Ark The Legend

s.p.a.cE 7. Details of the Magic Event

Tatuine the capital of Istana.

The two most important buildings belonging to the Galactic Federation were there. One of them was the Galactic Federation Central Headquarters that Ark had entered a few times. And the other was the Royal Palace. It was the place where the Emperor who reigned over the Galactic Federation lived.

And now!

Dozens of n.o.bles were gathered in the central hall of the Royal Palace. n.o.bles wearing a uniform were lined up on one side with Marquis Martin while on the other side, Marquis Jyubel and other n.o.bles were wearing court clothes. The military and political factions of the Galactic Federation were gathered in one place. And the person in the centre….

‘I feel awkward.’

Ark scratched his head and looked at the n.o.bles.

Once again, Ark and the investigation team had returned to Istana a few hours ago. 6 s.p.a.ceships in the fleet had sunk due to the Hornets and carrier. Before the carrier exploded, it had shaved away nearly half their power. And 3 members were killed in the battle inside the carrier.

9 out of 14 team members had been killed. Apart from Ark and Irina, only 3 other members had survived until the end. But the ident.i.ty of these 3 members were unexpected. Taking out Hawk, the remaining 2 were Mario and Neidu.

Mario was a merchant that belonged to the military faction while Neidu was a merchant from the political faction. It was ridiculous that all the warriors died in battle while the merchants survived.

Of course, there was a reason for it.

It could be understood when looking at Mario’s s.p.a.ceship. A merchant’s s.p.a.ceship had much higher defence than that of a warrior’s. In a s.p.a.ce fleet battle, their survival rate had no choice but to rise. The  problem was the battle inside the carrier’s interior….

-I was with Ryu, Mirinae and Cayenne when entering the interior. Yet Ryu and Cayenne joined forces to turn on Mirinae.  There were negotiations between members of the same faction. They didn’t help Mirinae in battle so he ended up being killed first. And the remaining two also died after that. However, Hawk left even when he knew Ryu and Cayenne was locking out Mirinae. Ryu and Cayenne weren’t helpful in a crisis. On the contrary, in a crisis Ryu and Cayenne would make their subordinates retreat. It was clear that Ryu, Cayenne and Hawk’s subordinates were deliberately moving secretly to the rear.

He had asked Irina about it while they were heading to Istana.

Hawk’s reason was obvious. The target of the investigation team was right in front of him. In that situation, it wasn’t necessary to worry about the other members of the team. The members would take care of each other and he would absorb their subordinates.

Irina, Mario and Neidu could survive due to that. The quest item that was the target of the investigation team was located on the bridge. And the warrior type unit led by Hawk had the best chance to obtain the quest item.

The moment he entered the carrier, everyone else was just a compet.i.tor to Hawk. But Irina was an inspector from the Galactic Federation and Mario and Neidu were in charge of resources. Therefore they weren’t Hawk’s targets. He didn’t feel the need to bother with them. No, they were people that he could take advantage of. There would be unnecessary suspicion if he was the only one who survived.

‘Hah, I figured he would do that.’

Ark was expecting that. This was why Ark moved independently from Hawk. Well, it wasn’t his only reason….

‘That’s the biggest mistake you made. Hawk!’

Ark laughed as he saw Hawk frowning. Hawk had absorbed the subordinates of the other members. However, a subordinate’s power could fluctuate by up to 30% of the president of their Agent died. In addition, morale would fall and the special effects of the Agent skills couldn’t be used.

‘If you had utilized Cayenne and Mirinae then the boss could have been handled much faster. But you were anxious about getting the quest item first. That allowed me to catch your ankle.’

As a result, Ark managed to get his hands on the quest item before Hawk. It was 90% due to luck. The remaining 10% was due to Hawk’s results.

No matter how he thought about it, Ark hadn’t expected such results. But Ark was composed.

‘The only thing that matters is the result! I got one over Hawk!’

The result was good so he decided to generously (?) forget about it. But not everyone was as generous as Ark.

