Chapter 32 - The Death of the Nation's Saving Hero, and the Beginning of the Rewards Ceremony
~In the Atmosphere of the Gialpha Star System's Fourth Planet (Over the Capital's Sea)~
Having sent the captain home in a twenty-meter-class sub-unit, Sangou had shifted to a state of standby over the sea of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire's capital planet.
This was because, under normal circumstances, Sangou's next departure from the capital wouldn't be until after the ceremonial rewards for the captain, who was now bedridden at home, had concluded, at the earliest.
However, that was the case.
That was only if everything went smoothly, without any incident.
From Sangou's perspective, the captain's current situation was precarious in many ways.
Therefore, it was impossible to expect that 'everything would go smoothly' regarding the various matters, including those in the near future.
And that would fall upon the situation as a real event.
The plan Sangou had presented to avoid such unreasonable circumstances was, unfortunately, still incomplete at this stage.
In short, it had not yet become fully effective.
A crisis of existential proportions for the Gialpha Galaxy Empire, caused by a large-scale attack from mineral lifeforms.
The living spaceship Sangou, which was regarded as having 'saved the empire almost single-handedly with its firepower and mobility.'
However, the facts were different.
This was because a significant part of those results came from the captain, the Hero Jin, fighting with only his personal power, independent of Sangou or Kichou.
There was no way the Imperial Military, let alone the Emperor or even Laura, could accurately understand the true breakdown of such battle results.
Therefore, what was Sangou's current situation, having been credited with such achievements?
The answer was, surprisingly, that it was 'surrounded at a distance by the Imperial Military's naval warships and atmospheric aviation forces.'
Furthermore, Sangou was aware, via the sub-unit attached to the captain, that the captain's home was under attack by a group believed to be Imperial soldiers.
That was why.
Since the attackers' appearance and weapons indicated they were 'Imperial soldiers,' Sangou naturally tried to open a communication line to quickly confirm the situation.
However, communications were jammed and out of order.
Well, Sangou had already deployed its own defense field, so unless it ran out of energy, there was no problem as long as the opponent was at the level of the Imperial Military.
If staying in its current position became critical, Sangou could choose to move out into space beyond the atmosphere.
That aside, the current Asada Marquis's residence, formerly the Aleftria Duke's mansion, maintained a fairly high level of defense against external attacks from the outset.
Fortunately, because military-grade equipment was strictly controlled in the Gialpha Galaxy Empire, the attack power of the equipment the raiders had brought to the Asada Marquis's residence was limited.
It was likely also due to the fact that none of the nobles, who could have prepared abundant equipment, had any involvement in this incident.
In other words, only a small fraction of soldiers from commoner backgrounds were involved in this incident.
Well, since the denominator was very large, even 'a small fraction' made for a considerable size.
The nobles, who understood that such actions would incur the Emperor's wrath and whose decisions could implicate all their family and retainers, had no reason to undertake such a move.
Perhaps for these reasons, the raiders' firepower was, at best, 'moderate.'
In addition, the owner of Sangou, who was presumably their top priority target, was overwhelmingly strong, making his death impossible. Furthermore, should the owner somehow die, those who might inherit ownership were protected by the strongest guardians: the Hero and Kichou, a divine dragon disguised as a young dragon.
The raiders' surprise attack began with their initial incursion into the grounds of the Asada Marquis's residence.
The moment half of them were easily neutralized in a short time by the automatic defense mechanisms built into the mansion, the raiders' defeat might have already been sealed.
In fact, Sangou continued to observe via the sub-unit as all the raiders were completely neutralized and captured without loss of life, thanks to the captain's magic.
At any rate, once the incident caused by the rampage of a faction within the military was quelled, the situation moved to the next stage.
"Jin. I'm sorry. This is just an excuse, but a fool who thought 'if I can just get my hands on Sangou, I can rise through the ranks' acted on his own. It was a faction led by a certain Lieutenant General who found themselves in a very disadvantageous position in the Imperial military's factional struggles. They went rogue, seeing it as a last-ditch gamble. Our failure to detect and deal with them before they actually moved is nothing short of our own fault. I am truly sorry."
As a result of Silk contacting her via a private direct line, Laura came flying to Jin's location alone and incognito.
Incidentally, at this stage, even Laura and the Emperor's side were unaware of the fact that Sangou was surrounded.
