For now, safe enough? Except for Shinosuke.
"I'd like to introduce them again. Marcel, Rize, Ann, and May. The four of them have decided to leave Limria with me and have come along. Please look after us as we travel to the Akneria Galactic Federation."
Four people boarded the Cerberus alongside Miliana.
Marcel is 56 years old and serves as Miliana's educator, personal attendant, and bodyguard.
Rise is 35 years old, serving as Miliana's attendant and bodyguard, and apparently also worked as the housekeeper at the residence where Miliana lived.
Ann and May are twin maids, both 21, exclusively assigned to Miliana.
After hearing about Miliana, Shinnosuke explained their own situation.
This is Shinnosuke Kashimura, captain of the destroyer Cerberus. My partner, Marks, escorted you all from the connecting bridge. And this is Seira Star, an apprentice but also one of our Cerberus crew members. Please look after us until we reach our destination. You're free to move around anywhere on the ship except secured areas—this includes the bridge. For more details, please ask Seira. Seira, I'm counting on you.
"Ah, yes. Leave it to me."
Seira straightened her posture instantly upon being entrusted with Milina and the others, bowing politely to them.
"Um, I'm Seira Star. Please take care of me."
Seeing Seira's demeanor, Milina smiled warmly.
"Nice to meet you. You can call me Milina. And I'll call you... Seira?...Sera?"
Please call me Sera. Everyone else calls me that too.
Then, I'll have you call me Serah as well.
Though there might be an age difference, the stark contrast in status leaves Seira utterly stunned.
Seeing the two of them, Shinnosuke nodded and returned to the pilot's seat.
"Seira, please show everyone to their quarters. You can use the showers and laundry system freely—please explain how to use them. After you've shown them around and helped with meals, let Seira rest too. I'm ordering eight hours of rest starting now."
"Understood."
"Miss Ringlund, you've all had a long journey, so please, take some time to rest."
"Thank you. I'll take you up on that kind offer."
After exchanging initial greetings, Millena and the others followed Seira as she led them off the bridge.
Once Millena and the group had left, Shinnosuke switched the controls to manual mode.
"Although we should be safe within the 6325 Allied Nations' territory, it's uncertain what might happen in international space or exclusive economic zones. Since we don't know the movements of any pursuers, we need to stay ready for anything—let's proceed with caution."
"Understood."
After escaping the Allied Nations' controlled airspace, Cerberus altered its course.
Several hours after Milina and the others had gone to rest, it was midnight by galactic standard time.
Due to deviating from the usual route, there were no ships navigating nearby, making for a quiet night.
Even Shinosuke, gripping the steering wheel, showed signs of fatigue, speaking little, and the bridge was enveloped in silence.
Just as I was considering taking a short nap, the bridge door opened.
Seyla still had several hours left in her rest period.
I thought she had woken up, but it wasn't Seyla who entered the bridge.
"Will you not rest, Master Shinosuke?"
The voice belonged to Milliena.
"I don't usually rest in my quarters while on duty, but I can't go without sleep. I'll take a short nap on that cot over there... Wait! Ringlund, what on earth are you wearing like that!?"
Shinosuke turned around and, upon seeing Milliena's appearance, was stunned and quickly looked away.
Milliena stood behind Shinosuke, clad only in a light undergarment.
Shinosuke had no way of knowing, but what Milliena wore beneath her dress was an underdress.
A sheer, almost see-through garment—something akin to a sheer negligee or babydoll.
“Due to the sudden attack, I didn’t have time to bring anything else. The inner layer dried in the laundry system, but the dress itself will take some time yet.”
Milliena spoke calmly.
Shinosuke couldn’t bring himself to turn around.
"Then please rest in your room. I don't know where to look!"
Shin nosuke, at a loss for where to look, stared intently at the monitor.
Staring at the monitor, the displayed values showed no abnormalities, and the surrounding space was quiet.
No abnormalities were detected regardless of how the screen was switched.
I'm fine. I don't mind. A lady's little secrets are kept hidden, as they should be. Please don't concern yourself, Master Shinnosuke.
It's all about perspective.
To put it in technical terms, a lady's refinement—'what should be hidden must remain hidden'—is essentially 'something that seems visible but isn't.'
Shinnosuke was beginning to lose track of what the word 'lady' even meant.
The destructive power of Milena's current appearance was dangerously on a megaton scale.
He even started wondering if she was deliberately doing it just to mock him.
"Marcelus and the others did their best to protect me. They're probably exhausted and relieved to have escaped safely. Thanks to that, they're sleeping soundly."
"Then you should rest soundly too, Ringlund."
No matter how many times he checked the monitor, energy levels were perfectly fine.
"On the contrary, I'm feeling too agitated to sleep. Would it be alright if I stayed here for a little while and talked?"
Shin nosuke wasn't exactly comfortable, but he couldn't just kick Milina out from the bridge when she claimed she couldn't sleep.
Suddenly noticing, Markes at the central operator station remained utterly still, facing the control panel.
(Doesn't Markes guy have fallen into sleep mode or something?)
Shin nosuke's drowsiness vanished completely, blown away across the galaxy.
I've said before that my posting frequency has been dropping, but I've managed to keep posting daily so far. However, I don't think I'll be able to post tomorrow due to prior commitments.
The next post will likely be the day after tomorrow.
(That said, if I manage to finish in time, I might post tomorrow night...)