The Ranguldo Company's methods

Repairs to Cerberus and loading of rare metals are complete.

The day of departure has finally arrived.

On the bridge of Cerberus, everyone is preparing for departure.

Shin nosuke is at the captain and pilot's station, powering up Cerberus and conducting checks, while Marks is at the general operator station inputting navigation plans, and Seira is at the communications operator station checking the communication equipment—she seems quite熟练 now.

Although Miriena has no role this time, she's watching Shin nosuke's work intently as a trainee pilot.

"All systems nominal. Departing."

Shin nosuke and the others set course for the rendezvous point with Andi and the others, launching the Cerberus.

"By the way, Shin nosuke, have you ever escorted a convoy before?"

Shin nosuke nodded in response to Seira's question.

"Not since becoming a free merchant, but while serving in the space fleet, I did escort transport convoys. Also, though not a convoy, guarding Glen-san's mining vessels involved multiple targets—similar in nature to this mission."

Still, the greatest concern this time wasn't the convoy being escorted, but rather the other escort vessel, Beetle's Andy and his team.

I know Andy and his team are inexperienced, but the real question is whether they can stay calm and follow Shinnosuke's orders in an emergency.

"Even so, the chance of a space pirate attack this time is low... no, there is a chance, but even if they do attack, we'll manage somehow."

He nearly slips into an unofficial military rule, hastily correcting himself.

As a result, his wording ends up sounding awkward.

"What do you mean the possibility of a pirate attack is low?"

Milena tilts her head, still not understanding the unofficial military rule of the Acneria Space Force.

"Well, in practice, forming a convoy reduces the risk of being attacked by space pirates. Do you know why?"

Syunosuke's question causes Seira and Milena to exchange glances before shaking their heads.

" "We don't know." "

"It's a simple reason. Once a fleet reaches a certain size, it becomes too much for pirates to handle. Space pirates usually operate in teams of five or six, attacking civilian ships, but even then they're not highly coordinated. Sure, they have some division of roles, but fundamentally they only care about themselves. In fact, they barely think of their comrades—if a teammate's ship sinks, they might only see it as an increase in their own share."

By this point, Celia and Milliena had understood what Shinnosuke was trying to convey.

"I see now!"

"In other words, pirate ships that attack convoyed vessels—including large ships—would be taking on considerable risk, so even brave sailors wouldn't take such risks unless absolutely necessary."

That's right. To put it simply, they basically only target the weak. The Ranglode Company exploits exactly this trait of pirates. Although civilian cargo ships are equipped with small-caliber defensive machine guns, their firepower becomes significant when grouped into convoys. Therefore, when forming a convoy, they reduce the cost of hiring escort ships but still take out substantial insurance as a precaution. Of course, "substantial" is relative—insurance premiums are still cheaper than hiring escorts outright. For the escorts themselves, they hire one ship with an experienced, proven crew, and another with less experienced or underqualified personnel, or even crew members indebted to the Ranglode Company, keeping costs low. Conversely, when cargo ships travel alone, they still keep expenses down while hiring escort crew of at least a certain standard.

"Guess it's just a sleazy company after all."

"No, you can't say that for certain. In reality, Langrode Company has expanded its operations exactly this way. It has genuinely reduced the risk of pirate attacks, eliminated pirates when targeted, accumulated achievements, boosted the company's profits, and consistently met customer expectations. To an outsider, it may seem like a selfish, unethical business solely focused on its own and its clients' gains, but in a way, that approach isn't wrong for a merchant. Granted, it may be a troublesome employer for escort ship crews, but ultimately, they're just fulfilling their duty—whether they accepted the job or were assigned to it."

The two of them wore expressions of reluctant acceptance in response to Shinnosuke's explanation.

They understood the explanation, but seemed unable to fully accept it.

"But I simply can't come to like a company like that."

"There's no need to like them. I understand how the Langlode Consortium operates myself, and I can appreciate them as merchants, but I certainly don't want to emulate them. Honestly, keeping things at the level of taking on escort jobs occasionally is just about right."

"You're right. No matter how Rangrud Company operates, it's not fair to say everyone working on-site is unethical."

Seyla, who had previously worked alongside Rangrud Company's cargo ship Orion, seemed to have her thoughts finally sorted out.

"Well, that's generally true, but there are always exceptions. Some space pirate groups consist of more than ten ships, operating with a high degree of coordination. Of course, encountering such a crew isn't something you'd run into every day, but you can never let your guard down."

Without noticing the ominous implication in his words, the Kerberos continued its course and arrived at the designated region of space.

If anything were to happen during this escort mission, it would all be Shinnosuke's responsibility.