《Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast》 Volume 1 - Prologue If you really think about it long and hard enough, the history of mankind was always connected to the big and vast ocean. It was always humanity¡¯s insatiable greed and ambition that drove them to the seas and oceans, to seek new and undiscovered lands that might lay beyond them. Over the course of their long history, humanity developed many different nautical tools and techniques, which eventually allowed them to venture and land on the other side of the distant horizons. But even then, humanity continued to improve through both science and technology, academic knowledge and repeated process of trial and error. But at the same time the endless greed and ambition of humanity would eventually put various nations into conflict with one another, for the sole purpose of increasing the prosperity of individual nations. The world is never going to be a calm surface of the water without any waves on it. There is always going to be a dark stream of conflict and war distorting that calm surface. And it was during those turbulent times that the position of humankind changed drastically and completely due to the appearance of the previously unknown enemy. The atypical kind of enemy who emerged from the depths of the oceans all of a sudden, and then would use their full power to sink human ships only to drag the helpless humans underwater, into the far reaches of the dark watery abyss down below. ¡ª¡ª The ¡°Sirens¡±. Faced with the overwhelming power of foreign invaders, humankind was forced back quickly and lost control of about ninety percent of all the seas and oceans. As a result of that both scientific and technological fields suffered a huge blow and regressed greatly, and the damages both logistical and economic systems resulted in worsening of the living conditions around the globe. Just like that, time was passing for decades. In order to regain the glory that humankind once had and to regain this very planet, each of the factions decided to put their differences and grievances aside, creating the largest military coalition the world has ever known called the ¡°Azur Lane¡±. In the beginning, it seemed that Azur Lane was succeeding in repelling the Siren threat. However, full eradication of the previously unknown threat was not possible. And then there was the issue of the philosophical differences between the various camps of the Azur Lane. Those differences slowly led to the battle with the Sirens coming to a standstill. And before long, this has once again developed into the battle between different factions. What resulted from the cracks forming across Azur Lane was the creation of four different factions. A federation that values scientific research and freedom more than anything else ¡ª- the Eagle Union. The faction originating from the British Isles, with the longest history of sea voyage, navigation and shipbuilding in the entire world ¡ª- Royal Navy. And then there is the ¡°Crimson Axis¡±, the new faction that was created after a split formed in the Azur Lane. One of the members of this new faction was a nation focused on military dictatorship and research of the Siren technology ¡ª- the ¡°Iron Blood¡±. Then there is another member of ¡°Crimson Axis¡± following the Iron Blood¡¯s lead, the mysterious faction shrouded in mist and cherry blossom petals located in the Far East ¡ª- The ¡°Sakura Empire¡±. And while there were tensions and conflicts running between the various factions, there was a certain other military port far away from the violent frontlines. This military port gathers the ¡°Shipgirls¡± under the command of a ¡°Commander¡±. As for ¡°Shipgirls¡±, they are a countermeasure against the Siren threat and the product of human science and the Wisdom Cubes, from all factions ¡ª¡ª This here is a story of a certain silver-haired girl, a member of Royal Navy and someone who is working as the member of the Royal Maids formation. And the name of that particular shipgirl ¡ª¡ª is Belfast. Volume 1 - CH 1.1 CHAPTER 1: HOW TO PREPARE THE MOST DELICIOUS TEA OF THEM ALL PART 1 The hour was still before dawn, and the outside air coming into the room through the open window still had a slight chill to it. That is the very first thing to do on the daily agenda of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps Head Maid ¨C¨C¨C the Second Ship of the Edenborough Class ¨C¨C¨C named Belfast. Surrounded by mountains from almost every direction, this section of the Home Port was fashioned after a large school building and was governed by the Port¡¯s Commander. And one of the buildings located on a small hill in the eastern part of the school¡¯s campus was the ¡°Dormitory¡± where the shipgirls belonging to the ¡°Royal Navy¡± faction lived. The Dormitory was a three-story building build in the Neo Gothic style, complete with a small bell tower located on its roof. The inside corridors of the building were quite long, with rooms located on both the west and east side, and if you were to look out the window you would get an excellent view on the Port central pier in the distance. At the current moment, Belfast was walking down the quiet corridors lined with tall windows and various traceries. Eventually, when she went down the flight of stairs in the center of the corridor leading to the first floor, she slowly pushed open the large double door located slightly to the of the stairs. Even though this place was built to accommodate all of the shipgirls living in this dormitory all at once, this particular dining room was simply way too big to meet that end. And although there was stained glass placed in the windows here that allowed the daylighting to freely fall inside of the dining room, this place was way more dim when compared to the corridors just outside of it. Belfast picked up one of the handheld oil lamps that was hanging on the wall right next to the door, took a match out of her apron¡¯s pocket and lit it in a swift and experienced move. The oil of the scale that was replaced and maintained on a regular basis throughout the year start burning moderately and begins to dimly illuminate the entire view of the dining room with a soft light. Now with the old and reliable dim light of the handheld lantern in her grasp, Belfast started to move towards the back of the great dining room. There was a single wooden door right at the very back of the dining hall, and when the Head Maid inserted the key into the keyhole and opened the door, what came to her view was the view of both the scullery and the kitchen illuminated by the lamp¡¯s light. This room was also equipped with the crevice windows just of the same fashion like the ones in the dormitory¡¯s corridors, and the faint sunlight of dawn that was seeping in through the gaps in the curtains on the eastern side of the room was illuminating all kinds of cooking utensils and washed dishes that were lining up the shelves there. Belfast then extinguished the fire burning inside of the handheld lantern and placed it on top of one of the larger tables that was primarily used for cooking. What she got instead was a tray with the leftover hardened bread that was resting peacefully under the food cover, the remains of the dinner from last night. When she picked up the tray with the hardened bread, Belfast then went towards the curtain that was covering one of the windows and slid herself behind it. Looking down from the ginkgo trees that could be seen from beyond the glass window, there was a bunch of small birds that were restlessly hopping in place, some of them bold enough to even fly down from the trees and stand at the very edge of the outside windowsill. They looked like they were actually waiting for something. Belfast then unlocked the window and opened it ever so slightly with a gentle movement, as to not scare the birds away. At that moment, driven by the slight gust of wind, the silk curtain fluttered inside of the kitchen like a giant balloon. ¡¸Good morning, everyone.¡¹ Belfast said while carefully brushing the curtain aside and placing the tray with the hardened bread at the edge of the windowsill, smiling towards the small birds that started to chirp in a lively manner not so far away from the window. ¡¸It seems that you are all pretty early to rise, unlike the majority of the girls in this dormitory.¡¹ In response to the Head Maid¡¯s compassionate call, a there was a gentle chirping sound rippling through the air as the small birds got closer to the bread tray, their singing carried by the wind all the way down to the harbor. At that moment a gentle, warm breeze shakes Belfast¡¯s long, silver hair, causing them to flutter. The morning was certainly turning out to be a nice and pleasant one. ¡¸It looks like today is going to be another sunny day as well.¡¹ Looking up towards the heavens, Belfast could see that the dawn star was still shining bright in the indigo skies with not even a single trace of a cloud to be seen as far as the eye could see. Belfast then made sure that all the pieces of the hard bread would be turned into small, easily consumable scraps, before she slowly closed the window and backed away as to not disturb the little birds that already started flocking all around it. With the window now properly closed, the curtain that was previously inflated like a huge balloon now started to deflate and go back to normal. And once the curtain was completely flat as it used to be, Belfast took its hem and tied it to the edge of the window, so that it would stay in one place and allow the sunlight to come through the window into the room. ¡¸Now then, I guess I should start getting the breakfast ready.¡¹ *** There was a bell tower right above the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, and at the current moment its bell was tolling loudly, its echo carrying well beyond this part of the school¡¯s campus. The small birds that were happily pecking at the small bread crumbs placed on the windowsill already finished their meal and flew away, nowhere to be found. The dawn star that was shining in the indigo sky just a moment ago also disappeared, and now its presence was replaced by the sun that was slowly climbing its way across the heavens, its bright sunlight shining down on the dormitory and falling inside of it through the tall windows. After arranging all the breakfast dishes on the special wagon cart, Belfast headed to the cupboard located right next to the door to find a can of tea leaves that was used exclusively for serving breakfast. It was at that time that Belfast could hear someone screaming in the distance. The voice was then accompanied by the loud sound of frantic footsteps drawing closer and closer. ¡¸Bel, I¡¯m really sorry!¡¹ The person who happened to slam the door opened with a loud bang while they ran inside of the kitchen also happened to have silver hair. The braids on both sides of that person¡¯s head were shaking violently as she was running, and the glasses that she was wearing were about to fall off of her nose at any moment now because of the sheer momentum of her frantic movements. ¡¸Wait, but what about the preparations for breakfast¡­¡­?¡¹ While setting her glasses back to their original position on top of her nose, Edinburgh, the woman who just came crushing into the kitchen, looked at Belfast, small beads of sweat visibly cropping all over her forehead. ¡¸Nee-san, you say ¡°breakfast preparations¡±, but the only thing that I have left to do now is to prepare the tea, see?¡¹ Unlike Edenborough, Belfast was perfectly calm and she answered her sister as such, all the while taking out two cans of tea leaves from the cupboard as if nothing that out of the ordinary had happened now. ¡¸Haah¡­¡­ I¡¯m glad.¡¹ Edinburgh put her hand on her chest and let out a deep and long sigh of relief. Then she took a few deep breaths to bring back her composure, and then she raised her eyebrows and stood by Belfast¡¯s side while she went towards the cooking table. ¡¸Hey, Bel, just listen to this! I think it¡¯s all spring¡¯s fault here! Spring¡¯s!¡¹ Said Edinburgh while slamming her hands on top of the table to accentuate her words in a serious manner. ¡¸¡°In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn¡±, is that what you are trying to say? (TL NOTE: ¡°In spring¡­¡­¡± the meaning here is ¡°In spring one sleeps like a log¡±)¡¹ ¡¸Yes! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s exactly what I meant here!¡¹ While she was listening to her sister¡¯s words, Belfast put a lid on a round tea blender, which looked precisely like one of those lottery prizes that you could sometimes get in the nearby shopping district. Volume 1 - CH 1.2 PART 2 ¡¸However, Dear Sister? Must I remind you that today would not be the first time that you happened to oversleep, but actually above the twentieth one? Plus, the time when you happened to be oversleeping the most was in February, when there was still snowing, and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s because it was right after the New Year¡¯s! and besides, February can be categorized as ¡°Spring¡± as well!¡¹ Edinburgh shyly grabbed the hem of her apron while she was shouting words of excuses. Then, when she saw Belfast starting to spin the tea blender in a swift and memorized motion, she suddenly noticed a can of tea leaves that was placed on the table. ¡¸That tea, could it be¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Those are the tea leaves I happened to bought at that time.¡¹ Hearing her sister¡¯s inquiry, Belfast nodded her head in confirmation. Those two tea leaves cans were bought from a certain trader on the market the other day when the two sisters went there to shop, and were checking out the different scents of the various teas that were available. ¡¸I chose Assam. You, Nee-san, went with Ceylon. Both tea leaves are suitable for morning tea, so I decided to put them together and try to make a blend out of them.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I think that they are perfect, too. And you could even make a milk tea out of them if you really wanted to.¡¹ Realizing what her sister had in mind at the current moment, Edinburgh walks away from the table right away and picks up the milk pot, trying to get her sister¡¯s idea into action. At precisely that exact same time, the boiling kettle began to make a loud noise, signaling that the water was ready and boiled. And right next to the boiling kettle, there was a soup that was quietly simmering in the pot, an indispensable part for every morning meal. Just below the stove, there was a large sealed kiln dedicated exclusively for burning coal in it. But at the same time, its purpose could be doubled as an oven for baking pizza and all kinds of bread. It was a kitchen stove dedicated solely to the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, which is much larger than any other stove that you could possibly find at any individual home. Then Belfast got the mix of the two kinds of tea leaves and placed them inside of the pot, picked up the kettle filled with boiling water from the top of the stove and poured the boiling hot water right into the tea pot. While imagining the tea leaves swirling and twirling inside of the tea pot and letting their essence mix together with the water, Belfast quietly put the pot on top of the serving cart. ¡¸Nee-san, could you please pass me the milk pot as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, right away.¡¹ Said Edinburgh while putting the milk pot on top of the cart, just like her sister asked her to do. Then, she also placed a small plate with thinly sliced lemons right next to the milk pot. ¡¸¡­¡­ Thank you, but when did I asked you to do it?¡¹ ¡¸I just prepared it in advance for those people would fancy would like to drink lemon tea instead of milk tea or the usual tea.¡¹ Edinburgh quickly explained her reasoning to her sister Belfast, who was looking at her with the sternest expression possible on her face. From Edinburgh¡¯s own standpoint, her sister Belfast is a perfect and impeccable maid. She was so graceful and full of elegance that others would oftentimes find her overwhelming, and it was true for both the members of the Royal Navy and other factions alike. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C That is why there were times when Edinburgh would regret the fact that she had such an exceptionally gifted sister. And the fact that this exceptionally gifted sister of her was her younger sister, that fact was also giving the older sister a whole of additional worries onto her already full plate. ¡¸Nee-san?¡¹ Realizing that her Perfect Maid of a little sister was staring right into her face very intently, Edinburgh stopped daydreaming and had to pull herself together. In the meantime, the cafeteria was already beginning to be filled with loud and enthusiastic voices of the other girls who were living in the dormitory. ¡¸When it comes to the morning routine, it is every second that counts. This rings especially true to the young ones of the Royal Navy, as they can all be very noisy and particular about their food. So we have to make sure that everything is ready before the food and tea goes cold.¡¹ ¡¸I-I know that, geez!¡¹ Having said that, Edinburgh grabbed the handle of the cart and started hurling it forward. All of a sudden, there was a knocking sound onto the kitchen¡¯s door, which caused Belfast and her sister hauling the serving cart with breakfast on it to turn their gazes towards the entrance to the room at once. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Please pardon the intrusion.¡¹ The one to enter the room that was usually reserved for the Maid Corps personnel only was the personal bodyguard of ¡°Her Majesty¡± of the Royal Navy, the Battleship of the Queen Elizabeth Class named Warspite. ¡¸Warspite-sama.¡¹ Seeing the sudden visitor who was by no means a member of the kitchen staff, Belfast¡¯s eyes rounded with surprise. Warspite only shook her head in a hurry while going through the door and stepping into the kitchen. ¡¸I do realize that the kitchen is a maid¡¯s workplace, and that the morning is a really busy time for you. I apologize for entering here so suddenly, especially since you are still busy with preparing breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Umm, is there something that you need? Or perhaps you want us to do something?¡¹ Edinburgh asked Warspite that while her whole body was shaking strongly, and at the same time began to look around the kitchen as if she was looking for something in particular. ¡¸I would like to use this place during lunch hours, if it is not going to be too much trouble.¡¹ The two maids then look at each other while holding onto the wagon cart, visibly confused. ¡¸I mean, Warspite-sama, it¡¯s not that we mind letting you use the kitchen, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Could you at least tell us the reason why you wish to use it?¡¹ Both Belfast and Edinburgh opened their mouths and asked at roughly the same time, to which Warspite simply pointed at the kitchen in general. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but while I cannot exactly tell you the reason for that, at least let me tell you that I will require to use that thing over there.¡¹ The kitchen equipment that Warspite pointed towards was located just below the stove on which the soup was still boiling in a lazy manner. It was the open kiln that could be sealed with the use of lid if the one using it required it to be that way. ¡¸Yes, certainly. But, do you know how to handle a kiln like that, Warspite-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean that the answer is a ¡°no¡±?¡¹ Hearing that sudden question of Edinburgh, Warspite retuned her answer while clearly annoyed and let down. As a matter of fact, neither Belfast nor Edinburgh have ever seen Warspite cook before, or even use the kitchen or any of its utensils in general. Belfast then put her hand on her chest and advised Warspite in earnest. ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, Warspite-sama, would you like me to accompany you in doing whatever it is that you need to do?¡¹ ¡¸No, it won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯s not like I actually need your help with doing what I want to do. As long as this thing is an open one, I can use it just fine on my own. After all, I might not look like it, but this Old Lady here sure has quite a bit of experience behind her belt, you know?¡¹ And just like that, the two maids¡¯ offer to help was turned away. Edinburgh then looked to the side, trying to glance at her sister¡¯s face as discreetly as possible, only to see Belfast shaking her head slightly. Apparently, it was a good idea to just leave this matter at that and not to try and press it any further. ¡¸As you wish, Warspite-sama.¡¹ Belfast said while bowing down deeply. Suddenly, Warspite¡¯s expression changed and she smacked her fist into her other opened hand in a gesture as if she just remembered something important. ¡¸Which reminds me, it would seem that Her Majesty is yet to arrive at the cafeteria.¡¹ ¡¸Her Majesty?¡¹ Belfast rose her head and directed her gaze towards Edinburgh, giving her a look that demanded an answer as she asked: ¡¸Nee-san, is there something wrong with Her Majesty?¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ The only thing that Edinburgh was able to muster out of her throat was that single sound as she looked at Belfast completely dumbfounded. ¡¸Nee-san, if memory serves me correctly, today is your turn to be on the duty to wake Her Majesty up, am I right¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C ?¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 1.3 PART 3 There was actually no need for anyone to say anything more, especially since before Belfast was able to add anything to her words, Edinburgh¡¯s face went ghastly pale in an instant. Seeing that, Belfast went towards the kitchen¡¯s door and opened them wide in one swing, dashing through the room without actually looking back and saying anything. But then she stopped for a moment and said: ¡¸Nee-san, before doing anything else, please make sure that the breakfast preparations are completed. I shall be back shortly.¡¹ Belfast flew through the cafeteria and jumped out of it onto the corridor, her aim to get back into the kitchen before the eggs Benedict would get a chance to cool down and turn cold. As Belfast walked through the corridor, she was passing some of the shipgirls that just happened to wake up and were still yawning with their mouth wide agape, their clothes disheveled or in disarray. She then hurried up the stairs. ¡¸I¡¯d better hurry. That person can get really grumpy and moody if she is served cold eggs, and she can be like that for an entire day¡­¡­¡¹ When Belfast arrived at the top of the stairs, she could see a cloudless and blue sky from the window located alongside the corridor on the second floor. And the fact that the sky was so clear and so blue was promising that this day would be even better and even more pleasant. *** The private quarters of Queen Elisabeth, the one who everyone in the Royal Navy referred to as ¡°Her Majesty¡±, was located on the far end of the southern corridor of the Royal Navy dormitory¡¯s highest floor. Originally, the allocation of the room around the dormitory was supposed to be decided by the classes of the shipgirls living in it. That is why, it was not all that unusual for the shipgirls of the same class to be grouped together on the same floor or corridor. In fact, Belfast and Edinburgh were allocated in the same room, as they were sisters of the Edinburgh class. However, the class that was Her Majesty was the special exception from that very rule. ¡¸Your Majesty, please excuse me, but I¡¯m coming in.¡¹ Belfast said that while she knocked three times onto the door to a certain room before she opened it and entered inside. And once she was in the room, what greeted her was a spacious and extravagant exterior, quite unlike any other room around the dormitory. The floor of the room was covered with a fluffy red carpet, the same kind as the one you would find inside of the lobby of a luxurious five star hotel. As Belfast was making her way through this room, the sound of her footsteps was muffled by the carpet so much that they actually could not be heard at all. There was a magnificent chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. Passing underneath it, Belfast walked into a slightly smaller room with a huge bed placed right in the middle of it. There, on top of that extravagant bed, there was a small figure that looked like a fairy tale princess or a porcelain door, still asleep while breathing ever so gently. ¡¸Good morning, Your Majesty.¡¹ But alas, Belfast¡¯s words were met with no reply. ¡¸It¡¯s time for you to wake up, Your Majesty. The breakfast is about to be served.¡¹ This time around, Belfast decided to speak up with a slightly louder voice. ¡¸¡­¡­ Breakfast¡­¡­ I want to eat pancakes for breakfast¡­¡­Munya~.¡¹ Elizabeth must have finally registered that it was the time for breakfast, but she was still rolling around in her bed, mumbling to herself something incomprehensible. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, Your Majesty, but for today¡¯s breakfast we have eggs Benedict and beans. We also serve tomato salad on the side and onion soup.¡¹ Belfast announced today¡¯s menu to Elizabeth with a perfectly stoic expression, deliberately choosing to ignore that mumbling about the pancakes. ¡¸¡­¡­ Beans¡­¡­ I can¡¯t stand beans¡­¡­ Bel¡­¡­ eat them for me, will you¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Your Majesty, being picky about one¡¯s food is very unbecoming.¡¹ Belfast gently scolded Elizabeth while looking at her in a patronizing way, and then she let out a deep and long sigh, seeing as that was getting her pretty much nowhere. ¡¸Your Majesty, please wake up. It¡¯s already about time for you to do so.¡¹ ¡¸Uuuhh¡­¡­ Just give me¡­¡­ about ten more minutes¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, oh my. And what¡¯s this? What is a cute and fluffy-looking Persian cat like you doing in a place such as this? Are you lost, perhaps?¡¹ Hearing Belfast say those words all of a sudden, Elizabeth jolted up on her bed in an instant. ¡¸Huh!? W-Where is it!? I want to touch it!! Bel, where is it!? Where is that cat that you were talking about just now!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and a good morning to you as well, Your Majesty.¡¹ After she said that, Belfast bowed deeply once more, and then she turned herself around, approaching a huge dresser wardrobe in the corner of the room, so huge in fact that you could easily fit an entire person inside of it and you would still have some space to spare left. Elizabeth, now out of bed and still in her pajamas, was looking around restlessly, trying to locate the Persian cat that Belfast was talking about just now. However, once she realized that there was no cat in here to begin with, her expression turned really sour as she glared daggers at the Head Maid. ¡¸¡­¡­ You tricked me just now, didn¡¯t you, Bel?¡¹ Elizabeth¡¯s eyes narrowed into tight slits in anger, and she grabbed the edge of her pajamas so hard that her knuckles turned all white. Belfast bowed down her head deeply once again while facing her Master, all the while handling her a change of clothes that she happened to take out from the inside of the dresser. ¡¸I am really sorry for that, Your Majesty. However, if I were to let you sleep for a while longer just like that, you would have to eat your breakfast all cold and while doing it all alone in that really big dining room. Surely that¡¯s not a vision anyone would find appealing.¡¹ ¡¸If it would come to that, I would just eat my breakfast together with you, Bel!¡¹ As she got her small body off of the bed, Elizabeth started pouting angrily while she slammed her small and adorable fists against Belfast¡¯s skirt. ¡¸Listen here. It¡¯s not that I mind eating my meals alone, because I do not. However, as Queen Elizabeth, I have a certain image that needs to be maintained. So that is why I cannot eat my meals all on my own. Or could it be that you think that I am not good enough for you to eat breakfast together with, huh, Bel?¡¹ ¡¸Of course not. Doing so is going to be the highest possible honor for me, Your Majesty.¡¹ ¡¸Fufun! Thought as much!¡¹ Elizabeth snorted in satisfaction, puffing out her chest while also being at it. She then assumed a pose that made her look ready to get dressed for the day. Belfast then politely put Elizabeth¡¯s dress on the bed, and then proceeded to unbutton her pajamas from the top and going down, allowing the loose cloths to fall onto the floor. ¡¸Oh well, since I am feeling rather hungry at the moment, let us proceed to the cafeteria at once! Besides, I love eggs Benedict! They are my favorite!¡¹ Once Elizabeth¡¯s shirt was all unbuttoned, her cute little navel could be seen peeking from behind the falling fabric of her pajamas. When she took it off from her shoulders, her white and soft skin became lit by the morning sunlight that was shining through the window, looking delicate and porcelain-white. Once that was done, Belfast picked up Elizabeth¡¯s dress from the bed and put it on her through her head, and the fabric cascaded over her small body in a neat and fitting fashion. ¡¸The eggs Benedict were freshly baked today, so I am sure that they are going to be to your liking and suit your palate, Your Majesty.