The center planet of the Moonbear Sector.
“Prefect! It’s a disaster!!”
The administrator shouted as he came running. His expression was filled with terror.
“What on earth is all this commotion about?”
“Pak Yu! That man, Pak Yu, is coming here!”
At those words, the prefect’s expression also turned pale with fear.
“Are you talking about the greatest scoundrel in the Galactic Empire?”
“Yes… that is correct!”
The Moonbear Sector was close to Sector 16, so they had heard the usual rumors about Pak Yu.
His violent temperament was unmatched in the Empire. He would kill without mercy if anything displeased him. He was a lecher who preyed on women like a beast. If things didn’t go his way, he would even go as far as throwing filth.
He was the absolute worst kind of rogue and debauchee.
Could these rumors be true? Usually, the scandals of nobles didn’t spread as rumors easily. They used their money and power to hide their dirty laundry.
However, the fact that information control wasn’t working? It meant that the rumors were, to some extent, the truth. Perhaps he was even worse than the rumors suggested.
“How large are his forces?!”
“They have been identified as approximately 1,500 ships.”
Such a scoundrel possessed an army. How could this not be terrifying? Even as just a successor to a noble house, he was a guy who caused enough trouble to become infamous.
“That… that many?!”
“You must surrender. He is a terrifying man who wiped out General Sagitta’s army with less than half the forces.”
This was the front line. Naturally, they kept their ears sharp toward the battlefield. They knew that Pak Yu had sounded the victory song against Sagitta’s fleet. And he had done so with fewer numbers.
“God is heartless. To grant military talent to such a wicked man… this is a catastrophe.”
“Our sector cannot stop 1,500 ships.”
“What… what about reinforcements?!”
“Marshal Imperium’s army has moved north to block Dalip. They won’t be able to provide any help. Even if we request aid from nearby regions, it will take a long time to rally the garrison.”
The prefect squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn’t expected Humildas’s allied forces to chase them this far. And of all people, it had to be the notorious Pak Yu.
‘The women will be violated. The men will be killed!!!’
He could almost hear the screams of the citizens in his head. Many of his clan lived on this planet. There was no time to evacuate them.
“It can’t go on like this.”
He stood up abruptly from his seat.
***
The fleet’s marching speed was slow. Infuriatingly slow.
“I am sorry, Captain.”
The vice-captain bowed her head. It was she who had reorganized the units before departure.
“No. It can’t be helped. There are limits to the maintenance that can be done on-site.”
The 700 ships that had surrendered only looked fine on the outside. They hadn’t brought many supply ships with them for maneuvers. Only about 300 ships were available. Thus, there weren’t many repair parts either.
“Captain!! Our fleet is entering the territory of the Moonbear Sector.”
Once we actually arrived at the destination, tension began to set in.
“It’ll be troublesome if the resistance is fierce.”
In reality, our usable strength was only around 600 ships.
Could we just use the surrendered warships as cannon fodder? That was out of the question.
If we treated them that way from the start, would they ever truly follow us in the future? Furthermore, a hierarchy would form between the original army and the surrendered army. They would distrust and conflict with each other.
Who would want to surrender in the future after seeing an army like that? It would be an act of throwing away the growth potential of the power for the sake of immediate profit.
“Move to the center planet.”
We moved slowly, using the warp drive cautiously. We put the shield ships in front, mindful of mines.
And then.
After arriving at the first planet.
“Search the area.”
After looking around to check for any possible ambushes.
“Station 100 ships here.”
Just in case. They might jump us while we were using the warp drive.
“Which unit should we station?”
“One of the surrendered units.”
They looked fine on the outside. Even if there was an ambushed enemy, they wouldn’t be able to act rashly.
We skipped from planet to planet carefully. As we got closer to the center planet, only my original fleet remained.
“What is this? Why is there no reaction?”
My anxiety grew steadily.
“Indeed. No mines. No ambushes.”
I didn’t know what the Moonbear Sector was thinking.
‘Did they hide a large-scale force somewhere?’
