Chapter 30

Regarding the effective range of the radar, I have revised it as per your request.

On the day the request began.

Sure enough, no one was late, and everyone had gathered at the guild's boat dock, which was the departure point.

"Nice to meet you. I am Legas Bundlevan, the person in charge of this mission. This product launch is very important to our company. Please ensure it is done quickly and safely."

Legas Bundlevan, the head of the sales department of the Neima Chamber of Commerce, greeted us with a stiff face, which seemed to be his natural expression.

Behind him, the employees were loading goods and food onto the medium-sized transport ship, the "Ranoytan."

Apparently, this transport ship belongs to the company, and the crew members who operate the ship are also company employees.

Our job is to safely deliver this medium-sized transport ship to the planet Galif.

The current time is 6:55 AM.

The departure time is 7:00 AM.

We will move to the gate for the planet Galif over 24 hours (estimated arrival: 7:00 AM the next day).

During the night (from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM the next morning), we will switch to automatic navigation and take turns resting in 4-hour shifts.

After passing through the gate, it will take 14 hours to reach the planet Galif (estimated arrival: 9:00 PM the same day).

If there are no issues, we will arrive and complete the mission in 38 hours.

Eventually, the loading was completed, and we departed.

After departure, everything went smoothly.

There were no mechanical issues.

We were somewhat tired of the pointless stories told by Bernard, the former police officer.

Seira turned bright red when Morise teased her.

There were no troublemakers to disrupt the peace.

Time passed peacefully.

However, about 8 hours after departure, the radar detected a response.

I checked and reported it to Arthur.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"What is it?"

"I've detected a fleet of unidentified ships 1.6 billion kilometers away at the 2 to 3 o'clock position. They are probably pirates."

"I've confirmed it. If we continue on this course, there is a possibility of contact. It would be better to change course or slow down to avoid them."

Seira also reported the unidentified fleet to Arthur.

"I have no objections."

"Less trouble is better."

"I'll leave the decision to you."

The other three also agreed with Seira's suggestion.

For safety and a quick journey, this would be the best option.

"Understood. I'll get permission from the client. Mr. Bundlevan, can I have a moment?"

"What is it?"

"We've detected a fleet that seems to be pirates. They haven't noticed us yet, but if we continue on this course, there is a possibility of contact. We should change course or slow down to avoid them."

"That's a problem! This product launch is crucial for our company! We can't afford to be late!"

Arthur proposed the detection of the pirates and suggested ways to avoid them, but the department head refused with a stern face.

His naturally stern expression added to the intensity.

"However, if we encounter pirates, it will lead to a battle, which will take more time and could put you and your employees in danger."

But Arthur, undeterred by the intensity, pointed out the disadvantages of not following his suggestion.

Indeed, a battle would take time and put the client's safety at risk.

"Mr. Bundlevan! For safety, please follow the professional advice!"

Nostu and the other employees tried to persuade the department head from behind.

"It's no good! We need to arrive at the venue as soon as possible!"

It was unclear why the department head was so desperate, but this was quite troublesome.

"Fine. Seira, keep monitoring the pirates. Uzoz, continue checking the surroundings."

Just as Arthur was about to follow the instructions, a crackling sound came from the "Ranoytan's" communication system, and the department head disappeared from the screen.

"Excuse me, can we change course to avoid the pirates?"

Nostu appeared on the screen with a beautiful smile and accepted Arthur's suggestion.

He's surprisingly scary...

Following the suggestion, we changed course. Then, Seira called in.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, what is it?"

Thinking something had been detected, I hurriedly checked the radar, but there was no change.

Then Seira said something unexpected.

"First, I apologize for glaring at you the other day. I didn't think your ship could really detect 2 billion kilometers."

Seira apologized with a serious expression.

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it."

I wasn't particularly bothered, but she seemed to be.

"Previously, someone claimed they could detect 2 billion kilometers, but they could only detect 500 million kilometers. Because of that person, many unfortunate things happened."

I see, so the glare was out of suspicion.

There are people who boast about things they can't do and end up causing trouble.

"You need to be able to see through that. Don't just chase after your boyfriend's butt."

"What! What are you saying!"

When Morise chimed in, Seira turned bright red.

She's completely being toyed with...

It's nice that the atmosphere was changed, though.

Three hours later.

Fortunately, the unidentified fleet, which seemed to be pirates, changed course in the opposite direction and disappeared.

If they were pirates, they probably found another target nearby, so it's not really something to celebrate.

Four hours later, it was time for the night shift and the first rest period.

The first rest period was for Arthur, Seira, and Bernard.

Since both Seira and I have powerful radar systems, we can't rest at the same time. To accommodate Seira's request, this arrangement was inevitable.

It seemed that the "Ranoytan" was also on a shift schedule, and the person on duty greeted us lightly.

In reality, the hardest part of the escort job is the quiet time.

It's better if nothing happens, but the quiet time can be boring and make you sleepy.

Moreover, with powerful detection systems like ours, we can't afford to miss any changes on the radar, so we can't sleep even if we're bored and sleepy.

At such times, it's helpful to have someone who talks unnecessarily, but the most talkative person, Morise, was sound asleep.

I could hear her snoring clearly.

I was about to connect her line and play a loud alarm when,

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Levin spoke to me.

I didn't think he had anything to talk about with me, so I wondered what it could be.

"Do you know Patson, the information dealer, well?"

It turned out to be a conversation about his friend, the information dealer.

"Since high school."

Hearing this, Levin was a bit surprised.

"If so, do you know what he likes? It could be food, accessories, anything!"

He asked with enthusiasm.

What's this? Is it that?

Could it be that Levin is in love with Gonzales?

Thinking about it, Gonzales hasn't revealed her true identity.

Well, I don't think she would answer unless asked.

If so, should I tell the truth early?

Or should I let her know the truth and let her face a breakup, so she can move on?

"In high school, he liked anime and light novels, and I think he still does..."

I didn't have the courage to reveal either, so I dodged the question.

By the way, Gonzales is also one of my otaku friends, so it's true that she likes anime and light novels.

"Is that so..."

Levin had a slightly awkward expression.

Well, it's hard to imagine from her current career woman-like appearance.

After that, he searched on some site, probably a dating site, until his shift was over.

By the way, I reported that Morise had been sleeping the whole time and requested to play a loud alarm when it was time to wake her up.

It's a peaceful work scene.

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