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

The boy didn't stroke Ying Rui's head as he would the two girls hanging from his waist, because compared to those two who seemed like immature children, the gentle and quiet Ying Rui was clearly already a charming young lady who could easily capture someone's heart. Even so, upon hearing the boy's incredibly earnest voice, a happy smile still appeared on Ying Rui's slightly shy face.

Holding a used firecracker in her free left hand, the girl smiled shyly and quietly. But just then, a pair of slender, fair hands quietly placed on her small shoulders.

Before anyone knew it, just as the boy was talking to the girl in front of him, the ship girls behind the girl had already come to her side, and the owner of those hands was none other than Yi Xian, who had changed out of her cheongsam and put on a gorgeous and beautiful light blue high-waisted ruqun.

"Admiral, this sachet was made for you by several little ones. Although it's not anything valuable, it represents their good intentions."

"Mmm! I had a hard time finding the stuffing inside!"

Before Yixian could finish speaking, Zhaohe, who was still nestled in the boy's arms like a child, raised his head as if to claim credit. In order to gather the angelica and calamus that Sister Yingrui used to make sachets, he had spent the whole night in a park outside the Third Ring Road. Well, although Sister Yingrui and Sister Ninghai were in charge of finding them, he was only responsible for picking them.

"Yes! Thank you, I will definitely cherish them." The boy patted Zhao He's head with its long braids, and she smiled contentedly, pleased with the admiral's praise. He nodded vigorously. Of course, he would cherish the gifts from his ship girls. However, he was a little embarrassed because, as the admiral, he had forgotten to prepare gifts for them in his haste to come.

"But besides that, Admiral, she also prepared a gift for you in Chongqing."

"Yi, Sister Yixian!... Didn't we agree not to tell...? I haven't even finished yet..."

Gently pressing Ying Rui's shoulder, Yi Xian smiled and looked at the boy's face. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she looked at the silver-haired beauty beside her, who was wearing a similar dress but a different color. Upon hearing her words, a blush immediately appeared on the silver-haired woman's gentle face.

Following Yi Xian's voice, the boy looked at the silver-haired woman. Feeling her admiral's gaze, she knew she couldn't avoid it this time, so she blushed and took out a white knitted sweater from behind her back.

Because this was her first time doing needlework, the yarn was rather loose and not very nice. She planned to practice a few more times before giving the newly made sweater to the admiral as a gift, but she didn't expect that Sister Yixian would say it directly.

"Admiral, this...this is a sweater I made for you. Since it's the first time I've ever made one...it's not very nice..."

Volume One, Chapter 150: Harmony

Entering Yixian's restaurant was like entering a land of women filled with crimson and allure. He chatted with the ship girls, each with their own unique charm, yet all equally beautiful and captivating. He also received many gifts from them, representing their hearts and feelings. When the boy came to his senses from the pink encirclement, he was already sitting at a huge round table, enjoying the dinner carefully prepared by his ship girls.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, ah~"

On the huge round table was a cake that smelled delicious and was decorated with images of himself and the ship girls, as well as a variety of delicious dishes.

Squeezed out of Zhaohe, Changchun, and later Pinghai and Ninghai, Jiajia, who had taken over her waist, was affectionately feeding her sweet cake with a fork. She gently stroked the fur of the white Persian cat lying on her lap. Feeling a little embarrassed, Su Yuchen opened her mouth and then looked at Lexington, who was holding the hand of Guanghui, whose face was slightly flushed, as if they were discussing some unspeakable little secret.

The Persian cat on my lap is Haiqi's pet. Just now, when Haiqi and Ping Ninghai came downstairs with a large plate of food, this white cat inexplicably became attached to me, as if I were its owner. It kept rubbing its fluffy white tail against my trouser leg. As soon as I sat down, it jumped onto my lap and then lazily lay down on my knee.

Seeing how harmoniously his wife, Radiant, and Lexington got along, the boy was naturally overjoyed. His free hand unconsciously stroked the cat's fur on his leg, causing her to let out a comfortable meow. This scene was witnessed by Haiqi, who was sitting next to Yixian. Looking at his cat nestled so obediently in his admiral's arms, Haiqi, dressed in a red cheongsam, couldn't help but blush.

