Chapter 5

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

The machinery at Dock Four was constructing the ship Dawson had designed on the virtual screen, using the remains of the ship that had come from the SU as material.

As the ship's frame took shape and various devices were installed, it looked as if a thoroughly eaten grilled fish was being rewound and brought back to life.

"Still, the work is progressing quickly."

As Dawson muttered, the ship under construction in the dock already seemed to be half-finished.

Himena explained the reason for the speed.

"The usable devices and equipment from the wreckage were already restored. All that's left is to install them according to the design. Also, since it's a small ship, the construction process is shorter."

"Is the restoration of the SU equipment part of the analysis work?"

"That's part of it, but the AI in the dock complained about being idle, so I ordered them to start the restoration work. Once the restoration was complete, they complained about being idle again, so I ordered them to come up with improvement and development plans, and to prototype them if they were deemed feasible."

In the midst of such idle tasks, the sudden arrival of a major project like building a new ship had the AIs overjoyed.

"Because they're so enthusiastic about the work, the construction speed is excellent, I'm sure."

It seems the AIs in the dock are full of a spirit of hard work.

Dawson, who was about to be impressed, suddenly realized something.

"Hey, you're not putting the improved devices into the ship, are you?"

"What, is that not allowed? The performance has definitely improved, and the AIs have confirmed the safety."

"The performance improvement itself isn't the issue, but if that ship is captured and analyzed, won't the involvement of the Amato Empire be suspected?"

"Don't worry. All the materials used are from the SU. There's no name of the modifier, so there's no risk of the Empire's involvement being exposed. Even if it's analyzed, they'll just think it's a good batch."

Dawson, doubting whether it was true, decided to accept it since the technical petty officer had given it the green light.

"So, how long will it take to complete the ship?"

"Let's see. It should be ready in a day or two. If you want to be on the safe side, give us two days."

"Then I'll come back in 48 hours?"

"That's fine, but do you have something to do somewhere?"

"In two days, I'll be jumping from the Amato Arm to the Orion Arm. I won't be able to contact anyone properly, so I want to inform the orphanage where I was raised about my graduation from the academy and my immediate transfer."

"In that case, it would be better to report it as part of the official duty you're supposed to be on."

"What's my official duty?"

"You're assigned to the Tactical and Strategic Compilation Department, where you evaluate and rule on whether past tactics and strategies can be used in modern times."

"…Sounds like a desk job."

"It's a department created to serve as a cover for those on special missions. I hear that only a few elderly people who are collecting pensions while working are actually doing the job. If you were really re-evaluating tactics and strategies, you could get the AI to help and finish quickly."

Dawson smiled wryly at the perfectly idle department.

"If my colleagues found out I was assigned to such a place, they'd be overjoyed. The bratty orphan who was so cocky would be pushed into a dark place, they'd say."

"…Are all your colleagues from the special service non-persons?"

"There was one child from the royal family, one from a duke's family, and one from a count's family. There were some idiots who wanted to curry favor with the drum carriers of those children. There were also some normal people, with the children of the royal family being the most prominent."

"What about the children of the duke and count you mentioned?"

"The duke's child was said to be a sore loser, often crying to the duke after losing to me. The count's child was focused on securing the third position after me and the royal child. Both were pretty spineless."

"That's harsh."

"The royal child—his name is Akatsuki—was so grateful for my existence as a rival that it's true they lacked drive."

When Dawson mentioned Akatsuki's name, Himena's eyes widened.

"Akatsuki of the royal family is the current emperor's child! You're close to him, aren't you, Special Warrant Officer Dawson?"

"Close isn't the right word. We competed for the top and second positions, so we were more like rivals."

"Wow, what a great colleague. I'd love to see the beautiful face of Akatsuki up close."

It seems Himena is one of the many pro-royalists in the Amato Empire.

While Dawson can't understand the feeling of affection for the royal family, he does recognize Akatsuki's abilities and can agree with respecting him.

"Akatsuki was supposed to be transferred to the battleship *Okahigashi*. The opportunity for the corporal working in this dock to meet him would be when the *Okahigashi* comes in for maintenance, and he might see him disembark."

"Alright. I'll keep an eye out for the *Okahigashi*! I'll check which dock in Wagoyama it enters."

Having received the information about Akatsuki, Himena happily agreed to monitor the ship construction.

Dawson left the dock without hesitation and headed to the public area of the space station to contact the orphanage.

After informing the orphanage director about his graduation from the academy and his official duty, Dawson stayed in the station's accommodation for two nights.

