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

"I... I'm taking a walk, Admiral. Are you doing the same? Well... how about we go together? Is that alright?"

The girl spoke softly, a hint of shyness in her voice. Feeling the boy's hand on her head, she nervously pinched the hem of her pretty skirt. The familiar figure was so close, it felt as if she could kiss the admiral's lips if she stood on tiptoe. Feeling her heart pounding even harder, she heard the boy's calm and agreeing voice.

"Oh, Fei'er is out for a walk too? I just ate a lot of the cookies you made, so I was planning to come out to digest."

Volume 1, Chapter 272: Stars

"Oh, Fei'er is out for a walk too? I just ate a lot of the cookies you made, so I was planning to come out to digest."

On a cool summer night, the bright streetlights cast a light that seemed to spill like mercury. On this gentle night, Su Yuchen and the beautiful and charming girl beside her took a slow walk along the coast with Phelps.

The girl's delicate shoulders pressed tightly against the boy's body. A gentle breeze occasionally caused her to lightly brush a strand of soft hair from her still slightly blushing cheek. But feeling the familiar scent and warmth beside her, Phelps suddenly looked up at the boy's face, which was fixed on the road ahead. Realizing the admiral hadn't noticed her small gesture, she was slightly distracted. She then quietly reached out her small hand—the one that she would occasionally brush against the back of the boy's hand as if by accident…

"By the way, Phil, why didn't I see you training with Marani this afternoon? I ran into Marani and Juno at the training ground, and they said they couldn't find you anywhere."

Startled by the boy's sudden voice, the lovely girl suddenly opened her slightly shy eyes and then guiltily withdrew her nervous fingertips. Listening to the rapid beating of her heart that had been pounding ever since she was walking with the admiral, the girl's soft voice trembled slightly in a fluster.

"Ah... well... well, because I took a nap at noon and forgot the time, I accidentally overslept..."

Thinking that her little trick had been discovered by the admiral, Phelps shook her head slightly, her soft brown hair framing her face, and explained softly.

Of course, she wouldn't oversleep because of a nap. After all, she hadn't slept for long before excitedly getting up to make cookies for her admiral. But thinking about what she was about to see, she couldn't very well tell the admiral that she was too ashamed to go out because she had caught him and Jiajia doing something naughty.

The girl felt a little uneasy. Whenever she was by the admiral's side, she always felt as if there were many little ants crawling restlessly on her soft heart. A bright red blush kept encroaching on her delicate white skin and her slender, beautiful neck. She felt sweet because of her closeness with the boy, and shy because of the scenes that made her blush and her heart race. She raised her head and looked at the boy once again, who had deliberately slowed his pace to match hers.

But before her shy blush could cool, she saw her admiral touch his chin with a puzzled look.

"Really? But Lexington just said that you brought me a tray of freshly baked cookies this afternoon, Phil? Could it be that Lexington remembered wrong?"

The boy was a little confused. He clearly remembered that a few minutes ago, Lexington told him that the cookies she ate were made by Phelps, but Phelps said that she had overslept. Could it be that... Lexington remembered wrong?

The girl's supple back tensed, and a blush, even more radiant than before, quickly spread across her delicate cheeks and neck, then tinged her snow-white skin. If it weren't for the boy's words, she would have almost forgotten that she had left the cookies she baked for the admiral on the living room table when she ran away, and that the admiral, having noticed the plate of cookies, might also have noticed...

"No...no, Admiral, I made the cookies before my afternoon nap...but...admiral, what were you and Kaka doing this afternoon? When I brought you the snacks, I thought I heard Kaka's voice in the bedroom..."

Although the girl's words were spoken out of nervousness, they turned the tide of the battle, making the boy, who heard her shy voice, turn his face away with extreme guilt.

If you were to ask what Jiajia and I were doing that afternoon, what else could it be but...? I never expected that besides my wife, Fei'er would also have come by while Jiajia and I were doing something naughty. Luckily, she didn't come over to see what we were doing, otherwise, my Infinite Journey as an admiral would have to end here.

Mistaking the girl's shy gaze for curiosity, the embarrassed boy scratched his slightly cold nape and turned his gaze to the streetlight not far away.

Although saying this might damage my image as an admiral, I have no choice but to reveal the truth now in order to cover it up!

“You mean Jia… Jiajia, Fei’er… Jiajia said she couldn’t sleep at noon, so she insisted on coming to take a nap with me… When you came, Jiajia was probably clinging to me, insisting that I take her to sleep with me.”

"Hmm...Admiral..."

"Did you fall asleep and end up doing *that* with Sister Jiajia?" The girl's cheeks flushed as red as the clouds on the horizon. Hearing the boy's explanation, she nodded almost imperceptibly and sighed softly. She couldn't help but feel relieved. As long as the Admiral didn't suspect anything, didn't discover she was spying on him doing something wrong, and didn't think of her as a shameless girl, everything would be fine. Otherwise…

The waves crashed against the roadside embankment, making a crisp sound. The girl continued to walk slowly forward with the boy. Perhaps because of the topic that had made them both feel a little guilty, the atmosphere between the girl and the boy fell into a brief silence.

The stars in the sky grew brighter and brighter. After a few short seconds of silence, the lovely girl once again turned her gaze to the boy beside her. She always cherished the time she spent with the admiral, and she couldn't bear to waste even a single second. Looking at the road that seemed to lead nowhere, she raised her arm and placed her small hand on her small chest.

"If only I could be a little braver, like Sister Potter, open my heart, open my heart, then I could... It's already this late, Admiral, are you still going for a walk? Or... or how about we go see the stars together? (whispering)... I know a place that's perfect for stargazing..."

"Stars? Does Fei'er like stars? Okay then, I also want to take a rest."

Volume 1, Chapter 273: Night Sky

It must be said that as a huge city, Tsugawa's air pollution has always been a headache for those in charge. However, perhaps because they knew that a beautiful ship girl wanted to watch the stars with her admiral tonight, the night sky over Tsugawa was unusually clear and blue, with the stars shining brightly all the way to the horizon.

The boy would never refuse an invitation from his ship girl to watch the stars together, especially since it was the gentle and lovely Phelps.

Under the bright streetlights, the boy agreed to the girl's request and followed her footsteps to the vicinity of the back mountain. Looking at the small mountain in front of him, he thought that the good place the girl mentioned was the top of the back mountain. However, before he could climb the winding stone steps to the top, the little girl suddenly turned a corner and led him to a building with an arched dome halfway up the mountain.

The young girl held the hand of the boy, who was panting from climbing the mountain, in her soft palm, and then quietly slipped her fingertips between his fingers. Although she told herself that she was worried that the admiral might fall while walking at night, as she touched her heart, which was pounding intensely and carrying a hint of sweetness, she clearly understood what she was really looking forward to.

The figure beside her, whom she could never forget, was breathing softly. But smelling that familiar scent that warmed her like a harbor, and with a hint of expectation, she smiled slightly: "Admiral, we've arrived. This is the naval base's observatory. Because it's not very useful, not many people usually come here."

The boy nodded, noticing the huge astronomical telescope on the dome. He already knew the purpose of the building. He looked at the low-lying buildings at the foot of the mountain and the beautiful night view of Tsugawa City on the opposite bank. Then, the girl led him to the top of the observatory.

"The night view here is beautiful, Admiral. I often come here alone to count stars when I have nothing to do. You used to come here with me, but you probably don't remember now."

Besides the domed ceiling, the observatory also has a glass roof that extends outwards, reflecting the night sky. The young woman, familiar with the area, led the boy to the rooftop. With a beautiful smile, she showed the admiral beside her the beautiful view that she had always cherished.

"Hehe...Admiral, you can lie down here and count the stars in the night while enjoying the cool breeze. Don't you think that's very comfortable?"

The countless stars in the sky and the night view of Tsugawa in the distance complemented each other. The girl, blushing, led the boy to lie down on the clean glass dome. A gentle breeze caressed the boy's cheeks until he felt a cool touch from the glass on his back. Lost in thought about the beautiful night view, the boy finally snapped out of his daze.

"It's comfortable, but I never expected there would be an observatory in the naval base. Fei'er, you actually knew about such a place."

The coolness on her back dispelled the slight heat from climbing the mountain, and the boy asked her naturally. But after hearing the boy's words, even though she had lost her reason, she still couldn't bear to let go of the hand that made her feel at ease. Slightly stunned, the girl's exquisitely beautiful face shook gently.

