Chapter 41

From the 15th day after seeing the noble and the "Crimson Goddess," the work proceeded smoothly without any near misses with such people.

On the morning of the 19th day,

while preparing to depart at the boat dock with Uncle,

a very motivated message from the supervisor was broadcast:

"Good morning, everyone.

Thanks to everyone's hard work, it is expected that today's work will complete the collection of the floating asteroid cluster.

Therefore, if today's work goes without any issues, after receiving the completion certificate, you will be accommodated in the colony and will return home the next morning.

The rewards have already been paid to the respective parties, so please collect them there.

The mining of the large asteroid that was towed and the extraction and refining of various metals, including rare metals, are still ongoing, but with the completion of your collection work, a significant milestone will be reached.

Fortunately, there have been no major accidents or injuries.

Let's keep our focus until the very end!"

The supervisor's message was unusually enthusiastic.

We knew the numbers had decreased significantly, but it was quite a moving moment to see the finish line in sight.

"Well, just one more push. This means we can have another drink," Uncle said.

He is a professional, so he doesn't drink on days before a break, as he knows that slow decision-making during work can be fatal.

About two hours after Uncle and I started working,

an emergency alert was issued:

"Emergency alert! Emergency alert! An unidentified fleet is approaching. They are refusing to confirm their ship codes and are considered pirates.

Non-combatants should evacuate to the colony.

Mercenaries on break should prepare for interception immediately.

Mercenaries at the work site who need fuel should evacuate to the colony, refuel, and then prepare for interception quickly!"

I retrieved Uncle and immediately began evacuating to the colony.

As more and more ships headed to the colony, one ship did not return.

If it was a mercenary ship, it wouldn't be a problem, but:

"Hey! Imperial Capital TV! We said non-combatants should evacuate to the colony!"

"We can film the battle of the 'Crimson Goddess'! We can't back down!"

"Ah, I see! Then I won't take responsibility!"

The TV ship was in a dangerous situation.

I don't know if it was journalism, but it was incredibly obstructive.

After dropping off Uncle and returning to the site, another all-call was received:

"Mercenaries. I am Mari Leheat Luichen Farina of the Royal Class. Since I am the highest rank, I will take temporary command. Any objections?"

The communication came from the "Crimson Goddess," and it seemed she would be the temporary commander.

Royal Class people are just cooler.

"Fast ships, join me in disrupting and destroying. Other ships, please defend. We have already contacted the military and police, so let's hold out until they arrive!"

"Oooh!"

Following her words, the mercenaries cheered loudly.

The charisma of the protagonist's side is truly impressive.

With this, we should be able to hold out until the military and police arrive.

I, of course, joined the defense.

However, it was clear that there was no need to contact the military and police.

Just 30 minutes into the battle,

everyone was hyped up by the "Crimson Goddess's" speech, and her own performance was incredible. Each time a flash of light appeared, a pirate ship became disabled or a wreck.

Moreover, with Arthur also present, it was almost pitiful for the pirates.

However, some did slip through, so we did our part, and the pirate fleet was completely silenced.

The military and police arrived, recovered the pirate fleet and their ships, and it took a considerable amount of time to confirm individual kill counts. Work resumed at 2:00 PM, which was past 14:00.

As a result, the work did not finish by 6:00 PM, our scheduled end time, and all work was completed at 9:00 PM, or 21:00.

However, due to the victory over the pirates, cheers erupted at the end.

Naturally, a victory celebration and wrap party started automatically, regardless of the time.

I did not participate, received my completion certificate, ate dinner, and returned to my hotel room.

On the way, I was called by Arthur and the others, but I politely declined.

Mostly because I don't like alcohol.

Uncle knew I don't like alcohol, so he only greeted me.

He planned to drink with his comrades.

After returning to the hotel room, I took a shower and changed into casual clothes.

The TV was already featuring the battle, centered around the "Crimson Goddess."

Oh, Arthur and Seira are also on.

These two will probably get more named requests in the future.

The next morning,

to avoid the crowds, I decided to leave the colony early in the morning.

I thought there would be many people sleeping off their hangovers, but it was surprisingly quiet.

I had already said goodbye to Arthur and the others, and Volbord, the day before.

After greeting the staff who were awake for management, I left the colony.

The journey from Planet Itz to Planet Kolcos took less than a day, but the return trip, even using gates, took two days.

It would be convenient if the gates were bidirectional, but there's nothing we can do about that.

After leaving in the morning, I returned to my base, Planet Itz, at 6:30 PM the next day.

I parked my ship at the dock and refueled it.

Then I went through the building to the reception lobby and handed my completion certificate to Uncle Loanz.

"It's been a while. You definitely completed the mission."

"It would have been better if there were no pirates at the end," I said with a light complaint while watching the payment process.

"First, the fixed 2 million. Then, 2.84 million for the 7 pirate ships you destroyed. That's a total of 4.84 million. Is information okay?"

He asked.

Indeed, it was not explicitly stated, but it seems the purchase of pirate ships was allowed.

Thanks to this, I received unexpected income.

"40,000 in cash."

I did this because I needed to send one-third of my reward to my parents via the bank.

By withdrawing 40,000, I could divide 4.8 million into three equal parts of 1.6 million.

I would go to the bank the next day to transfer the money.

At that moment, an unbelievable news report came from the TV in the lobby:

"We have just received a breaking news report. The rare metals from the asteroid cluster of Planet Kolcos, which were recently collected, excavated, and refined, have been stolen. The police have launched a full-scale investigation..."

The rare metals from the asteroid cluster of Planet Kolcos, which were collected as part of the project, had been stolen.

The nameless pirate group that pulled it off...

And the great thief who appeared afterward...

Which one is braver?

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

I will receive my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this week.

I am not sure what will happen, so I will take a break from posting next week.

Depending on the situation, I may need to take a break, so I appreciate your understanding.