What do you mean, what do I do about it.
I don't know anything about the other side, and I can't push through with force when I'm outmatched in visible military strength. The border touches at just one star system—very minuscule—but this system could be like Vladivostok in Russia: a tiny part with a vast empire spread out behind it.
Let's retreat for now.
"Pardon me. I attempted an occupation because I didn't see anything indicating ownership, but it seems there was a prior guest."
"A monster... telepathy...?"
Now, now, calling me a monster.
I pretended not to hear and continued transmitting telepathic waves toward the plant fleet. I had to leave room for diplomacy anyway. We're neighbors, so we'll be seeing each other constantly from now on, right? Let's get along nicely.
"We are the reconnaissance fleet of the Rushaka Kingdom, and I am the fleet commander, Hi... Hihirak. Would you tell me your affiliation?"
"Monsters have no names. Return to your star immediately! Otherwise, I shall make you wandering orphans of the cosmos! All hands, prepare to fire!"
As if to show their resolve, the plant fleet's cannons simultaneously began to glow and gather energy.
...
Ah, so this is what xeno bastards are like.
Whoops.
That's not it.
Smile. He who smiles is first class. I'm a pacifist who desires galactic peace.
Plant species, you say? How well they must produce food. As a biological species that consumes an enormous amount of food, they're nothing less than the perfect partner, aren't they? Diplomacy is always a bit bumpy at first. It's all about becoming friendly out of necessity.
"We will send an official delegation later. I apologize for violating your border."
"Get lost! You disgusting monsters."
.
Whether I end up in a friendly or hostile relationship with those plant species in the future, I will remember this rudeness and mark it down as a debt.
After that, I turned the reconnaissance fleet around and began withdrawing from the Hidden Star System.
The plant fleet's cannons were still emitting brilliant light, but surely they wouldn't shoot us in the back while we were quietly withdrawing.
If they really do shoot lasers, then to hell with peace. Then I'll grit my teeth and march all the way to your home system, grind every last leaf into feed for my war hounds without leaving a single one behind.
Ah, what a cultured species humans are.
My first encounter with Admiral Nikolai was truly gentlemanly.
Wasn't it? Come to think of it, if we had violated the border before the warning letter arrived from the Deneb Federation, I probably would have fired first too.
I'm the only true pacifist in this galaxy. The road to galactic peace is long and arduous indeed.
◈
Having thus abandoned the Hidden Star System and returned, the Legion's expansion into all systems capable of expansion was now complete.
We were now surrounded by the galactic central bulge to the east, the Deneb Federation to the north, and the unidentified plant species to the west. There was a star system to the south that appeared to still be unclaimed, but it wasn't connected by a hyperlane, so with our current technological level, we could only observe it.
In the end, our star system territory to defend had expanded greatly, but we had gained no new habitable planets, so was our income just mining minerals from asteroid regions?
It was regrettable that there were no significant gains, but I suppose I had things that needed doing.
Preparing a delegation to send to those plants, and preparing to receive the delegation that would soon arrive from the Deneb Federation.
And then, wouldn't it be good to build Einsteinvis No. 2 with the remaining organic materials? Things like the lack of habitable planets or being unable to explore due to the absence of hyperlanes all happen because of insufficient technology.
It's not a medieval fantasy world but an SF world, so as technology develops, the range of possible actions increases. Not just increasing, but literally enabling actions of a different dimension.
First, looking at the star systems we've occupied, there are no Earth-like planets—just planets in general. Whether gas giants or rocky planets without atmospheres. If terraforming technology develops sufficiently, we can transform some of the promising planets into habitable ones and put them to use.
No hyperlane? Then can't we just warp?
Lacking food? Develop crops with better production efficiency.
Besides, since we ultimately failed to discover lifeforms larger than space whales through expansion, we'll have to create the genes ourselves. We can't have the fleet remain at the level of small vessels forever.
The greatest advantage of a hive mind: once the nation's direction is set, it can be executed immediately without a single second of delay.
I immediately created a few more researcher drones and sent them to Planet Fermat. Wouldn't Einsteinvis be happy to have colleagues? After all, when doing difficult work, it's comforting to have someone beside you who looks like they're having an even harder time.
I was observing Einsteinvis conversing with his comrades with satisfaction when a signal came from JARVIS.
"Your Majesty. Those plant species have crossed over leading a fleet."
"What?"
JARVIS activated my consciousness through the Rare Whale that had observed the fleet.
Looking through the whale's vision, medium-sized destroyers were accompanying small ships as escorts, cutting through space via hyperlane from the Hidden Star System. Furthermore, from the rear of the fleet, one massive ship of the medium cruiser class. Has the technological gap already grown this large?
The plant species' fleet moved near the Rare Whale and then halted in a nearby orbit. Then they soon began emitting telepathic waves.
"Representative of the Rushaka Kingdom, come forth and hear the voice of the proxy."
The telepathic waves, perhaps worried that they wouldn't be heard, continued to resonate at regular intervals. It's not that they want war; since they have something to discuss, they're shouting for us to come out, right?
