Vol 2 Chapter 2 (1/1)

Chapter Two Ignition PointIIt was November of last year when Lynch was first called in front of Galactic Empire space Fleet Coramm It was shortly before Reinhard deci Galactic Empire’s territory

After becoraced prisoner in El Facil Starzone (エル・ファシル星域), Lynch had been living in a correctional facility in a frontier star district (辺境星区)Prisoner-of-war camps did not exist in the Empire The officers and ht-criminals who opposed the Empire, and the Eht and morality rehabilitation (思想・道徳の矯正)”The vast facilityfood The Empire kept the border under surveillance and suppliedevery four weeks There was not much interference with the colony of inenerosity Instead, it was et and personnel Even with a conscription system, there were limits to human resources The fact was it would have been imprudent to closely control every corner of the frontier star district If the “thought criminals” killed one another due to internal disputes, the Empire would be appreciative of the efforts that were saved Originally, the Free Planets Alliance generously received the Iical warfare where they provided hands-on education to deime However, after a century and a half of battles, the resources to afford to show-off were long gone Recently, the treatment of the prisoners was soeneral public and that of the prisonLynch and his former subordinates were clustered in one colony When the spacemen who arrived at the correctional facility after hirace at El Facil, the other prisoners started to give him the cold shoulderLynch used liquor as an escape He was so reviled and his position so inexcusable that that was all he could do From the new prisoners, he learned that his wife had left him and returned to her parents with their two children He increasingly drowned himself in liquor, and his reputation slipped further Even his old crew caustThen, a destroyer (駆逐艦) appeared to take him away to the Imperial capital OdinUnlike Yang Wen-li, Marquis Reinhard von Lohengramm had a remarkable appearanceAt the time, he enty years old He was sleek and tall, and he appeared to be an exquisite harrace and fearlessness His luxurious and soer than it was last year, and it was styled in way that resele bleant facial features It was as if he was born with the exclusive love of the Goddess of creation However, the light that caelic, ice-blue eyes was too sharp and too bold Perhaps those were the eyes of Lucifer, the Fallen Angel, as eager to surpass even God“Rear Admiral Lynch”The guards allowed a man to sit down on a chair that was placed in front of Reinhard’s desk Reinhard’s voice lacked ware it for the detestable recreant in front of him“… You are?”“Reinhard von Lohengramm”Lynch opened up his cloudy, blood-shot eyes“Oh, you? You’re young You’re so young Do you know El Facil? I wonder how o it was… You were probably still a kid back then… I was a rear admiral back then…”The blue eyes of the young, tall, red-haired officer standing to the left of Reinhard were colored by disgust and pity“Reinhard, is a man like this useful to us?”“He is useful, Kircheis If not, this man’s life will be worthless”The young, blond hairedof swords and ice“Listen up, Lynch, because I will not repeat this I a you a mission, and you will fulfill it In return, if you are successful, I will give you the position of an Imperial rear admiral”His reaction was slow but certain In the back of his bloodshot, cloudy eyes, a tinker of light could be seen To shake off the poisonous fog of alcohol that surrounded his brain, Lynch shook his head several times“Rear admiral… Ha ha ha, rear admiral, huh…”He licked both his upper and lower lips“That’s not bad So, what do you need me to do?”“Infiltrate your ho malcontents in the military”After a h the air“Heh heh heh… i thissober?”“It is possible Here is the plan If you follow this, you will succeed”Lynch’s eyes were again filled with dull light“But, if I infiltrate and fail, I will die I will definitely die They will kill me…”“If that happens, just die!”Reinhard’s voice cracked through the air like a whip“Do you think your current life has any value? You are a coward You abandoned the civilians you were protecting and your subordinates, and shale person ill defend you Even when you have become this, you still treasure life?”That voice overwhelmed Lynch’s alcohol-affected direat iy of his spirit Lynch’s entire body trembled, and he sat there, drenched in sweat“That’s right, I am a coward…”Hiswas feeble but clear“It is too late to undo the dishonor now If so, I should becohly cowardly, and live shamelessly…”He raised his head Although the turbidity in his eyes did not clear up, there was now a furnace-like fla in the back“Fine, I understand I’ll do it Is it true that you