Chapter 109: CH 106

The countdown to the New Year was grandly held in all star systems.

On the planet Kerykeion in the Hermes Star System, a dazzling light was rising from the ground level of a huge orbital elevator toward the space station.

People who had gone out to the venue to celebrate the New Year cheered loudly at the pillar of light stretching into space.

The Monarchy, now in its 446th year since its founding, has never celebrated the New Year except in times of war. At the beginning of the year, it was in a state of war with another power.

The Monarchy enters the New Year in the most favorable conditions compared to the past few hundred years.

In the current Monarchy, every star system inhabited by the Royal people is territorialized by a Spirit King, connected by the Transition Gate, and a perfect defense system has been established.

The Spirit King’s realm inhibits enemy warps within one light-day range from the star.

One light day is about 25.9 billion kilometers. Even if the enemy advances from outside the realm at 200 million kilometers per hour, it will take 130 hours to reach the center. And the Royal citizens can flee about 200 million kilometers from the inhabited planet to the Transition Gate before the enemy arrives.

In the meantime, billions of fighter crafts from the other seven star systems connected by the Transition Gate can arrive and intercept them with a fivefold increase in combat power. Overwriting the area of concern is basically impossible. Thus, the Monarchy’s defenses are perfect.

On the other hand, the Tenka Hercules Alliance camp also has two star systems protected by the realm of the Daemon King.

However, the passage of time since the stalemate is not a bad outcome for the Monarchy.

The Monarchy has four times the number of inhabited star systems, more than ten times the amount of resources, and has also incorporated the science and technology of three nations: the former Coalition, Fukashiro, and Frodi. It’s as clear as day which power will develop more.

Tenka is superior in terms of the number of national mages, but in terms of combat power, fighter crafts using spirit crystals, and the interstellar immigration competition, the national power and total population affect the Monarchy, so the Monarchy is not at a disadvantage.

And the Monarchy has a leader who is vastly superior to the enemy camp.

Yuna, who was crowned on the half-destroyed capital, reversed their inferiority by recapturing MacLir and Fukashiro in the first year, and reduced Tenka to a single nation in the second year, and established the security of every Monarchy star system.

Queen Yuna continued to win at a rate that no one in the Monarchy could have predicted, while also making economic breakthroughs for all star systems using the Transition Gate and realizing the great task of migrating from the Machaon Star System to the Hermes Star System.

Already, the people of the Monarchy, believing in Yuna, who has begun to gain the highest reputation in the history of the Monarchy, were entering the New Year with overwhelmingly greater hopes than anxiety about the future.

Thirteen minutes before the start of the New Year.

In the center of the orbital elevator, an indication of January 445 of the Monarchy calendar appeared.

In a production that showed a month in review every minute, on the left and right of the orbital elevator, a three-dimensional image of the Monarchy Fleet and the Tenka Fleet appears.

In January, coinciding with the Monarchy’s second invasion of the Solar System, the Tenka Hercules Alliance invaded the Frodi Star System.

The destruction of the planet Nephthys in the Flodi Star System claimed 5.6 billion lives, and 1.2 billion people died in the Solar System due to the scorched earth campaign of Tenka and the birth of the Spirit King of the Monarchy.

The planets in the three-dimensional images were attacked, and fleets of both armies rushed through space.

In February, the Isis System was next to be attacked in the Republic of Frodi, killing 1.4 billion of the system’s 5 billion inhabitants. The Monarchy side counter-invaded, and a pitched battle began in the Ōizumi Star System.

In the Monarchy’s Artemis System, a relief fleet was launched towards the Republic, and on the Tenka side, reinforcements were sent out from Honyō and Ten-to towards Ōizumi.

Countless light spots flew out from all the star systems reached by mankind.

In March, the Horus Star System was last to be attacked in the Republic of Frodi, killing 1 billion people out of a population of 4 billion. Also in the Ōizumi Star System, the inhabited planet was destroyed.

