Chapter 11:
A Black Nemain
IT WAS HALF A YEAR after my appointment as magistrate to Planet
Augur.
On the planet's surface, Wallace assiduously completed public
works projects one after another with the help of the immigrants from
House Banfield's domain. I'd entrusted all of the annoying work, like
adjusting the civilization of the locals, to him. That left me with one
problem, however.
"I'm bored," I sighed in my office after finishing all my work as
magistrate for the day.
A reply to my complaint came from Amagi, who was standing by at
my side.
"That is good. It is proof of the excellence of your vassals, Master."
"Excellence, eh? Yeah, I guess so."
My office was on my flagship, the Argos. There was a government
building on the surface, now with an office reserved for the magistrate, but
I was more comfortable with the facilities I had on the Argos. I didn't need
to go all the way down to the surface when I could just as easily do my
work from my ship, but that was the problem.
If I could simply do my work on the Argos, my subordinates
wouldn't ever give me a chance to go down to the surface. If I made any
attempt to do so, I had about a thousand people clamoring to accompany
me as guards and support staff. How was I supposed to play evil
magistrate like that?
While I was lost in thought, Amagi alerted me to an incoming
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message.
"Master, you have a call from House Banfield's fleet."
"Connect them."
The upper body of a young officer was projected above my large
desk.
"Lord Liam, we've discovered a suspicious fleet in Augur's vicinity.
According to our reconnaissance fleet, there's very likely a space pirate
base somewhere near here. They're requesting reinforcements from the
main fleet."
I rose from my seat. "That sounds like the perfect way to kill time.
Get the Avid ready for deployment immediately," I ordered the soldier,
who frowned awkwardly.
"What is it?" I asked him.
"Sir Claus has forbidden your deployment, Lord Liam. At present,
we are under Sir Claus's command, and as you are acting as a magistrate
on behalf of the Empire—"
Claus was now the commander of House Banfield's fleet, whereas I
was nothing more than a magistrate in service to the Empire. Of course,
this was only a technicality. If I really wanted to, I could take command of
the fleet, but that would put its members in the position of disobeying their
official commander, Claus.
"Connect me to Claus."
"Yes, sir!" the soldier said a little too enthusiastically. He patched
me through to my head knight. Now Claus was displayed before me,
looking as composed as always.
"What can I do for you, Lord Liam?"
"It's about the space pirate base. I'm going to deploy in the Avid."
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"Lord Liam, as you currently serve as magistrate, you cannot leave
Planet Augur's vicinity. Please leave this matter to us."
"But I want to go!" I told him. I wasn't so naive as to think he'd
give in if I was forceful with him, though. Not only was Claus a talented
guy, he also stated his objections bluntly.
"You are the head of House Banfield, Lord Liam. There are tasks
that only you can carry out, and there's no reason for you to head out on
unnecessary tasks like this. Please restrain yourself."
Against Claus's reasonable arguments, all I could muster was an
emotional outburst. It would've worked on Tia and Marie, but Claus was
far too strong an opponent.
"I have the final say! You guys have to do what I tell you, don't
you?"
"Yes. I merely convey to you the consensus of House Banfield as a
whole, Lord Liam."
"What?"
"After your disappearance when you were summoned, any number
of your subjects were greatly concerned for your safety."
"R-right."
He was referring to the incident in which I'd fled Amagi and Brian's
nagging by going through a magic summoning circle. That had caused
certain idiots to go on a rampage, throwing my domain into complete
chaos. That was enough to lead even me to reflect on my actions
somewhat.
"Losing you would deal a fatal blow to House Banfield, Lord Liam.
We all became quite aware of that recently. I have been asked by multiple
concerned parties to see that you sortie less often from now on."
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Apparently, it really was the consensus of House Banfield. I
searched for the words that would convince Claus but couldn't find them.
In the end, he even brought Amagi into it.
"Miss Amagi has made that same request of me. She asked that as
your head knight, I personally see to it that you refrain from going on
sorties yourself."
"Huh?!" I turned to Amagi, who bowed her head deeply to me.
"I apologize for going to the head knight without consulting you,
Master. I am prepared to accept whatever punishment you deem fitting."
Considering everything that had happened lately, I saw no means of
forcing my way into the field this time.
