In space-travel movies, there is always that one character who'd go about his dreams of traveling to space, meeting new people, and discovering new exploits. This character would, in the near future, meet the protagonist in a faraway land where he had been entrapped all his life, where he goes about his mundane days, awaiting stimulus, awaiting a change that could alter the course of his life forever. Lev was very familiar with that kind of setting since he had read and watched countless sci-fi movies in his life. He knew that the essence of space travel is that endless passion for the unknown, and to him, he could connect to that feeling in a sense. After all, had he not been transmigrated as a space recruit, he wouldn't have experienced the things he'd dreamed back in his previous life.
Even then, he was still astounded by the hasty decision of the alluring lady in front of the group. He knew he shouldn't be surprised because an adventure-loving character is a staple of every space-travel story, but seeing it in real life baffled him a little bit.
"Then off we go! To the journey beyond the stars!" Dmitri didn't even think twice about responding to Helena. He didn't even bother laying out the risks, instead, he enthusiastically responded to her, just as she enthusiastically offered to be a part of their adventure.
Glasses were raised before their minds could even welcome the new member of the group. Even Hellspawn was surprised at Dmitri's instant decision... or indecision. In any case, the owner of the Starlight Streamer has spoken, and it's not like they can say anything back after seeing Helena's satisfied face. In the end, the other three members of the group shut their mouths. They could just give Dmitri a talking-to later once everything calmed down a bit.
"Don't worry, I'll do my very best to prove my worth as part of your exploration team! Yay!" Helena said. "Wait a moment, let me get a few more dishes. This calls for a celebration!"
"Ah, ahhahaha~" Lev awkwardly laughed since he didn't know how to react. He already concluded that Dmitri only accepted her since he has a huge crush on her. That's why he didn't say a word. He knew Titania and Hellspawn were thinking the same thing. They all had the same expression after all.
"Dmitri, we won't question your decision since you own the ship and the role of the captain basically falls on you. But why did you let her in our group? You know the risks, right?" Hellspawn's voice sounded deeper than usual when he spoke. To further add to his intimidating aura, he leaned forward while clasping his hands together on the table.
"Relax, besides we needed someone as cheerful as her. Besides, she's a great cook, right? As far as I could remember, our adventures always include stomachaches and horrible food. We all know we need a cook in our crew."
Lev's eyes widened at Dmitri's response. He wasn't expecting that Dmitri gave it a lot of thought after all. To him, the only thing he assumed was that he was madly in love with her. But who would've thought that he pondered about the crew's well-being in his decision? A sigh of relief left Lev's mouth. "I was about to reject your decision with Hellspawn at first, Dmitri, but after hearing your answer, I guess you're right. We do need a cook in our crew. Besides, it would be pretty helpful for Titania as well to have a compatriot or something like that. She's the only girl in our group after all."
"I am in no way against the idea of letting her join our group. It's just that, this is really risky. We're bound to get targeted by the Council, and if she knows our real identity, then she might kill herself in the middle of our travel. She can't go back once she's aware of our identities after all." Hellspawn continued.
"I'm sure she won't mind. I'm a good judge of someone's character and I can tell that she won't have a modicum of care about our identities." Dmitri pointed out. "Besides, she's the one who wanted to join us without even knowing us that well, so it's basically her fault if she didn't want to continue traveling with us in the future."
"But... would she really? I mean, she's just a lady manning the businesses of her uncle and aunt. Is it worth it including her in our sail through wild waters?" Hellspawn confirmed once again, to which Dmitri responded with an absolute yes.
"Trust me on this one."
As if on cue, Helena came up to the table, carrying two large plates of meat. "These are Firewolves' hind legs, the tastiest part of the Firewolves and a delicacy on this planet." She announced, setting the two bowls on the table. The gamey roasted smell of the meat made everyone's mouth water, making them forget that Helena just joined their team.
A moment later, they continued to eat heartily, enjoying everyone's company amidst the noise of the Inn's dining area.
.....
Meanwhile,
A space cruiser docked right outside the settlement where Lev and the others were currently staying. The space cruiser seemed like an old model and rightfully so. After all, it is one of the few space cruisers present during the Battle of Gammadurva— a Star Battleship 1-OV3. One of the most durable space cruisers ever built. Based on the space cruiser alone, one could tell that the people in it were no ordinary people.
The Ashen Assembly.
This group had been the Council's 'secret police', lurking in the shadows while dealing with the dirty work of the Council. While they didn't have an official connection with the Council, they were their knives and guns— a group that doesn't hesitate to kill when told.
Schirwen Lo'us had climbed his way through the ranks and despite being one of the youngest recruits back in the day. And now, he had reached his ultimate goal of becoming the leader of the Ashen Assembly. The recent tip-off he received stated that Hellspawn is somewhere in Planet Ylbrughz. And after aligning recent incidents, they were led to a remote settlement of Pyro-sync classes.
"Let's go," He ordered before they strolled into the settlement.