Last updated: Jan 17, 2026, 11:05 p.m.
View Original Source →I’m terribly sorry to have kept you all waiting so long. Updates resume now!
While the frequency of my posts will be lower than before, I plan to make up for it by increasing the volume per update. This time, I’m giving you about double the usual amount.
Also, Volume 2 of Galactic War Chronicles: Live Ammunition Weapons is finally out. Before I even realized it, it was out—
"Yo, Marl! How’s it looking on your end? Smooth sailing?"
Taro called out to Marl as he spotted her in a corridor near the base of the Orbital Satellite Elevator on Planet Nuke. She looked genuinely distressed, clutching a stack of documents like they were a death warrant.
"Ah, Teiro. You’re just the person I wanted to see. I need to talk to you about our next steps. How about we discuss it over lunch?"
Marl sighed, tapping the papers in her hand with an expression of pure exhaustion. Taro had just wrapped up a meeting with Alan and Phantom regarding the core tenets of the New Ladder Base Defense Plan, so he responded with a cheeky grin and a thumbs-up.
"Heh. I’m not such a saint that I’d turn down a lunch date with a beautiful woman."
"Save it and look at this. This is the budget outlook for the NASA Reconstruction Plan, and the numbers are... well, it’s not a joke. At this rate, we’re going to have to drag this through the Alliance Council."
An unexpected ignore?! ...No, wait, that’s not unexpected at all. That’s just her usual self.
"What are you muttering about? Come on, pick something."
Marl flicked her wrist as if swiping through the air. Instantly, a cafeteria menu was beamed to Taro’s [BISHOP] terminal. Most of it was standard Galactic Empire fare, but there were a few entries featuring Natural Food and dishes that had undergone some very strange, localized evolution within NASA.
"I mean, I’m getting used to these menus by now, but... whoa, hold on. I get the 'Daily Special,' and I get the 'Chef’s Recommendation,' but what the hell is 'Today’s Gamble'? That’s just wrong. And why is there a skull-and-crossbones icon next to it? I’m curious, but also freaking terrified."
"I have no idea. Why don’t you order it and find out?"
"Spoken like someone who doesn't have to eat it... Fine, let's call Alan. He’ll show up if I tell him it’s my treat."
"Oh, he’ll definitely come. I don’t know how he manages it, but he always seems to be broke. Should we invite Phantom too?"
"Are you kidding? Show me one person in this galaxy who actively wants to piss off the woman holding the leash to their life."
"Ah, so it’s a given that she’d be angry."
"I don't know for sure, but I’d rather not make a 'gamble' out of my survival."
The two arrived at the cafeteria, which was already teeming with the lunchtime rush, and headed toward seats where their pre-ordered meals were waiting. The place wasn't small, but since demand far outstripped supply, pre-ordering had become a mandatory survival skill. Sitting around waiting for your food was just a waste of seat-space.
"Personally, I don't mind that 'anticipation time' before the food comes out... Pardon me, coming through!"
Taro cut through the aisle, using a series of air-chopping karate motions to navigate around two men deep in conversation. The men looked back, initially annoyed, but their faces quickly shifted to masks of pure shock.
"ALL PERSONNEL, RISE! SALUTE THE COMMANDER!"
A roar erupted right in Taro’s ear.
"What the—?!" Taro ducked instinctively, bracing for an explosion. Instead, every single person in the cafeteria snapped to their feet and saluted with such perfect, mechanical synchronization it was almost creepy. Of course, because it was so sudden, there were casualties: one guy had a string of pasta dangling out of his mouth, and several others had clearly just baptized their shirts with their drinks.
"...Um, we actually decided that saluting in the cafeteria isn't necessary. Are you two new recruits?" Marl asked, looking embarrassed by the silence.
"SIR! YES, SIR! We were assigned to the Second Tank Regiment as of today! It is an absolute honor to meet the legendary Commander and Vice Commander!"
The recruit was practically vibrating with excitement. Marl shrugged and shot a look at Taro.
"Uh, yeah... hey. Nice to have you on board," Taro replied, giving a half-hearted return salute. He felt intensely awkward under the recruit’s gaze, which was filled with something dangerously close to worship.
"I’m sure you were drilled within an inch of your lives at Phantom’s Military Academy, but you really don't need to go that far. Besides, I guarantee you’ll be completely disillusioned after spending a month with this guy. Don't set your expectations too high. He's a virgin."
"Hey! I mean, I can't technically deny it, but could you maybe say it a bit nicer?! Also, the virgin thing has nothing to do with this!"
"And there you have it. That’s the vibe," Marl said, sounding completely unimpressed.
Marl remained perfectly poised while Taro fumed at her retort. Around them, a few veteran employees who had witnessed the exchange were hiding smirks behind their hands.
