Chapter 58

After half a day of travel, we arrived at the area where the scummy pirates mentioned in the request were supposed to appear.

They don't stray far from this area, so it's clear that they have a hideout nearby.

I thought I would cruise around a bit and then go to a nearby service area to gather information.

However, after cruising for about two hours, I discovered what seemed to be their hideout, a small asteroid.

I called out to them, but there was no response.

It seems they were out on a job.

There was no place to hide near the asteroid, so I attached a marker to it and headed for the service area.

They might be celebrating there.

The nearest service area is a cluster on Planet Rugo.

Planet Rugo is a beautiful pink gas giant, but despite its attractive appearance, the atmospheric temperature exceeds 240 degrees Celsius and contains acidic substances, making it extremely dangerous to enter.

However, it is a popular spot, so there are many service areas.

The only place where the pirates might be celebrating is the oldest one, "Service Area Conca."

The paint is peeling off in places, and it's clear that it's been around for a long time.

It's a simple place with just an energy stand, toilets, and a restaurant-bar, and it's frequented by rough transporters and mercenaries, not tourists.

This makes it easy for pirates to mix in.

Moreover, the fact that pirates wouldn't be near a bustling service area cluster is a kind of camouflage.

When I went inside, there were transporters and mercenaries enjoying meals, drinks, and trivial conversations.

I sat at an empty seat in the corner.

Then, a female android with patched artificial skin and mechanical parts came to take my order.

"Your order?"

She didn't say "Welcome" or show any friendliness, but she handed me the menu politely.

The menu consisted mostly of junk food and bar snacks like burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, French fries, fried chicken, boiled sausages, mashed potatoes, mixed nuts, jerky, and pickles, and the only non-alcoholic drinks were cola and water. The selection was clearly tailored for rough customers.

Of course, there were no size options.

Well, with this lineup, regular people wouldn't come here.

"I'll have a burger, French fries, and a cola."

"Want a drink?"

"I'll get one later. I don't drink while eating."

I said this to avoid being hassled by the other patrons if I said I didn't drink at all.

She took my order without saying "Thank you" and quickly disappeared.

While waiting for the food, I looked around the store.

There were people who seemed to be celebrating, but my target wasn't among them.

After a while, my order was placed on the table without a "Thank you for waiting."

"700 credits. Cash only."

She demanded the payment in a cold tone.

Given the type of customers, if they paid after eating, it would be like inviting them to skip out, so this system is in place.

I handed her a 1000 credit coin, and she took out cash from a leather pouch on her waist.

"300 credits change."

She said this and tried to hand me the change, but she didn't drop it into my hand and kept glancing at me.

Ah, I see.

"Here's your change..."

"Oh, it's okay, thank you!"

I understood her intention and gave her the change, and she smiled for the first time, spoke in a cute voice, and stuffed the change into her pocket before leaving my table.

At first, I thought she was an android, but she might be a human with cybernetic enhancements.

Anyway, I decided to eat the burger I ordered.

Surprisingly, the burger and fries were of good quality, and if you don't mind the atmosphere of the place, the customers, and the staff, it might be worth coming here to eat.

While enjoying the burger, fries, and cola, two clearly shady but small-time characters entered the store.

One was tall, and the other was short, a typical mismatched pair.

They were definitely the scummy pirates I was looking for.

They openly showed their faces on the communication screen, calling themselves "Hands Brothers" and boasting about their fearsomeness.

Their faces were clearly in the guild's records.

Of course, there was a possibility that they had changed their appearance after showing their faces, but they were still the same.

The "Hands Brothers" sat at the table next to mine and ordered,

"Two beers, two sausages, and two chickens! Hurry up! If you're slow, I'll slap your ass!"

"If we, the 'Hands Brothers,' like you, we'll treat you well! We have plenty of money!"

They ordered rudely to the unsmiling woman.

From their conversation, it seemed they had just finished a job.

They didn't notice me and were boasting about their success.

I could have attacked and captured them here, but it would have caused trouble for the store, and that woman seemed a bit intimidating, so I decided not to.

Then, the woman brought their food.

"12,900 credits. Cash only."

The price was exorbitant.

A medium beer was 500 credits.

A plate of fried chicken with 6 pieces was 900 credits.

A plate of boiled sausages with 5 pieces was 750 credits.

So, for two people, it should have been 4,300 credits, but she charged them 12,900 credits, exactly three times the amount.

She was clearly annoyed by their rude comments, and her expression was very unhappy.

The "Hands Brothers" couldn't just sit there.

"You can't charge that much for two beers, sausages, and chickens!"

"Are you kidding, lady? I'll show you!"

The "Hands Brothers" looked tough, but as I mentioned earlier, they were small-time, so they weren't that scary to someone used to rough situations.

"It's a compensation fee for me! Pay up quickly!"

The woman, who seemed used to rough situations, was not afraid at all.

In fact, she was intimidating them.

Her presence was so strong that even the other customers were afraid.

She might also be a bodyguard.

"Damn it! It was a mistake to celebrate here! Let's go!"

"Too bad! We could have made a fortune!"

Despite their tough words, they were intimidated by her and fled the store.

I quickly finished the remaining burger and cola, left a 1000 credit coin for the alcohol I was going to order under the plate, and followed the "Hands Brothers."

I wanted to confirm if the asteroid was really their hideout and to avoid any interference when capturing them.

Every day, I feel down due to lack of research, setting errors, and typos.

Thank you for reporting the typos.

However...

It's a mystery that the typos are marked as "fixed" even though they haven't been corrected when I check the specific parts... ((( ；゜Д゜)))

I appreciate your feedback, comments, and typo reports.