My Audio Books Chapter 910 Yy

Entrusting her with the territory's safety was proof of Liam's trust.

After all, Liam would be living on the Capital Planet for a while.

Klaus was also worried about this.

"Lord Liam, how many ships will you be leaving behind with you on the Capital Planet?"

"—Three thousand should suffice."

"T-that's far too little! The Calvinist aristocrats will definitely try to seize this opportunity!"

"It'll be fine. Just make sure you support His Highness Cleo properly. I'll be leisurely touring the Capital."

Despite saying that he would be "leisurely" touring the Capital, it was quite clear that the Capital would be turned into a battlefield as well.

It was too risky to have Liam remain on the planet.

Even as bait, it was too dangerous.

"E-even then—"

"Say no more!—Anyway, what happened to Eulisia? I'm planning on giving her some work."

Klaus tilted his head when Liam suddenly brought up the topic of Eulisia, who was absent.

"Um, Lady Rosetta mentioned that Lady Eulisia would be returning to the army. I think it was something about Lady Eulisia slacking off…"

"—What is she doing at this busy hour? Call her back immediately! I'll have her work in the boisterous territory."

Did he forget about Lady Eulisia until now?

Klaus was beginning to doubt his master.

(Seems like she still has a thorny road ahead of her before she can become a concubine—Haa…)

◇

After adjourning the meeting, I quickly head to the dressing room.

Patrice, who is a member of the Newlands Company and one of my personal merchants, has been summoned there, and she is dealing with Rosetta right now.

"It suits you really well, Lady Rosetta."

"W-what's up with all these dresses? This is already the thirtieth one."

"They're for parties."

"Parties? With this many dresses, I won't need to worry about what to wear for a decade."

"Excuse me, but you won't be wearing any of these dresses twice. Hence, these will only last a month or so."

"Ehhh!? Oh, are these dresses cheap? They're pretty much disposable, aren't they?"

"Yes, they're relatively cheap. It costs around this much."

"That's expensive! But then again, since it's for 30 dresses, I guess it's reasonable?"

"That's the price of one dress, ma'am."

"—Eh?"

Shocked, Rosetta stops in her tracks.

Similarly, Ciel freezes up next to Rosetta.

Ciel will be participating in the parties with us, so she's also picking up some dresses.

Being the serious person that she is, she probably hates attending parties where she has to wear expensive clothes.

—I, on the contrary, love parties.

Spending money like water.

Now that's what I'd call an act befitting an evil lord!

As for why we're doing this—it's because we'll be partying consecutively for days in the Capital.

I'll be thoroughly enjoying my stay here on the Capital Planet.

If someone comes looking for trouble, I'll face them off.

Rather than searching everywhere, it's more efficient to wait until someone comes knocking.

The parties will be held under several people's names, but I'll be managing everything in the dark.

Wallace, who appears to be free, would be hosting the parties. As for me, I'll just be participating and playing around every day.

Patrice walks up to me.

"Lord Liam, a message arrived from the higher-ups of the Integrated Government. They're claiming that they weren't the ones that instigated the demonstration. In fact, they seem rather surprised by it. Apparently, they didn't expect people to begin a demonstration so soon."

Due to the warm welcome, some immigrants must have had the wrong idea, making them prime targets for an enemy agent to instigate.

I'm not really bothered by it, and I'm pretty sure that the Integrated Government is innocent.

The Integrated Government probably sent in a spy or two, but every country does that.

"I'm not particularly suspicious of them."

"—How will you punish the offenders? The Empire's typical approach is to raze the planet to the ground. The Integrated Government seems worried about this."

"For the sake of the original inhabitants, I won't be doing anything of that nature. Nevertheless, they won't go unpunished."

They will have to suffer the consequences for beginning a riot inside my territory.

"How likely are we to beat the United Kingdoms in this war? Even if we do beat them, won't the Cleo Faction suffer a steep decline in power? Does Lord Liam have enough subordinates to command?"

Aren't you lacking capable personnel?

I smile at Patrice who displays concern.

"Investments are important, aren't they?"

"Does Lord Liam have a plan?"

"—It's time for a harvest. That's all there is to it."

I've allowed many young people from my territory to study abroad, so it's time for them to pay me back.

Military officers, government officials—all sorts of people have received my support in the past.

I've almost forgotten about them, but let's not mention that.

"I have enough people working under me. As for the war—I'll be taking advantage of the traitors."

I look forward to what's to come as I watch Rosetta and Ciel constantly changing into new dresses that have been prepared for them ahead of time.

"Patrice, we've already won this battle."

"I sure do hope so. After all, even if you win against the United Kingdoms, you would have to face the Calvin Faction afterwards."

She seems to have misunderstood.

I was talking about my battle with Calvin.

Believing that he would definitely win, Calvin has made a careless move.

I never thought Calvin would make a move this early on.

I'm truly grateful for this fortunate turn of events.

◇

The Imperial Army's Seventh Weapons Factory was experiencing an unprecedented boom.

"Ahahaha, I can't stop laughing!"

As the Cleo Faction was dragged into the interstellar war, weapons were being ordered from the Third, the Sixth, and the Ninth Weapons Factories.

The Seventh Weapons Factory had been cast aside.

Fortunately, a large order had arrived from Liam.

Next to Nias who was laughing uncontrollably, her junior was staring at the factory which was in full operation.

The corners of her lips were also turned up.

"I heard that Baron Exner would be renewing all his family's weaponries too. Iya~, Count Bafield is indeed generous."

Among the aristocrats in the Cleo Faction, there were still some lords that remained uneasy about their fleets.

As such, he had generously promised to provide them with various equipments such as state-of-the-art battleships and mobile knights.

Since Cleo would be participating in the interstellar war, the Empire was providing him with maximum support, or at least that was what the Empire was trying to "portray".

The factories were therefore permitted to build and sell weapons without having to worry about offending someone.

The more they built, the more they were able to sell.

Everything in their inventory had been purchased as well.

That was mainly why Nias couldn't stop laughing.

"Wartime demand is really amazing."

"It's not like the war has officially started though.—That said,"

The Seventh Weapons Factory was pumping out new models that had been further improved based on the Banfields' constructive criticisms.

I don't like the design.

I don't like the interior.

Performance-wise, nothing really changed. However, they had added extra functions that were unbecoming of the Seventh Weapons Factory.

Truth be told, they didn't want to build weapons like these, but none of the Seventh Weapons Factory's original models were being purchased.

They were simply unpopular.

The factory wasn't receiving any orders aside from the ones that requested for the Banfield-modified models.

"We've only sold a few of our original models. My pride is in shambles."

"It's fine. I didn't design those anyway."

The Cleo Faction was pushing itself to prepare for the upcoming war, so weapons were selling like hotcakes.

By lending money to some of the aristocrats, Liam successfully expanded his influence within the faction and boosted the overall strength of it.

He was able to make such flashy moves by using the war as an excuse.

Nias touched her cheeks with her hands and leered at the battleship in front of her, mesmerized.

