Commander Blaze, a daily life story

by Dasmara

Daily life story collection from Commander Blaze, a frontline commander story. Amidst the fight against Siren threat on their world, our beloved characters still has time to enjoy their daily life at their own pace. Whether its the sweet inducing stories or spicy tales, this collection definitely has both. Join them, to view the untold side stories and shenanigans of the casts.

5. Collab Special: Atelier Ryza

…To say the least, William should've expected this the moment he heard that Sirens could cross alternate realities. What he failed to realized is the scale of that statement, because to them, even crossing universes are somewhat a child's play. Yet they focused their efforts on humanity within the universes with Azur Lane presence, instead of going over to the next universe to fuck everything up. In manga terms, this situation would be called isekai, where you get transported between universes or worlds or some shit. It usually happened due to freak accident with the being known affectionately as Truck-kun or getting summoned to another world, In case of William however, it's a botched Siren base assault. The base has a working transfer gate and during a skirmish, it malfunctioned and zapped William from his position. That's how he ends up in the middle of a clearing in forested area…Hold on, how does he know that he has been isekaied or something?

"Creature determined hostile, commander" TB said to William.

"Oh gee, you don't say!" William said to TB while he gritted his teeth.

William back flipped and landed as he unsheathed his Siren Slayer broadsword from his back, in front of him are some sort of living rocks to say the least. They have faces that's quite cute, but one of them just tried to murder William himself. Given that they are seemingly quite tough, William chose to use his large broadsword instead of his gauss firearms. The man dodged the creature attacks nimbly, finding gaps in their posture before striking them with a full powered blade swing. One of them managed to land a hit on his back, luckily his Serpent Powered Armor's energy shielding managed to take the brunt of it. It's not as fast as a bullet, nor its as deadly as a plasma bolt, but that hit alone took out fifty percent of his shield capacity. Before he could hit his attacker in retaliation, energy bolts flew through the air and hit the last creature which eliminates it. The attack came from a brunette young woman who has her staff raised toward the creature last sighted, she sighed in relief before she walked toward William who haven't dropped his guard.

"Are you okay? That golem hit you quite hard" The woman asked William.

"Yeah…I am" William answered while he cocked his eyebrows, the woman understands his language?

"Great! This part of the forest isn't exactly the safest place, but I guess you already know that…Huh? Wait, that logo on your right pauldron! Isn't that Azur Lane symbol?!" The woman asked William as her eyes widened.

"Huh? You know about Azur Lane?! Who are you!?" William asked the woman as his eye widened.

"My name's Reisalin Stout, but just call me Ryza! I've once stayed with Azur Lane when me and my friends are trapped in another world! You must've come from that world, but how? Did you use the portals we left behind?" Ryza asked William while she smiled.

"You're right about the portal, but I doubt it's the one you used. It's located deep within a Siren base, I'm sure you've come across them if you've been to our world" William said to Ryza as he calmed himself down…Okay, for now, just go along with everything.

"So, the fight is still going with the Sirens…Um, who are you? You don't seem like an ordinary soldier to me" Ryza asked William.

"Name's William Blaze, Commander of Azur Lane Anti Siren Unit Command. If you said that you've stayed with us before, then I'm afraid I'm not exactly from the world you visited, Ms. Ryza…I doubt we ever met" William said to Ryza while he frowned as he took off his helmet to prove his point.

"That's true…According to the unit's name you mentioned, you're not exactly the commander I've met before as he was shorter and leaner...How is that possible? Does it have anything to do with alternate realities or something?" Ryza asked William while she frowned.

"It's the Sirens we're talking about here, it's not a farfetched scenario…Anyway, we shouldn't stay here. Are there any settlement or village nearby?" William asked Ryza.

"It's quite close to my Atelier, let's head there! Come on, I'll show you the way" Ryza said to William as she started walking.

"…TB, assessment" William put on his helmet then asked TB in low tone.

"Reisalin Stout doesn't speak English, commander. She spoke the native language of whatever this world speaks, but somehow you could understand and speak as she did. It is possible the same effect applies to her when she visited the alternative world that correlate with our origins" TB explained to William as her face appeared on his HUD.

"Strange, but unheard of. It's been discussed a lot as isekai tropes, never thought I'd experienced them myself though" William said to TB in low tone.

"Hmm? Who're you talking to?" Ryza asked William as she walked by his side.

"Ah, it's just my assistant within my armor. She can't speak out" William said to Ryza.

"Assistant? Is it your armor?" Ryza asked William.

"No, she just lives within my armor" William said to Ryza.

"I see…Well, commander, your armor and looks are certainly more advanced than what Azur Lane that I visited has. I'm a bit in disbelieve that there are other versions of Azur Lane world out there, but after being transported into one, I suppose I shouldn't be really that surprised" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"True, this kind of thing even becomes an entertainment in our world over there" William said to Ryza while he smiled slightly,

"Yeah! I read them, they are called isekai or something right? Many from the Sakura Empire produced manga with that kind of story!" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"You can read them?" William asked Ryza.

"Uh, yes? It somehow became the language I'm familiar with, I can understand everyone just fine when I was stuck there" Ryza said to William.

"Then it's the same case with me, because there's no way I know your native language, Ms. Ryza" William said to Ryza.

"Hmm…How did that happen?" Ryza asked William.

"…I got a feeling that the less we know the better it'll be" William said to Ryza while he smiled wryly.

Both of them then continued their walks in silence, there are no words between them other than Ryza directing William, warning him of nearby monsters or stopping for a bit so she can pick up ingredients she needs. It's not that William don't want to chat with her, but aside from his responses to her, he's been analyzing the video that TB shown him on his armor HUD. William's eye widened as he heard himself speaking in his language with Ryza but TB said he's talking to her with another language, perhaps it has the correlation with TB being an artificial intelligence. Regardless, the priority right now is to find out where he is, whether he could survive for a while here and then find a way home. He's not getting stuck here, he honestly has better life on the world where he came from, despite it being ravaged with the seemingly endless Siren War…After walking around some more, they finally arrived at the place Ryza mentioned, her atelier.

"Sorry it's nothing fancy, but make yourself at home, commander" Ryza said to William as she opened the door.

"Don't worry about it, it feels homely. Just like my wooden cabin" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"You live in a cabin?" Ryza asked William as she put down a bag that's full of ingredients on a table.

"Well, I could just stay in the room within the administration building. But a house to my own is quite nice" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Haha! Ain't that the truth…Hmm, speaking of home, I should visit my parents tomorrow. Hopefully in time before they work the farm" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"You're a farm girl? Color me surprised, the way you fight didn't show you as one" William said to Ryza as he entered her atelier, after ducking for a bit or he would hit his head.

"I might look fragile, but I have tons of combat experience and training! Not to mention, I still got the rigging that I got when I was stuck on the other world, so I guess I'm also a ship girl" Ryza said to William while she grinned.

"I believe you…Well, what exactly do you do here, Ms. Ryza?" William asked Ryza as he surveyed the atelier.

"I'm an alchemist, do you know what we do? I think your world does have reference to them" Ryza asked William as she sorted the ingredients she collected.

"Yeah, something about synthetizing stuff from materials to create something else, right?" William said to Ryza as he folded his arms.

"Well, that's the basic of it…Oh, you're hungry? I can whip something up quick" Ryza asked William while she smiled.

"Sure, I'm down for a meal" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Nice, then maybe we could exchange stories during dinner! You looked like you have a lot of experience, commander!" Ryza said to William while she grinned.

"Depends on what kind of experience we're talking about here" William said to Ryza as he took off his helmet.

"Hmm, how about your adventures? I love adventure stories" Ryza said to William as she gathered the food needed to make dinner.

"Sure, maybe you could tell me about yours as well. Especially about the Azur Lane world you visited" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"You betcha!" Ryza said to William while she grinned.

"Anything I can help with?" William asked Ryza.

"Oh, could you peel the potatoes and slice the vegetables?" Ryza asked William.

"Sure, just hand me the knife" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

…Both of them worked together to make dinner, William noted that there's a lot of similarities with the ingredients on this world and his. As the result, the recipe didn't vary too far from the common ideas when the ingredients are combined. For tonight's dinner, they are going to eat meat mixed with vegetable soup and bread. With his weight combined with armor, William is afraid that he'll break Ryza's furniture, but the woman assured him that her furniture is made from tough materials so he should be fine. William carefully sat on the dining chair before his portion is served by Ryza, both of them then started eating while they talked about the situation and their past experiences…William was the first one to speak, he told Ryza on how did he end up on this world. From there, the story diverged to how his world is coping with the Siren War, his comrades, his ship girls and his adventures throughout the world. Ryza could see that he has been through a lot, quite the experience for someone who's supposed to be only five or six years older than her. In exchange, Ryza told him about her adventures with her friends and in Azur Lane. In essence, hers are more lighthearted despite the stake, she didn't actually lose anyone and it's not like their entire planet is at constant war. William's world seems to never catch a break…

"…How do you deal with it?" Ryza asked William before she bit into her bread.

"With what exactly?" William asked Ryza as he stirred the soup in his bowl.

"Everything. You have such huge expectation on your shoulders, as humanity's shining beacon of hope. You fight the Sirens in constant struggle and some of your people stabbed you in the back, there's almost no peace over there" Ryza said to William while she frowned.

"…Yeah, I'll admit. It really weighs heavily on me, sometimes I wonder why I haven't break yet. But, maybe, just like you, I am blessed with good friends who supported me when I'm about to kneel from the burdens…I'm sure you understand the feeling" William said to Ryza.

"I do, actually. But still, the burden we share is not equal. You have to shoulder an entire planet" Ryza said to William while she frowned.

"But that doesn't make us less equal than one another, Ms. Ryza…You and I fight for the same type of cause, and even though the scale differs, it's still important for us because we chose to do something about it. I'm glad that you have completed your quests though, they sound quite exciting" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Thanks, you're right. You and I are one of the same, even though we fight differently…Do you want to go back home, Commander William?" Ryza asked William.

"…As much as it's tempting to remain here, yes. I have to go home; I can't just exactly leave that world to its fate. I have the power to help with the push, I shouldn't shirk that responsibility just because I got transferred into another world that is quite peaceful" William said to Ryza in serious tone.

"…Fufu, somehow, I find that answer quite fitting for you. I still remember the materials needed in order to create that gate, but I don't have them at the moment. We'll have to search for them high and low, synthetize it with alchemy and then construct the gate. It will be a big project; it could possibly take months or even a year" Ryza said to William.

"That long huh…" William said to Ryza as he rubbed his chin.

"It's because the ingredients are located all over, we have to travel around to gather them. Think of it as a big adventure, you can also explore this world and learn more about it this way" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"I see…Well, since I'm stuck here for a while, why not? I'll come with you; I'm sure dealing with monsters can be tough by yourself" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Right. Hmm, maybe I should also invite my friends, I know they'll be down for another adventure, but I don't want to bother them" Ryza said to William as she rested her head on her hand.

"I'm sure they'll want to know more about me, I don't think they'll refuse once they know you got a visitor from another world that you and your friends are quite familiar with" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"You got a point; I should at least tell them on what's going on. I'll write some letters for them tomorrow, right now we should just rest" Ryza said to William.

