Chapter 10 - Pet Dog
My super-dreadnought class battleship is finally complete!
Never thought it would be the one to come pick me up though.
By the way, I’m in a terrible situation.
We’re already quite far away from the planet that I was summoned to, but the people that have gathered in my room are criticizing me.
The reason for this is because of Chino.
Chino, the girl that belongs to the Dog tribe, is currently sleeping on my bed with her stomach exposed.
Ellen’s touching her ears and tail out of interest, but she doesn’t seem to be waking up at all.
After finishing the food that has been prepared for her, she has apparently fallen asleep.
Based on how unsuspecting she is of her surroundings; I refuse to believe that she is a wolf.
In my eyes, she’s just a cute pet dog.
“Lord Liam, this Brian here is flabbergasted. What were you thinking by bringing along a local human as your pet?”
When I look away from Brian, I catch sight of Amagi who starts lecturing me with an exasperated tone.
“Master, we’ll be returning her to the place where you picked her up.”
“But why!? Everyone else is doing it as well! When aristocrats find rare creatures, they keep them, right?”
“While beastmen are certainly not numerous, they aren’t that rare either.”
“I’m free to do what I like!”
When I think of selfish aristocrats, I imagine them bringing back rare creatures to their hometown, even if the aforementioned creatures are from somewhere that they shouldn’t have technically visited.
Selfishness is forgiven—that’s the impression that I have of aristocrats.
Amagi’s face remains expressionless, but her attitude is like that of a mother that is scolding her child for picking up animals on the street.
Kuu! Stop looking at me like that!
“Can’t I keep her? I promise I’ll take care of her properly!”
Both Amagi and Brian turn towards Ellen, whose attention is still on Chino.
“You say all that, but you left behind Ellen this time and made her sad, didn’t you?”
“This Brian believes that Lord Liam should keep a normal dog instead. What do you think, Lord Liam?”
These guys don’t understand anything.
I’ll never keep a real dog ever again since I’ll be sad when it eventually dies.
Since Chino is closer to that of a human, I don’t think I’ll be as sad if she were to die.
“Enough about me! Now, let’s return and subjugate the idiots there.”
I’ll deal with them using an iron fist along with the super idiots that can’t even house-sit properly.
Brian wipes away his tears using a handkerchief.
“It’s all because Lord Liam ignored the problem of leaving behind a descendant that the issue became this serious.”
“This ain’t my fault.”
“Part of the responsibility still falls on Lord Liam!”
I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.
◇
A massive fleet consisting of 30,000 ships was advancing toward the territory of the Banfield Family to plunder the land.
While some were aristocrats disguised as pirates, the rest were the real deal.
Some aristocrats of the Cleo Faction were also participating with 3,000 ships of their own.
They had joined the Cleo Faction because of its meteoric rise.
In other words, they were opportunists that just wanted to be on the winning horse.
“This is what he gets for showing off despite being nothing more than a brat.”
Inside one of the battleships, an aristocrat is relaxing in a room that had been decorated like a palace, drinking sake from his glass.
He was precisely an evil lord that Liam aspired to be.
“To think he’d allow us to plunder the Banfields’ territory as much as we’d like. That’s quite generous of him. I guess that just shows how desperate he is to get rid of Liam.”
As they were being backed by a certain individual, the aristocrats had entered Liam’s territory with peace of mind.
They had been informed of what was happening inside the territory.
Not only were Liam’s vassals divided, his relatives were gathering on the main planet to compete over who should inherit his position.
Now was the perfect time to plunder the territory.
Besides themselves, other pirate groups and aristocrats of the Empire were advancing toward the Banfields’ territory.
By joining hands with the pirates, they wished to have a slice of the Banfield Family’s wealth.
“Even then, this is way too easy. I guess a family that rose through the ranks in the course of one generation is only so-so… bwah!?”
Just as he was about to gracefully take a sip out of his glass, the battleship began to shake violently.
◇
I don’t feel nervous at all despite facing the 30,000 pirate ships that we’ve come across along the way.
I’m sitting on a chair that’s inside the battleship’s bridge with my disciple Ellen standing beside me.
Like the great master that I am, I’m teaching Ellen about various things.
“Ellen, I’ll show you how I do things.”
“Yes, Master!”
I’m getting the impulse to tease her seeing how cheerful she is.
Chino is also next to us, but she doesn’t seem interested at all in our conversation.
She has her pillow with her, and she appears to be very sleepy as she leans her head against the ship.
It’s fine though. She’s just a pet after all.
If it was Ellen behaving this way, I would’ve had her undergo rigorous training.
“All pirates that enter my territory are to be annihilated. There are no exceptions to this rule.”
“Yes, Master!”
