Still shocked by Melwin's sudden declaration, Kanda couldn't help but ask,
"Captain...? What do you mean by that, Melwin? Though... I have to admit, I kind of like the title."
Eris was the one who answered his question.
"Kanda, Kuune accepted you as her substitute. The bell that belonged to her, which symbolizes her rank as captain, has now been transferred to you. Therefore, you have officially been recognized as our captain, just as our First Officer declared."
Kanda looked down at the bell hanging around his neck.
"How much authority can I exercise while holding this rank?"
"You can give us any order you want, Ichijou," Durel replied. "Your orders have the highest priority among us, and we are required to follow them."
Kanda raised an eyebrow.
"Hoho... So I can ask anything from all of you? Even you, Dr. Durel?"
"Of course."
Durel crossed her arms beneath her chest, causing Kanda's eyes to briefly wander toward her.
"Would you like to try giving me an order, Ichijou?"
"Ho..."
Kanda stared at Durel for a moment.
*Pull!*
"Oww!"
Manami immediately grabbed his ear while Aoi pinched his side.
"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts, Manami! Aoi! I was just kidding!"
Kanda quickly tried to defend himself.
*Hehehe... Maybe I'll ask her later.*
He glanced toward Durel.
*But first, I need to be serious.*
A faint grin appeared on his face.
"What are you grinning about, Kanda?"
Manami narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Kanda's grin disappeared instantly.
"Nothing at all, Manami. I'm just thinking about our rescue plan."
Manami scrutinized his face for several seconds.
Kanda remained completely still.
Eventually, she looked away.
Kanda quietly released a sigh of relief.
*That was close.*
His expression became serious again.
"Anyway, as your new captain, I order all of you to continue treating me as you normally would. I don't really care about all this formal stuff."
"Yes, sir!"
Melwin and the other Catia girls replied in unison before taking their seats again.
Once everyone had settled down, Kanda began speaking.
"Before we start planning the rescue operation for the Catians aboard the main ship, I need to know a few things."
He raised one finger.
"First, can we detect the main ship's current location and determine its final destination?"
He raised a second finger.
"Second, how many forces can we gather? I want to know both the Catia forces and our own forces, including the Assistroids."
A third finger followed.
"Third, what weapons do we currently have that could be used against Jens? I want the newly created weapon prototypes to remain our last resort."
Melwin nodded.
"We should be able to detect our ship after Chaika modifies our tracking device. The current tracker can't locate the ship, probably because Jens is interfering with its signal."
She turned toward Chaika.
"Can you modify the tracker as soon as possible, Chaika?"
"Of course! Just leave it to me."
Chaika confidently patted her small chest before taking the tracker from Melwin.
She walked over to the small table in the room.
"Let's see..."
Several tools suddenly appeared in her hands as she began modifying the device.
Melwin continued with her report.
"As for our available forces, I have three teams of specialists. Each team is led by Raven, Hawk, and Swallow respectively. There are five personnel in each team, including their leader."
She paused briefly.
"They were stationed here to support us, so those fifteen are the only personnel currently available from my side."
Melwin then looked toward Antonia.
"What about your forces, Antonia-san?"
"Hmm..."
Antonia thought for a moment.
"I don't know the exact number of personnel available right now, but I can say that I have a considerable number of forces that we can use."
She turned toward Maya.
"Maya, what are the complete details of our forces?"
Maya immediately stepped forward.
"We have seventy battle maids, excluding myself and Sarah."
She continued her report.
"Fifteen of those battle maids are currently stationed here, while another five have been assigned to guard Kinjou Asami."
Maya paused.
"Claris and her team are also excluded from the number because they belong to Kanda-sama."
She then continued.
"We also have another thirty maids-in-training stationed at our old mansion. If Antonia-sama wishes to include them in our forces, I can contact them and have them come here immediately."
Antonia looked toward Kanda.
"What do you think I should do, Kanda-niisan?"
"Call all of them here, Antonia-chan. Have them gather at your house first."
Kanda glanced around the room.
