Chapter 9: The Veteran Reduced to Rags - 8

In the 34th century, the word "mercenary" was not much different from "sailor" in its usage.

Due to the influence of many mercenary companies procuring sailors during the early days of the space age, even now, when there are many non-combat sailor positions, the public perception of mercenaries as sailors remained valid.

And their lifestyles were as similar as the words used to describe them.

These were people who roamed vast, empty seas filled with black void instead of blue water, taking on various missions, large and small.

They were in a similar position to sailors during Earth's Age of Exploration, but while Earth sailors at least had the chance to set foot on land, in the space age, with most space-related tasks handled at space stations, many sailors and mercenaries had never set foot on real ground in their entire lives.

However, humans are creatures adapted to land and planets.

The agricultural planet's ingredients I brought would melt the hearts of the sailors on this ship.

***

A dull gray cargo hold.

With not much cargo, the empty cargo hold had a table laid out.

And on top of it, surprisingly,

"Goodness, what kind of fruit is this!"

"Oh my. I haven't seen food like this in ages!"

"Is that... a vegetable?"

It was the food from Tylado-78 that was loaded onto Jin's escape pod.

It wasn't tasteless preserved food that needed water to rehydrate. Fresh vegetables and fruits, dewy from the earth, boasted vibrant colors that contrasted with the gray surroundings.

Even after over a thousand years of the space age, human DNA had maintained the taste preferences of the times when they lived on land.

As Jin had expected, the sailors, their eyes wide with amazement and cheers, immediately relaxed and indulged in the food and drinks.

Jin, watching the burly, muscular men enjoying like children, heard a conversation nearby.

"It's been a while since we've had a drink, but I'm not sure if it's okay to use the decorative supplies."

"Captain Taylor has already talked with the guild. The atmosphere was getting a bit tense anyway, so it's for the best."

It was the captain and the first mate of the ship.

Unlike the freely dressed sailors, they wore somewhat formal attire.

Thanks to the system's assistance, the sensory enhancement devices in the armor he wore under his casual clothes allowed Jin to hear the conversation clearly from a distance.

"Did we receive an advance payment?"

"It's not an advance payment. Captain Taylor is rich to begin with."

"Oh, is that so? I only heard that he was famous for being a good fighter..."

"He also runs a mid-sized company, operating dozens of factories on a cruiser-sized ship, earning hundreds of billions of credits every month."

Jin felt a bit embarrassed. Not anymore.

Moreover, the captain, who was a warrior beyond the rumors, was sparing with his words.

"Goodness. I can't understand why such a person would jump back into the mercenary world."

"Maybe he's found some fun. It's good that someone who once left has come back. It seems he's missing the thrill of the job. Anyway, it's a good thing."

"But, do we really not need to report this to the higher-ups?"

"Whether we report it or not, it doesn't matter. If we contact them unnecessarily, we might just hear a scolding and suffer the consequences."

The seasoned captain, who had been looking around at the noisy sailors, rubbed his scruffy beard.

Jin, holding a glass of wine, approached stealthily.

"Ah, hello. You're having a good conversation. I'll just..."

The first mate bowed and joined the sailors' drinking party.

"Hello, Captain. This is the second time since boarding, right?"

"Ah, that's right, Captain."

The young, promising businessman, adventurer, and former mercenary, now a captain, shook hands with the gray-bearded captain who had been in the business for a long time.

"Let's have a drink."

"Thank you."

Captain Taylor handed the glass of wine, and the captain took it with a smile.

"Thank you for bringing some life to the crew's tough lives."

"It's nothing. I wanted to do something in return for the hospitality, even if it's just for a short while. I happened to have bought too much from the agricultural planet, so it worked out well."

"It's not nothing. For us, who only drift in the black void, it's a wonderful gift."

The captain, smiling lightly, still had a hint of curiosity in his eyes as he glanced at Jin. Jin smiled lightly.

"Your gaze makes me feel uncomfortable. Are you curious about why I returned to the industry?"

"You wouldn't be if you weren't."

"There was an unfortunate incident."

