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

The red-haired woman's words brought Glorious back to her senses, who was lost in thought. Seeing the headmaster continuing to review the list she had previously submitted, Glorious, taking up her duty, suggested to the red-haired woman, "Ah, alright, headmaster. By the way, if you don't have time, you can leave the awarding of medals to me. You can go do what you're more eager to do."

The red-haired woman heard Glory's proposal and closed her eyes to think it over as she reviewed the list. After briefly considering her overwhelming number of appointments for the day, she nodded to Glory with a sigh of relief. "Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you, Glory. I have a lot to do today, and with your help I can..."

However, before Glory could react, the headmaster's authoritative voice suddenly stopped amidst her utterly bewildered expression. Seeing the red-haired woman staring wide-eyed at the list before her with disbelief, Glory immediately tensed up, thinking there might be something wrong with the roster she had prepared.

Before she could even ask what had happened, she heard the dean's voice, which had become somewhat agitated for some reason, again: "No need, Glorious. I'll handle the awarding myself. They're already outside, right? Let's begin. Let this student in first, yes, this is Su Yuchen..."

........................

Volume 1, Chapter 93: The Strongest Bodyguard

The mahogany door to the office creaked open once again. Before she could ask Jun Quan about the situation, Su Yuchen, following the instructions of the glorious instructor who seemed to be acting strangely towards her, slowly walked into the room, which exuded an elegant yet solemn atmosphere.

After secretly observing the various trophies displayed in the showcase, the boy swallowed hard and looked up at the figure with fiery red hair sitting behind the luxurious desk. He noticed that the beautiful yet slightly heroic face was also looking at him with a gaze that he found both nostalgic and reassuring. The already uneasy boy became even more nervous.

"You are Su Yuchen?" From the moment the door opened, the red-haired woman was already certain. Looking at the boy's face, which was exactly the same as in her memory, and his equally indecisive and unsettling demeanor, it was as if her long efforts and struggles had finally paid off. Feeling relieved, she closed her eyes and let out a long breath. Although she knew that her question was just a formality, she still couldn't help but want the boy to reveal his identity himself.

"Ah... I, I am." The person in front of him was, after all, the head of the Naval Academy, a great figure whom even admirals of general rank and above would respectfully address as their mentor. Hearing her stern yet melodious voice enter the boy's ears, the tense boy suddenly became flustered. Looking at the woman in front of him, he nodded stiffly.

Perhaps it was the boy's tense expression that amused someone behind the table, who propped up his chin with his arm with interest. The academy headmaster, who always appeared calm and serious, unconsciously gave him a very beautiful smile.

She used to always look to the distance, never imagining that the darkest place was actually beneath the lighthouse. ... After a moment's thought, she took out a beautifully crafted box containing medals from a drawer, straightened her uniform collar, and sat up straight. "So, do you remember who I am?"

Looking at the boy standing in front of her, who, just as she had expected, showed a puzzled expression to her question, the red-haired woman rested her chin on her hand and frowned slightly in disappointment.

It seems he really has lost his memories, just as I suspected. Even standing right in front of him, he doesn't recognize me... Well, now that we've found him, there will always be a way to help him regain his memories.

She closed her eyes, casting aside her unpleasant thoughts, and a determined smile returned to her beautiful face. With a slight effort, her long, slender legs, encased in black pantyhose, lifted her perfectly sculpted figure from the chair.

Gently smoothing her fiery red sideburns, her dazzling crimson eyes gazed at the still bewildered boy before her. "Then let me reiterate, Su Yuchen, my name is Monarch, a Royal Navy Monarch-class battleship! I am superior to Wales and York, isn't that a consensus between us?"

…………

The boy's bewildered figure disappeared behind the mahogany door. Glory, still holding the thick stack of folders, pushed open the door and reappeared in the spacious office. Dutifully, she went to the headmistress's desk to ask who should be called in next. However, looking at the gentle smile on the red-haired woman's lips and the exquisitely patterned box on the table, she suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief.

Wait, isn't that the medal box used in the academy to reward admirals who have made great contributions? Why did the headmaster take it out? And why is the headmaster, who never smiles, showing such a feminine expression?!