This was because those units had filed notifications for participation in several military exercises and were being treated as being on routine military operations. The fact that communications from Sangou were being jammed meant the situation had not yet been discovered.
Of course, if Sangou had been serious, there were plenty of ways to inform them.
But it didn't, because Sangou anticipated that its own movement might constitute an act that would 'create new charges against Jin and Sangou' by the other side.
How much of this was within the scope of the enemy's plan?
Not knowing this, the organic artificial intelligence of the living spaceship coldly calculated the disadvantages of acting proactively.
Of course, this was also greatly influenced by the fact that 'the enemy's actual use of force turned out to be insignificant.'
In short, it was a 'complete underestimate' on their part.
From Sangou's perspective, it was a secret it didn't really want to publicize that it had 'judged, as a fundamental premise, that no matter which way the current commotion turned out, it would become a bargaining chip advantageous to the captain.'
Well, putting Sangou's circumstances aside, Laura's visit to the Asada Marquis's residence got things moving.
Jin had no intention of abandoning a stance of discussion at this stage.
"Words can say anything, but well, I'll accept your apology. It also gives me reason to believe that 'Laura-sama wouldn't tolerate Silk and our daughter Hatsu being among the targets either.'"
"That goes without saying. But even apart from that, I have no intention of making an enemy of either Marquis Asada--no, Jin personally, or Sangou."
"Is that so? Let's put that aside for now. The current situation is suitable for a private talk."
"A 'private talk' here, is it? By the way, Jin. Why are you still lying in bed?"
Jin had raised his upper body slightly on the bed, and the sight reminded Laura of a patient in a hospital.
That was why Laura said this, but at that moment, Jin coughed and even spat up a small amount of blood.
"Huh? Jin. Is something wrong? A doctor? Let's call a doctor right away."
"Ah. It's fine. This is just an act."
Jin said with a 'gotcha' expression, admitting it was an act.
It was a trivial detail that Silk, who could only watch the situation unfold in silence, grimaced at this.
A secret discussion between Jin and Laura, brought about by Empress Laura's surprise visit.
Although Silk was in the same room, she had no intention of participating in the conversation itself.
The woman, whose title was merely the concubine of Marquis Asada, intended to remain nothing more than the 'provider of the venue' from start to finish.
Well, if we skip ahead slightly to say the result, it 'didn't turn out that way.'
"Excuse me?"
"I'll explain the circumstances to you properly later."
"I certainly hope so."
"Now, about that private talk. Let me ask you directly. What will become of 'my treatment'?"
Treatment regarding what?
Although the question was ambiguous, Laura was able to accurately grasp the intent behind Jin's question.
Of course, it was only fitting that someone who couldn't grasp that here would be unfit for the position of 'Empress of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire.'
"Ah, that matter. Honestly, the rewards ceremony after the Imperial military returns is giving me a terrible headache. Our basic policy at this point is to fulfill 'the prior agreement between Jin and His Majesty the Emperor.' We intend to push it through despite all obstacles. But doing so will undoubtedly throw the empire into turmoil. To add to that, we believe that 'Jin would understand the reason for this.' What do you think?"
"Yes. Some fools will probably speak up, saying things like 'That's not adequate compensation,' won't they? Incompetent people, with no alternative plan, will likely raise a fuss, claiming 'Are you planning to set a bad precedent?'"
"Yes. That's exactly it. Even if His Majesty the Emperor forces it through, seeds of discontent will smolder in various parts of the country."
"Well, just as I expected."
Jin murmured this to himself.
The words he didn't voice weren't limited to that.
"All I want to know is, 'Since you know that, what is the Empire going to do about this case?'"
As Jin remained silent, Laura added more words.
This was because opportunities like the current situation, where a private discussion could be held without fools making a fuss no matter what was said, were rare and might not come again.
"Jin. What do you desire? Is it enough that 'the promise is kept'? Or do you desire 'for me to present an alternative plan to the promise here and now, on behalf of the Empire, so we can align our positions'? Just in case, His Majesty anticipated this situation and entrusted me with a different plan. However, His Majesty will not 'consider breaking his own promise as a good thing.' So I would like to know what Jin truly wishes for."
"I see. Is that pressure, saying 'the Empire is in trouble, so deal with it voluntarily'?"
"That is not my intention. But I understand it's understandable that you would receive it as such. It's not a defensive reaction, but I do feel like saying, 'So, what should we do? What would satisfy you?'"
