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Honkai Impact: The Eroge Chapter 2: The Captain (Part 2)
🕑 Added 2023-12-25 16:10:40 +0000 UTC'He's a good one.'
That was the conclusion that Murata Himeko, A-Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal and unofficial Second-In-Command of the Organization's Far East Branch, had reached about her newest colleague.
It was pretty rare for her to do something like this- that is, personally go and meet a new member of Schicksal, but this was a special case. After all, the person she'd been sent to make contact with was, despite being new, one of the highest ranked individuals on base by virtue of his position alone. Schicksal Captains were the organization's elites, and the process to becoming one was more difficult than becoming a Valkyrie by several orders of magnitude. And this particular Captain was the Captain of the Hyperion, Far East's Aircraft Carrier-Type Flagship, which additionally made him the Chief Tactician of the entire Branch. In short, even amongst Captains he was an elite, which was what made it surprising that he had chosen to be assigned to Himeko's neck of the woods.
Schicksal's Far East Branch... didn't exactly have the best reputation in the organization, after all. At least in terms of strength, they were inferior to literally every other section of the organization. Hell, the only assets they really had were St. Freya, which doubled as their Headquarters, and the Hyperion, which despite how impressive it was in terms of appearance happened to be the furthest thing from state-of-the-art especially when considering the fact it was their most powerful weapon. It couldn't be helped, because the reality was that Far East was less of an actual Branch of Schicksal and more of a dedicated Training Facility for Valkyries. While they technically had the largest number of active Valkyries out of any Branch in the form of their students, the truth was that only around 5% of those Valkyries actually took on any missions because it wasn't considered mandatory for said students and was volunteer/extra credit work more than anything. And this was disregarding the fact that nearly all of their students transferred to other Branches as soon as they graduated.
Of course, none of this actually bothered Himeko. The Far East Branch had been created for the express purpose of training Valkyries as opposed to fighting the Honkai, and they were simply staying true to that. However, this came with undeniable downsides that she wasn't blind to, such as their rather low funding in comparison to their peers and poor rep in the organization. It was whispered behind their backs that the Far East only existed because of the Overseer showing favoritism towards his only granddaughter, and even if they didn't have the guts to say it to his face the sentiment still remained.
This was also why the Hyperion had remained Captain-less for so long, at least after the first one had died from overwork. Not only was the job dangerous and highly demanding, but there was also little to no glamor to be had for doing it because the Far East was the organization's laughingstock. For the ambitious young men and women who had worked themselves to the bone in order to achieve one of the highest Ranks Schicksal had to offer, it was the furthest thing from appealing. In fact, because no one would actually opt for the position of Hyperion's Captain, Theresa and later Himeko herself had been forced to become the Acting Captain as a placeholder until they could get a legitimate one, not that it looked like that would happen in the foreseeable future. It wasn't easy, as they lacked the fundamental training Captains were put through despite being powerful warriors, and it was something of an open secret between the two that Ai-Chan was the only reason the Hyperion was still up and running, despite being in serious need of a Retrofit.
This was why Theresa had sent her to scope out the new Captain of the Hyperion who had arrived at St. Freya late at night the day before- because it seemed a little too good to be true that after all this time, they'd gotten a Captain who had come of his own accord with no strings attached. While neither of them were in the habit of expecting the worst of people they hadn't even met before, especially someone who was actually helping them by taking on a burden, it was better to be safe than sorry when it came to matters that had a high chance of impacting their students.
However, after actually meeting the new Captain, Nemo, Himeko couldn't help but feel a little silly for even entertaining the thought that he might have been some sort of deviant that had been foisted on them as a cruel joke. The wide-eyed young man following behind her like a lost duckling as she gave him a small tour of St. Freya was perhaps the furthest thing from from the wild fantasies Theresa had concocted when she'd found that someone had actually requested to become the Captain of the Hyperion (even though she'd ultimately approved that request herself). The veteran Valkyrie was pretty good at reading people- it was an inherent talent she had possessed for a long time, which had only developed further after she had joined Schicksal and taken to the battlefield. That was why she'd been sent to make first contact to begin with, since despite her prodigious strength the S-Rank who happened to be her superior was somewhat notoriously... unwise in the ways of the world, barring a few minor exceptions. And Himeko's trustworthy intuition told her that the Captain didn't possess even a speck of negative intention. On the contrary, she found herself already considering him as a friend despite only knowing him for less than an hour.
Perhaps it had something to do with how paradoxically expressive he was. "Paradoxically", because despite his face being nigh-expressionless, his body language quiet easily gave away what he was feeling- something that made him appear refreshingly honest. Of course, most people probably wouldn't notice this and assume Nemo was an emotionless machine, but Himeko was not amongst their number, and she found it to be quite the comedic affair.
"...Is there something on my face, Senpai?" he asked, and she realized that she hadn't been able to fully suppress her smile at the thought of that little quirk of his. She couldn't stop it from widening either as she saw it again in action, as his body went rigid momentarily- letting her know that he was thinking something along the lines of "Oh my god, is there actually something on my face?" even though his expression remained remarkably impassive. She couldn't think of it as anything other than absolutely adorable.
