Chapter 22: The Scoundrel’s Commendation and the Center’s Surprise

The Marshal’s Office Countermeasures Committee.

The atmosphere in the conference hall was heavy.

‘How did that scoundrel do it?’

‘Is such a military achievement even possible?’

‘We’ll have to give him a reward for now…’

‘Will this bring House Pak back to the Center?’

Everyone’s mind was racing. For now, the fact remained that he had achieved a significant military feat.

“Is the interview report not ready yet?”

At the Marshal’s words, the Chief of the Patrol Headquarters broke into a cold sweat.

“It… it should be up shortly.”

Everyone waited for the interview report to be uploaded. They were even using sleep-deprivation recovery devices, something the upper class rarely touched.

*Tap, tap, tap!*

Just then, an officer rushed over to the Chief of the Patrol Headquarters.

“The interview report has been updated. I am sharing it now. An interview video was sent along with it.”

They had even obtained permission from Pak Yu to film the interview. Thanks to that, the leadership had to witness a scene of him drinking. The interview location was a total disaster. Every now and then, objects could be seen flying through the air in the background.

What was the common thought among the leadership as they watched the interview conducted in such chaos?

‘Is he insane?’

The process of achieving the military feat was utterly absurd. Given Pak Yu’s personality, some even wondered if he might actually be a genius. After all, geniuses were often eccentric.

“Ahem. Hm… Mmm.”

However, once they looked into the details, it was more embarrassing than surprising.

‘So, it was just pure luck?’

‘Still, I covet that helmsman.’

‘Was he just born lucky?’

‘If he keeps fighting like that, he’ll be dead soon.’

‘It was my mistake to expect anything from a scoundrel like him.’

‘The scoundrel just acted like a scoundrel.’

‘This kid is quite the piece of work.’

Everyone evaluated the scoundrel in their heads. Some found it so ridiculous they clutched their stomachs and laughed.

“At least it’s a relief. We’ve secured enough prisoners to put pressure on the Imperium Marshal’s Office.”

There were officers among the prisoners. Officers were registered in the Central Army’s database, meaning their identities were verified. This allowed them to officially reveal that the force behind the surprise provocation was the Imperium Marshal’s Office.

“This should definitely buy us some time.”

“Perhaps we can even get support from other Marshal’s Offices.”

“If things go well, we might even be able to prevent the war. They’ve exhausted their justification.”

Regardless, it wasn’t a bad result. However, the scoundrel’s utility had decreased.

“Marshal, this fellow is completely unusable.”

“If we send him to the front lines, he might just kill morale.”

“Sending him could actually lead to a weakening of our forces.”

“And to make use of Pak Yu, we’d have to recall House Pak from the Lucifell Star Cluster.”

Originally, they had planned to send the scoundrel to the front lines. They thought he’d make an excellent meat shield—a primary line of defense to hold out until the main force arrived, or a sacrificial lamb to buy time while they did something else.

They couldn’t deploy the main force forward, as space was vast and they didn’t know exactly where the enemy would come from.

“It’s a shame.”

Furthermore, he could have been used as a tool to pressure the nobles. They would all offer up private soldiers or war funds just to ensure their own heirs weren’t dragged off.

“Still, he’s not entirely useless.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

“I do. Summon him to the Marshal’s Office. I will commend him personally. Prepare an appropriate medal and call the reporters.”

The shadows grew deeper in Marshal Humildas’s dark eyes.

***

I woke up in the hotel, greeted by artificial sunlight.

“This bed… I want it.”

There’s always a bigger fish. This hotel bed was like an upgraded version of the captain’s seat. However, furniture like this couldn’t be loaded onto a ship.

If it wasn’t properly reinforced, it would explode while passing through a wormhole.

*Ding-dong!*

The doorbell rang. At that, Double U 07 rushed to open the door. For the record, the suite I was staying in was the highest tier, with a total of three rooms.

“Who is it?”

“Military Police.”

At those words, the corners of my mouth curled up. Just in case, I accessed the Center-net, and articles were already popping up.

– The Scoundrel and His Subordinates.

– Who are the ones who turned Fortress 3 into a mess?

