I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary

Chapter 311 - A Priestess from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire

Translator: SFBaka

“””……”””

“……?”

“Stay! The three of you, stay!”

We were now inside the lounge of the hotel Mimi made a reservation in. I was now trying to keep the ‘explosive’ situation from boiling over.

Anyway, we proceeded to check in with the white animal ear girl who doesn’t seem to want to let go of me in tow. By the way, the lady receptionist kept looking at me like I was a disgusting piece of human garbage the whole time. Afterward, we went over to the hotel lounge. I immediately went and sat down on a sofa, but the young girl sat down beside me like it was just natural for her to do so.

Mimi, Elma, and Mei looked at the two of us with blank expressions akin to that of a noh mask. Tina just grinned along as she enjoyed the drama, and Whisker had a troubled look on her face as if wondering what she should do. This was the current situation.

“For now, can you scoot away for a bit first? Then explain exactly what’s going on to us. I definitely haven’t met you before, and I don’t know why you insist on sticking close to me.”

“T-That’s……”

The white-colored animal-eared young girl peered up at me with puffy eyes that seemed close to tears. The ears on her head plopped down dejectedly. Stooop. Don’t arouse my feelings of sympathy young lady. I couldn’t help but pat her on the head to console her.

“Alright, that’s enough. Can you hurry up and talk already?”

Mimi addressed the white-colored girl with a colder-than-ice expression and voice that I’d never seen and heard her use before. This is turning into quite a headache. But I do get where she’s coming from.

“I don’t think it’s proper to impose yourself one-sidedly against another person without even explaining the circumstances and ignoring everyone else, miss. Any decent person would do otherwise.”

Elma doesn’t seem to be as angry as Mimi, but she simply seemed to be exasperated regarding the whole situation. No, she should be angry. She’s just using solid arguments to display her distaste.

“……”

Mei remained silent. But my instinct, or rather, my combat sense was tingling. It was telling me she was prepared to take the girl down immediately the moment she makes any dangerous moves.

“Y-You’re right. I just couldn’t help myself and lost all sense of reason…… I’m so sorry, My Lord.”

“Ah…… Mm.”

I had no idea what reaction I should be making so I just gave an ambiguous response. It’s not like I found it a pity that she’s stopped sticking close to me or anything. So can you guys quit it with those painful gazes already?

“My name is Seijou Kugi. Oh, that’s right. The custom here is to put one’s name first followed by one’s surname, correct? Let me do it over. I am Kugi Seijou. I’m a priestess from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire and…… Um, what’s wrong, My Lord?”

I facepalmed and looked up toward the ceiling of the lounge. Ah, dammit…… So this is the price for conveniently securing a ship like the Antlion huh. Mimi looked like she’d bitten several bitter bugs, and Elma massaged her temples as if enduring a headache. Mei was expressionless as usual. Both mechanic sisters displayed bitter smiles.

“No, please don’t mind us. We have our own circumstances. So, why did someone like you come all the way from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire to the Graccan Empire then suddenly call out to me and hugged me? I don’t get the situation at all.”

The Holy Vuelzarus Empire was another galactic empire that was located pretty far away from the Graccan Empire. The relations between it and the Graccan Empire couldn’t be said to be too good or too bad, and there was at least some diplomatic contact between the two. I think it’s safe to assume that relations between them and Graccan were much better than hostile nations such as the Vereverem Federation and its allies like the Virginia Union. I’d heard that it was possible to reach it via gateway too.

And their most distinctive quality is being regarded as one of the so-called psionic civilizations. What are psionic civilizations, you ask? Err, actually, I’m not too sure myself. Anyway, as far as I knew, it seemed they were civilizations that made ample use of and placed great importance on mystical phenomena such as psychic abilities and magical powers.

“It’s because you are an existence who has come down from the upper world, so my duty is to offer this body, heart, and soul to you and serve you to the best of my abilities.”

The girl’s unclouded golden pupils filled with sincere feelings stared directly at my own. Aha, I see. ……I still don’t get it.

“Have you understood?”

“No, not at all.”

“I have no idea what this girl is talking about.”

“Anyway, all I got from that is the part where she’s supposed to offer her body to you, Boss.”

“O-Offer her body?”

“My policy is to eat meals offered to me as much as possible, but something like this is a bit-”

“Now you’re just plain lyin’.”

Tina glared at me reproachfully, but I ignored her. C’mon. I just hesitated because of your appearance y’know. If they were humans and were at least as physically developed as Mimi, then I wouldn’t have hesitated at all.

Eh? What about Lt. Col. Serena and Chris? Making a move on those two is like willingly committing suicide y’know. Even though eating what was offered to me was my policy, there were still limits to just how far I would go. By the way, Kugi-chan was completely A-OK in my book. When it comes to looks at least. It’s just that I still needed to be careful here because was mostly sure that troublesome stuff would follow once I laid my hands on this girl from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire.

