Only surprise remained in Liliweiss's eyes.
It could be said that ever since she first met this man, he had constantly done things beyond her expectations. The things she struggled with so much didn't even seem like problems to him at all.
She remembered the high-ranking military officials who came to greet her, as if dozens of layers of bulletproof glass stood between them, their stiff smiles so fake that they made her sick.
This power was given to me by you… so why are you all acting like fools now? Don't you find it ridiculous yourselves?
NIMPH, the only thing capable of controlling her emotions, had no directives implanted by humans. Even though that would have been the simplest way to control her.
Now it seemed they didn't do it not because they didn't want to… but because they couldn't.
She didn't know whether humans had created NIMPH. That didn't matter. What mattered was that despite possessing such overwhelming power, she still retained her sense of self, something that didn't make sense.
Forget it.
She let out a soft sigh. That wasn't important right now.
This was her first time walking freely after the crash. She wanted to truly feel the world again. And honestly, this body was even better than she had imagined, almost no different from a human one. Most bodily functions were still intact.
In terms of technology… she had to admit, she was impressed.
"Um… Charon… Commander, what are you doing? These boxes… are they your 'magic' from before?"
At Charon's feet were already three or four opened boxes, which he had clearly lost interest in.
Liliweiss carefully approached him, keeping some distance. Even though she believed she had full control over her strength, she was still cautious, the human body was far too fragile to her now.
As for Charon's "magic," she had long stopped trying to understand it. The more she thought about it, the more questions it raised. But since he showed it to her so casually… she felt reassured. Even a little happy.
She watched as he rummaged through the boxes, though she couldn't see what he saw. To her, it just looked like he was pulling out completely mismatched items.
From the moment he brought chips into her hospital room, she had known, he carried some incredible secret. But right now, that didn't matter.
Right now, she only wanted to stay by his side and earn his approval.
In front of her, Charon pulled out: a full oil lamp, a bag of coal, lollipops, a kitchen knife, a box of matches, an umbrella, three packs of fried instant noodles, a can of fruit, and five cans of various drinks.
As for the rest, industrial and construction materials, he casually tossed them aside.
After loading everything useful into the car, he glanced at the sky. The sunset had already dyed it red. They could continue moving, but after that "battle", even if Liliweiss ended it in one punch, he would still have to write a report.
"Set up camp? I-I-I! I'm good at that!"
Liliweiss perked up immediately and raised her hand.
She didn't want Charon to think she was only good at fighting.
"Sure," he said casually. "Everything you need is in the car. Use whatever you want."
She nodded happily and got to work.
For her, it wasn't difficult, as a trained soldier, she knew how to quickly set up a proper camp. And with her current strength, even heavy tasks were effortless.
After some time, a complete campsite stood before her: a spacious tent, mats and sleeping bags, firmly secured stakes, neatly arranged folding tables and chairs, a campfire with a stove, and even a portable trash bin.
She nodded in satisfaction and was about to check what Charon was doing, when she caught a smell.
A grill had appeared beside him. The coal was burning, meat sizzling on the rack, and he skillfully brushed it with oil, bringing out a rich aroma.
To be honest… it had been years since she last ate barbecue.
"Guh–"
She immediately covered her stomach, her cheeks flushing.
"I-I'm not craving it… really…"
"What are you talking about?" Charon laughed. "Don't tell me you're planning to eat those tasteless rations in the car?"
Liliweiss fell silent. There was no comparison.
"And don't forget, I owe you a barbecue. I was going to take you to that restaurant, but it closed. So I'll make it myself."
He… remembered?
Even she had forgotten. If he hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have recalled that his second sentence to her was about treating her to barbecue.
'Barbecue made by the commander… just the two of us…'
At that thought, she almost couldn't hold back. She crouched beside the grill like a well-behaved child, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Hey, move aside. You'll get smoked out. Go sit at the table and wait."
He shooed her away and laid out more marinated meat.
Today's goal – let her eat to her heart's content.
Liliweiss didn't mind at all. She walked to the chair, glancing back every few steps. Sitting down, she rested her chin on her hands, staring at Charon without blinking, a smile she couldn't suppress on her lips.
She really wanted time to stop at this moment…
No, then she wouldn't get to eat the barbecue.
With that thought, she simply enjoyed every second.
When they started eating, she tried to stay composed, chewing slowly, as if she wanted to engrave every bite into her memory.
But when Charon pulled out beer…
She broke.
Encouraged by him, she ended up eating meat and drinking beer, grease all over her mouth, completely giving in to the moment.
Whatever comes next can wait until tomorrow.
Right now, eat, drink, live.
This taste… she would never forget it.