Milanor ushered the silent Naya into the ship, first by entering the hangar.

"…"

Excepting that needless comment just now, she had been very quiet ever since she first saw Helios back on the elevator, and now she was not making a sound whatsoever.

"This is the hangar, where we store our shuttles or any other small vessels we use for transport," Milanor explained while acting like a guide. "As you can see, the place takes up a huge space. There were supposed to be 2 separate decks in this lower part of the ship, but the builder changed the plan and merged them together."

He indicated the walkway that surrounded the hangar, situated at the halfway point between the floor and ceiling. However, as he gestured toward some parts of the walkway as part of his explanation—

"Milanor! I totally like, hate you!!"

A shrill shout reverberated through the relatively empty hangar, complete with an echo.

"Huh?"

"What?"

It came from the right walkway, a bit farther away, where there stood a young girl leaning toward the railing. Even from a distance, it was clear that she was glaring at the two of them.

"W-Wait, Fia?"

Or rather, toward Milanor specifically.

It was Fianna, clad in her favorite star-studded pajama for some reason, radiating an ominous aura.

"Brace yourself, you… You outrageous man!" She suddenly leaped off the railing and jumped down the almost 5 meters drop to the floor.

"What the hell!?" Milanor screamed at the shocking event that came out of nowhere. The ship's gravity module provided a constant 1 g of surface gravity. Falling down at that height with that much force was without a doubt, extremely dangerous.

Wham!

Fianna crashed onto the ground—or looked like she was—as she gracefully rolled away like a blue hedgehog on a downhill. The sight was quite elegant when she rose herself up and dashed straight toward him. And due to all that display of acrobatic prowess, she appeared to be weirdly fine for someone who had just fallen from a height roughly equivalent to a 2-story building.

"Take thiiiiss…!!" she yelled as she sprinted, looking for all the universe like she was about to perform a flying tackle at Milanor, exactly like he did to the poor hooligan hours earlier.

"Seriously, what is this about!? Gahah!!?"

Milanor toppled backward as Fianna's momentum crashed into him. He didn't want her to hurt herself any further (concern unwarranted notwithstanding), so he didn't try to dodge.

Fortunately, she didn't kick him or anything, she simply collided with her body. But it still held a lot of momentum, and Milanor wished she didn't do this right after he came home!

"How could you…!? I asked you for like, a day together, shopping around, checking the city out, and stuff… But you left me behind and having fun on your own," she play-punched him a few times while protesting. Then she sharply turned toward the dumbfounded Naya, "with this strange girl you just met!"

"What!?" Milanor immediately remembered the ridiculous story Miledi concocted up to deceive Fianna, but soon he realized trying to clear this horribly unnecessary misunderstanding was going to be a huge pain.

"Listen, forget everything Miledi told you!" he asked, putting in the effort anyway since she looked like she was starting to tear up. It made him feel guilty even though he knew he did nothing wrong.

Well, except for the gambling incident, but that didn't count. The Milestone Court declared that putting an irrelevant case to the current trial was highly inappropriate. He insisted the court be fair and focused on this false charge.

"And heck, I didn't leave you behind or anything!" Milanor retorted. "You're the one who said you were too sleepy 'cause you stayed up all night binging-watched movie marathon or something! I told you I was gonna check out the city on my own first!" He defended himself with all his might, slyly avoiding any mention of any casino. His excuses were based on facts, so nobody could object to them.

"Eh…? Hmm, is that right?" Fianna faltered, trying to remember the events this morning before she collapsed from sleep deprivation.

"That is right! Hey, Miledi! Where are you!?" Milanor yelled toward the bioroid maid that should be here ages ago.

"Welcome home, Master Milanor, sir."

Miledi came out of the elevator located on the right side of the hangar. He swore that the elevator was already there and had stayed there on this deck ever since they arrived.

Don't tell me this blasted maid waited there this whole time…? Milanor speculated. It was an indictment that was impossible to prove at the moment, so he pushed it out of the airlock of his mind. The less he knew, the better.

"I wish for you to know that I have been waiting profusely for your return. All of this afternoon, I was beside myself with worry. Please do not impose on your poor servant such fear, Master." That spaced indictment immediately flew back and clawed at the airlock trying to get in.

"How long have you been there…?" Milanor questioned, still laying down and being straddled by Fianna. "No, don't answer. Just… explain to Fia what the heck is actually going on."

"I will. Lady Fia," Miledi called her. "What have I told you before… about what the Master was up to, it was not true."

"Huh? W-What are you saying?"

"The Master was not fooling around," she paused, thinking something. "No, he was fooling around, but not the kind like what you're thinking. You may relax. Although he indeed did something worthy of a body slam, so your anger and punishment are justified. Yet, I would like to correct this misconception as it did not sit right with me."

"Hey! What's with that explanation!? Are you actually backing me up here!? Don't be so half-assed about it!"

