About half an hour earlier, several figures gathered in a dim, secluded corner of the Narlia Commercial Hub Station. The heavy tension in the air, paired with their hushed voices and furtive glances, made it clear they weren't up to anything good.
"I'm here!"
A fearless voice rang out, cutting through the stillness like a blade. "Come out, you bastards!"
The figure who spoke stepped into the dim light. Fiery red hair cascaded down her shoulders, and sharp golden eyes burned with intensity. Eva Beastol stood tall and defiant, her stance daring anyone to make the first move.
For a moment, silence reigned. Then, one of the figures emerged from the shadows, striding forward with arms spread wide in mock welcome.
"Well, well! Look who decided to drop by," the man sneered. His hulking frame loomed over her like a wall of muscle, his shaved head gleaming under the faint light. "Eva Beastol! What's the matter? Finally decided to sell yourself to us~?"
Eva's lip curled in disgust. "You dumb muscle-head, why would I ever?" she shot back, her tone dripping with disdain. "I'm here to settle my debt—nothing more, nothing less."
"Debt?" The man's sneer widened into a toothy grin. "Oh, this I gotta see. What, did you magically scrape together 50,000 Credits out of thin air? Don't make me laugh!"
Eva didn't bother with a comment. She merely flicked out her wrist, tossing an object spinning through the air toward the bald man. He jerked his head, barely able to get his fingers on the object before it hit his flat nose.
"This…"
He scowled, taking the object in hand—a Cash Card. The display on the digital screen was weakly lit, showing the precise total of 50,000 Credits.
"You see now?" Eva said, her voice steady. "That's every last Credit I owed you. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving. Don't show me your ugly face ever again."
She turned on her heel, already walking away. But the man's low, sinister chuckle stopped her in her tracks.
"Heh… You really think it's that easy?" His voice dripped with mockery. "Sure, this covers the principal amount. But what about the interest, huh? Don't tell me you forgot about that?"
Eva whirled back around, glaring daggers at him. "You bastard… That should already cover the interest! I borrowed 25,000 Credits, and you demanded double the amount! Don't try to scam me now!"
The man clicked his tongue, wagging a finger like a disappointed teacher. "Tsk, tsk. That was just the base amount, sweetheart. We agreed on 20% interest every fortnight, remember? It's been a month since then—it's now 100,000 Credits!"
Her stomach sank. According to her math, at compounded interest, the amount had to be well under 72,000 Credits—not the 100,000 he'd given her as her new total. Of course, disputing these punks would just raise the stakes.
"You are completely shameless," she said, pulling out a second card and throwing it toward him. "Take this one. I'm done playing your game of crap."
The bald man caught the second card, his cocky grin faltering as he checked its display. Another 50,000 Credits. His beady eyes darted between the two cards, then back to Eva, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face.
"You…," he muttered, his tone less certain now.
"That's 100,000 Credits," Eva snapped. "Every single Credit you asked for. Now give me my receipt and let me go."
Even thugs like them have "rules" to abide by—so he was bound to comply. Reluctantly, the man reached into his jacket, pulled out a data terminal, and transferred the cancellation of the contract to her wrist device. At the moment that Eva saw the confirmation notification for her cleared debt, relief swamped her. She turned around without another word; she was off toward the exit.
But before she could take more than a few steps, the man's lackeys appeared, grinning, forming a tight circle around her.
"You did pay off your debt," the man said, his tone dark as he turned his back on her. "But didn't your mother ever teach you not to walk into shady places alone, you bitch?"
"You…!"
She could feel danger hanging in the air. Eva spun around, but before she could react, something sharp jabbed into her back. A burst of electricity coursed through her body, sending her muscles into violent spasms.
Her vision blurred, and the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the bald man's leering grin.
Inside the wolves' den, Eva Beastol fell.
---
Just as I was thinking of what to do next, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. I turned towards the source and saw a pair of shapely legs peeking through the long slit of a flowing skirt. A woman was approaching with a confident, steady gait.
"Sorry for putting you in danger, mister."
The soft voice belonged to Glenda Truthseeker, the same woman who had introduced herself earlier with a much more belligerent attitude. Her tone was much softer now, almost apologetic.
"We had to follow proper procedures. Without evidence or catching the culprits red-handed, we couldn't act. Thankfully, you're safe. but that girl..."
"Her?" I looked down at Eva, still unconscious and slumped against my arm. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her. Her ship's being repaired at the same dock as mine, so we're headed in the same direction anyway."
Glenda stepped closer, her sharp gaze narrowing with a hint of doubt. "Are you sure about that?"
