My ship girl setup is off...

Page 159

"Hehehe~, huh? Found you! Let me see what this is, wow~"

The observer rummaged through the large clothes and quickly pulled out a small black box, a square octagonal box with gold threads embroidered on it, and cloud patterns and a string of English words on the lid.

But this wasn't the main reason that piqued the observer's interest. It was because after opening the switch of the small black box, a pure-colored gemstone ring, emitting a faint glow, was revealed inside. It was crystal clear and dazzling.

However, the observer understood what it was, but when he actually saw the Oath Ring emitting a faint light, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Then, he gently and carefully picked up the Oath Ring and examined it closely. His golden eyes were wide open, almost as if he were comparing himself to a big-eyed cutie.

"Wow~, is this what you were going to take out? So this is the surprise! Since you've already prepared it, then I accept it. In your words..."

"Perhaps it's better to obey than to be overly respectful."

After thanking him, the observer pinched the ring between her left thumb and forefinger, then slowly slipped it onto her ring finger. She raised her arm and looked up at the Oath Ring. A happy smile, like that of a pure young girl, appeared on her face, as if she had obtained a precious treasure.

However, her behavior made Zheng Ri feel very complicated, because the ring was originally meant for Feng Xiang. Of course, she didn't have that idea before coming. It was only after feeling Feng Xiang's gentleness and experiencing her own charm that she fell into an inescapable state of mind and prepared the ring.

However, with this thought in mind, the ring that was prepared ended up on someone else's hand, and not a ship girl, but a Siren, and she put it on herself.

My feelings right now are very complicated. It's not the kind of sadness and disappointment that comes from being rejected in marriage, but rather a feeling of wanting to say something but not being able to. But thinking about it carefully, isn't this a kind of NTR?

Furious.

However, Zheng Ri didn't think about it for long before the Observer stopped admiring the Oath Ring and then pressed him down, gradually moving closer to his face.

"Alright, Commander, now I should confirm..."

As the observer drew closer, a pair of golden eyes began to glow, as if something was about to burst forth from them. This made Masaharu close his eyes, and he could only pray that his ship girls had noticed.

"Whoosh!!!--"

Just as Zheng Ri had expected, the moment she closed her eyes, a gleaming blade flashed at the observer's throat, but she nimbly dodged it.

Then he saw a ship girl wearing a dark gray coat and with rabbit ears staring at him with sharp, piercing eyes. Her golden pupils were filled with hostility and anger.

Of course, that's not all. The moment Shimakaze drew his sword, the ship girls noticed him and rushed toward Masahi's location. Without exception, everything in his path was knocked away, and they reached his side.

"It seems everyone's here, Commander. That makes it inappropriate for us to be all lovey-dovey."

"Oh, by the way, thank you for the gift. I'll keep it safe, hehe~"

Seeing the ship girls who had just been drinking the tea he had brewed suddenly turn their gazes to him, the Observer gave an apologetic smile, but before he could finish speaking, he was grabbed...

The greatsword, Yozuki, slashed down.

He could only wave his right hand, adorned with the Oath Ring, at them and leave.

Chapter 423 Something's Wrong

"What's wrong? Why aren't you all saying anything?"

"No, it's nothing, Commander. I felt like I almost had to commit seppuku to atone for my sins, sob sob..."

Sitting in Masahiro's lap, Shimakaze felt Musashi's gaze. Even though she was smiling when she looked at him, Shimakaze was still afraid. Only by sitting in his lap could she feel a little warmth.

"?"

Of course, Masaharu didn't understand Shimakaze's current thoughts. Protecting the frightened little rabbit, Masaharu looked at Musashi's gentle face. No, where is she scared? She seems very gentle, okay? Musashi doesn't seem like the kind of ship girl who would use her younger sister to vent her frustrations.

"Shimakaze~"

"Oh, really?!"

As Musashi approached, Shimakaze trembled even more, as if he had encountered a large fox that could eat rabbits. Although Musashi was also a fox, when he walked over and looked down at Masahiro and Shimakaze, especially seeing Shimakaze's fearful expression, the smile on his face became even brighter.