– House Pak’s patrolmen sprawled out and sleeping on the streets (Photo).

– A mass brawl. It turns out…

Articles were plastered everywhere. The reaction was exactly as I had expected.

└ House Pak. They were late with the media control this time.

└ It’ll probably be taken down soon.

└ I thought he’d straightened out since he volunteered for the patrol.

└ Like he’d ever straighten out.

└ He probably just went wandering because he wanted to see if there was anything interesting out there.

└ I heard he caused a huge scene there, too.

Public opinion was a mess. Rather than building up my reputation, I was actively chipping away at it. But I had to survive first, so there was no helping it. In any case, public opinion was flowing exactly as I intended.

“Lord Pak Yu, you must come with us.”

“I haven’t even had my hangover cure yet. Contact the Security Bureau and tell them to prepare a human-style hangover soup for this elder.”

The MPs were flustered by my words.

“What are you doing?! Hurry up and contact them. Or you can wait in front of the door until I’m finished with my breakfast.”

“Understood. We will contact them immediately.”

It seemed my family was more powerful than I thought. I just gave it a shot, and they actually listened. Or was my reputation just that notorious?

“Are you going like that?”

Picol asked.

“Well, it’s not like I’m going on a blind date. Do I need to dress up?”

Still in my pajamas, I gestured to the MPs.

“We will… escort you.”

“You have to carry me. Don’t you see this?”

I pointed to the cast on my foot. In truth, I had no trouble walking, but I was being intentionally difficult.

*Shove!*

An MP offered his back.

This actually works?

***

“Giddy-up!! Pick up the pace!”

I arrived at the Security Bureau riding on the MP’s back. Everyone’s eyes were on me.

*Click! Click!*

The gathered reporters snapped photos like crazy.

“He really does it all.”

“It’s my first time in my life seeing someone arrive on an MP’s back.”

“I thought things were quiet for a while. It’s going to get noisy again.”

“I like that the scoundrel came. It gave us work to do.”

“More importantly, what’s with that primitive tool?”

“It’s not like it’s the first or second time that guy’s done something crazy.”

Thanks to the Force, I could hear the reporters’ gossiping clearly. They could curse me all they wanted, as long as they produced some nice articles.

“Move it already!”

I slapped the back of the MP’s head. The MP scowled as he entered the Security Bureau.

“Ca… Captain!!”

My subordinates, who were locked in the holding cell, stood up all at once. Their appearance was a sight to behold. It was worse than when they had engaged in melee combat back in the Pepe Star System. They must have had a rough night.

“Greetings, Lord Pak Yu. I am the Chief of Security for Fortress 3.”

His rank was Colonel. I didn’t recognize his face, so I moved on.

“Ah, right. Good work. Where’s the hangover soup I asked for?”

“It’s right over there.”

Sensing the mood, he gestured politely. In one corner, a dining table with steaming food was laid out. It even had a tablecloth. It stood in stark contrast to the bleak surroundings.

*Thump, thump, thump!*

I limped over and sat on the sofa to eat. I was used to eating with one hand now. The warm food in my stomach made me feel a bit better.

“What’s the estimate for the damages?”

“The Marshal’s Office has decided to compensate for all damages.”

Why the Marshal’s Office? If they were being this nice, they had to be up to something. It made me feel uneasy. Was this level of acting like a scoundrel not enough?

“Instead, please just make sure to keep your subordinates in check from now on.”

“They’re a bunch that doesn’t listen for shit. I’ll try my best for now.”

I slowly finished my meal and stood up.

*Clang!*

Simultaneously, my subordinates were released from the holding cell. The guys avoided my eyes.

“Why are you all so demoralized!”

“We… We’re sorry, Captain. Those guys were badmouthing you, and we just couldn’t hold back…”

These guys. They’re more loyal than I thought?

“Ahem.”

I walked over to the people who had supposedly badmouthed me. They were also locked in a cell.

“Who are you people?”

“We’re… We’re sorry! My Lord.”

The guys bumped their heads on the floor when they saw me. They looked terrified. The family’s prestige was indeed something.

I wasn’t particularly angry. Don’t people even badmouth the king when he’s not around? The problem was that they did it in front of my subordinates.

