When I returned to the ship, my wife was there to meet me.
"Well done, Lord Groom! Every person in need of rescue has been taken aboard!"
"It’s a shame we couldn't reclaim the facility, though," I replied.
"Time will likely take care of that as well."
"How so?"
"Once the power runs out, the barrier will vanish. After that, the Zork will end up as nothing more than feed for the local wildlife."
That was harsh.
So even the Zork found it difficult to survive here?
"It would be different if they could prepare a super-large ship, but even the Zork can't afford to pour resources into a planet of this level."
I see.
In the original game, there were planets with weak enemies and others with strong ones. The reason Edge’s village only spawned low-level enemies was that it simply wasn't worth invading.
Planet Sanctuary was probably the only exception to that rule. It made sense; even an alien swarm had to have limits on its resources.
As I started toward the bridge with my wife, Baron Ohno approached us.
"Just what I’d expect from First Lieutenant Leo Kamishiro."
"To be honest, it was a pretty close call this time," I admitted.
"And who might this young man be? He’s emitting an incredibly noble aura... Prince Cyrus?!"
"Ah, let me introduce you," I said, improvising. "This is Baron... Cyrus Shiramber?"
My wife’s lips curled into a smirk. It seemed I had unintentionally hit a home run with that fake name.
"Yes, exactly. This is Baron Cyrus Shiramber."
"You people..." The Baron looked pale. "You’re sure I won’t end up getting assassinated along with the rest of you?"
"Prince Thomas won't object," my wife said dismissively.
"But Prince Cyrus's face is famous. What happens if someone reports us?"
"This is a temporary measure. Besides, everyone values their own life, don't they?"
In short, they had plenty of collaborators. It meant that if you stood in the way of the plan drawn up by my wife and Prince Thomas, you’d be erased.
God, nobles are terrifying.
The evacuees were eventually shown to the guest rooms. They were basic quarters designed for sleeping on floor mats, but with futons, blankets, and internet access, they could probably spend a few days there in relative comfort. The showers and toilets were communal but clean. There were the usual frozen foods and vending machines, plus a laundry room separate from the one the soldiers used.
It wasn’t exactly a hotel, but it was about as comfortable as the passenger space on a high-end cargo ship.
Super-large ships... truly terrifying.
Our next objective was—well, I wanted to say the next planet, but we had to stop at Baron Ohno's colony first to drop off the survivors. Baron Ohno was hardly in a position to refuse.
"We're heading for the colony, then," my wife declared, clearly thinking the same thing.
And so, we set a course for the colony.
I might have been an officer in name only, but I still had the rank. I decided to relax in my private room for a bit. Apparently, the rooms for high-ranking officers were even more spacious, but I didn't need that. My current room was plenty.
Once I caught my breath, I realized I was starving. Time to head to the cafeteria.
Ship rules prohibited eating in the rooms to prevent smells from lingering, though coffee and tea were allowed. I definitely wanted to avoid a situation where my ceremonial military uniform reeked of curry. (Though since so many people ignored the rule and ate in their rooms anyway, the laundry rooms were equipped with heavy-duty sterilization and deodorization devices).
The dining areas were divided into one for senior officers and one for everyone else. The senior officers' area was for formal meetings with nobles like my wife and Baron Ohno, complete with dedicated catering staff.
That place, known as Restaurant Sora, played chic jazz and was staffed by soldiers with experience in the service industry acting as waiters. In terms of atmosphere, it was a legitimate restaurant.
Our nameless general cafeteria, fitting for a ship this size, was more like a food court—or rather, a cafeteria in a run-down market.
Naturally, my wife and I used the general one. In fact, I’d never even seen the fancy restaurant actually open for business. Besides, Baron Ohno spent all his time on our battleship instead of his own vessel. He claimed the food was better here.
I couldn't tell if the staff just didn't want to put effort into the decor or if their sense of style was simply dead, but the cafeteria walls were draped with red and white banners.
This is exactly what I mean! This is why it feels like a dingy market stall!
I cast one vote for the "manager has no taste" theory.
In the cafeteria, I ordered a basic set via the augmented reality interface. For rice, simmered dishes, and salads, it was a semi-buffet style where you just grabbed what was laid out.
For the soup, you used a dedicated machine. You placed your container, pushed a button, and it would drop in a freeze-dried base before pouring hot water over it. Since we were essentially hardcore physical laborers, there was also a machine for curry. You'd set your bowl down, hit a button, and it would dispense retort curry. It was all-you-can-eat.
They even had protein shakes—the kind used for recovery after getting injured. There were also vending machines stocked with various snacks.
I went with the hamburger set. I grabbed the main dish at the counter and served the rest myself: a mountain of rice topped with curry and a huge helping of vegetables. I made sure to grab extra young corn. I’ve always liked it. For my soup, I chose corn cream. Miso soup was a tempting alternative, but I decided to let it go this time.
"Yo," Melissa said, coming over to sit across from me. She had ordered the exact same thing.
"Hey," I grunted back.
We exchanged short greetings and started eating. A moment later, Baron Ohno arrived.
"Evening!"
"Hello, Baron."
He had the grilled mackerel set. As expected of a fisherman. The fact that he didn't add any curry made the weight of his age feel palpable.
After our casual greetings, my wife joined us.
"I have come to join you, Lord Groom."
She had the hamburger set with a small portion of rice and zero vegetables.
And trailing behind her was Big Brother Cyrus.
"Hello."
His tray was loaded with protein, a chicken teriyaki set, protein-enriched bread, a mountain of vegetables, and a literal heap of boiled broccoli. He also had a variety of supplements.
Is this a bodybuilder’s pre-contest meal?
"Master!" Ren arrived next.
She had a massive pile of steak and nothing else. Truly a member of the Beast Race.
"Oh? Is everyone here?"
Kevin, the man with the independent boobs, arrived last. He had a salad, whitebait pizza, and an order of ajillo.
"What are you, a girl?!" I blurted out.
"Wh-What’s that supposed to mean?!" Kevin snapped.
Cyrus let out a soft laugh. "Hehe. You all get along so well. I never really had any friends myself."
"I was the same," my wife added. "I had no one I could call a friend until I met the Lord Groom. Having friends increases the risk of assassination, after all."
"That is true," Cyrus agreed. "We have lived our lives constantly side-by-side with the threat of death."
"Being royalty sounds like a nightmare," I muttered.
"Not necessarily," Cyrus said. "I'm quite satisfied now, being surrounded by friends."
"I feel the same," my wife said. "The boys from the Officer Academy... I am glad they treat me so frankly."
Those guys are probably just being considerate, I thought, but it was still a bit heartwarming.
And so, in that incredibly relaxed, messy atmosphere, we continued our journey toward the colony.