Once the situation was under control, the remains of the Doomsday Beast were entrusted to the space station.
Watching the station's researchers fuss excitedly over the wreckage of the Doomsday Beast, the group exchanged wry smiles.
Still, thanks to the fact that the six of them had brought down the Doomsday Beast without suffering a scratch, everyone's faces looked brighter, which was a relief.
Meanwhile, after saving the space station from the Doomsday Beast's threat, the group regrouped on the Astral Express.
They'd come through the station anyway, and here they could speak freely without worrying about onlookers.
Pom Pom was taken aback by the sudden appearance of new faces, but she quickly assumed her role as the Astral Express's attendant and led them to the observation car.
Everyone was stunned by the whale-shaped decorative spine and the panoramic view beyond the windows.
"This way, please," Pom Pom said.
Following her, the group descended the stairs, set out a table, and took their seats.
Seeing this, Kiana slipped out of her somber ceremonial garb and into her usual outfit.
It was the very outfit her husband had once dubbed the Searing Flame.
The only difference was the crest embroidered on her cloak—it was now the St. Freya Academy emblem.
Other than that, it had simply been tailored to her current measurements.
Just then, Pom Pom placed cups of tea on the table, one for each person, and Himeko spoke on behalf of the group.
"I'm Murata Himeko, owner and mechanic of the Astral Express. Could you introduce yourselves?"
"I'm Kiana S. Kaslana. Like Mr. Welt and Bronie, I'm from Earth, and I currently teach at St. Freya Academy."
"What's your relationship with those two?"
"Mr. Welt is more like a comrade—in arms." Kiana gave a casual shrug.
Welt nodded at her answer.
Himeko, relieved by his confirmation, suddenly realized something and her heart skipped a beat.
It's been a long acquaintance.
She thought that if only Kiana had put it that way, she wouldn't have been so nervous.
Blaming Welt for her own flustered state, she shot him a zap-like glare.
Crap, we can't meet eyes right now.
Welt felt the sting of her look but deliberately refused to glance away.
He must have learned this from years of scolding.
It was almost like a survival instinct—never want to get into trouble.
Of course, Kiana caught on and directed a catlike smile at Welt.
"You've been up to no good, Mr. Welt."
"Ahem! I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I'm not sure whether you truly don't know, or you're trying to steer clear of this conversation."
"Miss Kiana."
Welt set his teacup back on its saucer and fixed her with a stern, earnest gaze.
Spare me.
"Heh heh. Explain everything later, and I might go easy on you."
At that, Kiana returned his gaze with a smile, and Welt sighed before nodding in resignation.
It was only a matter of time before word got back to people on Earth.
Might as well fill Kiana in now so there are no misunderstandings—and buy himself a bit more time.
Frankly, he wasn't a fool; he knew exactly how Himeko felt.
Still, there was a clear reason he couldn't accept her feelings.
He'd hinted at that once before, in a subtle way.
Even so, seeing Himeko double down on the affectionate assault—
—he couldn't help but recall the Captain.
Back then, he'd watched him as if watching a drama; now he could actually empathize with him.
Could it be his imagination, or did he really see him outside the window, giving a thumbs-up and shedding a single tear with a grin?
Asta and March 7th watched those imagined scenes with rapt interest, while Stelle, talking with Bronie about her transformation in the fight against the Doomsday Beast, took a sip of her tea, her eyes widening as she asked Pom Pom how it was brewed.
"So, what is your relationship with Bronie?"
Dan Heng, sensing the conversation was stalling, tentatively raised his hand.
Himeko blushed at her own lapse in decorum and cleared her throat several times.
Welt wore an expression as if he were being kept alive, while Asta and March 7th stared at Dan Heng with mock disapproval.
But Dan Heng was not one to back down.
"My relationship with Bronie? Now that you mention it, you did ask earlier."
"Yes, I have my guesses, but I thought it best to hear it from you directly."
"Good idea. Assumptions without certainty can lead to a major faux pas."
With that, Kiana crossed her arms, nodded, and then took Bronie's hand, her face bright.
"We're mother and daughter. Bronie is my daughter."
"So you really were—" "Huh?"
"Mother and daughter?"
The notion of family had occurred to them all.
Even among those close to her, no one had seen Bronie show that much affection.
Though she'd once acted playful with 'Grandpa' Welt like a doting granddaughter, she'd never hugged him before.
It was the same with the other women she'd grown close to—Bronie had never hugged anyone else.
So for her to embrace another woman—someone almost her own age—they'd only thought of her as a sister.
"Excuse me, but how old exactly are you?"
"Well, on Earth it's 2037, so... I'm 39."
"Thirty-nine?!"
Everyone's eyes went wide as they stared at Kiana in disbelief.
You mean someone in Bronie's age range could already have a daughter?
The mix of surprise and envy in their gazes shifted toward Kiana.
"Hmm~ so Bronie takes after her father, then?"
"Why do you think that, Stelle?"
"Well, I don't see any resemblance to her mother."
"I suppose it's not odd to think that."
To Stelle's perfectly reasonable question, Bronie smiled.
"Of course there's no resemblance. That'd be strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean it literally."
- Because Kiana Mom isn't my biological mother.
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 97
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T