During those two nights, he saw his colleagues boarding military ships and spaceships within the station.

The military ships ranged from battleships to destroyers, and after the new officers boarded, a grand naval review was held around the station, followed by their departure to their respective posts.

On the other hand, the spaceships departed to various stars and artificial habitats in the Amato Arm, along with other civilian passengers.

At this point, even those who had encountered the scene understood that those who boarded military ships were the excellent ones, while those who were transported by spaceships were the dropouts.

"From that perspective, even the military personnel who can work on the home planet of the Amato Empire are, in a sense, elite."

Some people might even prefer the safe duty on the home planet, even if it means no further opportunities for advancement.

"I wouldn't want that kind of life, though."

Dawson was taught at the orphanage that the excellent should lead. Therefore, he developed a character that desired a place where he could fully utilize his talents, even if it meant a dangerous location, rather than letting his talents rot in a safe place.

If he had been ordered to a desk job on the home planet, he would have undoubtedly submitted a transfer request or even a resignation.

"More importantly, let's go see my ship right away."

Dawson picked up his trunk and headed back to Dock Four.

Inside the dock, a yellow-painted ship sat behind the observation window. Although small compared to the vast space of the dock, which could build super-large ships, it exuded a unique presence.

Compared to the virtual monitor, the real ship had a robust and sturdy appearance. The protruding jaw part had a jagged opening, giving it a menacing look as if it could bite other ships. The propulsion system at the rear was large and powerful, and the hull armor was neatly arranged and gleamed yellow.

Even without considering that he had designed the ship, Dawson was very pleased with it.

As Dawson felt a sense of awe towards the ship, Himena approached him.

"Special Warrant Officer, how do you find it?"

"Ah, it's perfect. With a ship like this, I can't help but throw myself into the mission."

"I'm glad to hear that. Please pass on your compliments to the AIs in the dock. Here's the microphone."

Taking the microphone from Himena, Dawson addressed the dock.

"AIs, well done. It's a fantastic job. I'm so moved that I can't even express it with my limited vocabulary."

The AIs, perhaps flattered, moved their machinery as if trying to hide their embarrassment.

Dawson, interpreting this as a sign of joy, turned to Himena.

"Once I board that ship, it means the start of my privateer mission, right?"

"Yes, but before the mission, could you please put your thumbprint and name the ship?"

On the spatial projection monitor called up by Himena, there were spaces for the thumbprint and the ship's name.

Dawson pressed his thumbprint and, after some thought, wrote the name.

From the most striking feature of the ship at first glance—*Big Jaw*. This became the name of Dawson's privateer ship.

"*Big Jaw*, huh? I thought you'd name it *Pufferfish*, but I was wrong."

"It would have been fine if I hadn't seen the real thing, but once I did, it didn't look like a pufferfish anymore."

"I see. Well, now that I've handed over the ship to you, Special Warrant Officer, please board and head to the Orion Arm. Your first destination is the TR star system. The navigation chart is in the ship's control system, so refer to it."

"Understood. Then, Special Warrant Officer Dawson, boarding the privateer *Big Jaw*, I will—"

Dawson was about to declare his mission with enthusiasm but stopped halfway and looked at Himena with a squint.

"Hold on. Did you install an AI in the ship's control system? I thought there wasn't room, and I figured the unpersonality computer preset in the cockpit of the fighter I used for the bridge would be enough, so I didn't include it in the design."

"Yes, I see. Since you seemed to have forgotten, I installed it in the navigation device on the bridge. The basic personality is set to be compatible with your character using military diagnostic software, so don't worry."

"I knew the law, but since it's a pirate ship operating in the Orion Arm and a small ship that can be operated by one person, I thought an AI wasn't necessary. That's why I didn't force it in."

"I understand, but that's not allowed, Special Warrant Officer. According to the Amato Empire's space navigation law, any ship, no matter how small, must have an AI in its control system, whether it's a military ship or a pirate ship. You must comply with Amato's laws until you enter the Orion Arm from this station."

"That's true, so I have no argument—by the way, where and how did you install it?"

Himena showed him on the monitor where she had installed it. It seemed she had reorganized the structural layout at the base of the bridge, which used the cockpit of a space fighter, to create space for the ship's control AI.

Even after checking the design and running diagnostic software, Dawson couldn't find any issues, so he couldn't protest further.

"I should have been informed when you were adding something not in the design, but since you corrected my mistake, I should apologize and thank you. Thanks, I appreciate it."

Dawson acknowledged his design oversight, apologized, and thanked Himena, who smiled and replied, "You're welcome."