"Ra. Ther. Than. That.—The newest battleship which I designed is of much greater importance! Just look at its mind-blowing functionalities!"

Having incorporated vast quantities of rare metals, the 3000 meters long Flagship-class battleship was built for Liam, and it was worthy of being called the ultimate battleship.

"Even the engine which powers the battleship contains rare metals within it! The output is at another level. Yes, the output! The barrels of the canons were made with Arondight, while the heat converter—"

With these changes, it'll no doubt be the strongest!

—Until now, she didn't have the necessary resources to build one.

As a result, the giant battleship of her dreams had always remained as a product of her imagination.

However, thanks to Liam, she was given the chance to work on it, and Nias was able to complete it after a long time.

"Gufufufufufufu—"

Believing that Nias won't be returning back to reality for a while, her junior returned to her work.

"Well, it's good that we're making a lot of money. Even so, the aristocrats of the Cleo Faction are upgrading their weapons to the newest generation with impeccable timing."

As new weapons were about to be introduced, the weapons that were mainstream at the moment were on their way to becoming obsolete.

Thus, the Cleo Faction became the first to switch over to a new generation of weapons.

————————————————————————————————–

Brian (´・ω・｀): "I sympathize with Klaus-dono. Also, this Brian is relieved to know that Lord Liam is working diligently at his internship. "

Wakagi-chan (゜∀゜): "Tomorrow, the 5th Volume of 'The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs' will be finally released! Please buy one, everybody! 30,000 characters will be made available as a special benefit for those that answer the questionnaire. I'll finally be making an appearance!"

Wakagi-chan (゜言゜): "Make sure you buy a book! And don't forget to vote me for the popularity poll!"

Monica (゜∀゜): "On January 31st, which is the day after tomorrow, the 9th Volume of 'Seventh' will also be released! Please check this out as well!"

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I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! - Volume 6 Chapter 5 – Wallace's Awakening

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I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!

Volume 6 Chapter 5 – Wallace's Awakening

Volume 6 Chapter 7 – The Large Scale... Volume 6 Chapter 6 – The Expeditionar... Volume 6 Chapter 5 – Wallace's Awakening Volume 6 Chapter 4 - Compassion Volume 6 Chapter 3 – Cornered Volume 6 Chapter 2 – The Guide's Fool... Volume 6 Chapter 1 – Betrayal Volume 6 Chapter 0 – Prologue Volume 5 Chapter 17 - [Interlude]Nias... Volume 5 Chapter 16 - [Interlude] Eul... Volume 5 Chapter 15 - Epilogue Volume 5 Chapter 14 – Disciple Volume 5 Chapter 13 - Lord Liam Doesn... Volume 5 Chapter 12 - Three Swords Volume 5 Chapter 11 - Pebble Volume 5 Chapter 10 – The Title of Sw... Volume 5 Chapter 9 – The Palace at Night Volume 5 Chapter 8 - The Devil's Hand... Volume 5 Chapter 7 - Cleo Faction Vol. 6 Chapter 10 - Assassination Vol. 6 Chapter 9 – The Formula for Vi... Vol. 6 Chapter 8 – The Names of Two P... Announcement

TN: Hello, everyone! I've moved all the chapters here and replaced the dead links on Novelupdates. I will be continuing both the translation for both this novel and the other one that I'm working on, so please don't worry.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As someone who was beyond 100th in line to the throne, Wallace was a man whose net worth was ambiguous despite being a member of the royal family.

Overall, his abilities were subpar, and they were evaluated to be in the 40s range, which was neither a failing grade nor an excellent one.

"Huu—So Liam, you want me to host parties every single day? Let me make this clear. It's impossible."

When he declared so, he was hit by Liam.

"What was that for!? It hurt!"

"Listen well, Wallace. I'm super busy right now. To seize this opportunity, I even summoned for Eulisia, who has been doing nothing but play around these days."

"Opportunity? Aren't you mistaking it with the word 'disaster'?"

"No, this is an opportunity. I have Lady Luck by my side."

What is he talking about?

Although Wallace was full of doubt, he dared not go against the orders of Liam, his patron.

"Liam, you should just host them yourself."

"There's a lot going on. Just listen to me and prepare for the parties. It would be boring if they're all the same, so think of something interesting."

Liam's unreasonable requests were giving Wallace a headache.

"You want me to think of interesting ideas for parties that will be held every day? Let's just get them over with without causing a scene."

"—Wallace, I have standards when it comes to parties. Cutting corners is unacceptable. I'll provide you with men and money, so make it happen."

This dude's the worst, Wallace thought; however, he chose not to voice this out loud.

It was true that Liam was busy.

To an extent, Wallace was impressed by how energetic Liam was for wanting to party despite how busy he was.

"Well, I'll try my best for you. Don't expect too much though. Also, why aren't you doing this yourself?"

"If I'm in charge of everything, it wouldn't be as fun to participate in them."

Essentially, Liam was saying that there wouldn't be any surprises stored for him if he was the one who planned them in the first place.

He would also have to worry about whether the people around him were having a good time.

What a selfish way of thinking, Wallace thought.

(I would've preferred being more laid-back, but I guess there's no helping it—it's not a wise decision to anger your patron. I'll put in just the right amount of effort so that I can give excuses later on.)

◇

Discussions regarding Liam's movements were dominating the conference hall of the Calvin Faction.

"He won't be part of the expeditionary force!?"

"Is he running away?"

"No, he has dispatched talented knights that are said to be his confidants. Apparently, His Highness Cleo is being guarded by his elites as well. From what I recall—he has also sent someone named Klaus, a knight who has accompanied him during the majority of his stay at the Capital."

"He should be Liam's close aide, right?"

"Since he has dispatched a close aide of his, I don't think he's trying to leave the Cleo Faction. But—"

Cleo had been declared the commanding general, but everyone believed that Liam would be the one who would actually be giving out orders.

However, earlier on, there had been an announcement saying that Liam would be staying in the Capital.

Calvin smirked.

"—We've won."

"Your Highness?"

"Rumors about Liam withdrawing in fear will spread. No, I'll make sure that it spreads. Even if the expeditionary force wins in the war, Liam's reputation will plummet to the ground."

The Calvinist aristocrats agreed with him in this regards, but they were disturbed about another matter.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, did Liam mindlessly decide to remain in the Capital? Ever since he announced the lineup for the war, he has been constantly partying day in and day out without a care in the world."

Calvin was also worried about this, but he failed to see how Liam could possibly turn the tables on him.

Liam had gone astray by his own will.

"I'm also bothered by that, but it doesn't change the fact that he has made the wrong decision. No matter what he does from now on, his reputation will take a nosedive. After all, people would think that he has fled without putting up a fight. Unfortunately for him, he has missed the opportunity to make his move."

Staying in the Capital while his subordinates are fighting in the war.

How would others interpret this?

—They would see it as Liam having fled from the battlefield.

The amount of effort Liam had put in no longer mattered.

Even if his presence wasn't necessary on the battlefield, people would think that he had fled.

Although Calvin had avoided responsibility in a similar way, that was before the identity of the commanding general was announced.