"It's just funny to see you have such a grandiose reaction to our humble little school when you were trained at Schicksal's main Headquarters." she deflected, keeping her actual thoughts to herself. Under ordinary circumstances, she would've teased him about that tendency of his; but she couldn't bring herself to do it after witnessing how much trust he he had in her, enough to quite literally put his life in her hands without a second thought despite her being a complete stranger.
She'd been completely caught off guard when he'd spoken those words earlier. Because of her own experience with sweet-talkers and his own transparency, Himeko knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he hadn't been trying to look cool or curry favor with her; he genuinely believed what he had spoken, and that realization had left her temporarily speechless, which was definitely a first for her. Nemo knew who she was- the glint of familiarity in his eyes when they first met was unmistakable. That meant he should also have known that she didn't exactly have the best record when it came to mission casualties, but he was still willing to trust her to keep him safe all the same.
Courage came in different forms. Being able to stand tall in the face of a Honkai Beast was certainly a conventional example of bravery, but being able to put your faith in someone else with your life on the line was no less valorous. The Captain hadn't come to Schicksal Far East expecting a cushy desk job where a mountain of paperwork would be the worst he had to deal with, that much was for certain; he'd become the Captain of the Hyperion knowing full well that he could die out in the field, and had come to terms with it as best he could. In Himeko's opinion, he was no less brave than the Valkyries who fought for the sake of humanity.
And the way he referred to her...
She hadn't been called "Senpai" for a long, long time. Hearing that title made her remember her college days, back before she'd learned of the Honkai and became a Valkyrie on her hunt for answers, something that seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago. It was a bit nostalgic, but in a good way. Himeko didn't mind him calling her that, especially because he said it with more respect than the Valkyrie honestly thought she deserved.
"Well..." he said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Schicksal HQ is a little too rigid and Sci-Fi for my liking, but St. Freya seems... more real, if that makes any sense. It just has a more homely feel."
An interesting way of putting it, that's for sure, but she could see what he meant. A surprisingly insightful opinion, considering that he had no way of knowing Theresa had the school intentionally built that way, opposing the standard Schicksal designs and being inviting instead of imposing. But then again, it only made sense that someone who was to be their Chief Tactician had the ability to pick up on even subtle things like that quickly.
"It just has a different type of beauty, doesn't it?"
Nemo took a moment to think about that, before nodding emphatically.
"Yeah, it does. Maybe it's not as impressive as Schicksal HQ from a technical and financial standpoint, but... I like St. Freya more."
She could see that. Something seemed to almost shine in his eyes as he pored over the academy's beautiful vista, and it was faint but the corners of his mouth were turned upwards as well. It was a far cry from the reactions of the usual envoys Schicksal's Main Branch sent for their regular "inspections", who always seemed uniformly unimpressed with everything they saw as if it was beneath them, staunch followers of Schicksal's central dogma.
Himeko closed her eyes and smiled in turn.
"Between you and me, Captain, I like St. Freya more too~."
What a relief it was, that the Captain was an amicable, honest young man even if he wasn't exactly a social butterfly. The slight, final worry that he might be an obnoxious pervert was ultimately proved unnecessary due to the fact that his eyes hadn't strayed below her own even once over the course of their time together, which was something of a relief considering it meant he could interact with other Valkyries appropriately. Personally, Himeko believed that he was about as good a Captain as they could've reasonably hoped for, especially in comparison to the Captains she had met in the past. It was almost incredible actually, that he'd chosen to be assigned to the Hyperion of his own accord, because she doubted he wouldn't have been snatched up by one of the other Branches otherwise considering he was the best of this year's Captaincy graduates.
Exemplary character and excellent skills were hard things to come by, but Nemo seemed to possess them both. All they needed to do was run a couple of Missions together, and Himeko was sure he'd fit right in with the rest of them in due time. She'd bet her greatsword on it.
Now, there was just one thing the redhead needed to confirm...
"Hey, Kouhai-kun~?" she called with a teasing lilt.
"Hm?" asked Nemo, broken out of his reverie as he turned to look at her inquisitively.
"Is your first name actually 'Captain'?"
Urk.
The taller man actually stumbled, a sound of surprise escaping his throat, and Himeko's grin grew to epic proportions when she saw how unnaturally pale his face had gotten.
'Got him~!'
This was going to be so much fun.
After about a solid 30 minutes of walking through the sprawling campus of St. Freya, which was far more impressive "in real life" than anything that could hope to be rendered on a smartphone or a laptop, as well as a conversation that turned dangerous towards the end and made me regret all of my life choices, Himeko and I arrived at our destination.
For some unknown reason, I'd gained 8 Affection Points with Himeko even though I was sure there was nothing remotely romantic about what we were discussing, though I eventually just gave up because I knew I had zero chance of understanding how the System worked. Or just how humans worked in general. Over the course of the conversation, I had been focused on memorizing all the different locations around St. Freya so I could navigate through them easily in the future and of course keeping my dialogue with Himeko going with the odd prompt from the Game, but now as we rounded the last corridor I began to prepare myself for what I knew was coming.