will make me a rear admiral?”There was a fervor in his voice that was reoII“If we are successful with that, Yang will be chasing his domestic problems, and he will not have ti at his red-haired friend after Lynch left“Your wish is my pleasure… If their domestic peace is disturbed, the rebel fleet’s hands will probably be tied”“Peace? That thing called peace, Kircheis Are you referring to the blissful era where incoreatest sin? Just look at those aristocrats,” Reinhard’s remark was causticThe Empire had been in a continuous state of ith the Alliance; however, a them, the aristocrats had enjoyed “peace behind the rampart” While spacemen fell wounded, and trembled with the fear of death in the darkness of the void that spanned several thousand light-years,held under the royal palace’s crystal chandeliers The best chane, red wine marinated venison roast, and chocolate bavarois Pure white Persian cats, blue pearl hairpins, amber wall decor, centuries old white porcelain, black sable furs, jewel studded dresses, and brilliantly colored stained glass…Was this comical contrast between decadence and misery reality?Yes, this was realityTherefore, reality edThis hat the young man with the ice blue eyes felt the first time he went to a ballThis soon became his firm belief as he matured Thereafter, balls and parties became a place for him to observe enemies to defeat After repeated observation, Reinhard reached the conclusion that all the exquisitely dressed nobles were not eneainstHe only confided this impression in Kircheis “I think there is no need to fear the aristocrats”Since then, Kircheis adopted a humble demeanor towards Reinhard”But, we should be cautious against the aristocrats as a whole”After Kircheis said that, Reinhard looked at his best friend in surpriseThe unified intention of a group – even if it was not unified, one could not afford to downplay the alliance forainst a co swords with the ene him in the back“Alright, I’ll be careful,” replied ReinhardReinhard’s slender, sword-like edges had always been enveloped and rounded by his best friendThe other person as able to envelop his sharpness and fierceness was his sister, Annerose, as five years his seniorShe was taken into the late Kaiser Friedrich IV’s hareiven up on the possibility of her own future After the Kaiser bestowed upon her the title of Countess Grünewald, she took Reinhard away from their father, whose personality was nearly bankrupt, and became a supporter of Kircheis, as like a brother to thereatest protector of the twoNow, the once protected grew h the battlefields of space as admirals However, in front of her, the two instantly reverted back to the boys that they were in the far gone past – They were able to return to the glistening days that rapped in sweet translucencySince Late Kaiser Friedrich IV’s unusually disordered life came to an end due to his sudden death, the Galactic E class had been hit by intermittent crustal deformationFirst, the five-year-old toddler, Erwin Josef, becarandson of the late Kaiser Friedrich IV, since his coronation, he had attracted the jealousy and anger of two great noblesThe two great nobles were Duke Otto von Braunschweig (ブラウンシュヴァイク公オットーと) and Marquis Wilhelm von Littenheim (リッテンハイム侯ウィルヘルム) They had hters and fathered his granddaughters They both had been harboring the ahter as the Kaiserin, and ruling the EentWhen that aainst a common enemy, and vowed to retaliate Their ene Kaiser Erwin Josef II: seventy-six-year-old Imperial Prime Minister, Duke Klaus von Lichtenrade and twenty-year-old Marquis Reinhard von LohengrammIn thisclass of the Galactic Empire was forced to split into two factions: the Pro-Kaiser faction of the Lichtenrade – Lohengra – Littenheim coalitionWorrying about the E to protect themselves, many wished to remain neutral, but the insidious situation would not allow them to remain bystanders foreverWhich side should one ally with for survival? Which side was just in their cause? Who had the better chance of success? For thements would be testedWhile emotions initially , they also knew the fact that Reinhard was a genius at war It was not a decision that could be easily made They were desperate to verify the wind’s direction in the valley of emotions and calculations“The aristocrats are running about in confusion Which side is it eous to ally with? They really cannot squeeze out any wisdom This is the famed comedy of recent times”The person Reinhard was speaking to at that time was Imperial space Fleet Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Paul von Oberstein“I probably would not call it a co”Oberstein was not an ienerally believed that his sense of hu While he was still in his ht ocular prostheses had built-in