Perhaps realizing her expression was too outrageous, the flustered Glorious quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from making a sound of terror. Forcing herself to calm down, she looked anxiously at the dean, who had completely lost her usual composure. "Dean, isn't that the academy's top medal? You... why did you take it out? Could it be..."

Before Glory could make the horrifying guess she had made, the monarch, who had been chuckling softly, casually told her some news she could hardly believe: "You guessed right, Glory. I have given him the Academy's Medal of Honor for Outstanding Military Merit. In addition, I have given him an order and a pass to go to the abandoned garrison next door."

The headmaster's powerful words made Glorious feel dizzy. She leaned on the table as if her strength had failed, and then asked the monarch in disbelief, "But headmaster, even if you have the merit of destroying the deep sea and rescuing us, it is not enough to earn this medal, is it? Besides, didn't you personally order that no one is allowed to enter the abandoned naval base next door?"

However, the headmaster, gazing at the calm sea outside the window, simply replied, "There's no reason. These are what he deserves, whether it's this medal or the abandoned garrison I ordered no one to approach. By the way, you can go and call Junquan back now. Tell her I don't approve of her resignation... Don't look like that. It's an honor, and you should be happy, because I've already hired the world's strongest bodyguards for our academy..."

Volume 1, Chapter 94: I, Su Yuru, a Brother-Obsessed Sister

There is a kind of love called a younger sister's admiration for her older brother. It can make people sad, sweet, and unforgettable, but it can also make them restless and unable to sleep at night. As a younger sister, I can clearly feel this wonderful and unforgettable feeling because I also have an older brother, an older brother that I can't help but worry about and care for.

I have an older brother, though to be precise, we're not blood-related. He was there for me through the darkest times of my life, offering the warmth and love I needed most at the right time. He's my closest brother, so close we could discuss marriage at any moment. And I, Su Yuru, am his dearest sister, so dear I could sign his marriage certificate anytime…

Su Yurou, that's my name. I'm just an ordinary girl, except for being pretty and deeply in love with my brother. I'm 14 years old and currently live alone in a small seaside town far from Jinchuan and my brother. I'm the daughter of an ordinary fisherman's family.

Although I'm just an ordinary girl in other people's eyes, and a little sister who still needs to be disciplined and worried in my brother's eyes, I have a very grand dream—to walk down the aisle with my dearest brother... Hmm... Just thinking about it makes my blood boil. Oh no, I'm drooling... Cough cough, my persona almost collapsed. You didn't see anything (crossed out).

...Okay, maybe you've already guessed it. Actually, I'm a complete brother-obsessed sister, and the kind that's terminally ill. I'll be in agony if I don't see my brother for a day. My usual quietness and virtuousness are just a facade to deceive others and my brother. The real me is a sister who wants to stick to her brother every day.

Huh? What did you say? How can a sister like her brother? How can she marry her brother? Sigh... Asking such a childish question, you're really naive. What's wrong with the brother? Isn't the brother a healthy man with various needs like other men? Isn't the sister a girl who would like a brother like that? As long as there's love, even if the sister pushes the brother away, what does it matter?

I hate Tsugawa, and it's not just because of personal preferences. The main reason is that it's so far away from where my brother is. So far that I can't even feel his presence. So far that even if I just want to say a word to him, the postman has to run back and forth for more than a month...

For a sister who is already hopelessly obsessed with her brother, isn't this the cruelest torture in the world? Although only a little over a month has passed, it feels like years, or even decades, to her! If her brother doesn't come back for another month, maybe by then, her little Rou will have turned into a rock on the beach, waiting for her brother—no, waiting for her husband!

Nighttime has been my favorite time of day for the past month or so, because in my sweet dreams, I can enjoy the joy and happiness of being picked up by my brother and living a carefree and blissful life every day... But dreams are fleeting. Every day I am woken up by my underwear that has inexplicably become damp, and I have to face the bewilderment and disappointment of waking up in the morning to find that it was all just a dream. Whenever I come to the beach and see the ocean that separates me from my brother, I have an impulse similar to that of Jingwei: how wonderful it would be if I could fill up this damned ocean?

I've been having a lot of troubles lately. That awful guy from Wang Jing's family and some other boys are bothering me again. They're always hanging around me, trying all sorts of ways to please me. Even when I go out to help Aunt Zhang buy groceries, a whole bunch of annoying followers come after me. But... don't you guys really know how disgusting and annoying your behavior is?

