Him and their stars.

Chapter 2118 Territory is only drawn when one is too heartless to speak of it.
Of course, since the alliance has already come, the empire, which arrived long ago, has no reason not to follow suit.

Brunhilde asked with a smile, "I'm afraid that not a single soldier can be moved from Wanwang Pass, right?"

“Yes. Marshal Estelle certainly meant that. He even applied to deploy the Regent’s Sword to Wanwang Pass as well. Especially in such turbulent times, the Empire must not show weakness, especially not in front of the Alliance.” Ostana shrugged: “In a sense, what he said makes sense.”

"Apart from the Emperor's Scepter, which is already trapped in Femo, the other colossal weapons remain untouched. The three platforms under construction should also proceed at their current pace. Please immediately relay my opinion to the Privy Council and the Grand Marshal's Office," King Suryuka said.

However, on the other hand, the bigwigs of the Privy Council and the Grand Marshal's Office are still working as usual in the Heavenly Domain. This is certainly because the arrogance of the military nobles of Tirelo makes it impossible for them to abandon the people of the capital. But it must be admitted that such a spirit of dedication to duty is indeed a model of the times!
"Finally, what about that unpredictable news you mentioned?" King Su Liu couldn't help but ask when the Chief of Staff fell silent again.

There was a very brief hesitation before the other party said, "Duke Barryen's main fleet destroyed a swarm of insects on Chambord in the Wanfan system."

This is good news! Brunhilde thought, though it was only a small piece of good news.

"Then, during a field inspection, His Excellency the Duke was assassinated. The assassin was a senior engineer from the Chambord Machine Works, and he used an explosive bug that could evade detection."

"...Isn't the Chambord Machine Factory a royal enterprise?" Brunhilde frowned. "Don't tell me that this is also a primary color molecule?"

"That's the official announcement, but those in the know don't take it seriously. There are plenty of 'original color' elements, but not all of them are fanatical believers ready to die for their cause."

Brunhilde felt that this guy had a pretty deep understanding of the original, but he himself felt that he had already gotten used to it.

"The main reason is that when Duke Barryen was clearing the planetary swarm, he used regional extermination methods, which affected some slave laborers and civilian settlements."

Brunhilde pressed her temples, then let out another inexplicable sigh. She had a premonition that this kind of thing would likely happen again.

"The Duke should have Star Knights and Judges by his side."

"We'll have to wait for a detailed report from Wanfan, but it's said that Duke Barryon sent out all the psionicists to locate the swarm."

"...This is certainly bad news. Why do I say it's impossible to judge?"

"Duke Barryon is His Highness the King's best friend!" Ostana leaned closer to the screen, looking inexplicably worried.

“He is a veteran of the empire, not a follower of any chosen emperor,” Brunhilde said grandly.

“That makes sense, but most people don’t listen to reason. Your Highness, everyone now knows that the swarm has allied with General Yu. Many even believe that the swarm is a kind of biological weapon controlled by Lord Yu Lian.”

"That's true. So what?"

"And your affair with that person is known throughout the entire universe. So, someone will definitely make a fuss about your past relationship with the Zerg."

“…Ostana, you’re not trying to say that because I have a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Lian Qing, people will start to think that I have some kind of relationship with the Zerg Swarm, are you?” Brunhilde almost laughed out of anger.

"Doesn't that sound reasonable?" The female chief of staff blinked.

"Where is the logic in this? Do shoujo manga and otome reverse crystal harem games make sense?"

The chief of staff was utterly shocked. She simply couldn't accept that her master's taste could have fallen to such a low level.

Brunhilde retorted irritably, "You mean to say that all of this was my conspiracy? I was the first in the Empire to make contact with and fight the Zerg swarm."

The chief of staff's expression held a heartbreaking sadness, and her words were filled with heavy bitterness and repression: "Isn't the struggle for the throne always like this? The Dragon King's biting is ruthless and unscrupulous. Your Highness, you should know this better than I do."

"Heh... But in the end, it still comes down to real strength and achievements. The Tyreiros are actually quite realistic in this regard." Brunhilde sneered. She was all too familiar with this kind of thing; back in the day, she was known as a "king-killing beast" and was besieged by all the powerful factions and rivals in the entire empire.

No one understands the public opinion surrounding the struggle for the throne better than I do. She was almost ready to imitate her lover and draw her fingers to both sides.

"So, Your Highness, you've really made up your mind?" Ostana's grey-red eyes gleamed with excitement, as if a lifeless lava had suddenly been ignited by an active volcano.

"What determination?"

"Tearing in the literal sense."

Well, this guy is definitely a traitor who thrives on chaos! Brunhilde felt that if he didn't throw this guy to feed the dragons after he ascended to the throne, he would definitely be the most benevolent ruler in the history of the Galactic Empire.

Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly received a report from the bridge communications department: "Your Highness, the communication from the distant shore is that King Sorein is online."

The chief of staff said, "This must be a big deal. No matter how much you disagree with the actions on the far shore, you still have to deal with it carefully," and then decisively ended the communication.

Brunhilde was indeed filled with resistance, but the other party was, after all, an elector of the same rank as him, and had a close relationship with him since childhood. In a way, he could be considered his little brother next door.

A mature politician would never offend his potential allies.

And so, on the screen, the young King Soren appeared with a look of utter grief.

"Sister Pudding, I..."

In formal settings, please use your job title.

King Sorein immediately stood at attention and saluted, saying, "Your Highness, we were just subjected to a shameless sneak attack by the Earth Yang Fleet. Although we fought desperately and shot down at least twenty enemy fighters and four torpedo ships, our forward base in the Shanhai Passage was destroyed. Colonel Mosley, the base commander, was also killed in action. The current situation is unfavorable, and we have retreated to the Luna T12 system in the Far Coast Star Sector to await further orders."

You guys are really generous, retreating to three star systems in one go!

If he weren't now the Privy Council Chief and Imperial Marshal, needing to be mindful of his conduct, Brunhilde would have already started cursing.

“King Shazam believes that Yang Xiyi has the mountain and sea waterways with layers of defense, as well as four main god-level dreadnoughts and most of the original Earth Said fleet. If he launches a direct attack, the losses will be too great. He still believes that if he really wants to launch a direct attack on New Shenzhou, he should concentrate at least five times the number of troops.”

That makes some sense, but Brunhilde wanted to laugh even more: "Ha, three months ago you told me it would be three times."

The young King So was slightly taken aback, then began to complain with a sigh, like an innocent college student who had failed his final exam and didn't get credits: "This, this is not what I said. It was His Highness the Sand King who said it! I, your subordinate, just didn't explicitly object. Besides, we also fought hard."

So-called "fighting hard" means abandoning the stalemate in the Jiayuguan system and fleeing after losing only a handful of warships? You've already retreated three system systems, almost to New Tennessee. "Yes. But the sneak attacks from Earth's new fighter jets are really troublesome. Their targets are smaller than the previous small ghost fighters, making them harder to detect, but equipped with light wings and space bubble torpedoes, they can still pose a threat to main warships. No, even without antimatter torpedoes, they are still a problem for the fleet after it has been arrayed. Moreover, all the system systems along the Shanhai Passage have plenty of obstacles and asteroid belts that can cover the movement of small fighter jets. The battlefield conditions are favorable to them. Since the outpost at Jiayuguan was destroyed just as it was being set up, it means that it will be difficult for us to set up maintenance platforms and supply stations in the system systems where the offensive is taking place, which is also detrimental to subsequent operations."

The implication is that it's not that we don't try, but rather that Earthlings have superior capabilities. Although these new fighter jets may not play a decisive role in single-handedly defeating thousands, their auxiliary and harassment effects are excellent, always providing a boost to the main battlefield.

Regardless, Yang Xiyi managed to hold off an Imperial fleet three times his size with just four Dreadnoughts, and it seems the Empire will need to commit even more.

As for the local situation, someone is even close to invading the Heavenly Realm.

"Damn it, how did the Imperial Army become like this?" Brunhilde ultimately didn't utter those words, only asking, "We can retreat, but what's the strategy after the retreat?"

“We can send some more fleets from Femo. Marshal Esther commands the Empire’s largest military force.” King Soreen, who was about the age of a college student, forced a wry smile, “But since the Alliance has already entered the fray, this is no longer a problem for us to consider.”

Brunhilde remained with his hands in his pockets, expressionless.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was all a scheme by the white fox. Even though she had just reached some kind of "consensus" with that fox half an hour ago.

"We can also request reinforcements from Marshal Farrell. Um, please don't look at me like that! Your Highness, this is actually what His Highness the Sand King said as well. Uncle Wang believes that although Marshal Farrell's progress on the High Seas is very smooth, even if we capture the Cold King Fortress and control the Turan Star Gorge, it won't bring much advantage to the overall battle situation."

Indeed, if there is any definite good news from the Empire on any front recently, it is probably Marshal Farrell on the High Seas front.

His forces outnumbered Marshal Bonaparte's outer fleet, and his ships were in much better condition. Even with the latter holding the geographical advantage of the Cold King Star Gorge and receiving help from a mysterious superpower across the unknown high seas, he remained at a disadvantage.

Marshal Farrell had already broken through the Star Gorge node two months ago, preparing for a general offensive against the Cold King Fortress. The reason for temporarily halting the attack was not only to allow the entire army to rest and prepare for the general offensive, but also because he was shocked by the news that the capital had been robbed and dared not act rashly for the time being.

