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The effect of the purifying nanomachines Dr. Shouko made was immediate. The number of pathogenic spores detected in the blocks where they were tested out was drastically reduced. Hartmut gradually extended the range of the purifying nanomachines and used the special medicine concocted by Dr. Shouko to rapidly bring the pandemic to an end.
And so, itâs been about a week since I delivered the containers entrusted to me by Dr. Shouko to Hartmut.
During the past week, I went to see the situation at Airiaâs orphanage as the colony began its recovery process, took Dr. Shouko to meet with Hartmut in person to discuss the details regarding the purifying nanomachines, and negotiated compensation in exchange for the manufacturing data of said nanomachines. It was a fairly busy week.
âIn any case, the power of nanomachines sure is amazing. Turning the situation around this much with just the effort of one single scientist is seriously impressive.â
I mumbled those words while treating Dr. Shouko to a lap pillow inside the break area. The holo-display installed inside the break area was broadcasting news regarding the pandemic ending soon.
âThis particular case simply happened to be related to my own field of expertise.â
Dr. Shouko, who was resting her head on top of my lap, replied in a humble manner, but judging from her side profile, she seemed to be rather proud of her accomplishment. She had a really smug look on her face. I canât really fault her for making such an expression though, since she did deliver awesome results.
âI still think itâs amazing. Iâm honestly impressed. But wouldnât it be quite terrible if nanomachines were employed as weapons instead?â
âOh, that. I get asked about this often, and itâs certainly doable. We can actually manufacture some, you know? Those so-called killer nanomachines. However, when it comes to practical applications as a weapon, itâs easier to render them useless compared to biological or chemical weapons, so itâs not worth the trouble in the end.â
âIs that so?â
âYep. After all, they are basically delicate machines, so they are vulnerable to EMP. There are also energy shields. Also, it takes a certain amount of them to successfully kill a person, so if you want to deal with an entire colonyâs population, youâd need to disperse killer nanomachines with a mass equivalent to that of the Krishna. Honestly, I donât think itâs worth the cost.â
âIf thatâs the case, then firing a reactive warhead is more cost-effective and less time-consuming.â
âExactly. Well, I suppose itâs possible to use them in assassinations of lone targets, but I think it will be difficult to employ them as weapons on a large scale.â
âI see.â
In other words, Gray Goo â widespread destruction due to out-of-control nanomachines â wonât happen so easily. Itâs a complicated feeling. Iâm kinda relieved, but it also felt like one of my dreams had been shattered.
âMm, Iâm starting to get sleepy.â freewebno(v)el
âI wonât care about you if you end up sleeping on top of my lap and hurt your neck later.â
âI think the firmness is just right though. But yeah, I guess itâs better to sleep on a bed.â
âGot itâŠâŠ Wait, whatâs with those arms?â
âI want you to carry me, Hiro-kun.â
After saying so, Dr. Shouko displayed a self-satisfied smile. I see? Fine, Iâll carry you. Yeah. Youâre surprisingly the type who wants to be pampered often huh, Doc?
Weâve completed most of our business here at Reemay Prime, and thereâs just one matter remaining.
âNow thenâŠâŠ Do you three know why I called you over today?â
The three young girls (Only one was an honest-to-goodness young girl though) sitting next to each other at a table in the corner of the dining hall displayed awkward expressions.
âWell, though temporary, we did have Linda board our ship due to our own circumstances, so I, who made that decision, also carry a good deal of responsibility for that. Linda was the catalyst that led to the creation of the special medicine thatâs effective against the pandemic afflicting this colony, and we received quite a bit of cash from Hartmut due to it. Naturally, I plan to distribute some of the profits to Linda as well.â
After saying so, I paused and observed the girlâs reaction. The girls were Tina, Wiska, and Linda respectively. Umu. All three looked pretty dejected. It felt like I was some sort of villain.
âFrankly speaking, I have no intention of taking Linda with us. We already have enough manpower at the moment. Besides, there are people she can rely on apart from us here. Isnât that right?â
âWellâŠâŠ Yeah, yer right, Boss.â
The orphanage that Linda originally belonged to had Airia, as well as Heinz and Sieg. If Airia asked, I believe Hartmut would also lend his strength without hesitation. That amount of cash that I, or rather we, will hand over to Linda wasnât enough to buy her the right to free movement within the empire, but it was more than enough to allow Linda to learn various stuff in order for her to do whatever she wanted in life later on. In other words, it would be way too much for a kid like her.
I didnât like the prospect of handing over a huge sum of money to an underage girl and ruining her life as a result, so I was thinking of leaving the management of the funds to Heinz. Heâll probably do a good job. Itâll be fine as long as I warned him a bit. You know whatâll happen to you if you use up Lindaâs money right? Well, something to that effect. Anyway, since Iâm gonna bother him with some troublesome stuff, I suppose I need to give him some sort of benefit as well.
âBut IâŠâŠ I wanna go with you guys.â
Linda said so as she looked straight into my eyes. Un. Well, yeah. I understood why Linda was insisting on coming with us. Really, I get it. If I was in her shoes, I suppose Iâd act the same. Considering the environment she grew up in until now, this was only natural.
