It's time to give out the rings, Admiral!

Volume 1, Chapter 444: The Reason

"...We have more important things to do. We haven't searched so many cities, we haven't asked in so many places, and the Admiral is still nowhere to be found. Why...why are we wasting so much precious time on this? I don't understand..."

Her long, black hair gently caressed Fusang's beautiful and gentle face, which also carried a hint of heartache and sorrow. Facing Akagi, and looking at the dark sky and sea in the distance, she hesitated for a long time before finally asking Akagi the question that had been bothering her for two days and that she couldn't understand.

Even though the Admiral is still missing, why is Akagi wasting everyone's precious time cleaning up these deep-sea creatures? She didn't understand, she couldn't comprehend it. The thought that two days that could have been used to search for the Admiral were wasted on this meaningless matter made her wonder if Akagi's brain had been fried from being away from the Admiral for too long.

What deep-sea threat? What deep-sea crisis? Are those things really that important? Perhaps they were important when the Admiral was still alive. For the Admiral, for protecting everyone in the naval base, and for the harmony and future development of the port, everyone worked together to repel the deep sea and protect the coastline from invasion. This was our duty and goal. But the Admiral has already disappeared. Now, what meaning do these things have for a group of girls who have lost something more important than their own lives?

Fusang suppressed her doubts and sorrow as she looked at Akagi. Rather than continuing to clear out these Abyssal Fleet ships that might soon pose a threat to the nearby waters and coastline, she just wanted to know what Akagi was thinking and to ascertain her current mental state. After all, Akagi was, apart from the admiral whose whereabouts were unknown, the only one among her small group who could be considered her pillar of support...

Hearing Fusang's gentle and warm voice, Akagi did not answer her immediately. Instead, she raised the arrow in her hand, which had been transformed into several carrier-based aircraft, and shot it straight into the distant sky. Watching the arrow transform into one carrier-based aircraft after another, flying over the sea and into the distance, Akagi gently smoothed a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead, turned her head, and smiled slightly at Fusang in front of her.

“I know you’re puzzled, Fusang. I’m afraid Shinano and Shirayuki and the other little ones don’t understand why I’m staying here to clean up these deep-sea areas either.”

With her beautiful face and gentle, water-like temperament, Akagi smoothed out the slight wrinkles on her clothes caused by her movements while diverting some of her energy to control the carrier-based aircraft launched for reconnaissance. She spoke softly to Fusang, and seeing Fusang curiously raise her head, she touched her still calm and beautiful face and began to explain.

"Fusang, do you remember where we are now? It's only about a two or three-day journey from where we are now to our naval base. Normally, when everyone is gathered in the port, I certainly wouldn't be worried, but now everyone has gone out to search for the admiral, and the naval base's defenses are weak. If a serious deep-sea crisis really breaks out here, our port will definitely be threatened. You don't want us to find our home turned into a wasteland when we return after finding the admiral, do you?"

Just as expected, after hearing Akagi's explanation, Fusang covered her mouth in surprise.

Akagi is right. She hadn't thought of such a problem because in the past, these so-called deep-sea crises posed no threat to her powerful port, so she hadn't thought about it in that way. But now her port was poorly protected, with only Yatsen and Chongqing remaining. If a deep-sea threat were to occur, they probably wouldn't be able to protect the naval base from any damage.

"Oh, I see... I hadn't even thought of such a problem..."

Fusang nodded gently. Looking at Fusang, Akagi narrowed her dark eyes with a gentle smile. She turned around and looked in the direction of the dark sky behind her. That was the direction of her home, the home of everyone, and most importantly, the Admiral's home. Looking at the still calm sea in the distance, Akagi's gentle and beautiful eyes lowered slightly.

A year or so can smooth out many rough edges, especially for a group of girls who have lost the most important thing. She can understand Fusang's thoughts and worries, because she is also one of them. She has struggled repeatedly between continuing to search for the Admiral without asking any questions and staying for two more days to clean up the deep sea. But in the end, she still has to protect herself and the Admiral's home.

