I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! - Book 13: Chapter 8: Charge

[Report! The Amaryllis have safely landed!]

[Move them to the hangar immediately and begin maintenance.]

[Gerbera will soon make its landing as well!]

The Amaryllis and Gerbera, mobile knights that used Avid’s design at their core, had converged with the Banfield Family’s fleet and made their landings.

The maintenance personnel were in awe, seeing the four Avid-type aircraft lined up before them.

These were the legendary aircraft that supported the Banfield Family and Liam in their endeavors.

The Amaryllis referred to a set of white mobile knights ridden by Rinho and Fuuka, whereas Gerbera was an aircraft stained in deep red, ridden and owned by Ellen.

Once Gerbera was brought to the hangar, its cockpit opened, and from within, a woman wearing a red pilot suit emerged.

Ellen Sera Tyler, a knight who had received Liam’s recognition and been given the title of Number Three.

Not only was she a skilled knight, but she was also a commander of her own fleet, someone only Liam, the head of the Banfield Family, could summon.

Ellen had not been told the reason for her summons, and she had doubts about the order given to her.

“Why would Master summon me, a fleet commander?”

It would’ve been understandable if the ones being summoned were just Rinho and Fuuka. However, summoning a commander like her in this situation didn’t make much sense.

Now that Ellen’s fleet was without a commander, it was to be placed under Tia’s command, something she didn’t feel pleased about. She had put in so much effort training her fleet, yet it was being snatched by someone else.

Just as she was about to express her dissatisfaction, a call from Liam popped up on her terminal.

[Looks like you’ve arrived.]

“Master!? What was the reason for this–”

[Come to my room. I’ll tell you the reason there. Have Rinho and Fuuka tag along as well.]

Afterward, the call abruptly ended.

Ellen couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.

“What difference would it make telling me now?” she grumbled, acting spoiled.

Nevertheless, she followed the orders given to her and began searching for Rinho and Fuuka.

It didn’t take long for her to find them, and they seemed to be quarreling over something.

“Show some backbone, won’t you!?”

“B-but Senior Brother’s going to scold me again for sure.”

Rinho appeared pissed whereas Fuuka seemed troubled.

The hangar was a zero-gravity environment, so Ellen had to kick a nearby piece of equipment to approach them.

“What’s the matter?”

Rinho shrugged in response.

“Apparently, she got scolded by Senior Brother before the war. Honestly, I don’t get why she’s so hung up over something so trivial.”

Ellen then turned to Fuuka for an explanation.

“Senior Brother scolded me for thinking like an assassin, staining the glorious name of the School of One Flash. I bet he’s still mad at me for that. Besides, the massive mobile knight that was given to me got destroyed…I can already imagine how angry he’d be,” she said, sounding depressed.

Since she had her mass-produced Griffin destroyed, she no longer had the face to look at Liam in the eye.

Ellen was surprised that Fuuka was more delicate than she expected.

“Master would be angrier if we linger here. Let’s quickly head to his room.”

She then grabbed Fuuka’s arm and forcibly brought the group along.

◇

Ellen, Fuuka, and Rinho arrive just as I’m getting ready to sortie inside my room aboard Argos.

“Master, why did you call for us?”

It’s honestly quite disappointing that none of them seem to be aware of what’s going on.

How could they not sense the evil presence that’s being emitted from the enemy fleet?

“I’m fully aware that I’m still inferior to Master Yasushi, but to think you guys are even a tier below that.”

Ellen looks confused by my sigh, whereas Fuuka seems afraid to make eye contact with me.

Did she cause some trouble that I’m not aware of?

Rinho, on the other hand, glares at me.

“It’s true that we’re not Senior Brother’s match yet, but calling us inferior is going too far!” she exclaims, anger evident in her voice.

Ellen, standing next to her, casts a cold gaze.

“–How dare you reveal murderous intent before Master. Be careful, or I’ll kill you.”

Rinho snorts when she hears Ellen’s threat.

“You think you can kill me? Why not give it a go? I’ll teach you who’s stronger,” she says, taunting Ellen.

Ellen’s face becomes blank, and her body begins to exude killing intent.

Before things could escalate, I intervene.

“Enough.”

I give them a stern glare, causing them to distance themselves from me.

