CH 57

Yuen, Commander-in-Chief of Tenka, said in his briefing to the three families prior to the invasion of the Monarchy:

“The acquisition of the former Coalition territory is the first stage. If we see the extent of the damage is too great, we can interpret it as having fulfilled the purpose of liberating the Coalition, and a temporary truce may be allowed. If we have an overwhelming advantage, there’s no need to suspend. Moving on, do any of the three families have any questions?”

A year later, all former Coalition territories, including the MacLir System, which had taken a long time to fall, and the Solar System, which had been deliberately left behind to reduce the strength of the Diete System, were conquered by the five Tenka nations. With this, Yuen has accomplished the first stage he had set for himself.

The five Tenka nations suffered damage amounting to 250,000 ships in battle with Fortress Kerviel, 60,000 ships before the complete destruction of Fraga, a moon in the MacLir System, 100,000 ships at the time of the capture of Fukashiro, and 350,000 ships in the Diete system.

In just one year, 760,000 ships were lost, the habitable environments of the two planets were destroyed, causing ten times the damage imagined a year ago. The national mages of the previous generation and the generation before that have also been drafted, but even with them combined, the number of cruiser-class ships that can be mobilized is less than it was before the war began. The mothers of the national mages were also mobilized for the defense, and there was no choice but to get to work on the next generation.

The Monarchy, on the other hand, can increase their vast number of fighter crafts and send them to the Tenka side as many times as they want using Fortress Kerviel.

Recognizing the power of Fortress Kerviel, Yuen and others prepared a force that would prevent their star systems from falling even if 9 million of the Monarchy’s fighter crafts attacked. However, if the Monarchy repeats the invasion, the Tenka side’s defense forces will be reduced.

The concern is that there is too much difference in force replenishment.

The difficulty of replenishment is as different as the heavens and the earth between the national mages who must be raised from babies and secured at the age of 15 and the fighter craft pilots that can be secured only by wearing spirit crystals.

The defense power of the Monarchy that endured the Tenka side’s great offensive was unexpected, and the estimates made by the five Tenka nations before the war were naive. Or perhaps the estimates pointed out by Hào Lán in Fukashiro were correct.

Here the purpose of liberating the Coalition was fulfilled and the ceasefire… such a selfish dialogue could never be opened, Yuen also understood that.

“You’ve done well, Yúnlán. Killing the Sovereign of Diete, eradicating the spirit crystal factory on Diros, and causing enormous human casualties to the Royal army and aristocrats. We recognize that Ōizumi has earned first priority in the distribution due to these achievements.”

Just as Yuen realized the first stage he spoke about, Yúnlán also realized the direct attack on the Diete System and the destruction of the spirit crystal factory that he himself proposed. He also achieved the overthrow of the Sovereign, which somewhat compensated for Tenka’s miscalculation.

The acclaimed Yúnlán nodded modestly and then warned Yuen.

“Fighter crafts that can be increased by the number of people remain a threat. It is better to repeat the second and third attacks on Diete and crush them as soon as possible. The only time we can attack is now, when the enemy’s defenses are falling. If left unattended for three years, the next invasion with a million ships, three times as many as before, might not be able to bring them down.”

Warning the Commander-in-Chief, who is in good spirits, is an undesired act for Yúnlán himself. As the successor to Ōizumi, Yúnlán is well aware of the dangers of not having a defensive force in the three star systems on the Tenka side.

Even so, he could only see the future of destruction ahead if they only defended, and he had no choice but to point it out.

“Very well. We’ll immediately arrange for a second invasion force.”

Yuen, who really showed understanding to Yúnlán’s warning, decided to regain the strength of each nation, which was in disarray due to the drastic reduction and conscription.

However, even if the next strike force achieves results, that does not mean the end of the war.

According to a communication intercepted by Yúnlán, the next Sovereign turned out to be a young queen.

Yuna Strani Asteria, currently only 20 years old.

A graduate of the Military Academy, she fought through numerous battlefields as an Operation Assistant of Fortress Kerviel, inherited the former Sovereign’s military force, and was promoted to the rank General through military service. She acted as the Sovereign’s Representative at the ceremony to establish diplomatic relations with Fukashiro, proving that she can play a political role as the country’s ruler.

Her fiancé, who stands besides the queen, is the Marquis of Amakawa, commander of Fortress Kerviel and General of the Royal Army. In his reverse invasion of Shinkyō and Kyūyama, he mercilessly killed 21.2 billion people living in two star systems.

There is no element to suggest that the replacement of Sovereign has reduced the ability of the Monarchy to continue war.

Even if the Tenka side calls for a ceasefire to draw the curtain with their acquisition of the Coalition territory, the Monarchy would not accept the cease-fire because the Queen whose father was killed would lose public support if she accepted the cease-fire immediately.

In order to break away from the current situation, which has developed into an unexpected violent conflict, Yuen could not think of anything but a complete settlement, or the draw of the curtain in the form of a natural truce like between the Monarchy and the former Coalition for more than 400 years.

Five months have passed since the Second Battle of the Diete System.

The final damage to the Monarchy was enormous, losing 96% of its defense force, more than 90% of the aristocrats and generals who participated in the defense battle were killed, and 3.74869 billion Royal Citizens were killed.

Still, they were able to repel the invasion force which surged to the Capital planet by a paper thin margin.