For the sake of the admiral, even the timid and shy ship girl can become very brave. However, without the admiral, even the strongest ship girl will become uneasy and panicked. A few nights ago, before everyone set off, Shirayuki ran to her room crying in the middle of the night because she couldn't sleep because she missed the admiral. She wanted to ask herself if we could find the admiral and when we would be able to find him.

That look of panic and unease on her face is still etched in my mind, and what can I do? How can I possibly answer? All I can do is continue to stroke her head as always and tell her that we will definitely find the admiral…

And then there's Kaga. Although she's not with me right now, Shoukaku says her lifestyle is really terrible. During the day, she tries her best to find the Admiral, and when she gets back to her lodgings at night, she drinks non-stop until she falls into a deep sleep. Even though there's no health risk for a ship girl, it's still worrying...

Ha... I don't really have the right to judge others. Although on the surface I always seem confident that I can find the admiral, who is it that cries until all the tears have dried up in the dead of night, curled up in bed?

Admiral, where are you? If you can hear me, please come back to Akagi's side... Not only Akagi, but also Fusō, and your little wife Shirayuki, we really... really can't hold on much longer~

"Phew... If that's how it is, then there's nothing we can do. After we clean this place up, we'll go look for that island. Ah, I remember it's not far from Tianshui City. Once we find that island, we can go there to look for the Admiral. I don't think any of you sisters have searched for that place yet, have you?"

"Oh, right, Akagi, Yamashiro and I just spotted a squadron of B-25s to our west. Those shouldn't be your carrier-based aircraft, right? Hmm, if they are B-25s, could it be that other B-25s are also nearby?"

"Hmm?...I don't know, maybe it's Shoukaku and the others. If it is, Fuso, could you take me to send a telegram to inquire? To prevent the Abyssal Fleet from discovering it, encrypt it using the method we usually use in our port..."

Volume 1, Chapter 445: Garbled Code

The brilliant sunshine shone on the clear blue sea, and the gentle, moist sea breeze was like a mother's warm hand caressing everything on this ocean that she loved. The sun was already setting in the west, and the sunlight was no longer as bright and dazzling as it had been a few hours earlier. According to the time it takes for the sun to get dark this season, there was only about an hour left before the sun sank into the distant, boundless horizon.

The snow-white waves continued to rise and fall, and occasionally a few fish could be seen swimming leisurely underwater. Wearing a dazzling white dress and with her beautiful and elegant silver-white hair flowing, she sailed like a goddess on the empty sea. Her beautiful radiance continued to calmly release its reconnaissance aircraft towards the distant sky.

"Ugh……"

One after another, small carrier-based aircraft took off shakily from the flight deck, which was as soft as cloth, and eventually flew steadily into the sky far away. Even the most knowledgeable person would be surprised by such a scene. However, listening to her own breathing and the sound of the waves rising and falling around her, the beautiful woman frowned and sighed softly.

"I wonder how the Admiral is doing... He has a fever, has it subsided? And what about the unicorn..."

She murmured to herself, her clear, azure eyes tracing the lines where the sea and sky met in the distance, but her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the passenger ship that was about dozens of nautical miles behind her.

More than half an hour had passed since she and her sister Lexington returned to the sea to escort the passenger ship, but in that half hour, she had not devoted any of her energy to protecting the safety of the passenger ship.

Even though she already knew that her beloved admiral had only caught a minor cold and would recover quickly with some medicine and a little care, she couldn't help but think of his weak expression and hoarse voice when she spoke to him earlier. Her heart ached, and she wished she could abandon her escort mission and return to the passenger ship to stay by his side and take care of him until he recovered.

She wanted to hold his head and let him sleep peacefully in her arms. She also wanted to gaze at his face all night, just like when he first created her. However, she knew that she had a more important task to do now. With Little Fei by the Admiral's side, the Admiral would not have any problems. Because her most important Admiral was sick and she was very worried, Guanghui sighed softly once again.

However, compared to the admiral who had already taken medicine and received an IV drip, she was more worried about her little sister and the little support ship.

As someone who has been through it all, and as an older sister who knows her little sister very well, she, as a wife and flight attendant, could tell what Unicorn was thinking the moment she returned to the passenger ship and saw her sister's helpless face and eyes.