After baiting us into let our guard down, they might target our flank or rear the moment we attacked the center planet’s fortress. Of course, to do that, they would have had to see through my intentions in advance. They would have needed to draw forces from other jurisdictions.
The possibility of that? It was low.
Nobody would expect me to hit this place. Right now, even if I took the Moonbear Sector, it would be a difficult place to defend. Special work would be required to fortify it.
Then why on earth was this happening?
“Captain! We will arrive at the center planet soon.”
“Deactivating warp drive.”
“Everyone, prepare for a surprise attack.”
“3… 2… 1… Dropping out.”
It felt as if the world was being compressed. My split vision gradually merged into one and became clear. I saw a brown planet in the distance. Above it orbited a space station and a fortress. To capture it, we would have to accept damage —
“Hmm…?!”
I rubbed my eyes.
“That’s a white flag, right?”
“It… it is. It’s a white flag, Captain.”
I scratched my head. The vice-captain scratched her head too.
‘Is it a trap?’
I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“Captain, a communication!”
*Beep!*
[We welcome Lord Pak Yu, the one who will become the galaxy’s new star.]
A Grey Human greeted me politely.
“Are you truly surrendering?”
[That… that is correct. Please show us mercy…]
The fellow prostrated himself flat on the floor. I didn’t know what was going on. But just in case.
“Five ships, move forward. Go and assess the situation.”
There was a high possibility of a fake surrender. However, the possibility of a real surrender couldn’t be ruled out either.
So, what could I do? There was no choice but to check.
“There are captains volunteering.”
There were many captains trying to get on my good side. They moved forward, braving the danger.
*Thrum!*
The fortress and the space station did not bring out their cannons. They even faithfully opened the docks. It was too smooth. There wasn’t a single sign of danger.
“What… is this?”
Five ships entered the space station and the fortress.
“Reporting, sir.”
*Beep!*
[Young Master, everyone is disarmed.]
“Really? What about the fortress cannons?”
[They are locked. It seems it will take time to open them again.]
It meant they had absolutely no intention of attacking. But my suspicion did not disappear. It never hurt to be careful.
“Urgently recall the ships stationed at each planet.”
“Understood.”
“And unlock the fortress cannons immediately!”
The command was delivered.
“Captain, may I ask what is going on? Isn’t locking the fortress cannons meant to prove they won’t attack?”
“They might have the intention of preventing us from using them.”
“Surely… do you mean a large force is planning to jump us once we enter the port?”
“No. I’m just saying we should be careful. Sometimes the reason you can’t finish a marathon is because of a tiny pebble in your shoe.”
I still didn’t understand their motive for surrendering.
***
The prefect of Moonbear trembled. Despite the surrender, Pak Yu did not enter the docks.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Additional ships arrived one after another. They pressured the surroundings as if keeping a lookout.
‘Why is he unlocking the fortress cannons?’
Then, a sudden thought.
‘No way! Is he planning to attack the cities on the planet?!’
Sometimes, after capturing a fortress, people would use the fortress cannons to attack the cities on the planet. It was a method to incite fear.
‘But I surrendered immediately!’
When non-humans captured a fortress that had resisted fiercely, they would sometimes do this as revenge. Or when someone did something to offend them.
‘This is bad.’
His clansmen lived in the cities on the planet.
“I wish to see Lord Pak Yu. I beg of you.”
“Please wait. He will arrive shortly.”
***
More than 100 ships entered the docks, and safety was sufficiently secured. The enemy soldiers guarding the fortress had all been neutralized.
“I should go meet the prefect.”
My ship docked at the fortress pier.
*Clunk!*
The disembarkation bridge was connected. Combat soldiers quickly went down first to secure the area once more. Those guys scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
*Clack. Clack.*
I slowly walked down the bridge.
“I greet the one who will become a star.”
The prefect prostrated himself flat on the floor. A “star” referred to a marshal. Because a large king star was engraved on the rank insignia.
“That’s enough. Rise.”
He got up from his spot, trembling.
The prefect was a Grey Human. They had a human base but no hair. Their skin was a light grey. The unique feature was that their eyes were entirely black without any whites. And their canines were well-developed. If I had seen them in the world I used to live in, I would have been terrified.
