Elder brother's garrison

So suddenly?

So simple?

The plate in the constellation's hand fell to the ground with a thud onto her snow-white thigh.

"Huh? Constellation, your plate!" Xiaobai noticed the noise beside her. She turned around and saw that Constellation's plate had fallen onto her lap, spilling sauce all over her legs and even her clothes. Xiaobai exclaimed in surprise and quickly grabbed the plate from the coffee table.

She pulled out a pack of tissues. "Quick, quick... wipe it off..."

"Huh? Ah... Oh..." Zodiac's mind was completely occupied with what Xiaobai had just told her, leaving her with no extra resources to think about anything else. She stared blankly at Xiaobai until he hurriedly handed her a napkin. Only then did she look down at the sauce on her clothes, and then, as if due to a network delay, she took the napkin from Xiaobai a beat late. Without even opening it, she started rubbing it on her clothes in fits and starts.

"Zodiac sign... are you still half asleep?... Okay, I'll do it." Xiaobai helplessly reached out, grabbed the plate on Zodiac sign's lap and put it on the table. Then, she grasped Zodiac sign's wrist, took the napkin packet from her hand, pulled out a few pieces of paper, swiped them on Zodiac sign's thigh, and gathered the pasta sauce and a few loose noodles into the paper ball.

The ship girl's skin is quite smooth and it's hard for her to get dusty. Xiaobai took a piece of paper and wiped the constellation's legs, which wiped away most of the pasta sauce.

"Constellation, go change your clothes. Take a shower while you're at it," Lexington said, smiling as she looked at them from the other end of the coffee table.

"Oh, oh... okay..." Constellation stood up groggily, swaying slightly as she walked towards the living room door. However, when she reached the doorway, she paused for a moment, cautiously turning her head to look at Xiaobai, and asked him in a daze, "Admiral... did you just... invite me to your house as a guest...?"

"Huh? Uh... yeah, what's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing..." Constellation quickly turned around and strode towards the corridor. "I...I will go...I will find a chance to go..."

The sound of a bathroom door opening came from the hallway, followed by the continuous sound of running water.

Xiao Bai sat on the sofa, looking at the living room doorway with a complicated expression.

"I thought her constellation would be more shrewd... I didn't expect her to be so absent-minded... Hmm, I think Tirpitz calls this kind of 'natural airhead'?" Xiaobai muttered softly, picking up her plate and taking a few bites.

"Actually, Zodiac signs are usually quite clever, at least they won't lose their grip on the bowl while eating because they're thinking about something," Lexington reminded Xiaobai with a smile.

"Huh? What just now..."

“Yes, what is it because of…” Lexington said with a smile, looking at Little White’s face with a satisfied expression that showed she had witnessed a good show.

"..." Xiaobai held the plate, looking puzzled.

After changing her clothes, Xingzuo returned to the living room as usual. She sat back down next to Xiaobai as if nothing had happened, and without any hesitation, picked up the plate covered in sauce and started eating the spaghetti with a blissful expression. When Xiaobai asked her what had happened, Xingzuo just smiled happily and didn't reply.

After meal.

Constellation ate two-thirds of a mountain of spaghetti.

"Ah, so satisfying..." Constellation patted her noticeably swollen belly, leaned against Little White, and murmured to herself contentedly.

"Zodiac sign, your appetite... is truly incredible!" Xiaobai exclaimed to Zodiac sign.

"Actually, it's alright. I just had a better appetite today, right?" Constellation winked contentedly at Little White.

“When you’re in a good mood, your appetite naturally improves,” Lexington said with a smile as she cleared away the dishes.

"Hehe..." Constellation turned to the side and rested her head on Xiaobai's lap.

If it were before a meal, Constellation would naturally be too embarrassed to make such intimate gestures with the Admiral. However, since the Admiral had just invited her to his home, it meant that in the Admiral's eyes, she received some special treatment compared to ordinary ship girls. Therefore, Constellation's behavior was slightly out of line.

And indeed, the horoscope predicted it.

When Xingzi rested her head on Xiaobai's lap, Xiaobai not only showed no surprise or resistance, but even habitually placed her palm on Xingzi's head and rubbed it.

"Lexington, are we going back to Chapter 8 this afternoon?" Little White asked Lexington while stroking Constellation's head.

"Hmm... I'm fine with either, what do you think, Xiaobai?"

"I was worried that Akagi and the others wouldn't be able to handle it... so I wanted to go check on things as soon as possible." Xiaobai smiled sheepishly at Lexington. "Besides, there's something urgent to do with Chapter Eight today..."

