Day Off for Two

With Millena taking her certification exam, Andy and the others busy with work, Marks absent due to treatment, and Fubuki currently away repairing damage sustained in her battle against Velvet's Black Rose II, only Shinnosuke and Seira remained aboard the dock.

To make matters worse, since Fubuki had entered the SAI repair dock, both of their quarters had gone in with her, leaving Shinnosuke and Seira with nowhere to stay but the office inside the dock.

The office was equipped with a shower and had a makeshift bed, so Shinnosuke would be fine staying there for a few days while repairing Fubuki. However, it wasn't feasible for Seira to stay with him, so she was staying at a nearby hotel.

Still, Seira only returned to the hotel at night; during the day, she came to the dock to study navigation control or spent her time as she pleased.

"I can't relax staying alone at the hotel,"

According to Seira, that's apparently what's going on.

On the third day of his holiday, Shinnosuke, having nothing in particular to do, passed the time reading books, doing training, or going for walks.

"Um, Shinnosuke-san... could you come with me somewhere?"

Seira, usually dressed in her uniform, had unexpectedly shown up in casual clothes, and now she was making a sudden request.

Though she usually comes across as quiet and unassuming, the way Seira dressed—fitting for a girl of her age—made it clear that her invitation was nothing short of a date, no matter how simple-minded Shinosuke might seem.

Though Seira and Shinosuke were more than ten years apart in age, it wasn’t an issue to accompany her on a date.

After all, Shinosuke had already completed his “date course” with Rina.

"Understood. I’ll be your escort, then."

Shinosuke, attempting to display the ease of a mature man, decided to grant Seira her wish.

Whether it was a play, a concert, or shopping—no problem at all.

Even treating her to a fancy, somewhat expensive meal (though Shinosuke had no idea what a fancy restaurant was) wouldn't be a big deal.

After all, this was one of the crew's welfare benefits.

Upon Shinosuke's approval, Seira's expression instantly brightened.

"Thank you. Then let's go right away."

Unusually proactive for Seira, she took Shinosuke's hand and started walking.

Incidentally, Shinosuke was still wearing his usual captain's uniform, even though Seira was in casual clothes. He didn’t own any other stylish casual outfits, and he normally wore his captain’s uniform anyway (the design, created by Emilia, was neat and comfortable to wear—main reasons for his preference).

The two set out into the city right away, but Shinnosuke, having no idea about dating spots that women typically enjoy, simply followed behind Seira as she led him down the street for about twenty minutes.

The place Shinnosuke had been brought to was an unexpectedly surprising destination, far beyond what he’d anticipated.

"Seira, are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes. There's something I want here."

If shopping was the goal, coming to a store was naturally the right choice.

However, although Seyla had brought Shinosuke to a store indeed, it was unexpectedly a gun shop.

"Is this really the right place?... Really?"

"Yes. I want a handgun."

Shinosuke couldn't understand what Seyla was saying.

He couldn't reconcile the quiet, gentle Seyla with the image of a firearm.

Certainly, it wasn't uncommon for sailors to be armed with guns.

Shin nosuke carries two weapons—a Peryl S27 blaster and a Ragza VX67 powder-fired pistol—while Marks and Andy also carry blasters with them.

Though Milena doesn't wield a firearm, she always carries a saber that vibrates at super-high speeds, capable of slicing through anything, and is skilled in swordsmanship as a noble's pastime. She's also proficient with firearms, making her far stronger than an average man.

On the other hand, Seira and Elen, who have no skill in close combat, do not carry lethal weapons like blasters, but possess small electronic shock (EC) guns for self-defense, as instructed by Shinosuke.

The EC gun delivers a powerful electric shock that temporarily incapacitates the target, serving as a non-lethal weapon effective not only against human beings but also against dolls.

It's hard to believe that such a girl would want a handgun—more like a mistake of some sort.

Besides, if she truly needs it for self-defense, there's no need to buy one specifically.

"Serah, if you need a gun, there's a convenient blaster in Fubuki's warehouse."

In Fubuki's warehouse, there are compact and easy-to-handle blasters, not powerful ones like the close-combat models Shinosuke and Marks carry.

Though their power is weak, they're more than sufficient for self-defense, and even Serah, who isn't experienced with firearms, should have no trouble using them.

"No, what I'm looking for isn't a blaster... it's a powder-based pistol like the one Shinosuke carries."

"Huh?"

Shinosuke froze completely upon hearing Seira's words.