The Abyssal Bloom.

Currently known as the calamity of Sector One Zone Four, it would go down in history as the first and most controversial aberrant monster faced by the Empire.

Different from just a mutation, the battle against one would undoubtedly be studied for generations to come.

It was just that, for some reason, historians would be left deeply puzzled by the wildly conflicting accounts of what actually happened.

After all, the events seemed to vary depending on who was interviewed.

For example, just what happened after everyone learned about the creature's possible nature?

Well, in an official post-incident report that would be unearthed later than usual, one Luca Kyros could only describe it as "eventful," if not fruitful.

For one, the guild leader thought that the soldiers of the Empire were truly outstanding. Not only were they receptive to receiving information from an admittedly dubious source (himself), but they were also rather accepting of the situation.

He found it admirable that, during their brief period of rest while waiting for reinforcements, the soldiers chose to dedicate their time to "other meaningful tasks" until they were called for dinner.

Some, according to Luca, volunteered for patrol and guard duty. Others devoted themselves to cleaning their mechas with reverence. And a few, out of deep discipline and meditation, simply walked as far away as possible from everyone else.

Luca thought such diligence was inspiring.

And because of their discipline and determination, the little licensed mechanic thought it was great that together with the help of his good brother, the mechanics of House Kyros, and the engineers stationed in Zone Four, they had managed to repair many damaged mechas.

So when the second siren sounded again and the monster started to stir, the young cadet thought they were lucky to be better prepared.

According to D-29, they've even managed to increase their success rate by around 7% after such additional preparations. While 5% was apparently due to the emergency kits distributed by Luca, he still felt a little better after knowing the odds.

Naturally, there were still some unexpected developments in the monster's behavior, but in Luca's opinion, it was a rather profi—informative moment.

This time, all soldiers had to participate, as the scale of attacks had drastically increased.

Thankfully, it seemed that the pilots of their house were now more accustomed to operating the new mecha base models.

But because the monster tide just happened to be bigger, Luca felt the need to figure out what caused the sudden change. Though, in truth, it was more of a "verification" than an investigation.

Well, sure enough, something was wrong underwater.

And fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on who was asked later—they had no choice but to check. After all, if they didn't, the soldiers on land might be overrun before the day was over.

Around this time, Marshal Julian and the Imperial reinforcements arrived. However, since Luca and his group were already underwater, they didn't exactly see what happened during that part.

What Luca learned afterward was that the Marshal had arrived just in time for an evacuation. According to the accounts he received, the Marshal had even personally stepped in—and at a critical moment, received assistance from none other than Duke Leander Kyros himself.

Speaking of his father, Luca was particularly proud.

He was glad that his father had finally gotten to use his biomecha. Although, as a responsible son and mechanic, Luca felt that several adjustments still had to be made afterward.

It would be hard to use that mecha casually if he didn't find the perfect regulators first.

But that was something to think about later.

Because for now, there was something much more important to focus on: the crystal core.

Or cores, really.

It was unexpected, and pleasantly shocked the little money-grubber, who was convinced that such a discovery would have to be approached with utmost urgency and sincerity.

But what of the others?

Well, according to one imposing cadet, it could've been an insurmountable situation for the Empire, but time and again, thanks to outstanding citizens, the tide was overturned.

When asked about the identity of said citizens and what he thought they deserved to receive as a reward, the imposing cadet only looked to the side and said, "Everything he deserves."

"..."

Another account, however, was rather peculiar.

"I'm just saying," started a blonde who, according to the text, was popular for the number of times the soles of his boots had touched the ground.

He was visibly traumatized but maintained a cheerful disposition as he continued, "Someone needs to start producing bigger space buttons. For everyone."

"If there were only bigger storage spaces, then everyone would've been able to properly store the goods. They wouldn't have looked all jiggly, wilted, and limp—!"

Unfortunately, it seemed his account had been cut short by another cadet who was adamant about insisting on better naming conventions and terminologies.

"Honestly," muttered the exasperated cadet who kept pinching the bridge of his nose, "it would be better to have a generalized naming convention and maybe a standard list of terminologies for easier communication."

"Like muscular hydrostat. It's better to refer to it as that. And there should also be better ways to describe things like texture."

He paused before frowning deeply. "Saying something like: 'it was firm, with faint ridges that shifted under pressure, flexing subtly whenever it moved or tensed,' is dangerous to one's health."

"..."

"..."

But much to the archivists' confusion, accounts were still accounts and therefore had to be included for proper record-keeping.

It's just that—how were they supposed to interpret this one?

"Listen," a sturdy-looking cadet said grimly, rubbing his temple. "This is exactly why responsible parenting is important. You can't just spawn hundreds of children without thinking of the consequences!"

"Just look at what happened to their entire family! Even my children and their great-grandchildren have a clear understanding that splitting into two is not always the answer."

He straightened, looking sincerely into the recording device. "To those planning on having a lot of children, please make sure they grow up with structure, discipline, and a lot of sunlight—unless otherwise recommended."

"???"

Surely that cannot be all the accounts?