"Eh? Admiral, are you going back to Chapter 8?" Constellation, who was lying on Little White's lap, immediately raised her head when she heard Little White and Lexington's words.

"Yes what's the matter?"

"Um... is there no limit to the number of participants in Chapter 8 now? I heard from Lexington the other day that you brought quite a few aircraft carriers with you..."

"Yes."

"Admiral, Admiral, I want to go too!" Constellation raised her hand excitedly.

Chapter 2009 Saratoga's Bitter Heart

"Huh? You want to go to Chapter 8 too, Constellation?" Xiaobai put down her hand and looked at Constellation.

"...Is that not allowed...?"

“It’s not that it’s impossible…” Xiaobai gave a wry smile. “The quality of life over there in Chapter Eight is much worse than in the naval base. After all, there are no soft beds there, and you can’t take a shower anytime. Wi-Fi and TV programs are luxuries… Constellation, you’re staying at home just fine. Why did you suddenly want to go there?”

—It's all because of you…

The constellation muttered a couple of things to itself, but still spoke to Xiaobai in a serious tone.

"Because there is no reason not to serve the naval base!"

The constellation thumped its chest, radiating a dazzling crimson glow from behind.

"Ah—such awareness..." Xiaobai was momentarily stunned by the constellation's statement. She blinked, nodded to the constellation, and said gently, "Since you've said so, constellation, then of course I have no reason to refuse you... So when we go back to Chapter Eight, you can come with us."

"Yay!" Constellation raised both arms.

"But that's what I mean, things have been pretty boring in Chapter Eight lately."

"It's okay, I can find joy even in hardship!"

"OK then……"

Xiao Bai withdrew his gaze and exchanged a smile with Lexington across the coffee table.

Lexington had to go to the Admiral's office for some work in the morning, so she couldn't go to Chapter Eight with Xiaobai so early. Therefore, after resting briefly in the living room, Xiaobai, dressed and ready, said goodbye to Lexington and left her house.

Back at the Bismarck's house, as soon as they opened the door, they could hear the lively sounds of the Deep Sea Deans playing around in the living room. Shiro and Constellation entered the living room and found Super Yamato sitting in front of the TV playing video games with Deep Sea Yamato. Shiro briefly explained to her about Constellation's self-recommendation.

When asked about having another person added to her delivery list, Super Yamato said it was no problem at all. She first said goodbye to Deep Sea Yamato, and then, amidst Deep Sea Yamato's cheerful farewell, she opened up the dark vortex and, together with Shiro and Constellation, plunged inside.

In the blink of an eye.

It is a thousand miles away.

The three of them rode the dark vortex back to the villa in Chapter Eight.

Constellation followed Xiaobai's figure away from the vortex. Her eyes were filled with curiosity as she looked around at the villa environment and the ship girls who were gathered in twos and threes inside the villa, passing the time.

"Eh... so this is our naval base's accommodation in Chapter 8...? It doesn't seem as bad as the Admiral described." Like all the ship girls arriving in Chapter 8 for the first time, Constellation initially thought the environment there was so harsh they'd have to sleep outdoors, but upon arrival, she was surprised by the charmingly quaint villa.

Just as he was talking to himself, Xingzuo suddenly noticed that Xiaobai and Chaoda, who were walking ahead of him, were staring straight at him.

"Admiral? Why are you all looking at me like that...?"

"Astrology, are you disgusting?"

"What?"

"After you came out of the vortex, did you feel nauseous or vomity, like you got carsick?" Xiaobai asked thoughtfully.

"...Uh, should I have it?" Constellation stood there stunned, not understanding for a moment why Xiaobai asked the question, and replied somewhat confusedly.

“Then it seems there’s no…” Xiaobai and Super Yamato exchanged a glance, smiled slightly, and then explained to the constellation, “Saratoga always gets extremely carsick whenever she rides Super Yamato’s vortex portal. I was just worried about you, afraid that since you’re her older sister, you might also have this condition…”

"Did Lexington react like that too?" Constellation asked innocently.

"No, so far only Saratoga has had this reaction. Other ship girls who have ridden in the whirlpool will only feel a little dizzy at most."

"Haha..." Constellation pursed her cherry-colored lips and revealed a happy smile, "As expected, Saratoga always has such a funny reaction!"

"Anyway, I'll take you to meet Akagi and Hood first. Go and say hello to them." Xiaobai smiled slightly.

-

Outside the villa.

Washroom area.

Akagi was holding a gleaming kitchen knife, staring intently at a fish that was jumping around on the cutting board.

"Vixen!"

Akagi gave a soft shout, and the gleaming cleaver flashed white light, striking down on the fish's head with lightning speed. With a thud, the cleaver cleaved the fish's head open, and the once lively sea fish was swiftly and painlessly ended by Akagi, its head and body lying limp on the cutting board.