"Musashi, what's wrong with you...?"

Masaharu, who could roughly sense what was going on, could only hold Shimakaze in his arms, looking as if he wanted to protect her, which made Musashi quite helpless.

"Commander, I won't punish them... and don't look at me like that, it hurts my feelings."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I just wanted to give the good kid a proper reward, Shimakaze."

Musashi crouched down, looking at the little rabbit who was terrified of him. Musashi smiled bitterly, not knowing why she was so afraid of him. He hadn't done anything wrong, but he still had to say what he had to say. So Musashi reached out and placed his hand on her forehead, gently stroking it to calm her trembling body down.

"Good boy, you protected the commander, that deserves praise~ Would you like a reward? I think Fengxiang would be happy to prepare your favorite cake."

"Really? That's great! Waaah, I thought I was going to be replaced!"

Hearing words that sounded like a pardon, Shimakaze softened completely, leaning back and nestled into Masahiro's arms. He shifted his head comfortably, listening to the soft rustling of his hair against his clothes, which brought him a sense of peace.

"You're the same, Xiaoyue. Do you need any reward?"

Musashi turned his head slightly to look at Yozuki. Although her face was expressionless, her eyes revealed joy and seriousness, unlike Shimakaze.

"No, there's nothing to reward you for, Lady Musashi. Protecting the Commander was my duty, and I have fulfilled it. From now on, it will be enough for me to stay by the Commander's side."

Xiaoyue blinked, speaking with a hint of joy, saying that she didn't need a reward, but she was making a greedy request. However, Musashi would naturally grant her such a reward.

"Of course, I'll need you to protect me from now on, Xiaoyue, hehe~"

Musashi happily patted her head, looking at the petite destroyer in front of him, who had protected his lover so well, and felt especially happy.

"By the way, Musashi, have you imprisoned the Observer?"

Zheng Ri looked at Musashi, who was as gentle as a mother, and asked her about the Observer. Ever since Shimakaze pierced the isolation membrane, she had been protected by Xiaoyue and the Vanguard. Basically, when the other ship girls arrived, she was pulled back like a relay baton, protected by several people.

Even now, Zheng Ri looked at the dozen or so ship girls surrounding him, with Yuizuki on his left, Noshiro on his right, Shimakaze in the middle, and Odin Bunker Hill, Gasneko, and others behind him.

Zheng Ri didn't know what to say. Although they all had smiling expressions, there was a gloomy feeling about them, as if there was something they didn't know.

Even when asked about what had just happened, the question was evaded. It was either interrupted by a forced kiss or by face wash. In short, it couldn't be mentioned. This made the whole thing seem very strange.

After the mention of the day, Musashi's smile froze, drawing the attention of the ship girls present, many with complex expressions. Musashi, however, did not ignore these gazes.

"Alright, now that this has happened, we can't just pretend nothing happened. I understand your thoughts, but at least the Commander is safe and sound and still by our side, isn't that enough?"

Looking around, and meeting their gazes, Musashi's tone was calm and gentle, and her eyes were kind, but the ship girls felt an undeniable air of authority. This made Shimakaze shrink into Masahiro's arms in fear. Even though she was already hiding inside, she now looked more like a worried rabbit, trembling with fear.

"Now, I need to take the commander away for a bit. Do you have any objections?"

After looking around, Musashi finally spoke up, asking the commander to come with him. However, as soon as Musashi said this, Odin took a step forward, but was stopped by Mainz.

"Let the commander go. Odin, Musashi is right now, everything is safe and sound."

That's fine, don't overreact.

Odin glanced down at Mainz, who had blocked his way, but ignored her. Instead, he turned his gaze to Zheng Ri. Now, it was up to him to decide what to say and do.

"Commander, may I come with you for a moment?"

Musashi also looked at Masahiro, her gentle smile carrying a hint of pleading. Masahiro nodded. Although he could guess what it was about, it seemed he needed to go over there.

"Okay, I'll go see what's going on. Shimakaze, let's go."

Sensing that Musashi seemed to want to say something, Masahi could only pat Shimakaze's head and say something to get her off him.

"Oh, oh, I'm coming down now..."