¡¹ ¡¸Believe me, that¡¯s not the point that I am worried about in the slightest. You are the one who baked it, Bel, so I know that they are going to be delicious no matter what¡­¡­ Oh yes, that¡¯s right. Listen to this, Bel! Yesterday, I went to the pier together with Warspite, and then we went to the beach while we were also being at it. And then, there was this really huge fish in the water and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ ¡¸Your Majesty, I realize that you are excited to tell me this, but if you are going to wiggle so much in place, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to dress you properly.¡¹ When Belfast brought that matter to Elizabeth¡¯s attention, she finally stood still for a moment, and the Head Maid was able to finish dressing her up properly with no other issues. Finally, as a finishing touch she put Elizabeth¡¯s custom-made crown-shaped katyusha on her head, and once that was done Belfast stood up and clasped her hands together, looking at the fruit of her labor. Volume 1 - CH 1.4 Translator: Kurehashi Aiko ¡¸It would seem that yesterday the two of you had quite a bit of fun during your little excursion, Your Majesty, and it didn¡¯t stop you from bringing it along.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because the soup is broth-based, and it¡¯s getting warmer and warmer outside. Besides, Bel, surely you understand that sometimes one just feels the need to ditch eating inside, just so that one could enjoy the fine weather and warm sun some more, don¡¯t you? You should also try doing it more often!¡¹ ¡¸It is exactly as you say, Your Majesty.¡¹ Elizabeth flashed Belfast her teeth and smiles broadly in a mischievous way. Belfast also loosened her mouth a little bit and smiled slightly, as a reaction to such an innocent behavior that had no qualms whatsoever. During times like these, she could allow herself to let loose ever so slightly and laugh like any normal person would do if they were in her shoes. When the two left Elizabeth¡¯s room and started to walk down towards the dining room, Elizabeth started to fan her face with her hand the moment the first rays of the morning sun brushed against her figure. ¡¸I know it¡¯s still technically morning, but you can say that today is going to be yet another ridiculously warm day.¡¹ While listening to Her Majesty talking like that about no subject in particular, Belfast and Elizabeth returned to the dining room, where they could see Edinburgh finishing arranging the breakfast for everyone and about to return with the serving cart back to the kitchen. ¡¸Edi.¡¹ Having her name spoken up in such a sudden and familiar manner, Edinburgh looked back in a hurry only to see both Belfast and Elizabeth approaching her. Then, when the three came together, Elizabeth turned towards her maids and spoke to them with her voice implying that at the current moment Her Majesty was finding herself to be in quite a good mood. ¡¸And Bel, you listen up as well. For today¡¯s afternoon tea party, I want both of you to prepare us some finest cream tea.¡¹ A tea party, just as its name might suggest, was a party where you would enjoy a delicious tea and some snacks with a group of esteemed guests, usually held outside when the weather was right for the occasion. One would think that when it comes to that kind of parties that they would be especially restrictive when it comes to the members participating, but when it comes to the tea parties organized by the Royal Navy, anyone could participate if they wanted to, and there was no particular restriction as to the maximum number of guests. The purpose of those tea parties? It is for everyone involved to have a good time together while getting to know each other better while eating some tasty treats and taste the delicious tea. And when it comes to cream tea, one always has to think of a black tea and scones that come with it as a sort of set, especially since Elisabeth loved to eat her scones with a whole lot of cream inside of them, all the while sipping on sweet black tea with even more cream inside of it. ¡¸Just like that, I will be able to enjoy some crispy and freshly baked scones with a whole lots of cream together with my guests! Fufu, oh, I¡¯m already looking forward to it quite a lot!¡¹ Mumbling that to herself while in really high spirits, Elizabeth leaves the two maids behind while skipping happily towards the dining room where Warspite was already sitting behind one of the tables. Belfast bowed her head towards Her Majesty and then returned to her duties as a maid, taking care that the breakfast would go without issue and that every girl in the dormitory would get to eat a warm meal in peace. Then, Belfast and Edinburgh could finally eat their own breakfast after everyone else was already done and left the cafeteria. * * * It can be said that the true work of a maid of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps starts right after the breakfast is all done. Everything else before it is just a preface. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Everyone, without any further ado, let¡¯s get started.¡¹ The moment that Belfast, the Head Maid of the Royal Maids Corps, stated that in a formal and serious tone, the rest of the maids would bow down their heads in affirmation and then they would all go towards their designated locations, in order to complete their designated tasks. ¡¸Huu! Today, this here Kent will continue to give it her absolute best at work!¡¹ Said one of the members of the Maids Corps, the County Class, Kent Subclass Destroyer named Kent, while dashing forward with both vigor and enthusiasm. ¡¸Kent-chan, you are going way too fast~. How about you try to walk a little bit slower for a change~¡­¡­¡¹ While swaying her pink hair and huge chest, the fifth ship of the County Class, Kent Subclass, Suffolk, chased after Kent, who had already gone so far ahead down the corridor that she looked like a small bean grain. Right behind her, there was Sheffield, a Town Class, Southampton Subclass Light Cruiser snarling visibly as she walked forward. ¡¸Well then, Bel. I have to go this way for now.¡¹ After parting from Edinburgh at the intersection of the staircase, Edinburgh went towards the second floor of the dormitory while Belfast went towards the first floor. Since Elizabeth announced that they would have a tea party in the afternoon on the spot like that, this meant that the usual amount of work that would be done in the afternoon had to be completed in the morning, effectively doubling the usual workload. ¡¸It seems that today is going to be yet another busy day.¡¹ Belfast said to herself as he climbed down the flight of stairs. The first order of business was the maintenance and inspection of equipment used by the girls living in the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory. There was a whole lot of different kinds of rigging and artillery that was littering the dormitory¡¯s warehouse, and that included the rigging of the girls who were currently going to their lessons, as well as the older shipgrils who were on active duty. However, the Maid Corps would usually perform a minimum amount of maintenance on all of the equipment, since it was also the role of whoever was using it to make sure that it was always going to be in top condition, in case of emergency sortie. After that, there was an important task of exchanging the bedsheets in the rooms of all the shipgirls that were living in the dormitory. One of the most important duties of the members of the Maid Corps was to keep the dormitory nice and clean, and that included taking the dirty bedsheets for laundry, cleaning them, and in the meantime replacing them with the fresh bedsheets that were washed yesterday and properly dried and aired out. After replacing a large amount of old sheets, Belfast took them to the washing room and placed them inside of a large bathtub that she then filled with water and a whole bottle of cleaning agent. Once all of the dirty bedsheets were wrapped in the foamy and bubbly cleaning agent, Belfast started to clean and scrub them by the hand. After she was done with that task, she went right to the next task on her list, which was making the necessary preparations for lunch. ¡¸Haaa~hnn! Busy, busy, so busy~!¡¹ As soon as Suffolk was done with her own cleaning duties, she was roaming inside of the kitchen as well, making sure that all of the necessary preparations for lunch would have been ready right on time. Seeing Suffolk being so busy, Belfast placed her hand on the maids arm to calm her down a bit, and then she opened the lid that was under the stove in order to properly adjust the heat that was raging inside of it. ¡¸Let me help you with that, Bel.¡¹ ¡¸My sincerest apologies for the trouble.¡¹ When Edinburgh returned to the kitchen after swiping the outside of the dormitory clean, the cooking and preparations for lunch proceeded at even faster pace. It was one of the iron rules in the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory that whenever the breakfast would consist of a course that was called a Full English Breakfast, the following meal would not be anything that was too heavy or hard on the stomach to digest. That is why, the lunch menu for today would consist only of fish and chips. It was at that moment that the dormitory¡¯s clock tower would ring its bell to announce that the time was now noon, and at the same time, the preparations for lunch for everyone would also be completed. And it happened to be right on time, for just when the maids¡¯ race against time was completed, they could hear the voices of the shipgirls gathering for lunch inside of the cafeteria. Volume 1 - CH 1.5 PART 5 ¡¸Oh yeah! It¡¯s time to grab some delicious grub! Come on, come on! You¡¯d better want to eat it all fast before it goes cold!¡¹ With both Belfast and Edinburgh still busy inside of the kitchen, the job of taking the food carts and distributing the lunch fell upon Kent and Suffolk, who were currently running all over the dining room, one of the maids being seemingly way more enthusiastic about the task than the other one. ¡¸It seems like¡­¡­ It¡¯s over for now, huh?¡¹ ¡¸It would certainly look that way.¡¹ Before long, the hustle and bustle around the dining room started to die down, and before the maids even realized it, the lunch time was finally over. After rushing to clean up the tableware and wash all the dirty dishes that were left after lunch, it was time for another one of Maid Corps¡¯ crucial tasks: cleaning the entire dormitory once more. And in order to do that, the entire Maid Corps was divided into groups, with each group being responsible for cleaning spotless a certain part of the certain floor of the entire building. The last thing left to do for Belfast for now was to see that the jobs were divided equally and that they would be carried out without fail. That, and one more thing on her official ¡°To-Do List¡±. ¡¸Well then, everyone. Please do your very best with your assigned tasks.¡¹ With those words being said, the maids took various cleaning utensils and supplies in their hands and left the kitchen at once to do their assigned chores. As for Belfast, she could now finally focus on the most important part of her task for today: preparing to make fresh scones. Belfast took out a huge bowl, added the cake flour to it, followed by baking powder and diced butter, and then she started to crush all those ingredients together in order to formulate a cake dough. She then put some fresh cream into the mixture, followed by sugar and salt, and once all of that was done, she started to mix everything together with a spatula a couple of times. She then put the ready dough to the side to let it rest for a while. Belfast was getting a feeling that at the current moment it would not taste nearly as good as it should, so she decided to also add some cranberries to the mixture, just so it could give it that extra sweetness. Once that Belfast managed to do everything that was in accordance with Elizabeth¡¯s request for a freshly baked scones, she started to pour the mixture into the molds and would then let it rest for a while longer, but it was then that she heard the door to the kitchen being opened once more. She then looked back to see just who it was that entered the room just now. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast. I want to report that all of the cleaning that needed to be done on the first floor has been taken care of.¡¹ The earliest member of the Maid Corps to report the end of her assigned duties was of course the Town-Class Light Cruiser, Sheffield. As was to be expected. ¡¸Thank you for all of your hard work, Sheffield. It is always really helpful to have you do your duties and chores as quickly as you do them.¡¹ Being praised like that, Sheffield would only nod her head slightly while standing upright, her facial expression perfectly still and without even the faintest trace of a smile. But even so, Belfast knew that it was just the way that Sheffield was, and that her indifferent attitude was nothing bad. She then flashed her a huge and bright smile. ¡¸¡­¡­ I will go and see how Kent¡¯s group is doing for the time being. It¡¯s not like they are doing a bad job, but they tend to be easily distracted and careless with their tasks.¡¹ With that said, Sheffield turned around and walked out of the kitchen, but right after she left there was yet another person who walked into the kitchen through the door. This time around it was Warspite. ¡¸Belfast. I would like to use the kitchen just like we have discussed this morning.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes, that¡¯s right.¡¹ Belfast said while turning towards Warspite, who for some reason was standing in one spot, fidgeting like crazy. Seeing that Warspite was so reluctant to move from her spot, it would seem that she was still reluctant about doing whatever it was that she wanted to do. Or maybe she wanted to be sure that there was no one else inside and that she wouldn¡¯t be seen going into the kitchen. Belfast then quietly nodded her head and left the kitchen after bowing slightly towards Warspite on her way out. Then, remembering that Edinburgh was supposed to be drying the sheets on the roof, she went up the stairs in order to lend her sister a hand. And once Belfast arrive on the roof, a gentle breeze hit her face right away. Belfast then immediately took out the bedsheets from the basket that was placed nearby, dragon and called out to her sister who up until now was trying her best at doing this chore on her own. ¡¸Nee-san, I¡¯ll help you with that.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Ooh, y-yeah, please do. I¡¯d appreciate it.¡¹ Thanks to Belfast lending Edinburgh a hand with drying the bedsheets, the two sisters were able to finish this particular task way faster than usual, since they did not have to do it on their own. After that, when the roof was filled with a pleasant aroma of freshly washed bedsheets, Edinburgh let out a deep sigh while she sat down on the upside-down bucket that she used instead of a chair or a stool. ¡¸Uuuhh¡­¡­ I know that I should be happy that we have managed to do this task so quickly, but having to rely on the help of my little sister for a task as simple as this one makes me lose all of my confidence as the big sister¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Edinburgh droop like that, Belfast turned towards her. ¡¸Nee-san, don¡¯t you have it all backwards? It is only a human nature to seek help from others when we are unable to accomplish something on our own. Besides, didn¡¯t you say it before? That we can only be who we are?¡¹ ¡¸I know that I said that, but even so¡­¡­¡¹ Edinburgh said while holding her hair with one hand to prevent them from scattering all over the place on the sea breeze, which was somewhat stronger right now from the one that was blowing in the morning. At that time, ¡¸¡­¡­ Say, Bel? Can you smell it? Doesn¡¯t it smell like something is burning?¡¹ Edinburgh got up from her bucket-chair all of a sudden, approaching the edge of the roof while sniffing intensely. Alarmed by her sister¡¯s words, Belfast also started to sniff the smell that was carried by the wind. And certainly, there was stinky smell being carried on the wind, reminding her of something being burnt. Immediately after she realized that fact, Belfast rushed out of the spot where she was standing and ran inside of the building. ¡¸B-Bel!? W-What¡¯s wrong!?¡¹ Hearing Edinburgh¡¯s startled voice behind her back, as well as the sound of the rooftop door¡¯s coming to a close, Belfast ran down the staircase as fast as she possibly could. She ran all the way to the first floor in one go without coming to a stop even once, and then she dashed straight towards the dining room, through the tables and chairs and arrived at the kitchen¡¯s wooden door. As soon as she grabbed the doorknob and opened the wooden door in one fell swing, the heavy and irritating smell of something burnt started to spread across the dining room. Belfast hesitated for a moment out there, but then she went straight inside of the kitchen, all the while keeping her nose and mouth covered with a handkerchief that she procured from the inside of her skirt¡¯s pocket. The source of the foul smell turned out to be a huge cloud of dark smoke that was coming from the oven that was under the stove where coals were burning. Then there was also the figure of Warspite, looking all flustered and panicked beyond belief. ¡¸*Cough*, *cough*! B-Belfast!? W-What are you¡­¡­!? N-No! T-This isn¡¯t what it looks like! This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Please, for now stand aside!¡¹ After she put on the thick cooking gloves so that her hands would not get burned by the fire and the coals, Belfast opened the lid of the stove and in the next moment she grabbed the fire extinguisher that was right next to it, pointing its nozzle inside of the stove. At the same time, a huge flame burst forth from the inside of the opened stove. When she made sure that the hose was plugged properly into the fire extinguisher, Belfast pulled the lever all the way while having the nozzle firmly pointed towards the heart of the fire. Volume 1 - CH 1.6 When the chemical components containing the newest fire extinguishing agent on the market rushed out of the hose, the fire gradually lost its momentum and eventually went away. Since the extinguisher that Belfast used was a fire-fighting device used mainly for sorties, the speed at which it would extinguish the normal, non-combat fires was way higher than the commercial fire extinguishers. After confirming that the fire inside of the stove was completely extinguished, Belfast put down the empty fire extinguisher and turned around, walking towards the kitchen windows and opening them all the way in order to let some of the fresh air inside of the room. ¡¸¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t you say before that this Old Lady knows her way around the kitchen, Warspite-sama?¡¹ In this particular situation, a snarky comment about Warspite¡¯s earlier affirmation was more than appropriate. It would have been way stranger if Belfast did not comment on that. Once the situation was all under control, Warspite hung her head low, her ears all lying down as well. She then apologized in a quiet, depressed voice. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at Warspite¡¯s current sullen and apologetic expression, Belfast knew that she was truly sorry for what she did and that it would be best to leave it at that now. There was no need to actually make her feel any worse. So, without actually pursuing the matter any further, Belfast checked the inside of the oven, which has fortunately become perfectly calm and cold, and then she let out a deep sigh. ¡¸If we hurry with cleaning the stove now, we might be able to get it up and running before the time for dinner, however ¡ª¡ª¡¹ At this rate, it was pretty much impossible to use the oven for the tea party that Elizabeth had planned for this afternoon. And the same thing could be said for the freshly baked scones that Elizabeth was looking so forward to eating alongside the tea ¡ª¡ª they were still left in the oven where they were supposed to be slowly baking, but at the current moment they were nothing more but the burnt lumps of coal. ¡¸It would have been an entirely different thing if those things at least finished baking before this catastrophe, but¡­¡­¡¹ When Belfast took out the scones from the extinguished oven while saying those words, Warspite, who was all timid and flustered up until now, rose her head and slowly looked at the tray with the burnt lumps sitting on it. ¡¸Are those supposed to be¡­¡­ scones, perhaps?¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Being asked such a thing all of a sudden, Belfast could not help it but to frown her brow a little bit as a surprised sound escaped from her mouth, despite her efforts to look a calm and natural as possible. ¡¸Her Majesty was really looking forward to have some freshly baked scones that would be served alongside the tea for today¡¯s tea party, but unfortunately with the over being out of commission and the scones looking like this, I¡¯m afraid that there is nothing that can be done about it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸H-Her Majesty was¡­¡­!?¡¹ After hearing that sudden revelation just now, Warspite let out a panicked and surprised voice, while on the other hand Belfast took the tray with the burnt scones towards the cooking table, where she started to place the burnt confections onto a napkin so that they would not make an even bigger mess on their way towards the trash can. ¡¸But I guess that the blame for this situation lies partially with me as well. I knew that you were going to use the kitchen, Warspite-sama, but even so I did nothing to make sure that the scones that I was baking here would be safe. I must have let my guard down here, and I neglected to make sure that there won¡¯t be any sudden flame hazard. And it is precisely because small misses like that, that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ Just then, when Belfast wanted to continue voicing her inner thoughts out loud, Warspite rose her face, a certain kind of determination clearly visible in her eyes. ¡¸This is all my fault! And because of that, the blame is all mine, and I must atone for my actions! I knew that Her Majesty wanted to eat some freshly baked scones at today¡¯s tea party, so I thought that I could bake a whole mountain of those and make Her Majesty happy with it! But before I knew it, things got completely out of control and then there was nothing that I could do to¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Warspite-sama¡­¡­ You tried to bake scones on your own as well¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Bel!!¡¹ It was at that exact moment that Edinburgh appeared inside of the kitchen once again, finally being able to catch up with Belfast. ¡¸That smell of burning seemed to be originating from here and¡­¡­ Uwah!? What is this¡­¡­!?¡¹ Despite Edinburgh¡¯s sudden intrusion and immediate panic attack after seeing the state in which both the kitchen and the stove were at the current moment, Belfast placed her finger on her chin as if she was thinking deeply about something. There was little to no time left before it would be time for the afternoon tea party, and with the stove being the way it was right now, there was no way in which they could possibly circumvent this issue. After thinking some more for another moment or two, Belfast finally snapped out of her inner world and looked towards Edinburgh, opening her mouth and speaking with a brisk and decided tone. ¡¸I will explain everything later. Nee-san, for now please boil the first batch of tea on the stove over there. Also, prepare some jam and clotted cream while you are being at it.¡¹ After that matter was all taken care of, next Belfast turned towards Warspite. ¡¸Now then. I know that it might be a little sudden and that you might not understand, Warspite-sama, but we are going to make your scones and we are going to use them for this afternoon¡¯s tea party.¡¹ ¡¸I am really sorry that this is something so sudden, but I am sure that it will be something that will make Her Majesty happy.¡¹ After that matter was taken care of, Belfast cast a quick glance at the clock that was hanging on one of the kitchen¡¯s walls. ¡¸The time for the afternoon tea party is almost upon us. Let us hurry up so that we can join the others with their preparations in the courtyard.¡¹ * * * When the three of them arrived at the round table that was carried out and placed in the center of the dormitory¡¯s courtyard, they could clearly see that Elizabeth¡¯s cheeks were puffed out and pouting with anger because someone had the audacity to be unaccounted for. ¡¸You¡¯re late!¡¹ So said so, even though it¡¯s only been about five minutes since the tea party started. So it was still within the expected margin of ¡°Being fashionably late¡±. Elisabeth was sitting behind the table in a graceful manner, even though her small stature required a special elongated stool for her to be able to sit behind the round table comfortably with everyone else. But even with all of that special preparation, it was plainly seen that she was barely sitting above the table¡¯s level and that her height was not adequate enough for a table like that. ¡¸I was beginning to feel so tired of waiting for you to show up that I almost ended up falling asleep!¡¹ After quickly getting up from her seat and facing Belfast and her group, Elizabeth jerked her index finger right at the Head Maid. In the meantime, Belfast took swift action and attached a booster seat to Elizabeth¡¯s seat in order to adjust her sitting height. As a side note here, the custom-made seats here, which were designed in a strictly Royal Navy fashion, came equipped with a low-resilience cushions that are really on one¡¯s buttocks and can also be applied to any other chair if need be. ¡¸Those cushions are very springy, aren¡¯t they? And the way just how comfy they are, it makes you really sleepy.¡¹ ¡¸I guess that they are very soft, but that¡¯s not the issue here!¡¹ Once the booster seat was properly installed onto her chair, Elizabeth sat back on it and acted as if this whole bit never actually took place. Once that matter was all taken care of, Belfast politely bowed her head and then turned towards the person that was actually standing behind her this whole time, holding onto a plate. ¡¸Your Majesty, how about we also include Warspite-sama for our tea party? Warspite-sama herself said that she would like to join you for the occasion.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Warspite, huh? I didn¡¯t know that you actually had any interest in tea parties whatsoever ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C And what¡¯s with that plate that you are holding in your hands?