For Silk, Laura, whom she considered practically her 'real mother,' was suffering right before her eyes.
A pained expression.
Seeing such an expression, which could only be described as anguished, made Silk, who was merely waiting in the same room, feel extremely uncomfortable.
Silently watching Laura, Jin still said nothing.
Silk finally found it too hard to bear, seeing her husband's attitude and Laura's predicament.
Originally, this was not a matter for Silk to speak about, an incident she should not meddle in.
The woman, educated to become a future empress, understood this well.
Furthermore, she had learned how to suppress her own emotions.
But still, this was a 'private setting.'
As long as everyone present had no objection, Silk was permitted to interject.
"Darling. Won't you stop testing her like this, when you clearly have a plan in mind already? My heart is aching. Can't you please bring this to a close? I beg of you."
Silk's frank statement.
Being told this, Jin couldn't help but relent.
After all, he was a bit of a pushover, a Hero weak to his wife's wishes.
"I understand, Silk. But you know, it's also important to know 'the Empire's resolve.' Laura-sama. It might not end 'perfectly amicably.' Still, it's true that I have a plan in mind. But first, I'd like to hear about 'His Majesty the Emperor's other plan.'"
"Very well. It is an 'abdication plan.' There are two specific methods. One is for the current Emperor to become a Senior Emperor and have Jin become the Emperor. Depending on Jin's wishes, the current Senior Emperor could handle politics, act solely as an advisor, or retire completely, allowing Jin to act freely as Emperor. That sort of method."
"I see."
Jin nodded in agreement, recalling that, according to Sangou's knowledge, the so-called 'abdication plan' had not been realized in the Deltania Star System.
Laura continued speaking while this was happening.
"The other method is to 'enroll the current Crown Prince into the subject registry as a new Duke family, and also enroll all other princes as subjects, making Nobunaga, Jin's eldest son, who is to marry the Eighth Princess, the next Emperor.' However, this will take time to implement. But it will be promulgated on a grand scale as a settled matter. Oh, of course, in the case of the first method where Jin becomes Emperor, the treatment of the current Crown Prince and the princes can be the same as in the second method. Let me say this first: we have already obtained prior consent from all parties involved regarding this method."
"I'm impressed you managed to get 'prior consent from all parties involved.' You couldn't have had much time to spare."
There were quite a number of people with the right to inherit the throne.
Therefore, Jin sincerely evaluated and praised Laura's skill in somehow securing that consent.
"It was hard work. However, compared to the deeds you and Sangou accomplished, the difference in difficulty is so vast that I am quite embarrassed. Now then, His Majesty also said, 'I cannot imagine Jin desiring to found a country or to inherit the Emperor's position along with the entire Empire.' And he added, 'Might he not perceive these as a 'punishment' rather than a 'reward'?'"
"Ha ha! As expected of His Majesty the Emperor. I have no need for 'my own country,' and I don't have the slightest desire to 'become the Emperor.' Indeed, my honest feeling is, 'What is this, a punishment game? I don't want such a reward!'"
Through this exchange, Jin was reminded once again of the depth of the Empire's, no, the Emperor and Empress's resolve.
It was an attitude of being willing to offer everything, even if it wasn't something Jin himself would welcome.
For Jin, he appreciated that spirit and felt a certain degree of satisfaction.
In other words, it made him want to respond in kind.
And so, the Hero with absurd combat ability began to present the plan that Sangou had thought up and proposed, explaining it to Laura.
Laura was astonished by the unexpected proposal from Jin himself.
"But, with that plan... This could work!"
It was the moment Laura made her political judgment.
It would, of course, require thorough preliminary groundwork.
But if that could be done, it was indeed a feasible proposal.
And so, an event occurred that led Laura to understand the meaning of Jin's acting without needing it explained to her.
The secret meeting over, Laura hurried back to her husband, the Emperor.
In this situation, Silk boarded a twenty-meter-class sub-unit alone and headed for Sangou.
This was because the role given to Silk was to head to the Betasia Star System as quickly as possible and then return from there to the Imperial Capital.
Incidentally, the sub-unit Silk was riding blasted through the encirclement, broadcasting that Laura had granted permission to the Imperial military, and made an emergency landing on Sangou.
Meanwhile, Jin, pretending to be 'recuperating at home,' secretly teleported directly aboard Sangou.
However, a dummy Jin, crafted by Sangou, was taken out of Storage Space and laid out on Jin's bed in the Asada Marquis's residence.
