Volume 11 Chapter 3 - Return of the Kingdom of Dominion

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Yasuyuki-kun has expressed his desire to become a knight.

I initially had plans of having him train as a knight under Klaus. However, after much consideration, I changed my mind, thinking it wouldn’t be the best for him.

For knights, being weak is a cardinal sin, and since Yasuyuki-kun has no talent in the sword, I wanted him to be a bureaucrat, just like his mother.

However, he’s expressed a strong desire to attain knighthood, and I don’t intend to deny his dream.

Even so, as things stand, he’ll probably reach his limit after becoming a low-ranking knight or an intermediate knight.

Strength isn’t the only component of being a knight, but it is an important quality.

Let’s take Tia and Marie as examples.

There are issues with their personalities, but because they’re strong, they can carry out their tasks without fail.

–For real though. Even their appearance is up to par. It’s just their personality that leaves much to be desired.

They should take a page out of Klaus’ book.

If Yasuyuki-kun becomes a knight, there’s a good chance that he might die on the battlefield.

Of course, I don’t plan on throwing him into a dangerous battlefield, but nothing is for certain in this world.

Unforeseen circumstances can occur, and he might suffer an ambush from enemies while he’s on a mission.

To ensure Yasuyuki-kun’s survival, he needs someone that can act as his role model, a master.

By learning under a competent knight, he’s bound to grasp a thing or two that can give him an edge.

If he fails to reach the intermediate levels of a knight even after all that, I’ll unfortunately have to make him give up on this path.

— Now then, who should I assign to him?

The answer’s already clear. It would have to be Klaus.

What about Tia and Marie?

Well, I won’t deny their skill and talent. However, I can’t entrust them with Yasuyuki-kun knowing their flawed personalities.

It would be unholy to treat the son of my esteemed Master that way.

I can’t think of anyone else other than Klaus that fits all the criteria. He would be the perfect master for Yasuyuki-kun.

And so, I summon the man in question to my office.

◇

“–Pardon?”

Klaus was blown away by what he was told after he arrived at Liam’s office.

Liam’s expression was serious, which indicated that he wasn’t joking.

“Currently, Master’s son is under my care, and he wishes to be a knight. I want to entrust him to you. Will that be alright?”

Yasuyuki-kun was the progeny of Yasushi whom Liam revered above all others. There were rumors that anyone that bullied him in the territory would be slaughtered by the disciples of the School of One Flash.

It went without question that Klaus had no desire to take care of someone so important to Liam.

“I believe I’m not qualified to raise him. Wouldn’t it be better to nurture him like everyone else?”

Liam clarified his request after Klaus told him his concerns.

“He’s already begun his education as a knight. What I want from you is to polish his foundations and teach him the correct mindset. If he fails to bloom even after he receives your instructions, it’ll be because of his lack of talent. In that case, I’ll have him give up and walk a different path.”

Klaus immediately understood the gist of what was going on.

(So it concerns the life of a prominent figure! That’s way out of my comfort zone!)

Just as he was desperately thinking of a way out, Liam let out a deep sigh.

“I know that I’ve already assigned you a lot of important tasks, but you’re the only one I can trust with a peace of mind.”

His boss’s trust only made things worse, and Klaus could feel his stomach beginning to churn.

“I’m honored by the praise, but I’m afraid I’m not suitable for the job.”

(Please don’t expect so much from me!)

However, Liam showed unconditional trust in Klaus’ ability to nurture those under him.

He projected several documents around the office, listing off Klaus’ achievements until now.

“You don’t have to be so modest. I have good reasons for entrusting Master’s precious son to you. According to my investigation, the knights, soldiers, and officials that work under you have made a lot of contributions. Trust me, your ability to nurture people is the real deal.”

Klaus broke out into a cold sweat.

(But I beg to differ! I simply divide up the work and give them to people who seem like they could do it! They just get better on their own!)

