“Sojin. Pull up the map.”
*Beep!*
A semi-transparent window appeared before my eyes. After adjusting the transparency, I zoomed in and out of the map to find a specific location.
I needed a place where we could deal a fatal blow to the pursuing enemy with an ambush.
“Here. Here. Here. Here, and here.”
I marked a total of five spots.
“There are more points than I expected.”
“Yes. If they pursue us blindly, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise.”
A large army slows down when moving along a major wormhole because they have to take the long way around. Therefore, to give chase, they have to reorganize their formation. They have to split their forces finely, overtake through narrow paths, and then gather to attack. It isn’t always the best method. If they mispredict the enemy’s route, they might miss the chance to exploit their advantage. Or, the enemy could set up ambushes on every small path.
“It seems the Alliance is willing to take that risk, seeing as they’re pursuing in a swarm.”
“Normally, that would be the right move. Setting up an ambush is difficult work, after all.”
“Then, are we giving up?”
“No.”
*Swish!*
I drew a long line penetrating through the danger zone.
“That place is — ?!”
Sojin’s expression turned to one of shock when he confirmed the line’s destination.
“If we’re going to fight, we might as well fill our supplies to the brim first.”
It was the Lucifel Star System. A thorn buried deep within the Imperium’s sphere of influence. Now that things had turned out like this, it served as an excellent outpost.
Despite such a strategic location, the Alliance was pursuing without a second thought.
‘Ah. Raccoon Man has poor eyesight.’
“Sojin. Find the shortest route.”
“Understood. Is there a minimum unit size you desire?”
“Thirty units. Can you handle that?”
What I requested was to move the fleet of over 500 ships by splitting them into groups of thirty. A wormhole has a fixed amount of traffic it can handle at once. If it reaches saturation, it takes a long time for the wormhole to recover. Thus, I had to assign different paths to each small unit.
“This much is easy.”
Sojin, with his handsome, youthful appearance, straightened his curled hair like an antenna. His large wings fluttered softly. His eyes began to dart around rapidly like a chameleon’s.
He split the fleet into groups as large as thirty ships and as small as ten.
*Ssssh!*
In less than five minutes, the units finished reorganizing. This was the dignity of a first-class navigator.
‘Wow…’
The crew members were also in awe. Was this even possible with a human brain?
“Let us go.”
Sojin gave a smile like a little prince. I gave him a satisfied thumbs-up.
***
Our fleet returned to Lucifel.
“Oh! Yu!”
My father ran over and hugged me. Seeing his hands trembling, it seemed he had been very worried.
“Are you all right?! Are you hurt?!”
“Yes. I’m perfectly fine… but why are you reacting like this?”
Was it really something to worry about to this extent? Honestly, from the perspective of our Lucifel forces, facing Sagitta’s 1,500 ships was a much bigger ordeal.
“The news that the Alliance suffered a crushing defeat is everywhere. There were even rumors that you had died. My heart was in my throat while reading the news here.”
I scanned the news. I hadn’t been able to check the rumors because we were moving so quickly.
**[The Humildas Alliance. Crushing defeat in the Great Battle of the Moilla Plains.]**
**[They charged in relying only on numbers, but their lines were completely shattered by the sudden appearance of the Subetei Light Cavalry under Kranoskan. Grand Marshal Humildas lost 30% of his forces to a hammer and anvil tactic that even a child wouldn’t fall for…]**
– Is everyone going to die now?
– I was a fool to sleep soundly believing in a raccoon or whatever.
– Should we evacuate now?
– Everyone, calm down! How long has it been since we gained independence?
– That’s right. We have the Rake Heir.
– Our young master participated in that, didn’t he?
– I heard he died because he was near the Light Cavalry.
– No! If the libertine dies, we die too!
I shook my head. Come to think of it, was “libertine” a good word in this world? Regardless, I could see why these kinds of articles were spreading.
“It’s a typical information war. The one who wrote this article is pro-Imperium media.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s true that they lost.”
There was an attached video of Grand Marshal Humildas retreating his troops. It was filmed from various angles, likely by several war correspondents. It had been cleverly edited to make the Imperium look like they had the total upper hand.
“But the Imperium actually fled. This was meant to incite the people in Humildas’s territory to evacuate. It was to hinder the pursuit as much as possible.”
“Suddenly? They retreated? Why?”
“Dalip raised an army. In District 9.”
“Ah…!!”
My father seemed to understand immediately.
“Then what should we do now? As you said, this war has passed safely, but…”
“We need to find a buyer. Ideally, after we increase our size a bit more.”
Two star systems had been added to the Lucifel Star System. It was an expensive reward for the price of running away. The problem was that our weight class was too ambiguous. At this rate, no one would want to buy it.
“What do you mean by increasing our land?”
“As it happens, the Imperium’s rear is wide open.”
I broke into a smile.
“And our Lucifel is in a perfect position for an Imperial Marshal to push through.”
“If Dalip has raised his army, can’t we feel safe for a while?”