"Good idea…Oh yeah, you can just call me William" William said to Ryza.

"And drop the Miss part for me, just Ryza is fine" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

Ryza changed to her sleepwear and then noticed, where should William sleep? Sleeping on the same bed as him is out of the question, they just met today. Noticing Ryza's predicament, William said that he'll be fine with the couch. Ryza apologized for not being that prepared to receive a guest, but William rebuffed it by saying that at least he got a roof over his head. Ryza nodded her head and bid him goodnight, William then strutted outside and stared into the night sky. He wonders how long would he be gone, will time also pass over in that world or would he appear just as instant as he disappeared back there. William hoped that he won't be gone for too long, he will make the entire ALASUC worry and possibly in shambles. He hoped Lena could take over for a bit, it's what they agreed to after all…William told TB to learn as much as she could about this world, even working on deciphering and language translating. They're going to need intel, as much as they could get.

…The next morning, William woke up from the sound of large clattering. The man immediately stood up and summoned his GPM Assault Carbine, he pointed the gun toward Ryza who swiftly raised her hands with panicked look on her face. Realizing that there's no danger around, William immediately lowered his gun and stored it back to his pocket dimension. He noted that there's bunch of equipment on the floor, Ryza must've dropped them. Ryza was surprised with her blunder, but she's even more surprised when William suddenly got up and readied his weapon in just under two seconds. The man's battle proven instinct immediately kicked in the moment he detects slight danger, he's really a trained and experienced soldier.

"S-Sorry! I was making such a huge mess!" Ryza said to William while she grinned wryly.

"It's fine, your place your rules…What are you up to?" William asked Ryza.

"Synthetizing some stuff! The villagers asked me for a few things, I want to deliver them today. And, uh, I should probably get you a cloak and some clothes, that armor is really attention grabbing" Ryza said to William.

"Yeah…Mind if I watch you work? I might not understand a thing, but I want to know how you do alchemy" William asked Ryza while he smiled.

"Sure! Come here, I'll show you how it works with this cauldron!" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"…That's a cauldron alright" William commented as he stared at the big cauldron.

Ryza monologued as she gets to work, explaining the process and ingredients to William. The man is honestly scratching his head in trying to understand how the alchemy works, but the result is a proven fact. Ryza could synthetize almost anything, even when the base materials she used are vastly different in its property. After making sure she got everything on the request board, Ryza walked out of the atelier. William offered to go with her, carried the stuff Ryza supposed to carry and both of them traveled to the village on Kurken Island, Ryza's home. As expected, the villagers are surprised at his appearance, but at least they are not outright hostile to him. Still, he's glad that he got a helmet with polarized visor because their stares are uncomforting. After delivering their requested items and delivering her letters, Ryza stopped by her parent's home with William. Both of them are welcomed warmly, and just in time for lunch as well.

They talked over lunch; William explained what happened and Ryza's parents sympathized with his situation. It even turned into a bit of a shipping fest between the two of them, causing Ryza to pout in annoyance at both of them teasing her for bringing a man home. There's even light argument between her and her mother, criticizing that Ryza is old enough to marry and have kids already. William acted polite towards them, quite knowledgeable and generally come off as a likeable man who got a good head on him. Someone Ryza definitely needs, given her cavalier attitude about some things. Ryza could only facepalmed, looks like both of them immediately forget that William is from another world. After having lunch in Ryza's childhood home, both of them left and purchased a large cloak which William used to cover his body. It also has a hood, which turned his appearance from a futuristic warrior into an ancient warrior wandering Ryza's world wearing lost technology. After getting everything that they need, William and Ryza returned back to her atelier.

"Muu, my parents can be quite embarrassing sometimes!" Ryza complained while she pouted.

"Haha, that's a parent's job, to mess with their child" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"You speak as if you know how it feels to be one" Ryza said to William as she cocked her eyebrows.

"Because I do know how it feels" William said to Ryza.

"…Eh? You're a father!?" Ryza asked William as her eyes widened.

"Yeah" William said to Ryza.

"You got a wife? Is it one of the ship girls?" Ryza asked William.

"Wives, and yeah" William said to Ryza as his head hung a bit.

"…I guess it's quite common for Azur Lane commanders to be in polygamy huh? The one we visited is also in that kind of relationship" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"I guess you're right…They don't really forbid me from not sleeping around, given my biology. But they are quite strict when it comes to someone outside ship girls" William said to Ryza while he smiled wryly.

"Oh yeah, your body condition…Uh, will you be alright?" Ryza asked William while she frowned.

"Eh, I'll manage. Don't worry, you won't see me doing things like that" William said to Ryza while he shrugged.

"O-Okay…" Ryza said to William as her cheeks reddened.

Ryza knows about William's condition after he explained the whole story to her, where his body basically need a daily sexual release. It's the cost of his power, and it's not as awesome as many common males want to think. But that is not the biggest problem for him, because with him getting isekaied? There are no women here who can basically get it on with him, he has to rely on his hand like he used to during his teenage days. Ryza didn't know how much that will torture him; she didn't even think about this kind of stuff. Sure, she and the other girls gossiped about men on occasions, she knows biology stuff, but are those thoughts occupy her on daily basis? Hardly. She's a virgin on her twenties with no men on her radar, the things that only interest her either being adventure or alchemy. It's not like she's a dense woman, it's just she never felt some kind of romantic feelings for the men she met so far. Not for her two childhood friends, not to the other men she met along in her adventures. Ryza is sure William would fall in the same category, she's pretty sure of it.

They returned to the atelier; William then decided that he'll need a crash course on this world so he borrowed Ryza's books to learn more. While doing that, he's also letting TB analyze the writings and language they use. After doing a comprehensive analysis, TB could now understand what Ryza and the others talked about. Now she can collect intel from background chatters, that should help them in making a proper encyclopedia for this world. The day after, Ryza took William out on an adventure on the mainland. Aside from getting some ingredients for the portal, she wants him to become accustomed to the adventure in this world. William could handle himself quite well, despite coming from a world where combat is dominated with ranged weapons, he shown extreme proficiency in close quarter battle. When faced with a monster, he only needs to hear from Ryza on their weakness before he comes up with the tactics to deal with it after observing the monster's behavior and attack pattern. Thanks to that, despite only being two of them, they could dwell deeply into a dungeon or ruins without having to worry about being overwhelmed. William offhandedly commented that the monsters on this world might be quite diverse in type, but at least their attack is quite limited when it comes to the damage. It's not the same with the Sirens, especially their KANSENs and he got a lot of experience in facing them.

"Ngghh! That was the last one!" Ryza stretched her arms as the last monster fell.

"Good job, you're quite skilled in a fight despite not being a soldier" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Please! My job requires me to go toe to toe with monsters, no wonder I've become so good that a veteran soldier praised me!" Ryza said to William while he grinned.

"Makes sense…Anyway, I think we cleared this area of monsters. We also got the needed ingredients, let's head back" William said to Ryza as he put his broadsword on his back magnetic holster.

"Um, don't think it's a good idea. The sky is quite gray, we better off taking a shelter somewhere unless we want to get drenched to the bone" Ryza said to William as she pointed to the sky.

"…How long does it take for us to walk back to your atelier?" William asked Ryza.

"Around two or three hours, I think" Ryza said to William.

"Show me the direction, on the map" William said to Ryza.

"You got a plan?" Ryza asked William while she smiled.

"Yeah, and we'll be back at your atelier in no time" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

Ryza located the direction of her atelier using the map, once William confirmed the location, he scooped Ryza in bridal carry before he engaged his jet thrusters for the first time in this world. Ryza screamed as they took off from the ground and soared to the sky, but the scream from shock turned to scream of excitement. Ryza held on to William tightly, she curiously looked down to see the ground below her passing by in a flash. They're going at a speed that's never been reached before on this world, it's the power of other world's technology. Ryza knew about planes, Azur Lane KANSEN Carriers heavily used them and her world do have airships, but this is even faster than those planes could do with their turboprop engine. In around one or two minutes ever since their flight, both of them arrived on the atelier's front yard. William smoothly landed, only lightly kicking the dust around instead of slamming with full force that could kill a Siren ship girl immediately upon hit. Ryza felt cold from flying at such speed with light clothing, but damn if she wasn't excited.

"That was awesome, William! You could fly around as you wish! Boy, I wish I have the same ability to do so! Adventure would be so much fun!" Ryza said to William while she grinned.

"It's just for emergency. Part of the adventure is the trek to our destination, am I right?" William asked Ryza while he smiled.

"Yeah, but there's no doubt about the effectiveness of that ability! We can basically return here after each adventure" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"I doubt this world has the energy source needed to fuel it so it could fly indefinitely, but the concept is neat" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Ahahaha, true, got to think on that one first…Achoo!" Ryza said to William before she sneezed.

"You okay?" William asked Ryza.

"Y-Yep, just a bit cold, that's all! I think I should take a bath and change clothes" Ryza said to William while she smiled wryly.

"Go ahead then, fever isn't fun" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

Ryza smiled then entered the atelier. William stayed outside for a bit, watching the grey sky as he read the info TB has collected. After that, William walked inside and took off his armor alongside his undersuit, leaving himself completely naked inside Ryza's room. It's been a few days since his world switch bullshit, as expected, he's feeling nervous yet managed to put up quite a front with Ryza. He won't lie, being isekaied would delight a lot of people, but not him. This world is mostly peaceful, exploring them would be quite fun, he knows Drake or Jean Bart would be eager to set sail on some adventure if they're in his position. But the very thought of leaving his origin world without completing his mission unnerved him, Sirens are not yet defeated and they haven't found the angle to hold them back indefinitely. But the small voice inside his heart also told him to enjoy himself while he's here, it is still a novel experience he most likely won't be able to feel again after his departure. Might as well make some memories here, it's not every day he could visit a world that could fit well into fantasy genre.

KACHAK!

"Kyaa!"

Ryza, cladded in just a towel, yelped a bit when she opened her room and found William wearing his birthday suit within. The man didn't even seem ashamed or anything, he only glanced toward the door before letting out short greeting at her. In Ryza's case, her eyes immediately scanned him from head to toe before she closed the door after mustering a quick apology. Her heart beating rapidly and her cheeks reddened, that's the first time she ever saw his naked body. William is packed with muscles, his arms alongside legs looks thick, his pecs are solid with good shape, and his abs are clearly defined. But what caused her cheeks to burst red is definitely what he has between his legs, Ryza isn't clueless about men's anatomy, but that is the first time she ever saw them directly. It was flaccid, but the shape of his circumcised cock, the glans that's bright red and puffy, how his balls sagged which shows how weighty his testicles are. Ryza gulped as she felt her whole face heating up, he's really well equipped to deal with a woman…

KACHAK!

"Ryza, I'm done" William said to Ryza as he opened the door, he's now covered in his own towel.

"O-Oh! Right! Sorry that I just went in without checking, I'm too used to living by myself here!" Ryza said to William while she smiled apologetically.