optical coht and thin, and his expression was not so that commanded love and respect The person in question was also unconcerned that he had this type of reputation“In any case, Your Excellency needs only to wait and watch the enele”“Yes, I ait, and I will take my time”Reinhard, of course, did not only wait He used a nue at the odds being against them, so that they would surrender Their hysterical outbursts were just what Reinhard had hoped for Moreover, he used these tactics like a boy chasing a beautiful butterfly He accomplished them with pure passion“It is not necessary to corner the aristocrats,” Reinhard said as he toyed with his best friend’s red hair with his supple fingertips, “It is enough if they believe that they are cornered”As a matter of fact, if the nobles were unified, their th would far exceed Reinhard’s However, in spite of that, they orried that a counterattack would ruin what they had accoer reaction that lacked a sense of balance to be laughableAlthough the brain of Reinhard was not that of a boy, there still rele-mindedly hated his adversaries, but if he was able to find personalities in the other party’s speech or conduct, even if it was not so that could be called beautiful, he would beco was not seen in the aristocrats, and Reinhard found that to be soIIICount Franz von Mariendorf (マリーンドルフ伯フランツ) was a gentle and sensible person whom his county residents were confident inHe was at his wit’s end in regards toup his mind about how to deal with the current situation If possible, he wished to remain neutral, but would that really be feasible?This day, his eldest daughter, Hilda, came home from her university in OdinThe count’s daughter, Hildegard von Mariendorf(ヒルデガルド・フォン・マリーンドルフ), or Hilda (ヒルダ), had just turned twentyHer dark blond hair was short and sporty, and she had an angular but beautiful face If it were not for her vividly shi+ning blueish green eyes, one ence and vitality burst through her eyes, giving others the impression of a richly adventurous boy“Miss Hilda, you seeood spirits”An old man with shi+ny pink cheeks bowed his obese body and welcomed her into the house“You look well too! Hans(ハンス), where is my father?”“In the solarium (サンルーム) Would you like to be announced?”“It’s okay, I will just go in myself Ah, may I have a cup of coffee?”Except for the pink scarf tied around her collar, the way the count’s daughter dressed was no different from that of a man She walked down the hallway in a rhythmic paceA sofa was placed by ain the large solariuht under the sunlight He raised his head at the sound of his daughter’s voice, and motioned her over with a smile“Father, what are you thinking about?”“H deal”“That is reassuring The fate of the Galactic Empire and the future of the Mariendorf fa deal”Count Franz von Mariendorf involuntarily shook his large bodyHe looked at his daughter with a stern expression Hilda looked back at her fatherfor her father to elaborateThe housekeeper, Hans, came over with coffee on a silver tray After he left, the silence continued, until it was broken by the daughter“So, have you arrived at a decision? Father?”“I hope to remain neutral However, if I absolutelyI am an Imperial noble, and…”“Father!” With a sharp voice and expression, the daughter interrupted the father The father looked at the daughter, surprised Her bluish green eyes were shi+ning vigorously, like flaemstones It was peculiarly beautiful“There is a fact that s that were born will surely die Nations also must face death Since civilization was born on the surface of the tiny planet named Terra, there was not one country that did not face destruction Why will the Galactic Empire’s Goldenbaum Dynasty become the only exception?”“Hilda! Whoa, Hilda…”“The Goldenbaum Dynasty had already been in existence for five hundred years,” the audacious daughter using past tense to describe the dynasty “During that tied in power and wealth, and dominated all of mankind for more than two hundred years They also killed people, robbed other fahters, and enacted laws that were convenient to themselves…”She was so passionate she almost slammed the table“They always did only what they wanted to If their time were to come to an end, who could they possibly blaive thanks to the five hundred years of prosperity, and it is only natural for them to lose it all”The gentle father was stunned by the revolutionary-like violence of this iy and countered“However, Hilda, do you have a reason for ramm?”