The Royal Army divided into two fleets: Fortress Kerviel, which headed for Honyō, and a decoy fleet. After completing its mission, the decoy fleet withdrew by self-destructing about 900,000 Israfel crafts.

Images of the Monarchy were filled with intense flashes of explosions.

In April, Fortress Kerviel, which had reached the Honyō Star System, used its fighter crafts to cut through the defense fleet, destroying the fourth inhabited planet of Tenka.

More than half of the Royal Army’s fighter crafts were lost due to the fierce grinding.

Later, Fortress Kerviel reached the last Tenka Star System and scattered missiles on Tenka ships and artificial objects in the surrounding space.

In May, refugees from the Republic began to arrive in the Artemis System, and in the Diete Star System, the heroes who served as decoys in the Ōizumi Star System returned.

Meanwhile, Tenka had launched a high-speed ship with advanced Daemons from the Hercules Star System and headed for the Apollo Star System. It was later discovered that by carrying out this operation, it is certain that there is a Transition Gate in the Hercules Star System.

In June, the Tenka High-Speed Ship reached the Apollo Star System, and the Daemon King made a Monarchy star system into a realm. Upon receiving reports of the enemy invasion, Fortress Kerviel forcibly rushed through high dimensional space from the Diete Star System and threw a Spirit Emperor into the Apollo Star System.

Both sides connected a Transition Gate to a single star system, and as a result, the all-out Battle of Apollo broke out, resulting in uncommonly heavy losses for both armies.

In July, the Artemis and Podalley Star Systems were territorialized by the Spirit King.

The Monarchy territorialized and defended seven of its eight star systems, while directing half of its forces to the Machaon Star System, which had not been territorialized.

Meanwhile, refugees from the Republic continued to pour into the Monarchy.

In August, Fortress Kerviel and 10 immigrant ships secretly set off to the Solar System.

Although it was completely hidden from the Royal people, it was a last-ditch effort to turn every Monarchy star system into a realm.

In September, in the Solar System, the inhabitants of Mars were taken aboard a fleet of immigrant ships.

In the Machaon Star System, the Royal government announced a referendum on the people of the star system asking them to choose between making the star system a realm or immigrating to the Hermes Star System.

In each of the Monarchy’s star systems, immigrant fleets were launched into the Machaon Star System, and large magic element engines were attached to the urban construction facilities of each star system.

In October, with an overwhelming 95.7% of the valid vote, immigration to the Hermes System was approved.

From the inhabited planet Rhodes, a large number of fighter crafts equipped with containers rushed toward the immigrant fleet of the Royal Aristocrats deployed in outer space.

In the Solar System, Mars was destroyed and a fleet of migrant ships traveled to the Machaon Star System.

In November, an unprecedented plan was unfolded for the Machaon people to travel to the Hermes System and the people of the Solar System to the Machaon System, with 10 billion simultaneous immigrants. Including the transportation of goods, 100,000 large ships in the public and private sectors rushed through interstellar space.

In December, the Hermes Star System was territorialized, and urban construction facilities and power generation satellites were sent one after another from various star systems in the Monarchy through the Transition Gate, and the planet Kerykeion was developed in the blink of an eye.

The surface of the planet began to glow, the orbital elevator began to light up, and the three-dimensional images caught up with the present moment and disappeared.

In the final minute, the images of the people gathered at the venue were projected.

In the Machaon Star System, the couple who were in a street interview when the immigration was decided is shown in a large image, and the two waved with a wry smile.

A countdown was displayed on the orbital elevator looking up from the venue, and the gathered immigrants all started counting down.

『3…… 2…… 1…… Happy New Year!』

At the moment the New Year arrived, gigantic fireworks shot up behind the orbital elevator, making the night sky glow with colorful lights.

Cheers erupted, and Johann Strauss’s waltz “The Voice of Spring” resounded brightly throughout the venue.

