The monitor in the living room is showing the home planet of To Akul Prime from orbit, as fast tempo music that gives it a sense of urgency is playing. Then it cuts to a simple gray studio with a window.
“Good morning. This is the Akul morning news. Our top story today, the crisis in To Akul Prime.”
“After the nuclear weapon smuggling incident and the earth dragon attack, a shocking truth has come to light resulting from an investigation led by the Mining Guild and Mercenary Guild. Space pirates were conducting earth dragon breeding in To Akul Prime.”
The scene cuts to an over ten kilometer large asteroid with multiple earth dragons resting on it.
“It seems the attack on the asteroid general-purpose processing station started with a dispute between space pirates. It is also said that the previously reported smuggled nuclear weapon was meant for an attack on this earth dragon nest.
As a result of this space pirate conflict over these large living resources, one escaped their control, and they attempted to lead it towards the station.”
It’s showing an earth dragon dashing towards the station, along with two small transport ships (made by a company that competes with the company that sponsors the show) guiding it.
“The victim here was the young earth dragon being led. We can assume the space pirate chase and the attacks on the station’s defenders were a game as far as it was concerned.”
“Is there a reason to believe dragon breeding is an issue? I have heard of the occupation known as dragon rider, but…”
They show a man wearing what I can only call plate armor riding what looks like a green velociraptor the size of a horse, hunting what I assume is a deer with a shining rainbow lance.
“As you all know, there are two kinds of dragons. Ones have a high degree of intelligence, while others follow their instincts like beasts. The ones whose breeding is seen as an issue are the latter. They cannot be controlled, and if they are allowed to grow, they become very dangerous beings the size of a destroyer. Their breeding is only allowed for the alliance and various countries’ armies.”
“However, with a license from the alliance, keeping one should not be a problem.”
“Precisely, but since these were being used as a fighting force by pirates, it is assumed to be unlawful. Had this plan worked, To Akul Prime would have become a dragon nest. A danger that would not be suppressed even with all the military power of prime.”
“The Galactic Credit Union Alliance would not allow such an outrage, but if the army of To Akul Prime was destroyed, the alliance would not hesitate to intervene. And most believe this would be a big setback to prime’s overall level of civilization.”
“One thing that is being questioned is the response by the To Akul Prime army. A dragon should eat enough for space eels and space turtles to vanish from asteroid belts, and yet it seems they did not notice it at all.”
“This incident happened due to a series of coincidences. The hidden truth… We will continue to bring you the latest news.”
They show a creepy close up of an earth dragon’s eye, and then cut to a commercial.
▽▽▽
“Did we save To Akul Prime from a big threat without even knowing what was going on~?”
“Sounds more like a conspiracy if ya me.”
“I believe… These affairs just keep happening after that smuggling incident…”
“I wonder what’s going on in the scrap belt of Mishun Prime.”
We all sigh. And I lay down on this damn big bed I’ve grown accustomed to.
We’re currently in a place in the Akul colony that’s like a city hotel. The room is very nice, and the girls are enjoying the spa and beauty treatments.
This is an expensive hotel that rides the line between a city hotel and a resort.
Why are we here? Because Tortilla Double’s repairs are taking a while. This is our fifth day here.
All the repairs from this battle will be paid for by the Galactic Credit Union Alliance. The plan proposed by a Mining Guild’s employee was immediately and completely approved, which even one of their officials smiled at, and we docked in for repairs without an issue.
After that, there was a big fuss about an earth dragon nest being found, but… It led to this.
“Ah, I was paid for the defensive costs this morning. An extra five hundred thousand puni.”
“Ooh, I am surprised they provided the budget…”
“It’s an extraordinary expense for the defense of the station.”
“Others got ten thousand~. And the armors that rushed the dragon got a hundred thousand~!”
That dangerous maneuver played a big part in protecting those assets. The mechanical intelligence that serves as the chairman of the alliance’s branch in To Akul Prime praised us directly for protecting the station. And by us, I mean all the combat forces that were there, including mining ships that were sent off for combat.
The damaged plasma engine will be replaced, but they also decided they will replace the other old one. Well, it was decades old, so if they’re replacing it for free, I won’t argue.
Last time I received a million puni, but that was for the recovery and defense of a station. This time it was just the defense, so getting a replacement and repair of plasma engines for free is an outstanding reward.
“We have only been here for a while, but I really do feel more relaxed in the small and cozy spaceship… I cannot relax with this high ceiling.”
“I know, I didn’t think we’d end up here…”
“It’s about two hundred puni per person for one night~.”
“That’s so much. I could buy sixty synthetic beers with that…”
The girls are looking at me with stingy eyes. But isn’t it easy to understand…?
“We have to wait for the engines to be repaired. Maybe we should’ve brought more board games.”
