Inside the Hyperion.
Rosemary joining the crew had actually brought quite a few benefits.
"Lord Captain, may I ask you a question?"
"Hmm? What is it, Rosemary?"
"Is the food you eat every day always these noodles packed in little cups? Although they can be eaten immediately after soaking them in hot water, they look extremely unhealthy no matter how Rita examines them."
Seeing that Elias' meal today was instant noodles yet again, Rosemary's expression gradually darkened.
Since the bubble world she had been born in resembled the Middle Ages, Rosemary had never encountered instant noodles before. However, after watching Elias eat them for an entire week straight, she finally reached the limit of her patience.
"Uh, besides instant noodles, there are also bubble worlds..."
As Elias spoke, he immediately demonstrated.
Coincidentally, a bubble world was located near the Hyperion's current route. Elias used his power to draw it closer, then summoned the Planet-class Honkai Beast, Heaven Devourer.
"ROOOOOOOAR!!" x9
The chimera Honkai Beast's nine dragon heads roared excitedly.
After calculating the rotation, Elias pointed at Heaven Devourer's seventh head. The next second, that head impatiently opened its enormous mouth and swallowed the bubble world whole.
After Heaven Devourer evolved into a Planet-class Honkai Beast, a tiny bite was enough to devour a landmass the size of Australia. Once it opened its mouth completely, swallowing a single bubble world in one gulp posed no problem.
This was the simplest and most brutal method of devouring a bubble world. Heaven Devourer was already a part of Elias, so any bubble world it swallowed would directly enter Elias' body.
Of course, Elias could also use spatial power to preserve a bubble world's internal volume while shrinking its exterior to the size of a jelly bean, allowing him to swallow it in one bite.
Recently, Elias had even begun following the example of a certain Miss Pink Elf by writing books.
The first book he wrote was titled One Hundred Ways to Eat a Bubble World, published under the pen name "The Strongest Savior in History."
"Please stop maintaining such an unhealthy diet immediately... I am referring to the instant noodles."
Rosemary pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. At the same time, she glanced at the nine-headed chimera outside the window. No matter how many times she saw it, the sight remained astonishing. It was a colossal beast capable of swallowing an entire world merely by opening its mouth.
Afterward, Rosemary hunted down every stash of instant noodles Elias had hidden like a detective, then threw them all into the Sea of Quanta.
That did not technically count as littering. From a certain perspective, the Sea of Quanta was an enormous waste disposal facility. Any matter without quantum resistance would slowly be broken down into its most basic particles within this sea of nothingness.
However, Kevin would undoubtedly have been heartbroken if he had witnessed the scene. He might even have jumped into the sea in an attempt to retrieve the noodles. Elias was not heartbroken, but he still found it somewhat regrettable.
Several of the cups Rosemary had thrown away were super-rare collector's editions that even he had been reluctant to eat, including the limited-edition "King's Cup" instant noodles released for St. Freya Academy's tenth anniversary.
"Uwaaah, my noodles..."
"Please stop dwelling on such unhealthy food. Lord Captain, simply tell me what you would like to eat."
"Then I want to eat Rosemary."
"Ahem. We can discuss that tonight."
Rosemary's cheeks reddened as she turned away. That particular dish was not yet being served, so he would have to order something more conventional.
Elias then gave the classic answer, "Anything~" He loved everything Rita cooked anyway. Besides, as a chimera capable of gnawing on Honkai Beasts, there was hardly anything he refused to eat.
"In that case, let us quickly find a bubble world where we can land and purchase supplies. Speaking of which, despite this ship's enormous size, I have not found a single ingredient aboard. If this continues, I will have no choice but to use Miss Ai's cabbage as emergency rations."
"Ah, there's no need for that. Our Hyperion also serves as an ark to preserve the seeds of civilization. It stores seeds from every plant on Earth, along with genetic samples from every animal."
"Hmm? What do you mean, Lord Captain?"
"We might not have ingredients, but we can make them!"
Elias snapped his fingers, causing a holographic screen to appear before Rosemary. After she selected all the ingredients she needed, he directly activated the Hyperion's accelerated cultivation functions. The power of creation used the animal genetic samples to produce additive-free meat, while the plant seeds were rapidly grown into fresh vegetables.
Rosemary's eyes widened as she watched. This ship truly can do anything. Still, this meant they would no longer need to worry about obtaining ingredients.
The girl tied on an apron and entered the kitchen, preparing to take up her cooking utensils and make Elias a hearty meal.
"Lord Captain, please do not cause trouble while I am cooking. You need only wait on the bridge."
"But I want to watch you cook, Rosemary~"
"Then may I ask why you are hugging me from behind?"
"Obviously because I want to hold you."
"...I cannot concentrate while you are doing this."
Even the tips of Rosemary's ears had turned red. She could only helplessly address the white-haired youth embracing her from behind.
Although she was a witch born with an enchanting allure, a witch who had only just fallen into the river of love could never be a match for a demon king seasoned by countless battles.
The latter seemed to thoroughly enjoy having the witch wrapped around his finger.