"Fine... I won't deploy."
I sank back into my chair, staring up at the ceiling.
"I am grateful for your understanding. Please leave all
miscellaneous tasks to us."
The call ended and Claus's image disappeared.
I sighed. "House Banfield's army is too well-manned now. There's
no room for me there anymore."
There was a very real possibility that I'd finish my role as magistrate
without even having to do anything. I'd never imagined the people
working for me would be so competent that it would become a problem for
me.
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Amagi stood before me, her back straight. "This is how things
should be. There is no longer any need for you to act recklessly, Master.
Please do not go into battle needlessly in the future."
In the wake of the events Claus had mentioned, Amagi really didn't
want me fighting anymore. The chaos House Banfield had fallen into when
I went missing had really freaked Brian out too. He'd been lecturing me a
lot more than usual lately.
"Do you really think I'd lose?"
I was a selfish evil lord. I couldn't just stay out of battle forever.
While I was considering just how long I'd have to be good before I could
go out and fight again, Amagi's expression changed. She closed her eyes,
her voice trembling slightly.
"I am worried about you, Master. Several inexplicable things have
happened to you in the past. That is what concerns us."
It was true that I'd gotten caught up in all sorts of strange incidents
in the past, but I'd gotten through it all thanks to the Guide's help. Still, I
couldn't stand seeing Amagi so anxious.
"I get it," I said reluctantly.
"Thank you, Master."
Amagi bowed, then left the room, probably off to bring me some
tea.
I shook my head. "Guess I won't be getting out of this just by telling
her not to worry."
As I racked my brain for some way to still enjoy myself playing the
evil magistrate, I suddenly thought of Nitta, my coworker from my past
life. He was someone you would call an otaku, always going on and on
about his hobbies to me. Since I wasn't very familiar with the stuff he
talked about, most of it went in one ear and out the other. I did, however,
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remember something he'd told me once that had caught my interest.
"That's right... A mask."
***
Having successfully prevented Liam from deploying, Claus sat
expressionlessly on the bridge of the Argos. His stomach hurt.
Why does everyone force these impossible tasks on me?! I'm only
head knight by chance, here!
He was terrified that he'd incurred Liam's wrath during their last
conversation.
I had to say all that as his head knight, though! It is true that people
come to me with their concerns about Lord Liam every day.
Everyone wanted Claus, as Liam's head knight, to tell him things
they themselves couldn't say to his face. Frustratingly, these were all
things said out of concern for Liam's safety and the good of House
Banfield. Had these people only been acting out of self-interest, Claus
could have simply ignored them.
I know someone has to say it, but why does it have to be me?! I'm
head knight in name only! All these expectations of me...they're so heavy.
The burden of being head knight was far too weighty for him, yet he
still faithfully tried to carry out his duties. That was Claus.
Everyone around him, of course, was shocked by what had just
occurred. They had all assumed he'd fail to persuade Liam, and that their
lord would be out there fighting in the Avid whether they liked it or not.
"He really stopped Lord Liam from deploying."
"I thought there was no way!"
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"No wonder Lord Liam made Sir Claus head knight."
To the crew on the bridge and Claus's own subordinates, the sight of
someone objecting to Liam—the absolute authority of House Banfield—
was stunning. Their gazes gathered on Claus in respect, as if to say: That's
Lord Liam's head knight, all right.
Still on duty, Claus maintained his neutral expression, only voicing
his complaints on the inside.
Augh! Can't someone else get promoted and take over as head
knight for me?
***
Three months later...
"This is our resupply?"
"Incredible, as always. How many thousands of ships is that?"
"Just goes to show how serious House Banfield is. A lot of escort
ships with 'em too."
The spaceport up above Planet Augur was a military base that was
currently still under construction. Parts of it remained unfinished, so it
would be some time yet before it could fulfill its function, but it made do
as a spaceport in the meantime.
The people who worked there were busy processing the arrival of a
transport fleet from House Banfield. A few people were staring in awe at
the thousands of transport vessels coming in as I passed by them dressed in
work clothes. I was drifting through the zero gravity corridors on my way
to a hangar where one of the vessels had just landed.
"No one's noticing."
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I grinned as I continued heading for my destination. When I reached
the hangar, I threw off the hat I'd been wearing. The work clothes
disappeared, replaced by my usual clothes.
