Chapter 9:
Betrayal
T HE PLANET AUGUR was close to the Empire's border with the
Autocracy. Of course, that was "close" in terms of intergalactic nations, so
you'd still need to use a long-distance warp device to get there. With one
of those devices, however, Augur wasn't far from the front lines.
No one normally paid any attention to the planet, but its value had
shot up now that the Empire was at war with the Autocracy. From the start
it would have been the perfect place to establish a base to support the front
lines in the war effort. The only reason one hadn't already been built there
was the baron who ruled the planet.
On the bridge of the Argos, a superdreadnought I'd brought with me
from House Banfield's domain, I stared down at Augur, which was
projected onto the screen that made up the floor. It wasn't at all unpleasant
to look down at the beautiful, faintly purple planet from space.
"The Empire must be seriously short-staffed to send me as a
magistrate," I said.
This was a job for a serious, straitlaced type, but they'd chosen an
evil lord like me instead.
As I grinned down at Augur, Wallace stood beside me, arms folded
as though he had complaints about the situation. I'd forced him to come
along, since he seemed to think he could finish up his noble training
without actually doing any meaningful work. From his point of view, of
course, I'd dragged him from a safe job on the Capital Planet to the front
lines of the war. To make a comparison, it was as though I'd transferred
him from the main office to a remote branch in a place with a lot of
problems.
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"You should have just turned down the job!" he spat. "I don't care if
it was Cleo and the prime minister asking; you should still have enough
authority to be able to say no."
"It's just as you say. I did have the option of turning them down."
"Then..."
"But why would I? I was bored on the Capital Planet. Let's see how
Calvin handles things from up close."
"That's why you came?!"
I shook my head. "You're as thick-headed as always, aren't you? I
was told to construct a base in the rear, not to fight in the war."
"Huh? Then..."
"If something happens, we can just run away."
I wasn't coming here to fight; just to build a base.
"Lord Magistrate, we have communication from the dispatched
fleet," one of the bridge operators informed me.
"Put it through."
When the Empire sent a noble to serve as a magistrate, they also
dispatched a fleet from the Imperial Army to accompany that noble. The
commander of this fleet was a major general who appeared to be in his
mid-twenties, though it was difficult to guess people's age in this universe.
A hologram of the young major general was projected in front of us.
It was so realistic, it seemed the man himself was really standing there
before us. His voice even seemed to come from his mouth.
"Lord Magistrate, all three thousand ships of the dispatched fleet
have arrived in Planet Augur's vicinity."
The major general looked nervous as he made his report, but I
replied to him in a perfectly relaxed tone.
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"Keep your guard up until the transport fleet arrives," I ordered him
without even meeting the major general's eyes.
He saluted sharply. "Understood, sir."
The call ended and the major general disappeared from the bridge.
Having observed the exchange, Wallace spoke as though he pitied the
man.
"Poor guy. He wouldn't have to worry if you weren't the
magistrate."
Normally, in a situation like this the commander of the dispatched
fleet would be higher ranked than the magistrate, since most magistrates
were simple bureaucrats with no military experience. Even if they were a
noble, unless the magistrate was from a powerful family, the dispatched
fleet commander would just tell them "don't get in our way" and that
would be that. This wasn't the case with me, however.
"I may have left the military, but I retired as a general in the
Imperial Army. Plus, I'm a future duke. It's not like the guy can talk down
to me."
Wallace shook his head. Apparently, that wasn't what he'd meant.
He looked down from the bridge at the vast fleet that surrounded House
Banfield's flagship, the Argos.
"The major general's just shaken up by the thirty thousand ships you
brought with you. You didn't even need his fleet to come."
Just because we were so close to the battlefield, I'd brought my own
fleet of thirty thousand ships with me. I thought it was better to have them
on hand in case of an emergency. I'd brought the Avid too. Still, there was
a reason I'd wanted the dispatched fleet to come along despite all my
preparations.
"Now I have a great number of ships to give random tasks to, since
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my fleet has work of its own to do."
"Exterminating all nearby space pirates, right...? Do you really have
to do that in territory that's directly controlled by the Empire now?"
