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Book 14: Chapter 7: Disgrace
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The fleet led by Ellen, aka Knight Number Three, had arrived at the planet designated for invasion.
However, before their arrival, a dispute had erupted over who should assume the mantle of Family Head.
In essence, the late Viscount’s children and relatives were embroiled in a bitter struggle for his position.
They had each taken over a portion of the household’s military and were fighting tooth and nail against one another.
From the bridge of her flagship, Ellen observed as this unfolded, a deep frown on her face.
Instead of being wary of the enemies’ arrival, these people flocked around them.
On the bridge, holographic projections of the Viscount’s relatives were displayed.
[Admiral, I am the eldest son of the late Viscount! Please acknowledge my right to inherit my father’s position. If you do, our household will pledge absolute allegiance to the Banfield Family!]
[An incompetent trash like you dares to vie for leadership? What a joke! Admiral, I’m the younger sister of the former Viscount, and I’ve been assisting my brother for many years. Please appoint me as the next Viscount!]
[No, Admiral, I’m the rightful heir, not these people!]
The holograms hurled insults at each other, desperately vying for Ellen’s support.
The Viscount’s fleet only amounted to around 10,000 ships, whereas Ellen’s numbered around 30,000.
It was evident that the victor would be whoever secured the approval of Ellen and the Banfield Family.
Ellen posed a question to them.
“Isn’t this something the Empire should resolve? Why are you seeking my input?”
The eldest son’s gaze faltered.
[W-well, Duke Banfield is the head of our alliance, so naturally, we value his opinion on the matter.]
Not only had the subjugation force suffered a crushing defeat, but the Empire was also being besieged on all sides by neighboring nations, leaving it incapable of interfering with their affairs.
Consequently, they had to regard the Banfield Family as their leader in order to survive.
However, as Liam’s disciple, Ellen had her own thoughts about the matter.
(If we spare these people, they’ll no doubt defect to the Empire’s side at a critical moment.)
They might feign loyalty now, but once the Empire regained its former power, it was easy to imagine the Viscount family betraying the Banfield Family, even if the latter bestowed numerous favors upon the former.
(Knowing this, should we annihilate them or absorb them into our ranks?)
If she chose to accept their allegiance, the Banfield Family would be able to bolster its forces with little effort. However, there was a good chance of betrayal down the line.
On the other hand, if she chose to annihilate them, the burden on the Banfield Family would increase as it would have to invest resources in rebuilding the Viscount’s territory.
Ellen took a moment to contemplate, but before she could arrive at an answer, she realized something amiss.
“―To begin with, why is the Viscount’s position vacant?”
The people who had been hurling insults at each other widened their eyes in surprise.
The former Viscount’s sister replied.
[Admiral, you must be joking? Wasn’t it the Banfield Family that sent an assassin after him?]
Ellen raised her eyebrows upon hearing this.
She had been the one tasked with eliminating the Viscount and his household.
Did a different division snipe her kill? Or did someone at headquarters make a mistake? Either way, something was clearly off.
“What do you mean?”
[A swordswoman of the School of One Flash killed her way in. Surely, you won’t say the Banfield Family wasn’t involved?]
Ellen responded quickly to this, turning her back on the holograms and issuing orders to her subordinates.
“Have our units remain on standby. I will temporarily return to base on a high-speed cruise to seek instructions from Master.”
Her adjutant looked at her in surprise.
“Admiral!? You’re planning to leave?”
Ellen had realized that this no longer concerned the Banfield Family alone.
“I understand that I’m neglecting my duties as a knight. However, as a member of One Flash, I can’t turn a blind eye to this.”
Her sights were already set on a certain individual.
(Satsuki Rinho…you’re a disgrace to the School of One Flash!)
◇
When Ellen returned to the spaceport and disembarked, she was greeted with unbelievable news.
“―Master is furious with Ed, you say?”
The knight who delivered the news seemed a little hesitant.
“Yes, we thought Lady Ellen should be aware of this, which is why I was awaiting your arrival at the spaceport.”
He hadn’t made a call to avoid spreading rumors about the circumstances within the Banfield Family.
Ellen thanked the knight before rushing off.
“Thank you! Now if you’ll excuse me―”
(What did Ed do to make Master angry?)
As one of his educators, this reflected badly on her as well.
(Anyway, I should hurry and meet up with them.)
◇
I find myself standing before a building that looks out of place in the office district.
“It appears to be an entertainment facility. Seems fun and all… but surely it belongs somewhere else?”
It’s quite a sizable building. They must have packed quite a number of venues in it.
The problem here is that it’s in the office district, an area that Amagi and I arranged back when I was young.
It can be considered a place of memories, which is why I’m furious that Edward has constructed an illegal structure in it.
Men in black clothes guarding the entrance block me as I’m stepping out of my vehicle.
“That’s a pretty nice car you have there, but this ain’t a place for people well-dressed like you. Come back once you’ve changed attires.”
What were they thinking, stationing someone who doesn’t recognize me at the gate?
It seems the workers employed here come from dubious backgrounds. Moreover, they’re the type of people I hate most.
That stupid son of mine has gone ahead and gathered scumbags like the ones that used to oppress me in my previous life.
As the man in black reaches out to me, I grab his arm and proceed to crush it.