She knew her younger sister was very shy. The gentle and pitiful girl would blush with embarrassment if she said even a few slightly inappropriate things. So, from the moment she left the passenger ship until now, she had been worried about whether Unicorn would realize her own feelings and whether she would be able to muster the courage to express her feelings to her beloved admiral brother.

"Glorious Sister, are you alright? I've noticed you seem worried about something ever since we started."

Another soft and lovely voice came from behind Glorious, causing her to gently raise her head as she was thinking and worrying. She turned around and looked at Marani, who had somehow appeared beside her. Marani's sweet smile and her long, light purple hair that shone brightly in the sunlight made her smile gently. She gently pursed her lips and then shook her head at the girl in front of her.

"It's nothing, Marani, don't worry, I was just thinking about something."

The warm sunset shone on the girl's quiet and lovely face, reddening her fair and smooth skin and her bright and clear purplish-red eyes, which were as clear as crystal. However, upon hearing Guanghui's words, the girl seemed to suddenly remember something and tilted her head slightly.

"Hmm... Is Glorious Sister worried about the Admiral? It's okay, with Little Fairy and Unicorn around, the Admiral will definitely be fine. Besides, didn't Sister Lexington say that the Admiral just has a cold? He'll be better soon after a little rest."

Unexpectedly, the girl saw through her thoughts so quickly. Radiant smiled and pursed her lips. Of course, she was also worried about the Admiral. Although she wanted to go back to the Admiral's side to be with her, it was clear that the Admiral did not need her care right now. She narrowed her light blue eyes, frowned again in distress, and touched her cheek with some helplessness and worry.

"Actually, I'm not really worried. The Admiral is reassured because she has Little Fei and Unicorn with her. I'm just... I'm just worried about Unicorn."

"Worried about the unicorn? But the unicorn is on the passenger ship with the admiral and isn't in any danger. Why is Glorious Sister worried about the unicorn?"

Thinking about how Unicorn was doing and whether she was even aware of her own feelings, she glanced at the distant sea, her ten slender fingers intertwined, and then looked with her sea-blue eyes in the direction of the passenger ship.

"Hmm... I'm not worried about whether the unicorn will be in danger. I'm just worried about whether the child can properly express his feelings. Okay, just now Sister Lexington and Teacher Sarah went to scout that unusual sea area. They told us to wait here and meet up with them in half an hour. It seems like it's about time now. Let's go, Marani."

"Okay, Glorious Sister."

Distracted, Glorious maneuvered his carrier-based aircraft to land slowly on the flight deck behind him. After retrieving the reconnaissance plane he had launched, Glorious planned to take Marani to meet up with Lexington and the others at the agreed-upon location. However, just as they were about to depart, Glorious suddenly paused and then froze for a moment.

Seeing her beloved Illustrious suddenly stop and reveal a somewhat unnatural expression, the curious Marani couldn't help but ask her again, "What's wrong, Illustrious?"

Guanghui was taken aback, then frowned at her.

"It's nothing, I just received a telegram. I thought it was from Sister Lexington asking us to meet up with her, but after reading it, it was just some incomprehensible gibberish. Maybe someone is playing a prank..."

Volume 1, Chapter 446: Do you like it?

The passenger ship sailed on the boundless sea, where the only thing that was never lacking was the seascape that was both breathtaking and tiresome. In the early morning, the dazzling sunlight pierced through the clouds and poured into the sea. The golden light was like neatly spread golden fish scales on the sea. In the distance, the sea and sky merged, and on the unchanging horizon, several seagulls appeared in the azure sky, diligently searching for food.

The sea was still calm in the morning, and even the sound of the waves seemed exceptionally gentle. The sound of the waves was like an elegant piano piece, which was captivating and mesmerizing. However, looking at the blue horizon in the distance and feeling the warm and refreshing sea breeze, the boy who was gazing at the distant sea couldn't help but sigh.

"The elegant sea is beautiful, but it gets a bit boring if you only see this kind of scenery every day."

