Crossover Shipgirls: Building a Dimensional Empire from Scratch

”Hmm... the application for basic education for catgirls—approved.”

”The North Sea oil field development plan requires resources and a number of Bulins... approved.”

”Next quarter’s Bulin production plan is...”

Inside the executive office of the administrative center, Setsuna was reviewing documents with the assistance of several shipgirls.

According to the head maid’s report, the catgirls needed to attend school to acquire basic knowledge before taking on any roles. Setsuna didn’t mind much—he had always viewed the catgirls more as adorable pets rather than a workforce. Letting the shipgirls, heroic spirits, and elves play with them to liven up the atmosphere and relieve stress seemed like a great idea.

”Ugh, but managing a large territory really is mentally exhausting...”

Setsuna sighed. As the civilization and cities expanded, the number of matters requiring his attention increased exponentially. The base’s affairs were all condensed into reports and figures—much like financial statements, tedious yet requiring absolute focus. A single decision of his could set the course for future developments.

”Would you like to go on an inspection tour?” Richelieu suggested upon seeing Setsuna buried in statistics.

”Staying in the office all the time isn’t good for you. It’s important to engage with everyone directly.”

”Besides, you can personally witness the city’s progress. Many of our comrades have been complaining about how hard it is to see you.”

”Sounds good.”

Setsuna agreed without hesitation. With the Eternal Snowfall undergoing modifications, he had been stuck in the office day after day, drowning in paperwork. Staring at endless numbers was draining his energy.

A walk around the city, seeing the progress firsthand, and refreshing his mind seemed like a much-needed break.

”Yat Sen, Tohru, Richelieu—let’s go for a tour.”

...

Stepping out of the administrative building, Setsuna observed the bustling scene of shipgirls, Bulins, Heroic Spirits, and little lolis coming and going.

The seasonal contrast was striking. The cold front had just swept down from the north, bringing temperatures below freezing. Yet the shipgirls, immune to the cold, continued wearing their usual outfits.

Yat Sen was still dressed in her signature low-cut white ruqun, paired with white stockings and a short jacket, embodying the grace of a oriental noblewoman. Taihou, too, sported her usual short red kimono and thigh-high black stockings, confidently displaying her figure.

Meanwhile, the ordinary residents of the base had all bundled up in thick winter clothes, wrapped tightly against the chill.

”Oh, so this is another perk of the Wisdom Cube?” Setsuna exhaled, realizing he didn’t feel cold at all.

”Commander, are your hands cold?” Taihou purred. ”I could warm them up for you, you know~ It’s nice and warm here~”

She took his hands and attempted to press them against her chest.

”Ahem, not a good look—let’s save it for later.”

As much as Setsuna enjoyed the sensation of grasping pure sin, he coughed and gently withdrew his hands.

Continuing down the main street, the city was lively despite the winter chill. Parks and sidewalks were filled with little lolis running around alongside Bulins.

Some were having snowball fights, others were building snowmen, while a few were wandering the streets, nibbling on snacks.

Dressed in puffy down jackets and fluffy hats, they looked like colorful little dumplings, bringing a cheerful energy to the winter capital.

Upon spotting Setsuna, many rushed over excitedly to greet him.

”Commander! It’s been a while!”

A white-haired, purple-eyed loli, accompanied by her friends, ran up to him.

”You haven’t visited us lately. Everyone misses you...”

”I’ve been a bit busy.”

Setsuna patted Midori Fuse’s head. ”Don’t you have classes today?”

”Commander, I know you care about education, but it’s winter break,” Yat Sen answered with a smile before Midori Fuse could speak.

”According to Chen Hai and Seitenshi’s plan, students get one month of winter vacation and two months of summer vacation each year. You’re not thinking about making them attend extra classes, are you?”

Seitenshi, Miori Shiba, and Kisara Tendo, along with Chen Hai, were in charge of the little lolis’ education. In a way, they functioned as the education ministers.

”Oh, I forgot. My bad.”

Setsuna coughed awkwardly. Back when he was in school, he only had one day off per week, a single week of winter break, and even then had to attend cram school. The only way to get extra time off was to report the school to higher authorities.

That wasn’t necessary here—there was no need to create a world of overworked test-takers.

”You’ve been here for a while now. How is everything going?”

”If there’s anything you’re unhappy with or anything you need, just let me know.”

Setsuna crouched down and asked the little lolis.

”Everything is great! We even got new winter clothes, and the dorms have heating and air conditioning—it’s so warm!”

Midori Fuse tugged at her brand-new coat and adjusted her hat, clearly cherishing her hard-earned new life.

”That’s good. Keep up the good work.”

Setsuna playfully squeezed her animal ears through her hat. ”I’m counting on you all to work on research in the future and help me develop faster-than-light technology.”

