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Chapter 445: House Ixamal’s Flagship

I thought of bringing the mechanic sisters and Dr. Shouko with us as well. But, considering the worst-case scenario, I decided that having too many non-combatants would be a problem, so I asked them to stay on the Lotus instead. If its just Mimi and Kugi, Elma and I would probably be able to handle covering for them just fine, and Kugi also had a trump card-like self-defense method she normally doesnt use. Since Mimi was the only one among us who was practically a non-combatant, things would probably work out somehow even if something happened.

Its really imposing

It has a vintage feel to it.

Mimi and Elma, who were looking up at the structure alongside me, each voiced their impressions. These were our honest impressions regarding the gigantic structure no, the battleship that was towering in front of us.

I dont know its name, but it was an honest-to-goodness battleship. It looked a bit outdated in design, but its boxy aesthetic and rows of large-caliber laser cannons were certainly impressive. It was probably about the same size or larger than the Restalias, so when looking at it from up close, you wouldnt be able to take in its full appearance.

Kugi, your mouths still wide open.

Hah!? I-Im sorry. I was simply too overwhelmed by the sight.

Kugi, who was staring at the battleship alongside Mimi and Elma, turned red in the face as the corners of her mouth twitched. Well, I do get her though. It was a huge, angular, rugged-looking ship that really had the air of a battleship. Restalias, which was manufactured by Ideal, had a sharper and more streamlined design in comparison.

But, well there sure are a lot of people.

They arent imperial marines. Theyre probably House Ixamals private soldiers. But, well, there really is a lot of them.

The Restalias under Captain Serenas command was also as big as this ship, but Ive never seen as many people coming and going from it. It was certainly a big ship, but the manpower required to operate it wasnt that great. Thats what Tina and Wiska told me anyway.

Is it not an ordinary ship?

It looks pretty old, so maybe its a ship from the Mechanical Intelligence War era.

So?

Its a ship that took measures to reduce the number of computer-controlled parts as much as possible in order to prevent an AI takeover. If this really is the case, then this ship is probably over a hundred years old. Maybe even older.

Elma looked up at the ship with a suspicious gaze. Come to think of it, the nobles of the empire seemed to often take a step back when it came to AI. Or rather, its like they were trying to bear with something.

Since they are a family led by an earl, they should be more than capable of buying the latest ship models, so why are they using such an old ship?

I guess theyre wary of the AI. After all, they are able to get inside anywhere as long as its connected to the network.

That does sound pretty scary.

But it does make sense. Mei alone could easily handle controlling the Black Lotus, so the Mechanical Intelligence race should be able to hijack any Imperial Space Force ship easily if they wanted to. Of course, there should have been some sort of agreement with the empire in order to prevent such incidents from happening.

Maybe they dont want anyone snooping in on their business?

Dont say anything further, you.

Aye aye, maam.

Since Elma got angry, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

House Ixamal was a noble family suspected of having ties with space pirates. Therefore, it would be inconvenient for Mechanical Intelligence to infiltrate their ship while they were in the middle of a deal. Isnt that why they insisted on using a ship from the AI War era even in this day and age? Well, those were my thoughts anyway.

Even if they didnt go as far as taking control of the whole ship, it would still result in big trouble for House Ixamal if Mechanical Intelligence were to hack the surveillance cameras and record evidence of their wrongdoings.

Eh? Wasnt I being too suspicious of House Ixamal? Well, I think theres no doubt that theyre guilty because even the emperor got on their case and sent them all the way to the front lines. On top of that, he even sent Captain Serena, who spent her days killing pirates, along to accompany them. Even if that werent the case, since they messed with Earl Dareinwald, or rather, Chris, theres no way I was gonna get along with them.

Anyway, lets go inside first. I think the ramps over there.

Yes!

Yes, My Lord.

Mimi replied cheerfully and followed after me along with Kugi who was walking just three steps behind me. We all headed to the ramp. Elma? Elma was walking alongside Kugi while keeping a sharp, or rather, doubtful eye on the surroundings.

Im the mercenary Hiro. I received an invitation to attend today and decided to accept. Has the word been sent?

As we approached the gangway, I called out to the soldier who was standing guard. Hmm. His combat armor seemed to be of good quality. That goes for his laser rifle as well. His other equipment also looked pretty expensive. It seemed that House Ixamal was pretty loaded.

Please wait while I check Mm, your name is on the list. Are the ones behind you your companions? But why are there only three?

Were currently on standby, right? Some of my crew members stayed behind so the ship would be able to move when required. Is there a problem?

No, of course not. Please enter. A guide will be waiting for you inside.

Got it. Good work. Lets go guys.

After concluding my interaction with the sentry, we went up the gangway and stepped inside the ship. The moment we entered, I saw a scene that made me wonder if we were really inside of an antique battleship.

Wow, its so pretty.

The interior looks quite luxurious.

The floor was lined with beautiful carpets. The ceiling was brightly lit, the walls were spotless, and there were people who appeared to be butlers and maids waiting on standby. What appeared before us was an exceedingly gorgeous interior that was isolated from the imposing atmosphere outside the ship.

Even though interior space is supposed to be a precious commodity on starships they sure were pretty bold in using it.

This was probably a hall to welcome guests. Perhaps this was a block of the battleship designated exclusively for the Independent Fleet.

Welcome to House Ixamals flagship, the Majestic. You are the mercenary Captain Hiro-sama and company, correct?

Yeah, thats right. This sure is an impressive ship.

I responded to the dandy-looking butler who was walking toward us. He lightly bowed his head respectfully with a proud expression on his face.

Thank you for the compliment. This ship is engraved with the glorious history of House Ixamal after all. Come this way, please. Captain Holz has already arrived as well.

I see. I dont think we arrived late, but its not good to keep people waiting. Please lead the way.

In response to me, the butler gave a slight nod once again and started walking ahead to lead us.

How is it?

Nothing for now.

I turned toward Kugi who had approached me and inquired. I was asking if there were any people who harbored malice or hostility toward us nearby.

I was also trying to increase my sensitivity to such things, but I havent made any significant progress. If Kugi, who had better psionic sensing abilities than me, couldnt detect anything, then I suppose everythings fine for the time being. However, we still shouldnt let our guard down.

I sure hope nothing really happens.

Thats kind of asking for too much at this point, right?

Dont you think its strange that something like thats considered asking for too much?

Ahaha

Mimi smiled bitterly when she witnessed the exchange between Elma and me. I suppose Mimi also agreed with Elmas words.

However, there were lots of demerits to Earl Ixamal if he really made a move to capture all of us here, so normally, nothing should happen.