Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 124

For the capital city of the planet, it was now early morning. The golden sunlight bathed the idyllic town, dimming the crisscrossing laser beams in the sky while also illuminating the armed mechas that were being airdropped from the giant transport ship. The bronze-colored exteriors of the mechas reflected the morning light as they descended from the sky, reminding the governor of water droplets splashing when a fish leaped during his idle fishing moments.

The governor was utterly despondent, his spirit extinguished. “How many troops are attacking us?” he asked in despair.

The chief of staff, holding the communication terminal, checked the latest battle report. “Uh… one giant transport ship, fully loaded with two hundred armed mechas. A hundred and fifty mechas have now been airdropped into the capital. Additionally, there’s a flight squadron of twenty-seven fighter jets.”

“…That’s all?” The governor asked in disbelief, his tone like that of a student who had taken an exam without preparation and was shocked to see he had passed.

The chief of staff carefully double-checked and confirmed, “That’s all.”

“What about Bayes’s fleet? Isn’t he an Empire Admiral, known as the ‘Whip of Judgment’? Where is his army?”

“They’re currently besieging Sword Bow B and Sword Bow C, and some are patrolling the outskirts of the star system, probably defending against Commodore Spencer’s cruiser fleet.”

A glimmer of hope reignited in the governor’s eyes. “Good! We still have a chance! Gather the troops and launch a full counterattack!”

“But, Your Excellency, you recently dispatched most of the forces to defend the agricultural and light industrial zones…”

“Call them back! Immediately!”

“…Yes, sir.” The chief of staff’s voice was weak. The floating holographic screens around them were filled with images of the armed mechas. He saw a familiar street—a street he passed by every day after work—very close to the governor’s mansion… And now, an armed mecha was sprinting down that street at top speed, with machine guns mounted on its shoulders swiveling left and right, taking out combat robots blocking its path with nearly impossible precision. A squadron was following behind the mecha, like a razor slowly advancing toward the capital.

“…I’m afraid it’s too late, Your Excellency.”

Joshua didn’t need to aim carefully; he fired by instinct, and every shot hit its mark. Over the past decade, he had honed this skill from basic practice to mastery, from technical proficiency to artistic creation. Now, his shooting was like a painter’s brush on canvas—every stroke full of tension, capturing the entire world in the space of his gunfire.

Their assault mecha team had just landed safely under the cover of the flight squadron, which had bombarded the ground-based anti-space equipment, burying them in the planet’s morning light. They encountered little resistance—mostly self-defense robots, poorly performing with low AI, posing no real threat. Darius Bayes had gambled correctly: most of the planet’s armed forces had been deployed to the agricultural and light industrial zones, as those were Sword Bow A’s production areas and naturally required priority protection. The planetary army left in the capital was so sparse that Joshua had briefly thought they were holding back, trying to lure the enemy deeper.

“Sergeant Tyler,” the assassin said, flipping a military tank over with a laser strike, “where do you think the governor might be?”

The young sergeant, busy dodging incoming bombs and navigating the rough, bombed-out road, replied casually, “Probably in the governor’s mansion.”

“Then let’s head to the governor’s mansion.” Joshua pulled up the map of the capital city, where the governor’s mansion was located in the city center.

“Uh… wait, sir, I was just saying that off the top of my head. The governor has probably taken refuge somewhere by now! He might not be in the mansion…”

“No matter. We’ll search each place until we find him.”

If it weren’t for the hail of bullets and roaring explosions outside, Tyler would have thought Joshua was saying something like: “Not sure which dish is good today, so let’s try them all.”

The mecha unit advanced to the gate of the governor’s mansion, which was heavily guarded by ground troops and self-defense robots. The enemy had heavy artillery electromagnetic cannons and a large number of small robots acting as cannon fodder. These little things weren’t very aggressive but were numerous and as annoying as gum stuck to the sole of a shoe. They would climb up the mecha’s legs, block all external cameras, squeeze into every possible crevice, and destroy every component they could. Once they tangled up the enemy, the heavy electromagnetic cannons could blast both the little things and the big machines to pieces.

Joshua ordered everyone to shoot from a distance, not letting the small robots get close. He had seen similar gadgets made by Leo—one was already a pain to deal with. Although the robots here weren’t as precise as Leo’s creations, their sheer numbers made them just as troublesome.

“This is driving me nuts…” Seeing the sea of small robots on the ground and the massive electromagnetic cannon platforms behind them, the assassin felt a surge of unspeakable irritation.

He hated it when the target was so close yet he couldn’t engage directly—an extreme form of torture, whether on the battlefield or in bed.

He dropped his gun, unbuckled his seatbelt, and stood up to reach for the hatch release button.

“What are you doing, sir!” Sergeant Tyler asked in horror.

“We’ll never get into the governor’s mansion if we keep dragging this out, so I’m going in alone. I’m smaller and more agile. You guys provide cover.” Joshua found the button.

“That’s too dangerous, sir!” Tyler also unbuckled his seatbelt, trying to stop his commander from doing something crazy, but before he could turn around, a gun was pressed against the back of his head.

“Don’t move. Do as I say.” The commander’s voice was gentle yet carried an undeniable authority. “I’m going to break through the defenses ahead, so you—” He deliberately pressed the gun against Tyler’s head again, making the poor young man start trembling, “—are going to throw me over there.”

“…Huh?”

The commander ignored his confusion. “I’m going to enter through a window on the third floor of the governor’s mansion. You can calculate the parabolic trajectory, right?”

Tyler nodded spasmodically.

“Good boy.” The gun withdrew from the back of his head, and the commander patted him. “If you miss…”

“That will never happen!” Tyler almost screamed.

Joshua chuckled as he opened the hatch and climbed out. He had two pistols strapped to his waist and a modified heavy shotgun slung over his back, capable of piercing fifty centimeters of steel.

He jumped onto the armed mecha’s arm in the morning breeze. The mecha released its grip on the machine gun, letting it fall to the ground.

Inside the cockpit, Tyler was nearly in tears. He calculated the parabolic trajectory based on the planet’s gravity, current wind speed, and the commander’s weight, ensuring he could throw Joshua through the window without fail. But this was just too absurd! What kind of battle tactic involved throwing the commander? Even if Joshua didn’t blame him, he would carry the shame of “throwing the boss” for the rest of his life.

Tyler operated the mechanical arm to grasp the commander’s body and aimed for the target. Unsurprisingly, the public channel erupted with his comrades’ shouts. “Tyler, what are you doing? This is treason! Treason!” “Calm down, Tyler! Think of your mother back home!” “We can talk this out! Don’t take it out on Commander Planck!” “Even if you’re upset with the commander, you can’t just throw him, Tyler! Wake up!”

—I don’t want to do this either! Tyler wept.

He sobbed as he shut off the public channel, gripped the control stick, and pushed it all the way forward!

“Ah! Wait, sir!” Only after executing the maneuver did Tyler realize the commander might have overlooked something crucial. “What if the window is bulletproof glass!” Was he supposed to watch as the commander crashed into the glass, blood splattering three feet high, then slowly slid down? If the enemy saw that, they’d die laughing! Ah, maybe this was the commander’s strategy—sacrificing himself to demoralize the enemy without a fight? Commander, you’re too…

In mid-air, Joshua pulled out the shotgun from his back!