"I don't think my house has enough space to accommodate that many people."
"Alright, Kanda-niisan."
Antonia nodded.
"Maya, call them here. Have everyone gather at our house and stand by for Kanda-niisan's next instructions."
"Yes, Antonia-sama."
Maya immediately pulled a satellite phone from inside her dress and began making the call.
Kanda then turned his attention back toward Melwin and Antonia.
"Now, what about our current weaponry? What do we have available, Melwin? Antonia-chan?"
Melwin answered first.
"On our side, we can manufacture anti-matter weapons. However, we cannot produce an unlimited number of them because the materials are limited. We can only retrieve the stored materials from the storage space inside the bell."
She continued.
"We also don't have many long-range weapons. Our forces normally specialize in close-quarters combat. However, we could modify our existing equipment using weapons from this planet."
"Alright. I understand."
Kanda nodded.
"I'll provide you with some additional materials later. Use them to improve your weaponry."
Melwin nodded.
"Understood, Captain."
Kanda then looked toward Maya.
By that time, she had already finished her call.
"Maya, what is the current status of your armaments?"
"Excluding the weapons developed from Kanda-sama's ideas, we have approximately hundreds of military knives and hundreds of firearms."
Maya began listing their available weapons.
"We have various assault rifles, including the AK-101 and FN SCAR-L, as well as sniper rifles such as the Steyr HS .50. We also have a considerable number of grenades stored in our armory."
She paused.
"However, we cannot guarantee whether those weapons will be effective against Jens's forces. Their equipment has also been upgraded to withstand our existing weaponry."
"It's alright, Maya."
Kanda calmly nodded.
"We can cooperate with the Catians to improve those weapons."
He looked around the room.
"And I'll also ask one of my acquaintances here to help us develop a way to counter Jens's forces."
The room became quiet for a moment.
Everyone understood that their rescue operation was no longer simply about retrieving Kuune's crew.
They were preparing for a confrontation with Jens.
And this time, Kanda would be the one leading them.
"Who is this friend of yours, Kanda?" Aoi asked curiously.
"She's the one I told you about before—the person who can manufacture the talismans that Jens used."
"She?"
Manami narrowed her eyes.
"Is she another girl of yours, Kanda?"
The moment Manami asked that question, all of Kanda's girls turned toward him.
Their expressions were filled with curiosity and suspicion.
"N-No! Not at all, Manami!"
Kanda immediately waved his hands.
"She's just an acquaintance of mine. I only see her as a little sister, just like Antonia-chan."
Manami and the other girls stared at Kanda for several seconds.
Eventually, Manami looked away.
"...Fine, Kanda. We'll trust you for now."
Kanda quietly sighed in relief.
*That was close.*
With the topic finally settled, Kanda quickly took out his communication device and contacted his acquaintance.
He spoke with her for several minutes, explaining what he needed before ending the call.
Afterward, he informed everyone that she would come to his location later and bring the materials he had requested.
Just as Kanda was putting away his communication device, Eris spoke.
"Kanda, how are we going to transport all of our forces later? I don't think our current spacecraft can carry that many people."
"Hmm..."
Kanda froze.
"You're right, Eris. I completely forgot about that."
He rubbed his chin.
"Thanks for reminding me. Now... what should I do?"
Kanda began thinking deeply.
Seeing him struggling to come up with an answer, Durel offered a suggestion.
"Why don't you use the function installed within that bell, Ichijou?"
Kanda immediately looked at her.
"What function are you talking about, Dr. Durel?"
"Compared to the earring that was given to you, that personal bell possesses a much more useful ability."
Durel pointed toward the bell around Kanda's neck.
"It allows you to manipulate materials and create various objects, as long as you have sufficient materials for whatever you want to construct."
Kanda's eyes widened slightly.
"That's quite useful."
He thought for a moment before asking,
"Are there any other functions I need to know about?"
"Let's see..."
Durel thought about it.
"First, you can issue commands to other Catians who hold a rank below yours as Captain."
