Book 12: Chapter 12: Banfield Territory Defense (7)
"Endure! The more you exhaust the main Imperial Army, the more you will win!"
Klaus, who kept telling his allies on the bridge that they were almost there, was facing the weak heart inside him.
(Even if we defeat this enemy fleet, the Empire's national power will be able to dispatch another fleet of the same size in a few decades. But with the Banfield family, the same would be impossible.)
The Empire would be next.
But even if the Banfield family had a next time, it would be impossible to prepare an army of the same scale as this time.
That is how much damage has been done to the territory by the conquering army.
Even now, Klaus receives a report that a planet is on fire.
The pirate fleet was on the rampage, and the fleet entrusted with the ambuscade had been defeated at every turn.
The pirates are united in their hatred of Liam.
In addition to the imperial pirate fleet, real space pirates seem to have joined them.
They had invaded the Banfield family's territory and were in close contact with each other.
Several supply depots have been destroyed, and the damage is too great to ignore.
(They are a truly disgusting opponent. They are not the same, and they will do everything they can to win. And yet, they also show their openings - it's as if they are playing games with the Banfield family.)
He was disgusted by the imperial army's fighting.
He wondered if this was the Imperial way of fighting.
The chiefs of staff, with grim expressions on their faces, gave orders for the exhausted fleet to fall back.
"Send the reserve fleet to them at once! We can't hold them any longer!"
But the operator, hearing this, looked like he was about to cry.
"I can't do it. The reserve fleet is already gone. The restructured fleet is not yet ready to launch."
The battle against the ever-increasing imperial forces was being outnumbered and outgunned.
Even in such a situation, the subordinates on whom Klaus relies are active.
The operator reports happily.
"The fleet that has routed the enemy fleet has offered to send reinforcements, sir."
"Tell them I appreciate it."
"Yes, sir!"
Klaus replies shortly, but in his heart he lets out a big sigh of relief.
(Yes! Now we can manage to endure a little longer. But still, we are suffering, too, but - why are the imperial troops more exhausted? The enemy is wearing out faster than we expected.)
The enemy is more exhausted than they had planned.
Even though they should be suffering, it seems that Klaus's army even has the upper hand rather than the other way around.
The operator shouts.
"The enemy's loss ratio has exceeded 20%!"
The chiefs of staff shouted with joy.
"Good! When the enemy retreats, enter the chase!"
However, the operators were puzzled.
In a situation where a retreat would normally have been inevitable, the Imperial Army was not slowing down its offensive.
Klaus narrowed his eyes.
"--You still want to continue?"
Cleo was yelling at those around him on the bridge.
He thinks this will boost the morale of the army, but the reaction of the people around him is not good.
This made Cleo even more frustrated.
"How long are you going to keep causing more damage? You guys didn't come here for me, did you? I'll give you some slack, but if you keep losing like this, even I, the meekest of men, will have no choice but to punish you."
The nobles and soldiers projected on the screen are those who are bearing the brunt of Klaus' army.
Cleo had sent them to attack with the intention of cutting them down, but they were not as useful as he had expected.
Cleo had not expected them to be as good as he thought they would be, but even so, they were too much.
"But it is impossible for us to attack them alone. The other party is Klaus."
"That's right. The strongest knight of the empire..."
Cleo gives a cold stare to the nobleman who was about to say the strongest knight.
"The strongest of the empire? How dare you bring up the empire against an enemy knight?"
"I beg your pardon."
The crew on the bridge reacted badly to Cleo, who began to speak out of turn.
They must have thought that if they said something bad, they would be antagonized.
Cleo was also annoyed.
(I thought I gathered the best of the best, but they are all useless and incompetent. I knew I should have pulled out Christiana or taken care of her.)
Tia's assassination could not be carried out because the emperor had stopped it.
However, hearing Tia's story of her struggle against Hampson, he could not help but regret it.
Cleo gave the order again.
"You must charge. If you charge with an army of over a million men, even Klaus will have no choice. Quantity is justice, isn't it?"
The nobles were pale when they were told to charge against Klaus.
Even the soldiers seemed to be afraid.
Seeing this, the crews around them realize how formidable the knight Klaus is.
"But we can't just charge in without a plan. Please at least give us some time."
"No. Charge."
He gave the order, then cut the communication and sat down roughly on his own seat.
The one watching from behind was the guide sitting on the back of Cleo's seat.
"You are the best of the best even your allies are pawns in your game. My eyes were not mistaken after all."
He nodded in satisfaction.
The fleet of Cleo was causing a lot of damage, but in terms of numbers, it still outnumbered the fleet of Klaus.
But there was one thing that was damned annoying.
"Then again, Liam's main planet is still formidable."
In the eyes of the guide, Liam's main planet looked golden.
The planet, surrounded by a faint golden glow, defied the guide's influence.
It was the feeling of the citizens' gratitude to Liam - which seemed to be amplified by the distant world tree.
Klaus' fleet cannot touch it because it is protected by its blessings.
However,
"But that will soon be over. I don't know how long the protection of a fleet this large is going to last. And now Liam is gone. I can easily take out a planet or two."
The guide was convinced of victory.
After a while, Cleo smiled as he watched the fleet charge forward.
"Yes, that's it. That's all we need."
The operators began to make noise as Cleo looked pleased. At first they spoke in low voices, and then their voices grew louder and louder.
The next thing that the manager, after wondering whether to report or not, made up his mind and informed Cleo was about Liam's fleet, which had disappeared.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
"What is it?"