He could conjure up as many excuses as he needed, and his faction was there to back him up by focusing people's target on Liam.

"—We've honestly put in too much effort into this. What a disappointing ending."

"Not everything's over yet, so don't let your guards down. Liam-kun's career may be over, but the fact that he's alive is a problem."

Regardless of his reputation, Liam was problematic just by being alive.

Recently, Liam had been sent to a region riddled with corruption for his internship, and he was actively carrying out reforms and wiping out corrupt officials during his stay there.

Not only was Liam a capable man, a noble spirit dwelled within him—As such, Calvin was certain that Liam would continue to hinder them in the future.

"—We'll strike at him with the pieces that we have prepared."

Calvin was almost convinced of his victory.

However, as Liam was someone that defeated Linus, Calvin wished to crush him while he could.

Blinded by victory, Calvin was becoming negligent.

◇

-The Party Venue-

The aristocrats attending the party are clearly impressed.

Artworks, mostly stone statues, are on display, and the party is in the form of a standing buffet.

This party doubles as a chance for up-and-coming artists to display their new works.

"My, how wonderful."

"I would love to have this."

"I've booked the one over there. It's been a while since I've attended parties like this. It's quite enjoyable. The one I attended previously was too bizarre for me to enjoy."

The venue is buzzing with excitement.

Aristocrats and their family members have been invited to this party.

From the outside, it doesn't look like I was the one who organized it, but everyone knows that I was involved.

As it's a chance for me to show off my financial might, I've also called out to some prospective aristocrats.

That said, most of the people here are either aristocrats belonging to the Cleo Faction or their close relatives.

While I'm chatting with Rosetta and the aristocrats around me, I see the figure of Kurt in his military uniform, attending the party in Baron Exner's stead.

Kurt waves his hand at me.

Taking note of this, the aristocrats around us excuse themselves.

"Liam!"

Next to him, there is also the figure of Her Highness Cecilia, Cleo's sister who got engaged to Kurt.

Rosetta begins a conversation with Her Highness Cecilia just as Kurt approaches us.

On the other hand, Kurt and I enter a small-talk.

"We've finally met again. How's the situation in the military?"

Kurt has grown a little taller.

His has become more fit as well.

"To be honest, it's tough. Even so, I guess it's not too bad? This rugged life suits me better than being an official on the Capital planet."

"You've been assigned to the defense unit of the Capital, yes?"

"I'll be transferred to the logistics soon. After that is the patrol fleet, I believe?"

"If you're thinking of joining an official fleet, do you want me to introduce you to one? Cedric's been promoted to the position of a lieutenant general. His fleet is rather flexible with things."

With my backing, I had Cedric promoted.

I made him work tirelessly to have the others recognize him, so his achievements were more than enough.

He looked a little tired, but whatever.

"I see that Liam hasn't changed. Then can I take you up on that offer?"

"Leave it all to me."

Looking at Kurt grinning happily, one could easily tell that he's a second generational evil lord.

He's truly the son of Baron Exner.

Ciel, who's standing besides Rosetta, is the complete antithesis of Kurt.

She's staring at her brother with disgusted eyes.

To tease her, I mention her in my conversation with Kurt.

"Kurt, it seems like Ciel wants to speak to you."

"Oh, is that so? Ciel, you appear to be doing well."

Upon seeing Kurt's smile, Ciel makes a disappointed expression.

Even so, she soon fakes a smile and returns a polite greeting.

"Yes. The Count and Lady Rosetta have been treating me well."

"That's good to hear. Huh? Did Liam buy that dress for you?"

Kurt takes notice of Ciel's new dress.

I'll brag about it in front of Kurt to make Ciel even more uncomfortable.

I know for a fact that Ciel doesn't like these kinds of things.

"Yup, I gathered a bunch of renowned designers from the Capital and had them design this. I've ordered—around 60 dresses, I believe?"

As long as the party train continues, she would have to wear a new dress every day.

A dress that has been worn once will never be worn again.

It's good to be wasteful; this behavior reeks of evilness.

"Liam's amazing."

Rosetta, who has been having a separate discussion with Her Highness Cecilia, butts into our conversation midway through.

"Darling is so extravagant. Personally, I'd prefer keeping one of the dresses that I've taken a liking to."

—Because she grew up in a poor family, Rosetta has a bad habit of preserving things.

Cherishing things?

Is she not aware that she's the fiancée of an evil lord?

"I can order as many dresses as you desire."

"Darling, why not keep some of them?"

In the midst of such an argument, some of the aristocrats' children walk over to where we are.

Among the invited are the relatives of aristocrats that belong to our faction.

It's to tell our enemies, 'We're here!'

It also serves as a mean to appease the aristocrats that have joined the expeditionary force.

I'm appealing to them that we're taking good care of their families.

"Lady Rosetta, your dress today is as dazzling as ever."

The girls get excited over what kinds of dresses are being worn in social gatherings.

Of course, there are a few that aren't as interested in this topic.

"Ara, thank you."

"May I ask where you bought the dress?"

"It was custom-made."

"I-is that so?"

The girl who asked about where the dress was bought gets stared at by the others around her.

"Isn't it obvious that the dress was custom-made?"

"Did you come from the countryside?"

"—Those dresses that are displayed on shelves aren't fashionable at all. Having a popular dressmaker design one should be a given."

—Girls are scary, even when they're young.

Rosetta kindly calls out to the girl who has become disheartened.

"Don't take their words too badly."

Realizing that the girl's about to cry, someone associated with the children's families rushes over hurriedly.

He's panicking quite a bit.

"A-apologies, Liam-dono.—Girls, return to where your families are."

"""Okay~"""

Even after the children have left, the associate remains behind and apologizes repeatedly.

Well, I'm from a remote place, and Rosetta was too poor to afford dresses in the past.

The associate might be thinking that the children's innocent words have offended us.

"It's fine."

Then again, the people gathered here all belong to the Cleo Faction.

I should handle this situation with utmost care.

I speak to the girl who has begun crying.

"There's no need for tears. If you'd like, I can order a tailor-made dress for you. Are you willing to wear that and join us in future parties?"

The girl agrees in delight.

Great! Now she won't say that she won't attend parties because she was emotionally hurt.

The girl's family members express their gratitude and take her away.

Watching this scene unfold, Kurt smiles and talks to Her Highness Cecilia.

"Liam has always been kind to others."

"That seems to be the case."

This guy—he's doing an excellent job depicting me as a good person in front of Her Highness.

As I thought, he's really fit to be an evil lord.

I smile towards Ciel who has been glaring at me suspiciously, prompting her to turn her head away.

What an interesting girl she is.

I'll continue teasing her in the future.

Suddenly, Rosetta thanks me.

"Thank you, Darling."

"I haven't done anything worthy of gratitude."

Why is she thanking me?

I haven't done anything to you, you know?

Nevertheless, we've been partying nonstop—and I've come to the conclusion that Wallace has an unexpected talent in organizing events.

I've been attending every single party, but I haven't grown tired of them yet.

