Mob No. 137: “If you ever end up in the same situation again, you absolutely must refuse and call me instead! Understood?!”
25 hours after the battle in the Sorel Sector.
After making a stop at the inhabited planet Radrisco along the way to resupply fuel and ammunition—as well as replenishing and adding more unmanned artillery ships and missile vessels—we were just one hour away from reaching the next combat zone, the Neott Sector, when Tenon-Karalema-san suddenly spoke to me while I was checking my ship.
“Hey, you!”
The fact that she was talking to me at all was already annoying, but her tone—leaning more toward anger—made it even worse.
I really wanted to ignore her, but doing so would only make things more troublesome, so I reluctantly replied.
“What can I do for you?”
“Why on earth were you sitting at the same table as [Winged helmet], [Man-Eating Rose], [The White Knight], and Shiora-chan?!”
…As expected, it was an annoying subject.
Not to mention, more than 24 hours had passed since that incident, making this whole thing feel way too late to bring up…
(By the way, [The White Knight] refers to Arthur-kun. Not only is his appearance handsome, but his behavior and speech are extremely courteous—knightly, even. Combined with the fact that his ship is white, that’s how he earned the nickname.
Personally, [Prince on a White Horse] would’ve been more fitting, but I kept that thought to myself.)
“There was someone I knew at that table. They called me over, and it just happened that those people were there too.”
“Even so, you should’ve refused! Someone as weak and creepy as you has no business sitting with first-class elites like them!”
I told her the plain truth, and she seemed to believe it.
“If you ever end up in the same situation again, you absolutely must refuse and call me instead! Understood?!”
And with that arbitrary command—without even waiting for my response—she stormed off.
We’re about to enter combat soon… What’s her deal?
…No, maybe because we’re about to fight, she’s trying to vent her stress beforehand.
Either way, it’s nothing but a nuisance for me.
An hour later, we finally arrived at the Neott Sector.
Here, not just the 4th Fleet (which I was currently under) but also the 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleets had assembled.
(Incidentally, the Royal Guard members had vanished at some point.
Prying too much into their affairs rarely ends well, so it’s best not to think about it.)
With the full deployment of both military and mercenary space forces—along with the supplementary unmanned artillery and missile ships—the scale, though smaller than during the previous rebellion suppression, was still overwhelming.
Once the formation was complete and combat preparations finalized, a transmission screen lit up, revealing Rear Admiral Lunaris Bloodwell-sama, commander of the 5th Fleet.
“Soldiers of the Empire! I am Lunaris Bloodwell, appointed as overall commander for this battle! To safeguard the Empire’s peace, we must halt and repel the forces of the Nekirelma Star Kingdom before us! The tide of victory depends on your efforts! Fight according to the orders of your commanding officers! I place my faith in your valor! That is all!”
The moment the Rear Admiral’s speech ended, the Nekirelma Star Kingdom’s forces came into view.
And they had deployed directly in front of our fleet.
If battle commenced now, it would be a head-on collision, and if it turned into a chaotic melee, the danger would only escalate.
Yet, just as the battle seemed imminent, the Nekirelma side opened a broadcast to all channels.
“I am the illustrious noble of the Nekirelma Star Kingdom—Narmukas Handelek Hendrix! Marquis and commander of the 113th Combined Fleet!”
The man on screen was a middle-aged bald noble with a Kaiser mustache.
“Nobles of the Galactic Empire! Are you truly content with the Empire as it stands? The previous and current emperors have stripped away your privileges, enacting policies that favor commoners instead!”
And then, with sweeping gestures, he launched into a speech directed at the nobility.
“If this continues, your superiority as nobles will vanish—reduced to the level of commoners! But in our kingdom, such rights shall never be lost!”
His words stoked resentment—highlighting the decline of noble privileges, grievances against the past and current emperors, and fears for the future.
It was true that certain noble privileges had been abolished during the previous emperor’s reign.
The most notable were the legal immunity for crimes against commoners and the right to demand “tributes” (extortion) from lower classes.
“Indeed, as we speak, many nobles who have lost faith in the Empire now seek to join our cause! It is not too late! Noble and sacred lords of the Empire! Let us drag that foolish girl from the throne and reclaim our pride!”
In essence, he was calling for defections.
Though the recent rebellion had purged a significant number of anti-emperor nobles, many still remained.
(How many were present in this battle, though, was uncertain.)
“And you commoners, disillusioned with imperial life! Pledge loyalty to our kingdom now, and we shall grant you noble status!”
He even extended his recruitment efforts to commoners.
(Though I doubt those promises would be honored.)
Still, launching a recruitment pitch right before battle was beyond absurd. Maybe they were desperate for numbers?
Not that anyone would dare switch sides now—they’d get shot instantly.
Still, it’d be wise to stay alert during combat.
But their commander didn’t see it that way.
“You insolent wretches! I, a marquis, extend my hand in goodwill, and this is your response?! Fine! Annihilate them!”
Apparently, not a single soul had taken his offer.
And so, with the enemy commander’s tantrum, the battle for the Neott Sector began.
☆☆☆
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[Side: Royal Guard (Third-Person Perspective)]
Inside the large transport ship Wave Wind, belonging to the supply fleet, the Royal Guard members were reporting to their commander, Kirekt Erndivar, via screen.
“…With that, our report is concluded.”
“Good work, all of you. Now, we can only pray for our comrades’ victory.”
Behind the guards standing at attention, a cargo shuttle held those who had collaborated with the Nekirelma Star Kingdom.
“Still, I’m shocked at how many traitors had infiltrated.”
“The regular forces had quite a few. Though the 5th Fleet had none.”
“They’re too strict over there. Probably don’t have the time for treason.”
“Mercenary forces were nearly zero. Seems they were already poached beforehand and sent to the enemy’s side.”
The guards exchanged light banter, their superior Erndibar joining in.
Then, a particularly rugged-looking male guard sighed, glancing at Priscilla Hyliatt.
“Personally, I found Hyliatt-captain’s bad habits more troublesome than the investigation.”
“Did she do it again?”
“Well, talented people are valuable!”
“That doesn’t mean you should keep throwing us into life-or-death situations to recruit them!”
Her talent-scouting habits were infamous among the unit—and everyone had suffered for it.
★★★
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