Chapter 45

After handing over the young robber to the police, I decided to spend the night at this service area and set off for the planet Tassia, the planet of toxic salt, the next morning.

Since there was no nearby gate, I had no choice but to proceed the long way. I entrusted the ship to autopilot and was reading the light novel I had brought along when, around noon, a call tone suddenly rang.

I have only a handful of acquaintances who would speak to me, so I checked the caller and, to my surprise, it was the Imperial Fleet.

I wondered what they could want as I accepted the communication.

"This is the civilian vessel 'Patchwork.' What is the matter, Imperial Fleet?"

A middle-aged male soldier with a stern face appeared.

"This is the Galactic Empire's 2nd Fleet. We are currently searching for a large-scale pirate group. Are you a mercenary chasing them? Back off immediately. They are our prey."

His tone was quite condescending, but it seemed they had come to eliminate pirates.

The content of his message was essentially, "Don't get in our way," but the pirates I was looking for were different.

Incidentally, the 2nd Fleet of the Galactic Empire, like the 7th Fleet which had saved me before, is part of the Central Fleet's extermination force.

And the commanders and officers of this Central Fleet are almost 100% nobles.

Their attitude and thinking are very aristocratic.

They assumed I was a mercenary hunting pirates without even asking who I was.

Well, they weren't wrong, and I didn't want to be scolded later for being a mercenary, so I decided to be honest.

But if I was going to be honest, I had to be careful with my words.

If I was careless, I might be fined or accused of disrespect.

"That's fine. I'm looking for a small-scale pirate. I think it's just a coincidence that our directions are the same."

"Then share any information you have. If you don't, we'll consider you an accomplice of the pirates."

So I was careful with my words, but it seemed there were no issues.

"I don't have much information... Just rumors that both large and small pirates have been seen around the planet Tassia. I'm heading there to gather more information."

I told them everything honestly since there was no need to hide anything.

If they accused me of lying and demanded more useful information, I wouldn't know what to do.

"Hmm... It seems you're not lying. If you get any information on the large-scale pirate group, report it to the military immediately."

"Understood."

But it seemed there was no such information.

If I thought about it calmly, someone like me wouldn't target a large-scale pirate group that the military was chasing. Perhaps there was some urgent situation?

In any case, I couldn't know the details, so there was no need to worry.

To avoid complications, I let the fleet go ahead before heading to the planet Tassia.

As a result, by the time I arrived at the Tassia service area 'Ruteta,' it was already past evening.

The planet Tassia, also known as the 'planet of toxic salt,' appears pure white from space, reflecting the light of distant stars and shining beautifully.

Tourists come to see this sight, so the military and police patrol the area frequently.

Despite this, or perhaps because of the gathering of people, it has become a target for pirates.

Ironically, the recent elimination of large-scale pirate groups has led to an increase in small-scale pirates.

For this reason, or perhaps not, a considerable number of various ships, including delivery ships, were docked.

They might have been delayed due to pirates.

To confirm this, I went to the bar inside, where a large number of people, including those who looked like delivery workers, had gathered.

I sat at an empty nearby seat and ordered a beer.

I don't particularly like alcohol, but one glass wouldn't be a problem.

As I listened to their conversation, I heard something interesting.

"But that's clever. Forming a convoy of delivery ships!"

"Then it won't be easy for pirates to attack!"

"But the other day, Juro's ship encountered pirates and lost its cargo."

"Those pirates were a pair. We can win with numbers!"

"Right! We'll swarm them like bees!"

It seemed they had decided to travel in a convoy.

Indeed, this would make it harder for pirates to attack, and even if the pirates had rock-breaking beams, they wouldn't stand a chance against concentrated fire.

There might be escort combat ships, and some of the delivery workers might be former military or mercenaries.

Considering these risks, it would be a smart choice for small-scale pirates to avoid attacking.

However, for large-scale pirates, it would be an easy target since they are more skilled.

Still, even with the influence of alcohol, they were talking quite boldly.

I couldn't decide whether to report this to the military or not.

So, I approached the leader of the delivery workers, pretending to be a traveler.

"Excuse me. Are you all heading to the planet Nachirema?"

"Yes, but who are you?"

"I was traveling alone and feeling lonely. I heard there are pirates around here, so I was hoping to travel with you. Is that okay?"

"Sure, the more the merrier. There are many others who thought the same. But we leave at 6 AM tomorrow. Don't be late. If you are, we'll leave without you."

"Thank you! I really appreciate it!"

This might be a bad idea.

I thought about traveling with them to observe the reaction of large or small-scale pirates, but this was risky.

If it was just a convoy of delivery ships, it might be safe, but with a mix of people, there was a possibility that a pirate accomplice was among them.

If it was a large-scale pirate group, there was no chance of winning.

Even if I advised them to stop, they probably wouldn't listen.

So, I decided to leave and contact the Imperial Fleet.

I paid for my beer, left the bar, and contacted the Imperial Fleet from my ship.

"Yes, this is the Galactic Empire Military Intelligence Department. What can I do for you?"

A beautiful android appeared on the screen, smiling and responding mechanically, making it easy to talk to.

It was much better than talking to a real woman who clearly didn't want to.

"Actually, I encountered the 2nd Fleet of the Central Fleet's extermination force while heading to the planet Tassia, and they told me to report any information on the large-scale pirate group I was tracking. So, I'm reporting now."

"Thank you. Please provide the details."

"Sure. I'm currently at the Tassia service area. A convoy of delivery ships is forming and will set off tomorrow morning. There's a possibility that a contact person from the large-scale pirate group is among them. Their destination is the planet Nachirema. I'm not certain, but I wanted to inform you."

"Understood. Thank you for providing the information."

With this, even if I can't join the convoy, I hope they will come to the nearby space.

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