Chapter 37

I am the Wicked Lord of the Interstellar Nation! The latest Volume 7 is now on sale and receiving great reviews!

This time, I have revised the web version and added 100,000 words, so I believe you will enjoy it!

I hope you will check it out.

---

The transport ship that was attacked by the Daria Mercenary Corps was the one Patrice was on.

Amid the shouts of the captain and crew, Patrice watched the mercenary corps that had launched the attack.

Frowning at the image of the mobile knights displayed on the monitor,

"Of all things, to be attacked by the Daria Mercenary Corps—what bad luck."

The captain, who had been listening to Patrice's words, agreed.

"Since they are a well-known mercenary corps, they are more troublesome than the rebel forces that attacked us."

While the rebel forces trained during the Unified Government era are also troublesome, Patrice understood that the well-known mercenary corps that have wreaked havoc in various places are even more formidable.

The escort mobile knights are buying time, but they are being defeated one after another by the Goldrakoon.

The mobile knights, which can create illusions in space and even deceive radar, are a troublesome opponent.

From their silhouette, they appear to be a dull, heavily armored machine, but the performance developed by the Seventh Weapon Factory as the next generation is not for show.

Moreover, the Goldrakoon is manufactured as a backup for Liam.

Unlike other mass-produced machines, it has been modified, so its performance is 20% to 30% better.

While watching the escort machines being destroyed one after another, the bridge operator informed them with a slightly excited voice.

"The escort fleet reports that a light carrier is approaching!"

Upon visually confirming the approaching friendly light carrier, Patrice sighed in relief.

"This will buy us some time."

However, she also thought,

(A single light carrier. Against the Daria Mercenary Corps, it's not enough. I hope the main force will come to our rescue while they are buying time.)

As a merchant, Patrice calmly analyzed in her mind that a single light carrier would not be enough to suppress the Daria Mercenary Corps.

---

Dag, who had been dispatched to rescue the transport ship, was anxious in the cockpit.

"These guys are skilled!"

The enemy mobile knights, classified as small, seem to have inferior performance compared to the Raccoon he is riding.

However, the skill of the pilots was different.

Experienced enemy pilots, some of whom have the same level of skill as knights.

Dag, who is fighting with a Raccoon equipped with a beam gatling gun, could not catch the agile enemy machines.

(It's not the machine's performance. Is it my lack of skill?)

Dag has also used the training capsule, and the method of operating the Raccoon is ingrained in his mind.

His body was also enhanced during that time, but his lazy lifestyle has made it worse.

The effect of the training capsule is significant, but unused knowledge is forgotten, and without training, the body becomes sluggish.

Therefore, he cannot fully utilize the Raccoon's performance.

It wasn't just Dag.

"Can't hit them!? Molly, isn't the setting too loose!?"

Lary, who is riding a Raccoon with a rifle, complained to Molly, who is the operator.

To which Molly retorted,

"It's because Lary slacks off during adjustments! Besides, you don't have enough operational time!"

The start-up knight has a function to support the pilot.

It collects the pilot's data and adjusts it.

The more you ride, the better the compatibility between the pilot and the machine.

However, the pilots of Melea, who had been slacking off in training and adjustments, were struggling to operate the machines.

If it were a weaker opponent, they could have overwhelmed them with performance, but the opponent is the experienced Daria Mercenary Corps.

None of the seven squad machines that were dispatched could fully utilize the Raccoon's performance.

They are all experienced pilots who have been riding start-up knights for years.

Everyone knew the cause.

Dag was one of them.

(I didn't know my skills had rusted so much.)

He had some confidence somewhere.

He thought the experience he had accumulated as a pilot for hundreds of years was still there, but when the lid was opened, there was nothing.

The effort he had put in and the experience he had gained had rotted during the period of inactivity.

He could hear Emma's voice in his head.

(If you neglect daily training, your skills will decline! ——I thought what that girl was saying, but she was right.)

Until now, he could blame the machine, but riding the cutting-edge Raccoon forced him to understand.

