The Latest on the Old Coast Guard Unit
I’ve come to quite like this moment of departure.
For some reason, I’ve grown fond of this fleeting instant—a mix of slight tension and a tiny bit of excitement.
Originally, I never had any particular desire to board a starship. Whether by fate or coincidence, I enlisted in the Space Force, was promptly reassigned to the Coast Guard, and was tossed out into space without ever having any attachment to it.
But after spending most of my time out here, I’ve recently realized that I’m starting to like space.
Well, it’s not like trouble during voyages is anything new, but this time, we’ve got Thomson and his team with us, so I’ll just rely on their luck.
Somehow, when it’s just us, we’re all cursed with terrible luck, and nothing good ever happens.
We slowly made our way along the route the pirates had been using, heading toward the spot where we’d previously captured a pirate ship.
The route we’re currently using hasn’t been officially approved by the Kingdom yet.
Because of that, none of the usual troublesome regulations apply—legally, it’s treated just like any other patch of space.
However, with asteroid fields surrounding us, no sane person would even consider navigating outside this narrow passage.
That’s why even the Space Force has started operating here, so there’s no telling when we might run into them on patrol.
I’d like to avoid any unnecessary trouble with the Space Force, so I’ve adhered to their conventions and set our speed to the standard Space Force cruising velocity—Fourth Cosmic Speed—as we head toward the area where the pirate ship previously fled into the asteroid belt.
This Fourth Cosmic Speed is the standard cruising speed for most Space Force vessels and is traditionally used when they operate in squadrons or larger formations.
Given the narrowness of the route and the likelihood of encountering the Space Force, we’re following their customs, but this speed is somewhat inefficient for the Shunmin.
Since the Shunmin has been refitted with larger, high-performance engines, its standard cruising speed is Eighth Cosmic Speed—twice what we’re doing now.
And unlike the Second Cosmic Speed used for low-speed navigation, this is an awkward in-between speed—possibly the worst for fuel efficiency.
But since we’ll be working joint operations with the Space Force in the future, we’ll probably be using this speed more often.
Thinking ahead, I decided to request modifications and told Maria to draft the paperwork.
At least this time, we’ll be leaving this route soon, so fuel efficiency isn’t a major concern.
After about two hours navigating the narrow passage, just as we were about to leave and enter the asteroid belt, we received a transmission from HQ.
Kaori, the communications officer on the bridge, reported:
“Captain, we’ve received a message from HQ.”
“What’s the content?”
“Roger. Regarding the previous investigation request, they’ve asked the Capital Sector Defense Force for backup. They request instructions once the reinforcements arrive.”
“The Capital Sector Defense Force?”
“That’s the Coast Guard. You didn’t actually forget, did you?”
Executive Officer Meyrica-nee glared at me with stern expression..
Honestly, I had.
Even though I’d just recently been stationed there, the formal name was something I never used.
At this point, I wish they’d just officially change the damn name.
“So, they asked the Coast Guard for backup this time? But is that really okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Aren’t government agencies all about territory?”
“Territory?”
“Yeah, like the area we’re heading into. Is that even within the Coast Guard’s jurisdiction?”
“Oh, that should be fine,” Karin Senpai chimed in.
Apparently, this region lies between the Capital Sector and the neighboring Rhenium Sector, but astronomically, it’s still considered part of the Capital Sector.
“Wait, really? Then why has it been left alone until now?”
“Well, that’s the ‘various reasons’ part. Once you leave the Capital Sector, it falls under military jurisdiction. Originally, the military’s duties included maintaining public order within the Kingdom, which also meant pirate suppression. But within the Capital Sector, that task is specifically handled by the Coast Guard, so the military stays out of it. Everywhere else, though, the military takes charge.”
Karin-senpai’s explanation made sense.
Still, with the number of ships the Coast Guard has, covering even just the Capital Sector is a stretch.
Realistically, they’re probably stretched thin just patrolling commercial routes.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“So that’s why the military left it alone until now?”