“Wait, I take that back. If it’s a beauty that catches my eye, you don’t have to be heavy-handed.”
“Yes, Master!”
I immediately regret the joke that I make after seeing Ellen’s eyes twinkling.
What am I saying in front of a child?
I should reflect on my behavior. I’ve been too lax recently.
Amagi and Brian are staring at me with cold eyes.
“Master, please consider the time, place, and occasion before speaking.”
“This Brian hopes that Lady Ellen could grow up normally.”
I try to laugh it off.
“Hahaha! Anyway, annihilate pirates on sight! They’re the ones that bring me fame and treasure, so we must welcome them with open arms!”
Outside the battleship, the fleet that came to retrieve me has launched a surprise attack on the enemy fleet.
Our enemies outnumber us greatly, but my elites are tearing through them.
At the end of the day, pirates are just a bunch of riff-raff.
The moment things start taking a turn for the worse, they scatter like ducks, allowing us to hunt them down.
The commander of my fleet delivers a message from the enemies.
“Lord Liam, a message has arrived from the pirates. They’re saying that they’ll surrender.”
What did I tell you?
“Reject it. It’s their fault for intruding upon my territory. Oh, and also, call for the fortress class battleship that’s nearby. Have them take care of the leftovers.”
On a different note, we seem to be dealing with someone troublesome this time.
Some fools have taken advantage of my absence to cause trouble.
“We’ve also received a message from someone called Lord Burns who claims to be a member of the Cleo Faction. He wants us to stop attacking. He doesn’t look like he was captured though.”
Burns? I know dozens of people with the same name, so I’ve got no idea who this one is.
Oh, I think there was someone with that name among the aristocrats of the Cleo Faction, but I’m probably mistaken.
There’s no way he’s here… and it doesn’t matter if he is!
“Commander, are you insinuating that aristocrats are siding with the pirates? That’s a rather disrespectful thing to say, don’t you agree?”
I warn the fleet commander with a smile.
Seeing what I’m trying to get at, the commander shrugs.
Of course, I won’t be punishing him for something of this level.
After all, I’m forgiving toward those that follow me.
“My sincere apologies. There’s no way the proud aristocrats would side with the pirates. I’m willing to bear the punishment for what I’ve just said.”
“In that case, make sure that none of the enemies escape with their lives.”
Truth be told, I know that some aristocrats are mixed in with the enemies.
It’s not uncommon for aristocrats to lend the pirates a helping hand.
To begin with, pirates and aristocrats are very similar beings.
Aristocrats of intergalactic nations are just well-behaved versions of space pirates.
They’re the same deep within, so there’s nothing strange about what’s happening.
“This is the debut battle of my new ship, so make it flashy.”
The commander hands out orders to his subordinates.
“Have the flagship move forward and prepare to engage the enemies!”
◇
The coalition of aristocrats and pirates was being attacked by a fleet less than one-third their size.
“Why aren’t they going down!?”
“Our opponents are the elites of the Banfield Family! I-in addition, one of their ships is strange.”
The ship in question was comparable to a flagship class battleship in terms of its size, yet its performance outshone that of similar-sized ships.
None of their attacks could reach this ship, yet a single blow from it was enough to penetrate dozens of their own.
A battleship of such abnormal performance was rampaging on the battlefield.
“Tell them that we surrender!”
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do! H-however, the only reply we’ve gotten is ‘we will annihilate the shameless pirates that are impersonating the aristocrats. They’re not willing to accept any form of negotiation!”
The aristocrat swung his fist down upon the armrest.
“Are those dogs of Liam’s intent on burying us here!? I’m an aristocrat! Keep calling them over and over again!”
Pirate ships and aristocratic ships alike were being sunk one after another.
It was so one-sided that it couldn’t be called a battle.
Things only changed when Liam accepted the request for negotiation.
His fearless face soon appeared on the monitor.
The aristocrat whose hair was all over the place due to his previous display of impatience flashed a smile at Liam.
“Liam-dono, it’s been a long time since we’ve met.”
(Why is Liam here!? D-did His Highness Calvin trick us!?)
Although he was startled by Liam’s sudden appearance, he quickly calmed himself.
Unfortunately, Liam’s words were as cold as ever.
“I don’t have any pirates among my acquaintances, and since you invaded my territory without permission, there’s no way that you’re an aristocrat. Hence, you’ll all be dying here.”
“Sh*t will hit the fan if you kill me.”
The aristocrat wiped the smile off his face and glared at Liam, but to no avail.
“So? That just means I’ll have to destroy your family as well.”
The communication was cut off, and the battleship that the aristocrat was on shook violently.
The ship’s operator let out a shout.