“Yes. For a while. But Dalip is no match for the Imperium. We have to prepare for what comes after.”
He was the strongest in terms of individual combat power in this world’s lore, but his personality was the problem. Although he had a brilliant strategist, he ultimately acted however he pleased. And because he looked down on others, he couldn’t grow his influence.
“Are you saying you’ll seize the Imperium’s territory? Can you even defend it?”
“There’s a place worth fortifying.”
No one will buy a place that can be easily taken. So, I have to increase its defensive power as well.
“Father, I’ll need you to handle the supplies.”
“Alright. Leave it to me. The vassals have grown accustomed to it, so they’ll be able to prepare more thoroughly.”
I was glad to have my father and the vassals. Since the family business was finance and investment, they were reliable in this regard. If I were alone, lacking basic common sense about this world, it would have been a headache.
“Also, most of the ships captured in the battle against Sagitta have been repaired. I’ve even recruited crews for them.”
That was part of the reason I stopped by Lucifel. It was truly a blessing to have my father.
“Oh, and father. I need a fortress to use as a space station.”
“What?!”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s shabby. Please gather the materials.”
Sector 16 was currently devastated. Since some of the colonies were so ravaged they were beyond recovery, it should be possible to find parts if you look.
“Understood. I’ll see what I can do.”
As expected, he was dependable.
***
My fleet, having finished its rapid repairs, set sail immediately.
“Commander. Weren’t we going to occupy the Imperial Marshal’s territory?”
The Vice-Captain asked with a look of doubt.
“That’s right.”
“But the direction we’re heading seems to be the opposite.”
“Before we occupy it, we have to block the forces joining that side.”
The Imperium had retreated in a hurry. Ships in poor condition would have fallen behind. And they would have been ordered to set up ambushes. The ambushes were likely successful. After that, they would try to stop at a nearby colony to undergo repairs.
“Ah! If they are undergoing repairs and we attack…?”
“Exactly. They will naturally become the defending force. There’s no need to unnecessarily increase the difficulty of a siege.”
My fleet only numbered 653 ships. If I conducted a siege with this, I would have to endure massive losses. We didn’t even have siege weapons like heavy bombardment ships or heavy escort ships.
You might ask if Dalip didn’t do it before? That man isn’t human; he’s a monster. And that place was small in scale.
“Commander. We are warping.”
“Good.”
Warp.
.
.
Warp.
.
.
Warp.
After several jumps, we arrived at our destination.
“There’s a perfect spot right over there.”
As I’ve said repeatedly, hiding on a planet to attack is a loss for us as well. Therefore, hiding behind a moon is the best. For this reason, shipyards and repair shops were also located on moons.
“Assume ambush positions!”
We held our breath and waited.
However.
One day.
.
Two days.
.
Three days.
“Did… did we come too early?”
I scratched my head. Today was the third day.
“Could they have used a different route?”
Sojin answered cautiously. He was diligently scanning the map, looking for places where the enemy might move. Soon, he wiped his antennae.
“I apologize. I can’t find any other routes. They wouldn’t have retreated by splitting into small groups…”
This was still Grand Marshal Humildas’s sphere of influence. They wouldn’t know what might happen if they split their forces recklessly. The local defense forces were currently on high alert.
“Wait! Young Master. There’s a reaction on the gravitational lens.”
Lysandebuzz shouted. I couldn’t tell the difference with my own eyes. As expected of an A-rank observer.
“I’ll zoom in.”
In the far distance, a momentary flicker was visible. There was something on the path.
“All ships. Battle stations!!”
I hurriedly deployed the crew to their positions. Everyone waited with bated breath, feeling the tension.
*Whoosh! Sh-sh-sh-whoosh!*
In the distance, battered ships were seen descending onto the path. They were already in bad shape, and having fought off pursuers through ambushes, their condition must have been terrible.
“The scale is 1,000 ships.”
“Looking at their condition, we could win even in a straight fight.”
The Vice-Captain showed her confidence. That was how well we had fought so far.
“Don’t let your guard down. Their total power is still superior.”
Among my 653 ships, 354 were corvettes. If we pick a fight the wrong way, we’ll take a heavy hit too. If we lose many troops here, we won’t be able to conduct the siege.
And.
The goal isn’t just to win the fight. I have to scare them as much as possible to make them scatter. That way, they won’t join up with the fortress I plan to attack.
“Wait for the warp drive timing.”
For the record, there were various wormholes one could take from a single planet. There were as few as three and as many as ten. If they are attacked by us, they will use a small wormhole they can quickly hop onto. The small wormholes branching out from here don’t lead to the fortress I intend to capture.
“Pass the order. All forces standby! Target the warp timing.”
We held our breath and waited.
The enemies seemed to undergo brief repairs and then formed their ranks. To enter a wormhole together, they had to maintain their intervals well.
“Commander! Warp energy has been detected from the enemy ships.”
“Now! Let’s go!!”
While hiding behind the moon, we all rose up at once.
