Lambert, needless to say, threw herself into anything that caught her interest with astonishing enthusiasm and drive.
Isis had no particular hobbies beyond the pleasures of food, but she was easily swept up in other people's passion and carried along with it.
Nymera was purely the type who loved a spectacle, and once Lambert had dragged Isis into action, she eagerly jumped in as well.
The day after tomorrow was the contest itself. With only one day and one night left, they had to coordinate the schedule with the organizers, decorate the ship, and rehearse, keeping them so busy they barely had time to sleep.
Altaïr became the only idle one among them.
According to their original itinerary, Rekusara was supposed to be nothing more than a transfer point.
The headache of transportation had been neatly solved, and they had even bought souvenirs long in advance in Metapetatto, leaving him with nothing important to do.
So, with a critical eye, he and Sajji went to find Asa.
Altaïr claimed he had come to inspect how the competitor who simultaneously carried the glory of both the Loc Lac Rangers and the Loc Lac Sandship Fleet was preparing.
In truth, he wanted Asa to take him out for a couple of spins.
Sajji, on the other hand, simply disliked Asa and had come specifically to nitpick and find fault.
In fact, during their time with the Rangers, he and Asa had gotten along quite well. But once a "good buddy" became a "brother-in-law," everything soured.
"Meow, this color is hideous, meow!" With his arms folded, Sajji gave the Sandship, painted a bright crimson, a kick. "It's so conspicuous. When the time comes, every Monster will lock onto you and eat you up, meow!"
A hand grabbed Sajji by the scruff from behind, lifting him up and turning him around. "I chose the color. Do you have a problem with it?"
"Meow–"
Seeing Resha's arched brows, Sajji's ears drooped.
Altaïr looked Resha's form-fitting combat attire up and down in surprise, then glanced at the cable in her other hand. Incredulous, he asked, "You can't be telling me you're a competitor too?"
"That's right. Contest rules allow two people per ship." Resha nodded.
A small Sandship could be operated solo, but to push the vessel to its maximum speed, a co-pilot was essential. Complex maneuvers like sharp turns at high speed required the co-pilot's coordination.
Resha tossed Sajji aside, folded her arms, and looked at Altaïr. "What, you look down on me? I've joined the Sandship Fleet too, you know. At last year's Desert Feast, I even partnered with Asa."
"But you're pregnant, meow!"
Sajji sprang up from the ground and bounded over to Asa in a few steps, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him hard. "How could you let her take part in something so dangerous, meow!"
Asa looked utterly resigned. "You think I wanted this? She's the one who signed us up for the competition, back before she was pregnant."
"After I found out she was pregnant, I wanted to withdraw from the competition, but she said we represented the Loc Lac Rangers and the Sandship Fleet. The organizers had already publicized it, and pulling out would be too shameful.
"I suggested finding someone else to partner with me. Even dragging my old man out would be better than letting her take the risk. But do you think someone with her personality is that easy to convince?"
"Give me a break, your father is already over sixty," Resha said from the side, rolling her eyes. "He has experience, sure, but his stamina and reaction speed are declining, and his health isn't good. How could we let him do it?"
"What about Nuri, meow? Or just find anyone from the Sandship Fleet to partner with him, meow?!" Sajji jumped up and down.
"That won't work. Piloting a Sandship is all about synergy. Nuri isn't much of a pilot, and Asa's piloting style is unconventional. Anyone else from the Fleet might not be able to synchronize with him!"
Resha's eyes sparkled. "With the honor of the Rangers and the Fleet on the line, we're determined to win this championship!"
Altaïr and Sajji exchanged glances, while Asa spread his hands helplessly.
Resha's reasoning was pure nonsense. The Sandship Fleet had no shortage of expert pilots; could they really not find a single person who could coordinate with Asa? Considering Resha's own whirlwind, thrill-seeking personality, this woman was probably just going stir-crazy from being cooped up at home during pregnancy and wanted a taste of excitement. "The honor of the Rangers and the Fleet must be won by our own people. No outside help allowed!" Resha declared smugly, sticking out her belly. "So I am the one and only choice for co-pilot!"
Sajji, who had been extremely agitated moments before, almost furious, suddenly quieted down and stroked his whiskers.
"So only someone young, with fast reactions, who has synergy with Asa, experience working together with him, and also belongs to both the Rangers and the Fleet can serve as this co-pilot, meow?"
"Exactly!"
"No other requirements, meow?"
"None!"
"You swear, meow?"
"I swear! Without a doubt, I'm the only person in the world like this!"
Sajji suddenly turned to Altaïr. "Boss, why don't you give it a shot, meow?"
"Me?" Altaïr froze for a moment.
Beside him, Asa's eyes lit up as well.
"Him?! How could he do it!" Resha nearly jumped out of her skin. "They've never had any experience piloting a Sandship together! Daily travel doesn't count!"
"Actually, we have," Asa said with a sly chuckle from the side. "The year before last, during the Desert Feast, I was on the same team as Altaïr. Of course we coordinate just fine.
"And his skills are anything but ordinary. Now that you're pregnant, your agility definitely can't match his, so he's the optimal choice for co-pilot."
Resha glared. "But–!"
"No buts, meow!" Sajji folded his arms and glared back. "Everything is for the honor of the Rangers and the Fleet, meow! You just said yourself that no matter what, we have to win the championship, meow! Since Altaïr is more suitable as co-pilot, you have to step down, meow! Are you going to let your own selfish desires ruin our best chance of victory, meow?!"
Resha choked on her words, utterly unable to find any grounds to object, and could only stomp away in a huff.
Watching Resha storm off without looking back, the two men and the cat all breathed a long sigh of relief.
"All thanks to you!" Asa vigorously ruffled Sajji's head.
Altaïr, however, was getting a headache. He could pilot a Sandship, sure, but his skills were only average, and he hadn't touched one in years. Where had this "anything but ordinary" claim even come from?
During the Desert Feast, most of their training had focused on Helm Breaker and formation changes, not racing.
Every other participating team had two professionals. They were the only ones with one pro and one amateur; there was no way they'd get a good result.
Asa patted his shoulder with a grin. "Relax, just do your best. The result isn't that important."
Altaïr looked at Asa in surprise. In his memory, this guy was fiercely competitive, never willing to admit defeat even against the Fleet's most experienced veterans. How had it become "just do your best" now?
Asa coughed lightly and lowered his voice. "Honestly, I'll tell you the truth, but you mustn't tell Resha.
"I never planned on placing in this competition. My original idea was to tamper with the cable a bit, have it snap shortly after we set off, so the mainsail couldn't be raised and we'd have an 'accidental withdrawal.'"
"You don't care at all about the honor of the Rangers and the Fleet, meow."
"The honor of the Rangers and the Fleet isn't riding on this speed competition," Asa said with a smile. "Even if it were, I can't gamble with my wife's safety for it.
"At worst, we'll just come back and claim the championship next year, once she's recovered."
Sajji was silent for two seconds, then gave a snort. "That's more like it, meow."
Altaïr, standing nearby, smiled bitterly. "Your wife is safe now, but the problem is you need to figure something out fast. Even if we lose, we can't lose too disgracefully.
"Otherwise, if your wife realizes we tricked her, Sajji and I can slip away, but you'll have a very rough time when you get home.
"I hear pregnant women aren't exactly famous for their sunny dispositions. Care to learn a little about a Black Diablos?"
The grin on Asa's face stiffened.
After a long moment, he finally said sheepishly, "So... how about we stick with the original plan, let the cable snap, and we 'accidentally withdraw'?"
"You don't care one meow-ing bit about the honor of the Rangers and the Fleet, meow?!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)