I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!

“Stand your ground! The more damage we inflict on the Imperial Army, the closer we’ll be to victory!”

On the bridge of his spaceship, Klaus was urging his allies to endure just a bit longer. However, a storm was brewing in his heart.

(Even if we could repel the enemy fleet, with the amount of resources at their disposal, the Empire would be able to dispatch another one in a few decades. The same couldn’t be said about the Banfield Family.)

There was a “next time” for the Empire, but there was no such opportunity for the Banfield Family, as it would be impossible for them to prepare an army of similar size.

The damage within the territory was constantly increasing due to the subjugation force.

Klaus had just now received a report stating that one of their planets had been engulfed in a sea of fire.

The pirate fleet was wreaking havoc, destroying the Banfield Family’s guerrilla fleets left and right.

A group of pirates united by their hatred for Liam.

In addition to the Imperial Army’s pirate fleet, actual space pirates were also joining the fray.

Apparently, they had infiltrated the Banfield Family’s territory and were in close communication with each other.

They had laid waste to several supply bases, causing significant damage.

(How hateful. Not only are they formidable opponents, they’re also willing to do whatever it takes to win. And the acts of mercy they show from time to time — are they toying with our household?)

He was honestly disgusted by the way the Imperial Army fought.

(Is this how the Empire conducts warfare?)

The staff onboard issued orders for an exhausted fleet to withdraw, their expressions grim.

“Send a reserve fleet immediately! We can’t afford to have our defenses crumble!” commanded Klaus.

However, an operator responded with a teary face.

“We can’t, Your Excellency! All our reserve fleets have already been deployed, and the fleets that are being reorganized aren’t ready for battle!”

Against the Imperial Army’s relentless onslaught, Klaus’ forces were being outnumbered and outgunned.

Even so, his reliable subordinates were pulling their weight in the battle.

“Your Excellency, one of the fleets has repelled their enemies and has offered to send reinforcements!” an operator said in delight.

“Tell them I appreciate their support.”

“Yes, sir!”

Though he was brief in his response, the relief he felt was genuine.

(Good, with this, we should be able to last a little longer. Hmm, but why does it seem like the Imperial Army is suffering even more than us? Their casualties are climbing faster than we expected.)

The enemies’ losses were far greater than theirs, to the extent that it appeared as though Klaus’ forces actually had the upper hand.

An operator reported on the enemy forces’ condition.

“They have lost more than 20% of their troops!”

The crew cheered with joy when they heard this.

“Perfect. We’ll chase after them and whittle them down as they make their retreat!”

However, what happened next left the operator confused.

Instead of beating a hasty retreat, the Imperial Army continued attacking as before.

Klaus narrowed his eyes upon seeing this.

“—So they plan on continuing.”

◇

On the other side of the battlefield, Cleo was shouting at those around her on the bridge.

While she believed this would boost the army’s morale, her subordinates’ reactions were far from positive, which made her upset.

“We’ve been taking too many losses. How long is this going to continue? Aren’t you all here to support me? Being the kind and benevolent leader that I am, I’m willing to cut you some slack, but if you don’t deliver results soon, I’d have no choice but to punish you.”

Projected on the screen were figures of nobles and military officers that had been thrust to the front lines by Cleo.

They were meant to be pawns that could be thrown away after serving their purpose, but they had proven themselves to be far less useful than anyone could have expected.

She had not expected much from them to begin with, but their performance was even more miserable than she thought.

‘But Your Highness, our enemy this time is Klaus. Defeating him alone won’t be an easy task.’

‘He’s right. Klaus is the Empire’s Strongest—’

Before the noble could finish his sentence, he felt a cold gaze emanating from Cleo.

“The Empire’s Strongest Knight, you say? Don’t you think it’s inappropriate to call him that when he’s on the opposing side?”

‘M-my apologies.’

Cleo began nitpicking her subordinates’ words, making the atmosphere even heavier than before.

In turn, her subordinates fell silent, afraid of earning her ire.

This exasperated Cleo to no end.

(I heard they were elites, but turns out they’re all useless. I really should’ve recruited Christina or had her killed.)

The Emperor had prevented her from assassinating Tia.

However, now that Tia was putting up a fierce struggle against Hampson, Cleo couldn’t help but regret not seeing her plans through.

