Hina: "So, it's decided. We'll leave one ship and rename it. Makko, you'll be the senior officer on board. This is your chance, make Hina proud of you. The other ships will be dismantled for repairs and upgrades for HINA—"
"Wait, Captain."
Interrupting her in the middle of her conversation was awkward. However, there was one thing Bill could not let go. When he spoke, all eyes around the table turned to him.
Then he surprised them by asking a question: "What about the Scientific Division's share?"
Dismounting from the ship, Bill wasn't entirely satisfied with how things transpired. Captain Hina herself did not oppose the Scientific Division receiving a share of the rewards and cargo, but she also didn't stop her lieutenants and petty officers from objecting.
In the end, Bill suspected that if it weren't for his physical strength or his well-known last name, they would have simply thrown him out of the room.
To him, it was humiliating, but Bill firmly believed that accounts should be properly settled. He wasn't thinking about himself, despite indisputably having done the second most significant work after the Captain. Bill was thinking about Marron and the new recruits of the Scientific Division, who never ceased to work. He thought about the biology students who cared for the wounded day and night. Then he thought of those who perished and never got a chance.
Those who survived were there without a single complaint during hard times, and it felt shameful to Bill that he had to mention they should receive their share when fortune had shifted.
One of the main arguments from Hina's officers was that considering how much they had lost, they needed everything they could get, and they repeatedly reminded Bill that although things were going well now, it was possible only if nothing went wrong.
The forced enlistment of pirates had mixed results, they reminded Bill several times.
This argument, however, mattered little to him, as the Scientific Division had lost almost forty percent of the people sent on this expedition. Among them was a professional biologist!
Bill didn't need to recall Sentomaru's rage to understand the damage that the loss of a life could do to a relatively new department.
In the end, gritting his teeth, he secured fifteen million Beli for rewards, refusing a share of the cargo.
He didn't think the cargo could contain anything valuable. These pirates were small-time players and almost certainly didn't have the discipline to hold onto anything of value.
After securing their share, he found out where the members of the Scientific Division were. Now all that was left was to go and talk to them.
Bill decided not to keep any money for himself and, instead, planned to send it to the families of the deceased. At another time and place, he would have liked to meet them personally. Unfortunately, in this world, it was impossible, and so he hoped the money would help.
Bill decided he wouldn't force anyone to do what he did, but if the rest of the Scientific Division followed his lead, each family would receive a little over two million Beli on top of the death benefits.
It took very little time to reach the city to meet Marron and the others. Hina gave rough directions, saying they had gone to help with the cleanup, and as he searched for them, he flew over the city until he finally spotted them.
Landing softly, he caught the group by surprise and said, "Need a hand?"
"Lieutenant!"
When the group turned their heads, they greeted him one by one.
After everyone gathered around him, he asked about the others and learned that they were at the medical center, helping as much as they could.
Looking over the building they were working on, Bill asked what they were doing there.
Acting as an informal leader for the other recruits, Marron was the first to respond, "Just cleaning up. Fortunately, the fire didn't completely destroy the restaurant."
While Marron was speaking, Bill heard unfamiliar footsteps coming from inside the building but did not react. Now that he fully controlled his body, it seemed natural to slightly enhance his senses. And if it ever became a problem, he could just as easily temper them.
"Ah! Lieutenant Ox, I presume?"
As a man in a tall chef's hat emerged from the doorway, the Scientific Division team turned their heads.
Marron said, "Ah, Lieutenant, this is Mitsuboshi. He's the owner and head chef of this restaurant!"
Nodding, Bill greeted the man with a smile, "Hello, Chef, I hope my comrades have been helpful to you."
Mitsuboshi replied, "Of course, they have! I kept telling them they didn't need to try so hard; after all, these buildings were built to burn! Ha-ha-ha."
At this, the recruits from the Scientific Division waved their hands and said it wasn't a problem.
Marron said, "We haven't really done much; in fact, we spent most of the morning exploring the caves!"
When Marron said this, something clicked for Bill. It was something he was technically aware of but hadn't considered over the past few months.
When Bill saw the recruits from the Scientific Division laughing and marveling at the cave system, he realized how young they were. Then he understood that despite their age, they had endured incredible trials.
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