"Spaceships?"

Indeed, more than ten spaceships had appeared onscreen. Moreover, they were all modified armed warships. Even so, these spaceships were no threat at all against Merlin's empire-level warship. An auxiliary laser cannon was enough to easily destroy these armed spaceships.

"Don't, Merlin. These are the armed spaceships of the Rebellion Army, only they belonged to the Second Battalion."

As Bellio stared at the spaceships onscreen that were approaching without stopping, he looked uncomfortable. Merlin looked at the rest, whose expressions were stiff as well as if they disliked these armed spaceships.

"They're the armed spaceships of the Rebellion Army?"

In the end, Merlin did not fire, merely maintaining the warship's defensive shield.

"Beep. Unknown communication request. Accept request?"

"Accept!"

Merlin immediately accepted the other party's communication request, following which a well-built man's face appeared onscreen.

"Stop. This is the Rebellion Army Headquarters. Who are you?"

They were still a long distance away from the Rebellion Army Headquarters. These spaceships must be here on patrol, coming across this empire-level warship by coincidence.

Of course, they were unafraid as well. After all, if this warship was sent by the Federation, it would not be just one empire-level warship. Furthermore, this warship still had not activated its cannons.

"Humph, we're the First Battalion. I'm Bellio!"

Bellio immediately replied in gravelly tones when he saw this man.

"The First Battalion? I didn't know that the First Battalion had an empire-level warship to spare."

The well-built man's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. The First Battalion and their Second Battalion were not on peaceful terms. If it were not for their leader's control, they would have erupted in conflict long ago.

"You can check with His Excellency Commander Keno of the First Battalion. The mission we're carrying out is personally ordered by the Commander himself!"

Bellio spoke coldly.

Thereafter, the face onscreen became silent, contacting the First Battalion's Commander Keno.

"Beep. Unknown communication request. Accept request?"

"Accept!"

Another man who looked like he belonged to the military appeared onscreen. He glanced at Bellio and the rest, his face revealing his astonishment. "Bellio, it's really you guys? How come you're piloting an empire-level warship?"

Commander Keno was stunned. He had sent Bellio and the rest to find out some information but did not ask them to hijack an empire-level warship. Even if he had, they could not possibly have succeeded.

"Your Excellency, during our mission, we were hunted by the Federation's warships. Luckily, Merlin saved us, and the empire-level warship is his. The specifics of the matter are more complicated. We'll report to Your Excellency when we return."

Commander Keno who was onscreen noticed Merlin's unfamiliar face. Merlin was not a member of the Rebellion Army.

"Your Excellency Merlin, welcome on board the First Battalion of our Rebellion Army! Please be rest assured, we're very safe here. I'll ask them to let your warship pass."

After a pause, Commander Keno seemed to recall something, saying to Bellio softly, "Bellio, I'll immediately send someone from the First Battalion to meet you. Before that, you mustn't let anyone on board the warship. Remember, not anyone!"

Bellio seemed to connect this with something, and nodded solemnly.

Following that, Commander Keno vanished, and that previous well-built man appeared once more.

"Commander Keno has already confirmed your identities. You may pass. Let's go, my spaceship will escort you to headquarters."

Following that, Merlin's warship trailed behind the spaceships and continued on its way.

In the small spaceship, that well-built man was hurriedly reporting to his superiors. This time, he was directly reporting to the Second Battalion's Commander Lombass.

"Your Excellency Commander Lombass, we've just discovered that a scouting group of the First Battalion has returned with an empire-level warship. What are your instructions?"

The face onscreen was handsome and very young. Nonetheless, based on his abstruse, cold eyes, one knew that he had lived for a long time.

In the Atlan civilization, one's age could not be guessed based on appearance.

"What? The group from the First Battalion had brought back an empire-level warship? This won't do. Keno's First Battalion already has a few empire-level warships. With one more, our Second Battalion will be suppressed completely. Where are you now?"

Commander Lombass immediately raised his head, and spoke seriously.

"Your Excellency, we're escorting the warship back to headquarters," answered the well-built man candidly.

"Returning to headquarters? That's good. Now, you must immediately ask to gain entry into the warship. No matter what you do, gain entry. You must control everyone from the First Battalion in the warship, then bring the warship safely back to the Second Battalion. Remember, bring it back to the Second Battalion. Humph, you're much closer to the station of the Second Battalion. The fleet Keno sent can't catch up to us at all."

