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

"By the way, Su Yuchen, did you know that you're actually quite famous in the world of ship girls?"

"I visited the Governor's Mansion once when I was born a few years ago. At that time, there were legends about you everywhere. They said you were a gentle, considerate, ambitious, and courageous admiral, making many single ship girls yearn for you. Even I... ah, I almost forgot, I remember they gave you a nickname, something like 'Purple Cabbage Killer'."

When did I become such a powerful admiral?! And what the hell is this "Purple Cabbage Killer"?! Does my status as a deep-sea flagship mean I have no dignity? Don't you all always say that deep-sea flagships are incredibly powerful and extremely dangerous? How come I'm just a "purple cabbage"?!

Hearing Jun Quan's voice, which seemed to be trying to comfort him, and being surprised that she was so famous in the governor's mansion, Su Yuchen touched her cheek with some embarrassment.

What do you mean by "purple cabbage"? That model worker at the dock is pitiful, working overtime all day long! You should at least have some understanding for him!

Volume 1, Chapter 161: The Cemetery

It is certainly dangerous for the deep-sea flagship to be stationed at the dock. As the flagship of the deep sea, wherever she appears, even if all the ship girls in the vicinity are mobilized with all their might, there will most likely only be a coastal area that has been bombed to the ground, and countless ship girls who are seriously injured.

If these deep-sea flagships hadn't mostly stayed hidden in the open ocean, humanity's defenses would probably have collapsed very quickly. However... tilting her head to look at the boy beside her who looked like he couldn't accept it, Jun Quan smiled bitterly, pressing her chin with her finger.

With your... no, with our family's strength, defeating a deep-sea flagship would be a piece of cake. Not to mention the other deans, just Yamato, who appears most frequently, has thirty or forty clear records of defeats in the Governor's Office. Add to that the unrecorded encounters, and it's no wonder that our admiral is given such a nickname that is clearly incredibly powerful, yet sounds quite shameful.

“It’s true, I’m not lying to you. I heard that this nickname was given to you by Miss Ella, the Governor’s Secretary and Deputy Director of the Maritime Bureau. In her words, it’s more memorable this way.”

Looking at the boy who seemed unable to accept such a shameful nickname, Jun Quan, holding the bouquet of lilies wrapped in brocade ribbon, shrugged gently with a wry smile. To be honest, it was because of this nickname that she became interested in the boy back then at the governor's mansion, who is now her own admiral. Moreover, upon closer inspection, the nickname is actually quite cute, especially when it is given to the silly admiral beside her.

“Miss Ella?... Could it be that chair... Ah, cough cough…”

Having long since outgrown his teenage years, the boy felt somewhat ashamed of the nickname and helplessly covered his cheek. However, after hearing his mentor Junquan's explanation and hearing a somewhat familiar name mentioned in those words, the title "Chair Destroyer" suddenly popped into the boy's mind for some reason.

Rumor has it that, as the star and top performer of the young gourd, she possesses an almost irrational ability to easily destroy any object that humans can sit and rest on. Although she herself does not admit it, this ability is terrifying, thus earning her the lifelong honorary title of "Chair Destroyer" from the vast majority of the admirals. As an important staff member of the governor's mansion, at the beginning of the war, her panties could be exchanged from the governor's mansion for various powerful equipment and supplies, making them an important war trophy that everyone coveted but could not obtain.

Almost blurting out her thoughts, Su Yuchen quickly turned her head away with a few dry coughs.

The Ella he knew was a staff member of Huanmeng on Earth, not the Ella who was the governor's secretary in this world. Putting aside the possibility that the two of them could not be the same, he had already told them that he did not remember anything. If he said that, it might cause them to have some strange expectations of him that he could never fulfill.

"A chair? What chair?"

However, as a ship girl, Junquan clearly heard what the boy had just said. She tugged at the unicorn beside her, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, and the boy immediately shook his head in denial.

"It's nothing, Junquan... cough, we've arrived at the cemetery. Before we go to the garrison, let me go in with you to pay my respects. After all, Instructor Lin Xian sacrificed himself to save our academy and countless innocent people."

"Oh, of course, let's go together."

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

In the solemn and dignified cemetery, various marble tombstones lie peacefully on the quiet and heavy earth. In this place that carries a heavy feeling that makes it hard to breathe, rest the remains of heroes who once gave their lives for the academy and for the many innocent people of Tsugawa. They have passed away, but the academy and its students will never forget their past contributions.

