I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! - Chapter 11 - Banfield Family Territorial Defense Part 6

“The enemies’ main unit is targeting our home planet?”

The news of Cleo leading her army towards the Banfield Family’s home planet had reached Marie.

Marie was still locked in a stalemate against the fleet of nobles led by Toraido. However, unlike Tia, who was fighting a fierce battle, there was no movement taking place at all.

Although she wasn’t too keen on staying quiet, she remained prudent as she didn’t wish to make the situation any worse by being greedy.

With a bitter expression, her adjutant mentioned the number of troops under Cleo.

“According to our latest information, they have four million troops under their disposal. I wonder how they scraped together another two million in such a short time.”

Her adjutant was in disbelief, disgusted even, at the Empire’s national power.

Marie put her hand on her chin.

(I’m worried about Lady Rosetta and Lord Edward’s safety. Reinforcements at a time like this? Was the Imperial Army able to build a reliable supply base in the rear?)

It would be problematic for them if that was the case, but she had her doubts.

(Apparently, among the artifacts left behind by ancient civilizations, there’s one that could produce gold from scrap. It isn’t outside the realm of possibility for the Empire to have it, but what are the chances?)

Was this their enemies’ hidden card?

Marie thought everything through, but the pieces failed to fall into place.

(If they did have it, why didn’t they take it out from the get-go? They wouldn’t have needed to go around looting planets for treasure. Yet they even brought out their pirate fleet to wreak havoc… are they just trying to make us disoriented?)

There wasn’t enough information to draw a conclusion, so Marie instead decided to concentrate on dealing with enemies before them.

“We should focus on the enemy fleet that’s before us. The one leading them is the head of the Moss Family, correct?”

Marie’s adjutant displayed the information they had and nodded.

“Yes. He’s a Viscount, and just like Lord Liam, he managed to amass power in the countryside. The fleet that he commands is made up of private armies of powerful nobles.”

Marie began drawing up a plan for the future while taking this fact into consideration.

(Influential nobles, huh? Not to mention their elite troops… It’d be best to have them buried here. Once their families lose their leaders, they won’t be able to cause big waves for a good while.)

There would be disputes regarding who would succeed the family, and the households would be paralyzed from within.

In addition, if all the troops that they sent to the Banfield Family were lost, they wouldn’t be able to take military action for some time.

In other words, what happens to them may very well determine the course of the war.

Marie started laughing once she realized this.

Her adjutant appeared confused by her behavior, but Marie ignored her and gave the orders.

“Notify all the troops. Once the battle begins, we’ll slaughter our way in and kill the enemies without mercy. Until then, they’re to keep their spirits up. —Also, tell them not to forget their training.”

“Would we ever get the chance to attack?”

“We will,” she declared confidently.

Her adjutant shrugged and began carrying out her superior’s orders.

◇

Toraido, who was on the other side of the battlefield, sat up from his seat once he heard the news.

Initially, he seemed shocked by the news, but his expression soon became dark, as if he’d bitten an insect.

“What is His Highness thinking!?”

He slammed his fist on the armrest, frustrated by Cleo’s lack of foresight.

His subordinates looked each other in the eyes as they discussed what was happening.

“Where did these two million troops appear from?”

“Were they reserves? But this is my first time hearing about them!”

“Since they’re already here on the battlefield, there’s no point denying their existence.”

While covering his face with his right hand, Toraido contemplated where the fleet could’ve come from.

He could only think of one answer.

“They must be the fleet that was meant to put pressure on the Banfield Family’s allies. The patrols and the private armies reserved for that purpose should roughly amount to that number.”

They were meant to be keeping the nobles under Liam’s faction at bay, yet for some reason, they had rushed to Cleo’s aid.

Toraido’s subordinates couldn’t believe what they had just heard.

“So they ignored orders and came to attack the Banfield Family? Is that even possible!?”

“Well, they’re here, aren’t they? We should confirm with the Capital immediately. If it’s true, the local lords that have friendly ties with the Banfield Family won’t remain silent.”

They might even send fleets to help Liam.

That wasn’t to say that the subjugation force would lose if reinforcements arrived, but it would be an added hindrance.

Besides, the so-called volunteer army that had rushed over without anyone requesting their presence would eat away at their supplies, doing more harm than good.

“All would be well if His Highness manages to swiftly conquer the Banfield Family’s home planet. But should he fail, we’ll find ourselves at a disadvantage.”

Shortage of supplies seemed inevitable at this rate.

No matter how powerful they were, their fleet wouldn’t be able to move without fuel.

They would be like pigs waiting to be slaughtered.

One of his men tried to lighten the mood by sharing some good information.

“Let’s not forget that the Banfield Family is up against four million troops. Holding off such a massive army won’t be easy. Who knows, they might even surrender.”

If they were in the Banfield Family’s shoes, they would definitely choose to raise the white flag.

However, Toraido could not shake off his anxiety.

(If our enemy commander wasn’t Klaus, that is. Liam’s disappearance from the battlefield is also bothering me.)

Reports of Liam’s emergence on the battlefield had reached his ears.

He had wondered what the supreme commander was doing on the front lines, but now that Liam had vanished, he couldn’t rest easy.

Where was Liam, and what was he about to do with his elite fleet?

A feeling of unease gnawed at his heart. Everything felt eerie, to say the least.

“—Do we have any sightings of Banfield and his fleet?”

His subordinates’ faces crunched up.

“No, we haven’t received any such report.”

No one knew what Liam was doing at the moment.

Toraido came up with an optimistic prediction.

“Maybe he rushed back after learning about the impending attack on his planet. If that’s the case, His Highness’ fleet might not come out of this unscathed.”

Toraido felt sorry for Cleo who would have to deal with both Liam and Klaus if that were the case.