◇

Outside the party venue, Kukuri and his subordinates were eliminating a group of armed men that attempted to intrude upon the party.

The armed men collapsed in an alley, and their bodies slowly sank into the ground, disappearing forever.

Kukuri chuckled.

"—You guys finally showed up."

Someone had thrown a shuriken at Kukuri.

When he deflected it, the shuriken rose up into flames and disappeared.

Kukuri's men began showing up one after another, each covered in black and wearing a mask.

In response, black flames appeared and took the shapes of Ninjas.

The ninjas that materialized from the flames readied their weapons.

"—Kill."

With a brief mutter from one of them, they charged in.

A battle commenced in the narrow alley.

Two of the ninjas ambushed Kukuri, but they were easily mowed down.

They turned back into flames and were about to vanish.

However, Kukuri calmly grabbed the cores that were present within the flames and crushed them.

The other ninjas that saw this backed away, visibly shocked.

They were alarmed and wary of Kukuri, who had seen through their secrets.

"How nostalgic. Your group has given us a lot of trouble in the past. Still, you shouldn't be so startled by something of this level. Things like these never startled your ancestors."

"—Who are you?"

"Nice to meet you—and long time no see. We were once known as the Shadow Clan that served the Empire in the shadows. Oh, but that's just what the others decided to call us."

Upon hearing this, the ninjas decided to retreat, cognitive of the fact that they were at a disadvantage.

Kukuri shot out spikes from his shadow, penetrating the ninjas' cores and not letting them escape.

Afterwards, his subordinates sank back into the shadows.

Only Kukuri remained behind to address the person that was watching them from the dark.

"Two thousand years. We have waited for this moment for two thousand years. We are here to have our revenge. Tell that to your master.—If you wish to blame someone, blame your ancestors for what they did."

Having said his piece, Kukuri also melted into the shadows.

◇

"Wallace!"

"Liam,—I—I'm scared of my own talent!"

Wearing his party suit in a sloppy manner, Liam came to commend Wallace for a job well-done.

Having just returned from the party, Rosetta looked a little tired, so Ciel was preparing a drink for her.

As she was doing so, she glanced sideways and watched the interactions between Liam and Wallace.

"I thought you were just a leech that wastes food, but you've outdone yourself this time! The parties have been really exciting!"

"That kind of hurt. Anyway, thanks. I didn't know that I was talented in these areas either."

Liam brought out Wallace's favorite liquor and started a drinking session with him.

Wallace had been planning out parties every day, and they were surprisingly being well received.

It was an unexpected discovery.

(Normally, it would be considered a useless talent.)

They were spending an exorbitant amount of money for the parties that were happening on a daily basis.

That said, Liam was having a blast.

Meanwhile, Rosetta was feeling drained as she constantly worried over how the others were doing during the parties.

"Lady Rosetta, how about taking a day off tomorrow?"

When Ciel asked worriedly, Rosetta shook her head.

"Ciel, we can't be doing that. One of the reasons Darling is gathering everyone and hosting these parties is to protect the families of aristocrats that are part of the expeditionary force."

(She's not wrong, but looking at Liam…)

Although Ciel was doubtful of his intentions, it was true that he was indirectly protecting the family members of the aristocrats.

He was even calling people that lived near the borders.

From the perspective of the aristocrats that were partaking in the war, Liam, a person who could defeat a Sword Saint, was going out of his way to protect their families.

"—Wouldn't it have been better for the Count to participate in the war?"

"You're right. Under normal circumstances, the aristocrats' family members would have been sent to the territory of the Banfield Family so that they can be protected there. Unfortunately, a demonstration is going on right now."

"A demonstration over their lord's lower part of the body…that's even worse than what our territory is experiencing."

Although the demonstrations in the Banfield Family's territory had become widespread, less than a tenth of the demonstrators were advocating for the democratization of the government.

They were almost negligible.

The majority of the demonstrators were rioting about the issue of Liam not having an heir.

Essentially, they were demanding for a successor.

(Our dad's so popular that people are asking when his nudes will be released, but this is clearly worse.)

The petition was a form of appeal from the servants that were working at the mansion.

Liam had never tried to sleep with them, so they were basically saying "We're ready whenever you are! C'mon~~!"

They were essentially giving him the okay signal.

(It seems like nothing good comes with being an aristocrat. Oh well, what can I say. I'm an aristocrat myself. Since people are making a fuss over trivial things like this, I guess we can at least say that it's peaceful?) (Ciel)

Liam and Wallace were having a toast.

"I'm looking forward to our next party!"

"Please do! I'm confident about the next one as well!"

"Great! Oh, then I also want you to arrange a bucket party as the grand finale!"

"—Sorry, that hurdle's too high for me to overcome."

———————————————————————————————

Klaus (;゜ロ゜): "—Eh? Why am I being treated as Lord Liam's close aide? I'm just your average knight, you know?"

Brian (´・ω・｀)_且~~: "Isn't it because you're always following Lord Liam around? Ah, if you'd like, you can have this cup of coarse tea."

Klaus (;゜'ω゜'): "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Naegi-chan ( ゜∀゜)ノ: "Today is the release date for the 5th Volume of 'The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs'! Please go check it out!"

Monica (゜∀゜)ノ: "And tomorrow is the release date for the 9th Volume of 'Seventh'! Please support us as well!"

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Comments for chapter "Volume 6 Chapter 5 – Wallace's Awakening"

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Somewhere in the vast universe, over 6 million battleships were gathered.

Although it was a sight to behold, the cost required to move such a fleet was equally astronomical.

Even for the huge Empire, an interstellar nation, the expense was nothing to scoff at.

Nevertheless, it was necessary for the Empire to repel the United Kingdoms of Oxis at all costs.

Inside the fleet's flagship, Klaus, who was essentially forced to become the commanding general, was standing besides His Highness Cleo, enduring the pain in his stomach.

(We hold a numerical advantage, but that doesn't mean much when it comes to wars of such scales. Can we really win?)

Numerically speaking, they had prepared a force that was double that of their enemies'.

However, it wasn't as if they would all be fighting together.

The universe was such a huge place.

Their enemies would be dispersed over a large area.

As such, the Empire's fleet would also have to disperse and fight at different locations.

In that case, they would have to deal with several battlefields at once.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of battlefields, big and small, would be generated.

If they were to include the skirmishes, the number could grow to be in the tens of thousands.

In the grand scheme of things, even if they lost a battle, it wouldn't matter if they won the war.

Having said that, nobody knew how things would play out given the number of troops involved.

Operators were screaming left and right.

"Deputy Commander Klaus! The patrol fleet is complaining about the lack of supplies!"

"Deputy Commander Klaus! The aristocrats that joined the expeditionary force are complaining about the lack of banquets!"

"Deputy Commander Klaus! There seems to be a conflict between the allied forces! A battle has begun!"

Complaints were flooding in from the patrol fleet that contained all the aristocrats that had been sent to pull the leg of the Cleo Faction.

Some aristocrats that had no qualms with the Cleo Faction were also trying to drag them down.

It was clear as day that they had made a deal with the Calvin Faction.