"B-But, what about her!?" Fianna pointed toward Naya, standing awkwardly a short distance away, almost lost in the commotion. "Like, who is she!? Why is she with Milanor!?"

It had to be mentioned, the complex and convoluted emotion Naya had this whole time she spectated the event unfolding. She was like that one poor girl who stumbled on a marital spat on the verge of divorce.

"Ah yes," Miledi turned toward the confused girl. "Miss Naya, is it? My name is Miledi, a servant of the wonderful Captain Milanor here. I am an android, a bioroid to be exact. We finally met in person." She extended her hand, asking for a handshake.

"…Nice to meet you," Naya accepted the gesture.

It was the first time Naya had a chance to take a good look at the person Milanor had been speaking to since they met.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Miledi was a bit taller than her (although Naya had a rather short height, so it was not an ideal comparison) and her gait and posture were completely straight typical of an android. Her humanoid features and looks were designed and built with great care by Milanor's mother, as part of the integrated computer system of Helios.

A mature facial feature that didn't look artificial at all, and long black hair that exuded elegance and beauty. She wore a frilly black and white uniform that normally people would never see before. It was courtesy of Milanor's parents' anthropological hobby.

Miledi told him that it was called a 'maid's uniform,' based on the homeworld nation of France's female servant work clothes. Milanor himself liked the style, even if it was ancient.

Although he was sure he had seen some people in Naya's videos that wore similar clothes too, so maybe she was familiar with it.

"Thank you, then," Miledi turned back to Milanor and Fianna after shaking hands with Naya once. "Lady Fia, this is Miss Naya, a prospective employer that the Master met in the city. Can you please release him? It may be too late to try to keep up a professional appearance, but even so."

"Ah… um, yeah," she finally stood up from straddling his body.

Finally released, Milanor staggered to his feet. "For the love of Betelgeuse, why did I have to go through that? Miledi, this is your—"

"Master, should I mention the Silver Krust to Milady?"

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault, I'm reflecting," he admitted, feeling defeated. He also took off the cloak he had been wearing for a while now. Ahhh… the sensation of release must've felt very refreshing.

"Hm? What's Silver Krust? Mil, is that like, the bar you went to?" Fianna asked, her arms crossed.

"No. Seriously, I didn't go to any bar… Anyway, Fia, you just jumped down from the walkway, that's quite high up. You're not injured, are you?" Milanor asked with concern.

"Hmm? No way, I'm fine. Did you forget I got the training Dad gave me before we left home? Hehe, but I'm like, totally happy that you're worried about me," she sheepishly replied. "If only you act like this all the time, Mil."

"What's that supposed to mean…?"

"Indeed, Milady," Miledi agreed to something he didn't understand.

No, wait, he did understand. Milanor wasn't some teenage boy on the cusp of puberty, confused by his primal instinct as a result of the spike of masculine hormones inside his body. No, he was an adult, and for a while now he noticed how Fianna was getting strangely 'clingy' around him.

There was one answer which could explain both that phenomenon and the recent jealousy streak she displayed whenever Milanor went out of her sight. Yet, he never dared to put the effort to confirm whether it was correct. There were three reasons for this:

• First: it was awkward to ask.

• Second: he could be wrong, so it would be awkward if Fianna (or worse, Miledi) learned how self-conscious he was.

• Third: if his guess was right, then it would also be awkward considering the possibility of a change in their relationship.

...Basically, it was just too awkward for Milanor to act on it. And as previously established, he wanted to stay clear of such a situation, especially inside his very own starship.

Completely oblivious to Milanor's internal rationalization, Miledi continued speaking, "I trust that we put the previous matter behind us, correct? Now," she advanced the conversation to the more important and actually relevant things. "Miss Naya, about the job you mentioned before…"

"Will you take it?"

"…I suggest taking a look at our ship and our amenities if you're looking for transportation. We also don't mind if you want to take a look at our record… Hmm?" Miledi stopped her sales pitch before long, noticing something Naya said.

"Huh? Don't you want to see the ship facilities first?" Milanor was also surprised. She kept saying she wanted to see the ship first when he asked about her offer when they were in the city.

"The ship's… seems pretty nice. I like it," Naya said. He felt that was her honest feeling, even though she only had seen the hangar for now.

The Master and Maid glanced at each other. "A-Alright, thank you for the compliment… Then, about the detail of the job…" He again asked about these elusive details Naya kept hidden so far.

"I want to look… for a missing person," she replied, finally telling him what she wanted to do.

וו×

"What do you think? Haugmp, Munch Munch," Milanor asked his maid as he sat on the central chair, eating an instant heated meal in a portable container.

They were inside Helios' designated Meeting Room, located on the 2nd Upper Deck. In the room, a rectangular glass table was placed in the center with 11 chairs around it. His chair was positioned at the end furthest from the door.

The table can also function as a holographic projector, which Miledi was currently operating from beside him. She didn't take a seat.

