What Do You Mean I'm The Captain Of A Yandere Mercenary Company? Chapter 816: Here’s My Ship, Don’t Scratch It

I guided the vessel into the hangar, carefully reducing its velocity to slip past the energy shield that divided the docking area from the emptiness of space.

A large group of individuals had already assembled in the hangar, their eyes fixed upward as my craft entered their sight.

Everyone clustered near a particular docking spot, which was brightly illuminated, signaling exactly where I needed to position the ship for landing, so I steered it that way while descending.

After shutting down the engines, I exited the cockpit and left the ship, only to be enveloped by a throng of people milling around the bay.

Naturally, they weren't focused on me. Their interest lay entirely in the ship, as shown by how they ignored my presence and stared at the vessel instead.

Without the protective barrier around the docking area, I suspected these folks might attempt to clamber aboard or pull off some other foolish stunt.

As I moved away from my craft, I spotted Theresa close by, the dragon girl gazing in wonder at the ship and overlooking me completely.

It took me approaching and waving right in front of her to finally catch her attention.

"Ah! Miss Tera!! Th... Thank you for this chance!! I'll never forget it!!"

I gave a shrug, "That's all well and good, but what exactly are you all doing here? With my ship, that is."

She cocked her head, "What do you mean, Miss Tera?"

"I mean... What do you plan to do with my ship? Are you just going to stand there and stare at it?"

Theresa let out a gasp, "Are you... offering to let us pilot the ship?"

I shook my head right away, "No, no, no. That's absolutely not on the table. I was merely curious if you're all truly content with just gazing at it from afar."

She pressed her hands together, "Of course, Miss Tera! I never imagined I'd get to see a Verlandi this close! Especially an original model, not some modified version or mere imitation! This is the greatest day ever!!"

Really? All this excitement over a ship?

I get that some folks are fanatic about trains, planes, or even trucks, but... the fixation on this particular vessel seems ridiculously widespread in this universe...

And it's all centered on one exact type of ship too...

I cleared my throat, "Well... What I'm getting at is... If you're only interested in viewing it from a distance, I wouldn't mind parking the ship here so anyone can stop by and admire it whenever."

After all... The original idea was for me to bring the ship here, let them ogle it for a bit, then take it back to my main vessel.

Which, frankly, struck me as utterly pointless.

She gasped again, and I saw several nearby onlookers turn their heads toward me, mouths dropping open at my words.

Theresa seized my hands, "Really?! You... You'd trust us that much?"

I arched a brow, "I'm working alongside you all right now, aren't I? If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be here in the first place. But as I said, look but don't touch."

"Yes, yes! No worries, Miss Tera! Your ship will be perfectly safe with us!! We'll guard it meticulously and ensure nothing damages such an exquisite craft!!"

Well... You don't need to go overboard... Just prevent anyone from climbing on it or attempting to swipe it or anything... Though stealing seems unlikely since everyone lives on this station—where could they escape to?

In any case, stationing the ship here means I can react quicker to dangers by launching directly from the hangar rather than returning to the Iridescence.

That is... unless they provide me with an Exo-Knight to pilot for patrols, of course.

As I readied myself to depart the hangar and leave these enthusiasts to their admiration, cries erupted from the side, drawing my gaze to a cluster of people racing straight toward us.

At the forefront dashed a bunny girl and a goat girl, jostling fiercely against one another to surge ahead.

"You dumb goat!! If you weren't such a slowpoke, we'd have arrived five minutes earlier!!"

"Don't pin this on me when you ignored your messages, you idiotic rabbit!!"

The pair swatted at each other without halting, not stopping until they collided with the rear of the crowd, tumbling down onto their bottoms.

They glared upward at the person they'd hit, but that glance revealed my ship, transforming their scowls into expressions of pure wonder.

Rising gradually to their feet, they drew nearer to the vessel, weaving through to the crowd's edge.

Oddly, the surrounding people didn't mind the intrusion and parted easily to allow them through.

Upon reaching the front, they stared up at the ship in astonishment, their faces mirroring the awe of their fellow workers nearby.

By chance, they'd chosen the position right next to me, giving me a prime view of their reactions.

Rosalia swallowed hard, "That's... That's truly a Verlandi... And it's an original..."

"How can you tell it's the original variant?" Friederike inquired, eyes still fixed elsewhere.

Rosalia pointed toward the ship, "For starters, the dimensions... Modified versions and copies usually skip this scale due to expenses. Plus, the backward-swept wings offer no real advantages in space flight... They were crafted for planetary atmospheres back then, launched from worlds rather than orbital yards like modern ships... That's the clearest sign it's authentic."

Well... That's new information for me, since I was unaware of that detail.

Also, I'm starting to wonder if I've ended up in some weird alternate dimension, because it's downright creepy watching a mass of people cluster around and fixate motionlessly on a ship overhead.

Sure, a handful snapped pictures or filmed with their devices, but the majority simply stood rooted, eyes glued to it.

I'm certain even art lovers shift about while appreciating a masterpiece, yet here everyone gawked at the ship as if entranced.

Rosalia snapped out of it abruptly and scanned around, locking onto me, then darted over to grasp and shake my shoulders.

"Miss Tera!! Miss Tera!! May we board the ship, please?!"

Well, I figured that request was coming eventually, so I'm shocked it took this long for anyone to voice it.

I lifted my hand, "First off... Take it easy, Rosalia..."

She inhaled sharply and let go at once, "Sorry! Sorry!! I got carried away!"

I folded my arms, "Secondly... I'm fine with unlocking it so folks can peek inside, provided they avoid touching or removing anything."

It posed no issue, as I'd already cleared out all personal items from the interior.

Only essentials remained: provisions, munitions, and power cells, in case I needed to endure days adrift in space aboard it.

Rosalia bobbed her head eagerly, "Don't fret!! We'll ensure nobody mishandles your ship! We only wish to appreciate it!!"

"I also heard you'll assist in crafting custom Exo-Knights for me and my team?"

"Yes!! We'll go over the specs soon, and I'll pour everything into creating the finest Exo-Knight as thanks for this!"

"Also... I won't stick around to oversee visitors inside the ship, so you'll handle the crowd control. I expect full reimbursement for any damage that occurs."

"We'll cover every penny if anything goes wrong! You have our word!"

Perfect, that's all documented now so...

I activated my personal terminal, and the boarding ramp of my ship extended down to the floor.

There you have it~ Go wild.