“The reason you surrendered without fighting is?”
“Pardon?! I did not dare to dream of fighting against Lord Pak Yu’s great fame.”
Thanks to that Snail guy, our forces had indeed grown. Even if it was just a facade. There was no way the opponent could know that.
“Please spare my clan. In exchange for not killing the planet’s residents, I will give you good information.”
“Good information?”
“There is a supply depot of an alien race nearby!! I heard there is a massive amount of ship parts there.”
Thinking about it, there was a merchant prince among the Grey Humans. He mainly handled ship parts. He had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the game.
“By any chance, do you know someone named Dianajot among your clan?”
“How… how do you know my son?! Pl… please have mercy. He is absolutely not the type of fellow who would intentionally offend Lord Pak Yu.”
The fellow prostrated himself on the floor again.
‘Ah… so that was it?’
The prefect here would resign before long. It seemed he had spent all the family’s resources to raid that supply depot.
‘But why is he offering that to me?’
It was something he hadn’t even given to Imperium. It didn’t make sense.
“Fine. I shall accept your sincerity.”
For now, if that guy’s words were true, it would be a huge gain.
***
The attack I had feared did not happen. And I roughly understood why things had turned out this way.
“Dammit. Was it because of my notoriety?”
That’s how rumors were. They became more and more exaggerated as they spread.
So, when I unlocked the planet’s cannons, they had gotten scared on their own. Thinking I was going to attack the city where his clan lived.
“Captain! Preparations for departure are complete.”
I selected only 300 ships for rapid movement. I let the rest guard the Moonbear Center.
“Over there. Those are my clansmen.”
I think I knew why he wanted to save his clan so much. He had prepared the equipment to raid the alien supply depot in the city.
*Thrum!*
The entire city rose into the sky. It was a fellow as large as a queen’s nest. If I had attacked with the fortress cannons, the prefect would have lost everything.
“Then, I will lead the way.”
***
The place we arrived at was a planet in a wasteland not very far away.
“Captain! It’s an alien fleet.”
The number was only fifty ships. As for the ship types, 70% were light maneuver ships.
“Shall we loosen up a bit as a military exercise?”
I cracked my knuckles. I planned to let only my subordinates fight without attacking directly myself.
However.
“They’ve raised a white flag!”
They surrendered immediately.
I was getting a free ride way too easily. Since things were suddenly going so smoothly, I felt unnecessarily anxious. It was to the point where all the crazy struggling I had done so far felt pointless.
“Now, it is my son’s turn to step forward. Just in case, please pull your forces back.”
The supply depot was built inside a moon orbiting the planet. It was thoroughly locked, so even the fifty alien ships guarding it couldn’t access the interior.
*Thrum!*
The massive ship came into contact with the moon where the supply depot was located. it was a very delicate operation. The reason such a large ship was needed was because there was a complicated procedure. If done wrong, it could self-destruct.
“Since our clan learned of that supply depot’s existence, we have conducted an immense amount of research. My son, in particular, majored in archaeology, relic studies, reverse engineering, geometry, and special language programming at the Imperial Central University.”
He must have invested a massive amount of time. Now that I thought about it, Dianajot handled items in addition to ship parts. I had used his services often in the late game when money was plentiful.
“I see. If this succeeds, I will compensate your clan sufficiently.”
“Th… thank you.”
I would have to share a portion of the profits obtained from the depot. He was probably already feeling resentful because I had snatched it away, so if I monopolized it, he might stab me in the back.
And.
Dianajot was a tempting talent. The items he sold in the latter half of the game might have been things he excavated himself.
“It’s starting.”
The entire ship flickered with lights like a giant computer. Every now and then, it emitted strong pulses of dark energy. It was to the point where our fleet, stationed far away, shook.
“It seems it is almost done.”
The prefect gave a triumphant smile. However.
“Uh… huh?!”
His expression suddenly contorted.
*K-boom! Bang! Bang!!*
A massive explosion occurred on the moon where the military depot was located.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.