Chapter 13

It seems there was a mistake in the submarine terminology, so I will correct it.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a meaningful encounter with a friend, and the mercenary guild, where I came to take on a job, is packed again today.

And the long line at the beautiful receptionist's desk is a common sight.

So I head over to Uncle Loanz, where no one is waiting.

“Hey there.”

“Hey. Did you enjoy your day off?”

“Not bad, I guess.”

The noise from the crowd can be heard faintly.

With that as the background music, we proceed with the job talk, as is our daily routine.

“By the way, it’s not just my imagination that there are an unusual number of gate-related requests, right?”

I had just checked the bulletin board, and it was an abnormal situation where almost all the requests were gate-related.

“Yeah. You know, that demonstration. It triggered a flood of requests from various gate management branches. They’re spreading the requests to our various branches.”

Uncle Loanz sighed and held his head.

“So, the top priority is security, especially in the areas where the demonstrations are taking place.”

“I’m not going.”

I cut off Uncle Loanz’s words and declined.

“Yeah, I figured.”

It seemed Uncle Loanz had expected my response.

“I want this one.”

So, I boldly presented the request I had chosen.

“The security for the replacement of the aging gate stabilizer in the Sardal space region, the farthest from the usual place. Well, I figured you’d pick that one.”

Uncle Loanz started the procedures with a resigned expression.

Incidentally, there’s a point system for the receptionists. Mercenaries earn points for taking and completing jobs, which are used to determine promotions and raises.

I’ve heard that some unscrupulous receptionists pretend to make mistakes and assign high-difficulty quests to force mercenaries to do them for their own point gain.

Uncle Loanz boasts that he would never do that.

That’s why I don’t take on jobs when Uncle Loanz isn’t around.

If I do, it would only be from someone Uncle Loanz has vouched for.

There’s no one like that right now.

Once the procedures were completed, I left the lobby, ignoring the long line at the beautiful receptionist’s desk, and headed to the docking area to board my ship and proceed to the gate that would take me to the Sardal space region.

Gates are naturally circular but unstable in shape.

To stabilize them, stabilizers are used, which are arranged in a petal-like formation, earning them the nickname “Sunflower.”

Nearby, there is always a cylindrical colony for management, from which the order of entry into the gate is determined.

The passage fee for this trip is covered by the client, and a round-trip ticket was prepared.

The entry order is based on arrival, though sometimes nobles can cut in. This time, however, everything went smoothly.

Incidentally, the work site is not the same gate I used to get there.

The job details are as follows:

Job Description: Security during the replacement of the wormhole stabilizer.

Duration: 48 hours of galactic standard time.

Shifts: 8-hour continuous shifts with 16-hour standby breaks.

Environment: Free use of accommodation facilities (capsule hotel style) and free meals in the management colony. Fuel provided for the spacecraft.

Conditions: Must bring your own spacecraft. Repair costs for any damage to the brought-in spacecraft are at your own expense. Must respond and deploy during emergencies, even during standby breaks. No leaving the colony during standby breaks due to the above reasons.

Reward: 240,000 credits, fixed.

To be honest, it’s a rather dull job, and it’s hard to tell if it’s stingy or generous.

Moreover, if I end up on the last shift, I’ll have 16 hours of free time from now.

Considering the 48-hour commitment, the pay is low, and I can’t leave the colony during standby breaks, so it’s bound to be boring.

Of course, there are over 40 other mercenaries from various places who have taken on this job.

If they were the protagonist types, they’d probably say:

“I can’t do such a boring job!”

“This isn’t the kind of job a mercenary should do!”

And get angry, go off on their own to fight pirates, and cause trouble, leaving me, the extra, to clean up the mess.

But it’s important to understand that 999 mundane jobs support the 1 flashy job.

Of course, they wouldn’t understand that...

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the first shift after receiving the briefing.

However, there are no pirates in a place like this, which is only connected to remote areas.

Instead, I was asked to help the debris collector.

The reason is:

This replacement work is a rush job due to the nature of the facility.

While the stabilizer has a physical barrier for debris, it cannot be deployed during the replacement.

The stabilizer and all the ships, including mine, and the colony are not damaged by tiny debris, but it’s safer to collect it.

The area is so wide that additional recovery ships were prepared, but due to the demonstration, they couldn’t make it, so the mercenary guild contacted us during our travel to request additional help.

Of course, it became an optional parallel request for those with ships capable of assisting.

Fortunately, my “Patchwork” can do that.

So, the first thing I had to do was coat the ship with a special polymer and attach a debris collection container to the bottom of the ship.

The polymer coating is to prevent the ship from being damaged by space dust and to catch and collect tiny debris to prevent it from hitting the stabilizer.

Of course, the coating is not applied to the thrusters, cameras, or the cockpit windows.

After completing this, I could finally start the job of securing the stabilizer and helping the debris collector.

“Sir, it’s at 2 o'clock, descending 20 degrees, 500 meters away.”

“Understood.”

I moved according to Uncle’s instructions at an extremely low speed, almost like landing.

There, a large metal piece, probably part of a ship, and smaller fragments were drifting.

“I’ll go collect it, so please keep an eye on it if it drifts.”

“Understood.”

The debris collector Uncle shot out from the container, fired his thrusters, and approached the debris.

He slowed down and carefully collected the small debris like screws and fragments, then approached the largest piece of the ship.

Space dust may seem to be drifting slowly, but it’s actually moving at high speed.

It can easily penetrate a spacesuit, so great care is needed during collection.

“Hard to grab... Can I nudge it a bit your way?”

“Aye aye, sir!”

I caught the tiny debris coming from the front with the polymer-coated hull.

“Got it!”

Uncle firmly grabbed the piece of the ship, fired his thrusters for a moment, and skillfully returned to the container.

We’ve been at this for three hours, and it’s going smoothly. I’m getting used to the work.

Most importantly, I’m in sync with the debris collector Uncle.

Of course, the security side is also solid with my reliable radar.

With this, the next two days should be enjoyable.

As long as nothing happens.

A chapter of a mundane job.

Thank you for your comments, feedback, and any typo reports.