Then, a golden machine approached the Raccoon Dag was riding.

"Is this the stolen one!"

The gatling gun was deflected by the Goldrakoon's left arm, and the communication line was opened by the contact.

Apparently, the stolen part was heard.

"Maybe you were in that battlefield?"

"Damn!"

While grinding his teeth, he tried to shake off the enemy, but the machine's performance was different.

The enemy pilot was a beautiful woman, but she had a cold look in her eyes.

"Is the pilot of that Atlante there? Will you tell me? Or will you come out if I kill you?"

Dag, thinking of Emma, whom he had said was useless and did not dispatch, spat out.

"Killing me won't do any good."

(They look down on us ordinary soldiers. Just like the old superiors and upper echelons. She won't come to help.)

Emma, who had abandoned them, would not come to their rescue.

Sirena raised the left arm of the Goldrakoon and aimed it at the cockpit.

(Here it ends. Just because I insisted on my pride—)

Regretting his insistence on pride, his heart felt somewhat relieved.

(—But, it wasn't bad. Miss—You've caused me trouble.)

He remembered the captain with a strong sense of justice, who was a hassle to be with.

Then, he heard the captain's voice.

"I won't let my comrades be killed!"

---

Emma, who was planning to return to Melea, rushed to the rescue upon learning the situation.

Upon finding the Goldrakoon fighting with Dag's machine, she kicked it away with the Atlante.

During this, the communication line was opened, and Sirena kept the line connected.

"It's been a while. I've missed you."

"Of course it's you."

The Atlante aimed two pistols, and the Goldrakoon raised its left arm to attack.

The accelerating Goldrakoon swung its left arm.

It looked like a crude attack, but one hit would damage the Atlante.

She deflected the attack with the two pistols while they talked.

"That machine belongs to the Banfield family. I will take it back."

"I like it except for the appearance. If you want it, you'll have to take it back or kill me."

She blocked the Goldrakoon's kick with the two pistols but was blown away by the force.

Emma was sweating in the cockpit.

(As expected, she's strong. Besides, the energy reserves are insufficient. I only have a few shots left—Moreover, I can't use Overload anymore.)

The Atlante, which had been rampaging in an overloaded state, was now in a cooldown period.

Forcing it into an overloaded state would break it from the inside.

(I pushed it too hard when breaking through the encirclement.)

Without a trump card, Sirena is a tough opponent, and Emma understood that.

Sirena seemed to feel the same way.

"Oh, you're not using your trump card? Or can't you? You seem to have pushed it quite a bit."

Sirena noticed that the Atlante had just finished a fierce battle and that it had not received proper supplies and maintenance.

The Goldrakoon attacked, realizing that it had not received proper supplies and maintenance.

"What a pity. I wanted to defeat you when you used your trump card."

"!"

---

The Atlante and the Goldrakoon were fighting.

Lary, who was watching, shouted at Emma.

"Why aren't you using your trump card!"

The answer came from Molly, who was the operator of the squad.

"Don't be unreasonable! It's not a function you can use multiple times. Besides, you haven't received proper supplies."

For a moment, Lary thought, "You should have done that much," but he quickly realized.

"—For us? Why is she here in such a state!?"

The arrogant knight who looked down on them—now, she was fighting the enemy recklessly to help them.

Confused, Lary's Raccoon was approached by a machine.

It was Nevan, ridden by Yorm.

"Do you want to die on the battlefield? If so, I'll take your rifle and remaining ammunition."

Nevan took the Raccoon's weapons, and since it was also a Banfield family machine, the lock was immediately released.

Nevan, who had not received proper supplies and maintenance, began to destroy enemy machines.

(He's strong. But, who are these guys? Why are they helping us!?)

Yorm was not the only one present.

Russell was also there.

He had taken weapons from a Raccoon that could no longer move and was fighting the small start-up knights of the Daria Mercenary Corps.

"Yorm, prioritize rescuing allies! Chalmer! Given the situation, I need you to fight with special allowances!"