“A fortress class has appeared! We’ve confirmed the entry of one fortress-class battleship and 6,000 other battleships! They seem to be a part of the Banfield Family’s fleet, and they’re warping in one after another!”
With Liam’s return, the Banfield Family’s fleet was coming back together.
The aristocrat stared intently at the monitor.
The powerful fleet of the Banfield Family was effortlessly crushing their fleet of 30,000 ships.
The enemy fleet suddenly charged, and the battleship with monstrous performance was approaching quickly.
“S-so this is the Pirate Hunter Liam…”
Soon after the aristocrat finished muttering, he was hit by a blinding light which evaporated him into nothingness.
◇
While this was happening; the fleet led by Tia and the fleet led by Marie were confronting each other.
Both armies were utterly confused, but they were ready for battle.
Inside the bridge of a ship, a commander was questioning Marie.
“Are we really going to fight amongst ourselves!?”
Marie was grooming her nails and did not seem hesitant at all about fighting against her allies.
“Yup. If I don’t destroy that minced meat woman, how am I supposed to sleep comfortably? All you have to do is follow my orders.”
Marie’s goal was to kill Tia.
(I’ll put the Banfield Family back together and present Lord Liam with a knight’s order that befits his status, but that minced meat woman will no doubt get in my way.)
As Liam was absent, she was thinking of pinning all the blame on Tia before silencing her.
Tia was of the same mind.
Tia’s face was projected on the monitor.
“Fossil woman, the time has finally come. I can’t help but be excited imagining you on your knees begging for forgiveness.”
Marie stood up from her seat, smiling with bloodshot eyes.
One of her eyes was open wider than the other, and her smile didn’t look like an actual smile.
“A woman like you should just remain as a pirate’s toy. I’ll sell you to the pirates after you’re captured. A breeding room, was it? I’ll let you go back there.”
Tia’s face became blank.
“… I’ll kill you.”
Marie’s expression ceased as well.
“Die.”
They hated each other’s gut, but they also recognized each other as a formidable foe.
With Liam’s absence, various forces had emerged, and it was as if the territory had entered the Warring States period.
Tia was leading a group of Liam supremacists, while the group centered around Marie had secured the safety of Lady Rosetta.
Ambitious individuals, and those that simply wanted in on the fun, were also participating in the battles.
Common sense dictated that they crush the weaker forces first, but ironically enough, they saw each other as their greatest threat.
Although they both knew how capable the other was, they didn’t want to voice it out loud.
What’s more, their desire to get rid of the other person was genuine.
They had only been holding back because of Liam.
Now, however, they were seriously about to start a civil war.
Their right arms were raised, but just as they were about to swing them down and start the battle, Liam’s face appeared on their monitors.
“You dumb-asses.”
Liam said in a low voice with his sword in hand.
He was on his seat and looking down, so his expression couldn’t be seen, but there was no doubt that he was furious.
The air in the bridge became tense, but the soldiers around Tia and Marie heaved sighs of relief.
With their wrongdoings exposed at the worst possible moment, the two could not keep their hearts calm.
Marie straightened her back and saluted, but drips of cold sweat trickled down non-stop.
On her monitor, she could see that Tia’s face was pale.
“Lord Liam, so you were safe! This Marie was so worried…”
“So worried that you decided to go to war with my fleet?”
“W-well, about that…o-oh, right! A young man named Isaac barged in and took over the planet claiming that he had the right because of his bloodline! I escaped from the planet with Lady Rosetta, but the woman over there labeled me a deserter and attacked us!”
She decided on the fly to push all the blame onto Isaac and Tia.
Tia’s expression on the other side of the monitor became like a Hannya mask.
“FOSSIL WOMAN!! I’LL TURN YOU BACK INTO A STATUE AGAIN!”
However, when Liam raised his face, he stared at them with cold eyes.
“Hmmm, so you can’t even house-sit properly.”
They had failed to protect Liam’s home planet, which meant they had failed in their duties.
Marie shook uncontrollably.
“W-we’re terribly sorry.”
“I’ll deal with the two of you later, but before that… clean up the enemies that have entered the territory with your fleets. Don’t spare anyone.”
The communication was cut off, and the crew on the bridge stared at Marie.
Her reaction was abnormal.
She had her hands joined together, and she appeared to be enraptured by the figure of Liam that she hadn’t seen for a long time.
“Ahhh! Lord Liam looked so dignified today! Now, it’s time for work. We have to annihilate those pirates before that minced meat woman can. Everyone, I expect you all to work hard.”
‘It’s a tad too late to redeem yourself,’ thought the military personnel on the ship.
◇
Many battleships were floating above Liam’s mansion located on the Banfield Family’s main planet, and Isaac was annoyed by this rude act.