After being patted by Masahi, Shimakaze got out of his arms and squeezed next to Yuzuki. Then, when Masahi stood up to go and take a look with Musashi, the other ship girls around also followed. But this time Musashi said something to them: "Come on, come on, just don't come in."

Before even reaching the meeting room, one could already hear the noise inside, from Akagi, Eugen, and Rossia. However, the noise stopped the moment Masahi entered.

"What are you arguing about?...

"commander..."

Chapter 424 Internal strife

"Commander, you're here..."

"If I hadn't come, I was afraid you'd all start fighting. I have a pretty good idea what's going on, but I hope you can calm down."

When Zheng Ri pushed open the door, he saw the ship girls sitting around a table arguing. Although the atmosphere calmed down when he came in, Zheng Ri felt that they were arguing and being sarcastic to each other rather than arguing. If he had come any later, they might have started fighting.

"How could that be? Cough cough! My lord, you're overthinking it. We were merely discussing some matters."

Seeing Zheng Ri approach, Tian Cheng stood up and gave Akagi a meaningful look, signaling him to be more reserved. She then moved lightly to Zheng Ri's side, took his arm with both hands, and held it between her breasts. She then gently stroked his cheek with her fingertips to let him know that nothing had happened.

Of course, and unbeknownst to Masaharu, the brown fox tail behind Amagi touched Musashi's thigh and exchanged a few words without his knowledge.

"Don't lie to me, Tiancheng. I'm not stupid. After all, we could hear your voices from outside."

Seeing Amagi clinging to him, Masahiro reached out and pressed his index finger against her forehead, trying to make her head back. But Amagi didn't let him succeed; instead, she laughed even more happily. Helpless, Masahiro could only look at the ship girls present.

Akagi, who had been the loudest just moments before, had quieted down and, like a little girl who had made a mistake, put her hands behind her back and shuffled over to Masahiro. Enterprise and Essex exchanged glances before looking at him, Bismarck stood up straight, and Eugen wore a playful expression.

Rossia had a serious expression, but when facing the person she loved, she tried her best to soften her expression, though it was somewhat difficult for her.

Although Hu Deguanghui didn't say anything, you could vaguely see some disappointment on his face. Veneto and Tianying stared at each other, Richelieu closed his eyes, and Jean Bart looked out the window, not meeting Zheng Ri's gaze.

Even Yi Xian came over, sitting upright with his legs crossed, brewing a pot of tea. He smiled faintly at Zheng Ri Shi and then shook his head.

It's easy to imagine that the ship girls are now mostly afraid to look directly into Masaharu's eyes, because just thinking about what happened not long ago makes them feel scared.

"Alright, I know what you're thinking. The Observer just came by and let me have a long talk with her. She didn't hurt me, and I'm fine, so you don't need to do this anymore."

"Am I right, Akagi, Kaga?"

Masahi looked at Akagi in front of him and Kaga behind him. Seeing the guilty look on Akagi's face and Kaga's expressionless face, Masahi wanted to ask her a question, but he was met with a strong rebuttal.

"This is not right!! Commander, this is extremely serious!! Last time, META came and took you away from the Royal Palace. This time, you were directly brought into close contact with the Sirens. Once such a thing happens is enough to make people's hearts tremble, let alone a second time!"

"The first time was META, the second time was the Sirens, so what about next time? When will it be? Who will it be? Besides, Commander, you said there were no problems this time, so who can guarantee that you won't get hurt next time?"

"Moreover, it's simply unacceptable that the observer just swaggered away like that!!"

As soon as Zheng Ri finished speaking, Rossia frowned, her tone revealing her dissatisfaction with the Vanguard and the others. Moreover, because of the first incident, they had added more escort ship girls, but now it seemed to have been completely ineffective.

Of course, Rossia's words had already made the ship girls present unhappy, especially the last sentence, which directly touched their sensitive nerves, and they looked at Rossia with displeasure.

"Since we"

"Yes, Miss Rosia, you seem so indignant. Is there any alternative method? If it's reasonable, effective, and acceptable, then the guards assigned to the Commander can also be cancelled."