Right now Ark, Hawk, Mario and Neidu were gathered at the Royal Palace to receive compensation. The surviving team members’ hard work was recognized and they were brought to the Royal Palace. Naturally it was to celebrate.

But not everyone was pleased like Ark.

There was Hawk. Hawk had the quest item stolen from right in front of him so he was glaring at Ark. The n.o.bles standing on the left side who belonged to the political faction were doing the same thing. They were bitter that all the achievements were taken away by a member of the military faction.

Those weren’t the only expressions. Mario was laughing because he didn’t expect to receive the best achievements yet he had someone managed to enter the TOP 4.

‘Look Hawk! The simplicity of an innocent merchant who is satisfied with what he has! Aren’t you embarra.s.sed about killing your fellow colleagues for your greed? You can learn from him!’

These were words he wanted to say to Hawk. But Ark wasn’t in a position to tell someone that.

Mario and Neidu weren’t the only ones with a happy expression. The n.o.bles of the military faction that Ark belonged to were making satisfied expressions. Marquis Martin who recommended Ark was able to gain a superior position to the n.o.bles in the political faction. In addition, the military could now monopolize the information on antimatter. However…..

‘It doesn’t matter as long as I receive the compensation but…..’

In fact, there was a story hidden here.

————————————————————————–

“Huh?”

Ark was puzzled. The Marquis Martin clicked his tongue and started to talk.

“I heard it just now. The box you brought was sent to the research centre but the contents had nothing to do with antimatter.”

What was he talking about? Ark’s expression said he didn’t understand.

“But wasn’t the antimatter reaction detected from that box?”

“Yes, there was an antimatter reaction.”

“If there was an antimatter reaction then why did you say there is no relation to antimatter?”

“It makes sense. The box contained Mist Uranium.”

“Mist Uranium?”

“It will take too long if I tell you the details so I’ll say it simply. Mist Uranium is a by-product made from the process of forming antimatter. In other words, it is natural to contain an antimatter residue. It is why the wavelength of antimatter was sensed. Mist Uranium is failed sc.r.a.ps but it possesses 90% of the same structure as antimatter. Even the energy wavelength emitted is the same. The research centre could notice the difference immediately but the energy measuring instrument of a s.p.a.ceship would think it was antimatter.”

Ark felt drained.

He entered the investigation team, went through all that trouble and finally obtained the box. And he openly entered Istana while being escorted by the Council and Galactic Federation. He thought the whole thing was over. Yet now it was fake? He went through all that in vain?

“But there is something! That Mist something! Wouldn’t it be useful somewhere?”

“Mist Uranium. Yes, it isn’t useless but the value is small. I previously told you that the 3 powers researched antimatter a long time ago. There wasn’t any success but they managed to reach the stage just prior to it. The Galactic Federation, Rama and Aschulat were able to produce the Mist Uranium. However, making Mist Uranium with 90% of the structure of antimatter requires materials such as lead and gold. Mist Uranium as a purpose but it can’t be compared to the large number of resources wasted. But……”

“But?”

“It is different if we’re talking about a different value.”

Martin smiled and continued.

“The box with the Mist Uranium also contains a memory chip with information about the carrier called Ura.n.u.s. Thanks to this, we learnt the whole story behind this event.”

“Details behind this event?”

“Like I said before, Mist Uranium has its own uses. It is used to form a warp portal. Currently the 3 powers uses a warp portal that travels an average of 1,000~1,500 light years in 1 hour. Even we take advantage of the flow of the universe, the limit of our present warp voyage is 2,500 light years in 1 hours.”

Once again, a warp movement wouldn’t always have the same speed. When a s.p.a.ceship entered a portal, a huge flow existed in this dimension like an ocean current. This was called a Universe Stream. The speed of a warp journey was influenced by this Universe Stream.

If they took advantage of this flow, the speed when moving would increase by 2~4 times. This was the reason why warp journeys took different amounts of time despite the distance being similar.

Martin’s explanation continued.

“But Mist Uranium can be used to greatly reduce the time of a warp voyage. It is possible to sail 10,000 light years in 1 hour.”

“Wah! That’s amazing!”

Ark had an exaggerated reaction. But he had no interest in warping.

Ark just wanted to know the value of Mist Uranium. The value of his compensation would depend on the Mist Uranium. So Ark needed the Mist Uranium to be amazing. Martin clearly knew his feelings.

Martin laughed and shook his head.

“It is amazing. But the problem is the resources required to make Mist Uranium. Currently the s.p.a.ceships use ether as fuel for warp travel. However, travelling 30,000 light years will consume 1 kilogram of Mist Uranium. And 1 kilogram of Mist Uranium costs approximately 120,000 gold.”

Ark’s mouth dropped open at Martin’s explanation. Fuel that required 120,000 gold to move 30,000 light years! It was a material that couldn’t be called energy.

“It is natural since Mist Uranium is a by-product of the difficult antimatter creation. It is also dangerous. Even if Mist Uranium is a by-product, it still possesses 90% of the same structure as antimatter. It has an influence on the Universe Stream so there is no telling how the s.p.a.ce will be distorted. You have confirmed its power. It is enough to destroy a small black hole. That alone is a sufficient threat to the galaxy.”

“But why is Mist Uranium used?”

In the end, Mist Uranium was an unnecessarily expensive and dangerous material. But why? What use would they have for it other than warp travel?

“It is a show.”

“A show?”

“Before you brought the box, the 3 countries believed that Organization X possessed antimatter. And Mist Uranium is a by-product that doesn’t have the power of real antimatter. We’re going to use the Mist Uranium you obtained from Organization X to make it seem like we possess antimatter.”

“What will that gain?”

“A state.”

Martin briefly replied.

“According to the memory chip obtained from Ura.n.u.s, Organization X is related to the terrorist organization called Tree of Life. Tree of Life was an organization that opposed the spread of androids throughout the galaxy and committed acts of terrorism. However, the secret organization was investigated and destroyed. This incident was a scam by the Tree of Life.”

“A scam?”

“This is the statement contained in the memory chip.”

Martin manipulated the Nymphe and 3D images appeared.

-We are Tree of Life, the guardians of true life.

The life the Great G.o.d granted is precious. It is the same for life and death.

Life and death is under the providence of the Great G.o.d and all creatures are obligated to abide by this. But is that actually reality? The ignorant races of the galaxy forgot the Great G.o.d and created mechanical life forms for their convenience. The devil’s machine called a Fairy was even made to defy death.

This act is a blasphemy against the Great G.o.d!

The Tree of Life has denounced such behaviour and is declaring the establishment of an independent state. We have already obtained the power of antimatter due to the will of the Great G.o.d.

I don’t need to explain what that means.

This is the last warning we will send to you.

Any races that interfere with our independence will be punished by the Great G.o.d. But if you abandon your wasteful desire and destroy the machines and Fairy then you will be accepted at any time.

This was the story behind the magic event. Organization X was the terrorist organization called Tree of Life. Tree of Life intended to build a new state on the s.p.a.ce frontier. To accomplish this, they came up with antimatter.

The 3 powers already knew the danger of antimatter. If the Tree of Life already developed antimatter then the 3 powers couldn’t mess with them. A terrorist organization possessing nuclear weapons couldn’t be easily touched. But the 3 powers couldn’t believe it.

It was due to the existence of antimatter that the 3 powers a.s.sembled the investigation teams and destroyed Ura.n.u.s. If they really had antimatter then they would’ve destroyed the investigation teams to threaten the 3 powers. They used the Mist Uranium that cost 120,000 gold to move 30,000 light years.

Even if they possessed antimatter, the 3 powers thought that they could wipe out the Tree of Life if they wanted to. However, currently the 3 powers were in a rivalry. There was no power that wanted to come forward first to receive ma.s.sive damage from the Tree of Life. No, there could also be a situation where one of the powers could join forces with the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life was against machines but they could use antimatter to build a strong, independent state.

