Stabilizing a Coordinator required more than a single dose of S-substance or O-substance.
Although the quantities of S-substance and O-substance supplied by the two sides seemed vastly different, their actual effectiveness was roughly equivalent.
A single portion of O-substance contained far more genetic material than one portion of S-substance. Whenever a large amount of S-substance was produced, some of it would inevitably be lost during absorption. In the end, the amount of effective genetic material it provided was approximately equal to that of one portion of O-substance.
So, how many doses would it take to stabilize someone?
There was no definitive answer because the strength of the SEED gene varied from one Coordinator to another.
The stronger the Coordinator, the more doses they would undoubtedly require.
An ordinary Coordinator would probably stabilize after roughly a hundred doses, while an exceptionally gifted Coordinator would require considerably more.
Ideally, every dose should also come from the same donor instead of being supplied by several different people.
Furthermore, S-substance was easy to collect, while obtaining O-substance was somewhat more troublesome.
Even so, with the medical technology of this world, the procedure was neither difficult nor harmful to the body.
Anyone with sufficient means could even purchase specialized equipment and extract O-substance themselves.
As for administration, S-substance was the more convenient option.
Besides taking it orally, it could also be introduced directly into the body during intimate activity.
Of course, Kain believed the Great Sage could eventually develop another method of stabilizing the SEED gene. Unfortunately, the Great Sage was currently too busy to spare the time.
Kain had the distinct feeling that the Great Sage had suggested this particular solution on purpose.
Once Kain finished explaining the process of stabilizing the Coordinators' SEED genes in greater detail, the three women began looking at him strangely.
Cagalli's gaze was the sharpest. She stared at him as though he were some kind of pervert, clearly suspecting that he was either joking or deliberately messing with them.
Takao, meanwhile, had yet to return to her own world. Instead, she had dismantled part of her hull and caused it to disintegrate into silver sand, destroying its ability to store any information before sending it back to the Fleet of Fog's world.
She retained only (10^3) cubic meters of nanomaterial, including the material comprising her Mental Model.
This allowed Kain to reduce the dimensional passage from (100^3) cubic meters to only (10^3) cubic meters, greatly reducing his energy-coin expenditure.
As a Mental Model who had only recently developed self-awareness, Takao was curious about everything Kain had explained, but she did not react with the same embarrassment a human woman might have shown.
Unlike an ordinary human, she had not spent years growing up under the influence of social ethics and morality, nor had she gradually acquired knowledge about human physiology. To her, the subject was more novel and fascinating than shameful.
She was also still considering his invitation.
After waking from unconsciousness, she had naturally asked why he had not invited her to his world. He had explained that his world was extremely dangerous.
Several other destinations had since become available, including Asuna's world, Alice's world, and Saeko Busujima's world.
Kain had been completely honest with Takao. Of all those choices, he most wanted her to go to A2's world.
He openly admitted that his motives were not entirely selfless. He wanted to make use of her abilities and have her work for him.
He recommended A2's world because it could be considered Kain's primary base and was therefore considerably safer.
Takao's hesitation probably came from her reluctance to abandon her younger sister, Atago. She was likely trying to figure out how she could bring Atago with her.
Whatever she ultimately decided, Takao would still have to return home after this visit. She had no intention of remaining in the SEED world.
Since Kain wanted her to go to A2's world, then that was naturally where she would go.
If possible, Kain also hoped to lure more Mental Models over to his side.
They had only recently developed self-awareness and had not yet formed the powerful homesickness that humans often felt for their native worlds. That was precisely why Kain had considered relocating people from one world to another for the first time.
Aside from recruiting more Mental Models, it would be even better if he could obtain the method used to manufacture their nanomaterial.
However, all of that depended on one crucial condition: whether Kongō, a member of the Transdimensional Channel, was willing to cooperate.
That queenly Mental Model could be troublesome, yet straightforward at the same time.
The troublesome part was that someone like her could probably only be conquered through strength. Kain would have to defeat her in battle and make her sincerely acknowledge him.
The straightforward part was that physical strength might be all that mattered to her. He would not need to waste much effort on complicated schemes.
