Saint George carried a banner-lance, a longsword, and several shields—but it was clear the sword was her favorite. Even heavily damaged, the very first thing she chose to repair wasn't herself, but that blade.
Because of her legendary feat of slaying a sea dragon, the sword came to be known as the Dragon-Slayer.
Lexington smiled faintly, remembering how the Commander had always wanted a fine sword.
The first time he borrowed Viribus Unitis' sword, he couldn't put it down; for more than ten days afterward he kept going back to borrow it again, until Viribus Unitis was at wit's end. Feeling a bit guilty, Lexington smoothed things over with a few kind words and a little goodwill.
If she could get the Commander Saint George's Dragon-Slayer…
The thought made Lexington's smile grow even softer.
Blücher caught that look and shivered hard.
Terrifying. That was absolutely a devil's smile.
Anyway, G-Faction girls never smiled with such lingering meaning—G-Faction shipgirls were the straightforward sort: bottoms up first, talk later.
Blücher didn't dare drift too close to Lexington. Tilting her head, she spotted Leipzig teasing Faction with snacks.
The little maid-outfitted girl was drowsy and had that typical G-Faction frankness, which made her a favorite among the others.
Yat Sen, Leipzig, and Helena fussed over poor Deutschland the way one would a hamster.
Flustered yet delighted, the tiny housekeeper spun in circles, calling each of them "Big Sis." And to think—she was a battlecruiser, while the ones teasing her were all light cruisers!
Too scary!
An upright warrior should not be toyed with like this!
This place was practically a den of demons.
So thought Blücher, resolving not to share the same fate. She glanced around, palmed a few sausages from the table, and prepared to slip away.
Her injuries weren't severe, and as a heavy cruiser she'd already finished repairing.
But the moment she moved, Prince of Wales, who had been quietly appreciating her red wine across the table, lifted her gaze and said coolly:
"Where are you going?"
Even though only Prince of Wales seemed to be watching her, Blücher felt as if every shipgirl's eyes had drifted her way.
If she answered poorly, they'd shell her one after another!
You couldn't blame Blücher for demonizing the shipgirls—once upon a time, the naval-district girls had scared her into leaking on the spot.
And Prince of Wales and Lexington had just come back from the front, reeking of battle. Naturally, even their looks carried killing intent.
Those three parts killing intent were almost enough to make Blücher leak again.
She had no choice but to tell the truth. "I—I wanted to go to the construction warehouse…"
At once, the murderous air thickened.
Thunk!
Prince of Wales set her glass down and narrowed her eyes. "And what would you do there?"
Stars sparkled in Blücher's eyes. "I want to see Big Sis Bismarck and Tirpitz. They're my idols!"
Prince of Wales frowned, about to refuse.
"Let her go," Lexington said with a smile. "She really does admire those two to the skies."
Since Lexington said as much—and because under the eyes of Bismarck, Tirpitz, and Vittorio Veneto there was no way Blücher could make a move against Hikaru—Prince of Wales silently lifted her glass again, tacitly granting permission.
Blücher dipped her head to Lexington in thanks and hurried off, afraid someone might yet stop her.
The moment she left the mess, her heart felt light.
Blücher wasn't the type who mixed well with strangers; in other people's lively chatter she only felt more awkwardly quiet.
For all her bluster and sky-high bragging, she wouldn't dare raise her tail in front of Lexington and company.
Free leave to walk about made her giddy.
Still, best to pay respects to both Big Sis Bismarck and Tirpitz first.
The naval district wasn't large; the construction warehouse sat right across the plaza, and Blücher headed straight for it.
She ran into a closed door.
Hikaru was summoning inside the warehouse's construction quiet room, with Bismarck and the others by his side.
And it was the bruised-and-battered California standing guard who told Blücher, "No entry during construction. Disturb it and a white-haired girl will beat you black and blue."
[End of Chapter]
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