But those were just big words. Mist Uranium was just a by produce of antimatter. Ura.n.u.s had been smashed by the investigation teams of the 3 powers.

“The Tree of Life would be totally destroyed with this.”

Martin said with a joyous expression. Ark also nodded with a pleased expression.

“Then I did you a service.”

“Yes you did. A very big service.  Thanks to you, the Galactic Federation managed to obtain the Bellin Constellation.”

“Eh? Bellin Constellation?”

Why did the subject suddenly jump to that? Martin laughed at Ark’s confused expression and continued.

“The only ones who know that you brought Mist Uranium is His Majesty and us. The Rama, Aschulat and even Marquis Jyubel doesn’t know about it. How could I let such a good chance run away?”

Ark heard some shocking words. When Ark picked up the quest item, Hawk wasn’t the only one watching the situation. The Rama and Aschulat investigation teams were also there.

Of course, no one knew that the box contained Mist Uranium. The Rama and Aschulat naturally thought that antimatter was in the box. And that fact was delivered to the Rama and Aschulat special envoys who showed up when the carrier sunk.

“Amba.s.sadors flew to both nations and threatened them.”

“Threatened?”

“Antimatter is something that can throw off the balance of the galaxy. So a special treaty was signed that no one would develop it. If anyone intended to research antimatter then it would be war….and so on, they all made a lot of noise but no one was sincere. No matter what, the Galactic Federation ended up in possession of antimatter. So they wanted to hear an answer. That the Galactic Federation has no intention of using the antimatter. The amba.s.sadors from the 2 states want to watch the antimatter box be permanently sealed.”

Of course it wasn’t for free.

“The Rama decided to hand over the planets they occupied in the Bellin Constellation. And the Aschulat promised some profit from trading. The price was a little expensive but the amba.s.sadors for both states were willing to pay it.”

Of course they would pay it. The Rama and Aschulat thought that antimatter was in the box. They would pay anything to stop the Galactic Federation from studying the antimatter and weaponizing it.

‘But even so……’

This wasn’t a small matter. As expected from Marquis Martin. He was on a different standard from the average NPC. In addition, obtained the planets in the Bellin Constellation and trade profit wasn’t the only benefits.

The antimatter was sealed up but it still belonged to the Galactic Federation. This fact would become a considerable burden to the Rama and Aschulat from now on. It was the same for Martin’s rival, Marquis Jyubel.

The military managing the antimatter would have a great influence on future diplomacy with the Rama and Aschulat. In a sense, it meant that Marquis Martin controlled the political power of the Galactic Federation.

Due to Ark bringing the box, Marquis Martin took advantage of it to gain a huge advantage over the Aschulat and Rama and secured the helm of the Galactic Federation. Therefore, Marquis Martin was the one who gained the most benefits.

But Ark had no interest in what Marquis Martin received. Marquis Martin received what he could get. That world was unrelated to Ark.

There was one part Ark didn’t understand. Ark didn’t need to know these facts. He didn’t understand why Marquis Martin explained secrets that only the Emperor should know.

“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”

Marquis Martin laughed and answered.

“It is necessary for you to know this because of what you’ll receive.”

————————————————————————–

‘In other words…..’

Ark looked at Marquis Martin standing away from him.

In the end, he was going to receive compensation from the Emperor worth the false antimatter. So he wanted to run around and bark like a dog. He wanted to say something.

Ark went through all the trouble but Marquis Martin was the one who received the most. But Martin was a NPC. In particular, he was a generous NPC who treated Ark well. And he could receive compensation thanks to Marquis Martin. Their relationship was one of mutual profit.

Just as Ark was thinking this.

“His Majesty is here!”

The guards shouted in loud voices. A red curtain parted and a chair in the form of a capsule floated in the air. The person sitting down in the chair was a wealthy elderly man. The elderly man was covered in wrinkles but it was hard to tell how old he was.

Needless to say, he was the Emperor of the Galactic Federation! He was the Emperor of 270 planets and approximately 12 billion people.

The n.o.bles simultaneously bowed to the Emperor once he appeared. The Emperor surveyed the n.o.bles before nodding and beginning to talk.