"We're here." she said, standing outside a rather ornate door with a plaque reading "Principal's Office" tacked onto the wall right next to it. The red-haired woman's expression shifted into a sly grin as she gained the aura of someone who knew something I didn't. "The Headmistress awaits. Don't be too surprised now, okay~?"
[A - Are you by any chance referring to the Headmistress'... unique appearance?]
[B - Okay! Got it, Senpai!]
[C - I will remain vigilant. Thank you for showing me around, Senpai.]
Oh look, Option A was cursed again. Color me surprised. I knew exactly what it was talking about, and I was not dumb to say those words out loud when the Headmistress could possibly hear me through the door thanks to the enhanced senses Valkyries possessed. Though to be fair, it was a lot less insulting or downright terrible than the previous Option As, so I suppose that was progress in its own right.
Anyways, between B and C, I had to go for the latter because B was just a little too... peppy for my liking. I'd rather stick to Dialogue Options that were closer to my actual personality if I could have my way.
"I will remain vigilant." I said, nodding seriously, causing her to snort with suppressed laughter at how comically serious my face must have looked at that moment. It was times like this that really made me dislike the fact that the Game puppeteered my body during Dialogues. "Thank you for showing me around, Senpai."
[You have gained 2 Affection Points with Heroine Himeko!]
"It was my pleasure, Captain~." she replied playfully and flicked at my cap, before her expression settled into something warmer. Maybe she thought I was nervous again based on how serious I must have looked just now. "But don't sweat it. The Headmistress is a kind person and you've got a good head on your shoulders, so you should be just fine. I've got to go teach a class myself, so I'll be seeing you off here. Those brats will get out of control if I leave them to their own devices for too long. I'll see you around later, 'kay?"
We exchanged goodbyes, and I turned my head back to the door leading to my new Boss' abode as she walked away. Perhaps I was still riding the high of my first overwhelmingly positive social interaction in probably my entire life (even if my Dating Sim powers had done pretty much all the heavy lifting), but despite having spent the last half an hour talking to an extremely attractive formerly fictional woman, the ultimate combo to shoot my stress levels through the roof, I didn't feel anywhere near as tired as I normally did after having to interact with other people. Ordinarily I would be just about breaking apart at the seams with anxiety, but I was just in such a positive state of mind that I'd nipped that Status Condition in the bud.
'Well, better take advantage of that then, 'cause I'm gonna need it.'
After all, I was about to meet my new employer, and even though I knew for a fact that she was a really nice person there was still the fact that getting fired for whatever reason would saddle me with an instant Bad End according to the Game, and I wasn't keen on finding out just what exactly that actually meant.
Taking a deep breath, I rapped on the door with my knuckles three times, adhering to professional etiquette.
For a few seconds I waited, only to be met with silence. After waiting for a full minute, and getting increasingly confused, I knocked one more time. Getting the same result as earlier, I couldn't help but scratch my head awkwardly.
It was when I made to knock on the door a third time that a sudden voice called out to me from the side.
"Excuse me, but would you happen to be the new Captain assigned to the Hyperion?"
The speaker was a woman who basically fit the secretary archetype perfectly in terms of both appearance and etiquette. I didn't recognize her as an actual Honkai character, so she must have been a background character- which was something I immediately realized was a pretty damn rude thing to say (or think) about a real person.
Mentally apologizing to the unnamed secretary in my head, I nodded in affirmation. "That's me. Is the Headmistress not in right now?"
That was the only possible explanation that made sense to me, as weird as it sounded. But why would she call for me, going as far as to send Himeko over, if she wasn't even going to be there in the first place? Seemed pretty counterintuitive, not gonna lie.
"Madam Theresa was called away for an emergency meeting with the Overseer just a short while ago, I'm afraid." the woman said apologetically, and I let out a small noise of affirmation. "She wanted me to let you know that she apologizes for the inconvenience and will seek you out herself on the Hyperion after the meeting concludes."
Well, that made sense. There was no way she could refuse to speak to her "grandfather" no matter how strained their relationship may have been, what with him technically being her boss. Which was a really simple way of putting it, all things considered, as anything involving Otto Apocalypse was a mess and a half.
"It's no problem at all." I replied, using the most professional demeanor I could muster. "Thank you for informing me."
"Of course, Captain."
And with that our conversation ended as we parted ways. Interactions in this vein were definitely something I was more used to. You couldn't go through college without interacting with anyone, even with the COVID lockdown making it easier to do that, so I was capable of speaking with someone professionally.
Provided the conversation topic wasn't very important and I didn't have to speak for more than a minute, if course. I was still a card-carrying hermit.
But this was excellent news for me, enough to almost make me do a little jig out of pure joy.
Why?
Because it gave me the one thing I hadn't gotten since I had been transported to this world. Something I desperately needed in order to truly find my footing.
Time.
I started by going back to my room on the Hyperion.
While I did feel kind of silly for having walked all the way across campus only to essentially be told that I had to go back to the ship, provided that I had at least somewhat scoped out St. Freya's massive campus and now possessed a basic sense of direction regarding the vicinity, it wasn't completely fruitless.
