Chapter 15

After contacting the management colony, I immediately returned to work, so I don’t know what kind of discussion took place, but it seems they decided to stay in the management colony.

Apparently, the detour route will take a lot of time.

Eventually, my work was finished, and I returned to the colony.

Of course, the colony was quite restless.

After all, it’s only natural that the colony would be excited with one of the most popular racing teams in the empire.

The reason for this is that, in addition to Skoon Nosweil, the team’s pilots are all handsome or beautiful.

Of course, they are not just good-looking; they are also highly skilled.

It’s impossible for them not to be popular.

Well, I’m not interested, and I don’t want to get involved, so I decided to take a bath and finish my meal early.

After finishing my bath and meal, just as I was about to return to my room, a shouting voice echoed from the management office.

“Huh? Why do we have to work for free, pay for our accommodation, food, and fuel, and even return our return tickets?!”

“You violated the rule of not leaving the colony during rest periods and did not perform the second shift’s escort duty. In other words, you abandoned your job, so this is a natural consequence. Consider it a favor that we didn’t impose a fine for leaving the girl behind!”

It seems that the self-important guy has returned and is being reprimanded right away.

Well, he doesn’t show any sign of remorse.

“That Finno was there! He could have done the guard duty!”

Finno is probably the girl who was left behind.

“Because you took the ship, she couldn’t do the guard duty. She tried to borrow a ship from someone on break, but they didn’t lend it to her.”

“Huh? Then it’s their fault for not lending it!”

Oh, oh… that self-important guy is spouting some ridiculous logic.

“And there was no emergency, so there’s no problem, right?!”

‘Guard duty means being there even if nothing happens!’

The self-important guy doesn’t seem to be convinced, but it seems he is being harshly criticized by the staff here and the staff of the mercenary guild on the monitor.

After all, they are only saying what is obvious.

The self-important guy is at a disadvantage because he brought it upon himself.

However, an unexpected remark was made.

“Damn! I’m the son of a viscount!”

It seems that the self-important guy is from the imperial nobility and is trying to use that to his advantage.

Could that girl Finno be a servant?

‘Unfortunately, that won’t work. When you signed the contract as a mercenary, you were cut off from your family.’

However, the mercenary guild staff coldly dismissed his attempt.

“I’m the son of a viscount, but…”

The self-important guy doesn’t seem to be convinced and is speaking with a resentful tone.

Then, another voice was heard.

“Nobles are just like that… They don’t take responsibility for their actions…”

It was the survivor of that incident, someone I would rather not meet.

Scoona Nosweil, the ace pilot of the Planet Race team ‘Crystal Weed.’

“It’s been a while. Uzoss-kun.”

“It’s been a while, Nosweil-san.”

She has short blue hair and stands at 180 cm.

She boasts a feminine body line and a well-structured face that exudes a handsome aura.

Eighty percent of her fan club members are women, and her popularity is greater than that of a mediocre idol.

Frankly, she’s in a different league from me.

When she asked, “Do you have a moment?” I seriously thought it was some kind of prank or harassment.

After that, Nosweil-san and I headed to the garden outside the building.

Part of the building’s exterior is a relaxing space with trees, grass, and a fountain.

Some female staff members were taking naps or chatting.

When we reached a bench in the corner, she stopped, and I couldn’t help but ask, “So, what’s the matter?”

In response to my question, she asked, “Why are you using polite language?”

There’s only one answer to that question.

For my safety!

If I talk to you in a casual tone, I might be killed by your fans!

“It’s a habit, so please don’t mind. So, what’s the matter?”

She seemed a bit unsatisfied but started to explain.

“Your father quit his job when you were a senior in high school, and because of that, you couldn’t go to university, which is why you became a mercenary, right?”

“Yes, but why are you asking?”

“Your father didn’t really quit his job, did he? He was blamed for his noble superior’s mistake, and he even had a debt, didn’t he?”

I sighed lightly.

Well, it’s something that can be found out with a little investigation, or even without it, it’s easy to deduce.

But the question is, why did she investigate this?

“Even if that’s true, it was a good thing for my father. He looked very tired before he quit, but now he’s living a healthy life in his hometown.”

In fact, my father looked very strained before he quit his job, but after being fired and returning to his hometown, he looked much more relaxed.

“Don’t you feel regret?”

“If I say I don’t feel regret at all, it would be a lie. But it’s too late now. The debt, including interest, is almost paid off. The financial institution is also legitimate, so there’s no problem. Most importantly, my parents seem much happier compared to when they were salarymen.”

“What about you? You couldn’t go to university and had no choice but to become a mercenary, right?”

She asked a very probing, provocative question.

So I decided to counter a bit.

“I now consider it my calling. I don’t have to deal with complicated human relationships, and my efforts are properly evaluated. How about you?”

“I enjoy racing. But I hate receptions and parties. Because stupid noble sons swarm around me.”

“Is it also because of the interference in races?”

“Yes, something like that.”

However, she answered my question without changing her expression, but with a hint of discomfort.

So I decided to get to the point.

“So? What’s the main issue?”

Then she looked at me firmly and said,

“Would you consider joining my team as a staff member?”

I was confused, but my answer was already decided.

If I joined her team because of her invitation, I would be glared at by the entire team and all her fans. Harassment would be a given, and in some cases, I might even be killed.

There are probably fans of hers among the mercenaries, making it even more realistic.

Or it could be a publicity stunt to say, “We have a team of beautiful people, but we don’t discriminate based on appearance.”

It might be that the management people thought it would be a good image strategy to recruit someone like me.

Whatever the reason, it’s a strange idea to recruit me, and I will definitely decline.

But I might as well ask why she recruited me.

“Your team has many excellent staff members. Why do you want me to join?”

I can do basic maintenance and minor modifications on my ship, but I can’t handle the delicate maintenance and inspection of the high-speed, harsh environment of the Planet Race vehicles.

However, her response was unexpected.

“What I want is your quick and accurate situational judgment. With that ability, you can make accurate judgments in various situations, right?”

I’m just taking safety margins, and I don’t have that much confidence.

It feels good to be appreciated, but her world is not where I belong.

“It’s a kind offer, but I decline. I don’t think I’m suited for such a glamorous world, even as a behind-the-scenes worker.”

“Too bad… I’m disappointed.”

She smiled sadly at my answer and said,

“But please think about it.”

Then she walked back to the building.

She’s not like the guy from Barn Next, so I feel a bit guilty, but I have the right to refuse.

Well! I’ll head back to my room and take a nap!

This is the third character’s appearance.

The self-important guy turned out to be a noble.

Of course, there are also normal nobles.

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