"Of course I do."
As a representative of the Empire, a magistrate ruled over an area
under direct imperial control. Once their term was up someone else
inevitably took over, so most magistrates didn't do much more than warm
the seat. As long as nothing catastrophic happened while they were in
office, they'd have done a fine job, so they didn't bother dealing with any
local pirate problems. I'd also heard that dispatched fleets tended to resist
orders to do so, protesting, "Don't give us busywork like that!" In other
words, neither magistrates nor dispatched fleets typically accomplished
much of anything at their posts.
This fleet that had been sent along with me was of decent quality,
but it couldn't compare to House Banfield's fleet in either skill or
equipment. I couldn't let them handle any pirates.
"Space pirates are my wallet," I said. "I feel like I've found a piggy
bank every time I uncover one of their hidden fortresses."
They also served as resources for me. The transport fleet was loaded
up with resources with which to build the new base, but if I could procure
more on site, there was no reason not to.
Wallace looked at me and sighed. "I see you're as hardworking as
ever. You're probably just about the only person in the Empire who'd
seriously fulfill his obligations as a magistrate."
That was just how unimportant the role was. Still, it was a job I was
happy to embrace, so it was only natural that I'd take it seriously. I was
well on my way to playing the evil magistrate! I just had to take care of
anything that would get in my way first.
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"Anyway, that can come later. We've got something to deal with on
Augur first." I transmitted my orders to the fleet before me. "Begin the
operation as planned. Capture the ruler of Planet Augur and bring him to
me. If there's resistance, you can eliminate everyone but the baron
himself."
The moment my orders had been given, things started moving on the
bridge, and House Banfield's waiting ships began to descend into the
planet's atmosphere.
***
Two days after the operation commenced, the baron who ruled
Planet Augur was brought on board the Argos, which was standing by in
space. The plump man was old enough to appear to be in his sixties, and
he trembled before me with his arms bound.
Seated in my chair, I sighed as I paged through the detailed
documents the strike team had provided me with on Planet Augur.
"You've got some nasty hobbies."
According to my investigators, the baron's citizens were forced to
live like prehistoric people. To me, their civilization was akin to something
out of the Middle Ages, but to the people of this universe that level was
considered prehistoric.
"B-but I haven't broken any laws!" the baron said desperately. "I
just forbade new immigrants from using education capsules!"
I rose from my seat, disgusted with him.
"Y-Your Lordship, please—bffh!"
I kicked the baron in the chin, sending him flying. "You make
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excuses to me, when I'm the one who has to clean up your mess?"
The baron had forced the people in his domain to live in a
prehistoric society. So many generations had passed in this state that the
people of Augur didn't even know there were other people living out in
space. And that wasn't the most disgusting part.
"Did you have fun playing god?"
The baron had been making his people worship him as a god. As
someone who had actually received help from the likes of the Guide, this
disgusted me.
I stomped on the baron again and again. "Well? Did you? Answer
me!"
"Please forgive me! Please forgive me! I was just having a little
fun!"
It was ludicrous that he would even say that, and yet this was just
what Empire nobles were like. They were all complete garbage—me
included.
The baron had lost consciousness, so I turned to the knights beside
me. "Take him away."
"Yes, sir."
One of the knights was a woman with glasses and long, glossy black
hair. Her light-blue eyes were a bit sharp, and she gave off the cold
impression of a woman who cleanly and efficiently completed the tasks
she received. She wore a black knight's uniform with a purple cape over
one shoulder, which was the uniform of House Banfield's Royal Guard—a
unit that had just been established that specialized in guarding and escort.
This woman with glasses was the commander of the Royal Guard, Ethel
Sera Granger.
She had one of her subordinates take the baron away, then asked me,
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"Permission to speak, my lord?"
"Go ahead."
"Thank you. I see no reason to leave such a nefarious man alive,
sir."
She was asking why I didn't just kill him, so I explained to her that I
was only leaving him alive so I could make use of him.
"He'll be a tool for me, to help explain my position to the people of
Augur."
At that, Ethel smiled as though absolutely thrilled. Supposedly, she
was highly loyal to me, so I hoped it was just my imagination that I was
getting some "Tia and Marie" vibes from her.