Rosemary was clearly the type who should have held every advantage in romantic relationships, calmly and elegantly seizing the initiative. Yet before the master of romance known as Elias, she could do nothing but become bashful beneath his advances.
"Honestly~ There is simply no dealing with you."
"Ehehe. I'm only trying to spot the differences."
"Oh? Spot the differences? I see..."
Hearing Elias say this, Rosemary raised an eyebrow. With her intelligence, she immediately understood what he meant. Her knife descended in a flash of cold light, slicing an innocent cabbage cleanly in half.
"You are thinking of that maid, Miss Rita, are you not? Lord Captain, when you are with one girl, you must not think about another."
"Sorry, sorry. But Rosemary, you understand..."
"Very well. If someone existed who was extraordinarily similar to me in every respect, I would also want to identify the differences. In that case, Lord Captain, have you found any yet?"
"So far, there's no difference except the hairstyle."
Elias honestly shook his head. At the same time, he began worrying about his future life... A single Rita was already capable of spoiling him into a useless man who no longer wished to take care of himself.
And now there was another Rosemary!
Should Rosemary move into the Valkyrie dormitory someday as well, Elias could hardly imagine what sort of useless creature he would become.
Well, being useless did sound rather comfortable...
Ah, he could already feel himself falling at light speed once again.
"Thank you for waiting, Lord Captain. Today's lunch consists of hand-torn cabbage, beef stewed in red wine, and country-style vegetable medley."
Slurp~
"After spending so many days at sea, I can finally eat something good! Rosemary, I love you to death!"
"Hehe, thank you~ By the way, Lord Captain, could you tell me about that maid, Miss Rita?"
"Eh?"
Elias froze in surprise. He had not expected Rosemary to take the initiative and ask about her counterpart from the intrinsic world. Had she not just said that he should not mention another girl while spending time with her?
Rosemary chuckled softly and explained that, from a certain perspective, they could be considered the same person, so it was fine~
Elias: "Uwaaah, what flexible standards. As expected of a girl! Well~ Since you want to hear about her, I'm happy to tell you..."
Elias then began recounting the story of him and his maid. They had started as enemies before he abducted her and made her his maid. At first, Rita had still been a spy for the opposing side.
However, under the effects of Elias' ultimate technique, "Sincerity Is the Greatest Finishing Move," Rita gradually came to trust him. In the end, she abandoned her best friend, the silly goose, and completely became Elias' personal maid.
Later, because of a certain fool's scheme, the mind-controlled Rita stabbed Elias in the back during battle. Yet rather than driving them apart, Elias' forgiveness and Rita's guilt...
Caused their relationship to deepen even further.
Ultimately, they successfully became a couple.
"I see. So that is what happened."
Rosemary nodded thoughtfully.
She had listened with exceptional seriousness. Firstly, she was simply curious about what kind of person her other self was. Secondly, Rosemary felt that she had to understand Rita.
After all, how could this clever witch fail to notice?
The reason Elias treated her so well, became so furious when tragedy befell her, and allowed their relationship to develop so smoothly to its current stage was, to a considerable extent, because of "Rita Rossweisse" from the intrinsic world.
That maid had raised Elias' affection far too high! As a result, Rosemary had conquered Elias without even having to put in any effort.
The situation was utterly outrageous!
Who could have imagined that Elias, who was always pursued and offered affection by other girls, would someday be the one giving himself away for free?
(Although we have not yet met, my other self... Miss Rita... I must thank you this time. It is obvious that I was able to win Lord Demon's heart so easily because of you.)
Rosemary gazed infatuatedly at Elias before her.
She was not someone who enjoyed reaping rewards without effort.
Otherwise, she would never have chosen such a "troublesome" lifestyle within a dream world where anything she desired could be obtained.
Yet Rosemary knew that she now had to offer her sincerest gratitude for this affection she had received without earning it! Thanks to that maid, Miss Rita, she had been able to become the demon's witch.
Even now, when she recalled that day, Rosemary still did not consider being burned at the stake a pleasant memory. Yet it was also true that she had found happiness and salvation amid that tragedy.
For the sake of a witch like her, the white-haired youth had transformed into a demon king and passed judgment upon the world. Rosemary would never forget it for as long as she lived.
And now, she also understood just how inconceivable a miracle this encounter that had changed her entire life truly was.
Elias had sailed this eternally unsinkable ship across countless worlds within the infinite sea, only to fall into her world because of a tiny accident and ultimately meet her.
Just how minuscule had the probability been?
One in a hundred million? One in a trillion? One in ten quadrillion?
Rosemary was certain that this encounter was the greatest miracle of her life. Forget merely exhausting the luck of this lifetime. She had probably used up the luck of her next life and the life after that as well.
If being burned at the stake was the price she had to pay for this encounter, then Rosemary felt she had gotten an incredible bargain!
Therefore...
(Forgive me, my other self. Although Lord Demon met you first, there is no such thing as first come, first served in the pursuit of happiness. Every woman is selfish, and I am no exception.)
A blazing intensity burned within Rosemary's tender, watery eyes.
(Before this journey ends, whenever Lord Demon hears the name "Rita," I will make sure the first person who comes to his mind is Rosemary, not Rossweisse.)