Their backs eventually hit the wall, and I could see droplets of sweat rolling down their foreheads.

I’m usually quite generous with them, but I can’t spoil them forever.

I need to make them realize what it means to be swordsmen of the School of One Flash, or else I’d be letting Master Yasushi down.

“An enemy of One Flash has appeared.”

I briefly explain the reason for calling them, earning me a jolt.

Enemies of One Flash, existences that have surpassed the limits of humanity.

The School of One Flash has been passing down its skills to later generations to eliminate monsters with powers that surpass humans.

As disciples of the School of One Flash, it is our duty to exterminate them if we come across one.

Being the evil lord that I am, I’m usually not one to perform charity work, but since this matter concerns One Flash, I’ll be going about it seriously.

It’s my way of returning the favor that Master Yasushi has shown me.

Also, I can’t tolerate monsters that can pontentially harm me running rampant without my knowledge.

“Originally, I was planning on taking care of the enemy by myself, but since you three are also swordsmen of the School of One Flash, I’ll have you accompany me this time to experience what it’s like out in the fields.”

Unfortunately, only Master Yasushi and I are skilled enough to slaughter the otherworldly monsters. The three before me still lack the ability to do so.

Ellen and Rinho nod nervously.

“It would be an honor to watch Master’s battle.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Senior Brother battle a monster. –I’m feeling pumped.”

I can tell that Rinho is trying to mask her fear by feigning excitement.

After all, we are dealing with monsters that have surpassed human limits. It’s natural to be scared.

Having said that–

“Fuuka, have you been listening?”

“Y-yes!? I-I mean, yes.”

Fuuka doesn’t seem focused, as if her mind’s somewhere else.

Compared to Ellen and Rinho, it isn’t reassuring at all.

“Fuuka, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to. As you are right now, you have no right to claim yourself to be a swordsman of One Flash.”

Fuuka rushes over to me when she hears what I said.

“N-no, I’ll come with you! Let me come with you! Don’t leave me behind.”

I feel slightly uneasy seeing her weak attitude.

I would soon be facing an otherworldly monster; I might not have the leeway to protect her if she fell into danger.

She might lose her life if she’s not careful.

Oh well, if she does, I guess that would mean she’s fulfilled her fate as a swordsman of One Flash.

“If that’s what you want. Just remember that you might die in your current state.”

I reach out for my favorite sword before leaving the room with the three of them.

In the hallway, we come across Eulisia and several others.

The captain of Argos is also present.

Are they here to see us off?

“There’s no need to see us off. Once we depart, follow Tia’s orders and–”

I was about to tell them to retreat, but before I could, Eulisia opens her mouth.

“Lord Liam, are you planning on attacking the enemy fleet by yourself?”

“It is our duty to do so.”

One could argue it’s our destiny as swordsmen of One Flash to combat the monsters. Running away is not an option.

“In that case, Argos will accompany Lord Liam and the others.”

“Come again?”

Just as I’m wondering what the heck is going on, the captain takes a step forward to explain.

“It would be impossible for the other ships to do so, but considering Argos’ performance, we should be able to safely deliver Lord Liam and the others to the enemy fleet.”

“Are you aware of what you’re saying? Our opponent is in the middle of the enemy fleet. Once we’re gone, Argos would be completely stranded.”

Given enough damage, even Argos could end up sinking.

Eulisia, however, doesn’t back down.

“We will stay with you until the end. I refuse to send off the four Avids like this.”

“–Why go to such lengths?”

I give her a questioning look.

Eulisia speaks as if she feels offended.

“I’m still a concubine candidate, you know!? It’ll cause a huge problem if I run away right now!!”

“Just go. I won’t cause you any trouble.”

“You might not feel troubled, but I will!!”

“Hey, don’t you ‘you’ me! If it was anyone else, I would’ve had them beheaded right here and now!”

The captain interrupts my argument with Eulisia.

“Lord Liam, we will accompany you.”

The captain salutes to show his determination.

Scratching my head, I answer reluctantly.

“You know what, do whatever you want. But make sure you let the ones that wish to retreat go.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

These guys must be nuts, volunteering to enter the center of enemy territory.

Honestly, I’m more stunned than anything.

“What in the world are they thinking?”

I start walking down the hallway with Ellen and the others in tow.

Ellen laughs when she hears my question.