Waiting for me there was my adjutant Eulisia in her military
uniform. She watched the work occurring nervously and frowned when
she saw me.
"You don't look happy," I teased, and Eulisia's cheeks twitched.
"Anyone would be upset if you told them to get a ship and mobile
knight ready in secret. It wasn't easy evading the eyes of your head knight,
you know."
I'd asked Eulisia to bring a mobile knight and ship for my personal
use, and she'd sneaked them into this transport fleet. Since it was a secret
to even my allies, it must have been quite difficult for her to arrange.
Turning my head away from the pouting Eulisia, I eyed the box-
shaped transport vessel in front of us.
"Remove the camouflage," I ordered, and Eulisia huffily
manipulated her tablet.
"It's a small, six-hundred-meter-class ship," she explained, "but I
stripped it of unnecessary embellishments and improved all the base
specs."
The illusion of the ship's boxlike shape faded, revealing a
differently shaped black vessel instead. It was a long, narrow craft with
engine units on both sides in the back. A pair of wings spread out from
those engine units.
"Wings deploy from the back for flight in atmosphere. Just as you
asked, it will perform well in gravity, in water, wherever you want. The
developers are calling it Schwarzvogel."
What I was after was the perfect mothership. Rather than
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overwhelming specs, what I wanted was a single ship adaptable to any
mission I gave it. My requests had been entirely performance related, so it
had only the minimum in terms of recreational facilities on board, making
it a ship that was far removed from most nobles' tastes. It was exactly
what I'd ordered, though.
"I like it. And the most important part?"
"I brought a real firecracker, just like you asked."
Eulisia had been sulking, but her mood seemed to improve a bit as
she tapped at her tablet some more. She must really have been proud of the
mobile knight she'd brought. Her voice grew louder and her gestures more
animated as she described it.
"It's a prototype we're developing for the improvement of the
Nemain series, but I also added all the upgrades you requested, Lord
Liam."
The hatch of the Schwarzvogel's special mobile knight compartment
opened, and I spotted my Nemain stored on board. Other than the red visor
covering its face area, it didn't look much different from a normal Nemain
craft. I could tell that some minor details were different, but anyone
familiar with Nemains would notice one unique detail right away, and that
was the pair of blades on either side of its head.
"Two horns, eh? I like it."
That wasn't the only unique thing either. There was also the
backpack, which was equipped with four rocket boosters that could be
operated individually, giving the clear impression that this mech focused
on speed. The wings attached to the backpack would expand into six when
fully opened.
I was slightly disappointed, though, that from appearances alone the
backpack was the only feature that looked radically different from a
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normal Nemain.
"Probably accelerates pretty fast," I commented, and Eulisia seemed
to guess what I was trying to say. In turn, I assumed from her expression
that the craft's body had been pretty souped up.
"It may look the same as other Nemains, but the basic frame has
been completely changed. With the upgrades I've made from the data
we've collected from House Banfield, and the right pilot, this unit could
easily beat a special craft."
"Wait... If the frame is altered, then isn't it an entirely different
model at this point?"
It wasn't really a Nemain anymore if the basic frame was different,
was it? That made it less of a redesign and more of a new project, I
figured. Only in outer appearance did it resemble a Nemain.
Eulisia looked away, as though I'd made a good point. "It was the
fastest way to solve the problems our team encountered during
development. The decision wasn't easy for them."
I wasn't interested in her excuses, so I kicked off from the ground
and floated toward the ship. "I'll give it a test run personally."
Eulisia followed. "Men really like new mobile knights, don't they?
Don't you already have that Avid custom craft, Lord Liam?"
The Avid was like my partner, it was true, but wanting to try out all
sorts of different craft was just a guy thing. In my past life, rich guys
usually owned a variety of cars. What was wrong with me having a variety
of personal mobile knights?
"It's a man's dream," I acknowledged.
As we approached the cockpit the Nemain reacted to my biological
data and opened its hatch. I grabbed the hatch and took Eulisia's hand,
pulling her over.
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"This thing have a name yet?" I asked her excitedly.
Eulisia blushed and looked away. What was she getting so
embarrassed about?
"The dev team has been calling it the Graf Nemain. Shall I change
it?"