"This is Fei'er and the Admiral's home, of course Fei'er would know. She knows this place because of the Admiral..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"No, nothing, Admiral! The weather today is perfect for stargazing... Ah, it's been so long since I've been able to lie on the rooftop and stargaze so comfortably, especially with the Admiral."

The girl was jumping for joy, watching the countless stars twinkling in the sky. She couldn't help but turn her face to the boy beside her. After more than a year of searching and losing the admiral, looking at the face illuminated by the night sky, she suddenly felt a heavy burden lifted from her chest.

"Hmm, I rarely see so many stars in Tsugawa. Maybe it's because of the rain the day before yesterday? Whew... lying here like this really makes me relax without even realizing it... Ah, I found it. That must be Polaris."

Perhaps because he was with a young girl, the boy was much more relaxed than when he first met Yixian. He didn't have to worry about his image or that the lovely Fei'er would laugh at his childishness. Looking at the vast star map that filled his eyes, he stretched out his finger and pointed to a bright star in the northern sky.

The boy pointed his finger to the north in the sky. Looking at the boy's slightly smiling lips, the girl, her face flushed, secretly pinched her soft fingertips.

Inviting the admiral to come here to look at the stars was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, but she never expected that he would also love looking at the stars so much. Suppressing the little bit of joy in her heart and the happiness of being with her beloved, she mustered up her courage and tightened her grip on the boy's hand once more, and the girl slowly extended her own fingers.

"Hmm~ Admiral, that's the Big Dipper over there. The one at the top is Tian Shu, and the one at the end is Yao Guang."

A soft, slightly joyful voice reached the boy's ears, drawing his gaze from the girl's slender fingers to the stars elsewhere. He felt her palm gently squeeze his, and with a slight smile, he gently grasped her soft, boneless hand. A girl's affection is always delightful, especially when it's a ship girl he considers a younger sister and trusts him implicitly.

"It seems you really love stars, Fei'er. I wonder which star is your favorite?"

The boy's firm grip made the young girl clearly feel the warmth of his hand, but feeling the warmth in the admiral's palm, she suddenly became a little nervous. Her small heart was filled with barely suppressed joy and shyness. She pursed her increasingly dry lips, thinking of all the scenes she had always longed for, and she slightly opened her mouth.

"My favorite star...of course it's...Admiral, what about you? What's your favorite star...?"

Volume 1, Chapter 274: Dependence

"Hehe... Sister Lexington told me that the Admiral's favorite star is Polaris, which hangs forever in the northern sky, always like a lighthouse guiding people. So whenever I see stars in the sky, I can't help but think of the Admiral, and later I unconsciously developed the habit of liking to look at the stars..."

The gentle evening breeze was like a mother's hand lightly brushing across the observatory halfway up the mountain. The crisp chirping of insects mingled with the rustling of the treetops, bringing the boy an incomparably comfortable and tranquil feeling.

He didn't know how long he had been lying on the cool glass platform, watching the stars with Phelps, stars he hadn't looked at closely in who knows how long. The boy gently raised his free arm and placed it under his head.

His right hand still gently held Phelps's soft, boneless hand, and he listened quietly to the girl's gentle face, which seemed to be filled with memories, fantasies, and attachments. He subtly curved the corners of his mouth.

It should be said that the girl beside him, apart from her appearance and a few other details, is somewhat similar to Xiaorou in many ways. She also treats Fei'er as her younger sister. Whenever he sees Fei'er's lovely smile, he can't help but think of his own younger sister who is still waiting for him to come and pick her up.

His younger sister was very sensible and obedient, and always did her best to help him when he encountered trouble. She was his lovely and capable wife. Fei'er, who could do all kinds of housework and make all kinds of delicious snacks, was also like a good wife and mother who hadn't grown up yet. Just thinking about the scene of them living together soon, he couldn't help but feel a little excited.

However, looking at the girl's slightly flushed and joyful cheeks, and feeling the soft hand that held his palm tightly and refused to let go, the silly boy also sensed the girl's unusual dependence on him.

He wasn't stupid. Even if his emotional intelligence was shockingly low, he wouldn't so easily ignore the girl's gaze, which was somewhat similar to that of Lexington and Glorious. Just like how he sensitively noticed the girl's momentary disappointment when she looked at the photo of Glorious and himself that morning. Since his emotional intelligence was lacking, he would fill the gap with observation.

