novelzi Chapter Extra Kadokawa Books Anniversary Short Story Compilation 3 [The Seventh Crew Member?]
Chapter Extra Kadokawa Books Anniversary Short Story Compilation 3 [The Seventh Crew Member?]
TN: This is a short story originally published on Kakuyomu as part of an annual short story compilation organized by Kadokawa to celebrate their anniversary. I’ll resume translating the main story once the author returns from working on the new volume of the light novel. In the meantime, I’ll be translating these mostly unknown short stories. Here is the third one.
「Elma-san, don’t you think this is nice?」
「Huh? I don’t think it would suit me very well. I mean, it might be fine for you, Mimi, but for me, uh... the design is a bit too cute, don’t you think?」
「Elma-neesan, you’re gorgeous and got a great figure, so girly stuff like this’d look great on ya.」
「You should try wearing something like that too, Sis.」
「This wouldn’t suit me. It might work for you, Wee, but for me... nah.」
「You’re twins, so if it suits Wiska, it should suit you too, right?」
The old saying ‘When three women get together, the chatter never ends’ can’t be truer. And when there are four of them, it becomes endless and downright chaotic. The girls were browsing an apparel shop in the colony through the holo-display, debating excitedly over what was good, what suited who, and everything in between.
「Aren’t you going to join in, Mei?」
I called out to Mei, who was quietly standing by near me as I relaxed on the sofa by the terrarium in the corner of the lounge. She gave a small shake of her head.
「No, I am a maidroid, after all.」
「...You know, I think you’d look good in something other than a maid uniform every now and then.」
「The maid uniform is my identity. However, if it’s your command, Master, I will serve you in any attire you desire.」
「Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s not like I insist on you wearing something other than a maid uniform, so you don’t have to take it so seriously...」
Why is it that even with her flat voice and expression, I can sense her tragic, and desperate resolve? Honestly, out of all the crew members, Mei might be the most enigmatic.
Having wrapped up our business in the Comatt Star System, we were en route to the Refill Star System—the elves’ homeworld. For now, though, we had stopped at a trading colony in a star system along the way. This particular colony was known for its expertise in apparel technology, offering everything from high-tech fabrics made with the latest innovations to traditional textiles. Its trade was centered around a wide variety of apparel products.
The influx of unique materials also attracted many fashion designers to the colony. As a result, numerous clothing stores of all sizes competed fiercely for attention.
「Smaller stores use holo-displays for space-saving, low-cost product showcases, where they take the orders, to later pass them to shared factories that handle the manufacturing and shipping. Meanwhile, medium-to-large stores also display physical items, attracting customers who want to buy them on the spot... That’s a smart setup.」
As I browsed information about the colony on a small terminal, it seemed that Elma and Tina had wrapped up their discussion and were now heading my way. R
「A setup like that doesn’t encourage long-term business.」
「It’s lively, but I bet lots of shops that don’t keep up end up closin’ pretty quick.」
Elma sat down beside me, while Tina—without warning—hugged me from the front, looking up at my face.
Tina, that’s a bit risky, isn’t it? Even if I wasn’t sitting with my legs properly together, sliding yourself between them like that is... well, questionable.
「...Tina, isn’t that kind of unfair?」
「Fufun, the little gal wins! Bein’ small’s got its own perks—nyunyaah!」
Tina, who was smugly nestled between my legs, had her cheeks pinched and squished by both my hands. Ah, squishy cheeks. They’re so soft it makes me want to keep touching them. But seriously, this is a dangerous spot, so please vacate it immediately. The soft sensation of Tina’s, small but not lacking chest, is pressing against a very sensitive area of mine.
Wiska, making such a matter-of-fact comment puts me in a tough spot. Honestly, with the current crew being almost entirely women, introducing another male crew member could potentially lead to all kinds of trouble. So realistically, I doubt I’d add any guys to the crew.
「I wonder what kind of girl will join next.」
「It’s hard to say, but I’m the operator, Elma-san is an experienced co-pilot, Mei-san is a highly advanced maidroid that controls the Black Lotus and the security, and Tina-chan and Wiska-chan are brilliant mechanics. I am the exception, but Elma-san, Mei-san, Tina-chan, and Wiska-chan were all invited onto the ship because Hiro-sama saw their exceptional skills. So wouldn’t it make sense for the next crew member to also bring a specialized skillset?」
That’s true. Anyone joining the crew would need to have a role to fulfill. Even if they started like Mimi, learning the ropes as they go, they’d still need to have some kind of potential or talent.
「Thinking along those lines... maybe a ship doctor?」
Now that’s an idea. Right now, the crew’s health management relies almost entirely on the medical pod we have on the Lotus. Having someone aboard with proper medical qualifications and experience as a ship doctor would be a huge plus. I’d definitely welcome that.
Well, doctors tend to have stable incomes and high social standing, so it’s unlikely that someone would give all that up to join the dangerous life of a mercenary. It’d take a very unique individual to make that choice.
「How about a marine specializing in close-quarters combat?」
That’s certainly a possibility. Right now, the only ones capable of handling close-quarters combat are me and Mei. Elma can probably manage if needed, but it could be dangerous. While we do have a formidable asset in the form of military-grade combat bots, the only one on the crew capable of commanding them effectively in the field is Mei. Adding another expert in close-quarters combat would definitely enhance our overall strength and bolster the crew’s safety.
「There’s still one hangar slot open on the Black Lotus, so maybe a new pilot or co-pilot could work.」
That’s a solid idea, too. If we buy another combat ship, Elma could pilot it. It would enable us to form a two-attacker team—Elma and me—while the Black Lotus provides rear support. Such a formation would significantly reduce the chances of enemy pirates escaping. Having more firepower would also make it easier to respond to unexpected situations.
And if Elma moved to the new ship, we could bring on a new co-pilot for Krishna. Expanding our mercenary group’s tactical capabilities and crew would be a welcome boost.
「So, what d’ya think, Boss?」
「I think all the suggestions you’ve come up with are great, but it all depends on whether we actually meet someone like that. For all we know, the next crew member might join for reasons completely unrelated to what we’ve imagined.」
As I said that, Mei, who had been silent up until now, murmured softly.
「...Master is a kind person. If there were a woman in distress, and helping her required Master to intervene personally, wouldn’t that be the most likely reason for the crew to grow?」
「「「「A
All four of them nodded in unison, as if in complete agreement. Can we not do this, guys? Sure, I can’t exactly deny what Mei said, but still.
「But you wouldn’t help a guy in distress, right?」
「I’m not a saint or some humanitarian, you know. My stance is: guys can deal with their own problems.」
Frankly, I find those people who claim they’ll help anyone in trouble, no matter who they are, incredibly suspicious. As for me? I only help girls. Why? Because it feels way better to be thanked by a cute girl than by some scruffy dude. Simple as that.
「Even so, I bet you’d end up helping if someone was truly desperate.」
「That’s right. Hiro-sama is very kind.」
「No, I wouldn’t. Definitely not. No way, no how.」
I declared, doubling down with all the conviction I could muster. But my earnest protest was met with a round of dismissive ‘Sure, sure, we believe you’ from everyone.
This injustice will not be forgotten.