Tirpitz looked at the man before her, whose appearance was almost identical to the one in her memory. Tears instantly filled her blue eyes.
She trembled as she removed the white military hat from her white hair, clutching it tightly in her hands.
The pain from her nails digging into her palms through her white gloves told her this wasn't a dream.
August had never seen Lin Lan when he was young, but she had.
The boy who once had eyes full of hope for the future, who joyfully shouted when he first saw her.
How could she forget?
Tirpitz, such a powerful battleship, was historically abandoned in the Arctic Ocean as the lonely queen of Ironblood.
In her yearning to protect her homeland and achieve honor, she went from the high spirits of her launch to the long, lonely watch in the icy harbor.
When the "Tallboy" super bomb shattered her hull, it also completely crushed her heart and her dreams.
In the end, she didn't even get to see her homeland one last time.
The Northern Queen, when she sank into the icy sea, sealed her despairing heart in cold, unyielding ice.
...
"Tirpitz! It's Tirpitz! Ahhhhh, I finally got you! Come home with me!"
After who knows how long in a deep slumber, Tirpitz was groggily awakened and brought to a new port by this boy.
Lin Lan's appearance brought a ray of warm sunlight to the heart of the Northern Queen, which had been frozen in ice.
The boy who cheered with joy at the arrival of new companions, who cried with tears streaming down his face after a victorious battle, was like a sun that melted the ice around Tirpitz's heart.
She watched over this boy as he slowly grew, witnessing the arrival of more Ironblood comrades at the port.
Until one day, this boy shyly took her to the port's chapel and placed a ring on her finger.
The once lonely Northern Queen looked back.
Her sister, her Ironblood comrades, and even former "enemies" from other factions were all there, watching with blessings as she stood beside this boy.
Lin Lan had completely melted the cold and despair in her heart.
The Northern Queen was lonely no more.
The honor she had once dreamed of no longer mattered. As long as she could stay with this boy, it was enough.
As this spirited boy grew into a mature man, Tirpitz noticed that the light in Lin Lan's eyes grew dimmer, and he became increasingly quiet and withdrawn.
She saw in him the same shadow that had once fallen over her own life.
But Tirpitz was not a shipgirl skilled in communication. She mustered the courage to talk to Lin Lan more than once, only to find that there was an insurmountable wall between them.
The commander couldn't hear her voice or sense the feelings she wanted to convey.
It wasn't just her; the other girls had also noticed the change in Lin Lan's personality.
The last time the Northern Shut-In saw Lin Lan, this man with a full beard and bloodshot eyes was worn out from exhaustion and poor diet.
Since then, Lin Lan never returned to the port, and without a commander, the port that they had all worked so hard to build fell apart, with each faction going its separate ways.
Looking at the spirited young man before her, his image slowly overlapped with the nearly faded one in her memory.
Tirpitz trembled as she opened her mouth and called out in a tearful voice:
"It's been a long time, my Commander."
Well, the "I came at the wrong time" scene that Lin Lan imagined didn't happen.
And since he had already seen August, there was no doubt that the white-haired Tirpitz before him was his Tirpitz.
"Tizi, it's been a long time."
Lin Lan knew that now wasn't the time to call her "Northern Shut-In," so he used another nickname for Tirpitz.
But before Tirpitz could say anything, four small shadows suddenly appeared behind her and rushed toward Lin Lan.
Before he could recognize who they were, four little lolis jumped on Lin Lan, knocking him to the ground.
They were the Ironblood Z-class destroyers.
"Commander! I knew I'd see you today! Hehe, I felt it outside!"
The black-haired, red-eyed battle loli Z16, with a strand of white hair, was sitting on top of Lin Lan.
"Commander! You jerk, did you forget your promise to stay with Lady Z1 until the end of the world? Where did you go?"
The silver-haired Z1 was clutching Lin Lan's collar, demanding answers as tears streamed down her cheeks.
The other two, who were tightly holding onto Lin Lan's arms, were a silver-haired, yellow-eyed loli in a black military dress and a purple-brown-haired, red-eyed loli with a blank expression.
