Chapter 27

The novel "I Am the Wicked Lord of an Interstellar Nation! Volume 7" will be released on May 25th!!

There was a bar where one could enjoy the city's night view.

A man and a woman were sitting at the counter, talking with the night view behind them.

The man, who looked somewhat irritated, was dressed in an expensive suit.

His name was River, a salesman known as Mr. River.

However, he belonged to the Argland Empire's weapons factory.

With a slightly furrowed brow, he looked at the woman next to him.

"The failure of the attack on the Seventh Weapons Factory was very regrettable."

River emphasized the word "very," and the woman who shrugged was Shirena.

She was a seductive adult woman, currently wearing a revealing outfit.

She was beautiful, and not only the men in the bar but even the women couldn't help but be captivated by Shirena.

She was shaking the glass of cocktail and observing the scene.

"We caused damage and even destroyed the prototype. That's an achievement."

Shirena, who replied without any remorse, made River's tone stronger.

"You say that so easily."

River sighed and then drank the alcohol in his glass.

After regaining his composure, River prepared an image in front of Shirena.

It was a long text, but Shirena understood it at a glance.

"The rumor that the Banfield family is supporting Prince Cleo is true, then."

Shirena, who took a sip of her drink, made River slightly disappointed.

"For someone of your caliber, you don't know much."

"I just returned to work recently. Rather, what do you want us to do this time?"

Shirena is a mercenary.

She leads the Daria Mercenary Corps.

It is a large-scale mercenary group with over a thousand warships and more than three thousand mobile knights.

She commands a large mercenary corps with hundreds of thousands of personnel.

Moreover, she is also a senior officer in the giant mercenary organization, Vulture.

Daria is a subordinate organization of Vulture, a secondary group.

River told Shirena some information.

"Currently, the succession dispute between Prince Cleo and Prince Linus is heating up. Due to Prince Linus's proposal, the Banfield family is under economic sanctions."

The imperial noble who incurred the prince's wrath is being punished.

That's all there is to it, but the problem is the noble who incurred the prince's wrath.

The Banfield family.

The most influential earl's family in the empire, and a topic of constant discussion.

And it is a family with a history of enmity for both of them.

River explained the request to Shirena.

"The Banfield family seems to have started trading with other countries. One of them is the Rustwar Unified Government."

Upon hearing the name of the unified government, Shirena was slightly surprised.

"The relationship between the imperial nobles and the unified government is like oil and water."

The unified government adopts a democratic system, which is incompatible with the empire's aristocratic system.

It's not that they dislike each other, but rather that they cannot understand each other due to the difference in political systems.

To the unified government, the empire, with its low human rights awareness, is an unbelievable interstellar nation.

And to the empire, democracy is an insane political system.

The two countries continue to glare at each other with fortresses on their borders.

There have been many minor skirmishes, and they are the worst possible trading partners.

For River, the fact that the Banfield family is trading with the unified government is evidence that they are in a tight spot.

"They must be grasping at straws."

"Then, what do you want me to do?"

"--- The Newlands Trading Company is officially heading to the unified government for trade."

The Newlands Trading Company is one of the major trading companies operating in the empire.

They mainly do business with local nobles and have their own network within the empire.

Shirena had used their services several times.

"I don't think the Newlands Trading Company would side with the Banfield family."

"One of their executives is cooperating. His name is Patrice Newlands. He is a senior member of the founding family and has personal connections with the Banfield family."

After hearing River's explanation, Shirena understood.

"One of the executives has made a big bet. So, are you telling me to attack the Newlands Trading Company's fleet? I'm sorry, but I have to decline."

(If the Banfield family is involved in the trade, it wouldn't be surprising if their escort fleet is there. My mercenary corps is still in the process of rebuilding, and I don't want to fight them.)

As a leader, Shirena wanted to avoid a battle with no chance of winning, but there was a person who stuck in her heart like a thorn.

--- Emma Rodman.

A dreamy female knight who aspires to be a righteous knight.

When Emma's face came to mind, Shirena made a bitter expression.

(To be so fixated on a little girl like that, I still have a long way to go.)

Shirena sighed softly, and River shook his head.

"I don't think your mercenary corps can defeat the Banfield family's fleet either."

River's assessment was correct.

The Banfield family's private army is known for its strength within the empire.

If they were to fight head-on, the Daria Mercenary Corps would be no match.

"If we weren't in the process of rebuilding, I could have succeeded in the attack."

River smiled sardonically at Shirena's bravado.

"That's a shame. Now, let's get to the main point. I would like you to handle transportation and negotiation. The destination is---"

Shirena sighed softly after hearing the destination from River.

Then, she downed the cocktail in her glass in one go.

◇

There was a fleet heading for the Rustwar Unified Government.

Three super-large transport ships, each several kilometers long, owned by the Newlands Trading Company.

They were cylindrical transport ships, loaded with a large amount of supplies.

Surrounding them were 600 warships providing escort.

The escort was provided by a fleet dispatched from the Banfield family.

Among the fleet was the light aircraft carrier Melea.

Melea, which had undergone modifications at the Seventh Weapons Factory, had a reduced number of mobile knights.