"I'll try to search the Network first," Miledi replied, manipulating the console. "Professor Laviria Newmann, is it?"

"I'm sure I heard that name before… Or is it just me? Tell me, Miledi. Munch Munch."

"No, I do not think it was just you, Master," she confirmed. "Professor Newmann is the famous President of the Centurion's Imperial Society. He is celebrated as a genius scientist and inventor who achieved numerous discoveries and created groundbreaking innovations."

"Huh, sounds like a wondrous guy. I probably heard his name on some news or something, gulp," Milanor surmised between chewing. "And why is Naya searching for him? She can find the professor in the imperial capital, can't she? Or did she mean she wanted us to bring her to him?"

"I'm positive that is not the case. Professor Laviria Newmann Miss Naya searching for is a woman," she refuted him.

"Hmm?"

"According to public record, she is his daughter. She disappeared from the capital and her family around seven years ago. Her whereabouts are unknown."

"Whoa, that's a genuine missing person. Glug glug glug," he commented before taking a large gulp of mineral water.

Being in the safety of his starship probably relieved all of the adrenaline that had built up since this morning. It might have triggered the survival instinct inside him, the ravenous craving for food and water after a tense fight-or-flight situation.

Or it could be because Milanor hadn't eaten anything today, since he wasn't a breakfast person. Maybe it was both. But likely it was the latter.

Seven years ago… hmm. Is it a coincidence? What she said before… he used his newly gained nutrition for a bit of creative thinking.

"I don't like to say this but… I doubt the chance she's still alive to this day is high," he said curtly.

Space travels were fraught with dangers. Piracy was the number one problem, for example. Due to the vastness of outer space, the continued advancement of spaceship travel speed, and the countless hiding places scattered across the galaxy made piracy quite a profitable venture.

The high economic inequality proven by the existence of a world-class ranking made the problem even worse.

"I would highly suggest keeping that pessimistic view deep within yourself, Master."

"I know, of course…" He wouldn't say that to Naya any time soon. Even he had that much tact, or so he think.

Besides piracy, other problems such as engine malfunction, hijacking, and terrorism could also become fatal for travelers.

"Well, the professor might never have left the capital in the first place. She may be hiding down there, right? What's the planet's population again? 1 billion? 2 billion?"

"Around 2 and a half billion," she answered immediately. "But Master, that kind of assumption should be left when we exhausted our options first. We still don't know anything about this professor lady."

"I guess you're right… Hamph, Munch Munch," Milanor agreed. "Naya seems to know her to some extent, maybe she has a clue."

But why is she looking for her now? Oh wait, seven years ago she would be… well, still a kid, I know that.

"Hey Miledi, I'm sure you would mock me for asking this but," he paused, glancing at his maid. "That Naya, she is a… young girl, right?"

"…"

At least Milanor prefaced it with self-deprecation. He was genuinely unsure of the question and he had a reason for that. Still, it didn't change the fact that he sounded like a creep.

Miledi's unchanging expression turned chilly, giving him a cold sweat.

"W-Wait, don't be making weird assumptions about me… I mean, you saw her fortune. I would need to work my ass to death for around 10 years to get that kind of money just freelancing," Milanor tried to explain himself.

"Indeed, her financial might is suspicious. I have to praise you for not asking this question directly to her," she said, her expression still feeling uncomfortable to look at.

"A-Ahaha. Yeah, I doubt she is more than 20 years old… Younger than me, huh?"

"Indeed. Even the youngest-looking old Irregulars still show signs of aging. But she didn't, that's her natural looks."

After millennia of research on the shortening of telomeres in human DNA, mankind's natural lifespan had more than doubled. Milanor heard somewhere that the oldest confirmed Natural (people that didn't experience lifespan extensions due to cryosleep, time dilation, bioengineering, and so on) was a 286 years old woman that lived around 400 years ago.

People's aging had also slowed down considerably as a result, and they reached senescence way later in life than the First Founders eight millennia ago.

That was the reason why Milanor even had the gall to doubt Naya's age. He didn't mean anything weird by it, he promised. Besides, he found her very cute.

"Anyway, speaking of her fortune," Milanor tried to change the topic. "How much do you suppose we charge her?"

"…If this employment happened to be long-term, we need to charge appropriately. She said before that she didn't mind paying in advance. Right, Master?"

"Y-Yeah, she did tell me that," he answered nervously, a bit creeped out by her tone.

They already knew the amount of wealth Naya had, so they could discuss this by themselves at first. Either way, Milanor didn't want to rip off Naya or cheat her out of anything.

"Then, I will prepare a rough estimation and come up with a satisfactory amount for both parties. I will also take into consideration the financial situation of our ship," she paused before turning to him from her console. "Do you have any objection?"

"N-No, of course not," he quickly nodded, feeling intimidated. It seemed his maid still held a grudge.