You all keep coming to me one after another, telling me how much you like me, how much you love me, and how you hope I can stay in this small town with you forever… Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my dinner from last night. Do you guys, who aren't even as good as my brother, really know what liking or loving someone means? So please stop insulting this sacred word, okay? Only my feelings for my brother can be called true love!

Ah! But don't worry, brother! Even if those guys swarm me like flies, trying to fawn over me, I won't give them the slightest bit of kindness! Your sister! Your Xiaorou! From the moment Dad picked you up, you've belonged to you forever!

...Sigh...I've never worn a skirt outside of home, you know? It's because I wanted to reserve all my youth and beauty for you alone; ever since you came, I haven't gone to the market with Dad to sell fish, you know? It's because I didn't want to hang out with any boys other than you; ever since you went to Tsugawa, I often sit on the beach like a lunatic, laughing like an idiot, you know? It's because I'm imagining how happy life would be with you in Tsugawa...

Oh... my dearest brother, I wonder what you're doing right now? Are you studying at the Naval Academy? Are you chatting happily with your classmates? Are you dozing off? Or... are you just like me, quietly staring blankly out the window at the empty sky?

You have no idea how happy I was when I received your letter a few days ago. Just think, I got up in the middle of the night and knocked on Aunt Zhang's door, just to tell her you'd been accepted into the Naval Academy and had successfully created your own ship girl! A ship girl from an aircraft carrier! I've heard that's incredibly powerful. I knew you wouldn't let us down!

My brother is so outstanding and knowledgeable, and now he's even become a formidable admiral. No wonder that vixen Zhuo Yuelin is so hung up on him. But don't think that just because you're pretty, you're all that matters. Even if you always act like a well-behaved girl in front of my brother, everyone knows you're a spoiled brat in private! You boss this person around and that person around. Just because your father is the town mayor doesn't make you so great.

Remember when you asked your brother to be your tutor? Even if you resorted to such underhanded tactics, no matter how much you tried to seduce him, he wouldn't feel anything for you! ...I heard from Wang Jing that that vixen is up to something again. I need to be on guard. I absolutely can't let her succeed when my brother comes back! I, Su Yurou, will be the one to win this battle!

Besides these worries, my right eyelid has been twitching unexpectedly lately. Last night, I dreamt of a group of women whose faces I couldn't see lining up to give me green hats. Is this some kind of special custom? Why am I having such strange dreams? Or is it because I miss my brother so much that I've lost my mind? Since I can't figure it out, I'd better stop thinking about it. I'd rather use this time to think about how to deal with that vixen Zhuo Yuelin.

My brother's letter said he would come to pick me up in a month at the latest... A month, a month is really neither long nor short... God, I hope that after a month I can live happily ever after with my brother, sharing joy and sorrow, until we grow old together.

Oh, right, didn't my brother say he really likes children? I hope I can give birth to more than ten big, healthy sons for him in the future, then he'll never be lonely! I don't have many wishes, but I hope you, the God, can grant them all to me, hehe. I'll definitely burn more incense money for you during festivals!

Volume 1, Chapter 95: The Abandoned Garrison

Silently listening to the footsteps echoing down the corridor, Su Yuchen, holding a document stamped with a red seal in her hand, slowly walked out of the dean's office with her head down.

Ignoring the chattering classmates around him, the boy, who had been worried that the headmistress might notice something, finally breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at Jun Quan, who was waiting for him by the door and gave him a beautiful smile. He couldn't help but grin at her, and then he heard Jun Quan ask him softly.

"So, what reward did you get from the headmaster?"

As Jun Quan, whose tone had softened considerably, patted her bodycon skirt that was leaning against the wall and walked towards her, the still somewhat dazed young man subconsciously waved the document in his hand and the gold medal that gleamed in the sunlight at her.

"Huh? It's nothing, just a medal. But I don't understand why the headmistress gave me a pass to go to the naval base over there. And the things she said to me... it felt like she knew me."

Staring at the pass in his hand, stamped with the academy headmaster's seal, the boy, still unable to comprehend what had just happened, leaned on his chin and pondered silently.