"Don't sweat it, no harm's done. Things like this happens when one live with someone else" William said to Ryza before he stepped out of the room.

"Guess so. I'll get started on dinner after putting some clothes on, bad weather like this should be perfect for a stew" Ryza said to William while she grinned.

"Sounds lovely" William commented as he walked to the bathroom.

The man closed the door and sat on the small chair, he splashed himself with the water to clean his body before he climbed into the bathtub that's filled with hot water…which Ryza previously used. Now that he got some privacy, William sighed as he found his body itch with lust. He has been holding himself back, but the sight of Ryza wrapped neatly in towel that he saw just now? Yup, William didn't like saying it like this, but it turned him into a horndog. Ryza is a gorgeous woman, beautiful visage, very well-endowed breast, thin waist, child bearing hips and those juicy thighs she has. Reimagining it caused blood to excitedly entered the veins on his penis, enlarging it as it throbs in arousal. William sighed again, of course this would happen. This is his actual nightmare scenario happening for real, with him assaulted by lust and there are no ship girls around to help him. He couldn't ask Ryza to help, it's wrong to do so to an acquaintance. He could try the brothel here, but where would he get the info on it without Ryza finding out? And the money needed for the service? He doesn't have a quid on his pocket…William better be quick in getting himself under control, the very last thing he want to do is to assault the woman who have been giving him shelter and meals free of charge. He's no saint, but he's not a rapist asshole either…The only way out of this is masturbation.

"…Hopefully I'm not that rusty" William said to himself as he choked his cock with his palm.

.

…Two weeks passed by in a flash, William helped Ryza with her atelier business and go on adventure with her occasionally. By now, he's already well adjusted to this world. The townsfolk nearby also know him by now, he even often went outside to check the town. Ryza put him to work for her so he could have an allowance, because he's the delivery man for the items that Ryza synthetized and that's how he currently walking around the town square. He needs to deliver some kind of bagel which Ryza created this morning; he has no clue whatsoever on what it does. But he knows where he's going, and that's all that matters now. He arrived on some large building, he entered it and found out that its some kind of library. William spoke to the person in charge, delivered the requested item and then left the area. When he arrived on the atelier however, he detected additional contacts within the building based on his radar. There's a lot of them, so he prepared his broadsword as a precaution. The man then entered the building, and he's kind of surprised to see so many people within…and they are all looking at him.

"Ah! William, welcome back!"

"So that's him? You're right, he looks otherworldly"

"He kind of looks like Lentz, if he wears full armor"

"He looks dependable at least, glad to know he's helping you out, Ryza"

"You said their world don't have alchemy, then how come they managed to create something so advanced?"

"Trust me, it'll take an entire night to explain that and it'll only scratch the surface"

"He's tall! He's basically a giant!"

Alongside Ryza's welcoming him back, there are various comments coming from those people. After asserting that they are not hostiles, William walked up to them and said a short greeting before handing the money he collected to Ryza. The woman then introduced him to her friends…So, the blonde with long hair is Klaudia Valentz, the big dude with red hair is Lentz Marslink, the blonde man with short hair and round glasses is Tao Mongarten, the man with mysterious elegance to him is Empel Vollmer, the pale woman with white hair and smoking hot figure is Lila Decyrus, the slightly petite yet mature one is Kala Ideas and the other pale woman is Serri Glaus. They are quite tight knit group of friends, they hailed from different backgrounds but William could see that they get along well with one another. Ryza has told them about William's circumstances, that he needs a way home. The group agreed to help him, temporarily taking a break from their responsibilities so they could go on an adventure. However, not everyone could go for too long or continuously, Empel has a project that he couldn't abandon for long, Lentz is on a personal quest himself, Tao needs to occasionally present on the academy he's collaborating with, Patricia has to return occasionally to the capital and Lila might go on her personal quest if she saw the chance.

Regardless, they'll try and join them once they take care of business, however temporary. Which is why they adamant that they remain in contact through letters, telling one another on their destination so those who wish to join could catch up. William is a bit surprised at their willingness to help him, he's basically just a stranger from another world and he can't pay them back. But they dismissed that they don't need to be paid or anything, the reward is the promised adventure and fun they'll be having along the way. Also, they want to know more about him and glad to know that they could befriend him. William was too used to the backstabbing and vile nature of people on his world that he's slightly taken aback, these people are genuinely good person deep down inside…William felt that he doesn't really have to put up a guard around them at all times, they entrusted their life with each other daily when they are on adventure so they are quite trustworthy.

"Alright, now that its settled. Let's spar, William!" Lentz suddenly said to William while he smiled widely.

"…What? Spar? Now?" William asked Lentz as his eye widened.

"Yup! Come on! We're fellow big sword user! I just have to get a feel on your fighting style!" Lentz said to William while he smiled.

"Who do you think will win?" Lila asked Ryza.

"Hmm…I honestly don't know! I could be either of them easily!" Ryza said to Lila.

"Time to find out then! Come on, I'll wait outside man" Lentz said to William as he walked past him.

"I'm interested in the fight flow, between warriors from two different worlds!" Tao said out loud as he followed Lentz.

"Perhaps we can learn something from this" Empel said out loud as he followed Tao.

"…You're okay with turning your front yard as a sparing field?" William asked Ryza.

"As long as you didn't destroy the atelier. So, hold back a bit!" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"I'm not sure that's possible with them swinging huge swords around" Serri said to Ryza while she frowned slightly.

"If either of them is as good as we think, then they should know how to fight with precision" Kala commented out loud.

"I'll try my best…" William said to Kala while he cringed, not going to lie, he's not exactly an expert at it.

"Mr. William, it is wise to be able to gauge the fighting ability of those who will be adventuring with you. That way, you will be able to support one another better" Lila said to William.

"…Right, guess I'll be taking on Lentz then" William said to Ryza and Lila while he shrugged.

"I'll brew some tea for us to watch the fight!" Patricia said out loud as she walked to the kitchen.

"Let me help you with that, Miss Patty" Klaudia said to Patricia as she followed her.

"Ah, get some of those cookies out of the jar, Klaudia. We'll need them for snacks" Ryza said to Klaudia.

…William exited the atelier thinking that this is a gladiatorial match instead of a spar, they seem to see this as an entertainment. Still, William is given the chance to fight with a veteran adventurer in direct combat. Because he's been fighting monsters ever since his arrival here, this should be a good measurement on how well he could fight in case he has to fight the humans here. After everyone gathered outside with cookies and tea being provided for the spectators, William and Lentz stood in front of one another, just around five meters apart. Tao stood near them; he'll be the referee for this sparing match. Lentz grabbed his greatsword and shouldered it as he warming himself up, William stood stoically as he grabbed his Siren Slayer and inspected it…the blade has deformed spots on the edge…He need to maintain it, maybe the blacksmith in town could help with their grindstone.

"This is a friendly spar between Lentz and William, to gauge one another's fighting abilities. There will be no hitting below the belt, eye poking or other similar cheap shots. The rule is simple, to defeat your opponents, you need to disarm him or cause him to fall on the ground. Since this is a friendly occasion, you are to hold back from seriously injuring your opponent. Any violation will immediately disqualify you and the opponent will be declared the winner. This will be a three rounds match, win twice in succession and you'll be the winner of this spar…Any questions?" Tao explained out loud before he asked them.

"Are attacks limited to our weapons?" William asked Tao.

"No, as long as you don't seriously hurt your opponent, you are allowed to use any valid form of combat. Whether it's your weapon, magic or your limbs, just don't perform an attack that could cripple permanently or life threatening" Tao said to William.

"Alright then" William said to Tao as he nodded.

"Got one as well, what if the opponent is knocked out?" Lentz asked Tao.

"You immediately win?" Tao said to Lentz in a bit of questioning tone.

"Okay, let's do this!" Lentz said out loud as he grinned.

"He doesn't plan to hold back in the slightest" William muttered to himself.

Lentz set up his fighting stance and William felt the need to intimidate him, psychological warfare is a thing as long as your opponents could feel. So, William twirled his large broadsword with his right hand for a second that it produced gust of wind which blew the leaves on the ground away. Lentz grinned even wider when he saw this, a complete opposite of what William expected. He then set his own stance, just like what Warspite taught him to do first. He'll do the basics, and then improvisation for the next round. Tao declared that the match begins and both combatants rushed each other, their blades clashed in the middle and both instantly knew each other's strength level. William is confident that he's the stronger one between them, but the immediate follow up attack solidified that Lentz has more refined technique. It's a simple fact that he has been using sword all his life, William relied on firearms for most of his military career and only started picking up sword technique recently. Both clashed their blades even more fervently, even the audience could feel the intensity of their attacks. After crossing swords for a bit with no clear winner, both separated from one another as they recover their form and strategize on their next move.

"You're pretty good" William commented.

"You ain't a half bad yourself!" Lentz said to William while he grinned.

It's clear that he can't disarm Lentz with the iron grip on his sword, he needs to knock him down. William sprinted forward with his sword at midswing, this caused Lentz moving toward him to parry the attack. However, instead of meeting Lentz's greatsword in full power, William let the blade made contact but loosen his strength so it gets moved by Lentz's blade strike. This caused Lentz to overswing his blade with William now inside his effective attack range and letting go of his broadsword, he managed to surprise the adventurer and it's his time to make full use of this advantage. William performed a triangle choke and bring Lentz down to the ground, effectively knocking the wind out of him before he stood up and back away from the fallen man. All of that happened in under five seconds that the audience are a bit dumbfounded, some didn't expect that move in the slightest. But to Lila, she fully expects William to try something like that ever since he asked Tao whether his weapon is the only thing he could use.

"Ugh, that was a nasty surprise" Lentz said to William as he got up.

"It was a gamble, but it paid off" William said to Lentz as he grabbed his broadsword and ready himself once again.

"You like it risky eh William?" Lentz asked William as he readied his weapon while he grinned.

"More than you think" William said to Lentz while he smirked.

"…I see, he might have the strength, but William is not above using tricks and deception in direct fight" Empel commented before he sipped his tea.

"What does that mean?" Klaudia asked Empel.

"It means he's a well-rounded fighter my dear, he doesn't rely on brute force alone" Kala said to Klaudia while she smiled.

"Well, he is a commander of the ship girls, hard to think they would pick someone without sufficient intelligent" Patricia said to Kala.

"Not just that, his fighting style shows his experience…But why would a commander need to be able to fight directly in the front? They gave orders from behind, no?" Kala wondered as she stared at William's form.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. The Sirens are even more relentless over there, they have ground army, not just ships and ship girls that we find on the world where we got transported back then" Ryza said to Kala while she frowned.

"That sounds terrible…" Serri said out loud while she frowned.

"A ground army you say? Hmm, then it makes even more sense why they would pick him as the leader of the ship girls. They will need a commander who can both strategize and handle himself in a fight" Kala said to Ryza.

CLANK!

