"What's going on?" Having just emerged from the jump, Viscount Ironwall stared at the enormous fleet in the distance, his eye twitching.
They had just paid an exorbitant "toll," yet after finally making the jump, they found a reception that looked even more dangerous than the Solar System.
Although the ships before them looked slightly different from the Twin Stars Warships described in their intelligence... who else could possibly be here besides the Twin Stars' local fleet?
Wolves ahead and tigers behind-they're trying to trap us!
"N-no, that's impossible! The Second Prince's intelligence clearly said the Gemini Civilization's main fleet had been crippled. They couldn't possibly assemble such an enormous fleet in so little time..." Sweat covered the adjutant's forehead.
Bastards! That damned Second Prince! That damned Black Steward! Viscount Ironwall mentally cursed them both.
What kind of intelligence did the Second Prince give me?
Fine, I can forgive the Solar System. They were hiding their strength to lure us in. Even I fell for it, so I can accept that you failed to see through them. But what's going on with the Twin Stars?
We're already fighting an exhausting campaign far from home. Don't you know that misjudging the enemy's strength could get us wiped out with one wrong move?
Are you deliberately trying to get me killed?
As for Black Steward, there's no need to ask. He must have known what was waiting here. He sent me straight into the fire!
But on second thought, some of the blame seemed to lie with him.
After he paid the toll, Black Steward had given him two options. The first was to turn back and return to his territory the way he had come.
The second was to follow the original plan, cut a bloody path through Twin Stars territory,