The ship's crew and union staff are in this together.

Regardless of whether or not he received a frantic message from the demon-like Lina, Shinnosuke must report to the union after finishing his work. But this time, neither Seira nor Miliena will be accompanying him.

To top it off, Marks even goes so far as to say:

"I'm sorry, but I can't come. The self-defense crisis-avoidance function has activated."

A completely incomprehensible excuse.

Shin nosuke arrives at the guild alone, and Rinna waits for him at the reception counter.

Responding to Shin nosuke's report that he has completed the assigned task, Rinna proceeds with the procedure calmly and efficiently.

"Yes, the procedure is complete. The reward will be transferred to the guild's account. Thank you for your hard work."

Though expressionless, Rinna said nothing, and Shinosuke found himself hopelessly clinging to the illusion that she would let it slide.

"Thank you. Since the procedure is complete, I'll be going now..."

"Going now... to do what?"

Shinosuke shuddered at the sight of Rinna's expression.

To be honest, she was frightening.

"No, since the matter is concluded, I thought I'd leave before becoming a nuisance..."

"The matter is concluded? No, it's not over yet. In fact, this is where the real business begins."

With that, Lina pointed toward the door of the reception room at the back of the office.

"…Yes."

He had no courage left to defy Lina in his current state.

He was promptly led into the reception room.

In front of Shinnosuke, who was seated on the sofa, Lina placed a cup of coffee, and sat across from him with a stern expression.

"…Please understand that everything I am about to ask you will be reported to the union president himself."

Rina's stern expression wasn't merely anger—it was the look of someone who had made up their mind.

In that case, Shinnosuke had to respond in kind.

Shinnosuke shifted his mindset.

"Yes. I understand."

As Shinnosuke nodded, Rina took a deep, deliberate breath.

"I heard from Iris. She said you're being targeted for assassination. Is that true?"

"Yes. There's no solid evidence, and I haven't actually been targeted yet, but it's likely true."

"Any idea what it could be?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure which one it is. But I suspect it's not about any space pirates or thugs I've defeated or captured."

"Something bigger... meaning some kind of organization?"

Rina deliberately kept her words vague.

"Well, from the informant's perspective, that's probably how it seems."

With that, Rina took a sip of her coffee, then fixed her gaze on Shinnosuke.

"Let me be direct. Are the ones targeting you connected to the military?"

"...I can't confirm it definitively, but I believe that's the case. However, during my time in the space military, I fell out of favor with certain high-ranking officers, which ultimately led me to leave the military. Still, I find it highly unnatural that someone would continue targeting me despite having no grudge left to settle."

"What do you mean by that?"

To be honest, the risk is far too high. That said, if you're aiming to eliminate me, you'd need a skilled operator with a meticulously planned strategy. Moreover, whenever that Marks is around, it's not just impossible to take me down—it's nearly impossible to even carry out the attempt. I'm not some gullible fool you can deal with using cheap, random thugs hired for a few coins.

"But wouldn't it be dangerous if the other party is connected to the military?"

"To someone who provided me with information, that would be exactly what they're hoping for."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

The information provider likely sees me as bait, waiting for the chance to eliminate the corruption lingering within the military. Whenever someone aims to accomplish something—whether officially or unofficially—people and money inevitably move. They're probably targeting that tiny distortion. When I told them I'm being targeted, it was essentially saying, 'Don't bother chasing leads; just get yourself killed by some low-level thug!'

Lina lets out a loud sigh in response to Shinosuke's words.

"I'm worried about you, Shinosuke, and I'm really angry, but are you and the others really okay?"

I don’t really care about it... It makes no sense to target my life now, so wasting effort on such a thing is just frustrating. If that’s the reality, though, there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll simply take the necessary measures. As for Seira and Milliena, they’re clearly worried about me, but given my attitude, they must be quite exasperated.

Lina couldn't help but feel exasperated by Shinosuke's matter-of-fact tone.

And then, spoke the thoughts they had kept hidden.

"...Mr. Shinnosuke, I have a personal suggestion. This is not a proposal on behalf of the Free Merchant Guild."

What is it?

"My family has influential members in the federal parliament and high-ranking officials in government ministries. We could apply pressure on the military through those channels. If you have any suspects in mind targeting Shinnosuke, this would be especially effective. It's an improper use of personal connections, but I'd do anything to protect Shinnosuke."

Shinnosuke immediately shook his head at Rina's offer.

"I decline."

"…Is that really impossible?"

"Unless it's support from the union as an organization, the issue is your personal involvement, Rina. Moreover, under that plan, if it fails, the damage won't fall on you—it'll be your family who suffers. I have no intention of taking such a risk, and it would be counterproductive from the start."

"Counterproductive?"

The situation is likely to become increasingly complicated. I've heard that after I left the military, a storm of disciplinary reforms swept through the space forces. I'm dealing with cunning individuals who survived that storm. I don't believe external pressure will be effective. Instead, the methods used to target my life will grow more sophisticated, making them much harder to handle."

Lina looked down, her expression sad.

Is there anything I can do for Shinosuke-san?

"Not at the moment. If we apply pressure in an unusual way, they’ll be able to trace it back to you, and that could put Rina in danger. I can't possibly put Rina at risk like that."

"Of course, I'm not a union staff member or part of Shinnosuke's crew, and union staff don't share dangers with sailors. Still, I'm sorry to say, many union staff members see themselves as fellow workers who work alongside sailors. I feel the same way..."

Shin nosuke nodded in agreement with Rina's words.

"That's exactly how we feel too. We free merchants can't survive without the union, and the union can't exist without free merchants. In a way, sailors and union staff are bound together in fate. That's why, right now, I need you, Miss Rina, to act as my liaison—treat me as if nothing's changed, and fulfill your duties as a union official without hesitation. That's the easiest way for me to move forward."

Rina stared intently at Shin Nosuke's face.

And her expression grew even sterner.

...Understood. If that's the case, I will continue fulfilling my duties as a union employee as usual. However, as a union decision, we won't be able to arrange cargo or passenger transport services for Mr. Shin Nosuke and his team for the foreseeable future. As for security services, it will also be difficult to arrange if Mr. Shin Nosuke himself is the target.

"That's unavoidable, I suppose. For the time being, we'll just have to keep going with trade operations on our own responsibility... Hopefully, we can settle this as soon as possible."

Having finished the matter, Shin Nosuke stands up to leave the reception room, but Rinna calls out to stop him.

"Ah, Shin Nosuke-san, there's one more thing I'd like to say."

"What is it?"

"Exactly as before—so please go on a date with me again."

"Huh?!"

Shin Nosuke was unable to immediately respond to Rina, who instantly shifted from a stern expression to her usual smile.