Mob No. 101: “I was just doing my job as a soldier, so no need for thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a report to make.”
Fortunately, Lady Fadilna-Priliera’s ship had managed to retain its original form despite taking a direct hit to the hull.
The escape pod not activating likely meant she had lost consciousness.
As I turned my gaze toward the direction the beam had come from, I saw six of the latest model combat vessels from the Tiursad Company, the Vertasks, approaching. From what seemed to be the leader of the group, I received an unbelievable message.
[Hey, you okay? Glad my attack made it just in time!]
For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.
“No, it was you who almost messed things up. I was just about to subdue her.”
But I couldn’t stay silent after being interrupted, so I complained. However, he retorted:
[What are you talking about? The person you were fighting was the former bishop-class mercenary, Fadilna-Priliera. Someone like you couldn’t possibly take her down. If I hadn’t made it in time, it would’ve been you in trouble.]
He brought up her rank, making it clear he wasn’t willing to listen to my side of the story.
Meanwhile, his comrades dragged Priliera’s cockpit, along with the escape pod, out of the ship.
Soon after, the local garrison and police finally arrived.
While it was good they came, things only got more complicated from there.
The recruits who had been gathered scattered like spiders, but most were apprehended by the local garrison and police forces. While the majority complied, some tried to flee and were shot down by the military combat vessels (miraculously, there were no casualties).
Then, there was a mix-up between the mercenaries who had infiltrated like me, the main forces of the former Vastog Marquis’s wife and son, and the elite military unit that had stormed in. This led to a chaotic three-way close-quarters battle within the base.
The self-proclaimed protagonist-like leader and his team claimed they had ambushed and captured the former Vastog Marquis’s son, Aebles Vastog, and his wife, Cronella Vastog, as they tried to escape with funds. They used this to intimidate those around them, making the situation even more of a mess.
Well, the capture of the masterminds was probably mostly true, and even if it wasn’t, I had no way to verify it, so I didn’t complain.
However, regarding the capture of Fadilna-Priliera, I had to object since he had twisted the story to suit himself.
“Fadilna-Priliera was about to be subdued by me when you stepped in!”
“What are you talking about? If I hadn’t saved you, you’d have been done for!”
The leader-like man, Ored Garblight, shot back.
I thought this would turn into a pointless argument, with more people siding with Garblight and me losing out.
But then, a woman in a pilot suit appeared on my side.
“It’s undeniable that Mr. Garblight here stole Mr. Uzoss’s target.”
“No! I saved him because he was in trouble!”
“You waited until Fadilna-Priliera was at a disadvantage and then stepped in at the perfect moment, didn’t you? I even have video and audio evidence if you’d like to see?”
“Th-that’s fake! It’s fabricated!”
Garblight faltered for a moment but still tried to argue back. However, when the woman who had sided with me gave him a cold stare, he finally backed down.
Upon reviewing the video and audio she presented, it was clear that Garblight had indeed intervened with the intention of stealing the credit.
“Stealing someone else’s achievements is nothing but foolishness. It only diminishes your own value.”
“Guh…”
Under her piercing gaze, Garblight made a face as if he’d bitten into something bitter and didn’t say another word.
Incidentally, I recognized the woman.
I couldn’t remember where I’d seen her before, but I definitely knew her.
As I was trying to recall, the police asked for her identification.
“I am Major Shunera Floss of the 1st Fleet of the Central Fleet’s Extermination Unit. I was here on vacation when I was approached by a suspicious recruiter, so I received permission from my direct superior to conduct an undercover investigation.”
As she presented her ID, the military personnel and even the police officers straightened up.
Hearing this, I finally remembered where I’d seen her before—
she was the secretary-like woman who had been by General Jack Baldor-Breskin’s side when I was being harassed by Burnnext.
If it weren’t for her, Garblight and his crew would’ve taken all the credit, and I’d have been left with nothing.
Regardless, I was incredibly grateful, so I expressed my thanks.
“Um… thank you for your help.”
“I was just doing my job as a soldier, so no need for thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a report to make.”
With that, she briskly headed toward the military vessel.
First, those who had fled into space and were calmly captured by the military and police were released after questioning, while those who had tried to escape were detained overnight.
