Chapter 50

If you don't promote it as much as a buzzing fly, it won't get across! I've come to realize this deeply since becoming a writer.

So today, I'll be promoting energetically too!

["I Am the Wicked Lord of an Interstellar Nation! Vol. 9"] [Scheduled for October 25th release!]

This volume will feature a story related to the Ikkosen style. Liam and his party will be traveling to find Ashi! Please enjoy their unusual journey.

["That Otome Game is a Harsh World for Us! Vol. 4"] is also [on sale now!]

"Upon hearing the commotion, I came to see what was going on..."

With a look of exasperation, Alison stood before Emma, whose arm bone had been broken.

Emma, wearing a cast and looking pained, learned from Alison that the fortress had issued a stern warning due to the incident.

"The fortress commander has taken this matter seriously and has announced that as a punishment, the supply and maintenance for the guerrilla fleet will be delayed."

"Really!? ...No, I'm sorry."

Emma, who had involuntarily exclaimed, apologized, realizing that she was the cause.

However, Alison paid no attention to Emma's apology.

"Most likely, the fortress is short on supplies. Perhaps they're buying time while waiting for supplies from the fleet headquarters?"

"Is that so?"

For a moment, Emma showed a relieved expression, but Alison's face turned stern.

"Regardless, you gave them an excuse."

"I'm sorry."

Seeing Emma's dejected look, Alison explained the resolution.

The guerrilla fleet seems to have anticipated the situation within the fortress, but they also judged that Emma's actions provided an excuse to the other side.

As a result, Merea has been assigned a mission.

"Merea has been selected for the reconnaissance mission in the surrounding space. The mobile knight unit should hurry with the departure preparations."

"...Understood."

After Emma responded, Alison walked away, having said what needed to be said.

Emma was supposed to rest within the fortress, but her actions caused trouble for Merea.

"...Sigh, what am I doing?"

She felt embarrassed for losing her composure in front of Sirena, and at the same time, she realized that she was still far from the ideal knight she envisioned.

◇

Merea, which suffered minimal damage during the fortress assault, was sent on a reconnaissance mission to clean up after Emma.

On Merea's bridge, there were some complaints about the matter.

Tim was the one voicing them.

"There are some knights who are a real nuisance. We were just about to get some rest, and now we're being sent on a reconnaissance mission."

Most of the bridge crew agreed with Tim's opinion, but no one said it out loud.

An operator laughed and responded to Tim's complaint.

"You're still the same even after getting stronger. Well... it is a bit of a trumped-up charge, so let's forgive them."

Everyone realized that the Empire was using this as an excuse.

Tim also understood this but couldn't help but complain.

"If she had just kept quiet, it would have been fine. She went to complain about the slow maintenance and supply because she got a bit cocky after getting stronger."

When Tim made a comment suggesting that Emma had acted arrogantly by complaining to the fortress, Alison, who had been silent, looked stern.

"Normally, that would be the job of the captain as well, wouldn't it?"

Alison seemed exasperated by Tim's many complaints.

Tim also had his reasons.

"If that's the case, she should have asked us first about the situation. That knight ignored me and went to complain to the fortress."

"Maybe she thought you weren't reliable?"

"…That could be it."

Tim, who was silenced by the retort, pulled his cap down and fell silent.

The bridge crew looked annoyed, wondering how long this awkward atmosphere would last—.

"...A distress call?"

"It's not from the Empire. It's not from the United Kingdom either."

"Starting verification... Confederation of Nations? Mistylia? What planet is this?"

They caught a distress call, but the sender was neither the Empire nor the United Kingdom.

The operators were also confused but decided to check the content.

"Commander, we've received a distress call. It seems to be from an unregistered habitable planet, and they are asking for help as they are under attack."

Tim frowned at the complicated situation.

"An unregistered habitable planet? Are people who settled there secretly now asking for help?"

"It seems so."

People who had settled on a planet thought to be habitable were now seeking help.

Alison also looked annoyed.

The reason was that the people living on the habitable planet were not paying taxes to the Empire.

They were not under the Empire's protection.

"There's no obligation for us to help an unregistered planet."

Alison's dismissive comment made Tim look bitter.

"...I'm concerned about who is attacking them. What's the scale of the enemy?"

"The report mentions a mobile knight squadron, but the details are unclear."

Tim made a decision.

"We'll respond to the distress call. We'll send Merea."

However, there was someone who objected.

Alison.

"They are not our allies. Heading to an unregistered planet to help—"

"What if the attackers are from the United Kingdom? The pirates have already fled, so if it's a force we can engage—"

"More likely, it's a mercenary group. We can ignore it without any issues."

Alison didn't want to use the limited resources to help an unregistered planet.

However, Tim persisted.

"Just observing shouldn't be a problem. We'll retreat if the enemy is too large. Our mission is reconnaissance, after all, Supervisor."

Alison was slightly surprised by Tim's persistence.

Indeed, it was concerning what forces were involved, so Alison gave her permission.

"We'll send the mobile knight unit ahead."

◇

"Deploy? But Raccoon's maintenance isn't finished yet!?"

The mobile knight unit was given the reconnaissance mission, but in the hangar, Molly was holding her head.

The reason was that many Raccoons had been hit in the previous battle and needed maintenance.

They had pushed through a reckless operation, and some units, while looking fine on the outside, had internal issues.

Emma looked up at her beloved Atalante.

"Atalante is tough and saved us. In the worst case, I'll go alone for reconnaissance."

When Emma said this, Molly crossed her arms and thought.

She seemed to be reconsidering the maintenance plan to see if she could get the Raccoons ready.

Then, Ein from the Valona team arrived.

"The latest mobile knights are weak in such situations."

"Second Lieutenant Kimura?"

When Emma turned around, Ein, who had flown in, grabbed a nearby pillar to stop.

"Valona's maintenance is complete. We can accompany you on this mission."

"You'll help—"

"Of course. This is an opportunity to showcase the current generation's superiority in maintenance. The latest Raccoons are good units, but they have maintenance issues. Once they are widely used, data will be collected and improvements made, but they are still in the development phase. Valona, on the other hand, has finished the testing phase and has proven reliability in many battles."

Emma, who had been interrupted and given a long explanation, accepted Ein's offer with a strained smile.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

◇

Rick was watching the Atalante and the Valona team prepare for deployment in the hangar.

"Seniors are on a reconnaissance mission? They could have found a reason to rest, but they're really working hard."

The Armored Nevan was being inspected with its additional armor removed.

This was to check where and how much load it had taken during the fortress assault.

A development team mechanic gave Rick a cold look.

"Maybe you should take some of their seriousness, Lieutenant Martin?"

Rick grinned.

"I can't do that. Besides, I don't have a unit to deploy."

The Armored Nevan was high-performance but required more maintenance time than others after each deployment.

It was a design that ignored maintenance.

"If you were more serious, you'd have been promoted by now."

"As long as I can ride a mobile knight, I'm happy. I'm not interested in anything else."

◇

When Emma, leading the Valona team, arrived at the destination, she saw an unbelievable sight.

"Why are Imperial ships here!?"

Upon reaching the planet that had requested help due to an attack, she saw Imperial ships breaking through the atmosphere and descending.

Mobile knights and ground troops were deployed, attacking a small city on the devastated planet.

Seeing this from space, Emma protested to the Imperial forces.

"This is Emma Rodman, Lieutenant Commander of the guerrilla fleet's light carrier Merea. Is it sane to plunder within the Empire's territory!?"

When she spoke, the Imperial side responded.

"Are you sane? This is a battlefield. Military raids are recognized. Besides, these people are not Imperial citizens. They settled here without permission. If their resources can benefit the fortress, there's no problem."

Emma was speechless at the Imperial response.

The video footage taken by the Valona team was displayed on Atalante's monitor.

Mobile knights were using construction machinery to crush the people.

Ground troops were transporting supplies and loading them onto Imperial ships.

(This is no different from space pirates.)

Gripping the control stick and clenching her teeth, Emma felt frustrated.

Noticing her expression, Ein tried to persuade her to avoid a rash action.

"Lieutenant Commander, I know it's a cliché, but this is war. Besides, if they can't overcome this crisis on their own, they are destined to perish."

Since they were not part of the Empire, they would not be protected.

Even if they were part of the Empire, they could still be plundered and destroyed. If they couldn't protect themselves, they would eventually perish.

Ein didn't look convinced, but he seemed to think it was not wise to fight the Imperial forces here.

Emma, feeling the pain in her still-healing right arm, asked herself.

"...I am a knight of justice. I decided to become a knight of justice."

"Lieutenant Commander?"

Emma looked up.

"Valona team, please return to Merea under my command. You won't be held responsible because of Lieutenant Kimura's statement and the video evidence."

"Stop, Lieutenant Commander! Are you going to throw everything away here? Is it wise to confront the Imperial forces? We are at war with the United Kingdom. This is not the only battlefield. If we fight here, it could affect the entire war—"

If the Banfield family attacked the Imperial forces—regardless of the details, if this fact became known, it could have a significant impact on the external war.

Therefore, Emma said:

"This is my decision. I cannot ignore this. If I do, I won't be able to take pride in myself..."

Atalante accelerated and entered the atmosphere, descending to the planet.

"Fairy Bullet - The Mechanized Maiden and the Beast Soldier - Vol. 1" [Scheduled for October 19th release!]

The release of the new work is approaching.

I thought the title might not convey the content well, so I am currently publishing a [Prototype Version] of "Fairy Bullet" on "Shosetsu ni Naro" (Novel Updates).

I've made it readable up to a good point, so readers who want to check it out before the release, please do so.

I'm also looking forward to your reviews!