But when he came to his side and saw the exquisitely crafted golden medal in the boy's hand, which was exactly the same as the one he had just received in the room, Jun Quan, who had originally wanted to comfort him, immediately covered his mouth in astonishment.

"This...this is...isn't this the Medal of Honor for Outstanding Military Merit?!"

Her surprised voice echoed throughout the corridor, causing the trainee admirals still waiting for their roll call to glance at the seemingly mismatched couple. After hearing what their mentor, Junquan, had said, some of them, who understood what the medal represented, gaped in disbelief, just like Junquan.

The Medal of Excellence is the highest-ranking medal in the academy, an award reserved for admirals who have accumulated exceptionally high military achievements. Simply put, to obtain this medal, one must at least have the merit of sinking hundreds of deep-sea ships. Alternatively, even without sufficient military achievements, serving in the academy for over thirty years can also earn this medal.

However, the person in question was unaware of the value of this medal of excellence. Looking at the incredulous expression on his mentor's face—or rather, his ship girl's—he held the medal in his hand and shook it for a while, seemingly wasting its preciousness, before finally looking at it with surprise.

"Huh? Director... Junquan, is this medal really that valuable?"

"What do you mean 'could it be'? My dear Admiral! This medal is the most precious medal in the academy! As far as I know, since the beginning of the school, apart from the Marshal Admiral Tsugawa who graduated many years ago, no one has ever been able to receive this medal! If it weren't for the fact that you two don't look alike at all, I would have suspected that you are the Dean's illegitimate son!"

An illegitimate child? How could that be? I'm a transmigrator! How could I possibly be the dean's illegitimate child? And judging from the dean's appearance, he doesn't seem like he would have children at all.

The prince, astonished by his ignorance, continued to berate him. The boy, forcing a smile, awkwardly scratched his head. How could he, a newcomer, have known that the medal the headmaster had given him was such a precious thing? But…

The Monarch, a Royal Navy Monarch-class battleship—that's a true five-star high-speed battleship, so beautiful and so powerful! Yuan Ye told me she once defeated the combined forces of instructors Monarch and Glory in an exercise, fighting them both single-handedly… But why would such a powerful academy head say those things to me? And give me this medal? What did she mean by those words? Reiterate? Does she know me? Or did she see me somewhere after I came to this world, or perhaps she mistook me for someone she knows?

………………

As he stepped out of the iron gate of the office building, the glaring afternoon sunlight immediately shone into the boy's pupils, causing him to raise his arm to shield his eyes from the uncomfortable light.

Now that she had finished what she needed to do, Junquan returned to her residence to pack her things. She would probably move to her school dormitory that evening. The boy, who was worried about when the academy would assign him a new place to live and thought he would probably have to sleep on the sofa that night, was still next to the headmaster's office building. He planned to go and take a look at the abandoned garrison before going back, as the headmaster had suggested.

Not far from the building was the bridge leading to the abandoned garrison on the neighboring island. The boy lowered his arm that was shielding him from the sun, looked at the watch that Glorious had previously chosen for him, and then nodded.

Since it's still early and Glorious has her unicorn with her, she might as well go and check out the ruins of the garrison as the headmaster suggested. After all, it's the headmaster's order, and she's also curious why she would ask her to do this...

Just as he had imagined, the bridge was heavily guarded. Arriving at the bridge, the boy, ready to investigate, handed the pass given to him by the academy headmaster to the guards.

Even with a certificate personally written by the dean, he was still subjected to repeated and meticulous checks and verifications by the guards. When he finally received permission to pass and stepped onto the bridge wide enough for two large trucks to pass side by side, Su Yuchen, who had been waiting for a long time, almost turned around and left in impatience.

The bridge is about three or four hundred meters long. With curiosity, he followed the rusty railings to the other side of the bridge. What first caught the boy's eye was the beach and harbor, which were clearly visible from the coast and were in a mess.

The once pristine beach was now covered in scorched earth and craters. Not far away, the sturdy concrete pier had been reduced to countless ruins by the ravages of artillery fire. The towering cranes lay crookedly overturned beneath the sea. Perhaps because of the heavy rains of the previous day, many dirty puddles remained in the craters, large and small.