As soon as I closed the door behind me and the automatic lock triggered, I took in the rather unfamiliar sight of my new abode with sharper eyes. This was the Captain's Quarters of the Hyperion, and boy did it live up to that name. Although it was simple-looking at first glance, that was due to it being more focused on functionality over appearance. The kitchen area had all the latest facilities money could buy, if not more, and the furniture arranged around the room was probably well over 4-digits in terms of costs. It had clearly just been moved into, and there was even a cardboard box that was tucked away in the corner near the bathroom that I ignored for now, because the desk near my bed had something important that required my attention right now; a sleek-looking laptop, which I promptly sat in front of and switched on.
If there was one thing about my conversation with Himeko that alarmed me, it was the fact that I seemed to have some kind of "backstory" here, one that I wasn't made aware of by the Game in any way. I'd been caught completely off guard when she brought up a training course and implied there was something of an actual process that I'd gone through in order to become the Captain, which I obviously had zero knowledge of because it certainly wasn't expanded on in the "source material" of this world.
You know, there was more than a little hilarious irony in the fact that the biggest problem I kept running into after getting sent to a world I knew practically everything about (plot-wise) was information. I'd gained a lot from Himeko, true, but our dialogue had also opened up brand new questions that I needed to seek out the answers to.
Fortunately, now that I'd gotten a small respite surprisingly enough thanks to one of the franchise's major antagonists, I had the opportunity to do just that. It hadn't struck me earlier, mainly because I hadn't gotten enough time to adjust to being thrown into another world before I had to get ready for my meeting, but as an employee of Schicksal, I should have access to their database. Of course, this came with its own caveats, such as the fact that I was probably locked out of anything important and anyone with sufficient authority could probably see what files I had accessed, but that's where my unique situation came in handy. Because hilariously enough, what I needed wasn't access to their top secret files, but rather their common ones. I already knew all of Schicksal's relevant secrets thanks to my foreknowledge, but had no idea of basic things such as how they actually operated on a day to day basis or how they kept the existence of the Honkai hidden from the general public, because those weren't talked about in the Gacha Game I played back in my home reality. Even if anyone checked what files I was looking into, they would probably just think I was bored out of my mind. Even if I were to look into the schematics of the Hyperion, it wouldn't be anything extraordinary or alarming since I was literally required to know about it as part of my job and an onlooker would just think I was brushing up on it.
I couldn't help the small giggle that escaped me at the abrupt increase in the level of irony currently revolving around me. Maybe it was because I was in such a good mood that my general pessimism levels had gone down temporarily, but my brain couldn't process this as anything less than pure comedy in its own right.
The device in front of me booted up, and for a moment I was stunned at just how fast it ran through the start-up sequence and brought me to the password screen. Normally I had to wait 5-10 minutes just to reach that point, but it hadn't even taken more than ten seconds here. I knew that the world of Honkai had extremely advanced technology compared to my home world, even though it was technically in the past, but seeing it firsthand for tiny things like a personal laptop was just as impactful to me as seeing massive floating warships like the one I was now in charge of. Anyways, that aside I was hit with a sudden roadblock- what the hell was the password on this laptop? Come to think of it, what was the password on my new phone? I hadn't gotten the time to do anything more than take a cursory glance at it, so I had no idea.
I took a second to think, because I didn't want to attempt it without being absolutely certain of my choice beforehand. A certain memory struck me after a few seconds, giving me a new idea, and I typed in my own password cautiously before hitting the Enter Key.
-Password Accepted. Logging In.-
'Yes!'
What I had remembered was something that had taken place only a few hours earlier. When I was frantically getting ready to meet the Headmistress after seeing the Reminder on my phone, I had looked for a quick bite to eat and I had found a couple cartons of cup noodles in one of the drawers. I'd been in too much of a hurry to properly process it, but the cup noodles were all the exact same flavor as the ones I kept in my own house before I got sent here, and were the exact same size as well, even if the brand was different. My toothpaste and soap were similarly familiar to my eyes, and my belt was basically identical to the one I used daily. Hell, even my phone's background was the same as my original one.
After observing this, there was only a single conclusion I could come to- somehow, my actual life had been "adapted" to the backstory of the Captain in this world. A literal "Self Insert" in all senses of the word. And the fact that my normal password had worked only proved my thesis right. Of course, a quick check revealed that my data hadn't been transferred over to my new smartphone and laptop, which I supposed might have been a little too much to ask for considering the games, music and books I had on them probably didn't even exist in this world.
Besides, as much as it pained me to admit it, the sum total of my hobbies and interests weren't important compared to the application that immediately caught my eye on the desktop.
Schicksal Archives.
Without any hesitation, I double clicked on it only to blink in surprise when my laptop's built-in webcam activated of its own accord, a small green light flashing Even my mouse vibrated for a moment as it similarly lit up, nearly making me lose my grip on it.
-Facial Recognition Confirmed. Biometric Confirmed. Level 2 Access Granted. Welcome, Captain Hyperion.-
'I didn't expect it, but it DOES make sense I guess. Schicksal has access to information that nations would go to war over, so their Cybersecurity's obviously going to be much better than anything I've encountered. Still, the fact that they got my fingerprint through my freaking MOUSE is kind of insane.'
