Since the chefs from the Food Wars world were brought back to the capital, more than two weeks had passed.
Led by the Royal Maids, the Totsuki chefs were learning to adapt to life in the Starsea Empire and its style of cuisine.
Whether graduates or students, they were all treated equally here.
...
In the logistics department, located in the administrative center's side wing—
Erina Nakiri, Alice Nakiri, and several companions were busily working in the kitchen.
"Tonight, the Commander will be dining with several Spirits and shipgirls. The dishes required are as follows."
The head maid tapped on the holographic interface, displaying a menu for them.
"Erina, Rindo Kobayashi, you are in charge of the appetizers. Alice and Momo Akanegakubo, you will handle the desserts."
"Hinako Inui and Fuyumi Mizuhara, the main dishes will be entrusted to you. Any problems?"
The maid asked calmly.
"No, we'll do our best."
They all answered in unison.
Immediately, they began reviewing their assigned dishes, summoning Angeloids to prepare the ingredients.
With practiced motions, they set to work.
"Hmm… appetizers, griffon-lobster platter, chimera meat simmered shigure-style, and…"
After weeks of learning, relying on their talent as chefs, they had mostly grasped the handling of various otherworldly ingredients.
Though they hadn't yet developed the ability to create original recipes, with the help of Angeloids and the head maid's guidance, they could at least replicate existing Starsea Empire menus.
If they couldn't defeat the ingredients themselves, Angeloids could help with the preprocessing.
But according to estimates, fully mastering the ingredients, spices, and produce from across worlds would take at least one to two years.
To these chefs, the knowledge gained here was worth hundreds of times more than at Totsuki Academy. Each day, the maids taught them new culinary techniques.
"Oh, as expected of professional chefs, their comprehension is excellent."
Belfast clapped her hands, untying her apron.
Thanks to these trained chefs, the Royal Maids had been relieved of much of their burden.
At first, the maids had to handle cleaning for the Commander, assist with chores, cook, fight, and manage countless other tasks.
Now with Angeloids dealing with minor duties, and cooking taken over by proper chefs, the Royal Maids were completely freed up.
They had more time to stay by the Commander's side. Including Tohru, every maid was delighted.
They eagerly taught the Totsuki chefs day after day, hoping they would graduate soon.
"Dido, Sirius, stay here and keep watch. If the little chefs run into trouble or can't handle some ingredient, lend them a hand."
"I'll go check on things at the administrative center."
Belfast left two maids stationed in logistics, summoned a small airship, and departed gracefully.
"...If you want to see the Commander, you could've just said so, Head Maid."
"No need to make up such pretentious excuses to fool us."
The two maids narrowed their eyes, watching her leave.
"..."
The Totsuki chefs kept their heads down, silently focused on their work.
Soon, Erina was the first to finish.
She presented a platter of assorted exotic meats to Dido.
"Finished. Please check."
"Hmm…"
Sirius leaned in to observe carefully.
"The heat is just right, the toxins removed cleanly, the knife work is excellent, and the plating is perfect."
"Well done. This is worthy of being placed before the Commander."
"Of course."
Erina lifted her head proudly, a faint smile of satisfaction on her lips.
Beside her, Megumi Tadokoro trembled as she presented a plate of cold dishes.
"Um… w-what about mine…?"
"Uh, Tadokoro… it seems you mixed up wyvern meat with griffon meat, and your seasoning isn't quite right either…"
Sirius answered reluctantly.
"Eh?! Really?!"
"I'm sorry! Someone like me really isn't suited for cooking… I'll just go wash dishes instead!!!"
Megumi bowed over and over in apology.
"Megumi, maybe you could try making some hometown dishes you're comfortable with? The Commander likes to change things up every now and then…"
For the timid countryside girl lacking in confidence, the maids patiently instructed her.
"Mm, alright then…"
Since she didn't have Erina's overwhelming talent, the girl decided to take another path—finding a niche where she could stand out.
"Everyone, do your best~"
Dido and Sirius also encouraged the others with promises.
"If your cooking skills are good enough to earn the Commander's approval, you might even gain the honor of cooking aboard the Eternal Snowfall."
"He might even take you with him on journeys."
"Eh?"
"The Eternal Snowfall?"
Everyone was startled.
"It's the Empire's flagship. Only those close to the Commander, or who've earned his recognition, have the right to step aboard."
The maid pointed toward the sky, where the faint outline of a massive warship could be seen.
"So—make this your goal, and work hard~"
...
Elsewhere.
Inside the administrative center, Setsuna crossed out the Food Wars world from his notes.
That world had been completely conquered, just like other pre-spacefaring civilizations, now turned into a vassal state of the Starsea Empire.
Sophon had already been dispatched to oversee management.
Thousands of Angeloids were sent to maintain order, and a group of Bulins assigned to open up resources.
From now on, like other vassals, Earth would be subject to sustainable exploitation, becoming a steady rear resource hub in due time.