I immediately understood her concern. An unconscious woman being carried by a man? The implications were obvious. I couldn't fault her for suspecting me, so I spoke up quickly to clear the air.
"You can check it for yourself," I said calmly. "Her ship and mine are at the B-5521 Dock. Her name's Eva Beastol, owner of the Hunter Frigate docked there. And me—Gerard Astoria. My ship, the Range Falcon, is docked there as well."
The moment I spoke, the atmosphere changed. Glenda tensed up as if a lightning bolt had hit her.
A moment later, she dropped to her knees—and not just to kneel. She kowtowed, pressing her forehead to the ground with such force it looked like she was trying to merge with the floor. The others nearby quickly followed her example and kowtowed, pressing their foreheads against the metal floor.
"P-Pardon our insolence, young master!" she stammered, her voice trembling with terror. "To think we put your esteemed self in danger...! Please, punish me as you see fit, but I beg you, please spare my subordinates' lives at least!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on?!"
Having a beautiful woman bow in adoration might just stroke my male ego, but seeing someone grovel in complete fear was a completely different story. I felt more perplexed than anything else!
Then it clicked.
"Wait… Are you all with the Astoria Conglomerate too?"
The Astoria Conglomerate was monstrous in scale—it was a behemoth, a juggernaut that encompassed the entirety of the explorable galaxy. With a stranglehold on close to 20% of the universe's trade circulation, they had control in everything from commerce to politics, security to weaponry, and everything in between. It would be easier to list the industries they didn't control.
"Y-Yes," Glenda stammered. "The Inspection Bureau operates directly under Master Benedict Astoria—your uncle."
"Benedict..."
A familiar name. Though he wasn't a pivotal figure in the game, his name had popped up occasionally in passing dialogue or mission briefings. Still, I had never seen him—not in-game, not in cutscenes, not even pictures in documents. A man shrouded in mystery.
But the fact struck me hard. If Glenda were to report this incident, Gerard's father would surely get to know about it. And with my little knowledge about Gerard's past and family, I would instantly raise suspicion if they started questioning me.
I guess it was finally time to use the excuse I had been preparing. However, I couldn't rush into it. The timing was everything. First, I needed to make this woman talk and find the perfect opportunity.
"I see," I said thoughtfully. "But if you're part of the Astoria network, why didn't you recognize me right away?"
Glenda hesitated, her eyes flickering with unease.
"Well, we received word that you had departed the Narlia Commercial Hub three days ago. You were reported en route to the next star system, so seeing you here was, honestly, unexpected."
Three days. About 150 Earth hours. So Gerard had indeed left this very station before ending up adrift in that desolate region of space. But what had he been doing during that long period of time—almost a week? Instead of answers, I was only finding more questions.
"And..." Glenda continued hesitantly. "Your demeanor is, well, different. Your usual presence is harsh and commanding, so I couldn't reconcile it with the atmosphere you currently exude, young master."
'It's here!' I screamed internally. Her words presented the perfect opportunity!
Clearing my throat, I adjusted my posture, adopting a serious tone.
"I'm not blaming you for that," I said, exhaling a heavy sigh. "You guys seem to work for my uncle, so I guess I can trust you... Actually, I seem to have lost most of my memories."
Glenda's eyes widened in shock, and she opened her mouth to interject, but I raised a hand for her to close them.
"I still recall who I am, my family, and my ship. but all other details about my life remain blurry. Precisely speaking, my memories are clear for up until a day ago. All that lies before that period is a blur."
Of course, it wasn't entirely a lie. I only knew what the game gave me of Gerard, and even that was incomplete. As for the black box records from Gerard's ship—they had been cleaned and wiped off around the time I "wound up" inside Gerard's body. It was an anomaly that only deepened the mystery of how I had ended up here.
"Young master," Glenda whispered, her voice dripping with concern. "You must see a doctor immediately! I know an exceptional neurologist from the Klathi race. She can surely help!"
"Thanks, but no thanks," I replied swiftly, shaking my head.
Letting someone check me out was too dangerous. What if they found out I didn't have amnesia—or something worse? I needed to establish my place here before that. Enough that even if I end up disowned, and stripped of all assets, I could still work my way up and live a peaceful life in this universe.
Glenda looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but Eva suddenly stirred in my arms. She mumbled words in her sleep, her lips quivering as if she were having some sort of nightmare.
"Mother… I'll definitely… cure…"
Her voice was weak, but listening to her words, a pang of something ran through my chest. I looked at her for a minute before turning to Glenda, whose expression mirrored mine.
"Seems like my friend needs some proper rest," I said, allowing a smile to creep onto my face. "Why don't we continue this somewhere more appropriate?"