They said nothing, but they clung to Lin Lan's arms, unwilling to let go.
"Z16, don't sit on me! How much weight have you gained? My stomach can't take it!"
"And my Lady Z1, don't pull on my collar! I'm back now, so let go of me!"
"Z2, Z46… ahem, Leonie, you two stop acting silly too. Let me go."
"Tizi, Tizi, help me out… Hey, Z2, you little rascal, don't encourage Z1 and Z16 to pull my hair! I heard that!"
Lin Lan was completely pinned down by the four Z-class lolis, unable to move, becoming a tool for them to vent their emotions.
Seeing him in such a miserable state, Tirpitz, usually cold and distant, couldn't help but laugh, making no move to help Lin Lan.
Serves you right for leaving without saying goodbye.
August, standing opposite Tirpitz, felt a wave of emotion as she saw Tirpitz's relieved smile.
It had been so long since she'd seen the Northern Queen smile so openly. She even wondered if Tirpitz's heart had ever truly thawed.
But now, it seemed it was just that they had been away from this man, now playing with the Z-class girls, for too long.
These four energetic Z-class lolis only let Lin Lan go after wearing him out and making him swear never to leave them again.
Lin Lan got up from the ground, his clothes wrinkled from the lolis' rough handling.
One loli is enough, but a group of them jumping on him showed Lin Lan their true power.
Z1, the little boss, Z2, the scheming and sharp-tongued loli, Z16, the lively one, and… Z46, the quiet and slightly airheaded literary loli.
(Z1)
(Z2)
(Z16)
(Z46)
Because of her historical background, Z46 was very sensitive about her name, so Lin Lan had personally renamed her Leonie.
Well, as the ring bearer, he had naturally given each of these four Ironblood Z-class lolis a ring, making a vow with them.
Looking at the four tearful, pouting lolis clinging to his clothes and arms, Lin Lan sighed helplessly.
He never dreamed he'd actually see the shipgirls from his game come to life before his eyes.
"Commander, where exactly did you go? We've been waiting for your answer. And what happened to your appearance…"
Tirpitz watched as Lin Lan and the Z-class girls finished playing. She walked up and began to straighten his rumpled white uniform.
It all felt so natural, as if she had rehearsed it countless times in her mind.
Seeing this, August also stepped forward, removing her black cape and gently placing it over Lin Lan's shoulders.
The silver-white Iron Cross, the unique symbol of the Ironblood faction, adorned the clothing of each of them in some way.
Lin Lan stared intently at Tirpitz as she carefully adjusted his uniform.
Seeing her up close, with her delicate features and fair skin, Lin Lan realized for the first time just how beautiful his Tirpitz was.
It's just a shame that Tirpitz was wearing her original outfit from the game, the white Ironblood Northern Fleet uniform.
He remembered that Tirpitz was hiding a rather large bust, something he had only discovered after buying her swimsuit skin.
(Tirpitz Swimsuit Skin)
But no, this isn't the time to be thinking about that.
Lin Lan stroked the tuft of white hair on Z16's forehead, bringing his thoughts back to Tirpitz's question.
How was he supposed to explain all of this to the girls?
The shipgirls standing before and beside him were clearly real, but he couldn't exactly tell them that he had only ever seen them in a game, could he?
(6/13)
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"I… I don't really know what's going on. That night while I was working, I suddenly lost consciousness."
"When I woke up, I was like this. I don't know why I ended up at a strange naval academy, and my body had turned back to its younger self."
"And then…"
Lin Lan briefly explained what had happened to him, though he didn't mention the Compiler.
Regarding the Compiler, he thought it best to discuss it with Bismarck and Friedrich der Große, the top leaders of the Ironblood faction.
Talking to other girls might cause unnecessary anxiety.
"So, the commander didn't intentionally leave all of us?"
Upon hearing Lin Lan's explanation, Z1 showed a happy smile.
Lin Lan gently patted her military hat. "Of course not. How could I bear to abandon everyone?"