“Raise your heads.”

The microphone attached to the floating chair amplified his voice through the hall.

“My heart is very satisfied seeing the n.o.bles who support the Galactic Federation gathered in one place. In addition, I’m very pleased to hear about the Galactic Federation’s achievements in the s.p.a.ce frontier. You probably already know the reason we’re gathered here today. The people who have devoted themselves to the Galactic Federation deserve to receive grat.i.tude. They have proven their qualifications. I’m representing the 12 billion subjects of the Galactic Federation to praise their achievements and give them fitting rewards.”

“Waaaaahhhhh!”

Overflowing applause came from the n.o.bles.

Of course, the ones who clapped more sincerely were the n.o.bles belonging to Marquis Martin’s military faction. The rest of the n.o.bles in the political faction clapped with depressed expressions. But the Emperor didn’t bear a grudge.

No, the Emperor was also looking at Hawk with a gloomy expression. The Emperor recommended Hawk as leader of the investigation team in order to gain an advantage over the political and military factions. But contrary to the Emperor’s expectations, Ark was the one who brought it. Marquis Martin’s position rose so he was forced to become depressed.

However Ark didn’t pay attention to it. The event was already settled, no matter the result. And Ark was the one who gained the most merit. Whether he liked it or not, the Emperor promised to give a reward to Ark.

“The most accomplished person Ark, step forward.”

And Ark was called. Ark approached the Emperor and kneeled down.

“Ark, you deserve respect for your courage and resourcefulness to solve numerous difficulties that threatened the safety of the Galactic Federation. Your achievements are worthy of praise. I bestow upon you the t.i.tle of Viscount.”

The Emperor’s voice resounded through the hall.

Ark-nim has risen to a 1st cla.s.s citizen by becoming a n.o.ble (Viscount).

By default, the Galactic Federation is a republic. However, the n.o.bles of the Galactic Federation are a cla.s.s system to efficiently manage a large area. n.o.bles belong to the top ranking group of citizens and will be given more preferential treatment. You can own territory in the Galactic Federation and will have priority when trading, investments and economic activities etc.

Only n.o.bles can build a sector into a city.

However, this privilege comes with responsibilities. n.o.bles need to submit to the Emperor’s commands and serve the Galactic Federation.

+ Your status rise means a 15% discount is applied to all dealings.

+ Your status rise gives you the right to own real estate in the city.

+ Your status rise means you can use the luxury Star Gate at a discounted rate.

+ You have gained an additional 5,000 Fame. 8,000 Galactic Federation contribution has been acquired.

The compensation given to Ark was a n.o.ble’s t.i.tle! In the beginning, he was a prisoner and shovelling snow on the -50 degrees Beltana and now he gained the status of a n.o.ble.

A rapid rise! He could now gain benefits from that rise.

His access to areas 3~4 increased to areas 1~2. It meant he could come and go from a wider area without any restrictions.

In fact, he hadn’t felt the effect of this yet. But that feeling changed when he went to the library. When browsing the materials, there were tons of places he couldn’t access on other planets. It was common sense for users in Galaxian to use their privilege to monopolize specific hunting grounds.

The right to the luxury Star meant he could gain access to a wider area. It was possible to gain an extra 10% discount for all commercial transactions. Well his sector was still far from growing into a city….

“This is a small gift from the Emperor of the Galactic Federation.”

A guard approached with a small box. The box opened and 5 jewels caught the eye.

A gemstone with the value of 1,000 gold.

Diamonds could be changed for 1,000 gold at the shop at any time! There was 5 of them. 5,000 gold. It was 5 times the compensation received for the quest. However, was a dozen time more difficult than the previous quest so it was natural.

He received a 3,000 gold deposit but he had already used that on the Silver Star. And there were repairs scheduled for the damage dealt by the carrier. But was that all? Slayer, Leon, Melina, Kaya, Sadain and Park were mercenaries. If he subtracted that then there was nothing remaining. But it wasn’t necessary to worry.

