The descent request was swiftly approved. Well, they wouldn't want to keep the next Countess, the current Earl's granddaughter, waiting with administrative procedures. If Chris wanted, their heads would roll, literally. I don't think Chris would ever do something like that, though.
「We've reached the descent orbit. Beginning descent.」
「Roger that. Try to keep a large safe margin.」
「Yes, Master. Leave everything to me.」
「Same goes for you, Elma.」
「Yeah, yeah. I'm not going to mess up on something as basic as this.」
The Black Lotus began its descent first, followed closely by the Antlion. Modern spacecraft were equipped with shields to protect them from the heat generated by adiabatic compression during atmospheric entry. They also had powerful thrusters and gravity control devices. As long as the deceleration was handled well, there was no risk of crashing. If something goes wrong, it will be a big disaster. So, I can't help but worry a bit.
「This is an impressive interstellar terminal.」
「It's not quite as large as the one in the Imperial Capital, but I think it's big for a regional interstellar terminal.」
「Yeah, it's much bigger than the interstellar terminal on Refill IV.」
「The interstellar terminal on Refill IV only had two or three ports that could accommodate a ship the size of the Black Lotus.」
Tina and Wiska chimed in, joining the conversation between Mimi and Chris.
Indeed, Wiska was right. The interstellar terminal on Refill IV, the home planet of the Elves where we previously stopped by, was much smaller compared to the one on Dexer III. The interstellar terminal on Dexer III had many large ports that could accommodate a ship like the Black Lotus, and the area it occupied was about five times larger. Of course, it couldn't be compared with the interstellar terminal in the Imperial Capital, that one was even bigger.
The Black Lotus and the Antlion landed smoothly, following the instructions of the control officers at the interstellar terminal. I couldn't witness the Antlion's landing myself since it landed quite a distance away from the Black Lotus due to the vast difference in ship sizes, but there were no reports of trouble, so it likely landed without any issues.
「Alright, just like we discussed earlier.」 I said.
「Gotcha! Leave it to me.」
「We'll stay behind and watch the ship.」
This time, the mechanic sisters were staying on the ship to handle the unloading of Chris's luggage, oversee the departure of her ship, and manage maintenance and resupply not just for the Black Lotus but also for the Krishna and Antlion. The rest of the crew would all come with me. Dr. Shouko and Neve don't usually come with us on these kinds of outings, but they have never met the Earl before so it's necessary to introduce them to him. We couldn't leave the ships completely alone, so we decided that the mechanic sisters, who already met with the Earl, albeit barely, would stay behind and keep an eye on things.
「So, we're finally meeting His Excellency, the Earl. I have to say, I'm feeling pretty nervous.」
Dr. Shouko said lightly. Her tone was casual, not showing the least bit of nervousness in her attitude. Neve, on the other hand, was visibly worried.
「Is it really okay for me to stay like this? Lying down in front of a high-ranking noble might be seen as incredibly disrespectful! What if he cuts me in half on the spot?」
「My grandfather would never do such a thing, and if something like that were to happen, I would absolutely stop it.」
Chris tried to reassure Neve with a wry smile. Her expression showed a mix of amusement and exasperation at Neve's rather prejudiced comment. Well, from the perspective of someone from the Vereverem Federation, the nobles of the Grakkan Empire might seem a bit… extreme. They try to end everything with melee combat, and they can be found charging joyfully into a battlefield full of murderous lasers armed just with a single sword, like some sort of insane, enhanced warriors. Wait a second. Why does this feel familiar? It's like there were people like that in Japan a long time ago. Shimazu… Satsuma samurai… Ugh, my head. No, wait. Lately, even I've been using a sword more often than a laser gun in close combat. Maybe, to others, I might look just like one of those lunatics… I should stop thinking about this. For the sake of my mental peace.
「It looks like Elma has disembarked from the Antlion too. I'll send her the meeting point.」
「Thanks, Mimi. Alright, let's get moving.」
「Yes, my Lord.」
We gathered everyone who had disembarked from the Black Lotus and boarded a tram to navigate through the interstellar terminal. Our destination was the lobby where Elma was waiting for us.
Our plan was to stay on Dexer III for two nights and three days to meet with Earl Dareinwald and his retainers, discuss the engagement, and go over the wedding plans. During that time, the mechanic sisters would stay behind on the Black Lotus. I should probably get them some sort of gift, maybe a local specialty or some fine liquor from Earl Dareinwald's domain. I wonder if I'll have the time to do some shopping? If not, I can always ask one of the Earl's servants or, at the very least, Chris for some help.
☆★☆
So here we were, a large group of ten including Mimi, Mei, Kugi, Dr. Shouko, Neve, Chris along with her guards and attendants, and Elma, who had joined us in the lobby. Fortunately, the actual travel went smoothly. We took the tram to the lobby of the interstellar terminal, and from the moment we stepped off at the tram station, we were surrounded by a crowd of SPs—special protection officers, not private bodyguards, but actual law enforcement. It made us stand out a lot.
Apparently, Elma also got the SP treatment as soon as she moved from the small and medium-sized ship docking area to the lobby. By the time she met up with us, she looked utterly fed up with the whole ordeal.
Well, considering Chris's status, it's not surprising. The Dexer Star System was the main system of Earl Dareinwald's territory, and Chris was essentially the second most important person in the Earldom. Given her VIP status, this level of security was expected, especially considering the fact that her parents were assassinated.
「Is it always like this?」
「Sigh…Yeah, well… whenever I come to the home planet, this is pretty much how it goes…」
As Chris gave a wry smile, her guard, Edeltrud, began to complain.
「Lady Christina, you're far too careless. This trip to the Imperial Capital was a good example—to leave for the capital with just Marion and me as your escort was reckless.」
「It was necessary to depart urgently, so there was no other choice. If I had tried to move with dozens or even hundreds of people, plus cruisers and other escort ships, I definitely wouldn't have made it in time.」
Despite Edeltrud's reprimand, Chris seemed entirely unfazed, as if the words went in one ear and out the other. Honestly, I have to agree with Edeltrud on this one. After all, Chris's parents died because they went on a private trip to a resort star system without any escort. I'd really prefer that she avoids making the same mistake, especially in situations where I can't protect her.
「That may be true in hindsight, but you should be a bit more careful in the future. Not that I'm one to talk.」
「Yeah, it does seem a bit hypocritical coming from you, Hiro.」
「Haha… Considering the mercenary work we do is all about diving headfirst into danger, it makes sense.」
Elma and Mimi both have a point, but then again, they chose to join me in this mercenary business, so they're not much different. Well, okay, maybe I dragged them into it, but still.
Maybe it's time for me to consider a change in lifestyle? But then again, being a mercenary is probably the only thing I can do in this world. The job I used to do in my original world is completely unnecessary with Mei around.
「My Lord?」
「It's nothing. Anyway, right now, we need to focus on our meeting with Earl Dareinwald.」
Kugi must have grown concerned due to my prolonged silence so she called for me snapping me out of my musings, I shook my head and decided to stay focused. That old man, despite being taciturn, has a strong will and a way of getting what he wants. I need to be on guard so that I don't end up agreeing to any strange conditions and finding ourselves in a tough spot.