Long-term salvation

"I'm promoting the miniaturization of nuclear energy. It would be great if we could replace the exoskeleton's energy supply with a controlled fission tank, or use something like graphene batteries—solving the energy problem would also benefit the vehicle. I'll use the technologies you brought for reference, and the development speed will definitely be ideal."

"Are you some kind of mad scientist?"

"A psychic wizard who can throw out golden flames has no right to criticize me."

Irons complained expressionlessly. After finishing his bread and drinking a glass of water, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, threw the thing on the table, and said to the mass-produced Nikki who was waiting beside him:

"Girl, pour me another glass of water."

"Yes, Mr. Irons."

Glancing at Nikki who was strolling away, Irons turned back and tapped his fingers on the table to attract Rhode's attention. Then he revealed a serious expression and said softly:

"I know you intend to have this Alicorn crewed entirely with your 'Adeptus Custodes,' which is fine and I support it. But I also want to remind you that sometimes they can intensify conflicts, especially when people realize the true nature of these girls. No one likes to be 'watched' or 'supervised,' let alone when these watchers are 'alien'."

"This... is indeed a problem. I'll take care of it," Rhodes said, rubbing his temple with a slight complaint. "If Aperture Technologies can create some 'androids' in Detroit, the future world will definitely be more exciting."

"I'm really sorry," Irons said perfunctorily, "Humans are such troublesome creatures."

"I just hope they're less troublesome in the future."

Rhode sighed and shook his head, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. He looked up at the bright light above... Humans truly still need the sun. The lack of sunlight these past few days was truly unbearable. After staring at the light for a while, he finally put his chaotic thoughts aside, straightened up, and asked:

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Is the deployment plan for the Army Without Borders that I left behind going smoothly?"

"It's going relatively smoothly. Western and Eastern Europe, Antioch in the Middle East, Somalia in Africa, Rio de Janeiro in South America, Tokyo in Japan, and so on. The latter is mainly handled by GOC personnel."

Irons pointed out these cities one by one, but there was still some worry in his words:

"India and Southeast Asia are a bit troublesome, especially the latter. Not only is it very chaotic and full of activities in the other world, but the CIA also likes to be active there."

"I think there should be personnel sent to Roanapur in Thailand."

"...But it was those damned Soviets who took it over," Irons said angrily. He slammed the table, making it bang.

"They nearly wiped out every gang in the city, even using a fucking airborne tank! If it weren't for the help of the Aurora people, these VDVs would have had to face a constant stream of attacks from mercenaries, gangs, and assassins hired by the CIA. How could they investigate the events of the Otherworld if they were constantly fighting with everyone else?!"

"Um, I'll discuss this matter with Colonel Orlovsky in detail. Besides, didn't Diana from the ICA send help?"

Rhodes seemed a little embarrassed. He really didn't think too much about it at first. He just felt that this matter should be handled by more professional military commanders... Besides, he also had to consider the attitude of Zhendan in Southeast Asia, so he sent the Soviets who were easing diplomatic relations with the latter.

"Hmph, you still have the nerve to bring this up! What helper? That's just bringing trouble!"

The corners of Irons' eyes twitched slightly. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then squeezed out a voice from between his teeth:

"The bald ICA assassin rescued two six-year-old children from the Romanian mental hospital (a genetic modification research facility) where he was born, and sent them to Roanapura, intending to let the VDV take over. After being intercepted, the VDV found an excuse to start a killing spree, and even planned to expand to other areas to kill more CIA agents...but was urgently stopped."

"I just want to say... fate is amazing." Rhodes covered his face with his hands. "What about those two children?"

"According to the report by that Soviet captain named Balalaika, she adopted the two children, saying she wanted to give them the purest Soviet airborne education."

What kind of education is this? Drinking vodka, storming someone else's airport, then waiting to be picked up by your own heavy troops without any reinforcements, right?

When this reply reached Rhode's ears, he was staring blankly at the system interface that suddenly popped up in front of him:

[Repeat Quest: Keep Moving Forward (2/30)]

[Mission Description: Find and train children with abilities and qualifications, making them the future candidates for managing the otherworld. A reward will be given if the number of such children reaches 30.]

