Elder brother's garrison

She squatted down, patted Xiaobai's short skirt, and smoothed out the wrinkles.

—Oh, Xiaobai changed into casual clothes because her military uniform was dirty; it was her high school uniform.

Military uniforms do not have skirts.

The school uniform is of very good quality; it's a blue and white short sailor-style outfit, a little revealing, but subtly very appropriate. Xiaobai really likes this outfit; it's cute and casual, and she occasionally wears it out. I just grabbed it when I was tidying up clothes at home.

"Oh." Xiaobai rummaged in his clothes, pulled out the gloves belonging to the reputation holder, and handed them over. "Your gloves. I forgot to give them to you earlier."

Reputation raised his head, silently accepted the glove, and stood up.

Reputation is currently wearing a different pair of gloves, so there's no need to change them back on the spot.

"Excuse me." Reputation handed the gloves to the little maid beside him.

The maid took a step forward, accepted the gloves, and then silently retreated.

The maid behind Reputation kept her head down. But Xiaobai had caught a glimpse of her face when she handed over the gloves.

It looks very much like a mature reputation.

It's like a teenage version of Reputation.

“She’s my sister.” Seemingly noticing Xiaobai’s gaze, Shengwang said to her.

"Is it a counterattack?" Xiaobai asked.

Xiaobai had seen information about counterattacks in the files at the naval base.

"Yes." Reputation turned to look at Counterattack, a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

The young maid stepped forward and looked up.

A face similar to her reputation, large eyes, and a standard, maid-like smile.

However, Renown's smile, due to its formidable strength, exudes a sense of nonchalance and confidence, while Repulse's smile is a different kind of subtle and friendly one.

Just like the little sister next door.

"Greetings, Master." Counterattack bowed to Little White.

Xiaobai didn't know much about maids, but she seemed to have figured it out. In terms of the maids' status alone, Shengwang's status seemed to be slightly higher than her sister's.

...That's really interesting.

"Hello." Xiaobai saw the emotion she had been longing for in the eyes of the person who was fighting back.

That was a moderate act of goodwill.

"That's wonderful, that's wonderful," Xiaobai thought to herself.

Reputation and Counterattack didn't take up too much of Xiaobai's time. After tidying up Xiaobai's clothes, they quietly retreated behind Xiaobai and followed her silently without making a sound.

Lexington seemed to miss that feeling; she glanced back at Reputation several times.

Of course, Xiaobai didn't care about all that.

She hasn't eaten all day.

Xiao Bai walked to the gift table, picked up a small piece of cake, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Eating amidst the subtle whispers of the crowd was actually quite a strange experience, but Xiao Bai was already overwhelmed by the sweet happiness in her mouth, so she didn't pay attention to anything else.

While eating, Xiaobai searched for familiar faces in the ship girl game.

Saratoga stood not far away, holding a plate and fork, quietly eating her pasta.

Sensing Xiaobai's gaze, Saratoga turned her icy blue eyes towards him.

Saratoga didn't speak, but Little White sensed a message. It was a very clear look: "I'm eating, please don't look at me."

...Hmm, as expected of a nimble ship girl.

Xiao Bai looked for other places.

In a corner of the banquet, Xiaobai spotted Hood looking around again.

Wearing a white sweater, Hood bit her handkerchief, staring intently at the gate of the naval base not far away. She looked tense, as if she had done something wrong.

—Could they be waiting for Bismarck?

Ah... it doesn't seem very convenient.

Xiao Bai turned her gaze away and looked elsewhere.

Then, with a sense of despair, she realized that she could no longer find anyone she knew.

"What a pitiful situation with interpersonal relationships," Xiaobai sighed, turning her attention to the food on the table and taking another bite of cake with a touch of disappointment.

The surrounding ship girls were all very restrained and did not approach Shiro. In fact, because of Lexington's words, they seemed to be subtly avoiding her.

I guess they'll swarm over again after they finish eating.

Just thinking about this made Xiaobai's head ache.

...Speaking of the welcome party and all that, I hope I don't have to give a speech later.

A complete novice like me can't give a speech.

Thinking this, Xiaobai reached out and grabbed the chicken leg next to her.

In mid-air, the other hand touched Little White.

"Ah, sorry." Xiaobai subconsciously withdrew her hand and looked to her side.

The owner of the other hand grabbed the chicken leg without pausing for a moment.

It was a pink-haired girl wearing a black trench coat. She stood silently by the table, holding a plate, eating in small bites.

That ship girl that Xiaobai hadn't noticed before.

She turned her head, and a pair of deep, blood-red eyes looked at Xiaobai.

In an instant, Xiaobai seemed to have fallen into some kind of trap, and stood there dumbfounded.

—My God, it's so beautiful.

This was the first time Xiaobai had ever been speechless after seeing a girl like this.

She was a very tall girl with a beautiful face and a full figure.

Her quiet and gentle demeanor subtly created a sense of security, like a halo surrounding her.

As Xiaobai stared directly at the girl, he even felt his vision slowly blurring.

