TCAJTWTPOTA 15

Episode 15 

A Special Assignment from the Gearbelg Branch

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The next morning, we returned to the Explorer’s Guild, eager to accept our very first job.

For some reason, though, the usually spacious lobby was packed with people—it actually felt cramped.

“Wow… what’s with all the commotion around the counter?”

“Do you think something happened? Like a fight or an accident?”

That was odd enough, but there was something even more worrying for me.

“…There’s barely any requests left that we can actually take.”

I looked up at the request board, and most of the listings had the words “For Iron rank and above.” Almost all the available missions were mid-rank or higher.

The few that were left were low-paying chores or boring errands no one wanted.

“Maybe… it’s just a slow day,” I muttered, shoulders slumping.

That’s when a voice called from behind us.

“New recruits, are you?”

We turned to see a woman in her forties standing there.

“Ah—yes! Um, are you with the guild staff?”

“That’s right. I saw you wandering around the board for a while and thought maybe you needed help.”

“Well, the thing is… there aren’t many requests we’re allowed to take at our rank,” I admitted.

I decided to ask the question that had been bothering me.

“Um, why are there so few Copper-rank requests?”

The woman smiled softly, though her expression carried a hint of sympathy.

“That’s because… you don’t have any reputation yet. Think about it—if you had a job to give out, would you rather hire a veteran with a proven record, or a complete beginner who’s never done anything before?”

“…Yeah, I guess the veteran.”

“Exactly. But don’t let it discourage you. Everyone starts small. Just take on what you can handle and build trust little by little. Your rank will rise naturally.”

“A friend told me something similar. He said, ‘A rank isn’t something you raise—it’s something that rises on its own.’”

She chuckled. “Ha, that brings back memories. Haven’t heard that saying in a while.”

Her gaze drifted down to my chest.

“…Oh?”

She was staring at the badge pinned to my jacket.

“That badge… where did you get it? It looks just like one someone I used to know used to wear.”

“Oh, this? Gran gave it to me.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Wait—you’re connected to Gran Workshop?”

“Yes. I used to work there until recently, and I still help out when I can. Do you know Master Gran?”

“I do. He helped me out a long time ago.”

Her face softened with nostalgia.

“I see. And what kind of work did you do at the workshop?”

She leaned in with curious interest.

“Um… I handled core tuning.”

“At your age?”

“Yes. I even tuned the engine core of my own airship.”

“I see… If Gran let you handle core tuning, that means you’ve got real skill.”

She paused, thinking for a moment.

“Hey, I know this is sudden, but—would you take on a special assignment?”

“Eh? A special… request?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll explain properly. Give me a moment.”

She turned and walked briskly toward the counter.

A few minutes later, she came back holding some documents.

“Here’s the situation,” she began. “A guild-owned transport ship carrying our branch’s chief tuner was attacked by a Deep Cloud Beast. The entire transport line had to be suspended.”

“What—!?”

“The military’s investigating, but there’s no word yet on when we can reopen the route. Because of that, we’re short on skilled hands.”

“So you’re looking for someone to replace your tuner?”

“Exactly. Core tuning isn’t something just anyone can do… but then—”

She looked directly at me and smiled.

“—someone who worked under Gran shows up.”

“You mean… you want me to do it?”

“Yes. The fact that Gran trusted you is more than enough assurance for me.”

“But, um… all I’ve ever worked on are engine cores for small airships.”

“That’s perfect. What I need tuned is the engine core of an old shuttle.”

She then explained the details.

The guild had several old transport shuttles in storage. With the recent spike in requests, they were trying to refurbish them—but just before work began, the Deep Cloud Beast incident happened, leaving the job undone.

“I understand. If you’re fine with me doing it, I’ll take the job.”

“Thank you. You’ve just saved us a lot of trouble. Let’s get the paperwork done.”

She turned to a clerk and instructed, “Process this request—priority level one.”

“Yes, Branch Chief,” the clerk replied.

“Wait—Branch Chief!?” I blurted out.

The woman chuckled. “Ah, right, I never introduced myself. I’m Meylissa, head of the Gearbelg Branch.”

“I—I’m Sky.”

“And I’m Mile!”

“Sky and Mile. Got it.”

Meylissa rose gracefully from her chair.

“The shuttle’s in the guild’s hangar. I’ll take you there myself. Your own ship’s parked there too, right?”

“Yes, ma’am. Same hangar.”

“Perfect. Then let’s go.”

“You’re coming with us?”

“Of course. I’m the client—and you two are still new, remember?”

And so, we followed Meylissa to the hangar.

As we walked, she asked casually, “By the way, which manufacturer built your ship? Don’t tell me it’s from Fourth Fleet Industries, is it?”

Her face darkened slightly at the name—clearly, she didn’t think much of them.

“No, our ship’s an original model built by Master Gran himself.”

“…Wait—Gran’s original?”

Meylissa froze mid-step, eyes wide.

“That Gran—who refuses any commission no matter the price unless he approves the pilot personally—that Gran?”

Before we could answer, we arrived at the hangar.

“I was going to take you straight to the shuttle, but…” She smiled. “Now I really want to see this so-called original ship of yours.”

“Ah, yes! This way.”

I pointed to the silver-white vessel resting quietly at the far end.

“That’s Luminark.”

“Oh my… such a unique design,” she murmured.

“Yes, ma’am. Her name’s Luminark.”

“Luminark… beautiful name.”

She circled the ship, examining every detail—running her hand along the hull, tapping the frame, peering into the joints. Then, she pulled out a measuring device and scanned the core.

Her expression froze.

“…Sky. What is this!?”

“Eh!? What’s wrong!?” Mile and I rushed over.

“This core… its maximum output—this is cruiser-class! No, maybe even battleship-class! And the potential growth margin—it’s absurd!”

“Uh…”

“And this armor—graviton control frame, isn’t it!? I’ve never seen anything like this! The weapon mounts look minimal but that’s too suspicious—wait, don’t tell me…”

“Meylissa…?”

She caught herself, touching her cheek with a faint blush.

“Ah, sorry—I got a little carried away. But still, this is incredible. This isn’t just a ship—it’s a monster in disguise. The output limit’s intentionally throttled, right? That was Gran’s decision, wasn’t it?”

“…Yes. He said we need to grow into it first.”

“Hah. Typical Gran. He always said relying on raw performance makes pilots arrogant before they learn skill.”

Meylissa smiled fondly and gently ran her hand across Luminark’s smooth hull.

“You two have a very special ship. Treasure it.”

“Of course. We will!”

I couldn’t help but feel proud—it was as if she were praising me directly.

“All right then,” she said finally. “Let’s go take a look at the shuttle.”

She led us deeper into the hangar, where several large airframes lay beneath dust covers.

Five in total—old, silent, waiting to be reborn.

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