Hood held the teacup, took a small sip, and looked at Rossia with his signature smile. Even though his tone remained calm and elegant, a closer look revealed that Hood's hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly, albeit a minor one.

"I think the first thing to do is conduct a thorough investigation! We need to thoroughly investigate all the ship girls who get close to the commander every day! We also need to provide the commander with strong and effective protective measures, and double the number of escort ship girls stationed by the commander every day! We need to rotate them!"

“Miss Rosia, I think this measure needs further discussion. Leaving aside the initial thorough inspection, we are all the Commander's ship girls, we all came into this world and to his side because of him. What you're doing will only create a crisis of trust and distrust between us. And what are the strong and effective protective measures? Please explain.”

"Furthermore, doubling the number of guards for the commander? Leaving aside whether that's even feasible, it's not a good thing for the commander. We want the commander to be safe and secure, with ample personal time, not to be constantly monitored."

Ultimately, rotating execution only creates opportunities for observers, making things easier to happen.

After Rosia finished speaking, Hood thought for a moment and then began to refute her, saying that such a decision was effective but unreasonable and had no human rights. As a ship girl, she would like her commander, her lover, to stay by her side all day long, since she would never get tired of seeing her all the time.

However, this is far too cruel for one's loved one. Having already deprived him of the right to live in human society, to now add another layer of constant, immersive surveillance—what kind of torture is this? Moreover...

Thorough investigation and purge – what kind of historical joke is this, repeating itself endlessly?

“Indeed, even I think that’s too extreme, Rossia. We still need to discuss this matter carefully. Besides, the commander is the one who should be making this decision.”

"We don't have the ability to make the commander limit himself."

Eugen said with a grin, crossing his legs as he looked at Zheng Ri and said that such a request was naturally unreasonable, and besides, it was still up to him to make the decision.

Chapter 425 easing the atmosphere

"Roscia, Hood and Eugen are right, that idea is a bit too much. Besides, if I had more than ten ship girls surrounding me, I wouldn't be able to handle it myself."

After getting Amagi to release his hands, Zheng Ri stroked the pair of red and white foxes in front of him with both hands before slowly approaching Rossia. Seeing that she was even taller than him, Zheng Ri had no choice but to hug the port district political commissar in front of him, trying to calm her down in his own way.

"Commander... I just think that this kind of thing shouldn't happen, at least not twice..."

When Rossia was embraced by Zheng Ri, her tone softened considerably, and the sharp, blood-red eyes of hers temporarily subsided because of his embrace. At least Rossia would not show her tough side in front of her lover.

So, feeling his warm embrace, Rossia raised her arms and hugged him back, lowered her head slightly, leaned on his shoulder, and spoke softly. At this moment, she was like a cat with its fur standing on end, softening because of her owner's embrace.

However, upon realizing how fragile his life was, how easily the ship girl Sirens could crush him, Rossia reaffirmed her resolve.

“These things are not something we can decide, and nobody wants them to happen. Besides, although the Sirens came, they didn’t do anything to harm me. Instead, they slunk away in front of you. Doesn’t that mean I was well protected by them?”

"But we didn't do anything to protect you immediately, Commander. What if something happens?"

"There's no 'what if,' for sure. Aren't I still standing in front of you, holding you as always?"

Rossia hardened her stance again, but she didn't confront her directly, criticizing her impulsiveness. Because what she was worried about was her own safety, she couldn't do such a thing no matter what.

Zheng Ri's words calmed Rossia down considerably. After looking around, he saw that his companions were all looking at him with complicated expressions. Finally, Rossia gradually let go of Zheng Ri. Looking at his face and that captivating smile, Rossia realized that he had been too impulsive.

"Commander, you're right, I acted impulsively, but regarding what just happened..."

"Let's discuss it calmly; there's no need to be so impulsive."

Rossia completely calmed down and realized her own problem. She was always less calm when it came to matters concerning his safety, which was not good. However, she nodded slightly to show that she agreed with his statement, which made the ship girls present silently breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, they share the same commander and the same lover; they don't want to become enemies over anything. If things really turn out that way, things might really get ugly.