Chapter 2:
House Balandin
T HE ARCHITECTURE of the Autocracy's palace was reminiscent of
ancient Greece. A great number of civil and military officials had gathered
there first thing in the morning.
A huge, muscular man sat on a throne positioned high in the
chamber, enabling him to look down on the officials. He was G'doire's
ruler—Autocrat Dross Balandin, feared by all their neighboring nations.
He wore the traditional garb of the ruler of the Autocracy: a suit of ancient
armor and a cape with a helmet that rested beside him. To other
intergalactic nations, the Autocracy placed abnormal importance on
military strength, and its representative the Autocrat had to look the part of
a fierce warrior.
Dross's children knelt before him, their heads bowed.
"The Algrand Empire has sent Crown Prince Calvin as their
supreme commander," Dross said. "Do you have a chance against him,
Isel?"
A blue-haired man raised his head to answer Dross, his voice low
but full of confidence. "Father, I—Isel Balandin—swear to you that I will
destroy the Algrand Empire's army."
His arms crossed, the Autocrat sneered his confident son. Isel was
the crown prince, but he was only one of the Autocrat's many children,
and he wasn't even legitimate. His martial prowess had won him the seat
of heir after many victories over tough opponents. In the Autocracy, the
crown prince wasn't just the ruler's child, but the next most powerful
warrior after him. The nation's hot-headed leaders had acknowledged Isel
as the country's next Autocrat, and some even wondered if Dross himself
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could win a fight against him. Dross had heard that gossip; it made him
proud.
"Will you challenge me after defeating the Empire, Isel?" For a
child to become strong and rise to challenge him was the ultimate act of
filial devotion in the Autocrat's family.
Isel smiled wryly. "You jest. I cannot hope to challenge you yet,
Father."
The Autocrat frowned, unsatisfied by the humble response. "You
will not challenge me?"
Succession would only occur when the crown prince challenged the
Autocrat and won. If such a challenge never occurred, the position was
never passed on.
Isel gave his dissatisfied father a bold smile. "I will surely challenge
you one day... But right now, I am more interested in the excitement I'll
find on the battlefield, struggling against the Empire's fierce warriors. My
battle with you will have to wait, Father."
Isel was no longer acting humble, and the assembled officials all
smiled at his belligerent grin.
"It seems the crown prince is more interested in the Empire's
knights than the Autocrat."
"A vast nation like the Algrand Empire is sure to have some
powerful warriors."
"Will any satisfy our crown prince, I wonder?"
The Autocrat raised his hand, silencing the officials, and rose from
his throne. "I can't wait to see you send the Imperial Army running, but
you have to win the battle first. I'll be praying for your victory, and for all
of you to return alive."
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He wasn't referring to only Isel. Included in the words "all of you"
were his other children, and the fierce warriors of the Autocracy with no
blood connection to him as well. Bloodlines weren't especially important
in their nation. Anyone who defeated Isel could become crown prince,
regardless of ancestry, and thereafter challenge the Autocrat for his throne.
That was just how things worked in G'doire.
Isel answered on the group's behalf. "Yes, sir! We'll return with
good news!"
***
Among the group leaving the palace with Isel was a woman. Strands
of her long red hair curled messily, and from the neck down, she wore
something similar to full-body tights. It didn't expose much skin, but it left
nothing of her figure to the imagination. She was muscular, but she also
had a feminine beauty more than charming enough to attract the eyes of
any men around her.
Her name was Arjuna Balandin, and she was Isel's younger sister by
the same mother.
Descending the palace steps, Arjuna complained to Isel about their
audience with their father. "You're too cowardly, Brother. I'd have
defeated the Autocrat with my own hands before going to war, then taken
command of the entire army."
Isel smiled wryly at his sister's overenthusiasm. Other siblings and
vassals were all around them, and in any other intergalactic nation, Arjuna
might immediately have been arrested for treason. This was the Autocracy,
however, so their other siblings held back smiles at Arjuna's words.
"You really don't know anything, do you, Arjuna?" another older
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brother asked, causing her to scowl.
One of her younger brothers explained just how dangerous
challenging the Autocrat was. "Our father is the hero who saved the
Autocracy when it was on the brink of ruin due to internal strife. People
think Isel has a fighting chance today, but not long ago, no one was
considered anywhere near Father's strength. Perhaps Isel will beat him at
some point, but you wouldn't stand a chance, Arjuna."
The Autocracy's unique structure made it highly prone to internal
conflict. According to historians, it was miraculous that the nation had
survived to this point. It had been on the brink of ruin until Dross became
Autocrat. Siblings and strong fighters had vied constantly for the throne,
and nothing had tied the country together. Other intergalactic nations were
always invading, and after only a few weeks with a new Autocrat, yet
another individual would steal the throne out from under them. The current
Autocrat, Dross, had appeared just when the nation verged on collapse.
Arjuna knew all that already and didn't like her brother's tone. "You
think you're the only one who knows your history? I was just saying Isel
should've challenged Father despite all that."
When Arjuna turned around and glared at her younger brother, he
broke out in a cold sweat. Intimidated, he couldn't help averting his gaze,
which caused the others to give him disgusted looks. Their expressions
said that he was a coward who'd backed down before even fighting.
Isel smiled at his quarreling siblings. "With the Empire's strongest
to consider, I have enough to think about already. You're right, though,
Arjuna; I should learn from your outlook. Once I'm back, I'll decide on
the day I challenge Father for the throne."
Arjuna still didn't like Isel's attitude, since his face said he regretted
letting his younger sister chastise him. "There's no need to set a date," she
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told him. "After our war with the Empire, I'll drag you down from the
position of crown prince myself."
