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

Chapter 501: 「Again?」

「Again?」

After finishing the greetings at the cathedral of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire, I returned home, gathered everyone in the dining room, and told them to be cautious of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. But the only reaction was Elma looking at me with exasperation. It seems she thought I was being overly cautious for no reason.

「If I were just some run-of-the-mill mercenary, we probably wouldn’t have to worry too much. Or if we were dealing with the Grakkan Empire, which has little to no interest in psionic technology, it wouldn’t be a concern either. But we’re heading to a nation whose civilization is based on psionics, the Holy Vuelzarus Empire has a profound understanding of psionic power and uses it every day. These people know exactly how to make use of someone like me. I think it’s worth being cautious, don’t you?」

「You say that, but doesn’t that also mean they’re the ones who understand the dangers of dealing with people like you the most? I don’t think you need to worry.」

「If they know how dangerous my powers are, they’ve probably researched how to deal with them. They might even have developed technology to harness the energy I release if I ‘explode.’ And, don’t forget that the only information we have about the dangers of my power going berserk comes from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire itself. Who knows how much they’re keeping from us? We can’t afford to let our guard down.」

I countered Elma’s argument with what I think is a pretty sound argument. The more dangerous something is, the more people will research and try to exploit it. And there’s no proof they’ve told me everything.

「Um… my Lord… I swear, we really aren’t plotting anything sinister, really… I promise…」

Watching me and Elma argue, Kugi was on the verge of tears. She looked at me, practically pleading, and seemed like she might burst into tears at any moment. Using tears is unfair, isn’t it?

「Um, Hiro-sama, I think you’re being a bit hard on Kugi-san… Are you doubting her as well?」

「No, I’m not doubting Kugi. But there’s a difference between not doubting Kugi and trusting the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. Just because Kugi doesn’t know about it doesn’t mean the Holy Vuelzarus Empire isn’t planning to capture and use someone like me.」

Tina gave a wry smile at my response to Mimi.

「Boss, you’re almost paranoid…」

「Hmm… You might be a bit too suspicious, but I also think there’s no harm in being cautious. When it comes to dealing with nations, their decisions are based on national interests.」

「I completely agree with that. It’s understandable that the captain would be wary of a massive organization like an interstellar empire. I’m with the captain on this one. 」

「That’s true. But is it really possible for them to control or even harness Hiro-kun’s psionic power? I mean, there are ways to completely destroy and manipulate a person’s mind or consciousness, but one wrong move would release an uncontrolled energy that’s several times, even ten or twenty times more powerful than a supernova, right?」

It’s true, as Shouko-sensei pointed out, someone like me, a ‘visitor’,  is an inherently risky entity to tamper with in a hostile manner—if we believe what the Holy Vuelzarus Empire says, at least.

「No matter how advanced the Holy Vuelzarus Empire’s psionic technology may be, I find it hard to believe they could control such a massive amount of energy. If they had the technology to harness something like that, they would’ve unified the galaxy long ago and moved toward fulfilling whatever mission they’re pursuing, right?」

That does make sense. If they could fully control and freely use such immense energy, conquering the galaxy would be a simple task for them.

「But in reality, that’s not the case. They keep to their relatively small territory, limit contact with the outside world as much as possible, and focus on fulfilling their mission. This suggests they don’t have that level of technological capability. So, as Kugi-kun mentioned, the best approach for the Holy Vuelzarus Empire would be to avoid provoking you unnecessarily and build a relationship where we can cooperate if any issues arise.」reasoned.

Shouko-sensei’s argument makes sense. At the very least, it seems more logical than my vague sense of caution. Hmm, could that be true? If they really had the technology to exploit me, they would have already completed whatever penance or duty the citizens of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire were talking about, right? Now that it’s framed that way, it does seem plausible.

「At the cathedral today, they treated you with great respect. Not only that, but they even offered to send a full escort fleet from their distant homeland using their gateway. And of course, the Grakkan Empire has been informed about the use of the gateway. The Empire is fully aware of your visit to the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. Plus, Hiro, you’re a recipient of the Gold Star and an honorary viscount of the Empire. If you were to go to the Holy Vuelzarus Empire and not return, it would become a diplomatic incident.」

Elma added after Shouko-sensei, speaking from the perspective of a noble of the Grakkan Empire.

「On top of that, you are going to be married soon to a Marquis House, an Earl House, and a Viscount House, and one of your companions is your fiancée and a member of one of those families. Plus, although unofficial, Mimi is the grand-niece of the Emperor himself. All these connections protect you and us. While they might be a hassle for you, these ties are like armor for us. So, Hiro, it’s about time you stop thinking of yourself as just a simple mercenary.」

「Ugh, that stings… but the idea that those collars work as armor is a new perspective. I see now.」

The titles like Gold Star recipient and honorary viscount, which I once thought of as collars placed on me by the Empire, could actually serve as armor to protect me from other galactic empires. That makes sense. From the Grakkan Empire’s perspective, if someone took away a dog they had collared and locked it up, they’d be furious. It wouldn’t work against an enemy like the Vereverem Federation, though.

「Hmm… so, we should be cautious… but in moderation?」

「Yes, keep it moderate. While they might not have any ill intentions to trap you, there could be honey traps or emotional manipulation. You’re a soft-hearted guy who can’t help but assist cute, troubled girls, right? Be careful of that. Don’t go around picking up too many girls recklessly.」

「Hey, don’t make it sound like I’ve been picking up girls all this time…」

If I had been that unprincipled, the Black Lotus would be overflowing with girls by now. Probably. Though I don’t think I’m that attractive so maybe not.

「Look, instead of worrying about stupid things, you should do something about Kugi, you’ve made her cry because of your suspicions.」

「Alright. Kugi, I’m sorry for doubting you. I never actually doubted you personally. Please forgive me.」

「No, my Lord, it is my fault that you cannot fully trust my country. I will strive to earn more of your trust in the future…」

「No, no, it’s not your fault, Kugi… I’m really sorry.」

It seems my suspicion has deeply hurt Kugi. This is part of who I am, and it’s not something I can easily change, but I should try to broaden my perspective a bit more in the future… I should reflect on this.

「I don’t think the captain’s thinking is wrong, though. To a massive organization like a nation, individual lives and dignity are as insignificant as garbage. Let your guard down, and they’ll use you up and throw you away.」

「Neve, stop stirring things up. I understand your distrust of nations, but let’s leave it at that. Now, the discussion is over. Once the escort fleet arrives, we’ll be leaving the Grakkan Empire for a while, so if there’s anything you need to do before then—like contacting your family—do it soon. Tina and Wiska, you both have a lot of people to reach out to, don’t you?」

Elma skillfully brought the conversation to a close, lightly scolding Neve, whose distrust of nations stemmed from her own experiences. Elma really is reliable. If I mentioned anything about the wisdom of age, she’d probably break my arm though.

「Yeah, you’re right. I should get in touch with Mom and Airia.」

「I guess I’ll reach out to my adoptive father as well.」

With that, Tina and even Shouko-sensei made their plans to contact their loved ones, and the meeting dispersed. I, on the other hand, still need to make up with Kugi. Hopefully, as she said, nothing would happen. But who knows? We won’t find out until we actually go. For now, I’ll head to the cathedral tomorrow to gather more information and see how things unfold.