She then continued.
"Second, you can alter your body into the form of any living being, provided that you possess sufficient knowledge and understanding of that creature's physical structure."
"So you're saying I could transform into a Catian like you?"
Kanda then looked toward Jens's direction in his thoughts.
"Or even a Dogisian like Jens?"
"Of course."
Durel nodded.
"However, you need to understand our physical structure carefully. If your understanding is insufficient, you'll only be able to reproduce superficial characteristics such as cat ears and a cat tail."
She smiled slightly.
"In other words, you'd look more like a cosplayer than an actual Catian."
"Hmm..."
Kanda glanced toward Antonia.
"So I would only end up looking like Antonia-chan rather than someone like Eris or Melwin."
"You could put it that way."
Durel gave a short nod.
Kanda nodded thoughtfully.
"Never mind. I'll ask you more about Catian physiology later, Durel."
He stood up.
"For now, I need to find enough materials to construct a ship so we can travel into space."
Kanda then looked toward Maya.
"Maya, can you contact that friend of yours?"
"Yes, Kanda-sama."
"Tell her that I need materials for constructing a ship. If she asks why I need them, you can explain the situation."
Kanda then glanced toward the others.
"But before we start working on all that, we should eat first. We'll be able to think more clearly once we've filled our stomachs."
Maya nodded before taking out her satellite phone and making the call.
Kanda and the others eventually went downstairs to eat the meal that Claris had prepared.
Having Claris around had made Kanda's life considerably easier. She had practically taken over the responsibility of managing the household, allowing everyone else to focus on the situation surrounding Kuune and Jens.
While everyone was eating, Maya approached Kanda after finishing her call.
"Kanda-sama, I contacted her."
"What did she say?"
"She said she'll do her best to find the materials you need to construct the ship."
Maya paused.
"However, she said she needs a complete list of the materials before she can begin searching for them."
"Alright. I'll give you the list after I finish eating."
Kanda then noticed Maya's hesitant expression.
"What is it, Maya? Is there something else you need to tell me?"
Maya hesitated.
She seemed unsure whether she should say it.
Eventually, she made up her mind.
"After I told her about your request, she asked me to inform you that you need to compensate her for it."
Kanda raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of compensation?"
Maya's expression became slightly awkward.
"She said she wants 'the usual' payment."
Kanda immediately fell silent.
"..."
He sighed.
"Fine."
Kanda shook his head.
"Tell her I'll go to her location later and give her the payment myself."
He then added,
"I also want to inspect the materials personally."
"Understood, Kanda-sama."
Maya nodded before making another call.
Aoi, who had been listening to their conversation, became curious.
"What payment were you talking about with Maya-san, Kanda?"
"It's nothing, Aoi."
Kanda continued eating.
"I just need to give her friend something later."
He deliberately avoided giving any further explanation.
Manami narrowed her eyes.
"Is it some kind of indecent arrangement between you and her?"
"What?!"
Kanda nearly choked on his food.
"Not at all, Manami!"
He quickly denied the accusation.
"Let's just finish this meal first. I'll bring you to meet her later."
Manami continued staring at him suspiciously.
"...Fine."
An hour later, everyone had finished their meal.
Kanda prepared to leave for the location of Maya's acquaintance.
Almost everyone decided to accompany him.
Melwin, Durel, and fifteen battle maids, however, remained behind to guard Kuune.
They couldn't leave their unconscious captain completely defenseless.
Before leaving, Kanda turned toward Melwin.
"Melwin, if my acquaintance arrives at the house while we're gone, invite her inside."
He paused.
"Then contact me immediately."
"And if you can't reach me?"
"Send her to our location."
Melwin nodded.
"Understood, Captain."
Kanda looked once more toward Kuune, who remained peacefully unconscious.
The small bell around his neck gently jingled as he turned away.
With the rescue operation approaching and their forces beginning to gather, Kanda knew that every decision from this point onward would determine whether they could save Kuune's crew and stop Jens before she carried out her revenge.
END OF CHAPTER