Yatagarasu heading toward the Acneria Stellar Province

With Shinosuke, Marks, and Rina aboard, the Yatagarasu was smoothly navigating toward Acneria, the capital planet of the Acneria Galactic Federation, located in the Acneria Stellar Province.

There was no sign of the pirate attacks they had feared, and the journey was exceptionally calm.

"Strange... there seem to be a lot of warships around..."

Lina murmured softly, gazing at the stars through the monitor.

Indeed, they had passed by an unusually high number of warships, but with this many military vessels around, it was impossible for any space pirates to appear.

Lina felt a faint sense of doubt, but Shinnosuke was seeing the situation more deeply.

"Sixth Fleet, Ninth Fleet... and now the M19 Fleet..."

They had already passed three fleets along the route of the Yatagarasu.

It's not unusual for warships to sail along the standard route to the capital, but in the vastness of space, with other routes included, there are likely several more fleets on the move.

"Everyone's heading toward the Salius Stellar Province... could they be on alert due to the civil war in Lymria?"

Shin nosuke nods in response to Lina's puzzled expression.

"Probably, yes... though..."

Lina's guess wasn't wrong.

There's no reason for the Acnelia Galactic Federation to actively intervene militarily in Lymria's civil war, so it's likely they simply deployed forces to monitor the border region.

However, what's concerning is the specific unit that was dispatched.

The 6th Fleet is a strike-focused fleet centered around battleships and heavy cruisers, designed to spearhead operations in the event of conflict. Similarly, the 9th Fleet possesses the highest number of space carriers among all space fleets, making it a versatile force capable of both offense and defense.

At least two fleets—those numbered in the single digits—are the mainstays of the space fleet.

Moreover, Fleet M19 is a unique unit within the space fleet, centered around assault landing ships operated by the Space Marine Corps, primarily deployed in offensive operations.

Furthermore, the Second Fleet, a core fleet unit, is stationed in the Salius Stellar Province.

It's clearly excessive for a defensive alert role, and its composition represents an imbalance in combat capability.

(Do they anticipate war with Lymria?... Surely not.)

Shinnosuke couldn't even voice his thoughts aloud.

Though his expression betrayed him, Rinna, seated in the co-pilot's chair to the left rear of the cockpit, remained unaware.

After all, what could a mere freelance merchant like Shinnosuke do about it?

More pressing was another challenge awaiting him—though Shinnosuke had no way of knowing it at that moment.

The Yamatagarasu continued sailing smoothly, arriving at the capital colony orbiting the planet Acneria in the Acneria Stellar Province without incident—neither pirate attacks nor any problems aboard the ship.

The cargo was delivered without issue, and all necessary procedures were handled by Rina.

All that remained was to resupply and rest, then await departure three days later.

"I'm back. All the baggage procedures are finished. I've already handled the payment of your reward... Wait, what are you doing?"

Rina stared at Shinnosuke with wide eyes.

It was understandable, though—he had just completed the post-arrival inspection and was wandering around the ship in casual workout clothes, towel in hand.

"What do you mean, I was just thinking about taking a bath..."

Though it was unusual to see Shinosuke in such a state, he was simply preparing for bed after a quick shower.

"Hey? Since we're here, how about going out somewhere? I was born on this colony and lived here until I became a union employee and was transferred to the Sirius Stellar Province, so I can show you around."

It was a clear invitation for a date, but right now, sleep was far more appealing.

Syunosuke politely declined Rina's invitation, deciding to prioritize resting from the day's travel over sightseeing the capital colony, postponing the tour until tomorrow.

Though Rina was disappointing, he felt no urgency.

This time, there would be no interruptions—everything was proceeding exactly as Rina had planned.

"Well, that's fine. The real thing comes tomorrow, after all."

Rina smirked to herself.

The next day, after resting thoroughly and having recovered from the fatigue of navigation, Shinnosuke woke up at his usual regular time and spent the morning leisurely on the bridge, browsing news updates.

"Shinnosuke-san, Marks-san, let's go out!"

Turning around at the cheerful voice, he saw Rina standing there in an unusual outfit—calm and composed in a simple dress, smiling brightly.

"That's right. It's a promise, after all."

"I'm staying behind, so you two go ahead."

Markus hesitates, but Rina shakes her head.

"It's such a rare opportunity—let's all go together. I know you might not have much to do during dinner, but I've made sure there's a proper seat reserved for you, Markus!"

Having heard that, Markus has no choice but to agree.

"Understood. I'll accompany you both, doubling as your bodyguards."

"That's right. Oh, and although it's not too strict, the restaurant does have a dress code, so please wear your uniform, Shinnosuke—casual clothes won't do. Markusu, your outfit is already prepared over there, so just wear that one as-is."

Shinosuke and Markusu exchanged glances, amused by Lina's cheerful tone.

Thus, Shinnosuke slowly found himself falling under Lina's spell.

Lina guided Shinosuke and the others to a restaurant located in the central district of the colony.

It was elegant without being stiff, not as strict as Lina had described, yet still expected to maintain a certain level of refinement.

Markusu was led to a private room, where he was changed from his tuxedo into a high-quality formal suit.

Markusu, who usually wore his military jacket with work pants for practical storage of various tools—his usual attire fitting perfectly—still looked out of place in a formal suit, especially considering his serious mechanical nature.

"U-uh, you look good in it, Markusu."

"I deeply regret having declined the uniform Master once offered me..."

Lina watched their exchange with a cheerful smile.

"Come, let's go."

She finally guided Shinosuke and Markus to the private room they had reserved.