Wonseubu Center Station.
Our ship docked gracefully at the pier.
*Clang! Clang!*
As I descended the stairs…
*Flash! Flash! Flash!*
Camera flashes erupted from all directions.
“Look this way, please!”
“Over here!! Master Pak Yu!”
“Please wave for us!!!”
“Master Pak Yu! Here! Over here!!”
“Give us a smile, just once!”
“Please give us a villainous expression!”
It was blinding. Reporters were shouting from every side, desperate to get a head-on shot. The only saving grace was the presence of a photo line.
*Flash—!*
The photons firing from the reporters’ cameras assaulted my eyes. Just as I was starting to get annoyed…
*Shade—!*
Sudongtae reached out with his massive hand and shielded my face.
“Sudongtae will protect the Master’s eyes.”
‘Did this guy always have such a sweet side?’
“It’s because of the training I gave him, sir.”
Ttaengchili wore a satisfied smile. Come to think of it, these two had been by my side for a long time. Since the original Pak Yu was a notorious troublemaker, they must have dealt with situations like this quite often. Unlike the other crew members, these two remained calm and composed, as if this were all routine.
“Is it true that you drugged Marshal Ugo-girl and violated her?!!”
Just then, a reporter nearby shouted at the top of his lungs. It was hard to just walk past that. I could tolerate being called a playboy, but I wouldn’t stand for being called a rapist.
“You there. Where did you hear that?!”
“We heard that Marshal Ugo-girl was not in her fertile period. It is the opinion of experts that without the use of drugs, a discharge of essence would be impossible during this time.”
It was true that drugs were used, but it wasn’t me who used them. For the record, those drugs were easily obtainable. You just had to mix a few common medications.
“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Then… are you saying that Master Pak Yu was the one who was seduced?”
I felt like I was being backed into a corner. I couldn’t exactly explain the details, though. Marshal Ugo-girl had her own reputation to maintain.
*Swish—!*
I extended my middle finger and walked past the reporter. He shouted after me.
“Then… are you admitting that it was seduction?!!”
Fine. That’s actually better. If I stay silent, that’s exactly how the articles will be written anyway.
*Flash! Flash!*
The reporters reacted like a pack of hyenas. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. Still, they didn’t cross the photo line.
“They’re more orderly than I expected.”
“Well, that’s because you’ve thrashed more than a few reporters on-site before, Young Master. Several of them are probably still in the hospital.”
No wonder they were acting so restrained for reporters.
“No reporter in Sector 16 would dare cross the photo line.”
“Sudongtae protects the Master. If they come within one hand’s length, it is self-defense.”
“Ah…”
‘I see. These guys have been conditioned.’
Furthermore, I had a giant standing right next to me. One wrong move and they’d be dead. Fortunately, I was told that no one had been permanently disabled or killed yet.
“Let’s just go. I’ll handle the Q&A session separately later.”
“Is this also something you usually do?”
“Yes. It’s a servant’s duty. I even brought along a few members from the Pak family’s media relations team this time.”
Ttaengchili seemed very experienced in dealing with the press. I suppose that was only natural.
“Oh! There’s the Marshal’s private limousine!”
Raccoon Man had at least shown some sincerity. Though this was likely where his sincerity ended.
*Rustle—!*
Ttaengchili took a document from an assistant and checked it. A detailed schedule was written on it.
“We are to wait at the hotel and then attend the victory parade. The banquet will be held afterward.”
The limousine was luxurious no matter how many times I saw it. If it were me, I would have sold this thing off first.
***
The hotel stay was enjoyable. In every aspect, life there was incomparably more abundant than life on a ship. I wanted to stay for a few more days.
However…
“Young Master, it’s time to go.”
Leaving my regrets behind, I left the hotel. The key players of this war were gathered at the headquarters.
“Oh, you’re all here.”
I waved my hand in greeting.
“You’ve arrived, Lord Pak Yu!”
“Well, it’s not like we’re strangers.”
Raccoon Man gave a sly smile as he flew over on his saucer and patted my shoulder.
“It is good to see you again, Pak Yu. I am diligently gathering essence, so just you wait.”
Marshal Ugo-girl looked a bit older than when we had parted. While my reputation as a hoodlum had probably been solidified because of her, I decided to endure it since she had promised to increase my Force purity again.
“Yes. I shall look forward to it.”
Increasing Force purity was no easy task. There was a reason why nobles spent generations trying to refine it. I had no reason to refuse.
“Brother!! I have no face to show you.”