Lin Lan felt that his ship girls in this unfamiliar world were like his most familiar family. It was an incredible feeling.
"So, what happened to the port area after I left?"
Lin Lan looked anxiously at August and Tirpitz.
He instinctively felt that if his ship girls from the game had become real, it would be hard to maintain peace in the port area after his disappearance.
Considering what he knew about each ship girl, especially the Sakura Empire's Akagi and Taihou, they could potentially cause chaos in the port.
However, he then thought carefully and realized that in his port area, Amagi had survived the Kanto Earthquake and was doing well.
With her around, Akagi probably wouldn't be as extreme as she was in the game's background.
And with Shinano and the Albacore around, Taihou would likely be well-managed too.
As for the "traitor" Marco Polo, Lin Lan felt that with Veneto's methods, it was unlikely she could truly seize control of the port area's command.
"The port area…"
Hearing Lin Lan's question, August and Tirpitz exchanged awkward smiles.
"The port area is currently managed by the Royal Navy's Elizabeth and her team, under the pretense of keeping the port in the best condition for your return.
"Other factions, due to your disappearance, have become unruly and left to search for you because of the lack of supplies."
"We've set up temporary bases and are conducting commissions and surveys to obtain resources and oil to be self-sufficient while searching for you."
Tirpitz reported the situation in the port area after Lin Lan's departure.
Hearing this, Lin Lan's anxiety eased significantly.
Fortunately, after his disappearance, the girls had not yet reached the point of internal conflict, which was a good situation.
"After all, you're the commander. Even if we have to search the ends of the earth, we'll find you!"
Z16 smiled brightly, rubbing her cheek against Lin Lan's hand.
Lin Lan had to admit that the white strand of hair on the little shark girl felt really nice to touch.
Lin Lan's return made her extremely happy.
"So, how did you manage to enter this mirror sea area and just happen to rescue me?"
Lin Lan asked his most pressing question, wondering how August and the others managed to arrive just in time. It seemed like too much of a coincidence.
August smiled gracefully and stopped Tirpitz from explaining.
"Well, let's keep that a secret for now. You'll find out soon enough."
Tsk, this witch always knows how to pique a man's curiosity.
"Commander, let's head back to our temporary base. The Elder Sister and the Emperor still don't know you're back."
Tirpitz said with concern, worried that Lin Lan might refuse them.
"If they're all there, that's good. But what about the passengers on this ship…"
Lin Lan indeed wanted to visit the Iron Blood's base and see the Iron Blood ship girls he trained.
But the current passenger ship was still being supported by August's ship and hadn't capsized. If they left, what would happen to the passengers?
"Commander!"
At this moment, a series of footsteps sounded outside the captain's room.
The crew members Lin Lan had sent to rescue people and maintain order had returned.
Seeing the Iron Blood ship girls affectionately surrounding Lin Lan and the already imposing Lin Lan in his black coat, the crew members were stunned.
Such a young commander already had such formidable ship girls; they must seem like mere ants to him.
"Oh, it's you. How are the casualties? Are there any passengers still unrescued?"
Lin Lan knew that his current appearance was quite shocking to the people in this world, so he tried to appear friendly as he asked the few poor crew members.
"No! Thanks to your ship girls' rescue, none of the passengers were injured, only a few elderly people suffered minor injuries from trampling."
"We really can't repay your great kindness!"
These burly, sea-traveled crew members were ready to kneel and thank Lin Lan.
"No, no, no, don't thank me. Thank them. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to drive away the sirens."
Lin Lan hurriedly stopped them. His main purpose for saving the ship was also for his own safety, and he couldn't bear their kneeling.
At this moment, August seemed to have noticed something and whispered in Lin Lan's ear:
"My aircraft have found seven rescue ships heading this way. The rescuers are arriving. You can rest assured and come with us."
Z1 nodded and added:
"Before entering the mirror sea, we had already sent out rescue signals to the nearest ports and towns."
Lin Lan was stunned. How had they prepared all this in advance?
His mind was filled with great confusion.
But it was good that his biggest worry was solved.
