Ch.262Raid Preparations Done Right (3)

# Chapter 262: Thorough Raid Preparations (3)

Once it was revealed when, where, and how the Emperor’s spawn would arrive.

I began making every possible preparation.

First, I opened a meeting with the Triple Alliance.

In the conference room and on the communication screens were our top leaders.

Artraia and Lady Maria, along with Samiya… and Fern’dus behind her.

After confirming that the key ministers of our Holy Sebelli Empire had gathered, I displayed the facts I had discovered through events and quests and began speaking.

“We have discovered something remarkable.”

“What is it, Minister Arto of Diplomatic Enforcement?”

“Recently, an unidentified signal was detected from the outskirts of the galaxy, and we’ve determined that this signal is amplifying as time passes.”

“…?”

“Considering the rate of amplification, we estimate it will reach our galaxy within approximately one year.”

Of course, my words caused question marks to appear above the heads of the meeting participants.

“And this is what it looks like.”

I displayed additional materials on the screen.

Using the forms that Riel and I knew about, I showed AI-generated images of the Scourge fleet created with Alina’s help, causing everyone to murmur among themselves.

However, the reaction that followed was not what I had expected.

“Um… Minister Arto? Isn’t that just a space monster about the size of an escort or destroyer-class vessel at most?”

“It looks quite bizarre, but is it really necessary to convene a meeting for just one creature?”

“If you’re concerned about a strange monster, couldn’t you just hire some suitable mercenaries to deal with it?”

Instead of being shocked, horrified, or appalled.

They were treating me as if I were an adult man terrified of a cockroach.

‘What’s going on? Aren’t these people afraid of the Scourge swarm?’

Perhaps after being hardened by the Warlord and nanomachine wars, the elite Prosnack fleet, or the space monsters that attacked(?) the Fuxviet.

Had they deleted the part of their brains that feels fear?

While I was confused by their calm demeanor, unable to process the situation…

*Hurried footsteps*

“Minister, you used the wrong data screen.”

“Ah.”

As Riel quickly rushed to my side and whispered, I looked up to check the screen.

Seeing what was displayed, I nodded and took the microphone again.

“Ah, there was some confusion due to a mistake in data selection.”

After saying that, I carefully checked the terminal screen and displayed the correct data before continuing.

“This is the ‘enemy’ captured by the cameras of our drones equipped with hyperspace communication devices that we dispatched for outer space exploration.”

“…!!!!”

“We haven’t even been able to observe the main force yet.”

I said this while showing the data screen of a monstrous fleet with tens, perhaps hundreds of millions of creatures.

———————————————

Naturally, my report turned the entire conference room upside down…

“If this information becomes known throughout the galaxy, it will cause tremendous chaos, so for now, only those present here should know about it.”

“Y-yes…”

To prevent unnecessary panic, I firmly sealed the lips of the minister-level officials.

Then I began preparations to counter the damned Emperor and the Kirsanid Scourge in earnest.

The first step was the redeployment of the ISTO Treaty Fleet currently returning from the eastern region.

Back in my office at the Diplomatic Enforcement Ministry, I immediately addressed Riel.

“Riel, how’s the ISTO Treaty Fleet Command?”

In response, Riel quietly picked up a terminal and showed me the screen while saying:

“They’re currently enjoying their sweet return to the rear area, extremely happy about it.”

On the terminal screen Riel held, I could see the interior of the bridge of the ISTO Treaty Fleet flagship Nemesis, where everyone looked truly happy.

Of course, it would have been nice if they could have been the first to enjoy that happiness.

—————–

‘We’re leaving first.’

‘Good work.’

*Trembling*

—————–

Unfortunately, the Sebelli and Riksi fleets that had been dispatched as “support forces” were the first to return.

The ISTO Treaty Fleet was just now leaving their familiar station at Uko’Praknar, which they had grown tired of, and continuing their journey back to headquarters in the rear.

Anyway, since the ISTO Treaty Fleet seemed to be returning normally without any issues, I decided to shift the topic to the next matter.

“Then how are things with Prosnack?”

“Hmm… unlike your initial plan, it seems they won’t be able to mobilize all 80,000 ships.”

Hearing this, I recalled the rumors within Fuxviet that I had recently learned about.

And through various coincidences, I had come to realize that the Federation’s hostility toward Prosnack was far greater than I had imagined.

“I suppose it can’t be helped.”

If Prosnack mobilized their entire fleet for us.

Since Fuxviet believed that Prosnack was responsible for releasing the space monsters.

They might launch an invasion out of rage, so it was unavoidable that some of their fleet would need to remain stationed.

“So they say they can deploy less than 60,000 ships this time.”

“…Hmm.”

Still, I felt grateful toward Samiya, who had risen as the ruler of Prosnack, for her generous offer to commit about three-quarters of their forces here.

“Oh right, and I also received a message while getting that information. Would you like to see it?”

“A message?”

I nodded in affirmation to Riel’s question, though I was puzzled.

Riel then operated the terminal and displayed a recorded hologram in front of me.

And that hologram was none other than Samiya.

-“Hello, Mr. Arto. I’m sending this communication thinking you must be quite busy right now.”

“Hmm…”

As Samiya’s hologram greeted me, I thought this might be a diplomatic response asking me to take good care of the fleet, and that I should send a separate communication soon.

But that thought completely disappeared just a few seconds later.

-“Since both you and I are extremely busy… there’s no need for a long conversation.”

“…Huh?”

-“When this matter is over, I will visit you soon to have a more direct conversation with you… along with Artraia.”

‘What.’

-“I’ll bring plenty of nutritional supplements used in our country, so please stay healthy until then…”

*Beep*

-Communication ended.

With Samiya’s sudden declaration of intent to extract my essence, I felt mental sweat clouding my vision, separate from the Emperor’s antics.

But before that lingering feeling could subside, Riel added:

“There’s still more messages.”

And unlike the previous one, the next message wasn’t a hologram but just a recorded audio message.

-“…Someday I’ll invite you to the Prosnack Union.”

*Beep*

-Communication ended.

Hearing Fern’dus’s short but weighty statement, I quietly nodded and said:

“Good, I will absolutely never go on a business trip to the Prosnack Union myself.”

“Indeed.”

When your father-in-law wants to turn his son-in-law into a w-i-d-o-w-e-r, what can you do?

————————————————

After identifying places that could mobilize large-scale fleets apart from our empire.

I decided to check the fortification status of our empire to gauge how well we could respond to the coming crisis.

Of course, the most important place for fortification was here, where Artraia’s “crown” – the Emperor’s target – was located.

The Kesada planetary system, the capital system of the Holy Sebelli Empire.

“How is our defensive posture, Defense Ministry Grandpa?”

I contacted the Defense Minister, the old man in charge of the defense plan, to check on the status.

In response to my question, the old man, whose beard had grown even more luxuriant, opened his mouth to tell me not to worry.

-“Don’t worry too much. While it’s not quite at the level of the John-Vernater Line, we’re implementing maximum fortification for a single planetary system, and the fortification of key planetary systems connected to the capital through gate planetary systems is progressing smoothly!”

“That’s reassuring.”

I found myself nodding at how smoothly everything was progressing.

But soon, the Defense Ministry Grandpa erased his confident expression and made a skeptical remark toward me.

-“But the Emperor… didn’t you say he can open subspace portals?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

-“Then even if we fortify all the planets and satellites within the planetary system, if he opens a subspace portal right above the capital… what meaning does all this have?”

And the moment I heard those words.

‘Oh shit?’

As Grandpa said, I realized that this was a simple but extremely critical problem.