‘Screeeech! Clang!’
A metal cage covered in black cloth was brought into the grand hall. All eyes were drawn to it.
“Wh… what is this smell?”
The ministers grimaced. It was only natural, as the occupant had not been washed in quite some time. To be honest, there had been no way to wash her. If the guards let their guard down for even a moment, she would have tried to escape, driven by her homing instinct.
*Flutter!*
When the black cloth was pulled away, everyone covered their noses at the stench of the beast. However…
“Oh…!”
The ministers soon let out exclamations of awe as they looked inside the iron bars. Was it true that a beauty remained a beauty even without bathing? Personally, I wasn’t particularly moved.
“Who… who is that woman? She is truly beautiful,” Marshal Humildas asked, his mouth hanging open. The other ministers were the same.
“She is Eung-reon, Marshal Imperium’s concubine,” I replied.
Everyone marveled at my words. It seemed they had already adjusted to the smell. They were far too busy staring into the cage.
“If we return this woman to him, he will withdraw behind the second line for a while. We can use that time to reorganize ourselves.”
“I… I see. What a shame. What a pity. To think we have to just hand over such a woman.”
The Raccoon Man licked his lips. I really couldn’t understand the aesthetic standards of this world.
“I’d like to have her bear my child. The bloodline would be incredible.”
Perhaps it was because they viewed things differently. I looked for beauty based solely on sight. However, these people had handled Force since childhood. Naturally, the flow of Force seemed to be included in their criteria for beauty.
In a way, it was only natural for the purity of one’s Force to be a standard of beauty. Does high purity mean better Force management? No. But to handle Force well, one’s purity had to be high.
Thus, in aristocratic society, one was recognized even with poor skills as long as their Force purity was high. For commoners, having high Force purity meant they could change their fate by marrying into a noble family.
“I would love to offer her to you, Marshal, but overcoming this crisis is our top priority right now.”
“I know. I’m just saying it’s a pity…”
“Now, please write the oath. State that if Marshal Imperium withdraws his troops to the second line, you will recognize Lucifel’s independence.”
The Raccoon Man raised his hand. An attendant brought a pen and parchment.
*Scratch. Scritch. Scratch.*
He wrote the content in his own hand. With this, our Park family became an independent warlord faction. No matter what we did with Lucifel now, we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else’s opinion.
“Here it is.”
The Marshal handed me the letter.
*Whoosh!*
I rolled it up carelessly and tossed it to my sub-captain. Siela placed the letter into a small box.
“How… how… how rude!”
“To treat the Marshal’s letter so carelessly…”
“A wastrel truly is a wastrel.”
The ministers glared at me again.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.”
After saying my goodbyes, I walked past Naparre. I gave him a parting word as well.
“I’ll be rooting for you, General.”
“Th… thank you.”
Naparre looked at me as if I were a complete madman. It was likely the first time he had seen someone treat the Marshal so dismissively.
‘I shouldn’t look too competent.’
It would be troublesome if they tried to put a leash on me. Even this time, because I showed results, hadn’t they tried to send me as an envoy to Marshal Poena? It was best to seem like a sour grape. That way, the most they would do is poke at me like they just did.
“Well, then.”
I gave Naparre a slight nod. Then, I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked. Since I had been missing my left hand for a while, it felt awkward now that I was used to it.
*Clang! Clatter!*
The iron cage followed behind me. My back felt prickly.
“Once I return to Marshal Imperium, I will not leave you alone,” Eung-reon hissed.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”
This was actually better. The reason I treated that woman so roughly? It was to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
However…
***
The newspaper headlines were massive.
— The pride of District 16, Wastrel Park Yoo, captures the greatest beauty of District 9.
â”” Park Yoo. He’s a god. The ultimate player!
â”” Just how good is he at seducing women?
â”” I heard he even bedded Lisandeburze of the Dogos family.
â”” So he must have lured this one in with his looks too.
â”” As expected of the greatest wastrel District 16 ever raised!!
â”” No, he’s not just District 16’s best; he’s the greatest wastrel in the history of the Empire!