I climbed into the cockpit and sat down in the seat, enjoying the
comfortable cushioning and the new cockpit smell—well, as much as I
could considering Eulisia's perfume, at least. I frowned, feeling as if she
was getting in the way of my enjoyment, but then Eulisia tossed me
another thing I'd ordered. This was the final item.
"I also made you a creepy mask."
I caught the device, a gray mask that covered my eyes. When I put it
on, it tightened against my face so it wouldn't slip. In addition to hiding
my face, it also fed me information directly from the Graf Nemain through
a link with the mobile knight. It fulfilled the exact function I'd requested,
but apparently Eulisia considered it "creepy."
"You don't understand a man's heart at all."
"Speak for yourself. It's your heart, right?"
As I gripped the control sticks, getting a feel for them, Eulisia said,
"More importantly, you've received my reports about the young lady from
House Exner, haven't you? Why haven't you done anything about that
yet?"
I had heard about Ciel voicing her opinions about Rosetta's security
force to Eulisia, who was in charge of setting that up. Eulisia had reported
as much to me herself. She probably wondered if I wasn't even reading
them or something.
"I believe I told you not to make a big deal of it and just leave her
alone, didn't I?"
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Eulisia wasn't convinced. "She's going too far." She brought her
face closer to mine. "Are you listening?"
I wanted to start calibrating the Graf Nemain, but Eulisia was
annoying me with an unrelated matter. More than anything right now I just
wanted to pilot this thing, feeling like a kid anxious to take a new toy out
of its box and play with it. Because of that, I guess I turned a little cold
with her.
"Just leave her alone. You can go now. Go back to babysitting
Rosetta on the Capital Planet."
I could almost see Eulisia's hair stand on end when I told her to
leave. Tears filled her eyes, and she bit her lower lip.
"I fulfilled all your impossible requests, and when you're done with
me you just tell me to go home?! I am supposed to be your concubine, you
know! You could show me a little appreciation, don't you think?!"
Eulisia wasn't diffident like Rosetta. She was upfront with her
demands for gratitude. She used to be so competent; what had happened?
I brought my face up to Eulisia's with the mask still on, and when
our noses were almost close enough to touch, she leaped back, red up to
her ears.
"Huh?" she cried. "Hold on a second!"
"You did good. I'll give you a reward."
When I mentioned a reward, Eulisia fidgeted, her thighs rubbing
together. "In a place like this? You're so bold, Lord Liam... Not that I'm
against it, exactly... Huh?"
I shoved Eulisia, and she spun out of the cockpit. "I'll transfer it to
your account later."
As she revolved in midair, I caught a glimpse of something red
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beneath the skirt of her military uniform. "Flashy as always."
"If you don't like it, then don't look!" Eulisia yelped, holding down
her skirt.
"Then don't show me. Come on, get back here."
I closed the hatch and caught Eulisia gently with the Graf Nemain's
arm. She clung to its fingers, glaring at me once she'd stopped spinning.
Sticking out her tongue out at me, she sped to the back of the hangar.
"Well, she's as personally disappointing as ever, but she is good at
her work."
Once I was piloting it, the Graf Nemain indeed felt like a
firecracker.
"Reminds me of the first time I got in the Avid," I mused. "Now,
will you fulfill my expectations?"
I couldn't wait for the Graf Nemain's test flight.
***
Eulisia fumed as she left the Schwarzvogel's hangar, an endless
stream of complaints about Liam spilling from her lips.
"This is what I get for finishing his request in such a short time? If I
hadn't negotiated with the Third Weapons Factory, this job would have
taken years to complete! I really pushed myself to get it done!"
Without question, it was thanks to Eulisia that the Schwarzvogel and
Graf Nemain had been created so quickly, yet Liam's words of gratitude
had been next to nothing.
"It's not enough to just give me some bonus money. Shouldn't there
be...you know, some other stuff?! Instead, he treats me like garbage! He
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may not believe it, but I used to have guys all over me, and they were all
so sweet with me!"
All of the men in Eulisia's past had been kind to her, whereas Liam
was anything but.
Eulisia was out of breath from complaining about Liam's treatment,
her eyes still moist.
"But...it might not be all that bad to be treated this way."
Eulisia had gotten just a bit excited from Liam's roughness.
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