Let’s hear what they have to say,” she added, a hint of amusement dancing in her gaze.

“As you command, Captain.” The soldier nodded, returning to his seat. He pressed a few buttons, and a holographic figure shimmered into existence in the center of the bridge.

The image revealed a beautiful elven woman dressed in a white-and-gold uniform. On her chest was a badge made of an unknown metal, embossed with the symbol of a tree. Her face was flawless, without a single blemish, and her hair and eyes were a vibrant green that evoked a feeling of serenity—as if she were the personification of nature itself.

However, the woman’s expression was anything but serene; her eyes were wide with shock, as if she hadn’t actually expected her communication request to be accepted.

But now that her communication had actually been accepted, she was at a total loss, standing there completely stunned.

She wasn’t the only one in such a state. Because she was unmistakably a rare beauty, many of the men on the command bridge of the Antares-class battleship were also momentarily charmed. Most, if not all, of the officers present had been newly recruited from Earth’s general public. Even though they had technically lived for over a hundred years—most of which was spent in rigorous training to become true elites for the Void Fleet in the Universal Domain—they were still human enough to be captivated by her.

A few couldn’t help but mutter in low voices. “Wow… an elven woman!”

“She’s such a beauty…”

Another, more excited than the rest, blurted out, “Damn, dude! Are you seeing this? An elf! They really do exist! Does that mean there could be a Beast Clan? Like the bunny girls and fox girls from anime?! Damn! Damn!!”

This particular voice was much louder than the others. Everyone on the bridge heard him, including Athena, who shot him a look of utter speechlessness. Internally, Athena and the rest of the crew were all cursing him at once: Damn it, dude, can’t you be more professional right now? Keep those thoughts in your head! Why say it so loud?! He’s a total pervert!

“Pervert,” Athena muttered in a low voice before turning her gaze toward the stunned elven woman. The elf had frozen like a statue, not even blinking as she stared back. Athena couldn’t help but click her tongue, her eyes scanning the woman’s figure from top to bottom. Tsk, tsk. Elves really are built differently, huh? But whatever—she is still inferior to me, Athena thought proudly. She then turned to Grace and gave a sharp nod, gesturing toward the woman on the screen.

Grace caught the signal, nodded back, and spoke to the elven woman. “Speak. What is your intention in communicating with the Void Fleet? Be warned: any disrespectful words will result in the certain obliteration of your ship and everyone within it.”

The green-haired woman finally reacted, stammering, “Um—ah—um…” but she couldn’t find the words. She was completely paralyzed by the sight of the figures who were waging war against the Minotaur clan.

Back on the elven ship, seeing the Guild Captain, Vivian, stuttering and unable to speak, the golden-haired woman named Celeste shook her head speechlessly. She knew exactly why Vivian was struggling; she herself found the situation utterly absurd. One question ran through her mind: How can they be human? When did they come to possess such might—the power to challenge the Minotaur clan? Even if they are a weak Tier-2 power on the Galactic Rim, they are still a power nonetheless!

But Celeste quickly composed herself—faster than Vivian—and spoke in a low, urgent voice. “Get a hold of yourself, Vivian! We don’t have time for this. If you’ve forgotten, we are in the middle of a one-way slaughter that could turn on us at any moment. We could easily become its next targets… so snap out of it and speak up!”

Vivian, hearing this, felt as if she had been doused in cold water. She quickly pushed aside her confusion and spoke with a flicker of newfound confidence.

“People of the Void Fleet! I, Vivian of the Yggdrasil Guild—a private mercenary organization—ask… no, I request that you let us leave this place! We have no connection to this race of bulls; we were merely passing through! Please!” she pleaded.

Athena, who was beginning to feel irritated that the other party had wasted a full minute of her time in silence, calmed down slightly once Vivian finally spoke. Yet, internally, Athena felt a strange stiffness. Sigh… what a beautiful voice. It feels like being close to nature itself. She couldn’t help but realize that this woman was no ordinary elf. Despite being so far apart, she gives off such a serene feeling—just like the Universal Tree on the Origin Planet. There must be a connection, or at least a powerful affinity, between her and the Tree!

If I think about it based on those novels, stories, and anime, elves are always portrayed as beings most in tune with nature—and it looks like this woman is particularly special!

Pushing those thoughts aside, Athena listened to what the elven woman had to say and nodded to herself. So, she belongs to a private mercenary guild. From the looks of her ship, they aren’t doing very well; that damage to the hull suggests she’s running from someone—or something.

I should explore this feeling I have about her. She might be useful to the Imperial Commander… and besides, she’s already a fugitive, so she shouldn’t have any problems coming with us. Even if she does, I don’t care. She’s coming with me now!

“Oh, so you are Vivian of the Yggdrasil Guild? Well, I have never heard of it,” Athena spoke up. Internally, she admitted that they still knew very little about the galaxy at large, aside from the data on major powers extracted during the Battle of the Rigid Star.

She continued, “However, letting you leave is not possible at this moment. You should not worry, but you must maintain your current position. After we take care of things here, we will see what can be done about you and your people.”

With that, she waved her hand and cut off the communication from her side.

She turned to look at Grace. “Open a channel with the Grand Admiral; I have things to report immediately! But before that, start the bombardment as I ordered. First, target and destroy those orbital weapon systems—specifically the ones integrated into the space station. At the same time, target the station’s hangar bays. Let no one escape!”

Grace nodded. “Roger that. But what about the other species present within the space station? They will die if we proceed with that attack.”

“That is not our headache. It is their misfortune, not mine. If they die, so be it,” Athena said casually.

“As you command, Captain!” Grace said, moving forward to relay the order. She spoke not only to the personnel on the bridge of their ship, but directly to the other thirty-nine vessels in the fleet as well.

Meanwhile, back on the elven ship, Vivian’s mouth twitched when she heard, “Oh, so you are from the Yggdrasil Guild… well, never heard of it.”

She could tell that the human woman in military attire was thinking: You might as well say you have the Tree of Yggdrasil itself within your guild. Vivian wanted to refute the insult right then and there, but the human woman didn’t even give her a chance to speak before continuing.

As she listened, Vivian was stunned once more, feeling a surge of anger and bitterness swelling in her chest. Dammit! she cursed internally. Why can’t you just let me and my subordinates go? What’s the big deal?!

Can’t you be a bit more peaceful? And why should I not worry when my ship is literally sandwiched between your fleet and the Minotaurs? Who’s to say we won’t be accidentally hit by your fire? And if not you, then those stupid bulls will target us if they see you aren’t attacking us! What then? Won’t I just succumb to my death?!

Yeah, “take care of things here”—as if it’s that easy! As if those Minotaurs are just waiting for you to rip them apart! So what if your fleet has better defenses; can your weapons be just as great? You managed to take down the station on planet B-01, but that was because of a surprise attack, or so I’ve heard! Dammit, dammit!

Athena’s parting words left Vivian even more bitter. What do you mean, “we will see what can be done” about me and my people? Why does it sound like: “Heh, forget about leaving”? Are you going to capture me?! Are you… are you sent by THEM?!

She paused for a moment, her mind racing. No, that can’t be right. Her expression wasn’t like that of someone hiding a secret. Besides, humans aren’t part of those “dogs” after all—how could such a weak species ever be part of them?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep