Chapter 552: Chapter 542: 「Why Can’t I Wiiiiin?!」

「Do I, as the newbie, and someone who hasn’t even officially become the Captain’s woman, really have the right to monopolize the Captain’s time?」

Leaning against me in a room at the inn prepared for our stay near the Grand Shrine’s affiliated research facility, Neve murmured these words. Today was her designated day, so we decided to spend it lounging around at the inn. However, as you can see, she was caught up in a conflict about whether it was okay to enjoy such a privilege.

「I don’t think you need to worry about that, if someone had a problem with it, they’d probably say something. And Mei would mediate anyway.」

「Do you think so…? Yeah, that maidroid would probably handle it somehow.」

Seemingly convinced by my words, Neve nodded as she rubbed her cheek against my left shoulder, leaning into me even more. She shifted her weight onto me completely, as if she wanted to surrender herself entirely. On top of that, for some reason, she was fiddling with my left hand, kneading it gently between both of hers. What is this? Some kind of grooming ritual?

「Captain, I feel… anxious.」

「Anxious?」

「Yes, anxious. I mean, as it stands now, I’m just a useless freeloader, right?」

「Calling yourself a freeloader is a bit much… but I see what you mean.」

In essence, she feels insecure. Not only does she think she’s been more of a burden than a help to our mercenary business, but she’s also worried I haven’t touched her yet. Regarding that… well, her recovery has reached a point where her body is functional enough to live without any major issues, but her physique is still very petite. Her height is comparable to Tina and Wiska’s, but her frame is delicate, and she lacks much muscle or body fat. Dr. Shouko told me that while Neve’s growth in height might not improve significantly, she could gain a healthier physique with proper nutrition and exercise. My main hope is that she becomes physically fit first and foremost.

Honestly, given her current condition, it feels way too early to even consider a romantic or physical relationship. I’m concerned that such strain on her heart or body could lead to serious complications. Dr. Shouko assured me that as long as we didn’t push things too far, she should be fine. After all, her body has been enhanced during its regeneration process.

Neve’s body had been almost entirely reconstructed by Dr. Shouko, using her expertise in genetic engineering and nanotechnology. Essentially, the techniques employed were nearly identical—if not identical—to the body enhancement technology used on Imperial nobility. In terms of physical specifications, Neve’s body surpassed my own completely.

What? You think it’s highly doubtful that my body—the body of an almighty ‘visitor’— has the same specs as an ordinary human? Fair enough. But let’s set that aside for now. The point I’m making is that Neve’s body is far sturdier than it appears. According to Dr. Shouko, her body is capable of withstanding such activities, even though it might not seem that way at first glance.

The real issue here is that Neve is aware of her body’s durability, and I haven’t made a move on her yet. That’s making her feel uneasy.

「I don’t want to just keep telling you, ‘Don’t worry about it’, I know saying that doesn’t solve anything. But even so, I’m not planning to do anything with you right now. At the very least, I’d like to wait until you can confidently walk on your own. Otherwise, I’m afraid I might break you.」

As I spoke, I took her right hand with my left—the one she had been kneading—and intertwined our fingers, holding hands like lovers. Her hand was soft and small, fitting delicately in mine.

「You really don’t need to rush into anything like that, even just holding hands like this, being close to each other… it may not fully satisfy you, but I hope it’s enough for now.」

「I wouldn’t mind if you went all in on me, you know?」

「That’ll come in time. In time. Now, about work… Well, for now, you’re more or less a floating piece on the board. Mei has total control over the Black Lotus, so I’d personally appreciate it if you could assist Elma with the Antlion. But in your current condition, working on a combat ship seems a bit out of reach.」

「It’s because I can’t respond quickly to emergency launches, right?」

Both Krishna and the Antlion occasionally need to transition into combat mode at a moment’s notice. In situations like that, Neve’s current physical state makes swift responses difficult. After all, she’s only recently regained the ability to walk. Even if she uses a wheelchair—or more precisely, a hovering pod—her speed is still limited.

「In the end, the only real solution is for you to continue building up your strength.」

「That’s what it comes down to, huh…」

Neve sighed, her tone tinged with melancholy. Yet, as she gently squeezed my hand, still held in a lover’s grip, it seemed like she had grown fond of this simple connection.