”No problem! Teacher Hai Tien says we’re learning at an incredible speed. In another six months, we’ll be tackling advanced physics and cutting-edge technology!”

Midori Fuse replied with confidence.

Many of the little lolis had undergone dolphin factor enhancements, giving them extraordinary intelligence. In a short time, they had already mastered high school and even university-level foundational knowledge. With proper nurturing, they were prime candidates to become top-tier scientists.

Still, the thought of an entire research institute filled with little lolis struck Setsuna as somewhat amusing.

...

Moving forward, Setsuna and the shipgirls passed through the outer city’s agricultural and industrial districts.

During the winter, most outdoor farming had been put on hold. However, vast expanses of greenhouses stretched endlessly across the plains, resembling a white ocean reaching the horizon.

Inside, countless little yellow chickens worked diligently. Under the training of Ning Hai and Ping Hai, they had mastered the use of mechanized farming tools. With a single command, they could autonomously complete every stage of the agricultural process—from planting to harvesting and storage.

Additionally, experimental hydroponic farming techniques were being tested in limited areas.

”Commander.”

Seeing Setsuna approach, the twin sisters managing agriculture, Ning Hai and Ping Hai, came forward to greet him.

”Do we have enough food?”

Setsuna asked the most critical question. With over three million lolis in the base, hunger was not an option.

”No problem. Our reserves are more than sufficient. Even without imports from other worlds, our production can fully sustain us.”

”We have two years’ worth of stockpile to prepare for emergencies.”

Ning Hai answered proudly.

”Excellent.”

Setsuna nodded. Traditional farming methods should never be abandoned. No matter where they went, the first priority was always securing food production.

After passing through the agricultural district and wandering further, they arrived at the Aerospace Satellite City.

The hull of the Eternal Snowfall was stationed in an open area. Around it, mountains of materials were piled high, and tens of thousands of colorful Bulin scurried about, wielding tools and hammering away at the ship’s structure.

The starship’s weapon systems, outer armor, and bridge had been completely dismantled, leaving only the keel and framework intact.

The shipgirls couldn’t shake the feeling that the keel had grown significantly.

Atop the structure, a green-haired beast-eared mechanic stood, holding a set of blueprints, carefully inspecting the design while directing the Bulin workers.

Upon spotting Setsuna, Akashi leaped down with a thud, landing in his arms and shaking her ears playfully.

”Commander, we’re planning a massive expansion for the Eternal Snowfall, meow!”

”Not only are we upgrading it with the most advanced Fleet of Fog technology, but we’re also enlarging the entire ship—hmm, roughly three times its original size.”

”That way, it can house more weapons, thicker armor, and reinforced shields.”

”Three times?!”

The shipgirls were stunned.

”Wouldn’t that make it nearly ten kilometers long?!”

”Tsk, I was hoping for something fifty kilometers long—a titan larger than a city.”

Setsuna ruffled Akashi’s beast ears, looking slightly disappointed.

”Commander, this is already the largest starship that can be built on land, meow!” Akashi tilted her head up.

”To construct anything bigger, we’d need the zero-gravity environment of a spaceport.”

”You mean a Starbase?… Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind for future plans.”

Setsuna pondered for a moment and jotted down a note in his little book.

In spacefaring civilizations, ships were typically constructed in orbital shipyards. Only Azur Lane’s wildly unconventional technology allowed for the assembly of a ten-kilometer-long starship on a planetary surface—but that was the limit.

To go further, they would need a true Starbase and space-based shipyards to overcome planetary gravity constraints.

”A base built on the sun?” Richelieu gazed at the sky, momentarily lost in thought.

For shipgirls accustomed to living on the ocean, such a concept was difficult to imagine.

”Yes, it’s essentially a standard feature of an interstellar civilization—a Starbase is like a space city and shipyard constructed around a star.”

”It harnesses stellar energy and uses anti-gravity technology to maintain its position. With complete living facilities, it makes building and repairing starships far easier than doing so on a planetary surface.”

Setsuna explained with a grin.

”They come in different tiers—Starports, Star Fortresses, Star Bastions, Sky Citadels... The highest-tier Starbases can support populations of over a million and even assemble planet-destroying Colossus.”

”Oh…”

The shipgirls’ eyes sparkled with longing.

Just from the commander’s description, they could already envision the grandeur of such a structure.

”Commander, when do you think we’ll be able to build one?” Yat Sen asked.

”Soon. Once we fully understand the Fleet of Fog’s technology, our research foundation should be strong enough.”

”We have no shortage of materials, and with more modified starship Bulin workers, we’ll have the manpower and expertise.”

Setsuna cleared his throat.

”I have high expectations for Space Bulins. I’m counting on them to hammer out a Dyson Sphere, a Sentinel Array, and an Aetherophasic Engine for me.”

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