The spread of war. What was the free merchant doing at that time?

The conflict between the Rimurian Galactic Empire and the Damura Star Cluster Commonwealth had become a quagmire.

Outnumbered, the Commonwealth forces were primarily engaged in defensive operations. However, since the Commonwealth's capital was adjacent to the Empire's territory, a significant concentration of military forces was required to defend the capital.

As a result, defense in the border regions was neglected, and following the outbreak of war, the duchy lost approximately twenty percent of its territory, primarily in the border areas, to the Empire.

Meanwhile, the Akeria Galactic Federation's space fleet, deployed near the border with the duchy, was actively reorganizing its forces, and rumors were circulating that military intervention was imminent. The further expansion of the conflict was now only a matter of time.

Amid these circumstances, Shinosuke arrived at the Merchant Ship Alliance accompanied by Seira.

They were looking for a new job.

"Work related to the Damura Star Cluster Commonwealth is particularly abundant. And the pay is quite high."

Seira was searching through the jobs posted at the Alliance using her terminal. As she had said, there were many cargo transport jobs heading to the Damura Star Cluster Commonwealth, and their rewards had significantly increased.

While the two were searching terminals, they were approached by a pair who seemed oddly connected to them.

"Hey? Isn't that Shinnosuke and the young lady? Looking for work?"

It was Zani and Dag.

"Yeah, things have been getting a bit shady lately, but we free traders can't afford to complain. We've gotta make money while we can."

You're right about that. Times like these tend to bring in some pretty good work. So you're out looking for jobs while bringing along the young lady, huh? What about her older sister? What happened to her?

We've also been adding more crew members, so I'm planning to clearly define our roles. Sayla will handle communications, navigation, and various administrative tasks, while Milena will be a trainee co-pilot兼legal affairs officer.

Free merchants are affiliated with the guild but are essentially independent contractors.

It's not enough to just operate the ship and perform work—there are numerous administrative tasks, tax filings, and other bureaucratic procedures.

While basic procedures are handled by guild representatives, not every task can be delegated, and certain procedures, as well as final checks, must be managed personally.

"What? Shinosuke actually handles the boring paperwork too, not just ship operations?"

"Yes. I have an excellent partner here. Up until now, Marks handled the paperwork, and I did the final review. But now that our crew has grown, it's just a division of labor to make things easier for me."

"Hmph. Well, we just hand off all that paperwork stuff to the union-approved notaries, tax accountants, and lawyers. Figuring all that out is a pain in the neck. I'd rather just get the job done cleanly and make some real money."

"Zanny's too careless."

Zanny laughed aloud at Dag's exasperated expression.

"Haha, what's not good about it? We're going through the union, so it's important to give work to people in this line of work too."

Shin nosuke and Seira were unexpectedly impressed by Zanny's perspective.

Seira, in particular, seemed surprised to see this unexpectedly cheerful side of the boisterous older man.

"By the way, what kind of job do you two plan to take on?"

Dag asked Shin nosuke.

"Yeah, it seems work in the Damura region is increasing. But it looks like the fleet deployment has also been decided. I'm not sure what we should do about that..."

Zany suddenly spoke as if recalling something while Shin nosuke was deep in thought.

"Actually, the union's planning to call us escorts to duty, it seems."

"Call to duty? What?"

"Yeah, we heard it from our assigned staff—seems like a pretty big job. You know, the sister you're handling is calling for you."

Looking over at the counter, Rin was waving at Shinnosuke.

If Shinnosuke didn't go over, Rin looked like she'd come out to meet him herself.

"Probably the job I mentioned. Whether or not you take it is up to Shinnosuke, but we'd prefer to work with you two. Just hear me out, okay?"

Following Zany's suggestion, Shinnosuke approached the counter where Rina was waiting, and found exactly what Zany had described.

"Shinnosuke-san, I'm sorry, but could you come back to the guild at noon the day after tomorrow? We've received a summons for crew members of C-class and higher escort vessels. It's a job request from the guild, and details will be explained on the day. You'll have the choice to accept or decline, but if you do accept, you'll be setting out immediately, so please keep that in mind."

"Is this related to the deployment of the space fleet?"

I can't go into details yet, but it's not directly related. Well, since the federal government is involved, it's not entirely unrelated—but essentially, it's a job we're assigning to independent merchant sailors, specifically the crew of a护卫 ship, as part of the Merchant Ship Association. When war breaks out, jobs like this do arise.

It wasn't so much that Rina couldn't explain it, as if she simply hadn't been told the details.

However, if one hasn't taken on other jobs, there is a duty to respond to summonses from the union.

As Zany and Rina said, whether or not to accept work is a matter of choice, but for now, Shinnosuke, who hasn't taken on any other jobs, must comply with the summons.

Since there was no other choice, Shinnosuke informed them of his acceptance of the summons two days from now, then temporarily withdrew and returned to Cerberus to discuss the matter with Marks, Seyra, and Miliena.

"I don't know the specifics of the job, but gathering crew members from C-rank and above clearly means it's a dangerous undertaking. Plus, once we accept the mission two days from now, we set sail immediately. That's why I'd like to hear everyone's opinions."

Making a tough decision without knowing what we'll be asked to do.

"I have no opinion either way. In a situation where my system lacks sufficient information, it's difficult for me to make decisions that involve Master, Seira, or Milena. If I must say something, I won't oppose the Master's judgment."

In plain terms, Marks was saying he would follow Shin nosuke and the others—essentially, 'I don't mind either way.'

I would like to take on this task. Though I am someone who has forsaken my homeland, I wish to do something in response to the Empire's foolish actions. Of course, this is merely my personal grudge—please disregard it if you wish. But if I can reach out to the citizens of the duchy, who are now in peril due to the Empire's invasion, then I am determined to see it through.

Milena indicates her willingness to accept.

Um, I'm afraid too, but if there's someone in trouble, I'd like to try helping.

If Seira makes the same decision, it ultimately comes down to Shinnosuke's own judgment.

The final decision will be made after hearing the full details the day after tomorrow, but for now, there's an 80% chance of acceptance.

Whether Shinnosuke's choice at this moment was the right one couldn't be determined even after everything had ended.