Eventually, a three-dimensional image of a fighter craft appeared in the midst of a large firework, and it began to fly gracefully.

In front of the fighter craft rushing through the flashing lights, Alcaeus, the inhabited planet of the Hercules Star System, and Fù Qíng, the inhabited planet of the Ten-to Star System, emerge.

The next moment the fighter craft passed by the planets with great momentum, a flash of light exploded on the surface of the planets, swallowed by the generated light and disappeared.

The venue was filled with excitement with this heroic image of victory.

Meanwhile, aboard the Mobile Fortress Ophaniel, the terminals of the aristocrats who were watching the live video with a glass in their hands reacted in unison. When the aristocrats opened the terminal, they were amazed to see that it was Queen Yuna’s notification, and were twice surprised by the fact that they had received a medal of honor.

It was a newly established Order of the Protectorate, which was to award all aristocrats who were engaged in the implementation of the realms of all star systems of the Monarchy, in recognition of their achievements in protecting and guiding the Royal people.

The medal is an eight-pointed star, with eight territorial stars shining at the eight apexes.

The aristocrats attached the medals to their own remotely operated robots and smiled proudly as they showed them to each other.

Eventually, about an hour later, some of the people began to disappear from the venue.

A total of 24 people had an appointment: The Queen, 2 Princes, 5 Dukes, 12 Marquises, the Prime Minister, Palace Secretary, and Speakers of both Houses of Parliament. The potential protagonists of the venue, including the organizers, moved to a separate room for special discussions.

“You have done a very fine thing.”

When the Duke of Takrham spoke while showing off the shining eight-pointed star on his chest, Yuna replied with a nod to the Duke as she addressed him.

“Defense deserves to be evaluated as well as offense. I commend the achievement of establishing the security of all our star systems, which is no less an achievement than defeating the enemy.”

“By Your Will.”

Hart was impressed by Yuna’s imposing appearance and how she had become accustomed to the role of Queen.

Hart imagines that Yuna’s confidence stems from her track record. By territorializing their entire star systems, the Queen has defended her Monarchy.

If Yuna wasn’t at the head of the Monarchy, Hart wouldn’t have let go of the Spirit Kings who ensured his own safety, and the realms would have been limited to the Apollo Star System at most. And the remaining three systems may have been encouraged to voluntarily relocate to other systems that are territorialized.

Considering Yuna’s position, Hart lowered his own safety and increased the realms of the Monarchy. Therefore, only Yuna could realize the realms in the Eight Star Systems of the Monarchy.

No one else, not even the former Sovereign Valfrete, could have done better than Yuna. Yuna is, in fact, the Queen who brought the best results to the Monarchy.

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The Lords understand that Yuna is the one who can best follow Hart.

Backed up by her unwavering track record, Yuna proudly presented herself to the Lords.

“There is one other reason why I took everyone here out of the New Year’s celebration venue. We have set the selection criteria for the succession of the Asteria Royal family, so I decided to announce it in advance so that no one would raise any objections later.”

The startled gazes of the Lords quickly swirled around, passing through the two Princes and then towards Hart. With a surly expression on his face, Hart tried to explain himself in order to clear up the misunderstanding.

“In the month of Her Majesty’s coronation, I, as the Commander-in-Chief in charge of national defense, was asked a question, but I did not answer. Instead, I promised to ensure that the Monarchy would not be defeated, no matter who becomes the next Sovereign. Whatever the decision, I will support it.”

Coesfeld nodded at Hart’s declaration of intent, and Dauphin and Mauriac showed their will to comply, and Takrham also gave his support.

Normally, the family head had the right to choose the successor of the family. The Asteria Royal Family is no exception, and its head, Yuna, has the right to choose the successor of the Asteria family.

Currently, it is wartime, and the nation and its people dem that the succession be given top priority to national defense, but due to the territorialization of the eight star systems, it has reached a situation where Yuna can choose either one.

The 12 Marquises, who support the Dukes and sometimes acted as watchmen, also showed signs of obedience.

