221: They betrayed us!

Lagrange spent over an hour wandering around before returning to his office.

There were a few pieces of good news that weren't exactly good: they hadn't completely run out of supplies yet, and the soldiers' will to fight remained high—

That was enough.

Because, in the battles within this star system, they had captured the new defense maps of those 'Urik' aliens!

In other words, as soon as they finished this quick refit, they could strike directly at those aliens' home base!

However, just as he returned to his office, before Lagrange could even sit down, he saw his secretary rush in frantically, clutching an electronic tablet in his hand—

"General!!! General!!!"

"!!! Dammit! Look! Look at those sons of bitches! What the hell happened!!!"

His secretary was running so hard he was out of breath, but his tongue wouldn't stop wagging, constantly cursing someone's mother.

He ran to Lagrange's desk, slammed the electronic tablet down hard, and said:

"Look! Look at what we've missed during this time!"

"They just sent this—some order from above! And all that mess within humanity!"

Seeing this old friend, who had been with him for decades or even a century, breaking down like this, Lagrange couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity as he looked at the tablet.

"Tyr, I think you should calm down first—what could possibly get you this agitated?"

Tyr took several deep breaths, his chest visibly heaving up and down.

With a trembling hand, he pushed the electronic tablet over and said:

"See for yourself... just see for yourself..."

As he spoke, he looked like he couldn't catch his breath, leaning on the desk and slowly adjusting his breathing.

Lagrange picked up the electronic tablet and turned it on.

Instantly, a nameless fire surged up, rapidly spreading to every corner of his heart—

Humanity had actually started fighting amongst themselves again!!!

And this time, the nature of it was far more heinous than the previous times—

For a bit of ridiculous territory, they had slaughtered the humans of an entire star system!

The so-called 'Scorched Earth' policy meant using all ordinary people as cannon fodder and even bringing the incomprehensible act of 'cannibalism' out into the open!

And that Empire, too, was conducting indiscriminate massacres of surrendered soldiers and civilians in occupied areas!

As well as those Consortium nobles who took pride in cannibalism... His hand quickly flipped down, hoping to see some bit of good news.

But one piece of explosive bad news after another kept popping up, and he never found any so-called 'good news'.

Until the very last page, where a casual order struck his heart like a heavy hammer—

That hammer seemed to possess the power to destroy worlds, smashing cracks into his pride, his ideals, and all the beautiful hopes he held for human civilization.

No, it wasn't just cracks.

Everything he believed in was smashed into fragments, and the cold facts still came to grind those fragments into fine powder, into ash!

It said for him to abandon all the star systems he had conquered during this time, deploy these zones as unmanned buffer zones, and then take his fleet back to fight a civil war!

That's right!

This time, the Military Alliance, which had always considered itself the guardian of humanity, did not stop the conflict but instead joined the ranks of war!

"How dare they!"

Lagrange also slammed his fist hard onto the desk in front of him.

His angry gaze met Tyr's in the air, and the two of them suddenly roared in unison—

"They betrayed us!!!"

Immediately after, Lagrange said with deep sorrow and indignation,

"No—it's more than just betrayal!"

"Even if they wanted to participate in internal human disputes, fine, I wouldn't care!"

"But look! What does it say here!!!"

"Actively abandon these star systems we've conquered!!!"

Lagrange's eyes were gloomy.

Every star system they had taken now was the optimal solution after calculation; most were transportation nodes. As long as they were held, the threat from the Urik civilization along the entire front line could be greatly reduced!

And now! To fight a civil war! Those people who talk big without doing the work!

They actually wanted him to give up these places directly!!!

His lips trembled with rage, and he took several heavy breaths in a row.

"What now, General?"

"Are we... going to obey this order?"

Tyr asked in a trembling voice.

Lagrange burst out laughing—

"Hahahaha!!!"

"Obey? Why wouldn't we obey!!!"

"Take those people's original words! Give them to the Legion! To the fleet! To all the soldiers who have struggled and worked hard! Let them see for themselves!!!"

"Ask them! If! They! A! GREE!!!"

...