Standing before a brand-new white tombstone in the cemetery, the boy, holding the hand of his unicorn sister, placed a bouquet of newly bought lilies before the tombstone with a solemn expression. Although he had never met Lin Xian, the instructor in charge of light cruiser and destroyer ship girls at this academy, that did not prevent the living from offering blessings and remembrance to the dead, and the rescued from offering blessings and remembrance to the sacrificed.

The sacrificed Instructor Lin Xian is not here. As a ship girl, she has been laid to rest forever in the silent depths of the ocean. Long-standing traditions have prevented the academy from disturbing her long-standing peace. Instead, a tombstone has been erected here to bury only the items she cherished during her life, so that those who still remember her will have a place to remember her.

Standing quietly before the grave for a long time, the boy raised his head and looked at his mentor, Junquan, who was also gazing at the tombstone beside him. A gentle breeze brushed her forehead, making her appear as serene and tranquil as if she had blended into the quiet environment around her. He gently reached out and touched the still smooth surface of the tombstone, but suddenly he heard Junquan whisper to the tombstone, "Goodbye, Lin Xian. I will come to see you again after some time."

As she spoke, Junquan straightened up and turned to look at the boy beside her who was silently watching her. Looking at Su Yuchen, whose eyes still held a hint of heaviness, she gently grinned at him.

"Alright, Admiral, Su Yuchen, let's go. Aren't you going to the naval base to find Lexington and the others? I should probably go back and prepare for my class later too."

"Ah."

Perhaps because the atmosphere here was too quiet, and the boy, who was afraid of disturbing the people living here, nodded slightly. Following the path he had taken in, he followed his mentor, Junquan, towards the exit on the narrow stone path that only allowed one person to pass at a time. However, just as he looked up, he seemed to see a familiar figure walking past in the distance.

"Professor Langley?"

Seeing the short figure with red-rimmed glasses leaving through the exit, the boy asked in confusion. If he wasn't mistaken, Professor Langley should have placed a bouquet of flowers in front of the cross-shaped tombstone covered with bouquets before leaving.

Could it be someone Professor Langley knew who is buried there? The boy frowned slightly as he looked at the cross-shaped tombstone in the center of the cemetery, which stood out from the other tombstones.

Book 1, Chapter 162

"Professor Langley?"

Looking at the cross-shaped tombstone in the very center of the cemetery, so different from the other gravestones, the boy who had stopped following his mentor, Monarch, and was leading the unicorn, spoke up with some confusion. If he wasn't mistaken, his mentor, Langley, whom he hadn't seen for several days, should have placed a bouquet of flowers in front of that unusual tombstone.

It was a very special tombstone. The boy, whose attention was drawn to it, squinted curiously. Not only was it placed in such a conspicuous place in the very center of the cemetery, but its shape and size were also very different from the other tombstones here.

The tombstone was surrounded by vibrant and beautiful flowers, and on its base were many bouquets, including the one that Mentor Langley had just placed there, indicating that many people had recently come to pay their respects to the deceased. Perhaps because the tombstone had stood there for so long, the marble surface of the stone bore many marks left by wind and sun.

Could it be someone Professor Langley knew? And to be buried in a place like this, they must have made significant contributions to the academy.

The boy was lost in thought. His pause made Junquan, who was walking ahead of him, turn around in confusion. Following the boy's questioning gaze, she also looked at the marble stele that gleamed in the sunlight not far away.

"Buried there is a light cruiser ship girl named Omaha. If you, Su Yuchen, often read history books, then you should be quite familiar with the name 'Anno'..."

The white walls of the stone tablet in the distance were reflected in her silent black pupils. Standing in front of the boy, Junquan spoke softly to the boy who was looking at her. There was a trace of nostalgia and a trace of sympathy in her voice. After hearing Junquan's words and realizing their meaning, the boy, who was originally a little curious, immediately lowered his eyes.

"Anno," that was the name a rookie admiral once gave to his beloved ship girl. It represented his expectations for her and his love for her. However, in the eyes of people today, it represents an event that is important but equally tragic in the history of both humanity and ship girls. The protagonist of this tragic event is the light cruiser named Anno, who was buried here.

In the early years following the end of the old era, the deep sea dominated the oceans, severing countless vital shipping routes upon which humanity depended for survival. Without the support of maritime transport, the most convenient and crucial mode of transportation, resources became scarce, development stagnated, factories closed en masse, workers lost their jobs in droves, and the lives of countless people were severely impacted. Apart from a few resource-rich continental countries that could barely manage to stay afloat, in that dark age, the vast majority of nations experienced varying degrees of stagnation and regression in their development.