Both of them crossed swords once again, but this time Lentz took a more careful approach as he is on the defensive. He gauged William attacks and concluded that speed is not really his main asset, but that sprint he did before he brought him down before said otherwise. Lentz could disarm him if he hits William's broadsword in correct angle, so he baited William to move by purposely showing a weak spot in his guard. But not only William didn't take it, he distanced himself from Lentz. William thought that Lentz is all about the brawns, but seems he's not stupid either, at least in a fight. William saw Lentz throwing his greatsword at him and he blocked it with his broadsword. But he is suddenly shocked, literally, as Lentz used his technique thunder blade to deal electric damage to him. Then, Lentz charged at him and kicked him down which caused William to lost the round.

"…Magic, should've known" William muttered to himself.

"You alright bud? That lightning isn't too strong, right?" Lentz asked William as he offered his hand to him.

"…Nah, I'm fine. Wasn't my first time getting shocked in a fight" William said to Lentz as he grabbed his hand and stood up with his help.

"If you say so then. But we ain't done yet here, we still got the final round to settle the winner" Lentz said to William as he grabbed his greatsword off the ground.

They set their stance, this time though, after staring at one another, both of them sighed before they dropped their blades. Then, they charged at each other with fist raised which connected in the middle with a loud thud. The audiences are surprised, they honestly thought they'll continue with the sword fight instead of a brawl. Both William and Lentz continued with their hand-to-hand combat, trading blows which are dodged, parried or perfectly blocked. Now it's a race to see who will get tired first, only then they could finish their opponents off. Unfortunately for Lentz, William is a male KANSEN species, a seasoned warrior with high combat record, a good form due to his training alongside routine and combat experience against Sirens and man alike. With his full arsenal and potential during a battle, he's a god of war. In straight hand to hand combat like this one, he's the apex predator.

"Hup!"

William found an opening, he caught Lentz's haymaker and performed a judo throw thus knocking him out of the fight, the man quickly put some distance as a natural reflex before he realized that his opponent is down on the ground. The red haired man groaned a bit before he kneeled on the ground while he rubbed his back, that throw really disorient him for a bit. William walked toward him and offered his hand; Lentz took it, got up and shook his hand while he smiled widely.

"I can see why you're the man in charge" Lentz said to William while he smiled.

"You're a formidable warrior, I can't afford to lower my guard in the slightest" William said to Lentz while he smiled.

"Glad I could make a veteran soldier sweat a bit!" Lentz said to William while he grinned.

"Yeah, that you do" William said to Lent before he walked to the front porch as he removed his helmet.

Face reveal at last, now Ryza's friends know how he looks like. The ladies immediately find him as a handsome man with herculean physique, a man that is quite blessed in physical aspect. William, Lentz and Tao joined the others on the porch. They have tea and cookies as they talked with one another, well, more like them talking and William listening in. He might be an anomaly that was sent here from another world, but it's really been a while ever since they meet up that they just can't help it. After they are done talking, the group left for the town where they will get some room on the nearby inn. William asked Ryza whether he should follow them and live in town, especially that now he's more familiar with this world. However, Ryza reminded him that he's currently working for her and she need him on call, it's better that he's nearby so there's no need for him to move out or anything…Tonight, Klaudia is staying with Ryza for a sleepover, she has a lot that she wants to talk with her given that she hasn't seen her for a while…and the fact that Klaudia is quite attached to her.

"…Looks like they're having quite a blast" William muttered when he heard Ryza laughing out loud.

"You don't want to participate, commander?" TB asked William.

"A man shouldn't intrude on a girl's talk, TB. The same can be said for the opposite, a woman shouldn't intrude on boy's talk" William said to TB.

"That is not the same case I have observed back on our base" TB said to William.

"Well, those are different story. They're not exactly girl's talk, and I'm sure they held private ones without me knowing" William said to TB as he looked at the table surface in front of him.

"I see...Commander, I have done a checkup on your armor. It would seem some parts have performance issues after continuous operation without maintenance" TB said to William.

"Elaborate on that one" William said to TB.

"The performance of servos on the joint parts are dropping, it is not as effective as it should be. I detected several system glitches after your armor was struck by lightning-based attack this afternoon, I am currently running corrections on your software in the background" TB informed William.

"…Suggested course of actions?" William asked TB, this isn't good.

"Try not to cause too much damage to your armor, commander. It would be wise to not use it unless it is quite important" TB said to William.

"What about you? I can't just leave you alone" William asked TB.

"You might want to use the combat goggles that Akashi made for you, if you cut off its ability to record, I should be able to inhabit its system and memory storage. With the goggles ability to recharge with solar energy, you should be able to have me on you even without your armor. However, I will not be able to talk to you audibly" TB explained to William.

"I'll take that chance. I can't afford to bust the armor…Hipper would chew me out when we return home" William said to TB as he summoned his googles, fortunately it's a sleek and stylish one.

It looks like William will have to make do without his advanced armor during this adventure, it might handicap him but he'll be able to experience the adventure in its rawest form as a normal man…well, as normal as what he is. William summoned his broadsword; he'll keep the guns stored in case of emergency and he need to rock and roll with modern firepower. Besides, it's not like they'll continue on after getting one item from an area. They have to return to the atelier to drop it off, then going into another area. So if the hostiles are too much, he could bring down the pain of modern warfare to those who opposed them. It would be faster to just split up? Easier said than done, the world is vast and coordination is important. It is actually more fun to travel around together, and William did say that while he wants to return, he's not going to be so pushy about it that they have to go without rest. Especially after Ryza said that she might be able to return him to the time just after he disappear in that world, but it will require a unique component that mimics Siren computer and him remembering the event before he got transported here.

"…Well, I just hope that this will work" William said to TB.

"If it's not?" TB asked William.

"…I don't want it to happen, but that means staying here until I die…I don't want that" William said to TB while he frowned.

William stood up and head for Ryza's room, the man knocked on the door to give them a heads up before he opened the door. There on the bed are Ryza and Klaudia, both in their night gown as they talked about something. Ryza and Klaudia is talking about them possibly visiting William's world, they discussed the danger and the potential for the adventure over there. Klaudia did warn Ryza that their world is at an endless war with even deadlier Sirens than the ones they encountered, but she agreed that they could come to some sort of arrangement if its only temporary. The real question here is whether the portal she'll create could work more than once, and if it works, they need to build another one on William's world if they want a way home. Both are in the middle of imagining the progress when they heard the knocking on the door, that before William enter the room and explain what's going on with his armor.

"Ah, we need to get you adventuring gear then! Maybe some armor and weapon for you" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"I have my blade, but I'd like to have something that's widely available in this world…Maybe bow and arrows?" William said to Ryza.

"Oh, that could be arranged. Have you any experience with bows, Mr. William?" Klaudia asked William.

"Unfortunately, minimum. I know how to shoot, but I'm not good enough to hit anything too far yet" William said to Klaudia while he frowned.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you how, I'm something of an archer myself" Klaudia said to William while she smiled.

"Thank you. That being said, I definitely need the money to purchase some gear. Can I borrow some from you?" William asked Ryza as he rubbed his nape.

"Sure sure, how much do you think you need?" Ryza asked William.

"Uh…I have no idea" William said to Ryza while he shrugged.

"What kind of armor do you think of purchasing, Mr. William?" Klaudia asked William.

"Leather might be good, something easy to move in" William said to Klaudia.

"Eh? You don't want something like full plate armor?" Klaudia asked William as she widened her eyes.

"Um, my fighting style prefers speed and raw power than defense. My body might be big, but I was trained to fight enemies quickly with certain kill hits, and stealth" William said to Klaudia.

"Hmm…In that case, you might want leather armor with extra padding. The bow will certainly serve you well if you attempt stealth or long range fight, and…you might benefit from other miscellaneous tools" Klaudia said to William in serious tone.

"T-There's the merchant's daughter side…" Ryza commented as she smiled wryly.

"Alright, I'm convinced. Can you accompany me tomorrow?" William asked Klaudia.

"A-Are you asking her on a date!?" Ryza asked William as her eyes widened.

"Ryza! Mou!" Klaudia said to Ryza as she pouted and her cheeks reddening.

"Hahahaha! Well, Klaudia and I only met today. Maybe after knowing each other a bit more?" William said to Ryza and Klaudia while he smirked.

"E-E-Eh?! Y-You want to go on a date? With me?" Klaudia asked William as her eyes widened.

"Sure, what's the harm?" William asked Klaudia.

"I-I'll think about it…" Klaudia said to William as she averted her gaze.

"Right then, got to change out of my armor too" William said out loud as he removed his helmet.

"Eh?! Right here!?" Klaudia asked William as her cheeks reddened even further.

"You can watch if you want to" William said to Klaudia while he grinned.

"N-N-No! That's shameless! Change outside!" Klaudia said to William while she frowned.

"Hahahaha! I'm kidding, don't worry! You're quite fun to mess with, Klaudia" William said to Klaudia as he grabbed his clothes and walked out of the room before closing the door.

"…Hah, I didn't expect him to be a tease" Klaudia said to Ryza after she sighed.

"There goes the eye candy" Ryza said to Klaudia.

"Huh? W-Wait, Ryza, what's gotten into you!?" Klaudia asked Ryza as her eyes widened.

"Ahahahahahaha! He's right! You really are easy to tease Klaudia!" Ryza said to Klaudia after she laughed merrily.

"You meanie!" Klaudia said to Ryza while she pouted.

…The next day, Klaudia and William who dressed casually in white shirt, brown pants, leather shoes while wearing his robe and goggles, walked to the nearby town to purchase the necessary gear. With the budget given to William though, he can't afford expensive stuff just yet. Klaudia guided him through the market, eyeing and negotiating with vendors on the stuff they need to buy. William heard from Ryza that Klaudia is the daughter of a successful merchant, she really knows what she's doing so William could trust her judgement. After going through a few shops, they arrived at a particular one near the corner that sells gear for adventures or mercenaries. Both of them entered the shop and is greeted by the owner, he's a buff old man who stood behind the counter. When his eyes caught William in his sight, he immediately widened his eye.

"…Young man, may I see the blade on your back?" The old man asked William.

"Sure" William undo the strap before he handed the Siren Slayer to him who has difficulty holding it from the weight.

"Hm! Such a high class craftmanship! This blade is made from combining different metals into one, the technique must be quite refined since this couldn't be made with just hands…Where are you from, young man?" The old man asked William.

"Out of this world" William cheekily responded to him while he smirked.

"Hmph! I might just believe you with a weapon this good. I see the edges are bent from overuse, want me to fix it up?" The old man asked William.

"Sounds good" William said to the old man.

"Wonderful. It's a rare chance to work on a weapon this good" The old man said to William as he walked to the grind stone near the corner.

"Oh, we also want to ask whether you have leather armor suited for him, sir" Klaudia said to the old man.

"A man as big as him? You'll find better luck scavenging some Living Armor than finding one that will suit him" The old man said to Klaudia.

"Basically, you don't have them" Klaudia said to the old man with half closed eyes.

"Exactly…But still, leather armor is more workable compared to plating so I might be able to do custom order. If you want to" The old man said to Klaudia.

"How much does it cost?" Klaudia asked the old man.

"1200 cole" The old man said to Klaudia.

"Common leather armor is around 900 cole though" Klaudia said to the old man as she folded her arms.