The Prime Minister is also silently watching to fulfill his role as witness to the government.

When the 23 people entered the listening position, Yuna stated her decision.

“The next Sovereign will be either Bernard for domestic affairs or Josslan for military affairs Bernard, who has the Order of Merit and has organized and realized the request to build a large-scale spaceport, has reached a level that will allow him to succeed as the next Sovereign. Whether or not Josslan surpasses this standard will determine the heir to the throne and the Duchy.”

Bernard, who was told by his sister that he had reached the passing line for succession to the throne, nodded with a stiff expression, while Josslan watched attentively and waited for the next words.

The criteria, Yuna told him, were simple and clear.

“The selection criterion shall be that Josslan receive more military decorations than Bernard. The Royal citizens can be politicians, but they cannot stand on the battlefield as Royal-grade magic power holders. Josslan should show that he is the one who can fulfill the aspirations of the people.”

In peacetime, Bernard, who had demonstrated his ability in internal politics, would have been a viable option, since the emphasis would be on sustaining the system.

However, as far as domestic affairs are concerned, the Monarchy has both houses of parliament and a royal government under Prime Minister Stanley, so it is not necessary for the Sovereign himself to have excellent political skills.

What the Royal people want from the Asteria Royal Family is to be active as a Royal-grade magic power holder. To lead the aristocrats in the invasion of enemy star systems with their Mobile Fortresses and protect the Monarchy star systems from the enemy invasion.

Like the previous Sovereign Valfrete and the current Queen Yuna, they fight enemies and are therefore recognized and followed as the head of the nation.

“On the battlefield, I will also allow you to receive support from your fiancée or your fiancée’s household. The difference between your chosen fiancées is also part of the power you have acquired. I myself am also helped by the Marquis of Amakawa, and I don’t think there is a Royal citizen who would criticize it. It’s the same thing.”

Hart, who was suddenly mentioned by name, responded to the focused gaze of the Lords with the feeling of 「Is there some kind of problem?」. Of course, since the Monarchy is winning thanks to Hart, the Lords in the Monarchy’s camp have no complaints.

However, if he affirms his fiancée’s support, Josslan has a considerable advantage.

The Duke of Takrham, the main ruler of the Artemis Star System, can deploy not only a private fleet, but also the National Mages of Kyūyama. If the Duke family prepares a fleet and arranges for Magic Element Engine operators from Kyūyama, it will be easy to protect and support Josslan’s ship.

Takrham looked at Yuna with suspicion, questioning her intentions.

Yuna does not answer directly, but continues to explain the selection conditions.

“The selection period will be until the end of the war or a stalemate is reached. We plan to invade the Hercules and Ten-to Systems, so you will serve in the Mobile Fortress and contribute to the Monarchy. If he earns a military decoration that surpasses Bernard’s, Josslan, who will have fulfilled the desire of the Royal citizens, will be the next Sovereign. Do you have any objections to Josslan?”

“…… There is none.”

The conditions presented by Yuna, based on the circumstances of the two Princes who had advanced in politics and military affairs, respectively, were enough to convince the Lords and the Royal people, which was not disadvantageous for Josslan.

After a short pause, Josslan answered, and Yuna’s gaze turned to Bernard.

“Bernard also has the right to stand on the battlefield and show that he is worthy of the throne. If he has the same number of military achievements as Josslan, I will not recognize Josslan’s superiority based on his attendance at the Military Academy, but will make Bernard the next Sovereign based on his political achievements. Do you have any objections to Bernard?”

“No, I do not.”

Bernard, who was given a fair opportunity, agreed that the conditions were reasonable.

Bernard, who stands in as the Duke of Strani, the ruler of the Athena Star System, is not as powerful as the Duke of Takrham, but he can mobilize a good deal of force.

And if he can achieve equal or better results with less support than Josslan, it can objectively be judged that Bernard is worthy of becoming the next Sovereign.

