The Theotech Site had turned into a logistical hotspot eversince.
Between Kuzunoha and Viviane working tirelessly on counterasures for the Pallid rmaids, the neuromorphic reinforcents I'd implented, and the sheer scale of our findings within the abyssal layers, the entire expedition had ballooned into sothing far more cumberso than I had anticipated.
Still, everything was moving efficiently—as expected.
With Kuzunoha's expertise, the necessary counterasures were already being laid out. Viviane, as reliable and hardworking as ever, had been running a simultaneous deep analysis on the spatial distortions within the Theotech Site.
If Pallid rmaids were crawling into our world through unknown breaches, I had no doubt she would find the pattern.
Regardless, it was sothing that even I had a hard ti comprehending. Despite my brilliant mind and the absolute processing power of the brain that I have right now, ddling with sothing beyond calculating space and ti was a total blackout for my brain without further reference and proper understanding of the subject.
If I could put it into words, all of these cracking in realities and distortion appeared to be a fickle constant, where it needed a continuous observation and reference calculation with anything that it interacted with.
Neither Kuzunoha and Viviane taught about their thod of calculating distortion and reality-related phenonon either.
Not to ntion, I also still hadn't told anyone about the foreign realm that I had just obtained.
For now, my focus was elsewhere.
Hours had passed since my last conversation with Naosi.
The two of us had spent much of that ti discussing the extent of her upcoming role. This was not rely about handling Neuro Alloy anymore—she was being elevated into a position that would shape the future of the Neuromorphic Tech within my bastion.
All because of my laziness to further innovate with this brilliant mind of mine~
Naosi was, predictably, a ss of conflicting emotions.
"I still don't get it, Lady Narcissus," she had said earlier, rubbing her temples as if trying to process it all. "I an, yeah, I tinker with Neuro Alloy all the ti, but to be entrusted with this much—"
"You were always going to be elevated to this position, Naosi," I responded, sipping my tea. "It was only a matter of when, not if."
She exhaled, staring at the rough hypothesis that I laid spread across the table between us. "I don't know whether I should be thrilled or terrified."
"A little of both would be appropriate."
Naosi groaned. "Great. Love that. Thankfully, this brain of mine has already been enhanced through bio-engineering and so dabbling of Theotech."
"I could assign more of your sisters to be part of your developnt team, if you want to have more assistants to brag about."
Naosi and the Heavenly Maids had quite the strange relationship.
One, the bastioneers possess a greater position than the Heavenly Maids within the bastion's hierarchy. This an that the Heavenly Maids had no choice to obey their seniors if the assignnts were not defying the universal standards that I set for them.
Two, they exist in this world because of Naosi being the test subject. Their blood, DNA, and even the Theotech and bioengineering modification, were all the exact sa outside of the obvious appearance change and the amount of divinity they possessed.
So far, the Heavenly Maids had no trouble with working and interacting with Naosi. Our little crafter, however, couldn't help but feel awkward when interacting with them. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire
"I think I'm fine with only having Ishmael on my side."
"If you say so."
I smiled at her reaction but said nothing further. She would grow into the role, just as she had grown into every challenge I'd placed before her.
My ti afterward progressed by continuing all of the deeds that I wanted to perform within the Landship before I wanted to perform any kind of self-reward.
As I wandered the hydroponic farm, playing around with Carlotta and the Vitae Arborises, I found myself reflecting on that conversation.
Carlotta, as always, radiated warmth. Even as she adjusted the artificial daylight filters to maximize crop yield, she still took the ti to scold for my apparent overworking tendencies.
"You're always running off to do sothing, Father," she huffed, arms crossed. "Have you ever taken a break today?"
"I have tea. My favorite tea." I swirled the cup lazily. "That counts."
"It does not," she deadpanned. "Also, since when are you having a thing for tea?"
She got .
The Vitae Arborises, the semi-autonomous entities managing the farm's ecosystem, chittered in agreent.
Traitors.
"I have work to do," I said simply, setting my empty cup down.
"Don't be too hard on yourself!" Carlotta cheered as she waved her adorable hands.
I left the hydroponics and turned my focus to the defensive asures of the Landship itself.
I initiated a complete recalibration of our defensive drones, ensuring that they would now rotate between key points at set intervals instead of remaining dormant in their hangars. The deck's fortifications were reinforced as well, increasing the counterasures available should another incursion occur.
Afterward, I began compromising so data that the neuromorphic network possessed for the things that could be improved or ignored.
They could fix so of these efficiency problems on their own but so subjects and calculations made them stuck on progressing to improve it.
As the sun dipped toward dusk, a decision had to be made.
The Theotech Site was far too vast. Viviane's latest forecast models revealed an unfathomable labyrinth of unending pathways beyond the current dig site. If we chose to fully extract everything from the subterranean abyss, the Landship would be stationed here indefinitely.
I had no interest in that.
Thus, the expedition was called to a halt, and to an extent, finished.
The order went out: all personnel were to return to the Landship and abort all attempts from now on and the future from delving back into the subterranean passage of the Theotech Site indefinitely until any further command from .
Loot, extracted materials, and everything else of value was secured and transferred aboard.
On top of that, the interior of the Theotech Spire had already been fully deconstructed, its most valuable chanisms repurposed and transferred for analysis. The Duolos had already been working on integrating the rest of the Theotechs.
And as the final crews returned, the Duolos vessels began their true work.
