Book 13: Chapter 2: The Defeated Army
Marquis Jason Sera Hampson and his fleet had rendezvoused with the subjugation armys main forces.
They had hastily constructed a donut-shaped military base in outer space, its diameter extending dozens of kilometers.
However, it was still too small to house a fleet that numbered in the millions.
Even now, damaged ships were pouring in one after another, demanding maintenance and supplies, but their demands could hardly be met.
Hampson barged into the military base as the second-in-command, his strides wider than usual.
This wasnt an expression of impatience, but rather his seething anger.
Upon arriving at the commanders office, he was stopped by the knights who were standing guard next to the door.
Marquis Hampson, His Highness the Crown Prince is tired.
Having suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Klaus, Cleo had abandoned her fortress-class flagship and fled using a high-velocity escape pod.
Retreating while being pursued must have come as a great burden to Cleo, who was still inexperienced in matters concerning warfare. However, Hampson couldnt care less about that at the moment.
All of us are tired! I demand an audience with the Crown Prince!
Not only was Hamspon the head of a Marquis Family, but he was also one of the nobles responsible for safeguarding the Empires borders.
His skills as a knight were top-notch, and he was able to push Cleos guards away, but the guards quickly recovered and held him down before he could enter.
You mustnt! His Highness is resting and doesnt wish to be disturbed!
Dont you understand the situation were in!? Who cares if the commander is asleep? Wake him up!
Cleo, who heard Hampson arguing with her guards, used the intercom near the door to let him in.
[Let him pass.]
Your Highness!? Understood.
Having received Cleos permission, the guards reluctantly released Hampson.
Flinging open the door, Hampson entered the room without the slightest display of courtesy.
Cleo had repeatedly made selfish decisions on the battlefield which endangered the lives of everyone in the subjugation force, so he had no reason to be polite with her.
His eyebrows twitched when he saw her sitting on the bed in casual clothes.
While I have a lot to say, lets first congratulate each other on our safe return.
Letting out a deep sigh, he suppressed his anger.
Cleo was slightly surprised by this as she fully expected him to start yelling at her as soon as he entered.
And she wasnt wrong either. The only reason Hampson didnt was because he was speaking to the Crown Prince.
(Once we return to the Capital, hell probably be stripped of his position. He might even be executed to take responsibility for the failure. But for the time being, hes still the Crown Prince.)
Hampson regained his composure while Cleo expressed remorse for her rash behavior.
I underestimated Klaus. I never thought hed be this strong.
Hampson wasnt the most pleased to hear this.
Its true that he turned out to be more formidable than we expected, but none of this would have happened in the first place if Your Highness hadnt accepted unnecessary reinforcements.
(If he had kept to the plan, we wouldnt have lost.)
Their defeat ultimately stemmed from Cleo accepting the Volunteer Army, a fleet that had nothing to do with the subjugation force.
These so-called reinforcements caused a shortage of supplies, and their presence caused more harm to the army than good.
Due to supply shortages, they had to rush their plan, and the enemies took advantage of this.
(Who wouldve thought such a massive army would form solely out of hatred for the Banfield Family? If it werent for them, we wouldnt be in such a difficult situation.)
If only they hadnt come!
Those were Hampsons honest thoughts.
However, now wasnt the time to be reflecting on their mistakes.
They were still amid a retreat, and their safety could easily be compromised.
Your Highness, we must come to a decision. Are we to scatter and flee back to the Empire, or reorganize our army and engage in a decisive battle?
Cleo asked for clarification about the second half of Hampsons question.
I get that escaping is an option, but why would we challenge Banfield in this situation?
Hampson felt like sighing as Cleo seemed to have no intention to fight.
Your Highness, with all due respect, please consider our current position. If we were to escape from the Banfields after suffering such a catastrophic loss, the Capital would demand an explanation from us.
Not to mention Cleo, even Hampson, who was the defacto commander, would be held responsible.
Cleo winced when she realized this.
Hampson was determined to not let things end this way. Thus, he asked that Cleo join him in a decisive battle.
Your Highness, all we need is one victory! If we can inflict some damage to the Banfield Family before retreating, we can still recover from this!
After much deliberation, Cleo eventually gave in to his persuasion.
I guess we have no other choice.
Other than Marquis Hampson, Dustin, the Empires last Sword Saint and the head of the Roman school of swordsmanship, had arrived at the temporary base and was walking around with his disciples.
Looking around, it was evident that the subjugation force was in a state of panic.
The soldiers are all on their toes, one of his disciples commented.
Dustin nodded in agreement.
They probably didnt think theyd lose.
What should we do now?
Having known this disciple for a long time, Dustin knew exactly what he meant.
Unlike usual, his disciples appeared nervous. Now that defeat was certain, they didnt wish to remain near the battlefield.
Youre suggesting that we run away. Have you caved into your fear?
N-no.
Contrary to his words, the disciple was clearly on edge.
Dustin let out a heavy sigh at his disciples pathetic display.
It was true that there was no benefit to remaining on the battlefield. However, if they escaped now, their lives as swordsmen would be forfeit.
No matter how skilled they were as swordsmen, the Imperial Army wouldnt let the matter slide.