This is definitely not just because the Persian cat is her pet. I remember that Yixian once asked Haiqi what she thought of the admiral, and at that time, she was shy and replied to Yixian that she would confide in him if the admiral could make this little cat lie obediently in his arms.

But things are still far from settled, and her own cat has already been completely captivated by the newly returned admiral. Feeling Yi Xian's gaze on her face, she pretended to take a bite of cake, then guiltily turned her face away, acting as if she hadn't seen anything.

"Little Unicorn, try this! This is a drink specially brewed by Sister Yixian, and it's incredibly flavorful!"

"Snapped!"

"Don't listen to Zhaohe, Unicorn Sister. She's lying to you. This is shochu, not a beverage at all. The Admiral forbids us from drinking it."

"Fine, I won't drink it! Sister Ninghai, why did you hit me?"

"It's only right that I hit you, otherwise if I told Sister Yixian you'd be copying the Three Character Classic again! Come on, little unicorn, try this, it's shumai made by Pinghai, isn't it delicious?"

"Thank you... thank you, Sister Ninghai..."

"No need to thank me, we're all family! By the way, Marani, the braised pork with preserved mustard greens in the pot should be steamed by now, come with me to get it out."

"Okay! I understand, Master Ninghai."

Behind him came the cheerful laughter of the girls sitting at another table who couldn't drink. Sitting in the center of the ship girl ladies, all with smiles on their faces, and holding Saratoga's soft chin, the warm feeling in the boy's heart, as if he had returned home, became clearer and clearer. He lowered his cheeks slightly, and his sore eyes became a little moist.

When a group of beautiful women are completely unguarded, trust you implicitly, and treat you with utmost care, anyone would feel a special sensation.

Even though he hadn't actually seen them for more than a day, he already considered them his family. Thinking this, the boy winked, and just then, he heard Missouri's unique and melodious voice.

"Admiral, I've already discussed the reconstruction of the naval base with the builder who constructed it for us. They'll be starting the repair work tomorrow, and we're planning to move back in tomorrow. Admiral, would you like to move back with us?"

A pair of beautiful black high heels, a delicate pair of women's cropped jeans, a white nylon vest, and a small blazer—this outfit seemed quite ordinary, but on Missouri, who naturally possessed a star quality, it became incredibly stylish and beautiful. Gently crossing her flawless, poreless legs, she sat opposite the boy and softly spoke to him.

Hearing her words, the boy nodded. Since he already had a garrison, he should naturally move back. However, before he could speak, Wisconsin, who was always good at dismantling Missouri, spoke up somewhat displeasedly.

"What do you mean you talked to them? Missouri, you came with me, and most of the time I was the one talking to them while you just watched from the sidelines."

She was told to dress formally, but in the end, Wisconsin didn't wear any evening gown to the celebration. She simply wore a black pencil skirt that accentuated her figure and a loose white short-sleeved shirt. Although it was quite different from the business attire she wore during the day, her charming temperament and capable image became even more apparent.

Whether it was the boy's imagination or not, he felt that Wisconsin's outfit, from top to bottom, perfectly suited his tastes, especially the hint of flesh color peeking through the black stockings, which was just too much to his liking.

The two beautiful six-star battleships, who were also each other's "sisters-in-law," started arguing again. Lexington, who had been awkwardly but gracefully smiling as she listened to them undermining each other, suddenly turned to look at the boy.

"By the way, Admiral, now that you've found us, will you continue your studies at the Naval Academy?"

It must be said that the question Lexington raised was something the boy had already thought of before he even attended his welcome party, and he had been troubled by it for quite some time.

Although he had already reached the highest rank of Marshal and was surrounded by so many powerful and beautiful ship girls, the problem was that he had never learned anything about how to be a good admiral before coming to Tsugawa. It was simply too much to ask of him to become the admiral of so many ship girls.

However, if I were to stay in the academy... given how famous my wife and Jiajia are, I'd probably be on the front page of the academy's daily newspaper in no time, let alone be able to study quietly!

"Is my brother-in-law going back to college? That's great! I want to go to school with him too! I've never experienced going to school with my brother-in-law before!"

Upon hearing her older sister's words, Jiajia in the boy's arms immediately became excited. When she was born and came to her brother-in-law's naval base, her brother-in-law was already the Grand Admiral with dozens of ship girls. Her combat experience was entirely taught to her by her older sister, who was far more skilled than the ship girl instructors at the academy. Therefore, she never had the opportunity to attend school at the academy like other ship girls.