Chalmer, who made a reluctant sound, followed the order.

"Yes, yes. I'll fight without you saying. Besides, if the transport ship is destroyed, my evaluation will also drop."

Chalmer was fighting the start-up knight, which seemed to be ridden by a knight, with a battle axe received from the Raccoon.

Russell was giving orders to the two while commanding the battlefield and fighting.

"Damaged machines, fall back!"

Upon hearing this, Lary headed to recover Dag's machine.

"Dag! If you don't have weapons, let's fall back together!"

"—A, ah."

Hearing Dag's dazed voice, Lary sighed in relief, confirming his safety.

While leaving the battlefield, he watched the fight between the Atlante and the Goldrakoon.

"Is she going to fight the enemy ace like that?"

He thought it was reckless.

He should return to Melea immediately, get weapons, and then head for the rescue.

However, the Atlante was—fighting the Goldrakoon on equal terms.

---

(What is this girl!?)

In the cockpit of the Goldrakoon—Chimera, Sirena felt anxious.

Previously, she had fought the Atlante with an improperly adjusted Chimera.

However, now it was fully adjusted.

She had used it in actual combat several times, and the Chimera moved like her own limbs.

Yet, she could not defeat the Atlante, which was not in an overloaded state.

She aimed the assault rifle in her right hand, and the Atlante immediately reacted.

(The movement has changed?)

Seeing the confident movement, Sirena realized that the enemy had also gained experience and changed her mindset.

(I wasn't playing, but I underestimated her somewhere.)

The Chimera, which was approaching the Atlante while creating illusions, disappeared from the visual and radar for a moment and then thrust its left arm like a spear at the Atlante.

The Atlante could not avoid it, but it only slightly scratched the chest armor.

For a moment, Sirena thought about continuing to wear it down.

"Continuing to wear it down—Damn!"

By the time she realized it, it was too late.

The Atlante, which had only slightly scratched the chest armor, thrust the pistol blade into the left arm of the approaching Chimera and pulled the trigger.

The elbow joint was destroyed, and the left arm of the Chimera became unusable, forcing it to retreat forcefully.

However, the Atlante did not let it go.

It moved forward to match the retreat and attacked with the two pistols.

"Damn!"

She moved forward and blocked with the thick chest armor of the Chimera.

The timing was off for the Atlante, but the pistol she held seemed to be a makeshift one, and the part holding the blade broke.

This made one of the pistols unusable.

Sirena was sweating.

(I can defeat her. I can, but—it will take too much time.)

If this continued, the transport ship would be captured or destroyed.

Considering a retreat, she received a communication from an ally.

It was Mijela.

"What are you doing! Quickly come to my aid!"

Hearing the desperate voice, Sirena almost shouted at her.

The communication was broadcast to all, regardless of friend or foe.

This was like revealing the position of the flagship.

"Such fools!"

She spat out, and one of her subordinates panicked.

"Sir, it's bad! Friendly ships are being destroyed one after another!"

"What!?"

Sirena hurriedly checked the radar and saw that friendly ships—rebel ships—were being destroyed one after another.

The colors of the friendly ships were disappearing from the radar.

Then, the enemy spoke to everyone, regardless of friend or foe.

"Agreeing to help quickly is a good idea. Otherwise—this Marie Marian will take the head of the admiral."

Bryan (´；ω；｀) "If I don't say it's tough, I'm not Bryan! I feel tough when I'm told that."

Kaneki (；゜Д゜) "More importantly, I feel a sense of crisis that readers who don't know about Kaneki are increasing. Everyone—do you know the work 'The Otome Game World is a Harsh World for the Mob'? If you know this work, you must be reading it! Absolutely read it and get to know me, Kaneki! The book version of 'That Otome Game is a Harsh World for Us' is also on sale!"

Bryan (´・ω・｀) "I hope you will support the main story of 'I am the Wicked Lord of the Interstellar Nation!' The inconsistent first-person perspective of the plant is... not important."