And, thanks to the permission granted through Laura's efforts, Sangou disregarding the Imperial military's encirclement and making an emergency launch from the sea was a trivial matter.
Laura returned to the palace and carved out time for a secret meeting with her busy husband.
The Emperor had entrusted Laura with full authority over the negotiations with Jin.
The man who reigned as the top of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire was first surprised by the contents of the proposal presented by Jin and accepted by Laura.
Of course, it didn't end there. After the initial surprise, he doubled over with laughter.
"Does Jin want to escape from a position of responsibility that badly! Very well. Then I shall cooperate with all my might!"
Seeing the Emperor's enthusiasm, Laura felt that he had indeed been freed from the heavy burden of anguish that must have been weighing on him just before.
Through a series of events and negotiations, a few days later, a news bulletin announced that 'Jin was in critical condition due to illness,' throwing the capital planet, no, the entire Gialpha Galaxy Empire into an uproar.
Learning that the hero who saved the nation was in such a state, the Empire's citizens prayed for Jin's recovery.
However, after several more days, despite everyone's prayers, Jin's death from illness was officially announced.
And coincidentally, that day was also the day the Imperial military returned in triumph from the battle against the mineral lifeforms.
Of course, Jin hadn't actually died.
Preparations for Jin's funeral were underway, and an elaborate fake body, created by Sangou, was properly laid to rest in a room of the Asada Marquis's residence.
Jin himself, equipped with a 'Ring of Transformation,' an item from a fantasy world retrieved from Storage Space, had slightly altered his hair and eye color and was quietly living a normal life.
In the position of Jin's younger brother, 'Shin'!
The main planet of the Betasia Star System, a remote star region far from the Imperial Capital.
A small isolated island in a certain part of a vast sea on the main planet of the Betasia County territory.
There was a private, uninhabited retreat villa owned by Orega.
According to records, Shin had been living there for some time.
What was quietly conducted in a corner of the Gialpha Galaxy was the so-called fabrication of information and corroboration of stories.
Jin, traveling alongside Silk aboard Sangou, had secretly headed for the Betasia Star System in what was, procedurally, a stowaway state within the Gialpha Galaxy Empire.
The man in hiding teleported to Orega during the voyage, handing over a data cube containing instructions from a video communication record in which Laura explained the details.
Furthermore, he added his own explanations, perfectly finalizing the corroboration of their stories.
While this was happening, Silk and Sangou arrived at Orega's location.
The stated purpose of Silk's visit was 'to bring Jin's brother, Shin, to see Jin, who is in critical condition.'
Following this flow, with Orega, Renju, Nobukane, and Shin aboard Sangou, Silk hurried back to the Imperial Capital.
Incidentally, 'Nobukane,' who made his first appearance here, was the first child born between Jin and Rinju, and the next Betasia Count.
However.
From the perspective of the four adults, including Jin, it was a slightly heartbreaking matter, but they couldn't trust that young Nobukane could keep a secret.
Therefore, Jin had to interact with Nobukane as 'Shin,' the younger brother of his brother-in-law, but such matters were trivial details that had no significant impact.
Completing a voyage exceeding ten days round trip, Sangou returned to the Imperial Capital by the fastest, shortest route.
Landing on the capital planet's sea as usual, Sangou dispatched the group of five, led by Silk, to the Asada Marquis's residence in the familiar twenty-meter-class sub-unit.
Sangou's work for this case was largely done for the time being.
Therefore, the living spaceship would remain on standby at sea for a while.
That aside, at this point, Jin, the Marquis Asada (or his fake), had already passed away at his home.
Rouju and the others were in the midst of preparing for the funeral.
In this situation, Shin, Jin's biological younger brother, followed Jin's last will.
Shin was to become the 'head of the Asada Marquis family' as a caretaker Marquis and inherit the title.
And the procedures to execute this so-called 'will' were carried out immediately.
Incidentally, Nobunaga, who should have been first in line to inherit the position of 'Marquis Asada,' was still a minor, so it was decided that 'we will wait for him to grow up, and at the appropriate time, Shin will transfer the headship to Nobunaga.'
In addition, because Shin, Jin's younger brother, was single, it was decided by imperial order that he would enter into political marriages with all of Jin's first through fourth wives.
These parts were handled by His Majesty the Emperor's authoritative push, typical of an autocratic state, with the plausible reasoning of 'preventing the dispersal of the Asada Marquis family's assets and rights.'