Regardless, the Farrell fleet was already at the city's gates. No one believed that the two exhausted old Independence ships of the outer frigate fleet could stand against Vulcan Aerran and four new Dreadnoughts.

The best outcome for these Earthlings would be to abandon their fortresses and retreat to the territory of some mysterious superpower. After all, haven't they opened their borders too?
“At this point, there’s no reason for His Excellency the Marshal to withdraw his troops to support us,” said the young King So.

“Even the emperor has no reason to make a general like Tireiro give up the achievement he is about to attain.”

"That's exactly how it is. Moreover, His Highness the Sand King said that as long as we repel the Earth's outer ring fleet and control the Cold King, we can completely take over the territory of the Turan Kingdom. Our influence will also extend to all the nations of the High Seas. In that case, even if something truly unspeakable happens and the Empire has to shrink its battle lines, we will still have control of the High Seas, which is definitely a victory." King Sorein nodded forcefully, as if trying to convince himself.

"Yes, we can definitely win big!"

This is the Tirrero people; getting them to loosen their grip on meat isn't so easy. This particularly vain and flamboyant people only display a chilling realism when it comes to military force and expansion.

Brunhilde believed that even if the Celestial Realm truly fell, it would not affect the various imperial fleets' conquests of foreign territories. They might even be able to turn their grief and anger into fighting spirit.

Brunhilde asked himself honestly, and he felt that if he were in that situation, he probably would have made the same choice.

“It’s something that can’t be said. I hope you really understand what you’re talking about,” she scoffed.

"Uh, these aren't my words, but His Highness the Sand King's exact words." The young King Sorein had spent a year training on the front lines. Although he hadn't become a legendary general, he had certainly matured a lot.

"Since we can't get support, launching a direct attack on the mountain and sea routes would be reckless and foolish. In these turbulent times, we need to do our best to preserve the precious fighting strength of the Imperial Army. We shouldn't let the lives of our brave Imperial soldiers be wasted on narrow sea routes! We have more meaningful things to do."

Brunhilde remained expressionless, gesturing with his eyes for the other person to continue.

"We have withdrawn our fleet to the vicinity of T12 and New Tennessee to await orders. If we were to attack the Mountain-Sea Passage, we would need three times the manpower to put pressure on Yang's fleet. But now, we only need less than twice the manpower of the enemy to keep an eye on them. His Highness the Sand King will establish a command post in the New Tennessee sector and redeploy along the Luna Passage. Once the battlefield reaches this vast star field, Yang's fleet will no longer have any advantage. We cannot completely contain them in the Mountain-Sea Passage, but we can at least blockade them around the perimeter of the Far Coast Nebula."

However, this would inevitably lead to individual ships or even small fleets infiltrating into star systems controlled by the Empire, which was unavoidable.

"His Highness the Sand King will be in overall command of the blockade operation, and will also be responsible for the security and civil administration of all newly conquered star systems in the Far Coast Sector. Of course, this does not include the Lumina system."

Brunhilde fell silent. She suddenly realized that it was her distant relative making the offer.

The reason why Lumina is not included is that after the Battle of the Far Shore, Emperor Elisel had already personally decreed that the star system be granted to Brunhilde as a fief.

King Soreen then produced a detailed blockade and defense map, clearly a flawless and meticulously planned work.

Brunhilde snorted coldly. Even a brilliant, academically-trained strategist like King Shazam would need at least a month to produce such a detailed defense plan.

Clearly, that hermaphrodite never intended to harass Yang Xiyi in the New Divine Land. He was probably already planning to carve out his own territory after the Battle of the Far Shore.

Very good, this is very much in line with the Dragon King's style.

The Sand King's plan dictated that at least eight hundred warships would be needed to blockade the New Divine Land.

"As for the rest of the warships, I will personally command them. That will be a large fleet of nearly five hundred ships." The twenty-year-old King Soreen looked eager to try.

"You?" Su Wang drawled.

“Uh, I lack experience, but I do have a capable staff and fleet commanders.” King Soren stared at Brunhilde, his face full of expectation: “Sister Bruni, I…”

"Calling yourself on the job while working!"

"Understood, Your Excellency Marshal!" The young elector saluted again and said solemnly, "I will lead the fleet back to the distant coast. My men and I will follow your lead without question."

Brunhilde looked at the young, handsome face, yet with a mature air about it, and made no attempt to hide his sneer: "Kid, what do you want?"

The young King Soreon pressed his fist to his chest: "This universe has stagnated! It needs to change! Change must begin with the Empire, and you are the only hope!"

"..."

"..."

"Tell me, when did you start reading banned books?"