"Incident?"

"Didn't you hear anything from the branch manager?"

"Branch Manager Alaspa didn't say much."

Jin nodded and changed the topic.

Lucky for him. If they had really believed and spread it, it would have been a big problem.

"Anyway, it was just a boast... How is the industry doing these days? I heard that my previous actions weren't well-received."

Clearly trying to avoid something, the captain didn't press further.

"There is a bit of that. But it's just jealousy from small-minded people. Those who were saved by you always praise you, Captain."

"Ah, is that so."

The captain felt something was off with Captain Taylor's gaze. His eyes had swept over the captain's chest from left to right.

There were no words on his clothes, so he wasn't reading anything. Ah, it must be the medals.

"Looking at the medals?"

"Ah, yes. I see you've been through many battles."

The subtle sense of caution from the captain disappeared. He thought it was natural, given they had been through the same wars.

"Hehe. I just got lucky and survived. The real war hero of Baradac is right in front of me, not me."

Jin chuckled.

It was just a main quest in the game, but the effort he put in here was a miracle that even the title of hero didn't do justice to.

"Medals from the Baradac War are enough to get you on a main battleship, not just a second-tier transport ship of a mercenary guild."

"I'm tired of war. Fighting against the Ephavars, not even a different species, I've seen too many terrible things."

The captain closed his eyes, as if he didn't want to think about it.

There's rarely a hostage negotiation with the cannibalistic Ephavar pirates. When they attack, they take everything, from the ship to the supplies and the crew.

Fighting against such enemies, the war was more horrific than just ships exploding and crews dying.

"...So, I just decided to live quietly and retire."

"I see. You must have had a tough time."

A moment of silence fell between them.

'Talking about the Baradac War. Could it be...?'

The captain wondered if Captain Taylor was hinting at something.

Jin Taylor was known to have connections with political figures. Such a person would have the skill to speak in such a way.

The captain's imagination took flight in his mind.

"Captain, did you... return to the mercenary world because of the Baradac War?"

"Huh?"

"I don't understand. With such great achievements, even a miracle, there was no mention of it."

The current fame of Jin Taylor was due to his missions, mercenary work, and business, not the Baradac War.

"There wasn't even a single line in the news. Moreover."

The captain, expressing his regret and anger, paused mid-sentence. The rest was a story he couldn't speak freely.

He had been given money to keep quiet about the war.

So, he had to ask indirectly.

"Seeing that you didn't argue or say much, did the higher-ups put pressure on you?"

"I don't know anything about that."

Captain Taylor, quietly sipping his wine, looked somewhat bitter. The captain had a rough idea of what had happened.

'For some reason, the Imperial Military must have hidden Captain Taylor's achievements and ordered everyone to keep quiet.'

Diving into the mercenary world after the Baradac War and sweeping away the criminals might have been a silent protest against the military.

As the captain's misunderstanding deepened, Jin spoke.

"Captain."

His gaze swept over the noisy feast.

"Do you trust all your subordinates?"

"In space, trust is life. If a mutiny happens, they'll be thrown into the vacuum."

Smiling even at such a grim topic, he seemed to believe he wouldn't end up that way.

"Is that so? But what if the subordinates you know are not who you think they are?"

"What do you mean?"

"When was the last time you docked on a planet?"

"Roughly... a year ago. About two or three months ago at a space station."

"Non-humans have infiltrated this ship."

"...?"

The captain frowned, his wrinkled eyes showing a look of disbelief.

"I'm going to verify this. Call all the crew members, even those on duty."

"What are you talking about..."

"We have intelligence."

Jin, interrupting, spoke quickly and quietly to the captain.

"Branch Manager Alaspa is a disguised Ephavar."

The captain's face stiffened.

The person who ordered to bring Jin Taylor wasn't human?

"I don't know how many Ephavars are on this ship. It seems there's a collaborator."

"Hard to believe."

"You'll see. Call all the crew members, as I said."

"..."

"Trust me. You know the nature of the Ephavars. This could be the groundwork for a major incident."

"...Understood. I'll follow your lead."