"Stealing cat!"

Akagi gave another light shout, and the cleaver in her hand quickly changed direction, stabbing fiercely at the fish's body. With a series of swishing sounds, the fish scales on the sea fish were cleanly peeled off by Akagi, turning into salty, fishy snowflakes that danced in the air and fell to the ground.

"shameless!"

Akagi shouted again, plunging the cleaver into the fish's body. With swift and skillful movements, she gutted the fish, removing its internal organs, bones, and spines, and neatly arranging them on the cutting board beside her.

"So you still went after Xiaobai again!"

"idiot!"

"A wicked woman who abuses her power for personal gain!"

"Once is too many, twice is too few, but never a third time!"

"I trusted you so much!!"

"..."

Akagi shouted menacingly at the cutting board, her hands never slowing down. The sea fish on the cutting board, which had been processed down to just the flesh, was precisely sliced ​​into thin, paper-thin sashimi pieces by Akagi's exquisite knife skills, which were then stacked together in an elegant shape.

Looking at Akagi's "fierce" profile, Saratoga, who was chopping vegetables next to Akagi, couldn't help but swallow hard and hesitated to look at him.

The sounds of other ship girls discussing things could be heard from time to time around Saratoga.

"Huh? Sister Akagi seems a bit irritable today..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Haven't you noticed yet? Akagi-nee is angry!"

"Huh? Who are you angry with?"

"Mrs. Leigh's."

"Um... Mrs. Leigh and Sister Akagi haven't always had a good relationship..."

"Sigh, after the Admiral escorted Mrs. Rey back to the naval base yesterday, he didn't come back to sleep again, just as he always has. Like the last two times, he probably had the Admiral stay overnight. Akagi-nee is really upset with Mrs. Rey. Didn't you hear her say things like, 'I trusted you so much!'..."

“Oh…hmm? But I remember that as soon as the Admiral left last night, Akagi-nee started making preparations for the Admiral not to come back…From this perspective, isn’t Mrs. Rei just doing what Akagi-nee thought she would do…”

"Shh! Don't let Akagi-nee hear you! She's furious, or she'll make things difficult for you!"

"Oh! I'm so..."

The ship girl's voice trailed off hesitantly.

Saratoga's heart was pounding with nervousness.

This morning, after Saratoga woke up, Akagi mysteriously called her to the washroom area. Once there, he didn't say anything, but simply handed Saratoga a gleaming kitchen knife and told her to help chop some vegetables. Then, he proceeded to butcher the poor fish into pieces all by himself...

Saratoga was terrified by this display of force.

Could it be...

Sister Akagi is going to take her anger out on herself...

After all, it was her older sister who let Xiaobai stay overnight. As the saying goes, a sister pays for her sister's debts. It's only natural for the younger sister to take the blame for the trouble caused by her older sister. Right now, her older sister is having fun with Xiaobai at the naval base. It's quite normal for Akagi to take her anger out on her sister temporarily since she can't catch her...

Thinking of this, Saratoga's hand holding the cleaver trembled slightly.

Could it be... that Akagi-neechan will punish herself for holding a kitchen knife with her left hand or something...?

Saratoga, momentarily forgetting her nervousness, quickly gripped the knife handle tightly and began chopping the vegetables on the cutting board.

dong dong dong-

For a moment, Saratoga's cutting board was filled with the sound of vigorous chopping.

Akagi, who was preparing sashimi, was drawn by Saratoga's voice. She turned her head and looked over, then spoke to Saratoga.

"Saratoga, wait a minute, don't cut like that..."

"I, I'm holding the knife properly! I'm trying my best to chop the vegetables!"

"No, I mean, you're cutting onions..." Akagi reminded Saratoga with concern, but it seemed that Akagi's reminder came a little too late. The few slashes Saratoga had made with the cleaver had caused the juice from the onions on the cutting board to splatter everywhere. The splattering onion juice immediately stung the unsuspecting Saratoga, making her eyes turn red and tears well up.

"Ah—eyes, eyes!!" Saratoga covered her eyes.

"Saratoga, don't rub your eyes, quickly rinse them with water..." Akagi put down the cleaver in her hand and hurriedly pulled Saratoga to the nearby spring. While rinsing Saratoga's eyes with cool water, she sighed to Saratoga, "Sigh... you were cutting it just now, why did you suddenly start using so much force? How can you be so careless when cutting onions..."

“Hmm…” Saratoga looked aggrieved.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid... if I don't act really hard, Akagi-nee, you'll punish me..."