Volume 1, Chapter 96: Admiral, Welcome Back to Hong Kong

Gazing at the horrific scene left behind by the naval cannons, the boy's relaxed brows furrowed deeply once more. He couldn't determine how many deep-sea vessels had participated in the attack to cause such extensive damage, but the only thing he was certain of was that the legendary naval base was far stronger than he had ever imagined.

Let's take a look at the living quarters of the ship girls and the admiral on the other side of the island. Only a small part of the buildings there were affected by the war, while the damaged parts were mostly the port docks and some ordinary machinery and other facilities that can be seen from the coast.

These obvious differences make it easy to see that, despite the deep-sea forces' aggressive sneak attack, the ship girls of this naval base reacted quickly and counterattacked the enemy, even suppressing them at one point. After all, they only managed to destroy the less important port facilities, while the key warehouses and the ship girls' dormitories remained undamaged.

The deep sea don't care about chivalry with humans and ship girls. Once they decide to attack a certain area, the number of them they send out is often several times the number of ship girls in that area. Under such circumstances, they can still protect the important facilities in the naval base. Is the admiral of this naval base someone who traveled from a game?

The boy chuckled lightly, shaking his head as if struck by a sudden thought, but not taking it seriously. He turned his gaze to the buildings on the other side of the island, then continued walking along the undamaged asphalt road. But... if there wasn't much damage, why was this garrison headquarters still abandoned like this? It's truly perplexing.

Upon entering the naval base, the boy saw some exquisitely carved sculptures and a fountain in the center of the huge square that was no longer spraying water due to lack of maintenance. He knew he had entered the living area of ​​this abandoned naval base.

He looked to the left side of the road, where it looked like a small playground specially set up for the destroyer, with many amusement facilities that children would like. On the other side of the road were flower beds planted with various beautiful flowers, trees and shrubs. Strangely, even though the place had been abandoned for a long time, the plants and shrubs still showed no signs of being messy, as if someone would come and trim them regularly.

The boy, who had just sneezed loudly after gently inhaling the scent of the unknown white flowers, marveled at the beauty of the environment as he crossed the road to the building at the front of the square. Looking at the sign next to him, he realized that the two-story building painted white in front of him was the office building of the garrison commander.

Looking up at the second floor above, where a large section of the wall appeared to have been damaged by artillery fire, Su Yuchen's eyes widened as if she suddenly understood why this place had been abandoned...

If ship girls lose their admirals, they will indeed lose their will to fight. At best, they will frantically search the world for the admiral who no longer exists; at worst, they will turn into part of the ocean along with their admirals...

If that's the case, then it's not hard to understand why such a powerful naval base was still abandoned... With a long sigh, feeling that he understood the truth, the boy, with a somewhat heavy heart, lifted his foot and walked into the reception room on the first floor.

The pristine white walls were neatly adorned with various swords and exquisitely crafted oil paintings, while spotless display cases held a dazzling array of medals that would dazzle any visitor. Looking at this scene, which would put even a marshal-level admiral to shame, Su Yuchen had no interest in examining the remarkable collection. He stepped past the sofa, ascended the stairs, and entered the admiral's office on the second floor. However, the sight that greeted him was somewhat unexpected.

He had expected this place to be a tragic ruin, but upon entering, he discovered that it had been thoroughly cleaned up. The rubble and bricks that should have remained after being hit by artillery shells were nowhere to be found, and even the red carpet on the ground was spotless.

Tucked his hat under his arm, the boy looked around the office, which must have once been very luxurious. He slowly walked to the desk, dented and battered from being hit by bricks, and picked up a yellowed document. Dust obscured the original writing, and the paper itself was wrinkled from being soaked in rain. But when his gaze fell on the lower right corner of the paper and he saw the blurry name, his heart skipped a beat.

Although the middle character was illegible due to a missing piece, he was very familiar with the characters on either side, as they were the same two characters in his name: Su and Chen. Amazed by such a coincidence, and realizing the headmaster might have mistaken him for someone else, he reached out and touched the safe on the other side of the table. As if possessed, he entered the password he used in games, but the next second, with a "click," the steel safe door suddenly opened.

"This...this is?!" Before the boy could even wonder why his password could open the safe, he was utterly astonished as numerous exquisite crystal jewelry boxes rolled out of it. He instinctively widened his eyes in surprise.