¡¹ Elizabeth, who seemed neither too enthusiastic nor too pessimistic about the prospect of Warspite joining the tea party, pointed her finger to the plate that Warspite was holding onto. Volume 1 - CH 1.7 [Your Majesty, I have tried to bake some scones myself, and I would very much like you to try them.] Warspite then passed the tray that she was holding onto Belfast while bowing down her head politely. [¡­¡­ Well, have a seat, then.] After Elizabeth gave Warspite permission to join the tea party, the Old Lady quietly nodded her head as she sat down next to Her Majesty. [Perhaps I was worried too much here?] Belfast said to herself in a hushed voice while she moved a step away from the round table and took a seat behind everyone present. [I-I¡¯m sorry for being late¡­¡­] Just then, Edinburgh appeared in the courtyard with a serving cart packed to the brim with tea and tea sets for everyone in attendance. Although it took quite a while to get the second stove going, once that was done the preparations could continue as usual, but there was still a delay. This was also a que for Belfast to get up from her seat, and that her short breather was over. She then bowed her head and proceeded to explain today¡¯s lineup to the guests. [Everyone, thank you very much for coming to this tea party and gracing us with your presence. As the hosts of today¡¯s tea party, it is our sincerest belief that social gatherings like this one serve to strengthen the bonds of friendship and comradery between our various factions. Please, as a token of our gratitude, accept this black tea and the assortment of sweets that come with it.] As some shipgrils started to eat the sweets and drink the tea without hesitation, Warspite stood up with the tray still in her hands, as if that was her cue to act. She then placed the tray on the table. [This is the result of me trying to bake some scones for the first time ever. If it would please you, please help yourselves to some of them while you drink the tea together with them.] [Oh my, Warspite-sama tried her hand at baking scones?] While hearing Warspite¡¯s proclamation, one of the gathered shipgirls let out a surprise-filled voice while she looked towards Belfast and Warspite, her face filled with intrigue. Her calm demeanor and the way in which she was carrying herself were full of adult femininity and elegance. Her gaze was filled with warmth and a pair of huge bulges on her chest were in stark contrast to the Queen¡¯s flatness sitting across from her behind the round table. That woman was named Illustrious, and she was the Aircraft Carrier of the Illustrious Class. She was wearing a long white dress with black brim, and her long white hair seemed to shine in the afternoon¡¯s sunlight. She then flashed a warm smile at Warspite. [Now, this is really picking my interest. Have you been making sweets and pastries for a long time now?] [I have only began to take interest in baking sweets recently, but the way that those scone turned out is something that I would like to be proud of!] With that being said, Warspite put her hand on the napkin that was covering the tray up to this point, and then she removed in a quick motion that she clearly had to train a whole lot. As soon as the scones of her making were revealed to the gathered people, everyone became lost for words on the spot, as if they were winding it difficult to react or comment. [So? How are they? I dare say that they came out pretty good.] And with just how proud Warspite seemed to be with her own work, everyone present was having an even harder time at commenting what they could see right in front of their eyes. Because there was so many things to actually comment on, that it was difficult to choose where to start. The first thing that comes to mind was the sheer size of those scones. Because every single scone here was actually the size of a softball, which was a clear abbreviation from their usual small, bite size. Then there was a matter of their color. No matter how you would look at it, they were simply too black. For a moment out there, Belfast seriously doubted that Warspite took the right thing with herself, and that she had mistakenly brought a tray full of marbles or stones with herself. [Umm, W-Warspite-sama¡­¡­ A-Are those really scones? Are you sure of it?] Sitting right next to Illustrious was Hood, battlecruiser of the Admiral class. Normally she was conducting herself in a graceful and elegant manner, but right about now she was fidgeting in her place while looking at Warspite¡¯s scones with both surprise and disbelief visible on her face. [But of course. As expected of you, Hood-dono, even you yourself must be astonished just how well those things turned out to be, huh?] Right next to Hood was sitting Prince of Wales, a battleship of the King George V class. Just like everyone else here, she was looking at Warspite¡¯s scones in pure astonishment, unable to comprehend just how it was possible for Warspite to be so proud of the things that were served on the plate. [I-Incidentally, Warspite? Could it be that you have also put chocolate inside of those scones? Is that why they are of this strange color?] [Hmm? What are you talking about, Wales? No matter how you try to look at them, those are some plain and ordinary scones right here.] It would seem that the last possible bit of hope, the scones being some sort of eccentric take on the original recipe, was now entirely out of the question. Realizing that face, Illustrious, Hood, and Prince of Wales could only let out a deep and long sight, a sad ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡± that accompanied them shaking their heads in apparent disbelief. [W-Well, for the time being, how about we give them a taste, shall we? We might be pleasantly surprised. Right?] Elisabeth, as if she had come to her senses from the initial shock and surprise, called out to everyone present, and as if on cue, Illustrious and other shipgirls quickly picked up the scones from the tray and place them inside of their mouths. And once they did just that, the others also followed suit, taking the scones from the tray and putting them inside of their mouths. [I must say, they are quite hard to bite into and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] While saying so, Illustrious put a smallest piece of the scone that she could possibly take out of the entire thing, and then she placed it inside of her mouth. As for Belfast, she decided to pause for a moment here and simply observe just how this situation would possibly develop. [H-How is it? W-What do you think, Illustrious-san¡­¡­?] In response to Hood¡¯s words and dire look in her eyes, Illustrious kept smiling as per usual, her expression unhanged. [Hmm, it looks like they are safe to eat, at the very least¡­¡­ Well then, allow me to take a bite as well.] With that said, Prince of Wales also put a piece of the mysteriously suspicious scone inside of her mouth. [¡­¡­ UHH!] In the very next moment, Prince of Wales¡¯s expression turned pale and then blue in an instant. [Oh no, this is terrible! Illustrious-san, now that I look at you closely, you are still smiling but behind that smile you are also thinking just how bad those things are!] When Hood finally noticed that Illustrious was also suffering the same way as Prince of Wales did, but managed to mask it all with a smile, both she and Prince of Wales leaned over towards one another so that Warspite would not be able to hear them. At the same time, they were worried that they might actually faint before long from the shock. [B-But why¡­¡­ How could this be!? Even though they look so delicious!!!] But unfortunately for everyone present, as expected, Warspite managed to notice that something was seriously wrong with her hand-made scones, and rushed towards the shipgirls who had gone all blue on their faces. Then, upon realizing what the problem here was, she sat back down, her spirits deteriorating rapidly. [B-Bel! Bring me the stomach pain medicine right away! Hurry up! On the double!] Elizabeth shouted the orders at the Head Maid, but even if she did not do that, Belfast would still be on her way dashing out from the courtyard and back into the building. And while she was running towards the first aid kit that was in the building, Belfast also noticed that this was perhaps the most intense run that she had so far today. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C About ten minutes later. Finally, when the chaos caused by Warspite¡¯s hand-made confections started to subside, Warspite herself took one of her scones and placed it in her mouth. She then grunted in disgust, realizing just how much of a failure that thing really was. Volume 1 - CH 1.8 PART 8 [¡­¡­I thought that it would taste good, since it was the very first time I was baking them in my life.] While saying that, Warspite took another bite out of her hand-made scone, a sight that was slightly scary to look at. [Warspite, you¡­.. You seem to be just fine with eating those things¡­¡­ But as to why that is, I have no clue at all.] Once again, acting and speaking in a way that was far from her usual graceful demeanor, Hood stared at Warspite with an expression that could described as nothing but painful. Honestly, surviving those scones was more of an ordeal than having to fight against the Sirens inside of an unfamiliar Mirror Sea. [Umm, Illustrious-sama¡­¡­ How do you feel? Are you sure that you are okay? Would you like some stomach medicine as well?] Belfast gently called out to Illustrious, who had finally regained her natural, calm and elegant demeanor. [Ah¡­¡­ Thank you for worrying about me, but¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine now, really. There won¡¯t be need for any medicine.] Even though Illustrious¡¯s complexion was still slightly pale from the scone ordeal, she managed to summon a brave expression on her face. Prince of Wales, on the other hand, who also held the piece of the scone in her mouth, was holding onto her head with both of her hands as if she was suffering a tremendous headache. [I¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I feel really thirsty for some reason. I could really use some nice and warm cup of tea right about now.] Hearing out Prince of Wales¡¯s request, Belfast politely bowed down her head. [Understood.] And just like that, Prince of Wales reached out for her cup and started to drink the tea that stood on top of the serving cart that Edinburgh has brought with herself near the table. Earl Gray. Darjeeling. Uva. Dinorah. Nilgiri. Keemun. Among all of the types of teas available here, this particular Darjeeling had the kind of leaves that was from the first flush, and it was to assure the highest quality of the product that was picked right after its winter dormancy period, which was the most suitable time for picking it. Darjeeling¡¯s First Flush, which has a refreshing scent to the leaves, is perfect for a warm afternoon tea party, like the ones the Royal Navy was having today. So it was no wonder that it was decided almost right of the bat to use those leaves in particular as the main tea for today¡¯s party. [That¡¯s right. Bel, if you could wait for just a moment.] Elizabeth spoke to Belfast, who picked up a can of Darjeeling tea leaves and was about to open it. [Yes? Is something the matter, your majesty?] [For today¡¯s party, instead of the tea brewed by you, I would like to drink the tea that was brewed by Edinburgh.] [The tea that Nee-san¡­¡­ brewed, Your Majesty?] With the can of tea leaves still in her hand, Belfast looked at Edinburgh with surprise in her eyes. Just then, Edinburgh pointed her finger at herself with a completely blank expression. [Huh? Who? Me?] [And is there anyone else named Edinburgh in here?] Taking her own words for enough of an explanation and only as a matter of course, Elizabeth pointed her finger towards Edinburgh with her left hand and looked at the rest of the people gathered for the tea party who were sitting all around the round table in the middle of the courtyard. [If memory serves me correctly, neither one of you had it before, hadn¡¯t you? The tea brewed by Edinburgh? Actually, the tea that Edi makes tastes completely different from the one that Bel makes, as surprising as that might sound.] [Certainly, at this tea party, I¡¯ve never had a cup of tea made by a maid other than Belfast-san.] As Illustrious admitted in a calm and collected manner, Prince of Wales slowly raised her right hand, perhaps a little interested in the topic that Elizabeth just brought to light. [Umm, this is¡­¡­ Will the taste of the tea really change depending on the person who is brewing it? Even if they are using the same kind of tea leaves?] Elizabeth then leant forward while smiling in a devilishly innocent way. [Oh, it is. It is going to change. And it will be beautiful change. Isn¡¯t that surprising?] [Hmm, I see. I would love to have that.] With that being said, Hood looked at Edinburgh with eyes filled with expectation as she lifted her cup and said: [While you are going to be at it, could you pour me a cup of tea as well?] For a moment out there, Edinburgh just stood there and looked at the tea cup with a completely dumbfounded expression. Most probably she never would have thought that she would be put on a spotlight and made the center of attention quite like that. [Edinburgh-san?] When Hood called out to Edinburgh, worried that the maid was being so unresponsive for a moment out there, the maid finally realized that it was in fact her that was being called and she snapped out of it, her whole body shaking profusely before she gave a panicked reply. [¡­¡­ Ah!? Y-Yes!? What is it!? I¡¯ll be right there!] Answering while sweating profusely, Edinburgh turned towards the serving cart and started to look and rummage through the tea leaves that were placed there. At the same time she turned towards Belfast and whispered in desperation. [W-Whatever should I do now, Bel!? I have been always leaving tea brewing to you, so I have no idea how to do any of that stuff!!] [First and foremost, do try to calm down, Nee-san.] With a lowered voice, Belfast searched for a can of Darjeeling tea leaves and placed it right on top of the cart, so that Edinburgh could have easy access to it. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how the tea is brewed, is it? Then it¡¯s just a matter of which tea leaves to choose.¡± [B-Bel! Please help me! What should I do!?] [Besides, it¡¯s not like you have completely no clue how to brew a tea from leaves like that, isn¡¯t that right? Then the rest is simply the matter of choosing the right leaves and following the procedure just like with everything else] [B-Bel, if it was you who were to do it, what would you do?] [Here you have the Darjeeling leaves that I was going to use ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [This is yours¡­¡­!] Just as Belfast was about to give Edinburgh some more advice, Elizabeth¡¯s voice came from behind the two maids all of a sudden. [Don¡¯t help her, Bel! For today, I want Edi to choose the right leaves and prepare the tea from start to finish. She should be able to do at least that much, don¡¯t you think?] [My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty.] Belfast quickly turned her body towards Elizabeth, and bowed down deeply in apology. [¡­¡­ And with that, I believe that this is all that I can do to help. Now then, please do your best, Nee-san. Break a leg.] Managing to whisper those words into Edinburgh¡¯s ear so that no one else would be able to hear them, Belfast turned around and returned to Elizabeth¡¯s side, leaving her sister all on her own with the task that awaited her. That way, Edinburgh was left completely on her own, with tears quickly welling up in her eyes, a lonely can of tea leaves being held in her hands. [It¡¯s good and nice and all, but I really have no idea what to do and in what order¡­¡­] Completely in a state of panic now, Edinburgh was picking one can of tea leaves only to place it back on top of the serving cart and pick another one right after that. And once she was finally able to decide on the right can, it served only the purpose of her starting to second-guess her choice, placing the can back on top of the cart and the whole process would basically start all over again. And what¡¯s more, it had to be right after that scone fiasco just now. Having witnessed such a disaster, it was only natural that Edinburgh was overcome with a looming sense of dread ¨C¨C¨C she knew that she could not afford to make something half-baked here, lest she wanted to incur Her Majesty¡¯s wrath. As for Belfast, she was watching her Sister struggle in her own indecisiveness from the distance. Being in such a state, Edinburgh must have felt even more pressure than she would being sortied out on the sea fighting the Sirens. And of course, seeing her struggle like that, Belfast couldn¡¯t help it but to feel nervous as well. [A-Alright! This one! I¡¯m going to go with this one!] The tea that Edinburgh finally decided upon was Nilgiri¡¯s Autumnal. The additional curry tea leaves originated from India, but since the time for their harvest was around the end of autumn, they were actually picked last year and were not of a very high quality. Volume 1 - CH 1.9 PART 9 Why did she pick up that particular can out of the many other high quality possible choices? While Belfast was pondering her head over that matter, Edinburgh poured hot water into the pot and put a lid on top of it. [Now then, if you¡¯d be so kind as to wait a little while longer, please.] Although Edinburgh was trying her best to put on a bright smile on her lips, Belfast could clearly see the awkwardness on her sister¡¯s face that she was unable to shake off, no matter how hard she tried. And as a matter of course, even at the round table in the middle of the courtyard, everyone except Elizabeth had an uneasy expression on their faces as they continued to watch Edinburgh struggle. After a little while longer, Edinburgh finally grabbed the teapot in which the tea should have been all ready now, and she started to pour the tea into the cups of everyone present at the round table. Lastly, she filled Elizabeth¡¯s cup, and then she returned the empty teapot on top of the serving cart, letting out a deep and pained sigh after she realized that she somehow managed to do her job right. [I, I did it¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how, but I somehow did it¡­¡­] [Thank you very much for all of your hard work, Nee-san.] Belfast then directed her gaze at the round table while still not forgetting to give Edinburgh the words of appreciation that she needed to hear after an ordeal such as this. Now then, what kind of tea did she chose to serve to the guests of the party, especially since that tea had an important job of actually calming down the atmosphere that Warspite¡¯s failed scones brought upon them? As for the gathered guests, no one said anything for now, and instead they have all raised their cups and brought them towards their mouths. A gentle breeze blew through the trees surrounding the courtyard, and the quiet sound of the rustling leaves reached the ears of everyone gathered at the tea party. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oh my?] The first to open her mouth was Illustrious, and the current expression on her face was completely different from the timid and elegant expression that she had before she put the cup to her mouth. This expression was the expression of surprise and excitement, but not the bad one, but rather the good and pleasant one. [This tea is very delicious, Edinburgh-san. Truth to be told, I think that it is on the same level as the tea that Belfast-san is always brewing for those tea parties of ours.] After Illustrious said that, Hood was the next one to follow suit and part the cup from her lips, looking towards Edinburgh with an expression of pleasant surprise painted all over her face. [This particular tea has a much simpler, but also gentler taste than anything else I have ever drank. I wonder if it is thanks to the autumn tea leaves? Could it be that only those can produce such taste? Or maybe it¡¯s simply a matter of drinking off-season tea? But it also makes me feel really calm and relaxed.] However, it would seem like the one who was the most surprised by the effects that the tea had on everyone present was the one who brewed it, which was Edinburgh herself. And it would seem that the words of praise was not really helping her to recover, but only served to fluster her even more. She just stood there beside Belfast for a while, and only when the Head Maid gently touched her back with her hand she seemed to have finally snap out of her daze, bowing her head in a hurry while panicking. [A-Ahh! T-Thank you! Thank you very much!] Having witnessed all that, both Warspite who was at Elizabeth¡¯s side and Her Majesty herself were the last ones to bring their cups closer to their mouths, having the taste of Edinburgh¡¯s tea. Then, after a brief moment that seemed to have lasted for a whole eternity, both of them parted their cups from their lips and lowered them down, putting them back on their respective saucers on top of the table. They then stared at them for one more moment. [Me too¡­¡­ I think that this tea is really delicious.] [Right? I told you that the tea that Edinburgh brews is something else, didn¡¯t I?] Elizabeth said so with a really big grin on her face, and then she picked up her cup and reached out with it towards Belfast, as if urging her to take it from her hand. [Here, you should have a taste as well, Bel. If memory serves me correctly, you never actually had Edi¡¯s brewed tea before, right?] Belfast just stood there and hesitated for a moment, staring at the teacup that Elizabeth was passing onto her. [Your Majesty, this is your teacup and yours alone. Are you sure about this?] [Sure, as long as it is you, Bel, I don¡¯t mind in the slightest. Even if it was something like an indirect kiss.] It would seem that there was no hesitation on Elizabeth¡¯s part here. And because of that, Belfast was in no position where she could possibly refuse a direct request from Her Majesty, so she had no other choice but to graciously accept the teacup. Before she brought the teacup to her lips,, Belfast cast one last quick glance at Edinburgh. But she was no longer there, as it would seem that she was summoned by one of the guests sitting behind the round table again, seemingly asking for a refill of their already emptied cup. While watching her sister getting praised and her tea suddenly getting way more popularity than you would think possible, Belfast sipped on the tea that Elizabeth handed her. At the same time, she could hear only positive comments bombarding her ears from left and right one after another. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C This is¡­¡­ When Belfast took a sip of that tea that her sister made, she was immediately blown away by its taste. Of course, the tea tasted like freshly brewed green tea first and foremost, but it also felt that it was slightly less astringent than the one that Belfast tried to brew herself sometimes ago, with the use of the very same tea leaves as the ones that Edinburgh was using just now. From its original mild at best taste, this one here was slightly more drinkable and its taste was way softer on the taste buds. When Belfast thought about it for a moment, the way in which Hood described that tea, as a simple and gentle taste, could not have been more accurate. Because that was exactly what this tea was all about. For those simple Nilgil leaves to evolve into something as exquisite as this tea¡­¡­ How was that even possible? How did this even happen? [So, Bel? What do you think after tasting it yourself?] When Belfast finally came back to her senses, she could see that Elizabeth was looking at her curiously, a huge grin present on her lips. Despite her having some truly mixed feelings about this situation, Belfast decided to answer truthfully, in accordance with her own feelings at the moment. [It was delicious. Really delicious.] [See? What did I tell you?] While Belfast returned the teacup back to Elizabeth, she puffed out her modest chest, looking all smug and feeling good about herself for some reason. [Also, I am more than sure of it, but¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think that you would be able to bring out the same kind of flavor from that tea, Bel.] [I wouldn¡¯t be able to¡­¡­ bring out the same flavor?] Those words actually made Belfast stop in her tracks, her mind going completely blank for a moment. She had to remind herself in a hurry where she was right now and that she needed to behave accordingly before she snapped out of it. When it comes to the brewing procedure, as far as Belfast was able to tell Edinburgh did not do anything special in particular, or that was out of the ordinary. On the other hand, since she did not watch over her sister¡¯s every single move and action, she could not be all too sure that she did not added something extra to the tea while she was being at it, or that she did not in fact created some sort of a special blend on the spot. For a moment she really considered all possible option of foul play on Edinburgh¡¯s side, but then Belfast shook her head in a hurry to chase those thoughts away. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Thinking in such a way was the epitome of foolishness. ¡­¡­ Besides, Belfast knew deep down inside of her heart that Edinburgh would never do such a thing. Although there were times when she was really clumsy and absent-minded, that was all part of Edinburgh¡¯s charm, as well as the fact that she was always straightforward and honest. Volume 1 - CH 1.02 PART 2 ¡¸However, Dear Sister? Must I remind you that today would not be the first time that you happened to oversleep, but actually above the twentieth one? Plus, the time when you happened to be oversleeping the most was in February, when there was still snowing, and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ ¡¸T-That¡¯s because it was right after the New Year¡¯s! and besides, February can be categorized as ¡°Spring¡± as well!¡¹ Edinburgh shyly grabbed the hem of her apron while she was shouting words of excuses. Then, when she saw Belfast starting to spin the tea blender in a swift and memorized motion, she suddenly noticed a can of tea leaves that was placed on the table. ¡¸That tea, could it be¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Those are the tea leaves I happened to bought at that time.¡¹ Hearing her sister¡¯s inquiry, Belfast nodded her head in confirmation. Those two tea leaves cans were bought from a certain trader on the market the other day when the two sisters went there to shop, and were checking out the different scents of the various teas that were available. ¡¸I chose Assam. You, Nee-san, went with Ceylon. Both tea leaves are suitable for morning tea, so I decided to put them together and try to make a blend out of them.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I think that they are perfect, too. And you could even make a milk tea out of them if you really wanted to.¡¹ Realizing what her sister had in mind at the current moment, Edinburgh walks away from the table right away and picks up the milk pot, trying to get her sister¡¯s idea into action. At precisely that exact same time, the boiling kettle began to make a loud noise, signaling that the water was ready and boiled. And right next to the boiling kettle, there was a soup that was quietly simmering in the pot, an indispensable part for every morning meal. Just below the stove, there was a large sealed kiln dedicated exclusively for burning coal in it. But at the same time, its purpose could be doubled as an oven for baking pizza and all kinds of bread. It was a kitchen stove dedicated solely to the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, which is much larger than any other stove that you could possibly find at any individual home. Then Belfast got the mix of the two kinds of tea leaves and placed them inside of the pot, picked up the kettle filled with boiling water from the top of the stove and poured the boiling hot water right into the tea pot. While imagining the tea leaves swirling and twirling inside of the tea pot and letting their essence mix together with the water, Belfast quietly put the pot on top of the serving cart. ¡¸Nee-san, could you please pass me the milk pot as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, right away.¡¹ Said Edinburgh while putting the milk pot on top of the cart, just like her sister asked her to do. Then, she also placed a small plate with thinly sliced lemons right next to the milk pot. ¡¸¡­¡­ Thank you, but when did I asked you to do it?¡¹ ¡¸I just prepared it in advance for those people would fancy would like to drink lemon tea instead of milk tea or the usual tea.¡¹ Edinburgh quickly explained her reasoning to her sister Belfast, who was looking at her with the sternest expression possible on her face. From Edinburgh¡¯s own standpoint, her sister Belfast is a perfect and impeccable maid. She was so graceful and full of elegance that others would oftentimes find her overwhelming, and it was true for both the members of the Royal Navy and other factions alike. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C That is why there were times when Edinburgh would regret the fact that she had such an exceptionally gifted sister. And the fact that this exceptionally gifted sister of her was her younger sister, that fact was also giving the older sister a whole of additional worries onto her already full plate. ¡¸Nee-san?¡¹ Realizing that her Perfect Maid of a little sister was staring right into her face very intently, Edinburgh stopped daydreaming and had to pull herself together. In the meantime, the cafeteria was already beginning to be filled with loud and enthusiastic voices of the other girls who were living in the dormitory. ¡¸When it comes to the morning routine, it is every second that counts. This rings especially true to the young ones of the Royal Navy, as they can all be very noisy and particular about their food. So we have to make sure that everything is ready before the food and tea goes cold.¡¹ ¡¸I-I know that, geez!¡¹ Having said that, Edinburgh grabbed the handle of the cart and started hurling it forward. All of a sudden, there was a knocking sound onto the kitchen¡¯s door, which caused Belfast and her sister hauling the serving cart with breakfast on it to turn their gazes towards the entrance to the room at once. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Please pardon the intrusion.¡¹ The one to enter the room that was usually reserved for the Maid Corps personnel only was the personal bodyguard of ¡°Her Majesty¡± of the Royal Navy, the Battleship of the Queen Elizabeth Class named Warspite. ¡¸Warspite-sama.