“Most likely. The military never wanted to deal with pirates in the first place. Hunting them is a pain, and the rewards are minimal. Nobody wants that job. That’s why I’ve never heard of the military actively cracking down on pirates before.”
“Then the Coast Guard just does the job—”
“But that doesn’t mean they’re happy about someone else messing in their territory. After all, actually catching pirates counts as an achievement. Plus, not too long ago, there was a major pirate suppression operation that earned high praise. Since the Coast Guard’s upper ranks are filled with former military personnel, some political maneuvering must’ve happened. But this time, since the request for backup came from Her Highness, they can deploy without hesitation.”
Karin-senpai paused, lowering her voice before continuing:
“More importantly, there’s a rumor going around that the current Coast Guard leadership can’t just keep deferring to the military. I’ve heard they desperately need more visible achievements. Even though they just seized a pirate frigate not long ago, there’s talk they’re getting impatient for something bigger.”
Listening to her, something clicked.
“Captain.”
Meyrica-nee seemed to have the same thought.
“Karin’s story—could it be because of our situation? I’ve heard some high-ranking officials were quietly punished.”
“Yeah, like Captain Dusty from the Akkeshi—forced to return his retirement bonus before resigning ‘voluntarily.’”
“And rightfully so. He got off easy just being allowed to retire. What he did was practically order a suicide mission—he’s lucky he wasn’t court-martialed.”
“That’s a harsh take. Maybe for me, but the Coast Guard doesn’t have courts-martial. At most, it’d be an inquiry committee deciding whether to prosecute. The Coast Guard isn’t the military.”
“‘Maybe for me’—what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I am military. Oh, right, the Akkeshi’s captain was too. Well, I guess that was the government’s compromise. Who knows what the higher-ups were thinking.”
“I suppose.”
“Captain, Executive Officer. Do you know something?”
“Nah, I hadn’t even heard about those rumors. But backup coming from my old workplace… feels kinda weird.”
“Is it awkward?”
“Well, I’m the one giving the orders, right?”
“What’s new about that? You’ve been giving orders to the military without hesitation before, haven’t you? Like during that space colony incident.”
“Oh, right. Guess it’s nothing new. Either way, our job stays the same. Kaori, send HQ confirmation and our current coordinates.”
“Understood.”
“Alright, we’re heading into the asteroid belt now. Stay sharp.”
“Aye, Captain.”
With that, the Executive Officer grabbed the shipwide PA mic and made an announcement:
“Attention all crew. We are now entering the asteroid belt. Maintain strict vigilance at your stations.”
The announcement sent a wave of tension through the Shunmin.
We’d been on standby since departure, but within military-controlled space, the danger was minimal, so we hadn’t been too alert. That changes now.
Having already survived a surprise attack, nobody’s slacking off.
Even the trainees have toughened up.
Just then, Thomson arrived on the bridge with a few others in tow.
“Captain, we’re finally at the scene?”
“Not quite yet. We’ve got a few hours to go from here.”
“Mind if we wait here? We’ll stay out of the way.”
“Want to see outside?”
“Yeah. I’d like to get a feel for the area.”
“All of your team?”
“Preferably, but even I wouldn’t demand the whole squad crowd the bridge. If possible, just these few. Or just me, if that’s all you can allow…”
“It’s fine. We can’t give you Her Highness’s seat, but the spare seats are open. Use those.”
“Captain. Why not direct the rest of the investigators to the firing control room?”
The Executive Officer’s suggestion was solid.
Even for a small destroyer like ours, the firing control rooms—commanding torpedoes and main battery fire—are located near the guns.
They’d have a clear view outside and access to radar systems.
Plus, since there are two (fore and aft), splitting the team wouldn’t interfere with operations.
“Executive Officer, that’s a great idea. Make it happen. You handle the arrangements?”
“Understood. I’ll take care of it.”
I had Thomson gather his team in the gate lobby while the Executive Officer led them away with him.
TLNOTE :
Volume 1 is licensed to English, buy the official release when it’s out!
PS.: Please check the Internet Archive if what you’re looking for is no longer on this website. *wink *wink
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
Thanks for the update.