“First, I don’t quite get what that stuff regarding the upper world and whatnot is all about. Can you explain it to laymen like us in simple and easy-to-understand terms please?”

“Hm? You’re not a native of this world but are instead a visitor who came from the upper world, right? I had thought you would be more familiar with this fact than anyone……? And above all, the power overflowing from your body is obvious proof of how special an existence you are.”

“Ah-…… I see. So that’s it.”

I give. Apparently, this girl was totally convinced that I wandered from another world to this one. Come to think of it, Miriam-san, the leader of the Minfa clan, talked about something similar as well back then.

“Okay, let’s assume that I really am such a powerful spiritual existence or whatever. What has that got to do with you, exactly? I mean, why would you suddenly devote yourself to me just because of that?”

“It is definitely my concern. After all, it is ultimately because of us that visitors from the upper world like you had appeared in this world.”

“You’re the cause? What do you mean by that?”

“Simply put, our people had once caused a hole to open in the fabric of this world.”

“A hole…”

“Yes. It was a great big hole that went all the way from the upper world to this one. As a consequence, more and more existences from multiple universes - including the upper world - were drawn into this one, and their combined power and potential once put this world to the brink of collapse.”

“A-Au……”

What the heck? What’s with this totally fantasy-themed backstory? It’s just like those secret black history writings tucked inside the notebooks of junior high students. When I looked around, I found that everyone except Mei was giving Kugi-chan suspicious gazes. Well, of course, they would. That’s a normal reaction. I think it’s ridiculous too.

“But with the intervention of the greatest beings of this world, the dangerous situation was settled, and the hole was finally closed. However, the potential that had already flowed into this world from the hole left many smaller tears and cracks on the dimensional fabric, and some existences still manage to wander into this world from those cracks from time to time.”

“And you’re saying I’m one of those visitors?”

“There can be no mistake. The power that is constantly emanating from you-that potential is definitely not of this world. In fact, you should be capable of bending the laws of this world to your will if you so wish it. Have you ever experienced something of the sort?”

“M-mm……”

It’s not like I haven’t. I mean, just holding my breath seemed to have the effect of slowing down time from my perspective, I could seemingly read and understand all languages without the use of a universal translator implant, and just a short while back, I was suspected to have deflected a laser cannon barrage aimed at Krishna. Heck, I think my strange ability to attract trouble wherever I went was also pretty abnormal.

“Let’s assume that your story is true and that I have an inkling of what you’re talking about. How does that lead to you offering yourself to me then?”

“Our aim is to correct the mistakes of the past. Our duties are to eliminate harmful existences that made their way into this world when the dimensional hole was opened, take custody of those who have found themselves in this world through the dimensional cracks, and serve them wholeheartedly.”

“That’s a pretty grand undertaking…… Or rather, if that’s true, then wouldn’t it make more sense if guys like me actually got treated as archenemies of the entire galaxy and beaten up?”

“When the great ones restored order to the world, all knowledge about the matter was forgotten by everyone except for us. And from the moment we were born, this knowledge was etched into the very depths of our souls. It is the punishment the greater beings have imposed on us in order for us to atone for our transgressions.”

The girl’s golden irises still remained unclouded and sincere as she continued to gaze straight at me. Really, I give up. I don’t think I can make my way out of this one. Even if I completely rejected her, given her strong sense of mission, I bet she’d still follow after us no matter what. Then there’s a chance she’d disappear in some out-of-the-way back-alley someday, and end up a victim of the scum lurking around such places.

“……What do you guys think?”

“It’s true that the Holy Vuelzarus Empire has a reputation as a very altruistic nation. I heard they are extremely well-mannered and reasonable as long as you don’t go over the line and violate their territory, and also often participate actively in actions against dangerous crises such as space monster attacks.”

“And they still manage to run the country smoothly even with such policies……?”

“It seems that they do. At least, the nations neighboring them only ever have good things to say about them, and nations that are further away from them like Graccan consider them as a country that would do neither harm nor good.”

“But there still has to be some ambitious guys aiming for them, right?”

“All of them bent their knees in surrender to the psionic technology of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. I’ve only heard this from rumors, but it seems the ships of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire are capable of using psionic technology to perform space jumps.”

“Jumps……? Um, you mean instant teleportation? With a starship?”

“Yeah. It’s said that entire fleets are capable of jumping to somewhere several star systems away without making use of a hyperdrive.”

“Entire fleets……”

There’s no way to win against something like that. It would be nigh impossible for a normal fleet to deal with an opponent who can move between star systems instantly without using hyperlanes.