Standing alone on the ship's bow, the young man adjusted his hat. It was the second day since he had slept with Xiao Fei and the unicorn on his large double bed in his bedroom the previous night. He had fallen asleep with two small, soft bodies in his arms, and had been lovingly woken up this morning by his gentle wife and radiant presence. He had enjoyed a breakfast that even ancient emperors might not have been able to experience, being served and accompanied by two such beautiful wives and flight attendants. Su Yuchen had come to the ship's deck alone.

The gentle and beautiful ladies were naturally reluctant to leave their husbands alone, but Lexington was cleaning up the dishes and kitchen scraps from breakfast, while Glorious took the opportunity to wash the clothes that someone had changed out of over the past two days. During this time, the only idle boy was sent to the deck by Lexington, who was worried that his cold would get worse and put a thick coat on him, saying that she still had to clean the cabin later, and that the lazy admiral would only bother them if he were there.

The boy felt a little helpless thinking about the reproachful look on Lexington's face when she kicked him out of the cabin. Back in Tianshui, he was a hardworking and diligent young man who worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk. He not only racked his brains every day to make a living for himself and Xiaorou, but he also had to think about how to earn more money to improve the lives of his siblings when he went to bed at night. It was only after coming to Jinchuan that he slowly became like this... How dare she say that she would slow down their cleaning speed? That's too disrespectful to her.

Hmm... but thinking back to how I acted when I woke up this morning, it doesn't really seem very convincing...

Speaking of Tianshui, I wonder if Xiaorou has received the letter I sent her before. Hehe, if she has, she's probably already excitedly waiting to go back with me and the "surprises" I've prepared for her. I wonder what kind of expression Xiaorou will have when she sees the surprises I've prepared for her. Maybe she'll faint from surprise? After all, there are so many gentle, beautiful, generous and lovely sisters-in-law.

And what about Yixian and Missouri who stayed at the naval base? I wonder how they are doing now. I've only been gone for a few days, so I guess nothing bad has happened to them.

"Ah! This feels so good!"

A gentle, refreshing sea breeze brushed past his ears. Under the sunlight, the boy, gripping the railing, stretched comfortably. Occasionally, he heard the voices of other people also taking a breather on the deck. Enjoying the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere of the morning, he squinted his eyes.

The azure sea beside the boat was crystal clear, and every now and then you could see a few fish swimming leisurely in the water not far away. He heard a series of light footsteps coming from behind and some passengers' surprised exclamations and gasps. He felt a familiar fragrance, like a playful child, suddenly enter his nostrils, and a gentle and loving voice rang in the boy's ear.

"Honey, are you getting impatient?"

A gentle breeze caressed her flowing flaxen hair, and her long white dress billowed in the damp sea air. Her clear, azure eyes reflected the boundless sea in the distance, and also the figure that was always in her heart, stirring the softest part of her soul. Amidst the gasps of surprise from the surrounding passengers, the young man turned around and looked at the goddess-like woman who had appeared beside him without him noticing.

The azure feather hair ornament still quietly adorned her beauty amidst her smooth flaxen hair. Beneath her proud and fair neck, her delicate and petite collarbone radiated a mesmerizing soft glow in the sunlight. Even though he had climbed those rounded peaks, as precious as treasures buried by the gods, many times before, the young man still couldn't help but swallow hard when he saw his wife's high, soft breasts and her stunningly slender waist under her elegant and beautiful dress, and when he saw her sweet and gentle expression.

"Mrs?"

"Yes, she's your favorite wife, the wife who belongs only to you, my darling. What do you think, my dear? Does this dress look good?"

Lexington, already tall and beautiful, looked even more stunning in her stiletto heels. Almost at eye level with her husband, she twirled gracefully and adorably in front of the young man, ignoring the astonished gazes and surprised words of the onlookers. She tiptoed onto the hard deck, skillfully took the young man's hand, and gently leaned against her beloved husband.

The boy was amazed, still marveling at the dreamlike beauty. He watched as Lexington, wearing a dress he had never seen her wear before, twirled in front of him, took his hand, and rested her soft, fragrant shoulder against his chest. He couldn't help but think of that somewhat similar evening a few days ago, and he nodded blankly.

"It looks great! Of course it looks great! After all, it's my wife. But I've never seen you wear this dress before, ma'am?"