He cocked it, fired, and without needing to aim, everything was done in one fluid motion. The alloy bullets shot out at high speed, smashing into the upper left corner of the window, blowing a hole in the wall!

Then came the second shot, hitting the upper right corner. A shower of shattered glass and debris rained down. The modified heavy shotgun had power comparable to a small metal cannon!

The third and fourth shots were fired almost simultaneously, striking the bottom of the window. The high-strength bulletproof glass was tough, but its weak point was along the edges where it was welded to the wall—that was its fatal flaw! Now the welding frame was teetering, needing just a light touch…

Joshua fired one last shot into the air, hitting nothing. Tyler suddenly realized he was adjusting his parabolic trajectory—the shotgun’s powerful recoil had knocked him off the original path, so he used the final shot to correct his position!

The assassin landed perfectly on the glass. With a loud crash, the entire expensive piece of bulletproof glass fell into the building, spreading spiderweb-like cracks across its surface. Joshua rolled as he landed, safely coming to a stop.

He removed the remaining bullets from the shotgun, tossed them out the window, and discarded the gun on the ground. The narrow confines of the governor’s mansion weren’t suitable for such a heavy weapon, so he drew the two pistols from his waist.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 123

“The fleet has exited warp. We are 2.5 light-years away from the planet Sword Bow C. Radar is beginning target monitoring. Monitoring successful. Data is being sent.”

The cold female voice guided Commadore Ors Spencer’s gaze toward the screen, where densely packed red dots indicated the presence of enemies. The number was slightly higher than expected, but it didn’t hinder his plan to annihilate the enemy forces.

“Are the three planets of Sword Bow still resisting?” Commadore Spencer asked.

“Yes,” the cold female voice responded. “Sword Bow B has already been captured, but Sword Bow C and Sword Bow A are still resisting.”

“Attack and assist the planetary defense forces in repelling the enemy!”

Following Spencer’s orders, the fleet changed formation and moved toward the Empire Royal Army surrounding the three planets of Sword Bow. According to the radar monitoring map, the enemy forces attacking Sword Bow A were the most numerous, which was expected since it was the capital of the star system. On the other hand, there were far fewer ships attacking Sword Bow C. Sword Bow C was located on the outskirts of the system, sparsely populated, and had little strategic value. If Spencer were in charge, he would also prioritize capturing the capital first.

His fleet surged into the beleaguered agricultural star system like a tidal wave. The ships besieging Sword Bow C immediately fled, almost collapsing entirely. The small fleet scattered and ran, with some merging into the main fleet, while others joined the fleet surrounding Sword Bow B.

The planetary defense forces of Sword Bow C sent a brief message of thanks. Commadore Spencer proudly said, “Reply to them: Don’t mention it. As colleagues, it’s just a small effort! Right now, we must work together to defeat Darius Bayes!”

Under his bold and enthusiastic orders, the fleet advanced deeper into the star system. The enemy forces around Sword Bow B also began to retreat, merging with the main fleet at the rear. The formation took the shape of a U, or rather, like two arms encircling Spencer’s fleet.

“What is Darius Bayes up to?” Spencer wondered. “Why is he retreating without any resistance?”

His question was answered by the sudden blaring of alarms on the bridge.

“Under attack, under attack,” the cold female voice announced calmly amidst the chaos, as it was merely a machine. “Sword Bow C has launched an attack. I repeat, Sword Bow C is attacking our forces.”

The fleet found itself caught in a situation of being attacked from both front and rear! “What!” Spencer was shocked. “Isn’t the Sword Bow system on our side? What the hell is going on?”

Three hours earlier.

Joshua Planck sat in the co-pilot seat of an armed mecha, mentally reviewing the plan laid out by Darius Bayes. According to the plan, they would land on Sword Bow A aboard the Almaty, with the entire fleet providing full support. The Almaty would break through the planetary army’s barrage and enter the atmosphere, crossing half the equator to reach the capital city before dropping all the armed mechas like bombs. The mechas had excellent shock-absorption capabilities, so those inside would only feel numb all over from the impact, but wouldn’t be harmed (those outside, however, might not be so lucky—these things could create an 800-meter-wide crater, and could be used as missiles if necessary). After landing, these airborne mechas would transform into warriors with a critical mission: capturing the capital of Sword Bow A.

“If I see a bunch of ground-to-space forces waiting for us when we land, I swear I’ll shove Darius Bayes’s head into a toilet when we get back,” Joshua silently vowed as he lit a cigarette.

His piloting skills for the armed mecha were limited (to be precise, he couldn’t pilot at all), so his superiors assigned him a pilot, the young man who had been trembling in fear on the spaceship earlier. His name was Tyler. The young man was still trembling, and if he operated in this state, the armed mecha would probably look like a clown with springs on its feet.

Joshua tucked the lighter back into the cigarette case and handed it to Tyler behind him. “Want one?”

The young man cautiously glanced at the brand, Soft South Star. “Is this… really not marijuana, sir?”

“Have you ever seen marijuana that looks like this?”

The young man hesitated before accepting the cigarette case, taking out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth. It took him several tries to light it. “It really isn’t,” he muttered.

He didn’t understand why the imposing assassin known as the Mourner would smoke something like this. Soft South Star had a very mild flavor, a cigarette that women tended to prefer.

“When the time comes, you focus on running, and I’ll handle eliminating the enemies.” Joshua brought up the shooting panel, and instantly, the surrounding hatches opened, revealing the stored shooting assistance equipment, from simulated firearms to various types of sights, all ready to use. Joshua selected two long-range and two short-range guns, along with his preferred sights. The gunner and the pilot sat back-to-back, coordinating without interfering with each other. Typically, the second seat wasn’t used, as the pilot could also serve as the gunner, but this time was different. The order Darius Bayes gave to Joshua was simple: “Kill the governor or force him to surrender.”

For a sparsely populated, mechanically dependent agricultural planet like Sword Bow A, the governor held considerable power, controlling all military and political authority on the planet. Capturing the governor was equivalent to capturing the entire planet. Darius’s judgment was correct, but carrying out the mission wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

“We’re starting to decelerate.” Joshua noticed the speed indicator on the ship’s main speedometer rapidly decreasing. The Almaty had to reduce its vertical speed to zero when it was 300 meters from the ground. Otherwise, the combined effects of deceleration and gravity would turn each mecha into a meteor crashing into the ground. That wouldn’t be fun at all.

“Sir, are we really going to land successfully?” Tyler asked in a low voice.

“Open the spherical screen.”

The young man followed the instruction and opened the spherical screen, instantly transforming their confined cockpit into an expansive sky. The cockpit was a sphere, with projection material on its surface displaying the scenery around them—of course, the images were captured by external cameras and processed before being shown.