"No, well, how do I put this... we’ve heard many stories about how you two interact," the recruit said. "But even so, our respect remains unchanged. Your heroism during the Battle for the Ladder Base Defense Line was... oh, look! It’s on right now!"
The recruit turned toward a massive screen mounted on the cafeteria wall. Taro looked over, and his jaw nearly hit the floor. He grabbed two cups of tea from the table and tossed one to Marl, eyes glued to the screen.
"Move the Commando Platoon to the three o’clock position! Box them in with the Tank Unit!"
On the screen, a man with striking black hair strode across a set that looked like a high-budget CG recreation of Ladder Base. The guy was a devastatingly handsome youth, looking like he’d stepped straight out of a shoujo manga, exuding a majestic aura while Beams crisscrossed the air around him.
"Roger that, Commander! But leave this to us—get your ass moving and save the Princess!"
The speaker was a mountain of a man, easily over two meters tall and clad in a literal suit of muscle. The handsome black-haired lead gave a sharp nod to the gorilla-man and sprinted off.
"Out of my way! MOVE!"
Dozens of mechanical monstrosities—presumably WIND units—blocked his path. The hero dodged their attacks with impossible grace, accurately sniping their vitals with a handgun while barely slowing down.
"I’ve come for you! Are you safe?!"
The hero burst into a facility and scanned the room. There, in the center of a chamber filled with glowing terminals, he found a woman with a grievous wound on her back.
"Ah... you came... I’m... I'm okay..."
The woman gasped, looking pained. She was a beauty so radiant the term 'peerless' felt like an understatement. As the hero rushed to her side, she collapsed into his arms.
"I’m sorry I was late..."
"No... it’s okay. More importantly... is the surface safe?"
"Yes. It’ll all be over soon. Alan is in command now."
"I see... I’m glad. Hey... hold me tighter. I’m so cold..."
The woman’s face had gone pale, and she buried her head in the hero’s chest. He pulled her close.
"Ah... I love you, Teiro. Please... don't forget me..."
"Of course, Marl. I will never forget you. Not for all eternity."
In the real cafeteria, Taro projectile-vomited a fountain of tea. Beside him, Marl was doing the exact same thing, hacking and coughing violently.
"Abubaba—?! Wh-Wait a minute! What the hell is this?! Is that supposed to be us?!"
"Cough! Gah! Wh-Who gave them permission to make this?!"
The two of them rounded on the recruit, who was definitely not the person they should have been yelling at.
"It’s the most popular drama in the Alliance! The Truth of the Battle for Planet Nuke. It’s a forty-eight-hour epic masterpiece. You didn't know?"
"I DIDN'T KNOW! And why is the 'Teiro' on screen so damn handsome?! Look at me! I look like this!"
"What do you mean 'like this'?! Although... yeah, the real Marl is better. In that sense, the drama is definitely fiction. Though Alan—who was a total gorilla in that scene—was actually pretty spot on."
"Wh-What are you saying?! I mean... it’s not like I have a thing for handsome guys anyway..."
"Yeah, yeah, get a room, you two. I’m gonna start a damn coup. And what the hell was up with my character? I wasn't even human! A gorilla?! What planet did they even get that reference from?!"
A voice boomed from the cafeteria entrance. The duo turned to see Alan standing there, looking utterly done with life.
"I heard there was a free lunch, but I arrive to find a scene I wouldn't watch even if you paid me. Dammit, if I actually tried, I could get a girl or two—"
"Sh-Shut up! At least we're in the same boat! This drama is a travesty!"
"Y-Yeah! Exactly! Using our likenesses without permission is a crime! Look, let's just eat. It's still hot!"
Taro pulled out a chair for Alan. Muttering complaints under his breath, Alan sat down. Taro and Marl scrambled into their own seats, and with a habitual "Itadakimasu," they grabbed their silverware.
"Why does mine have a warming lid? What did you order for me?"
For some reason, only Alan’s plate was covered by a silver dome. He lifted it with a look of genuine excitement.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence descended upon the three of them. Under the lid sat a perfectly ordinary-looking stew.
Damn, did he hit the jackpot? What would have happened if he'd lost?
Taro poked at his own food while keeping a wary eye on Alan’s plate. Marl was doing the same.
"Hmm... it’s just normal cafeteria food. You were acting so weird about treating me, I thought you’d rigged it with a prank or something."
Alan spoke casually as he took a bite. Taro flinched.
"D-Don't be stupid. You do a lot for us, so I figured I’d pay you back for once."
"Well, I appreciate it. I’ll enjoy—"
Alan froze. His eyes widened as he stared into the middle distance.
"A-Alan? You okay? Is it super spicy? Bitter? Sour? What?!"