“I do”“What is it?”The tone of the father’s question was full of suspicion, and there was a muffled call for support“There are four reasons Will you hear me out?” The father nodded, and the daughter began to explain the following:One Marquis Lohengramm supported the new Kaiser He therefore had a justification to subjugate those who transgressed against the Kaiser and disobeyed his co and Marquis Littenhei to raise war to further personal ambitionsTwo Duke Braunschweig had rallied the hty If the House of Mariendorf were to participate, it would be taken lightly By contrast, the Lohengramm camp was outnumbered If the House of Mariendorf joined in, not only would the Lohengramm force be enhanced, there would also be a political effect; therefore, he enerouslyThree Duke Braunschweig and Marquis Littenheim only joined forces temporarily, and they lack the intention to cooperate Above all, as critical was that their fleets’ chain-of-coramm’s camp was mobilized under a unified chain-of-co the way, the inevitable outcome was apparentFour Marquis Reinhard von Lohengramm was not born a noble The popularity of hih The spacemen of both camps were commoners This was not just a war of officers On the contrary, the result of the spacemen’s collective resentment towards the noble-birth officers ’s camp, and there may even be a possibility that the camp would collapse internally…“How about it, Father?”When Hilda finished, Count Mariendorf just wiped his sweat in silence He was not able to refute his daughter“I think the House of Mariendorf should support the winner, Marquis Lohengramm As a proof of our loyalty, we should offer hie”“It is fine if we have to concede the territory, but we cannot put up a hostage Such a thing…”“What if someone volunteers?”“But ould…?” After he said that, Count Mariendorf was taken aback“No way, you…”“Yes, I will go”“Hilda!”The father was anguished, but the daughter was iar and cream to her coffee She was confident that she did not have a predisposition to obesity“I arateful to you, Father I think you have raisedera”“……”“Although I cannot change history, I can ascertain how history shi+fts and how people live and die in it”Hilda finished her coffee and stood up She held her father’s head, and nestled against the luster-less brown hair“Father, please do not worry I will protect the House of Mariendorf by any means and at any cost”“I will leave it in your hands,” the father said, cal to his voice “Whatever the result, I will not regret it It is not necessary for you to sacrifice yourself for the House of Mariendorf Rather, consider using the House of Mariendorf as a tool to expand the paths of your life Okay?”“Father…”“Take care of your health…”The daughter changed the angle of her face, planted a kiss on her father’s forehead, and then left the solariu butterflyIVAfter a six-day journey, Hilda arrived on the capital planet Odin From her perspective, it was more accurate to state that she had returned She had been living in Odin for nearly four yearsHilda went directly from the space port to Reinhard’s fleet admiral’sued After all, she could rest for as long as she wished to after this“Fraulein (フロイライン), do you have an appoint officer wearing a na of Sub-lieutenantLücke (リュッケ中尉) asked“No, I do not, but this is a matter that concerns the lives and hopes of a lot of people I believe His Excellency the fleet admiral will definitely see me Will you please help me notify him?”The beautiful woh thirty percent of that was fro – seemed to arouse Sub-lieutenant Lücke’s chivalry He asked her to wait, and then contacted several places Eventually, he returned with a joyous smile as if it was a matter of personal importance“It seems that he will meet with you Please take the fourth elevator to the tenth floor”“Thank you, thank you for all of your help!” Hilda said this with sincerity She then boarded the weapon-detecting elevatorOn that day, Reinhard had been waiting for a report, and the report had not shown up after a long time When he learned that there was an attractive woh he had never valued beautiful wo at the makeup-less, natural born beauty Hilda, as unexpectedly unlike hters, he was just a little impressed“It is regrettable that Kircheis is not here,” Reinhard said after sitting down on the drawing room sofa“He has some relationshi+p with the Mariendorf family Did you know?”“Yes, of course He savedlast year’s Castrop Rebellion (カストロプ動乱) Although, we have yet to meet”“Right, so how can I be of service?”Reinhard carried over the coffee tray like a military preparatory school student, and when he picked up the crea this civil war, the House of Mariendorf will ally with you, Marquis Lohengramm”Reinhard’s hands stopped for only a moment, and then he casually finished the series of motions“This civil war?”