On a sneaking suspicion, I turned my laptop around slightly, only to see the Schicksal Logo stamped on the back of it. Even the mouse and my phone were marked with the same symbol, which let me know without a doubt that my employers were probably the ones to provide me with them in the first place. Maybe it was some kind of job benefit or something. I wasn't complaining, because it was still cutting edge technology, but it did let me know that doing... non-work related things on these devices was a very bad idea because even Incognito Mode and VPNs couldn't save my search history from being dug up and handed to my Boss if she so requested it.
As I idly made a mental reminder to buy another laptop for my personal use as soon as I got my first paycheck, I quickly took out a notepad and a pen before scribbling down a quick list of everything I needed to check out. It took me a minute to quickly think of everything I would need to know on short notice, and after I was satisfied with what I had written I turned back to the screen of my laptop.
First and foremost...
I pulled up the file in the Archives on me.
-File Access Successful.
Name: Captain Nemo
Age: 19 Years
Gender: Male
Blood Type: O+
Honkai Adaptability: N/A
Nationality: American
Role: Captain of the Hyperion, Chief Tactician of Schicksal (Far East Branch)
Bio: Sole child of the Nemo Family, born in Los Angeles, California. Parents deceased, killed in 2007 due to medical malpractice. Excellent educational records, went on to graduate early from high school and studied medicine in South India. Was recruited as per the standard Scouting Program, and proceeded to complete the Schicksal Captaincy Training Course in one year before graduating as Valedictorian of the 2013 Candidates. Subsequently chose to be assigned to Schicksal's Far East Branch as the Captain of the Hyperion, which was authorized by Branch Commander Theresa Apocalypse.
Mission Record: N/A-
My good mood promptly evaporated as soon as I finished reading the rather short file.
One line stood out to me as I grit my teeth, an old wound from the past re-opening.
Parents deceased, killed in 2007 due to medical malpractice.
I had expected to see it after coming to my earlier conclusion, as it was an event that had shaped my life and set me on the path to becoming a doctor, but that didn't prepare me for how it would feel to see it written down so... clinically, just another sentence in one amongst millions of files.
'Just forget about it, this is old news.'
...Is what I tried to tell myself, but the familiar rage that suddenly threatened to overtake me refused to listen to my reasoning. I was sure I'd gotten over it, as this had happened years ago, but it looked like that was an incorrect assumption. Though I don't think that was because of something wrong with me- rather, wouldn't it a rather ridiculous prospect to "accept" the fact that my parents had been killed just so some jackass doctor could get some pocket change?
I clutched at my temples, trying to stabilize myself. There was still a lot of research that needed to be done, and the clock was ticking. I couldn't afford to get distracted at such a critical time, even by the memories of the only people who had ever cared about me and the terrible, undeserved fate that had befallen them.
Because I knew that the only thing I could do to honor their memory was to survive, no matter what it took.
It was a few more hours before I finally got up from my chair, satisfied with the information I had gotten.
And to sum it up, there was good news and there was bad news, though definitely more of the latter than the former.
The good news- I hadn't met anyone important in my "past", so I didn't have to pretend to know anybody I would meet in the future. The most convenient part about my personal history being carried over to this world was the fact that my reclusive nature probably did too, meaning I most likely had zero friends. My new phone's contact list was empty as well, which only lent credibility to that assumption.
...That was kind of depressing, in its own way. At least Himeko was kind of my friend now according to the Game, so it's not like I was totally friendless. Maybe. Probably.
Anyways, the bad news- I wasn't equipped to be the Captain of the Hyperion. I just didn't have the skills people thought I had or expected me to have, and wasn't smart enough to pretend otherwise. I may have claimed to use Ainz as a role model for how I should act earlier, but he still had the power of a literal God up his sleeve along with the power of Pay To Win, which was why his façade even held out in the first place. In that regard, I was shit out of luck because I had absolutely nothing of the sort.
The main problem was that knowledge of 'Honkai Impact' and my hefty gaming experience meant nothing in the face of real tactical ability, even if I could use my own natural talents to memorize the Hyperion's schematics and logistics. Just knowing the meta strategies and team compositions of Valkyries wouldn't do me any good when I actually needed to command them in the field. I had looked at some of "my" test papers, which were attached to my personal file, and it took me around half an hour to even begin making sense of what I was looking at. I was a rational person, sure, but that didn't mean I was cut out to be a military tactician. I just didn't have an eye for battlefield management, and the raw intelligence that required; that was the conclusion I'd been grudgingly forced to come to after hours of research.
However, I wasn't in a position to refuse. The Game had clearly laid it out of me; if I ever quit or got fired from my position as the Captain, I was a goner. Which meant I had to somehow find a way to cover up the fact that I knew nothing about actual strategy, something that was easier said than done. None of the people I would be working with in the future were stupid, and I couldn't hope for divine coincidences to somehow make everything I do seem like I was planning ten steps ahead of everyone.
I mean, the Game didn't come with a Luck Stat after all.
