542 – 「That’s Not What I Want to Hear!」

TN: Yes, I know, the number of the chapter is the same as the last one, but this is the number the author wrote. It’s probably a mistake, but maybe there is some deep reason to it. I’ll fix it once the author changes it.

The next day arrived. Tina, who had claimed the first spot for the one-day date privilege, and Wiska, who had secured the third, joined forces to declare that they would monopolize me for an entire day. Just as I was wondering where we should go to have fun, they hit me with a request: they wanted me to spend the whole day helping them analyze and maintain the Krishna. Seriously, is that okay with you two?

According to them, Krishna’s state was entirely different when I’m sitting in the cockpit channeling psionic power compared to when it was simply running with the generator active. When I’m in the pilot seat, it seems to be in a so-called ‘limiter-released’ state, allowing Krishna’s full potential to be drawn out. Apparently, they need me to analyze and ensure proper maintenance of Krishna in that condition, which is why we’ve been hard at work all day but…

「So, are you getting anywhere?」

「Umm…」

「Hmm…」

The two of them groaned in unison as they reviewed data on equipment that doesn’t usually activate during normal operation—like the Maneuvering Light Wings and the Telekinetic Halo.

「It’s not just the Telekinetic Impact Cannon. This new equipment… it’s that, ain’t it? Right, Wee?」

「Yeah… I don’t want to admit it, but it’s exactly that.」

They had already activated and examined various weapons and equipment on Krishna countless times today, meticulously checking the collected data. However, the deep frowns etched on their foreheads only deepened. If you keep doing that, it’s not going to be great for your skin, you know?

「I hate to admit it, Boss.」

「Hm? What is it?」

「When ya sit in Krishna’s cockpit, ya channel your psionic power into the ship, don’t ya?」

「Yeah, I have to do it if I want to fully utilize Krishna’s capabilities.」

「Well, after trying out a bunch of things, we’ve come to a conclusion: the new weapons and equipment… they seem to regenerate every time you activate them.」

「…Huh?」

Regenerate? Sorry, I don’t quite follow. Regenerate? What does that even mean?

「In other words, we can keep takin’ care of the normal—if ya call them that— parts of Krishna like we’ve been doin’ all this time. But the equipment and weapons added in this… evolution, or whatever ya call it, they regenerate to a ‘brand-new’ state every time ya channel your power to activate ‘em. So, uh… they’re maintenance-free.」

「That makes so little sense that it’s even funny.」

「It’s not funny for us, Big Brother. Could you please stop casually transcending basic physical laws like this?」

「How is this my fault!?」

As if to express her frustration, Wiska pressed her head against me, so I patted her to calm her down while tilting my own head in thought.

「Well… maybe Krishna is being considerate.」

「Considerate…?」

「Considerate, huh…」

The two of them wore troubled expressions. However, the surrounding researchers specializing in relics and spacecraft technology nodded as if to say, ‘That makes sense’. Relics, by their very nature, are known to adapt their form in response to their user’s intent. So, even if Krishna took the form of a space combat ship, it wouldn’t be surprising for it to similarly adapt its state. That seemed to be the prevailing opinion.

「Looks like everyone else has accepted it.」

「What’s that even supposed to mean…? Are we just gonna have to toss common sense out the window or what…?」

「Well… I mean, we do get attached to the ships we work on. Maybe we can just… think of it that way and… somehow come to terms with it?」

Tina and Wiska were clearly struggling to reconcile their feelings, their faces still clouded with doubt. From their perspective, Krishna had always been a mysterious but otherwise normal ship, one they had meticulously maintained. To suddenly be told it was half-alive and only allowed them to maintain it as part of some kind of ‘mimicry’… yeah, that’s not something you’d accept overnight.

