Ziiing!!!
A laser shot out from my gun.
It was an expensive self-defense pistol with many flaws, capable of only single-shot firing. Nevertheless, it was powerful.
Kreeee-ack!
A hole was blown through the chest of the creature hit by the shot. For a Disciple, it was an incredibly pathetic death.
“What?!”
I stood there blankly, completely dumbfounded.
Skreeeeee-!!
As the Disciple fell, the other goblins lost their will to fight and began to flee.
Shoooooooo—!
Right then, three shuttles appeared in the sky. Machine robots were suspended from two of the shuttles. They lacked arms, but had machine guns mounted on both sides.
“It’s the hunters,” the Magistrate said proudly.
They were quite aggressive for hunters. That meant the goblin infestation was severely widespread.
Trrrrrrr—!
The machine guns spat fire. The fleeing goblins were cut down one by one.
“Captain. Are you injured anywhere?” the First Mate asked, covered in goblin blood.
They had taken turns guarding the door to manage their stamina.
“This fellow… it’s a Disciple,” the First Mate concluded immediately after examining the dead goblin I had shot. “My apologies. Had I known there was a Disciple here, I would have left a guard behind.”
They likely judged that even if the window were breached, I wouldn’t be in immediate danger. No matter how much I lacked talent for combat, I was still a noble. At the very least, it meant I knew how to handle Force.
“More importantly, this is a massive windfall. To find a Sacred Object in a place like this.”
She rummaged through the goblin’s corpse with a dagger.
Clack!
The sound of something catching. A gem smaller than a fingernail came out on the tip of the dagger.
“Congratulations. It is the Seed of a Sacred Object.”
They say some people are just born lucky even if they fall backward. It seemed I was one of those lucky people in this world.
***
We took the shuttle toward the city where the hall was located. Below us, a green forest stretched out endlessly. No artificial structures were in sight.
“We have arrived, Fleet Commander.”
The Fairy city consisted of giant trees soaring high into the sky. Small holes had been bored into the trees to create living spaces. It seemed possible because the majority of the residents were Fairies. I could see them flying around here and there.
Shook!
The shuttle landed. Around the station was an entertainment district so massive it couldn’t even be compared to the space station.
‘Is this expected?’
Just like the fake Fairies, the real Fairies were all female. To propagate their species, they needed males from other races visiting the planet. For them, the entertainment industry was a way to make money and reproduce at the same time—killing two birds with one stone.
“Please sign here.”
An official in charge approached me, carrying a fountain pen as tall as she was. She was strong for her size.
Scribble!
As soon as I finished signing, she bowed politely.
“Thank you for saving our planet.”
Following her, the other officials who were working also bowed toward me. They already knew what had happened at the station. I waved to them and left the government office.
“I will prepare the altar immediately,” the Magistrate said respectfully.
Since I had obtained the Seed of a Sacred Object, it was time to manifest it. Normally, these were created naturally when a Disciple was revered after death. However, this Disciple had met a pathetic end at my hands and hadn’t had that chance.
“I hope something good comes out.”
In game terms, a Sacred Object could be seen as a piece of personal equipment. Even so, the price was astronomical. Depending on its performance, one of these could buy anywhere from 10 to 50 of the latest starships.
“Fleet Commander. The altar is ready.”
The altar had been prepared in a stadium. The Fairies had their own sports, and the stadium was roughly the size of a soccer field. It could hold about 300,000 Fairies.
Chatter, chatter.
The sound of talking from all over filled the stadium.
“Silence!”
The moment the Magistrate shouted into the microphone, total silence fell. She acted submissive in front of me, but on this planet, she was a powerful authority figure.
“From this moment, the sacred ritual of the hero, Fleet Commander Pak Yu, will begin. Everyone, please offer your utmost respect.”
I climbed onto the altar and knelt with a solemn heart. Three hundred thousand Fairies gathered to deceive the planet. I had to do the same.
“Begin the ceremony.”
It was a surprisingly tricky process. Everyone watched the Sacred Object in silence. Normally, a massive fee would have to be paid. Of course, it was free for me. Because I had saved this planet.
Ten minutes. Twenty minutes… thirty minutes.
My legs were starting to go numb. Usually, it took a few hours, or even more than a day.
Clack!
The fragment reacted. It was surprisingly fast. Perhaps the planet itself was favorable toward me?
Waaaaaa!
The watching Fairies erupted in admiration. The light gathered again and formed a certain shape.
“Holy…”
I stared at the Sacred Object with an incredulous expression. It was a familiar shape.
“A prybar…?”
That’s right. That prybar used at construction sites.
“It’s huge and hard!”
“It’s incredibly straight!”
“That object must be an amazing weapon!”
“It’s only natural, since he’s the hero who saved our planet.”
The First Mate approached.
“Please conclude the ritual now.”
I picked up the prybar. It was absorbed into my body along with a flash of light.
At that moment.
“Mmm?!”
My fatigue vanished, and vitality surged through my entire body. A sense of euphoria washed over me, making me feel as if I could do anything.
However, there was a slight side effect.
I hurriedly pushed my hips back. This resulted in a very awkward, half-bent posture.
“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
“No. I’m just… a bit hungry…”
There was one thing I had overlooked. Sacred Objects reflected the personal desires of the Disciple or the characteristics of the race.
***
“Greetings, O Hero.”
A Sacred Object appraiser visited my quarters. She was said to be the only expert on this planet.
I took out the prybar.
“Hoo~ this is a very good item for a man, but it’s a bit difficult to explain in words.”
“Explain it properly.”
“It is effective for fatigue recovery. The desire for sleep decreases, while appetite and libido increase.”