They were falling from the sky, with the Almaty carrying two hundred armed mechas as it plunged into the atmosphere. The friction caused the surface of the ship to heat up rapidly, and the surrounding air expanded, refracting the light into a mirage-like scene, reminiscent of the shimmering heatwaves in a desert under a scorching sun.

Joshua pointed slightly upward. “See that?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler caught a bright green light, or rather, a bright green flame. It looked like an indestructible sword, tearing through the sky with scorching air currents.

“That… That’s…” As the green light approached, Tyler realized it wasn’t a sword but a formation of aircraft emitting green particles. They circled around the Almaty like terns following a ship’s white sails across the ocean, meticulously and orderly, as if controlled by a precise program. Tyler recognized the silver craft leading the formation. Anyone who enjoyed reading military magazines knew the name of that craft, which had been extensively covered in articles praising it as a ghost traversing time and space, a white bird soaring between the stars, and a graceful lady dancing on the battlefield. Admiral Bayes had bought one out of his own pocket, naming it after his mother, the Marchioness Madonna, in hopes of bringing good luck to his fleet.

And now, there it was. “He’ll protect us,” Joshua said.

Tyler crossed himself, silently reciting the names of the Lord, Her Majesty the Queen, Her Highness the Princess, Admiral Bayes, and his mother, grateful to these great figures for protecting someone as insignificant as himself.

What he didn’t see was that behind him, his commanding officer clenched his fist in frustration.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 122

Was there really anything in the world that could break through the defenses of a military satellite?

The answer was right in front of the governor. Its name was the Sword of the Queen direct flight squadron.

When the satellite fired a scorching beam of light at that green arrow, the governor inwardly mocked the enemy for being reckless enough to attempt a head-on collision. But when the light faded and the screen returned to its normal brightness, the governor saw that the flight squadron was completely unharmed! The moment the positron cannon fired, the wedge-shaped formation immediately dispersed in four directions, dodging the fatal shot, and then reassembled, once again forming a terrifying sword.

The governor’s vision was still filled with afterimages, like a bloodstain imprinted in front of his eyes that wouldn’t go away. They shattered the moon reflected in the water, but when the water calmed, the moon was still the same.

“What are you standing around for? Attack them! Attack them!” the governor suddenly shouted.

The chief of staff was startled. “Please calm down, Your Excellency! It’s not appropriate to use the satellite cannon now!”

The governor slapped him. “The enemy is about to break into the atmosphere! Are we supposed to wait until they reach our doorstep before we fight back?”

The flight squadron flew past the military satellite as if mocking it, heading straight for Sword Bow. The satellite, tracking the target’s movements, retracted its cannon aimed at space back into its armored shell, mechanically and flexibly redirected it, and emerged from the other side, pointing its black muzzle at the squadron flying toward the planet. The cannon began accumulating ultra-high energy, and the muzzle emitted a faint white light.

At this point, even the governor realized something was wrong. “Wait, you stupid satellite!” he continued to shout, “Do you want to blast a hole right through the planet? Stop! Make it stop! Don’t attack, damn it! Do not attack!”

The chief of staff, enduring the stinging pain on his cheek, pressed the intercom clipped to his collar. “Order the military satellite to cease fire! Ground-to-space forces, assemble! As soon as the target enters firing range, shoot it down immediately!”

The energy was fully charged, waiting only for a command to unleash a positron cannon blast powerful enough to destroy a city. But that command never reached the satellite’s main computer. It was intercepted. Because if it missed its target, even by a few millimeters, it wouldn’t hit the enemy; it would strike Sword Bow’s surface, possibly even a city full of people. No one dared attack there, and no one wanted to. Not only did Darius Bayes and the governor of Sword Bow understand this, but Alois Lagrange was even more acutely aware.

The military satellite didn’t continue its attack, but the energy it had accumulated wasn’t released either, like the Sword of Damocles hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment. Except, it wouldn’t be him that it fell on.

“Now!”

The flight squadron dispersed again, with the three smaller teams flying in different directions, while the remaining six fighters of the first squadron advanced rapidly, breaking through the atmosphere and heading toward the surface as quickly as possible.

The Bard faced the main cannon of the satellite alone, like a lone warrior fighting against many. But it wasn’t truly alone. It held two divine weapons—two tactical anti-matter missiles, each capable of releasing energy equivalent to over twenty megatons of TNT upon detonation. Of all the existing models, only the Bard could still fly at normal speed while carrying them, the heavy warheads propelled by the powerful engines as if they were just two stones resting in its hands.

Alois brought up the crosshairs and aimed at the satellite cannon’s muzzle. This was much easier than chasing enemy fighters around in space. The diameter of the cannon’s muzzle and the high-energy red warning markers on the energy distribution map made aiming straightforward.

“Fire, baby.” Alois whistled, his voice broadcast over the public channel, and as he pressed the launch button, he heard several of his female subordinates shouting, “Pervert!” “Lewd!” “Senior, you’re awful!”

The missile hit its target!

For a moment, pure white light filled Alois’s vision. He immediately closed his eyes, pressed a button from memory, and shut off the optical screen. The brightness from the matter-antimatter annihilation could cause temporary blindness for several minutes, which he couldn’t afford.

For some reason, Alois recalled how his chemistry teacher had described the scene when matter and antimatter neutralized each other back in school. The teacher had vividly said, “What happens when a positive particle meets an antiparticle, class? They both turn into photons and fly away!”

The governor stared at the screen, now covered in white static, dumbfounded.

“What… What was that…” He could only keep repeating the same question.

“I think it was an anti-matter missile,” the chief of staff guessed.

“How dare they…” The governor pressed his thumb and index finger to his forehead. “How can they use such a weapon in war…”

“Your Excellency, you should order the ground-to-space forces to counterattack immediately. They’re preparing for a landing operation!”

The governor weakly waved his hand. “Do as you see fit…” Then he looked up blankly. “Where are the reinforcements? Why hasn’t the cruiser fleet arrived?”

“They’re almost here, Your Excellency!” the chief of staff replied. “If we can hold out for just three more hours, the cruiser fleet will arrive!”

While the battle known as the Battle of Sword Bow was raging, another war was breaking out in the Mist Harbor star system. The two sides were the Grisofin Fleet and the Chast Fleet, along with the Imperial Royal Army led by Princess Alveira. In terms of strength, the two sides were evenly matched, but with the arrival of reinforcements from various cruiser fleets, the rebels clearly held the advantage. However, when it came to support, Princess Alveira, with the backing of most of the Empire’s territories and people, had the upper hand. Both sides wanted to end the battle quickly. Winnet couldn’t withstand a prolonged war, and Alveira had many more enemies to deal with and didn’t want to waste too much time on the old fox.

Alveira needed a stepping stone, and with it, she could directly jump to the enemy’s rear, bypassing the two wolves, Grisofin and Chast, and strike at the rebels’ stronghold, the Damoni system. This steppingstone was Sword Bow and Redstone, which were supplying the rebels. She dispatched Darius to take these two systems, not only to open a path to the battlefield but also to cut off the rebels’ supply lines, forcing the old fox to come out and fight her in a final showdown.