“It seems they admire Master a lot.”

“I never asked for this.”

For humans, nothing matters more than their lives, which is why I believe risking one’s life for a cause is complete and utter horseradish.

However, Ellen appears to think differently.

“It goes to show how much Master means to them. I too–”

“Stop. You should know by now that words don’t mean much to me.

“–Pardon me.”

I stop her before she could finish her sentence as I’m not interested in what she was about to say.

“To begin with, there’s no need for you to risk your life for me. After all, I’m stronger than you.”

“You’re right, Master.”

That was enough to convince Ellen, but for some reason, she looks a little sad.

◇

-On the deck of Argos-

I’ve changed into my pilot suit and have entered Avid’s cockpit.

Right now, I’m in the middle of listening to the transmission, treating it like a radio.

[Our fleet will accompany you, Lord Liam! We are in charge of protecting the flagship, after all!]

[Argos alone won’t be enough! At the very least, allow us to escort the flagship!]

The captain of Argos responds angrily to the words of the hundred-ship commanders of my fleet.

[Your ships won’t be able to survive the enemy’s onslaught! This is Lord Liam’s order, you must shut up and obey!]

The other military officers protest against this.

[In that case, we should deploy the super-dreadnought class battleships to serve as escorts!]

[Don’t be ridiculous! Each of those is responsible for managing thousands of ships!]

Listening to all these soldiers volunteering to participate has left me speechless.

“Are they that thirsty for blood? You’d think they’d thank their luck and retreat while they can.”

Why else would they willingly charge into the enemy camp?

Their thought process eludes me.

Oh wait, there’s another possible explanation.

I might have overworked them to the point where they’ve decided dying is easier.

Maybe I was too harsh on them recently. I should let the soldiers relax for a while.

After this battle, I’ll consider giving the elite fleet a vacation.

In my previous life, a junior colleague of mine who worked at a black company used to say that there were times when he thought of ending it all.

The exhaustion had gotten to his head, rendering him incapable of regular thoughts.

I’d be troubled if my troops became like that.

While I’m deep in thought, I hear the voices of several more people.

[You’re letting Lord Liam charge into the enemy fleet!? Are you all f*cking crazy!? ]

A sigh escapes my lips as Marie’s scream reverberates inside the cockpit.

Tia’s voice comes up next.

[Stop him! Stop Lord Liam at all costs!]

The captain becomes overwhelmed when he sees Tia’s bloodshot eyes which have lost their focus.

[B-but this is a direct order…]

[AND YOUR JOB IS TO STOP HIM!! AAAAAAAAAAA, LORD LIAM!!!]

After listening to Tia’s shriek of despair, I issue an order to the captain.

“We’ve waited long enough. It’s time for us to head out.”

[Y-yes, sir! Argos, full speed ahead!]

A slight shake gets transmitted to Avid as Argos’ engine roars.

The flagship’s speed gradually increases, heading straight for the enemy fleet that’s too far away to be seen with the naked eye.

Placing my hands on the control stick, I order the crew on Argos.

“Charge.”

—————————————————————————————————————-

Brian (´;ω;｀): “NOOOO!! Somebody, stop Lord Liam! He has a terrible habit of charging at the enemies, it’s painful!”

Wakagi-chan (゜∀゜): “Enough of that, we have more important matters to tend to. Four works are being released in December alone! Season 2 of the anime for Mob Seka has been decided! Not only that, Volume 11 of ‘This World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs [MobSeka]’ and Volume 1 of ‘That World of Otome Games is Tough for Us [AnoSeka]’ are currently on sale! The new volume of MobSeka will center around the battle against the Holy Kingdom of Rachel, something the web novel has glossed over. There also seems to be a change in relationship with Mylene! On the other hand, AnoSeka is a romantic comedy that centers around Marie-chan, with major additions to the survey bonus!”

Brian ( *¯ ꒳¯*): “Volume 6 of ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ and Volume 1 of ‘I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire!’ are also on sale now. In Evil Lord, the disciples of One Flash will finally meet, and in The Heroic Knight, you can enjoy the original story from the perspective of Emma Rodman.”

Wakagi-chan (*´艸`): “With so many new releases, I’m sure you’ll have everything you need to spend a festive New Year holiday. By all means, please purchase a copy of each!”