There were only a limited number of opportunities available to a girl from an orphanage in the lower block. She didnât even know her parentâs faces, and the ones who formerly backed her were mafia and gangsters. The lower block of this colony was a hopeless environment for a child with no education or money to make it on her own.
If thatâs the case, it was better to risk her life and chastity (I swear Iâd never lay a hand on her though) by boarding a mercenaryâs ship as an apprentice and acquire skills as a merc and sailor, which would greatly open up her future prospects. As long as they used their head a little, anyoneâŠâŠ even a young child like Linda, could understand that much.
âActually, itâs completely possible to bring Linda with us. You can even say itâs too easy. Lindaâs cost of living wonât even make a dent on our budget. We have more than enough income after all. However, to put it bluntly, thereâs absolutely no benefit to bringing Linda along. None whatsoever. You can even say itâs not worth the risks.â đ»đđŠđŠđžđŠđŁđâŽđđŠđ.đžâŽđ
This was simply because Linda was still just a child. Linda, whoâs currently at the cusp of puberty, was at an age where itâs difficult to control oneâs emotions, and her physical development was lacking as well. She may have a rare factor that allowed her to resist the pathogens causing the pandemic, but itâs unclear if itâll work on other diseases too. In the first place, thereâs already a vaccine that prevents most diseases, and all of us have been vaccinated. In other words, the value of her unique constitution was actually quite low.
âIâm really persistent. Iâm quick on my feet, and I think Iâm really good with my hands too. I believe Iâm pretty brave if I do say so myself. Iâm not very smart, but Ms. Tina and Ms. Wiska say Iâm a fast learner. It wonât happen right away, but Iâm sure I can make myself useful if you give me a chance.â
âThat was a great speech, young lady. But no. My ship needs no hot-blooded newbie.â
Mimi, who was an ordinary young woman at first, was now a qualified ship operator after all. In fact, Tinaâs mental state was the one most shaken up during this timeâs incident. Sheâs usually a bright and cheerful mood-maker. That girl.
However, Linda was just far too young. Iâm not exactly at an age where I could flaunt my seniority to others, but even so, Linda was still too young. She was an honest-to-goodness minor. Weâre already prone to getting caught up in all sorts of trouble, so we didnât need a crew member who was likely to become a troublemaker herself.
âHowever, you still find all this unacceptable, right? I canât risk having you stow away on my ship, so Iâll make a concession.â
The three of them held their breaths and braced themselves to hear my next words.
âIf I remember correctly, youâre currently twelve years old right, Linda? In that case, you should work hard in this colony until you come of age when you turn fifteen. It would be best if youâve acquired skills useful for sailing in space by then, but for now, itâs enough to focus on growing up healthy both physically and mentally. If you still feel like boarding my ship after three years, Iâll go ahead and come for you.â
âR-Really?â
âI donât make a business out of lying. But keep one thing in mind, okay? The thing about exactly what it means to come aboard my ship of your own free accord. You better be prepared by then, alright? I wonât hold back against anyone who voluntarily comes to me, understood?â
âHuhâŠâŠ!?â
Lindaâs face turned beet-red as she backed away while trembling.
âYou better become a good woman, hahaha.â
âYou ero bastardâŠâŠâ
âWell, donât take it so seriously. Iâll do my best to create an environment where you are free to do whatever you like. Take advantage of that environment and do your best to become the person you want to be. I wonât hold it against you even if you decide to take a different path in the end. Boarding my ship is only one option. Iâll give it to you straight. You can indeed earn a lot of money by working as a mercenary, but it will also be very dangerous. Even engineers like you have encountered life-threatening situations more than once or twice after working for me right, Tina? Wiska?â
Lindaâs face was bright red as she glared at me, so I shrugged my shoulders and turned to the sisters instead.
âYeah, thatâs true.â
âWe frequently go up against pirates, and if we lose, weâll simply die at best.â
âDyingâs a good outcome? Whatâs the bad one?â
âEither being captured and used as a plaything until you die, or worse, get processed into a soulless âproductâ and handed over to a pervert who likes that sort of stuff.â
âUgeehâŠâŠâ
Linda flinched and drew away. The mafia and gangs within colonies were already pretty perverted and violent, but space pirates were several magnitudes worse. A fun singing severed head connected to a life support system has been completed! They were the kind of guys whoâd do stuff like that without batting an eye.
âWell, I donât plan on getting done in by pirates, but mercenaries constantly live their lives with the risk of coming to such tragic ends. Keep that in mind while doing your best for three years.â
âUnâŠâŠ I got it.â
I nodded in return to Linda who nodded in a solemn manner. With this, Lindaâs matter was finally settled. Now, all that was left was to politely ask Heinz and Sieg to take care of some stuff for me, tell Hartmut to help out as well, and talk to AiriaâŠâŠ Itâs a pain, but itâs for Tinaâs sake. Just a bit more to go and weâre done.