“Your Highness, I’ve previously investigated the troop distribution in Sword Bow and Redstone. The number of planetary forces combined with the cruiser fleet is nearly 1.5 times that of Darius’s fleet. Can we really win?”

On the bridge of the Lady of the Night, Leo asked Alveira.

“Numbers aren’t the issue. If war were only about the number of soldiers and ships, then we could just compare the numbers at the start and determine the outcome. What would be the point of fighting?”

Leo imagined the scenario the Princess described. Two commanders initiated a video call. “I have ten thousand elite soldiers!” “What? I only have eight thousand!” “Haha, surrender!” “Damn it, we’ll settle this next time. See you later!”—Something seemed off about this.

“War is like a game, involving strength, wisdom, and luck. Strength is visible, while wisdom and luck are intangible. Wisdom is the mind of the commander. Darius is very smart. He knows how to achieve victory in the most efficient way. He also has luck, which forces his enemies to bow down to him.”

“I can understand wisdom, but what is luck?” Leo asked. Being a product of science, he was resistant to such metaphysical concepts. “Does something so vague really exist?”

“Luck means that even if I don’t know how to fight, as long as my flagship appears on the battlefield, everyone will be willing to follow me forward.”

With that, Alveira suddenly stood up, raising her right hand high like a warrior brandishing a sword, then brought it down heavily, as if this gesture opened a door to victory. “All units, attention! Break time is over. Immediately enter combat mode!”

Her voice was loud, and her momentum was unstoppable.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 121

While Alois was warmly welcomed by his juniors, Joshua Planck was being “neglected.”

Joshua sat in a corner of the cabin silently, his arms crossed. Due to the needs of the landing operation, every cabin was packed with people; the captain wished he could turn all his subordinates into sardines. However, the cabin Joshua was in was clearly different. The evidence was that there wasn’t a single person within a three-meter radius around him, as if under a microscope observing penicillin placed in a petri dish—nothing was around it but the culture medium.

The crowd squeezed into the other end of the cabin, desperately keeping their distance from him while simultaneously casting mixed looks of fear and awe at him. Yet, whenever the assassin looked up and glanced back at them, people would immediately lower their heads, focusing intently on their crotches.

Joshua was feeling extremely awkward.

That bastard Darius Bayes had definitely put him here on purpose, nominally to command a regiment’s forces for the landing operation, but in reality, just to irritate him.

The soldiers here all feared Joshua. No one hadn’t heard of the terrifying legends about the assassin known as the Mourner. Those exaggerated rumors portrayed him as a cold-blooded and bloodthirsty God of Death (which was pretty much true), killing friend and foe alike as he pleased (which was nonsense), and the last time he was injured, he managed to escape from the heavily armed Sword of the Queen (he himself never wanted to recall that mess). What kind of monstrous power was that? And the assassin’s eyes, known as the “Abyssal Flame”, added a layer of eerie mystique to the rumors. Some even claimed that just a glance from Joshua could cause someone to faint. It wouldn’t be surprising if, soon enough, the legend would include, “He can kill with just a look.”

My eyes aren’t some kind of destructive death ray! Joshua thought bitterly. He glanced at the trembling crowd and punched the wall hard. “What are you huddling over there for? Get over here!”

The crowd didn’t move forward but instead retreated further. The population density at the other end of the cabin increased again.

“Come over and sit down!” Joshua raised his voice. “Are you planning to huddle up like this during battle, get packed together, and then get wiped out by a missile?”

This had some effect. A few of those at the outermost edge of the crowd were pushed forward by those behind them, reluctantly sitting down on a bench still at some distance from Joshua. Joshua coldly glanced at the one sitting closest to him, who shuddered as if having a seizure, trying to move back but was firmly held in place by the person next to him, who was using him as a human shield.

“What are you shaking for, Sergeant?” Joshua asked coldly.

“R…Reporting, sir… I… I have a habit of spasms…” The sergeant’s nose was covered in beads of sweat.

“Can you stop shaking? It’s making me dizzy.”

As soon as he said this, everyone gave a little shake. Joshua initially thought these guys were protesting against him with their actions, but after a moment, he realized it wasn’t the people shaking but the ship itself.

They hadn’t even entered the planet’s atmosphere yet, so they couldn’t have encountered high-altitude turbulence. It was also unlikely that a small drifting object in space had hit the ship. The transport ship had anti-vibration systems unless that “small” object was as big as an armed mecha. The only possibility was that they were under attack.

Joshua glanced again at the trembling sergeant—now everyone was trembling along with the ship—and said as nonchalantly as possible, “Calm down. It’s just war.”

“Reporting! Our fleet is under fire from the Sword Bow military satellite!”

“Defensive barriers deployed!”

“Change formation! Attack in a U-shape!”

The bridge was noisy, with various reports, commands, and chaotic footsteps hitting Darius Bayes like a hail of bullets. Although sitting in the command seat, the challenges he faced were no less than those of the warriors at the front.

“Deploy the flight squadron!” Darius ordered. “Cover the Almaty! The Scarlett and Jenny, disperse the enemy’s fire! Head straight for the Sword Bow capital!”

This order immediately turned into a stream of light racing through the cosmos, reaching each ship.

“Sword of the Queen, Madonna, Alois Lagrange, deploy!”

Alois pushed the control stick all the way forward, and the Bard was catapulted into space by the massive thrust from the launch pad behind him.

Simulated gravity disappeared from around him, and the sudden weightlessness and acceleration caused a brief moment of dizziness, but Alois quickly recovered, taking no more than 1.5 seconds. The battle had already begun, and the flickering optical screen told him how fierce the attack ahead was. Behind him, one fighter after another was launched from the Sword of the Queen’s launch slots, drawing arcs to follow him.

“All squadrons form a V-shaped formation!” Alois commanded. The Sword of the Queen didn’t have an AI as intelligent as Leo, so it couldn’t help them pre-plan their formations and routes. Alois had to rely on himself to organize the formation, make the plans, and issue the orders. “First squadron, follow me; second, third, and fourth squadrons, form a wedge formation centered on the first squad!”

“Yes!” Twenty-six voices responded in unison.

The governor stared at the real-time battle map sent by the satellite, his eyes wide. Every time the screen was obscured by the flash of an explosion, he would tremble slightly, making the chief of staff think there was an earthquake several times.

The Sword Bow military satellite’s positron cannon continuously fired at the enemy fleet. Even a slight graze could cause severe damage to a fully armed battleship. Fearing the satellite cannon’s power, the enemy fleet had been hovering at the edge of the firing range, which slightly reassured the governor.

“Your Excellency, it seems they want to enter the planet’s atmosphere,” the chief of staff said. “Sword Bow B and Sword Bow C are also under siege.”

“I’m not afraid of a siege,” the governor said impatiently, tapping his desk. “I’m just afraid the battle will drag on too long, cutting off the Sword Bow system’s supply lines. If they really want to do that, they’ll surely bomb our farms and food processing plants. Divert the ground-to-space forces to protect the agricultural and industrial areas.”

“But… what about the cities?” The chief of staff couldn’t help but feel a bit apprehensive.

