Mob №118 “Understood. I’ll apply before the deadline. Is that acceptable?”
After safely returning to planet Ytts without attracting attention and going home, just as I was about to wash my laundry, I received a call from my mother.
[John! Thank goodness I got through!]
“What’s wrong, Mother? You seem so flustered.”
My mother, shown in the hologram of my wrist-com, looked quite agitated.
“Actually… something terrible has happened…”
From my mother’s demeanor, I judged that quite a situation had occurred, so I decided to talk on the home phone to discuss it calmly.
And the content my mother told me was something truly unbelievable.
Apparently, my father was rear-ended while transporting harvested vegetables by truck to deliver them to the cooperative.
He wasn’t injured, and the hospital diagnosis found nothing abnormal.
However, the problem was the person who rear-ended him.
The person in the air-car that rear-ended him was apparently Tenort-Leendert, a viscount’s son (30) who was an employee of [Labem Corporation], the company my father used to work for, and who seven years ago pinned his own mistake on my father, saddled him with massive debt, and got him fired.
According to the story, he graduated at the top of his class from Hein National University, the Empire’s highest institution of learning, and when the president of [Labem Corporation] begged him on bended knee, he entered the company on the condition of being treated as a department head. Then a year later, he made a tremendous mistake, pushed it onto my father—what a piece of garbage.
Previously, because I was a minor, they didn’t tell me, but now that I’m an adult, they judged it was okay to tell me.
Now, regarding how this Viscount’s son Tenort-Leendert rear-ended my father’s truck: apparently he had purchased a villa on planet Tavul and was on his way there with his lover.
At that time, my father’s truck, which was driving ahead, made a sudden stop, so he rear-ended it, his air-car was totaled, and both he and his lover were seriously injured, so he decided to sue my father for the sudden stop.
However, he said he’d drop the lawsuit if we pay 300 million credits in settlement money.
But according to testimony from my father, people who were at the scene, and the police officers who first arrived, my father’s truck had stopped at a traffic light, and there was both testimony and evidence that they smelled of alcohol and that the air-car’s safety system had been turned off. Also, the air-car apparently wasn’t even totaled.
Furthermore, the serious injuries are said to be a lie.
However, even so, the Viscount’s son Leendert won’t stop claiming that my father’s sudden stop totaled the air-car and caused serious injuries.
Apparently he truly didn’t know it was my father who was driving though.
And the reason he can make such confident claims is, according to him:
“I am the direct grandson of Duke Altishult-Bingil-O’Vorls. I am doted upon by my grandfather. Since I am saying this, there’s no mistake. If you oppose me, you’ll be arrested by the Duke’s guard… is that acceptable?”
That’s what he said.
Honestly, I think that story is also a lie, but there’s no way we can ask to go to the Duke’s house for a face-to-face verification.
Even so, my father tried to forcefully insist that they were at fault, but apparently the other party has hired bodyguards who seem like ex-military personnel, and if we don’t accept the payment, they even hinted at violence toward my mother.
Probably seven years ago too, he silenced the company’s upper management with that story about being the Duke’s direct grandson and with violence, and this time he probably intends to pressure the police upper management into acknowledging it.
During the previous rebellion, quite a few idiot nobles were punished, but there was still a fool like this remaining, huh?
I can certainly understand those workers’ frustration.
Incidentally, my father is currently running around trying to raise money however possible, just in case.
For now, when I told my mother that I could provide about 100 million from my savings, she kept repeating “I’m sorry” and “thank you.”
The day after my mother called.
I headed to the guild while thinking about what to do, something I’d been doing since last night.
To be honest, I want to storm into Labem Corporation right now and shoot Tenort-Leendert dead.
But if I did that, I’d become the criminal, and it would cause trouble for my parents.
Until now I’d taken several days off after each request, but should I accept high-paying requests without breaks from now on?
While thinking such things, I entered the guild building and saw someone familiar.
It was Colonel Shunera Floss, who belongs to the Central Fleet Suppression Unit First Fleet and is also the secretary to General Jack-Baldor-Breskin.
“Good afternoon, Uzoss-san.”
“Hello. Thank you for your help previously.”
“Not at all. It’s natural for those who contribute to maintaining public order.”
To the Colonel, who gave a refreshing smile, I gave thanks for the theft incident from before.
“By the way, why are you here?”
“Actually, I came to issue a request to you and the other mercenaries.”