「Well, at least we’ve fully analyzed the parts of Krishna’s system that were a black box before, and we’ve learned the psionic tech we need for maintenance. That’s a win, I guess… even if it’s still kinda hard to wrap my head around.」

「Yeah… we’re not even sure if maintenance is truly necessary. But now that we can do it, we’ve made progress. With the right materials, we could even add psionic-tech-based weapons or components to the Black Lotus or the Antlion.」

「Even if we add those, who’d be able to handle them? Well… maybe Elma or Kugi could pull it off?」

「Unfortunately, with her current psionic powers, Neesan couldn’t handle ‘em. But Kugi might pull it off. If we ever think about settin’ up a combat ship just for Kugi, that might be worth considerin’.」

「In that case, we might have to approach the Holy Vuelzarus Empire to see if they could help us procure a ship for her…」

「Well, we learned how to maintain a psionic ship now, so all of this wasn’t a waste. Anyway, I think we’ve wrapped up our work for now.」

「Yeah, that’s right.」

With slightly fatigued expressions—likely from mental exhaustion as well—Tina and Wiska both let out deep sighs. The day is far from over, I should think of a way to reward them for their hard work.

☆★☆

「So, this is what ya came up with, Boss?」

「Hot springs are the best.」

「I agree with that, at least.」

After considering various options, I decided that dragging the two of them around to different places when they were already mentally drained wouldn’t be ideal. Instead, I brought them to a hot spring inn located a bit further away from where we were staying. Of course, I made sure it was the kind of place where we could enjoy the baths privately, with both open-air and indoor baths attached to the room. It wasn’t cheap, but in the Holy Vuelzarus Empire, they also accepted payment in Enels, which made things incredibly convenient.

「Walking around all day would be tiring, right? Let’s just take it easy. After the bath, there’s good food and even some drinks waiting for us.」

「Yeah, we’ve been workin’ on Krishna’s analysis and studyin’ psionic tech from mornin’ till night lately.」

「Even our meals were pretty slapdash…」

They’ve been making do with whatever they could buy at the research facility cafeteria, after all. While I genuinely appreciate their dedication and respect their hard work, I feel they should take better care of themselves. Sure, both of them are dwarves and their robust constitutions probably let them push themselves harder than most, but that kind of endurance catches up to you when you hit your limits all at once.

「So, take this chance to recharge today.」

「Sure, ya say that, but you’re comin’ in with us, right?」

「Of course. I want to relax with you two as well.」

As I spoke, I stirred the slightly hot water flowing from the spout into the bath, mixing it evenly.

「Ahhh, this feels so good… Hey, Wee, why’re ya all hunched over now?」

「B-because…」

「After everythin’ you’ve done with Boss, ain’t it a bit late to be shy?」

Tina, looking slightly exasperated, relaxed boldly in the bath without a care. In stark contrast, Wiska huddled herself in the water, trying to hide her body with her arms. Not that it makes much difference, considering she isn’t wearing anything. Still, I can’t see too much due to the murky bathwater.

「Hmm? Now that ya mention it, Wee, you’ve been eatin’ a lotta sweets lately, huh?」

With a mischievous grin, Tina quickly reached out towards Wiska’s stomach.

「Wha—!? Sis!?」

「Oh, oh! Wee-chan, haven’t ya gotten just a lil’ bit squishy here?」

「Stop it!!」

Wiska flailed in the water, trying to escape Tina’s probing hands. The resulting chaos sent water splashing everywhere, the sound echoing around the bath. If this weren’t a private bath attached to our room, it would’ve been a major nuisance. The two of them were so strong they managed to fling water out of the tub in impressive arcs.

Excuse me, dear guests, could you not? Dear guests, please!

「Wiska.」

「What!?」

「I think a little bit of softness suits you just fine.」

「That’s not what I want to hear!」

Wiska, uncharacteristically irritable, shot back at me with a sharp retort. Haha, well, I suppose that’s how it is from a woman’s perspective. Personally, though, I don’t mind a bit of plushness—it’s actually more my preference.

That said, if she keeps thrashing around with that dwarven strength of hers, we’re going to cause a scene. This might end up being a major problem for the inn. I need to calm her down somehow before things escalate. Physically intervening, though… yeah, that might be rough on me. I’ll have to tread carefully.

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