Klaus didn’t think highly of himself, so he would often consult his subordinates, asking for their opinions. Furthermore, as he didn’t have much desire to get ahead in life, he would report his subordinates’ achievements without hiding them.

As a result, they had more opportunities to shine compared to those in other divisions.

“I’m just blessed with good subordinates.”

Liam smirked upon hearing them.

“You underestimate yourself. You’ve proven yourself through your results. I leave Yasuyuki-kun to you. Whether he becomes a knight or not will be your call to make.”

Unable to go against his boss’s order, Klaus relented.

“I will do my best.”

Suppressing his urge to wail, he left the office.

◇

Around the same time, there were big movements in the Kingdom of Dominion.

During its 30-year truce with the Empire, bloody battles continued to occur between relatives over the vacant seat of the Crown Prince.

The warmonger known as Gudwar had been defeated by Liam and the Guide. However, battles failed to cease in the Kingdom of Dominion, and the one to climb over all others was [Aluna].

Aluna was the princess that had demanded for Liam’s gene during the party, and she had won the battle for the throne.

A large number of military officers were present in the hall of the Kingdom of Dominion’s royal palace, and they were celebrating the birth of a Crown Princess.

Aluna was on her knees, bowing as her father, the Overlord, placed a circlet on top of her head which represented her new status as the kingdom’s Crown Princess.

The Overlord leaned in to whisper to his daughter, beginning a parent-child conversation that no others could eavesdrop on.

“I never expected you to become the Crown Princess. How about changing your gender? Being a man would give you a greater advantage in battles.”

The Overlord used to be a woman as well, but she had undergone surgeries to better her chances of survival in battles.

Aluna scoffed at her father’s words, standing up as she did so.

“I’ve long decided to become the strongest while remaining a woman. Don’t lump me in with the likes of you.”

“You’re not cute in the slightest. –You know, I’ve never liked you.”

Despite her father stating that he hated her, there was a smile on Aluna’s face.

“I’ve noticed. But the strong are always envied by the masses. I shall gracefully accept your jealousy.”

The way Aluna treated the Overlord was as if she was above him.

Turning her back on her father, Aluna faced the military officers that had gathered there and made a declaration.

“The civil war has dragged on for long enough, and I’m weary of it.”

The military officers were disturbed by the Crown Princess’ timid remarks. However, that changed when Aluna announced their next target with a fierce smile.

“I’m tired of dealing with the weak. We shall instead resume our battle with the Empire!”

The military officers cheered enthusiastically, welcoming the change.

After 30 years of truce, the war against the Empire was about to be rekindled.

The battle for the thrown had been a boring one for Aluna.

Her true target was the Empire, more specifically the Banfield Family.

(Let’s hope that the Banfield Family gets dispatched into battle. Its members are all the cream of the crop. They have Klaus, the Empire’s strongest knight, as well as Liam, who killed my brother! It’ll be a worthy fight.)

Aluna licked her lips while thinking of her prey.

(I shall defeat Liam and obtain his supreme genes!)

◇

The Kingdom of Dominion had declared war on the Empire.

When this piece of news arrived in the Capital, Emperor Bagrada and Crown Prince Cleo began formulating countermeasures inside the palace.

However, they didn’t appear tense at all.

The Empire’s border was huge, and the war was only going to affect a part of it. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t really matter if they lost a few battles.

One could even go so far as to say that it wouldn’t hurt or itch the Empire.

Hence, they were planning on taking advantage of the war instead.

Cleo proposed that they use this chance to eliminate political enemies.

“Let’s have the Banfield Family deal with the Kingdom of Dominion.”

Despite being the Emperor, Bagrada was dressed in rough clothes and had the appearance of an elegant man in his thirties.

He was having fun playing board games with Cleo at the moment.

“Your plan’s not subtle at all, but I’m not opposed to the idea.”

Bagrada moved one of his pieces as he said this.

Cleo was next, and she picked up her piece, playing with it in her hands.

