Resolve the crisis in the United States, but make full use of the country. Help only as long as it benefits you.
After hearing President Luigi’s meaningful words, we returned to Illinois and stayed in the captain’s quarters.
– A five-star hotel in California…!
The United States also offered to provide accommodations.
However, since there had been an assassination attempt while I was staying in a hotel in Jeju Island, I decided to forgo staying in a five-star hotel in America and just stay comfortably in Illinois’ captain’s quarters.
“After all, home is where you feel at ease.”
At this point, Illinois had practically become my home.
“Master, would you like to go to the operations room?”
“Operations room?”
“It is where your computer and tablet are located.”
“So, it’s not an internet café but an operations room?”
“Yes, please follow me.”
Some of my belongings from my home in Korea, including my computer and other equipment, had been moved entirely into the captain’s private quarters instead of the main bridge.
“Technically, that’s not incorrect, but I didn’t expect things to change this much in such a short time.”
“I referenced various spaces on the internet.”
How should I describe this structure? It was like having my own personal gaming room.
‘This is what a successful gamer’s setup looks like.’
I had once seen setups like [A Gamer’s Room That Embodies the Dream of a Married Man in His 40s] or [A Professional Streamer’s Studio], and this gave off a similar vibe, making me instinctively let out a sigh of admiration.
“I could just eat, game, and focus on clearing Towers all day.”
The captain’s quarters on Illinois were my home now.
There was no reason for me to leave this place anymore, and I wasn’t here for personal leisure.
“I have no reason to step outside anymore.”
I had no friends to visit here, nor did I have any friends in the United States to begin with.
And it wasn’t as if I had any urgent acquaintances I wanted to meet in this situation.
I was somewhat curious about what kind of messages my past acquaintances, whom Drei had blocked, were sending me, but there was no need to stare into the abyss.
Right now, I had four tasks to accomplish.
First: Supplies and living arrangements on Illinois.
“Elaine, how are the supplies?”
“There are no issues. Using the account provided by Aide Patrick on this smartphone, we can order items, and they will be delivered the next day.”
Essential supplies, just like when I first made contact with President Luigi, would be regularly delivered in the form of parcels.
If I requested something specific, they would send it immediately, but since I had a black card and we had our own criteria for selecting goods, this method was more convenient.
“If I were to compare it to your homeland… it would be like rocket delivery.”
“So, they’ll provide whatever I need instantly, but with minimal screening? Got it. Understood.”
The most necessary supplies for Illinois were limited to daily necessities.
Back when I left my home in Korea and was staying in a hotel, my biggest concerns had been food and clothing.
“Elaine, I’ll leave all matters related to food and clothing to you. That okay?”
“Of course, Master. Please leave all household matters to me.”
I entrusted all aspects of daily life to Elaine.
As a Perfect Maid, she pursued perfection in everything, no matter who employed her, so I had no doubt she would handle everything flawlessly.
“Master.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“May I freely acquire home appliances?”
One thing that slightly concerned me was her fascination with modern household appliances.
“Rest assured, I will only acquire appliances that can be accommodated in the various sections of Illinois.”
“Go ahead and get whatever you want. Whether it’s a washing machine or a refrigerator, we don’t have to worry about power consumption. However…”
It wasn’t that I was trying to be overly patriotic, but…
“For small items, I don’t mind, but for major appliances, try to get domestic brands whenever possible. Especially for white goods.”
“Understood.”
“Great. And the most important thing… Make sure the power cords and other specs match Illinois’ standards, right, Drei?”
“That’s right, Commander. It’d be a hassle if they weren’t compatible~.”
Second: Understanding Illinois’ Capabilities.
“Commander, in those anime you used to watch, they do all sorts of things even on space battleships, right? Since Illinois is equipped with technology fitting this era, all its electronic systems should be usable.”
I needed to assess the various facilities on Illinois, including the servers managed by Drei, to understand the full extent of its performance.
“Rather than risk the Americans noticing, it’s better to use appliances from Korea that operate on the metric system.”
There were many things I needed to keep secret about Illinois.
Unfortunately for the Americans, all of its internal systems and data were formatted in the metric system, not the imperial system.
Instead of the deeply ingrained yard-pound system of the United States, Illinois had adjusted everything—lengths, weights, and all other data—to my standards as the Summoner.
It was essentially like how game stats get “localized” for different regions, and thanks to that, I could confidently declare that Illinois was 270 meters long.
