"Sorry, but I'll have to turn down your offer."
Declined?
Luna blinked in shock. How could Rodgraim refuse? Wasn't he here to prepare for interstellar travel?
She owned a B-class starship. Here at the spaceport, was there any ship ranked higher than hers?
No less shocked was the crowd surrounding them. The B-Class captain had refused an invitation from Rodgraim? If they were in his shoes, they would accept the position of scrubbing the deck just to get on board.
"Would you at least tell me why you are turning this down?" she asked, unable to let go of such a valuable A-level talent.
Rodgraim shrugged. "I have my own starship."
Becoming captain of an S-class ship versus being a lowly crew member on a B-class? No contest.
Luna fidgeted with irritation. She could recall Rodgraim being a student at the local university. He never dressed to the nines, nor did he appear to be particularly flush. Could he actually afford a starship?
Just then, Wolff, captain of the D-class starship Winddolf, strode over. For this trip, he had spent a fortune on his own ship as a wealthy heir.
Wolff sneered. "Can't you see, Goddess? This kid doesn't think your ship is good enough and is just making excuses. He's a poor student; if he could afford an F-class ship, he'd be lucky."
Rodgraim shot him a dismissive smile. Wolff was clearly just another of Luna's many admirers, trying to impress her by putting Rodgraim down.
Luna hesitated, looking at Rodgraim. After all, it was well-known that he didn't have the means for a starship. "If you wanted to turn me down, you could've just been straightforward."
Rodgraim threw up his hands. "I do have a ship, and I'm taking it alone."
Wolff guffawed from the bench on the sidelines.
"Oh? And whereabouts is this starship of yours?" he asked tauntingly. After all, this was Moon Star Harbor-the biggest port in the solar system. If Rodgraim actually had a ship, it would be here.
Others in the crowd started to pay attention, thinking this was going to be good. Even if he had a ship at his disposal, could it match Luna's B-class?
Just then, Rodgraim tapped his tech watch, bringing up his status:
Name: Rodgraim Aragon
Race: Human of the Solar System
Attributes: Power 12, Physique 10, Spirit 20
Skills: A-class piloting, A-class engineering, S-class combat
Owned Ship: S-Class Aether Dominion
<System, where is my starship?> Rodgraim asked silently. The system responded.
"["We are already in a no man's land of the solar system. Warp preparation, and we reach Moon Star Harbor in five minutes!]
Five minutes? That would be just enough to avoid drawing attention by the Three Sun Alliance.
Just then, Wolff sneered with this thought in his head: he thought Rodgraim got caught in his lie. "Where is your ship?"
"Enough," Luna snapped, for she could bear Wolff's teasing much longer. She dared one last glance over her shoulder at Rodgraim. For an instant he seemed a real captain waiting for the arrival of his ship, and she felt this strange pang of disappointment. She had thought well of him once, but now.
Wolff laughed and went off. "Don't play yourself up to be more than you are, kid. Starships aren't for poor boys like you."
Just then a voice came across the port:
"[Attention, an S-class ship is entering the port. All vessels, please clear the path and avoid any collisions.]".
The announcement repeated three times, and there was a quiet that fell over the throng.
An S-class ship? Those were the valuable and mighty ones, set aside for planetary lords. Could someone with a power like that really be arriving here?
Everyone's gaze fell to port as a gargantuan, crushing ship—a space fortress—appeared in view. Its mass and energy dwarfed all the ships in the surrounding space.
[The battlecruiser Aether Dominion has docked at Moon Star Harbor. 1,000 Marvin-class robots have been assigned as crew.]
She gawked. She had assumed that her B-class ship, Red Flame was the pride of this port. But Aether Dominion was overwhelming-it was as if a fortress descended from the stars.
Rodgraim smiled at Wolff with an air of serenity. "My ship is here. What do you think?"
The whole port fell silent, and every eye went to Rodgraim.
Did he just say.this was his ship?