“We could’ve brought a TRPG~. It’s easy to set up~. And then we’d order a new engine~.”
“Speaking of hotels, Suzuri didn’t have a house, so it must feel like you’ve been living in a hotel this whole time.”
“Hnu? That is sudden… I had a room when I was on a transport ship, but when I made a living with part-time jobs, I lived in a capsule hotel for women.”
“Ah~. Those are interesting~! And small~!”
“Too small. I guess there’s ones for larger races too, but still.”
“I guess that’s a problem in a space with so many different races, right?”
They were intense about it, asking if we needed a room that had a huge bed from the start.
Still, with a total length of five meters, sometimes Saratha’s tail falls off the bed. This bed isn’t big enough for four people.
“But it was quite generous. They always accept extensions as though they are no big deal.”
“They’re making a thousand puni a day while we’re here.”
“I guess that’s twice as much as the five hundred docking fee…”
“The food is pretty good~. Right~? Is it organic~?”
“Hn… Is it? It was tasty, but they didn’t have salad, so maybe it’s a high quality food printer.”
“They had salads.”
Did they…? I guess they had mayonnaise salad… But it was but it was like green soybeans, green pea, and chickpea, right? The carrots felt off, so I wonder if it was that sort of thing…
“I can’t get into a salad without leafy vegetables.”
“Bourgeois~.”
“You Bourgeois…”
“Maybe it’s time for you to buy us some organic food…”
Ah… Well, we can afford it. How much is it?
“Come to think of it, I never looked into how much organic food costs.”
“Ah~… Yes~. Probably~.”
“I can send you a flier. A fish this big would be around eighty puni.”
“Yep, that’s how it is…”
No, that’s the size of a sweetish…
“Cultured meat would be around ten puni per hundred grams. Fish is very expensive.”
“Fish… Vegetables are one thing, but I guess fattening living beings would be pretty difficult…”
“Fattening~? How are fish grown~?”
“Eh? Well, in the water. I guess it wouldn’t be that hard if you put it that way? There’s already colonies and stations just to grow seaweed and plankton.”
“No, there’s a lot of demand for food cartridge materials, so that’s why the scale is so large.”
It depends on the size, but a colony with over thirty kilometers in diameter filled with water would be like Lake Biwa. I think that’s how big it was.
But still, if they’re going for a sustainable harvest, they can fish around ten tons per year. If a fish is two hundred grams, and they get five thousand per year… I don’t think that can sustain a fishery colony…
Of course, there’s no point in thinking about space age edible fish from an Earth standard.
“I did the math, and it doesn’t seem feasible… Actually, isn’t eighty puni for a fish a real steal?”
“Eh? Is it?”
“Well, that fish is just raised in a water area of some colony called stock-farming or something like that. It is basically a leftover resource… Not something you would want to compare to a place that focuses on producing them.”
“Eeh~. There are weirdo colonies like that~!?”
“Yes yes. Square colonies with magic gravity. Dozens of layers of grassland. And gravity magic in each separate floor.”
That sounds horribly expensive. Then again, if electricity can be converted into magic energy, could it be cheaper than I think?
“If they’re going that far, why don’t they make it a tourism colony?”
Asks Saratha.
“There are colonies with nothing but nature~. Mountains?~. Places where you can have fun just climbing~!”
“It’s one thing if it’s on a planet, but what’s fun about mountain climbing in a colony?”
“I looked into it on the small information device, but it is a sport? Racing with a points system?”
“Ah… I see… That does sound interesting. Hn?
“It’s the phone. Yes? This is Genma the grassland two mercenary.”
“<Hello Mister Genma! This is the dock mechanic! About Tortilla Double’s engines! They just arrived yesterday! We are going to have the servicing bots work on it tonight, so you can check out of the hotel tomorrow morning and come to the 6-11 dock!>”
“Yes, I’ll do that if there aren’t any issues. 6-11, right? Can you send me a memo just in case?”
“Yes! I will send you a short message tonight if there are no problems! Excuse me!”
Our hotel vacation is ending. I both feel like it’s too bad and about time.
“Yay~~~! We can finally go back~~!”
“It hasn’t even been months, but it feels like home. I wonder if the hydroponics lettuce is done.”
“Yes, it should be. The vacation is over.”
“That depends on the new engine. If I need to get used to it, that will take a few days.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem with plasma engines.”
That’s the end of our stay in the city hotel.
“Well then, I’m going back to the big bath. It’s our last day, so let’s all do what we want.”
“What am I gonna do~? The beauty salon and spa didn’t work…~”
“They made a bad face because of my long body too. I’ll just hang around here and drink.”
“Ah, then I will also. We can have a girls’ night.”
Yes yes, I’ll get going before I turn into their snack.
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Sounds more like a conspiracy if ya me. -> Sounds more like a conspiracy if you ask me.
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