“The one you are having with Duke Braunschweig tomorrow”“You are an audacious person If that were to happen, I would not necessarily win Even then you wish to side with me?”Hilda adjusted her breathing, and then repeated to the young fleet adiven her father Reinhard’s ice blue eyes beamed“You have stunning insight Good If what you mentioned were to happen, I do want an ally I will certainly repay your kindness Of course I will treat the Mariendorf family well, and I also proenerously”“With Marquis Lohengraenerous words, ill easily be able to persuade our relatives and acquaintances”“I alad that you want to be my ally There is not much that I can do for you, but it is a matter of course that I will reward you for your hard work and your courage If there is so that I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask”“Well, by the grace of your words, I do have one wish”“Please go ahead”“’As a reward for the House of Mariendorf’s loyalty, I hereby grant them their family property and their territory’ We would like to receive an official docuuarantee”“Oh? An official document?” Reinhard’s tone became cautious He looked at Hilda a little differently than he had up to this point Fearlessly, the daughter of Count Mariendorf looked back at the young authorityAfter a short consideration, Reinhard said, “That is fine I will have the document delivered today”“Thank you very much” Reverently, Hilda lowered her head, “The House of Mariendorf pledges absolute loyalty to Your Excellency We will strive to serve Your Excellency with everything in our power”“I look forward to it By the way, daughter of Count Mariendorf, Fraulein Mariendorf”“Yes?”“Will the other nobles that you persuade need siuarantees?”“For those who ask for it independently, you ht want to, but I see no need to provide it to the others,” the tone of Hilda’s voice was not listless“Well, well…” Reinhard laughedHis intention was to wipe out the old regime that supported the Goldenbaued in over five centuries of privileges, and he was not interested in allowing theime When he held absolute power, except for those ere exceptionally useful, the other ones ed, or they would be tossed out to the populace who sought their blood Those without the ability to survive must perish This was the belief of Rudolf whom their ancestors served It was karmaHilda caned official docunized that Unlike a verbal agreement, an official docuard the docued, it would also cause distrust in the power structure itselfWhat Hilda was stating was that the terms were only requested with respect to her own family, and “with respect to other nobles, they are at youras I’oism It was to express that she had no intention to stand in solidarity with the old aristocratsThis woIt seemed that from the thousands of Imperial aristocrats, there finally appeared one talent orthy of praise The person was only twenty years old, and h Reinhard was only a year older than herReinhard thought of the iconic people of the ti to an end, and it was not just ending in the E of the Free Planets Alliance only just turned thirty, and the Dominion of Fezzan’s Landesherr Rubinsky was also only forty years oldNevertheless, this woman…Reinhard stared at Hilda again, and was about to speakAt that moment, a noise was heard from outside the door, and a senior officer rushed in, his face flushed with excite the door“Your Excellency! The dissenting aristocrats finally e Karl Gustav Keed to Reinhard’s fleet admiral’s mansion A former ace, these days he was renowned as a brave commanderReinhard stood up, as he had been waiting for this report Hilda could not help but watch his supple movement“Fraulein Mariendorf, it was a pleasure ether some time”For a ave Hilda a curious lookVThe aristocrats who opposed the Lichtenrade – Lohengrarounds of Duke Braunschweig’s villa in Odin The reason for the gathering was a garden party and an auction of ancient paintings, but in the underground chaainst the tyranny of Marquis LohengraatheredThis was known as the “Lippstadt Treaty (リップシュタット盟約),” and the aristocrat-comprised military that was born to this event was referred to as the “Lippstadt Aristocrat Coalition (リップシュタット貴族連合)”Three thousand seven hundred forty aristocrats participated The suular fleet and the private fleet totaled twenty five million six hundred thousand spacemenThe coalition leader was Duke Otto von Braunschweig, and the deputy leader was Marquis LittenheimNearly four thousand aristocrats’ names were on the petition that fiercely conde that the sacred iven to the “chosen people,” the traditional aristocrats“Our God Odin will protect us There is no doubt that the victory of justice will be ours,” the document concluded“Well, will Our God Odin really protect the Kempff’s report, and scanned the faces of his subordinates who had gatheredSiegfried Kircheis was present Oberstein was present The other admirals that were present were the preeminent, talented commanders