112: Commencing movement toward Nelianipotts

"Ship name change complete. From now on, this vessel shall be known as 'Sexy Mi azuma.' All personnel, please remain vigilant."

"Ship name change confirmed. Data correction completed. Confidential notifications to relevant parties have also been sent. No issues."

"Then, beginning now, we shall resume movement toward the Nelianipotts system."

A few days after discussing the Nelianipotts system.

The Pumpkin Witch departed from the Primal Colony in the Flaretanbo system.

In an unremarkable spot within the asteroid belt, it used its onboard systems to alter its name and exterior appearance.

With this change, the trail of the Pumpkin Witch—once celebrated for its outstanding role in defeating the cosmic beast Megalnia and earning widespread acclaim from numerous quarters—came to an abrupt halt, and so too did the journey of us, its crew, for the time being.

That said, since those who are monitoring the situation—including the Imperial Military's intelligence units—already know that 'Pumpkin Witch' and 'Sexy MiAzuma' are the same ship, it doesn't hinder Viridiana's mission in the slightest.

Incidentally, it seems they can easily slip past inspections at the guide colonies, as expected.

When power and technological prowess combine, it really becomes something else entirely, huh.

"Vee. The movement has started, so I'd like to ask you a couple more things—okay?"

It's fine, Sata.

Well, that's beside the point.

Once the movement begins, my role will mostly be either leading the reconnaissance or handling emergencies, leaving the human body here relatively idle.

There's still a lot of reports piling up, but I'm free.

Since I have nothing better to do, I'll go ahead and double-check everything that needs checking.

"Then, first question: Will we sense any threats between now and reaching the Nelianipotts system?"

"Not at all right now. But please keep minimal vigilance."

"I understand. Not sensing a threat doesn't mean we can afford to let our guard down."

With that, I asked the question to Vilijanila, whose sensing capabilities far surpass my own.

Given the answer, it seems unlikely that we'll suddenly be attacked by something like the cosmic monster Blackfall Shark.

What is the threat in the Nieranipotts system?

"We don't sense anything on our end either. We've done a thorough information gathering, but nothing particularly stands out. That said, data on the Nieranipotts system entering from the Flaretanbo system is limited, and due to transmission delays, there's a time lag. So, determining whether there's a threat won't be possible until we've exited hyperspace at the earliest."

"I understand."

Whether there's a threat at the destination remains uncertain at this point.

Well, there's nothing we can do about that.

Still, if we gather information on-site and the Vilijaniara still don't perceive a threat, our job will become much easier.

In that case, the decoy will likely not be a victim decoy, but rather one meant to draw attention away by standing out.

In other words, it'll be a task that could be handled just fine without us—though it'll be even easier if we're there.

Hmm, I'd prefer it if things worked out that way.

I don't really feel like doing jobs that get whittled down to nothing, like the fight against Maglenia.

"Then one more thing—about meals during travel, it's settled as we discussed yesterday, right?"

"Yes, that's fine."

So, the second point of confirmation: meals.

Up until now, we've been traveling on cargo-passenger ships like the *Tsumebakei*.

On cargo-passenger ships, there were dozens of crew members, and since there was also an excuse to cut costs, a dining area was established, staffed by specialists responsible for meal preparation.

It was also more convenient that way, but since good food directly affects crew morale, it could also be considered a given.

On a passenger ship, it's typical for a dining facility to be available onboard, where passengers pay to enjoy meals prepared by professionals.

If the food is delicious, it could even serve as a standalone attraction to draw in customers—there's no doubt it would be a profitable venture.

But what about a privately owned spacecraft like the one we're currently aboard, which sails with just a small crew?

In that case, it becomes purely a matter of personal preference.

You can bring your own water and supplies, and if you want to put in as much effort as you like, there's no limit—so it ends up being all different.

"If Satā wants to make something, just let me or Jōharis know in advance, and prepare meals for three people—there won't be any problem."

"Got it. Then I'll do it whenever I feel like it and have the time."

Of course, it's undeniable that we can't afford to waste water or supplies, and even saving via mods isn't free of energy consumption.

So we'll definitely need to discuss things carefully.

And this is a choice available only to those who can cook.

"So, what about today?"

"Since we just bought some rations, I'd like to try eating those instead."

"Is that so? Then let's do that, shall we?"

What would meals aboard the spaceship be like when there's no one capable of cooking?

That's today's menu... rations.

Checking the time.

Yeah, it's about mealtime now.

So, Vilijani and I each picked up one ration—cheap, mass-produced rations made in the Flaretanbo system—stored in the space left after we unloaded the clothing from the Eniweatsu.

12/01 Correction of typo