Isel's eyes initially widened at his sister's challenge, but he quickly
adopted a broad smile. There was something ferocious about his grin. "I
accept your challenge! Our fight with the Imperial Army comes first,
though. They're strengthening their defenses under the supreme command
of Crown Prince Calvin, so this promises to be a fun war."
At the word "war," the siblings and vassals all smiled. Arjuna
smiled too, though her expression was considerably more lustful than
those around her.
She licked her painted lips. "I just hope the Empire has someone
who can satisfy me."
***
Near one of the planets the Empire controlled, the Imperial Army
was poised to fight a defensive battle against the invading Autocracy.
Their fleet included a ship the size of an asteroid, known as a fortress-
class. Meanwhile, the Autocracy was facing the Empire's thirty thousand
ships with twenty thousand of their own.
On the fortress-class's bridge, its commander smiled and said,
"Apparently, these Autocracy idiots think a small fleet can defeat us. We
have plenty of time to fight a defensive battle, though. A mere twenty
thousand ships won't dent our forces!"
The commander's confident attitude relieved the bridge crew. They
outnumbered the enemy, and if the commander was at ease, they didn't
have to worry about losing.
However, the knight next to the commander—who served as a
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military advisor—had realized something. His face pale, he whispered to
the commander. "I've spotted a crest among the enemy forces. It's the
symbol of House Balandin, I'm sure of it."
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The commander grimaced for a second, but quickly controlled his
expression. "A blood relative of the Autocrat, eh? Who's attacking?"
"Princess Arjuna."
"Arjuna? The crown prince's younger sister, hm? What's her war
record?"
The advisor pored over some holographic documents to determine
the princess's war record and preferred tactics. He couldn't obtain much
information from the files displayed in the air before the two of them. He
sighed, relieved that Arjuna didn't appear to have much experience in
international battles.
"Well, I don't know about within the Autocracy, but it looks like
this is her first battle in foreign territory," he said. "I think we'll do fine
here."
The commander was a bit relieved as well to hear that they were up
against a young commander without much experience. "She's still related
to the Autocrat. Let's crush her thoroughly, young though she may be."
"Understood."
Thus, the defensive battle against the invading Autocracy began.
However, before too much time had passed, something strange began to
occur on the front lines. The commander rose from his seat; at the same
time, his operators began shouting.
"The enemy fleet's ignoring our attacks and charging forward!"
"Concentrate fire on them!"
"W-we are, but—"
Although his operators were panicking, the commander didn't
particularly wish to admonish them. After all, the enemy fleet was
charging them using asteroids collected prior to the battle as shields.
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"Concentrate fire on the asteroids!" the commander's advisor
shouted. "Are they planning to destroy the planet we're defending?!"
The enemy ships were headed straight for the planet the Imperial
Army was protecting. The Imperial Army managed to shave off some of
the asteroids' mass, but while they were busy doing so, the Autocracy's
fleet came within firing distance.
Both sides fired energy beams at each other, but the Imperial Army
was pushed back. At first, they'd had thirty thousand ships, but before they
knew it, their numbers had been halved. The Autocracy, on the other hand,
had suffered little damage.
Allowing the asteroids to distract them had been the Imperial
Army's downfall. The Empire never expected their enemy in a battle over
territory to attack a planet by hurling asteroids at it.
The commander brought his fist down on his armrest, exclaiming,
"Those warmongering maniacs!"
A response came in the form of several enemy mobile knights. They
had broken through the Imperial Army's forces, landed on the fortress-
class, and forced their way inside the ship—and they'd already arrived
here on the bridge.
"Get back, Your Excellency!"
The commander's advisor stepped forward with his troops in an
attempt to protect their leader. Six elite knights readied their weapons. In
response, the cockpit of one of the Autocracy's mobile knights opened,
and a female pilot hopped down. She held a rapier in one hand.
Seeing that thin sword, which specialized in piercing attacks, the
advisor commanded his troops, "She's a knight! Quickly, kill her!"
"Sir!"
The knights charged forward with their blades, and the soldiers on
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the bridge raised their guns.
Faced with all those enemies, the woman grinned. "Call me a
warrior, vermin."
***
When the battle ended, the bridge was a sea of blood. Arjuna
removed her helmet, one hand clutching the enemy commander's hair.
She lifted his head and stared into his face. "Are you really the
commander? You're weaker than everyone around you."
"You meatheads are the only ones who value strength above all
else!"
"Boring..."
Arjuna tossed the commander aside. He struck the wall and stopped
moving. Having taken control of the enemy's command center, she soon
received a communication from one of her ships.
"Lady Arjuna, we've annihilated the enemy fleet."
"Good work. I've seized the command center as well."
"An excellent victory."
"Don't flatter me too much; it'll go to my head."
"I think you can take pride in routing them, ma'am."
"Just don't get carried away. And? How did my siblings' attacks
go?" She was concerned about her siblings' war results. They were family,
but also rivals—and that was all Arjuna saw them as.
"Most only just started fighting, but Prince Isel already conquered
an enemy fortress."
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Arjuna was glad to hear it. Despite thinking of Isel as competition,
she couldn't help taking pride in his achievements. "That's just like him. I
can't wait for the day when I take him down."
The call ended, and Arjuna returned to her mobile knight's cockpit.
She sat down inside and closed the hatch, sighing in frustration.
"Victory's great and all, but I can't feel too satisfied about winning
against weaklings like these. I hope at least Calvin's a challenge."
The war between the Autocracy and the Empire had only just begun.
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