“They wouldn’t dare bomb the cities. We’re civilized, modern people, not living on Old Earth. Involving civilians in warfare is not the way of soldiers. Isn’t Darius Bayes supposed to be the soldier among soldiers? He wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”

With that, the governor confidently nodded. The chief of staff had no choice but to pass on the order as instructed.

The governor’s confidence didn’t last long. The stalemate on the screen was completely broken when a green light shot out from the enemy fleet!

“Wha…what is that!” The governor jumped up.

The green light was like a deadly arrow shot by a god, piercing through the layers of fire, leaving a trail of smoke, heading straight for the military satellite! When the camera zoomed in, the governor saw that it wasn’t an arrow engulfed in green flames but a wedge-shaped flight formation! Leading the formation was a silver-white fighter, gleaming coldly like the sharpest tip of an arrow.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 120

On April 1, 1417 of the Standard Calendar, the governor of Sword Bow received an urgent report during his daily post-breakfast walk. The breathless communications officer informed him that a fleet had exited hyperspace just two light-years away from the Sword Bow system and was now heading toward them at full speed. The governor first seriously confirmed that this was not an April Fool’s joke—even though Old Earth had long perished, its old holidays were still passed down through generations. He then ordered the entire system’s military defense level to be raised to the highest level, which meant all residents would move into underground bunkers (though the three planets in the Sword Bow system had few residents, being primarily mechanized agricultural planets with few normal houses apart from large farms and food processing plants), all surface activities would cease, and the ground-to-space forces would prepare to deploy with their interstellar missiles.

In addition to the planet’s defenses, Duke Winnet had also left a space fleet patrolling the area and supply routes. Recently, the governor frequently received reports of enemy attacks on supply convoys, but these were small-scale, like flies buzzing around bloody meat. Having served in the military in his youth during the long wars between the Empire and the Federation, the governor found such small raids routine, almost a necessary ritual; the real surprise was when no attacks occurred. Therefore, the governor calmly issued his orders, then leisurely walked through the garden’s winding paths to the governor’s mansion’s unused command room, where the chief of staff and the ground defense force commander were waiting for him.

……

Alois held his helmet, his eyes wandering with the numbers changing on the elevator display. He had been living under enormous invisible pressure these days, and this pressure peaked the moment the elevator doors opened.

Ding—

“Good morning, Senior!” A loud chorus greeted him like an ion cannon blast. Alois staggered back a few steps, crashing into the giant poster of the Galactic Diva Camilla, which was posted in the elevator to boost morale. Under the eager gaze of twenty-six pairs of bird-like eyes, it was hard for Alois to calmly walk out of the elevator and wave like a leader inspecting a new project. “Good morning, everyone.” He could only pull on his helmet, disguising himself as an unrecognizable ostrich, and squeeze out before the elevator doors fully closed.

The twenty-six pilots, divided into four squads, stood in two lines like a double layer of bronze walls, blocking Alois’s path. The terrified senior was already sweating, and he suspected the temperature control system in his spacesuit was broken by the sonic shockwave… or so he thought.

The leader of the first squad stepped forward and gave a standard, but slightly exaggerated, salute. “Please give us a pep talk, Senior!”

“Uh…” Alois was glad he had put on his helmet. “Today is no different from yesterday. That’s all.” He had said the same thing yesterday and the day before had said, “Make sure to zip up your spacesuit.” Darius Bayes had assigned him as the squadron leader for the pilots, forcing him to give such pep talks daily, claiming it would boost morale and fighting spirit, though Alois thought it would have the opposite effect. However, reality often defied his expectations.

“Senior’s words are so profound!” Amazement.

“Senior, are you telling us to maintain a calm mind?” Moved.

“Senior’s daily talks are so philosophical!” Thumbs up.

Bathing in adoring gazes, Alois deeply felt his age at that moment—the generational gap was so vast… or perhaps their entire brain structures differed? Did they even come from the same universe?

With a profound sense of powerlessness, Alois walked to the deepest part of the hangar, where a silver-white machine stood, its flowing lines heartbreakingly beautiful. He had often admired its graceful form, marveling at the wonder of creation. Now, it was his to command. The day he boarded the Sword of the Queen, Darius had led him to the hangar and pointed to the silver machine, saying, “This is my gift to you, Senior. As a general, I only give it to the strongest pilot.” He had added, “Don’t disappoint me.”

The Bard. About a year ago, Alois first saw its silhouette between Neo Venice’s blue sky and sea. Even now, it remained the pinnacle of Neo Venice’s art and technology, the ultimate dream of every pilot soaring through the universe.

Alois slid into the cockpit, inserted the key, and retinal scan beams swept his eyes. With a matching “ding,” all the surrounding lights came on.

“Phantom of the Opera, the Bard, system activated.”

A year ago, Alois had piloted it once, escaping from Green Star Diamond Island with Joshua and Srosie. Now, he would ride it into battle again.

The Bard. Joanna had once piloted it. She had perished among the stars in that silver machine, like a falling meteor. They were going to avenge her.

Alois opened the public channel. “Listen up.” He lowered his voice, trying to sound calm and composed. “Today’s mission is to cover the transport ship Armart’s landing on Sword Bow Alpha. Protecting the Armart is the top priority. Don’t get entangled in fights.”

“Understood!” twenty-six voices responded in unison.

……

The governor felt a sharp pain in his stomach. His old problem flared up when he was anxious, and now his beard was almost on fire. The chief of staff had shown him the distribution of their military forces and estimated enemy numbers. Faced with overwhelming disadvantage, anyone would be worried.

“How did they get through our front line?” The governor lashed out at the chief of staff. “Are the frontline defenders idiots? The enemy is already behind us!”

The chief of staff was sweating profusely. “The fleet stationed in the Natya sector is rushing to reinforce Mist Port, which is under attack by the enemy’s main force.”

“What about Grisofin and Chast? Those two cowards don’t know how to protect their master?” The governor slammed the table, causing an ink bottle to jump, spill, and stain a large part of the desk. He quickly lifted his computer, fearing it might get damaged. A cleaning robot slid into the room and swiftly cleaned the desk.

“Damn it! Even the ink bottle is against me!” the governor thought angrily. He hadn’t joined Duke Winnet entirely willingly. He was discontent with a mundane life on a boring agricultural planet. He dreamed of excitement and adventure, like the ambitious Duke, but lacked the courage, relying on the Duke’s support to climb to the top. Although less thrilling, it was better than inspecting farms until death.

Now the real danger and excitement had arrived. He was on the front line, facing the Empire’s “Whip of Judgment” Admiral Darius Bayes. This was no routine raid. It was real war.

Seeing the governor silent, the chief of staff hurriedly said, “Don’t worry. In ten hours, the patrol fleet will reach Sword Bow Beta to support us. With their help, we might not lose.”

The governor stared at the military distribution map and sighed heavily. “Making a decision… does take a lot of courage…”

“You’re right!” Although confused, the chief of staff flattered.

“…Twenty years ago, when I became governor of the Sword Bow system, His Majesty told me the same thing.”

“……” The chief of staff decided not to speak too much in the future.

