Planet C+3, Humildas Marshal’s Office.
This was a place where the military primarily anchored.
It was a gas giant with seven moons. Compared to the solar system, it had a feeling similar to Jupiter.
Because of its great accessibility, many shipyards and maintenance shops could be seen.
“Young Master!!”
Upon arriving by train, 07 came out to meet me.
“What about the handover?”
“All 50 ships have been completed.”
The fellow handed me the documents. In the distance, dozens of light mobile ships at anchor caught my eye. All of them bore the symbol of the Park family. They were truly my fleet.
“What about my ship?”
“I met a very conscientious master mechanic who made sure to repair it thoroughly.”
I had decided to use the flagship after repairing it. You might ask why I didn’t just replace it with one of the better ones among the 50 newly acquired ships.
Of course, I couldn’t do that.
I hadn’t just taken over the ships. The crew members came with them as well. If I switched ships, everyone would have to readjust. Every ship had subtly different characteristics. While it wouldn’t hinder navigation, there would be a difference in proficiency.
‘I’ll have to change the ship as soon as I have the money.’
The thought of riding that old clunker again makes me sigh.
“What about the combat mercenaries? Did you recruit additional ones?”
“A considerable number of applicants have gathered.”
It was natural since I had offered triple the pay. Since the life and death of the family was on the line, I couldn’t afford to save money. Even if I had to go into debt, I had to pack every ship to capacity.
“Now we can set sail as soon as the butler arrives.”
It would probably be difficult to obtain even 10 ships. Most of the nobles’ private armies consisted of patrol ships. In the first place, ships aren’t something that can be acquired in a short period of time.
The market for used light mobile ships had already dried up because of me.
***
A little later than the appointed time.
“Young Master!”
The butler arrived with a face as exhausted as a pickled cabbage. It was a face that clearly showed he had gone through a lot of trouble.
“How many did you get?”
I asked without much expectation.
“I managed to get a total of 34 ships! I could have gotten more, but time was short…”
For a moment, my mouth hung open. Setting everything else aside, the amount didn’t make sense either.
“How did you do it?!”
“It would be troublesome if you underestimated the influence of the Park family. Hmph!”
Whether he was satisfied with my flustered expression, the fellow broke into a smile.
“Stop dragging it out!”
When I glared at him, he approached quietly and whispered in my ear.
“I sold the ledger of secrets. The Park family no longer has any cards to play. We are also out of money.”
“Don’t worry about the money. We just have to win and pay it back.”
There are 13 lucrative colonies in the Lucifer Star System. If managed well, we can recover in no time. And look at So Jin walking over there.
“We have finished preparations for departure.”
The clan of that named character is high-level labor capable of harvesting space honey. Approximately 50 million undeveloped star systems exist in the Lucifer Star System. Surely there must be a place to harvest honey there. Once we block the threat, things will work out somehow.
“By the way, Young Master, I don’t see the Park family heirloom?”
The butler said, looking at my severed left hand.
“Are you perhaps keeping it somewhere else?”
“Ah… that.”
I scratched my head. Ransacking my memory, I seemed to recall wearing a ring when I first possessed this body.
“The medical officer should have it.”
“It is an item that has been passed down since we left the home world, so it would be troublesome if you lost it.”
“R-Right. Don’t worry.”
Was it really that important? I turned my body slightly so as not to reveal my flustered expression.
“Butler, take care of the remaining ships. Go to the center of the Lucifer Star System with the members of the So family.”
“Understood, Young Master. I wish you luck in battle!”
***
I went straight to where my ship was located. Since 07 was so confident, I was somewhat looking forward to it.
However.
“Holy…!!”
The moment I saw my ship, a curse escaped my lips first. 07, perhaps thinking I was swearing because I liked it, chattered proudly.
“Isn’t it magnificent?! According to the shipyard master, he tuned it to be worthy of a cavalry commander!”
The shimmering gold color was blinding. What kind of crazy person would paint a warship gold?
‘I thought the maintenance fee was strangely expensive.’
And that wasn’t just yellow paint. It was a thin layer of top-grade dark matter. If you were to describe this in one word?
Extravagance.
I let out a shout of rage.
“What is this!!!”
At the loud noise, a staff member came running. The name tag said manager.
“Customer. Is something the matter?”
“What happened to that?!”
The manager also seemed quite flustered.
“Our shipyard’s best master did his best to perform repairs and tuning. We didn’t even leave a margin, excluding labor costs.”
“Didn’t you just clear out your old stock?”
When I gave him the evil eye, the manager hurriedly handed over the estimate.
“We primarily used top-tier parts. It is absolutely not old stock. If you look here, the K291 is so popular it’s hard to even find.”
“Just… bring the master who oversaw this.”
This wasn’t a problem that could be solved at the manager level. I needed a detailed explanation. Just as throwing in good ingredients doesn’t necessarily make a delicious meal, the same applies to ships.
“I’m sorry. The master in charge has resigned and left.”
Damn it. Was I ripped off?
Even if I wanted a refund, there was no time. If it just ran properly, I would have to take it as is.
“Bring the performance record.”
At the manager’s instruction, another employee brought the documents. His face looked quite anxious.
“What?! Are these… actually possible figures?”
I am a veteran player. Only the important figures jumped out at me.
‘At this level, it’s B-grade?’
This was the early stage of the game. Performance of this level was rare. If things went well, it might even be able to trade blows with a medium mobile ship. Provided, of course, that the helmsman was excellent.
“Do you happen to know where the master went?”
“I’m sorry. He’s someone who is like the wind.”
