“Captain. Our squadron has arrived at the Lucifel Cluster’s central star system.”
My mind had been a mess the entire way here. Even the food, which had been a new world of flavor every day, was hard to enjoy. It felt as if I were constantly on the verge of letting out a hollow, helpless laugh.
‘Still, there is time.’
My only customer had turned into a nightmare. Selling off the Lucifel Cluster was now on hold. For the sake of safety, I had to deal a critical blow to the Imperium in this war. After that, they would be busy trading blows with Dalip for a while, which would buy me some time.
Thud!
The ship docked at the space station. Having heard the news, my father was there to meet me.
“Yu! You’ve worked hard.”
“I’m back, Father.”
“My proud son! I heard the news.”
“Ah, it was nothing. I’ve only just managed to balance the scales a little. Even so, defeating Grand Marshal Imperium will — “
“No, not that. I mean the fact that you got Eung-run pregnant! I knew you could do it.”
“…?”
My head spun. Normally, shouldn’t he be scolding me?
“I’d love for you to bring my grandchild here, but I suppose there’s no way.”
He was saying some truly dangerous things. It would be a miracle if I wasn’t killed by the Imperium first. Even if I brought the child, it wasn’t mine; it was Dalip’s.
Eung-run was likely under hypnosis and probably had no idea what was going on. That was how the Imugi was able to play the part of a cuckoo.
Furthermore, it was highly likely that the child in her womb wasn’t even the Grand Marshal’s. As far as I knew, no child was born between those two during this period.
The biggest question was: why was Eung-run in a place like that? For the record, the Rabbit race was capable of terminating a pregnancy without a trace. Since they were such a prolific race, their technology in that field was excellent.
That was it. Eung-run had been having an affair.
In other words, she would keep her mouth shut and feign ignorance. It was better for her to claim she had been taken by force rather than admit to an affair.
“It’s not my child.”
“What?!”
I unfolded a paper newspaper I had obtained on the way.
“Look. Doesn’t the child have navy-blue eyes?”
“You also… Ah!!”
My eyes were originally black. They were navy-blue now because of the Sacred Relic. Dalip had transformed himself based on my appearance, which had been altered by the relic.
Then couldn’t I just prove it by deactivating the Sacred Relic? Doing so might reduce its durability or degrade its performance.
What if I sent my DNA? They wouldn’t believe it for a second. They would surely claim I sent manipulated genes.
In any case, DNA alone couldn’t prove anything. An accurate measurement required the Force to be measured alongside it. A triple-helix genetic structure was heavily influenced by the Force. In the end, I would have to go there in person to prove it.
And would they let me live?
Even if I were lucky enough to prove it, what then? The public wouldn’t care about a retraction. The damage to the Grand Marshal’s honor couldn’t be undone.
“Tsk. That’s a shame.”
“Don’t worry about the family line, Father.”
I held up my crowbar. If I set my mind to it, I could handle 3,000 court ladies. The problem was that the beauties of this world all looked… strange.
“Still, at least I can save face before her.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m talking about your fiancée, Lisandebuzz.”
My mental state wavered for a moment.
“Um… Father. Didn’t we already break off the engagement with the Dogos family?”
I had no intention of ever going back to the Dogos estate. They could sue me for all I cared. How could they just break and reinstate a sacred betrothal whenever they felt like it?
“Rumor has it that you’ve already laid hands on the Young Lady. Well, if you’re going to cause trouble, you might as well do it with a high-ranking noble.”
Since when was this something to be praised for? And why were these rumors spreading?
“That’s not true.”
“It’s no use denying it. Don’t I know you?”
Just how low were the expectations for me? Even my only family didn’t believe me.
“Surprisingly, the daughter of Dogos came here of her own accord, so go and meet her for now. She’s in the VIP restaurant.”
“Whaaat?!”
I nearly fainted. My head was already exploding because of the Eung-run situation, and now I had to deal with a tentacle monster?
“Where are you going? The restaurant isn’t that way.”
I was caught while trying to run away.
“Hahaha. You seem nervous, my boy. I’ve cleared everyone out, so you don’t have to worry.”
I wondered what kind of future my father was imagining. Closing my eyes tightly, I headed toward the restaurant.
Click!
I opened the door and entered. Just as my father said, the place was empty. Beyond the window, the blue planet below glowed with a dreamlike light.