The girl beside him might really have special feelings for him. Just like what his wife told him, before he disappeared, Fei'er was his next choice for marriage ship. But as things stand, even if he really had some fantasies that Fei'er might like him like Jiajia, he could only treat her as an intimate younger sister.

It wasn't because she already had a wife and Illustrious and felt indebted to them, but rather because although she was a sensible and virtuous girl, it couldn't change the fact that Phil was just a destroyer ship girl.

The Governor's Office does not prohibit marriage between destroyers; otherwise, most admirals who only have destroyer ship girls would probably be biting their handkerchiefs and silently shedding tears. Although as ship girls, they cannot grow up like humans, five years is enough time for the naive destroyer girls to develop the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

The Governor's Office stipulates that within five years of a ship's construction, no admiral may attack a destroyer that is less than five years old. Any act of attacking a destroyer that does not meet the standards will be severely punished by the military police, and sometimes even result in the loss of the admiral's status. Considering that he himself has only been an admiral for a mere five years, Phil clearly has not met this standard.

Speaking of this, the person doesn't consider himself a lolicon, but looking at Phelps's delicate face, he can't help but think of the numerous destroyer sisters among his double-digit number of married ships.

Although it was a bastard thing he did in the game, it has now become a reality. Thinking about the various clauses of the military police against admirals who are obsessed with lolis, he felt a little scared. He didn't know how he had survived until now and married so many destroyers without being invited for tea by the military police.

"Admiral, there are two states after a torpedo is launched: one is to detonate it to destroy the enemy, and the other is not to detonate it... What is the purpose of launching a torpedo that will not detonate? Of course, it is possible that it will malfunction due to panic, but is it possible that a torpedo that will never detonate was deliberately launched to express something... Am I overthinking this?"

A cool evening breeze blew gently. As the boy spoke to Phelps, he let out a few comfortable yawns. Counting the stars in peace was indeed relaxing, but getting lost in it could easily lead to the thought of falling asleep under the night sky. A cricket chirped from the distant bushes. Resting his head on his arm, the boy's thoughts began to wander uncontrollably.

He had been reunited with his wife and the others for several days, but as their husband, he still felt as if it had just happened, leaving him somewhat dazed.

I never imagined that my life trajectory would change so drastically in just one month...

He had thought he would become an ordinary admiral, and after graduation, he would be assigned to some remote sea area to live a mundane and uneventful life with his ship girls and sister. But now he is not only the admiral of such a large naval base, but also a husband with dozens of wives...

Even if I didn't know, Xiaorou would be terrified. And what about my parents in the other world? If they knew I had so many beautiful daughters-in-law, I wonder what their expressions would be...

Guanghui was his first love, and his wife was his first wife. There was no doubt that they loved him and he loved them in return. But if he asked himself honestly, had he really fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband to them?

Besides selfishly enjoying their gentleness, their generosity, and their tolerance, what have I actually given them in return? Have I truly put myself into the role of a husband who will bear the responsibility for their future happiness?

The answer, of course, was no.

Thinking back to his behavior when his wife first met Guanghui, he was already clear about his "scumbag" nature. He not only failed to protect Guanghui, but also made his wife feel disappointed and apologetic. If his wife hadn't generously given him a vow ring in the end, he might not even have had a way to comfort Guanghui...

Perhaps even if his wife hadn't given him the vow ring, he would have still found a way to get one for Radiance, and that would have been nothing more than a responsibility he had to fulfill and a compensation that didn't even amount to comfort...

And then there's my wife, Jiajia, and the other wedding ships I haven't even had a chance to meet... I bound them to each other for life with a ring, and now they've given me their most precious things without any regrets, yet I haven't even prepared a wedding for them.

Ah... I always said I wanted to become an excellent admiral, but as I did it, I became a despicable scumbag admiral... In the morning, I talked to Rastyl, and she gently forgave me. At noon, I talked to Gaga, and she still comforted me so tenderly... Maybe Illustrious and Rastyl don't think there's anything wrong with this, but it's only because they love me. They are my ship girls and my marriage ship.

Perhaps I'm being too dramatic. After all, the Governor's Office stipulates that an admiral can have multiple marriage ships, right? But how could someone who has lived in a monogamous world for so many years just accept their tolerance and pampering?

