"Of course not!!! Don't bring that up again, okay?! I was joking back then! I never expected HK to take it so seriously and actually agree to something that outrageous!"
Lux smacked MDR on the head with his fist. This girl was absolutely here to ruin his reputation. If this spread, he'd suffer total social death—and might even get looked down on by a bunch of Tactical Dolls.
"Huh? Don't you want 416 to give you her panties?"
"Well… if you put it that way, of course I want them. HK is so cute, wanting them is only natural—hey! Wait, you're setting me up again, aren't you?! Bring this up one more time and you're drinking nothing but air for dinner tonight!"
Black lines appeared on Lux's forehead.
"I get it, I get it! I won't say it again! Don't take away my dinner!"
As soon as MDR heard her meal was at risk, she panicked.
"Ahem… sorry, Commander. I was grossed out by how suddenly serious I sounded."
AA-12 tore open a pack of tissues, wiped her mouth, then put the lollipop back between her lips.
"…Uh, if being serious isn't your thing, just relax. I'm not some official Commander either—I didn't even attend a military academy. No need to mind it so much. Welcome."
Lux scratched his head and said gently.
"Hey, hey, I protest! Why are you so nice to the new Doll? Have you already gotten tired of Miss MDR?"
MDR put on a fake-crying expression.
"Got tired of you?! I haven't even done anything to you, okay?!"
Lux felt a headache coming on.
It seemed his initial concern had been correct—MDR would bring him endless trouble.
"Hehe, it looks like following you all will be quite fun."
Watching the noisy MDR, AA-12 showed a faint smile.
"Fun… maybe. Sorry, the world outside is pretty awful. Life might be hard. But I'll do my best to make sure you all live a little better."
Lux gave a wry smile.
"It's fine. I'm a Tactical Doll. I was created for combat."
AA-12 calmly lifted the automatic shotgun in her hands.
"Wait a moment. I'll collect the supplies in this store first. We'll talk after we get back in the car."
As he spoke, Lux began storing various daily necessities and food from the shelves into his storage space.
"Oh, right, Commander. I personally suffer from a certain degree of ketosis and diabetes. If I don't consume sugar regularly, I may feel nauseous or fall into acute hypoglycemia and lose strength. Please keep that in mind."
"I see. That's why you're eating lollipops. In that case, put all the candy from this store on you. If you feel low blood sugar, eat some."
Lux nodded in understanding.
"No… I'd prefer that you keep it for me. Otherwise, I might eat all the candy in a single day. Besides, managing resources and distributing them rationally should be the Commander's responsibility, right?"
AA-12 pointed at the floor. Lux saw a pile of empty lollipop wrappers.
He really wanted to complain that this was basically zero self-control… but seeing how AA-12 seemed like a cool-type Tactical Doll, Lux swallowed his comment. He didn't want to leave a bad first impression on day one.
"Ahem. Then I'll keep the candy. One lollipop in the morning and one in the evening. If you feel nauseous, come ask me for more."
Lux stored the lollipops into the system's storage space.
"Alright."
"Ahhh, I want lollipops too. They look really tasty."
MDR said enviously.
"Here, here. But stop smearing my reputation."
Lux tossed MDR a tropical fruit–flavored lollipop. MDR immediately ripped it open and popped it into her mouth.
"Wow! This world is amazing! Being able to eat something this delicious! MDR really wants to record this surge of emotion right now! AA-12, security is up to you!"
After saying that, MDR pulled out her keypad phone and started tapping away.
"Oh, got it."
AA-12 lazily walked to the entrance of the convenience store, listlessly watching outside.
"The sunlight is so harsh… I really am a night owl."
She retreated back into the store's shadows, though the muzzle of her shotgun still pointed at the door.
"Lux! I also request an upgrade to my meal standards! Two servings of sweets like this every day!"
MDR said while still typing on her phone.
"Request denied. She needs sugar for medical reasons. You're just greedy. Perform well and you'll get candy."
Lux rejected her without hesitation. This was the apocalypse—lollipops wouldn't be an endless supply. If MDR developed a snacking habit, things would become difficult once supplies ran low.
Besides, candy provided decent energy. In special situations where cooking rice or noodles wasn't possible, pairing candy with compressed rations could supply Tactical Dolls with necessary energy and even boost morale.
"'Perform well'… ugh, does that mean I can't bully the Commander anymore?"
MDR activated her fake-cry skill again.
"You shouldn't be bullying me in the first place! What exactly do you take me for?! A roadside toy?!"
Lux snapped in exasperation.
"Of course you're my beloved toy! Can you feel Miss MDR's burning love?"
MDR asked with a mischievous grin.
"No. All I feel is deep malice. Is calling a beloved toy 'love' really love at all...?"
Lux bickered with MDR as he gathered supplies.
After clearing out all the goods in the convenience store and the remaining items in the storage room, Lux brought MDR and AA-12 back to the seven-seat business van.
"Another big sister again."
Candice looked at AA-12 in surprise.
"Mm. They're all my subordinates. I summoned them."
Lux replied while starting the vehicle.
"What exactly do you do? How do you have so many amazing big sisters with you?"
Candice asked in confusion.
"That's not something you should ask."
Lux said calmly. He had no intention of revealing anything related to the system. Even if Candice meant to keep it secret, it could still be coaxed out of her in casual conversation or leaked unintentionally.
"Oh."
Hearing that, Candice sensibly closed her mouth.
"Oh right, HK, Sten, Candice. I found some candy at the convenience store earlier. You can each take one and try it."
Lux took out three lollipops.
Under normal circumstances, he still preferred to be fair. At the very least, he wouldn't eat everything himself.