Cosmic Fleet Lieutenant Commander Shinnosuke Kashimura

What Shinnosuke chose was to serve on active duty temporarily as a reserve officer.

Accompanying this decision, his partner Marks was assigned as a civilian staff sergeant with special duties, joining Shinnosuke aboard the Yatagarasu.

As a result, Shinnosuke advanced one rank from his previous position as a Cosmic Fleet captain, becoming a Cosmic Fleet Lieutenant Commander.

Several days after Shinnosuke made his decision, work to enhance the Yatagarasu's performance was progressing at full speed at Soukouji Industries, and Shinnosuke and Marks had come to the Soukouji Industries factory to oversee the progress and conduct tests on the new systems.

The modification work—replacing the upper dome among the two small domes on the Yatagarasu's hull with a newly equipped dome and upgrading the electronic warfare systems—would normally take several months. However, thanks to Soukouji Industries' specialty in modular unit construction, the dome replacement and system update are expected to be completed in little over a week.

"Master, departure is next week, but how exactly do you plan to explain this to Miss Milena and the others?"

Markus asked Shinnosuke, who had just finished a phase of inspections and was taking a break in the factory's café.

If they took up military duties, they wouldn't be returning for several months.

Though both Shinnosuke and Markus had accepted their fate with resolve, neither intended to die.

Still, the odds of returning safely were vastly lower than the chances of not making it back.

"No, I'm not planning to explain anything before going. It's classified information, after all. Anyway, there's no need to worry about what comes after—just stay relaxed."

If Shinosuke and Marks don't return from this mission, the future of the guild will be entrusted to Milena and the others. But if Milena and the rest are around, there's no need to worry about the guild's future.

Frankly, Shinnosuke and Marks are on a military mission, so they can't bring civilian members like Milena and Seira, and they never intended to bring them along from the start.

"You're right—explaining things won't make them understand. Especially Milena and Seira, they'll stubbornly insist on coming along no matter what, and Linna will go to any lengths to stop them. They might even risk their lives... or worse, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them tried to stab the master to prevent him from going, seriously injuring him in the process."

"That's terrifying. Then we really have no choice but to keep quiet and go along."

"Indeed, that is reasonable."

Shin nosuke shrugged his shoulders.

This time, as a condition for providing the precious Yatagarasu, Shin nosuke had made the space military swear an oath: should the Yatagarasu ever be lost, they would either provide an additional high-performance destroyer, plus compensation for the performance gap between the Yatagarasu and the new vessel, or forgo the destroyer entirely and compensate him in full monetary payment.

"Whether they take the newly built ship or opt for monetary compensation, the rest of us can decide among ourselves. We shouldn't interfere in that matter, and frankly, we can't....Anyway, Marks, are you looking a bit不满? You seem dissatisfied."

Marks nodded in response to Shinosuke's words.

"Yes, I do have a bit of dissatisfaction. Master, when we didn't return, you were negotiating quite boldly with the Space Fleet regarding compensation from the Yatagarasu, weren't you?"

"True enough. What of it?"

"Then why isn't my loss included in that compensation? I may be an outdated model, but I'm still a high-performance military doll. Even if I'm not worth as much as a ship, I still have considerable value."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're indeed a high-performance doll, but since you've filed a human rights claim, you're classified as personnel, not property. If you die in battle, you'll only receive family compensation matching your rank. And if we die, our family benefits won't go to Milena and the others. They'll go to Sister Emilia. I haven't repaid the debt of gratitude for being raised by SAIKOUJI, so I plan to clear that debt—both mine and yours—by having your family compensation cover it."

"If Her Highness Emilia found out about this, she'd scold me. I don't want to get dragged into it myself."

"It's fine. By then, both you and I will be dust in the cosmos."

"That's true, I suppose."

Shinonosuke and Marks exchanged glances and laughed.

With that settled, Shinonosuke decided to spend the remaining time before launch just as he always had.

Milena effortlessly passed the captain's qualification exam and obtained her captain's credentials, but since she had no ship, there was nothing for her to do.

Shinonosuke spent his days relaxing hurriedly yet peacefully, accompanied by Seira, Milena, and Lina.

"Shinonosuke, can I talk to you for a moment?"

On a day like any other, just two days before departure, Shinonosuke was cleaning the office inside the dock when Ash called out to him.

There was no one around.

"Is there something you need?"

Occasionally, the crew would go out to eat together, and they’d chat about trivial matters, but it was unusual for Ash—someone who usually only spoke about work—to call out to him.

"I may not have Milena’s level of ability, but I do have a good instinct... You’re hiding something, aren’t you?"

"No, not really..."

"It’s pointless to try to hide it. Your eyes are telling me everything."

"Your eyes?"

I used to be part of an elite unit in the Coast Guard. I’ve seen that kind of look countless times—eyes that have accepted everything, made their peace. Most men with that look never came back. You have the same eyes as them."

Shin nosuke, caught off guard, gives Ash a self-deprecating smile.

"I thought I was acting normal, but I still have a long way to go."

"My instincts tell me something too, but Shinnosuke is easy to read. Even those three have noticed that Shinnosuke's behavior is different from usual. You may not know what you're planning, but you should probably tell them first."

Shinosuke nods.

"That's true, but even so, I can't tell them."

Ash lets out a sigh, clearly exasperated by Shinnosuke's answer.

"Even if I can't explain through the guild or clarify things, I can mostly guess what you're trying to do. Never mind, I won't say anything more. Leave the guild matters to us. But just so you know, those three will reach the truth soon enough. Be prepared when they return. It won't end lightly."

"Having to prepare for departure, and still needing to prepare upon return... This is going to give me a stiff neck."

It means the feelings of those three people are truly heavy.

Ash gave a mischievous smile.