This... this is the Oath Ring? But why are there so many? ... According to those admirals, shouldn't this kind of thing be as rare as a five-star ship girl in this world?!

Suddenly realizing that his current behavior really resembled that of a burglar breaking into a house, the panicked boy quickly stuffed the precious vow rings back into the heavy safe.

But before he could completely erase his "evidence," a soft and melodious female voice suddenly came from behind him: "This place hasn't been cleaned in a long time, it's a bit dirty. I hope you won't mind. I'll take care of cleaning it up later."

Hearing that melodious voice, seemingly tinged with many unidentified emotions, the startled boy quickly turned around. He looked at the black-haired woman who had somehow appeared behind him, wearing a cheongsam and possessing a pair of long, graceful legs. He then hurriedly apologized, "Ah!...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trespass here!"

However, before the boy could finish speaking, the woman before him, with her exquisite smile, uttered a utterly perplexing statement: "It's alright, everything here originally belonged to you..."

The puzzled boy looked up at the glistening tears that had gathered in the corners of her gentle eyes, as if they had been suppressed for a long time. He listened as she slowly spoke to him...

"And... Admiral, welcome back to port..."

Volume 1, Chapter 97: I, Su Yuchen, am missing.

"And... Admiral, welcome back to port..."

Hearing the woman's voice filled with excitement and unknown emotions, the boy, perhaps stunned by surprise, turned around and looked around. However, apart from the table, there was no one else around him.

After hurriedly confirming that the stunning woman in the elegant brown cheongsam wasn't talking to anyone else, Su Yuchen, feeling somewhat embarrassed, raised her arm and scratched the back of her head.

"Huh?... Um, excuse me, are you talking about me?... Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"

Hearing the boy's unwavering denial, the woman standing in front of him couldn't help but show a slightly surprised expression. However, after carefully observing the face in front of her, which was exactly the same as the one in her memory except that it was a little more mature, she seemed to understand something and quickly showed a knowing look.

Gently wiping away the tears that had welled up in her eyes from her excitement, she softly took the boy's hand amidst his bewildered expression. "No, as a ship girl, how could I possibly mistake you? Admittedly, you may have temporarily forgotten everything from the past for some unknown reason, but there is no doubt that you are my admiral... Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, my name is Yi Xian, and I was one of the light cruisers under your command."

A warm and soft touch came from his palm as the ship girl, who called herself Yi Xian, took his hand. The boy's expression once again became somewhat awkward. Yi Xian? Leg Fairy? ...No wonder she has such beautiful long legs...Pah, pah, pah, what am I thinking?

I've never lost my memory, either before or after I transmigrated from Earth! And even now, it's only been a little over a year since I arrived, so how could I possibly have any past? So, Miss Yixian, you must have mistaken me for someone else, just like the headmaster of the academy.

"...No, I think you must have mistaken me for someone else, Miss Yixian. I've only been a trainee admiral for a short time, how could I possibly be your admiral?"

Looking into the woman's reassuring gaze, the young man suppressed his reluctance, frowned, and shook his head before gently withdrawing his hand from Yi Xian's slender, soft hand. While he did like ship girls, he certainly wouldn't do anything as despicable as taking advantage of someone else's ship girl while their admiral was away.

Looking at the boy's face, which still seemed unwilling to believe it, and feeling that familiar warmth slip away from her palm, Yi Xian sighed with slight disappointment. She helplessly raised her handsome eyebrows at the boy and then pointed to the corner of his forehead covered by his hair.

"Sigh... Why won't you believe it? Your name is Su Yuchen. You were sixteen years old when you were with us a year ago, and now you are seventeen. As for your blood type, I remember it is AB. You have a small purple birthmark on your left temple and a scar on your left arm."

To convince the boy, Yi Xian slowly listed out the boy from her memories. As the boy's expression grew increasingly surprised and his eyes widened in disbelief, she smiled and narrowed her wine-red eyes, then continued to add fatal weight to his story.

"Your favorite food is potatoes, your hobbies are reading and playing games, you like to be under the covers with the air conditioning on, and you also like... oh right, it's called 'surfing the internet' or something, although I still don't understand what it means."