I had a rough idea of who it was. Yang Maru, a man whose pride was as high as his skill. He was a man obsessed with ships.
-A masterpiece must look like a masterpiece.
That would be the reason for such a strange paint job. He was as obsessed with appearance as he was with his outstanding skill. He said that the completion of a dish is the plating.
The problem was.
“The helmsmen are going to have a hard time adjusting to this ship.”
That’s probably why he ran away. Because it was obvious that complaints would come in.
I recognized it because I was a veteran player, but in other people’s eyes, they would think he had done something crazy. This was also the reason why he moved from place to place like a hungry grasshopper.
“I’m sorry. We will perform re-repairs as quickly as possible. Naturally, our shipyard will bear the cost.”
The manager made a tearful face.
“That master. He’s originally a very skilled person…”
I know. Because he’s a named mechanic.
“He vowed with confidence. He never normally did things like this. Everyone gave him good reviews.”
He probably tuned it with the intention of running away.
“He said he was inspired after watching the Young Lord’s battle video. He begged us to let him take charge.”
It seemed he liked Chris’s piloting. To be honest, even I, a veteran, was surprised, so that says it all.
“Fine. If I want to depart right now, where do I sign?”
“T-Thank you! Out of our sincere apology, we will give you an additional 30% discount.”
There was no reason to refuse.
Scribble-!
I quickly signed the documents.
Thud-!
The docked ship was pushed down. The waiting crew members boarded in a swarm.
“Ooh-! Young Master! It looks like a completely new ship.”
The dull and stained corridors were now sparkling. A cleaning drone passed by, spraying air freshener. A fresh forest scent wafted subtly.
“That’s right! I should stop by the medical bay first.”
***
I decided to find the ring first. If I had known it was an heirloom, I would have paid a bit more attention. I don’t know why such an important thing was entrusted to a brat.
“Medical officer!”
“Is something uncomfortable? Captain.”
Our eyes just met, but the crowbar throbbed. It didn’t seem like she was specifically trying to seduce me. The atmosphere itself was just thick.
“I came to find the ring.”
“Ah! I was keeping it. Since it’s for the left hand, I was going to give it to you once your hand healed.”
Seeing as there was a specific hand it had to be worn on, it seemed it wasn’t an ordinary item.
Click!
The ring was being kept inside a case.
‘It’s a Treasure.’
Treasure is the lowest grade of items. When the power of a Holy Relic fades, it becomes a Treasure. It wasn’t worthless. Because Treasures had abilities in their own right.
However.
‘Has its lifespan ended?’
For a Treasure, the flow of dark energy was hardly felt. Did it only work when worn?
“Should I make it into a necklace for you?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
The medical officer twisted surgical thread and made a necklace string in an instant. I hung the ring around my neck.
“What about my severed hand?”
“The galley took it.”
I figured as much. Since it was the condition for the Roach-kin to board the ship. For them, it was a way to easily obtain triple DNA. It was hard to simply criticize them, as it was a material needed for breeding.
“Let’s go to the situation room.”
“Yes. Young Master.”
***
The situation room had also changed beyond recognition. Most of the equipment was the latest specification.
The thing I liked most was.
“Ooh!”
The captain’s seat. When I sat down, it wrapped perfectly around my body. When I checked the brand, it was a famous furniture family from Sector 16. The bed in the hotel I stayed at recently was the same brand.
“Captain. All crew members have finished boarding.”
“We’re setting sail.”
“Our ship is departing the maintenance shop. Moving to the assembly coordinates.”
“Orders received.”
I also recruited one more new helmsman. During wartime, there were usually three helmsmen. There were stamina issues, and it would be troublesome if one died during battle. Still, there was only one ace. It would be a waste of manpower if all three were experts.
“Kaa! Captain. Isn’t it beautiful?”
Beside me, 07 admired. The snout of the ship sparkled in gold. In a war, doing this was like saying ‘Please kill me,’ but I couldn’t complain.
‘The tuning was done too well.’
Seeing it continuously, the exterior paint wasn’t bad either. It just stood out.
And there was an effect. Applying top-grade dark matter as paint made it easier to resist dark waves.
‘It’s a bit of a shame.’
If I had known I’d get this kind of tuning, I would have entrusted a better ship. And it was truly a shame to have missed that mechanic.
“Captain! We have reached the target point. The entire fleet is assembled.”
A total of 104 light mobile ships were lined up. In the game, it was a number that wouldn’t even fill a handful, but seeing it in person was a spectacle.
“Open communication to the entire fleet.”
“Connected. You may speak.”
At the comms officer’s words, I cleared my throat.
“We are going to subjugate the Queen Ant. I will raise the success bonuses for mercenaries from three times to five times. And for our family’s private soldiers, I will grant a year’s worth of wages as a bonus.”
Vrooom-!!
The ship shook minutely. Everyone must be cheering like crazy. Is that possible? It is. Every crew member can handle Force, however slightly.
“Captain. Didn’t you call out too much?”
So Jin, who was doubling as the supply chief, turned his head. A tight budget must have come to his mind. The So family’s assets and our family’s assets were currently poured into the purchase of ships.
“It’s fine. Ant eggs are worth money.”
This level of reward could comfortably be put forward. Leading an army that hasn’t even coordinated is high risk. Because they were scraped together from here and there, their loyalty is also low. Their morale would also be low, so they wouldn’t be proactive in battle.
So what do I do? I have to put up a lot of money at least.
In any case, there is no turning back for me. If I fail, it means Game Over. I must succeed no matter what.
Swish-!
I stood up from my seat.
“All fleet, move out.”
The 105 light mobile ships, including our own, began to move all at once.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.