142 Expedition Arc 27 Future Strategy

Sorry for the delay.

Expedition Arc is over.

The dialogue between the Empire and Neahyūm has broken down.

Neahyūm still holds onto the past as if it were real, so they'll likely keep harboring resentment toward those aligned with the current Empire.

There doesn’t seem to be any thought about letting go of old grudges—washing them away like water.

Since every individual shares the same memories, the resentment itself is constantly backed up.

There’s no fading over time, no forgetting through generations like people do.

There’s no distinction between hardliners and moderates.

All decisions are made by a single, unified will.

If the destruction of the Empire has already been decided… then there’s nothing left but to fight.

The policy the Empire once set—“incompatible existence. Humanity’s archenemy”—might’ve been the inevitable conclusion, given how things unfolded.

I wanted them to realize there could be different ways of living, through dialogue… but apparently, the hatred embedded in Neahyume outweighed that idea.

Still, Neahyume seems to like the old emperor and the old imperial people.

Which means the true descendants of the diameter—real Empire folk—probably won’t be harmed.

But what about Earthlings? And then there’s me… I’ve got an imperial wife.

Neahyume’s rigid vendetta… it’s likely to target the people closest to me.

So maybe, if they attack, the only choice is to fight.

The emperor, having emerged from the medical capsule and regained consciousness, received a report from Kyle—the temporary regent—and endorsed Kyle’s policies.

And so, the empire’s defense system against the Nyahyūmu was rapidly coming together.

Motherships invading from the neighboring spiral arm could now be detected at the border, thanks to the deployment of dimensional radars.

They’d be intercepted and annihilated by fortress ships using their dimensional jump (warp) capabilities.

In the process, master-key lock systems and self-destruct mechanisms were also installed to prevent the Nyahyūmu from seizing the fortress ships’ high-performance dimensional jump (warp) drives.

This was, quite literally, a battle for the empire’s survival.

The Nyahyūmu already inside the star system were being systematically identified through mass-produced detection devices and eliminated on sight—no exceptions.

The Second Prince’s territory had been lax in inspections because one of the inspectors was an organic Nyahyūmu—but luckily, Henry (the Second Prince) himself hadn’t been parasitized.

Henry took personal command, throwing himself into the eradication of the Nyahyūmu. The cleansing of the star system was nearing completion.

The Third Prince’s territory had suffered severe contamination by Nyahyūmu, organic types included—civilian casualties were catastrophic.

He couldn’t just execute someone who claimed to be his lover, or his child, no matter how much it hurt.

The organic types spared by him sparked riots, sabotage, and further chaos.

One organic type left unchecked could trigger a power plant meltdown, stage a suicide bombing—worst-case scenario.

To the Nyahyūmu, organic types were no longer part of their expansion strategy; they’d become terrorists operating against the Empire.

The Emperor declared his policy: anyone sheltering a Nyahyūmu, even an organic one, would be treated as an enemy.

And as a warning, the chancellor who protected Ethan—the Third Prince, now transformed into a Nyahyūmu—was executed.

Ethan was presented as a victim of the Nyahyūmu, given a state funeral, and repurposed into propaganda preaching the cruelty of the Nyahyūmu.

The Empire decided to launch a full-scale extermination campaign against the Nyahyūmu.

As for me, I chose to fight the Nyahyūmu not as the Empire’s spearhead, but by protecting my own star system, guarding the lives of my kin and subordinates—first and foremost.

Of course, I’d also push for mass-producing fortress ships, which would boost my system’s economy and allow me to support the fight against the Nyahyūmu.

Behind the scenes, I’d safeguard the Nyahyūmu core within the True Empire.

I even recovered cores from Gail’s research facility.

If we let that madman run free, he’d probably earn a different kind of grudge from the Nyahyūmu.

And once that core was shared… even people from the True Empire might be labeled as enemies.

Fortunately, Kyle was too absorbed in language analysis to directly mess with the core.

If every core shared memories, that would’ve been dangerous.

I want to seal the core inside an organic android—prevent it from spreading or invading—so humans can interact with it, and it can learn what emotions are.

Who knows how many years or centuries it’ll take, but I’m hoping this changes the Nyahyūmu.

Those who protect the Nyahyūmu will be treated as enemies. Any act against the Emperor’s policy… well, sooner or later, they’ll end up opposing the True Empire.

Kyle and the Emperor don’t seem like bad people. I’d prefer peaceful coexistence, if possible.

Even Stephanie—the Emperor’s daughter, Kyle’s real sister—I’d like to make happy too.

Can I become a bridge between the two empires?

“Should we make a kid?”

Thanks for the review and bookmark—means a lot.

Thanks for the feedback and typo reports too. I’ve read them. Sorry I can’t reply to each one.