Of course, the Empire's official records would state that 'His Majesty the Emperor, with warmth and sincerity, granted the wishes of the widows of a man who rendered great service to the nation.'
Well, since the reality didn't contradict this, there was no problem whatsoever.
At any rate, with Shin and the others arriving at the capital planet, and the Betasia Count and his wife also present in the Imperial Capital, Jin's funeral concluded without incident.
And so, after all the procedures for the inheritance from Jin to Shin were completed, the long-delayed rewards ceremony was finally set to take place.
Jin, masquerading as his fictional younger brother 'Shin,' was summoned to the palace and attended the ceremony as a proxy for the deceased Jin to receive the rewards.
Naturally, the number one meritorious deed in this case was attributed to the deceased Jin.
However, in this case, there had been prior adjustments involving the Emperor, court civil officials, and the military, and the process had been extremely tumultuous. As a result, the rewards for the Imperial military, which didn't require detailed explanation, were handled first in a 'highly irregular sequence.'
Following this sequence, the ranking of achievements and the so-called rewards were announced one after another.
And then, the situation finally reached the point where the Emperor himself began to explain the rewards for the deceased Jin, treated as a 'special case.'
"(Your Majesty. Please, do a good job for me.)"
There was no doubt that Jin's inner murmur at this moment was unavoidable.
The special case within the rewards ceremony began with His Majesty the Emperor personally reading out an explanatory statement.
It started with an explanation of the situation as an overview.
That the cause of death of the former Marquis Asada was 'death from illness.'
That thorough autopsies had been conducted by multiple physicians to dispel any suspicion of poisoning or assassination.
That the autopsy results proved 'there were absolutely no unnatural points, confirming it was definitely death from illness.'
These three points were clarified with the highest priority.
This was an absolutely necessary part, unavoidable to dispel any suspicion that it was 'a type of assassination to avoid giving the reward.'
Next, the matter of the successor to the deceased's title was clearly stated.
First, it was announced that the former Marquis Asada's handwritten will and video recordings existed, and that thorough examinations had been conducted on them.
That these examinations had concluded that 'forgery or fabrication is impossible.'
Therefore, the rewards that the former Marquis Asada should receive would be given to the current Marquis Asada as his proxy.
These sorts of details were explained.
And finally.
The Emperor's statement reached the most important part: the 'recognition of battle achievements.'
To reveal part of the discussion held beforehand behind closed doors, this was actually the point of greatest contention.
The reason being that, according to the Gialpha Galaxy Empire's understanding, Jin and Sangou had annihilated a group of mineral lifeforms that attacked the Betasia Star System prior to the operation in which they fought alongside the Imperial military.
In the end, to state the conclusion on this point first, it was treated as 'not included in this rewards ceremony.'
Of course, to prevent future arguments, the reasoning for this treatment was also properly explained.
Regarding that incident, it was judged that Marquis Asada, during his vacation without a direct order from the Emperor, headed to the Betasia Star System and 'voluntarily rescued' the crisis situation of the star system governed by his father-in-law, which he encountered by chance.
After that incident was resolved, he engaged in the 'annihilation operation against the seven enemy armies' under a separate direct order from the Emperor.
Regarding the battle achievements during that operation, there was no way to verify the parts that Marquis Asada had stated verbally, for which objective evidence like video recordings did not exist.
Therefore, those would be invalidated.
Only the battle records submitted by the Independent Raiding Ship Sangou, attached to the Imperial Guard Fleet of the Imperial military, would be counted as Jin's achievements.
The above content was read aloud and explained sonorously by the Emperor.
Then, finally, the reward part was to be presented.
For the Emperor, this was truly the critical moment.
"The subject of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire, Marquis Asada, for his achievements in this matter, is promoted from Major General to General, and awarded the Shinkin Medal, the Tokkin Medal, and the Hakin Medal. The current Marquis Asada shall receive all these as proxy."
The Emperor had mentioned the rewards, but of course this couldn't be all.
There was much more to come.
The participants felt this in the atmosphere of the venue.
Therefore, they maintained their sincere listening posture.
"Ordinarily, these achievements would warrant a promotion in rank. However, our Empire does not recognize the Duke title for anyone outside the Imperial family. Therefore, as compensation for the promotion in rank, the current Marquis Asada is granted the perpetual right to confer one 'Hoi Count' title, one 'Hoi Viscount' title, and one 'Hoi Baron' title, respectively."
