Chapter 646. It seems like now isn’t the time for us to fight. (2)
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The reason I remain indifferent to the users’ complaints and whining is, in fact, more complex and numerous than one might think.
Among those many reasons, the simplest and most significant would be…
“Commander, regarding the damage report from this battle…”
“Nonexistent?”
“Yeah, at most we just need to restock ammunition and aircraft.”
“Surprisingly quiet, isn’t it?”
As can be seen from my conversation with Jessica, there was absolutely no damage inflicted on me during this incident.
However, if someone else heard my words, they might ask things like, “Sir, aren’t you going to claim compensation for emotional damages?” or “Sir, what about your base being shelled?” But…
Even regarding these two points, I had my own explanations.
“Still, Commander, you’re not even irritated about this whole situation?”
“Because the troublemakers who caused all this chaos also opened up the Resource Zone, so I decided to stay silent.”
Since I already receive plenty of irritation from the so-called citizens, users, and self-proclaimed subjects living in the same area as me,
the level of irritation I received from their antics this time was relatively minimal, so it didn’t particularly bother me.
“But, Commander, wasn’t Howling and New VegaBound also attacked?”
“Ah, that place?”
And when I showed such a reaction, Jessica then asked me what I thought about the base being shelled.
“Anyway, the repair costs are covered by the users docked there, and my fleet sufficiently disciplined those who attacked my base, so that’s enough for me.”
“Ah.”
That’s right.
If the base was shelled? Well, since I’m not footing the bill for repairs, why should I care?
Moreover, the shelling was done recklessly just to grab attention, resulting in relatively few hits compared to the amount fired.
So, naturally, I couldn’t help but feel indifferent when other users jumped around exaggerating their damages.
And there was another reason why I didn’t pay much attention to this.
“Besides, there was no damage to the ships either, right?”
“That’s correct. Not only the main fleet but also the mercenary corps and faction detachments involved in this battle were completely unharmed.”
Since I participated in the battle relatively late compared to other users, my fleet was positioned further back.
While the so-called citizen-users fought fiercely at the front lines, I was merely providing fire support from behind, which is why I wasn’t attacked.
In fact, even when my Fubuki-class destroyer, which was the least leveled-up among the gacha ships, sank an enemy heavy cruiser, it didn’t even get scratched.
Honestly speaking, except for ships like Ouroboros with extremely long-range capabilities or battleships and above,
with the exception of Kraken, who teleported and pounded away one-sidedly, most of my fleet didn’t even participate in the battle.
Meanwhile, Nerañzara moved around diligently, destroying the propulsion systems and air defense systems of fleeing enemy super dreadnoughts,
and took advantage of the chaos to attack the bridges of enemy flagships forming defensive lines.
And the sinking of the Fubuki-class destroyer against the heavy cruiser?
It was simply a lucky shot when allied users and I intercepted an enemy fleet attempting to break through the frontline immediately after I joined the battle.
Afterward, as the encirclement was completed, there wasn’t even a position for my fleet to bombard from.
As for the faction detachment and mercenary corps I brought along, especially Bendalope and Nero’s “assault team,”
they ended up only moving throughout the entire battle from start to finish.
And of course, this included my superhumans.
Given the nature of large-scale battles, the close-combat trio prepared thoroughly for melee combat amid the chaos,
but by the latter half of the battle, they were gathered on the bridge of Hreðsvelgr, munching on popcorn.
Even the fleet commanders, who were supposed to lead the fleet, were aimlessly wandering around,
while only Pashtira and Dornia, with their incredibly long-range capabilities, were joyfully blasting away in an odd situation.
Thus, when I expressed such thoughts, Jessica nodded in agreement, acknowledging that my words weren’t wrong.
“Indeed, that’s true. Plus, the Unlimited Mercenary Force kept coming up in discussions, but ultimately wasn’t used.”
“That’s right.”
Furthermore, as we just discussed, the Unlimited Mercenary Force, which consumes resources extravagantly, wasn’t utilized,
and the Leviathan Fleet?
After its affiliation was changed to mine last time, it only had restrictions on usage duration;
not only did it consume no resources, but they also handled repairs themselves, making it meaningless in this context.
And the next reason is undoubtedly something others would nod to upon hearing:
The only resources I consumed in this battle were the ‘ammunition’ mentioned earlier by Jessica and the aircraft replenishment used by Kraken—nothing more.
In summary, I suffered no direct damage,
nor did I consume anything, leading naturally to the thought, “Why should I clench my teeth and go after them when I haven’t suffered any losses?”
Of course, given such circumstances, my stance on this matter became neutral.
If other users continued insisting on thoroughly punishing the Attila Clan,
I might have unconsciously leaned toward that side of thinking—but…
The final reason I didn’t punish the Attila Clan:
To the dismay of users clamoring for revenge, while negotiations for surrender terms were ongoing,
two new representatives—”Malang-i” and “Sha”—from Loki and Magellan, among the four major clans docked at Daedalus, separately contacted me via chat…
[Icarus-Malang-i Chatroom]
– [Sir, you seem busy lately, but…]
– [What?]
– [Since you dislike too much talking, I’ll be straightforward.]
– [Letting the Attila Clan be would be better for you.]
– [?]
[Icarus-Sha Chatroom]
– [Icarus-sama, how about letting the Attila Clan be?]
– [???]
– [Wai?]
They advised against excessively targeting the Attila Clan and subtly pressured me.
Of course, the term “pressure” was more of a joke; the real reason they approached me like this was…
[Icarus-Malang-i Chatroom]
– [If you crush them too much, the Attila Clan might rise again after refusing surrender.]
– [It’d be better to show leniency and make them friendly towards you.]
– [You never know, Blizzard or other clans might invade.]
– [Oh?]
[Icarus-Sha Chatroom]
– [And while it may sound strange to say…]
– [The Attila Clan’s location is right between the Central Zone and Humanity’s territory, isn’t it?]
– [Okay.]
– [Gold members don’t get along well with Humanity, so they check each other.]
– [But if you crush the Attila Clan here, even if you share their territory with other clans,]
– [you’ll naturally end up checking Humanity yourself.]
– [Oh…]
They suggested sparing the Attila Clan because it serves as a natural barrier against Humanity’s massive tsunami.
Perhaps because they knew I might ignore their advice,
immediately afterward…
[Icarus-Malang-i Chatroom]
– [Of course, if you plan to create a giant clan, that changes things, haha.]
[Icarus-Sha Chatroom]
– [If Icarus-sama plans to absorb the Attila Clan and build a proper clan, I have nothing more to say ^^]
When they hinted at a future I would likely despise, I naturally ended up showing mercy to the Attila Clan.
Additionally, if I had taken over more bases, it would mean adding more troublemakers to my territory.
‘Ugh, terrifying.’
Abandoning the bases and leaving them to deal with it on their own was an automatic response.
