2:12 P.M LASST

A Diner in Lastation Central City

Both girls approached a sign flashing diner in neon even during the day. Out of the hospital after their pain subsided and consciousness restored. Both began their next notions when both felt rumbling stomachs, something even goddesses couldn't avoid through shares. An abominable full-body costume holding the sign and waving it in the sky like some form of blunt-derivative melee weapon. But it was none of their business as Uni opened the door for Nepgear.

"Whoa, I didn't know an industrial city could have this good looking for a diner!" Nepgear said, surprised as her arms pumped out, a sparkling glint from her purple eyes.

Uni smiled from Nepgear's response, "Thanks to onee-chan's efforts and sponsoring subsidies to restaurants."

"Maybe Neptune could do something like what Noire did to reinvigorate Planeptune's nightlife!"

"You're digging some of Noire's decisions with positive results," Uni closed her eyes, approaching a near three hundred and sixty degrees encompassing counter showing three hundred and sixty degrees of full menus mixed with incredibly appealing food and drinks.

"About the nightlife, is it already good enough in Planeptune?" Uni inquired, slightly pinching her cheek, giving attention to her shoes more than to the other CPU Candidate nearby.

Scaling up at the sky for options to eat, Nepgear figured and said without thinking it quite through, "Development has become stagnant over the past couple of years, or that's what Neptune said to me..."

"Lastation's economy is still dominated by fossil fuels, manufacturing most of the consumer goods, and... But still, Planeptune's economy is more advanced than Lastation ever was." Uni said as she calmed.

"Should we focus on getting our food and discuss economics later?" Nepgear said, a slight frown approaching her.

"We should, what'd you like?"

"I'll have that tasty heavy ham melt over there!" Nepgear points right at the one-hundredth item.

Uni nods, leaning past the counter to see a vendor outside willing to trade a few credits for food.

"What can I get for you, mis-?"

"I'd take a kilogram pork strip and a heavy ham melt," Uni said, staring at the taller person.

"You're wanting to take our toughest meat? You look similar to Lady Noire... But for the heavy ham melt, double pounded cheese or no?"

Uni backs away, turning to Nepgear. Her black and gray dress slightly swaying it's fabric a little, "Extra cheese?"

"Cheese is always good when melty and gooey, sure!" Nepgear replied, leaning with a smile.

Nodding, she looked away, "Extra cheese."

"Three hundred credits," the vendor said.

Uni presents three golden coins from a small bag near her. Each a hundred credits and minted from direct order of the Basilicom. Incredibly rare to see within normal circulation for an average citizen, where coins made from brass produced in Leanbox, silver, and copper mined in Lowee, and presses manufactured domestically dominated Lastation currency.

The man marveled at the sight of one of those coins, making it easy and in the press of a button, permitted the two girls entry past the "front counter". Exposing to both an actual dinner setting.

"Come over here!" Uni exclaimed with a smile to her cheeks.

Nepgear followed a little cheery, until she turned over, watching some Dogoo Jelly-related products come out, featuring a couple of canisters along with it. Bringing her spirits down into her shoes, causing whites to expand.

"They sell Fermented Dogoo Jelly too?!"

"Capitalism, Nepgear, that stuff looks to be popular," Uni replied.

"But the pudding facility in Planeptune, the jelly was the cause of the disruptions!" Nepgear explained the best she could, planting her hands on the table's smooth flat face.

"What's wrong with it? It's just a commodity," Uni shrugs.

"It's addictive and I think there's a ring going on, it's a really difficult process but I know Dogoo's, or those fit to get their jelly extracted are found in Planeptune mostly," Nepgear said, leaning her head a little down to see Uni at face level.

"You said something relating to fermentation, like alcoholic drinks?" she asked, tilting her head in a minor direction.

"It's like that, Uni, got any ideas to where cheap Dogoo Jelly fermentation could happen?"

"Lowee or Leanbox look to be around the best options. Although from what Noire said to me about the economy related to fermented beverages, Leanbox's warmer climate suits larger and more profitable endeavors into the industry. But the costs..."

"Are you suggesting terrorists are behind the trade, Uni?"

"Not terrorists! Just, just, really rich people who benefit from illegal commodities!" Uni stretched her arms forward as Nepgear sat down at the booth, trying to wave her off with a slight red tinge on her cheeks.

"Hmm..." Nepgear stares at the glass plane next to their sitting place.

Compared to the countryside, Lastation's city sprawls had much cleaner, tolerable air. Being an industrial powerhouse in Gamindustri led to accelerated production and research into air filtration to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen or even oxygenate contaminated water before undergoing an autoclave.

"About Lowee..."

"Lowee as an option, compared to Leanbox, it brings more flavor since it's colder and has time to age much better and possibly makes more liquid versions worth ten thousand credits to the liter due to its scarcity. However, through the economies of scale, Fermented Dogoo Jelly from Leanbox is more profitable macroeconomically. While Loweean Fermented Dogoo Jelly has individual surpassing the Leanbox product."

"So we should look at Leanbox and Lowee's possible locations?"

"Possibly so from here," Uni tilts away, watching as their two foods came, "And the food's arrived Nepgear."

Ceramic plates touched their table, greeting Nepgear's eyes to the melty gourmet ham and cheese sandwich in a sub bun dissected in the middle. Melted yellow, orange, and white cheeses with stuffed ham inside.

"Wow! That looks incredibly tasty!" she exclaimed, admiring the well-looking food found in some weird place for foods like it.

"Enjoy it," Uni smiles.

Her's was a pork strip, nothing quite special except how it got shaped and the size. Plus when she went to cut it, heavy density resistance comparable to lead. Barely getting any real meat exposed though.

After some time and an intense sawing motion, Uni groaned from her clash with her lump, "Dammit! Just cut a piece open!"

"It looks quite tough but maybe you don't cut it traditionally."

"I guess you're right, maybe a stab on top would work."

Raising the jagged metal edge above her head, she thumped it down at her meat, finally getting to the other side below it, but upon the tip brutishly hitting her plate. Not a single chink or crack emerged from their ceramics. Indicating there was probably a reinforcing metal inside of it.

"Whoa, it took it! They came prepared. Now you can cut it myself!" Uni proclaimed as she smirked, ruthlessly starting to destroy the meat for her mouth's content.