“Excuse me, My Lord! There is an order from the Marshal’s Office for you to enter the Center.”

The Security Chief hurriedly spoke from the side. He seemed afraid that I might cause another scene.

“You guys got lucky.”

At my words, the guys in the cell sighed in relief.

***

I boarded the train. This was because ships weren’t allowed onto the Center planet.

“Thank you for using our train. we will transport you safely.”

The conductor came to greet me personally.

“I see.”

For the record, the train was VIP only. No one else was on board except for me and my party.

[We will now be departing.]

The announcement came. I looked out the window.

“Whew. Acting like a scoundrel is hard work.”

“Your acting is truly magnificent, Young Lord.”

So-jin said, fluttering her wings. She had a rough idea of what was going on—and why I was acting like a scoundrel.

“Not really. He was much tamer than usual…”

Picol chimed in with a rebuttal.

“Since you said you were going to act like a scoundrel, I thought you’d turn at least one person into a half-cripple. Did you have some other hidden intention, Captain?”

The First Mate added. Just what was my usual behavior like? I was putting in effort in my own way!

“Ah! I think I know what it is.”

So-jin suddenly snapped her fingers.

“You’ve been hiding your true self all this time. As expected, you’ve been planning to leave this place for a long time! That’s why you’ve been acting like a scoundrel.”

She looked deeply impressed. I think she’s misunderstanding something. I just let her keep misunderstanding.

I couldn’t afford to disappoint a Named character, even if I didn’t care about the others.

[Our train will soon engage the acceleration drive.]

The train moved even faster.

*Chugga-chugga, choo-choo!*

***

A black planet appeared in the distance. The entire surface was covered by black structures.

‘Was the population roughly 100 billion?’

There were ten fortresses and two stations around the Center planet. Anyone trying to break through there would have to endure immense losses.

[Our train will arrive at its destination shortly. Passengers, please remain seated for your safety.]

The train didn’t stop at the space station. It entered the planet’s atmosphere immediately. Afterward, it made a smooth landing at the train station.

“Please proceed through the VIP gate.”

Once again, the conductor saw us off personally. We passed through the checkpoint immediately without having to wait in line.

“More importantly, it seems the Head of the House is very angry. Even though he must have known you were coming, he didn’t send anyone to the station…”

“07, why didn’t you try contacting him?”

“Young Master, don’t you hate it when I contact the Head of the House separately?”

“Did… Did I?”

Of course, I had no memory of that.

“Taxi!!”

We had no choice but to take a taxi.

On the way to the mansion, I looked out the window. Coming to the Center definitely gave off a strong futuristic vibe.

Black-covered roads, roads, roads. Buildings, buildings, buildings.

They were so massive that they couldn’t even be compared to any building in the world I used to live in. I stared outside blankly for a long time, overwhelmed by the sight.

“Young Master, we have arrived.”

The building in front of me was as massive as a mountain. It looked like several of the buildings I had seen on the way combined.

“Let’s go.”

Picol took the lead. He tapped something at the entrance.

*Beep! Beep!*

[This is not a valid pass.]

It wouldn’t open. A guard ran over from a distance.

“May I ask why you are visiting? If you provide the information of a resident here, I can assist you.”

The buildings owned by the families were their homes and small fiefdoms.

“The Head of the House must be really angry. Open the door.”

“As I said… who are you…”

Picol was flustered by the guard’s reaction.

“You’re being too much. No matter how much the Head of the House ordered it, pretending not to know the Young Master is going too far.”

“If I may ask, which family’s young master…”

“House Pak, of course!!!”

Picol, who had been speaking politely, lost his temper. The guard blinked for a moment.

“Ah!! This building has been sold.”

What on earth was he talking about?

“Say that again. This building was sold? Then, do you know where they moved to?”

“Things were quite noisy for a while regarding House Pak. The Head of House Pak became the Military Governor of the Lucifell Star Cluster. It’s been quite some time since they settled their assets in the Center and left for their new post.”

At those words, my world momentarily went dark. Of all places, the Lucifell Star Cluster.

‘I’m screwed…’