We’ve swapped the shield generator in the Akul colony, and did our test drive. There were no abnormalities, and in theory, we should now have ten times the shield capacity. I’m feeling pretty generous right now.
And walking around the organic farmer’s market in this state means I bought a delicacy that costs six thousand puni. I really went for it.
And now Saratha, Suzuri, and Iris are scolding me.
“I’m not gonna tell you not to waste money, but how did it get to six thousand puni?”
“I saw it being sold, and just sort of…”
“Can we do something about this man that only spends money like a mercenary at times like these…”
“I will accompany him on his walks from now on. This is concerning.”
What I bought was dried deep-sea fish and liver retort pouches, to a total of ten kilos. Kori is opening a couple, all excited. I want to eat too…
I know fattening fish in space is hard. And since deep-sea fish require water pressure, there’s no such aquaculture in space.
Having to process deep-sea fish taken from planets and transport them means a good portion of the price tag is down to transportation…
Deep-sea fish tends to be watery, so drying it condenses the flavor and makes it really good. Some deep-sea fishes use fat for buoyancy too, meaning they’re rich in fat and really tasty. They don’t swim as much as other fish, so they amass fat. This means they’re going to be tasty as long as you don’t mess up the cooking.
I bought something similar to monk fish. Apparently it’s seen as a delicacy even on that planet.
“By the way, the fat of this fish goes really well with alcohol.”
“Ahh… Kori!! Leave some for me!”
“Saratha was won over much too easily!”
The liver has plenty of fat and goes just right with viscous soy sauce and vinegar. But I wanna make a hot pot!
▽▽▽
We end up going straight to dinner. There are arguments about the smell of grilled fish, but the taste overwhelms it all.
“Now that everyone’s stomachs are full, how about we do some work?”
I say, and Iris turns on the monitor to show us a reddish-brown planet.
“This is a rock planet called Pentoul II, in Pentoul Prime. It could be considered inhabitable and has enough atmosphere, but practically no oxygen. Because of this, very small star shields are used to create dome residences, as the planet undergoes terraforming.”
“A characteristic of this planet is the large sea that was discovered within it. Its exports are metal resources and fish.”
“I guess it’s nice that we know exactly why you picked it…”
“Is Tortilla Double capable of atmospheric entry?”
“Every ship can do that as long as they have a shield, Suzuri~. And we can leave too, so it’s fine~.”
I was surprised to learn that too. It doesn’t mean it’s not a little troubling, but… Incidentally, since power armors don’t have shields, they burn up in the atmosphere unless they have special equipment.
“This quest will be a bit tricky, but fun too. We’re supposed to escort a unit currently on the ground.”
“Supposed to implies the actual situation might be different, does it not?”
“They lost twenty percent of their forces, and their front line is being supplemented by mercenaries and adventurers, but there’s currently a lull in the battle.”
“What are they fighting~?”
I show a video on the monitor. It’s something with a head, body, and tail that look like three spheres together, and it has six thin legs. The head has antennae and a big jaw that can bisect even a five meter tall power armor.
It’s a big ant.
“Biological weapon, hexarappid, has been detected in Pentoul II. They wish for us to cooperate with local forces and support them with aerial bombardments. Others will be dispatched there from Akul, mercenaries from various planets and adventurers.”
“Does anyone know these ant biological weapons?”
Apparently not.
“Hexarappids are divided into foot soldiers that perform scouting and fight, supply units that create oxygen through photosynthesis and water intake, and queens that create the other two. Since they automatically stop their activities if the queen is destroyed, that will be our assignment, bomb the queen.”
“By the way, the daily salary is ten thousand puni, and we’ll be supplied with water and food cartridges every ten days after we get there.”
“I just hope there’s no delay in supplies.”
“If that does happen, the Mercenary Guild should compensate us. A hundred puni per day.”
“Even if it was a million, I’d rather not starve~…”
We’re not going to go without food with all we have in the cargo bay, but if the situation gets bad down there, we might not be able to land…
“It sounds like it pays too little to leave space eel hunting. Is there a reason why you picked this? Like a bounty?”
“There’s no bounty. This was Iris’ suggestion, and she said we should be used to fighting within a planet’s atmosphere where there’s gravity. Practice is the main goal here.”
