Chapter 2302: Questioning
A war against Windermere had effectively ended before it even began. Once El-Elf, Kane, and the others infiltrated Windermere, the entire planet had lost any real means of defending itself against Xiao Ran's forces. The battle ended without even firing more than a few shots, leaving the singers Xiao Ran had deliberately brought along—Sheryl, the Valkyries, and the others—with no role to play at all.
Xiao Ran had originally thought that if Windermere put up a tougher fight, he would take the opportunity to pilot his Dragon God for a spin and show off his strength to the other factions secretly watching from the sidelines. For example, he could wipe out all of Windermere's forces within five seconds without harming a single person. If possible, he might even have Sheryl and the Valkyries face off against Windermere's little prince—now His Majesty the Emperor—in a karaoke battle.
But none of that happened. Everything ended simply and cleanly. There was no battle, no war. The fleet landed on Windermere, then swiftly entered the FOLD Jump routes and scattered toward the other planets of the Brishigaman Cluster.
Xiao Ran also entered the Windermere royal palace. From the palace's enormous observation platform, surrounded on all sides by the fleet's forces, he looked at a massive and peculiar warship suspended nearby. Behind him, soldiers wearing Iron Man Armor surrounded a group of Windermere people, some standing and some half-kneeling on the ground.
"This warship—the true Ruins left behind on this planet by the previous Proto Civilization. This was what gave you confidence?" Xiao Ran's voice was neither loud nor soft as it reached the ears of the Windermere people behind him. After speaking, he turned to face them.
The one standing was the short but lavishly dressed little emperor, Heinz Nerich Windermere,