"Custom, my dear. The added leather and refitting would cost that much, not to mention the service price" The old man said to Klaudia as he grinded William's sword.

"Right, but can't you lower the price? Just slightly?" Klaudia asked the old man while she smiled.

"…I'll give you 1100 cole, how's that?" The old man asked Klaudia back.

"How about 1000? In addition to that, we're looking to purchase a bow and a quiver for its arrows. So, totaling all of that, can we settle the price around 2000 cole?" Klaudia asked the old man while she smiled.

"…Where did you get a wife like her, young man? She knows how to drive bargain" The old man asked William with grim face.

"Found her falling from heaven, quite a mighty catch for an angel, don't you think?" William said to the old man while he grinned.

"W-W-W-William!" Klaudia said to William as her face reddened.

"Bahahahahaha! A young man with a sense of humor, I can appreciate that! Dearie, don't let him go, he's a keeper" The old man said to Klaudia after he laughed out loud.

"H-He's not my husband…" Klaudia said to the old man while she pouted.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go make him one already!" The old man said to Klaudia.

"It's not that simple, old man!" Klaudia said to the old man while she frowned.

"Yeah, true that…Just don't regret your decision, whatever it is later" The old man said to Klaudia in somber tone.

"You're quite wise for someone your age huh?" William asked the old man as he folded his arms.

"I'll let that wisecrack slide for now, because you're bringing in good business" The old man said to William.

After some time passed, the old man is done sharpening William's blade. The man held it up as he inspected his weapon, which is also gleaming from the fresh polish. The old man then talked to Klaudia as they go over to the bow section so Klaudia could choose which one will suit William the best, they discussed for some time before Klaudia picked up a longbow and beckoned William over. He approached them and Klaudia told him to hold the bow, to pull the strings and to get a feel on his hands. The bow is light by his strength standard, but the needed strength to draw the string is perfect. It's not too light and not too heavy, he could do a full draw without having to exert full power. Not to mention, the size suit him quite well. William chose the bow, the old man then brought the bow, quiver and some arrows. He put everything in the counter and William paid for the gear, the old man counted the money and then write him some kind of slip note which he handed to William.

"Come back in three days, I should have finished with the armor by then" The old man said to William.

"Got it, looking forward to it" William said to the old man while he smiled.

"If I'm not here, just tell whoever's manning this counter that you're here for Alan" The old man said to William.

"Alan huh? Nice to meet you" William said to Alan while he smiled.

"Aye, tell me how those gears go in battle when you visit in the future" Alan said to William.

"For sure" Wiliam said to Alan as he and Klaudia exited the store.

"…We got a good bargain" Klaudia said to William while she smiled.

"Thanks to you, Klaudia. You really are quite good at haggling" William said to Klaudia while he smiled.

"Fufu, you're welcome. Now, let's head back to Ryza's atelier and get you ready for some shooting lesson" Klaudia said to William while she smiled.

"That eager to teach me huh?" William asked Klaudia while he smiled.

"I was the only archer when we were adventuring back then, so it'll be great if another archer could join us" Klaudia said to William while she smiled slightly.

"Well, I'm still not a full-time archer, and I can't use magic like you" William said to Klaudia while he shrugged.

"Fufu, it's enough that I have someone to relate to when it comes to archery...You fight with guns, aren't you? Then archery shouldn't be too hard for you to learn" Klaudia said to William.

"I've practiced with Enterprise's bow several times, so I generally know what to do" William said to Klaudia.

"Oh good! We can skip the basics then. Let's focus on timing alongside getting you used to the draw power" Klaudia said to William while she smiled.

They returned to the atelier, both William and Klaudia then converged in the backyard with targets being set up hanging on a nearby tree. William practiced his archery skill, having quite a difficult time adjusting the arrow's velocity since its completely different from a bullet. Klaudia gave him pointers as she watched over him, like telling William to carefully mind his timing. Once he managed to hit the moving target consistently, Klaudia told him to quicken his timing so he could fire even more faster and more accurately. It's the matter of getting used to the movement, William needs his body to memorize the movement so he could shoot his bow like a second nature. Lila came and watched from the side while she folded her arms, she focused her gazes on the man before her. William sensed he's being stared at so he turned to the side and cocked his eyebrows in wonder, seems Lila want to talk to him or something.

"…Anything I can help you with, Ms. Lila?" William asked Lila.

"I was wondering on the glasses you have on your eyes" Lila said to William.

"Oh, this are the rudimentary replacement for what I usually see within my helmet" William said to Lila.

"Do you really need that to fight?" Lila asked William.

"Not really, why do you ask?" William asked Lila before he glanced at Klaudia who's inspecting the arrows that are lodged on the targets.

"I see. I'm a bit concerned that it could be a weakness of sort" Lila said to William.

"Oh, don't worry, my weakness is simpler than that" William said to Lila while he smiled.

"Huh? Simpler? Let me guess, women" Klaudia said to William with her eyes half closed.

"Haha! That one depends. But no, not that" William said to Klaudia while he grinned.

"Hmm? What else could tempt a man? If I remember, its power, money and women" Klaudia said to William as she rubbed her chin.

"Not to brag, but back there, I have all of those. You wonder why I haven't turn evil yet?" William asked Klaudia while he grinned.

"Yeah, how?" Klaudia asked William.

"Beats me. Well, I don't consider myself as the poster boy of good morals, I've done things that could be considered evil as well…But my goal has always been the survival of my world" William said to Klaudia as he looked up the sky.

"…One will wave side to side while threading the line between goodness and evil, we all have that choice in the end. What determined our quality as individuals is the ability to choose them, according to the situation" Lila said out loud.

"That's quite profound, Ms. Lila" Klaudia said to Lila while she smiled.

"True, and how far does one go with their chosen path…Well, I let you in on something then. If you want to be on my good side, I always appreciate a delicious food" William said to Lila and Klaudia.

"…Food?" Klaudia wondered as she cocked her eyebrows.

"You love to eat? I can relate with that one" Lila said to William.

"Hoho, how about a dinner with me tonight?" William asked Lila while he grinned.

"…You playboy" Klaudia said to William while she pouted.

"Oh, that was painful accusation! I just happen to find someone who has love for eating, it's only natural to ask her for dinner!" William said to Klaudia while he smiled wryly.

"Let me ask you something, William. Do you love meat?" Lila asked William.

"I love them with all my heart" William said to Lila while he grinned.

"Excellent, then maybe we should get some for tonight's dinner" Lila said to William.

"We're hunting now?" William asked Lila while he folded his arms.

"Well…It could be a good training for you" Klaudia said to William.

"What says you, William?" Lila asked William.

"Let's go. Though, it's quite the expectation for tonight's dinner" William said out loud.

"Don't worry, we will help you out. Let's get the necessary tools and head out to the forest" Lila said to William.

They entered the atelier and grabbed some stuff they will need for hunting, when Ryza found out, she wants to go with them. So that's how William ends up in the company of four women as he treks through the forest, all of them are on alert for Howling Beast, their hunting target. Based on Lira's description, it's basically a wolf like creature. William is kind of worried that the meat from predators wouldn't taste too good, but Lira reassured him that it's hard to mess up when cooking them, with the exception of some people…After going a bit deeper into the woods, they stumbled upon a pack. William hid behind the bush with the others, he drawn his bow and aimed toward the one of the beasts. Then he let his arrow fly, hitting his target in the torso and causing the others to turn hostile. Before they could attack though, Ryza scared them off with a blinding spell of sorts. All that remains in front of them is a dead beast due to blood loss, Lila and William immediately get to work in disassembling it for useful parts. As they work, William couldn't help but noticed that Lila is quite skillful in butchering the creature.

"…You're doing this often, Ms. Lila?" William asked Lila.

"Used to, I traveled a lot" Lila said to William.

"How about nowadays?" William asked Lila.

"I still travel around, mostly with Empel. But nowadays, with him picking up Alchemy again, he's looking to settle down permanently, to open his own place…There are times I travel alone without him" Lila said to William.

"…You fancy him huh" William said to Lila as he stared at her.

"…I don't know" Lila said to William after she looked at Ryza and Klaudia staring to another direction and a bit far from them.

"What do you mean?" William asked Lila while he cocked his eyebrows.

"…He saved my life, I'm forever grateful to him…But…" Lila said to William.

"So, you're confused. You better make it clear then; it feels good to not have doubts" William said to Lila.

"…No" Lila said to William.

"…I heard Oren is a long living race. Last I check, Empel is a human…You will regret it if you didn't say anything" William said to Lila.

"And changing things between us…No…I think I already changed somewhat…Everyone could see that I have feelings for him, and I deny it for too long…Maybe that's why I could speak it to you despite knowing each other very recently" Lila said to William as she wrapped the meats they collected.

"This kind of things are best to talk with a stranger, Ms. Lila" William said to Lila.

"I suppose…I'll think about it further later" Lila said to William.

"Don't worry, if you get rejected, I'll accompany you out in a drinking and food binge to drown your sorrow" William said to Lila while he smiled.

"Isn't this the time when you should be encouraging me?" Lila asked William as she looked at him.

"Encouragement only works after you know the real stake, otherwise it's just a dumb and naive baseless optimism" William said to Lila.

"…I can see that…Okay, we are done here" Lila said to William.

"Ryza, Klaudia, we're done! Let's head back!" William said to Ryza and Klaudia.

"Okay!" Ryza said to William.

After returning to the atelier, they immediately started on cooking. They all work together for tonight's dinner, Lila, Klaudia and Ryza worked on dinner while William is tasked to head to the town then get their friends to come for dinner. Empel is researching in his inn room, the same could be said for Tao, Lentz is lollygagging near the market, Patricia lounged around in the park while Serri and Kala are gathering herbs outside. It's not easy locating them but he managed to relay the message, and that's all that matters. Nightfall quickly came, and everyone gathered around the dinner table, enjoying a feast as they talked with each other. Not just food, but alcohol is also available for all of them. Slowly, one by one become intoxicated and tired so they opted to rest or sleep. Ryza's bed is claimed by her, Klaudia and Patricia, Serri fell asleep on the couch inside Ryza's room. Tao sprawled on the sofa with Lentz fell asleep while leaning on the spot near his legs, both had too much drinking. Empel is still sober and he chose to return to the inn, he want to continue with his research. Lila accompanied him, she has something she needs to do after all. William walked outside the atelier for fresh air, and he found a petite woman sitting on the bench porch with a glass of wine in her hands.

"…Ah, William, I see alcohol hasn't defeat you yet" Kala said to William while she smiled.

"Same could be said to you" William said to Kala while he smiled.

"Small body doesn't mean weak tolerance, my dear" Kala said to William while she smiled a bit.

"Yup…Don't you feel chilly?" William asked Kala as he sat next to her.

"Too hot from drinking, I find the night air to be perfectly soothing" Kala said to William.

"If you say so, just don't catch cold later" William said to Kala.

"I leave that to future me…So, William, I have heard of many things from Ryza regarding your world. But I still don't know about one thing that I'm quite curious about, why would the Sirens use so much power just to wage war on your world?" Kala asked William.

"…I don't know exactly why, but I do know why they come" William said to Kala while he frowned.