A single table sparkled, bathed in the planet’s radiance. It was a truly romantic spot. It would have been wonderful to dine with a beautiful woman in a place like this.
Instead, a tentacle monster sat before my eyes.
Wiggle!
At the ends of dozens of tentacles were ears.
Wiggle!
They shifted back into dozens of eyes.
‘She really is the genius of the Dogos family.’
The number of tentacles was high, and her transformation speed was fast. The Force undulating around her was also stable.
‘Ah…’
I thought I would never have to see a tentacle monster again. I didn’t know why things were getting so tangled.
“As expected of the person who possesses the Sacred Relic of our Shoggos race.”
She seemed a bit flustered upon seeing me.
“It’s not easy to read happiness from you, Young Master. But since this is our first meeting, I’ll try my best.”
Her body continued to squirm. One by one, the tentacles were sucked back into her body.
Shshshsh!
Her shape changed rapidly. Soon, she began to take on a human form.
‘Oh, this is actually a bit impressive.’
She tilted her head as if troubled.
“It was hard to read you, so I tried using a human form as a base for now.”
The shape of her face shifted constantly. Among the variations, I caught glimpses of several quite beautiful faces. It was somewhere between not bad and grotesque.
However, looking at her made my head spin.
In a way, it was only natural. Unlike the people of this world, I possessed the mind of an Earthling. My way of viewing the world was different.
They perceived visual information and the Force together from birth. I, on the other hand, perceived visual information and the Force separately.
I suspected the disparity in beauty came from this. The people of this world seemed to place more importance on the Force than on visual information.
My stomach churned. It felt like I had been playing a 3D game for too long. Watching her flickering face made the table, the chairs, and the entire world feel like they were wavering. My brain was in a state of confusion.
“Stop!”
I shouted without realizing it. She was startled, and so was I. I had to fix this.
“The Young Lady’s original form is beautiful enough. You can stop now.”
Yes, I would rather look at the eye monster. I couldn’t handle the dizziness.
Flush!
Her body turned red as she reverted to her tentacle form. Dozens of eyeballs popped out, and those eyes quickly averted their gaze.
“By any chance, did you come here after telling the Lord?”
Given that he half-considered me his son-in-law, there was no way he would let his daughter go so easily. He would think it a loss to send only his daughter.
“No. I was worried about you, Young Master, so I acted before thinking.”
“You shouldn’t have done that. The Lord must be so worried — “
“…I brought 200 warships with me.”
” — but I’m sure he’ll understand! The road back is dangerous, after all. Hahaha.”
The mention of 200 ships snapped me to my senses. That was by no means a small number. Since I had no idea how the enraged Grand Marshal Imperium would react, I was desperate for even a single ship.
‘She must have come as an escort.’
Since they were the private soldiers of the Dogos family, I couldn’t just swallow the ships. The war had begun, and it would be a disaster if something happened to Lisandebuzz on her way back. I either had to send her back with the 200 ships or keep both her and the ships here.
“Yes. I heard the war has started. And I’ve heard that Imperium is a man obsessed with women.”
Lisandebuzz certainly wasn’t my style. But to the people of this world, it was a different story. There were even rumors that she was the greatest beauty in Sector 16, so there was reason for concern.
“Ahem. I see.”
For now, it was best to keep this eye monster here. It definitely wasn’t because I wanted the 200 ships.
“Please make yourself at home and stay comfortable.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
She bowed her body slightly. Since she was made of a slime-like material, I couldn’t tell where her waist was.
Grand Marshal Imperium’s fury had calmed slightly. That didn’t mean the magnitude of his anger had decreased, however. As time passed, it only continued to grow.
“Sagitta!”
“Yes, Grand Marshal!”
“I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. I will give you 1,500 ships.”
“Five hundred ships will be enough! No, even that is too many.”
“No. From what I’ve seen, that fellow is no mere drifter.”
He had deceived none other than the Grand Marshal himself. That meant it was possible he was hiding his true strength.
“Leave not a single blade of grass in the Lucifel Cluster. Kill everything that lives.”
Sagitta prostrated himself. His prosthetic eye flashed.
Finally, the chance for revenge had arrived.
*****
The Headquarters of Grand Marshal Humildas.
“Urgent news! It appears Grand Marshal Imperium has personally led 3,000 ships to the Lucifel Cluster!”
