Wildcat and Gunsmith Part 2
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Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
In most cases, Silhouettes that weren’t equipped with swords or other melee weapons engage in close combat by thrusting their bayonets at their opponents when they run out of bullets. There were also plenty of instances where Silhouettes would take advantage of the pause created due to the railgun recharging after firing in a quick burst in order to close in on the Mantis-types they were fighting.
So Kou wanted to choose a weapon that prioritized mobility over a powerful railgun.
「If it’s no good, then I’ll just go with a railgun……」
「No! It’s absolutely fine! I will make sure to create a weapon that’s suitable to you, Kou!」
The normally calm Aki raised her voice in excitement.
「Please leave it to us. We will create the perfect weapon for you.」
Nyanta accepted the challenge as well. She even forgot to add ‘nyaa’ at the end, so Kou felt she was especially serious this time around.
Voy, who was acting like he knew why the two ladies displayed such reactions, merely looked on with a wry grin.
「Kou’s preference…… A bayonet is essential huh.」
「You sure sound like you really understand him.」
「It’s the preference of the person precious to me after all. After that, I’ll just have to adjust the weapon design in order to mesh well with Kou’s combat style.」
When Kou heard Aki say he was precious to her, his face turned a bright shade of red. This was the first time he ever had a woman say something like that regarding him.
「We can freely download existing base information data using Kou’s authority. I’ll thoroughly look up all the information regarding the Silhouette models and related technology currently being used.」
Nyanta also pulled out a tablet device of her own and proceeded to perform some kind of search with a serious expression.
「It looks like we won’t end up being useless to Kou this time around.」
Aki quietly muttered in a somewhat glum tone.
「What do you mean by saying you’ll end up useless? I’ve been relying on you from the start.」
Kou couldn’t help but respond. He had no idea why Aki would suddenly say something like that, but he felt he had to say something back anyway.
「I’m sorry.」
Aki, whose ears drooped down, softly nodded and hung her head down guiltily. She must have spoken those words out of anxiety.
「Sorry ’bout this, Kou. It’s just that your choice came as a surprise to them, so they’re a bit out of it right now.」
「What’s that mean, Voy?」
「I’ll tell ya later.」
「I’m getting curious here. Anyway, there’s no chance I’ll ever think of Aki, Nyanta, and Voy as unnecessary. Please just keep that in mind, guys.」
「Yes. Thank you very much, Kou.」
「Gotcha. You can always count on me, kid.」
Voy let out a hearty laugh. Though it certainly wasn’t good to rely on them too much, Kou felt that they really were trustworthy comrades.
Nighttime had arrived once more. Aki transformed into her dog form and slept beside Kou again. Kou said he would be too embarrassed to sleep if she was in her human form after all.
After confirming that Kou was already fast asleep, Aki returned to her human form and went out of the nap room. She then headed to the manufacturing room.
Nyanta was already inside the lab and was staring intently at a monitor while performing some complicated calculations.
「You sure are up pretty late, neesan.」
「It’s hard falling asleep after seeing you guys flirt around like that after all. Your charm is just way too high, Aki.」
Nyanta replied in a steady tone that was completely different from her usual way of speaking. However, there was still a hint of some teasing in her words.
「You’re one to talk, neesan. You even started using ‘nyaa’ to raise your catgirl appeal.」
Aki was aware of the truth. Nyanta, who insisted on herself being an ugly cat, already felt something for Kou, who even said she was cute.
She already held a pretty good impression of him in the first place after witnessing his relationship with the cat-type Familiar named Master, and how he exerted effort in bringing her back to the secret facility. But Kou’s words the previous night gave the decisive blow. She fell completely after that. Aki was well aware that her sister held feelings for Kou that wouldn’t lose out to her own.
「Well, I did study Japanese subculture and thought it was worth a shot.」
Nyanta grinned. Her hateful expression while grinning smugly proved that her usual cutesy behavior was just acting.
「I didn’t expect he’d actually prefer a ballistic gun though.」
「Sorry about what happened today. I ended up saying something strange in front of Kou.」
「It’s fine. I understand how you feel. Back in the Interplanetary War era, every Tom, Dick, and Harry was gushing about optical weapons after all.」
「–The two of us specialize in combustion-based ranged weapons. They were tested out during the interplanetary war, but without sufficient demand, the project was quickly frozen. We really were treated as useless goods back then.」
「It was the heyday of directed-energy weapons back then after all. Even electric weapons like railguns were in danger of being treated as obsolete and eventually phased out due to ammo costs. Making railgun bullets was really boring as heck, wasn’t it?」
Nyanta glumly sighed. It was apparently a very unpleasant memory.
「Yeah. That was really traumatic. If they didn’t feel those kinds of weapons were needed, then just don’t have people manufacture them in the first place dammit. Well, it was still way better than serving as pets or marriage partners for random humans though.」
The individual wills of artificially birthed lifeforms like them were still generally respected.
Though voices insisting on revoking such rights still existed, they were saved from such a fate since they were immediately placed into cryo-sleep.
「But I’m totally fine with getting married to Kou.」
「The person himself seems like he doesn’t have any interest in things like that though.」
「Hey neesan, he actually begged me to be in my dog form tonight when we went to bed together. Apparently, he finds being in bed with my human form highly embarrassing.」
「You’re just biding your time, aiming for an opening, and treating that as a nice chance, aren’t you?」
「You found me out!」
The two ladies burst into laughter.
「Okeanos, Asia [1], or maybe it was Sophia. I sometimes wonder if the reason we were made was for the express purpose of meeting Kou and supporting him. I’m really thankful to Master for letting us meet him.」
「So he’s like our destined person or something? That’s a bit of a stretch, I think. –Really, don’t make me laugh. Wouldn’t that mean we’re way worse than even the easiest of easy gal game heroines?」
Her words sounded self-deprecating, but Nyanta’s lips gently curved upward. She apparently seemed to think it wasn’t that bad.
「Isn’t it fine? It’s fun you know.」
「I’m sure Kou wouldn’t believe me if I told him you usually acted as an extremely cold ice queen with a constantly frozen expression.」
「Right back at you, neesan.」
「It’s fine nyaa. Kou’s the type to be easily fooled by women. We have to keep a good eye on him or it’ll be no good nyaa.」
Nyanta switched back to her usual tone when in front of Kou and displayed her cutesy teasing smirk.
「I really envy you dog-type’s honesty with your feelings.」
「You can just do the same as me, neesan.」
「Us cat-types have a method of expressing affection unique to us. Cat-types won’t lose out when it comes to watching over family.」
「You’re going for the tsundere route huh. I won’t lose though.」
「You’re a bit too old-school, Aki. Anyway, make sure you don’t neglect proper business.」
「I’m doing it properly you know. Please pass me the data you got later, okay, neesan?」
「I’ll get it ready in a jiffy for you nyaa.」
The two ladies sat side by side, typed data into their terminals, and resumed their work.
TL Notes:
[1] I will use “Asia” instead of “Ashia” from now on. It turns out that the author took the name from the Greek goddess Asia. He makes a lot of references to Greek mythology.
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