An apprehensive look had gripped the well-built man's face. He knew that by "snatching" the First Battalion's warship in broad daylight, although it might not affect Lombass in the end, he would be out of luck.

"Your Excellency, this… If the leader assigns blame, I'm afraid…"

The well-built man spoke awkwardly.

"Humph, what are you scared of? As long as you bring the warship back to the Second Battalion, I'll make you the captain of a city-level warship. Even Keno won't be able to do anything to you. Got it?"

Lombass spoke full of indifference.

The well-built man felt a burst of glee. To become captain of an actual warship, his position would be much higher than his current post as the leader of this scouting group with their armed spaceships. These positions were poles apart with no way of comparison.

Due to the warship's immense power, in addition to the scarce number of warships in the Rebellion Army, any captain of a warship would enjoy a high status, considered a real figure of power within the Rebellion Army.

Lombass immediately promoted an unknown leader of a small group to a warship captain, a figure of real power. Naturally, the well-built man was endlessly delighted.

Still, he knew that what Lombass wanted was this empire-level warship. Only when the empire-level warship was sent to the Second Battalion would he become the captain of a warship.

"Link up to the empire-level warship's communication right now."

"Beep, unknown communication request. Accept request?"

In Merlin's warship, another request for communication sounded.

"Accept."

Merlin saw that the well-built man had appeared onscreen once more, and he frowned. "What do you want?"

The well-built man remained placid, saying lowly, "Our spaceships are too slow. Why don't you open your hatch and let us in? Then we'll be much faster, reaching headquarters even sooner."

"Open the hatch?"

Merlin was rather tempted. These spaceships were slow indeed, not even a tenth of his empire-level warship's speed. This agonizing pace would take who-knew-how-long to reach the Rebellion Army Headquarters.

"Hold on, Your Excellency Merlin. Don't open the cabin at all costs. They're from the Second Battalion. Earlier, Commander Keno has already commanded us not to let anyone enter."

Bellio immediately yelled out loud, stopping Merlin.

Merlin knitted his brow. He now saw the first signs of division within the Rebellion Army. It looked like they were rather disorganized, split into the First Battalion and the Second Battalion.

Moreover, the First Battalion and the Second Battalion did not get along. His empire-level warship was now the target of their struggles.

"This is my warship! In addition, I'm not under Commander Keno yet. I can freely choose which battalion to join, right?"

Merlin said with a humorless smile but his tone had become icy. He could not care less about the bickering between the two battalions. Joining whichever side would not affect Merlin. Anyway, he did not have plans to join the Rebellion Army.

Bellio was slightly taken aback but then recovered. He seemed to have panicked, and his previous "command" seemed to arouse Merlin's antipathy.

With that, Bellio drew in a deep breath and said softly, "Merlin, maybe you're still unclear about some matters within the Rebellion Army. To you, joining the First or the Second Battalion makes a huge difference because our First Battalion is the true Rebellion Army. We've joined the Rebellion Army for the same goal. Those who join the First Battalion want to establish a just, fair world without war. Everyone in the First Battalion is silently fighting for this goal but the other two battalions, humph, they're not as simple.

"First, the Second Battalion is a group of scoundrels, bandits, and rogues. In general, those in the Second Battalion are criminals, a majority of whom were on the death row. They had escaped the Federation and attached themselves to our Rebellion Army. As our Rebellion Army is still weak, we can't turn away anyone. These vagrants, criminals, and scoundrels thus formed the Second Battalion on their own. They're scum. They don't care about any ideal society. After our Rebellion Army has won, we'll clear them away sooner or later.

"As for the Third Battalion, they comprise of captives of Federation army members from successive battles. Due to various reasons like coercion or fear of penalty upon return to the Federation, they joined our Rebellion Army. However, they're extremely disloyal, so they only control some transport ships, having no authority to control warships. Only the First and Second Battalion possess many warships, making up the Rebellion Army's primary forces!

"Your Excellency Merlin, have you come all the way to the Rebellion Army only to join that group of scum and scoundrels?"

Bellio was righteously indignant as he rebuked the Second Battalion before Merlin, allowing Merlin to learn about the power divides within the Rebellion Army. On the surface, they had three battalions but only the First and Second Battalions had actual fighting power.

It was just that the First Battalion comprised true idealists who willingly became the Rebellion Army whereas the Second Battalion was formed by criminals who had no other recourse. Naturally, they were loathed by the First Battalion of idealists.

Merlin shook his head softly. With a Rebellion Army of such complex factions, success was only possible through a miracle…