It’s not unusual for the military to request mercenaries.
If it includes me, they probably came to make some kind of request to the entire guild.
However, one suspicion had arisen in my mind about the military issuing this request.
Since I had the chance, I thought I’d confirm it.
“Um… actually, my father has recently been forcibly burdened with debt, but General-lord didn’t pull strings to make me accept a request, did he?”
“…What are you talking about?”
I might not have been conscious of it, but perhaps my tone toward the Colonel had become harsh.
The Colonel furrowed her brow slightly.
“Seven years ago, the person who framed my father and burdened him with debt was deliberately sent to the planet where my father lives, caused an accident on purpose, set up my father as a dangerous driver, presented settlement money to put him in a situation where he needs funds, and created a situation where I have no choice but to accept his request—that’s what I mean.”
“…! If that’s the truth, I’ll have to seriously punch lord.”
The Colonel, hearing my story, was surprised and showed anger toward the General.
Then the Colonel called General Jack-Baldor-Breskin on her note PC about what she’d heard from me and began an interrogation.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
From the General:
[Wait wait wait! I swear to heaven and earth I didn’t do such a thing!]
after hearing the story, came the response
Judging from how flustered he was on the screen, the General apparently wasn’t involved.
“It seems to be the truth. I’m glad lord isn’t that foolish.”
The Colonel nodded her head up and down in agreement.
While feeling bewildered at his subordinate’s reaction to him, His Excellency the General told me about that scumbag who had twice pushed his own mistakes onto my father.
[First, to conclude, there’s no way that bastard is His Grace the Duke’s direct grandson. His Grace the Duke has two children—one son and one daughter. The son is the current Prime Minister, Marquis Terry-Langeis-O’Vorls. The daughter married into a certain viscount family. And he has three grandchildren, of which only one is male—the second child and eldest son of His Grace the Duke’s son, Marquis Terry-Langeis-O’Vorls: Oliver-Leimis-O’Vorls. He’s 17 years old. And he’s currently recuperating from illness.]
The moment I heard that information, I wanted to go shoot that scumbag dead right now. But I couldn’t do something like that.
“He’s clearly an impostor. On top of that, identity fraud—and impersonating the grandson His Grace the Duke dotes on no less—he’s reckless beyond belief.”
The Colonel-dono also seemed angry about this fact, as her expression became extremely cold.
[In any case, now that we’ve heard about it, we can’t just ignore it. It concerns His Grace the Duke’s honor, after all.]
His Excellency the General also had a quite serious expression, and I got a glimpse of just how serious a matter fraudulently claiming noble status really is.
However, the next moment,
[……Though, I’d like to say that, but I’m quite busy as you can see. If you’ll accept the request that my subordinate there brought, I might just make time for you as thanks for that……]
His Excellency the General, in obviously theatrical monotone, demanded compensation from me.
Well, it’s more trustworthy than being told it’s completely free out of 100% goodwill.
“What is this request?”
Taking my response as affirmation, the Colonel-dono said,
“The request from us is to serve as the aggressor unit in mock combat exercises with our 1st Fleet’s fighter craft squadron. Of course, the recruitment is open to all mercenaries belonging to the Mercenary Guild Ytts Branch. The details are here.”
He sent electronic documents to my wrist terminal List-Com.
The contents were as follows:
Job Description: Mock combat with the fighter craft squadron belonging to the Central Fleet Subjugation Force 1st Fleet in the Halitok Sector.
Job Duration: Approximately 8 hours in Galactic Standard Time (not including travel time).
Work Environment: Fuel supply before and after combat—replacement with mock ammunition and restoration to original condition.
Job Requirements: Must bring your own spacecraft—repair costs guaranteed if brought spacecraft is damaged.
Number of Recruits: Approximately 50 people.
Compensation: 2 million credits—fixed. Shoot-down bonuses available.
They probably won’t just ignore it since it concerns His Grace the Duke’s honor, but if I don’t accept this, they won’t move immediately, will they?
This mock combat enemy role request comes from the military quite often throughout the year, and also comes frequently when they’re training new recruits or weeding people out within the military.
I won’t be the only one responding to the recruitment, so I guess I just need to not stand out and get shot down.
Maybe the recruitment slots will fill up too.
“Understood. I’ll apply before the deadline. Is that acceptable?”
[That’s sufficient.]
Satisfied with my response, His Excellency the General showed a grin.
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