A dozen warrior ants served as regimental commanders for the Legionary Ants, as they began conquering the nearby planets over the next year.

However, all the fun had a price. The neighboring Barons did indeed notice the expansion of the Magrave Silentia, often right up to their borders. Sure, these worlds were mostly savage and undeveloped, due to being the very border of the galaxy, but the presence of a large professional army made them nervous.

"Baron Lufiel demands that you halt your aggression and withdraw into your proper territory, Magrave!" his delegate proclaimed arrogantly.

Even the delegate was a Tier 3 devil, if not a strong one. Still, he expected to promptly deter the weak Magrave with his mere presence.

"How many like this one, in Baron Lufiel's court?" Pef asked curious.

"Err. San-daima realm disciples? Two I think." Strella replied in a careless tone.

Suddenly, Pef exploded into action, flaring his sword qi, and pierced the delegate devil with a dozen sword beams.

The arrogant devil could only watch his body vanish, as his head floated towards Pef's hand. His gloved hand.

'I'll begin extracting the tactical data from his brain' the orange glove said as the devil's head vanished into the glove pocket.

"Well then. I guess we go to war." Pef announced to the stunned Magrave court.

The three sisters blinked at their husband with new eyes.

"His soul jade slip will be broken now. The Baron will be prepared." Silentia mused out loud.

Pef shook his head and smiled. "Nah. Why would I kill such a perfect slave?" he replied with a smirk in his tone.

Silentia blinked, then stared at his hand. "Oh. That's how you gained that big ant army..." she realized with a shiver.

Pef shrugged mysteriously.

"You three will need to keep the other delegate under pressure, while I breach the Baron's defenses. Here, weapons and armor for all of you." he continued while withdrawing three sets of weapons and armor crafted from adamantite and greater demon bones.

They weren't Legion standard level artifacts, like the Legion knives, but for this galaxy they were indeed top tier.

"Whoa. They are amazing, hubby!" Strella exclaimed while caressing the artifacts with love.

"One of my wives back home has a talent for crafting. I'll let her know you like them." Pef said with a wry voice.

The women glared at him for a second, before accepting reality and sighing in defeat.

"Just this sword is worth an entire Barony." Krissa observed with a knowing look, while trying a few sword moves.

"The weapon is useless without skill. And only Strella has reached One with the Sword stage." Pef remarked a bit in dismay, while observing their movements with an expert eye.

Silentia nodded in silence.

"We'll need to train a few years..." she agreed after a few more minutes.

"You can spar with Shiara and Aria in my inner world. You'll get better very fast." he explained as he drew all three of them into his inner galaxy.

His eyes turned towards the guard captain. "You will act as Magrave for now. Do a good job, and you may keep the rank."

"As you say, Lord Pef. Lady Silentia will make a great Baron." the devil replied with a dignified voice.

"For starters, yes. But why stop there?" Pef mused out loud, then Blinked into high orbit, and began preparing the fleet for invasion.

The new Magrave sat on his throne thoughtful. 'Really dangerous then, her new husband.' he thought to himself.

The attack occurred by surprise and speed, rapidly enveloping and setting siege to a few major planets in the Lufiel Barony. The local troops were overwhelmed by the 3 billion ants, none under Sovereign rank.

The Baron's forts and orbital defenses were a bit harder to reduce, when Pef wasn't present, but as the assault took place over a hundred worlds at once, half of them were conquered in the first week.

Meanwhile, Pef lead the main attack towards the Baron's homeworld, defeating a dozen Tier 2 devils and capturing them for re-education.

Soon enough, the focus of the war changed to a few highly defended planets, as the Barony's territory was quickly occupied by the Legionary ants.

In orbit above Lufiel, the fighting was the fiercest, with a thousand defense stations, a dozen fortified moons and a large fleet of devil warships maintaining a powerful defense.

Pef could only flicker about, supporting one fleet or another while keeping watch for the higher devil ranks.

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A month later, the Barony was almost defeated, only the capital remaining unoccupied, when a huge warship, a hundred times larger than the regular vessels, displaced into the system.