"Oh...screw the world, I want to go home!"

Chapter 297 Daily Life: Hill Villa as usual

Arkham Town, Hill House.

Warm steam from the study condensed on the windowpanes, gathering and flowing down in winding streams, splitting the pure white landscape outside into several distorted worlds. It was snowing outside, and before the flakes could even accumulate on the eaves of Hill Manor, they were already shattered into dust by the biting north wind.

Marianne quietly flipped through the books and copied down the paragraphs she needed with a pen. She had just finished her work - some documents were reviewed by her as the supervisor, and of course with the assistance of other girls, they continued to push the Army Without Borders and other causes into the future - they had to do better when Rhodes was not around.

There was a knock on the door at this moment, and the door was opened immediately.

Marianne, who was sitting behind the carved oak desk, raised her head, put down her pen, and smiled more:

"Has Hinata finished processing the documents?"

"Almost, but there are some things that need your stamp." Hinata had folders in her arms, and she spread them out on the table. "Just stamp them here... He'll be back soon, Marianne."

Hearing this, Marian's fingers faltered slightly as she searched for the seal, but returned to normal the next second. She reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, then said calmly:

"For a commander, returning victorious is a normal thing."

"But Muji has been lying on the chair that allows him to enter the dream world for two days. No, it should be said that as long as he can enter, he will enter immediately, and he is stuck on that critical line."

"Alas, she's a little too impatient," Marianne said helplessly, holding her forehead with her hand, sighing amidst Hinai's fox-like chuckle. "Although no one would mind sneaking away, at least she should take care of herself... I'll go see her in a bit."

"Okay, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

Hinai collapsed on the sofa, stretched, and made a faint humming sound of satisfaction, which made Marianne smile, but her smile soon disappeared in infinite loneliness and resentment - that person had been gone for too long, so long that even Hill Manor had become deserted.

Mana and Himari are staying at Aperture Technology and Atlas Corporation respectively, helping with research and development and serving as extensions of Rhodes' will. Mary is sorting ancient books with You in the Vatican's library. Not to mention Yang, Noah and Yuka, they are always very busy.

This was especially true for D, who was in charge of covert operations...Marianne would occasionally see her coming back with an axe that had not yet been cleaned, and she would stand outside Rod's bedroom window for a while before leaving silently.

Others would occasionally come back to stay for a few days, just like wanderers who return from their hometown during the holidays. After filling their hearts, they would continue to move forward with tenacity and fearlessness.

When Rhodes was not around, the only people who stayed in Hill Villa were Marian, Asuka Iki and Hina. Mika, Shiroko and Little Red Riding Hood, who had nothing to do, were also there, but they had crossed the [Gate] some time ago and ran to meet up with Rhodes.

"Marianne?"

"...!"

When Marianne woke up from her reverie, she saw Hinai looking at her with a little worry.

After realizing her own gaffe, Marianne coughed awkwardly a few times and stood up from behind the desk. Standing up from behind Rod's desk was her "privilege", after all, the bedrooms were rotated. Marianne gathered the documents on the desk and stacked them together.

"Want a light meal tonight? Stew is fine too. I've learned some Southeast Asian cooking techniques."

"Okay, but there's one more thing, Marianne," Hinai stood up from the sofa. Her gaze wasn't fixed on Marianne's puzzled face, but rather looked over her shoulder toward the window where the snow and wind were getting stronger. "Hold the documents in your hand."

"Huh?" Marianne was startled.

The study's characteristic silence reached a breaking point at this moment. The crisp sound of documents and papers, the crackling of pine wood in the fireplace, and the whispers of falling snow woven into a multi-part symphony of silence. A certain uneasiness and anxiety took root in Nikki's chest, binding her heart like a spreading thorn. Fortunately, fate responded to her expectations:

The wind howls!

Dense snowflakes mixed with cold wind poured into the study from the suddenly opened window, causing the curtains on both sides to dance wildly while covering Marianne's face, causing her to subconsciously squint her eyes and put out her hands to block the wind and snow.

The next second, the snow stopped and the wind died down, and the cruel winter was blocked outside the window.