In the beginning, Toraido only feared Klaus.

Even if Liam was unimaginably powerful, the strength of an individual could never match what Klaus could do with his fleet.

However, he began to reevaluate Liam after this eerie experience.

“—I guess he has what it takes to be the master of the Empire’s strongest knight.”

After a moment of reflection, he focused his mind on keeping Marie’s fleet pinned to this spot.

◇

Near the Banfield Family’s home planet, Klaus was giving out commands to his army.

Fortunately, his subordinates were putting up a good fight.

“Everyone is holding out well.”

The scenes of several battlefields were being projected on a huge monitor, and his commanding officers could be seen defeating the fleets of the Imperial Army one after another.

Utilizing their defensive equipment and bases, they were gunning down the enemies while minimizing their losses.

Amid all this, Klaus was doing his best to support his subordinates.

“Your Excellency, a commander is requesting reinforcements.”

“Send them immediately.”

“We’ve already sent out all our reserves, Your Excellency!”

“Then dispatch some from my fleet.”

He was willing to send out members of his own troop to assist his men.

However, he had to be mindful of this, as sending out too many reinforcements could weaken their defense over their planet.

Klaus had years of experience when it came to providing support, so he was somehow maintaining a fine balance.

That was when the operator let out a scream of joy.

“A squad of mobile knights has destroyed one of the enemy fleet’s flagships! Having lost its flagship, the fleet is retreating!”

Klaus’ subordinates began issuing orders left and right once this news was spread.

“Tell them to pursue the enemies, but not too deeply!”

“How much damage has been done to the mobile knights?”

“Which squad is this? This is a huge accomplishment!”

Delighted that a fleet of ten thousand had been neutralized, the staff members went on to check the squad’s affiliation.

However, the operator’s cheeks twitched when he confirmed who they were.

“It’s the squad led by Colonel Chengshi.”

The expressions of the staff members who had been ecstatic until now froze when they heard which unit the mobile knights belonged to.

The troublemakers had somehow accomplished a major feat.

One of the staff members looked at Klaus and asked for his opinion.

“—Your Excellency, what should we do? Normally, we have units return from the battlefield to receive supplies and maintenance. But given their way of handling things, it might be better to leave them to their own devices. They probably prefer being left alone to engage in a rampage.”

A gathering of knights that showed no restraint.

Even if headquarters ordered these knights to stand down, they might ignore them and continue fighting.

Klaus shook his head.

“No, have them return. Tell them that they’ll get the opportunity to go wild soon, and that they require supplies and maintenance for future battles. You may use force if necessary.”

“U-understood!”

Following his orders, the staff members got to work.

(They must have seen this as a chance to get rid of the troublemakers, but we can’t risk making a big mistake right now. I wish they could concentrate on the enemies instead.)

◇

After Chengshi’s mobile knight unit returned to the mothership, the maintenance soldiers immediately began repairing the mobile knights in the hangar.

As Chengshi emerged from her cockpit, she was met with her dissatisfied subordinates.

“Capt’n, we haven’t nearly rampaged enough.”

With a light smile on her face, she kicked the man at the very front of the group, who was acting as their representative.

She delivered a kick that was both clean and beautiful as she twisted her body in a zero-gravity environment.

The victim of her kick was blown away, crashing into one of the mobile knights under maintenance.

Chengshi gave her surroundings a look.

“The war’s not going to end that quickly. Just shut up and rest as Klaus has ordered. Don’t worry, if the situation calls for it, I’ll have you all fight until your dying breath.”

Seeing her smile, her subordinates quickly nodded before heading towards the resting lounge located near the hangar.

Along the way, they recovered their comrade who had been on the receiving end of Chengshi’s kick.

The smile on Chengshi’s face vanished after her subordinates left, replaced by a frown.

“Weird. I heard our enemies are the Empire’s elites, but it didn’t feel like that at all.”

◇

Cleo, who faced resistance from Klaus and his army, narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction as she observed the battle of the vanguard fleet.

“So they were all talk.”

To test the waters, she had sent in the Volunteer Army first.

She wished to investigate whether Klaus was as amazing as the rumors claimed he was.

However, the Volunteer Army, which had come solely to plunder the Banfield Family’s territory, wasn’t adequately equipped or trained for the task.

Hence, they were being decimated by Klaus’ army.

One of Cleo’s knights offered advice after witnessing the battle.

“Your Highness, the death toll is rising rapidly. We should have them retreat and engage the enemy with our main force.”

Cleo, however, merely flashed a fearless smile.

“I wish to avoid casualties arising in the main force. Since they’ve come all the way here to help me, it would be impolite not to give them a chance to shine, don’t you agree?”

Contrary to her words, the smile on her face was cruel and vulgar.

The knight realized that further conversation would be meaningless and took a step back. However, before doing so, he added one last comment.

“Understood. But please be cautious of the enemies’ momentum. If we suffer any more casualties, our allies’ morale will drop, and they will come to fear the Empire’s strongest knight.”

Their allies were dropping like flies before the might of the Empire’s strongest knight, and Cleo was advised to have the Volunteer Army retreat to prevent further damage to their side’s morale.

She understood this as well, but her desire to keep the main force safe ultimately prevailed.

“They’re disposable pawns. We’ll first have them wear down Klaus before swooping in.”

The size of her army was quickly diminishing, but Cleo behaved as if she had not suffered any losses yet.

———————————————————————————————————-

Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “Klaus-san’s ratings are skyrocketing!”

Brian (´；ω；｀): “It’s painful imagining the ulcer pain my comrade Klaus-dono would have to suffer in the future.”

Brian (｀・ω・´): “Oh, and also, Volume 5 of ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ is now on sale! Please consider purchasing a copy, as it contains many heroic tales of Lord Liam that are incomparable to the web novel!”