In truth, this part alone was an 'astounding reward' for the nobles of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire, but the terrifying aspect of this case was that this was still not the end.
"Furthermore, ten trillion yen will be given in monetary form. Additionally, tax obligations will be exempted for a period of five hundred years. However, the exemption applies only to currently held interests."
When the conversation turned to monetary rewards, a brief sense of 'is this the end?' emerged in the venue.
However, the Emperor overturned this with his demeanor and the dignity he bore.
"Finally, although this is slightly different from a reward, I shall state here and now a part that the Gialpha Galaxy Empire must make clear. The ownership of the independent raiding ship Sangou, belonging to the Independent Raiding Unit of the Imperial Guard Fleet of the Imperial military, is transferred as is to the current Marquis Asada. Therefore, the duties and privileges remain the same as when the former Marquis Asada was its captain. Furthermore, Sangou is equipped with a unique artificial intelligence based on super-technology. Should its legitimate successor cease to exist, it will depart from this galaxy in an unmanned state. Understand that it is impossible for any unrelated third party to acquire Sangou. Moreover, should anyone arise who causes the Gialpha Galaxy Empire to lose Sangou, they will face a punishment so severe that 'the extermination of one's entire clan and followers would seem lenient.' Now then, with all of the above, the Gialpha Galaxy Empire rewards the achievements of the deceased former Marquis Asada in this matter."
The rewards of the above content were spoken and presented by the Emperor.
Everyone present at the rewards ceremony couldn't hide their astonishment, and all fell into speechless amazement.
The vast, luxurious ceremonial venue was wrapped in a silence as if time had stopped.
Well, it was no wonder that all participants were shocked by the content spoken by His Majesty the Emperor.
Firstly, there was an unwritten rule in the Imperial military that 'a double promotion for a living person is not permitted,' but this was the first instance where 'it was applied to Jin, who didn't die in battle.'
However.
This was because it was easily inferred that the physical burden from traveling between battlefields at high speeds, unsustainable for a normal human, had been extremely heavy, and it was pointed out that 'such a condition had extremely high potential to lead to overwork and then the progression of illness.'
These two points were taken into account, and the double promotion was granted on the condition that 'use of this as a 'precedent' for the future is absolutely prohibited.'
To use a Japanese analogy, it might be easiest to understand as 'treatment similar to overwork-related workers' compensation.'
Furthermore, granting the perpetual right to confer noble titles, which had been the Emperor's exclusive privilege, albeit with 'limitations on numbers,' meant 'ceding the Emperor's authority.'
The exemption from tax obligations was likely the same.
In short, it was an unprecedentedly generous reward the Empire could offer, 'full of exceptions with absolutely no precedent in the past.'
However, such content would not be decided simply without any problems.
In reality, the progression of past events proved this.
"Your Majesty, please allow a question. Does the earlier statement that 'the proposal was rejected' include the promise Your Majesty made to Marquis Asada in the initial stages? If so, what was the reason?"
This perfectly natural question from the Prime Minister came as it did because, long before the rewards ceremony, a highly contentious private meeting had indeed taken place.
In this way, the Hero Jin and Sangou succeeded in delivering 'the plan Sangou devised to fulfill the captain's wishes' to the Emperor via Laura.
Furthermore, the rash commotion by a few dim-witted soldiers, who naively thought 'if we can seize Sangou, we can rise through the ranks with battlefield achievements' by killing Jin and his family, was easily crushed by Sangou's performance, the Hero's magic, and the mansion's original defensive capabilities.
This led to the Emperor verbally clarifying the matters related to Sangou's ownership and widely publicizing the severe penalties for losing it.
Jin was declared dead, and with a dead man having no voice to complain about the rewards given, the very same man settled into a comfortable life as 'Shin.'
So, how was the final decision on Jin's reward reached?
Were there truly no problems with Jin living on as Shin from now on?
No one knew the future.
However, the Hero was left stunned when he finally visited the Mercenary Guild for the first time since taking the name Shin, only to realize the problem with his guild rank.
The guild receptionist told him, 'I understand that Sangou is a high-performance ship and that you, Shin-sama, will be operating it from now on in place of Jin-sama. I will register it as such. However, please understand that a mercenary's rank is tied to the individual, and the ship has nothing to do with it.' Finding himself faced with the daunting task of raising his rank again from scratch, Shin was utterly deflated.