I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary

「Don’t worry my Lord, this is only the result of my own shortcomings. I can’t allow myself to seek comfort from you.」

After our discussion about how to deal with the Holy Vuelzarus Empire, I wanted to check on Kugi, but she responded firmly. Her fox ears stood upright on her head. She seemed determined. However, her three tails were drooping sadly. They hung down limp, betraying her true feelings. No matter how she acted, it was obvious she was just putting on a brave face.

「Even if I say it was my fault, you probably won’t accept that so easily.」

「Don’t concern yourself with me, this is the result of my own actions.」

Kugi is quite stubborn, so no matter what I say, she won’t be convinced easily. Actually, judging by her tone, there’s no sign she’s even considering it.

That’s why I decided to take drastic measures.

「Yeah, that’s right. You’re that kind of person, Kugi. So…」

I held my breath and slowed down the flow of time.

Kugi was still completely off guard, her strong-willed eyes staring straight into mine. Moving swiftly within the slowed time, I reached out, cupping her head gently in both hands and brought my forehead to hers. Naturally, Kugi couldn’t even react to my sudden move.

「Huh…?」

Originally, the second power of law—basically telepathy, mental interference, and other psionic abilities that interfere with other people’s minds—relies on harnessing the target’s mental waves in various ways. Physical contact isn’t required to use them. In fact, as Kugi once explained, it’s considered best if these abilities are used without physical touch, allowing one to influence others without detection. However, there are definite advantages to utilizing these abilities through physical contact.

「Hn-Pii!?」

Kugi let out a sound I’d never heard from her before, a shriek that startled even me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her tails puffing up like a burst of fur.

Psionic abilities, classified under the second power of law, work by influencing others through mental waves. But when there’s physical contact—especially when it’s between heads, where our brains are housed—the power or, rather, the penetration of the effect, increases dramatically. In other words, it makes it much easier to transmit mental waves.

「……」

「W-Wha…?」

And so, through this direct contact, I sent Kugi my deepest feelings—how much I trust her and how much faith I have in her. I conveyed everything I could. However…

「Um, Hiro-sama? Kugi-san’s nose is bleeding!」

「Huh?」

「Pyaaa…」

For some reason, Kugi was now making a face that no one else should ever see, all while blood dripped from her nose. This is strange. I only wanted her to understand how I felt.

「…Did I overdo it?」

「This is not the time to act confused! Kugi-san? Kugi!-san? Should I call Dr. Shouko?! This is bad!」

「It might be best not to shake her too much.」

While calming down the panicking Mimi, I pulled out my small information terminal. First things first, I should call Dr. Shouko. Maybe Mei, too.

☆★☆

「Her brain was flooded with endorphins and other neurotransmitters, essentially putting it in a dangerously euphoric state.」

「…Meaning?」

「She was one step away from not being able to come back. Don’t ever do that again.」

「Understood.」

I nodded earnestly as Dr. Shouko scolded me in a serious tone. Kugi, who had just finished receiving a diagnosis and treatment, was now dressed in a simple surgical gown—don’t ask why she had to change into it—but she still had an expression on her face that no one else should ever see. At least the nosebleed had stopped.

「What in the world did you do to cause this? Did you make her take some pleasure-inducing drug you took from space pirates? I’m very disappointed in you Hiro-kun.」

「No, I didn’t do anything that horrible. It was just…」

「Just?」

「I just pressed my forehead against hers and tried to convey my trust and affection for Kugi using telepathy.」

「What… what is that? But isn’t your psionic power supposed to be several times stronger than a supernova explosion or something like that? If you poured that kind of power into Kugi-kun’s head, well, this outcome makes sense, doesn’t it?」

「Really…? Maybe…?」

Now that she mentioned it, that might be true. Did I just do something incredibly dangerous to Kugi? I definitely need to apologize when she wakes up. Wait, does this mean I almost accidentally killed her? No way… I didn’t think it would come to that. That was close.

「Master, couldn’t this be the perfect non-lethal way to subdue enemies? You only have to train how to control it.」

「What a terrifying thought. But it probably won’t work as you expected. Kugi probably ended up like this because of the mutual feelings we share. I doubt it would work on a complete stranger, especially someone we’d need to subdue. Then again, it might depend on the emotions I’m transmitting and the direction of the mental waves…」

「Are you really reflecting on your actions? If I don’t see enough remorse, I might have to reeducate you myself.」

「I’m truly reflecting! I swear I’ll never do it again!」

Even though I had no ill intentions, I really shouldn’t carelessly use my powers on those close to me. I was incredibly thoughtless. I sincerely regret it from the bottom of my heart. What’s more, I’m terrified of what Dr. Shouko might do to me if she thinks I’m not remorseful enough. You should never make an enemy out of a doctor. Ever. A doctor, someone who understands the intricacies of the human body, also knows how to break it in ways you can’t even imagine.

「So, what’s the plan for today? Kugi-kun will probably wake up in a few hours, I’d say.」

「I’ll stay by Kugi’s side… I’m responsible for putting her in this condition, after all.」

「Is that so? What about the others?」

「Let them do what they want. If anyone wants to go shopping or simply take a walk, they can, but make sure that Mei accompanies them when they go outside.」

「Understood, Master.」

I’m not sure if the Neeparc Prime Colony has anything my crew would want, but given that it’s a hub for trade, they might stumble upon something interesting. Plus, shopping can be fun in itself.

☆★☆

Kugi, who had been half-unconscious with that expression she definitely wouldn’t want anyone to see, eventually woke up. At first, she was so dazed and confused that she tried to attack me, but in the end, I managed to calm her down. Once she came to her senses, she was finally herself again.

「……」

「I’m really, really sorry.」

「……」

Regaining her composure, Kugi pulled the blanket over her head and hid in the bed of the medical bay. However, despite her retreat, her tails were sticking out from under the blanket and were even wrapped around my hand.

After a brief check-up from Dr. Shouko, who confirmed Kugi was fine, she left the room. Even Neve, who usually spent her time hanging around the medical bay, had gone shopping with the others, leaving me and Kugi truly alone in the medical bay.

「When you trained me before, you kept telling me that my power is strong, and that I should be careful when using it. I’m really sorry for not following your advice and putting you in danger.」

「……」

Kugi’s three tails were still wrapped around my hand—well, more like my wrist and arm—twitched slightly, showing that she could hear me. But even so, she remained buried under the blanket, hiding her face. I must have really made her angry.

「…Are you reflecting on your actions?」

「I am.」

「…Then, I guess I’ll forgive you.」

Her tails unwrapped from my arm and instead, her hand reached out to grab mine, squeezing it tightly. She continued squeezing as if testing the feeling. That’s a little embarrassing.

「It’s unfair if it’s just me, right?」

「Huh?」

「Don’t resist, okay?」

「Wait a second…」

「I won’t wait.」

As soon as Kugi pulled my hand, the blanket flew up with a whoosh! Her other hand reached out toward my face. That hand moved behind my head, and she leaned closer—her forehead touched mine. In the next moment, something flooded into my mind, and I lost consciousness.