Compared to her younger sister's excitement, seeing the slight hesitation on the boy's face, perhaps sensing what was troubling him, Lexington, always his capable helper, smiled and offered him a compromise.

Volume 1, Chapter 151: Newbie

The banquet continued smoothly, with everyone enjoying delicious food and chatting happily. Occasionally, the ship girls would recount interesting anecdotes from their search journey, and occasionally, they would recall those beautiful memories that filled the young man with longing. Although he had never lost his memories, he could only listen quietly, but every smile and gesture of theirs perfectly helped him integrate into this new family that he was full of anticipation for.

The thin walls and windows could not block the cheerful laughter and gentle, trusting voices of the ship girls in the restaurant. Whenever passersby walked by, they would be drawn to these pleasant voices. Unfortunately, they could not see anything in the restaurant, where the curtains were already drawn and the doors were closed.

However, compared to the ship girls who had finally returned to their beloved admirals' sides, and Illustrious being pulled aside by Lexington and Unicorn being surrounded by a group of little ones, two ship girls, far from the dining table and at the restaurant counter, still appeared somewhat alone.

From the very beginning, she had been dragged there by her friends and boss, and later pulled from the dinner table to drink alone. Since the start of the celebration, Junquan had seemed quite dazed. She sighed deeply and sat down next to Jun, who was also holding a glass of champagne and quietly gazing at the young man in the distance. She gently sipped the fragrant liquid in her glass.

Surprised? How could he not be surprised? The only admiral he had ever set his sights on over the years, the little fool he had lost face and his pride to get close to, and in just a few days, he had suddenly gone from a lowly trainee admiral to a "newbie" who could easily wipe out the army of a great nation!

If it weren't for the fact that Miss Glorious and Sister Unicorn were also so close to these legendary ship girls who had left behind countless battle achievements, and if she weren't thick-skinned enough, she would have thought that Monarch and Lexington were playing a joke on her.

She let out another long breath, swallowed the liquid in her mouth, and rubbed her slightly aching forehead.

However, apart from those hundreds of ship girl sisters, what she really didn't expect was that Su Yuchen was actually the ruthless person from the Governor's Mansion who single-handedly pushed the front line to the southern Bermuda Islands and repelled the aggressive deep-sea flagships countless times.

Although she had dreamed of becoming a ship girl under such a powerful admiral when she was just born, she couldn't be happy now that her wish had come true.

Now she finally understood why the monarch had told her she couldn't be of any help. Leaving aside Lexington, Saratoga, Illustrious, and many other large carriers she hadn't seen yet, with legendary six-star battleships like Washington, Missouri, Wisconsin, and even those she hadn't met, such as Iowa, New Jersey, Lion, St. George, H39 Hindenburg, and H41 Ulrich von Hutten by her side, how could that little rascal possibly need her help?

She thought that as a four-star battleship, she would definitely be of great help to him, but in reality, she had never been of any use. All her confidence and enthusiasm were completely crushed. Of course, she did not regret becoming that little rascal's ship girl, but the reality was too far from her imagination, making her want to sigh that she had died before she even got started.

"This is...so unbelievable."

Her long, flowing black hair and pupils as dark as the night were reflected in the gleaming wine glass. Gazing at her reflection in the glass, Junquan, who had finally recovered, unconsciously uttered this meaningless murmur. Hearing her voice, Junquan, who was watching the boy and his ship girls chatting, slowly turned her head.

"What? Finally digested?"

"Ah...yes. I really didn't expect that Su Yuchen was the admiral of the No. 183 naval base that you've been keeping secret all this time, Your Majesty. Sigh...with so many powerful sisters, I'm starting to wonder what the point of joining this naval base is..."

Looking into the monarch's deep purple eyes that were fixed on him, Jun Quan, leaning lazily against the wooden bar and resting his chin on his hand, nodded weakly.

I had originally planned to find some tasks for that little rascal to do before he graduated, to earn some resources for him, but now it seems there's no need at all. There's still a whole warehouse full of his resources in the academy's warehouse.

Her friend sighed like a sulking little girl, touched the ochre strands of hair on her shoulder, and smiled gently. The monarch placed the wine glass in her hand on the hard table. Although she always appeared very serious and earnest in the academy, for Junquan, who was now practically a sister to her, there was no need for her to maintain that unsmiling image anymore.