"..." The girl who was bumped by Xiaobai looked at Xiaobai, who was in a daze, put the chicken leg she had brought on her clean plate, and handed it to her.

"Oh...oh...thank you."

Little White Wood expressed its gratitude.

"Don't you recognize me?" The girl pursed her lips, her blood-red eyes meeting Xiaobai's for a few seconds.

Xiao Bai turned his head away.

"...Who...are you?"

Xiao Bai couldn't find any trace of herself in her.

Xiao Bai thought to herself for a moment, "I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful girl with such a great temperament."

"..." The girl looked at Xiaobai for a moment, then asked softly, "Whose main character team has the highest level in Ship Girl Battle?"

"Bismarck," Xiaobai answered instinctively, then looked at the girl as if he had seen some monstrous beast, and couldn't help but scream uncontrollably, "...Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

Yes, Xiaobai knows her.

Just a few hours ago, this quiet and adorable ship girl was half-naked, drinking cola, watching TV, and frantically pressing the controller to play a battle game with Saratoga.

Earlier, he was slumped over the table, snoring and fast asleep like a dead man.

Tirpitz.

She was that nerdy ship girl that Xiaobai once thought her brother must have been blind to marry.

Chapter 16 Destroyers

After Tirpitz put on the clothes, her appearance didn't change much; Xiaobai could tell that she had just put on light makeup.

However, the difference in atmosphere prevented Xiaobai from immediately thinking that this person might be Tirpitz.

Just like a movie star, walking under bright lights, in the public eye.

—And that is indeed the case.

Tirpitz, who lives in Bismarck's house, is quite a beautiful girl if you look closely, but it seems that after some terrible personality correction, Shiro's impression of her is only at the level of "a regrettable beautiful girl". When Tirpitz puts on her travel clothes and puts away that otaku aura, what appears to Shiro is a completely different ship girl.

That kind of presence, even though she herself has always been low-key and taciturn, is always filled with unparalleled pressure.

Tirpitz was such a person.

Xiaobai suddenly recalled the description of Tirpitz in the ship girl encyclopedia. She possesses strong defensive capabilities and excellent leadership skills.

Ah, how fitting!

After a brief chat, Tirpitz seemed uncomfortable with himself in formal attire and made an excuse to leave.

Xiao Bai stared at Tirpitz's retreating figure, speechless.

Ship girls are fairies of the sea.

A deity who embodies all of humanity's beautiful fantasies and hopes.

It's truly a wondrous existence.

Xiao Bai put down the plate in her hand.

Just then, Xiaobai suddenly felt someone hug her tightly from behind.

The person holding Xiaobai wasn't tall; they were small, and Xiaobai could feel the person's small head touching their back.

Ship girls are creatures who are very accustomed to intimate behavior.

For them, hugging and cuddling is a very normal way to express friendliness.

"Hmm?" Xiaobai looked down and saw a pair of delicate little hands gripping her waist.

The blue sleeves look somewhat familiar.

"Blizzard?" Xiaobai asked uncertainly.

A few seconds later, the hands that were wrapped around Xiaobai's waist loosened.

—Ah, you guessed right.

Xiao Bai turned around and looked back.

She was the first ship girl to spot Xiaobai.

She is a ship girl with slender, long, smooth blue hair and braids.

Fubuki stood behind Shiro, pouting and sulking with her head down.

“I was the first to find it.” Fubuki’s big, red agate-like eyes were almost brimming with tears. “I was here first, not only Miss Renown, but even Tirpitz was ahead of me.”

"The Admiral is a bad person, a bad person, a bad person!" Fubuki said, then burst into tears and threw herself into Shiro's arms, swinging her little fists and punching Shiro in the chest.

—Of course, he didn't use the ship's equipment. Otherwise, even if Xiaobai had ten lives, he wouldn't be able to withstand those few punches.

"I prepared what I wanted to say to the Admiral for so long, and even the inscription on the flagpole was written by him! It's not fair! It's not fair!" Fubuki cried, pounding Shiro's chest with her little fists. "The Admiral ignored me, and Lexington is bullying me with him! You're all bad people! Bad people!"

Fubuki's little fists pounded crisply against Shiro's chest.

A primary school student's chest-pounding might feel comfortable, even pleasurable, to Xiaobai, but Xiaobai doesn't think so.

Hmm...we're going to get flattened...

"Okay, okay, I'm the bad guy, I'm the bad guy, I'm so sorry!" Xiaobai quickly grabbed Chuixue's hand. "Did Chuixue write the inscription? That's amazing! She can use a calligraphy brush at such a young age?"

"..." Fubuki sniffed, and remained silent for a moment, "The Admiral taught me..."

"My brother never even taught me calligraphy," Xiaobai said with a friendly smile. "It's really well written."

Fubuki's big red eyes immediately sparkled like bright stars, as if some kind of light had been turned on.

Finding something unique about oneself is more joyful for a child than anything else.

In an instant, Fubuki forgot her earlier grievances and put her hands on her hips.