The ship girls, who possess the power of the host warship within them, if they do not activate the Mind Cube to materialize their ship forms, are really not much different from ordinary humans in other aspects, aside from their strength and physical qualities that far exceed those of normal people... probably?
At least in terms of living habits, they are just like ordinary girls.
Belfast did not go to the public bathhouse; most of the Sakura-class ship girls love to soak in baths, and often during the day, you can see groups of Sakura ship girls inside.
She always felt that her current state was not quite suitable for such places.
Therefore, Belfast returned to her independent dormitory in the harbor, but this also meant—
—in a sense, she was currently in a state of "sharing a bath" with Commander Bai Yu.
Even though she had been mentally preparing herself all the way, when the moment came, Belfast still felt too shy to say a word.
The warm water from the showerhead cascaded down her creamy, delicate skin, and whether it was due to the heat in the bathroom or the restlessness within her, her cheeks flushed a stunning red. Her eyes were tightly closed, but her long, thick, curled eyelashes trembled incessantly...
Clearly, she was the only one in the bathroom, but just the thought that the Commander was still in her consciousness made Belfast feel as if she was live-streaming for him.
Is there really a normal girl in this world who would do such things for someone she had just met less than a day ago (in shock)!?
Even though their relationship was that of ship girl and commander, Belfast still thought... it was just too stimulating!
Finally—
"Commander..."
『......』
"Commander, can you stop reciting it?"
『...... Ah?』
"I've already heard you recite it over a dozen times, I can almost recite it by heart, something like 'If the heart is as clear as ice, the heavens will not be shaken'..."
Bai Yu: 『......』
Was he so absorbed in silently reciting the Ice Heart Technique in his consciousness that he accidentally let it slip and was heard by Belfast?
Perhaps because they had signed a contract, although Belfast still couldn't fully grasp Bai Yu's thoughts like he could, she could vaguely sense his emotions.
The Commander seemed to be even more embarrassed than she was.
Realizing this, Belfast felt less shy and became more composed in her movements.
—She even deliberately posed a few times, showcasing her beautiful figure.
(So that's how it is, whether as a ship girl to a commander or as a maid to her master, teasing the commander like this is so delightful?)
(She could somewhat understand how the Sakura sisters felt when they teased Miss Nagato on a daily basis.)
Thinking of this, Belfast lightly curled her lips, lowering her head and eyes, her toes hidden from view.
Indeed, she was a stunning beauty~
"Commander, do I look good?"
Bai Yu's subtly nuanced voice echoed in her mind.
『Even judging by my experience, this is truly an astonishing scale...』
Although his sister, Ting Yun, who always teased him, had a great figure, she still couldn't compare to Belfast.
As for Fu Xuan...
Forget it, forget it, bringing up Fu Tai Bu at this time would definitely make her cry!
She couldn't even compare to that little bird who called herself a sunny and cheerful gambling addict!
Hmm? What about Bai Lu?
No, no, no, that's not even a matter of comparison; it's a matter of punishment or not!
Bai Yu quickly went through the list of close girls in his mind, while Belfast was surprised by her commander's frankness.
"Commander, are you saying you have 'rich experience'? I really didn't expect that."
『......』
How should he put it? Strictly speaking, Bai Yu actually had no experience in this regard.
Even though he had tasted Fu Xuan's creamy little ice cream, he still hadn't taken that final step—Fu Xuan had yet to give up on changing her fated destiny and was trying to cut off Bai Yu's "bad luck" in her eyes, wanting to be the only flower that bloomed.
This was also the reason why Fu Xuan and Ting Yun had always had a subtle rivalry.
Belfast's tone didn't reveal any oddity, but Bai Yu still sensed a faint hint of emotion.
He sighed inwardly.
Regardless of how capable other commanders were, at least they and their ship girls were in the same world, able to be together day and night.
But his own commander couldn't even appear in physical form, and before long, his consciousness would leave.
This left Belfast with an unshakeable sense of unease, and it was this unease that led the maid to take strong measures to keep Bai Yu around and a series of subsequent actions.
『Don't worry, Belfast, since you voluntarily contracted to become my ship girl, I will naturally take on the responsibilities of a commander.』
『At the very least, I'm not the type to throw aside a cute maid who calls me 'master' and ignore her.』
"Commander..."
Belfast's sparkling purple eyes were tinged with a misty glow, her right hand resting on her chest, her smile radiant.
The commander truly felt her thoughts.
The gentle warmth completely dispelled the awkwardness brought about by their current situation. Belfast finished her bath in a joyful mood and changed into clean clothes.
Sitting in front of the vanity, drying her slightly damp silver hair, she sighed with some concern, "If only you were here in person, as a maid, not being able to serve my master properly at the first opportunity is a huge dereliction of duty."
『I believe there will be opportunities in the future.』
Bai Yu replied.
This wasn't because he truly knew what to do, but rather because, compared to the current difficulties, the universe filled with infinite possibilities would surely present Bai Yu with a way to resolve his current predicament in the future.
Perhaps this comforting thought truly had an effect, as Belfast chuckled softly, standing up and saying, "Then let this incompetent maid show my master around the port area."
……divider……
The location was the depths of the ocean where sunlight could not reach.
In an unknown steel fortress, in a room filled with various mechanical devices, with the sound of a pressure release from an airlock, the oval hatch of the repair pod opened with a puff of white smoke.
The tester crawled out, rubbing her arms, her pale skin bare as her delicate feet touched the cold alloy floor.
"Looks like you had a lot of fun this time?"
A naturally alluring voice rang out, startling the tester, who glared at the twisted tentacle that had appeared in the corner of the room without her noticing.
"Can you not always pop up so suddenly?"
"And do you really call that state where your head is half blown off 'having fun'?"
"Isn't this just trying to comfort you?" The tentacle wriggled and extended to the tester's feet, slowly wrapping around her smooth, rounded ankle.
The tester lifted her foot to break free, then mercilessly stomped down, squashing the tentacle into a soft pancake, then raised her gaze to the observer slowly walking out of the darkness.
"Alright, you're here to inquire about Belfast, right?"
"Yes indeed." The observer tapped the corner of her mouth with her index finger, narrowing her eyes slightly, "That moment when the aura erupted from that maid, even hundreds of nautical miles away, was enough to scare someone into shivering, you know?"
"Do you have any interesting intel about that mysterious commander?"