Sigh, okay... I keep saying I don't want to disappoint them and that I need to fulfill my responsibilities as a husband, but after all that, in the end, I'm just lusting after them. I lust after their gentleness, their love, their bodies, everything about them, mixed with a hint of inferiority that I might not be good enough for them...

I'm not a good admiral, nor a good husband, but that doesn't stop me from trying to become someone worthy of them. No matter what happens, once things settle down and the other ship girls who are away return, I will at least hold a wedding for each of them, in the biggest and most beautiful church, with them wearing the most beautiful wedding dresses...

"Admiral, Admiral! Look! It's a shooting star!"

Volume 1, Chapter 275: Wish

"Admiral, Admiral! Look! It's a shooting star!"

The girl's voice brought the boy back to his senses, but even with his quick reflexes, he could only catch a fleeting glimpse of the last rays of the shooting star as Phelps's beautiful voice faded away.

The girl beside him straightened up excitedly. The tense and disheartening search over the past year had made her noticeably excited after seeing the beautiful shooting star. Looking at Phelps and her delicate yet charming face, he was amazed by the gentle and graceful temperament that the girl inadvertently revealed. He turned his head and looked in the direction where the fleeting shooting star disappeared.

"Fei'er hasn't seen a shooting star in a long time, has she? Now that you've seen one, why don't you make a wish, Fei'er?"

"Yes, Admiral!"

The girl nodded, and after listening to the boy's words, she obediently lowered her head, clasped her hands, and solemnly made a wish upon the shooting star. The girl's expression was very sincere and expectant. Seeing such a serious girl, even though he no longer believed that shooting stars could grant people's wishes, the boy, moved by the girl's sincerity, lowered his head as well and made his own wish along with her.

The boy's wishes were very simple; he simply hoped that his ship girls would be happy and that his naval base would always be a haven for him and everyone else. The gentle, tranquil starlight fell on the girl's delicate skin. After a while, Phelps slowly opened his bright, clear eyes, still reluctant to leave.

"Admiral, what did you wish for?"

Listening to the rustling of the wind through the leaves, with a hint of shyness and anticipation, the young girl asked the admiral beside her. With the boy's company, she felt only peace and sweetness in her heart, and she gave him a very cute smile.

Her wish, of course, was to be with the admiral forever and never be separated again. However, she wouldn't say it out loud, because it wouldn't come true. She was still hoping that the admiral could tie her down for life with something else she had always longed for.

"My wish is of course... wait, if I tell you, it won't come true! If you want to know my wish, why don't you guess it, Fei'er?"

The boy, who had just sat up, winked at the cute girl. Without Lexington, the gentle older sister Glorious, and the mischievous Jaja by his side, he was now alone with the charming Phelps. He, who was always being led by the nose, finally got to experience the feeling of being in charge for once.

He smiled as he watched the girl's cheeks gradually redden, and her brown hair that made him want to reach out and touch it. He watched until Fei'er's cheeks turned completely red, and she seemed to be struggling with something as she clenched her fingers. Then, he was dumbfounded to see the girl in front of him quickly move closer and leave a light kiss on his cheek.

"Tell me... tell me, Admiral! Fei... Fei wants to know your wish, Admiral!"

I'm really not a lolicon! Officer, you have to believe me!

The sensation of the soft lips still lingered vividly on his cheek. Touching the spot where the girl had just kissed him, the boy stared wide-eyed, somewhat bewildered.

He thought he had thought it through enough. Because of the constraints of the Governor's Office, he only regarded Phelps as a cute little sister. However, both the girl's behavior and the current situation seemed to be developing in an unknown direction.

She suddenly kissed the admiral, and suddenly pressed her lips, which she had never touched before, onto the boy's face. The little girl lowered her pretty face shyly.

"Be braver, like Sister Potter."

She didn't know why she suddenly couldn't help but kiss the admiral's cheek, but she could hear a voice in her heart saying the same thing to her, and when she saw the admiral staring at her, she couldn't help but do it.

Although she was somewhat disappointed that she didn't get to kiss the admiral's lips in the end, and her rapidly beating heart made her cheeks flush, she lowered her head, touched her lips, and couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of her lips with a mix of worry and sweetness.