Capítulo 31: Chapter 31: The Prelude Begins
"Hey, when did I say I'd blame Z1 and Z2?"
Lin Lan couldn't keep up the pretense any longer and burst out laughing.
Seeing Lin Lan's serious expression vanish so suddenly, the little girls were momentarily confused. Before they could react, Lin Lan was already in front of them.
He reached out and gently pinched Z1 and Z2's soft cheeks.
"You two, where do you come up with all these tricks? Consider this your punishment."
"If you want a kiss in the future, come and ask for it yourself, don't make others uncomfortable. This is a one-time thing."
"Mm… got it…"
Seeing the two little ones nodding vigorously, Lin Lan finally let go of their faces and started patting their heads.
"Uh, Commander, about the reward…"
Z16, who seemed to have been waiting for this moment, tugged lightly at Lin Lan's sleeve, still thinking about the reward.
Looking at the Z-Drive girls surrounding him, Lin Lan sighed inwardly.
I really am not the Royal Ark's prison mate…
In the end, he couldn't refuse the little girls' request. He gave each maid a quick kiss on the cheek.
Luckily, the gendarmes of this world didn't have jurisdiction over the Iron Blood fortress.
The destroyer girls, now with happy smiles on their faces once again—except for Z2 and Z46, who were usually expressionless—were overjoyed to receive their rewards.
As Lin Lan began to wander around the central palace, admiring the art pieces, Z46, who had been silent, seemed lost in thought.
The cleaning work was nearly done, and soon the Z-Drive girls were lined up, with Z1 leading them, ready to leave this floor.
"Commander, we need to go change into our uniforms. We're heading out now. See you later!"
Z1 waved cheerfully at Lin Lan, completely unfazed by his earlier act of seriousness.
"Go on then."
Lin Lan smiled and waved them off, watching as the Z-Drive girls left.
Outside the window, the sky was growing darker. Lin Lan walked to the luxurious window on the side of the palace and looked out at the ocean gradually being enveloped by the night.
Gazing at the deep blue sky, now dotted with stars, Lin Lan enjoyed a moment of tranquility after a busy day.
The past two days had felt so surreal, like a dream.
In the year since he had crossed into this world, he had been constantly on guard. The pressure from the Tianxing Consortium had been overwhelming, leading him to moments of despair.
Before the Sirens appeared, the United Orlan Republic relied heavily on the profits from commercial conglomerates.
The arrival of the Siren disaster had nearly destroyed the national military, leaving its power significantly diminished.
In this world, with the vastness of the oceans, most countries' military forces were primarily naval.
Including the Tianxing Consortium, the five major conglomerates formed the Zhuhai Commercial Association, effectively controlling all the political power in the United Orlan Republic except for the Navy.
That's why the young master of the Tianxing Consortium dared to send people to assassinate him.
If it weren't for the existing legal framework and Lin Lan's status as a top student under the Navy's care, the situation could have been much worse.
He might have been assassinated in the streets.
After a year of being on edge, the relaxation he felt today seemed almost unreal.
"My child, if you have any worries, you can talk to me. It's okay to act a little spoiled."
The clicking of high heels grew closer in the quiet palace. Empress Frederick slowly walked up behind Lin Lan, her tone filled with warmth and concern.
"If you have any difficulties, just tell me. I'll take care of everything."
Even though she spoke in the softest tone, her words carried a hint of intimidation.
Empress Frederick gently hugged Lin Lan from behind. Feeling her warm embrace and the soft black hair brushing against his ear, Lin Lan had no doubt that she possessed this kind of power.
She was a powerful Iron Blood leader who could even trap the Sirens in a scheme—a true dark saint.
"Frederick, what contracts did you sign with the Six Cities Alliance of the Eastern Sea? Do they understand your strength?"
Lin Lan brushed aside the black hair falling by his ear and asked, though he had to admit that being held by Empress Frederick felt incredibly comfortable.
"Hehe, my child, are you still worried about my strength?"
Empress Frederick, enjoying the comfort of her embrace, chuckled softly and continued:
"They have no idea about our true strength. They just think we're powerful, wandering ship girls who can defeat Siren flagship vessels."
"They regularly provide us with large amounts of food and supplies, and all we need to do is occasionally deal with some Siren fleets while searching for you."
It seemed Empress Frederick's methods were indeed forceful and meticulous. Such unequal treaties could only be signed with the Navy of the Six Cities of the Eastern Sea.
Although the fighting strength of both sides was inherently unequal.
"I don't know why, but holding you now feels more real than ever, my child…"
The gentle breath and soft whispers near his ear made Lin Lan feel incredibly relaxed, and he even began to feel sleepy.
"If you're tired, just close your eyes and sleep. Frederick will always be here and will never leave you..."
Empress Frederick's voice had a soothing magic that made Lin Lan's eyelids grow heavier, and he slowly closed his eyes, falling into sleep.
After Lin Lan was fully asleep and his body relaxed, Empress Frederick gently lifted him.
Looking at Lin Lan's relaxed expression, Frederick's copper-colored eyes were filled with immense tenderness.
"Frederick, did you see the Commander—"
"Shh..."
Bismarck, who had just entered the dimly lit central palace, was about to ask if Lin Lan had gone to eat, but Frederick interrupted her softly.
"Look, the Commander is sleeping so soundly. He must have endured a lot of hardships before."
Frederick looked at Lin Lan's face and spoke in a soft voice.
Bismarck leaned in and sighed softly as she looked at Lin Lan sleeping.
"You know, back at the port area, the Commander's health visibly deteriorated. After his sudden disappearance, both of us feared the worst..."
Empress Frederick gently shook her head, interrupting Bismarck.
"Previously, we were unable to care for him. Now that he has returned, even if it requires sacrificing the entire world, I won't allow him to be harmed again."
"I swear on the honor of Iron Blood."
Bismarck and Empress Frederick spoke softly together.
…
"Good job on the experiment, Builder."
In a mirrored sea where both the air and water were tinted purple.
Sitting on a dark reef, the Builder faced an indistinct electronic figure.
The figure spoke in a hoarse, male voice.
"Your voice makes me uncomfortable."
The Builder's golden eyes flickered with disgust, while the figure responded with a series of high-pitched, girlish giggles.
"In the various experimental sites, have there been any unusual occurrences with our 'companions' who came to this world with us?"
The hoarse voice faded, replaced by a childish, girlish tone.
"As of one hour and twenty-three minutes ago, no. They are still searching for something, but their actions are limited by their energy constraints."
"However..."
After a moment of silence, the Builder continued:
"I discovered an unrecorded human in the A22 temporary experiment site. Just as I was preparing to capture them, they entered the site."
The girlish voice quickly asked:
"What's the chance they are specifically trying to rescue this human?"
"0.6%. They are most likely trying to rescue three submarine companions trapped in the experiment site."
The Builder was curious about the urgency in the figure's tone but didn't ask further.
The girlish voice fell silent for a few seconds before switching back to the hoarse male voice:
"Probably a bug. There are more bugs in the main system since we came to this world."
"Can't deny, the signals on land are really poor. Builder, to ensure we have enough power when the time comes, we must... rustle rustle... continue with the plan..."
Before finishing the sentence, the signal was cut off, and the blurry figure disappeared.
The Builder seemed accustomed to this. With a swift motion, she stood up and jumped into the purple ocean.
Since the plan was still in progress, she had to continue her busy experimental work.
She wasn't interested in dealing with "this person" and would only end up increasing her own workload.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder