Chapter 53

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Claudia led Emma to a city that had become a pile of rubble.

Black smoke rose everywhere, and fires still burned in many places.

Soldiers from the Vanfield family were setting up shelters all over the place.

"...What a terrible sight."

Emma, walking behind Claudia, felt like crying.

However, Claudia did not allow it.

"Stand up straight. It's only this bad because you prevented the worst from happening."

"I wanted to protect it before it came to this."

"Is that a statement of understanding?"

Claudia stopped and turned to ask, but her gaze was stern.

She must have thought that her former student, whom she thought had grown, still couldn't let go of her naive ideas.

But Emma looked Claudia in the eye and answered.

"Yes."

The short but strong-willed response made Claudia smile wryly.

"You've become quite stubborn. I prefer a bit more humility, but have you been poisoned by them?"

Though she said "poisoned," Claudia's expression was not accusatory.

By "them," she meant Marie, Sera, and Marian.

"I was trained a lot, even in the short time I was with them."

"Don't get too poisoned."

As they walked through the devastated city, they arrived at what seemed to be a square.

There, Vanfield family knights were talking to the city's representatives.

The representatives were confused.

"Are you telling us to abandon this planet!?"

The conclusion reached by the Vanfield family seemed to be the evacuation of the planet's inhabitants.

A serious-looking male knight with glasses explained calmly to the representatives.

"This planet is part of the Empire. Although no lord or magistrate has been appointed, it is essentially treated as a direct territory of the Empire. You are in a situation of illegal residence in a direct territory of the Empire."

When told that living on this planet was illegal, the representatives were indignant.

"Are you kidding? We developed this planet and made it habitable!"

"Still, it belongs to the Empire."

Another representative pleaded.

"We can't continue wandering. Can't you process it so that we belong to the Empire?"

"It's not possible."

Seeing the cold response of the male knight, Emma was about to say something, but Claudia spoke first.

"If you help out of sympathy, you should stop. To begin with, this planet is too harsh for human habitation. If it were to belong to the Empire, a lord or magistrate would need to be appointed, but... there would be no profit in ruling such a planet. At worst, the Empire might burn it to the ground and pretend it never existed."

"Such a thing!?"

Emma couldn't hold back her exclamation, but she fell silent when she saw Claudia looking at the representatives with a sad expression.

"The value of human life is treated lightly in the Empire. ...It's really disheartening."

Emma began to understand what Claudia wanted to show her.

She wanted to show her the consequences of her actions.

Emma lowered her head and clenched her fists.

"Was what I did wrong?"

Was it just self-satisfaction?

When she asked Claudia, the latter looked troubled and evaded the answer.

"I haven't given up my humanity to the point where I can say it was a mistake. But it was rash, and as a superior, I believe I should be stricter with you."

"...Yes."

"But... as a person and a knight, I respect your actions."

When the conversation came to a close, Claudia asked Emma a favor.

"By the way, the residents of this planet need to be relocated. Lieutenant Rodman, your flagship, the Marea, will also assist in the transfer."

"Huh? Is that okay? I mean, I..."

Am I not going to be arrested? She was confused by the unexpected assignment, but Claudia smiled.

"There's no time to let you sit around in our manpower-short army."

◇

When Tim, who had restored his pompadour hairstyle, returned to the Marea's bridge, the veteran crew members were waiting to tease him.

"Commander, that's quite a stylish haircut. But didn't you lose some hair compared to before?"

When Doug threw him some hair gel, Tim caught it and fixed his pompadour.

"Talking about hair is a two-way street, you know."

A veteran pilot named Jessica, with her arms crossed, looked at Tim suspiciously.

"Still, what made you suddenly motivated?"

In response to Jessica's question, Tim explained the reason for his change of heart.

"That knight... no, that lieutenant reminded me. I still have some rebellious spirit left in me."

The reason Tim had returned to his old self was Emma.

He had gone against orders and done things his way before, but this time was different.

Even without making a mistake, severe punishment awaited, yet he still showed his stubbornness.

Tim used to be the same.

In the old military, he had risked his life on the front lines, rebelling against the useless upper echelons.

"That lieutenant is something else. I thought she was a refined knight, but she has some backbone. It felt silly to keep sulking in front of someone like that."

Doug and Jessica exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"She's just a contrarian."

"You got that right."

Blushing at their reactions, Tim pouted and sat in the commander's chair.

"Anyway, hurry up and get the preparations for the residents' reception underway. ...Where's the supervisor?"

Allison was nowhere to be seen on the bridge.

◇

"Sure, the Marea is a light carrier, but we don't have the space to accommodate the residents being transferred. The higher-ups are really arbitrary."

Larry, carrying his belongings, was heading to the hangar.

He was moving the items from his room temporarily to the hangar to prepare rooms for the residents.

When Larry arrived at the hangar, he saw an unfamiliar female knight observing the hangar.

"Who are you?"

Noticing Larry's tilted head, the female knight turned around.

She had long, straight blonde hair that flowed like a cloak, and her green eyes sparkled like jewels.

Her smooth, flawless skin made her look almost too beautiful to be a knight.

She looked more like a princess, but she was wearing a knight's uniform and had a sword at her side, so she must be a knight.

"Are you a crew member of the Marea?"

"Ah, yes."

Holding a large bag, Larry was told by the female knight that a salute was unnecessary.

"When will the reception of the residents begin?"

"Should be soon, I hear."

(Thanks to that, I'm swamped. Still... she has more presence than our captain. She looks like a knight straight out of a painting.)

Larry, usually known for his sharp tongue, didn't let it show in the presence of her aura.

Larry noticed the residents boarding the Marea at the edge of his vision.

"They're here."

The female knight turned sharply and leaned forward, gripping the railing.

Her expression shifted from joy and relief to a sad one, and she ended up shedding tears.

Seeing the female knight crying, Larry was at a loss for what to do.

"Huh? Um... do you know someone here?"

The female knight wiped her tears with her finger.

"I don't think I know anyone personally. But just knowing that people from my hometown are alive gives me some comfort. No, that's an excuse. I, who once made the decision to abandon them, don't deserve to be happy."

Larry didn't understand what she meant, but he decided to say something anyway.

"I don't know the details, but I think it's better to meet them while you can."

"...Just confirming their safety here is enough."

Larry had work to do, so he left the scene, but the female knight continued to watch the residents boarding.

Because of this, Larry, out of nosiness and a bit of resentment towards the knight, took action.

(What a pain. Just go and meet them already.)

Descending, Larry called out to the residents.

"Hey, there's a knight from your hometown here. Does anyone know her?"

The residents, who were called out to, looked in the direction Larry pointed.

"A knight from Mistyria? That's... could it be?"

One person recognized her, and the residents began to buzz.

Among them was an old woman, who was crying.

"...Lady Christiana."

Apparently, she was a well-known figure, as all the residents murmured her name.

The female knight hurriedly fled into the ship, but Larry easily imagined what she would do next.

(She seems to be a high-ranking knight, so she probably came in a small craft. If so...)

The residents, who were disappointed that the female knight had left, were told by Larry.

"You can intercept her by going down that corridor. If you want to catch her, hurry."

"Thank you!"

Watching the residents run off, Larry felt a small sense of satisfaction for getting back at her.

However, he then remembered something.

"...Wait, wasn't Christiana...?"

Recalling the image of a knight he had seen a few times, Larry finally recognized her.

◇

When Christiana tried to return to her small craft, the residents of her hometown, Mistyria, had already intercepted her and were waiting.

An old woman stepped forward as a representative.

"Lady Christiana!"

Hearing her name, Christiana, unable to face the residents, lowered her head.

"...You still remember me."

The old woman approached Christiana and crouched in front of her, sobbing.

"I'm so relieved... I'm so relieved to see you safe."

Startled by the old woman's prostration, Christiana quickly pulled her up.

"What are you doing!"

It had been a long-standing regret.

Before serving the Vanfield family, Christiana was a princess knight on a certain planet.

Despite her royal lineage, she chose the path of a knight and protected her home planet, Mistyria, many times.

However, Christiana was betrayed by an ally and captured by the Gores pirate gang, falling into a trap.

Until she was rescued by the head of the Vanfield family, Christiana endured a harsh life.

Still, she never forgot about the people of her hometown.

"You don't need to cry for me. I deserve to be blamed. That's why I only planned to check on you and leave..."

But a bearded man, clutching his hat, said through tears to Christiana.

"Since the day we heard that the princess knight was captured by the Gores, we've been worried. But just seeing you safe... we..."

The sight of a grown man crying was watched with curiosity by the small children.

Christiana hugged the old woman with both hands and shed tears.

"I swear by the name of Christiana Letta Rosebrier. I will send you to a safe place where you can live in peace. Please, let me make amends..."

Christiana, who failed to protect her hometown, now had the opportunity to help the surviving people of Mistyria.

Mentioning her middle name, Letta, which she no longer used, was for atonement.

"From now on... this time, I will protect you."

◇

When Emma returned to the Marea after parting ways with Claudia, Allison was waiting for her.

"You really did it, Lieutenant Rodman."

Emma, aware of the severity of her actions, accepted the cold stare from Allison.

"I apologize, Supervisor."

She saluted, but Allison approached and raised her right hand, then slapped her.

The dry sound echoed, drawing the attention of the Marea's crew nearby.

A few of them started to approach, but Emma stopped them with a look.

Emma looked Allison in the eye.

"I'm prepared to accept the punishment."

"Of course! We were only saved because the main fleet arrived. If things had gone wrong, we could have been wiped out in a conflict with the regular army!"

Emma's reckless actions had put the Marea's crew in danger.

Allison's anger was justified.

"It was my decision."

"Yes, and I'll make sure to write that in the report. Really, why did you do something so—"

While Allison was struggling with how to report to her superiors, Claudia and Christiana appeared.

Christiana's eyes were slightly red, but she was waving cheerfully at Emma.

"Lieutenant Emma Rodman, right? I've heard about you from Claudia."

"General Christiana... I'm sorry!"

Hastily saluting, Emma was joined by Allison, who also turned and saluted.

Allison, surprised by Christiana's presence, thanked her for the rescue.

"Without the main fleet's help, we would have been in serious trouble. Thank you for saving us."

Claudia remained silent, but Christiana seemed willing to engage.

Crossing her arms under her chest, she smiled and said,

"We naturally had to act when we discovered a fleet engaged in prohibited plundering. By the way, I heard you were reprimanding Lieutenant Rodman. What happened?"

"Ah! I acted on my own and engaged in combat with the regular army. It could have led to a significant—"

As Allison began to explain, Claudia, standing diagonally behind Christiana, gave her a sharp look.

"Lieutenant Rodman only took action against a serious violation. There's no need for correction."

"...Huh? B-but, we are currently—"

They were in the middle of a war with the United Kingdom.

Emma's actions could have led to a split in the Imperial Army.

However, Claudia didn't seem to view it as a danger, and neither did Christiana.

"You... weren't you once selected as a candidate for Liam's adjutant? I've heard you've been quite active here."

The mention of being a candidate for adjutant caught Emma's attention.

(Allison is such an amazing person.)

Allison, who was praised, seemed to puff out her chest with pride.

"Thank you. I'm currently serving as the supervisor of this ship."

However, Christiana's smile faded as she continued.

"But your perspective is narrow."

"...Huh?"

"You misunderstand the meaning of this external conflict. Your opinion is correct if you only look at this battlefield. But the one who was right this time was Lieutenant Rodman."

"No way!"

Confused, Allison received a bit of reassurance from Christiana.

"You have a good grasp of the situation. I acknowledge your competence. However, you didn't have the ability to see the bigger picture. That's all."

"The bigger picture?"

Confused, Allison looked to Christiana and Claudia for an explanation, but they didn't seem inclined to provide one.

Emma, who was even more confused, had been perplexed from the start.

"Huh? Wait, was my action correct? But, huh!?"

She thought she was wrong, but the higher-ups deemed her actions correct.

It was no wonder she was confused.

Claudia looked exasperated, but Christiana chuckled.

"Just this time. Don't think you can do the same thing again."

"Yes, ma'am."

Christiana looked at the still-confused Emma with a gentle expression.

"I've been watching you since the incident on Elyas, but I didn't expect you to rise so quickly."

The planet Elyas... where Emma was first dispatched.

"What do you mean by that?"

As Christiana left, she called out to Emma one last time.

"Keep up the good work, Lieutenant Colonel Rodman."

After they left, Emma, who had just been promoted, realized it a few seconds later.

"Huh? Wait, did I just get a promotion!? Is this a mistake or a joke?"

The delay in her realization annoyed Allison.

"It's not a mistake or a joke. I knew you had connections, but you're really something. Why are you still in the technical test team?"

Annoyed, Allison's voice was louder than usual.

Emma, feeling indignant, retorted.

"The Marea is a great team!"

"You just don't know any better! How could you get promoted to lieutenant colonel before me, after creating such a situation! It's so frustrating."

Despite being scolded by Allison, Emma, who had toughened up since her early days, wasn't fazed.

She mockingly placed her hand over her mouth and taunted Allison.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Allison, for getting promoted before you."

She emphasized "lieutenant colonel" sarcastically.

Allison, now outranked by Emma, clenched her fists and trembled.

"...You have a better personality than I thought. But you should be a bit more charming."

Emma, with a serious face, replied.

"That's my line."

【Now on Sale】 That Otome Game Is a Harsh World for Us, Volume 4

【On Sale October 19】 Fairy Bullet - The Mechanized Maiden and the Beast Soldier, Volume 1

Liam (´_ゝ`) "I wish I had such a capable subordinate."

Tia (≧∀≦) "Lady Knight Tia, who fulfills Liam-sama's wishes, is right here!"

Liam (´_ゝ`) "I wish I had one..."

Tia (´∀｀。) "Liam-sama!?"

Liam (´_ゝ`) "..."

*This concludes Chapter 4.

How was Chapter 4? I would be happy if you could leave a comment in the review section.

Also, if you could rate the story at the bottom, it would boost my motivation.

This time, the promotion for the new work, "Fairy Bullet - The Mechanized Maiden and the Beast Soldier, Volume 1," was more prominent than for the main series, "I Am the Wicked Lord of an Interstellar Nation! Volume 9."

I hope to update the main series soon, but the situation is tough for the rest of the year, so I aim to resume posting by spring.

I will announce when I resume posting, so please look forward to it.

Thank you for your continued support!