"Mm… not bad."
Setsuna continued studying the starmap, pondering the next target.
Once his space-piercing skill's cooldown ended, he could depart again.
"Should I summon Aqua over? Or maybe bring back some new mecha? Or perhaps…"
As he thought—
Suddenly—
"Commander, Commander, I want to ask you for something."
Beside him, Formidable poked Setsuna gently.
"Oh?"
"Go ahead."
Setsuna ruffled her hair. For the most part, he fulfilled his shipgirls' wishes.
"Have a child with me."
Formidable answered with perfect seriousness.
Pffft—
Tea sprayed everywhere.
"Wait—what did you just say?!"
"Like Taihou, you see? We're all oathbound shipgirls, but only Taihou has a child with you. Isn't that unfair?"
Formidable pointed nearby, pouting.
Taihou was brushing Taihou-chan's hair on her lap.
The two shipgirls were dressed identically, twin tails tied, bird-like masks on their faces.
Even their sickly-sweet expressions were exactly alike.
Anyone would mistake them for mother and daughter.
"Her?!"
Setsuna recalled—Taihou-chan had been summoned long ago using Siren technology, back when he had just recruited Spirits.
"Uh, strictly speaking, Taihou-chan was summoned, not…"
"No!"
Formidable elbowed him.
"Look, I'm your oathbound shipgirl. We've done everything else already. Having a child is only natural, right?"
"If she inherits some of our power and looks like me, then she's our child!"
"…You make such a good argument, I don't even know how to refute it."
Other shipgirls overhearing this quickly joined in.
"Commander, I want a child too! Don't play favorites…"
"Taihou always says she's the real wife, because she's the only one with your child…"
Suddenly, Setsuna was surrounded by a noisy crowd of shipgirls, all chattering endlessly.
Even the usually composed and elegant head maid joined the petition.
"Commander, considering how many years Belfast has loyally served you, could you grant this humble maid's small request?"
She lifted her skirt in a graceful curtsey, smiling sweetly.
"???"
Setsuna had seen plenty of situations in his past life where people crowded him for red envelopes at New Year.
But a crowd asking him for children? This was a first.
Nearby, a newly summoned Heroic Spirit was left dumbfounded.
"Wait—Master, what kind of doujin plot is this?!"
"..."
After a moment of thought, Setsuna made his decision.
"Fine, more little shipgirls it is."
"After all, I'm a master of loli-raising."
...
At the Siren naval port, black Siren flags fluttered in the sky.
Inside the cold, imposing harbor—
Purifier and Observer yawned as they stepped out of the laboratory one after the other.
"Mm, the 152nd controlled dimensional-reduction strike experiment—failed."
"Expected strike radius: 0.6 AU. The forcefield containment device failed during the two-dimensionalization process, causing space collapse to become unstoppable."
"The actual strike radius has already exceeded three light-years, currently spreading at near-light speed…"
Purifier muttered while staring at the report on the holoscreen.
Setsuna had assigned them a complex and demanding research project—
—Instant Controlled Dimensional-Reduction Strike.
It sounded simple, but Setsuna's requirement was to modify the dual-vector foil into a controllable weapon with faster-than-light strike capability.
Preferably, he wanted to pick a spot anywhere on the starmap, fire once, and instantly reduce the target's dimension, annihilating it completely.
It was the ultimate creation—combining FTL technology with law-based weapons.
They had conducted countless experiments in the Three-Body world, trying countless methods, but still hadn't figured out the solution.
"Hmm, I think we should consider interference from higher-dimensional layers. Methods of the three-dimensional world can't stop dimensional collapse once two-dimensionalization begins."
"Because no matter how exquisite a device we make, the instant it's two-dimensionalized, it will fail."
The Observer loli pondered for a while and said.
"Should we switch research directions?"
The two exchanged a few more thoughts, their conversation already beyond the comprehension of most scientists—
Touching on the Starsea Empire's most advanced frontier dimensional theories.
"Mm… you have a point…"
Purifier nodded.
"I'll contact Daedalus and Kayo Senju later, and we'll shift focus."
"But before that…"
The Siren girl stretched lazily and pulled out a drink from her rigging to sip.
"Let's take a two-week vacation here first? It's rare for us to come back, and I still want to visit the lunar base…"
"Sounds reasonable. I want to rest too. There shouldn't be much going on lately anyway…"
Suddenly—
"Hey? Purifier-chan? Is Purifier-chan here?"
"What about Observer-chan? Observer-chan, are you here?!"
A few shipgirl heads poked in from outside the harbor.
"Oh? Commander, rare to see you come looking for us?"
Sitting atop her tentacled rigging, Observer eyed the circle of shipgirls around Setsuna curiously.
"What is it? Some new research project for us?"
She had been about to say that their current project of developing a controllable dimensional-reduction weapon was already difficult enough, and she didn't want another heavy assignment.