As for the candidate for Queen, Josslan’s partner, Lysine, is superior.

However, the respectability of her origins does not guarantee her qualifications as the mother of the state. The former Crown Princess, a Lady of the Duke of Langlois, raised the traitor Leandre. On the other hand, Baron Lady Maina raised Queen Yuna.

At this point, there is no reason to explicitly deny Beatrice.

She, along with both Princes and Lysine, earned the Order of Merit in the Battle of the Athena Star System. The Order of Merit is the single greatest certificate of fulfillment of the Aristocracy’s duties to the Royal people, and Beatrice is in a position to be recognized as a Royal Aristocrat.

An aristocrat who does not have an Order of Merit has no right to deny those who do.

Moreover, for the Duke of Takrham, it would be convenient if Queen Beatrice had problems after Bernard succeeded to the throne. Then, when it comes time to choose the Sovereign after Bernard, the children of Josslan and Lysine will naturally emerge as candidates.

The precedent for the restoration of royalty from a vassal was set by the previous Sovereign during his time as the Duke of Strani.

The Duke of Takrham would not advise Bernard to change her to a more respectable fiancée because she might be clumsy in the future.

“Do the Lords who support the Royal Family have any objections? If you state it here, I will consider whether or not to incorporate that opinion. But I won’t entertain it at a later date.”

The two Princes involved were satisfied with the selection criteria of the Asteria family.

As for the reason for Josslan’s delay, Hart imagined that it was because Takrham advised him via his spirit that it was okay to accept the conditions. Therefore, he doubts that the Duke of Takrham will have any objections.

The Marquis of Ornelas, the grandfather of both Princes, did not open his mouth, and silence fell over the gathering of the Lords. In the midst of all this, Hart dared to raise his hand.

“Marquis Amakawa, you are recognized to speak.”

“With all due respect, when it comes to military operations, I would like to state that I, as Commander-in-Chief, will proceed as I think best. If it is possible to create an opportunity for both Princes to fight the enemy, I will do so, but I would like to prioritize the victory of the Monarchy.”

“That is a prerequisite. In the First Battle of Hercules, the Monarchy was defeated for the convenience of the Royal Family. Such mistakes will not be tolerated again. The Commander-in-Chief must do his best for victory. The Princes should also obey the commands of the Royal Army on the battlefield.”

“By Your Will.”

Having clarified his priorities, Hart bowed and stepped back.

No other opinions were given, and the criteria for selecting the next head of the Asteria family were decided.

Afterword

Amazon and other online retailers have announced that the book will be released on March 16.

I haven’t heard from the publisher, but based on the experience of the previous volume,

I wonder if the e-book will be available one day earlier, on the 15th.

Therefore, I thought that I would match the book version and say “It will be released on March 16th“.

In the unlikely event that the publisher says, “It goes on sale today!” on the 15th, it would not match the author’s report date, so it would be very difficult to find the book in bookstores on the 15th.

I am very sorry for those who could not find it in a bookstore on the 15th, but I have reported the release date that the publisher informed me.

From Volume 3, characters and fleets that do not appear in the web version appear in the main story,

The actions of the spirits and artificial intelligence have increased and changed.

It affects various parts, including around Hart.

In line with that, we also revised volumes 4 and 5 for the book edition a lot.

(We have not received any commitment of publication at this time, but we have made them)

Please check out the book version of Volume 3 to see the various changes.

――――――――――――

(Aside) Regarding the future,

When I was approached by the publisher,

I was asked, “Can you write more?”

I immediately replied, “I can write it,” and after talking about Tenka (Hart’s children’s generation), I explained what would happen next

If the first part of the continuation is Tenka, there is a second part.

I’m writing a little bit of it now, but it’s a very fun development to write.

You will see some of it at the end of Volume 6, so please look forward to it.

……”Our battle is about to begin!” Don’t let it be “finished.

Thank you for your purchase. (*- -) (*_ _)

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