Maybe I could modify some of the Strategies I found in the Archives? That had a small chance of success, more so than just doing nothing and hoping for the best.
Well, it would have to wait. A quick look at the time on my phone showed that it was just five minutes before noon, which meant that if I wanted to eat lunch I would need to get started with the cooking immediately. And after everything that I was being forced to deal with right now, the least I could do was treat myself to a good meal- the ultimate mood lifter.
Besides, this may seem rather silly but... I was kind of interested to see if food would look and taste better in an "animated" reality resembling a fictional franchise that did in fact have a Cooking Spin-Off. Sure, I had the cup noodles earlier, but then I was in such a hurry that I hadn't been able to take the time to appreciate it and had basically swallowed the whole thing as fast as I could. That wasn't the case right now, even though I wasn't sure when my Boss would show up to speak with me, though judging by the time she'd probably meet me after her own lunch, since she'd apparently been stuck in a meeting for a couple of hours.
While I did feel for her, having to spend hours talking to the walking asylum that was Otto, it did give me an ample opportunity to whip up something nice for myself.
Cooking was something I liked to do, even if it had started out as a necessity. After my parents died, I had no one else left. If I wanted to eat, I needed to either order out or make my own meals. Since surviving off of takeout was out of the question due to the obvious issue of health concerns, because at that point the last things I needed in my already unbalanced life were obesity and malnutrition, that meant I had to hit the cookbooks. Fortunately, I had a huge amount of resources at my fingertips in the form of the internet and my part-time job working at the restaurant of a sympathetic family friend to hone my skills. It helped that I found the process of cooking itself wonderfully cathartic, almost just as much as eating the finished product. There was just something about seeing a dish come together from its component ingredients that soothed the soul, at least in my opinion.
So I moved over to the kitchen area, rolling back my sleeves and removing my gloves before washing my hands thoroughly and donning a set of disposable cooking gloves after drying them. Some people might have found it difficult to cook with gloves on, mainly because of gripping issues or a lack of comfort, but long hours in the Operation Theatre at college had gotten me quite used to wearing them and working with them free of any issues.
Opening the cabinets and refrigerator, I took a quick look at all the ingredients I had at my disposal. To my relief, just like everything else all the stuff I had in stock back in my place had carried over seamlessly. Hell, they looked even better than they did back on my Earth considering the anime filter this reality had. I did have a disproportionate amount of chicken as far as meat went, but that was because there was a huge sale on it not long before I got dumped here.
Now then, what to make...
I was pretty hungry since I'd more or less missed breakfast, and there was a ton of chicken available, so I decided to just go with making a chicken and pepper stir-fry as well as some tandoori chicken as the main course since they were recipes I was pretty familiar with. Even if I made too much, I could just save the rest for dinner so I didn't see anything wrong with cooking a little bit more than strictly necessary.
I arranged everything I needed out on the kitchen counter, before getting to work.
For the chicken and pepper stir-fry, I first put holes in the chicken with a fork before cutting it into large, bite-sized pieces. Immediately afterward, after basting the meat in some vinegar and soy sauce, I massaged it for a bit in order to help the flavor sink in. Then I took the seeds out of the pepper and paprika, before cutting them into corners of about 2 cm, though I admittedly eyeballed this.
Next, I cooked the chicken in an oiled pan until both sides were well browned before adding the aforementioned peppers and paprika. Once the peppers and paprika were heated to a certain extent, I put in a giant squeeze of a tube of soy sauce flavored oyster spice.
With the stir-fry more or less finished, I turned my attention over to the tandoori chicken, which was almost nearly done since I had been working on them simultaneously.
Inside a vinyl bag I had on hand, I marinated the meat in a mix of plain yogurt, grated garlic and ginger along with some salt, pepper and a bit of tandoori masala. Of course, this was after I gave the chicken the same treatment as the earlier stir-fry, cutting it into pieces and poking holes in them. With another round of massaging to improve the flavor acquisition, I moved onto the final part of the recipe. Heating a pan with some olive oil, I put the thoroughly marinated meat in and fried it, starting from the skin side. Once both sides were browned, I was just about done.
Since the preliminary stages of both recipes were pretty much the same, it wasn't all that difficult for me to make both dishes at the same time without screwing up somewhere. I wouldn't recommend trying the same thing unless you had a long history of cooking, however.
After making sure I cooked them properly, I plated both dishes, turned off the stove and ditched my gloves before I clapped my hands together with a small smile.
"Done!"
Chow Time!
*Ding*
Huh?
An all too familiar pink Window popped up in front of my face.
[Congratulations! You have Discovered a new Skill! Cooking, Unlocked! You have gained +5 Wisdom!]
And just below that was the description of the Cooking Skill.
[Cooking: The way to a Heroine's heart is through their stomach! This Skill provides a boost to the flavor, quality, appearance, and even the nutrition of a prepared article of food or drink when active. The degree of enhancement is proportional to the Wisdom Stat. Activation Requirement - Must be cooking for a Heroine. Boost Condition - Must be cooking for a Heroine with ?]
'So Skills can be like this too?'
