Mob No. 112: “Oh, but you really do love these plain old jobs, don’t you?”
After eating at Star Dust Burger, I went to Animember and bought the new release of Skeleton Knight’s Travels to Another World and the paperback volumes 1-3 of the historical fiction Mercenary Business series at the regular bookstore Empire Progress Books. On my way home,
“Hello there.”
Someone called out to me.
At first I thought it was some catch sales, but when I took a good look at who had called out, it was the owner of Repair and Recycling Curious Garage, Ms. Gracia Curious, who I was indebted to previously regarding radar.
At her shop she wore yellow work clothes and shaded goggles, but now she had on a crisp suit.
“Oh… Yes, thank you for your help procuring the radar.”
“How’s it working out?”
“Very well, operating smoothly.”
While shop talk at the store is one thing, making chitchat on the street makes me feel quite awkward.
“Right. Let me get your number, and I’ll give you mine. We take in unused old models and such, so if any new radar parts come in, I’ll let you know recommendations and such.”
Well, since it’s talk about parts, there’s not as much tension.
“Ah, yes please. That would be great if anything good comes in, if I have the budget that is.”
I don’t really need anything too new, but it can’t hurt to exchange contacts with shops like this.
So we exchanged business contact numbers, and Curious Garage was added to my shop list.
“There we go. By the way, out shopping?”
Once she finished the exchange, Ms. Curious spoke to me casually.
“Yes, I’m just heading home now.”
“Nice~. I’m off to a recycling union meeting now. They’ll just say the same things as always even though there won’t be any important talk…yeesh.”
Ms. Curious sighed with the same expression as Gonzales previously.
“Sounds troublesome. I can imagine.”
Even someone like me who hasn’t attended those meetings can imagine from her expression just how agonizing they must be.
“Well, I better get going or I’ll be late. A pain if you’re not on time. I’ll contact you if anything good comes in!”
“Yes, thank you.”
Saying that, Ms. Curious headed off with a light step despite her tired expression.
After that I went home first, then to the nearby supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner.
The next morning I did my usual cleaning and trash as always, then headed to the mercenary guild to look for work.
After glancing at the bulletin board, I called out to Uncle Roans.
“Yo!”
“Oh, looks like you’re in slightly better spirits.”
“Well, I never wanna take jobs involving the military again.”
Even though it’s already too late since I caught the general’s eye.
“Not like you had a choice when you took it, right?”
“I know that much. So, anything good? It’s just pirate subjugation on the board.”
Perhaps due to the increase in transportation for territory improvements, there have been more pirate sightings.
“Let’s see… There’s guard duty for gate repairs you did before.”
“Where is it?”
“Near Planet Gatohaga, at the gate of Planet Leoaeodudo.”
The details he showed me were like this:
——————————–
Job: Guarding wormhole stabilizer replacement work.
Term: 72 hours in galactic standard time.
8 hour shifts in 3 rotations, 16 hours of standby break.
Work Environment: Free use of lodging facilities (capsule hotel style) in management colony – free meals provided.
Spaceship fuel provided.
Job Requirements: Must bring own spaceship.
Repair costs for any damage to brought spaceship paid out of pocket.
Must respond and sortie even during standby break in emergencies.
Therefore, cannot leave colony during standby break.
Compensation: 360,000 credits – fixed
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Other than work hours and compensation, it’s no different than the previous request, but the location is the issue.
Planet Leoaeodudo is near the border, so it’s close to Nekirelma.
It’s also near the battlefield from before, so the situation is rather unstable.
However, there are also many patrols by nobles’ private armies and the military guarding the border, so while big things happened before, I want to believe nothing like that will happen this time.
“I’ll take this.”
“Oh, but you really do love these plain old jobs, don’t you?”
Uncle makes fun of me, but I ignore him and proceed with the application.
No more standing out for me.
Departure was the next morning. I prepared properly that night, and was able to arrive before work began.
Looks like it will just be pure guard work this time, no debris cleanup.
The first day passed without incident, the only problem being the boredom during standby.
Please let this go smoothly with nothing happening, and end peacefully.
While thinking that during dinner after finishing my shift on the second day, the worker group sitting near me drinking while eating started saying,
“Hey, there was that nobles’ rebellion before right?”
“There was, what about it?”
“Wasn’t that cuz the Emperor is so incompetent?”
Despite having work tomorrow, the middle-aged man who had already drunk quite a bit started saying that.
By the way, while it would be an issue at a normal colony with separated day and night times, at focused work base colonies like this facility there is no sense of day and night, so they view when they start work as morning, and when they finish as night.
And what that man was saying wasn’t exactly wrong.
If Her Majesty the Emperor had pressure to silence the rebellious nobles, that revolt might not have happened.
“Whatcha talking about. Her Majesty now properly considers us commoners!”
“And she’s a hottie!”
Hearing the man’s words, his laughing coworkers responded like that.
“But we commoners are still suffering under those shitty nobles!”
“But a bunch of those shitty nobles got punished in that revolt!”
“But there’s definitely still some left! With some little girl ruling the country, those shitty nobles get to run rampant! It’s bullshit how we get murdered because of that!”
The man yelled loudly, drawing the gazes of those around them to him.
There were also some who had heard his remarks from earlier, glaring at him lightly.
As expected, the popularity of [His Beautiful Majesty the Emperor] is amazing.
“Hey! That’s going too far! Knock it off!”
“Shaddup! Who’s drunk off their ass!”
“Everyone! Help hold this guy down!”
Sensing that, his coworkers did their best to pin the man down.
Though he struggled, when pinned by several large men he was unable to resist.
He seemed quite drunk, but from his behavior, could he possibly be one of those anti-imperial movement agents?
Well, I understand how he feels, but open criticism of the currently popular Emperor is no good.
The next morning at breakfast, the worker group including the agent-seeming man who spouted abuse yesterday apologized to the other workers and mercenaries present.
Looks like they still had alcohol left, they seemed disgusted but what can you do.
After that, the workers showed no signs of hangover whatsoever and briskly went about their work, completing the 3rd day’s shift without incident.
Of course, just because it was over doesn’t mean I can leave, I’m on the job until the contracted period ends.
Today passed uneventfully again with no commotions arising.
However, turmoil was unfolding where I was unaware.
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