"Interesting, when I'm on the other side, I never knew exactly why would they do it. Could you enlighten me?" Kala asked William.

"…The humans on that world, in general universe where we reside, they all have grown so much. Our civilization flourished due to our advanced technology; most people could live in relative safety. Can you believe that before the war broke out, there's estimated ten billion humans living over there? That's how many we are, and that's only possible because of the advancement we've made over the course of hundreds of years…But that came at a price. We rapidly drain our resources, we are slowly killing our planet by destroying ecosystem, our technologies produced waste that alters our environment, the greed of some people caused much suffering to another, the degeneration of our culture and society. All of that? Is culminated by endless wars, small or global scale…Some said that we are a societal and warlike race, death and destruction is a natural part of our life" William said to Kala while he frowned slightly.

"How does Siren arrival change that?" Kala asked William.

"Oh, it's a miracle drug…While some greedy people are still in charge, and the wasteful and harmful technology we use are so widespread that we can't replace them with better ones quick enough. The Sirens are like gardener coming in to take care an overgrown and messy garden. Our population plummeted from the constant war, people live in fear of being attacked next, cities turned into fortresses, major wars between humans stopped in effort to concentrate our strength against the Sirens, and it reveals to the world on who to entrust the future of humanity with…The Sirens could do it until the end of time, they are very powerful, with unyielding bastions and unlimited numbers that they could bury our entire civilization ten times over without so much breaking a sweat…Yet they choose to save us, by humbling us and make our current way of living changes for the better" William said to Kala.

"…Unexpected. They are your enemy, aren't they? Then how come you sound almost like you're…fine with what they are doing to your people?" Kala asked William as she narrowed her gaze.

"Because in a sense, I believe in their end goals. I work hard to save as many as I could, but I know all of those death and carnage are necessary for us to survive and rebuild…I've spoken to them, The Sirens don't want to wipe us all out. They do, however, want to be entertained while doing their experiments on us and that's where we fighting them back comes in. If we chose to submit to them, then we're all going to be annihilated. The only way to survive is to keep fighting, until the Sirens consider we suffer enough" William said to Kala while he frowned slightly.

"They toyed with an entire civilization, as if they're gods" Kala said to William as she stared at her glass filled with wine.

"In a sense, they are one. Which is why my entire world is currently at an endless war state" William said to Kala.

"And you want to return? Why not just bring the people you cared about here? This world, despite its problems, are a lot more peaceful" Kala asked William while she frowned a bit.

"It's a sense of responsibility…I don't know about anyone else, but to me? I was given the strength and power to fight against them. My actions could turn the tide of battle, save people and some said inspired hope for those who fights for peace. But take all of that away, I still have people I care about stuck there, and they want to do whatever they can to fight back…I can't leave them behind like that. If all hope is lost, only then we might evacuate here" William said to Kala while he smiled somberly.

"You have the marking of a great leader, William. It is no wonder they chose you…But take heed, young man. You need to be able to see when things are unsalvageable, it is better to start anew by then. Home is not just a place; home is also where the people who accept you and care for you resides. While home could be rebuilt million times over, the same can't be said to the people. Cherish them, care for them and be true to them. Wherever you go, as long as those people are with you, your home will always be there" Kala said to William while she smiled.

"…You are very wise, Ms. Kala…Don't hit me for this, but how old are you exactly?" William asked Kala while he smiled.

"I won't hit you, but that is still rude…Fufu, though I am old enough, let's keep it that way" Kala said to William while she smiled.

"Fair. You certainly looked youthful though, how many suitors you have?" William asked Kala.

"Ahaha, many have tried to woo me. So far, they all failed, they bore me, you see" Kala said to William while she smiled slightly.

"I see. What is it that you find entertaining?" William asked Kala while he smiled.

"It'll be too easy if I tell you. Why don't you stick around and find out, hmm?" Kala said to William while she smirked a bit.

William snorted before he continued his talk with Kala, both of them sitting on the bench porch in the middle of the night with glass of alcohol in their hands. Kala is really an old lady despite her looks, she's really wise and has a lot of experience in life. William could talk about deep topics with her, like how he discussed human nature, politics, society and even culture. William even started to open up with her regarding his problems back home, the problem with the ship girls, the burden of expectation, managing a lot of things and even the burnout he feels from the constant war. He told her that in a sense, being here is like a vacation, to relax for a bit, maybe that zapping is either a blessing in disguise or someone mess with him directly. Kala talked about her experiences, the interesting artifacts she came across, the cuisine she tasted and even her experience on the other Azur Lane world. They kept going until early morning, where both of them decided to go back inside and sleep.

.

"And that's the proper way in dealing with the Living Armors" Patricia said to William who listened to her while he sat on a rock.

"Hmm, I see. You sure know a lot, Ms. Patricia" William said to Patricia while he smiled.

"W-Well, I learned a lot and have the best tutor after all…" Patricia said to William while she smiled as her cheeks reddened.

"Tao huh?" William commented while he smiled.

"Yes…What's with that look?" Patricia asked William who gazed at her while he smirked.

"How far you two have gone to?" William asked Patricia while he smirked.

"Huh?! We're not even dating in the first place…" Patricia said to William before she sulked near the end.

"Honestly speaking, Tao is quite dense. How can he remain indifferent with a cute girl like you crushing him this obviously?" William said to Patricia.

"Cute!? N-no, h-he's just too absorbed in his study, that's all!" Patricia said to William while she pouted.

"And he basically sidelined you for years" William said to Patricia while he shrugged, she's in denial.

"…Yeah…" Patricia said to William as her shoulder sagged.

"…Maybe he's a late bloomer" William said to Patricia.

"Maybe…" Patricia said to William.

A party consisted of William, Ryza, Patricia, Tao and Serri are currently setting up camp near the river. They are in the middle of a quest to obtain the metals for William's portal, it can be found on the mountain region so that's where they are heading. With the tents are pitched, William took the time to speak with Patricia, to get to know the girl since he barely interacts with her. The same could be said to Serri, but she's currently a bit busy scouring the nearby woods for some plants. From their talks, William could conclude that Patricia is a bit sheltered, but she has confidence and kind heart. For an aristocrat, she's not as stuck up as the majority does. The same could be said to Klaudia, so these people that gather around Ryza are really good natured…William and Patricia talked a lot, but the topic naturally shifted to her crush that hasn't requited her feelings. William could see her stares toward her tutor, they are full of affection…but sadly, the man doesn't notice. Or he did, but he's willingly ignoring it.

"…Mr. William, say you put yourself in his shoe…What would you do?" Patricia asked William.

"I at least would take you out on a date, see whether I'm compatible with you or not. Depending on how it goes, I'll decide my response based on my experience" William said to Patricia.

"You are more decisive and less dense, Mr. William" Patricia said to William while she smiled.

"I might not be the smartest tool in the shed, but not noticing someone's feelings is not one of them" William said to Patricia while he smiled.

"Have you ever made an error while doing so?" Patricia asked William.

"Well, I did once when I was your age. I thought my father was brooding all day because of him getting assignment which is quite nonsensical, but it turns out he just has stomachache. I spent an entire day figuring out how to cheer him up which turns out easily solvable by giving him medicine" William said to Patricia while he smiled wryly.

"Why didn't he take one himself?" Patricia asked William as her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"He was that kind of hard military man, small discomfort like that doesn't really need medicine according to him" William said to Patricia.

"…Was?" Patricia asked William as she frowned.

"Yeah, he died due to suffering a grave illness from his last mission…He was around sixty, still an active frontline leader at the time…I was beside him as he passed away" William said to Patricia as he stared up into the orange sky.

"Oh…What kind of man is he?" Patricia asked William as she frowned.

"Hmm, Philosophic Warrior might suit him best. Aside from being a soldier, he's also a man who dabbled in philosophy. He taught me a lot of wisdom, he's essentially the reason I'm the man I am today…I miss him, but I know that I at least made use of my time with him to the fullest…" William said to Patricia while he smiled.

"He sounds like a lovely father…Mine's only become one recently, he used to be so overprotective of me…He's the one who forbids me from having any relations with my tutor once he realized that I have feelings for him…" Patricia said to William.

"Well, I kind of not surprised by that. Your father only wants the best for you, even though he's kind of blinded by it for a while. It's a proof that he truly loves you as his daughter, he's just misguided" William said to Patricia while he smiled.

"Yeah, I realized that. We have more cordial relations than ever now, thanks to Ryza helping me with my confidence issue in the past…I just wish the same happens to this one guy…" Patricia said to William while she frowned near the end.

"Why don't you try to convey your feelings?" William asked Patricia.

"You think I haven't tried? I went through a lot of things to make sure his job remains intact when he was fired because I like him, I even hugged him after resolving the issue. And all I get from that is his confusion about him being fired in the first place and friend zoned for years! Hah! Sorry, I…got a bit emotional there" Patricia said to William while she scowled before she sighed and apologized.

"It's fine, frustration is a part of life…I might sound cruel for saying this, but have you considered moving on?" William asked Patricia.

"M-My feelings won't change so easily; I can't just move on…" Patricia said to William while she frowned.

"Yeah, true, but you might want to start considering it. The choice is either that or confess, otherwise there won't be any progress" William said to Patricia.

"…I'll think about it" Patricia said to William while she pouted.

"Oh, William! We're about to start dinner, can you pick up Serri? She's heading west to pick herbs" Tao appeared and said to William, causing Patricia to jump in her seat.

"Alright then, talk to you later, Patricia" William said to Tao then Patricia before he walked away.

"Yes, later Mr. William" Patricia said to William while she smiled nervously.

…William walked to the west while thinking whether Tao overheard the whole conversation between them, maybe that could be the push he need to say something. But still, he realized that Lila and Patricia are the two women with obvious feelings for the boys within their circle. All of them has one glaring weakness, which is keeping quiet so there's nothing happening. Somehow, William managed to persuade them to think about it more seriously. Like, they really don't have problems talking about this to a stranger like him, especially Lila who's quite stoic…But maybe that's caused by them reaching their tipping point, from running out of patience from all these years bottling it up. Ryza, Klaudia or Serri didn't seems to press further into it, which might be the cause of them tolerating the situation a bit longer than necessary. It doesn't help that they have their own paths to walk to, so not all of them could gather and talk about it. William walked deeper into the forest on the west direction, his goggles kept scanning for Serri's presence. He found traces of plants being uprooted or harvested, maybe he should follow the trail.

When it comes to Serri, the man hasn't talk much with her other than few back-and-forth conversations when needed to. Other than being quite focused in her quest for seeds, she's not the generally talkative person. Still, she's friendly and kind enough that one wouldn't feel put off by her obsession from time to time. Yesterday, William asked Ryza regarding Serri since she's the one he hasn't talk to privately, because she kept going off on her own to forage in the woods every time they made camp. Ryza explained that her homeland in the underworld was utterly destroyed by an alchemist, she harbors strong dislike of them until she met Ryza, nowadays she could tolerate them because not every alchemist are assholes lusting for knowledge and power. She's an Oren from Green Plume Clan, different from Lila who's from White Fang and Kala who's the chief of the Wave Turner Clan. She prefers to not eat vegetables, and her quest is to restore her home by rejuvenating it with the help of special plants that could do it. So far? No luck, which is why she still travels around. Still, nowadays she has been seeking a place for a research outpost or something. She wants to gather the seeds from all over the world and grow them to see which one could help her best, safe to say, she's an excellent botanist.