"...I can see it."
"Huh?"
"I see it. I see everything. What is this? I’m... I’m about to reach the profound depths of the universe. No... I think I’ve already arrived."
"Wait, what? What are you talking about?! Alan?!"
"...Hey, Teiro. Can I ask you something?"
"Uh, yeah? What?"
"What are the Akashic Records?"
"NOOO! You’re not supposed to see those! CHEF! CHEEEEEF! Someone is about to achieve cosmic enlightenment from your cooking! He’s seeing things that shouldn't be seen!"
Taro screamed. A man who appeared to be the head chef emerged from the back of the kitchen. He glanced at the panicking group and muttered a single sentence.
"Oh. A winner."
"Why are you speaking in a monotone?! And it’s a winner?! Not a loser?! What did you put in there?! Also, what is that white powder in your hand?!"
"Don't know. Flour, maybe."
"NO! That 'flour' is definitely a controlled substance!"
Taro tried to snatch the powder (?) away while simultaneously restraining Alan, who was going in for another spoonful. However, Taro was no match for the elite physical specs of a Land Combat veteran. Alan shoved him aside like he was made of paper to get back to his stew.
"T-TANK UNIT! YOUR FIRST MISSION! RESTRAIN ALAN!"
"S-SIR! YES, SIR!"
The recruits pounced. But a mob of fresh-faced tank pilots was no match for a veteran. It was like a gag manga; recruits were being tossed through the air one after another.
"TEIRO! WHAT IS THE NECRONOMICON?!"
"STOOOOP! YOU DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T BE SEEING THAT!"
Alan continued to devour the stew. The tank soldiers continued to cling to him desperately.
The chaos lasted until Phantom finally arrived to restore order.
"Hey, Teiro. What are STAP cells? Alan was screaming about them while Phantom was dragging him away."
"I don't know, and I don't want to know. And I really don't want to know if they actually exist. But man... I didn't realize Alan was that strong. He’s a monster."
Taro muttered as he surveyed the wreckage of the cafeteria. The floor was a 'mountain of corpses'—the fallen recruits—and nurses were busy running around with first-aid kits.
"Maybe the 'flour' gave him a power-up?" Marl suggested, sounding bored.
"That’s not funny!" Taro snapped.
"We’re going to need to implement drug control laws soon... I’m honestly shocked that stuff was legal."
"Depends on the sector, but drugs are actually legal in most places. Anyway, Taro, about the future of Nuke."
"Eh? Oh, right. That’s why we came here. Did something bad happen?"
"No, nothing happened. It’s simpler than that. We don’t have the budget for immigration."
"Ah. Figures."
"Yeah. Housing for millions of people, the necessary defense grid, and the Tank Unit... we can't possibly fund that on our own. We’re talking a budget equivalent to building a new massive Space Station."
"Yikes. For real? Then we have no choice but to squeeze it out of the Alliance budget... but I can’t see the Council approving that."
Taro grimaced as he thought about the Alliance Council.
Planet Nuke was technically habitable, but only in the most literal, 'on-paper' sense. The easily accessible mineral resources had been stripped bare, leaving barely enough for internal use. There were no biological resources to export, and because they were Outsiders, they couldn't exactly set up a labor exchange. Even with the Orbital Satellite Elevator, transportation costs were still high compared to orbital stations. As an investment, it was a total lemon.
"Exactly. It’s going to be a hard sell. But if we want to search Nuke from top to bottom, we need a stable base of operations. Unless we want to spend the next twenty years on it."
"No way. We can't wait that long. Who knows when the WIND units might destroy the data regarding Earth... Dammit. I can’t think of a single argument for the Council other than an emotional plea."
"Councilors don't move on emotion. It might tip the scales in a close vote, but this isn't even a contest. They’ll all vote no."
"I know. To be honest, if I were them, I’d vote no too."
Redeveloping Nuke was a humanitarian effort, but there were other ways to help people. The RS Alliance territory was full of people living in poverty; it made more sense to spend that money where it would be most effective. If they were going to play favorites with NASA—and by extension, the goal of reaching Earth—they needed a rock-solid reason.
"..."
"..."
The two fell into a long, heavy silence.
The cafeteria was loud, but between the two of them, the quiet stretched on.
They later held a meeting at Rising Sun to brainstorm, but no one could come up with a satisfactory plan. Excluding the 'Ancient Heritage' angle, Planet Nuke simply lacked any charm.
However, in a surprising turn of events, a brilliant plan that would satisfy everyone was eventually discovered.
And it was found by the most unexpected person imaginable.
By the way, the bonuses for Volume 2 are as follows. If you’re interested, please check them out at the bookstores!
Generate a new translation to compare different AI outputs and check consistency.