People that belonged to that category were the ones that were starting all the fights.

The outcome of the war didn't matter to them.

If they were about to lose, they would simply run away.

Desertion was punishable by death, but the Calvin Faction would no doubt interfere and blame everything on Liam in order to smear Cleo's image.

(My stomach hurts.—In actuality, we only have around 3 million troops at our disposal. The rest are just enemies.)

It was 3 million against 6 million, not the other way around.

The sole saving grace was that the other half was on their side, and this was only made possible thanks to Liam.

(This must be because Lord Liam stayed behind to provide logistical support. In that regards, his arrangement makes sense. Still, why am I here?)

Beside Cleo was the figure of Lysithea, his knight.

A short distance away, Chengshi, their guard, was sitting down on a chair, grooming her nails without a care.

(His Highness Cleo has zero experience in commanding a fleet, and Her Highness Lysithea has never participated in a war of such magnitude.—This is the first time for me as well. As for Chengshi, she's completely indifferent to this matter.)

If it was Liam in command, Klaus would have followed orders without any hesitation.

Unfortunately, Liam was providing the logistics instead.

If not for Liam's logistical support, the fleet wouldn't have been nearly as large.

Everything from the replenishment of supplies to their distribution was being handled by Liam, and he was also making sure that things were stable on the rear.

If Liam had left the Capital with them, they would've had to suffer from the sabotages of the Calvin Faction.

Enduring the pain in his stomach, Klaus turned his attention to Tia, whose eyes were shining.

"What a bunch of problem-causing idiots. Operators, write their names down on a list. Their existence won't be necessary for us."

Liam wasn't a fool either.

Knowing full well that Klaus couldn't operate such a huge fleet alone, he had assigned Tia to assist him.

In a sense, Klaus was just there to act as an overseer.

Even so, being the hard working man that he was, Klaus dealt with many of the small tasks which Tia could not be bothered to do.

"Tia-dono, do you have a strategy in mind that can be used against the United Kingdoms?"

Cleo looked nervously at Tia, who he was acquainted to.

This was something that Klaus had gone over with Tia beforehand. However—

"We'll be going with the flow of the situation. When it comes to battles of this scale, nothing goes as expected anyway."

Lysithea appeared uneasy.

"Can we really win? Our enemies essentially outnumber us two to one."

Lysithea was also aware that not all the troops would follow their instructions.

Facing her unease, Tia tilted her head and laughed.

"Two to one? Your Highness Lysithea, you have misunderstood something. This is more like a three-way battle. The United Kingdoms' army won't be able to differentiate between friend and foe when they confront our army."

The figure of 6 million battleships moving in space was projected in front of Cleo and the others.

They were about to arrive on the battlefield, yet a portion of the fleet was moving independently and defying orders.

It was a mixed fleet, and it had the patrol fleet within it.

While the other fleets were busy moving to their assigned positions after arriving on the battlefield, the mixed fleet was ignoring the orders given to them.

"Oya, traitors right off the bat.—I guess we'll begin by exterminating these people."

Tia tapped away at the screen in front of her and gave out instructions to the rest of the fleet.

"Our ultimate goal is Lord Liam's victory! ——Traitors have a part to play as well."

The people around her were surprised by how cold she sounded as she said that last sentence.

"Norden—you will regret ever betraying Lord Liam."

◇

-The United Kingdom's Army-

The 6 thousand ships under Count Norden's command had formed a fleet with the ships of several other aristocrats.

The fleet comprised of nearly 100 thousand ships, and they were currently occupying one of the planets in the Empire's territory.

While blowing a cigar on the bridge of one of the battleships, Count Norden listened to the message sent from the Imperial Army.

"Lord Count, the Empire has contacted us for their regular report. They have announced their next strategy."

Count Norden received the report from his subordinate and checked its content.

"Hmm, His Highness Cleo has reduced the number of ships around him and planted a fake flagship—so the real flagship is hidden within the smaller fleet? It seems like the Imperial Army doesn't know how to properly wage a war."

A strategy to blind the enemies' eyes.

There had been successful cases in the past, so Count Norden did not doubt the content of the report.

'There's no way that a flagship would be moving with a smaller fleet!'

Some interstellar nations had lost their wars having made such an assumption.

Count Norden decided to report this to his superior.

"Report this to my lord. What a nice thing it is to watch the war unfold from a comfortable position. I almost feel sorry for those that are desperately killing each other."

Count Norden was thinking of staying away from the front lines until the war ended.

The same went for the aristocrats around him.

"Don't think bad of me."

No one knew whether Count Norden was addressing Liam or his allies.

◇

A new piece of information had arrived at the flagship of the Imperial Army.

'Using 300 thousand ships, the United Kingdoms has defeated a mixed fleet! We have lost 60 thousand ships!'

Upon hearing the report, Tia pretended to be in pain.

She clutched her chest with one hand and covered her face with the other.

"What a tragedy. I told them to return to their positions so many times—in the end, the mixed fleet never listened."

With a single piece of information, they had gotten rid of numerous soldiers and aristocrats with bad intentions.

Most of the aforementioned aristocrats were officials of the Calvin Faction.

In other words, they were Liam's enemies.

However, that did not change the fact that they were a part of the Imperial Army.

Despite that, they had been erased through information manipulation.

A shiver ran down Klaus's spine.

(This woman—she dared do so!?)

They had suddenly lost 60 thousand ships, yet there was no trace of remorse to be found.

After all, it was their enemies that suffered the damage.

Cleo's eyes contained some fear as he looked at Tia.

"It isn't right to intentionally pull the legs of your allies—"

Having perceived what Cleo was thinking, Tia smiled.

"—or so I once thought. However, Your Highness, please understand that things like these are inevitable, especially when it comes to battles of such scale. If we had made a mistake, we would've been the ones to disappear instead of the mixed fleet."

Lysithea's face was pale.

In contrast, Chengshi, who was sitting on a chair, was grinning.

This event had sparked Chengshi's interest.

"This is what war truly entails. It reveals people's true nature. The ugliest and the most beautiful side of humanity can be witnessed on the battlefield."

Klaus felt an acute pain in his stomach.

(These people—why are normal knights the overwhelming minority in this knights order?)

Tia issued her next command.

"Okay, spread the words that His Highness Cleo managed to escape amidst the chaos. Our enemies will be confused by the discrepancy in the information we spread and the information that their spies are sending back. We'll strike at enemies that respond slowly and only fight easy battles!"

Following her command, Cleo's fleet destroyed a confused fleet of 100 thousand ships that belonged to the United Kingdoms.

Afterwards, they moved to the next phase of the plan.

"From now on, we'll be on the hunt for confused enemies. Our enemies are bound to be in disarray and suspect everything they see. Moving forward, the battlefield will only become more and more chaotic."

Tia was feeling properly pumped up.

"Everything's for Lord Liam's victory!"

◇

9 million battleships were waging a war on the battlefield known as space.

It was almost like a strategy simulation game taking place in a vast universe.

Conquer planets, build bases, rob, be robbed, betray, and be betrayed.