They might even bring into question Dustins qualification as a Sword Saint.
Based on Marquis Hampsons character, he probably wont order a retreat. If we were to flee, the Roman school of swordsmanship would be done for. Hence, we must fight as if our lives depend on it.
His disciples nodded, understanding the gravity of their situation.
This conversation made Dustin feel a sense of crisis.
(If we survive this ordeal, Ill have all our disciples undergo re-education. Weve focused too much on always achieving victory, and the downsides of that approach are now on full display.)
Victory is all that matters. Dont fight against anyone stronger than you.
They had always adhered to these principles, and as a result, the Roman school of swordsmanship had become a gathering of cowardly swordsmen that shrank before adversities.
Theyd be fine under normal circumstances, but theyd be useless in a situation like this.
(For now, theres nothing we can do about it.)
The fleet led by Viscount Toraido Sera Moss was fleeing from Marie Sera Marian and her troops, who were in hot pursuit.
Viscount Toraido, who was taking command on the bridge, was terrified by how persistent their enemies were.
How long do they plan to keep this up?
His adjutant was similarly frightened by this.
She destroyed all the fleets that offered to surrender. She plans to annihilate us.
Yes, it seems that way.
Although they were now enemies, the Banfield Family was once a Ducal household. If they captured the nobles who surrendered and used them to negotiate with the Empire, they had a good chance of bringing an end to the war.
Yet they were throwing that opportunity away and killing everyone that surrendered.
This was something the adjutant couldnt understand.
Theyre even killing the ones that have risen the white flag. Have they lost their marbles?
They were once members of the same Empire. Just because they were enemies now, did they have to be so thorough in annihilating them?
Viscount Toraido, on the other hand, understood why Marie was doing this.
That goes to show how much of a threat we are to them. The people gathered here are amongst the most powerful members of the Empires aristocracy. They plan on getting rid of us to avoid future troubles. Its a smart move on their part.
My Lord?
The adjutant was confused by Viscount Toraidos last statement, which seemed to acknowledge the enemies.
Viscount Toraido frowned.
(If the heads and heirs of various households, including myself, were to suddenly die, thered be disputes over succession everywhere. I can already envision some of my relatives fighting each other for the position of the family head.)
Countless heads and heirs of aristocratic households had joined the subjugation army seeking fame and merit.
Some of their family members had also tagged along to assist them. If they all perished, the surviving members of the household would immediately start fighting over matters of succession.
(After all this time, Ive finally come this far! If I die here, everything Ive built up until now will be lost. No, I wont let that happen!)
Nevertheless, he could only flee for so long.
Even though Cleo, the Crown Prince, had already declared a retreat, if he were to return to the Capital right now, hed be held accountable as well.
Their only hope was to rally up their remaining allies, deal a blow to the Banfield Family, and then promptly retreat.
Only then could they declare this war a draw.
To an extent, hed still have to take responsibility, but the worst wouldnt come to pass.
To think theyd push us this far into a corner.
Viscount Toraido gave a self-deprecating laugh.
We wouldnt have lost if His Highness had stayed put, his adjutant muttered.
This was a sentiment that everyone shared, but Viscount Toraido nevertheless berated his adjutant for showing disrespect to the Imperial Family.
Watch your tongue. While I see your point, you should pay attention to where you are.
Implicitly agreeing with his adjutants comment, Hampson criticized him for lacking caution.
His adjutant straightened his posture.
My apologies.
Just be careful from now. More importantly, I cant help but feel as if were being plagued by the god of misfortune
He had suffered a one-sided defeat in a battle that he had confidence in winning. It was as if an invisible force was at work.
Maries face appeared on the huge monitor as Viscount Toraido was thinking about this.
She appeared extremely worked up, her arms outstretched and her eyes bloodshot.
[Stop running away, Viscount~ play with us!]
The operators onboard were panicking as Marie had forcibly opened up communication with the ship.
Viscount Toraido glared at her.
Youre no different from a devil. Has no one taught you self-control?
[We should get along then! After all, you lot plundered Lord Liams territory and burned the planets to the ground. Whos the devil now? Mark my words. None of you are getting out of this alive.]
The staff on the bridge was horrified as Marie declared that she would have everyone killed without an ounce of emotion on her face.
The communication was swiftly cut off, and Viscount Toraido swung his fist onto his armrest.
Monsters!
Brian (;;): Our allies are being portrayed like villains, its painful.
Wakagi-chan ( ): You cant let your enemies look down on you! If someone looks down on Naegi-chan, Ill haunt them in their dreams until they say Naegi-chan is cute!
Brian (`): The plant intends to disturb others even in their dreams, how terrifying Anyway, lets move on to the advertisement.
Brian (): Volume 6 of Im the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! is finally on sale! Enjoy the battle between fellow members of One Flash!
Wakagi-chan (#): Volume 11 of The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs is also amazing! The volume cover features Mylene, who is very popular with the readers, as she stands up against the Holy Kingdoms conspiracy! Maries route is being properly updated as well~
Wakagi-chan (): Having said that, Naegi-chan doesnt appear in either of them sorry to disappoint all the Naegi-chan fans out there.
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