Chapter 248: Petrification and Frozen Solid

Around the time Tia began the artillery battle on the right flank, on the left flank, Marie stood silently with her arms crossed, facing the enemy’s harassing fire.

On the bridge, her second-in-command, Heidy, was perplexed by Marie’s unusual demeanor.

“They’re keeping their distance and hitting us with sporadic harassing fire, yet Marie is so quiet today. Is it one of those ‘I won’t get angry over something of this level~’ kind of things?”

Although Heidy’s words were teasing, she seemed genuinely concerned about Marie’s different behavior.

The bridge crew also found it rare for Marie not to raise her voice despite the repeated harassing attacks.

Marie opened her mouth while staring ahead.

“If we advance, they pull back. If we retreat, they close the distance… They really love their nasty fighting style, just like in the old days.”

Marie, who usually used a fake noble lady’s speech pattern, was speaking normally today.

Heidy’s eyes widened at this, but she was soon taken aback by Marie’s words.

“Hey, you’ve got to be kidding, right? There’s no way an acquaintance of ours is out there.”

For them, “the old days” meant the time before they were petrified.

Marie seemed to have recognized the enemy commander’s fighting style, but Heidy couldn’t believe it.

Marie uncrossed her arms, approached the communications officer, and gave an order.

“Inform the main force. Tell them I have an idea who the commander of the enemy’s right flank is.”

“Y-yes, ma’am. And the name of the opponent is…”

To the tense communications officer, Marie stated the opponent’s name.

“Deedee Sera Drew… one of the Three Knights from my generation.”

The communications officer froze for a moment, but as it was an order from a superior, they relayed the message to the main force.

When Marie returned to her position and observed the enemy fleet, she could see something like the habits of her old acquaintance.

As Marie furrowed her brow, Heidy asked with a hint of impatience.

“Don’t tell me they’re a victim just like us?”

However, Marie immediately denied it.

If the opponent was the female knight she knew, she shouldn’t have been petrified.

“Impossible. She was the type to immediately wag her tail for the emperor of that time.”

Heidy also remembered Deedee and was convinced by Marie’s words.

“That’s right. She was a shameless sycophant who cozied up to that bastard who did whatever he pleased, without offering a single word of admonishment.”

Marie said with a cold smile.

“I never thought we’d reunite like this, Deedee… I’ll be sure to smash my fist into that face of yours.”

◇

On the opposing Imperial Army’s right flank… the one leading the enemy fleet facing Marie was Deedee.

The right flank’s flagship was decorated in pastel pinks according to Deedee’s taste, and the interior was furnished with things like fur.

Deedee’s commander’s seat, for instance, was needlessly decorated and lavishly finished.

Resting her cheek on her hand, Deedee spoke as if she were confronting Marie directly.

“To think we’d actually meet after two thousand years, it feels like fate, doesn’t it~?”

Handsome male knights waited on Deedee.

They took care of her personal needs and also served as her conversation partners.

“Unlike us, who were in cold sleep, they were apparently petrified and left abandoned for two thousand years.”

“Well, that’s the difference between us and them, you know? They’re fools who believe in invisible things like loyalty and duty… That’s why they met such a miserable end.”

It wasn’t just the Three Knights who were put into cold sleep.

The knights and soldiers led by the Three Knights were also in cold sleep.

They were to be awakened and made to fight should the Empire fall into crisis… Why did they accept such terms? It was because of the condition that their salaries would continue to be paid even during cold sleep.

Two thousand years’ worth of salary would be deposited while they slept.

The monetary value would be converted to modern rates, among other extremely favorable conditions.

Deedee took a sip of the drink one of the male knights brought her.

“…This tastes different from before we went to sleep.”

It was her favorite juice, but its taste had subtly changed over two thousand years.

She felt a sense of loneliness from this… or not.

“Oh well, whatever.”

Deedee changed her mindset.

“Siding with Duke Banfield and drawing a bow against the Empire, Marie’s really lost her touch. She doesn’t understand why the Empire has lasted for tens of thousands of years… As long as she thinks she can manage with just that, she’ll never beat me!”

Deedee stood from her seat and barked orders to those around her.

“She specializes in swift attacks, so be careful if she closes the distance. She may be rotten, but she was once one of the Three Knights. Be prepared for us to take considerable losses as well.”

Although Deedee had been mocking Marie, she still acknowledged her opponent’s skill.

“Now then, let’s see what you’ve got.”

◇

“The right flank has engaged!”

“The left flank has also engaged!”

“We’re starting to take casualties!”

As I listened to the stream of incoming reports, Klaus, who was watching the battle situation by my side, spoke to me.

“Is the enemy fleet’s effective range about ten percent greater than ours? We’re taking damage before we can even trade fire.”

Seeing Klaus as calm as usual, I couldn’t afford to panic, so I pondered a way to break this stalemate.

“The Argos can trade blows, but it’s meaningless if only one ship has superior performance… I really want the technology from the Imperial Arsenal.”

“Are you already thinking about what comes after we win?”

“One war where we win and get nothing is enough, like that last defensive battle.”

We defeated the Banfield subjugation army sent by the Empire, but since we couldn’t demand reparations, all I did was suffer losses.

Well… I did get treasure from Faravall, so I guess I can’t say I gained nothing?

More importantly, the problem now is getting into effective range.

Even though we’re fighting with equal numbers, it’ll be a pain if our numbers are significantly reduced before we can even attack.