Sudal ran over and bowed deeply. He looked much more drained than when I first saw him. That was likely due to his string of consecutive defeats. There was no particular need to comfort him. Knowing his personality, his dejection wouldn’t last long.
*Tap, tap!*
I gave his shoulder a supportive pat.
“It would have been a disaster if not for Lord Pak Yu.”
Naparrr smiled, his long ears fluttering. He might have been smiling on the outside, but his insides were likely boiling. He had lost many troops without making any significant achievements. Yet, he didn’t let it show.
“Now then! Let’s take a lap. We must celebrate our victory.”
Raccoon Man took the lead and boarded an open shuttle. The rest of us followed.
*Cheers—!*
The residents of the Center came out and cheered. White petals fell from the sky like snow. It was a mesmerizing sight, and it didn’t feel half bad.
‘This is nice. I should try something like this later.’
They must have spent a fortune on the petals. To the common folk, it probably just looked like scattering petals, but to someone like me who could sense the darkness, it was a magnificent sight.
A faint scent of mana lingered in the air. They must have spent quite a bit of money for this event. Mana stimulated Force, after all.
For context, the wealthy sometimes took baths in mana. Compared to the world I used to live in, it was similar to bathing in milk. Though it was a blatant display of wealth, it was a far more meaningful act than a milk bath.
*Thump—!*
Having finished the parade, the shuttle entered the interior of the headquarters. With smiles on our faces, we walked toward the banquet hall.
*Flash! Flash! Flash!*
Reporters waiting inside worked hard to capture our images. There were many of them. It seemed money had been funneled to the media outlets as well. Well, they had to do some serious PR to restore their tarnished image.
“Now, please, take a seat.”
Marshal Humildas gestured with a benevolent smile. Seats had been prepared in the banquet hall.
‘My seat is the furthest away.’
The seat of honor was, of course, Raccoon Man’s seat in the center. The closer a seat was to him, the better. It seemed they were already trying to keep me in check even before the rewards were distributed.
“It is thanks to you all that we were able to defeat those wicked Imperium scoundrels.”
Marshal Humildas bowed his head politely. Normally, that stiff neck of his wouldn’t have budged. Marshals were creatures who lived and died by their pride.
However, he had to do at least this much now. Expressions of gratitude didn’t cost a thing. In Raccoon Man’s current situation, wealth was far more precious than pride. Recovering from the war wouldn’t be cheap.
“I wish to reward you all handsomely, but our headquarters has suffered immense damage.”
He was basically asking us to understand why the rewards would be meager.
“First, Marshal Ugo-girl. As promised, I shall turn over all the captured prisoners to you.”
“That is sufficient.”
Ugo-girl licked her red lips. Being soldiers of the Imperium, their Force purity would be high. She could make a fortune by extracting essence from them, or she could release them later for a ransom. That profit alone would be more than enough to rebuild her fleet.
“General Naparrr.”
“Yes, Marshal.”
“I appoint you as a commander. Please guard the direction of Sector 17.”
Sector 17 overlapped with Marshal Poena’s sphere of influence. It was a place where Marshal Humildas’s influence was slightly stronger.
“I, Naparrr, shall become a sturdy shield for Sector 16.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. Sector 17 was located right below the Lucifer Star Cluster. It would have been better if Uganaoda had received that post instead.
‘I’ll have to keep a close eye on him.’
I couldn’t trust that big-eared fellow. He was a master of betrayal. And his ability to incite others was considerable. He was the type of person who viewed war as a part of politics.
“Young Master Uganaoda.”
“Yes, Marshal.”
“I appoint you as the commander of Sector 18.”
Sector 18 was right below Sector 17. However, its sphere of influence was narrower. It was a place where Marshal Poena’s influence was stronger.
“As long as I am there, Marshal Poena will not dare look toward Sector 16.”
Sudal’s expression wasn’t great. He must have coveted Sector 17 as well. Not only was it larger, but Sector 17 was also more fertile.
“Finally, Lord Pak Yu.”
Raccoon Man called my name in a solemn voice. A hint of anxiety could be seen in his expression. I suppose I was a difficult person for him to deal with.
“Yes, yes~.”
“Is… is there something you want?”
It’s not like he’d give it to me just because I asked.
To be honest, I was probably the biggest headache for Raccoon Man. I had done everything from one to ten in this war. The people here had almost no military achievements to speak of. They had only mopped up the remaining stragglers after the Imperium Marshal had hurried back. Even then, they had been ambushed during the pursuit and suffered a major defeat.
“I have a conscience. What is there to take from a Marshal who’s gone completely broke?”