This was because it had been modified into a technical test ship, equipped with devices unrelated to combat.

Nevertheless, its performance had significantly improved compared to before the modifications.

Moreover, the latest and most advanced mobile knights, the detuned Raccoon for general pilots, were also deployed at the Seventh Weapons Factory.

The reborn Melea after the modifications.

And the latest mobile knights.

The fleet was equipped with a variety of equipment that even the empire's regular military would envy.

In the center of Melea's hangar, the mobile knight Atalante, which had a dedicated hangar, was present.

Atalante, which had successfully completed development testing, was officially assigned to Lieutenant Emma Rodman.

In front of Atalante, two girls were standing.

In the zero-gravity hangar, Private First Class Molly Barrell was floating in a work uniform.

She was wearing a jumpsuit, but had taken off the upper part and wrapped it around her waist.

She was covering her large chest with the fabric, leaving the rest exposed.

Molly looked tired.

"Once the development tests are over, they immediately send us into actual combat. The higher-ups are really harsh."

The person she was talking to was Lieutenant Emma Rodman.

Despite her rank, she gave the impression of a very energetic girl.

Her brown hair was cut in a bob, and her face still had a youthful look.

However, her youthfulness had gradually faded due to her experience in actual combat.

In contrast to Molly's complaints, she accepted the situation.

"That's proof that we're highly expected. After all, we have the latest and most advanced mobile knights!"

Looking at the Raccoons lined up in the hangar, Emma puffed out her chest.

She had a well-shaped chest, though smaller than Molly's.

Seeing the proud Emma, Molly smiled wryly.

"Sure, it's better than before---but the core is still the same Melea, right?"

"Ugh!"

Emma, who had been hit where it hurt, clutched her chest.

Indeed, while the mobile knights were the latest models, the pilots were the same.

The crew lacked motivation, and the pilots didn't even train properly.

Emma interlaced her fingers.

"At least they're training more than before."

"But it only lasted for three days. Doug and Larry have returned to their old lifestyles. Well, at least the ship is cleaner now. The only downside is that the space has become smaller, right?"

Molly, who used to collect and modify debris, now lacked the space to do so in the hangar.

Molly seemed unsatisfied.

"It's smaller than before. ---Is it really more lonely?"

Occasionally, the crew would say that the old Melea was more comfortable to live in.

The living environment had improved after the modifications, and the facilities were updated and cleaned up.

However, some crew members were not pleased with the changes.

But Molly smiled, showing her teeth.

"Now, I can touch Atalante and Raccoon, so it's fine."

"Ahaha, that's so like Molly."

Seeing Molly's enthusiasm for the new mobile knights, Emma also smiled.

A young man flew over to the two of them.

A well-mannered young man with golden hair and blue eyes, Russell Bonner.

His rank was captain.

Russell, who had studied at the same knight school as Emma, approached her with a stern look.

"You seem to be having quite a good time, lieutenant."

"Russell!? ---Captain!"

Russell was also a classmate of Emma's from the knight school.

When Russell stopped by putting his hand on a nearby pillar, Molly whispered to Emma.

"Who is he?"

"A classmate."

Seeing Emma's troubled expression, Molly seemed to understand.

To avoid interrupting their conversation, Molly moved away from the two.

Russell glanced at Molly's attire, blushed slightly, and looked away, clearing his throat.

"What's going on with this ship!? Stop letting her wander around the hangar in her underwear."

Seeing Russell's reaction, Emma smiled wryly.

"I've warned her many times---"

(She doesn't listen to me!)

The Melea was a place where unmotivated military personnel were sent.

Russell looked displeased.

"It's not just Private First Class Molly. Your squad and the others aren't doing proper training. They don't follow the rules on the ship, and they drink alcohol even during missions."

As he spoke, Russell's face turned red with anger.

Emma wanted to agree, but she couldn't be honest due to Russell's attitude.

"This is as good as it gets!"

"Is this the best you can do!?"

Surprised by Emma's response, Russell sighed and covered his eyes with his right hand.

"I thought you might have improved a bit after being assigned the prototype development, but this is all you can do. It seems you are not fit to be a knight."

Before being assigned to her post, Emma had been told the same thing by Russell at the knight school.

Remembering that scene, Emma clenched her fists.

"I can ride a mobile knight and have been in battle! What more do you want from me?"

Why doesn't Russell recognize me?

As this question arose, Russell looked at Emma's face.

"Look at this unit. As a knight, you can't even manage your own squad properly. Being a knight is not just about fighting."

As their argument continued, the crew of the Melea gathered in the hangar.

They gathered out of curiosity, amused by the argument between the knights.

Russell, looking at the crew, gave them a disdainful look and warned Emma.

"No matter how much the Banfield family updates their equipment, if the core is rotten, it's meaningless. It seems you have also become rotten without realizing it."

After observing the situation on the Melea, Russell left, having sensed something.

Watching his back, Emma raised her voice.

"What!? We are not rotten!"

[Report] The website I used for emoticons has disappeared, so unfortunately, the epilogue theater has been discontinued.