Despite being such a gentle and mature wife, Lexington acted like a little girl experiencing her first love. Upon hearing her husband's question, she gently pouted her lips.

"Of course! I bought this shortly before you disappeared, my dear. I was thinking of wearing this to seduce you and let you feel the beauty of your wife, but I didn't even have a chance to wear it to you before you disappeared. I only have the chance to wear it to you now. How is it? Pretty, right? Hehe, I knew you liked me dressed like this."

Volume 1, Chapter 447: What to do?

His crimson lips shimmered with a warm and alluring soft light. Gazing at his wife's smile, so close yet so dazzling and beautiful, like a flower, a pearl, or a gemstone, the young man lowered his head to carefully examine the outfit she had chosen for the day.

It was a dress with a small, light white vest, a pale yellow cotton skirt that reached her knees, with a black satin ribbon cinching her waist, encircling her slender and exquisitely beautiful waist. A lace-trimmed tassel silk flower adorned her waist, making her both cute and noble. Unlike before, her thick and smooth flaxen hair was now tied together with a wide pearl-white ribbon. In addition to the fairy-like, delicate, and charming allure that her wife already possessed, her mature and charming demeanor became even more irresistible.

The young man swallowed hard. Even though he hadn't seen his wife for two days, he still felt deeply captivated by Lexington's stunning face and smile. He looked down from the neckline of his wife's dress, which was only visible from the top, and saw her proud and white valley beneath. He intertwined his fingers with his beloved wife's outstretched hand, and his arm skillfully wrapped around her soft waist.

"Didn't I tell you? Of course it looks good! Your wife looks good in anything!"

"Hmm~ Darling, you big bad guy, what are you looking at?"

Her husband's gaze was fixed on certain intimate parts of her body. As a wife who loved her husband dearly, she had been gazing at his profile with eyes full of affection. As soon as she finished speaking, Lexington felt her husband's slightly aggressive gaze. Her beautiful face showed a touch of charming shyness and joy. Hearing her husband's confident voice, she couldn't help but reach out and affectionately tap the boy's nose with her finger. Then she whispered in the boy's ear.

"No matter how much you praise your wife, I won't give you a reward~ Hehe, unless you're willing to wait until tonight, darling~"

Lexington whispered in the boy's ear, her lips barely touching his. Seeing her husband's eyes grow brighter with satisfaction at her promise, she playfully pinched his nose. She had originally intended to show her beloved the clothes she had prepared for him and let him see how beautiful his wife was, but he immediately thought of those things. Although she didn't dislike him for this, she felt that changing into these clothes had rendered her efforts meaningless.

The beautiful wife tilted her head slightly. Of course, she was happy to be loved by her husband. Wasn't it also a sign of her charm that her silly husband had such thoughts? But before she could even smile, the young man in front of her suddenly sneezed loudly.

"Achoo!"

The boy covered his mouth, tears welling in his eyes from the loud sneeze. Although his fever had subsided yesterday afternoon, it was clear that the culprit, the cold, wouldn't be cured so quickly. He had almost been hit by the sneeze on Lexington. Holding back the urge to sneeze again, the boy quickly reached into his pocket for a tissue, but before he could react, the woman in front of him had already placed a soft tissue over his face.

"Hmm, it seems your cold isn't getting any better. Honestly, honey, I told you this morning you could sleep in a little longer, but look at you, you insisted on getting up so early. Now look what happened, your cold has gotten worse."

Lexington frowned slightly, her sea-blue eyes looking at her husband's seemingly uncomfortable face with a pang of heartache. Her romantic thoughts from just moments before vanished instantly, and she immediately pulled a tissue from her pocket and gently wiped the boy's nose.

I and Radiant Sister came back very early in the morning, but maybe Unicorn Sister and Xiao Fei made a lot of noise when they left together, which woke up my dear. I wanted him to sleep a little longer, but he wouldn't listen and insisted on getting up, saying that he wanted to make breakfast with me and Radiant Sister.

Of course, I'm happy that he wants to stay with me, but what did I tell him yesterday? I told him to be careful and take care of himself, because if he gets sick or injured, I'll be the only one who will feel sorry for him. But now, it seems that this little rascal didn't listen at all. Luckily, it's just a cold. If something more serious had happened, I would have tied him to the blankets until he was better before letting him out.

