Nightdream, in the world of stars

"May I stay here for a moment? I won't interfere with your work."

Mireena says this.

...Creak...

The familiar sound of a coil creaking.

The sound of the coil on the nap bed at the edge of the bridge.

The bridge's nap bed is Shinnosuke's personal equipment—but Mireena is sitting on it!

Mireena says she isn't interfering with Shinnosuke's work, but that's not the point—this is a disaster.

"It's not interference, but you'd recover more if you rested in the room."

"No, I prefer being here, even if I'm just watching through a monitor—seeing the stars of space... I absolutely love the world of stars. Beautiful, vast, yet a world that swallows everything, a world of death. I've traveled through space many times aboard my father's cruiser. When I was traveling through space, I felt as though I'd gained freedom. But back then, I wasn't truly free. I was just pretending to be free within a limited world."

"Getting too attached to the word 'freedom' only ends up binding you, making you feel even more confined."

"Whose words were those?"

"Ah, who said it... I don't remember. Anyway, it's just a worn-out phrase I've heard somewhere before."

"Fufu, how philosophical. But I seek freedom. I don't even know exactly what that freedom is, yet having chosen to abandon my country in pursuit of it, I bear the responsibility to seize it. I couldn't possibly apologize to those dragged in half-heartedly."

Life is a series of choices—your choices, others' choices, and their complex interweavings. Among them, you are only responsible for your own decisions. Otherwise, the responsibility would never end.

Whose words are these?

"Well then, though this is a common phrase, it's also my personal creed. This moment we're in is simply the result of the complex interweaving of Ringlund's choice, the terrorist—perhaps?—choice, the choices of others, and my own. And how things unfold from here depends entirely on our choices moving forward."

"Fufu... interesting person..."

Suddenly, the interior of the bridge fell into silence.

Shinonosuke, Milliena, and Marks—apparently in sleep mode—silence falls over the three of them.

Though it’s their own ship’s bridge, the atmosphere feels uncomfortable.

“...You’re not going to ask anything, are you?”

After a brief silence, it was Milliena who spoke.

“What exactly?”

“Why I’m fleeing, dragging so many people into it...”

“I don’t want to know, and I have no intention of asking.”

Mireina also noticed the drop in Shinosuke's tone.

"Did I offend you?"

"No, not exactly, but it's unnecessary information for me. My job is to protect Ringlund and the others..."

"Call me Mireina. I've abandoned the name Ringlund, and it feels more comfortable when you call me by my name."

"Bring Mireina and the others to the 6325 Federation, and deliver them to the Akneria Galactic Federation. I will handle the method and means. Unnecessary information can be not just useless, but harmful. I won't pry, so please don't tell me anything."

"You're so cold... I was eager to hear everything you have to say."

"Please stop. I will fulfill my duty and bring you to the Acnelea Galactic Federation. So please don't burden me with anything unnecessary."

"Oh? Am I the burden now?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Ku...su... I'm fine with that. Then please take me safely to Acnelea. There, I will reclaim my freedom..."

Once again, silence enveloped the bridge.

Five minutes passed, then ten, and the silence continued, filling Shinnosuke's mind with nothing but a dreadful premonition.

It was too quiet.

He was too frightened to turn around.

"…You've fallen asleep."

Suddenly, Marks, who had just awakened from sleep mode, spoke up.

"Markus, you bastard! You're the only one pretending not to notice!"

"My head unit cannot adopt an expression of ignorance. I was simply focused on my duties."

"Liar. You were in sleep mode, weren't you?"

"If you must speak, please don't lump me in with a portable device. I don't possess a sleep mode. I do have a power-saving mode that can be activated manually to reduce energy consumption."

"Same thing, really."

"Not quite. They're similar in effect but fundamentally different....Master, is it alright to leave Miss Milliena as she is?"

"It's either fine or not fine—there's nothing we can do about it either way."

"If Master says it's alright, I have no objections... but..."

...Shhh...

At that moment, the bridge door opened.

Shinnosuke's heart leapt.

"Good morning. I've come back to rest a bit... wait? Miss Milliena?"

Seyla had returned to the bridge after her break.

The air on the bridge froze.

"N-no... this isn't right... I-I mean, I'm not doing anything at all..."

"Shinnosuke-san. Um, I think this kind of thing isn't right."

"Doing nothing like this... there's nothing shady here... you know, Markus was with me too... right?"

"I was in frugal mode, so I didn't even understand what you meant..."

Shinnosuke, pleading for help, is met with Markus's shocking betrayal.

"Markus, you traitor! How dare you betray me!"

"I am my master's loyal companion. To betray my master? That's utterly unthinkable."

"Shin nosuke, please tell me the details."

In the end, Shin nosuke was unable to get proper rest—first, Milena took over his nap pod, then Seyra gave him a scolding.

For now, Cerberus is navigating through the 6325 Allied Nations' territory, and those pursuing Milena won't risk sending ships into other nations' domains.

It's not the same as inciting chaos within the colony while pretending to be a terrorist.

But by tomorrow, we'll be leaving the territory of the 6325 Allied Nations.

The real challenge begins now.