As the curtains and papers slowly fell, Rhodes sat behind his desk, raised his eyebrows, and said in a deep voice:

"Marianne, you messed up my study while I was away. How should you be punished?"

Rhode didn't wait for a response; Marian threw herself at him head-on. The exquisitely crafted wooden chair creaked painfully under the weight of two people. But soon, the weight of the petite girl was added.

Warm cherry-colored breath passed over Rhodes' lips, and at the same time, a wet feeling came from his neck, as if a kitten was gently nibbling it. At this moment, only the suffocating gasps echoed in the study.

Time stands still, allowing the flame of love to burn.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute, this chair will break!"

After recovering from this tender moment, Rod said with a mixture of laughter and tears. He hugged Marianne and Hina into his arms, then looked at the messy study in front of him, his words full of helplessness:

"We shouldn't be playing tricks like this. The room is a mess... Wait, isn't this the document approving standard rations for the Army Without Borders?"

Rhodes struggled to reach out between the two girls who were struggling, pulled out the document, wrote words like "Increase 20% rations" next to the Red Apple cigarettes, and stamped it.

After causing trouble for his soldiers, Rhode patted the two girls in his arms and said with a smile:

"Hurry up and clean up the study. Little Red Riding Hood and the others are probably coming up the stairs. Oh, and there are some new faces you need to meet."

"...That's not surprising," Marian pressed her forehead against Rhodes' cheek, breathing in the faint scent of cigarette smoke from him, and flicked the water droplets off her collar. "So, how many more sisters have you brought back?"

"Um... this matter is a bit complicated, but we can talk about it slowly."

Rhodes said with a bit of embarrassment. He looked up and saw Asuka Iki standing at the door of the study with an irrepressible joy on her face. Even though Rhodes met her in his dream on the first night back in the main world, the latter did not seem to intend to give up the opportunity to meet in the real world.

After signaling the two girls in his arms to leave, Rhodes stood up and helped them clean up the study. He also recounted his experiences during this period in detail, of course including Helen and the mass-produced Nikkis.

"When you put it that way, I'm a little envious of Abigail," Asuka Ikiji whispered, her fingers running across the pages of the book, straightening out those bent by the wind. "To be able to stay with you for so long—if it were the sisters at Hill Manor now, they'd probably have children, right?"

Hearing this, Marian's eyes narrowed, then shifted to other directions.

"I don't really understand what you're saying," Rhode said, stroking his chin. "But you've reminded me of something. I need to think carefully about your lifespan... You have to be with me for tens of thousands of years, right?"

"This is the last thing you need to worry about. I will always be by your side." Asuka Ikiji reached out and touched her temple, his emerald eyes filled with infinite expectation and tenderness. "This is the promise I was told, the words I heard when I became the 'Eye of Terra'."

"That's good," Rhode breathed out, silently thanking the system. "That way, I wouldn't have to call on Muscle Marisa to shatter this damn theory of longevity."

"Who is that?"

Although he solved the first problem, Rhodes soon encountered the second problem that night -

"Commander." / "Sensei." / "Mr. Rhodes."

"We're curious whether Nikki/the angel (student)/the human can successfully give birth to a child... Can you help us resolve this question?"

Chapter 298 Daily Life: A Warm Living Room

The pine forest bent into a silver arch in the howling wind and snow. The crisp sound of branches broken by the snow penetrated the glass of the Hill Manor mansion, but was drowned out by the melodious jazz music and turned into sobs that no one cared about.

After a few days of indulgence, Rhode calmed down and continued to deal with the backlog of work in his peaceful daily life. There were still many things that Nikki and the students couldn't decide, and some needed to be corrected according to Rhode's ideas. It would take more than a week to complete. With the company of a beautiful girl, this boring work would become a kind of enjoyment... or torture.

It's really torture to be able to flirt only intermittently during work hours.

After struggling with a document titled "Preliminary Plan for the Construction of a Containment Facility for Creations in the Other World," Rhodes threw away his pen and watched in boredom as it rolled along the paper a few times before hitting the pile of documents next to it, splashing out tiny drops of black ink.

"When will Yang come back?" Rhodes asked. "I remember she seemed to say that she would come back with Helen."