People praised Park Yoo. I wasn’t sure if “praise” was the right word, but they respected him regardless. Thanks to that wastrel, District 16 had been saved. It was a truly ridiculous yet sad situation.
***
Lady Lisandeburze, the fifth daughter of the Dogos family, saw the newspaper delivered by a high-speed courier.
“This won’t do. At this rate, I might lose my husband to another woman.”
The haughty young lady felt a sense of alarm.
“What are you going to do, my Lady?!”
“I have to go to the Lucifel fortress.”
“Wh-what?!”
She stood up from her seat.
“My Lady! You have to get permission from the Patriarch…”
“He would never allow it!”
She immediately attempted to run away from home. However, she didn’t go alone.
“Third Guard Captain. You are to escort me! It is an order from the Patriarch.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the Lucifel territory.”
“Ah…!”
The Third Guard Captain did not suspect a thing. Rumors of Park Yoo and Lisandeburze had already spread far and wide. It was highly plausible for her to seek him out.
“I will escort you safely.”
The Dogos family was wealthy. They possessed a total of three guard units, each consisting of 200 ships. Lisandeburze targeted the Third Guard Captain, who was the densest among them.
‘My husband will be happy if I bring an army with me, right?’
***
At the news that an envoy was coming, Marshal Imperium’s pillaging temporarily stopped. This was because I had Eung-reon in my possession.
“Move as slowly as possible.”
I decided to exploit even this. Time was on our side. By now, Dalip’s preparations should be nearing completion. Once Dalip rose up, Marshal Imperium would have no choice but to retreat in a hurry.
Warp.
.
Waaaaarp.
.
Waaa-aaa-arp.
I moved not like an envoy, but as if I were on a gourmet tour.
“Bring me the most famous dish from this planet!”
.
“Ah! So hot springs are famous here.”
.
“Wow. The scenery is magnificent.”
.
“What is the name of this drink?”
.
“Robot vacuums are famous here? But they’re so expensive.”
The person waiting must have been burning with anxiety. Well, that wasn’t my concern. Marshal Imperium could never abandon Eung-reon. She was his most cherished wife.
In the game, there was a path where she died. If that happened, he would stop eating and drinking and shut himself away for at least one month. The national administration would be paralyzed. It was incredibly frustrating when I played as Imperium.
“Captain! Marshal Imperium’s fleet is ahead.”
The moment I saw it, my breath hitched. Just based on their formation, they were a formidable elite army. There was no way the ragtag forces of District 16 could stand against them.
However…
“Why are they positioned like that?”
Sub-captain Siela tilted her head. It was because the fleet of 5,000 ships was forming a star shape within a circle.
“It’s a demonstration.”
When warships clustered together beyond a certain point, a strong repulsive force was generated.
“Maintaining that isn’t easy. It means the proficiency of those crews is top-tier.”
The forces of District 16 could never replicate that. It was a kind of show of force directed at me.
“Captain. A communication from the enemy flagship.”
*Beep!*
[Are you the bastard who kidnapped my wife?]
“Maybe you should have kept a better eye on her then.”
[Do you think I’ll let you get away with this?!]
At my gesture, the cage was brought closer. Then, the anger directed at me vanished.
[EUNG-REON!!]
“Husband!”
The two looked at each other desperately. Seeing this made me feel like a legendary villain.
‘Dalip did the kidnapping!! Not me!’
It wouldn’t matter if I said it; it would just sound like an excuse.
[Release her at once!]
“Negotiations come first. I assume you won’t harm me once I cross over?”
[I don’t like your ways, but since you’ve come as an envoy, I have no choice.]
“Then, I’ll see you in a bit.”
*Beep!*
I cut the communication and stood up. Sudongtae moved to follow me.
“You stay here.”
“Sudongtae. Will protect Master.”
“Even if you go, you can’t protect me.”
Our lives were in Imperium’s hands.
“You protect that woman. If something happens to me, kill her brutally.”
“Sudongtae. Master’s order. Will obey.”
Strength entered the robot’s eyes. Instantly, bloodlust filled the bridge.
*Hiccup!*
Eung-reon, who had been glaring at me, hiccuped and looked away.