I questioned whether recklessly violating borders like this was common sense in the space age, but anyway, I immediately loaded Hihirak's body onto a transport and sent him to the border region together with the fleet.
As a cultured species desiring galactic peace, it's bad manners to refuse a party that requests dialogue first.
But the behavior of the plant bastards was very unsettling. Bringing a cruiser along with a delegation? No matter how much I thought about it, it was unacceptable. I sent word to the Deneb Federation asking to postpone the delegation schedule, and sent all of the Legion's troops to the star system right next to the one where the plants were anchored.
No. I got a hunch. The hunch I'd felt while dealing with countless xeno bastards for so long.
The experience of being backstabbed countless times and cursing as I quit the game told me.
They came to fight.
Damn it all, I sent every combat-capable unit in the Legion.
Even if they can't scratch a ship's hull, if they can slap a crew member's cheek, I loaded them all and sent them to the front system.
To overcome an overwhelming technological gap, you need overwhelming numbers, don't you?
If battle broke out, they would enter immediately via hyperlane and join the fight.
Stopping production activities would certainly be a great loss, but there's always the one-in-a-million chance, right? If it's a false alarm, all the better. It means nothing happened.
The moment I made up my mind and moved, all activity in the Legion ceased.
Mr. O, who was transporting biological materials from the Deneb Federation. Mr. Myu, who was enjoying leave for meritorious service in reconnoitering the Hidden System. Mr. Ul, who was digging waterways in the Gobi Desert. Mr. Hi, who was doing paperwork related to preparing a delegation.
They all fell asleep.
Marionettes with cut strings all headed in one direction.
The puppet show is temporarily suspended.
◈
"I am Foreign Minister Hihirak, entrusted with full diplomatic authority by Her Majesty the Queen of the Rushaka Kingdom."
"Hmm. I am Nualala, the First Vanguard Commander of the great Bahilhila Holy Knights."
Leading only a small fleet, when I entered the star system, the plant bastards requested an interview, so I docked at their ship and accommodated them as they wished.
Only the bodies of Hunterak and Killerak accompanied the body of Hihirak.
"We heard that our Sacred Ground guardians made rude remarks to you. I express my deepest regrets."
"Not at all. Our exploration unit was careless. We should have conducted sufficient prior investigation to know it was such an important planet."
"Hmm."
The plant identifying itself as Nualala reminded me of a treant from fantasy. It was just a tree with arms and legs, clad in harder wood like armor. True to its nature as a tree, it possessed a massive frame large enough that Hihirak, who was quite tall, had to look up at it.
The Vanguard Commander bent its body stiffly and looked down with what was presumed to be its visual organ, conveying its will in a coercive tone.
"Then I shall get straight to the point, diplomat. Your occupation of the star system connected to the Sacred Ground may disturb the esteemed one's mood. Abandon ownership and transfer it."
"I beg your pardon, but could you repeat that? I don't think I understood correctly."
What are they saying right now?
When I questioned back, a creaking sound rang out like a tree branch screaming as it bent its upper body.
"Abandon ownership of and withdraw from the four star systems adjacent to the Sacred Ground, including the one where our fleet is currently stationed. We, the Bahilhila Holy Knights who serve the great one, shall directly administer those star systems."
"Vanguard Commander. This star system is clearly our property, preemptively occupied by our Rushaka Kingdom. The Holy Nation has not marked any territorial claims even on the Sacred Ground. Are you now asserting sovereignty over another's territory?"
I had let it go because it was an unfavorable situation, but these guys hadn't built any structures in order to keep the Sacred Ground holy. That's why I couldn't tell there was an owner. Now they're demanding we hand over star systems not even connected to their territory.
"Hmm. Is that so."
"Vanguard Commander. The Rushaka Kingdom wishes to be on friendly—"
Shhhk—
In an instant, the connection with Hihirak was severed, and through Hunterak and Killerak's vision, I confirmed that Hihirak's upper body was flying through the air.
I could only surmise that a sword had been swung from the Vanguard Commander's stance.
It hurts.
It hurts? Why does it hurt? Who is hurting? Isn't the connection with Hihirak severed? Hunterak? Killerak? JARVIS?
Is it me? Me? My main body? I'm hurting? Why? It hurts. It hurts.
It hurts it hurts it hurts so much it hurts.
"Truly, conversing with the telepathy of an inferior species is disgusting. It feels as though my mind is rotting. Kill them all. Exterminate the vermin that have entered the knights' territory."
"Yes!"
I endured the pain and lit a fire to the Deneb tobacco leaves piled right beside my main body.
I inhaled the smoke.
My mind opens.
The galaxy is visible. I feel the countless "me"s.
The terrible pain didn't feel like it had been an illusion.
To feel pain from merely that degree of wound, "I" was too vast and too many.
I feel the Legion breathing. I feel the heartbeat. My selves are waiting only for my will.
Ah.
These disgusting xeno bastards.
Kill them all.