I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary - Chapter 503: 「It’s Still Okay…」

「My head hurts…」

When I came to, for some reason, I wasn’t in the medical bay but lying on the bed in my room. To make things even stranger, not only Kugi, but Mimi and Wiska were in bed with me as well. Judging by the clothes scattered around, it seems like the others are here too, even though they aren’t visible now… Wait, what time is it?

「…What the hell happened?」

I was taking care of Kugi yesterday afternoon. Now, it was the next morning—or rather, almost noon. I lost about twenty hours’ worth of memory. Oh, no, wait. I think I’m starting to remember something. I think Kugi did something to me, and just as I lost consciousness, I was forced to confess all sorts of insane things… Then, based on what I confessed, Kugi did various things to me… and at some point, Mimi and the others came back—ugh, my head!? It hurts every time I try to remember! It feels like my brain is actively refusing to recall anything!

Clutching my throbbing head, I carefully slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake up Kugi and the others. I headed toward the shower.

Why, you ask? Well, because it was blatantly obvious what we had done. My body was sore, and if you took a closer look, there were marks all over it. Recently, everyone seems to be under some sort of misconception, but let me clarify—I have the physical strength of an ordinary person who’s worked out, at best. Unlike the nobility of the Empire, who have undergone body enhancements, I’ll easily break if pushed too hard. Couldn’t they be a little more… gentle?

After taking a quick shower, I dressed in some fresh underwear and comfortable loungewear stored in the shower room. Then, I made my way to the cafeteria. I’m starving. Having lost nearly twenty hours of memory, I had no idea when I last ate.

「Oh, you’re finally up. Good morning.」

「Good morning, Boss. Looks like you’re back to your senses now.」

「Just from that comment, I can already guess a lot, but I’ve completely lost about twenty hours of memory… Oh, no, you don’t have to tell me what happened. Whenever I try to remember, my head starts hurting because my brain is refusing to recall it.」

「Maybe we should do a medical check later. After all, it’s unlikely that your brain came out of this completely unscathed.」

Dr. Shouko said this in a matter-of-fact tone, but her words were terrifying. If even Dr. Shouko thought like that, then it seemed I was really in bad shape. Was I in some kind of hypnotized state? What in the world happened during those lost twenty-four hours? Was it really just my memory that was lost? Or did I lose something more, like my dignity?

「So, you’re going to the cathedral today, right?」

「Yeah, I did say I’d go… Even if it was just a verbal promise, I can’t really break it.」

I replied while accepting a generously portioned breakfast—or is it lunch?—from the Tetsujin. Then I sat down at the table where the three of them were already seated. Ahhh, the salty flavor of the meal is just what I needed to replenish my lost electrolytes.

「You’re quite dutiful, aren’t you? I’ll go wake everyone else up, then.」

「Hiro-kun, after you’ve eaten, let’s do a medical check before heading out.」

「Yeah… Oh, by the way, where’s Neve?」

「Oh, Neve? She’s sulking in the lounge area.」

「…Sulking?」

「Yeah, because she wasn’t allowed to participate in what happened yesterday.」

「…I don’t even know how to respond to that.」

I can already guess what transpired between yesterday and today, and if it is what I think, obviously Neve couldn’t have participated. She still can’t get out of her pod or walk on her own, so it would’ve been too much of a strain for her, and unlike Tina or Wiska, Neve’s body isn’t that of a sturdy dwarf; she, like Mimi and me, had a human body. Her physical limitations made certain things much harder.

「Make sure to follow up with her later, alright?」

「How exactly am I supposed to do that…?」

Internally, I was holding my head in frustration at Dr. Shouko’s unreasonable suggestion, all the while shoveling food into my stomach.

☆★☆

「Being left out while the rest of you had your fun isn’t something I can just smile and shrug off, Captain.」

「Alright, I get it, I get it. I’ll make it up to you okay? Let’s say I owe you one favor. I’ll do whatever you want once, within reason.」

「Hmm? Just now, did you say whatever I want?」

「I didn’t say that. I said within reason.」

With that exchange, Neve’s sulking situation was more or less resolved. Whether it was truly settled is a bit questionable, but since she seems satisfied, I’ll take it as a win. The real problem is when and how she might use this favor. The thought of her cashing in on it when I least expected is a little unnerving. I may have dug myself into a bit of a hole here.

「Alright, the check-up is done. Make sure to take these supplements and stay hydrated, okay?」

「Got it.」

The results of my medical check-up were excellent. Being healthy is a wonderful thing. All the soreness I had been feeling in various parts of my body had gone, though I was still given supplements for minerals and vitamins.

「Looks like just eating alone won’t cover your needs, so you’ll need these.」

I decided not to ask too many questions about what exactly the supplements were for. However, in retrospect, not remembering anything from the past day might be a loss—no, I should stop trying to recall. Just thinking about it is making my head hurt again. Besides, everyone, except for Neve and me, seems to have noticeably glowing skin and generally be in a good mood, so I’ll settle for that. It’s important not to ask for too much.

「Alright, I’m going to get ready to head out… You’re coming too, right Doc?」

「Of course. I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to learn about psionic technology. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even be able to collect some genetic samples.」

「Just make sure you do it with consent, alright…?」

I really hope she doesn’t start collecting hair or fur from tails lying around to get her genetic samples. That could cause big trouble. As I could imagine her doing exactly that, I firmly reminded her to not do it, but she snapped at me with an indignant: ‘Of course, I’d never do otherwise!’ I ended up apologizing for doubting her. If you think about it, she got my consent when she took my genetic sample as well. Fair enough.

After placating a still-pouting Shouko, I left the medical bay and headed back to my room to change. I swapped into my usual mercenary outfit, grabbed my laser gun, the set of twin swords, and my small information terminal. That small terminal served as a communication device, wallet, and keychain, allowing me to travel light.

If I were heading to a colony with poor security, I’d usually pack extra gear, like an emergency nanomachine unit, spare energy packs, anti-laser smoke grenades, or a portable personal shield. But since Neeparc Prime Colony had excellent security, I didn’t bother with the extra bulk. No need to carry around cumbersome equipment unnecessarily.

「I have been awaiting your arrival, my Lord.」

After sending a message to everyone, letting them know we’d be heading to the cathedral and to prepare accordingly, I made my way to the lounge area. There, Kugi was already waiting for me, her fox ears twitching and tail swaying excitedly as she greeted me. Both her ears and tail were gleaming, her fur looking shinier than usual—easily fifty percent more lustrous than normal.

「You seem full of energy.」

「Yes, my Lord. I received a great deal of energy from you yesterday.」

Kugi responded, placing a hand on her belly and flashing me a radiant smile. Her gesture and words, the mixture of the implications of what we had done, and a slight fear that she might actually be able to drain my energy made my heart race. Could it be… Kugi-san, are you no longer taking precautionary measures? Not that it would be a bad thing. I’ll respect the decision of everyone in this matter, including Kugi, and if that’s what they decide, I’ll just have to prepare myself mentally. After all, ever since I decided to get involved with them, I decided to take responsibility for that as well.

As these thoughts circled in my head, Kugi gently moved closer to me, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

「It’s still okay, you don’t have to worry about anything, my Lord.」

「Oh, r-right…」

Why do I feel like Kugi has been completely playing with me since yesterday? As the captain—or rather, as the leader—this might be an issue. Or maybe not? No, I’m sure this is no big deal. Yeah, nothing at all. I just need to calm down. I’ve been so emotionally shaken up from being led around by Kugi that I need to regain my composure.