Cleo issued an order to her men.

“I order you to carry out an assault. We’ll rush them with more than a million troops. Even if it’s Klaus, he wouldn’t be able to come out of this unscathed. As the saying goes, there’s justice in quantity.”

The nobles became pale upon receiving the order to charge. The military officers present at the scene seemed nervous as well.

This was enough to convince the crew onboard of Klaus’ terror.

‘It would be foolish of us to charge without coming up with a plan. Please grant us some time.’

“No, I want you to charge, now.”

After giving the order, Cleo cut off the call and slumped heavily into her seat.

The Guide had been observing everything while remaining seated on the backrest of Cleo’s seat.

“The willingness to discard your allies like pawns. You’re really the best, Cleo. I’ve made the right call this time.”

The Guide nodded, feeling satisfied.

Cleo’s fleet had suffered significant damage, but in terms of numbers, they still had an upper hand against Klaus’ fleet.

However, there was still one issue.

“Liam’s home planet is quite formidable.”

A faint gold glow surrounded the planet, protecting it from the Guide’s influence.

This protection stemmed from the feelings of gratitude people had for Liam, and the effects were being influenced by the World Tree that was in a distant place.

Klaus and his fleet were also shielded by the World Tree’s blessings, making them beyond the Guide’s reach.

“But that can only take you so far. You’ll need more than just a blessing to protect an entire fleet. And since Liam isn’t here, taking down the planet will be child’s play.”

The Guide was assured of his victory.

Several moments later, the men that had been ordered to lead the charge emerged with their fleets in tow.

Cleo smiled, feeling pleased.

“Good. They’ve followed my order.”

While Cleo watched on in satisfaction, the operators began to speak amongst themselves. At first, their voices were small, but they gradually grew louder.

They argued over whether they should report the situation to Cleo.

It didn’t take long for them to come to a decision, and the person in charge made up his mind to inform Cleo of Liam’s whereabouts.

“Your Highness.”

“Speak.”

“A serious problem has occurred.”

“Out with it!”

Cleo’s outburst only made things worse as the words got stuck in the operator’s throat.

Would he get executed if what he said incurred her wrath?

Sensing the operator’s hesitation, the knight beside Cleo urged him on.

“The Crown Prince has ordered you to speak.”

“Y-yes! We’ve found out the whereabouts of Duke Banfield—I mean, Liam’s fleet.”

The unnecessary correction struck a nerve in Cleo, but she was more concerned about the location of Liam’s fleet and asked for details.

“Where is he? His home planet? Then we’ll advance our full force—”

As it turned out, Liam was somewhere else.

The words uttered by the operator, whose face was pale at this point, almost made Cleo choke.

“He’s at our supply base situated in the rear!”

Shortly after, a massive beam of light consumed a good chunk of Cleo’s forces.

The beam was likely a result of a secret weapon that Klaus had prepared to defend the planet, but Cleo wasn’t in the mood to care about what was happening on the battlefield at the moment.

“Why is Liam there of all places!?” exclaimed Cleo.

The Guide experiencing a similar emotion.

“LIAM, WHY ARE YOU THERE!?!?”

Their supply line had been cut off unbeknownst to them, which made the Guide fall into a panic.

◇

Klaus, who had unleashed a tactical weapon against the oncoming enemies, stood with his arms crossed, his expression serious.

Having employed the tactical weapon at the perfect moment, they had decimated a significant portion of the enemy fleet.

The people around him were delighted by the result and showered him with words of praise.

“That was impeccable timing, Your Excellency!”

“The enemies have fallen into a state of confusion!”

“Let’s finish this in one fell swoop, Your Excellency!”

Unlike his excited subordinates, Klaus remained calm.

“Things aren’t adding up. Why did they suddenly launch such a reckless assault? Moreover, the enemy fleet’s movement seems strange. Look, it’s as if they’ve come to a complete stop.”

Their allies had been struck by a tactical weapon, yet they weren’t reacting at all. In fact, their troops in the back were outright ignoring what was happening in the front.

Just then, a messenger arrived.

The knight was panting heavily and seemed to be in pain, clearly having rushed over to deliver the information.

However, his expression was bright, and it seemed like he had come with auspicious news.