¡¹ Seeing the sudden visitor who was by no means a member of the kitchen staff, Belfast¡¯s eyes rounded with surprise. Warspite only shook her head in a hurry while going through the door and stepping into the kitchen. ¡¸I do realize that the kitchen is a maid¡¯s workplace, and that the morning is a really busy time for you. I apologize for entering here so suddenly, especially since you are still busy with preparing breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Umm, is there something that you need? Or perhaps you want us to do something?¡¹ Edinburgh asked Warspite that while her whole body was shaking strongly, and at the same time began to look around the kitchen as if she was looking for something in particular. ¡¸I would like to use this place during lunch hours, if it is not going to be too much trouble.¡¹ The two maids then look at each other while holding onto the wagon cart, visibly confused. ¡¸I mean, Warspite-sama, it¡¯s not that we mind letting you use the kitchen, but¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Could you at least tell us the reason why you wish to use it?¡¹ Both Belfast and Edinburgh opened their mouths and asked at roughly the same time, to which Warspite simply pointed at the kitchen in general. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but while I cannot exactly tell you the reason for that, at least let me tell you that I will require to use that thing over there.¡¹ The kitchen equipment that Warspite pointed towards was located just below the stove on which the soup was still boiling in a lazy manner. It was the open kiln that could be sealed with the use of lid if the one using it required it to be that way. ¡¸Yes, certainly. But, do you know how to handle a kiln like that, Warspite-sama?¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean that the answer is a ¡°no¡±?¡¹ Hearing that sudden question of Edinburgh, Warspite retuned her answer while clearly annoyed and let down. As a matter of fact, neither Belfast nor Edinburgh have ever seen Warspite cook before, or even use the kitchen or any of its utensils in general. Belfast then put her hand on her chest and advised Warspite in earnest. ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, Warspite-sama, would you like me to accompany you in doing whatever it is that you need to do?¡¹ ¡¸No, it won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯s not like I actually need your help with doing what I want to do. As long as this thing is an open one, I can use it just fine on my own. After all, I might not look like it, but this Old Lady here sure has quite a bit of experience behind her belt, you know?¡¹ And just like that, the two maids¡¯ offer to help was turned away. Edinburgh then looked to the side, trying to glance at her sister¡¯s face as discreetly as possible, only to see Belfast shaking her head slightly. Apparently, it was a good idea to just leave this matter at that and not to try and press it any further. ¡¸As you wish, Warspite-sama.¡¹ Belfast said while bowing down deeply. Suddenly, Warspite¡¯s expression changed and she smacked her fist into her other opened hand in a gesture as if she just remembered something important. ¡¸Which reminds me, it would seem that Her Majesty is yet to arrive at the cafeteria.¡¹ ¡¸Her Majesty?¡¹ Belfast rose her head and directed her gaze towards Edinburgh, giving her a look that demanded an answer as she asked: ¡¸Nee-san, is there something wrong with Her Majesty?¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ The only thing that Edinburgh was able to muster out of her throat was that single sound as she looked at Belfast completely dumbfounded. ¡¸Nee-san, if memory serves me correctly, today is your turn to be on the duty to wake Her Majesty up, am I right¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C ?¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 1.03 PART 3 There was actually no need for anyone to say anything more, especially since before Belfast was able to add anything to her words, Edinburgh¡¯s face went ghastly pale in an instant. Seeing that, Belfast went towards the kitchen¡¯s door and opened them wide in one swing, dashing through the room without actually looking back and saying anything. But then she stopped for a moment and said: ¡¸Nee-san, before doing anything else, please make sure that the breakfast preparations are completed. I shall be back shortly.¡¹ Belfast flew through the cafeteria and jumped out of it onto the corridor, her aim to get back into the kitchen before the eggs Benedict would get a chance to cool down and turn cold. As Belfast walked through the corridor, she was passing some of the shipgirls that just happened to wake up and were still yawning with their mouth wide agape, their clothes disheveled or in disarray. She then hurried up the stairs. ¡¸I¡¯d better hurry. That person can get really grumpy and moody if she is served cold eggs, and she can be like that for an entire day¡­¡­¡¹ When Belfast arrived at the top of the stairs, she could see a cloudless and blue sky from the window located alongside the corridor on the second floor. And the fact that the sky was so clear and so blue was promising that this day would be even better and even more pleasant. *** The private quarters of Queen Elisabeth, the one who everyone in the Royal Navy referred to as ¡°Her Majesty¡±, was located on the far end of the southern corridor of the Royal Navy dormitory¡¯s highest floor. Originally, the allocation of the room around the dormitory was supposed to be decided by the classes of the shipgirls living in it. That is why, it was not all that unusual for the shipgirls of the same class to be grouped together on the same floor or corridor. In fact, Belfast and Edinburgh were allocated in the same room, as they were sisters of the Edinburgh class. However, the class that was Her Majesty was the special exception from that very rule. ¡¸Your Majesty, please excuse me, but I¡¯m coming in.¡¹ Belfast said that while she knocked three times onto the door to a certain room before she opened it and entered inside. And once she was in the room, what greeted her was a spacious and extravagant exterior, quite unlike any other room around the dormitory. The floor of the room was covered with a fluffy red carpet, the same kind as the one you would find inside of the lobby of a luxurious five star hotel. As Belfast was making her way through this room, the sound of her footsteps was muffled by the carpet so much that they actually could not be heard at all. There was a magnificent chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. Passing underneath it, Belfast walked into a slightly smaller room with a huge bed placed right in the middle of it. There, on top of that extravagant bed, there was a small figure that looked like a fairy tale princess or a porcelain door, still asleep while breathing ever so gently. ¡¸Good morning, Your Majesty.¡¹ But alas, Belfast¡¯s words were met with no reply. ¡¸It¡¯s time for you to wake up, Your Majesty. The breakfast is about to be served.¡¹ This time around, Belfast decided to speak up with a slightly louder voice. ¡¸¡­¡­ Breakfast¡­¡­ I want to eat pancakes for breakfast¡­¡­Munya~.¡¹ Elizabeth must have finally registered that it was the time for breakfast, but she was still rolling around in her bed, mumbling to herself something incomprehensible. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, Your Majesty, but for today¡¯s breakfast we have eggs Benedict and beans. We also serve tomato salad on the side and onion soup.¡¹ Belfast announced today¡¯s menu to Elizabeth with a perfectly stoic expression, deliberately choosing to ignore that mumbling about the pancakes. ¡¸¡­¡­ Beans¡­¡­ I can¡¯t stand beans¡­¡­ Bel¡­¡­ eat them for me, will you¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Your Majesty, being picky about one¡¯s food is very unbecoming.¡¹ Belfast gently scolded Elizabeth while looking at her in a patronizing way, and then she let out a deep and long sigh, seeing as that was getting her pretty much nowhere. ¡¸Your Majesty, please wake up. It¡¯s already about time for you to do so.¡¹ ¡¸Uuuhh¡­¡­ Just give me¡­¡­ about ten more minutes¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, oh my. And what¡¯s this? What is a cute and fluffy-looking Persian cat like you doing in a place such as this? Are you lost, perhaps?¡¹ Hearing Belfast say those words all of a sudden, Elizabeth jolted up on her bed in an instant. ¡¸Huh!? W-Where is it!? I want to touch it!! Bel, where is it!? Where is that cat that you were talking about just now!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and a good morning to you as well, Your Majesty.¡¹ After she said that, Belfast bowed deeply once more, and then she turned herself around, approaching a huge dresser wardrobe in the corner of the room, so huge in fact that you could easily fit an entire person inside of it and you would still have some space to spare left. Elizabeth, now out of bed and still in her pajamas, was looking around restlessly, trying to locate the Persian cat that Belfast was talking about just now. However, once she realized that there was no cat in here to begin with, her expression turned really sour as she glared daggers at the Head Maid. ¡¸¡­¡­ You tricked me just now, didn¡¯t you, Bel?¡¹ Elizabeth¡¯s eyes narrowed into tight slits in anger, and she grabbed the edge of her pajamas so hard that her knuckles turned all white. Belfast bowed down her head deeply once again while facing her Master, all the while handling her a change of clothes that she happened to take out from the inside of the dresser. ¡¸I am really sorry for that, Your Majesty. However, if I were to let you sleep for a while longer just like that, you would have to eat your breakfast all cold and while doing it all alone in that really big dining room. Surely that¡¯s not a vision anyone would find appealing.¡¹ ¡¸If it would come to that, I would just eat my breakfast together with you, Bel!¡¹ As she got her small body off of the bed, Elizabeth started pouting angrily while she slammed her small and adorable fists against Belfast¡¯s skirt. ¡¸Listen here. It¡¯s not that I mind eating my meals alone, because I do not. However, as Queen Elizabeth, I have a certain image that needs to be maintained. So that is why I cannot eat my meals all on my own. Or could it be that you think that I am not good enough for you to eat breakfast together with, huh, Bel?¡¹ ¡¸Of course not. Doing so is going to be the highest possible honor for me, Your Majesty.¡¹ ¡¸Fufun! Thought as much!¡¹ Elizabeth snorted in satisfaction, puffing out her chest while also being at it. She then assumed a pose that made her look ready to get dressed for the day. Belfast then politely put Elizabeth¡¯s dress on the bed, and then proceeded to unbutton her pajamas from the top and going down, allowing the loose cloths to fall onto the floor. ¡¸Oh well, since I am feeling rather hungry at the moment, let us proceed to the cafeteria at once! Besides, I love eggs Benedict! They are my favorite!¡¹ Once Elizabeth¡¯s shirt was all unbuttoned, her cute little navel could be seen peeking from behind the falling fabric of her pajamas. When she took it off from her shoulders, her white and soft skin became lit by the morning sunlight that was shining through the window, looking delicate and porcelain-white. Once that was done, Belfast picked up Elizabeth¡¯s dress from the bed and put it on her through her head, and the fabric cascaded over her small body in a neat and fitting fashion. ¡¸The eggs Benedict were freshly baked today, so I am sure that they are going to be to your liking and suit your palate, Your Majesty.¡¹ ¡¸Believe me, that¡¯s not the point that I am worried about in the slightest. You are the one who baked it, Bel, so I know that they are going to be delicious no matter what¡­¡­ Oh yes, that¡¯s right. Listen to this, Bel! Yesterday, I went to the pier together with Warspite, and then we went to the beach while we were also being at it. And then, there was this really huge fish in the water and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ ¡¸Your Majesty, I realize that you are excited to tell me this, but if you are going to wiggle so much in place, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to dress you properly.¡¹ When Belfast brought that matter to Elizabeth¡¯s attention, she finally stood still for a moment, and the Head Maid was able to finish dressing her up properly with no other issues. Finally, as a finishing touch she put Elizabeth¡¯s custom-made crown-shaped katyusha on her head, and once that was done Belfast stood up and clasped her hands together, looking at the fruit of her labor. Volume 1 - CH 1.04 Translator: Kurehashi Aiko ¡¸It would seem that yesterday the two of you had quite a bit of fun during your little excursion, Your Majesty, and it didn¡¯t stop you from bringing it along.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s because the soup is broth-based, and it¡¯s getting warmer and warmer outside. Besides, Bel, surely you understand that sometimes one just feels the need to ditch eating inside, just so that one could enjoy the fine weather and warm sun some more, don¡¯t you? You should also try doing it more often!¡¹ ¡¸It is exactly as you say, Your Majesty.¡¹ Elizabeth flashed Belfast her teeth and smiles broadly in a mischievous way. Belfast also loosened her mouth a little bit and smiled slightly, as a reaction to such an innocent behavior that had no qualms whatsoever. During times like these, she could allow herself to let loose ever so slightly and laugh like any normal person would do if they were in her shoes. When the two left Elizabeth¡¯s room and started to walk down towards the dining room, Elizabeth started to fan her face with her hand the moment the first rays of the morning sun brushed against her figure. ¡¸I know it¡¯s still technically morning, but you can say that today is going to be yet another ridiculously warm day.¡¹ While listening to Her Majesty talking like that about no subject in particular, Belfast and Elizabeth returned to the dining room, where they could see Edinburgh finishing arranging the breakfast for everyone and about to return with the serving cart back to the kitchen. ¡¸Edi.¡¹ Having her name spoken up in such a sudden and familiar manner, Edinburgh looked back in a hurry only to see both Belfast and Elizabeth approaching her. Then, when the three came together, Elizabeth turned towards her maids and spoke to them with her voice implying that at the current moment Her Majesty was finding herself to be in quite a good mood. ¡¸And Bel, you listen up as well. For today¡¯s afternoon tea party, I want both of you to prepare us some finest cream tea.¡¹ A tea party, just as its name might suggest, was a party where you would enjoy a delicious tea and some snacks with a group of esteemed guests, usually held outside when the weather was right for the occasion. One would think that when it comes to that kind of parties that they would be especially restrictive when it comes to the members participating, but when it comes to the tea parties organized by the Royal Navy, anyone could participate if they wanted to, and there was no particular restriction as to the maximum number of guests. The purpose of those tea parties? It is for everyone involved to have a good time together while getting to know each other better while eating some tasty treats and taste the delicious tea. And when it comes to cream tea, one always has to think of a black tea and scones that come with it as a sort of set, especially since Elisabeth loved to eat her scones with a whole lot of cream inside of them, all the while sipping on sweet black tea with even more cream inside of it. ¡¸Just like that, I will be able to enjoy some crispy and freshly baked scones with a whole lots of cream together with my guests! Fufu, oh, I¡¯m already looking forward to it quite a lot!¡¹ Mumbling that to herself while in really high spirits, Elizabeth leaves the two maids behind while skipping happily towards the dining room where Warspite was already sitting behind one of the tables. Belfast bowed her head towards Her Majesty and then returned to her duties as a maid, taking care that the breakfast would go without issue and that every girl in the dormitory would get to eat a warm meal in peace. Then, Belfast and Edinburgh could finally eat their own breakfast after everyone else was already done and left the cafeteria. * * * It can be said that the true work of a maid of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps starts right after the breakfast is all done. Everything else before it is just a preface. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Everyone, without any further ado, let¡¯s get started.¡¹ The moment that Belfast, the Head Maid of the Royal Maids Corps, stated that in a formal and serious tone, the rest of the maids would bow down their heads in affirmation and then they would all go towards their designated locations, in order to complete their designated tasks. ¡¸Huu! Today, this here Kent will continue to give it her absolute best at work!¡¹ Said one of the members of the Maids Corps, the County Class, Kent Subclass Destroyer named Kent, while dashing forward with both vigor and enthusiasm. ¡¸Kent-chan, you are going way too fast~. How about you try to walk a little bit slower for a change~¡­¡­¡¹ While swaying her pink hair and huge chest, the fifth ship of the County Class, Kent Subclass, Suffolk, chased after Kent, who had already gone so far ahead down the corridor that she looked like a small bean grain. Right behind her, there was Sheffield, a Town Class, Southampton Subclass Light Cruiser snarling visibly as she walked forward. ¡¸Well then, Bel. I have to go this way for now.¡¹ After parting from Edinburgh at the intersection of the staircase, Edinburgh went towards the second floor of the dormitory while Belfast went towards the first floor. Since Elizabeth announced that they would have a tea party in the afternoon on the spot like that, this meant that the usual amount of work that would be done in the afternoon had to be completed in the morning, effectively doubling the usual workload. ¡¸It seems that today is going to be yet another busy day.¡¹ Belfast said to herself as he climbed down the flight of stairs. The first order of business was the maintenance and inspection of equipment used by the girls living in the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory. There was a whole lot of different kinds of rigging and artillery that was littering the dormitory¡¯s warehouse, and that included the rigging of the girls who were currently going to their lessons, as well as the older shipgrils who were on active duty. However, the Maid Corps would usually perform a minimum amount of maintenance on all of the equipment, since it was also the role of whoever was using it to make sure that it was always going to be in top condition, in case of emergency sortie. After that, there was an important task of exchanging the bedsheets in the rooms of all the shipgirls that were living in the dormitory. One of the most important duties of the members of the Maid Corps was to keep the dormitory nice and clean, and that included taking the dirty bedsheets for laundry, cleaning them, and in the meantime replacing them with the fresh bedsheets that were washed yesterday and properly dried and aired out. After replacing a large amount of old sheets, Belfast took them to the washing room and placed them inside of a large bathtub that she then filled with water and a whole bottle of cleaning agent. Once all of the dirty bedsheets were wrapped in the foamy and bubbly cleaning agent, Belfast started to clean and scrub them by the hand. After she was done with that task, she went right to the next task on her list, which was making the necessary preparations for lunch. ¡¸Haaa~hnn! Busy, busy, so busy~!¡¹ As soon as Suffolk was done with her own cleaning duties, she was roaming inside of the kitchen as well, making sure that all of the necessary preparations for lunch would have been ready right on time. Seeing Suffolk being so busy, Belfast placed her hand on the maids arm to calm her down a bit, and then she opened the lid that was under the stove in order to properly adjust the heat that was raging inside of it. ¡¸Let me help you with that, Bel.¡¹ ¡¸My sincerest apologies for the trouble.¡¹ When Edinburgh returned to the kitchen after swiping the outside of the dormitory clean, the cooking and preparations for lunch proceeded at even faster pace. It was one of the iron rules in the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory that whenever the breakfast would consist of a course that was called a Full English Breakfast, the following meal would not be anything that was too heavy or hard on the stomach to digest. That is why, the lunch menu for today would consist only of fish and chips. It was at that moment that the dormitory¡¯s clock tower would ring its bell to announce that the time was now noon, and at the same time, the preparations for lunch for everyone would also be completed. And it happened to be right on time, for just when the maids¡¯ race against time was completed, they could hear the voices of the shipgirls gathering for lunch inside of the cafeteria. Volume 1 - CH 1.05 PART 5 ¡¸Oh yeah! It¡¯s time to grab some delicious grub! Come on, come on! You¡¯d better want to eat it all fast before it goes cold!¡¹ With both Belfast and Edinburgh still busy inside of the kitchen, the job of taking the food carts and distributing the lunch fell upon Kent and Suffolk, who were currently running all over the dining room, one of the maids being seemingly way more enthusiastic about the task than the other one. ¡¸It seems like¡­¡­ It¡¯s over for now, huh?¡¹ ¡¸It would certainly look that way.¡¹ Before long, the hustle and bustle around the dining room started to die down, and before the maids even realized it, the lunch time was finally over. After rushing to clean up the tableware and wash all the dirty dishes that were left after lunch, it was time for another one of Maid Corps¡¯ crucial tasks: cleaning the entire dormitory once more. And in order to do that, the entire Maid Corps was divided into groups, with each group being responsible for cleaning spotless a certain part of the certain floor of the entire building. The last thing left to do for Belfast for now was to see that the jobs were divided equally and that they would be carried out without fail. That, and one more thing on her official ¡°To-Do List¡±. ¡¸Well then, everyone. Please do your very best with your assigned tasks.¡¹ With those words being said, the maids took various cleaning utensils and supplies in their hands and left the kitchen at once to do their assigned chores. As for Belfast, she could now finally focus on the most important part of her task for today: preparing to make fresh scones. Belfast took out a huge bowl, added the cake flour to it, followed by baking powder and diced butter, and then she started to crush all those ingredients together in order to formulate a cake dough. She then put some fresh cream into the mixture, followed by sugar and salt, and once all of that was done, she started to mix everything together with a spatula a couple of times. She then put the ready dough to the side to let it rest for a while. Belfast was getting a feeling that at the current moment it would not taste nearly as good as it should, so she decided to also add some cranberries to the mixture, just so it could give it that extra sweetness. Once that Belfast managed to do everything that was in accordance with Elizabeth¡¯s request for a freshly baked scones, she started to pour the mixture into the molds and would then let it rest for a while longer, but it was then that she heard the door to the kitchen being opened once more. She then looked back to see just who it was that entered the room just now. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast. I want to report that all of the cleaning that needed to be done on the first floor has been taken care of.¡¹ The earliest member of the Maid Corps to report the end of her assigned duties was of course the Town-Class Light Cruiser, Sheffield. As was to be expected. ¡¸Thank you for all of your hard work, Sheffield. It is always really helpful to have you do your duties and chores as quickly as you do them.¡¹ Being praised like that, Sheffield would only nod her head slightly while standing upright, her facial expression perfectly still and without even the faintest trace of a smile. But even so, Belfast knew that it was just the way that Sheffield was, and that her indifferent attitude was nothing bad. She then flashed her a huge and bright smile. ¡¸¡­¡­ I will go and see how Kent¡¯s group is doing for the time being. It¡¯s not like they are doing a bad job, but they tend to be easily distracted and careless with their tasks.¡¹ With that said, Sheffield turned around and walked out of the kitchen, but right after she left there was yet another person who walked into the kitchen through the door. This time around it was Warspite. ¡¸Belfast. I would like to use the kitchen just like we have discussed this morning.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes, that¡¯s right.¡¹ Belfast said while turning towards Warspite, who for some reason was standing in one spot, fidgeting like crazy. Seeing that Warspite was so reluctant to move from her spot, it would seem that she was still reluctant about doing whatever it was that she wanted to do. Or maybe she wanted to be sure that there was no one else inside and that she wouldn¡¯t be seen going into the kitchen. Belfast then quietly nodded her head and left the kitchen after bowing slightly towards Warspite on her way out. Then, remembering that Edinburgh was supposed to be drying the sheets on the roof, she went up the stairs in order to lend her sister a hand. And once Belfast arrive on the roof, a gentle breeze hit her face right away. Belfast then immediately took out the bedsheets from the basket that was placed nearby, dragon and called out to her sister who up until now was trying her best at doing this chore on her own. ¡¸Nee-san, I¡¯ll help you with that.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Ooh, y-yeah, please do. I¡¯d appreciate it.¡¹ Thanks to Belfast lending Edinburgh a hand with drying the bedsheets, the two sisters were able to finish this particular task way faster than usual, since they did not have to do it on their own. After that, when the roof was filled with a pleasant aroma of freshly washed bedsheets, Edinburgh let out a deep sigh while she sat down on the upside-down bucket that she used instead of a chair or a stool. ¡¸Uuuhh¡­¡­ I know that I should be happy that we have managed to do this task so quickly, but having to rely on the help of my little sister for a task as simple as this one makes me lose all of my confidence as the big sister¡­¡­¡¹ Hearing Edinburgh droop like that, Belfast turned towards her. ¡¸Nee-san, don¡¯t you have it all backwards? It is only a human nature to seek help from others when we are unable to accomplish something on our own. Besides, didn¡¯t you say it before? That we can only be who we are?¡¹ ¡¸I know that I said that, but even so¡­¡­¡¹ Edinburgh said while holding her hair with one hand to prevent them from scattering all over the place on the sea breeze, which was somewhat stronger right now from the one that was blowing in the morning. At that time, ¡¸¡­¡­ Say, Bel? Can you smell it? Doesn¡¯t it smell like something is burning?¡¹ Edinburgh got up from her bucket-chair all of a sudden, approaching the edge of the roof while sniffing intensely. Alarmed by her sister¡¯s words, Belfast also started to sniff the smell that was carried by the wind. And certainly, there was stinky smell being carried on the wind, reminding her of something being burnt. Immediately after she realized that fact, Belfast rushed out of the spot where she was standing and ran inside of the building. ¡¸B-Bel!? W-What¡¯s wrong!?¡¹ Hearing Edinburgh¡¯s startled voice behind her back, as well as the sound of the rooftop door¡¯s coming to a close, Belfast ran down the staircase as fast as she possibly could. She ran all the way to the first floor in one go without coming to a stop even once, and then she dashed straight towards the dining room, through the tables and chairs and arrived at the kitchen¡¯s wooden door. As soon as she grabbed the doorknob and opened the wooden door in one fell swing, the heavy and irritating smell of something burnt started to spread across the dining room. Belfast hesitated for a moment out there, but then she went straight inside of the kitchen, all the while keeping her nose and mouth covered with a handkerchief that she procured from the inside of her skirt¡¯s pocket. The source of the foul smell turned out to be a huge cloud of dark smoke that was coming from the oven that was under the stove where coals were burning. Then there was also the figure of Warspite, looking all flustered and panicked beyond belief. ¡¸*Cough*, *cough*! B-Belfast!? W-What are you¡­¡­!? N-No! T-This isn¡¯t what it looks like! This is¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Please, for now stand aside!