At the word “broke,” Raccoon Man threw both his hands into the air. Raising both arms was a gesture the Raccoon Race made when they were angry.
“Ahem.”
“Cough, cough.”
“Mmm.”
“You… you…!”
The high-ranking officials could only clear their throats. They couldn’t make sarcastic remarks like they used to. In Sector 16, my status was sky-high. This was why a person needed to have competence.
“If you really want to reward me, I’d like to receive military support.”
“Surely, you aren’t planning to attack the Imperium Marshal, are you? Please tell me you aren’t. We must focus all our efforts on recovery.”
His face was filled with terror. Honestly, the recovery was just an excuse. Usually, Marshals were people with a gambler’s spirit, always looking to win back what they lost. You couldn’t be recognized as a Marshal without that kind of mettle. On the other hand, Raccoon Man had a fit just at the mention of the Imperium Marshal’s name.
“Bibibig!”
I only said one word.
*Whisper, whisper.*
Even so, the officials’ expressions hardened. Only Naparrr and Uganaoda had confused looks, as they weren’t from this region.
“That fellow Longros has been quiet lately near the Bibibig White Hole, hasn’t he?”
A force that illegally occupied four star clusters without being recognized by the government or the Marshals. We called such people bandits.
“We can deal with him after we’ve recovered—”
“He probably won’t wait for us. According to intelligence, there are rumors that he received money from the Imperium.”
“Is… is that true?”
Of course it was a lie. As expected, Raccoon Man overreacted at the mention of the Imperium.
“The reward I want is the four star clusters he is occupying. And please give me an appropriate amount of military support.”
Everyone avoided my gaze at my words. At least Marshal Ugo-girl looked me straight in the eye. She was the most favorable person here. My only regret was her youthful appearance. I already missed her breathtakingly voluptuous form.
“You all just need to set up a containment perimeter. I’ll handle the subjugation myself.”
“We can certainly do that much, but is it really possible? His forces number over 3,000. You only brought 1,000 ships with you, didn’t you?”
“1,000 is plenty.”
“I know you are confident, but due to the nature of a White Hole’s sphere of influence, the side entering is at a huge disadvantage.”
A White Hole spewed out dark energy like a fountain. When a fleet tried to enter, they faced a repulsive force. The defending side had an overwhelming advantage just by holding their position. That was why they hadn’t been subjugated until now.
“I am well aware of the terrain. Besides, would those Longros bandits be stronger than the Imperium army?”
I was the only person who had made fools of the Imperium army.
“That’s not it. But they are still not to be taken lightly.”
“I understand. Then, I’ll take it that you will move the military.”
“Fine. As you said, my current situation is impoverished, and I cannot reward you properly, so I shall at least grant that request.”
He had firmly set it in stone. This would be considered my final reward.
‘I’m glad I could at least get this.’
From my perspective, it wasn’t bad. And the greatest damage would be taken by those who set up the perimeter outside the White Hole.
‘You guys will be the ones watching, after all.’
I had no intention of fighting him head-on. None at all.
***
The fleet departed. While the victory ceremony and banquet were held, the ships that had gone in for repairs finished their maintenance.
Out of the 1,000 ships I had brought, I had prioritized taking those in the worst condition. There were many ships that were difficult to repair with the level of technology in the Lucifel Star Cluster.
“Let’s go. Destination: the area near the Bibibig White Hole.”
“Understood. We will issue the orders immediately.”
The media also gave it headline coverage.
— Pak Yu! Steps up for the residents of Sector 16.
â”” Brother Pak Yu, I believed in you!
└ Wow, he’s actually doing this?
â”” Was our Pak Yu the Marshal of Sector 16? Have I been mistaken all this time?
└ Sorry for the malicious comments in the past. From now on, I’ll support you no matter how much of a playboy you are.
â”” I was suffering because of those bandits’ atrocities, this is great news.
â”” I was scared to death every time I passed near there.
└ I was kidnapped and released after paying a ransom. If the payment had been even a little late, I would’ve been sold into slavery.
â”” If we collected all the tolls they stole, we could have started another merchant group.
â”” They are the absolute worst suppressors of Sector 16’s economy.
â”” True. When exporting goods to the North, you have to take a long detour.
â”” Only the desperate pass through the Bibibig area.
â”” Recruiting for the Pak Yu Cheer Squad (999,999/0).
Public sentiment was very good. But did they really think the tolls would disappear once I took over that place? The price might be heavily discounted, but the toll would simply be rebranded as a transit tax. Still, they’d probably feel less cheated.
“Activating warp drive.”