Next, the mercenaries, including myself, who had been hired for the search, clashed with the elite military unit but, since there were no casualties, were let off with questioning and providing information.
Incidentally, Ored Garblight seemed to have hit it off with the protagonist-like group who had ambushed the masterminds, as they had been sitting together at a table before the attack.
And so, the former Vastog Marquis’s wife and son, Fadilna-Priliera, along with the former Vastog Marquis’s private soldiers and others with arrest warrants, were captured in large numbers. Additionally, two former nobles who had turned to piracy after the rebellion were also arrested.
The information fee was around 100,000 credits due to the large number of discoveries, but capturing Fadilna-Priliera netted me a 4 million credit bounty.
As for the gate that was discovered, since the discoverer was a criminal, it was confiscated by the government and will be managed by them.
Physically and mentally exhausted, I managed to return to Planet Ytts, but if I went straight home, I’d probably not want to go out for a while. So, I decided to take care of some errands first.
First, I went to see Old man Roans to collect the information fee and bounty.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Hey, you’re back. I heard you caught Fadilna-Priliera, but someone else tried to steal the credit.”
“Word travels fast.”
If Old man Roans knew about it, then Hero—aka Yuri Priliera—probably knew too. I’d have to be careful.
Old man Roans continued, unaware of my concerns.
“That guy who tried to steal your credit? He’s been causing trouble at other branches, and he’s finally been caught. His method was exactly what you experienced—he’d swoop in during a dogfight when the target was just about to be taken down, claim he saved the day, and then use his connections to loudly assert that he was the one who did it, stealing the credit.”
“How did he get away with it for so long?”
“He used his family’s influence to intimidate those whose credit he stole.”
By the way, the main players in the ambush were, as expected, a team of handsome and beautiful mercenaries. Along with Major Shunera Floss, who had been undercover, they’d make for a great media story.
Still, there might be quite a few “legitimate nobles” who didn’t participate in the rebellion.
“Anyway, here’s the information fee and the bounty for capturing Fadilna-Priliera, totaling 4.1 million credits. Digital currency okay?”
Regardless, I wanted to finish my errands quickly today and sleep until I was sick of it. After collecting the information fee and bounty at the guild, I headed straight to the usual bank—the Parvea branch of the Laseaque Bank, which had also helped with my father’s debts—and sent a third of the 4.1 million credits, 1.37 million, as a remittance.
Then, as a report and thank-you for the fortune-teller grandma’s accurate prediction, I headed to the fortune-teller building in the bustling district.
Fortunately, there were no lingering female customers, so I was able to enter her shop without any awkwardness.
“Oh, you made it back alive.”
“Yeah, barely. I’m grateful for your intuition.”
Honestly, I hadn’t thought I’d find anything, so I was genuinely thankful.
Then, the grandma said,
“Well then, how about showing that gratitude?”
She held out her palm, so I handed her 100,000 credits, the same amount I’d received from the police for the information.
“Oh, you’re generous. Alright, I’ll give you a reading. How about your work luck from now on?”
“No thanks. It’s scary if it comes true.”
People with strong intuition tend to be accurate, and that’s too scary for me.
On the way to Gonzales’s place, I stopped by the usual butcher shop and bought their new product, “The Marrow-Soaked Dead Meat’s Ambrosia.”
“Your work always seems to get interrupted. It’s gotten a lot better since the beginning, though.”
Gonzales, who had heard about the credit-stealing incident, was eating the Marrow-Soaked Dead Meat’s Ambrosia while tapping away at a small holographic keyboard on his notebook PC. It seemed he was filling out and reviewing prescriptions for his patients.
He only uses the large terminal desktop PC with a brain interface plug for his informant work, insisting on manually typing out patient prescriptions as a point of pride.
“At least I’ve managed to survive this long.”
When I first started as a mercenary, I was often interrupted.
It was enough to break my spirit at times, but now I’m pretty much used to it.
“By the way, the royal banquet hosted by Her Majesty is over.”
“Yeah, I saw it on the news.”
The Empress hosted a grand banquet to reward the soldiers of the empire, especially the mercenaries who made significant contributions. Only photos of the event were made public.