of the entire Imperial Fleet“To ask for God’s protection frousted with them”“If they offer up a beautiful virgin as sacrifice, then it is different, but Duke Braunschill probably seize her himself”MitterhterWolfgang Mitterile physique that was fit and well-rounded He had badly tarey eyes that were rich with vitality There was not a person as able tolast year’s Battle of A eneuard of his fleet ended up intruding into the eneuard Thereafter, he was honored with the nickname, “Gale Wolf (Wolfe der Sturm, 疾風ウォルフ, ウォルフ・デア・シュトルム)”Oskar von Reuenthal was a tall h he was quite a handsome man, what amazed others was that the colors of his two eyes were different He had a genetic condition called “heterochroht eye was black, and his left eye was blue He was nicknamed “de Amritsar and other battles, and his operational cohly appreciatedFritz Joseph Bittenfeld had long, orange hair and thin brown eyes His narrow face contrasted with his burly physique, and it gave people soruity He was a fierce ad the name of his fleet, “The Black Lancers (Schwartz Lanzenreiter, 黒色槍騎兵, シュワルツ・ランツェンレイター),” frightened his enemies However, he somewhat lacked flexibility when it came to fleet utilization, and it was a disservice to his allies during AmritsarBesides theust Saer (エルネスト・メックリンガー), Neidhart Müller (ナイトハルト・ミュラー), and Ulrich Kesler (ウルリッヒ・ケスラー) These were the commanders of the Reinhard Fleet Their personalities were different, but they were all young, and they were the most valuable assets Reinhard hadSpeaking of assets, the country had been in a financial crisis due the prolonged war and political chaos, but Reinhard said, “The financial crisis can be resolved in one fell swoop”Reinhard did not state this irresponsibly In the Empire, billions of Imperial marks of financial resources outside of Imperial properties remained untouchedProperties of aristocrats…An estimate had already been done If the assets of Duke Braunschweig, Marquis Littenheim, and the aristocrats who supported them were confiscated in their entirety, and appropriate taxes such as inheritance tax, fixed asset tax, and progressive income tax were levied on the other aristocrats, the amount of htly over ten trillion Imperial marksHowever, once an aristocrat became an ally, there would be a political need to provide leniency Fro that most aristocrats supported the enemyThe dispossession of the aristocrats’ properties was not just to meet the financial needs of the country The aristocrats who possessed enormous properties, paid no taxes, and lived opulently, had aer and antipathy over the last five hundred yearsReinhard had to calerReinhard certainly intended to reform the political and social environment, but those would co the Goldenbaum Dynasty The Goldenbaum Dynasty must not be revitalized as a result of political and social reformThe Goldenbauh bloodshed and inferno That was a sacred pledge he had ly ruler deprived hie that Siegfried Kircheis also sharedEugen Richter (オイゲン・リヒター) and Karl Braque (カール・ブラッケ) had been seen as the leaders of the Reforh they were aristocrats, they voluntarily omitted the preposition, “von (フォン),” in their names as a representation of their convictionReinhard suressive, “Social Economic Reconstruction Plan (社会経済再建計画)” That was early March, approxinedAfter leaving Reinhard, the two could not help but to look at each other“Marquis Lohengraain popular support as a Reforainst the nobles,” Richter said, and Braque nodded“True, and we are being taken advantage of to further his a to say We cannot refuse hie him?”“Just a e of us, I do not think itti done under?”“That is true, but…”“Fro advantage of Marquis Lohengramm We have ideals and policies, but no power nor arramm has thenates like Duke Braunschweig Is that not true, Braque?”“Certainly If Duke Braunschweig is to seize power, the political and social digression will be plainly seen…”Richter patted Braque on the shoulders “In short, Marquis Lohengra, we should cooperate and work together Even if it is a little, we should move society in a better direction”Braque cocked his head at Richter’s words“But, while it will be good if Marquis Lohengrahtened attitude souarantee that he will not change radically and turn into a despotic dictator”Richter nodded solemnly, “Yes, and for the sake of that ti citizens who can criticize and resist Marquis Lohengramm when he abandons his posture as a Reformist”VIThe aristocrats ere allied by the Lippstadt Treaty had a large nuanization A unified coic initiative, and a unified ement and supply replenishe Reinhard’s geniusIn terms of order, firstly, the commander-in-chief of the combat forces anization and the arrangen and initiative Originally, Duke Braunschas going to assume the position of the