In addition, the diamonds weren’t the only compensation. A golden memory card was near the diamond! Ark inserted the memory card into his Nymphe and the information window popped up.

Planet Name: Ikyullos   Planet Rating: Lv. 3

Territory Range: The entire planet of Ikyullos.

Territory Administrator: Ark (The Agent: Dark Eden)

* You have been registered as the permanent lord of the planet Ikyullos and have the power over all judicial matters as an agent of the Galactic Federation. In addition, all resources on the planet will be given to the lord. The type of planet that will develop depends on the judgement of the lord. However, a certain amount of the income obtained from the territory will be paid to the Galactic Federation as tax. In return, the territory will be protected from all threats.

The final reward was the right to a planet.

‘The pledge received from Marquis Martin….’

Before coming to the castle, he thought he would receive a sector like S-20. Yet he ended up receiving one whole planet. Furthermore, the planet had a rating of lv.3!

The rating of a planet was decided by the amount of resources, not the size. A lv.3 rating meant that a huge amount of resources were buried underground! He had secured a tremendous profit.

‘Now, how do you like that?’

Ark gloated as he glanced at Hawk. Ark remembered when he first went to Hawk’s hive, Turan. Hawk who declared Ark as an enemy already had such power. But now things had changed.

Ark was the lord of a planet! There was a long way to go but he was steadily extending his power.

‘Won’t I be busy for a while?’

Of course, he would welcome reasons like this at any time. The person with the highest achievements after Hawk was Ark. He was the leader of a successful mission and played a large role in the final battle.

The reward given to Hawk was 5 diamonds and the development rights for an asteroid. Of course, the asteroid was small in comparison to the planet Ikyullos that Ark received. Mario and Neidu gained 3 diamonds each an exclusive trading rights for several mines.

————————————————————————–

“Ark.”

At the end of the happy reward time. After exiting the castle, Marquis Martin approached with the n.o.bles of the military faction.

“No, I should call you Sir Ark now. You are a n.o.ble of the Galactic Federation after all.”

“It is all thanks to Marquis-nim.”

“I’m also thankful to you.”

Marquis Martin laughed and answered.

“Yes, what type of planet did you receive?”

“Ikyullos.”

“Ikyullos?”

“Have you ever seen it?”

“No but I’ve heard of the name. It was relatively recent. Well, it doesn’t matter. Then are you planning to connect a Star Gate between Ikyullos and S-20?”

“Yes please.”

Ark smiled and replied. When Ark was presented with the quest, Marquis Martin promised him compensation +α for the antimatter. He hadn’t thought of the compensation when returning to Istana. But Marquis Martin popped into his head when he discovered he would be receiving a territory.

The rights to link S-20 and the new territory! That was the most important thing if he wanted to earnestly develop the territory. It was natural for the development of the territory to accelerate if he tied it together with S-20!

He could develop S-20 at the same time. The problem was the funds needed for the construction of the Star Gate. Building a viable Star Gate for interstellar travel required a huge amount of funds.

But Marquis Martin agreed without hesitation.

“The Galactic Federation is currently considering a plan to expand the Star Gates between planets to help with s.p.a.ce pioneering. A territory belonging to a n.o.ble wasn’t part of the original plan but considering the resources of the planet, I can fit it into the budget. It won’t be possible for Marquis Jyubel to object.”

It wasn’t money coming from his pockets!

“But if you use that method then it will take a little time.”

It didn’t matter. Ark had no intention of thinking about Ikyullos right away. His mind was in a hurry but he lacked the funds to develop a planet so he put it on hold. And there could be an accident if he rushed things. Anyway, it completely belonged to him so Ark had plenty of leeway to develop the planet.

“You have grown a little bit.”

Marquis Martin nodded after hearing Ark’s explanation.

“So just comfortably proceed with your work. The Star Gate will proceed so don’t worry. And there will be a meeting involving the n.o.bles of the military faction in the near future. You will learn that it isn’t bad to become a n.o.ble of the military faction. No, it will be necessary to manage your territories. I’ll contact you with the date so please attend if possible. And…..”