Among the photos were images of Arthur, Seira, Lambert, and Rosweisse.
Later, I heard some stories from them:
- Miss Tiursad:
“It was as tiresome as ever. Though, I must say, it was an honor to be directly addressed by Her Majesty.”
- Arthur:
“It was an honor to be acknowledged by Her Majesty, but afterward, I got surrounded by women… It was exhausting.”
- Seira:
“Her Majesty was wonderful. She thanked us for our efforts and asked for our continued cooperation. But the noblewomen around us were trying to recruit the ‘Black Demon’ and Arthur for their own purposes! The ‘Feathered Helmet’ managed to escape, though…”
- Lambert:
“As soon as Her Majesty spoke to me, I made a beeline for the bathroom. I couldn’t stay in that place for long…”
- Rosweisse:
“Sister Gerhilde didn’t attend. I should’ve done the same. It was supposed to be a celebration of our victory, but some people were only interested in family lineage and wealth…”
It seemed like quite the ordeal.
I’m glad I wasn’t invited.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
☆ ☆ ☆
[Side: Shunera Floss]
After the rebellion was quelled, I took a vacation and visited a friend in the Asteroid City. Little did I know I’d get caught up in something like this.
I could’ve ignored it, but since it might’ve been related to Marquis Vastog, the ringleader of the rebellion, I consulted General Breskin. He told me to “infiltrate,” so I apologized to my friend and went undercover. As it turned out, I hit the jackpot.
The group that attacked the ringleader group was clumsy but successful.
However, there was a flaw—one of the ringleader escaped. I chased after them, but someone had already blocked their escape route, and a fierce dog fight broke out.
Just as the fight was about to end, the group that arrived after me and only watched from a distance, then jumped in at the last moment to steal the kill. I had recorded everything for evidence, so I proved their interference.
What surprised me was the person who had been holding off the enemy.
It was John Uzoss, someone I had been ordered to investigate by General Breskin before.
His combat skills were on par with the ace pilots of the military.
I’m a combat pilot myself, but I’d be no match for him.
It seems General Breskin’s interest in him wasn’t misplaced.
I’ll report this for now.
☆ ☆ ☆
[Side: Third-Person Perspective]
In the general’s office at the imperial military headquarters, Jack Baldor Breskin was reviewing a report submitted by his subordinate, Lieutenant Colonel Shunera Floss. His stern face broke into a smile.
“One shot to the nozzle against a bishop-class enemy? Even if it was to sell the captured ship for money, that’s no easy feat. And he didn’t hit anything but the nozzle. I even checked his past records from the mercenary guild… He hasn’t taken on many high-profile jobs.”
He happily shared the report’s contents with the person in front of him.
“His work is solid, though. Especially in pirate suppression—after some initial failures, from the third year onward, he’s had a 97% success rate in disabling enemies by targeting their nozzles or weapons. I watched the footage, and it was impressive.”
The person reviewing the report with General Breskin was a woman about a decade younger, with purple eyes and long blonde hair tied back.
Her uniform bore the rank of captain and a badge indicating she was an instructor within the military.
“Even Mistress Michelia Broubul, who was feared as the ‘Crimson Flash’ during her active pilot days and is now known as the ‘Demon Instructor,’ would agree with that.”
The general smiled, but Captain Broubul sighed deeply.
“Please stop calling me ‘Mistress,’ General Breskin. You’re my superior.”
She half-heartedly protested.
“You helped me out during military academy exams, so it’s not wrong, is it?”
“You were barely passing despite being a noble. It’s a wonder you made it to general.”
“That’s thanks to my battlefield achievements and, reluctantly, my family’s influence.”
The two were classmates at the military academy—one the son of a marquis, the other a commoner. Despite their differences, they became equals and even more than friends, now comrades who had survived the battlefield together.
“So, what do you think of him?”
The general tapped the report on John Uzoss with his finger.
“Based on the data and footage, as an instructor, I’d give him a ‘good.’ He has no significant flaws, and there’s nothing to improve, so he’s just ‘good.’ But as an active pilot, he’d be a troublesome enemy.”
Captain Broubul’s eyes were as sharp as they had been during her active days.