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 119

When Alois walked into the cabin, Joshua was packing. There wasn’t much to pack: a few clothes, some personal items, and a few favored pistols and knives. Alois leaned against the wall, watching Joshua carefully put everything away, feeling as if they weren’t just moving to another ship, but starting an endless exile. Schrödinger, sitting on the floor, looked at its master in confusion, its tail flicking back and forth. After a while, it grew bored and leaped into Alois’s arms with a “meow”.

Joshua paused in his movements. “Did Bayes agree?”

“Of course.”

He turned around, still holding a shirt, and Alois saw a subtly complex expression on his face. “What’s wrong? You’re not happy?”

Joshua threw down the shirt and came over to hug him. To avoid being squished, Schrödinger quickly jumped to the floor and meowed a few times.

“I don’t like Bayes.” Joshua buried his head in Alois’s neck.

“I don’t like him either.” Who could like that little brat!

“But you two seem close.”

Alois wanted to howl at the sky. It was one thing for the Prince to say this, but now Joshua too! “That’s definitely… your illusion!” he gritted his teeth.

“He has an annoying subordinate who did that to you…”

Alois wrapped his arms around Joshua’s broad back. “I heard from the Princess that Colonel Gauss has been forcibly retired. You don’t need to worry about him.”

Schrödinger, feeling neglected, grumbled and scurried out the door.

“…Yeah.” The assassin muttered, “I’m really afraid you’ll get hurt again. That won’t happen again. I’ll protect you.” He tightened his embrace. “I don’t want to be separated from you again.”

Alois felt his bones almost melting from warmth. Joshua claimed he couldn’t say romantic things, but everything he said made Alois feel warm to his core.

He snuggled against Joshua, causing the assassin to ignite with a rush of heat. Joshua pushed him away, hurried back to his suitcase, and rummaged through it.

“We have to report to Bayes’s ship soon. If you can’t walk then, I definitely won’t help you.” He found his target at the bottom of the case—a bottle of lube. Turning back, Alois was already taking off his pants.

“I don’t want to be late on my first day under the new boss.” The young man pulled off his belt and slipped out of one pant leg. “Let’s be quick.”

Joshua sighed. “War times are tough.” He pressed Alois against the wall and kissed him fiercely. His tongue pried open his teeth, sweeping through every corner like a hurricane, as if trying to inject his entire essence into the person in front of him. While kissing, he squeezed some lube into his palm and reached behind Alois. His fingers entered the secret hole, stirring gently. The soft, hot walls immediately clung to him, greedily seeking more caresses. The small hole swallowed his fingers, and the lube that couldn’t get in flowed down his thigh, forming a lascivious trail.

Alois panted, holding onto Joshua to stay balanced. “Enough… enter me, quickly…”

Joshua withdrew his fingers, unzipped, and pulled out his already erect cock. He rubbed it against Alois’s belly, the fluid seeping from the tip wetting his abdomen and trickling into his pubic hair.

“Let’s be quick,” the assassin said.

He lifted the young man’s leg and slowly inserted his cock into the wet, hot hole. Alois moaned, nearly losing his balance. Pressed between a person and the wall, the strange suspended feeling added an extra touch of sensuality.

“Let’s be quick,” Joshua repeated, then started thrusting rapidly.

Alois bit his lip in frustration—why had he said that!

In the end, even though Joshua adhered to the “quick” principle, they were still unfortunately late when they reported to the Sword of the Queen.

……

Epolyne entered the new laboratory, walking past rows of test tubes containing dismembered limbs and bizarre bionic machinery without a glance. She proceeded through faint groans of pain and the stench of electrical equipment to the innermost room, where a giant cultivation tank connected to spider-web-like life support systems was placed. Every day, it delivered large amounts of nutrients and oxygen to the person—no, it could no longer be called a person—floating in the tank. Only the brain remained alive; the rest had been replaced with mechanical parts.

The tank, illuminated by a bluish light, glowed softly. The thing inside floated up and down, regularly releasing bubbles. If it looked a bit more beautiful, it might resemble a scene from an underwater world, Epolyne thought sarcastically.

Standing in front of the tank was a man in a white lab coat. He gazed up at the thing behind the glass, occasionally expressing admiration. To him, the deformed and terrifying monster was a rare work of art.

“Doctor.” Epolyne stopped five steps away from the man. Unless necessary, she never wanted to get too close to this madman.

“What is it?” Dr. Frank Shelley’s reverie was interrupted, and his voice carried a hint of annoyance.

Any other researcher would have been terrified and fled, but Epolyne was accustomed to the doctor’s volatile temper. “Doctor, the committee has just sent a message, issuing a significant directive.”

“Those old layabouts just sit at home enjoying themselves, leaving all the work to me.” The doctor sneered. “What’s the order this time? Budget cuts? Another project?”

“Neither.” Epolyne shrugged. “The committee requires you to take your new creation on a secret mission… a maiden mission, so to speak.”

“Don’t they have their own agents?” The doctor’s reflection in the glass wavered. “They trouble me with everything, those useless old men!”

“The committee stated that only you and your cyborg could execute this mission, and you would find it very interesting. Personally, I believe you will eagerly accept it.”

“…Oh?” The doctor was slightly intrigued. Scientists always had a keen sense of curiosity. “What if I’m not interested?”

“Then feel free to dismiss me,” Epolyne raised her voice.

“Not only will I dismiss you, but I’ll also make you Lester’s first victim.” The doctor turned, smiling, his glasses reflecting the blue light.

Epolyne wanted to laugh. “Doctor, the committee requires you to go to Old Earth.” She was satisfied to see the doctor’s eyes widen. “To eliminate the Yasha.”

This was indeed a mission that only Dr. Frank Shelley and his cyborg could accomplish. The Federal Military Committee and the Council of Nine had planned to seize the Yasha decades ago. When this plan failed, they turned to creating a substitute, and Dr. Frank had been supported since then. Although his cyborg couldn’t travel freely through time and space like the legendary Yasha, it had unparalleled destructive power. In today’s universe, who could be its match? A few days ago, the doctor’s new creation—picked up from Olympus—was declared complete. Upon hearing this, the Council of Nine immediately issued the order for the doctor to take it to Old Earth and eliminate the Yasha.

If they couldn’t have it, they would destroy it so no one else could.

Epolyne knew the doctor would certainly accept this mission. He was extremely arrogant and wouldn’t miss the chance to defeat the Yasha and prove his superiority. He had always dreamed of surpassing that unparalleled scientist from Old Earth.

“You’re lucky, Epolyne. You saved your life.” The doctor said softly, “I’m very interested.”

Epolyne smiled triumphantly.

Behind the doctor, the liquid in the giant cultivation tank swirled, and the reflected light trembled slightly.

The new cyborg opened its eyes.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 118

“Oh, oh.” Alveira turned her head and gave Alois and Joshua a look that was half amused, half exasperated. “Darius wants to borrow you two.”

“No.” Darius raised a finger and shook it. “Just him.” He fixed his sharp, hawk-like gaze on Alois, his amber eyes piercing.

