On the fifth day, as the artificial skylight of the Silver Moon Observatory once again evenly bathed this quiet star field, the "little home" life of Artoria and Minerva had transitioned from the initial languor and shyness following extreme madness to a plain yet warm daily routine.
Artoria was still a bit sore and weak in the legs, but her spirit had fully recovered, and she even appeared radiant due to a certain thorough satisfaction and stability of body and mind.
Minerva, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly adept at controlling her new body. From the initially slightly unfamiliar gentleness to now being able to take meticulous care of Artoria, she learned quickly and enjoyed it immensely.
Their "home"—the researcher's manor in the core area of the Silver Moon Observatory that had been converted into a comfortable residence—was now, under Minerva's will, completely covered by a layer of soft and subtle starlight body energy field.
This energy field was not aggressive, nor was it even visible, but it could effectively block external information detection, energy scanning, and... uninvited micro-wormhole jumps.
This was a gentle declaration and also an invisible boundary: this place was a private domain, and prying or unauthorized entry was forbidden.
The night this energy field appeared—the night Artoria and Minerva "laid everything bare"—did indeed trigger a small commotion.
The Angel Warriors on rotation in the nearby area keenly sensed that strange and powerful energy fluctuation, as well as the barrier it formed that isolated the inside from the outside.
They instantly entered a combat state, alarms were on the verge of being sounded in the dark communication channels, and the faint light of spears and sharp blades being drawn flickered at their fingertips—any unauthorized energy shielding appearing in the core area of the Silver Moon Observatory could be considered a threat.
Just a second before the alarm was about to be sounded, a voice with a lazy smile rang out in the private channels of all the on-duty Angel Warriors: "Relax, children. It's not an enemy attack."
It was Heavenly Base King Hexi.
"But, King Hexi, this energy field..." an Angel Warrior reported, puzzled.
"Shh—" Hexi's voice carried obvious amusement and a hint of mischief. "As for the private matters of the little ones, we elders shouldn't disturb them. The energy field has no malice; it's just... well, a sort of 'Do Not Disturb' sign. Withdraw. There's no need to guard too closely here tonight; just leave a few perimeter alert points."
The on-duty Angel Warriors looked at each other. Although puzzled, they absolutely obeyed the Heavenly Base King's orders.
They put away their weapons, glanced suspiciously at the manor shrouded in the invisible energy field, and finally retreated to the outer perimeter alert positions as instructed.
As for King Hexi's meaningful laughter and vague explanation... a few slightly older Angel Warriors who had experienced love seemed to understand something, exchanged knowing glances, and couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of their mouths.
So it was that "Star Vault Steward" and her partner... no wonder.
Hexi did not explain further at the time, only instructing that this matter should not be spread, and even less should it be investigated. Some things are better left unspoken.
...
On the morning of the fifth day, after Hexi finished dealing with a few urgent official matters on hand and deliberately "let them be" for two days, estimating that her disciple should have recovered, she decided to pay a formal visit—yes, a visit.
This was Artoria's home, the love nest of the two mistresses, and even she, as her teacher, needed to show full respect.
She did not use any space jump ability to appear directly inside the manor, nor did she even fly to the manor's entrance.
Instead, she chose the most "traditional" way—taking a small, exquisite shuttle, landing at the designated external port of the Silver Moon Observatory, and then, like an ordinary visitor, walking through the beautiful public green areas and research zones toward the core residential area.
The research Angels she met along the way bowed and greeted her, and Hexi smiled and nodded in response.
She could feel that the glances those Angels cast toward the manor, in addition to the due respect, also held a few more parts of good-willed curiosity and blessings.
It seemed that the relationship between the little ones was no longer a secret here, and it appeared to have received everyone's approval. This was good.
Hexi's pace was unhurried as she admired the scenery along the way.
The Silver Moon Observatory was well-maintained, possessing both the rigor and cleanliness of a research Base and incorporating quite a few humanized, cozy designs. It was evident that Artoria and the Angels working here had put a lot of effort into it.
The research areas far from the residential zone remained busy, with various detectors and energy towers operating ceaselessly, but all facilities and personnel very consciously maintained a polite distance from the core residential area. This was a tacit understanding and respect that needed no words.
Finally, she arrived at the artistic alloy gate of the manor.
The gate was tightly closed, and to the naked eye, there was nothing unusual, but Hexi could clearly perceive that layer of gentle yet tough energy field enveloping the entire manor.
She smiled slightly, not attempting to crack or penetrate it, but instead reached out, curled her finger, and knocked gently on the lustrously glowing door panel.
The knocking was clear and polite.