"I apologize for the impertinent remark."
"Anyway, the situation on Augur's more important. He wasn't just
keeping their level of civilization low; he was exploiting them too. We
won't be able to procure any labor from them under these conditions."
Not content with merely limiting their civilization level of
advancement, the baron had also ruled them tyrannically, causing them no
end of undue suffering. I was all for tormenting the citizenry, but as the
guy who had to clean up after him now, he'd given me a lot to complain
about. I wanted to enjoy my stay here playing the evil magistrate, but I
didn't even have time for that.
Ethel displayed the data on Planet Augur on holograms around us.
"The situation is rather dire. It'll be quite a bit of work bringing them up to
the imperial standard."
I looked over the data and said, "Don't worry. It's not my first or
even second time improving a domain of this level. Get Wallace," I
commanded her.
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"Y-yes, sir."
Ethel seemed somewhat bewildered by my command to summon a
good-for-nothing like Wallace, but since he was here, I was going to make
use of him. The only thing Wallace was good at was planning parties, but I
still wanted him to actually earn his allowance every once in a while.
***
Wallace's cheeks twitched as he looked over the data on Planet
Augur.
"We're really going to build a military base here? The population's
less than a hundred million and the people are all destitute."
Augur was in a terrible state due to the baron's less than ideal
governance, but the planet's strategic value had soared thanks to the war
with the Autocracy. Even with the hand we'd been dealt here, we had to
fulfill the mission we'd been sent to do. It was a big responsibility, but
there was no need for me to go down to the surface and bust my ass
personally. That's what I'd brought Wallace for!
"Don't worry, you'll have all the help you need."
"That means you're going to give me an impossible job, right?! I
don't care how much help I get, it's not happening!"
Wallace was making a fuss, so I gave him some hope to shut him
up.
"You just have to hold out until some additional personnel get here.
You can do that, right?"
Wallace cocked his head. "Is someone else being sent here?"
"Yep, and they'll be here soon."
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***
Liam had been sent abruptly to a planet on the Empire's border, and
since he had left in a hurry before even completing his noble training,
Rosetta—who had been left behind on the Capital Planet—was rather
suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his appointment. Since Liam
had accepted the job and left in high spirits, however, she didn't make a
fuss about it.
Now, however, Cleo was without the leader of his faction. Now that
Liam was gone, people who had been behaving themselves during
Calvin's absence were starting to make moves. Rosetta's senior coworker
was one of them.
This coworker sat down on the edge of Rosetta's desk while Rosetta
was working and said, "I heard about your fiancé. Sent off to the sticks,
wasn't he? I wonder just how badly he must have screwed up."
Being sent to the remote reaches of the Empire was like a cruel
punishment to the officials who worked on the Capital Planet. No noble
would accept such a job without being guaranteed a certain level of
authority where they were being sent, and a promise that they would be
able to return to the Capital Planet afterward. Being sent to the border was
viewed the same as a demotion.
"He was given an important mission to support Prince Calvin,"
Rosetta replied. "Are you suggesting such a thing is a demotion?" He's
being sent to clean up after your leader, she left unsaid.
Her coworker's face turned scarlet before Rosetta's eyes. "Is that all
you have to say? You're very bold, considering you have no fiancé around
to protect you right now. Will you not understand your place until you get
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hurt?"
Rosetta frowned. She couldn't believe her coworker would be so
bold just because Liam was no longer on the Capital Planet. "Are you
threatening me? Are you prepared to follow through with that threat?"
"You brat..."
Just when her coworker lost her patience with Rosetta and raised her
hand to strike her, one of the knights who served as the building's security
called out to Rosetta.
"Lady Rosetta, you have a visitor."
"I do?" She found it strange that someone would come to her
workplace to see her, but rose from her seat to meet her visitor regardless.
Ignoring her coworker, she left her work area.
Waiting outside for her was Marion, who lifted a hand and gave her
a friendly smile. "Hey there."
"You're Mr....Marion? You worked with Darling, right?"
"That's right. I visited because I wanted to talk to you about Lord
Liam."