One heck of a story was being created through this war.

This was a war which could have easily continued on for hundreds of years, but its end was drawing near earlier than anyone had anticipated.

Count Norden was being chased down by his allies, a fleet affiliated with the United Kingdoms.

His fleet only had 3 thousand ships left.

In comparison, 20 thousand ships were chasing after them.

"Norden, how dare you fool us!"

"To think that you were pretending to be an ally after joining hands with the Empire!"

"No matter what, I'll have you dead!"

Hot on his tail were aristocrats and military officers whose family members, friends, and lovers were killed in the war.

It was all because of the information from Count Norden.

They were told that the Empire's Imperial Army was regrouping under the Cleo Faction's leadership after going through an internal divide.

They were to aim for that moment.

The portion of the Imperial Army that was hostile to the Cleo Faction had also promised their cooperation.

Having defeated a lot of their enemies, the morale of the United Kingdoms' army was at its peak, and they chose to believe in his words.

However—the Cleo Faction wasn't regrouping there.

Instead, the ones that were there were their collaborators who were fleeing.

Oblivious to this fact, the United Kingdoms attacked their allies and caused massive damage to them.

After the battle, the United Kingdoms' forces had exhausted their supply of ammunition.

It was then that the Cleo Faction swooped in with a fleet of one million battleships.

Tia then sent a message to the United Kingdoms' forces.

"You've performed well, Count Norden. Thanks to you, the Empire will be winning this war. You have my words that you'll be rewarded for your hard work."

In addition to the Calvinist aristocrats and military officers that survived the battle, Count Norden had unintentionally made an enemy out of the entire United Kingdoms.

"Why! Why is this happening to me! Didn't the liaison confirm the validity of the reports!?"

After being hounded by his former allies, Count Norden fled back to his territory with only 300 ships remaining.

◇

Men dressed as Calvinist spies gathered around Tia.

"—It's over now. Thanks for cooperating."

The next moment, a black liquid substance wrapped around the men, changing their appearances.

They were members of the Black Ops, and they each had a mask on their faces.

"We simply followed Lord Liam's orders."

"We've also eliminated the other spies that infiltrated our ranks."

"As we expected, Norden had turned coat."

Tia grinded her teeth.

"He actually had the guts to betray Lord Liam—what an ignorant man."

If he had sided with them during the first information leak, he would've been treated much better.

"He will definitely betray us—those were Lord Liam's words."

When a member of the Black Ops said so, Tia smiled and said, "As expected of Lord Liam."

"The United Kingdoms' army has requested for a ceasefire agreement. Three months—this ended surprisingly fast. I'm not complaining though; with this, I can give Lord Liam a good report. After all, we've also eradicated a good number of enemies within the Empire."

Nearly one million, to be exact.

Although many people still ended up slipping past the net, they had won the war.

Some damage was done when the Calvinist aristocrats and military personnel fled, but the overall result was satisfactory.

A member of the Black Ops cackled.

"The damage done to the army is ridiculous though."

If one were to judge based on results alone—this could barely be considered a victory due to the astronomical damage that had been done.

"But our side barely suffered any damage. Anyways, a win is a win, right? Oh, and I hope those despicable deserters get their just desserts."

From the Empire's standpoint, it was a pyrrhic victory.

However, from Liam's standpoint, it was a victory by a landslide.

"After we return, we can use this to put pressure on the Calvin Faction.—Ah, I can already foresee Lord Liam's glorious victory! And the one who would have supported him in his endeavor would be me!"

The Black Ops faded away into the shadows, leaving behind Tia who was immersed in her own world.

◇

-The Capital-

"Aah, I can already foresee Liam's defeat!"

In recent times, the Guide's mood had never dipped.

He grinned when he read the news, which stated that the Imperial Army had won the war after suffering great damage.

"The Imperial Army suffered severe damage while Liam was partying around. He will now have to bear the responsibility."

The Guide couldn't stop laughing as he watched Liam fall down the rabbit hole of misfortune.

He was always smiling nowadays.

Now, he could even laugh off the burning sensation that came from Liam's gratitude.

Liam, on the other hand, couldn't seem to suppress his anger anymore.

He had been furious when he heard the news that arrived from his territory.

The Guide was certain that Liam's territory wasn't doing well.

"The time is nigh. Soon, Liam will learn the truth and become miserable."

The Guide skipped around the Capital planet, sucking in other people's misfortune.

Sitting in an alley, there was a man drinking alcohol with a desperate look on his face.

"Damn it all! Nothing works out for me. Why do I have to—"

Passing by the drunkard, the Guide sucked up the man's misfortune and used it as his nutrition.

"Oya? This man's misfortune tastes pretty good. Mmmm~, today's dosage of misfortune was as delicious as always!"

It was then.

Someone had called the transceiver in the man's breast pocket.

The man answered the call in an unfriendly manner.

"What is it!? A man like me can never—Eh!? R-really? An aristocrat took a liking to the clothes that I designed?"

Someone had apparently requested the service of this man who was a nameless designer.

The pay was good as well.

The Guide harbored no interest in other people's happiness.

"Whenever I take in people's misfortune, this happens. Haaa~not good, not good. I should be focusing on making Liam unhappy—no, making him as happy as possible."

The more he blessed Liam with happiness, the unhappier Liam became.

Just like any other day, the Guide worked hard in collecting others' misery and blessing Liam with happiness.

As the Guide left, a dog emerged from the back of a trash can which was situated in the alley.

—Watching the Guide's behavior, it tilted its head.

The drunkard was enthusiastic about his upcoming work.

"Count Banfield's wife and her maid? Designs for their dresses? How many? —At least ten!? And for how much!? —I'll do it! Not to mention ten, I can design twenty of them! Thank God. I can support my family now."

The designer shed tears of relief and ran off in delight.

The dog followed suit.

———————————————————————————————-

"My motto is to add functionalities to dresses! They shouldn't simply act as a piece of clothing."

An amusing designer has arrived.

Once again, we're ordering new dresses for the parties.

Having one or two designers didn't prove to be enough, so I had to reach out to a lot of others.

This man happens to be one of them, and he's the type of person that wants to add functionalities to dresses that will be thrown away after being worn once.

—What a fool.

"Please take a look at all these accessories! Normally, dresses will only have disposable energy-shield generators on them, but this dress has a proper one attached to it. Granted, it's a bit heavier because of that, but it shouldn't be too burdensome for aristocratic ladies such as yourselves."

Aristocrats tend to attach trinkets to their dresses in fear of events such as assassination attempts.

However, most of these trinkets are for one-time use.

This is because the well-made ones are so expensive that they aren't worth the price.

It's wrong to assume that the same accessory can be worn on different dresses.

After all, dresses and their corresponding accessories are meant to be sets.

There's nothing wrong with reusing things per say, but the idea that saving money is good disgusts villains like me to their core.

Rosetta and Ciel are listening to this man's rant with blank expressions.

'Functionality over usability!'

It's clear that they don't agree with this foolish designer's ideology.

My request had been for disposable dresses, yet this man's trying to shape them into combat suits.

