The Iron Cavalry's return was, without doubt, a shot of adrenaline for the entire camp.
Not to mention, they brought genuine good news—finally, they could leave this backward planet.
Some people were so overcome by emotion they burst into tears right where they stood.
Previously, the entire camp had sunk into silence.
They'd escaped the chaos of Zieltworth, but no one had any idea what the future held.
Even though the immediate threat of Propagation was behind them, many still faced severe physical problems needing urgent care.
Yet, this planet's level of civilization was simply too low to handle these medical issues.
Worse still, they had lost any means to leave. All ships' energy reserves were depleted; without power, interstellar travel was impossible.
In short, some here had been quietly waiting for death.
But now, the Iron Cavalry had returned with a starship capable of ultra-long-distance galactic travel.
For many, it was a tangible hope of survival.
"We truly cannot thank you enough..."
Family members of the patients expressed their gratitude to the Iron Cavalry.
It was these people before them who had led their escape from Zieltworth, and now it was they who brought them new hope.
At this moment, no one knew how to adequately express their gratitude.
"He's the real owner of the ship. He's the one who volunteered it for your use."
Facing such overwhelming thanks, the Iron Cavalry simply stepped aside, revealing the man behind them.
"If you want to thank someone, thank him. We're just people who follow his lead."
Hearing this, many of the patients' eyes settled on Sora.
Some immediately recognized him; during the earlier chaos on Zieltworth, they had already received his help.
To receive it again now made their hearts surge with gratitude.
And although others saw Sora for the first time, his generosity hadn't gone unnoticed.
He was the one offering their family and friends a chance at treatment. They would certainly remember this.
Several even approached Sora directly, asking for his contact details.
"You've shown us kindness we'll never forget. Once we've gotten in touch with the Interastral Peace Company, we'll absolutely repay you."
Sora was momentarily bewildered by their eagerness, but quickly waved away their offers once he understood.
If one received kindness, returning that kindness was simply the right thing to do. That was how Sora saw it.
If it hadn't been for these very people, perhaps he would already have changed genders and be trailing Titania around the galaxy, spreading chaos.
So, he sincerely felt no need to worry about repayment.
Some thought he was just being polite. After all, anyone able to receive treatment at Zieltworth tended to have status in the galaxy.
They'd seen this kind of polite refusal plenty of times. Usually, pressing a little further would result in the other party gracefully accepting their goodwill.
But to their surprise, Sora had genuinely refused.
And even worse, to avoid being caught up in further attempts at thanks, he simply vanished into thin air.
With their enthusiasm frustrated and nowhere to go, eventually someone muttered softly, almost to themselves:
"Truly an interesting man."
Some chose to let it go. Others, though, felt a spark of irritation at this stubborn rejection.
Weren't most people here someone notable in the galaxy, with reputations of their own?
Maybe their fame couldn't rival giants like the Company or the Xianzhou Alliance, but at least three or four people out of ten would recognize their factions' names.
From their perspective, Sora's refusal implied he didn't take them seriously at all.
Because of this, Sora had inadvertently attracted their attention.
Since you refuse to give us your name here, then we'll simply uncover it elsewhere once we leave.
As for the clue...
Their eyes fell upon Sora's starship.
"If memory serves, this is the newest model just released. Looks like it's time to chat with someone from the Company."
You thought refusing us and disappearing would be enough?
Then they'd just have to teach him what galactic influence truly meant.
"There are some benefits you simply cannot escape."
Cold smiles appeared at the corners of some mouths, subtly darkening the atmosphere around them.
An outsider witnessing these twisted smiles might think they'd stumbled into some villain's hideout.
Yet none here knew that all they intended was to give a certain stubborn person a gentle lesson.
Eventually, the statistics for all patients were swiftly delivered into Sora's hands.
Looking at the thousands listed, Sora knew this transport mission would become a long, drawn-out campaign.
