XRD-F00 Yatagarasu

Going back a little in time, Shinosuke and Marks had just seen off the departing Fukuki when they visited Saikouji Industry.

"Mr. Kasimura, we've been expecting you."

Hanks, the first sales department chief of Saikouji Industry's Salirus Stellar Province branch (whose title had mysteriously shed an extra 'deputy deputy' in recent times), greeted Shinosuke and his companions in the reception room.

Today was the day Shinosuke would receive his newly acquired escort ship.

In fact, the plan to purchase the new escort ship had been secretly carried out between Shinosuke and Saikouji Industries, without informing Milena and the others.

After all, the escort ship XRD-F00 Yatagarasu, which they had just acquired, was a completely different vessel from Shinosuke's previous ships, the Kerberos or the Fubuki.

While Kerberos and Fubuki were prototype ships built to compete in the military destroyer and cruiser deployment program, Yatagarasu itself was never intended to participate in such competitions. Instead, it was constructed as an experimental vessel and data collection ship within Sai Kou Ji Industry.

Although the Yatagarasu was designed as an assault reconnaissance vessel according to internal development plans, in practice it functions as a destroyer equipped with enhanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities, capable of conducting assault reconnaissance missions.

It appears that Sai Kou Ji Industry has no intention of developing the Yatagarasu as a destroyer in its current form.

Instead, the plan is to use the data collected by the Yatagarasu to inform and improve the development of various other ship types.

The basic testing and data collection within the company had already been completed, and since what was needed now was real combat data, Shinnosuke was chosen as the one to take the lead.

Shinnosuke himself had been considering introducing a new escort vessel in anticipation of the company's expansion, but he had intended to do so at a later date.

However, just at that moment, Hankus from Syokouji Industries approached him with an attractive sales proposal.

The XRD-F00 Yatagarasu, which had been awaiting dismantling after completing internal testing and data collection, suddenly found its engineers requesting real-world operational data as well.

Upon hearing this, Hankus recommended Shinnosuke, who was currently working for the Salius Stellar Province Free Merchant Ship Association, piloting a Syokouji Industries military vessel and capable of providing high-quality data from actual operations.

Moreover, since Shinnosuke already had a prior contract for data provision, this arrangement was even more convenient.

That's why the ship's price was set extremely low, making it a perfect sales pitch to Shinnosuke.

As for Shinnosuke, there was no reason to refuse an escort vessel—enhanced with superior radar and electronic warfare capabilities, and possessing strong combat power as a destroyer—offered at such a low price.

The crew is short-handed, but for the time being, we should have no issues using the Fubuki and Yatagarasu according to mission requirements.

The contract was finalized because both parties' interests aligned.

"The armament is nearly identical to that of the Fubuki, though the main gun's output is about 8% lower than that of the Fubuki."

Although the Yatagarasu is slightly smaller than the Fubuki, at 95 meters in length, the difference is only about 10 meters—essentially the same size.

However, its payload is only about half that of the Fubuki, at 50 tons.

In exchange, it places greater emphasis on engine power, radar, and electronic warfare equipment.

The bridge layout is largely similar to that of the Fubuki, but there is one key difference: an electronic warfare operator's station is located next to the navigation control and communications operator stations.

Having acquired the new escort vessel Yatagarasu, Shinosuke registered with the guild and immediately set out on a familiarization voyage.

"Quite the fine ship. Fast on its feet, now, where should we head to...?"

"I've set the coordinates to the airspace Fubuki is searching. Let's head there right away."

Ignoring Shinosuke's idle chatter, Marks casually set the destination himself.

"Hey, Marks. I never said I was following Fubuki, you know."

"Master, it's fine. Even if you say you don't plan to follow her, you'll still find some excuse—like taking a wrong route or some other reason—to head that way, won't you? So let's skip all that pointless hesitation and just go straight there."

"...."

Thus, Shinosuke and Marks had come together to meet Fubuki, combining the test flight and familiarization navigation with the Yatagarasu.