Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: There are hardly any lines for the mob characters.**

"Bro, this time it's 5 o'clock direction, ascending 30 degrees, distance 700."

"Roger."

I moved according to Ojisan's instructions, just like I did with the previous gate, at an extremely low speed, almost as if I were about to land. The polymer coating was applied, and the protection against flying debris was solid. As I collected the debris in a streamlined manner, the recovery container quickly filled up, and I had to go to the cargo ship to unload. It felt good to see the space getting cleaner as the rocks, stones, and sand disappeared, even though I occasionally had to watch the towing of large asteroids.

"Alright, next is that one. 10 o'clock direction, descending 24 degrees, distance 600."

"Roger."

I opened the throttle for a moment and slowly approached the target, stopping precisely at the spot Ojisan had indicated. It seemed I was really suited for this job.

**Main Character Side: Arthur Linguard**

I listened to the debris collector's instructions and carefully operated the control stick. "Alright, this is good enough." I stopped the ship at the signal from the debris collector. However, I was quite off from the ideal stopping position. Despite trying multiple times, I couldn't get it right. "I'm sorry, I'm quite off." "This is normal. It took us quite a while to get good at stopping in the right spot too." The debris collector, who didn't seem to mind my mistake, casually left the ship and approached the asteroid to start his work. On the other side, Uzors' ship had stopped perfectly at the ideal position. Impressive. I couldn't do that so easily. While admiring his precise movements, I made fine adjustments to my ship to make it easier for the debris collector to work. "Why doesn't Uzors get promoted? Considering his skills and character, he could easily be a Queen-class mercenary..." "He says it's too troublesome to go up the ranks," Seira answered my muttered question. I thought it made sense. "Indeed. As a Bishop-class mercenary, you get more obligations and ties." In the Mercenary Guild, becoming a Bishop-class mercenary means more rank-based tasks, and even for the same tasks, the rewards change. In this case, the reward is uniform regardless of rank, but for tasks like escorting, the reward for a Bishop-class mercenary is 30% higher, and the facilities and services available also change. Additionally, there are special summoning orders, known as 'red papers,' and mandatory attendance at the guild's annual party, among other obligations. There are even rumors of factional disputes. I can't help but feel a bit disheartened. "Plus, there are rumors that the guild's upper management only promotes people who can be used for image strategies or are related to influential nobles." I think it's disrespectful to Uzors, but considering his personal experiences, it's not an impossible scenario. "It's a real problem... really." As they say, corruption at the top spreads downward. I feel it's a bad situation, but there's nothing I can do about it now. "Alright, next one. This time it's 9 o'clock direction, ascending 15 degrees, distance 300." While we were talking, the debris collector finished his work and gave the next set of instructions. "Got it!" This time, I gripped the control stick firmly, determined to stop in the right position.

**Main Character Side: End**

The work went smoothly. Ojisan and I worked from 7 AM to 6 PM (18:00), with a one-hour lunch break, for a total of 10 hours a day, with no overtime. Considering Ojisan's stamina, we took a day off every five days, and we had already worked for 13 days. We had already met the minimum required time. While finishing within 100 hours was impossible, the work was progressing at a good pace, and there were only about 10 more asteroids left to tow. However, it would still take a while to collect everything. Incidentally, this project has attracted media attention, with TV crews filming the work and interview crews roaming around the colony. Naturally, the interview subjects were people like Arthur and Seira, who are good-looking, and the important figures who don't do any of the actual work. However, they also showed footage of mining operations near satellites and the selection and extraction of rare metals on planets, which was quite interesting. The media's main focus was on the fact that a Queen-class mercenary was participating in this rather mundane project. Her name is Marie Leicht Luechen Farina. Her ship is called the Red Foolbird. Her nickname is 'Crimson Flame' or 'Scarlet Goddess.' She has pigeon-blood red hair, golden eyes, and fair skin, and is a tall, beautiful woman with a model-like figure. It's unclear why she took this job, but it's a great subject for the media. I often see Arthur and Seira being interviewed with her. I'm sure her fan base is growing rapidly. Yesterday, a noble came to observe the site. He is the Earl of Circlos, the lord of the planet Brosland. Apparently, there are similar asteroid clusters in his territory, and he wanted to learn from this project. I'll leave the reception of the important figures to the important people and focus on asteroid recovery with Ojisan. After finishing the work for the day—day 14—I returned to the colony. The first thing I did, as usual, was to remove the polymer from the ship. The stones and sand stuck to the polymer are also part of the extraction process. After the inspection and refueling, my work for the day was done. I had dinner at a restaurant, bought a few things at a convenience store in the tenant area, and headed back to the hotel area. Some people were already drinking in the lobby, but I don't drink, so I didn't join them. I don't know anyone there anyway. On my way back to the hotel area, I noticed a crowd in the café area. There were interview crews, so it seemed someone was being interviewed. From a distance, I saw a stern-looking bearded man giving a passionate speech. "So, in my territory, we are recruiting good people. If you think you are the one..." It seemed he was making a recruitment pitch after the interview. I have no interest in working under a noble, so I quickly left the area. As I approached the hotel area, I saw another crowd. The cause was the Queen-class 'Scarlet Goddess.' She hadn't done anything in particular, but a group of people who wanted to get close to her had surrounded her as she came out of her hotel room. I didn't want to get involved in that, so I completely ignored it and headed to my room. My room is a single in a business hotel style. I prefer capsule hotels, but all the accommodations in this colony are this type. I changed into comfortable clothes, took out the light novel I brought, and lay on the bed to continue reading from where I left off yesterday.

**Explanation of Terms: About the Colony**

The colony used in this and the previous gate is a 'Facility Concentrated Work Base Colony,' which is a cylindrical colony. It is slightly shorter than a typical cylindrical colony and has three islands. Two of the islands are docking areas, and the third has a large building that occupies half of the island, containing accommodations, dining facilities, relaxation facilities, sports facilities, and large and small multipurpose halls. The other half of the island has a green park and a storage facility. The docking areas also serve as work areas.

**Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus):** A bird classified under the family Diomedeidae, genus Phoebastria.

Thank you for your comments, opinions, and any corrections.