The Moment Elysia Confess Her Love, War Wages On the Ship

‘What is he planning to do?’

Ai-chan watched with curiosity.

The Captain hadn’t damaged any machines, nor had he stopped the body manufacturing process. Instead, he stood quietly in the doorway, facing the rapidly operating body-printing apparatus, and spoke an unexpected sentence.

“Bronya, activate the ship-wide broadcast. I have something to say to all the Valkyries.”

Luo Ming casually planted his sword into the ground as if the battle were already over.

He waited patiently, anticipating Bronya’s response.

It didn’t take long; soon, her voice, steady like the calm of the ocean but mixed with static, came through his earpiece.

“All set,” Bronya’s voice announced. “But I can’t guarantee all Valkyries have their comms open. This uses a broadcast channel, so it’s not as forceful as an emergency alert. But I’ve done the best I could within my reach.”

“That’s enough,” Luo Ming replied, approaching the printer.

Meanwhile, Bronya activated the ship-wide broadcast.

Elysia, nearby, blinked her sapphire eyes full of curiosity, hiding her amusement behind her hand. She observed quietly.

This minor crisis appeared to stem from Ai-chan’s outburst.

Deeper down, however, the root cause was love.

The anxiety of seeing her own limitations spurred Ai-chan’s growth in intelligence.

So what would Luo Ming do? A Captain with three years of experience ought to understand his crew well by now, but he had always been oblivious to hints of affection. How would he handle this love-fueled disturbance?

The broadcast began.

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“Ahem~”

The cafeteria echoed with the Captain’s voice, interlaced with distorted static.

Mei, still feeling the lingering buzz of electricity in her brain, lifted her head indifferently but softened at the sound of his voice.

Then, her smile quickly faded.

‘Not this again,’ she thought.

“Everyone, look at me, look at me. I’ve got an announcement…”

‘Unbelievable.’

In Mei’s eyes, Elysia had long been disqualified from the role of suitable partner. Any Valkyrie on the ship would make a better match than Elysia.

Of course, Mei thought, the best match is still me, Raiden Mei.

Sitting in the cafeteria, she dreamed of peaceful days with the Captain, cooking new recipes together. But in moments when her Herrscher core stirred, she imagined him sitting right in her lap.

Both were true reflections of Mei’s desires.

As the white noise continued to fill the room, Mei sensed something different about the Captain today.

She knew his personality well: a small fry in calm waters, a warrior in rough seas.

Right now, he wasn’t the small fry—he was starting to look like a fighter.

“Attention…”

“In half an hour, I’ll be hosting a welcome ceremony in the cafeteria to greet a new crew member.”

‘Who could it be?’

The first image that popped into Mei’s mind was Elysia with her smug smile.

‘Has the Captain learned nothing? Even if he’s becoming a fighter, is he still just getting taken in by her charms?’

“To be precise, it’s not exactly a new member; rather, it’s an old one. It’s Ai-E Hyperion, known to you all as Ai-chan.”

“Through interacting with everyone, Ai-chan seems to have sensed a kind of distance and gradually awakened a desire for a physical form. And during this process, as Captain, I failed to observe these subtle changes closely. This is my oversight.”

Luo Ming paused.

“For this, I owe her an apology.”

Yes, you should apologize, Mei thought, silently patting her thigh.

Not only was his observation lacking—he’s practically a block of wood, a stubborn rock. Even solid gold is livelier than him.

The Captain paused.

There was a faint hum, like the swish of a cold laser slicing through machinery, followed by the crash of mechanical parts falling to the floor.

The Captain, on the other end of the comms, seemed to make a dramatic turn.

“Just a few technical adjustments, nothing to worry about.”

“Ai-chan’s body will be completed soon, and from here on, she’ll be a real crew member of the Hyperion. Meeting in the cafeteria in thirty minutes.”

Listening to the Captain’s steady voice, Mei could feel the turmoil of her Herrscher core gradually calming.

She blinked, and as she listened to his apology, she felt a whole new wave of emotion well up.

“The cafeteria? Why didn’t he give me a heads-up?” she wondered, a hint of complaint mixed with an unexpected sense of admiration.

The Captain had an unusual air about him, one she found distinctly attractive—it was a different kind of charm than usual.

Mei’s feelings were complicated. On one hand, she was miffed he hadn’t let her know in advance; on the other, she was proud to see this side of him, even if she was a bit confused why his seriousness was directed toward an artificial intelligence.

‘Could it really be the Captain’s sense of duty?’ she wondered. The odd noises didn’t faze her much—on the Hyperion’s long voyages, she had learned to trust him.

If there really were any danger, Luo Ming would have been shouting, “Somebody save me!” over the broadcast by now, she thought, laughing to herself.

But what exactly had happened with Ai-chan? Mei considered the possibilities.

‘Knowing Ai-chan, the damage wouldn’t be catastrophic.’

Even if there were issues, they likely weren’t serious.

Unless…

‘Was Ai-chan joining the competition too?’

Her Herrscher core, which had just settled, began to pulse restlessly again.

“Hmm…” she muttered, “Elysia aside, even if Ai-chan tries her best, she can only be a stepping stone in the presence of a girlfriend.” Mei murmured to herself, resigned.

She had to admit this much.

Acknowledging her opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, respecting their abilities while focusing on their vulnerabilities, was the only way to deal with them calmly.

An immature Ai-chan was bound to remain as fodder.

However, with the Captain in “work mode,” his male pride would likely swell, possibly even inspiring him to request a pre-mission kiss from his girlfriend. Since the broadcast was working, so should the comms.

‘So, I wonder,’ Mei thought, ‘is Elysia feeling a bit rattled?’

Would that flirtatious fairy feel nervous about being flirted with?

Or would she find a certain harmony in it, spurred on toward a path filled with one Valkyrie after another?

In the long run, that would be a good thing.

In this situation, what was the best way to weaken the fighting power of a high-ranking fairy?

For Raiden Mei in this moment, the answer was obvious: simple. If the fairy cherished her “prize” enough to protect it obsessively, fearful of harm or loss, she would have a harder time fending off wave after wave of attacks.

So, Mei thought, ‘the best course right now isn’t resistance, much less counterattack—it’s assistance.’

Raiden Mei had uncovered the truth.

The answer is support!