“Ah~… So you weren’t just baited by the fish~.”
“How long do you plan to stay there? We do not know the running costs within an atmosphere.”
“I made the calculations, and based on past servant models, the difference in the operation cost is negligible even if we operate within the atmosphere for a year. And there is a notice saying the contract regarding spaceship combat is renewed every ten days.”
After talking to Iris, I decided to try doing it for ten days first. I wanted to find something that paid better than eels, but I am curious about fighting in gravity. I can’t even do that in the Mercenary Guild’s simulators.
The response to this quest has been mostly favorable, so that settles it. But I need to keep in mind that I should pick something more profitable next time.
▽▽▽
The next day, I accept the quest in the morning, and receive a notification from the Mercenary Guild to leave with a large transport ship. We’ve just left the dock towards the meeting point.
“Oh, is that it~? The radar shows its name too~. This is Tortilla Double, are you the transport ship Green Kamogawa~?”
“<This is the communications officer of Green Kamogawa, a transport ship of the Mercenary Guild. Thank you for coming. Please stand by, there are others scheduled to arrive.>”
The Alliance’s subordinate organizations offer transportation via transport ships with hyperdrives, and rent power armors to people with no money. Of course, transportation costs, the rental, and repairs are deducted from their earnings.
“Hello, I’m Genma, pilot of Tortilla Double and grassland two mercenary. Thank you for having us. Our communications officer is the lady that spoke to you.”
“<Understood, Tortilla Double. The captain wanted to say hello, but I stopped him.>”
“Ah… Can’t we just greet each other?”
“<Hm? That’s rare, most mercenaries can’t be bothered…>”
A young girl appears on screen, their communications officer. Then again, life extension means everyone looks young… Then it cuts to a solemn looking twenty something year old man with a big blue beard.
His hair is as blue as his beard, his skin is the color of chocolate, and his eyes golden.
“Hey, up-and-comer mercenary Genma! Eh…!? So that’s what it’s like! Nice to have you today! Ah, that’s right, did they tell you that travel days count towards the contract?”
“It’s all been checked, thanks. We have a hyperdrive, so the idea is to leave when you do.”
“Haha, thanks! Most ships don’t have them! We gotta load twenty in our belly today! And two hundred armors!”
“I see… By the way, how many are there now?”
“Zero! Sorry, but can you hang on until they’re on board!?”
I say got it and cut the transmission. Maybe we came here a bit early. I tell everyone in the cockpit to take a break, tell Iris to take over control of the ship, and relax.
▽▽▽
We stand by not too far from the transport ship Green Kamogawa, and combat ships start appearing, going into the transport ship. Along with others that stand by with us.
Everyone meets up without any trouble, and we travel for a full day in hyperspace.
This time, we’re leaving it all to Iris. She can connect directly to Tortilla Double and doesn’t sleep, so having her take the reins in these long travels is the smart thing to do, she explained.
But it was pretty brutal being chopped every time my attention wandered.
I’m normally in the napping room of the cockpit buried in pillows and Kori, in case an emergency like an hyperspace catcher happens. Even if I’m here alone at first, she’s here before I know it.
Nothing happens until we exit hyperspace near Pentoul II, and I take over the controls when it’s time to enter the planet.
“Darling~. Are you a little nervous~?”
“It’s my first time entering an atmosphere… I say that, but it’s mostly nitrogen, right?”
“Apparently. You might be able to see a plant or two if there’s oxygen, but they’re still workin’ on that.”
“Ahh… I am also nervous… My stomach hurts…”
“No issues with shield output. We can enter the planet without a care.”
I can see Pentoul II from the cockpit, and it really is a reddish brown planet. There should be a dome city, but I guess it’s not big enough to be visible from space.
Well, that’s kind of like telling me to mark a city I don’t know, like Paris, on a satellite photo.
“<This is Green Kamogawa, breaking through the atmosphere. Everyone follow, I can’t lead lost kids by the hand.>”
We are drawn towards the planet, approaching it at an angle parallel to it.
There’s no oxygen, but this is my first time on a planet other than Earth. I’m more emotional than I expected… But nevermind that! The ship is shaking a lot! It’s all I can do to maintain altitude!
Are we really flying in the atmosphere!? Aren’t we just controlling our fall!?
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