“If you’re saying that, then he’s clearly capable.”
“He’s a craftsman. He’s honed his skills through many unglamorous jobs. I can see why you’d want him as a resource.”
The general smiled, and Captain Broubul gave her full approval.
“But I doubt he’d join. He doesn’t seem to have a good impression of the military.”
“Then why the evaluation?”
“It’s good to have emergency reserves, isn’t it?”
The general stood up and moved to a cabinet on the side of the room.
“There are a few others I’d like you to look at. Stay with me a bit longer.”
He took out a bottle of whiskey, glasses, and an ice pail.
Seeing this, Captain Broubul sighed deeply.
“Your habit of bringing in contraband hasn’t changed since our academy days.”
She resignedly accepted the glass of whiskey with ice.
“You’ll still stay, won’t you?”
“If it’s work, sure.”
The general clinked his glass against hers, and the clear sound echoed through the office.
☆ ☆ ☆
[Side: Third-Person Perspective]
In the palace conference room, the Empress and high officials were gathered for a serious meeting.
Two hours had already passed since it began. The initial agenda items were quickly resolved, but the final topic was taking time.
The topic was “The Empire’s Direction After the Rebellion.”
“First and foremost, we must retaliate against the Kingdom of Nekirelma! We have solid evidence they were behind this rebellion!”
The environmental minister, known for his militant stance, raised his voice.
“Nonsense! What we need now is domestic stability! Many foolish nobles have been stripped of their titles, imprisoned, or executed. We must restore what they’ve plundered! Moreover, some families of the rebels have turned to piracy, worsening public order!”
The finance minister, known for his stinginess, also raised his voice.
This sparked a heated debate among the attendees.
“What if they invade while we’re recovering?”
“The imperial forces that performed well in the rebellion are only about half of our strength! The units that joined the rebellion are nearly unscathed!”
“But the soldiers are exhausted, and our fleets and ammunition are depleted!”
“With the new weapon of the 7th Fleet, the Kingdom of Nekirelma is nothing to fear! They wouldn’t dare attack us!”
“That’s complacency!”
“It’s the Kingdom of Nekirelma that’s complacent! They think we’re busy with post-rebellion cleanup!”
“But to invade them now…”
“Enough!”
The Empress’s voice cut through the chaos,
and silence fell over the room.
After a moment, the Empress spoke again.
“Retaliation against the Kingdom of Nekirelma, economic recovery, and maintaining domestic order—all are important. We cannot neglect any of them. But if we fight among ourselves, we’ll only give our enemies an opening. What about this? Duke, let’s hear your proposal again.”
Under the Empress’s gaze, the old duke, who had remained silent until now, stood up.
“Everyone’s concerns are valid. Neither can be neglected. So, those worried about the Kingdom of Nekirelma should focus on border security and the surrounding areas’ recovery. But we must not attack first. Wait for them to make a move and create a pretext. The rest should focus on rebuilding their own territories and neighboring regions. If the Kingdom of Nekirelma invades, we’ll leave minimal defenses in our territories and meet them with our full force. This way, both concerns are addressed.”
The duke proposed a compromise.
Then they all looked at each other in surprise.
“Truly, Duke! A brilliant idea!”
almost all the participants said in praise.
Seizing the moment, the Empress pressed on.
“Then let this be communicated to all nobles. Everyone, prepare and begin execution as soon as possible!”
“As you wish!”
And so, the long meeting came to an end.
On the way to the Empress’s office afterward, the duke asked,
“Was it really all right, Your Majesty? The proposal was your idea, yet I presented it…”
The duke was asking the Empress if it was all right for him to make the proposal he had just made, instead of the person who had made it.
“It’s fine. If I had proposed it, they might’ve dismissed it as ‘the girl’s idea.’ But if it comes from you, Uncle, they’ll accept it. Both domestic stability and defense against external enemies are crucial. Besides, this is something anyone could’ve thought of.”
The Empress smiled in response.
The duke smiled, not as a subject but as a fond uncle.
“Hmm. If this old man can be of use to Your Majesty’s governance, I have nothing more to say.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
For a moment, it wasn’t a relationship of ruler and subject, but of niece and uncle.
★ ★ ★
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