Perhaps, after dealing with Dongyun City, he would make it back just in time for Bismarck's arrival at the port.
Thinking of seeing the Iron Blood leader—without her colossal dragon-like rigging—once again, Lin Lan's lips curled slightly.
Bismarck, oh Bismarck, it's been a while. I've missed you.
Around noon, Lin Lan noticed the silhouettes of passenger ships from the Tian'ou group, arriving from the Eastern Continent, dotting the surrounding waters.
He then instructed Ägir to release his yacht from the storage space within her rigging. Once everyone had boarded, Ägir retracted the mass-produced destroyer back into her rigging.
"Almost there. In about two hours, we'll reach Dongyun City. Once we arrive, we'll head straight for the vicinity of Battleaxe Military Industries' base."
Standing on the yacht's deck, Lin Lan gazed at the passenger ships on the distant sea route and spoke to Ägir beside him.
The weather was somewhat overcast today, with sunlight piercing through the cracks in the thick clouds, casting blotchy patches of light upon the rolling waves.
"Commander, if Ulrich and the others are waiting in this area, they're already at the communication range limit~"
Ägir's long silver hair fluttered in the sea breeze as the Iron Blood super cruiser grinned and continued,
"But I've already told them—if the carrier-based aircraft detect explosions in the city, they are to immediately move toward Dongyun City until they can re-establish contact with us. Hahaha~"
Lin Lan turned to Ägir in surprise. He hadn't expected this airheaded girl to be so sharp at times.
"Hey, hey, what kind of look is that? Do you really think I'm an idiot?"
Ägir's fair and alluring face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.
However, before she could continue, the sound of the cabin door sliding open interrupted them. A playful, teasing voice followed from behind her:
"Heh heh~ Ägir, what kind of secret are you whispering to the Commander? Mind if I listen in too?"
With a smile on her face, Prinz Eugen strolled up beside Ägir and casually wrapped an arm around hers.
"Eugen, causing trouble at a time like this is hardly polite."
Ägir didn't reject Eugen's affectionate approach, but her tone carried a hint of displeasure—much like a girl annoyed at a close friend interrupting her alone time with her boyfriend.
Her cheeks even flushed slightly.
"How is this impolite~? We're all sisters, after all. If the Commander can hear it, why can't I~?"
Prinz Eugen beamed mischievously, and while Ägir was momentarily distracted, she slipped free, darted behind her, and suddenly pulled her into an embrace.
"Wh-What are you doing, Eugen?! Don't joke around like this in front of the Commander!"
Ägir hadn't expected Eugen's sudden ambush.
Before she could react, she was already caught in the grasp of another silver-haired girl and, surprisingly, found herself unable to break free.
The realization that the Commander was watching made Ägir's face flush with both embarrassment and panic.
"Heh heh, Commander~ Tell me, between the two of us, who do you like more?"
Lin Lan had been enjoying the spectacle of the two Iron Blood beauties—both silver-haired with red highlights, sharing even some facial similarities—teasing each other.
But then, Eugen hit him with the ultimate dilemma, instantly putting him in a tough spot.
In the game, Iron Blood's primary tank had long been Eugen, who had been available since launch.
However, with the introduction of the fourth-generation research fleet, the title of Iron Blood's best tank was taken by Ägir, who was both tanky and packed a punch.
Meanwhile, Eugen, due to her lacking damage output, had gradually faded from the mainstream lineup.
That was simply how the game's meta evolved. Even Lin Lan, in order to tackle tougher world bosses and high-difficulty content, had to bench Eugen in favor of Ägir.
Yet, ironically, both of them had silver hair with red highlights.
Because Eugen, despite her popularity, had yet to receive a retrofit, and since Ägir resembled her in many ways, many players had jokingly referred to Ägir as "Eugen Kai" or "Eugen Plus."
Lin Lan suddenly noticed something—Ägir, who had been struggling moments ago, had stopped resisting.
Instead, she looked at him with her golden dragon-like eyes filled with anticipation.
At that moment, he recalled that research ships often had certain mental deficiencies, yet he had never figured out what Ägir's was.
"Commander~ What's your answer? No dodging the question~"
Seeing Lin Lan lost in thought, Eugen grinned and squeezed Ägir's chest without warning.
"Ahh!! Eugen, I'm seriously mad now!"
A tingling sensation surged through Ägir, causing her to finally snap.
Despite being a super cruiser, superior to heavy cruisers in rank, she had been caught off guard.
Breaking free from Eugen's grasp, Ägir turned around and pinned Eugen down instead.
"Alright, enough fooling around."
Just as Ägir was about to retaliate, Lin Lan finally stepped in with a chuckle, stopping the silver-haired Iron Blood girls from continuing their "mutual destruction."
"Regardless of whether it's you two or any of our companions, you are all my favorites. There's no question of who I like more."
Lin Lan noticed Eugen was about to say something, so he calmly continued, addressing his "old love" and "new flame" alike:
"But, my reasons for liking each of you are different. Take you two, for example. Eugen arrived at my port earlier and was someone I made my oath to long ago."
As he spoke, he stepped closer to Eugen and Ägir, gently caressing Ägir's fair cheek while meeting her golden eyes with a serious gaze.
"But you, in my heart, are the one and only Ägir. You're not a substitute for anyone else."
"I like your pride, your confidence… and even your moments of shyness."
Hearing Lin Lan's words—spoken with such sincerity, as if confessing his love—Ägir was utterly stunned.
She didn't even notice that Eugen had slipped out of her grasp.
"Heh… Hehehe… You really dare to say something like that."
After a long silence, Ägir let out a forced chuckle, turning away to hide her completely flushed face.
Meanwhile, Eugen had quietly retreated into the cabin. Through the glass door, Lin Lan saw her flashing a sweet smile and giving him a thumbs-up.
That Eugen… she had seen through everything from the start.
"So, since you claim to like me so much, how do you plan to prove it?"
Ägir's words brought Lin Lan's focus back to the proud Iron Blood super cruiser before him.
"Oh? That's easy."
Lin Lan chuckled. Ägir, do you really want to play this game?
Without hesitation, he pulled Ägir into his arms, ignoring her flushed face and startled expression.
Their lips met, their hands intertwined.
"Mmh…!"
The proud and confident silver-haired girl initially resisted, but soon, she melted into it.
Lin Lan, ever observant, noticed a single tear slip from Ägir's eye.
A long while later, the two reluctantly parted.
"Com… Commander…"
Ägir's gaze, as she looked at Lin Lan, was filled with emotions deeper than before—something indescribable.
"Alright, Ägir. Let's head inside."
Lin Lan gently brushed her bangs, caressing her forehead with a soft smile.
Blushing, Ägir nodded obediently—a rare sight.
Just as Lin Lan turned to enter the cabin, holding Ägir's hand, he suddenly froze.
"Ahh! We've been spotted, meow! Oww! Z46, when did you sneak up behind me?!"
"Commander… How could you… Guh… Roon, stay calm, you can do this. Don't get mad. Just smile…"
"This damn womanizer! He dares to do this in the middle of a mission?! Unforgivable!"
At some point, the cabin's glass doors had been crowded with shipgirls watching the scene unfold.
As Lin Lan and Ägir turned around, the onlookers panicked, bumping into each other in their attempt to retreat.
"You all sure enjoyed the show, huh?! No running!"
Lin Lan, his face burning, waved a fist threateningly at the shipgirls inside the cabin.
This ridiculous scene made Ägir cover her mouth and burst into laughter.
The deep-seated insecurities she had never shared with anyone… vanished in that moment of joy.
_______
50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!