The total size of Grand Marshal Imperium’s army was approximately 5,000 ships. That meant the force remaining on the second line was only about 2,000 ships. It seemed Grand Marshal Imperium had truly lost his mind.
“This is our chance!”
The total strength of the Allied Forces was 7,500 ships.
“Hahaha. I never knew that fellow Pak-yu could be so useful.”
“Indeed. Because of him, there hasn’t been a quiet day in Sector 16.”
“So he caused all those scandals just to be used like this.”
“I suppose being a philanderer is a talent in its own right. Hahaha.”
The ministers and officials all burst into laughter.
“Since we don’t know if Imperium will return, I will lead the main force and stay as a reserve. Grand Marshal Yugogirl and General Napareureu, how about you two intercept the remaining 2,000 enemies?”
Grand Marshal Humildas narrowed his eyes.
‘They won’t be able to refuse.’
Grand Marshal Yugogirl was in a position where she had to cling to Grand Marshal Humildas. The only reason Grand Marshal Kranoscan no longer occupied Yugogirl’s Sector 8 was because he was wary of Humildas.
“Thank you for giving me the chance to earn some merit,” Grand Marshal Yugogirl, a Succubus dressed in a bikini, said with a frown.
“There will be no need for your reserve force, Grand Marshal Humildas.”
This time, Napareureu flapped his ears. He needed to achieve a great feat. Only then would he be able to obtain at least a small piece of land.
“Hahaha. You two are quite reliable.”
Grand Marshal Humildas wore a benevolent smile. He was pleased that he could preserve his own private soldiers.
*****
I walked down the corridor of the space station to meet my father.
“Young Lord Pak-yu.”
“Ah, Lord Woo-heuk! You’re still in the Cluster.”
“I am quite disappointed.”
“In what, exactly?”
“Didn’t you bring a wanderer named Napareureu?”
He was incredibly quick to catch on. I was planning to settle Napareureu here.
“Don’t worry too much. He’ll be no match for your adopted son, Lord Uganaoda.”
“Even though he brought a force of 3,000? Besides, the man is a skilled general.”
Being a merchant, he was well-informed.
“Most of them are patrol ships. And Grand Marshal Imperium is not an easy opponent.”
“But it’s now 7,500 against 5,000.”
“Even so, I believe Grand Marshal Imperium still has the advantage. That’s why I believe the final key to this battle lies in Lord Uganaoda’s hands.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I do.”
To be honest, even if Uganaoda brought his troops to join the 7,500, victory wasn’t guaranteed. Napareureu and Uganaoda were still no match for Imperium. They lacked far too much experience.
“Ahem. I see. I shall trust your word for now.”
Woo-heuk walked away, unable to hide his displeasure. It wasn’t that he was naive; he simply hadn’t properly grasped how terrifying Imperium was.
‘He has no idea how terrifying Imperium is.’
*****
Rubbing my chilled arms, I had a private meeting with my father.
“We must prepare our defenses as much as possible. Imperium will send troops here.”
“Surely not. The Allied Forces have more troops; would they really have any to spare for us?”
Imperium could potentially crush 7,500 ships with only about 3,000. That was how strong he and his army were.
“Don’t worry too much. I’ve managed to separately secure about 300 warships.”
“Is that true?! That couldn’t have been easy.”
“Is there anything money can’t buy?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. My father wasn’t the head of a prestigious noble house for nothing. The nobles of Sector 16, in particular, had quite the pedigree.
With this, the forces we could mobilize immediately were:
Eighty light mobile ships.
Twenty escort ships.
Five bombardment ships.
250 patrol ships.
200 Dogos patrol ships.
Forty ships that would soon finish repairs.
It was roughly 600 ships. On top of that, there were modified merchant ships.
‘How should I defend using the fortress?’
This was doable. We just had to hold out. Once Dalip revolted, Imperium would have no choice but to withdraw.
I felt a little more at ease.
Click!
Until the butler rushed in with a panicked expression.
“Lord! News has arrived that 3,000 enemy ships are heading this way!”
At those words, I clutched my head.
“Wait. 3,000 ships?!”
At most, I thought he would send 1,500. That would have been the right estimate for his personality.
But 3,000 ships? It didn’t make sense.
‘Dammit!!!’
If that was the case, then this was a trick. The Allied Forces were in danger.
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