The threat from the deep sea, the declining quality of life, the shortage of daily necessities, and the soaring prices have led to various crises and disasters in many places. Against this backdrop, humanity urgently needs a force that can help them reclaim the ocean. As if God had heard the cries of humanity, ship girls were born.

No one knows how the first ship girl was born into this world, nor does anyone know why they were born into this world. However, human society, which is already being pushed to its limits, knows very well that these beautiful lives, which seem to be blessed by God, are the natural enemies of the deep sea. They have combat capabilities that can rival the deep sea, and compared to the madness and brutality of the deep sea, they are kind and beautiful, just like fairies from a fairy tale.

And so, just as imagined, after discovering from somewhere that ship girls could be mass-produced through construction, the Abyss halted for the first time when facing humanity's defenses. Although long-distance transport of resources such as oil was still not guaranteed, coastal navigation and transport were finally restored, and humanity's crumbling system was finally preserved.

As the saying goes, "When people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lustful desires." This has been the human cycle since ancient times. Now that the threat from the deep sea has finally been contained, we should consider another question. As every ambitious and dreaming nation has thought, since ship girls possess such powerful combat capabilities, each with the destructive power comparable to a warship, and without consuming too many resources, why don't we use these powerful ship girls, who require little cost, in war?

However, ship girls do not obey any political system. They only obey the admirals who have been established or whom they approve of. And those who can be recognized by ship girls to become admirals will never agree to use the beautiful ship girls in wars between humans.

After failing to persuade the ship girls to serve their country's ambitions, a conspiracy began. It started with a major power with a small coastline and little deep-sea defense pressure. They kidnapped a new admiral who had just become an admiral and his light cruiser, the USS Omaha, named Anno.

In order to make his ship girls obey, they used all sorts of torture methods on the admiral, but after accidentally killing him, humanity once again tasted the consequences of acting recklessly.

The once prosperous city was reduced to ruins after the war, and tens of thousands of ordinary citizens perished in the flames. In that man-made disaster, humanity learned for the first time that just as ship girls could be born from the wreckage of the deep sea, ship girls could also be transformed into deep-sea creatures.

That country mobilized most of its army to intercept the ship girls that had turned into the deep sea. However, facing the ship girls hiding in the city, they were just cannon fodder without heavy weapons to fight them. If it weren't for the fact that so many ordinary people were suffering, and the arrival of other ship girls who stopped her madness, perhaps in the end, this prosperous city would have really disappeared from the map.

No one denies that it was a disaster that could have been avoided. However, it was precisely because of that disaster that the naval system of the Governor-General's Office and the Naval Base, which was beyond the control of the state, was born. Although it was a tragedy, the sacrifice of Anno and her admiral directly or indirectly saved many ship girls and innocent lives.

The boy stood silently for a long time. As an admiral, he was of course aware of this story that had a profound impact on ship girls and even society. However, he did not know that the poor ship girl in this story would be buried in the cemetery of this naval academy.

He gently pinched his chin, and before he could even sigh, his mentor, Junquan, suddenly patted his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Junquan, who was wearing a gentle smile, handing him three card-like objects.

"Oh right, I almost forgot to give this to you, Admiral. This is a special certificate I got from the headmaster. With this, you can skip class whenever you want without worrying about losing credits. This one is yours, and these two are for Illusion and Unicorn."

Volume 1, Chapter 163: Criticism

It was around 10 a.m. When he parted ways with his mentor, Junquan, who was about to return to teach, in front of the cemetery gate, the boy, along with his unicorn sister who seemed a little expectant and nervous, once again arrived at the bridge leading to his family's garrison.

Standing far away at the bridgehead, you can see several workers wearing hard hats diligently painting the faded railings on the bridge. Walking to the guard post where the complicated procedures had left a deep impression on him, the boy, holding the unicorn's hand, showed his identification to the somewhat familiar guards who were carrying guns and looked imposing.

However, compared to the previous verification process that had made him somewhat anxious, this time they simply checked his identity and whether he was the same person before pulling back the barricade and letting him and the unicorn pass. Their straight backs and concise, efficient movements made it seem as if they were facing an inspection by a high-ranking official.

However, the boy didn't pay much attention to these things. He was completely unaware of the change in his identity and subconsciously assumed that the headmistress had given instructions to the guards.

Hurriedly leading the unicorn past the guard post, the boy arrived at the wide and straight bridge. A loud noise came from behind, and before he could take a few steps forward, a truck carrying a whole load of building materials roared onto the bridge and passed by the boy, who was almost startled.