If Kain had to choose between Yamato and Kongō as a potential partner among the Mental Models, he preferred someone as decisive and clear about her likes and dislikes as Kongō.
The Supreme Flagship Yamato's Mental Model had been created using Kotono Amaha as its template. Her personality was no different from Kotono's, and she possessed the same memories. For all practical purposes, the two of them were nearly the same person.
That also meant Yamato was inclined to favor humanity.
If Kain attempted to negotiate with her, she would devote far more consideration to the conditions of her own world and the circumstances facing its human population.
Trading with her would never be a clean or straightforward affair.
Kongō was different. She seemed indifferent to almost everything. If he defeated her and earned her recognition, she would likely stand firmly on his side, just as Takao had.
More than ten hours passed in the blink of an eye after Junius Seven's fall, and morning arrived the following day.
The Archangel was undergoing its final preparations before departing for P.L.A.N.T. to begin negotiations.
It had also been more than a hundred hours since Kain's latest arrival in this world, so the countdown for his next hundred-hour extension had already begun.
"Idiot, be careful!"
The voice came from the external speakers of one of the red Astray Gundams.
There were currently three such machines, piloted by the three girls from the original story. They were helping transport supplies aboard the Archangel.
Kain was standing on the shore when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind. They quickly slowed and became steady again.
Turning around, he saw Takao.
It seemed she had panicked slightly when she woke up and failed to find him immediately. She had hurried over to confirm that he was still there, and only then had she relaxed.
"Is there something wrong with how I look as your assistant?"
Takao fidgeted slightly as she pushed up the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.
"Nothing's wrong with it. That outfit looks great on you."
The tension in her expression visibly eased at his answer.
She was no longer wearing her previous white one-piece dress and black stockings. Instead, she had changed into a white military-style sailor uniform. Thigh-high socks covered her legs, leaving a narrow strip of bare skin visible between them and her skirt.
She had also changed her hairstyle, tying her hair into twin tails.
She was supposedly dressed as a secretary-like assistant, but she looked far more like a Japanese high school girl.
"Really? But don't misunderstand. It's not like I dressed this way especially for you..."
Her tsundere tendencies were surfacing again. Even though she knew how easily he could see through her, she could not resist putting on the act.
"For you," Kain finished for her.
Takao's face froze. A moment later, her cheeks turned bright red and puffed out in indignation.
"You were reading my mind again..."
"No, I wasn't. Definitely not. Oh, right! I should go take a proper look around this warship!"
The embarrassed tsundere hurried away and disappeared inside the Archangel, clearly fleeing because he had bluntly exposed her thoughts again.
Several minutes after she entered the ship, another figure emerged and walked toward him. In her hands was a thermos Kain had become very familiar with.
"Here."
The captain's cheeks flushed as she handed it to him, then hurried back inside the ship.
Kain opened the thermos and tasted its contents. The liquid was nearly the same temperature as the human body, which made it obvious that it had only just been collected.
When he finished, he looked wistfully at the bottom of the container, confirming that there really was nothing left.
Just as he was about to replace the lid, another insulated cup appeared over his shoulder.
"Um, would you like to try mine?"
The voice was exquisite, so melodious that even ordinary speech sounded like singing. There was no mistaking its owner.
How had she approached him without making a sound?
Or had he been so distracted by what he was drinking that he had failed to notice her?
Her offer left Kain momentarily stunned. He stared blankly at the insulated cup.
"Hmm?"
Holding the cup in both hands, Lacus tilted her head as she hummed inquisitively. Her twin tails swayed with the motion.
The gesture made her look innocently adorable, like someone completely untouched by the ways of the world.
"Go ahead and try it. I hope it suits your tastes, Mr. Kain."
Before Kain could respond, Lacus took the thermos from his hand and replaced it with her own.
His thoughts ground to a halt.
Did Lacus possess the same kind of constitution?
Under her pure and expectant gaze, his hands seemed to move on their own. He opened the lid and looked inside.
"Porridge?"
"Yes. I wasn't sure whether you would like it."
Her expression remained pure and unblemished, filled with an angel's warmth and gentleness.
Yet at that moment, Kain could have sworn he saw the hint of a mischievous little devil in her smile.
(End of Chapter)
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