But no matter how long it might take, he had to start somewhere.
Saving one life was still saving a life.
Thus, this gleaming silver-white starship set off, fully loaded with its first group of patients, starting its repeated journeys across the galaxy.
Felice was a specialist for the Interastral Peace Company. This time, as an externally dispatched courier, she'd delivered the Company's latest product into her client's hands.
Right now, she was piloting her personal starship, cruising leisurely through the stars.
"The commission for this delivery was really high," she mused.
"With this kind of payout, I won't have to worry about performance pressure for at least three months."
Felice reclined comfortably in the pilot's seat. No worries about targets, no anxiety over demotions—this was the best news she'd received in ages.
The only complaint she had about this assignment was just one thing:
"Ugh, this delivery location really was way too far. At my current speed, it'll probably take two whole weeks to get back to the branch office."
She thought again of the ship she'd delivered to Sora.
Compared to the sluggish crawl she was in now, that vessel's speed was like a soaring falcon.
With a ship like that, returning to the branch office would probably take less than three days at most.
Traveling on a starship like that would make even business trips a joy.
Too bad though...
"No credits," Felice sighed, feeling a sharp craving for money welling up in her heart.
But just then, her work phone rang suddenly, snapping her right back into work mode.
"Hello, this is IPC Specialist P24 Felice speaking. How can I help you?"
Felice picked up the call.
She immediately noticed the background noise: bustling commotion, even the announcement chimes of a medical center...
Who was this?
She felt slightly puzzled. Her specialty was starship-related business, so why was there medical background noise?
After a brief pause, the voice at the other end finally spoke, "I was referred by your company's P35, Giselle."
Giselle?!
Felice's eyes widened slightly at that name.
Across the entire galaxy, very few people would recognize this name. Giselle was only ranked P35; such employees were countless in IPC's vast workforce.
But Giselle was currently the supervisor at Felice's branch office.
In other words, this person was Felice's direct superior.
"Is there anything specific I can assist you with?" Felice's voice instantly turned cautious.
Since the caller had been referred by her direct boss, she had to understand the situation clearly.
"Giselle said you were the one who delivered that Trailblazer-model ship. I'd like you to provide the recipient's information."
Felice was stunned by this sudden request, completely caught off guard. She never expected her superior's referral would involve something like this.
But almost immediately, she regained herself, firmly refusing the request.
"I apologize, sir, but that information is considered confidential client data. I cannot disclose it."
If she disclosed private data like that, her precious commission would vanish into smoke.
Felice, ever staunch and upright, would never gamble with her commission.
Upon hearing Felice's refusal, the other side went silent briefly before hanging up abruptly.
"Hmph. You really think you can trick this girl out of her hard-earned credits?" Felice sneered softly to herself.
But soon after, her personal comm began to ring again.
The moment she picked up, a torrent of fury poured forth: "Felice! What exactly do you think you're doing?!"
Felice was stunned by this sudden scolding—wasn't this furious voice precisely her direct superior, Giselle?!
"Did someone just contact you?" Giselle asked sharply.
"Ah? Uh, yes, someone did." Felice's voice became very small.
Could something have gone terribly wrong?
"Do you have any idea who that was?"
"Who—who was it?" Felice's voice was barely audible now.
"That person is a shareholder of IPC! They even own a huge energy mine! Such a big shot personally asks you for a simple bit of info—and you actually refused?!"
"But… isn't disclosing client data against policy?"
"He's a major shareholder of the company! He contacted you specifically because you were responsible for that ship's delivery and after-sales support! Do you have any idea how many others would gladly serve him? Ever wonder why it fell into your lap?"
"I've said enough. Figure this out yourself." Giselle sighed heavily and hung up.
Felice sat frozen, thoroughly confused.
Just what had she gotten herself into?
Then a sudden realization struck her.
Did… did Sora get himself into some kind of trouble?
Otherwise, why would someone so important suddenly pay attention to him?!