Chapter 14

After an 8-hour shift of security and debris removal assistance, I returned to the management colony after a proper handover.

The first thing to do upon returning is to peel off the polymer attached to the ship. This polymer, which has adsorbed micro-debris, along with other materials that can be reused, will be decomposed or melted.

After peeling it off, I refueled the ship and did a quick check of the hull before finally taking a break. Then, I headed to the capsule hotel-style accommodation facility inside the colony.

Although I could have slept on the ship, I decided to use the accommodation since it was provided. Fortunately, there were also bathing facilities, so I secured a room, put my luggage in, locked the door, and went to the bathing facilities. After refreshing myself, I headed to the cafeteria for a meal. The menu was varied and the food was quite good.

After the meal, I was watching TV in a lounge-like area when a loud voice suddenly echoed.

"Are you kidding me! What part of this is a mercenary's job! Mercenaries are supposed to kill pirates and wreak havoc on battlefields!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. There are no jobs on the battlefield, and the pirate extermination request we received was beyond our rank."

The one who just became a mercenary and was probably a promising new recruit. Moreover, he had a cute girl as a partner, so she was definitely on the other side. I had never seen them at the Itsu branch of the planet I belong to, so they must have come from a different mercenary guild. I saw them during the briefing, so we were on the same shift.

In any case, I didn't want to get involved, so I decided to return to my room early. After securing the door, putting on a blindfold, and setting the alarm, I started reading the light novel I brought. I must have been tired from the unfamiliar work, as I fell asleep without realizing it.

The next morning.

Actually, I woke up about three hours before my shift. After finishing breakfast, I was inspecting my ship at the docking area when a voice echoed.

"Please!"

It seemed someone was pleading for something, but they were being turned down with harsh responses like "No way!" and "Are you kidding me!"

The voice gradually got closer. The one pleading was the girl from the lounge who had been shouting the previous day. She approached me and called out desperately,

"Excuse me!"

"What, what is it?"

"Can you lend me your ship?"

"Huh?"

What is this girl talking about? Bringing your own ship is mandatory for this job. Besides, she had a ship for the first shift.

"Wait, lend me your ship... You had a ship for the first shift, right?"

"Fidek... the other person who came with me, said 'I'll go kill some pirates, see you later' and took the ship..."

I see. That's a clear breach of contract. It was written in the contract that in emergencies, even during standby breaks, you must be ready to respond and go on duty. It also stated that you cannot leave the colony during standby breaks for the reasons mentioned.

"Didn't you stop him?"

"He left a note and went out while I was sleeping..."

The girl looked distressed and bowed, saying, "Please! Lend me your ship!"

But I can't lend it to her because I need it for work.

"No way. Mercenaries don't lend their ships, especially not to someone on the same shift. Try asking someone on a different shift."

The girl, looking dejected, walked towards the lounge where people on different shifts might be.

Thus, the next shift began. As I worked with the debris removal guy, who I was in sync with, I noticed the amount of debris gradually decreasing. By the way, the girl couldn't borrow a ship and was severely reprimanded by the gate management and her mercenary guild.

Despite having such a partner, they took this job, possibly due to financial reasons. I think they should disband soon...

As the shift was nearing its end, a communication came through the open channel. I hadn't received one before, so I was a bit flustered. Since it could be a pirate communication, I had the debris removal guy pause his work.

"This is the security for the Sardal Space Gate renovation. Please state your ship's name and reason for approaching the work area."

"This is the container ship 'Seed 1' of the Planet Race team 'Crystal Weed.' I wanted to get permission to use the gate and make the payment, but I didn't know it was under renovation!"

The person on the monitor looked like a middle manager.

"It should have been announced quite a while ago."

"I was busy... I didn't check the information."

The middle manager sighed deeply, looking tired.

"I want to get to Planet Dapeton as soon as possible..."

Incidentally, Planet Dapeton is the destination of the gate currently being renovated. Gates are generally one-way, and while there was a direct route from Planet Itsu to the Sardal space domain, the return trip required passing through three locations. Round-trip tickets are designed to accommodate this.

However, it's the Planet Race team 'Crystal Weed.'

If possible, I don't want to get involved with this Planet Race team. One of the survivors from the incident where I was forced to participate with Riole Burnnext is a pilot for this team. Her name is Scoona Noswail. She has blue hair, which used to be in a ponytail during her student days but is now short. She is 180 cm tall with an excellent figure and is extremely popular with women, more so than men. Despite her tall stature, which is considered a disadvantage for pilots, she has won numerous races and is often called the prince of the Planet Race world.

She and Burnnext became overnight celebrities after the incident and were in high demand as a handsome duo in the media. I, on the other hand, continued my usual life. I only spoke to her briefly after the battle ended in the incident. After that, we were in different classes and had no contact. So, unlike Burnnext, I don't feel annoyed when I see her, but as a famous person, she seems somewhat intimidating. Moreover, if I, a nobody, approached her, a top racer popular with both men and women, the people around her would definitely not allow it.

In any case, to prevent them from approaching the work site and causing or getting involved in an accident,

"I'll contact the management colony, so please decide what to do after you get there. It's dangerous to approach the work area."

I contacted the management colony to have them take over. The people at the management colony were quite surprised by the appearance of the famous race team, but apparently, this kind of thing often happens during regular maintenance, which usually takes about two hours. However, the renovation will take more than 16 hours. If there is a faster detour, I hope they use it.

The third survivor is about to appear...

The actions of the young mercenary who violated the contract are something a self-centered protagonist would do.

I would appreciate any comments, opinions, or reports of typos.