"We have a very serious problem."
"Speak quickly."
When he was angry at his subordinate for not saying something quickly, he took a blunt attitude, and the subordinate became even more deflated and slurred.
If he said something bad, would he be executed? Such anxiety was visible.
So the knight at his side urged him on.
"Be quick!"
"Yes, sir! Actually, the Duke of Banfield's fleet, which had disappeared, has been found."
Cleo is annoyed by the unnecessary restatement, but when he hears that Liam has been found, he rushes to ask for more information.
"There you are! Where were you? On the main planet? If so, we're going to attack it with everything we've got--"
But Liam was in a different place.
Cleo's eyes widen at what his subordinate tells him with a pale expression.
"It's the supply base in the rear!"
Immediately after, the allied fleet is swallowed up by the light of a huge beam released from Klaus' army.
They may have had some secret weapon for main planet defense, but it didn't matter to Cleo now.
"Why is Liam there!?"
Cleo shouted.
At the same time, the guide was also shouting.
"Liam, you--you--you! How the hell did you get there!!?"
The guide was also puzzled by the fact that the supply line had been cut off before he knew it.
Klaus, who was using strategic weapons against the onrushing enemy fleet, folded his arms and looked puzzled.
However, the people around him were praising Klaus.
The use of the strategic weapon, which was his trump card, had cut down most of the enemy fleet at the best time.
They are happy about it.
"Excellent timing, sir!"
"The enemy fleet has lost control."
"Let's finish them off at once, Sir!"
In contrast to his men, Klaus was calm.
"And the enemy fleet is moving strangely. It's as if they have stopped moving."
Even though they were in the middle of a battle, they were not moving, ignoring their allies who had been damaged by strategic weapons.
The fleet deployed behind them is ignoring the friendly fleet in front of them.
A knight came to Klaus as a messenger.
He looked very distressed, indicating that he had run as fast as he could.
At the same time, his face was quite happy.
Thinking that it was probably not bad news, he turned his head in the direction of the knight.
"Sir, I have good news!"
"I see. So, what's it about?"
Klaus was thinking carefree thoughts such as, "This will boost the morale of our allies a little."
He immediately wanted to smack himself in the face with the knight's report that followed.
"Yes! The fleet led by Liam-sama has hit the supply base set up in the enemy's rear! According to our findings, the enemy's main supply base is one of them, and the others don't have much capability. Liam-sama has cut off the enemy's supply!"
The people around them almost cheer at first at the news - and then quickly realize it, and the chiefs of staff turn pale.
--What is Liam-sama doing? They asked.
Klaus was shaking slightly, and one of his subordinates, seeing this, later said.
"Even Klaus-sama was trembling because of Liam-sama's unprecedented behavior. Even though he is called the strongest in the empire, Liam was more amazing."
Klaus shouts a few seconds later.
"Bring him back! No, send reinforcements immediately! I don't care who they are. Send a ranger fleet to protect Liam-sama!"
.
A supply base for conquering forces.
The supply base was set up on a planet with a spaceport ready to go.
In addition to an orbital elevator, there are several space colonies floating around the planet.
This is probably where they are producing their supplies.
"The budget for this project was very generous. The Empire can't be underestimated if you think they did this in such a short period of time."
I was looking down at the planet from space, where the wreckage of the Imperial fleet was floating in the air.
The place was the bridge of Argos.
Using the floor as a monitor, I was looking at the planet I had acquired.
Elysia came running up to me.
"The Henfrey and the Newlands Merchant Company's transports have arrived. They are hurrying to load supplies."
Looking at Elysia, the information that had arrived was projected all around her.
The convoys led by Thomas and Patrice were taking out the accumulated supplies one after another.
"Tell them to take it easy and pull out when the enemy arrives."
Elysia nodded and immediately used a terminal to convey my orders to the Chamber of Commerce.
One of my subordinates, a military man, looked uneasy when he saw me.
"Wouldn't it be better for Liam-sama to back off as well? This is enemy territory. The enemy fleet will be pouring in to retake the supply base."
I smiled at his concern and replied.
"What about it? Cleo and the others will only find out what happens if we show our backs to Klaus and the others. Tia and Marie are there, too. Those guys are persistent."
It's too late to retreat now and retake the supply base.
Cleo and the others had no choice but to keep going and take my territory.
I order everyone to stay on the planet.
"Stay on the planet. If the enemy fleet comes, we'll deal with them."
"Are you out of your mind!?"
Elysia, who was listening to the conversation, finished operating the terminal and began to speak rudely.
It's beyond rude to question my sanity in front of me.
"If it weren't for you, I'd have to handcuff you right here and now. Think about that before you say anything."
I taught her well, but it seems Elysia can't learn.
"It makes me want to question your sanity! How dangerous do you think it is for me to stay here! You've done your job, so let's get the hell out of here."
The soldiers around her nodded in agreement with the teary-eyed Elysia.
Don't be silly! I have the blessing of the guide! Besides, I have no intention of losing.
I don't need a guide's blessing in a battle like this.
"Stand by, people! We'll meet the enemy here. Besides, if we wait, they'll be the ones coming out."
As I anticipated the next enemy fleet, Elysia seemed to have noticed.
"-Pirate fleet? Are they coming?"
"They will come. No, they will be sent. They are the only thing that Cleo can move right now."
I'm going to thoroughly repay those idiots who have been ravaging my territory for so long.
Yes, this is a personal grudge.
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