Inside the manor, the two, who had just finished a breakfast personally prepared by Minerva (although the taste still had a lot of room for improvement, the intention was full marks) and were sitting side by side in front of the viewing window, sharing a cup of energy drink specially prepared by Artoria, raised their heads simultaneously.
"Someone is knocking?" Artoria was a bit surprised. Internal communication within the Silver Moon Observatory was very convenient; if the Angels in the station had something, they would usually send a communication request first. Those who visited directly... were rare.
Minerva closed her eyes slightly, perceiving the information fed back by the energy field, and then a look of realization and a faint blush appeared on her face: "It's... teacher Hexi."
"Ah! Teacher is here!" Artoria stood up all at once, somewhat flustered, smoothing out her loungewear which was not actually messy, and then subconsciously touched her neck—fortunately, her high-collared pajamas covered those ambiguous marks. "Quick, quick, invite teacher in!"
Minerva nodded, a thought flickering in her mind.
The energy field enveloping the manor, as if it had a life of its own, quietly parted at the gate position in front of Hexi to form an entrance that allowed only one person to pass through, without touching the overall structure of the energy field.
Hexi sensed the change, smiled, and pushed the door open to enter.
What came into view was an exquisite front garden full of the atmosphere of daily life, with various unknown, strangely glowing plants arranged in a staggered manner, and a gravel path leading to the main house.
The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance and a quiet, cozy atmosphere.
Artoria had already pulled Minerva out to greet her.
Having not seen her for a few days, Hexi could clearly feel that her disciple's complexion had improved a lot.
The faint, lingering melancholy and tension between her brows had dissipated for the most part, replaced by a brightness and peace after being fully nourished, and her skin even radiated a healthy, rosy glow.
And Minerva beside her... a flash of amazement and relief crossed Hexi's eyes.
The Minerva before her was like a different person from the previous mechanical composite.
She stood quietly beside Artoria, her posture tall and elegant, wearing the same light-colored loungewear as Artoria, with her black hair draped softly over her shoulders.
Her skin was lustrous, her features exquisitely beautiful, especially those starry eyes, clear and transparent yet deep as an abyss.
When she looked at Artoria, the tenderness filling them was almost overflowing.
Even more rare was that she radiated an introverted and harmonious energy fluctuation, which was perfectly integrated with this perfect starlight body, without any stagnation, as if she had always been meant to look like this.
"Teacher!" Artoria stepped forward quickly, her face filled with joy and a hint of imperceptible shyness. "Why are you here? You didn't even say anything in advance, so we could prepare..." She secretly glared at Minerva; it was all this guy's fault, causing her not to go out much these past few days, and she didn't even know if there were any chores outside that needed to be handled.
"Prepare what? I'm not an outsider." Hexi smiled as she looked the two over, her gaze lingering for a moment, especially on Artoria's obviously nourished, beautiful face and Minerva's hand naturally wrapped around Artoria's waist, the mischief in her eyes deepening. "It seems the 'little gift' I sent is working well?"
"Tea-teacher!" Artoria's face turned completely red all at once, even her earlobes were dyed pink, and she was so embarrassed she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Of course, she knew Hexi was referring to that "special module"!
Minerva's face also heated up, but compared to Artoria, she appeared calmer, though the tips of her ears were also slightly red. She stepped forward, bowed slightly, and saluted earnestly and respectfully: "Teacher Hexi, thank you very much. This body... is very perfect." Her voice was clear and pleasant, carrying sincere gratitude.
"Hmm, I can feel it, very perfect, a match made in heaven." Hexi nodded with satisfaction, speaking with a double meaning. Seeing the two juniors blushing and trying to maintain their composure, she found it extremely interesting.
She knew when to stop and didn't continue the teasing, but sat down naturally in the garden's pavilion. "Don't just stand there, sit. I have real business here this time."
Artoria and Minerva finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly sat down opposite Hexi, one on each side, though the blush on Artoria's face had not yet completely faded.
"First, it's that... um, procurement list you submitted earlier." With a wave of Hexi's hand, a light screen unfolded on the stone table, showing the dizzyingly long list that Artoria had sent a few days ago, listing massive amounts of supplies ranging from basic metals, rare elements, and high-energy crystals to various complex industrial machine tools, energy cores, and even some semi-finished starship modules.
"I've checked; most of them are in the reserve warehouses of the Angel Civilization and the Guixu Barrier, and those that weren't have been gathered through special channels. I must say, little Artoria, you have a big appetite." Hexi looked at her with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
Artoria twisted her fingers, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Teacher... is it too much? Actually, it could be done in batches..."