She then revealed her intention to leave the border to the Banfield Family.

“By having the Banfield Family clash with the Kingdom of Dominion, we can ensure that both sides bleed out. The Duke may be the most powerful person in the Empire, but he’s definitely going to suffer if he goes to war with the Kingdom of Dominion.”

“Indeed, the Kingdom of Dominion’s army is powerful, not to mention they absolutely love waging war. The Banfield Family will be severely weakened by this.”

The two were quite calm, as if it wasn’t their country at risk of being invaded. They were more concerned about weakening Liam, their political opponent.

War was imminent, yet Bagrada seemed to be having a lot of fun.

“Have the nobles that are close to the Banfield Family sent to other parts of the border. We’ll separate him from his allies. We should get rid of some other pests by pitting them against the Kingdom of Dominion as well.”

Cleo put down the piece that she had been twiddling with and pointed out a concern in regard to Bagrada’s plan.

“Will the nobles close the Duke follow my orders?”

“If it’s an order from me, the Emperor, they’ll have to obey it.”

“Your Majesty’s willing to go that far?”

“Of course.”

Cleo’s biggest supporter was now the Emperor.

If it was a direct order from the Emperor, the nobles close to Liam would be powerless to go against it.

This was when the matter with the Prime Minister was brought up.

“The Prime Minister has reported suspicious movements within the Banfield Family. They’re rapidly expanding their military. The Empire deems this as an act of treason, and to dispel this suspicion, Duke Banfield would have to work tirelessly for the Empire.”

‘The Banfield Family is to confront the Kingdom of Dominion to prove their loyalty to the Empire.’

This was to be their official stance.

Cleo grinned when she heard this.

“All’s well if he loses. And if he happens to win, we’ll dispel the suspicion, and in exchange, he won’t receive any other form of reward. Is that it?”

“The Empire’s in a tough financial situation after all. This will help save costs.”

The Banfield Family was going to have to protect the border from invasion without receiving any support from the Empire. It was ruthless, to say the least.

If they lost to the Kingdom of Dominion, the Banfield Family would suffer irreparable damage.

Even if they won, they wouldn’t come out unscathed.

Either way, the damage to Liam would be great.

Sure, he could prove his loyalty to the Empire, but even then, neither Cleo nor the Emperor would believe it.

In other words, there was nothing to be gained at all.

Cleo brought up yet another method of driving Liam into a corner.

“The Banfield Family has a lot of associates, such as merchants and weapons factory personnel. If we can lure them over to our side and have them betray him–”

However, Bagrada shook his head, turning down this suggestion.

“Now, that would be too boring, wouldn’t it? Those that side with him should also be dragged into the mess.”

“But–”

Liam had connections to a lot of people. If they were all dragged into the mess, things could get troublesome inside the Empire.

Bagrada, however, seemed to want that.

“There are many substitutes for merchants and weapons factories. We should clean up the place from time to time.”

And thus, Cleo’s proposal was turned down.

“Then should we lay down some special orders to the army that we dispatch?”

“No.”

“?”

Cleo couldn’t fathom what the Emperor was thinking.

Bagrada didn’t plan on doing anything against Liam, who was about to engage the Kingdom of Dominion in a war.

He wasn’t planning on having the troops that they dispatch to get in Liam’s way, and he wasn’t going to order them to assassinate him either.

In fact, he showed no signs of putting pressure on the Banfield Family at all.

Seeing how bewildered Cleo was, Bagrada gently explained.

“An army that grows too quickly is bound to be a paper tiger. After all, not everyone would understand and follow the Duke’s noble ideals.”

“So what Your Majesty is saying is that trouble will find him simply because of the size of his army?”

“Yes, especially since this is the Empire. Purchasing planets from their lords and accepting nomads without a place to go. It’s certainly efficient, but it’s destined to fail. You see, there were people that did similar things to the Duke.”

In the past, there had been nobles with similar thought processes.

Bagrada told Cleo what happened to them.