But the next words out of the shipgirls nearly made her fall off her rigging.
"Help us make some little shipgirls, please."
"???"
...
Half an hour later—
"This is a Siren research institute, not a Siren brothel, and definitely not a Siren maternity ward, thank you."
"We are the Starsea Empire's scientific research division. If you want little shipgirls, go ask the Commander yourselves."
Observer stiffened her neck, flatly rejecting the shipgirls' request.
"Don't be like that~"
"Observer-chan, pleeease help us~~"
Formidable and the cat-eared girl rubbed against Observer's side, crowding in from both directions.
"No!! Absolutely not!!!"
"Do you think we're some kind of wish-granting machine?! We are a Siren research institute—do you understand?! A research institute!!!"
"Our purpose is to observe other worlds and develop advanced weapons!!"
The little loli clung stubbornly to the dignity of her research institute, firmly refusing the shipgirls' request to summon little shipgirls.
"It's not even hard for you, don't be so stingy~"
Formidable pouted.
After all, creating little shipgirls only required extracting a bit of energy from the Commander and a shipgirl, then infusing it into a new Wisdom Cube.
The principle was somewhat similar to how the Spirit of Origin separated Spirit Crystals.
But for now, only the Siren girls in the base knew this black-tech modification of Wisdom Cubes.
"I said no, and that's final."
Observer and Purifier both turned away stubbornly.
"You lot, what do you take the research institute for?!"
"Commander…"
Seeing that the two Siren girls were unmoved, Formidable tugged pitifully at Setsuna's sleeve.
"Ahem."
Setsuna stepped forward, lifting Observer off her rigging.
He held her in his arms, gently ruffling her hair.
"Mm, Commander, what are you doing?!"
The little loli wanted to struggle, but quickly realized she was completely powerless against him.
"You're one of the Starsea Empire's most important researchers."
Setsuna said with a smile.
"If you're tired, I can give you a few days off."
"Eh?"
The white-haired, golden-eyed loli suddenly felt warmth spread across her face—a comfort far beyond the icy seawater she was used to.
She couldn't help but nuzzle closer.
"Could you do me a favor? Taihou-chan is a bit lonely. I want to find her some more companions."
Setsuna spoke softly.
"If you ever need anything, you can always come to me."
"..."
Observer froze for a moment, face reddening as she uncharacteristically grew flustered.
"T-then… fine!"
"But Commander, you have to visit us often! Don't just dump assignments on us and leave…"
"Mhm, I'll come see you often."
Setsuna stroked her hair again.
"Me too, me too!!! Commander, don't play favorites!!"
Purifier squeezed in as well.
The Siren girls' bodies were cool to the touch, but with a silky softness.
"???"
Nearby, Formidable, the cat-eared girl, and the other shipgirls were stunned.
"Commander, you won't even spare the Siren girls?!"
They had thought he only had a weakness for shipgirls—but now it seemed Siren girls were in his range too.
"Ahem, this is impartial benevolence."
...
Purifier and Observer prepared various materials and hulls, taking about an hour.
The Siren Compiler was also summoned.
Expressionless and indifferent as always, she listened to their explanation, then simply nodded.
Sitting atop her jellyfish-like rigging, she floated over.
"As before, I will extract portions of energy from the Commander and the shipgirl, and infuse them into a new Wisdom Cube."
"Using a Wisdom Cube infused with both their powers will summon a new shipgirl."
Compiler extended mechanical arms from her rigging, guiding Setsuna and Formidable to sit on a strange device.
"Who's first?"
She looked past Setsuna to the eager shipgirls behind him.
"I'll go first!"
Formidable stepped forward without hesitation.
Zzz—
Probes extended from the jellyfish rigging, piercing their arms. A portion of Wisdom Cube energy was drawn out.
"You've grown much stronger."
Compiler said with closed eyes.
She could sense the vast power and vitality within Setsuna's body. Even after extracting some, it made no difference.
Soon, deep blue energy from both of them was infused into a new Wisdom Cube.
After manipulating the equipment for a while, Compiler handed the Wisdom Cube to Setsuna.
"This contains a portion of your and Formidable's power. The shipgirl born from it will inherit some of your memories and knowledge."
"Try it."
"Ohhh—"
The two pressed their hands against the Wisdom Cube, channeling their consciousness into it.
Shua—
Blue interwoven with silver light flashed, enveloping a small carrier hull inside the dock.
It floated, twisting, transforming.
Ten minutes later—
The light condensed into a tiny shipgirl, even smaller than a destroyer, landing lightly on the ground.
She wore a dress resembling Formidable's, with white stockings and little leather shoes.
Her ivory twin tails nearly brushed the floor.
The baby-faced little Formidable, cheeks rosy, opened chocolate-colored eyes and looked curiously around.
She toddled forward to Setsuna, raising her hands.
"Commander, hug~!"
Hiss—
Setsuna felt his HP bar instantly emptied.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven