Maria and the Others’ Rampage
An hour later, the First Patrol Fleet, including Lieutenant Guz, left this area.
Fortunately, or perhaps because they did their job properly, the people of the First Patrol Fleet sealed off the destroyer and prohibited entry, so we no longer had to take care of it.
Just like before, I started doing busywork on the frigate.
There’s really nothing to do.
I handed over command of the bridge to Lieutenant Meyrica and decided to pass the time by exploring the ship.
Upon hearing this, Sister Meyrica made a request.
“Captain, if you’re going to stroll around the ship to pass the time, could you take Maria with you from the engine room?”
“Why?”
“To be honest, I’m a little worried about leaving Maria alone in the engine room any longer. If you accompany her under the pretext of investigating the ship, she’ll probably go along with you without too much fuss.”
Upon hearing this from Meyrica, I realized she might have a point.
I remembered how Maria’s already high tension seemed to get even higher when talking to her on the ship’s internal phone.
“Indeed, that’s true. Okay, I’ll take Maria with me for a walk around the ship from now on. I’ll transfer command of the bridge to Lieutenant Meyrica.”
Since we’re still on duty, I have to make sure things are done properly.
I can’t just say I’m going for a walk around the ship because I’m bored.
Lieutenant Meyrica, who understands this well, saluted and returned the gesture.
“From now on, I will take command of the bridge from the captain. Kate, Bunny, escort the captain.”
“Understood.”
With Kate and the others accompanying me, I headed to the engine room located in the center of the ship.
As we approached the engine room, we heard a loud noise coming from inside.
“What’s that? There shouldn’t be anything going on in the engine room.”
“Oh no! Maria’s rampaging again!”
Kate shouted, then hurried into the engine room.
I followed suit and entered.
“W-What are you guys doing?!”
Maria and Kasumi were dismantling the main engine in a rather forceful manner.
“Kasumi, aren’t you supposed to keep Maria from going off the rails?”
Right now, the two of them were doing something outrageous right in front of me.
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scene transition
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Taking advantage of wearing power suits, they were using their full strength to break apart the casing of the broken main engine.
Thanks to Kate, who entered the room first and managed to restrain Maria before the ship exploded, I ordered Kasumi, who was nearby, to stop what they were doing.
“I guess having free time was a mistake. I order you two. From now on, come with me for a patrol of the ship. We’ll leave for patrol right away.”
“Aww, this is such a rare opportunity. It’s such a shame.”
“Yes, Captain. Since it’s already broken, and we have some time, could we do just a little more?”
“That’s because you two no longer have that time. I gave an order. Free time is over.”
“Aw…”
“Of course. If you’re not careful, this ship could explode. Can you afford to overlook that?”
“We wouldn’t make such a mistake.”
“Good. Get out of the engine room right away.”
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With that, I forcibly removed them from the engine room.
Since I intended to patrol from the bow of the ship, as we walked towards the bow, the two of them muttered complaints to me.
They really have a bad attitude.
“Wasn’t the area around a warship’s engine supposed to be strictly confidential, except for maintenance areas? You’re not even military personnel; you shouldn’t be allowed to see those places at all. You could even be subject to punishment.”
“We understand that. But this ship isn’t a kingdom’s warship.”
“That’s true, but it’s not entirely without ties.”
“W-Well, you see, according to my memory, this frigate has been manufactured at the Casbell factory for several years, and although it’s a bit different from military specifications, it was probably exported to one of the kingdom’s allied countries. So, since it’s not military property, it’s definitely safe.”
“Then it’s even worse. Alright, let’s patrol. We’ll make sure nothing worse happens.”
With the addition of the two dissatisfied crew members, we resumed our patrol inside the ship.
However, I couldn’t appreciate Kasumi’s words from earlier.
They were rather ominous.
According to her, this ship would become a diplomatic issue completely.
Even though ownership would transfer away from the export destination once pirates seized it, there were still likely to be various problems.
Even I, who had just graduated from school, could understand that it would be a tricky situation. The higher-ups would likely be pulling their hair out once they learned this fact.
… Ah, and then it’s us who will get the brunt of it.
“You, Maria, I hope your actions haven’t worsened the situation further. But I’m starting to worry about what’s to come.”
As I walked with such gloomy thoughts, the ship’s intercom came on.
“Captain, Captain, do you copy?”
“Maria, please bring the nearest phone.”
“Yes, here you go.”
“Maria, thanks. So, I hear you, Sister Meyrica?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m not entirely sure yet, but a large ship is approaching us. Please return to the bridge immediately.”
“Ah, understood. I’ll head there now, but sorry, gather everyone together.”
“Yes, understood, but… why?”
“This area is mostly ruled by the Lutilaria. It’s unlikely that any hostile forces like pirates are approaching. So, the ship coming towards us must be manned by those who have authority over us. It’s probably the First Mobile Fleet. If that’s the case, once they arrive in this area, they’ll either board from there or call us over. If we dawdle, it’s easy to imagine what will happen afterward.”
“Yes, understood. I’ll gather them right away. What about the engine room?”
“There’s no need to have people in the engine room anymore. The batteries alone should be enough, and it’s not certain that the Second and Third Marias won’t come out.”
“Huh? Did she cause trouble again?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you when I get there. I’m right in front of the First Gun Control Room now, so it shouldn’t take long to get to the bridge. I’m heading there now. That’s all.”
“I heard you. I’ll return to the bridge immediately.”
“Captain, isn’t that a bit harsh? What’s this about the Second and Third Maria? It’s not fair to make it sound like I’m representing evil.”
“You caused enough trouble to warrant it. My head is pounding now. I wonder how I’ll be able to smooth things over with the higher-ups we’re going to meet.”
“Eh? Is it going to be that bad?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, we’ve arrived at the bridge.”
“Oh, Captain. That one.”
Meyrica pointed at the ship displayed on the monitor.
“Can you tell the type and affiliation of that ship?”
“Oh, I know.”
That was Kasumi’s response.
She seemed to be a battleship enthusiast.
“Oh, that’s our flagship. It’s the flagship of the First Mobile Fleet, the ‘Dragon.’ It’s a space cruiser, the ‘Dragon.’ Oh, it’s not going to act alone; more will come after that. Ships from the First Mobile Fleet.”
“Oh, really. I can see the next one.”
“Oh, that’s the second ship, the ‘Tanami,’ a space Aegis ship.”
After that, ships from the First Mobile Fleet appeared, and Kasumi’s excitement reached its peak.
I hope she doesn’t faint from excitement.
While we were caught up in that, the radio came on.
“Oh, the radio’s working.”
“It seems to be working since earlier.”
“What will you do? There’s been a call coming in from them.”
“What are they doing? Respond immediately.”
“Captain, what…”
“Idiot, immediately identify ourselves and ask for instructions afterward.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll respond.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting. This is the Third Patrol Squadron ‘Akkeshi,’ belonging to the Second Inspection Squad. We’re currently stationed on a space frigate under the instructions of the First Patrol Squadron. We await further instructions.”
“Huh, huh? This is the flagship of the Capital Space Security Corps, the ‘Dragon.’ You’re boarding here. Be prepared.”
“We’ll open the rear hatch.”
“No, there’s no need for that as we’ll transfer via the tube. Pay particular attention around the airlock.”
“Understood. We’re all waiting on the bridge.”
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such troublesome waifu’s lol
You’re boarding here -> We’re boarding here
Thanks.