The wars between galactic empires in this world were basically like a camp capturing game in which they competed in capturing and defending territories through the use of the hyperlane network. Basically, the ‘players’ were generally aware of how the hyperlane networks between various nations were connected, and they would endeavor to either capture or defend hub systems where hyperlane nodes converged - the so-called chokepoints - in order to maintain or increase their influence over the ‘board’. This was the general strategy. This goes for both the attacking and defending side. However, it seemed like the fleets of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire could completely ignore the hyperlane networks and jump to any spot they liked at will. Of course, ordinary galactic empires wouldn’t be able to win even if they fought their hardest. Even if they managed to keep their chokepoints, the other party could simply attack places with thinner defenses with impunity.

“Well, let’s leave the matter about their ships aside for now…… But geez. What are you gonna do if I refuse?”

“T-That’s…… If that is your will, My Lord…… I- I will have no choice but to obey……”

After saying so, Kugi-chan began to shed tears while still looking at my face. Isn’t this cheating? Attacking my conscience directly is definitely cheating y’know?

“……What’s going to happen to you afterward? You’ll need to report that you weren’t able to fulfill your duty, right?”

“I-I’ll probably be disposed of……”

“Disposed of? Like getting your salary deducted or being demoted from your current post?”

“I think I’ll be removed from the role of a priestess…… Not being able to serve the person I’ve managed to meet means that I’m not a qualified priestess. As for what will happen after that……”

Kugi-chan answered Mimi and Tina’s questions with a quavering voice and peered up at me once more with a face filled with tears. Please stop it already! That face and those drooped animal ears just gave me a critical hit, dammit.

“I have a question.”

As I and the rest of the girls were at a loss about what to do, Mei suddenly raised her voice.

“Y-Yes…… What is it?”

“You keep saying such ambiguous terms like devoting yourself, but just what kind of benefits can you specifically offer Master in the first place? What do you and the Holy Vuelzarus Empire seek from Master? I find the act of sending away personnel to far away countries in order to look for these so-called ‘visitors from the upper world’ without any clear targets or planning for the purpose of unilaterally offering your service and dedication to them far too inefficient and wasteful. Do you not have a concrete and rational reason for doing so?”

“I offer literally my everything. I dedicate this very body itself. My life, soul, and physical body. Everything. As long as My Lord wills it, I can freely give up my life for him. This body was born and lives for that very purpose. A-And if My Lord deems me unnecessary…… then it cannot be helped……”

“I see. If so, then what do you seek from Master? Is there something you want from him?”

“T-That’s…… Due to the mistakes made in the past, My Lord had lost everything and suddenly found himself in this world. He had lost his previous relations, his wealth, and his social position. Any and all connections between him and his former world were abruptly taken away from him. It might not be enough to account for all of that, but we hope that serving him would allow us to atone for such a sin, even if just a little.”

“Is there really nothing else you want? Is the Holy Vuelzarus Empire not thinking of using Master as a convenient power source? According to your story, Master is in possession of a high level of potential. Isn’t the Holy Vuelzarus Empire just making use of young ladies like you to tie down these『visitors from the upper world』in order to use them for the Empire’s prosperity?”

“There is no such thing! It is true that we are prepared to welcome those visitors who choose to reside within our country, but the choice is by no means forced upon them. There are indeed times when we plead for their assistance, but we would never use those who get lost in this world like My Lord for our own ends. Please take back those words.”

Kugi-chan’s tails bristled in agitation. Ah, her tails sure are fluffy. Man, she even has three. She also had splendid animal ears. Was she a fox-girl or something like that?

“I see. It is impossible to believe your claims with your words alone as evidence, but my inferences are also only mere inferences. Please allow me to take back my words then.”

After saying so, Mei bowed slightly to Kugi-chan. In response to the apology, Kugi-chan sat back down on the sofa again and calmed down. It seemed she got embarrassed by her previous outburst.

“……So, what are we going to do? About this girl, I mean.”

“You’re asking me……?”

“I also think only you can make the final decision, Hiro-sama.”

Both Elma and Mimi glared at me. How scary. I turned to Tina and Whisker for some backup, but Tina just shrugged her shoulders while Whisker shook her head. They were probably signaling that it would be a problem if I left the decision up to them.

“……If I’m not gonna get forced to head to the Holy Vuelzarus Empire and work for them or something then…… then let’s just try being with her for the time being. But you have to try and get along with everyone. I’ll leave her to you, Mei.”

“Y-Yes! Thank you very much! I will absolutely prove to be of use to you, My Lord!”

“Understood.”

Kugi-chan peered up at me and displayed an expression beaming with happiness with her cheeks still wet with tears. The fully erect ears on her head indicated her elation. Mei was expressionless as usual, but in any case, leaving things to her should be for the best. It should be. I believe in Mei.

As for Mimi-san and Elma-san… Let’s have a nice long chat later, okay. I’ve been sighing a lot inwardly, but I do think this was beyond my control. In any case, I don’t think I can bear to refuse her completely, so it can’t be helped.