LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 72: I Need to Upgrade My Mech
"..."
Setsuna sincerely reflected on his mistakes in front of Yat Sen.
As the leader of a civilization and its commander, he needed to focus on what he should be doing, rather than rushing in recklessly like a greenskin yelling "Waaaaagh!" whenever he saw an enemy.
He found that the flagship of the Dragon Empery Fleet was a bit different from what he had imagined.
Beneath her gentle exterior was a meticulous mind and an exceptionally calm demeanor. Soft on the outside but strong on the inside, intelligent and resilient.
Something stirred in his heart.
"Yat Sen, can you stay by my side forever?"
Setsuna looked at the girl in front of him and asked earnestly.
"Eh?"
Yat Sen froze in shock, caught off guard.
She had only intended to come and teach Setsuna a lesson, to make him reflect on his actions.
Now that the issue had been resolved, she was preparing to leave when she suddenly heard something extraordinary.
"Com... Commander?"
"What are you saying?"
Her cheeks flushed red, and she stiffly turned back around, looking a bit flustered.
"As... as long as you need me, Yat Sen will always serve you..."
"I meant something else," Setsuna said, standing up and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
The smooth texture of silk brushed against his palm.
"I want you to stay by my side like Taihou and Richelieu."
"Didn't you just say we should move forward together?"
Setsuna smiled as he asked, direct and straightforward in his approach toward the shipgirls.
"That's because you made a mistake, and I wanted to keep an eye on you..."
Yat Sen mumbled softly.
"I understand. I'll change my ways from now on. Please continue to guide me," he replied with a warm smile.
"But what I'm saying now is something else entirely."
Setsuna stepped closer.
He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and whispered something softly.
"Ah..."
Yat Sen's face turned an even deeper shade of red, completely shedding her earlier composed demeanor.
"Commander, are you doing this on purpose?"
"Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?"
She seemed flustered and at a loss, her mind blank as she struggled to think of what to say.
"Does this look like revenge to you? I think your scolding was very reasonable, and I fully accept it," Setsuna replied.
"But I truly like you."
He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"Ah..."
"Wait! Wait! I'm not ready yet. Let me think about this, Commander!"
Yat Sen fled, her face flushed crimson.
"..."
Setsuna watched her retreating figure, scratching his head.
"Uh, maybe I went a bit too far?"
...
...
The starship lingered in this Singularity for a few more days.
Setsuna took the time to carefully reflect on the issues and achievements of this mission.
Each time Yat Sen saw him, her face would be tinged with a faint blush.
She hadn't agreed, nor had she rejected him.
Setsuna guessed it was either a sign that her feelings for him weren't quite there yet or an expression of the Dragon Empery shipgirls' unique modesty and shyness.
So, he decided to maintain their usual way of interacting for the time being.
A few days later.
One bright afternoon.
After confirming that all tasks had been completed, he activated the time-space portal leading back to Chaldea.
[Opening Dimensional Portal: Second Singularity – Eternal Madness Empire → Chaldea]
In the blink of an eye, everyone found themselves back in front of the Chaldeas.
"Whoa?! So many people?!"
Roman stared in astonishment at the large group of Servants behind Setsuna.
"Did you recruit every single Servant from that Singularity?!"
"Uh, are there ones that don't even belong to this era?!"
Da Vinci examined the group closely and noticed something peculiar—it seemed to be all women.
A collection of Servants in diverse attire stood behind Setsuna, forming a rather impressive sight.
"My home is full of shipgirls; summoning a rugged man would feel out of place," Setsuna explained bluntly.
"..."
Roman's expression grew slightly peculiar as he glanced at Setsuna.
If not for the fact that Setsuna was genuinely helping to save humanity, Roman might have equated him with some of history's most extravagant emperors notorious for their harems.
Even the most indulgent emperor would hesitate to claim his palace contained only women.
But upon further thought, Setsuna was from another world, and his companions were far from ordinary, so who was Roman to judge?
"Thanks to your efforts, the second Singularity has been resolved. Chaldea will continue working on pinpointing the remaining Singularities," Roman said.
"But this time was truly unexpected—to encounter the Roman Progenitor… Your combat style is quite unique."
"I believe your close-combat abilities have surpassed the majority of Sabers," Da Vinci added, recalling the aerial melee between Setsuna and Romulus with awe.
"Counting that Gundam of yours, I doubt there are many Servants who could face you in close quarters. Could you demonstrate more of your abilities next time? I'd love to see the limits of your strength."
The curiosity in the Chaldea duo's expressions only deepened.
"Stop flattering me—it was just my orcish instincts taking over at the time," Setsuna coughed awkwardly.
Next time?
There wouldn't be a next time. From now on, all they'd see would be an interstellar overlord bullying ancient-era natives.
To hell with the Demon Gods—if they could survive a Starbreaker Cannon, that'd be impressive.
...
...
When Setsuna returned to the capital after bidding farewell to Chaldea, he was immediately greeted by a very enthusiastic hug from Taihou.
"Commander-sama~~"
"You were gone for so long—did you miss Taihou? Taihou thought about you every single day, both during the day and at night..."
She glanced at Setsuna, then at the crowd of people behind him.
"Why are there so many pests here?!"
"These are from Chaldea, and they'll be living with us from now on," Setsuna reassured Taihou before organizing the group and taking the Heroic Spirits on a tour of the capital.
"Hmm, your city is indeed much larger than my Rome. Remarkable."
Seeing the otherworldly Constantinople with her own eyes, Nero was utterly dazzled. Compared to Setsuna, she felt like an emperor from the Stone Age.
The towering buildings and bustling fleets on the sea were beyond anything she could imagine in her own world.
"You'll all be living here from now on," Setsuna said, leading the Heroic Spirits to a residential area within the city.
Though the capital's population had already exceeded 300,000, for a megacity twenty times the size of Tokyo, it still felt spacious and uncrowded. Everyone could live in a large villa.
"Each of you will have your own house. If you need anything, come to me or Richelieu. While living here, please maintain harmony and avoid causing trouble."
"It is strictly forbidden to use any destructive or rule-altering Noble Phantasms within the city, and private duels are not allowed without permission."
"If you wish to spar, please do so outside the city and keep it civil," Setsuna instructed, outlining the city's rules.
Every group in the city had its own tailored management guidelines, and the Heroic Spirits were no exception.
"Alright, but if you're heading to other worlds, remember to call for me. I'm very capable," Nero said, clearly delighted with her new home.
With the benefits of modern construction and furnishings, even a small villa was far more comfortable than the palaces of the first century.
"Phew—"
After settling the Heroic Spirits, Setsuna returned to his office and summoned Akashi and Purifier, his two technical advisors.
"Commander, long time no see, meow~!"
"You called for me?" The two looked at him curiously.
"This time during the operation, I noticed a big problem," Setsuna began, pausing for a moment.
"Nya?! What problem?!"
The repair shipgirl and Siren assistant straightened up, suddenly serious.
"The Gundam is starting to struggle to keep up with the demands of space-age combat."
"Either I stay tucked away inside the shipgirls' vessels, watching them perform, or I end up like an idiot rushing into melee combat."
"I need to upgrade my equipment. Can the two of you come up with something?"
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