A burst of flowing light and color later.
Their feet touched the solid ground again.
Before them lay a desolate, bleak world, devoid of human life.
It was their first time landing on this alien world, and the Azure fleet girls curiously observed their surroundings.
"Is this Commander's world?"
"Well, it's a bit better than I expected. If it was a nuclear wasteland, it would be awful."
The Head Maid, Belfast, sniffed the air.
The air carried the fragrance of soil and the scent of forests.
Some of the more lively fleet girls took off running.
They chased tigers, wild boars, and brown bears, sending them running in all directions.
"Is that where Commander lived before?"
Essex noticed the small wooden house at the edge of the woods.
A month had passed, and exposed to the wind and sun, the house was now on the verge of collapse.
"This was my starting point, I guess. There are still some tools and rice inside, but I doubt they'll be useful anymore."
Lu Chen pondered for a moment.
"If we are to help Commander rebuild civilization here, then we should first plan out our construction scheme."
Richelieu, as the flagship, took charge immediately.
"Kaga, first confirm our current location and scout the surrounding terrain."
"Understood."
A twin-tailed aircraft carrier fleet girl unfurled her ship-mounted equipment, releasing two carrier-based aircraft.
They were no bigger than toys when they took off, but quickly grew into several-meter-long warplanes in the air, roaring off into the distance.
When Lu Chen first arrived here, he could only roughly estimate that he was in the European region based on the architectural style. He had no way of knowing his exact geographical location.
Soon, Kaga received information from the scout aircraft.
"Current position, 50.7 degrees North Latitude, 84 degrees West Longitude. According to the world map...we are roughly located near Frankfurt, in Western Europe."
"Scout confirmed, no human activity has been detected within a radius of 300 kilometers, only a small number of animals in the forests."
Since the terrain here was the same as the Blue Star of his previous life, the maps could be used directly.
"We are in the inland region..."
Richelieu pondered for a moment.
"Where is the nearest seaport?"
"Going north from the Rhine River, you can reach the North Sea ports. Going south, you can cross the Alps and reach Italian territory. Venice is a good port city that leads to the Mediterranean."
Lu Chen spread out the map on the ground and gestured to everyone.
"So..."
"Commander, where do you think we should start our development?"
"North? South? Or build a city here?"
Richelieu looked inquiringly.
As the first city in this world, it was also the fulcrum and capital city of future development. The choice of location was paramount.
"What do you think?"
Lu Chen looked at the leading fleet girls.
"I suggest going north, building a port in the North Sea, just like the Port District."
Kaga said while playing with her hair.
"After all, we're all fleet girls, we're used to living by the sea."
"I think that's not going to work."
Belfast shook her head.
"Since this is Commander's world, we should consider him. The North Sea port has a harsh climate, not suitable for humans to live in."
"Making the most of what we have, building a city here is the most suitable option."
The Head Maid was always concerned about Commander.
"I think the south is better, meow?"
Myoko also raised her hand.
"The Venice port is bigger than the North Sea port, and the climate is warmer."
"If you build a city in the inland region, later development will be troublesome, meow. You'll have to start from scratch building road networks and railways."
"If we're by the sea, we can solve the problem with our sea transport."
Everyone had their own opinion, arguing endlessly.
Ultimately, they all looked to Lu Chen for the final decision.
...
"Hmm..."
Lu Chen stroked his chin, contemplating.
North, south, build a city here, each had its advantages.
Building a city here was the simplest option. They could use the metal ores locally. However, it was inconvenient in terms of transportation, which would affect the expansion of the city later on.
Because the fleet girls were an ocean-adapted species, even though their naval technology was advanced, Lu Chen doubted whether they had ever researched agriculture or light industry.
The port in the north had convenient transportation. Sea transport could connect them to the seven seas. However, the port city's scale wouldn't be very large, and the latitude was too high, making it very cold.
As for the Venice port, the city wasn't large enough to accommodate a complete industrial and agricultural system.
After much thought, Lu Chen wasn't satisfied with any of the three locations.
"Hmm..."
"Is there a city, with enough land to facilitate the construction of roads, railways, and airports in the future, a port for the fleet girls to live in, convenient for both sea and land transport, connecting several continents... "
"It would be even better if the nearby resources were abundant."
His eyes scanned the map.
Out of sentimentality, he thought that the location of Tianjing was good, but it was too far away.
Whether going by land or sea, it would take a considerable amount of time.
"Your requirements are too high, Commander. There's no place like that..."
Kaga pouted and muttered.
"I got it! Here!"
Lu Chen pointed to a spot on the map.
Everyone leaned in.
It was a location in the very center of the Eurasian continent, the dividing line between Europe and Asia.
Constantinople.
Land transportation could connect the entire continent, and through the Mediterranean Sea, it could connect to the seven seas.
For a long period of time, Constantinople was the largest city in the world, also known as the "City of Desire of the World."
After the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, it was renamed Istanbul, entering modern society. Due to various reasons, the city also declined.
However, its superior geographical location and historical significance never changed.
"This is where the Roman Empire once stood."
"And it will be the starting point of our voyage to the stars."
Picture of Constantinople