"What's there to worry about? It's about the power of the monarch. Besides, you're not the only one who feels this way. For example, there's someone right next to you."

"You're not the only one like you?" Hearing the monarch's slow, deliberate voice, and carefully considering the meaning behind her words, Jun Quan seemed to understand something. She suddenly raised her head and widened her eyes. She had been wondering why the monarch had brought her here, and she understood that now. But that didn't explain why the monarch had gone to such lengths to bring her here, even turning down so many important appointments. It turned out, she was actually just like herself…

"...Could it be...Your Majesty, you also...But aren't you the headmaster of the Naval Academy?"

“You’re right, Junquan. The head of the Naval Academy must be a free ship girl; that’s the rule. So, as you can see, I still don’t have my own admiral. But… Junquan, do you remember I told you that my birth was very different from yours?”

Her moist, slightly alluring lips touched the crystal-clear cup. She slowly placed her smooth right leg on her left knee. Surprised by the monarch's power, she touched the black and white ribbon by her ear. A hint of nostalgia appeared in the monarch's eyes as she raised her head.

"...Hmm...I remember, Your Majesty, you once said that you were developed?"

"That's right, my birth method is completely different from that of ordinary ship girls. It involves a secret project of the Governor's Office called the Scientific Research System. But since you are already that guy's ship girl, there is no problem in telling you."

Volume 1, Chapter 152: A Lifeline

"That's right, my birth method is completely different from that of ordinary ship girls. It involves a secret project of the Governor's Office called the Scientific Research System. But since you are already that guy's ship girl, there is no problem in telling you."

The soft lighting in the restaurant gently illuminated the monarch's graceful shoulders and fair skin. As she savored the fine champagne that Yi Xian had brought out from the warehouse, she turned to look at Jun Quan's surprised and curious expression. The stunningly beautiful monarch smiled slightly.

Looking at the boy a few meters away who was chatting and laughing with several little ones, she smiled and began to recall the time when she was just born.

"As a high-priority research project of the Governor's Office, the biggest difference between the research system and ordinary ship girl construction is that it can build a specific ship. As long as you can come up with a design plan, you can build any ship, whether it is a legendary five-star ship girl or a six-star ship girl above that. And I am the first research ship born from this system."

"However, the process of my birth was quite tortuous. Although the research system is far superior to ordinary construction in terms of results, the person in charge of the Governor's Office who was responsible for implementing the project misjudged the cost of building a legendary ship in the first place."

"As the first person whose proposal was put forward and the first person to be put into the research system for construction, my first research and development requirement was that the port area must have 10 or more different British battlecruisers and battleships. In addition, they also had to gain a lot of experience in the process. If you convert it, at least tens of thousands of deep-sea ships would have to be sunk to barely meet the requirements."

"Ten ships?! And sink so many deep-sea ships?! How is that even possible?!" Perhaps because the monarch's demands seemed so outlandish to everyone, Jun Quan, who had been silently listening to the monarch, covered her mouth in utter astonishment after hearing his words.

Let's not even talk about the requirement to sink thousands of deep-sea ships, which is like treating the brutal and dangerous deep sea like cabbage that can be squeezed at will. Even if you add up the entire Tsugawa, no, the entire sea area around Tsugawa, you probably couldn't gather ten different British capital ships!

However, having clearly anticipated Junquan's shock, the monarch, who was prepared, merely gestured slightly to calm him down. "Don't be so agitated, Junquan, I haven't finished yet." Seeing that Junquan was still somewhat agitated and had straightened up, she continued.

"Yes, as you know, these incredible research and development requirements were so high that even the Governor's Office could hardly handle them. After hastily recording some data, I, who was never born, was sealed away along with this research and development system."

"Although I was not born, I had already developed consciousness because of the plans and schemes. I thought I would never be born into this world, but one day, I was sent to a garrison along with this system."

"The admiral of that naval base is a newcomer who has only been an admiral for a short time. In terms of seniority, most admirals who only have one destroyer ship girl are stronger than him. However, this new admiral has a lot of ship girls in his port, and there are more than ten British capital ship girls in his port."

"…………!!"

