After checking that things calmed down in the living room that turned into a dance hall, I made an order to make the new shield generator, bought learning support implants for everyone (including one for a slime girl), and had them implanted.
We’re all taking it easy in Tortilla Double to make sure there are no side effects.
Meanwhile, a lot of things we ordered get piled up. Power armors for everyone, Earth entertainment I asked Iris to scrounge the internet for… I spent a lot of money.
And being cooped up for three days also means there’s less and less to talk about, but…
“By the way, what do you think of commerce?”
“That’s sudden. How do you do it? No, what do you think?”
Suzuri popped that out of nowhere, while Kori and I play the excellent pillow jenga.
“Well, you know Mish, Mishil? Mish something Prime. The materials we bought there were sold for three times their price, correct? What if we went there again? Transport ships have been sent there, but we might still make it in time…”
“Mishyltia Prime? Thanks to master, it has become doubtful if a big profit can be made there.”
“Eh? Because of me!? Ah! It fell!!”
“You lose darling~.”
I don’t get it, but did something weird happen? Then Iris turns the monitor in the living room to a news program. There are huge letters on the top left.
Mishyltia Prime has been accepted as an official member of the Federation of Star Systems. Trade has been fully opened.
“Today, Mishyltia Prime has applied to join the Federation of Star Systems, and has been accepted, the relevant parties announced. Consequently, trade with the previously locked off planetary nation has been opened.”
“Mishyltia Prime has denied all external requests for assistance, but with big changes to their diplomatic stance, trade with the Alliance has been actively pursued.”
“According to the relevant parties, the same prime has started construction of space stations to mine the asteroid belt, and talks with organizations under the Alliance have begun regarding the construction of a punisphere. Many transport ships have left for the prime looking for a stable source of natural resources and magic stones…”
“Mishyltia Prime was very closed and restrictive until you went there, master. Even the acceptance of the mechanical intelligence known as Sumire was seen as a miracle. Such is the degree of irritation I see in recorded communications.”
“Ah… So we would not know if there would be resources left to buy if did go there…”
“Yes…”
“That’s what’s been going on there…”
I feel like he said he couldn’t wait to see me even before he knew I was from Japan. And when I say this to Iris…
“There’s a lot of profit to be made! Apparently diplomats of the have been hard at work, and there was a lot of excitement after hearing about remnants of your homeland. Your old world? …Is information I am seeing in the mechanical intelligence network.”
“Eh… I’ve never heard of this Federation of Star Systems.”
“Ahh~~~~~… Darling, that’s common knowledge~~. Miss Sara, explain~.”
“You little…”
And so, Saratha starts explaining. The Federation of Star Systems is a group of of star systems with one or few planets, that seek mutual protection.
I’m wondering why they’re doing that, but there are giant space monsters, a socialist state governed by mechanical intelligence, a religious state worshiping something they call a god, and several expansionist empires. All fighting over supremacy in this galaxy.
The Federation of Star Systems where we are now is right in the middle of this struggle for hegemony, in a troublesome buffer zone. The Alliance is strong, and there are also many planets considered outlaws.
“Hn? Doesn’t the Galactic Credit Union Alliance control that? I thought for sure they did because they’re so strong.”
“Other countries hold great power, but here, the Alliance is stronger. To put it in terms master can understand, it is the difference between a country and a company.”
“Ah, I get it.”
I more or less understand. Well, there’s no need to dig any deeper.
I put away the collapsed pillows, and get a message on my smartphone as Kori throws me pillows here and there.
Iris takes it out of my breast pocket and starts dealing with it. That’s mine…
“A mechanical intelligence created for someone cannot help but want to serve her master.”
“In a lewd way?”
“All the way including breathing.”
“That is scary all of a sudden.”
“I know right~~? I wanna do that too~!”
“You two are scary…”
Says Suzuri, and as I hear them argue quietly, Iris hands me the smartphone.
“The shield generator is ready and has been brought to the dock.”
“Ooh! I’m going too! Wait up!”
I stop Iris, who wanted to go alone, and we all get on the elevator in the living quarters.
▽▽▽
The interior of the dock in the Akul colony is pretty large. Large enough to accommodate the almost forty meter long and wide Tortilla Double.
Of course, the vehicles used to carry goods in this dock are big too. I see a big truck I think could be ten tons.
Behind it there’s a container, that comes floating down onto the dock on its own.
No wait, why is a container floating…
“Hello, is this Tortilla Double~? I have a package for you~.”
A green body comes sliding down from the door, fizzy and with hair like ice cream. Is she a laflotty?
“That’s a daflotty~.”
“Then if she was coffee she’d be feeflotty?”
“Wah~. A laflotty~! Hello~!! Are you the wife of the captain of this ship~!?”
“Yes~~.”
Kori and the daflotty clap each other’s hands and get excited. So would it be feeflotty? Eh? No? Ma?
“Ah, sorry, but can we get our stuff?”
“Ah! Ye~~~~s! A big shield generator~! Sign here please~!”
She hands me a tablet with a marriage registration. Hey!
“Uh?”
“Ah, that’s not right hehehe~. Here it is~.”
“I’ll sign it.”
Kori’s voice sounds like supercooled cola. Scary.
“He, hehehe… Thank you. Excuse me!!!!”
I see the daflotty run away, and the container moves on its own to the back hatch of the cargo bay. The top opens when it lands, and then the side pops open, revealing its contents.
Which are… What looks only like a green snake coiled twice. What should be the snake’s head in the center is a shiny metallic orb. It’s huge too, but then again, so was the container. Big enough that even Saratha could fit snugly.
It’s probably about ten meters tall and five meters wide.
“It’s pretty big when contrasted with Tortilla Double…”
“Barely small enough for the rear hatch I would say…”
Tortilla Double’s shield generator is also like a big freezer, but a destroyer class shield generator is this huge…
“I’ll go get an armor to carry it~.”
“Please do. And should we just install this thing as is?”
“Gimme time, I’ll do it with the service drones… Help me too, Iris.”
“Very well. Have fun with Miss Suzuri, master.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Watch from where you’re not gonna bother.”
Kori gets inside an armor, and lifts the shield generator.
Tortilla Double’s shield is used to protect corvettes, that despite being mid size combat ships, are twice the size.
Corvettes are over twice the size of mid size combat ships, but this one we ordered is a destroyer tier shield. It’s thanks to the Alliance’s consideration that we managed to get a military shield like this.
Destroyers are between two and five hundred meters long, and corvettes between fifty and a hundred. That’s four or five times the size. By the way, Tortilla Double is classified as a mid size ship that ranges from thirty-five to forty-five meters.
Most ships aim to be as long as possible, but thin to decrease the target area. Drum style ships like Tortilla Double that are almost as long as they are wide are rare.
There’s also some people that think these look lame, and thin ships are the best. I guess appearance is important, but are that many people willing to stake their lives on that…?
“Once it’s installed, we’re piloting for a day to get used to it, and then it’s off to the next job.”
“Although the documentaries I watched showed mercenary life as more lax…”
“Hm, no way. If you don’t work, you’re just spending puni. The processing fees of this were two million, and four people worth of implants were one and a half million. Add the new armors and other stuff, and I have three million right now. I’m gonna have to buy more ham soon too, so it’s not enough. Not enough.”
We’re back to the amount I received when I got to the Zadar colony. I want to find a nice quest.
Akul’s only standing quests are on the level of eel hunting, so I’m too overpowered…
I’m also curious about the container that was left behind after the daflotty left. But then it folds itself, levitates, and flies out of the dock. Handy.
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Thanks for the update. 🖖