“Argh!? T-this bastard broke my arm!!”
I look down at the figure in black crouching and crying out in pain.
“Scum, don’t touch me so casually.”
The other men in black bring out their hidden weapons, but before they can do anything, armored vehicles appear in the sky and armed ground troops begin to descend, landing on the ground without having to use any ropes, their assault rifles pointed towards the men in black.
A soldier with the rank of Colonel asks for instructions.
“Orders to shoot?”
I could have these men shot to death here and now, but we’re attracting too much attention.
People who work in the office district are peeking out to see what’s going on.
“Capture them all and interrogate them. They tried to attack me, so you can be rough with them.”
The men in black are still trying to understand what’s happening. However, it seems they’ve come to realize that they’re in a pretty bad spot.
“You think you can get away with doing something like this? We have Lord Edward on our side!”
I stomp on the head of the man who just mentioned Ed’s name and reveal my identity.
“If only you’d known who I am ― I’m Ed’s father.”
Realization dawns on the men in black, and their faces become pale.
They immediately try to beg for forgiveness, but before they can, the ground troops forcefully take them away.
“P-please! We were just following orders!”
“Say no more. You can save your explanation for later on. And brace yourselves, because you’ve just made an enemy out of the greatest authority on this planet.”
Because of the commotion we’ve caused at the entrance, the guests visiting the entertainment facility are looking at us in wonder.
Wearing casual attire, I strode in, only to chance upon a group of young individuals dressed in a strange fashion.
Scratch that, everyone here is dressed oddly.
Is this some kind of a costume contest?
“Or maybe it’s the recent trend? I have to say, it’s quite far removed from my tastes.”
Due to my busy work schedule, I haven’t been able to pay attention to the trends in the territory. It seems a strange fashion has become popular in the meantime.
Come to think of it, my people have always been up to no good.
I recall the bitter memories of the tornado hair.
Entering the facility’s lobby with my ground troops in tow, a young woman steps forward and blocks our path.
“Hey, could you refrain from coming in wearing such unfashionable clothes? This is Edward Tower, the forefront of fashion!”
Edward Tower!? What’s up with the name?
Just as my cheeks are twitching, one of my soldiers leans in and whispers to me.
“She’s the daughter of a high-ranking official, my Lord.”
Said daughter has her hands on her hips, her chest puffed out. It’s clear from her attitude that she’s been spoilt growing up.
“Doesn’t matter. Capture them all.”
“Understood!”
Following my orders, the ground troops pin the obnoxious girl to the floor and restrain her.
Witnessing this, the people around us criticize my actions.
“Stop! Where do you think you are!?”
Where, you ask?
“This is meant to be an office district. If you want to have fun, go elsewhere.”
I was quite the busy man even before the whole incident with the subjugation force.
I had to visit countless places, so quite a bit of time has passed since I last showed my face in the territory, which is why it seems a lot of them have forgotten who I am.
“Who are you to decide that? Listen, we’re the chosen ones, and the one in command here is―”
I don’t ever recall choosing you though.
As I’m having such thoughts, I catch a glimpse of someone coming down a grand staircase.
“Leave it at that. ―It’s been a while, Father. A few months, I suppose?”
Ed, wearing sunglasses and in a fur-like coat, looks down at me.
My cheeks twitch at the sight of my child’s ridiculous appearance.
“I didn’t know you were this stupid.”
My son’s fashion sense leaves me at a loss.
◇
Edward, observing his father from above, failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
Even though Liam had stormed in with his ground troops, Edward believed all would be forgiven if he simply came forward.
Every time he took a step, his slippers made a strange sound.
Eventually, he arrived before Liam, dressed in a fashion that could be deemed unconventional at the Banfields.
Liam wore an inscrutable expression as he spoke.
“You should be aware that this is an office district. Why did you build an entertainment facility here?”
This ridiculously huge structure was like an amusement park for Edward, with new toys and games constantly arriving and people visiting to play all day long.
He had wanted a place like this, which was why he decided to build it.
“Obviously, it’s because of how close it is to everything.”
“―Hah?”
“Since we’re in an office district, it has stellar transportation. It’s close to the mansion as well, so I can swing by often. It’s convenient for a lot of other reasons too.”
For the development of the Banfield Family, Liam had prioritized the office district’s infrastructure above all others, which was the reason for its convenient location.
And yet Edward had constructed an entertainment facility on such a plot without permission, not realizing the seriousness of his offense.
Liam laughed when he heard Edward’s excuse.
“I see. Just for that, you built this here?”
“Yes, Father. Why not give the facility a try? I’m sure you’d like it as well.”
With this, it’s problem solved―just as Edward was thinking so, Liam’s fist slammed into his cheek.
“YOU SHITTY BRAT!!”
“!?!?”
Edward was flung away with such force that he eventually crashed into the wall before falling to the floor.
For a moment, his brain failed to process what just happened.
As he was about to get back up, Liam approached him with an expression that he’d never seen before.
“―Stand up, you foolish child. Since you broke my law, you’ll no longer be treated like a child from now on. You’ll learn to bear the consequences of your actions.”
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Brian (′゜ω゜｀ノ)ノ: “I-it’s painful!! Lord Liam has raised his hand against Lord Edward… but then again, it’s for a good reason.”