Chapter 365

Chapter 365. Problem: But he’s a Casanova.

After learning about the assault ships, looking back at Bendalope’s fleet, it was like…

“Jessica, Jessica, about the Lemmings Assault Team.”

“Yeah?”

“At first, I thought it was just a bunch of patrol ships acting as meat shields, but no, the entire fleet is like a spear.”

“Is that so?”

Indeed.

The role of the ‘Lemmings Assault Team’ led by Bendalope wasn’t about evasion tanks using hundreds of small ships that look like patrol ships.

Under the command of the flagship, the Electronic Warfare Cruiser, during a battle between our fleet and the enemy…

They calculate the dive angle meticulously, and the moment the angle is right…

“Kiyoooooo!!!” They charge in, dealing irreversible damage to the enemy, making the entire fleet a spear itself.

Looking at such a fleet, I momentarily wondered why only I end up with such bizarre friends.

But that thought was fleeting.

“By the way, with this, doesn’t it mean that the mercenary fleet alone can cover everything from large ships to small ships?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, isn’t that the case? Captain Lephan’s Rhodes Mercenary Group strictly has large ships, and Aquarias’s Avalonia Security Fleet has everything from battleships to destroyers.”

“True.”

“With Bendalope’s Lemmings Assault Team added, isn’t it almost complete?”

“That’s an interesting point.”

Jessica’s words made me realize that it indeed made sense.

Nodding my head, I decided to express satisfaction with the newly acquired fleet’s existence.

Of course, in actual combat, the fleet might get wrecked contrary to expectations.

Or the dive angle might not be seen, ending the battle without doing anything…

But then, we could just use them as evasion tanks + spare lives, like real patrol ships.

‘Whichever way it goes, it’s a win-win, so it’s good!’

But about three days after hiring the Lemmings Assault Team…

At this point, I realized that the problem with Bendalope wasn’t about fleet operation or formation.

“Hey, Sister Ignis? Wouldn’t you like to have a cup of tea with me?”

“Nope.”

“Oh my, quite the fortress, aren’t you?”

“Noooooope.”

Unfortunately, our Bendalope, though a tall, handsome man like Leonard…

Unlike him, who only does his own thing regardless of what others say, Bendalope often flirts with other superhumans around, showing typical Casanova traits.

Of course, when I checked Bendalope’s status window, ‘Casanova’ was prominently displayed.

So, in a way, it was a foregone conclusion.

However, even as he flirted, most of our superhumans, like Ignis, showed no interest.

Especially in Partia’s case…

“Do you want to be with me, Brother Bendalope?”

“Of course!”

-Thud!

“Huh?”

“That’s a great idea, muscle training with sweat is always better together.”

“Uh uh uh.”

Proving to have a pure brain in a strange place…

When Bendalope interpreted ‘spending time together’ as ‘spending time (working out) together’…

It seemed our Bendalope was having a really tough time.

Of course, amidst all this, he didn’t flirt with Marian, who showed unwavering affection towards me…

“Pirate Empress, when trying to woo a man, it’s better to do it like this.”

“Ohhh…”

“And your appearance is already sufficient, but how about sprucing it up a bit?”

“Spruce up my appearance?”

“Yes, to be honest, your current look is just ‘cool,’ not quite ‘beautiful,’ don’t you think?”

“Oops.”

“That might be why the Commander sees you more as a comrade than a woman.”

“…That sounds quite plausible, care to elaborate?”

‘What are you guys doing.’

Using his knowledge and experience as a Casanova, he was seriously playing the role of a proper advisor.

If this keeps up, it’s very clear that most superhumans will accept him as ‘a bit annoying but generally a decent person who knows his limits.’

I decided to stop paying attention, believing Bendalope and his crew would adapt well to the base.

But then, another 3 days and 4 hours later…

“Sssip, yummy.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, I made some Luwak coffee with Smeragi’s help.”

“Poof!”

“Uh, that’s not it.”

“Just kidding, it’s just coffee beans ground by hand, so don’t make that face.”

While sipping morning coffee and patting Smeragi’s head, who happened to be on guard duty, Jessica dropped the ‘Luwak coffee’ bomb.

Suddenly, I sprayed coffee all over Smeragi’s white hair and was frantically wiping it off with tissues when…

*Beep beep beep, beep beep beep!*

“Sigh, are rogue pirates barging in again this early in the morning?”

“Hold on, let me check… Huh?”

“What’s wrong, Jessica?”

“…Commander, members of the Lemmings Assault Team are storming in, demanding we release their leader.”

“What?”

What on earth are you talking about, Jess-Jess?

I was so stunned by the sudden news that Jessica started explaining the situation in more detail…

After hearing all sorts of things, I wondered if I might not fully grasp what was going on.

Then, right before my eyes, an ‘Event Message’ popped up, explaining how the situation was unfolding.

—————————————-

<Event>

<Find the Captured Commander>

<Content>

<Bendalope, the commander of the Lemmings Assault Team, who often flirted with other superhumans, has gone missing.>

<After making a pass at Gryanarr three days ago, all contact with her was lost.>

<The other members of the Lemmings Assault Team believe Bendalope has been detained at the Commander's base.>

<They are now attempting to storm the 'Nest of Life' to rescue their leader.>

<Choice 1: I'll handle the investigation myself, block the Lemmings from entering. (Proceeds to linked event)>

<Choice 2: Sure, let them figure it out among themselves. (Proceeds to linked event)>

<Warning!>

<If no choice is made within 5 minutes, the Lemmings Assault Team will clash with the 'Nest of Life.'>

—————————————-

‘Wow, a binary choice!’

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a choice-based event, so I should feel nostalgic, but…

Given the warning in the message, I had to make a quick decision.

After a brief moment of thought, I realized that Choice 2 and the warning outcome were the same.

‘Choice 1 is the way to go.’

<Choice 1: I'll handle the investigation myself, block the Lemmings from entering. (Proceeds to linked event)>

I immediately chose Option 1 and decided to head straight to the ‘Nest of Life’ to assess the situation.

“This definitely looks like Gryanarr and Bendalope had some kind of clash, right?”

“It’s hard to say for sure, but… probably?”

“I hate to say it, but I think so too.”

As we made our way to the Nest of Life, it became clear that we all suspected Gryanarr had done ‘something’ to Bendalope and locked her up, causing this mess.

When we finally stepped into the Nest of Life, my feet sinking into the squishy, fleshy floor, I was greeted with…

“Oh, Commander, it’s been a while since you’ve been here yourself!”

“…”

“Gryanarr, who’s that girl over there…?”

“Bendalope, or whatever her name was? She was so annoying, so I just… modified her.”

I was speechless, staring at the once tall, handsome black-haired demon man who had now been transformed into a 130cm-tall black-haired demon girl.

And then, right after…

*BOOM!!!*

“Where’s our leader?!”

“Leader! We’re here to save you!”

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

Despite being told to wait, the Lemmings Assault Team burst through the walls of the Nest of Life.

In the midst of this chaos, I grabbed the back of my neck and chose to collapse into Jessica’s arms.