But then again, idiots like him are just my cup of tea.

The rich and the wealthy exist to waste money after all.

…No, that's not right.

I should be saying that evil lords exist to live luxurious lives using the tax that they had wrung out from their citizens.

This logic, of course, applies to these disposable dresses as well.

I applaud the man's speech.

"Excellent! I like it very much."

"T-thank you, my Lord!"

"I have an additional request for you. Amagi."

"—Yes, Master."

Amagi walks up to me from where she has been silently spectating, and I introduce her to the designer.

"She's my Amagi, and I'm troubled by the fact that she's always wearing her maid uniform. Don't you think she needs dresses as well?"

The designer makes a troubled face.

The knights around us are ready to pull out their swords depending on how the designer responds.

If he ridicules Amagi, his life will be forfeit.

Fortunately, he seems to know this already.

"—I-I don't have any experience tailoring dresses for androids. That said, as long as I'm provided adequate time and instruction, I'm sure I could make do somehow."

Previously, there had been a designer who said in disdain that his shop "doesn't deal with doll apparels".

We had this conversation through a call, and I swore never to place an order from his shop again.

I was ready to butcher that man, but I gave up after Amagi convinced me otherwise.

She told me that he was a favorite of some aristocrat, so killing him would cause unnecessary trouble.

—Even so, she never said anything about taking revenge.

I'll make sure to have my revenge after all the bothersome things have been taken care of.

I'll just have to be discreet about it so that Amagi doesn't notice.

For the time being, however, I should address the man in front of me.

"You don't have to worry about the cost."

Amagi stares at me disapprovingly.

"Master, I have no need for dresses."

"This is an order."

"—But…"

Rosetta joins in to persuade Amagi who's making a difficult face.

You—You're better than I thought.

"Amagi, isn't it fine to wear a dress from time to time?"

"——Understood. However, a disposable dress is too wasteful, so I will take it upon myself to store it somewhere else."

It worked!

Amagi agreed!

"Of course! ——You, you only have one chance. Make it count. Spend as much money as you need. I want the best possible masterpiece. Oh, but I won't accept anything that's overly flashy."

"Y-yes, my Lord!"

A communication request arrives just as I'm watching the designer rush to his workstation.

—It's from Brian.

"Liam-zamaaaaaaa!!"

How unpleasant. It sounds like he said "serves you right!" at point blank. [1]

Brian, if anyone else had said that, I would've had that person tortured.

"What's wrong?"

"The demo—the demo has grown bigger!"

"Haah!? Didn't I assign some people to deal with that!? Right, what happened to Eulisia!? I thought she was supposed to be capable!?"

Is she incapable of suppressing a single demo!?

◇

-At the Banfields' territory-

Even today, demonstrations were being held on each planet.

"Does anyone want takoyaki~?"

"We have yakisoba here~"

"Take some fliers from us~"

Stalls were lined up at the sides to provide service to the large number of people present at the scene.

Soldiers were controlling traffic, and doctors were on standby.

"That's not part of the course. You should return using the route you just took."

"Excuse me, may I ask where the toilet is?"

"It's over there."

It was no different from a festival.

This came as a big shock to the leader of the democratization movement who had emigrated from the Integrated Government.

He had just recently graduated from college and was a fledgling with no experience working in society.

Having graduated from a good university, a bright future awaited him, but he got himself involved in the rebellion.

He was banking on gaining social status by cooperating with the rebels.

—However, the rebels were defeated.

By the flow of things, he arrived at the Empire.

Thereafter, fueled by his desire to make it big, he became the leader of the democratization movement.

The Banfield family employed a solid political system and was kind to its people.

He took advantage of that and carried out the democratization movement.

Certain that the Banfields would turn out to be just like any other aristocrats, he was intent on cracking them down and fighting them to the bitter end.

He also intended to nominate himself as the leader of the rebel's army.

Luckily for him, there was a group that supported his cause.

Despite his status as an aristocrat, the head of the Banfield family was well-known to be someone who was kind to his people.

If he properly capitalized on this fact, he was confident that he would succeed.

And yet—

"Why aren't words of our activities spreading at all!?"

—The demo had certainly grown, but the content of the demo had taken a turn for the worse.

The people parading around with placards weren't advocating for democratization.

"Don't forget to leave behind an heir!"

"Fulfill your duty as our lord!"

"Make Lady Rosetta happy!"

Liam, their lord, did not have any children.

A sense of crisis rose up as they knew that the Banfields were involved in the interstellar war.

In such a big war, their lord could die in a moment of carelessness.

The leader of the democratization movement was incensed by how rapidly the baby-making demo was spreading.

In contrast, their activities weren't receiving any attention at all.

"Damn it! Don't they realize that this is a chance!? A chance for them to fight for their rights in the dictatorial Empire!?"

Just as his colleagues were soothing him, a university student that had been listening to their conversation passed by with a placard that had drawings of babies.

The student appeared disgusted at the placards that they were holding on their hands which screamed democratization.

"Immigrants, yes? Have you properly done the paperwork and applied for whatever you're demonstrating for? As you can see, we're busy advocating for the baby-making demo, so can you go somewhere else?"

"We-we're speaking on behalf of the people about their innate rights as human be—"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Honestly, can you guys like, not? You're causing trouble for the others in the territory."

"Haaa!? You must be someone sent by the government! Otherwise, there's no way that you wouldn't want to fight for you rights! You must be the lord's spy!"

The college student calmly rebutted the leader's furious accusations.

"No, I'm just an ordinary citizen. I've recently returned from studying abroad, but that's not what's important right now. Do you not know anything about the Empire?"

"As in?"

"Democratization movements are a hassle to deal with, so aristocrats often burn them to the ground before they become troublesome. I would rather not become victims of your activities."

As a university student that studied abroad, he had visited territories outside the Banfield family's governance and learned about a planet which was once plagued by the democratization movement.

According to past records, the Empire turned that planet into a sea of fire and made an example out of it.

There had also been planets where education was minimized so that people wouldn't even fathom advocating for democracy.

"Here, we're allowed to pursue education and even study abroad. Public institutions are functioning without any problem. It wouldn't be funny if we are robbed of that because of your activities, you know?"

"—You're thinking like domesticated livestock! Do you want to spend your entire life wagging your tail in front of the aristocrats!? If you're a human being, you should think and live for yourself! What's there to say that the next lord wouldn't be a tyrant!? Someone is in control of your life! Aren't you worried!?"

The university student had half given up.

"Then what's there to prevent pirates from looting planets and killing their inhabitants? I'm in favor of our current lord's policies. Besides, is there any guarantee that things would progress well after declaring independence?"

"Rotten. It's not just the aristocrats. You guys have also rotted to the point where you've stopped thinking intelligibly."

"Why have you even come here? If you like democracy that much, go somewhere else. We don't restrict people from leaving and moving to other places."

If you don't like it, leave.

Hearing these words, the leader was stunned.

What's going on here?

The leader failed to comprehend the university student's thought process.

It was then.

An important figure seemed to have come.