It seemed to have a surprisingly scientific principle behind it.
“And its density is high enough to be used as a weapon. Most weapons would be smashed to pieces by this.”
It certainly looked brutal enough.
“Perhaps… do you need my help? You look like you’re struggling.”
The appraiser Fairy’s eyes turned sultry.
“No… no.”
I hurriedly waved my hands. I was not a person with such peculiar tastes.
“The nights in our city are long. Please enjoy yourself before you leave.”
The appraiser left, looking disappointed.
“This is driving me crazy.”
Vitality constantly circulated through my body, and I couldn’t fall asleep. I tossed and turned for a long time before finally drifting off.
***
I trudged out of my quarters. The First Mate was supervising the loading of goods into the shuttle.
“What about the export of the Mana Stones?”
“We finished it overnight.”
The Mana Stone generator was located beneath the city. The Mana Stones were only about the size of a fingernail, but the extraction process was very complex.
“The quantity?”
“It has been a long time since we last exported, so there is plenty.”
Most Mana Stones are collected as taxes by the Marshal’s Office. The principle of their creation is very complex. To put it simply, the emotions of the people living on the planet served as the raw material.
“Then, let’s depart.”
We returned to the space station. Just as we were about to transfer to the ship, Chris flew toward the Magistrate and gave her a full-body tackle of a hug.
“Waaaaah! Magistrate!”
“You brat! Do you know how old I am? How can you tackle me like that?”
“I’m sowwy-heee.”
“No. You’ll do fine. You are the pride of our planet.”
“I’ll definitely succeed and come back-heee.”
As I watched the two of them, I remembered something I had forgotten and turned around.
“Chief!”
“Yes, Fleet Commander.”
“I have too many prisoners. I’d like you to accommodate some of them here.”
It was just a nuisance to transport them all to the capital. Managing them was difficult too.
“Of course, that is possible.”
“These guys are war criminals. You can treat them however you want, but just keep them alive.”
“Thank you. The citizens will love it. Many people here want to have children.”
Since the number of outsiders visiting this place was very small. Why not use the goblins? The DNA structures of livestock and humans were completely different. Humans had a triple-helix structure, while livestock had a double-helix. Genetically, it was impossible for the two to produce offspring. This was the yardstick used to distinguish humans from livestock.
“Well then. I’ll see you if the opportunity arises.”
Would there be another reason to meet? Upgrading a Sacred Object was most efficient on the planet where it was obtained. It felt as if the planet had given me a gift, asking me to look after it. Although that probably wasn’t true. Even if it were, I didn’t particularly want to upgrade a prybar.
“I wish you good fortune, Fleet Commander.”
***
As I boarded the captured Heavy Maneuver Ship, Picol came running over.
“Young Master! I heard things almost went south! I should have been there to serve you!!”
“It’s fine. It was no big deal.”
“I’ve cleaned up the Young Master’s private room. I don’t know if it’s because that wolf bastard was using it, but the stench of grease just wouldn’t come out. It was so difficult!”
This was the reason he hadn’t followed me. It seemed he had prepared various things for me. When I arrived at the Situation Room, everyone was busy preparing for departure.
“Captain! What is our destination?”
The bottom-tier helmsman asked. Chris sat next to him, acting as an assistant navigator.
“I’d like to pass through the territory of the Doroos family.”
Picol, who was standing nearby, was shocked.
“Young Master. Have you still not let go of your lingering feelings?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The young lady of the Doroos family is beautiful, but…”
The Shoggoth race—a race famous for being as beautiful as Elves. The Doroos family were Shoggoths.
“Weren’t you dumped and your engagement broken?”
“Me?”
“Yes. That’s why you even ran away from home.”
I had wondered why the son of a prestigious noble family was working as a patrol fleet commander, and now the mystery was finally solved.
More than that, this was quite a shock. I prayed to whatever god was listening. I was so grateful that the engagement had been broken.
“Young Master. It’s no use praying. Give up now. It only makes things harder for you.”
At those words, the crew in the Situation Room looked at me with pity.
“If it’s the Doroos family, it’s understandable.”
“I heard the young ladies there are all Peerless Beauties.”
“It’s hard for the Shoggoth race to be ugly.”
“I wish I could see one in person just once.”
“Right. A video can’t capture that kind of beauty.”
Whispering could be heard from here and there. But I didn’t feel any regret at all.
For reference, the Shoggoth race was made of a semi-slime material. They had several tentacles connected to their torso, with eyes attached to the ends. They could even transform those eyes into other body organs.
They were a very fascinating race, but personally…
‘I almost married a monster.’
It was truly a stroke of luck.
“Captain. You must go to the Marshal’s Office as quickly as possible to complete your report. You can attend to personal matters after the fleet is disbanded.”
The First Mate objected. We had sent a communication to the Marshal’s Office via the wormhole. However, only very fragmentary information could be sent, and because it had to pass through several wormholes, it was slow. In the worst-case scenario, the communication might not even arrive.
“I’m not going to see my ex-fiancée who dumped me.”
Honestly, once the communication was sent, my duty was over. Going there to report in person was a courtesy and for the sake of my reputation. Part of me just wanted to run away in the middle of the night.
But even if I were to run away, there was something I absolutely had to get.
“I’m going to get the Eye.”
Everyone looked at me with even more pity. Come to think of it, “Eye” was also slang for a Shoggoth.
“Boo-hoo. Young Master. Just be honest and say you miss your ex-fiancée.”
“I’m telling you, that’s not it!”
I was going to get a mandatory item. A mandatory item required for commanding a fleet.