.

Klaus spoke up.

“We cannot turn back now that we have come this far. Lord Liam, I know this is painful—”

“Painful? Don’t be ridiculous. I only feel ashamed of the me from back then who didn’t believe we could come this far.”

Yes—I have the Guide’s blessing.

The reason I can assault the Capital Star at the head of a million ships is surely because of the Guide’s blessing.

Because I believed in it, I worked this hard.

And yet back then I slighted that blessing and muttered about how we could never defeat the Empire… an insult, really.

Klaus replied to my declaration.

“I do not think there is any need for shame.”

“Failing to believe in possibility is a sin. Besides, I’m fortunate. When I wish for something, I can have it all! This time, I’ll take the Capital Star as well.”

I stretched out my right hand, fingers closing as if to grasp the Capital on the monitor, and Klaus tilted his head.

“Er, well… you have worked for it, my Lord. Ten, twenty times as hard as an ordinary man—enough to assemble a million‑ship Fleet.”

“Effort is a given. On top of that, you need good fortune. That’s all I meant.”

“…Quite so.”

When our exchange ended, I took a deep breath—and declared:

Before us, a million‑strong defensive Fleet deployed to protect the Capital Star, itself shielded by its outer shell.

The numbers were equal—but while I could not gauge their crews’ training, their ships outclassed ours in quality.

We were the attackers, they the defenders… their logistics were better.

And to protect the Capital, layers of defensive installations had been deployed.

Even at equal numbers, the conditions favored the enemy.

“All I have built will now bear fruit… I have done everything to win.”

Beside me, Klaus nodded along.

For decades I poured my time into beating the Empire.

I would buy planets, develop and enrich them—then buy new ones and repeat.

To build base strength I had no choice but to impose good governance.

Everywhere I went, the voices of my subjects praised me as a wise lord… it makes my skin crawl!

I aimed to be an Evil Lord, but to defeat the Empire I had no choice—no choice at all!—but to rule well.

And yet on my Homeworld, my subjects hold “Make Babies” demonstrations, “Come Home Soon” demonstrations, “Have you forgotten Lady Eulisia?” demonstrations—year after year those festivals disguised as protests do nothing but inconvenience me!

What is wrong with them!? Rebelling before I’ve even oppressed them!

When this war is over, I’ll impose truly vile policy and make them suffer!

I shall enact a once‑in‑an‑age massive tax increase and remind them that I am an Evil Lord.

“All for the sake of defeating the Empire! All for this day… All Forces—advance!”

With all my feelings poured into the order, our Fleets surged forward as one.

◇

Following Liam’s command to advance, the Banfield Army’s right wing was entrusted to Tia.

Above the main body flew Knight Number Three, Ellen Sera Tyler, while Knight Number Four, Emma Rodman, held the lower formation with her Fleet.

The main body numbered 400,000.

The right and left wings were 200,000 each.

The upper and lower groups were 100,000 each.

In total, roughly one million warships moved toward the Capital Star.

Tia’s deputy, Lieutenant General Claudia Beltran, addressed her.

“We received the Knight Numbers later than planned, but of course the vital right wing goes to Lady Christiana.”

Being given command of two hundred thousand ships—proof of Liam’s trust.

Even so, Tia was dissatisfied.

“Truth is, I wanted overall command from the main body. More importantly—Ellen, Knight Number Three. Lord Liam personally gave her elite training, but she lacks live‑combat experience.”

“On that point, Emma Rodman is a veteran of many battles and reliable.”

“Agreed. Among those raised within House Banfield, the only ones to earn Knight Numbers so far are Ellen and Emma… There will be more, but with Ellen I’m concerned. Keep a close eye on her.”

Was it really wise, in a battle of this scale, to throw her in with fifty thousand ships?

Tia’s worries about the inexperienced Ellen faded when the enemy Fleet they were likely to clash with appeared on the monitor.

Claudia reported on the opposing formation.

“We have visual on the enemy left wing… It appears to be the same strength as ours.”

The detailed data wasn’t in yet, but the scale matched.

Tia narrowed her eyes, trying to read the foe’s quality.

“Peel off part of our formation. Ten thousand ships is enough. Open the distance from the flagship a little.”

As the order went out, the far‑rightmost group—ten thousand ships of the right wing’s rightmost sector—began to move, prompting a response on the enemy holo: their Fleet shifted in step with Tia’s probe.

Tia’s expression tightened.

“A conservative, proper move. I didn’t expect them to be weak—but this may be more dangerous than I imagined.”

Claudia looked startled.

“Named Imperial commanders should be almost entirely absent. Did they truly assemble unknown elites?”

“If so, their coordination is too perfect. It feels like a Fleet crewed by subordinates who have fought with their commander for a very long time.”

“I was under the impression such Fleets were deployed elsewhere.”

“That’s why it bothers me. …Well, either way, we crush them. No need for warning shots. Once inside effective range, open fi—”

Before Tia could finish, flashes bloomed by the tens of thousands across the enemy Fleet.

An instant later, optical fire slammed into the right wing.

Beams and lasers lanced out; several friendly ships took hits and threw up defensive fields.

Tia’s eyes widened.

“Their range exceeds ours!? Imperial Armories’ tech, is it? …How very troublesome.”

Shown a performance gap right from the opening volley, Tia began to revise her plan.

Brian (；´ω`A) : “Even now, he doesn’t forget to impose tyranny… Truly remarkable, Master Liam. This Brian suspects that had we instituted oppressive rule during the war‑preparation period, your ambition might already be fulfilled—though perhaps it is wiser not to say such things aloud.”

Wakagi‑chan o(^▽^)o : “If it were me, I’d issue something like: ‘Anyone who made fun of me is banned from pollination!’”