He becomes the archrival of Reinhard, though they highly respect one another.

He was rapidly promoted to an admiral because he demonstrated excellence in military strategy in a number of decisive battles and conflicts. He originally aspired to become a historian through a military academy, and joined the tactical division only out of need for tuition money. In the Free Planets Alliance Star Fleet is another genius, Yang Wen Li. Later, he wants not only to end the corrupt Goldenbaum dynasty but also to defeat the Free Planets Alliance and to unify the whole galaxy under his rule. He is driven by the desire to free his sister Annerose, who was taken by the Kaiser as a concubine. Within the Galactic Empire, based on mid 19th century Prussia, an ambitious military genius, Reinhard von Müsel, later conferred Reinhard von Lohengramm, is rising to power.

For 150 years two mighty space powers have intermittently warred with each other: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. A portion of the galaxy is filled with terraformed worlds inhabited by interstellar traveling human beings.

The story is staged in the distant future within our own Milky Way Galaxy, approximately in the late 36th century.

Legend of galactic heroes novel