"This is Count Argil. I see you're trying to claim the Baron rank, newcomer?" A strong voice reverberated throughout the system, no doubt a strong Tier 3 as its origin.

Silentia appeared beside Pef, clad in armor and glowing with sword qi. She had also reach One with the Sword stage, after brutal training and beatings from Aria.

"Indeed, Count Argil. I, Magrave Silentia hereby claim the Lufiel Barony as my own. And I have the strength to take it and keep it." she proclaimed in a noble tone.

The Count appeared on top of his warship, and gestured them closer.

"Magrave. Perhaps you do have the strength. You may proceed to challenge. Baron Lufiel, will you defend your station in person or by champion?" the Count asked in a dismissive voice.

His disciple flew into range and landed on the hull of the warship. "Baron Lufiel sent me to deal with these upstarts. I will uphold the Barony." the Tier 3 disciple said in a rather reluctant voice.

The Count eyed his doubtfully then shrugged. "And from your side, Magrave?"

"My sister Strella will uphold challenge with this weak devil. And my husband, Lord Pef will battle the Baron himself."

Silentia explained as Strella appeared beside her.

By now, Strella had achieved her One with the Word sword stage, and she even had 4 telekinetic swords rotating around her.

"Challenge accepted!" the disciple proclaimed arrogantly, flaring his own sword qi.

In a flash, Strella and the devil began exchanging sword strike and soul spikes, and seemed quite balanced in power.

Then a fifth glowing sword stabbed the devil disciple from underneath, impaling him from bottom into his wide open mouth. With a flourish, the head parted from the body and then into Pef's hand.

"Brains!" Pef exclaimed with a grin, as the head vanished from sight.

Count Argil sighed visibly and glanced towards the planet.

"Come up, Baron Lufiel. Today, you win or you die!" the Count said in a powerful tone.

Baron Lufiel flew up from his palace, and landed on the warship with a gloom face. "Is there a need for such barbarian custom? You can take the Baron rank!" he pleaded a bit weakly.

Pef smiled and dashed forward, feinting a sword strike to the chest, then spinning half-way for a decapitation blow.

A violet beam hit Pef's shoulder, evaporating half his body.

'Damn it. He was faking!' Pef yelled inward.

His sword strike too bounced from the Baron's own sword, leaving him the loser of this first exchange.

Pef flared his qi, glowing silver as a hundred sword intent beams hit the Baron from all sides.

He flew back a bit and observed his target. The Baron lost his right arm and grabbed his ornate sword with the left hand.

"You have some skill, outlander. But Sky Unity of this level won't be enough. You will die today, and these women will be mine as prize." the Baron proclaimed defiantly, while measuring Silentia and Strella with a perverted look.

"There is a sky above the sky." Pef replied calmly, as he drew out his Legion knife.

His sword qi expanded widely, and a thousand sword beams pierced the Baron with increased strength.

Then his Legion knife flew at speed and stabbed the Baron into his heart, and severed the soul.

The Baron's body flew into his glove as well. Tier 3 bones were always useful, after all.

It took a few minutes for his shoulder to regenerate back into shape, but Pef waited calmly. The challenge was won.

"Baron Silentia, congratulations! First year taxes are waived to recover your investment. And we'll see each other soon, I expect." the Count said in a level voice, eying Pef with suspicion.

Pef nodded and grinned. "My wife Strella wants a Barony too. But we'll need a reason to invade, so it may take a few years." he replied in a polite voice.

The Count chuckled amused and shook his head. "Not that many years, I suspect. This slave army of yours makes people uncomfortable."

Pef blinked as if confused. "I have billions for sale. All they need is buy from me, and we'll be friends." he explained as if was only natural.

The Count raised an eyebrow, glancing at a nearby Legion warship. "Oh? You pose an interesting problem young one.

Come, let's talk business then. Billions for sale huh?" the Count muttered as he opened an airlock leading into his warship.

Pef smiled widely as he followed the Count. His plan was working rather nicely.