Poverty makes me capable of anything.

"Sawyer will also return then, which will be a good opportunity for you to avenge your defeat."

Keynes nodded.

Compared to Sawyer, his resentment was nothing.

But that doesn't mean he wasn't angry.

Keynes thought to himself, "Live well, and I'll make you pay for this."

Meanwhile, Sawyer, adrift in space, also received a secret message from the Grand Council.

"finally……"

He gazed at the blinding star and felt tears welling up in his eyes.

He can finally escape this miserable life of hiding and running away!

Sawyer clenched his fists and murmured, "Brother Lord of the Night, I will avenge you. Don't worry, I won't let you feel alone!"

He saw the star flicker, as if in response to his words.

……

In the stronghold of the Pantheon.

Patrick, who had fled in panic, locked himself up.

He looked down at the scars left on his arm, etched by psionic lasers.

These scars, which cannot be erased in a short time, have prevented him from finding peace even now.

That was so close!

If Guy hadn't arrived in time to rescue him, he would be a corpse by now.

"He's a monster."

Patrick gave a wry smile.

Now, he can recall An Ran's exquisitely beautiful face, as if it had been designed, whenever he closes his eyes.

But this did not make him feel comfortable.

All that remained was a deep-seated fear.

The unknown brings fear.

Mechanics like Anran were never in his knowledge.

"No more, no more miracles."

Patrick slammed his fist on the floor.

He couldn't figure out how to stop the next attack from the exiled empire.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Patrick looked up.

He knew, through his mental perception, that the person knocking on the door was an aid representative sent by the New World Star Region.

They are people he can't afford to offend either.

"Please come in."

Patrick unlocked the door remotely.

The representative entered with a solemn expression, a mixture of anger and deep bewilderment.

He came to question Patrick.

Why run?

This run caused morale to collapse.

Even if Patrick hadn't taken the fleet with him, the war would have been lost without a doubt.

Fear and frustration intertwined, and Patrick's tone suddenly became more serious.

"You think I ran away on purpose? If Guy hadn't arrived in time, I'd be a corpse by now!"

The representative took a deep breath to calm his agitated emotions and softened his tone: "What exactly happened?"

Patrick curled his lip: "What else could it be? We can't beat them."

what?

The representative was taken aback.

If he remembered correctly, Patrick's opponent was the weakest mechanic in the Exiled Empire's expeditionary force.

"Why don't you give it a try?"

Although he used honorifics, Patrick's tone was still full of hostility.

The representative secretly shook his head.

If handled carelessly, it could very well push the Pantheon directly to the Exiled Empire.

Patrick said impatiently, "Do you have any more reinforcements to send? If not, then this war has to end here. We, the Pantheon, are powerless to continue."

The representative could see that Patrick had completely lost his fighting spirit at this point.

Since that's the case, why not take a step back?

“I have an idea,” he said.

"any solution?"

The representative replied, "Surrender."

"what?"

Patrick was so surprised that he stood up abruptly.

Did he hear that right?

The aid representative from the New World Starfield actually asked him to surrender to the Exiled Empire!

He's hard of hearing.

Or has this guy already secretly betrayed the legion commander and become a double agent?

The representative certainly knew what Patrick was thinking.

He explained, "I mean a fake surrender."

Patrick sneered, "Do you think I'm a fool, or do you think the people of the exiled empire are fools?"

The representative said, "It might be a bit complicated to explain, so I'll just put it this way: the legion commander's plan is about to be implemented, but I can also see that you can't hold out until then. The reason for asking you to surrender now is to avoid greater casualties among the Pantheon."

Patrick nodded silently.

"In order to gain the trust of the exiled empire, you can agree to any of their demands, as long as they are not too excessive, even if they temporarily harm the interests of the legion. When the legion commander launches a counterattack, you can then switch sides."

Patrick asked coldly, "Is this your idea, or the legion commander's idea?"

"mine."

Oh, never mind then.

The representative quickly added, "But I think the legion commander will understand."

Oh.

Patrick almost burst out laughing.

They're saying nice things now, but who knows how they'll use this to suppress the Pantheon later?

"I need the legion commander's assurance."

Patrick looked directly at the representative.

His eyes held an undeniable firmness.

The representative essentially showed him a path.

If it really doesn't work, just submit it.

And those who surrendered under the veil of light didn't seem to suffer any losses.

Who you follow doesn't really matter; in the end, it's all about interests.

The representative frowned, and after a long silence, he sighed: "I will apply to the legion commander."

"Then I'll wait for your good news."

In the days that followed, Patrick waited anxiously for the representative's reply while keeping a close eye on An Ran and the others' movements.

After a brief respite, the Exiled Empire's fleet launched another attack.

They came on strong, and the Pantheon's defenses were like paper in front of millions of warships, crushed in an instant.

It is estimated that the Pantheon's base will fall in six weeks at most.

After discussing it with Guy, Patrick was ready to truly surrender.

But just then, the representative finally brought the legion commander's guarantee, which was a legion order signed by Valentine in his own honor.

"That puts our minds at ease."

Patrick and Guy said to the representative with a smile.

The representative forced a smile.

By doing this, although the Pantheon will surrender, they will definitely have reservations and won't be able to work wholeheartedly for the Exiled Empire.

Moreover, their strength has been preserved, so they can still contribute something during the counterattack.

"Then I'll take my leave now," the representative said.

"Please go ahead."

After seeing off the representatives of the New World Starfield, Patrick and Guy immediately began preparations for surrender.

They acted very quickly.

The Exiled Empire's fleet sent out a surrender message when it was still millions of light-years away from its base.