"Really? Let's use a reception room, then."
Rosetta took Marion to a reception room that wasn't usually used.
They sat down across from each other with a low table between them.
"What did you want to talk about, exactly?" Rosetta asked.
Marion gave her a bold smile and rose from the couch, leaning
down over her. While she was bewildered by this sudden move, Marion
touched her chin, lifting it up with his fingertips.
"He's got such a beautiful fiancée, but Liam was still fooling around
with another woman. I just can't understand it."
"He...he was?"
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Marion couldn't miss the sad expression that flitted across Rosetta's
face.
"I wouldn't make you sad like he does. What do you say? Liam's
not on the Capital Planet right now, so why not have some fun with me?"
Rosetta had been caught off guard by Marion making a pass at her,
but she quickly altered her attitude. Glaring, she told him, "I have no
reason to do anything with you."
"Even though Liam has fun with other women?"
"That's no reason for me to betray him. I would never associate with
someone like you who tries to take advantage of other people, anyway. If
that's all you wanted to say, please leave."
Marion sighed and pulled back, understanding that he wasn't going
to be able to seduce Rosetta. "It's tragic for a woman like you to be wasted
on Liam. As for what I wanted to say, I'll be returning to the domain of
House Algren soon. I plan to stop by Augur on the way. Would you like
me to give your fiancé a message when I do?"
If she wanted to talk to Liam, she could simply call him herself, and
she could have anything she wanted delivered to him using House
Banfield's vassals. Marion couldn't have come all the way here to see her
just to say something like that.
"Why don't you tell me what you really came here for? You
wouldn't visit my workplace just to tell me that."
"You're a bit slow, aren't you? I came here to make a pass at you."
Rosetta's first reaction to Marion's provocative smile was to blink in
surprise. Then she turned her head away. "Quit joking."
"Fine—we'll say I'm joking. But this isn't a joke: at this rate, Liam
will lose his life."
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If he had something to say about Liam, then Rosetta couldn't help
but listen.
"What do you mean by that?"
Marion toyed with his bangs, playing dumb. "It's just a possibility.
I'll tell you the rest if you agree to go on a date with me."
With Marion having made yet another pass at her, Rosetta reached
the end of her patience. "No, thank you. Goodbye."
She stood and left the room. Marion shrugged, but there was a
triumphant smile on his face, as though he believed Rosetta would be
swayed sooner or later.
Out in the hallway, Rosetta hid in the shadows with her back to a
wall. She knocked on the wall a few times, and a masked woman who
worked for Kukuri appeared from her shadow.
"What can I do for you?" the woman asked politely.
"Can you investigate that person?" Rosetta requested.
But, because of Liam, the woman could not follow that order. "No,
unfortunately. I beg your forgiveness, but Master Liam has commanded us
to ignore Lord Marion."
"He did?" Why would Liam command them not to investigate his
coworker? Rosetta found this very strange.
"Yes. I would have subdued him just now for getting that close to
you if not for Master Liam's orders."
After all, this woman served as Rosetta's protection from the
shadows, it being her job to keep Liam's fiancée safe from any scoundrels
who might cause her harm.
"If he bothers you, I could at least give him a warning," Kukuri's
subordinate suggested.
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He did bother her, but Rosetta thought for a moment and shook her
head. "No. I don't want to get in Darling's way."
"Very well."
The woman vanished back into the shadows.
***
Alone in the reception room after Rosetta had left, Marion loosened
his shirt around his neck.
"I don't mind that I couldn't seduce her, but it's been a long time
since I've been rejected quite so flatly."
Being rejected by Rosetta had hurt his pride a bit. Even if he
couldn't succeed, he would at least have liked to see her entertain the offer
a bit. Yet Rosetta hadn't even thought about it.
"It's cuter when they have second thoughts."
With his androgynous good looks, Marion could pass as a popular
idol. He was confident in his appearance and had a job that granted him a
lofty social position besides. Rosetta's rejection hurt all the more because
he'd been successful with every other girl he'd pursued up until now.
"How frustrating. I guess I'll just have to take it out on Liam."
Marion grinned to himself, then schooled his expression as he left
the room.
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