Even though I didn't really expect much from a Skill literally called Cooking whose effect I could easily discern with a single brain cell, it was still the only other Skill I had apart from Eroge Protagonist, so I was interested in seeing what a more standard skill was like.
Honestly, it was... pretty much like I'd expected it to be after getting a grasp of the Game's basic nature, though the fact that the Skill couldn't Level Up and instead scaled off of my Wisdom was something I didn't expect. The Activation Requirement really stung though, because it meant I could only make my food even more delicious when I was cooking for a Heroine. Not that it was impossible, but...
Well, it didn't matter. Far more intriguing was the Boost Condition, which I assumed made the Skill stronger in some way. But why was it covered in question marks? Was there something I needed to do to unlock that information?
...Wait a minute.
Something more important crossed my mind.
If this Skill only worked when I was cooking for a Heroine, then why did I unlock it when I was just making lunch for myself?
As if on cue, the buzzer that acted as my doorbell rang once. Sighing in resignation as I knew what that meant, I reluctantly left my lunch (which I forgot to mention looked AMAZING) and moved over to open the door, coming face to face with a nun who barely came up to my pectorals in terms of height.
Or more accurately, a white-haired blue-eyed girl who was wearing a nun habit, although she was missing the headdress. Knowing the person in question, she'd probably just forgotten to do it since she wasn't actually a real nun. Because this, ladies and gentleman, was none other than my new Boss, Theresa Apocalypse.
Who was actually over twice my age despite looking like a twelve year old.
"Good Afternoon, Ma'am." I said, taking a step back and bowing as a sign of respect.
The sight of the woman who literally held my life in her hands (because it was basically Game Over for me if I ever got fired) had sent me into full Bootlicker Mode, which is what I called the way I behaved towards people who had some kind of authority over me and had direct control of my future, such as my college Professors. As much as I hated it, this was a survival skill I had developed out of sheer necessity after I'd moved to India for my education.
Fortunately, as always, it was efficient, and Theresa smiled at me. "Good Afternoon, Captain. I'm sorry for making you wait so long, but Grandfather was being... difficult."
Her eye twitched for a moment, and I stifled a wince. "Difficult" was certainly one way of describing Otto Apocalypse, even though I preferred to use the word "Godforsaken". Honestly, if I never met the guy for the entirety of my life I would be more than happy, ecstatic even. I doubted I'd pass whatever Luck Check was required for that though.
"It's no trouble at all, Ma'am. Please, come inside."
I ushered her in, unwilling to leave her standing in the doorway (that just wasn't proper etiquette no matter how you looked at it), and that was when the scent of the freshly cooked meal I had prepared for myself hit both of us right in the face.
A massive roar erupted from right next to me, and I jerked back in fright, nearly falling over as my eyes darted around in a panic. Was I wrong about the timeline? Was this some kind of AU where the Hyperion came under attack before the game even began and got destroyed? Were HOMU Dolls coming alive and taking over the world?
It was when I was going over these progressively worse doomsday scenarios that my eyes locked onto the person next to me, whose face was flushed beet red in embarrassment as she looked at the ground, and a split-second later I realized what had happened.
My throat went dry as I failed to think of anything to say in response to... that, just as time froze.
[You notice that your Boss is pretty hungry. You...]
[A - Offer her some of the meal you've made.]
[B - Let her starve.]
Okay, now the Game was just being nasty. There was no way I was going to let her starve. I was practical, not cruel- especially not towards my Boss.
Shaking my head, I prepared myself to get body-jacked and hit Option A.
My hands moved of their own accord as I coughed into my fist. "Um, would you like some of the lunch I've prepared, Headmistress?"
Her eyes whipped away from the floor and turned up to meet my own, something akin to surprise illuminating them before she shook off her embarrassment and answered me. "I-I couldn't impose on you like that, Captain, especially after I kept you waiting for so long."
The Game twisted my mouth into a smile.
"There's no problem. I made a lot today, and a meal is best shared with others." I said, control returning to my body as soon as I finished speaking.
Theresa's smile was radiant. Personally, I felt she was a little too happy for something as small as this, but who was I to judge? If anything, this actually made things easier for me.
[Your kindness in offering such a delicious-looking meal has touched her heart! You have gained +2 in Charm and +2 in Wisdom! ]
[Theresa Route has been Unlocked! You can now see "Heroine Status" with Theresa Apocalypse!]
[Your current Status with Theresa has changed to "Favored Subordinate"!]
'Yatta!'
This was the only thought that ran through my mind as I ushered Theresa towards the rather small dining table set near the kitchen and went over to grab what I had cooked before placing both dishes on the table's surface. You see, I hadn't been completely certain that Theresa would count as a Heroine, for a number of reasons, but it looked like life could still throw me a few proverbial bones every now and then.
My euphoria was for one main reason; with both Theresa and Himeko's "Routes" Unlocked, I basically had an in with both of the strongest people around at this point in time. With some time and some good old-fashioned grinding, I'd be more or less safe for the foreseeable future under their care, at least until the actual "plot" of this world began in earnest. Though thankfully, I still had a few years until then judging by the date, so that left me with plenty of time to find my footing and ingratiate myself to them- which in Theresa's case meant that I could basically solidify my position as the Captain and reduce the likelihood of getting an instant Bad End from the Game.