With the Theotech facilities extracted, renovations on the Landship's structure comnced at full force. The sheer volu of new materials allowed for structural upgrades, energy redistribution, and system optimizations.
If properly assisted by the bastioneers and the Heavenly Maids, the entire overhaul would be completed by morning.
By the ti my confidantes returned, the Landship was already a flurry of activity, its internal structure shifting and expanding as new sections were implented.
As soon as Verina, Viviane, Kuzunoha, Charis, and Lupina arrived back aboard, I called for them to gather.
In the center of the Landship's command hall, standing in her newly issued uniform, was Ishmael.
Still awkward. Still nervous.
She bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle before imdiately launching into a chatterbox storm of gratitude.
"THANK YOU ALL FOR ACCEPTING INTO THIS GREAT BASTION! I—I SWEAR UPON MY LIFE, I WILL DO MY UTMOST TO BE USEFUL, EVEN IF I AM JUST A WORTHLESS LITTLE—"
"Enough," I said, cutting her off before she spiraled further. "No self-deprecation. You are here because you have value, not because of pity."
Ishmael stood before them, her posture stiff with nerves, hands clenched into fists at her sides. The newly issued bastioneer uniform fit her well, though she still fidgeted with the fabric as if it felt foreign on her skin.
For all her bravery in surviving whatever abyss had spit her onto my Landship, she looked ready to collapse under the weight of attention.
Then, with a sharp inhale, she bent forward into a perfect 90-degree bow—a gesture of absolute gratitude and deference, as if she were standing before monarchs rather than my gathered confidantes.
And then—
A storm of words burst from her mouth.
"THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING TO BE HERE!" she blurted out, voice rushing ahead of her breath. "I—I SWEAR UPON MY LIFE, I WILL DO MY UTMOST TO BE USEFUL—EVEN IF I AM JUST A WORTHLESS—"
I imdiately raised a hand, cutting her off before she could spiral into self-deprecation.
"That's enough," I said smoothly. "No self-diminishnt. You are here because you have value, not because of pity."
She snapped her mouth shut, her cheeks flushing with embarrassnt, but I could see the brimming emotion in her wide, dark eyes.
She wasn't used to this.
To being wanted.
To being welcod.
A quiet pause settled over the room, my confidantes taking in the newest addition to the bastion.
Verina was the first to respond.
"Welco," she said simply, her voice as flat and unreadable as ever. There was no warmth, no overt kindness—just neutral acceptance, the kind that made it impossible to tell whether she was indifferent or simply expressing approval in her own subdued way. "You'll fit in, don't worry too much."
Still, for Ishmael, that was enough.
She lifted her head slightly, looking almost relieved at the nonchalance.
Then—a hand suddenly draped over Ishmael's shoulder.
A shiver ran through her as Kuzunoha leaned in ever so slightly, her crimson eyes glinting with mischief.
"Work hard, little one," she purred, her grin full of teeth. "Lest you find yourself eaten."
Ishmael visibly stiffened, her breath hitching.
Her eyes darted to , then to the others, as if expecting soone to confirm or deny the statent.
Kuzunoha rely chuckled, savoring her reaction.
"She's joking," I said dryly.
"Am I?" Kuzunoha mused, tilting her head.
Ishmael made a sound between a whimper and a nervous laugh.
I allowed myself a small smirk. "No one gets eaten in my bastion. Usually."
Her eyes widened slightly at that last word, and Kuzunoha positively bead at my choice to let the mystery linger.
Before Ishmael could completely short-circuit, a new voice chid in—
"She's to be our junior, then?"
Viviane.
Unlike the others, she had been watching Ishmael carefully—not with amusent, nor simple curiosity, but sothing deeper, sothing knowing.
I knew that look.
Viviane had noticed sothing.
Her expression betrayed nothing, but when our gazes t, she gave a small, calculated flick of her eyes toward the eting hall.
Ah.
So, there was sothing to discuss.
I filed that thought away for later.
Lupina, however, broke the mont of tension entirely, practically bouncing on her heels with barely contained excitent.
"Oh, oh! Another friend!" she cheered, stepping forward with genuine enthusiasm. "You better last long enough for us to get along!"
Ishmael, still overwheld, nodded frantically, looking both grateful and deeply unsure of what she had just signed up for.
And then, finally—
Charis stepped forward.
If there was anyone in this bastion who could match my own poise and regality, it was my dear Charis. She carried herself with the sa effortless grace, her every motion deliberate, asured. She regarded Ishmael for a mont, her golden eyes steady—not scrutinizing, not testing, but acknowledging.
And then, with a faint, approving smile—
"You are welco among us, Ishmael."
Ishmael visibly trembled, her lips parting slightly, her entire being montarily stunned.
It was as if the weight of everything truly hit her in that instant—the fact that she had been accepted. That she belonged here now.
Her shoulders shook just slightly, and for a mont, I wondered if she would cry.
But instead, she bowed her head again, this ti quieter, but just as deeply sincere.
"Th-thank you," she whispered.
With introductions complete, I dismissed her back to her new position as Naosi's assistant, leaving her to integrate further into the workings of the bastion.
She had much to learn.
And for now—I had other matters to attend to.
As Ishmael was led away, I turned my attention to Viviane's subtle request.
Without a word, my inner circle followed suit.
The eting hall of the Landship was a place of design and command, a chamber where the most crucial decisions of the bastion were made.
The doors sealed behind us with a smooth hiss.
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