“Which idiot was it that had the battleships standby above the mansion!? Bring him to me immediately! I’ll decapitate him myself!”
The people around him distanced themselves after seeing Isaac pull out his sword.
However, his colleagues and his head knight reacted differently.
“Lord Isaac, Liam is apparently back.”
“Liam? Hmph! What a lucky guy.”
There was a reason why he wasn’t flustered after learning that Liam was back.
This time around, the Banfield Family experienced a crisis because a successor had not been nominated.
With that in mind, Isaac was thinking of having Liam nominate him as his successor, saying that he would give way to Liam’s child if, and when, one was born.
Just by becoming a successor candidate he would have an easier time as many people would be willing to suck up to a potential head of the Banfield Family.
“Let’s get ourselves ready to greet him. It’s really a pain to have a brother who’s this uncultured. I find it disgusting that we have the same blood flowing through us. Also, where’s Norden?”
“He ran away because he’s afraid of Liam.”
Isaac didn’t think much of Norden. So, when he heard that the latter had run away, he didn’t think much of it besides labeling Norden as an idiot in his mind.
He was more concerned about Liam.
Isaac had much to say to Liam who didn’t act like a proper aristocrat.
He didn’t think Liam was suitable as the head of the Banfield Family, an aristocratic household, that was on its way to becoming one of the Empire’s greatest noble houses.
That said; he was planning on feigning obedience for the time being.
“I don’t like him at all, but the territory that he’s developing is rather desirable.”
He might get the chance to inherit this territory.
For that reason, he was willing to put up a front before Liam.
His head knight flashed a meaningful smile.
“It turns out Lord Liam was just a temporary stop point, and he was waiting for someone who could truly act as the Banfield Family’s leader to appear.”
Isaac felt good after hearing this compliment.
“Now that you put it that way, I’m starting to feel grateful towards Liam.”
It was then that Isaac got a call from Liam.
◇
It’s been a long time since I’ve come home.
The hall that we’re in was built for my harem, but due to a lack of beautiful women, it was renovated into an audience hall.
I’m currently sitting on a chair and yawning in front of my subordinates that number in the hundreds.
The one smiling and talking before me is my younger brother who I’ve never met before.
“Dear brother, I’m relieved to hear that you’re back safe and sound, but all this trouble was caused because of a lack of successor. What do you say to appointing me, your younger brother who’s related to you by blood, as the temporary successor? Of course, in the event that elder brother has a child… your child could have the higher priority.”
I look closely at Isaac’s face.
He’s a typical ikemen with blond hair and blue eyes, but I can tell from his face that he’s rotten inside, just like me.
Thinking to this point, I feel a sense of intimacy with this brother of mine.
But my answer is no. My wealth is mine alone, and I don’t plan to share it with anyone, not even my immediate family members.
“And why do I have to nominate you again?”
“Well, for situations like this.”
“Also, I see that the knights that have previously abandoned the Banfield Family are present in this meeting. It amazes me to see that you guys can keep your heads held high despite crawling back here shamelessly.”
Upon hearing my words, the knights that have come with Isaac show bitter looks.
My knights are glaring at them with their sharp eyes.
These are the knights that left when the house showed signs of decline.
Chivalry-wise, they’re completely out of the picture, but it’s not like I don’t understand where they’re coming from.
After all, I’m not the most trusting of others either.
However, I have no intention of keeping traitors in my household.
“By the way, I’ve heard that there were some fools that betrayed me for Isaac.”
The officials are shivering in fear.
The people around them are directing cold gazes at them and calling them traitors.
One of the officials’ steps forward to give his excuse.
Feeling generous, I decide on listening to what he has to say.
“Lord Liam, please allow me to speak!”
“Permission granted.”
Klaus who’s beside me exclaims in surprise when he hears me grant the permission.
“Are you sure, my Lord?”
“I’ll forgive him if he could come up with an interesting excuse. Hey, speak up before I change my mind.”
Having received my permission to speak, the official starts presenting his excuse while looking as if all the blood is rushing to his face.
“The events that transpired this time highlighted the Banfield Family’s critical flaw. When Lord Liam went missing; the army was split up, and problems emerged in the territory’s management. All these problems could be traced back to the absence of a proper successor.”
I mean he has a point.
It’s because I never nominated a successor that my territory became so chaotic.
I applaud the official’s excuse.
“You do have a point, but your excuse wasn’t interesting. Start over and try again in your next life.”
“!?”
Too bad for you.
A benevolent lord might have listened to your opinion, but I’m an evil lord.
Hence, I’m not looking for that kind of opinion.
————————————————————————————————————-
Brian (ヽ´ω`): “It’s painful. Our knights have such terrible tempers…Why do I feel like I’ve said this before?”
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