Chapter 490: 「Is It Always Like This?」

Chapter 490: 「Is It Always Like This?」

The descent request was swiftly approved. Well, they wouldn’t want to keep the next Countess, the current Earl’s granddaughter, waiting with administrative procedures. If Chris wanted, their heads would roll, literally. I don’t think Chris would ever do something like that, though.

「We’ve reached the descent orbit. Beginning descent.」

「Roger that. Try to keep a large safe margin.」

「Yes, Master. Leave everything to me.」

「Same goes for you, Elma.」

「Yeah, yeah. I’m not going to mess up on something as basic as this.」

The Black Lotus began its descent first, followed closely by the Antlion. Modern spacecraft were equipped with shields to protect them from the heat generated by adiabatic compression during atmospheric entry. They also had powerful thrusters and gravity control devices. As long as the deceleration was handled well, there was no risk of crashing. If something goes wrong, it will be a big disaster. So, I can’t help but worry a bit.

「This is an impressive interstellar terminal.」

「It’s not quite as large as the one in the Imperial Capital, but I think it’s big for a regional interstellar terminal.」

「Yeah, it’s lotsa bigger than the interstellar terminal on Refill IV.」

「The interstellar terminal on Refill IV only had two or three ports that could accommodate a ship the size of the Black Lotus.」Thê source of this conte/nt n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

Tina and Wiska chimed in, joining the conversation between Mimi and Chris.

Indeed, Wiska was right. The interstellar terminal on Refill IV, the home planet of the Elves where we previously stopped by, was much smaller compared to the one on Dexer III. The interstellar terminal on Dexer III had many large ports that could accommodate a ship like the Black Lotus, and the area it occupied was about five times larger. Of course, it couldn’t be compared with the interstellar terminal in the Imperial Capital, that one was even bigger.

The Black Lotus and the Antlion landed smoothly, following the instructions of the control officers at the interstellar terminal. I couldn’t witness the Antlion’s landing myself since it landed quite a distance away from the Black Lotus due to the vast difference in ship sizes, but there were no reports of trouble, so it likely landed without any issues.

「Alright, just like we discussed earlier.」 I said.

「Gotcha! Leave it to me.」

Well, considering Chris’s status, it’s not surprising. The Dexer Star System was the main system of Earl Dareinwald’s territory, and Chris was essentially the second most important person in the Earldom. Given her VIP status, this level of security was expected, especially considering the fact that her parents were assassinated.

「Is it always like this?」

「Sigh...Yeah, well... whenever I come to the home planet, this is pretty much how it goes...」

As Chris gave a wry smile, her guard, Edeltrud, began to complain.

「Lady Christina, you’re far too careless. This trip to the Imperial Capital was a good example—to leave for the capital with just Marion and me as your escort was reckless.」

「It was necessary to depart urgently, so there was no other choice. If I had tried to move with dozens or even hundreds of people, plus cruisers and other escort ships, I definitely wouldn’t have made it in time.」

Despite Edeltrud’s reprimand, Chris seemed entirely unfazed, as if the words went in one ear and out the other. Honestly, I have to agree with Edeltrud on this one. After all, Chris’s parents died because they went on a private trip to a resort star system without any escort. I’d really prefer that she avoids making the same mistake, especially in situations where I can’t protect her.

「That may be true in hindsight, but you should be a bit more careful in the future. Not that I’m one to talk.」

「Yeah, it does seem a bit hypocritical coming from you, Hiro.」

「Haha... Considering the mercenary work we do is all about diving headfirst into danger, it makes sense.」

Elma and Mimi both have a point, but then again, they chose to join me in this mercenary business, so they’re not much different. Well, okay, maybe I dragged them into it, but still.

Maybe it’s time for me to consider a change in lifestyle? But then again, being a mercenary is probably the only thing I can do in this world. The job I used to do in my original world is completely unnecessary with Mei around.

「My Lord?」

「It’s nothing. Anyway, right now, we need to focus on our meeting with Earl Dareinwald.」

Kugi must have grown concerned due to my prolonged silence so she called for me snapping me out of my musings, I shook my head and decided to stay focused. That old man, despite being taciturn, has a strong will and a way of getting what he wants. I need to be on guard so that I don’t end up agreeing to any strange conditions and finding ourselves in a tough spot.