The captain, who had experienced the cruelty and cunning of the Ephavars firsthand during the Baradac War, nodded readily.

***

"Haha. Take care of me while I'm here."

I talked to each crew member and checked their information windows.

"Oh, hello?"

Mind Reading: What's this all of a sudden? Why is he being so friendly?

'Human.'

"Haha, you don't have to be so formal, sir."

Mind Reading: Damn, this is awkward. Why is he suddenly being so close?

'Human.'

"Ah, yes. I'll take care of you too."

Mind Reading: What a strange person.

'Human.'

"Ah, yes..."

Mind Reading: The higher-ups told me to keep an eye on this person.

'Human, and an internal collaborator. He doesn't seem to know that the commander is an Ephavar.'

It's hard to read someone's mind just from a simple greeting. The mind reading only shows the immediate thoughts.

So, I started a short conversation about the Ephavars while greeting them.

"Recently, the Ephavar pirates have been rampant. What do you think about it as a mercenary?"

The answers were divided.

Those who had fought alongside Ephavar mercenaries found them cruel but good fighters.

Others saw them as just cruel space pirates who should all be executed.

But their thoughts were different.

Some lied, some didn't think much of it, and some were honest.

The additional crew members the captain brought also went through this 'psychological test.'

The ship wasn't large, so there weren't many crew members. If it were larger, I would have had to deal with hundreds of people.

I successfully distinguished between humans, Ephavars, and suspected collaborators.

'Besides the Ephavars, I need to find the collaborators too.'

Angela, who had been monitoring the surveillance cameras to ensure no Ephavars or collaborators did anything suspicious, was impressed.

Reading people's minds is in the realm of superpowers, so I'm not sure if people would believe it even if I told them.

Now, let's start the screening.

"Everyone!"

I clapped my hands to get everyone's attention.

Over 70 pairs of eyes looked at me.

'This is a bit nerve-wracking.'

Before the possession, I was a quiet and vague person.

Not that I lacked a clear sense of self, but I could just let things slide.

Unlike normal people who have clear personalities and react emotionally to experiences, I had no emotional fluctuations and was like a mist that couldn't be grasped.

To the crew, I was quite insensitive.

It's like... yeah, living a forced life.

This helped in combat by preventing trauma, but...

The memories and personalities blended well, but my more distinct personality as a GalaxyBound player tended to overshadow the vague parts.

So, even though the space age is now my reality, I keep comparing it to the game.

Also, I was a regular office worker. I didn't like excessive attention.

'I need to adjust my personality. My heart is pounding.'

'Back then, I wasn't the one speaking; I just glanced around.'

GalaxyBound has more single-player content than multiplayer, so my rich experience here didn't help much.

"Did you enjoy the food and drinks?"

"Yes!"

The crew, slightly drunk and happy with the fresh food, cheered.

"Then, let's move on to the second event I prepared. Remember when I greeted everyone earlier?"

Several people's faces stiffened, realizing their mistake. They had been rude.

"Haha, don't worry. There won't be any negative consequences."

I approached the people, selecting them one by one and dividing them into left and right.

The old captain, curious about what I was doing, crossed his arms and watched quietly.

'Left side: just crew members. Right side: suspected collaborators, including Ephavars.'

Among them, the mechanic Evol, expressionless, followed my gesture to the left. He held a bottle of brown liquid in his hand.

Once the division was complete, I switched my armor.

"Huh?"

"Wow!"

"Hey, do high-ranking mercenaries wear such equipment?"

In the blink of an eye, my eye level rose slightly. Instead of the blue uniform, a black, heavy armor supported me firmly. My body felt heavier but more powerful.

Normally, it's put on with the help of machines in places like hangars, but with the game system's assistance, it only took a second.

"Wow. Such a convenient armor summoning device. Is it a new technology?"

With enhanced senses, I even heard the captain's muttering from behind.

The crew on the left side murmured in amazement and admiration.

The crew on the right side were the same, but some of them visibly paled.

Of course.

This armor, I wore it during the Baradac War when I cut down countless Ephavars.