The roar of machinery vibrated incessantly in his ears. He saw flocks of startled seabirds flapping their wings and flying over the newly erected tower cranes, once again stepping onto the hard concrete ground of his naval base. Among the countless busy workers wearing various hard hats, the boy, holding the unicorn's soft little hand, spotted Lexington at the dock. She was dressed in conservative casual clothes, yet still so beautiful and dazzling, talking with what appeared to be the workers' foreman.

Beside her were the equally beautiful Wisconsin, dressed in business attire like a secretary or accountant, and the Academy Principal Monarch, who had somehow arrived at her port, surprising the boy. Judging from their furrowed brows and the way they were huddled together discussing something, it seemed they had encountered some minor troubles in the restoration work of the naval base.

"You mean there might be a landslide here, so the dock repair work might have to be postponed?"

"Yes, Ms. Lexington, our people have already gone into the water to investigate. Because the load-bearing structure here is damaged too severely, just to be on the safe side, we must recalculate before we can start the repair work again."

"How long would it take if we recalculated?"

"It can be completed within a week."

“A week? That’s too long! No way. When Missouri and I went to discuss this with you yesterday, we clearly agreed that the repairs would be completed within two weeks. You must abide by the contract.”

“But Ms. Wisconsin, you are asking too much of us. I cannot let my workers risk their lives to carry out their work. Please make an exception.”

"...By the way, if we use explosives to blow up all the structures here and then rebuild a new dock on the existing foundation, would the construction process be faster?"

"Ah? Yes, yes, Your Excellency, blowing it up directly would speed up the process, but that might cost more money..."

"Then let's just blow it up. The repair work here needs to be completed as soon as possible. You can use the best materials and the most skilled workers. Even if the cost is higher, it doesn't matter. All the expenses will be settled directly with you by the academy after it's finished. Do your best."

"Ah...yes, Dean!"

Surrounded by three legendary ship girls pointing and whispering, the foreman felt immense pressure and repeatedly wiped the sweat from his brow. In the end, he didn't have the courage to even admire their breathtaking beauty. Knowing the identities of the women before him, the foreman hurriedly ran back to the dock with the design drawings in his hand and began to gather the workers to prepare to blow up the dock that might collapse.

Having decided on the course of action, the dock, which had been transformed into a construction site, quickly became bustling with activity once again. Leading the somewhat timid Unicorn, who was surrounded by unfamiliar workers, he slowly approached Lexington and the others. Feeling that he had neglected his duty by leaving everything to his ship girls, the boy softly spoke to the ship girls in front of him.

"Lexington, how are things? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Even though the boy's voice was faint compared to the roar of the machines, Lexington and the others, who were waiting for their admiral to arrive, still accurately caught that voice they would never forget amidst the various noises. Turning around in unison, Lexington, along with Wisconsin and the monarch, saw the boy, dressed in a neat admiral's uniform, who had somehow appeared behind them.

Although they had seen the boy in his uniform yesterday morning, seeing their admiral in his white admiral's uniform again at the renovated naval base made their hearts race. Only when they looked at the boy did they feel a sense of relief and certainty that their year-long, painful search was over and that they could finally live the happy and peaceful life with their admiral by their side again.

"You've arrived, Admiral. Good morning, Unicorn Sister."

With her beautiful legs completely hidden by wide trousers, even in a navy uniform that didn't reveal a hint of allure, Lexington's perfect, easy-to-give-up figure was still so alluring. She gently brushed aside the ends of her light-colored hair, which were slightly messy from the sea breeze, and her faint smile easily stirred the young man's heart.

"You're only arriving at the naval base at this hour? Admiral, you must have slept in until the sun was high in the sky again, just like always, right? Honestly, we're all here running around doing things for the naval base, and you seem to be the only one doing nothing."

Upon seeing the boy who had stirred her heart, Wisconsin instinctively straightened her collar, subtly concealing her slight unease. Wisconsin, however, pinched her smooth chin and began to berate her admiral.

I got up early this morning and went to all that trouble to get ready, thinking the Admiral would definitely come early, but he actually went to class and only then realized he was coming here. Is being a good Admiral really that important? Are we, the ship girls who have been looking for you until our hearts are breaking, not beautiful enough? Or is it that Mr. Su Yuchen, your standards are too high?

With Lexington and myself on board, plus that cheap third sister helping manage the naval base, wouldn't that be great? We're not fighting the Deep Sea right now anyway. I'd rather spend that time with them.

"Alright, Wisconsin, stop criticizing Su Yuchen. Didn't you see his dark circles? It's impossible that he slept until now like you said. Besides, he has amnesia, so don't be so demanding of him."