“Standardization is crucial. Don’t go buying random medieval fantasy junk. Got it, Maid?”
“If Illinois runs low on mana, I will supplement it with my own. Fortunately, I can transfer some of my mana through the Core.”
“…She even has her own power generator, so what’s the worry?”
At that moment, Kiharu, who was sitting in front of my keyboard, furiously typing with her cat-like paws, let out a chuckle.
“Illinois also has solar and wind power generation, and besides, its Core contains not only mana but also nuclear fus—mmpf!”
“Hey! That’s classified. If word gets out, the U.S. will immediately launch an investigation.”
There’s a big difference between people saying something is a nuclear bomb and it actually being a nuclear bomb.
Especially since Illinois was equipped with a nuclear fusion engine—something I vaguely understood to be extremely dangerous. That alone was enough to make me extra cautious about my words.
And beyond the nuclear fusion engine, Illinois also had its own Core—which, for convenience, I referred to as its mana engine.
That’s how things stood.
Illinois currently had an overflowing supply of energy.
There might be a limit to its maximum output, but as long as we didn’t suddenly consume more energy than it could regenerate, Illinois would never run out of power.
In other words, our “home” was in perfect condition.
Even if a problem arose, Elaine, Drei, and the U.S. government—including President Luigi—could handle it to some extent.
‘And I’ve even gained an unexpected ally.’
Among those allowed access to the Green Zone, meaning those authorized to board Illinois, was one particular individual.
– Ooooh, this is…! Now I can die without regrets—urgh!
– Senator!!
At President Luigi’s earnest request—aimed at securing political alliances—I had permitted an elderly senator to visit Illinois’ bridge.
His face had been flushed even before he boarded, and his heavy breathing worried me a little.
Surprisingly, I learned that this man, who became overwhelmingly excited upon seeing Illinois, was a retired naval expert who had served as a senator for over 26 years.
By summoning Illinois, I had won the favor of the U.S. Navy, military officials, and even warship enthusiasts.
Which meant that my next move was crucial.
“Partner.”
“What?”
“I’ve almost cleared the entire story campaign. Now it’s your turn to take over.”
“No way. I’m in the middle of something important. Just like how trials were given to humanity, you should diligently complete your tasks.”
“Kishaaaaak!!”
Kiharu let out a bizarre screech while aggressively mashing the keyboard.
Though, in reality, she was just spamming the auto-battle button in a gacha game funded by massive in-game purchases.
Regardless, she was making progress in a game I had never played before.
That’s right.
The third task that I (or rather, my summoned spirit Kiharu) had to complete—
Playing various gacha games, raising characters, analyzing their backgrounds and lore, and achieving Full Limit Break and Full Refinement.
If not the goddess Kiharu, who else could handle such a critical task, given that she was the strictest judge of humanity?
“I must be the first goddess to be forced into handling chores like this. Did you summon me just for this?”
“Of course not. If bullets start flying my way and I’m about to die, I’ll need you to revive me.”
Anyone listening might think I had summoned Kiharu just to grind online game quests for me, but that wasn’t true—I swear.
I wasn’t just making Kiharu do all the work. I was playing alongside her, managing my own set of tasks.
This third task—gaming—was, in another sense, a way to search for the ideal candidate for my fifth summon.
The more firepower I had, the better.
And for that purpose, I had to make a critical decision as the Summoner—and more broadly, as the Master recognized across the world as a Tower raider.
“Currently, there are eight Towers spread across the 50 states of the U.S.”
I would start with the nearest one.
“Let’s show the Americans just how fast someone with Korean blood can move.”
Until now, I had been supporting from the sidelines.
From now on, things would be different.
“Illinois, deploy.”
* * *
[A short while later – U.S. Government building, Los Angeles]
“…What?”
President Luigi, who had been waiting alongside several senators at the government office, was startled by a message that suddenly popped up on social media.
“Mr. President, what’s wrong?”
“T-The thing is…”
Was this how Korean politicians had felt in moments like this?
“Immediately tighten control over the Golden Gate Bridge. Ensure that no civilians gather nearby. Hurry!”
President Luigi, reading a direct message he had just received, quickly showed it to the other officials and requested their cooperation.
“In three hours, Illinois will enter the S-Rank Tower located on the Golden Gate Bridge… Wait, huh?”
He re-read the message carefully.
“…Illinois will enter?”