The passenger ship could no longer sail and would have to be abandoned.
Once the rescue ships arrived and the passengers were all taken away, Lin Lan could safely stay at the Iron Blood base for a while.
As for the academy's assignment? He knew very well that it was likely deserted right now, so there was no rush to take up the post.
With that in mind, Lin Lan arranged for the crew:
"Alright, alright, surviving a great disaster brings blessings. Now, I have one last task for you. Organize all the passengers to prepare their belongings. The rescue fleet will be arriving soon."
Hearing this, the crew looked at Lin Lan with deep gratitude instead of the previous fear.
After expressing their thanks to Lin Lan and his ship girls repeatedly, they went to inform the passengers to prepare to leave the ship.
"Actually, our original goal was to use this opportunity to extort some supplies or oil from the ship's captain."
Watching the crew leave, the scheming little Z2 said softly.
"But it's not important now, is it?"
Z1 was very casual because they had already found the most important person; everything else was secondary.
Outside the window, Lin Lan could already see a medium-sized rescue ship heading towards the passenger ship.
Several helicopters hovered above the passenger ship, cautiously observing August's riggings.
The communicator in the captain's room rang, and a hoarse male voice came through.
"Seagull Group's large passenger ship 188, this is the Orlan Navy Rescue Team. Please respond."
At this point, Lin Lan naturally needed to negotiate with them.
"This is 188. I'm Lin Lan, currently in charge of this ship. I'm an intern commander from the Red Leaf Naval Academy."
"Intern commander? That… dragon outside, is it your ship's rigging?"
Lin Lan glanced at August and calmly said:
"Yes, it's my ship's rigging."
"Good to hear. That's an impressive Iron Blood rigging. Our team thought it was a monster from the sirens."
Hearing this, Lin Lan smiled.
The Iron Blood and Northern Union technologies are, in a sense, reverse-engineered from siren technology.
Most of the ship girls in this world are still in their early stages, so it's understandable that they'd be intimidated by such a massive Iron Blood rigging.
Moreover, August's rigging was famously magnificent, and most people would mistake it for an iron dragon rather than a rigging.
"We'll start evacuating the passengers now. We are aware of your contribution in saving your compatriots and will report it accurately to our superiors, Commander Lin Lan."
After hanging up, Lin Lan looked at August with curiosity.
"I'm surprised you were able to call in the country's naval rescue team."
August showed her signature graceful smile and slowly explained:
"Our Iron Blood bases have some connections with the military of several cities near this sea area in the Orlan Union."
"The nearby port area's ship girls were incredibly weak. When we came to set up our base here, we found that these cities' military were preparing for a decisive battle with the nearby siren fleet."
"We helped them eliminate the siren fleet, and afterwards, the military high-ups signed many contracts with the Emperor and Bismarck."
"Since then, we've been able to receive various commissions and gather resources as before."
Lin Lan understood the situation after August's explanation.
It's no wonder, considering the Emperor and Bismarck.
These nearby cities are the closest to the siren battlefield in the Orlan Union.
Orlan Union has always prioritized commercial interests, with five major conglomerates controlling the core power of the country.
The young master who persecuted Lin Lan was from one of these five conglomerates.
As for these cities, they are located in the east of Orlan. After the siren disaster, the sirens blocked the routes to Orlan's core territories.
Unless the port area commanders sent ship girls for escort, ordinary civilian ships could rarely navigate these routes smoothly.
The appearance of the Emperor and Bismarck and their displayed strength was like bringing a guardian deity to these cities.
Time passed as Lin Lan and the Z ship girls played and chatted with Tirpitz and August for two hours.
As the golden light of the setting sun covered the sea, and the last passenger boarded the rescue ship, August withdrew her rigging巨龙.
After declining the rescue team's invitation to return to the city, only Lin Lan and his ship girls remained on the passenger ship, which was now slowly sinking.
"Alright, August, stop keeping me in suspense. How did you enter the mirror sea and find me?"
Lin Lan and his group moved to the deck of the passenger ship. It was time to set off, so he asked August again.
(7/13)
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