Basically, it was all coming together, and I couldn't be more relieved. Even if it left me painfully aware that I would have to get used to actually interacting with other human beings face-to-face once more. Especially considering I was already starting to sweat from my palms at the prospect of eating lunch with someone who was both a stranger yet at the same time someone I knew nearly everything there was to know about.
I set all the utensils down along with two plates, nearly chuckling out loud at the rather childish glee emanating from my diminutive Boss as her eyes remained fixed on the admittedly resplendent items of food on the table. Actually, looking closer at the two chicken entrees I'd whipped up, I couldn't help but do a silent double take.
Was it just me or was the food actually glowing?
Blinking, I looked again, only to confirm that yes, the tandoori chicken and stir-fry were actually glowing a faint golden color, even though Theresa didn't seem to think anything was off about it. It hadn't been like this when I finished cooking, so what the hell had prompted this change?
As I racked my brain to find an answer, I moved automatically to divvy up the portions, serving Theresa a bit of both first before putting a smaller portion for myself. Knowing the Boss carried the genes of the Kaslana Clan, her appetite was at the very least going to be larger than mine.
It was that thought that gave me the answer.
'Was it the Cooking Skill?!'
That was the only conclusion I could reach, because that was the only reason my food could've transformed that dramatically. But HOW? I'd already finished cooking when I got the Skill, so how did it take effect after the dish was made?
Unless...
It worked by warping reality and was wholly independent of the actual act of cooking, triggering as soon as the Activation Requirement was met. Something the Game definitely was capable of, at least when taking into account how often it stopped time.
As I sat down in my own chair and wiped off my sweaty palms with a towel, I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the prospect of eating something that nearly looked radioactive.
Theresa, who had been completely engrossed in admiring the same food that was making me wary, had no such reservations. As soon as I raised my knife hesitantly, unsure as to whether eating was actually safe despite my logical assurances, she dug in with gusto, unable to restrain herself any longer.
Or at least, that was what was supposed to have happened.
Instead, her body froze as soon as soon as she took the first bite. Seeing this out the corner of my eyes, I similarly froze in shock. My natural pessimism blared in full force, and it took everything I had to keep my face blank.
A single tear escaped her, rolling down her cheek before landing on the tablecloth as I remained petrified in my seat.
"It's... amazing..."
She took another bite before turning her baby blue eyes towards me, looking as if she'd just discovered God; an image made far more distinct in my mind by her outfit. "T-Thank you so much, Captain!"
[You have gained 20 Affection Points with Heroine Theresa!]
[A New Picture has been added to the Gallery! "The First Plate", Unlocked! You have gained +2 Wisdom!]
[For successfully triggering a Boosted Skill on your very first try, you have gained +2 to all Stats!]
I... I had no words.
This was probably the largest influx of Affection Points I'd ever seen before. Sure, I knew that good food tasted better when you were really hungry or stressed, but this was rather... extreme.
Or was it? Intense hunger and mental exhaustion combined with my "Boosted" Cooking Skill... I could see why that might've elicited such a big reaction.
I just nodded in affirmation and looked on silently as Theresa began to dig in with all the ferocity of a famished carnivore, feeling more than a little bewildered.
'Didn't even bring out my trump card yet, and I already got 20 Points...'
You see, unlike with Himeko who had taken me completely by surprise, I had prior notice of Theresa's arrival and took the appropriate measures in order to maximize how many Affection Points I could gain from her in our first meeting (which in non-Gamer terms basically meant making the best first impression possible), even as I did my research. This was just too important to give anything less than my level best, after all. I needed to completely eliminate even the possibility of Theresa firing me, and if that meant I had to play dirty, then so be it.
Admittedly, sharing lunch with her was something that had come out of left field, but I had prepared a certain refreshment for her that I coincidentally happened to regularly drink for the raw health benefits it provided.
Putting my fork and knife down, I got up from my chair and moved over to the refrigerator, where I took out a pitcher filled with a pale green liquid.
"Headmistress, can I interest you in some bitter melon juice?"
I missed Theresa's actual answer thanks to the pane of light that popped up in front of my face and blindsided me, but it's contents made it pretty clear what her reply had been.
[You have gained 15 Affection Points with Heroine Theresa!]
[Congratulations! You have unlocked the achievement: "Bitter Melon Buddies"! You have gained +2 in Charm!]
I resisted the urge to sigh even though I was being confronted with the success of my own plans.
Why was it that the "Heroine" I had to prioritize gaining Affection Points with first and foremost happened to look like a 12 year old in a nun outfit? It made me feel even sleazier than I already was.
The only saving grace here was that I was perfectly shielded from the FBI or whatever the Japanese equivalent of it was, despite how suspicious an onlooker may have found the scene. If anything, she'd be the one getting thrown in the slammer considering she was over 40 while I was just barely legal myself.
...Not that the thought really made me feel much better about the whole affair.
'The things I do for survival...'
And this was probably just the beginning. I was almost sure of it.