"William" The man suddenly heard a soft voice calling his name and caused him to jumped as he turned around.

"O-Oh! You spooked me a bit, Serri…Where have you been?" William asked Serri.

"You passed me just now; it seems you are quite distracted" Serri said to William.

"Yeah, tend to do that on occasion. Anyway, we're going to have dinner soon, we should head back" William said to Serri while he smiled a bit.

"I see, please wait a bit" Serri said to William as she walked to a spot beneath a big tree and crouched.

"…What are you doing?" William asked Serri as he stood behind her.

"I'm studying this plant. It has potential if I crossbreed it with another one, but I'm not sure whether it could work or not…They are cousin species to a plant I've studied in the past, maybe they could combine together and produced stronger effect when used to rejuvenate the ecosystem around them" Serri said to William as she snipped a leaf and stored it inside a vial.

"I heard that your home was destroyed by an alchemist" William said to Serri.

"Destroyed? In a sense, yes…My home is no longer what it used to be…Even now, I'm searching for a way to return its original beauty" Serri said to William.

"…Think it's possible?" William asked Serri.

"Of course, it will take a long time but it's not impossible" Serri said to William with serious face.

"…Well, I'm rooting for you, Serri. I'm sure that you'll be able to do that one day" William said to Serri while he smiled.

"Thank you…I don't know when it will happen or whether I will live to see it, but I will restore my home one day" Serri said to William.

"Yeah…Anyway, let's head back, we're having dinner" William said to Serri.

"Sure, thank you for finding me" Serri said to William as she walked with him.

"Ah, no need. I came because Tao asked me to" William said to Serri.

"Still…I can get quite lost in my own world, that I forget about doing anything else" Serri said to William while her lips curled downward slightly.

"You're quite dedicated" William said to Serri.

"…Some called it obsession" Serri said to William.

"Well, that's another way putting it…Do they belittle your dreams, Serri?" William asked Serri.

"Some did, some don't…Just like the alchemists, some sought power without consequences, some want to help people out as they pursue knowledge…I do know who to associate myself with" Serri said to William.

"To be honest, I don't know what the alchemists end goals are. What do they want to achieve? What do they want to do? Is it to create something amazing? Or do they want to find all of this world's secret, to understand them?" William asked out loud.

"I think each alchemist has their own motivations and goals. Empel has one, Ryza has one…We are different in many ways, but each of us got something to work our hardest for, a dream to fulfill…What are yours, William?" Serri asked William.

"My dream, huh…I guess you can call it a return to peaceful times, but that's a lie…I don't think true peace will exist, so I think the better one is to have the Sirens stop meddling with our affairs, when they are done with us" William said to Serri.

"You wish for the war on your world to end" Serri said to William.

"Naturally…It's just that, I know once the Sirens are gone, we'll aim our weapons at one another sooner or later…So I'm in a bit of dilemma" William said to Serri while he frowned.

"…You want the Sirens to continue what they are doing, so humanity has reasons to not fight amongst themselves" Serri said to William while she nodded.

"You can put it like that, yeah…But, even with the Sirens threatening our very survival, some still fight one another…" William said to Serri while he frowned.

"…It seems, your dreams are impossible to fulfill" Serri said to William while she frowned slightly.

"For this one, yeah…But I have another" William said to Serri.

"Another?" Serri asked William.

"…I want my family to weather through the storm, so they could at least see a world without the constant threat of war with the Sirens…It's a long dream, but that's what keeps me going" William said to Serri while he smiled a bit.

"It's a good dream to have, William" Serri said to William while she smiled.

"Yeah…I hope both of us can see them become reality" William said to Serri while he smiled.

"Yes" Serri said to William while she nodded.

Both of them arrived on the camp they've set up, and William is quite surprised that they haven't started the fire yet. William then went back into the woods, chopped some branches off and picked up twigs alongside dry grass. He piled them on the center of the camp, then he used a matchstick to ignited the dry grass. He blew on the grass to jumpstart the fire, when it grows big enough, he piled the twigs on it properly before putting the branches he collected once the fire got bigger. Once the fire is going, Ryza placed the cooking pot filled with stew on top of the fire with a pyramid shaped quadpod holding it in place. That way, the pot won't have to sit inside the fire. Ryza also caught some fish from the nearby river, she and Serri worked by gutting the fish before skewering it with sharpened sticks and grilled them by the fire. Once they get everything in order, they waited for their food to cooked properly and then they have dinner around the fire. The sky is clear, the stars are scattered above them and the moon shined brightly. It is a perfect night to camp outside, something William appreciated since it's really been a while since he could just admire the nature without having to be on edge for ambush.

"…Hey" William is staring at the night sky when he heard Ryza greeted him as she sat next to him.

"Oh hey" William said to Ryza as he looked towards her.

"Can't sleep?" Ryza asked William.

"Nah, just want to enjoy the view. How about you?" William asked Ryza.

"It gets a bit hot inside the tent, I don't know how Serri and Patty sleeps so well with boiling tent like that" Ryza said to William while she frowned.

"Maybe they're tired, it was a long trek to this spot after all" William said to Ryza, the plateau they're on was quite difficult to traverse.

"Yeah…You know, I saw you talking to Patricia. What were you guys talked about?" Ryza asked William.

"Oh she just tutored me on a few things, that and I talked about some other stuffs" William said to Ryza.

"Such as?" Ryza asked William further.

"Family, romance" William said to Ryza.

"Ah…Patty still hasn't said anything to Tao huh…" Ryza commented while she frowned a bit.

"You knew?" William asked Ryza.

"Of course, it was as clear as day…Maybe we should give them a push or something" Ryza said to William.

"Won't work if we don't know Tao's feelings for her. We shouldn't meddle and cause him to accept her confession out of pressure or anything" William said to Ryza.

"Aren't you a bit paranoid?" Ryza asked William while she pouted.

"Believe it or not, its warranted. You'll see how a relationship would alter a lot of things within a circle, especially if that relationship is broken in the future" William said to Ryza while he frowned slightly.

Ryza thought on his words while William added a few more thick branches of wood into the fire, he poked and set the branches so it will thoroughly burn. By estimates, the fire should last for another hour or two so he shouldn't worry about stargazing with the cold night air enveloping him…William haven't heard anything from Ryza so he glanced to the right, the woman is still thinking about what he said as she gazed into the fire. To make sure Ryza isn't completely out of it for long, William poured some tea for Ryza and offered the wooden mug to her face. That did bring her out of her own musings, she accepted the mug while muttering a quiet thank you and sipped on the tea. William poured some to a mug for himself, his British blood demands some evening tea.

"…You're right, William. It can change a lot of things" Ryza said to William after she sipped her drink.

"They're not necessarily bad changes, but it can't hurt to prepare. I even told Patricia to move on from him, if she still doesn't see him returning her hints or anything" William said to Ryza.

"That might be for the best" Ryza said to William.

"What about you? Anyone special?" William asked Ryza while he grinned.

"Nah, I don't have one" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"Are you not really interested in dating?" William asked Ryza.

"…Well, it's not like I don't care. It's just that alchemy took up most of my attention…I also don't feel that kind of attraction to the boys around me, even for two of my childhood friends" Ryza said to William while she frowned a bit.

"…So you like women" William said to Ryza.

"What, no! I totally like men!" Ryza said to William as her cheeks reddened.

"I see…Sorry, I don't mean to pry but I remembered your mother's words back then, that you're on your prime but staying single" William said to Ryza.

"Hah, she doesn't understand that it's not so simple. I can't just fall in love so suddenly; feelings don't work like that. Even if I create love potion or something, it's not going to be genuine since the feelings would just go away the moment the potion wears off…Hey, is it wrong to be like me?" Ryza asked William while she frowned.

"You want me to be blunt?" William asked Ryza in return.

"…Sure, hit me" Ryza said to William while she frowned.

"…In the end, it's your choice. But here's the thing Ryza, the older you get, the harder it is to start a family…Back in my world, in the cities, most women focused themselves on their career or occupation. They spent their youth chasing their chance of good career, and in the end? When they are satisfied or before they know it, they got older. Not many men want older women who focused themselves on their careers, most wanting the younger ladies who still has their youth. And even if they somehow found a man who's willing to be with them, starting a family at the age above thirty five is quite hard to do. Why? Women could still get pregnant before their menopause, sure, but that doesn't mean it would be easy to conceive a child above that age for most women…if you want to start a family, the difficulty window is easier the younger you are and that's why a lot of those ladies regret it in the end, regret their choices and become bitter about everything…Do you want that? What does your heart really want, Ryza?" William explained then asked Ryza.

What does she really want? Does she really want to remain alone until the day she died? Yes, she might be a great alchemist by then, who has extensive understanding of her expertise…But will she truly be alone if she kept pursuing alchemy without regards of anything else? Her parents won't be around forever, and they sure would like to have a grandkid or two…Even if she doesn't have a family of her own, she still has her friends…But, will things remain the same in the next fifty years? Ryza is sure that Lila, Serri and Kala won't change that much, but what about her human friends? When that time comes, they'll be old, they will no longer able to go on an adventure like they do now. Ryza would have to request someone to fetch things for her, no way she could get in combat when she's basically a grandma…

"…You have a point…What do you suggest I do?" Ryza asked William while she stared into the night sky.

"Being an alchemist doesn't mean focusing entirely upon it, right?" William asked Ryza.

"Yeah, you can't exactly spend every waking moment with alchemy anyway…You need to do other things as well" Ryza said to William while she frowned.

"Then what's the harm in starting a family while still doing alchemy?" William said to Ryza while he frowned a bit.

"I guess…it has to do with the fact that once kids come into your life, you won't have time for anything else" Ryza said to William while she frowned deeply.

"You won't have time if you don't manage it properly…Building a family is not the end of everything, Ryza. You could still do what you love, albeit in a more limited capacity" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Experience?" Ryza asked William while she smiled wryly.

"Had to admit, yeah…Never a dull moment back there, it can be quite tiring…But, I won't trade it for anything else" William said to Ryza as he smiled fondly.

"…You must've felt so much paternal love for them" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"Yup. I'm sure you'll be a good mother, Ryza" William said to Ryza while he nodded.

"Haha, you won't say that to the seventeen years old me" Ryza said to William while she grinned.

"Well, you're mature enough now. It would be the same if you say that to the seventeen years old me…Back then, kids are the last thing I ever thought" William said to Ryza.

"…Maybe I should give dating a more serious thought" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"Let me know when you decide on what to do next, I'll help you out" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Fufu, for sure…You know, you've been a really good friend to us all, William. It's like you've been with us for a long time…I know that you have to return to your world one of these days, but…in case you want to stay, we'll welcome you with open arms" Ryza said to William.