Under the young officer’s stare, Alois felt a sudden tension all over his body, as if a weak current was running through his skin, making his hair stand on end. Even more terrifying, Joshua, standing next to him, met that knife-like gaze head-on and unflinchingly glared back. A silent confrontation unfolded quietly in the conference room.

Alois felt a splitting headache. “I… I’m not worthy…” he squeezed out a few words as if constipated.

“Senior, do you remember what I once said to you?”

“Not really…”

“I need an ace pilot.” Darius said each word deliberately, as if afraid Alois wouldn’t understand. “Do you remember now?”

Damn it. “I think I remember…” Alois’s voice seemed to come from a grave. “Speaking of which, I’d recommend Titia from the Lady of the Night. She’s far more capable…”

“But I,” Darius continued to slow his speech, “want that person to be you.”

Joshua took a step forward but was pulled back by Alveira. He glared angrily at the princess, then at Alois, as if urging him to reject this unreasonable request quickly.

Alois wanted to find a wall to bang his head against. Joshua! Joshua, you misunderstand! He’s not what you think! “Your request flatters me… Can I go with Joshua?”

Darius smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes. “Senior, do you think this is a school trip where you can bring a plus one?”

“But I remember you said if we defected together, you’d welcome us both.”

“Yes, I did say that.” Darius’s smile vanished. “But I think Mourner is more suited to stay by the Princess’s side. Don’t you agree, Your Highness?”

Alveira was startled, not knowing when the ball was kicked to her. “Well… I think a package deal is quite nice…” She thought to herself, ‘Merciful Lord, I’m just an innocent bystander. Why drag me into the grievances of the most troublesome men in the universe?!’

She desperately signaled to Darius, hinting that these two couldn’t be separated, but Darius ignored her gestures. After a moment of indecision, the Princess finally waved her hand. “You decide among yourselves. Report to me after you’ve reached a conclusion!” She then walked out of the conference room, feeling relieved.

The three men were left standing, staring each other down, none willing to budge. Alois was overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness. Combined, their ages could rival General Anderwell’s, yet they squabble like children over a toy. “Joshua,” Alois said, “please step outside. I need to talk to the Major General alone.”

“It’s Admiral,” Darius corrected.

“I don’t care what you are. Even if you become Marshal, you’ll always be my junior.” Alois turned to Joshua. “I just need to talk to him for a few minutes.”

“What if he tries something inappropriate?”

Darius almost laughed out loud. “What about Senior makes you think he could attract me?”

“So you’re questioning my taste?”

“Enough!” Alois pushed Joshua out of the conference room. The assassin reluctantly watched the metal door close in front of him. Nearby, the Princess cheerfully waved. “Hi, you came out too?”

Joshua glanced at the silver-gray door, then at the gloating princess (only at such times did she show any age-appropriate behavior), and whispered, “Do I seem so useless? Not even worth bringing along as family?”

“Alright.” Alois turned to face the stern-looking Admiral Darius Bayes. “So, what exactly do you want?”

“I have no ulterior motives,” Darius said, walking toward him. “The Sword of the Queen original pilot was killed. I need an experienced ace to lead those rookies who’ve never seen a battlefield.”

“I sincerely recommend Titia from the Lady of the Night. She’s much stronger than I am.”

“But she didn’t graduate from the Empire Military Academy, nor did she ace Empire History.” Darius stood right in front of him now. “Do you know how the pilots talk about you? They treat you like a campus legend. They say any pirate crew with you is the most terrifying in the galaxy. With you on board, our army’s morale would soar.”

“But Joshua is also excellent,” Alois argued. “He’s the assassin Mourner. Everyone has heard of him. No one isn’t afraid of him.”

“I’m not afraid.”

Darius suddenly grabbed Alois’s left hand and pulled up his sleeve. “What happened to your hand, Senior?”

Alois had answered this question countless times recently and was slightly annoyed. “I had some trouble. I was kidnapped on Olympus and lost a hand.”

“Did Winnet’s people do it?”

“…How do you know?”

“He’s the only one daring enough to do such a thing. Don’t forget, it wasn’t his first time.” Darius’s amber eyes flashed. “Nice prosthetic. It doesn’t affect your piloting, does it?”

Alois tried to pull his hand back, but Darius held it firmly. “Of course not.” He muttered, “You saw the last battle.”

“Yes, I saw.” The Admiral noticed Alois always wore gloves. While it was likely to hide the metal prosthetic, he pulled off the glove—revealing a ring on the senior’s ring finger, adorned with intricate patterns.

“Are you married?” Darius asked in surprise. “To whom? Mourner?”

As he expressed his astonishment, Alois quickly pulled his hand back. “We haven’t had a wedding yet.” He was a bit embarrassed. “And what’s it to you!”

“I need to think about whether to prepare a wedding gift.”

“Save it for yourself!” Alois said irritably.

Darius grunted. “Is that why you don’t want to be separated from Mourner?”

“So what if it is?”

“This is the military, the battlefield, not a playground. We can’t afford personal sentiments.”

Alois widened his eyes. “Do I need you to tell me that?” He poked Darius’s chest hard. “Besides, can you honestly say you’re not biased?”

Darius hesitated, then said, “You’re my senior. Whatever you say makes sense. I should have known ten years ago!” He angrily punched the door. “Fine, bring him along!”

The door shook and slowly opened. The Admiral stormed out, his boots making a loud noise as if he were trampling on rebels.

You’re still the same as ten years ago, just as annoying, damn brat! Alois shouted in his heart.

Outside the conference room, the Princess and Joshua were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Leo stood there with a mischievous smile. He rubbed his hands together and approached eagerly. “Did you reach an agreement?”

“Where are the Princess and Joshua?”

“Her Highness is extremely busy and is on the bridge now. She sent Joshua to pack his things.”

“…Pack what?”

“Luggage, of course. Aren’t you moving to Major Gen… Ah, no, Admiral Bayes’s flagship?” The eyes of the AI seemed to be shining. “Need me to feed your cat?”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 117

“Her Royal Highness the Princess has arrived!”

The metallic doors slowly opened to the loud voice of the herald, and Princess Alveira, dressed in a black military uniform, walked straight into the conference room without looking around. She was followed by two tall men who didn’t wear military uniforms, making them particularly conspicuous in the dimly lit room.

“Salute!”

Alveira didn’t glance at the people standing in textbook-perfect salutes and walked directly to the head seat at the conference table. The dark-haired man following her pulled out the chair for her, but she didn’t sit immediately. Instead, she scanned the room with her purple eyes before finally sitting down.

Shortly after the battle against Grisofin’s rebel forces concluded, Alveira ordered a meeting of all the commanders. Usually, such meetings could be conducted quickly using holographic projections, but she insisted everyone come to her flagship, Lady of the Night. This was undoubtedly a show of force, using this warship, once a space pirate vessel and now hers, to display her power and intimidate those with dissenting thoughts or insubordination.

“Please be seated.” Alveira clasped her hands together, resting her wrists on the table. The “bodyguards” behind her looked stern, like two gods of death. To her left sat Darius Bayes, an Admiral of the Empire of high rank, and to her right was a young man with purple hair. Everyone knew that this young man was the AI installed on the Lady of the Night, named Leonard. Many people secretly wondered why the Princess would allow an AI to attend such a confidential military meeting and thought how unusual her mind was.

“In the recent battle, everyone’s performance was commendable, and I have noted each of your contributions. Rewards will be given after this campaign is over… Lieutenant Colonel Hauser!”

“Yes!” The named lieutenant colonel stood up hurriedly.

“In battle, you were too aggressive, got surrounded by the enemy, and nearly caused a defeat.” The Princess leaned forward. “You are ordered to reflect on your actions in confinement for three days, and I hope you can make amends in the future.”

“…Yes!”

The Lieutenant Colonel breathed a sigh of relief and sat down quickly, hoping not to attract further attention from the Princess. Despite his tall and imposing stature, he felt incredibly small before the petite Princess.

“It has been nearly two months since the war with the rebels began. Previously, I left the Empire to seek allies, leaving many affairs for you to handle. I feel very sorry for this.” She paused to observe the reactions of those at the table. She was very pleased that most understood her implication: I was away before, leaving you to handle things, but now that I’m back, I should rightfully take charge again.

“I am but a woman, quite an amateur in military strategy, and I will need your guidance.”

Everyone nodded, murmuring, “Understood.”

Alveira smiled slightly. “I didn’t spend the past two months idly. Now, please allow me to introduce two friends.” She raised her left hand, and the black-haired young man on her left stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Alois Lagrange, one of the pilots of the Lady of the Night. Many of you may know him. He was framed by Winnet and imprisoned unjustly before joining the space pirates. However, now that the pirate remnants have been incorporated into my forces, they will become part of the Empire regular army. I hope everyone will get along well in the future.”

Then the Princess raised her right hand. “This is Joshua Plank. You may not know him, but you must have heard of his name—the Assassin Mourner.”

A small gasp went around the table. No one expected this handsome man to be the legendary, blood-soaked, ruthless Mourner. Joshua’s black-gold eyes glanced around; he neither bowed nor even nodded, as if the highest-ranking Empire officers before him were nothing but a pile of corpses—perhaps he would be more excited facing actual corpses.

“That’s enough introductions. Let’s get to the main topic.” The Princess leaned back in her chair. “Leo, please brief us on the current situation.”

“Yes.” The AI Leonard made a set of data appear above the table. “In the previous battle, we lost 52 warships, 449 were damaged, of which 105 were severely damaged; 1,370 people were killed, and more than 6,000 were wounded to varying degrees; we sank 142 enemy warships, damaged approximately 980, and the enemy casualties are unknown, estimated to be around 20,000.”

For a military commander, focusing on specific casualty numbers was meaningless; knowing that they paid a small price to deal a heavy blow to the enemy was sufficient.

The numbers above the table flickered and transformed into a vast star map, with red and blue colors marking enemy and friendly territories.

“After retreating, Grisofin’s fleet moved towards the Mist Port system in Cassiopeia, which is one of the rebel camps. The third army, led by Chast, is stationed there, with 1,287 warships and over 90,000 soldiers. Winnet’s first army is stationed 573 light-years away in the Demony system, with an estimated 1,800 warships and over 100,000 soldiers.”

Alveira gestured for the AI to reduce the star map, as the moving planets were almost obscuring the officers’ faces.

“What are your thoughts on the next strategic move?” The Princess kindly invited everyone to speak freely, but no one dared to open their mouths. They couldn’t grasp the Princess’s intentions and feared their suggestions might contradict her plans, causing embarrassment or angering her.

Seeing the silence, the Princess frowned, making the atmosphere in the room tense.

“Nobody has anything to say?” She tapped the table with her index finger. “Then I’ll speak. After Grisofin’s and Chast’s fleets unite, they will become a formidable barrier to our front line. A frontal assault would have a slim chance of success. However, the Mist Port system is resource-poor, and the rebels rely heavily on supplies from the Sword Bow star system and the Redstone system in Orion, which are less well-defended. We could feign attacks on Sword Bow or Redstone to disperse the Mist Port troops, then launch a real attack.”

“Your Highness,” said the elderly Admiral Anderwell, “I believe attacking now is unwise.”

“Oh?” The Princess shifted to a more comfortable position in her high-backed chair. “What is your opinion?” You wouldn’t speak earlier, but now you want to share your thoughts!

“Our forces are inferior to the enemy’s. If we engage directly, we will suffer heavy losses. I recommend a defensive strategy. Although Winnet commands a large force, he lacks legitimacy and will eventually lose public support. Moreover, the Sword Bow system and Redstone system can’t sustain the rebels’ supply lines indefinitely, whereas we control the entire Empire’s resources. If the stalemate continues, we will ultimately emerge victorious.” Finished, Anderwell smiled smugly.

The Princess said, “Before I left the capital, Chancellor Greenwood gave me the same advice.”

“The Chancellor’s counsel is undoubtedly wise.”

The Princess lazily looked at him. “Greenwood’s old advice isn’t worth listening to.”

The young officers couldn’t help but laugh. Anderwell’s eyes nearly popped out. “Your Highness, that was extremely disrespectful!”

“I don’t know why your thoughts are so in sync, but I guess Anderwell wants to preserve our forces, while the Chancellor’s goal… if we retreat, he has ample opportunities to manipulate and control the army. After eliminating Winnet, the Chancellor could overshadow my authority and become the Empire’s de facto ruler.” Alveira spread her hands. “But he’s dreaming. After I deal with Winnet, I’ll settle with him.”

She turned to Darius. “Admiral Darius Bayes, please lead your fleet to attack the Sword Bow system and the Redstone system. I will personally command the other forces.”

Darius bowed his head. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Anderwell was about to burst with anger. “Your Highness, you are too capricious! Please heed my advice!”

“Enough!” Alveira snapped. “I know you have extensive experience from years on the battlefield. Use that experience to assist me! If you’re unwilling, you may retire, and I will approve it immediately!”

The old general’s beard quivered with rage. He clenched his fists, seemingly ready to jump on the table and punch Alveira, but he eventually unclenched his fists and said weakly, “Yes, I will follow your orders.”

The Princess nodded. “That’s settled then. The next directives will be sent to your bridges. Dismissed!”

The officers stood, saluted, and filed out of the conference room. After Anderwell, supported by his adjutant, also left, Darius whispered to Alveira, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll secretly inform the Chancellor?”

Alveira raised an eyebrow. “I’d love to return to the capital immediately to see the Chancellor’s reaction.”

“He might rebel like Winnet.”

“He wouldn’t dare, or he would have done it already. Besides, I have the army. What do I have to fear!”

Darius chuckled, ruffling Alveira’s hair. “You’ve grown up.” After saying this, he felt a pang of sadness. His little Alveira had grown up overnight, no longer the little sister hiding behind her brother making faces at him.

Darius stood up. “I’ll prepare for the surprise attack immediately. But before that, Your Highness, may I borrow someone from you?”

He looked at the person behind Alveira as he spoke.

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