"Not too much." Hexi interrupted directly, her tone relaxed but carrying an unquestionable boldness. "You listed it, I'll provide it. It's all prepared and placed in the independent warehouse at Resource Starport No. 3. Access has been fully opened to you and Minerva, and you can call upon it at any time. I'm just a bit curious..." She leaned forward slightly, asking like a curious child, "What big treasure are you planning to build with so many things? Just looking at the types and quantity of these supplies, it's enough to arm more than half of the Heavenly Blade Seven."
"I... I'm not planning to build anything particularly big..." Artoria's eyes shifted slightly, and she whispered, "I just want to build a relatively... complete basic production and research platform. The technology tree from my hometown has relatively high requirements for the basic industrial system and resource conversion rate, and it needs to be built from the most fundamental production lines and material synthesis... so, the initial investment is a bit large..." Her voice got quieter as she spoke; after all, the analogy of arming more than half of the Heavenly Blade Seven sounded a bit scary even to her.
"A basic production and research platform?" Hexi raised an eyebrow, not delving deeper.
She understood this disciple of hers; she had a near-paranoid pursuit and amazing talent in mechanics and creation. Since she needed it, she would give it. The Angel Civilization could still afford the hobbies of its own "Star Vault Steward."
"Fine, as long as you have a plan. Use the resources as you please, and ask for more if it's not enough." Hexi waved her hand, ending the topic as if the resources—enough to make any space-faring civilization envious—were just insignificant little toys.
"The second matter..." She looked at Artoria, her eyes becoming more serious, "is about your 'combat celestial body'."
"combat celestial body?" Artoria was stunned for a moment. She had heard this term; it was the highest level of personal combat and command platform in the Angel Civilization. For example, Queen Keisha's Heavens Blade Department series and Teacher Hexi's Heavenly Base series were all super-warships with powerful functions that represented the peak of Angel technology, usually only accessible to those of King-level or distinguished legion commanders for ownership and customization.
"Yes, yours." Hexi nodded. "Since you are already the 'Star Vault Steward', you should naturally have a combat celestial body to match. Previously, the conditions weren't mature, but now..." She smiled. "Your technology, combined with the Angel Civilization's foundation, it's time to put it on the agenda. I've already mentioned it to Queen Keisha, and she agreed. Now, I want to ask you, what are your own thoughts? What style do you like? Which aspects of functionality do you want to focus on?"
As Hexi spoke, she pondered inwardly. Little Artoria's technology tree was biased toward mechanics and rapid production; perhaps her combat celestial body could make something of this. For example, integrating powerful frontline rapid manufacturing and repair capabilities? Or carrying modular, quickly switchable weapon platforms? Or even... combining it with her unique energy technology to create something new?
Artoria was stunned by this sudden "big toy."
A combat celestial body? For her?
She blinked, digesting this information. It would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted; what person involved in mechanics and technology wouldn't dream of owning a super platform completely designed by themselves that embodied their own philosophy?
"Can... can I design it myself?" Her eyes lit up, filled with anticipation and caution.
"Of course you can." Hexi smiled. "Your combat celestial body will naturally be based on your opinions. The engineers of the Heavenly City and I will provide technical support to ensure your design can be realized. You can think about it properly first, draw a sketch, or list a functional requirements list for me."
"That's great!" Artoria couldn't help but cheer, her face full of undisguised excitement. She had already begun to conceive various possibilities in her mind.
Watching her disciple instantly switch from a shy little wife to a glowing, research-crazed maniac, Hexi couldn't help but chuckle.
She chatted with the two for a while longer, asked about Minerva's adaptation to her new body, and cared about Artoria's recent research progress, her attitude natural and kind, like an ordinary elder caring for a younger generation.
Before leaving, Hexi stood up, patted Artoria's shoulder, and nodded to Minerva: "Alright, I should go; there's still a pile of things to do over there. You two... take care of each other. If you need anything, come to me anytime."
She paused and added, her tone carrying a faint air of dominance and doting, "Here, in the Angel Civilization's territory, you can do whatever you want without any concerns. If the sky falls, we old folks will hold it up."
Seeing Hexi off, watching the shuttle turn into a stream of light and disappear into the horizon, Artoria was still feeling quite stirred.
Minerva gently hugged her from behind, rested her chin on her shoulder, and asked softly: "Thinking about the combat celestial body?"
"Yes!" Artoria nodded vigorously, turned around, and looked at Minerva with sparkling eyes. "Minerva, let's design it together, okay? Design a... combat celestial body that belongs only to us, the most special and powerful one! It needs to be livable, capable of research, able to fight, and also very beautiful!"
Minerva watched her vibrant appearance, her heart softening completely. She lowered her head and planted a light kiss on her smooth forehead, her voice gentle and firm: "Okay. You draw, I'll make suggestions. Our home, we will design together."
The sun was just right, the breeze was not dry. In the Silver Moon Observatory, a new dream was gestating.
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