coued that the position should be given to a combat operations expert“High Admiral Merkatz has the experience and is well respected, so he should be the coood for the coalition leader to show up on the frontline himself”It was obvious that Marquis Littenhei ument was sound, it was not possible to reject it “High Adreed Duke Braunschweig silenced his dissent to demonstrate that he was a tolerant person He courteously extended his invitation to Merkatz, and appealed for Merkatz to become the combat-commander-in-chief of the aristocrat coalition forceHigh Admiral Willibald Joachim von Merkatz (ウィリバルト・ヨアヒム・フォン・メルカッツ) was a nearly fifty-nine-year-old veteran who possessed glorious deed-of-valors and adroit, reliable, and air-tight coside Reinhard during the Battle of Astarte, and he was known to be one of the first people to recognize the prodigyMerkatz did not easily consent to the position after Duke Braunschweig made the requestHe opposed this pointless battle from the onset, and when conflict became inevitable, he attempted to defend his neutralityMerkatz refused, but Duke Braunschweig did not give up The leader had personally negotiated, and was refused Merkatz’s act harmed the authority of the leaderThe duke preached genuine loyalty to the Ely tinged with the color of intimidation When the contents of their discussion touched on the subject of family safety, Merkatz finally yielded“In that case, in spite of my lack of ability, I will undertake this duty However, I would like the lords to be aware of two conditions As far as cooes, I will be entrusted with full authority, so the chain-of-command is centralized In accordance with this, no h a person’s status is, he must heed my commands Those who disobey my commands will be punished by military law It is i”“Sure, I a nodded, and provided a banquet to entertain the new commanderThe guest of honor, Merkatz, returned to his office late at night after the feast, extremely heavy heartedHis adjutant, Lieutenant Commander Bernhard von Schneider (ベルンハルト・フォン・シュナイダー少佐), wondered, “Your Excellency just became the commander-in-chief of the coalition force, and did the leader not consent to both conditions? I also think that leading a large fleet to fight against a formidable enemy is the dream of every military man Then, why the somber expression?”Merkatz chuckledIndeed, Duke Braunschweig agreed to the conditions, but only verbally Soon, he will intervene in combat operations Additionally, even if you attempt to subject them to military law, they will not submit obediently When that happens, they will probably hate ramm”“No way…”“Privilege is the worst poison that can rot the spirits of people Grand nobles like theenerations Justifying the others have becoh my status is low, I am still an aristocrat Before I came into contact with the junior spacemen in the military, I did not notice that either I hope they realize it before Marquis Lohengramm’s sword falls over their heads, but…”After the faithful, young, smoky blond haired officer left, Merkatz turned towards his desk, and cluan to operate the word processor He wanted to write a letter to his wife and childrenIt was a farewell letterVIIA’s subordinates, there were people ere atte to avoid a full confrontation between the Reinhard camp and the anti-Reinhard camp This notion did not co that they had no chance of success if they were to battle ReinhardCo the, and abiding teued that they should attempt to assassinate Reinhard in order to avoid battle“Do not say so that stupid!” the Duke dismissed it with one sentence“But, Your Excellency…”“I have gathered here a oing to nobly defeat that blond boy head on This will dehteousness and merits to Marquis Littenheiest that I assassinate hih mud?”“Your Excellency, this is difficult for rahting hinificant Moreover, if we scorch the entire Empire e will harm the public Therefore, please reconsider”Duke Braunschweig answered Streit’s appeal with anger He angrily shouted, “What do you mean by ‘even if ere to win?’ I have no use for those who do not believe in our victory If you treasure your life so etables!”After Streit disappointedly excused himself, a man by the name of Captain Fellner (フェルナー大佐) also sub He passionately preached terrorism by the few, “There is no need for a military of several million spacemen We just need to train three hundred spacee them If you lend ramm”“Silence! Are you saying that I cannot win against the blond boy?”“Your Excellency, please consider that if the Empire is bisected and falls into a civil war, the devastation will be tremendous, and the winner will undoubtedly also sustain loss Marquis Lohengramm aims to destroy and rebuild, but Your Excellency is supposed to have an obligation to ime T