「Your hands are so warm, Captain…」

「For some reason, they’ve always been like that… Sorry I can’t completely ease your worries.」

「No, it’s fine. It makes me happy you’re being considerate of my condition. But, if I may be a little selfish…」

「Go ahead.」

「Even if we can’t have sex yet, I’d be glad if you showed a bit more physical affection. Like this.」

As she said that, Neve released her hand from mine. Moving slowly, she repositioned herself to sit on my lap, facing me. She wrapped her delicate arms around the back of my neck, pulling herself closer. Then, gently, she pressed her small lips against mine.

「…Like this. I figure if we keep building our connection through moments like these, maybe one day, Captain, you’ll feel like doing it with me.」

「Yeah… I can’t deny this is… pretty effective.」

「Is that so? Then, how about one more…?」

Her pale skin flushed a deep red as she leaned in for another kiss. I have to admit, I’m pretty susceptible to this kind of thing. If she keeps this up, I might just fall completely without much resistance.

☆★☆

「So, you spent the whole day flirting with Neve?」

「Yes.」

「Reeeaaaally now… Well, fine then!」

「Whoa, hey!」

She said it was fine, but Elma came at me with an intense speed, her hand reaching out like a predator’s strike. I barely managed to dodge and parry her attack by slowing down my perception of time. Hold on a second. Even with time slowed, she’s still fast. Insanely fast. What’s worse, her movements were calculated enough to bypass my defense entirely.

「Guweh—?!」

Elma’s arms, having slipped past my defenses, latched onto my clothes and wrapped around me like a snake, squeezing me mercilessly. Before I knew it, she had me completely immobilized. Grappling is my absolute weak spot—once I’m caught, there’s no escape. What’s worse, her movements were so fast that even with my time-slowing ability, she managed to adapt to my counters in real-time. How is her body even capable of this?!

「Fufun. My win.」

「Guhhh… I can’t breathe… too tight… mercy…」

Once she gets ahold of me, it’s over. I can’t even figure out how to resist, and before long, she had me in a joint lock that left me completely incapacitated.

「They told me I can’t use flashy, offensive psionic abilities, you know. So instead, I focused on enhancing my physical abilities, senses, and reaction speed with psionics. It works amazingly well with the Empire’s body-enhancement techniques.」

Elma finally released me from her chokehold and looked down at me with a triumphant grin.

And me? I was left face-down on the floor, utterly defeated, licking the metaphorical dust. Damn those military instructors—what were they thinking? As if Elma’s gorilla-like physical capabilities weren’t already terrifying, now they’ve supercharged her? Are they insane? Honestly, she might even stand a chance against Mei in hand-to-hand combat at this rate.

「Just so you know, there’s no way I’d win against Mei, the difference in weight and physical durability is too much for it to even be a contest.」

「Ah… yeah, that does make sense.」

Mei’s body is made entirely of reinforced special alloys, down to her bones and muscles. No matter how enhanced Elma’s body is, sheer mass and structural integrity are insurmountable obstacles.

「First, you spent time with Mimi. Then Tina and Wiska. And yesterday, it was Neve for an entire day. So today, you’re spending the whole day with me. Lots of skinship! Skinship, skinship♡」

「Please stop… I’ll die…」n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even if you give me such a radiant smile, I can’t spend an entire day sparring with you, that would kill me for sure.

Sure, I could overpower her by using not just time-slowing but also telekinetic abilities, but doing so would defeat the entire purpose of sparring. Still, if she keeps locking me up and throwing me around, I’m seriously going to die. My legs will give out, and I’ll be reduced to a broken mess. Sure, entangling my body with Elma’s all day might sound fun, but  her skinship is so intense that it’s long gone past the point of skinship.

「You’re so pathetic… Fine, I’ll let you off the hook for sparring. Next, we’re heading to the simulator. I feel like I could beat you right now.」

「Oh, really?」

「Yep. And if I lose, I’ll do anything you ask. One thing—anything at all.」

「Anything, you say? You just said anything, didn’t you? All right then.」

This is my chance. I’ll absolutely crush her on the simulator and change the battlefield to the top of my bed. Just you wait, Elma.

「Why can’t I wiiiiin?!」

Elma roared toward the ceiling, her fists clenched tightly, as we stepped out of the simulator.

「You see, space combat isn’t as simple as just reaction speed.」

While quick reactions and fast reflexes are certainly advantageous in space combat, they’re just one part of the equation. Strategy, tactics, and the ability to manipulate the situation in your favor while forcing your opponent into a disadvantageous position—those are the real keys to victory. And in a mirror match, where the machines are evenly matched, these factors become even more critical.

Now, what shall I have her do? Oh, the possibilities! Hahaha.

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