I was thinking of a way to break this situation, but both flanks have already engaged.

If I take too much time, our allies will just keep dwindling.

“…Klaus, we’re moving the Argos to the front.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even when I said I was moving the grand flagship to the front, Klaus’s expression didn’t change one bit.

I wish he’d be a little surprised, but he just doesn’t understand his master’s heart.

“You’re not going to object?”

“Lord Liam would do it even if I objected. Besides… I have already confirmed the Argos’s phenomenal performance myself.”

The reward from Faravall was something like a power reactor to be installed on a battleship.

Klaus understood that the current Argos, equipped with it, could survive a charge into the enemy fleet.

However, Klaus did offer me some advice.

“However, this time, we should be accompanied by escort ships.”

Klaus’s gaze turned to the other super-dreadnoughts next to the Argos, though they were tens of kilometers away.

I had finally risen to a position where I could use super-dreadnoughts as escort ships.

“…Tell the escort ships to follow the Argos. We’re going to punch a hole in the enemy fleet’s main body.”

Once I made the decision, Klaus began issuing orders to the surrounding crew.

“You heard him. Prepare the mobile knight units for launch. And tell the escort ships to move behind the Argos’s defensive field.”

A knight under Klaus’s command was surprised to hear that.

“We’re moving the escort ships back?”

“Their time to shine will be after we’ve broken into the enemy formation. It would be meaningless if they were destroyed before then. Tell the allied fleet to remain on standby and not to panic when we charge. It would be more of a nuisance if they followed us on their own.”

There was no need for me to give detailed instructions.

Klaus, who was well-versed in the Banfield family’s ways, understood what I wanted to do and handled the details.

Once preparations were complete, the Argos began to accelerate.

As the escort ships moved behind the Argos, its speed gradually increased.

The operator said.

“Five… four… three… two… until we’re in the enemy fleet’s effective range… Here they come!”

The moment the Argos entered the enemy fleet’s effective range, a flash of light so bright it was blinding erupted before us.

Immediately after the sight of hundreds of thousands of small lights flashing, the impact hit.

When the Argos’s defensive field deployed, it was enveloped in so much light that we couldn’t see ahead.

A ceaseless barrage of lasers and beams struck the defensive field, and the light was so intense that nothing was visible.

“Their aim is quite accurate. We’re up against an elite force, after all.”

“It doesn’t look like this will be over easily.”

For this day, I had worked with other interstellar nations, even moving the Hegemony Kingdom, to create this chance.

It was true that I had held some hope that if things went well, the Empire’s military strength would be depleted, and we could easily conquer the capital planet.

However, if we’re going to go to the trouble of conquering the capital, a fight like this is better.

“It’d be boring if it ended too easily, right?”

“You’re in the minority for thinking that.”

I shrugged at Klaus’s blunt reply and checked the Argos’s current position on the simple 3D map.

The closer we got to the enemy ships, the more intense the attacks became, and the shaking inside the ship grew stronger.

However, the bridge crew showed no signs of panic.

It seemed they had gotten used to it after being dragged into my reckless strategies so many times.

No, rather than getting used to it, maybe they’ve developed guts?

No one was letting their guard down in this situation; everyone looked tense.

The operators were carefully checking the gauges to see if the Argos could withstand the onslaught.

“Five… until we break into the enemy fleet…”

As the countdown began, I flashed a grin.

“Two… Breakthrough!”

The moment the countdown finished, the attacks from the enemy fleet weakened.

This was because we had penetrated deep into the enemy fleet, making it difficult for them to fire their main cannons.

To avoid friendly fire, the enemy’s attacks slackened, and at this point, the Argos unleashed its secondary cannons, destroying the surrounding enemy ships one after another.

“Now, how will the enemy commander react to us getting in their face?”

◇

On the bridge of the Imperial Army’s grand flagship, Cornelius was closely watching the enemy’s movements.

“To charge into my fleet with just a few ships, they must be either extreme fools, fools who overestimate their own abilities… or just genuine fools. I wonder which it is?”

Cornelius kept calling the enemy fools for their unthinkable actions, but his expression looked slightly pleased.

“They appear from time to time. Those with talent too outstanding for their era… Because they’ve never met a truly strong opponent, they genuinely believe such lawlessness will work.”

Although Cornelius’s words were scornful, he still wore a smile.

Why?

It was because Liam’s actions were not at all surprising to Cornelius.

“…I never thought there would be others who would do the same things as me. Good, this is very good. I have been waiting for beings like you, Liam. And Klaus!”

His earlier remarks were because it was like watching his past self, which made him happy.

Cornelius gave orders to surround the enemy’s grand flagship.

“The enemy are fools who have charged into our encirclement on their own. Surround them calmly and strike.”

Those around him calmly carried out the order.

They kept their distance from the Argos and the other super-dreadnoughts rampaging within their fleet, moving to encircle them.

However, the friendly ships making such moves were destroyed one after another, their markers disappearing.

“Your Excellency Cornelius, the enemy has launched its mobile knights, and our losses are spreading.”

Cornelius nodded slightly several times at his subordinate, who was calmly reporting the situation.

“I would do the same. Launch our mobile knights to engage them. To begin with, we have the advantage in numbers. There is no reason for us to lose. Yes… normally, there would be no reason to lose.”

Somewhere in his heart, Cornelius hoped they would shatter that logic.

(Show me your true strength. Come on, more. You won’t die from something of this level, will you? Excite me more!)

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