"…You know I can't do that, but I appreciate the gesture…The portal doesn't have to be a one-way trip, maybe you could visit me over there as well…You can't go explore too far out of our archipelago due to safety reasons, but I'll make sure you are welcomed and treated very well. As thanks for everything you've done for me" William said to Ryza.

"That's a neat idea…I don't know whether it's possible or not at the moment, but we'll cross the bridge when we get there" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"Got it, we can leave it at that for now" William said to Ryza.

"…Hm! I've cooled off now so I think I should go back to sleep. It's not good to stay up late after all" Ryza said to William before she gulped down her tea and stood up.

"Alright then, I'll be here for a bit longer. Good night and sweet dreams" William said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Same to you, William" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

Ryza entered the ladies' tent where Patricia and Serri are currently asleep, William watched until Ryza disappeared behind the flaps before he stared at the night sky as he sipped his tea…He's getting used to the life on this world, he even felt like he belonged here and that honestly scared him. William don't want to forget that he's an outsider, he has his own world to return to, his home where people he cares about live. Every day, when he wakes up, William constantly reminds himself that he has to go home. The relative peace on this world felt…liberating to him, for a man who came from a world ravaged by an endless war. William treated this as a lucky break, and it should stay that way…The man's face hardened as he thought on ALASUC still struggling with the fight over there, he has to return no matter what. He was given this power so he can save that world, running away by staying here would be the biggest middle finger he could give to everyone over there and the sheer guilt would make him committed suicide. It would be a different case if there's a no way home, but Ryza has one and he has to take it when its available…Still, that doesn't mean he has to focus entirely on it. He should enjoy what he's experiencing now to the fullest.

"Despite that, I should enjoy things while it last" William muttered to himself before he tidied up everything and head for the tent he shared with Tao.

…In total, William spent a year and several months in that world, adventuring and hanging out with the friends he made. But eventually, the time has come for him to return home. The machine is completed and Ryza set it up on the new underground section of her atelier. Everyone gathered within the room, they want to send William off for his world. The man is dressed up in his Serpent Armor, he stared at Ryza who operated the controls beside the archway shaped gate. The machine was built after they traveled around the world for the ingredients, it wasn't a smooth sailing adventure in some parts, but they were successful in all of their efforts. They delved deep into ruins, dungeons, settlements, cities and places of interests around the world. It was quite the experience, one William will surely never forget…Due to the sensitive technology involved in the process, only Ryza knows the ingredients and cipher to operate the machine she created. Not only that, everyone present within the room has sworn an eternal silence about this technology. If this technology falls into the wrong hands, it will spell a massive disaster.

"Can't believe the time comes, I always forgot that you're not from here" Lentz said to William while he frowned.

"Yeah, me too on occasion…I like it here, but I have to go back" William said to Lentz while he smiled wryly.

"I want to study your world, William. But it is quite risky to go there…When you come back, can you bring me that encyclopedia you talked about before?" Tao asked William while he smiled.

"Sure, I'll bring several volumes. But don't record it, Tao" William said to Tao while he nodded.

"Aww sucks, but yeah, I get it. This world is not ready for what you have over there" Tao said to William while he smiled sadly.

"Talking with you has been quite insightful, William. I want you to know that I enjoy our philosophical talks" Empel said to William.

"I disagree with you on several fronts, but know that I don't hate you nor look down upon you. You're smarter than me after all, Empel" William said to Empel while he smiled.

"Disagreement is a natural occurrence amongst people, but I'm glad that doesn't cause any rift between us" Empel said to William while he smiled slightly.

"You've taught me a lot of things Will, thank you" Patricia said to William while she smiled.

"Indeed, your insight has been quite helpful despite not being a botanist yourself" Serri said to William while she smiled a bit.

"It was nothing big, though I'm glad that you two can learn something from our interactions and talks" William said to Patricia and Serri while he smiled.

"Please! It was fun, I enjoy your company a lot" Patricia said to William while she smiled.

"Indeed, William. I will definitely miss you…" Klaudia said to William while she frowned.

"Hey, it's not like this is the last time we'll meet. Right, Ryza?" William said to Klaudia before he asked Ryza.

"Well, it will take a while to get the fuel but once we got enough, we can visit your world to get more efficient fuel or something close. That should allow us to use this portal more often" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"See? It's not a permanent goodbye" William said to Klaudia as he patted her head.

"Alright. I do hope we can visit soon" Klaudia said to William while she smiled sadly.

"I can't wait to taste the cuisine in your world, Will" Lila said to William.

"Oh don't worry, I'll make sure to bring you some of the best meal we can get. Hiei could make anything, and there's tons of food you can sample over there" William said to Lila while he grinned.

"Mhm, I was only able to get a small taste the last time, I'll make sure this time I can sample everything" Lila said to William while she smiled a bit.

"I do hope that I can stay for an extended vacation over there, William" Kala said to William while she smiled.

"The sights are quite limited due to the war, but the nature around Azure Archipelago is second to none, not to mention all the tech and entertainment we have" William said to Kala while he smiled.

"I can hardly wait for the chance dear, I will make sure to help with the fuel gathering" Kala said to William while she smiled.

"…And it's on! The portal should take you to the time just after your disappearance, Will. I don't know about the location though, but it should be nearby if the indicators are correct" Ryza said to William while she smiled.

"Alright Ryza…Well, I reckon this is it…Until we meet again everyone" William said to everyone while he smiled and walked to the bluish portal contained in the arch gate.

"You left anything here?" Lentz asked William.

"Yup, but I'll be coming back here later anyway so it's fine. It's not something I can carry now" William said to Lentz.

William stopped beside Ryza who stared at him while she smiled sadly, the woman then walked toward him and hugged his body tightly. William smiled as he hugged her in return, both have said their own goodbyes so there's no need for words. After letting her go, William turned around, put on his helmet and waved at his group of friends who waved back at him. And then William stepped into the portal and disappeared when the portal shut down…They gathered within the room for a bit before they gathered within Ryza's atelier for a bit, having a discussion regarding this between world's mater. What should they do next, how to get more magic fuel to transport more than one person, and what should they do about the potential exchange between their worlds. After talking it out for a while, they reached consensus on what to do and they all decided to return to their ordinary lives for a while before embarking on another adventure to make the battery needed for the machine. It's time for them to head for separate ways for a bit, but before leaving, Tao decided to ask Ryza something.

"You know, I noticed that you and the other women held your stomach when William went through the portal. Does the portal created something that caused nausea to women or something?" Tao asked Ryza.

"Oh, is that so? Hmm, maybe I should conduct more test later. We better get the ingredients soon so we can make more batteries then, we'll let the one the portal used just now recharge for a bit" Ryza said to Tao.

"Yeah. Oh also, none of you girls touched alcohol last night. You usually drink quite a bit" Tao said to Ryza.

"Like any of you boys touched them as well, we all don't want to be down with hangover when he left this early in the morning. Am I right?" Ryza said to Tao while she smiled slightly.

"Ah, true. Then why did Patricia and Klaudia bring some yesterday? Whatever, I'm just glad we're all sober and healthy to see him off…Well, see you soon, Ryza. I'm off to the capital in two days, I'll let you know if I find a way to make more efficient magic circuits" Tao said to Ryza while he smiled.

"Sure, safe trip Tao. Say hello to the students for me" Ryza said to Tao while she smiled.

"Got it" Tao said to Ryza while he smiled.

Ryza watched Tao leaving for a bit before she heads inside and closed the atelier's door, she entered the underground chamber where the portal is located. The woman checked the magic battery recharge process which siphoned magic from nature, because they can't cause disturbance to them, the recharging process is quite slow. At estimates, it'll take five months to fill the battery, including the one she's about to make later. Or, she can tinker with the machine so it will use less magic per activation. Either way, she has much to do…Ryza tweaked the controls as she thought on Lentz's words to William just before he entered the portal, Ryza knows exactly what he left here and right now she's carrying it. Not just her, but Klaudia, Lila, Serri, Patricia and Kala are also carrying them. Based on William's words, the multiverse theory is already confirmed phenomenon so there is a universe out there where she and the others never met William. She has no idea how everything turned out, but she's glad that hers is the one where he visited.

"Right then, wonder what should I make today~?" Ryza said out loud as she exited the chamber, promising that she'll be activating the portal again soon.

…It was only months later when Tao make the connection on the something that William left behind, it was his genes…

---

I have to say, I haven't played the games because I'm a broke bastard and had to rely on the wiki which is ABSYMALL IN THEIR SPECIFIC INFO REGARDING GAMES FEATURING RYZA! I can't learn the world and lore as much as I'd like to, so I'm winging some of it and pulled some out of my own ass to compensate. If any of you are a big fan of Atelier Ryza, yeah, I admit guilty in butchering a lot of things and prepared to be shamed. I just want to say that I do love the characters we got during the collab, and I was anguished for half an hour for not getting Lila despite my efforts and prayers. That's why I decided to make side stories for them, and we all know why we're here right now. But sorry dear readers, I can't exactly put those smuts on this chapter. There's been a change of plans after much deliberation, and it's been decided that the smut would be done in separate chapter.

…If any of you felt a bit jarred by the pacing on this one, I won't blame you. I originally want to condense everything into one, but decided to screw that and make this one the base story for this collab specials and that resulted in me only putting the beginning of personal stories for each girl, the overall plot and the end result. Okay, first of all, I should explain the collab specials. It's the side story I want to do for the collabs that Azur Lane has done with other franchises, though got to admit that so far, I only plan to do Atelier Ryza and Dead or Alive to receive the collab specials chapters on the side story…That being said, let's talk about the Atelier Ryza one. As you might already be aware, there's not a drop of smut on this chapter, despite the hints and the fact that William spent a year and several months in that world. Something must've happened! And you're right! I'm sure all of you expect something smexy going on there! But I can't put it here right now, why? Because they're long! It would be longer than the filler chapter on the main story and that's saying something!

With that in mind, there's two options I'd like to give you dear readers to pick and this will affect all collab specials going forward.

A. The smut focused stories will be condensed into one massive chapter, reckoning around 50k words and more. It will include everyone so there's no need for multiple collab specials chapters down the line, should make it less cluttered for the side story and there will be clear segregation for each girls focused parts. However, I can't guarantee the details since I have to focus on six girls' developments in one chapter which will axe much of the story details and leave the important ones, namely the smut and some basic explanation on why that smut happened.

B. Do the usual, a singular chapter dedicated to that girl. In this case, their story would be more fleshed out and detailed, that coupled with the smuts that I can fit more for each girl because they have their own chapters.

Oh, and this won't affect the release time in any way! I have no clue on when it would be completed, so take that out of the equation in deciding your choice! There's no guarantee that I will also be the next chapter on the side story as well, so there's that!

Thank you so much for following, favoriting and reviewing the story dear readers. For collabs special, do point out on how I could improve on the overall crossover compatibility between the franchise. Like, whether I got the girl's personality wrong, or they are slightly off, or you have an idea on their interactions with William or even the smuts you want with them. My PM is open for those suggestions, however do adhere to the ground rules I've set on chapter one if you want to do that.

I think that's all for now, so see you next time everyone!

- Dasmara