Marquis Martin laughed and shook his head.

“There is more I want to say but it isn’t urgent so I’ll postpone it until next time. I don’t want to be criticized by a beautiful officer. Let’s meet later.”

Marquis Martin left with the other n.o.bles.

“Ark-nim.”

And the beautiful officer approached.

“I heard that you became a Viscount.”

The person with a happy expression was Irina. Ark scratched his head with an embarra.s.sed expression.

“Yes, it just happened by chance. By the way, what did Irina-nim receive?”

“I’ve been promoted to captain. A double promotion!”

“Ah! Yes….”

Ark inwardly sighed as he heard about Irina’s rank. He didn’t hate that Irina was promoted.

This was sudden but Ark didn’t like warp movement. Warp movement was crossing thousands of light years but in the meantime there was nothing to do. 1~2 hours was okay but the time it took to reach the frontier from Istana was 20 hours! The only thing he could do was sleep or spend time in reality so warp movement wasn’t his favourite thing. But the 20 hours when he returned from this mission was different.

Irina rode in the Silver Star. So he started thinking.

‘If Irina was with me in the future….’

20 hours! 30 hours!

He would happily go anywhere in the galaxy. Furthermore, Irina had quite a high level. She wouldn’t just be Ark’s girlfriend but also add to Dark Eden’s power. Ark had intended to seriously scout Irina.

But that wasn’t possible now that she received a double promotion. A good boyfriend wouldn’t make a scouting offer in such a situation. Irina didn’t know Ark’s heart and just spoke happily.

“It’s all thanks to Ark-nim.”

“Hey, no it’s not. There was Hawk as well. Maybe 10%?”

“Anyway, I’ve received my long awaited promotion so I can treat you. How about this Sunday?”

“I’ll be free.”

“I have a meeting so I’ll leave first.”

“Oh, at Central Headquarters? I’m also going there.”

Ark quickly left with Irina.

If they were to be separated then he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Well they decided to meet this Sunday. Yet they were separating so every minute and second was valuable. And he crossed Tatuine as slowly as possible towards Central Headquarters. After saying goodbye to her, he headed towards the Silver Star.

“Oh! Ark!”

“You came! Hey, how did it go?”

“So? What did you get from the Emperor?”

Slayer and Kaya swarmed Ark and bombarded him with questions. They were very interested in the compensation Ark had received. Ark ignored Slayer and sat in the captain’s seat.

“We’ll talk about it later. Tori, the engine’s status?”

“Anytime! We can go anywhere! Just give the command!”

“Okay. The destination is S-20. Set sail!”

“Silver Star start!”

Ku ku ku ku! Hwaaaaack!

The Silver Star flew away with a flash.

————————————————————————–

“……Ark!”

The Silver Star flying in the blue sky.

Someone was watching the scene from Central Headquarters. Wearing black armour and a black cloak, it was Hawk.

Hawk watched the Silver Star with hostility.

–Hey Hawk!

A voice rang out from the Nymphe. Hawk narrowed his eyes and began to talk.

“Carly? How are you?”

-I heard you’re visiting the Galactic Federation. And that you came to Tatuine.  I have something to discuss so I got in contact with you.

“What do you want to say?”

–Some time ago, I stumbled upon a crest with the 5 elements on it. I heard you were looking for relics of the Oritious. Perhaps this is what you’re looking for?

“It won’t be for free. Didn’t you contact me because you wanted something?”

-Huhuhu, you are indeed Hawk. You understand me real intentions. How about it? Do you want to trade?

“I will decide once I hear the condition.”

-Okay. But it is difficult to meet here. Safety can’t be guaranteed. Understood? So I’ll give you coordinates. I’ll see you there tomorrow.

Then the communication was cut off.

“5 elements….”

Hawk muttered before speaking to Harley.

“Harley, pick a subordinate to keep an eye on Ark’s movements. And…..”

Hawk stopped and thought. After a while, a corner of his mouth raised and he continued.

“Look for Valencia.”