The enemies, discovering us too late, were thrown into a panic. They must be agonizing over whether to stop the warp and respond or to continue with the warp. We had attacked at a truly awkward timing.
“Pour it on them!”
Our fleet began the attack.
*Pew pew! Boom! Rat-a-tat!*
A colorful array of weapons flew out brilliantly.
*Boom-boom-boom-boom!*
They had allocated all their energy to the warp drives. They were hammered without even having their shields up. They couldn’t even counterattack.
We beat them one-sidedly with joy. In an instant, over 300 ships were disabled.
“Commander. It’s a white flag?!”
“Wh… what?!”
They didn’t scatter; they surrendered outright. It seemed their condition was even worse than it appeared on the surface. I came here thinking I’d pick up some scraps, but I ended up with the whole meal.
“A communication has come in from the enemy flagship.”
*Beep!*
**[Surrender. We surrender. Please do not attack! Respected Sir Pak Yu.]**
The enemies retracted their cannons and lowered their fusion reactor energy to the minimum. In human terms, it was a posture similar to putting both hands over one’s head and kneeling.
“Ahem! No need for the ‘respected’ part.”
Did they surrender because of my notoriety?
**[If it weren’t for Sir Pak Yu, this war would have ended in an overwhelming victory for our Imperium. How could we not respect you? Furthermore, I have admired you for a long time.]**
The lip service was excessive.
“You have an eye for talent. More importantly, aren’t you the son-in-law of the Imperial Marshal?”
**[Th… that’s right!]**
A snail fellow appeared on the screen. He was of the Snail-kin, a race with many excellent observers. The Imperium had taken him in as a son-in-law to secure an observer.
However, that guy has a bit of a sad story. No, he’s scheduled to be sad for the foreseeable future.
The Imperium was constantly planning to kill him and absorb his clan. Using him as an ambush commander this time was basically telling him to go out and die.
What was even more absurd.
That guy just wouldn’t die. I don’t know if his intuition was good or what, but he always managed to return alive even from the worst situations.
Then, if you ask if he’s capable? Nope!
He’s just a man who’s incredibly fond of women. In the middle of the game, he even attempted to hit on the Imperium’s women. He was terrible at his job, too, but because he was a son-in-law, they couldn’t openly kill him, causing the Imperium a massive headache. He accounted for 30% of the reason for the Imperium’s headaches.
**[If you spare me, I will pay an ample ransom. So please, show mercy.]**
No one would say anything even if these guys were killed. It’s because of what the Imperium did in Humildas’s territory. Since returning revenge for revenge is the basic rule. That was why he was groveling.
But.
‘Returning that guy is an absolute win.’
I had no intention of curing the Imperium’s headache.
“Empty out the corvettes and 200 cargo ships.”
**[Why is that…]**
“Just do as I say for now.”
They moved busily. Since they had surrendered, they had to follow my words.
“Those who have families back home, get on those ships. I will let you return alive. If not, I will hire you. A large army will be coming soon, so don’t loiter on the main roads and head far away!”
I had to send that snail guy and some of the troops back.
**[Are… are you serious?!]**
“I am Pak Yu. I do not let lies cross my lips.”
**[Ah!! I saw this in a magazine.]**
The fellow showed me a booklet. My face was plastered right on it. Judging by how worn the book was, it seemed to be an old magazine. The title was . Even with a quick glance, it didn’t look like it contained anything good. I could even sense malice in the cover design. Why did he even have that?
“I see. Hurry up and transfer over.”
**[Understood! Respected Sir Pak Yu.]**
There weren’t as many people wanting to return as I thought. The 200 ships seemed more than enough.
**[Thank you for showing such mercy. May you live a long and healthy life!]**
“Sure. Safe travels. A large army will be swarming in soon. They won’t let you go as easily as I did, so be careful.”
**[Thank you for your consideration. By the way, there is a gift for Sir Pak Yu on the flagship, so please be sure to check it!]**
The fellow gave a deep bow and fled. Everyone scattered using the small wormholes.
“A lot more stayed behind than I expected.”
“They probably suspected you would kill them. If I were in their position, I would have thought the same.”
Everyone nodded at the Vice-Captain’s words. No, what do they all think of me?
“But thanks to your fame, Commander, we’ve gained many crew members.”
Was it notoriety, not fame?
Whatever the reason.
Since they stayed here, they now have no choice but to be loyal to me. The snail guy did sign the surrender documents. However, changing masters multiple times is not good for one’s personal credit. And it was obvious that their treatment would be poor if they returned after losing their ships. It would be better for them to stay under me.
“Commander!! Something strange has been sent from the enemy flagship.”
“How can you just accept it right away?! Without knowing what it is.”
I was startled. I hadn’t finished taking control of the ones who surrendered yet.
“Well… it’s not an object, it’s a person.”
“A person?”
“It’s Marshal Ugo-girl.”
It seemed she had been captured in an ambush during the pursuit.
‘That snail guy. So this was the gift?’