"Shh... I know you know who he is, but don't rush. Although I've never met him, when I was still in the Governor's Mansion, I often heard the staff mention that there was an admiral in the waters near Renzhou who, with just a few destroyers, wiped out the Renzhou base that the deep sea had been holding, doing something that those admirals wouldn't even dare to dream of."

"He was the most anticipated rising star in the Governor's Mansion. At that time, Lexington, who was already a high-ranking ship girl, took the initiative to go to his naval base and willingly became his ship girl. Many free ship girls who did not yet have an admiral in the Governor's Mansion also longed for him, just like you did a long time ago."

"...Jun Quan, do you know what kind of feelings a person would have for a drowning person who grabs onto the only lifeline in a moment of crisis, and that lifeline happens to save her?"

"At that time, I was like a person who was about to drown. I longed to be born under the blue sky one day and breathe fresh air freely. I also fantasized about riding on the vast ocean and bravely fighting against the cruel deep sea. But... reality hit me hard time and time again. Not only was I not created, but in the end, I was sealed up along with the system in an underground warehouse that never saw the sun."

"In the darkness day after day, I was angry that they were unwilling to pay such a small price to build me, and I was angry that my existence was replaced by a group of KGVs that were not as good as me. Just when I was about to think that I was going to fall into the deep sea, I finally found such a life-saving straw, a life-saving straw that finally allowed me to be born into this world."

"When I first arrived at his naval base, he was unaware of my existence. Even after he disappeared, he never got to see me. Yet, he still responded to my expectations. He worked day and night to have the British capital ships actively attack and destroy the Abyssal Fleet, accumulating experience for my research and development. Among them were several KGV-class ships."

"I can't speak, but seeing how hard he's trying, I vowed that after I'm born, I would give him everything, even my life, but..."

"But those guys from the Governor's Mansion came back. Just when he had accumulated enough experience to build himself, I was taken away before I even had a chance to see him. They gave very little in terms of resources, and then I, who had just been born, was assigned to the ship girl squadron directly under the Governor's Mansion and sent to the Naval Academy to study. They even told me that they hoped I would become the next dean of the Naval Academy."

Volume 1, Chapter 153: Human Nature

"But the guys from the governor's mansion came back, and just when he had accumulated enough experience to build his own, I was taken away before I even had a chance to see him one last time."

"They contributed very little in terms of supplies, and then I, who had just been born, was assigned to the ship girl squadron directly under the Governor's Office and sent to the Naval Academy to study. They even told me that they hoped I would become the next dean of the Naval Academy..."

With purple eyes gazing at the wine glass gleaming under the lamplight, the monarch spoke softly. However, looking at the monarch's knuckles, which were turning white from gripping the glass so tightly, Jun Quan knew that the beautiful headmistress before him was probably not as calm as he had imagined.

That's true. Imagine if I had experienced something like that myself. Even if it might lead to a falling out with the Governor-General's office, I would probably still insist on going to his garrison.

"Your Majesty..."

She never imagined that the birth of a monarch would be so tortuous, almost being abolished, almost forever confined to a dark cage, and even after birth, being forced to separate from the admiral she admired. She wanted to speak up to comfort her friend, but the monarch waved her hand indifferently.

"Don't worry about me, Junquan. I'm not that fragile. The reason those people in the Governor's Mansion did this is simply because they thought I had no idea about how I was born. They don't know that my consciousness was already born in the system when they first presented my plan, and I never intended to tell them."

"Since they want me to be the dean of the naval academy, then I'll take the position. Although as a five-star ship girl I have the right to refuse, it won't cost me anything."

A beautiful yet slightly husky voice gently fell, and the monarch brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, turned around and looked at the worried-looking Junquan beside her, smiled softly, but suddenly asked Junquan a question that puzzled her.

"Kun Quan, do you know why I didn't insist on joining his naval base, but instead chose to become the head of the Naval Academy in the end?"

With her mind racing, Junquan, being a ship girl herself and a woman with a sensitive soul, understood why the monarch had asked her that question. She also understood why the monarch insisted on not letting her resign. With a look of surprise and realization, she opened her mouth, but still couldn't speak.

"Yes... He has too many ship girls, so many that even five-star legendary ship girls are quite common in his naval base. Moreover, they are all very strong, so strong that even a large fleet led by an abyssal flagship can still be pierced and repelled by a formation of six ship girls."