A large number of mobile knights were serving as escorts and floating in the sky, keeping watch of the surroundings.

One of the leader's colleagues spoke to him.

"Leader, something's about to start."

"An important figure? Let's wait and watch."

The leader shook his head and decided to switch his way of thinking.

(That's right. The inhabitants on this planet are all retarded. Taking control of them will be a piece of cake. I should be grateful that they are idiots that can be easily manipulated. Now, if this important figure begins a speech, I'll argue against it and gather supporters that agree with me.)

He was planning on increasing the number of supporters around him by seizing this opportunity.

A female military officer jumped onto the top of the armored vehicle that was floating in the sky.

She had a microphone on her hand.

"Participants of the demonstration, heed my words—do not make a fuss over your lord's lower body and disband immediately!"

She was a beautiful woman with gold, blonde hair, and the leader recognized who she was.

"Hey, isn't she the lord's concubine-cum-mistress?"

"Ah, yes. That's what's written on the document."

The crowd was wondering what she had to say.

When it became apparent that she just wanted to stop the demo, people booed at her.

"We're serious!"

"Fulfill your duty as an aristocrat~!"

"Aren't you his concubine or something? Do your work~!"

Through the local news, people knew that Eulisia was a talent that Liam had recruited from the military.

Normally, people would expect such "recruits" to end up as the lords' lovers or concubines.

Eulisia trembled when she heard the citizens' shouts.

"Y-YA THINK I DIDN'T TRY!?"

She was meant to step forward and stop the demo.

However, instead, Eulisia began screaming at the top of her lung. It was a scream that came from the innermost depth of her soul.

"I TRIED MY BEST, YOU KNOW!? I TRIED SO HARD TO HAVE HIM FALL FOR MY CHARMS—BUT LORD LIAM SIMPLY ISN'T INTERESTED!"

The demonstrators became silent until one person cautiously asked, "—D-does he hate women?"

—Tears welled up in Eulisia's eyes.

"I would have given up if that was the case! But-but he claims that he likes women! I had devoted my youth so that I could become his secretary, yet he was oblivious to the fact that I was sent to the military's re-education facility! Then, as soon as I returned to the territory, I was told to suppress a demo!—In the first place, it's only been a few years! How could he forget about me like that!?"

Eulisia had a lot of pent up frustration from her daily work, and she had reached the limit of her patience.

With a microphone in hand, she spat out all her complaints.

"I want to—I want to go on dates as well! Lady Rosetta gets to attend parties every day, but I'm stuck here doing my job! Is he so busy that he can't spare me a single day!? I'm getting older and older as days pass by. I sometimes feel like crying in the middle of the night because of my worries! I'm tormented by them every day!"

The demonstrators looked at one another in the face.

Eulisia was sobbing with the microphone turned on.

She was bawling her eyes out, so the demonstrators began comforting her.

"H-hope everything goes well~!"

"Eulisia-nee-chan, I'm sure that good days are ahead of you!"

"I-it's okay. You're still very beautiful!"

Eulisia didn't hold back at all and kept complaining with the mic on.

"I want him to lay his hands on me, but he isn't doing anything! What can I even do then!? I'm willing to do anything, but there's nothing I can do if he'snot interested! None of this is my fault!"

◇

"—And so, those that are participating in the demonstration are advocating for 'Cherish Lady Rosetta' and 'Please don't forget about Eulisia-san'. That said, a lot of people are backing Lady Rosetta. In fact, her popularity is so amazing that this Brian's impressed."

My fists threaten to lash out as Brain happily makes a report about how much percent of the people are partaking in the demo.

—What in the world is Eulisia doing?

She has ruined my reputation as an evil lord.

I've spent decades trying to leave an impression of being evil, but now I just look like some irresponsible bastard.

A petty man who isn't feeding the woman he brought back home—Is that how others view me now?

"For your information, there have also been voices saying that Lord Liam should take in some new concubines."

"Who are they to command their lord!? My harem is mine and mine alone! I won't be entertaining anyone's suggestions."

Brian stares at me with cold eyes.

If-if it was anyone else, I would've had their head sliced off their neck!

"Lord Liam—there are zero people."

"Huh? What?"

"To this day, there are zero people in your harem, Lord Liam."

"Huh!? What do you mean!? There's Amagi! She counts, right!?"

"That only bumps the number up to one. Lady Rosetta remains untouched, and Lord Liam has been ignoring Lady Eulisia, someone that was recruited from the army.—This Brian here is seriously considering whether or not to join the demonstration."

"Bullsh*t! I refuse to be swayed by the words of others! I have my own standards when it comes to beauties!"

Must I reluctantly build a harem just because others want me to?

Must I lay my hands on women I do not love?

Nay, I say!

I'll only lay my hands on women that I want.

This is something that I won't compromise.

"Having your own standards is good, but the issue of leaving behind a descendant is more important."

"—They'll have to be ready for when I return to the territory. I'll impose such a heavy tax that they'll never think of demonstrating ever again."

"Well, well, that's something to look forward to. On a different note, it's fascinating how little the democratization movement has spread. The fire has almost been extinguished."

"Democratization, huh. Don't forget to write down the names of all those noisy idiots. They're my enemies. Human rights? They just want to be in the position of power."

"Lord Liam?"

"—Even if aristocrats were to disappear, others will rise up to replace them. No matter what, some people would hold more authority than others. This will never change."

No matter what kind of political system we're looking at, there will always be a side that oppresses others and a side that gets oppressed.

A world without inequality?

Something like that doesn't exist.

Even if we were to throw aristocrats out of the picture, politicians and rich merchants will seize control of the power.

This time, inequality will be based on how rich or poor someone is.

There will always be someone that is in control, and the rest will have to obey that entity.

Well, I won't deny that this feudal system where aristocrats reign supreme isn't flawed.

However, I have no plans on relinquishing my authorities to anyone.

What's happening to others is none of my concern.

The same could be said about the people that are championing for democratization.

A small minority might be serious about wanting democracy, but the rest of them just want my power.

They may be holding onto their ideals at the moment, but if power is handed to them, they will become corrupt.

I know because I wield it myself.

Power is extremely addictive, and it can easily corrupt people's heart.

I don't think that's a bad thing, though.

I want to be corrupted and become intoxicated by the power I have.

After all, I'm an evil lord.

"If they wish to pull me down and replace me, they'll have to prove that they're stronger than I am. If they can do so, I won't mind accepting their challenge. Otherwise, as the vanquished, they should quietly accept how they're being treated."

My retainers are trying to overthrow me.

They can do so as they please, but they'll have to prepare themselves for when they are defeated.

I'm not someone that treats enemies with mercy.

I'll make sure to crush them thoroughly.

———————————————————————————————-

Brian (`; ω; ´): "How frightening. The number of people in Lord Liam's harem is zero!"

Brian (´;ω;｀): "—It's painful."

[1] This is where calling him "Lord Liam" backfires. Brian says Liam-zamaaa, and zamaaa sounds like ざまぁ, which means "serves you right!" or "sucks to be you!"

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Chapter 910 - yy

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