"tomorrow?"

Little Red Riding Hood raised her head slightly and asked in confusion - half an hour ago, Red-haired Nikki hurriedly dragged Rod to the living room to listen to jazz records on the old gramophone, but that was all, making the latter feel a bit amused and helpless as he took the documents to deal with them.

"Is it……"

Rhodes stretched and glanced at Little Red Riding Hood. She was sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, her slender white thighs resting on the coffee table, playing "Pokémon: Red/Green" on a new game console in her hand... This game was originally released in 1996, but after Atlas Corporation began to invest in Nintendo, the birth of various games and the development of new game consoles also accelerated.

Once Rhodes has digested all the technologies he obtained from the Ace Combat World timeline (2019), Atlas Corporation, Aperture Technology, and even more civilian companies will launch more updated electronic products, allowing human society to undergo a drastic change within a few years.

Perhaps by 2000 we can reach the level of 2010? Rod expressed his hope.

Rhode stood up, lost in thought, stretched his body a little, and looked out the window. It was still snowing outside, but it was much lighter. Because of this, the girls living here were able to continue their snow removal work from yesterday.

Nayako was driving around on a small four-wheeled motorcycle, while Shiroko sat in the back of the vehicle, carrying a flamethrower on his back, calmly and indifferently pulling the trigger to melt the accumulated snow. The flames cast a flickering shadow over the wolf girl's face, and Rhode could clearly hear her inner cheers... Fortunately, Abigail didn't join in.

The girl is now hiding in her room, looking at something. Only the black cat Pickman is wandering around, and it should be sleeping by the fireplace in the upstairs living room - it is very quiet there when there are no guests.

Asuka Ikiji and Marianne should be busy in the kitchen now, while Mika and Mary will go to clear the snow at the church. After finishing their work, they will also need to go to the supermarket in the town to buy some vegetables.

"I'm not used to being so idle all of a sudden," Rhode said as he walked to the fireplace. He used an iron hook to stir the red-hot charcoal inside, then stuffed a few pieces of firewood in. "Once we finish these things, we have to go to Ukraine... Tsk, just thinking about Ukraine in winter makes me feel uncomfortable."

"You're not a German soldier in World War II."

Little Red Riding Hood crossed her legs and buried her head in the arms of Rod, who was sitting next to her. She was playing a game when she suddenly chuckled.

"I suddenly remembered that the two of us played games together almost a year ago."

"Ah yes," Rhodes said calmly, "You still dared to come up to me so carelessly at that time."

"...That's because of the Commander's... Wait, hand!"

The snow fell suddenly and heavily. Scattered flakes of snow quickly became tumbling goose feathers, illuminated by the light from Hill House. The swirling, falling crystals wove into a fine curtain in the warm light, transforming the brake lights on the asphalt of the nearby town into smudges of watercolor. The branches of the trees on either side of the road, unable to bear the weight of the snow, occasionally rustled and shed a silvery flake, startling foraging sparrows that fluttered past the children's bright yellow raincoats.

The snow continued to fall, millions of hexagonal crystals dancing an eternal waltz in the orange-yellow halo, landing on the withered wreaths under the eaves, on the fluffy tip of the black cat's tail as it walked beneath the eaves. For a moment, all sound was lost in a deathly silence, leaving only the gentle rustle of falling snow and the faintest gasps of air, as if the cold winter were reading a long, lingering love poem in the gentlest tones.

"The temperature in the living room is a little too high," Little Red Riding Hood murmured. "We must burn all the wood."

"Then it will get cold."

Holding the lovely woman in his arms, Rhodes closed his eyes and stretched out his hand to stroke her long red hair, feeling the soft touch that fed back to his fingers and palms... He suddenly felt a little itchy on his face - the next second, someone placed a slightly cool palm on his eyes, blocking his vision.

The lips were then touched gently, carefully and cautiously, like a thief trying to steal the heart.

In the gap between those slender fingers, Rhodes saw a strand of silver hair.

"Let me acknowledge that we two must separate, though our inseparable love is one."

Hearing the girl's whisper, Rhodes reached out and stroked her cheek. The warm palm made the person being touched tremble.