The rescue operation was swiftly carried out because half of the Capital planet and the defense fortresses were safe. Most of the planet’s habitable environment was restored with the generous investment of production facilities and resources in the star system.

However, a huge crater has been created in the royal capital, and there are many parts that had to be abandoned for restoration, as such the royal capital was relocated to the continent of Cynthus on the opposite bank across the Mediterranean Sea.

When Hart returned from the front lines, he was stunned when he saw the royal capital had been wiped out. The first factory of spirit crystals had once existed at the coordinates of an empty space above a huge crater. It was such a state.

The spirit crystals of the spirit god were collected by A-class spirits in the second factory, but at that time, the flow of magic elements in the first factory changed, and the production function would not return.

『Even if it can’t be produced at the first factory, it can still be used as an energy source. Mira can take care of it.』

『I don’t mind, but what are you going to do with it?』

To Mira’s rough question, Hart thought about future developments.

Hart himself has been promoted to Colonel General and appointed Commander-in-Chief. Chief of Military Affairs Anderson and Chief of Staff Ortiz were killed in action, forcing him to fill one of the Chief posts.

If both Colonel Generals of Jhering and Reinelt were not forcibly sent to the rear in the name of dispersing the overall command and survived, it would have been even worse.

Too many Generals are dead and in short supply, so Yuna, Philine and Colette, who have achieved good results for promotion, have all been promoted to Lieutenant General.

As for their positions, Yuna is attached to the Military Government Office and remains only on the military register, Philine is attached to the Staff Office and serves as Commander the Fortress Garrison Fleet, and Colette is the Assistant Commander and Deputy Commander of Fortress Kerviel.

Claudia, a Royal-grade magic power holder, was promoted by one rank each to Lieutenant Colonel for her achievements in the MacLir, Shinkyō, and Kyūyama Systems respectively, in order to quickly raise her to Fortress Commander level.

It wasn’t a promotion…. the reality is that they were promoted instead. Colonel General Reinelt, the Chief of Staff in control of personnel affairs, has pledged to fully support Hart along with Colonel General Jhering, the Chief of Military Affairs.

The ultimate expectation from the Monarchy to Hart and his colleagues would be, “We entrust the full power of the Monarchy of Diete, so launch a deadly arrow of Diete into the Tenka Federation”.

The prime example is the inauguration of Yuna as Queen.

In accordance with the last will and testament of the previous Sovereign, Valfrete, Yuna, the First Princess, moved the Mobile Fortress Zophiel to let it be known to the public that she was a Royal-grade magic power holder, received the approval of the House of Lords and the House of Representatives, and became the 12th Sovereign of the Deite.

In peacetime, it would not have been possible to appoint Yuna, who has just turned 21, as the Monarchy’s first Queen, but Diete is currently in the midst of a national crisis. With the Monarchy on the brink of extinction, it was up to the pair of the Monarchy’s most decorated warriors, Princess Yuna and Marquis Amakawa, to take the helm.

After being asked by Mira, Hart decided to use his game knowledge to the fullest.

『In the MacLir System, Mira said, ‘the Spirit God has concluded his business here’, Janet, who is not under contract with the doctor, and whose role as an assistant has ended with the destruction of the first factory, will be free. I would like to sign a contract with Janet and have her create her own domain in the Diete system. Now that Mira has gone up in rank, it’s possible to temporarily contract with four bodies, right?』

Janet is the A-class spirit that Yuna had contracted in the maiden game “The Galactic Prince”.

In the game, Yuna and Colette had both contracted A-class spirits. Among them, Colette’s spirit was Seraphina, and Janet is the A-class spirit that Hart had not obtained from Dr. Kerman.

Dr. Kerman, who had not given Janet to Hart, used it to build a second factory for spirit crystals.

However, Janet has not turned the star system where the spirit god was manifesting into her own realm. At the request of the doctor who had a contract with the spirit god, she was only mass-producing low-grade crystals that can be easily made at the second factory.

And the spirit god has finished his business here and left.

『If Mr. Hart knows the words to contract directly with Janet, it is possible. If you can make a contract, what would you do afterwards?』

She seemed accustomed to Hart knowing things he should not know, so Mira urged him to continue without asking any questions.

『I also want to create systems for Fleur and Rhea and connect them with transition gates. I’m thinking of Fukashiro as one of the systems. Xuě Lì would be saddened with her home-system in its present state. As a contractor who contributed to the promotion of the Spirit Kings, I’d like your help. My lifespan is less than 300 years at best.』

Fleur and Rhea appeared at Hart’s call, Fleur seemed to have no other choice, Rhea muttered with a sigh.

『Oncidium, Xuě Lì played a game with me, and the Fukashiro System is excellent.』

『Anemone, it doesn’t have to be the Fukashiro System, but a weird star system is absolutely no good.』

March 444.

The Monarchy lost about 10% of its total population just one year after the war, and lost all of its former Coalition territories and 11 billion people. The Tenka federation, on the other hand, has gained more population and systems than it has lost due to the domination of the Fukashiro System and the former Coalition territories.

The first queen, who just turned 21 this month, succeeded the throne from the previous Sovereign, who died in battle during a national crisis. Yuna, who was the Young Lady of a Baron Household until the age of 17, has never received any education to become a Queen.

On the other hand, it seemed that the scale, which tipped too far to one side, indicated the outcome of the war.

However, at Yuna’s side, a man who has seen the end of her life many times will soon bring about an abnormal situation that will overturn the end of the war.