"It's alright, the cricket just has a cold or something, it'll be fine in a couple of days. Look at me, I'm in great spirits now! Don't worry about me."

Seeing the young man wave his hand dismissively, Lexington immediately felt her eye twitch involuntarily. He was the Admiral, her most beloved husband. Although she couldn't bear to do anything to him, she was determined to drain him dry tonight so he wouldn't be able to get up in the morning! Who told him to be so disobedient? Besides, it had been a full two days since she'd had a proper intimate moment with her darling. She'd been so frightened yesterday when she heard he was sick; tonight she was determined to make him make it up to her… Whew… Ah, but then there's Glorious. Wouldn't it be a little inappropriate to monopolize her darling again?

Holding the wide-brimmed sun hat she had been carrying, Lexington tiptoed, her beautiful legs touching her soft, smooth cheek. If it were Jiajia, it would be fine—after all, Jiajia was her sister. But as for her younger sister, Kyouka… um… well… she'd better think about it some more…

Thinking about what to do that evening, Lexington's gentle gaze remained fixed on her husband's face. A faint blush involuntarily crept onto her beautiful face. She didn't know what she was thinking about or what conclusion she had reached, but as she looked up, she suddenly heard her husband asking her about the telegram she had sent to Xiaofei the day before.

"Madam, how's the matter you mentioned in the telegram you sent to Xiaofei yesterday?"

Volume 1, Chapter 448: Maybe?

Deep-sea miasma, a mysterious yet dangerous substance, has been intertwined with every aspect of the war between humanity and the deep sea since the deep sea was born in this turbulent world. Its existence gives birth to the deep sea, and the existence of the deep sea in turn promotes its formation. Since the beginning of this seemingly endless war, humanity has never stopped studying these dangerous miasmas.

As textbooks say, wherever there is deep-sea miasma, it will inevitably generate and attract deep-sea creatures. In the early years, because humans were eager to find out where the deep sea came from and why such wonderful yet extremely dangerous life forms existed in this world, human research institutions have conducted a lot of research on deep-sea miasma in various aspects over the past few decades.

Humanity has paid a heavy price to obtain samples of deep-sea miasma, as many people believe that studying this miasma, which has a peculiar relationship with the deep sea, might help them understand the origin of the deep sea, why it is so hostile to humans, and perhaps even find ways to defeat it.

Many ship girls were sent out to collect deep-sea miasma. However, areas with dense deep-sea miasma meant there was a large amount of deep sea. The most dangerous thing about deep-sea miasma was that it could also pollute the ship girls, causing them to fall into the deep sea. So, after paying a heavy price, humanity finally obtained enough miasma samples for research.

But after that, the nightmare for anthropologists began. The samples of deep-sea miasma would be rapidly consumed once they left the sea surface, and even the remaining samples sent to the laboratory would reveal that although deep-sea miasma looked like a gas, it had no mass.

Without quality, how can we conduct research? So even now, people still don't understand the exact connection between deep-sea miasma and the deep sea, nor can they predict when or where such a large-scale deep-sea miasma-producing area will be formed, as was discovered in Lexington yesterday.

The soft sea breeze caressed Lexington's warm, sweet hair. Glancing at the vendors on the deck selling trinkets to passengers, Lexington stuffed the tissue she had just used to wipe her husband's nose into her pocket.

She could understand why her husband had such a terrified expression. After all, he had amnesia, and this was probably the first time he had ever encountered such a large-scale deep-sea miasma right next to him.

However, my dear is so adorable in her awkward and clumsy state! If she hadn't lost her memory before, she probably would have excitedly led everyone to fight the massive deep-sea event as soon as she heard about it. She wouldn't be hesitant and worried like she is now. After all, although such places are dangerous, the unexpected gains in battle and the rewards from the governor's office afterward are both incredibly generous and tempting.

Seeing her husband's seemingly worried expression, Lexington gently pursed her lips, her charming eyes revealing a desire to hold her beloved in her arms and caress him tenderly. With a gentle yet confident smile, she looked at her husband's face and secretly tickled his palm with her finger.