“They all perished in the end, either due to betrayal from their allies or from their subordinates declaring independence.”

“–Basically, his demise is a foregone conclusion.”

“Unfortunately, that is precisely the case.”

Bagrada chuckled in anticipation of the future, predicting what would happen to Liam and his army.

“The Banfield Family won’t be able to control the massive army that they’ve built up, and this would end up pulling their legs in their fight against the Kingdom of Dominion. Even if they manage to pull through, a crack will be formed, meaning we can go in for the kill when the next opportunity arises. I can’t wait for that time to arrive.”

An army that grew too rapidly would fumble and make mistakes on important occasions. Bagrada was confident of this.

Cleo smiled spitefully, imagining what would befall Liam in the near future.

“–I’ll immediately summon Banfield to the Capital.”

“Umu. I’ll leave that to you, Cleo.”

Cleo was going to call Liam to the Capital and have him fight in a fierce battle against the Kingdom of Dominion.

◇

–Cleo, this b*****d, has summoned me to the Capital.

Who does he think he is?

He may be the Crown Prince, but he’s nothing more than a figurehead. There’s a limit to how impudent one can be.

Anyhow, Cleo is now standing in front of me, giving me orders.

“We’d like to ask Duke Banfield to defend the Empire’s border against the Kingdom of Dominion.”

I had been defending the border until a while ago, but I had my troops withdraw after I cut ties with Cleo.

And yet here he is, asking me to defend it again.

“Just dispatch the Empire’s regular army.”

“Ah, but the problem is, there have been skirmishes in other parts of the border as well. Your friends have been asked to help out. The Exner Family whom you’re close with has also been requested to participate.”

Kurt told me that his family recently received an imperial order telling them to reinforce the border.

Emperor Bagrada has Cleo’s back, so I have no doubt that he’s had a hand in this.

I stare at the Emperor, who’s coincidentally behind Cleo.

“You want the Banfield Family to fight against the Kingdom of Dominion all by itself?”

Bagrada plays dumb.

“Of course not. The Empire will lend you its troops. Having said that, I hear your family has expanded its military considerably. There are rumors that the Banfield Family intends to betray the Empire. Don’t you think this is a great opportunity to show your loyalty?”

“Betray the Empire? Me? I would never.”

“To put the people at ease, I want the Duke to prove his loyalty through this occasion. Also, the Empire’s facing financial difficulty, so I ask that the Duke takes care of the troops that we dispatch.”

“Are we to muster up with supplies ourselves?”

“I’m afraid that’s how it is.”

If I were to refuse here, he’ll most likely brand me as a traitor and come up with all sorts of harassment.

For now, I have no choice but to obey orders.

That said…the conditions aren’t as harsh as I thought.

I check the details again. The Empire will dispatch its troops, but it won’t send any supplies as support.

It’s pretty infuriating, and I doubt the troops that they dispatch will be of much use.

Some of them will probably try to drag us down on the battlefield or stab us in the back if we show an opening.

But that’s all within expectations.

Cleo has used these tricks before…is the Emperor only capable of this much?

I highly doubt it. If anything, it feels like he’s toying with me.

Something doesn’t feel right, and the eerieness makes me stiffen up.

Seeing my expression, Cleo assumes that I feel troubled, which makes him elated.

“I hope to hear good news from you, Duke.”

“Whatever you say.”

Now that business is over, I leave Cleo’s office.

Outside, I come across Her Highness Lysithea, who’s apparently been waiting there.

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Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜)ノ: “Volume 4 of the novel and Volume 1 of the manga for ‘I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!’ will be on sale tomorrow. Please check them out!”

Brian (´；ω；｀): “It’s painful. The Kingdom of Dominion is obsessed with Lord Liam. –It’s painful.”

Wakagi-chan ( ゜∀゜): “Liam-kun likes to charge into battles, whereas the Kingdom of Dominion loves waging wars. As the saying goes, birds of the same feather flock together!”