Volume 1, Chapter 164: Faith

"Alright, Wisconsin, stop criticizing Su Yuchen like that. Didn't you see his dark circles? It's impossible for him to have slept until now like you said. Besides, he has amnesia, right? Don't be so demanding of him."

Wisconsin's slightly jealous reproachful words reached the boy's ears, making Su Yuchen, who was already a little embarrassed, blush with embarrassment. All of this was observed by the monarch, who had also arrived at the boy's port area early in the morning. She subconsciously frowned and instinctively began to defend the boy.

Although she knew these were all internal affairs, as an outsider who had not yet joined any naval base, she should not have overstepped her bounds and interfered in this matter. Moreover, it was obvious to everyone that Wisconsin was just having a minor disagreement with her own admiral.

Perhaps it was because of the ever-growing yet unfulfilled desire within her, or perhaps it was because she was still just an outsider watching from the sidelines, that she instinctively felt even more unwilling to see the boy suffer the slightest hardship, even if it had nothing to do with her, even if it was far removed from her usual high standards for others and herself.

Holding the financial details of the naval base's repairs, and after being refuted by the monarch, Wisconsin subtly shifted her position beside her. The monarch, dressed in a rather dashing naval uniform, glanced at the beautiful figure and face beneath the neat and conservative attire, and then Wisconsin vigorously rubbed her temples.

She certainly didn't mean to blame the monarch. After all, in the eyes of all the sisters in the garrison, including herself, the monarch, who had been helping them all the time and had even used her power and connections to help them find the admiral when he went missing, was practically a sister to them.

But... if you feel so sorry for this jerk in front of you, you'll definitely regret it when you join the naval base! Once you find out just how slow-witted and annoying he really is, you might just want to pin him down on the bed and rub him against the wall!

"Ahaha... Good morning, Wisconsin and... Dean. Sorry I'm late."

Embarrassed, the boy scratched the back of his head and gave a slightly embarrassed laugh. He had wanted to come to the port with Glorious early in the morning, but as a newbie who seemed like a pro but was actually a complete novice, he didn't know what to do even if he came.

"Hmm, good morning, you heartless, stinking admiral."

"Good morning, but there's no need to be so formal, Su Yuchen. Just call me Monarch. Although you're still studying at the academy, you're nominally a marshal, which is a much higher rank than mine."

Both responded to the boy's greeting, and Wisconsin and the monarch smiled at Su Yuchen together. Although she called him a stinky admiral, who knew how much she actually liked him?

"Didn't you sleep well last night, Admiral? I shouldn't have let you and Washington drink so much. Sigh... Really, Washington knew you couldn't drink, why did she still drag you to drink so much?"

With a gentle yet tender touch, she stroked the boy's slightly tired eyes, smoothed a stray lock of hair from his forehead, and came to his side. Lexington gently took his free hand, feeling the comforting warmth in his palm, and smiled softly at him.

After sending Glorious Sister and the Admiral back last night, she was troubled by Glorious Sister and her own affairs all night long, and she hardly slept at all.

Now that the matter of Illustrious Sister has been settled, as the secretary ship, she certainly wouldn't make things difficult for her. However, as the admiral's first married ship, she hasn't had any real contact with her beloved husband yet. In contrast, Illustrious Sister, who came later, won the admiral's favor after only spending a short time with him.

Wondering if she wasn't as alluring as before, if the admiral had grown tired of her, or if she had angered him by refusing to give him the sister sandwiches he craved most, she naturally couldn't sleep.

From the moment she woke up until now, only by leaning against her beloved husband could she regain some of the confidence she had lost.

"However, well... we can oversee the repairs at the naval base. Missouri has already taken care of the inventory of supplies and equipment. If you really want to do something, Admiral, then let Phelps take you and Unicorn to familiarize yourself with the facilities inside and outside the naval base. Anyway, you probably don't remember anything now, right? Maybe visiting the place where you used to live will remind you of something?"

Just like Glorious, Lexington gently rubbed the boy's forehead with her fair fingertips. After thinking for a moment about what simple and easy tasks she could entrust to her admiral, she smiled and waved to Phelps' sister, who had just been called over.

Although the boy didn't say anything, Lexington, who knew her admiral better than she knew herself, knew from his appearance that he must have had a hangover that morning. Thinking about making some food to help him recover from the hangover, she said to Phelps, who had come to her and the boy's side, "Phelps, is the admiral's bedroom ready? Would you mind showing the admiral and Unicorn Sister around the naval base?"