“Then, I will escort you, Captain.”
“No. I’ll go alone.”
I had to play the part of the wastrel. Imperium was someone I had to be even more careful with than Marshal Humildas. I must never appear competent. His greed for talent was immense.
‘I have to sell the land too.’
Furthermore, Imperium felt uncomfortable around people he couldn’t predict. In other words, having a wastrel as a neighbor would be uncomfortable for him.
But if I brought subordinates? That sharp bastard might realize the wastrel act was just a performance. He would sense a discrepancy in the attitudes of Sudongtae or Siela while I was acting like a rogue.
“I’m going.”
I boarded the shuttle and approached Imperium’s flagship.
*Rumble!*
Once again, I brought the most useless helmsman. The man was completely overwhelmed by the aura radiating from the 5,000 ships.
“Don’t be scared. We’re going as envoys.”
I stretched.
*Thud!*
The shuttle docked with Marshal Imperium’s flagship. It landed stably in the hangar.
*Hiss!*
The shuttle door opened, and the scene outside came into view.
‘He really intended to intimidate me.’
Fully armed marines were glaring in this direction. They were all subtly leaking Force toward me.
“Phew! I can’t breathe. This is poor hospitality for a guest.”
I walked out of the shuttle alone, acting bold.
“Did you expect a welcome then?”
A man who looked like a chihuahua spoke near my feet. He was so small I almost missed him. Seeing the small traditional cap on his head, I think I knew who he was. He was Marshal Imperium’s strategist. A guy with a very nasty personality.
“Hey now! Even so, this is too much for an envoy. I’m not even a soldier.”
I used my crowbar as a walking stick to steady my trembling legs. Looking around, I didn’t see a single person I could defeat with force. For the record, even this chihuahua guy was probably stronger than me.
“Since a war has broken out, there is no distinction between military and civilian.”
“Whatever. Just guide me already.”
“Follow me.”
I followed behind the chihuahua. The interior of the ship was pathologically clean.
“Oh? Is that a smart vacuum?”
It was an incredibly expensive model. How expensive, you ask?
For reference, it’s difficult to use semiconductors in space. Because spaceships are built based on dark matter, quantum tunneling occurs frequently. In other words, it’s not easy to fix errors. On top of that, dark energy causes fatal damage to semiconductors when traveling through wormholes.
Therefore, creating a smart vacuum that wouldn’t malfunction in space cost a staggering amount of money. This was the reason smart vacuums were expensive yet “stupid.”
Why did Marshal Imperium prefer these expensive, fancy cleaners?
“Our Marshal likes things tidy.”
I chuckled at those words.
‘He’s going to freak out when he sees Eung-reon’s state.’
I had aimed for that to some extent. It was the reason I hadn’t even given Eung-reon a wet wipe.
*Clang!*
The door opened, revealing a massive space. It was decorated like an audience chamber. All eyes fell on me. In the center sat a man who resembled a wolf.
‘Looks like they rushed to set this up.’
There were some clumsy parts. They must have remodeled it to exert pressure since they heard I was coming. A pragmatist like Imperium wouldn’t normally have a space like this on his ship.
*Thump!*
I plopped down in the middle of the room before even greeting them.
“Phew! I thought I was going to die of exhaustion.”
I fanned myself with my hand. Then, I saw a familiar face.
“Oho! Aren’t you Sagitta?”
He was the gentleman I had fought when I first landed here.
“But what happened to your eye?”
*Grrrr!*
The man growled, unable to contain his anger.
“Why are you so angry? I was complimenting you because it looks cool.”
An artificial eye had been inserted. It wasn’t just any artificial eye. It seemed Imperium had given him a cherished relic. It was a lower version of my relic, the Shadow Spirit’s Eye.
‘It’s more of a lens than an eye.’
Back before I knew about the Shadow Spirit’s lens, I had used those a lot. The penalty was reduced vision. You could see the waves of dark energy, but you couldn’t see light.
“Hahahaha! You’re an interesting fellow.”
Marshal Imperium laughed loudly as he looked at me. My attitude in the middle of enemy territory was certainly not normal.
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