“Good news, Your Excellency!”

“What is this about?”

Klaus was hoping that the news would raise the morale of his troops.

However, the content of the report made him want to smack himself for his previous nonchalance.

“Lord Liam and his fleet have successfully attacked the supply base that the enemy has set up! Upon investigation, it was found to be the enemy’s main supply base, with the rest being barely functional. Lord Liam has essentially cut off the enemy’s supply!”

At first, everyone seemed to be in the mood for a celebration, but they quickly realized the implications of this and turned pale.

—What is Lord Liam doing there?

Klaus was trembling ever-so-slightly.

One of his subordinates would later recall that “even His Excellency Klaus, hailed as the Strongest Knight of the Empire, could not hold a candle against Lord Liam and his bizarre behaviors. Despite being lauded as the Empire’s strongest, Lord Liam was a step above him.”

Klaus let out a yell after a few seconds of silence.

“Bring him back! No, send reinforcements immediately! Anyone is fine, have the guerrilla fleets escort him back! We must protect Lord Liam at all costs!”

◇

The subjugation army has established a supply base on one of the planets, complete with a spaceport.

In addition to orbital elevators, there are several space colonies as well, likely involved in the production of goods.

“They must’ve poured in a considerable amount of money to have accomplished this much in such a short period of time. The Empire is truly a force to be reckoned with.”

I look down on the planet from space, where the remains of what used to be the Imperial Army’s fleet are floating about.

I’m currently onboard Argos, observing the planet that I just acquired through the floor which has been turned into a gigantic monitor.

Eulisia trots over to where I am, surrounded by documents that are being projected around her.

“Transport ships from the Henfrey Chamber of Commerce and Newlands Chamber of Commerce have arrived and are rushing to load the supplies.”

I made Thomas and Patrice lead transport fleets over to this planet so that we could load the supplies that the enemies have stored here.

“If the enemies arrive, tell them to pull out immediately. There’s no need to risk their safety.”

Eulisia nods and immediately uses the terminal to convey my orders to the two chambers of commerce.

One of my subordinates looks at me in a worry.

“Lord Liam, shouldn’t you return as well? We’re deep in enemy territory. Enemy fleets might arrive at any moment to take back the supply base.”

I laugh at the worried soldier.

“And why would that be a cause for concern? If their main force attempts to return, Cleo and his lackeys will get a taste of what it’s like to show their backs on Klaus, not to mention Tia and Marie. You know how persistent they can be.”

It’s too late for them to turn back and recapture the supply base.

They have no other choice but to advance and take my territory.

I issue orders to everyone onboard.

“We will wait on this planet and deal with any enemy fleet that approaches.”

“You’re nuts!”

Eulisia, who’s been listening to our conversation while fiddling with her terminal, blurts out something rude.

How dare she question my sanity.

“If it was anyone else, I would’ve had their hands chopped off here and now. Reflect on your actions and think before you speak.”

I was kind enough to teach her manners, yet it seems she’s incapable of learning.

“Then don’t say something that’ll make others question your sanity! Do you realize how dangerous it is to stay here!? We’ve already fulfilled our roles, so we should head back!”

Tears threaten to roll down her cheeks as the soldiers around us nod in agreement.

But I refuse to back down! I have the Guide’s blessing after all! Besides, I don’t intend to lose.

In fact, I won’t even need the Guide’s blessing in such trivial battles.

“We’re staying here, and that decision’s final! We’ll fight off any enemies that arrive. In due time, ‘they’ will come.”

It seems Eulisia’s caught onto what I’m anticipating the enemies will do next.

“—You mean the pirate fleet? Would they come?”

“They will. More precisely, they’ll be dispatched here. They’re the only chess pieces that Cleo can move at the moment.”

I’ll be getting them back for all the damage they’ve done to my territory.

And yes, this is a personal grudge.

——————————————————————————————————

Brian (´；ω；｀): “Lord Liam is too free-spirited, it’s painful. RUN, LORD LIAM!!”

Wakagi-chan (゜∀゜): “Volume 5 of ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ is currently on sale. Lots of reviews have already been posted online. So many stars!!”

Wakagi-chan (；゜Д゜): “Oh, and I wonder what Tslaus’ secret weapon is?”