¡¹ After she put on the thick cooking gloves so that her hands would not get burned by the fire and the coals, Belfast opened the lid of the stove and in the next moment she grabbed the fire extinguisher that was right next to it, pointing its nozzle inside of the stove. At the same time, a huge flame burst forth from the inside of the opened stove. When she made sure that the hose was plugged properly into the fire extinguisher, Belfast pulled the lever all the way while having the nozzle firmly pointed towards the heart of the fire. Volume 1 - CH 1.06 When the chemical components containing the newest fire extinguishing agent on the market rushed out of the hose, the fire gradually lost its momentum and eventually went away. Since the extinguisher that Belfast used was a fire-fighting device used mainly for sorties, the speed at which it would extinguish the normal, non-combat fires was way higher than the commercial fire extinguishers. After confirming that the fire inside of the stove was completely extinguished, Belfast put down the empty fire extinguisher and turned around, walking towards the kitchen windows and opening them all the way in order to let some of the fresh air inside of the room. ¡¸¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t you say before that this Old Lady knows her way around the kitchen, Warspite-sama?¡¹ In this particular situation, a snarky comment about Warspite¡¯s earlier affirmation was more than appropriate. It would have been way stranger if Belfast did not comment on that. Once the situation was all under control, Warspite hung her head low, her ears all lying down as well. She then apologized in a quiet, depressed voice. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at Warspite¡¯s current sullen and apologetic expression, Belfast knew that she was truly sorry for what she did and that it would be best to leave it at that now. There was no need to actually make her feel any worse. So, without actually pursuing the matter any further, Belfast checked the inside of the oven, which has fortunately become perfectly calm and cold, and then she let out a deep sigh. ¡¸If we hurry with cleaning the stove now, we might be able to get it up and running before the time for dinner, however ¡ª¡ª¡¹ At this rate, it was pretty much impossible to use the oven for the tea party that Elizabeth had planned for this afternoon. And the same thing could be said for the freshly baked scones that Elizabeth was looking so forward to eating alongside the tea ¡ª¡ª they were still left in the oven where they were supposed to be slowly baking, but at the current moment they were nothing more but the burnt lumps of coal. ¡¸It would have been an entirely different thing if those things at least finished baking before this catastrophe, but¡­¡­¡¹ When Belfast took out the scones from the extinguished oven while saying those words, Warspite, who was all timid and flustered up until now, rose her head and slowly looked at the tray with the burnt lumps sitting on it. ¡¸Are those supposed to be¡­¡­ scones, perhaps?¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Being asked such a thing all of a sudden, Belfast could not help it but to frown her brow a little bit as a surprised sound escaped from her mouth, despite her efforts to look a calm and natural as possible. ¡¸Her Majesty was really looking forward to have some freshly baked scones that would be served alongside the tea for today¡¯s tea party, but unfortunately with the over being out of commission and the scones looking like this, I¡¯m afraid that there is nothing that can be done about it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸H-Her Majesty was¡­¡­!?¡¹ After hearing that sudden revelation just now, Warspite let out a panicked and surprised voice, while on the other hand Belfast took the tray with the burnt scones towards the cooking table, where she started to place the burnt confections onto a napkin so that they would not make an even bigger mess on their way towards the trash can. ¡¸But I guess that the blame for this situation lies partially with me as well. I knew that you were going to use the kitchen, Warspite-sama, but even so I did nothing to make sure that the scones that I was baking here would be safe. I must have let my guard down here, and I neglected to make sure that there won¡¯t be any sudden flame hazard. And it is precisely because small misses like that, that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ Just then, when Belfast wanted to continue voicing her inner thoughts out loud, Warspite rose her face, a certain kind of determination clearly visible in her eyes. ¡¸This is all my fault! And because of that, the blame is all mine, and I must atone for my actions! I knew that Her Majesty wanted to eat some freshly baked scones at today¡¯s tea party, so I thought that I could bake a whole mountain of those and make Her Majesty happy with it! But before I knew it, things got completely out of control and then there was nothing that I could do to¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Warspite-sama¡­¡­ You tried to bake scones on your own as well¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Bel!!¡¹ It was at that exact moment that Edinburgh appeared inside of the kitchen once again, finally being able to catch up with Belfast. ¡¸That smell of burning seemed to be originating from here and¡­¡­ Uwah!? What is this¡­¡­!?¡¹ Despite Edinburgh¡¯s sudden intrusion and immediate panic attack after seeing the state in which both the kitchen and the stove were at the current moment, Belfast placed her finger on her chin as if she was thinking deeply about something. There was little to no time left before it would be time for the afternoon tea party, and with the stove being the way it was right now, there was no way in which they could possibly circumvent this issue. After thinking some more for another moment or two, Belfast finally snapped out of her inner world and looked towards Edinburgh, opening her mouth and speaking with a brisk and decided tone. ¡¸I will explain everything later. Nee-san, for now please boil the first batch of tea on the stove over there. Also, prepare some jam and clotted cream while you are being at it.¡¹ After that matter was all taken care of, next Belfast turned towards Warspite. ¡¸Now then. I know that it might be a little sudden and that you might not understand, Warspite-sama, but we are going to make your scones and we are going to use them for this afternoon¡¯s tea party.¡¹ ¡¸I am really sorry that this is something so sudden, but I am sure that it will be something that will make Her Majesty happy.¡¹ After that matter was taken care of, Belfast cast a quick glance at the clock that was hanging on one of the kitchen¡¯s walls. ¡¸The time for the afternoon tea party is almost upon us. Let us hurry up so that we can join the others with their preparations in the courtyard.¡¹ * * * When the three of them arrived at the round table that was carried out and placed in the center of the dormitory¡¯s courtyard, they could clearly see that Elizabeth¡¯s cheeks were puffed out and pouting with anger because someone had the audacity to be unaccounted for. ¡¸You¡¯re late!¡¹ So said so, even though it¡¯s only been about five minutes since the tea party started. So it was still within the expected margin of ¡°Being fashionably late¡±. Elisabeth was sitting behind the table in a graceful manner, even though her small stature required a special elongated stool for her to be able to sit behind the round table comfortably with everyone else. But even with all of that special preparation, it was plainly seen that she was barely sitting above the table¡¯s level and that her height was not adequate enough for a table like that. ¡¸I was beginning to feel so tired of waiting for you to show up that I almost ended up falling asleep!¡¹ After quickly getting up from her seat and facing Belfast and her group, Elizabeth jerked her index finger right at the Head Maid. In the meantime, Belfast took swift action and attached a booster seat to Elizabeth¡¯s seat in order to adjust her sitting height. As a side note here, the custom-made seats here, which were designed in a strictly Royal Navy fashion, came equipped with a low-resilience cushions that are really on one¡¯s buttocks and can also be applied to any other chair if need be. ¡¸Those cushions are very springy, aren¡¯t they? And the way just how comfy they are, it makes you really sleepy.¡¹ ¡¸I guess that they are very soft, but that¡¯s not the issue here!¡¹ Once the booster seat was properly installed onto her chair, Elizabeth sat back on it and acted as if this whole bit never actually took place. Once that matter was all taken care of, Belfast politely bowed her head and then turned towards the person that was actually standing behind her this whole time, holding onto a plate. ¡¸Your Majesty, how about we also include Warspite-sama for our tea party? Warspite-sama herself said that she would like to join you for the occasion.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Warspite, huh? I didn¡¯t know that you actually had any interest in tea parties whatsoever ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C And what¡¯s with that plate that you are holding in your hands?¡¹ Elizabeth, who seemed neither too enthusiastic nor too pessimistic about the prospect of Warspite joining the tea party, pointed her finger to the plate that Warspite was holding onto. Volume 1 - CH 1.07 [Your Majesty, I have tried to bake some scones myself, and I would very much like you to try them.] Warspite then passed the tray that she was holding onto Belfast while bowing down her head politely. [¡­¡­ Well, have a seat, then.] After Elizabeth gave Warspite permission to join the tea party, the Old Lady quietly nodded her head as she sat down next to Her Majesty. [Perhaps I was worried too much here?] Belfast said to herself in a hushed voice while she moved a step away from the round table and took a seat behind everyone present. [I-I¡¯m sorry for being late¡­¡­] Just then, Edinburgh appeared in the courtyard with a serving cart packed to the brim with tea and tea sets for everyone in attendance. Although it took quite a while to get the second stove going, once that was done the preparations could continue as usual, but there was still a delay. This was also a que for Belfast to get up from her seat, and that her short breather was over. She then bowed her head and proceeded to explain today¡¯s lineup to the guests. [Everyone, thank you very much for coming to this tea party and gracing us with your presence. As the hosts of today¡¯s tea party, it is our sincerest belief that social gatherings like this one serve to strengthen the bonds of friendship and comradery between our various factions. Please, as a token of our gratitude, accept this black tea and the assortment of sweets that come with it.] As some shipgrils started to eat the sweets and drink the tea without hesitation, Warspite stood up with the tray still in her hands, as if that was her cue to act. She then placed the tray on the table. [This is the result of me trying to bake some scones for the first time ever. If it would please you, please help yourselves to some of them while you drink the tea together with them.] [Oh my, Warspite-sama tried her hand at baking scones?] While hearing Warspite¡¯s proclamation, one of the gathered shipgirls let out a surprise-filled voice while she looked towards Belfast and Warspite, her face filled with intrigue. Her calm demeanor and the way in which she was carrying herself were full of adult femininity and elegance. Her gaze was filled with warmth and a pair of huge bulges on her chest were in stark contrast to the Queen¡¯s flatness sitting across from her behind the round table. That woman was named Illustrious, and she was the Aircraft Carrier of the Illustrious Class. She was wearing a long white dress with black brim, and her long white hair seemed to shine in the afternoon¡¯s sunlight. She then flashed a warm smile at Warspite. [Now, this is really picking my interest. Have you been making sweets and pastries for a long time now?] [I have only began to take interest in baking sweets recently, but the way that those scone turned out is something that I would like to be proud of!] With that being said, Warspite put her hand on the napkin that was covering the tray up to this point, and then she removed in a quick motion that she clearly had to train a whole lot. As soon as the scones of her making were revealed to the gathered people, everyone became lost for words on the spot, as if they were winding it difficult to react or comment. [So? How are they? I dare say that they came out pretty good.] And with just how proud Warspite seemed to be with her own work, everyone present was having an even harder time at commenting what they could see right in front of their eyes. Because there was so many things to actually comment on, that it was difficult to choose where to start. The first thing that comes to mind was the sheer size of those scones. Because every single scone here was actually the size of a softball, which was a clear abbreviation from their usual small, bite size. Then there was a matter of their color. No matter how you would look at it, they were simply too black. For a moment out there, Belfast seriously doubted that Warspite took the right thing with herself, and that she had mistakenly brought a tray full of marbles or stones with herself. [Umm, W-Warspite-sama¡­¡­ A-Are those really scones? Are you sure of it?] Sitting right next to Illustrious was Hood, battlecruiser of the Admiral class. Normally she was conducting herself in a graceful and elegant manner, but right about now she was fidgeting in her place while looking at Warspite¡¯s scones with both surprise and disbelief visible on her face. [But of course. As expected of you, Hood-dono, even you yourself must be astonished just how well those things turned out to be, huh?] Right next to Hood was sitting Prince of Wales, a battleship of the King George V class. Just like everyone else here, she was looking at Warspite¡¯s scones in pure astonishment, unable to comprehend just how it was possible for Warspite to be so proud of the things that were served on the plate. [I-Incidentally, Warspite? Could it be that you have also put chocolate inside of those scones? Is that why they are of this strange color?] [Hmm? What are you talking about, Wales? No matter how you try to look at them, those are some plain and ordinary scones right here.] It would seem that the last possible bit of hope, the scones being some sort of eccentric take on the original recipe, was now entirely out of the question. Realizing that face, Illustrious, Hood, and Prince of Wales could only let out a deep and long sight, a sad ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡± that accompanied them shaking their heads in apparent disbelief. [W-Well, for the time being, how about we give them a taste, shall we? We might be pleasantly surprised. Right?] Elisabeth, as if she had come to her senses from the initial shock and surprise, called out to everyone present, and as if on cue, Illustrious and other shipgirls quickly picked up the scones from the tray and place them inside of their mouths. And once they did just that, the others also followed suit, taking the scones from the tray and putting them inside of their mouths. [I must say, they are quite hard to bite into and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] While saying so, Illustrious put a smallest piece of the scone that she could possibly take out of the entire thing, and then she placed it inside of her mouth. As for Belfast, she decided to pause for a moment here and simply observe just how this situation would possibly develop. [H-How is it? W-What do you think, Illustrious-san¡­¡­?] In response to Hood¡¯s words and dire look in her eyes, Illustrious kept smiling as per usual, her expression unhanged. [Hmm, it looks like they are safe to eat, at the very least¡­¡­ Well then, allow me to take a bite as well.] With that said, Prince of Wales also put a piece of the mysteriously suspicious scone inside of her mouth. [¡­¡­ UHH!] In the very next moment, Prince of Wales¡¯s expression turned pale and then blue in an instant. [Oh no, this is terrible! Illustrious-san, now that I look at you closely, you are still smiling but behind that smile you are also thinking just how bad those things are!] When Hood finally noticed that Illustrious was also suffering the same way as Prince of Wales did, but managed to mask it all with a smile, both she and Prince of Wales leaned over towards one another so that Warspite would not be able to hear them. At the same time, they were worried that they might actually faint before long from the shock. [B-But why¡­¡­ How could this be!? Even though they look so delicious!!!] But unfortunately for everyone present, as expected, Warspite managed to notice that something was seriously wrong with her hand-made scones, and rushed towards the shipgirls who had gone all blue on their faces. Then, upon realizing what the problem here was, she sat back down, her spirits deteriorating rapidly. [B-Bel! Bring me the stomach pain medicine right away! Hurry up! On the double!] Elizabeth shouted the orders at the Head Maid, but even if she did not do that, Belfast would still be on her way dashing out from the courtyard and back into the building. And while she was running towards the first aid kit that was in the building, Belfast also noticed that this was perhaps the most intense run that she had so far today. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C About ten minutes later. Finally, when the chaos caused by Warspite¡¯s hand-made confections started to subside, Warspite herself took one of her scones and placed it in her mouth. She then grunted in disgust, realizing just how much of a failure that thing really was. Volume 1 - CH 1.08 PART 8 [¡­¡­I thought that it would taste good, since it was the very first time I was baking them in my life.] While saying that, Warspite took another bite out of her hand-made scone, a sight that was slightly scary to look at. [Warspite, you¡­.. You seem to be just fine with eating those things¡­¡­ But as to why that is, I have no clue at all.] Once again, acting and speaking in a way that was far from her usual graceful demeanor, Hood stared at Warspite with an expression that could described as nothing but painful. Honestly, surviving those scones was more of an ordeal than having to fight against the Sirens inside of an unfamiliar Mirror Sea. [Umm, Illustrious-sama¡­¡­ How do you feel? Are you sure that you are okay? Would you like some stomach medicine as well?] Belfast gently called out to Illustrious, who had finally regained her natural, calm and elegant demeanor. [Ah¡­¡­ Thank you for worrying about me, but¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine now, really. There won¡¯t be need for any medicine.] Even though Illustrious¡¯s complexion was still slightly pale from the scone ordeal, she managed to summon a brave expression on her face. Prince of Wales, on the other hand, who also held the piece of the scone in her mouth, was holding onto her head with both of her hands as if she was suffering a tremendous headache. [I¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I feel really thirsty for some reason. I could really use some nice and warm cup of tea right about now.] Hearing out Prince of Wales¡¯s request, Belfast politely bowed down her head. [Understood.] And just like that, Prince of Wales reached out for her cup and started to drink the tea that stood on top of the serving cart that Edinburgh has brought with herself near the table. Earl Gray. Darjeeling. Uva. Dinorah. Nilgiri. Keemun. Among all of the types of teas available here, this particular Darjeeling had the kind of leaves that was from the first flush, and it was to assure the highest quality of the product that was picked right after its winter dormancy period, which was the most suitable time for picking it. Darjeeling¡¯s First Flush, which has a refreshing scent to the leaves, is perfect for a warm afternoon tea party, like the ones the Royal Navy was having today. So it was no wonder that it was decided almost right of the bat to use those leaves in particular as the main tea for today¡¯s party. [That¡¯s right. Bel, if you could wait for just a moment.] Elizabeth spoke to Belfast, who picked up a can of Darjeeling tea leaves and was about to open it. [Yes? Is something the matter, your majesty?] [For today¡¯s party, instead of the tea brewed by you, I would like to drink the tea that was brewed by Edinburgh.] [The tea that Nee-san¡­¡­ brewed, Your Majesty?] With the can of tea leaves still in her hand, Belfast looked at Edinburgh with surprise in her eyes. Just then, Edinburgh pointed her finger at herself with a completely blank expression. [Huh? Who? Me?] [And is there anyone else named Edinburgh in here?] Taking her own words for enough of an explanation and only as a matter of course, Elizabeth pointed her finger towards Edinburgh with her left hand and looked at the rest of the people gathered for the tea party who were sitting all around the round table in the middle of the courtyard. [If memory serves me correctly, neither one of you had it before, hadn¡¯t you? The tea brewed by Edinburgh? Actually, the tea that Edi makes tastes completely different from the one that Bel makes, as surprising as that might sound.] [Certainly, at this tea party, I¡¯ve never had a cup of tea made by a maid other than Belfast-san.] As Illustrious admitted in a calm and collected manner, Prince of Wales slowly raised her right hand, perhaps a little interested in the topic that Elizabeth just brought to light. [Umm, this is¡­¡­ Will the taste of the tea really change depending on the person who is brewing it? Even if they are using the same kind of tea leaves?] Elizabeth then leant forward while smiling in a devilishly innocent way. [Oh, it is. It is going to change. And it will be beautiful change. Isn¡¯t that surprising?] [Hmm, I see. I would love to have that.] With that being said, Hood looked at Edinburgh with eyes filled with expectation as she lifted her cup and said: [While you are going to be at it, could you pour me a cup of tea as well?] For a moment out there, Edinburgh just stood there and looked at the tea cup with a completely dumbfounded expression. Most probably she never would have thought that she would be put on a spotlight and made the center of attention quite like that. [Edinburgh-san?] When Hood called out to Edinburgh, worried that the maid was being so unresponsive for a moment out there, the maid finally realized that it was in fact her that was being called and she snapped out of it, her whole body shaking profusely before she gave a panicked reply. [¡­¡­ Ah!? Y-Yes!? What is it!? I¡¯ll be right there!] Answering while sweating profusely, Edinburgh turned towards the serving cart and started to look and rummage through the tea leaves that were placed there. At the same time she turned towards Belfast and whispered in desperation. [W-Whatever should I do now, Bel!? I have been always leaving tea brewing to you, so I have no idea how to do any of that stuff!!] [First and foremost, do try to calm down, Nee-san.] With a lowered voice, Belfast searched for a can of Darjeeling tea leaves and placed it right on top of the cart, so that Edinburgh could have easy access to it. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how the tea is brewed, is it? Then it¡¯s just a matter of which tea leaves to choose.¡± [B-Bel! Please help me! What should I do!?] [Besides, it¡¯s not like you have completely no clue how to brew a tea from leaves like that, isn¡¯t that right? Then the rest is simply the matter of choosing the right leaves and following the procedure just like with everything else] [B-Bel, if it was you who were to do it, what would you do?] [Here you have the Darjeeling leaves that I was going to use ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [This is yours¡­¡­!] Just as Belfast was about to give Edinburgh some more advice, Elizabeth¡¯s voice came from behind the two maids all of a sudden. [Don¡¯t help her, Bel! For today, I want Edi to choose the right leaves and prepare the tea from start to finish. She should be able to do at least that much, don¡¯t you think?] [My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty.] Belfast quickly turned her body towards Elizabeth, and bowed down deeply in apology. [¡­¡­ And with that, I believe that this is all that I can do to help. Now then, please do your best, Nee-san. Break a leg.] Managing to whisper those words into Edinburgh¡¯s ear so that no one else would be able to hear them, Belfast turned around and returned to Elizabeth¡¯s side, leaving her sister all on her own with the task that awaited her. That way, Edinburgh was left completely on her own, with tears quickly welling up in her eyes, a lonely can of tea leaves being held in her hands. [It¡¯s good and nice and all, but I really have no idea what to do and in what order¡­¡­] Completely in a state of panic now, Edinburgh was picking one can of tea leaves only to place it back on top of the serving cart and pick another one right after that. And once she was finally able to decide on the right can, it served only the purpose of her starting to second-guess her choice, placing the can back on top of the cart and the whole process would basically start all over again. And what¡¯s more, it had to be right after that scone fiasco just now. Having witnessed such a disaster, it was only natural that Edinburgh was overcome with a looming sense of dread ¨C¨C¨C she knew that she could not afford to make something half-baked here, lest she wanted to incur Her Majesty¡¯s wrath. As for Belfast, she was watching her Sister struggle in her own indecisiveness from the distance. Being in such a state, Edinburgh must have felt even more pressure than she would being sortied out on the sea fighting the Sirens. And of course, seeing her struggle like that, Belfast couldn¡¯t help it but to feel nervous as well. [A-Alright! This one! I¡¯m going to go with this one!] The tea that Edinburgh finally decided upon was Nilgiri¡¯s Autumnal. The additional curry tea leaves originated from India, but since the time for their harvest was around the end of autumn, they were actually picked last year and were not of a very high quality. Volume 1 - CH 1.09 PART 9 Why did she pick up that particular can out of the many other high quality possible choices? While Belfast was pondering her head over that matter, Edinburgh poured hot water into the pot and put a lid on top of it. [Now then, if you¡¯d be so kind as to wait a little while longer, please.] Although Edinburgh was trying her best to put on a bright smile on her lips, Belfast could clearly see the awkwardness on her sister¡¯s face that she was unable to shake off, no matter how hard she tried. And as a matter of course, even at the round table in the middle of the courtyard, everyone except Elizabeth had an uneasy expression on their faces as they continued to watch Edinburgh struggle. After a little while longer, Edinburgh finally grabbed the teapot in which the tea should have been all ready now, and she started to pour the tea into the cups of everyone present at the round table. Lastly, she filled Elizabeth¡¯s cup, and then she returned the empty teapot on top of the serving cart, letting out a deep and pained sigh after she realized that she somehow managed to do her job right. [I, I did it¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how, but I somehow did it¡­¡­] [Thank you very much for all of your hard work, Nee-san.] Belfast then directed her gaze at the round table while still not forgetting to give Edinburgh the words of appreciation that she needed to hear after an ordeal such as this. Now then, what kind of tea did she chose to serve to the guests of the party, especially since that tea had an important job of actually calming down the atmosphere that Warspite¡¯s failed scones brought upon them? As for the gathered guests, no one said anything for now, and instead they have all raised their cups and brought them towards their mouths. A gentle breeze blew through the trees surrounding the courtyard, and the quiet sound of the rustling leaves reached the ears of everyone gathered at the tea party. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oh my?] The first to open her mouth was Illustrious, and the current expression on her face was completely different from the timid and elegant expression that she had before she put the cup to her mouth. This expression was the expression of surprise and excitement, but not the bad one, but rather the good and pleasant one. [This tea is very delicious, Edinburgh-san. Truth to be told, I think that it is on the same level as the tea that Belfast-san is always brewing for those tea parties of ours.] After Illustrious said that, Hood was the next one to follow suit and part the cup from her lips, looking towards Edinburgh with an expression of pleasant surprise painted all over her face. [This particular tea has a much simpler, but also gentler taste than anything else I have ever drank. I wonder if it is thanks to the autumn tea leaves? Could it be that only those can produce such taste? Or maybe it¡¯s simply a matter of drinking off-season tea? But it also makes me feel really calm and relaxed.] However, it would seem like the one who was the most surprised by the effects that the tea had on everyone present was the one who brewed it, which was Edinburgh herself. And it would seem that the words of praise was not really helping her to recover, but only served to fluster her even more. She just stood there beside Belfast for a while, and only when the Head Maid gently touched her back with her hand she seemed to have finally snap out of her daze, bowing her head in a hurry while panicking. [A-Ahh! T-Thank you! Thank you very much!] Having witnessed all that, both Warspite who was at Elizabeth¡¯s side and Her Majesty herself were the last ones to bring their cups closer to their mouths, having the taste of Edinburgh¡¯s tea. Then, after a brief moment that seemed to have lasted for a whole eternity, both of them parted their cups from their lips and lowered them down, putting them back on their respective saucers on top of the table. They then stared at them for one more moment. [Me too¡­¡­ I think that this tea is really delicious.] [Right? I told you that the tea that Edinburgh brews is something else, didn¡¯t I?] Elizabeth said so with a really big grin on her face, and then she picked up her cup and reached out with it towards Belfast, as if urging her to take it from her hand. [Here, you should have a taste as well, Bel. If memory serves me correctly, you never actually had Edi¡¯s brewed tea before, right?] Belfast just stood there and hesitated for a moment, staring at the teacup that Elizabeth was passing onto her. [Your Majesty, this is your teacup and yours alone. Are you sure about this?] [Sure, as long as it is you, Bel, I don¡¯t mind in the slightest. Even if it was something like an indirect kiss.] It would seem that there was no hesitation on Elizabeth¡¯s part here. And because of that, Belfast was in no position where she could possibly refuse a direct request from Her Majesty, so she had no other choice but to graciously accept the teacup. Before she brought the teacup to her lips,, Belfast cast one last quick glance at Edinburgh. But she was no longer there, as it would seem that she was summoned by one of the guests sitting behind the round table again, seemingly asking for a refill of their already emptied cup. While watching her sister getting praised and her tea suddenly getting way more popularity than you would think possible, Belfast sipped on the tea that Elizabeth handed her. At the same time, she could hear only positive comments bombarding her ears from left and right one after another. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C This is¡­¡­ When Belfast took a sip of that tea that her sister made, she was immediately blown away by its taste. Of course, the tea tasted like freshly brewed green tea first and foremost, but it also felt that it was slightly less astringent than the one that Belfast tried to brew herself sometimes ago, with the use of the very same tea leaves as the ones that Edinburgh was using just now. From its original mild at best taste, this one here was slightly more drinkable and its taste was way softer on the taste buds. When Belfast thought about it for a moment, the way in which Hood described that tea, as a simple and gentle taste, could not have been more accurate. Because that was exactly what this tea was all about. For those simple Nilgil leaves to evolve into something as exquisite as this tea¡­¡­ How was that even possible? How did this even happen? [So, Bel? What do you think after tasting it yourself?] When Belfast finally came back to her senses, she could see that Elizabeth was looking at her curiously, a huge grin present on her lips. Despite her having some truly mixed feelings about this situation, Belfast decided to answer truthfully, in accordance with her own feelings at the moment. [It was delicious. Really delicious.] [See? What did I tell you?] While Belfast returned the teacup back to Elizabeth, she puffed out her modest chest, looking all smug and feeling good about herself for some reason. [Also, I am more than sure of it, but¡­¡­ I don¡¯t think that you would be able to bring out the same kind of flavor from that tea, Bel.] [I wouldn¡¯t be able to¡­¡­ bring out the same flavor?] Those words actually made Belfast stop in her tracks, her mind going completely blank for a moment. She had to remind herself in a hurry where she was right now and that she needed to behave accordingly before she snapped out of it. When it comes to the brewing procedure, as far as Belfast was able to tell Edinburgh did not do anything special in particular, or that was out of the ordinary. On the other hand, since she did not watch over her sister¡¯s every single move and action, she could not be all too sure that she did not added something extra to the tea while she was being at it, or that she did not in fact created some sort of a special blend on the spot. For a moment she really considered all possible option of foul play on Edinburgh¡¯s side, but then Belfast shook her head in a hurry to chase those thoughts away. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Thinking in such a way was the epitome of foolishness. ¡­¡­ Besides, Belfast knew deep down inside of her heart that Edinburgh would never do such a thing. Although there were times when she was really clumsy and absent-minded, that was all part of Edinburgh¡¯s charm, as well as the fact that she was always straightforward and honest. Volume 1 - CH 1.10 Truth to be told, the moment that Elizabeth nominated Edinburgh to be the one to brew the tea for everyone currently present at the party, for a moment out there Belfast considered it as a huge red flag. However, it would seem that her sister¡¯s natural happy-go-lucky attitude and scatter-brained personality were reflected in the way in which she brewed that tea, allowing her to mix up something truly incredible. But still, that was not plausible enough of an explanation how Edinburgh managed to brew such a magnificent pot of tea, especially when she was being put on the spot like that. Out of sheer personal curiosity, Belfast wanted to go and grill her sister for some much needed details right about now. However, ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C With so many people present in here at the current moment, Belfast would be unable to do that. Not to mention the fact that Her Majesty was here as well. And the fact that they were still in the middle of the tea party right about now¡­¡­ Which was a shame, because Belfast would really like to taste that strangely rustic tea some more if she could help it. For the time being, Belfast had to stand on her post and make sure that the tea party would continue flawlessly and without incidents. However, deep down inside of her heart, the Head Maid part of her personality was slowly starting to reach a boiling point, and she could clearly feel it. But for the time being there was nothing that she could do about it. * * * The sun had completely set beyond the horizon, and the current time was slightly after the 8:00 p.m. Since even after the tea party was over Belfast still had her duties to perform, such as helping with the dinner preparations and ironing her uniform for the next day, there was no actual way for her to be able to come to Edinburgh and ask her about the events that transpired earlier on today. And the fact that she was unable to do so was really starting to make a toll on Belfast¡¯s nerves. But fortunately enough for Belfast, the busy part of her day was finally coming to an end. Now that all of the student shipgirls that were living in the dormitory have finished their meal, all that¡¯s left was to simply wash the dirty dishes all at once in the kitchen. For a short period of time, the only sound that could be heard inside of the kitchen was that of Belfast meticulously working her way through the dirty plates, cluttering of porcelain followed by the sound of running water. But then there was something else, a loud cluttering of plates that was a far cry from natural or intended. With nothing more but a hunch and a bad feeling guiding her, Belfast stopped doing what she was doing and she hurriedly started to search for the source of the loud sound, only to stumble across something that could only be described as a catastrophe in the making unfolding right in front of her very eyes. [Ooops¡­¡­ I think I might have accidentally pile up those plates a little bit too high¡­¡­] And the source of that catastrophe in the making was now several meters away from Belfast. It was none other than a fellow member of the Maid Corps, the County Class Heavy Cruiser Kent. To be more specific ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C the source of the impending catastrophe were two stacks of more than twenty dirty plates that she was carrying in each of her hands. And as one might have expected from two towers of porcelain like the ones Kent was carrying, they were shaking and swaying to the sides all the time, tilting dangerously and sometimes almost ending up touching one another. Also, there was a matter that with two stacks of plates in her hands like that, there was no way that Kent could possibly see anything right in front of her, or where she was going. And the unsteady way in which she was making each and every single step was more than enough to give anyone who would be watching her right now an anxiety attack. Without being able to confirm the path right in front of you, there was only one way in which this could end. And that was something Belfast would rather want to avoid. [Kent. I want you to stay perfectly still. Don¡¯t move even an inch until I say so.] In order to avoid the worst future imaginable right now, Belfast cautiously went into action. She also decided to speak as calmly and quietly as possible, as to avoid scaring Kent and causing her to drop the plates by accident. [What? What¡¯s wrong, Head Maid?] But rather, that plan ended up backfiring horribly. The moment Belfast realized what was going on, it was already too late to do anything about it. Hearing Belfast addressing her, Kent tried to turn around in one swift motion, all the while yelling out loud. At that exact moment, the two porcelain towers in her hands swayed mightily and caused the maid to lose her balance and start to fall forward. As a result of that action, the two stacks of dirty plates began to slowly collapse. Right after she understood that, Belfast started running at full speed. In a blink of an eye, Belfast managed to shorten the distance between herself and Kent, and she did so just in the nick of time, managing to catch the first plate that was on the verge of actually hitting the floor. Then, as two more plates started to fall down towards the floor, Belfast managed to secure them while she crouched down. Luckily for the two maids, it was only those three plates that fell from the two stacks, others miraculously managing to stay in place. [WAH! Wawawawawah!!!] Although Kent somehow managed to restore her balance, unfortunately enough the recoil from that action caused even more of the plates to start to shake and slide off of the two piles. And no matter just how good Kent¡¯s reflexes were here, it was literally impossible for her to slip backwards with her hands still occupied, and that sadly resulted in two of the plates falling down and slamming against the floor at full speed, shattering into tiny little pieces. When Belfast raised hear head towards the rest of the two piles, she could see one more plate starting to slip and becoming about ready to plummet towards the kitchen floor. Thinking to herself that she couldn¡¯t possibly allow any more plates to fall onto the floor and shatter, Belfast leaned backwards and quickly placed the three plates she managed to catch on the floor. Next, without even waiting for the situation to develop further, she jumped in the air and caught the plate in her hand before it managed to fall and shatter like its predecessors did. That should have been the end of it. But then, the oil-covered plate slid off of Belfast¡¯s hand and was shot forward, spinning like a Frisbee while being at it. It then continued to fly across the kitchen. Of course, the spinning flying object started to lose its speed and altitude soon enough, falling down and crushing into the floor with a loud sound of broken porcelain. [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] Realizing that her intention to prevent a disaster from happening only caused it to take place, albeit on a much smaller scale, caused Belfast¡¯s cheeks to become red with embarrassment. That was not the finale that the Head Maid wanted to be a part of. [What¡¯s wrong? What was that sound just now?] Immediately after the sound of the shattering plate died down, Edinburgh jumped into the kitchen while yelling those words, followed by Suffolk and Sheffield who were also clearly in a panic. Seeing the scene before them, the three shouted out loud while going towards Belfast. [I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­Head Maid!] Realizing that it was all her fault, Kent started to apologize to Belfast while looking all nervous. However, Belfast only answered her in the following way: [What¡¯s done is done. Now, I don¡¯t want you to be careless with pieces of the broken porcelain, because it can be really dangerous. Let¡¯s clean this mess up, shall we?] [Yes¡­¡­] Even though Kent tried to give Belfast a smile, it was a smile filled with remorse, so much different from her usual one. Kent then followed Belfast towards the small closet in the corner of the kitchen, from which they have taken out various cleaning supplies. [A-After I¡¯m done with my own chores, should I lend you a hand with this as well?] As soon as Edinburgh entered the kitchen, she rushed towards her sister¡¯s side. [If you want to help us Nee-san, can I ask you to finish washing the dirty dishes? There is still quite a bit of them left in the sink. Think you could do that for me?] Volume 1 - CH 1.11 Coming into the dining hall with a broom and a dustpan in tow, Belfast carefully started collecting the pieces of the scrambled porcelain while the other maids cleaned up the dishes. Once she was done with that, Belfast placed the broken plates inside of the trash can, and went outside to throw it away. After she was done throwing away all the collected pieces of broken porcelain and came back inside, back, this time Belfast started to clean up the sauce and leftover food that flew all over the place alongside the plates when they started to fall down. The last thing that needed to be done was to simply mop up the floor. Belfast has gotten completely absorbed into her work, and because of that she has completely lost her sense of time. And when she finally happened to cast a glance at the clock that was hanging on the wall ¨C¨C¨C [Oh my, it looks like the date has already changed¡­¡­] At some point, the time had already passed so much that right now it was thirty minutes after midnight. When Belfast hurriedly went to see how the kitchen cleaning crew was faring so far, she could see that the ceiling light was already turned off and only the light of the lone lantern on top of the cooking table was still on. [¡­¡­ Nee-san?] The one standing in front of that table was none other than Edinburgh. When Belfast approached her sister, she could see that she was sleeping peacefully with her head resting on top of her crossed arms, her long and silver hair falling like a cascade all over her face. Apparently, Edinburgh must have been waiting here for Belfast to finish her cleaning duties? As for Kent, Suffolk and Sheffield, all three of them were nowhere to be seen. Belfast had been so focused on cleaning that she had completely forgotten all about it, but she remembered that they have come here and she gave them some smaller tasks to fulfill about two hours ago. For a moment out there, Belfast just stood there over the sleeping Edinburgh and then she gently stroked her long, silver hair. [Hmmmnnnh¡­¡­] Edinburgh let out a strange sound from her mouth, neither a moan nor a gasp, and then she frowned her eyebrows as if she wanted to let the one who was disturbing her right now that she did not wished to be woke up just yet and that she wanted to sleep some more. [Nee-san, you¡¯d better wake up soon. If you continue to sleep in a place like this, you are surely going to catch a cold.] Raise her sister¡¯s still sleeping body ever so slightly, Belfast supported her against her own body and gently picked Edinburgh up, making sure to hold onto her tightly so that her sister would not slip up from her grasp and fall onto the floor. Now, making doubly sure that Edinburgh was still resting safely in her hands, Belfast started to carry out her sister out of the kitchen, making sure as to not wake her up. [Come to think of it now, I never got to ask you how exactly you managed to prepare that tea during the party this afternoon¡­¡­] Even though she muttered those words to herself, Edinburgh was still sleeping like a log, with nothing being able to wake her up. But still, for all this time, Belfast¡¯s mind was still caught up on that part of the day when Elizabeth proclaimed that it was the kind of tea that only Edinburgh could have made, and that she would not be able to create something quite like this even if she tried. [Nee-san¡­¡­ How did you manage to arrive at such a unique flavor all on your own?] Belfast pushed open the door of leading to the dining hall, and once she got through it she went directly towards the staircase. After she managed to climb two flights of stairs and arrive at the third floor of the dormitory, Belfast¡¯s mind suddenly managed to arrive at a certain conclusion. She wanted to be able to reproduce the taste of the tea that supposedly only her sister was able to create. And she would stop at nothing in order to achieve that goal. And what would be the better way in order to achieve that goal than trying to imitate the kind of lifestyle that her sister was leading on a daily basis? [Fufufu¡­¡­ Just what am I thinking here, I wonder?] Belfast then skillfully opened the door to their room while making sure that Edinburgh sleep would not be disturbed, and as she was closing the door she could not help it but to laugh at her own thoughts just now. [When you want people to change, you best start from yourself ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I know that I might have said that in the past, but it really is just like that, isn¡¯t that right?] And while Belfast once again mumbled those words into an empty space, not directing them towards anyone in particular, she then went to bed while being filled with a feeling as if she managed to receive a sudden revelation. * * * The next day was similarly sunny and warm just like the previous one. However, when it comes to the atmosphere that was permeating the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, it was something completely different from yesterday. [Your! Your Majesty¡­¡­! Please, do try to calm yourself down!] While Edinburgh¡¯s loud voice was being carried down the corridor while she was marching alongside Elizabeth, the other shipgirls who just so happened to be nearby or happened to heard it stopped doing what they were doing and observed the current situation with great interest. [P-Personally, I also think that it is something that is quite strange, but¡­¡­ But maybe Bel was simply tired from all the things that happened yesterday? Or maybe she happened to eat something funny and now she is feeling unwell because of it and¡­¡­ And¡­¡­] [If I wanted to hear your opinion on the subject, Edi, we would not be going to hear the explanation from Bel herself now, wouldn¡¯t we?] The time was already well an hour past everyone¡¯s usual wake-up time, and Queen Elizabeth was walking straight towards the Head Maid¡¯s room, who was still unaccounted for, while Edinburgh was tagging along right behind her, visibly distressed. The emotions that could be seen on Her Majesty¡¯s face right about now were also something that could only be described as ¡°out of the ordinary¡±. The golden hair of Her Majesty were almost standing upright, her cheeks were bright red with anger, just like ripe apples. And the way in which the small shipgril was proceeding forward was similar to the stampeding elephant, her entire body brimming with aura of intimidation so severe that even someone much taller than her would choose to get out of her way rather than confront her right now. And once the two arrived at the right room while the sound of their footsteps could have been heard loud and clear echoing across the entire corridor, Elizabeth threw the door to Belfast¡¯s room open without even bothering to knock first. [Hey, Bel!? What the hell is the meaning of this!? Why didn¡¯t you come to wake me as you were supposed to do!?] Spinning around, Elizabeth was simply fuming with anger like a ferocious beast right about now, as she approached the bunk bed that was placed in the corner of the room. [Edi! Which one is Bel¡¯s bed!? The lower one!? Or the upper one!?] [Umm, it¡¯s the upper one, Your Majesty.] As Edinburgh said so while looking clearly distressed, Elizabeth jumped on the small ladder and climbed to the second story of the bunk bed in what seemed like a record time. [Bel! Wake up! Wake up, you hear me!? BEL!!!] Having climbed the ladder to the second story of the bed, Elizabeth yelled out loud at her Head Maid, slapping the huge, human-shaped bulge that could be seen under the blankets over and over again with mighty force and speed. [BEL! It¡¯s already morning, god damn it! Just like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s always trying to wake me up, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s doing the exact same thing for you right now! And I will never forgive your for making me do such a thing, just so you know! So come on now, get the hell up! Rise and shine! BEL!!!!!!] Edinburgh, who up until now was observing Elizabeth exclusively from behind, suddenly thought to try and come closer to her, and then she saw that the expression painted all over Elizabeth¡¯s face was hardly that of anger or annoyance. Quite the opposite, actually. [Your Majesty, could it be¡­¡­ Are you actually having fun doing this sort of thing?] Yes. In fact, Elizabeth was enjoying herself greatly right about now. Under any normal circumstances, it would be impossible for someone like Belfast to sleep in like any other ordinary shipgirl. Until now, she has always acted as a role model of a maid who has been doing her best in her life, at every possible step at all times. So it was impossible for her to oversleep like that. Volume 1 - CH 1.12 Hell, it was unheard of for her to EVER sleep in like that before. So today was truly an unprecedented event. Or it should actually be called an earth-shattering event. Even for Edinburgh, who was always living in the very same room as Belfast, it was her first time waking up and seeing Belfast somewhere else than in the kitchen, right in the middle of her morning routine. So even when she happened to wake up earlier today, she had no idea that Belfast was still sleeping in her bed because she naturally assumed that she was already down in the kitchen. And even when she did not see her in the kitchen, the first real though that occurred in her head was simply: maybe she¡¯s just off to somewhere, cleaning? At the kitchen table there were already things prepared with which the breakfast could be made, which had probably been done by the Head Maid the day before. So, even if Edinburgh was by herself, the breakfast could be splendidly completed on time, and there would be no other problems to deal with or anything that could be considered out of the ordinary in particular. However, today was an entirely different story. Because today Belfast was still unaccounted for even after everyone else was done with their breakfast, and what was even more outrageous, she even completely ditched her most important duty of the entire morning, which was waking Her Majesty up. At the current moment Edinburgh thought that even the world¡¯s entire ecosystem might be in jeopardy. Because if Belfast happened to sleep in, it would not be all that improbable for snow to start falling down in the middle of spring. [Wake up! Bel!! WAKE!!! THE!!! BLOODY!!! HELL!! UP!!! Ahahahaha!!!] When Elizabeth finally started laughing in a sincere and happy way, Edinburgh went up to the bunk bed and called out to Belfast. [Hey, Bel, what¡¯s wrong? Could it be that you¡¯re not feeling too well? Does your stomach hurt? Have you eaten something funny?] It was at that time that Belfast¡¯s bed suddenly started to shake and sway. The shape underneath the sheets began to swell more and more, and before long, unable to hide the figure of the person who had been underneath it this whole time, Belfast rolled to her side and fell from under the sheets right on top of the bed. Both Edinburgh and Elizabeth were left at a loss for words once they witnessed Belfast¡¯s appearance. Because Belfast, who had just so happened to wake up, was wearing her staple and traditional maid outfit. Then, Belfast slowly turned around towards Edinburgh and Elizabeth and, [I happened to oversleep. I am most terribly sorry about that.] And then she made a very blunt apology just like that, as if it was the most natural thing in the entire world to do in a situation like this one. But no matter how one would choose to look at this entire situation, it was not something where a mere and simple apology would be enough to consider the matter settled. There was also the matter of Belfast¡¯s gaze. Her eyes were the eyes of someone who could see their conversation partner perfectly well. It¡¯s not that she had to squint them or try really hard to actually see the ones right in front of her. It was the direct gaze of someone who had been accustomed to the morning sunlight for at least several hours at the current moment. Sure, her hair were in a slight disarray, but it was just that. It was a far cry from a jumbled mess that could usually be described as a ¡°bed hair¡±. The reason why Belfast¡¯s hair were like that was undoubtedly caused by her lying flat on the pillow for a while now, but aside from that they looked really neat and well-kept. [Say, Bel? ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t really want to think that it was the case here, but could it be that you were actually awake this whole time?] Hearing what Edinburgh asked her just now, Belfast was looking seriously dumbfounded. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It was the kind of look that seemed to be asking ¡°How? How did you figure this one out¡±? The current time was more or less 9:30 am, but truth to be told, Belfast was already well awake for the past five hours or so. She performed her daily routine of opening the kitchen window, feeding the birds their beloved breadcrumbs, and preparing the ingredients for breakfast so that whoever would appear in the kitchen first would be able to make it right away without much issues. But there was actually a reason as to why she went back to her room and continued to lay inside of her bed all this time. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It was all so that she could become as close to how her Sister was as possible. By doing so, she thought that she would be able to see something that she was unable to see all this time, that some sort of new world would open itself up before her. In other words, this was all the result of her peculiar competitive spirit turning her mind into a very weird and peculiar direction. But even so, Belfast was unable to comprehend what just happened here. How could Edinburgh have caught on her strategy so quickly? Especially since she made sure to emulate her sister¡¯s behavior as perfectly as she possibly could, especially the part where she would oversleep every now and then? [Bel, be honest. It¡¯s just like Edi have said, isn¡¯t that right? You were awake all this time, but you were just pretending to be asleep, correct?] Elizabeth¡¯s cheeks puffed up in anger when she said those words. For a moment out there both Elizabeth and Edinburgh thought that maybe there would be some sort of a twist to this story, but unfortunately, Belfast could only nod her head silently, her expression looking really sad. And unfortunately that fact also became an additional fuel that only made Elizabeth¡¯s flames of anger grow even stronger, especially since she has already managed to see through Belfast¡¯s lies quite easily. [Both Bel and Edi! You are to report to my private quarters right this instant! Especially you, Bel! I won¡¯t tolerate you messing with me and doing whatever you like!] Saying that, Elizabeth stomped her tiny feet against the ground and she left the room almost as suddenly as she stormed her way in. Edinburgh, who was left behind, was looking at Belfast and at the entrance door alternately while clearly being flustered and not knowing what to do. [W-What¡¯s wrong, Bel? You are acting really weird today, you know¡­¡­?] [¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­] But even in light of those words, Belfast made little to no attempt at answering that question. But since matters have already went so far, there was no longer anything for her to lose here. So she was not going to hesitate and she would even directly address her sister about it if that¡¯s what it would take for her to arrive at her goal. And so, thinking that it was the only way for her to be able to properly recreate the taste of that afternoon tea, she Belfast got out of the bed in one swift motion. And once she did that, all of a sudden she turned towards Edinburgh, the look on her face being as serious as ever. [Nee-san, I would like to ask you for a favor, if that is alright with you.] * * * When both Edinburgh-Class sisters came to Queen Elizabeth¡¯s private quarters just like they were told, the shipgirl in question was standing under the extravagant chandelier, her back turned towards the two maids. She then went forward towards her dresser and started to rummage through its contents. [Alright, wait just a minute¡­¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure that it was somewhere in here ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Aha! There it is! Just what I was looking for!] While letting out a happy shout, Elizabeth took something out of the dresser and turned her face towards Belfast and Edinburgh. However, as soon as Elizabeth saw Belfast¡¯s face, her expression turned really cloudy. [Is something the matter, Your Highness?] [Bel? Why are you wearing those glasses now?] True to Elizabeth¡¯s words, Belfast wore glasses on her nose, a spare ones that she happened to borrow from Edinburgh. In order to reach her ultimate goal, Belfast thought it would be necessary for her to look at the same scenery in the same way as her sister does. But when she looked at the scenery in front of her, it was all wobbly and everything was shaking and shifting all the time, a sensation that made Belfast¡¯s head spin. However, she couldn¡¯t just give up so soon, thinking that this was the world that Edinburgh was looking at every single day. So she stood her ground firmly, trying to keep her head down while trying to act in accordance with Elizabeth¡¯s wishes. Volume 1 - CH 1.13 [¡­¡­ Ohh well, I guess that¡¯s actually fine. It doesn¡¯t really matter. But more importantly, Bel. You have failed your duty today to wake me up. That is why, as punishment I am going to have you take part in a Punishment Game!] [A Punishment Game, Your Majesty?] [Yes, that¡¯s right! And the punishment is THIS!] Elizabeth then brandished the item that she have fished out from the inside of her dresser right in front of Belfast¡¯s face. And for some reason she was strangely excited about this whole ¡°Punishment Game¡± thing. As for the item that she was holding in her hands, it was a blue one-piece swimsuit of a very particular design. [This is something that is called ¡°School Swimsuit¡±. Normally it would be something that kids that are still in school would be allowed to use, but as your punishment, you are going to be wearing it from now on until I say otherwise, Bel!] [T-This is¡­¡­! No way, it¡¯s this thing¡­¡­ from that one time¡­¡­!] Belfast looked with curiosity at her sister, who for some reason had a really shocked expression written all over her face when she witnessed that swimsuit in Elizabeth¡¯s hand. [That one time? What are you talking about, Nee-san?] Edinburgh then turned beet-red on her face and fell to her knees while holding the sides of her head with her hands, as if trying to chase away some particularly nasty memory. [¡­¡­ It happened about two months ago or so. I happened to fall asleep and I couldn¡¯t get up on time, so I ended up oversleeping really bad. It was at that time that Her Majesty had me wear this thing as punishment. And now every time I happen to remember that ordeal¡­¡­ Uuuhhh! I can feel my head starting to hurt!] Judging from the way in which Edinburgh was holding her head in her hands while shaking all over, having to wear that swimsuit must have been a truly traumatic experience for her. Elisabeth then looked at Belfast with a sinister smile blooming on her lips, especially since Edinburgh seemed to have given her a glimpse of what was waiting for her just now. As for Edinburgh, she looked about ready to die from both embarrassment and regret at the same time. [Alright then! Time for your punishment, Bel! You are to wear that swimsuit right now! And after you do that, I am going to take lots and lots of your embarrassing photos using this thing right here!] As she was saying those words, Elizabeth took out a small single-lens reflex camera that she also must have been keeping inside of her dresser. Looking at that perfectly plain and ordinary camera, Edinburgh started to shake her head left and right vigorously, apparently chasing away even more unpleasant memories. [¡­¡­ I just have to wear it, isn¡¯t that right, Your Majesty?] When Belfast received Elizabeth¡¯s swimsuit, she then went behind the partition of the dresser¡¯s doors and began to change her clothes right away without any kind of reservation, making sure not to wrinkle her maid uniform too much ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Even if there was no member of the opposite sex in this room together with them, being watched as she changes her clothes felt strangely masochistic to Belfast, especially since she could feel Elizabeth¡¯s gaze staring really intently at her all the time. With the corner of her eyes, Belfast could also see that Edinburgh now managed to pull herself together, but she was covering her face with both of her hands, the tips of her ears so bright red that you would think that there would be steam coming out of them right now. But at the same time, she was making sure that there would be enough gaps in between her fingers so that she could still be able to see perfectly clear how Belfast was changing into that school swimsuit. And right beside Edinburgh, Elizabeth was watching Belfast closely, with her trusty camera at the ready. [Alright! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s good! Now look back right at me with the most seductive look that you can muster, and try to fix that swimsuit¡¯s line over your butt with your index fingers ever so slightly!] Belfast turned her back towards the camera-holding Elizabeth and tried to hook the swimsuit¡¯s edges over her butt with her index fingers just like Elizabeth instructed her to, while Her Majesty was getting more and more enthusiastic about this whole punishment. [Yes! That¡¯s it! This is great! Just like that!] Also, completely caught up in the moment, Elizabeth got closer to Belfast and started taking some really risqu¨¦ close-up shots of the Head Maid without a moment¡¯s hesitation. [Hmmm¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but for some reason those pictures seem to be a little plain.] But after pulling her eyes away from the viewfinder, Elizabeth¡¯s face was strangely glum and darkened. Even after all that, Elizabeth tried to take different angles with her shots or ordering Belfast to strike different poses in the center of the viewfinder, but no matter how many photos she would take of her or how creative she would get with her requests, Her Majesty¡¯s expression was only growing more and more dissatisfied by the minute. Apparently this was not what she was hoping for when she devised this punishment for Belfast. [Hmm¡­¡­ Say, Bel? How about you try to give me some more ¡°lewd¡± poses next? What do you say?] [Huh? More ¡°lewd¡±¡­¡­ poses, Your Majesty?] Hearing Elizabeth¡¯s outrageous request, Belfast eyes opened wide in bewilderment. She understood it well enough to know that in this context ¡°lewd¡± poses meant ¡°poses capable of sexually arousing members of the opposite sex¡±. However, since she never actually had that many opportunities to spend time alone with members of the opposite sex, she was not all that confident that she would be able to pull those poses off very well. Or what would those poses even be, as a matter of fact. [Now, whatever shall we do about this particular predicament? How about something like this?] Saying that, Belfast tried to lay flat on her back on the floor, pushing her chest forward in an attempt at emphasizing their shape and size as much as possible. However, Elizabeth only puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, her brows frowning greatly. [Well then, how about something like this?] Next, Belfast turned over onto her stomach, pressing her breasts against the floor and putting a long strand of her hair into her mouth, trying to look as seductively as possible while also exposing her bare neck. But once again, even though Elizabeth took a bunch of photos of the Head Maid, her expression was a dead giveaway that this was still not it. She was still not satisfied with the results they were getting here. As for Belfast, she was honestly at the end of her rope here. She honestly did not know what to do. And just as she was about to start pondering the matter some more, [Bel, your expression! It¡¯s way too indifferent for photos like this! And your movements! They are way too stiff and way too awkward! You might think that you look lewd like this, but this is not lewd at all! Far from it!] [But even if you say something like that to me¡­¡­] Without any kind of reference or specific pointers, Belfast was sure that she would not be able to strike any ¡°lewd¡± pose, no matter how hard she would try to do that. Also, clearly irritated at the moment, Elizabeth stomped her leg as she pointed towards Edinburgh and shouted at the Head Maid. [Ugh! You know what, forget it! This is boring! Way too boring! You are not shy about all of this and not nearly embarrassed enough! And if you don¡¯t feel embarrassed about all this, then there is no point in playing this Punishment Game! At least be like Edi about this! She at least fell on her knees after all those embarrassing poses I ordered her to do, and she started crying that she won¡¯t be able to get married anymore because of that or something!] [Wha¡­¡­ Y-Your Majesty! Please don¡¯t say things like that about me to Bel! And you promised that you wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about that time!] While Edinburgh went down on her knees, looking as though she wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for the rest of her life because of the embarrassment of her memories, Elizabeth suddenly went closer towards her, the camera still in her hand. [Boring! You are just so boring, Bel! You should actually learn a thing or two from Edi, because she¡¯s way lewder than you in that aspect! So at least she¡¯s not boring as you are! Now, open your legs like this, and then spread them like that, and¡­¡­] [Y-Your Majesty!? Stop it, please! Your Majesty¡­¡­!] Seeing Elizabeth chasing after Edinburgh around the room like that, Belfast somehow got a feeling as if she was the only one who was left out of the loop, and she got up from the floor. Volume 1 - CH 1.14 [Your Majesty¡­¡­ Are you perhaps saying that I am incapable of being ¡°lewd¡±?] People can¡¯t change if they do not take action towards that change. It was Belfast herself who said those words, and she sincerely believed that the meaning of those words rang true. (¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Does that mean that I¡­¡­ Can never hope to become just like Nee-san?) But even though she knew that more than anyone else in this world, she still wanted to know the secret of the taste of that green tea that Edinburgh served at yesterday¡¯s tea party. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Your Majesty. Please look at this.] In response to Belfast¡¯s sudden call, both Elizabeth and Edinburgh who were still chasing and running around the room came to a screeching halt. [I may not be good at striking poses that one might consider ¡°lewd¡± or ¡°indecent¡± because I have no prior experiences with those, but¡­¡­ I am more than confident enough that I can strike poses that will make myself feel embarrassed.] Speaking in a way as if she just happened to make up her mind, Belfast gently started to pull the straps of her school swimsuit off of her shoulders in a strangely stimulating manner. [Your Majesty, hearing you mention Nee-san¡­¡­ made me remember something. As long as you think that the things that you do are embarrassing¡­¡­ That¡¯s what the opposite sex is going to find attractive and ¡°lewd¡±, isn¡¯t that right?] With that being said, Belfast slid the swimsuit¡¯s straps right off of her shoulders. And she just continued to pull the straps down until she eventually reached the point where she thought that the sight should be more than racy enough. However, that was not the only thing that Belfast was going to do. There were still a whole lot of things that she did not know just how lewd they would be. At least, not until she would actually try them out and see what kind of reaction they would get from others, and how it would make her herself feel. And so she tried doing just that. Thinking that to herself, this time around Belfast tried to boldly shift her entire swimsuit all at once. [Bel!? What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing!? Geez, stop it! Just stop it already!!] All of a sudden, Edinburgh dashed forward towards Belfast and forcefully pulled the straps of her swimsuit back onto her shoulders, fixing the rest of the swimsuit while she was at it. For a moment out there Belfast was in a daze-like state, unable to actually comprehend what just happened here. [Seriously! What the hell is wrong with you today, Bel!? Ever since this morning, you¡¯ve been acting all weird and not like yourself at all!] The expression of deep sorrow and concern that was now clearly visible on Edinburgh¡¯s face was more than enough of a proof that she was seriously worried about her sister, and that it was more than enough to overcome the embarrassment that she was feeling. Edinburgh then let go of the shoulder straps of Belfast¡¯s swimsuit and just casually sat down on the floor while letting out a tired sigh. [AAAHHH!!!!!! Geez!!! Stop it already, you two! Just stop!] In a gesture of pure frustration, Elizabeth tossed her camera onto her huge canopy bed. [Even though this whole thing was supposed to be a Punishment Game, this doesn¡¯t really feel like a Punishment Game at all! Also, Edi is right, Bel! There is something seriously wrong with you today!] * * * Later this afternoon, after finishing all of her chores for the time being, Belfast decided to go into the dormitory¡¯s kitchen and start making preparations for tonight¡¯s dinner. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Everyone, I am really sorry for causing you so much concern. Please, accept my sincerest apologies.] After the two maids have left Elizabeth¡¯s private quarters, Edinburgh was staying at Belfast¡¯s side at all times, not leaving even for a moment. And that is exactly why Belfast wanted to reassure her that everything was fine and that her beloved sister had no reason for concern. [I have already calmed down, Nee-san. Everything is fine. There is no longer any cause for concern.] [¡­¡­Really now? Are you sure?] Even though Edinburgh nods her head, there was still a clear trace of anxiety that could be heard in her words. So this time around, Belfast chose to use a slightly calmer tone. [Really, Nee-san. There is really no point for you to concern.] When Belfast said that, Edinburgh looked at her for a long moment before she eventually leaned onto her shoulder, looking drained both physically and mentally. At this point in time, Belfast thought that she had already caused more than enough concerns to her dear sister. There was no need for her to worry her even more. However, since he had let her go, he no longer wanted to become her wife. She should have done what she originally meant to do, that is to ask Edinburgh to show her how to brew that tea of hers. However, because she missed her initial opportunity to do so, with the passing of time going back to that topic was growing increasingly harder and harder for her. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C However, with how things were right about now, Belfast was more than sure enough that she would be able to properly ask her all about it. Even if it would turn out to be something that she would be truly unable to recreate. Right now it was more about her simply being able to satiate her own curiosity. [Nee-san. You see, there is actually something that I really wished to ask you about, ans ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] It was then that the door to the kitchen were swung open and someone walked right through them. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Ah! You two! Perfect timing! I¡¯m glad to see you!] Looking back towards the entrance to the kitchen, the two maids could see none other than Warspite herself who for some reason decided to pay a visit to the kitchen once more. Besides Belfast and Edinburgh, Suffolk of the Maid Corps was also in the kitchen watching the fire burn inside of the kiln right next to the two sisters. But unlike Belfast and Edinburgh, who show little to no reaction, Suffolk jolted up in a panic, almost managing to fall over. [Waah! T-The Head Maid and Edinburgh-san!? T-This isn¡¯t what it looks like, this is¡­¡­ That. You know? What is it that people actually call it again¡­¡­?] [You see, because of what happened yesterday, today I have returned with an ally! This time I asked this here Suffolk-san to watch over the fire! So this time we should not have any unfortunate accidents or miss-happenings.] When Warspite said those words without even trying to hide the purpose of her invasion upon the kitchen, Suffolk could only smile in a apologetic way, all the while sweating profusely all over. [In the light of yesterday¡¯s events I really wanted to learn more about the whole art of sweets-making. That is why I am here and why I asked Suffolk-san for help.] [So, is that what this is all about?] Belfast then started to look around the kitchen, and before long she noticed something: resting on top of the kitchen table, there was a freshly baked cherry pie. [Warspite-sama, forgive me for asking, but¡­¡­ Is that something that you have baked yourself as well?] [Hm? Ahh, this thing? Yes, that¡¯s right. However, since it did not turned out all that well I decided to place it to the side and try over from scratch one more time¡­¡­] True enough, the cherry pie that was resting on top of the table seemed to have been slightly overcooked, and although was not nearly as dark as the previously burnt scones, the dark crust was still clearly visible. Belfast then approached the burning kiln and opened its lid, [Warspite-sama. Where did you exactly placed your pie when you were baking it?] Being asked such question, Warspite came towards the kiln and showed Belfast the right place with her finger. [I¡¯m pretty sure that it was around here somewhere.] [I think that the reason why it turned out the way it did was because it was placed a little bit too close to the fire. I think that if it was placed a few centimeters to the right, it would have been just right.] While Belfast and Warspite were standing in front of the kiln and talking about various places where one could place things inside of it, Edinburgh suddenly clapped her hands as if he had suddenly remembered something important. [Ah! That¡¯s right! I left the washed bedsheets in the hands of Kent and the other maids, so I think I¡¯m going to go and lend them a hand a little bit. Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse me.] [Oho? Well then, if it¡¯s like that, then I guess that I should also go and help them out.] Suffolk also left the kitchen alongside Edinburgh, leaving Belfast and Warspite on their own to discuss the matter of the cherry pie on top of the table. [But still, for it to actually turn all nice like that on your second try, that¡¯s actually a sign of a true skill. Did you learn the recipe from scratch?] [Yes, I in fact did. I happened to look it up in a cook book¡­¡­ and the rest was basically adding ingredients with cups measured by eye. And that¡¯s about it.] [Can I have a taste of it? Wouldn¡¯t that be a problem?] Volume 1 - CH 1.15 ¡¸But still, for it to actually turn all nice like that on your second try, that¡¯s actually a sign of a true skill. Did you learn the recipe from scratch?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I in fact did. I happened to look it up in a cook book¡­¡­ and the rest was basically adding ingredients with cups measured by eye. And that¡¯s about it.¡¹ ¡¸Can I have a taste of it? Wouldn¡¯t that be a problem?¡¹ Belfast¡¯s sudden words made Warspite hesitate for a brief moment out there. ¡¸Y-Yes¡­¡­ Go right ahead¡­¡­¡¹ But then she just nodded her head, her cheeks blushing shyly. Once Belfast received Warspite¡¯s permission, she was fast to act. She took out a kitchen knife from one of the drawers and cut the cherry pie into even pieces. Once that was done, Belfast picked up a piece of the pie and slowly brought it into her mouth. ¡¸¡­¡­ Well? What do you think? Belfast took a moment to properly bite through the pie, savoring its taste and swallowing it down. She then was ready to give Warspite her answer. ¡¸To put it bluntly, it¡¯s way too sweet.¡¹ However, even so, the way in which that cherry pie turned out was completely different from those scones that made their debut at the tea party yesterday. It was way better and way more presentable. And just when Belfast was about to praise Warspite for being able to do something that could be considered quite an achievement for a beginner cook¡­¡­ ¡¸Why!? Why can¡¯t I get it right!?¡¹ Warspite cried out loud, throwing her fists into the air in a gesture of frustration, shifting her embarrassment-filled gaze from the pie on the table onto Belfast, and then the other way around. It was then that Belfast thought that she needed to step in and say something to her, lest the kitchen could suffer some serious damage, worst case scenario. ¡¸Warspite-sama. I would like to remind you that no one in this world can achieve mastery in a particular subject overnight.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know! I know that all too well, but¡­¡­!¡¹ Warspite¡¯s eyes widened greatly in the sudden outburst of emotions, and she took a deep breath as if she was about to say something more. However, she stopped halfway through, as if realizing what she was about to do, and then she just mumbled to herself in a hushed voice. ¡¸Warspite-sama. There is no reason to hold back with your words. Right about now we are the only ones in here. Only you and I, Warspite-sama.¡¹ By making sure to emphasize on that fact, Belfast thought that she would be able to expose Warspite¡¯s inner thought, to make her speak from her heart without reservations. It is only natural to have things inside of your heart that you do not want others to hear about. That is why people don¡¯t usually voice them out loud. This was especially true in regard to Warspite, since she was the kind of person who would naturally be very reserved with her words and does not voice her thoughts all that much. But it was precisely because she was like that that Belfast thought it would be beneficial for her to do that at least once. And just as she was about to ask Warspite what was it that was buried deep inside of her heart, ¡¸As long as you keep on trying, you are going to eventually reach your goal¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t that the way those things go? Isn¡¯t that true for you guys as well?¡¹ Warspite said those words in a hoarse voice while making a particularly painful expression on her face. ¡¸Even if I were to repeat and practice every single day, there is also the notion of the sheer natural talent, I guess¡­¡­ That is why I can never hope to be as good as you guys are! That is why the gap between us will never close!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Certainly, the amount of experience that one might have is an important factor¡­¡­ But Warspite-sama, why are you so obsessed with comparing yourself to the members of the Maid Corps?¡¹ ¡¸Because otherwise there is no meaning to it.¡¹ ¡¸And why is that?¡¹ At that moment, Warspite looked as if she wanted to run away and be anywhere else that was not here. The corners of her eyes were filled with tears that seemed to make her look even sadder than she already looked. ¡¸Surely you all must feel overjoyed when people keep on telling you that your sweets taste delicious, right!? At least it always looks that way to me! You are always smiling so bright, as if nothing in this world could possibly make you feel happier!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Umm, excuse me?¡¹ For a moment, Belfast didn¡¯t understand what Warspite was saying. However, when she eventually realizes that this was actually the weakness that she didn¡¯t want to show to anyone else, she opened her mouth right away. She then timidly asked her Warspite, partially because she was finding that fact hard to believe. ¡¸¡­¡­ Umm. This is, well¡­¡­ In other words, you wanted to learn how to make sweets so that you could get praised the same way we do and feel the same kind of elation from that that we are feeling?¡¹ Actually being able to hear her own thoughts being put into words like that, Warspite¡¯s entire face turned beet-red in an instant. It would seem that Belfast managed to hit the proverbial nail to the head with that previous assessment of hers. While Belfast was at a loss for words upon realizing that, thinking to herself that this kind of jealousy and competitiveness was actually kind of pointless and would not bring the Old Lady anything good, Warspite herself wiped the tears that were accumulating in the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and then she started right at the cherry pie on the table. ¡¸I just thought that someone like me¡­¡­ That even when it comes to sweets-making, that it would be something that even someone like me would be able to pull off.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ And I am going to keep that fact well in my mind, Warspite-sama.¡¹ That being said, Belfast tried another bite of the cherry pie. After all, just as they say, taste is a truly subjective matter. And depending on the taste of each and every person, one might find something nasty, while the other person is going to love that very same taste. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C But still, a taste like the one of that cherry pie would not be nearly enough to be to Her Majesty¡¯s liking¡­¡­ After a moment of being lost in deep thought, Belfast went towards the fridge¡¯s door. ¡¸How about we try to make another pie, Warspite-sama? We still have a lot of time before dinner, so we will be able to do this before starting to make the necessary preparations. And with me watching you every step of the way, you might be able to make something even more delicious than that pie right here.¡¹ After Belfast said that, the rest was simply a collaborative effort between the two shipgirls. By having Warspite actually see the process of dough-making with her own eyes, and having her comment and speak up every time that something would catch her attention in particular, Warspite was able to slowly learn more and more about not only pie-making and scones, but also cooking in general. And with every step of the way, Warspite was listening closely and taking in the new knowledge just like a sponge would absorb water, even going as far as to take notes. ¡¸Since when did you know so much about sweets-making, Belfast?¡¹ When the dough for the pie and its filling were all finished and everything that was left to do was to simply bake it, Warspite suddenly turned towards Belfast and asked her that question. ¡¸There is a whole lot of books available in the Port¡¯s library, covering a variety of different subjects. While reading through those that were related to cooking, I have often tried to recreate the recipes that were listed in them. I have tried them over and over for days, and after a really long time I was finally able to reach a point where I am currently standing at. In the beginning, I was at a level where the things that I have made were not really all that suited to be presented to anyone, much less being eaten by others. And believe me, Warspite-sama. During that time I was even less skilled of a cook than you are now.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. Does that mean that I might actually have a talent for baking after all!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s what I am getting at. The possibilities are clearly there.¡¹ With a slight chuckle, Belfast opened the lid of the stone kiln. ¡¸Now then, please put the pie inside for now. And just as I said earlier, please leave it at a little distance from the center of the kiln, so that it won¡¯t get burnt that easily.¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 1.16 PART 16 Warspite then put the pie inside of the oven and placed it exactly like Belfast instructed her to. While staring at the Head Maid as if she was seeking affirmation from her, it was at that time that Belfast opened her mouth, as if remembering something important. ¡¸Come to think of it, there was this one passage written in that one book. It was regarding the process of both cooking and preparatory work. It mentioned that while doing both of those things, there is one important thing that cannot be forgotten.¡¹ ¡¸Cannot be forgotten? And what would that be?¡¹ In response to that, Belfast folded her hands together in front of her and then she grinned broadly. ¡¸It is to make a prayer for the dish that you are cooking to turn out a success.¡¹ ¡¸Make a prayer, you say?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Here¡¯s what it said: ¡°The greatest secret of making the most delicious of meals is to put all of your feelings into the dish that you are making. Especially the one of wanting your special someone to eat the most delicious of meals¡±.¡¹ Hearing that, Warspite looked genuinely shocked and surprised. But since Belfast was not laughing, she only looked at her with even greater astonishment. ¡¸¡­¡­ Is that true? Are you actually being serious?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, absolutely.¡¹ ¡¸So you mean that, umm¡­¡­ I have to make a prayer that hopefully Her Majesty is going to find it to her liking? Like, right here and right now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸¡°Please, I hope that it turns out to be good and delicious¡±~¡­¡­ You want me to say that!? A cutesy and embarrassing line like that!?¡¹ ¡¸Why, of course. Since you are the one making it, Warspite-sama.¡¹ While she was blushing embarrassedly, Warspite cast yet another glance at the kiln oven. Although she seemed to be hesitant for a moment out there, it was her desire to make Elizabeth think that her sweets were delicious that turned out to be way stronger than her own embarrassment. ¡¸Please, turn out really delicious¡­¡­ Please, I beg of you, turn out to be delicious¡­¡­ Please, become the best pie that there ever was, so that eating it will surely put a smile on Her Majesty¡¯s face¡­¡­!!!¡¹ When she was done saying that in a dazzlingly pleading voice, Warspite slowly stood up. ¡¸¡­¡­ Are you sure about it?¡¹ ¡¸This is¡­¡­ Yes, I¡¯m sure. No problem at all.¡¹ And after roughly twenty minutes, the two opened up the lid of the oven and took out the ready pie from it. Belfast then cut the pie into slices and put a piece of it into her mouth in order to check the taste. ¡¸How is it? Did it turn out to be good?¡¹ Warspite asked anxiously, eager to know what the verdict of the Head Maid would be here. And after slowly tasting the pie and inhaling its scent as well as checking the overall structure and texture, Belfast said the following: ¡¸I am sure that Her Majesty is going to find its taste to be satisfying.¡¹ It was precisely at that exact moment that¡­¡­ It was exactly like witnessing a clear blue sky after the dark and heavy storm clouds were finally gone for good. ¡¸ALRIGHT!!!¡¹ Warspite has showed the most adorable smile right now, the likes of which has never be seen on her lips before. She laughed in pure joy from the bottom of her heart, just like an innocent little girl would do, and after making a fist pump in front of her, she threw that fist high in the air, as if she wanted it to reach all the way towards the ceiling. ¡¸Your Majesty¡­¡­! Now even someone as unworthy as I am can succeed in baking you the most delicious of pies whenever you desire to have one!¡¹ Warspite stood there just like that for a moment or two more, but then she must have remembered where she was and that Belfast was still with her, for she lowered her fist and tried to get back to her usual demeanor. ¡¸O-Of course, it¡¯s not like I previously was unable to do so! Things such as this one are but a trifle thing for this Old Lady right here! Ohohohohohoho!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, but of course. I completely understand.¡¹ After placing the slices of the cherry pie onto a plate, Warspite carefully held the plate with both of her hands and headed straight towards the kitchen door. Knowing that she was going to do that, Belfast went ahead and opened the kitchen door for her, and while carefully observing cheerful Warspite gazing at the pie that was in her hands right now, she slowly nodded her head in approval. Of course, the Old Lady did the same thing. ¡¸Thank you very much for today, Belfast¡­¡­¡¹ Even though Warspite¡¯s words of gratitude were really quiet because of how fast she was dashing ahead, Belfast was still able to hear them loud and clear all the same. And just like that, she stood at the kitchen door, staring at the leaving Warspite in acknowledgment, with her words of gratitude still ringing in her ears like a beautiful melody. * * * After dinner was already over, Kent carried the dirty dishes back into the kitchen, this time around making sure not to stack any towers with the plates, so to avoid the disaster that took place yesterday. After that was done, the washing process went really smoothly and without any major incidents, and the way in which the mountain of dirty plates was quickly shrinking down was leaving Belfast wondering why everything went so horribly wrong yesterday. When Belfast looked at the time, the hour was only just 9:00 p.m., which was much too early for the Head Maid¡¯s usual bedtime. ¡¸Hey, Bel! Would you like to take a bath with me today?¡¹ When she turned off the light in the kitchen and put out all of the lanterns, Belfast happened to hear Edinburgh¡¯s voice giving her an invitation like that. It was customary for the Maids to go to the dormitory¡¯s bath separately after each maid was done with her share of tasks for the day, so moments like this when Belfast could go in for a dip together with her sister were actually few and far between. After thinking about it for a good while, Belfast finally opened her mouth and gave Edinburgh her answer. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I was actually thinking about doing some preparatory work for the tomorrow¡¯s tasks and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ However, Belfast was never allowed to finish what she was about to say, for Edinburgh managed to interrupt her swiftly. ¡¸Let¡¯s go in together, shall we? Surely you¡¯re not going to decline, right? RIGHT?¡¹ The slightly annoyed expression that was currently visible on Edinburgh¡¯s face was the sign of just how serious she was about this whole matter. Apparently, Edinburgh must have still been worried about Belfast and her strange behavior from earlier this morning. And in the light of that fact, Belfast swiftly deduced that declining the invitation would only serve to worry Edinburgh even more, and she wanted to avoid doing that for the time being if she could help it. ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s do just that¡­¡­ After all, it¡¯s been a long time since we last happened to bathe together.¡¹ When it comes to the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, its baths were located on the northern side of the ground floor of the building. Of course, when it comes to Elziabeth, she also had her own private bathroom, but this one was available to everyone else. It was the kind of bath that was using a series of pipes and pumps that pulled the hot water from the main boiler with the hot water storage tank, and the same one is used in the dormitories of other factions around the Port island. The only thing that was different in here from all the other dormitories was the fact that the bathroom¡¯s floor was made out of polished marble. Taking off their maid uniforms and covering their bodies with thin bath towels, the two maids went through the door and enter the proper bathroom. As they did just that, they could see that there was quite a large number of other shipgirls that were still using the baths, relaxing in the hot water and chatting with one another. ¡¸Bel! This way, this way, come quick!¡¹ Following Edinburgh¡¯s prompt, the two sisters went for the free corner of one of the more spacious bathtubs, and after they were able to sink in all the way to their shoulders, both Edinburgh and Belfast could feel that their fatigues from all the day¡¯s work was starting to quickly wash away without a trace. ¡¸Don¡¯t you get a feeling that bathing together while naked is something that dating couples would usually do?¡¹ Edinburgh said something completely random like that while stretching her arms comfortably and staring blankly at the bathroom¡¯s ceiling. Volume 1 - CH 1.17 PART 17 [¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It was just a joke on my part. Think nothing of it. Oh, and you certainly don¡¯t need to comment on that.] It would seem that Edinburgh realized that she just blurted out something totally embarrassing, and so she started waving her hands at Belfast, and then she just scratched her head in an attempt to play it down. It was also something that Belfast was considering ever since the morning, but the way in which Edinburgh looked when she was still wearing those vision-distorting glasses was truly horrifying and completely different from her usual adorable image. And realizing that fact for some reason, made Belfast¡¯s expression turn truly miserable, quite unlike her usual demeanor. Maybe now was the right time to act. [¡­¡­ Nee-san, umm¡­¡­ There is something that I wanted to ask you for a while now.] As the two maids continued to soak inside of the bathtub and bask in the warmth of the water, Belfast finally managed to gather up her courage and said what he wanted to ask Edinburgh. [How did you manage to make that tea taste so good back then? It¡¯s been bugging me ever since.] [¡­¡­ The tea? Back then? What are you talking about, Bel?] [I¡¯m talking about that tea that you made yesterday, back at the afternoon tea party. Ever since I have tasted it, and even more so after what Her Majesty have said, I wanted to know how you manage to do it. I wanted to know the secret of its deliciousness. And so I¡­¡­] Belfast wanted to say that she tried to imitate the way in which Edinburgh was behaving and working, but she ultimately could not bring herself to admit to doing that. It was way too embarrassing. When she was thinking about it now, when Belfast was looking at Edinburgh she was becoming more and more aware of the fact that everything she was doing today was nothing more than a farce and a facade. It was just something that she was doing in order to ease her own insecurities and worries. Only now Belfast was starting to realize just how childish and stupid her today¡¯s behavior really was. Because taste is just that ¡ª a taste. Something completely subjective. And there was no need for fellow Royal Maids to compete in regards to that. Because every Royal Maid was perfect in their own right. Thinking about that subject made its toll on Belfast¡¯s face, as it became clouded and a far cry from it¡¯s usual professional elegance. Upon hearing the words of her sister, Edinburgh stared at her with a blank expression for a while, And then she began to laugh and giggle in an uncontrollable way. Her voice was loud and sounded like a myriad of silver bells ringing all at once, and before long she began to attract the attention of all other shipgirls who were present in the bathroom. [Did I really say something so funny? For me it is a serious cause for worry, I¡¯ll let you know.] [Ah, no, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡­ It was a little bit unexpected, that is all.] Seeing that Edinburgh was nowhere near to stop laughing anytime soon, Belfast could feel that her face, her cheeks in particular, was becoming hotter and hotter by the moment. However Belfast was adamant in telling herself that this was because of the hotness of the water inside of the bathtub, and not because of the increasing feelings of both shame and embarrassment. [I guess that this is so like you, Bel. I am sure that this matter was driving you crazy and you were unable to let it go.] Edinburgh then clasped her hands together in front of her face and then she closed her eyes and leaned back, leaning against the edge of the bathtub. And then she did something utterly incomprehensible. [Please become delicious! Please, become delicious! I beg of you, please become delicious! ¡­¡­ That¡¯s the basic wish that anyone can have while they are making tea for everyone to enjoy at a tea party, wouldn¡¯t you agree? And that¡¯s about it. That¡¯s all there is to this taste.] [Nee-san, but that¡¯s¡­¡­] Before Belfast was able to finish saying that it was the magic prayer that was written down in that one book that she read in the past, she stopped herself from doing just that. It was also the same thing that the Head Maid taught Warspite not so long ago. But when it comes to Edinburgh, Belfast refused to believe that it was all thanks to something so superstitious. Surely there must have been something more to it, some sort of legitimate technique. [No way, Nee-san. That has to be a lie. Surely there must be something else. I refuse to believe that this would be all.] Edinburgh then tilted her head in puzzlement while she was still upholding her ¡°magic spell¡± pose. [I do believe that I have told you this before. I don¡¯t find it surprising at all that you are doubting a method like that, Bel. After all, you are the type who follows the recope to a T, so it¡¯s only natural that you would have no need for spells and prayers like that.] Belfast could not believe what she was hearing. No, she simply refused to believe it she wouldn¡¯t accept that explanation as truth. But in actuality, she knew all too well that it was precisely something that her sister would do. At the same time, she could no longer decieve herself that the hotness burning inside of her cheeks was a result of the hot water of the bath. [¡­¡­ Oh, just forget it. Forget I said anything, Nee-san. I don¡¯t care anymore.] [Don¡¯t care about what?] In response to Edinburgh¡¯s question, Belfast did not answer her anything in particular, just laughing sternly and making a puffing sound while sinking her face halfway down into the hot water, causing a myriad of small bubbles to distort the water¡¯s still surface. She also continued to realize that her sister was surely one of a kind. Volume 1 - CH 2.1 CHAPTER 2: The Teacher¡¯s Time PART 1 At around 2 p.m. the bell signaling the beginning of recess rang out loud all across the Home Port island. [Uuuhhh¡­¡­ My head hurts, I don¡¯t want to take classes anymore¡­¡­] A small girl with messy purple hair whined out loud while walking down the school¡¯s corridor with wobbly and uneven steps. The usual lovely smile filled with energy that could be seen on her lips all the time was now nowhere to be seen. [M-My precious Force reserves¡­¡­ I can feel them being drained at an alarming rate¡­¡­] A little bit behind the purple-haired girl there was a brown-haired girl walking with even more wobbly step, emitting an even darker aura than anyone else around her. She had a haggard look on her face, staring at her own right hand and while mumbling some truly incomprehensible words all the time without caring if someone was able to hear her or not. [As for me¡­¡­ I¡¯m starving, I want to eat something already¡­¡­] [I¡¯m going to be done for any minute now¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t lunch here yet?] Even more behind the purple-haired girl, another girl was holding onto her stomach with both of her hands. As if to confirm her words just now, there was this loud rumbling that could be repeatedly heard coming from the inside of her stomach all the time, resembling a rumbling of some wild beast. All of the four girls: Javelin, York, Cygnet and Yuudachi then let out a long and tired sigh as they continued to march forward, and that sight alone made Belfast stop for a moment and cock her head in puzzlement. [That¡¯s strange¡­¡­ I wonder what happened to make them all be that way?] At the current moment Belfast was walking down the corridors of the school building of the Home Port, specifically in the part of the building called the Tactical Classroom. The girls living in the dormitories often join the military operations and sorties at the request of their Commander. As for those sorties and exercises, the number of shipgirls taking part in them can vary, but it was usually from one to six members at maximum. They cover a wide range of tasks and activities, such as material procurement and defense patrols, and the degree of achievability for their goals varies as well from task to task. As for Javelin, York, Cygnet and Yuudachi, those four have never experienced military assignments before. That¡¯s why for today, four experienced shipgirls, including Belfast, became instructors and gave preparatory classes to the girls who had not yet experienced any kind of military assignment, in order for them to be fully prepared when the time would finally come for them. Or at the very least, that should have be the case here. Because for some bizarre reason, all for of the girls were now covered in mud from head to toe. [Umm ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Bearing witness to such an unusual right, Belfast could not help herself but to cock her head in puzzlement some more. [Everyone, for the time being¡­¡­ How about we do something about all that mud covering your bodies? Before we do anything else?] After Belfast made a suggestion like that, the four being led by the crying Javelin made their way towards the shower room in a hurry. And while the four girls were busy cleaning themselves under the showers, Belfast decided to return to the classroom ahead of others. When she slowly closed the classroom door, she lets out a deep sigh and muttered to herself. [Well then¡­¡­ I wonder how exactly did it come to this?] After saying that, Belfast slowly looked back and reflected on the events of last night. ¡ª¡ª It happened just after dinner time last night. [You want me to become a teacher?] [Yes. You see, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to cover for me for tomorrow.] Hood smiled as he sat on the thick green leather sofa. [By Commander¡¯s orders, I cannot really leave here until tomorrow, you see.] As she stood right next to Hood, Belfast pondered her head, considering Hood¡¯s request very seriously, as well as its possible consequences for a while. The two of them were currently in a separate dormitory from the one that housed the main force of the Royal Navy. It was stipulated that only ten people at maximum can live here at any given time, regardless of the faction to which they belonged to. It could be said that this place was built specifically for the purpose of nurturing inter-faction relations. For some reason, the furniture inside would change with the seasons, and it was a place with a special construction effects that¡¯s been called one of the Seven Wonders of the Home Port Island. This particular two-story dormitory could only accommodate up to five people at the same time on each floor, but as for that limit, Belfast did not know if it was actually true or not, since there was never any precedence regarding that particular number. However, according to the stories that could sometimes be heard from those who spent their time on the first floor of this dormitory, they felt that their bodies had become lighter and more relaxed than before they entered this dormitory. In fact, Suffolk, one of the Maid Corp, had been on the floor of this building before when she was delegated for the Secretary duties for the Commander, and by the time she returned, she was able to perform her usual maid duties more efficiently than before. So even the Head Maid, as skeptical as she was, had to acknowledge this dorm¡¯s beneficial effects. On the other hand, it is said that the second floor had a different effect. It was proven time after time that the shipgirls living there would see their mood vastly improved, and that they would be calmer during their everyday life and military duties. Also, it would be harder for them to get stressed out or angry. And if someone needed a definite proof for this dormitory¡¯s effectiveness, Queen Elisabeth was also a guest on the second floor once as per Commander¡¯s request, and when she happened to be back from that place, she would even be seen eating beans for breakfast, one of her least favorite dishes, with a huge smile on her face and without a single care in the world. And right now Hood was on the first floor of this exact dormitory. Belfast had heard from before that she ended up becoming seriously fatigued because she had been sortieing for a long time without any break. That¡¯s probably why she has been ordered to rest here for a while and do not leave. Hood closed one of her eyes apologetically and put her hands together in front of her face while facing Belfast. [Is it usually my responsibility to educate the children who have no experience in military exercises, but as you can see I won¡¯t be able to attend tomorrow. And the lesson still needs to take place, no matter what.] [However, please bare in mind that I have no prior experience of ever teaching anything to anyone else ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] At that moment, when Belfast¡¯s was about to protest to Hood¡¯s request, she was interrupted by the sound of a brisk clicking, similar to one object striking against another object. And yes, it was the kind of noise that Belfast was quite familiar with. After all, it was the sound of billiard balls. When the Head Maid turned around to see where the noise was coming from, she could see some of the light cruiser shipgirls belonging to some other factions happily playing 8-Ball while surrounding the billiard table. [When it comes to teaching others, it is exactly the same as teaching the new maids how they should be doing their jobs properly.] As Belfast was distracted by the sound of a billiard stick striking against the cue ball, Hood said so while holding a cup full of tea in her hand and bringing it to her mouth. [And because you have so much experience in teaching new maids, Belfast-san, I know that I can safely leave that task in your capable hands. Also, we see each other at tea parties on a daily basis, so I know that you are a dependable person, no doubt about it.] After slowly sipping on her tea, Hood quietly placed the cup back on the table. Looking at Hood¡¯s face, Belfast was seriously troubled right about now. She has also been involved in the various escort missions of small transports and materials procurement in the past, and she was delegated to those duties more than a few times at that, and she even recently was able to take part in what could be described as an advanced tactical course, to boot. So it could be said that she was quite a veteran when it comes to commissions, and she would always perform her duties with utmost care and efficiency. Volume 1 - CH 2.2 But teaching people how to do certain tasks is a whole other story than doing that task yourself. [I also know that you tend to be overly serious about your duties, but there is no need to take them so seriously this time around. Hood smiled as if she could see right through what Belfast was thinking about. [Then how about we do something like that? I will arrange for your class to take place right at the very end of the school day. Also, it seems that two other shipgirls are going to teach their respective classes tomorrow. So, how about you take a look at how they perform their teaching duties first, and then you try to tach your class based on what you will be able to observe beforehand?] And just like that, it was decided that Belfast would become a lecturer for the children for tomorrow, in a way that actually did not even allow Belfast to voice her own opinion or possible concerns. After that, Belfast was trying to come up with any possible reason that she could use for her refusal to comply with Hood¡¯s request. However, when actually no such thing would even come to her mind, [¡­¡­ I guess it¡¯s something that cannot really be helped.] [Judging from your tone of voice, that did not sound all that convincing, you know?] In the end, Belfast had no other choice but to reluctantly accept Hood¡¯s request. Fortunately, it would seem that the things that she would be required to teach were not all that complicated to begin with, and since she already had some expertise with them herself, there should be no problem for her to do it, and she would be able to do it without overly exerting herself. [That you very much for agreeing to do this, Belfast-san.] After saying that, Hood smiled happily. [I have heard that the current students in the class you will be teaching are really talented, so as soon as you guide them with enough strong will, they should be just fine. May the glory of the Royal Navy be with you, always.] Then Hood stood up from the couch and bowed down her head in front of Belfast, to which the Head Maid also responded with slowly bowing down her head. There was something about the phrase ¡°really talented¡± that seemed to have rubbed Belfast the wrong way, but at that time she simply left the dormitory without thinking anything in particular about that subject. [¡ª¨C¨C¨C Waaah. What is this?] Just as Belfast was putting her hand on the handrail to go down to the first floor, she saw a young girl walking briskly into a strange space surrounded by partitions, separated from the rest of the floor like that. Belfast casually stared at the mysterious screen she had left behind when she realized that the one who went behind it was actually the G Class Destroyer, Glowworm. And just there, there was plate on one of the partitions that read ¡°Emergency Escape Mechanism GT Mk.2¡±. [It¡¯s one of those pieces of furniture the purpose of which you cannot really comprehend simply by reading its name.] Belfast was aware of the fact that sometimes you could awfully bizarre and weird devices and pieces of furniture inside of this particular dorm. She wondered just exactly what kind of furniture it was supposed to be, but she also thought that it was time for her to get back to her maid job, so she continued down the stairs without bothering to inquire further. After that, Belfast walked briskly through the Home Port in order to hurry up back to the Royal Navy Dormitory and prepare for all the work that would await here tomorrow first thing in the morning. As for her absence, Belfast intended to ask her sister Edinburgh to assume the responsibilities of the Deputy Head Maid for the day, but in case of emergency of any kind, she also prepared a vast amount of notes and memos in advance that would anticipate any potential problem. As Belfast was climbing her way onto the small hill over which the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory was located, her head was filled with things that she would have to do or prepare for tomorrow. And it was at that moment, when¡­¡­ [UNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!?] Suddenly, the screams of none other than Glowworm could be heard way above in the sky, and Belfast turned around in amazement to look at the source of the scream. When she looked up, she saw something like a rocket rising vigorously above the dormitory where she had been a not all that while ago. [¡­¡­ A-and just what is that thing supposed to be?] Even Belfast was at a loss for words at the unimaginable sight that was currently spreading right in front of her eyes. Because the thing on which Belfast was blankly staring at right about now while standing completely still, was without a shred of a doubt a launching rocket. [¡­Unyaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!] [O-Oh noo! This is so scary! Help me! Please, help meeeeee!!!] It was at that moment that Belfast could see that Glowworm was wearing some strange backpack on her back, and right now there was a parachute that emerge from the inside of that backpack. [Hmm, I see. So that is the way in which this device would allow one to escape, huh?] Belfast finally managed to realize what the identity of that strange screen back at the dormitory was. Thinking that it was wise of her to not touch that mysterious device without actually knowing what it was or how exactly it worked, Belfast turned around again and headed back to the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory on the double. * * * The next morning. As soon as Belfast was finished with making preparations for breakfast, she gave Edinburgh her handwritten notes of the rest of the work that needed to be done for the day and left the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory. As she descended from the lodge and came near the pier, she could see a large fountain with a statue of an anchor in the middle of it right in front of her. Various buildings and facilities stood here side by side, and the school was placed right in the center of all those facilities. Each facility here was equipped with all the necessities that shipgirls must have to properly function on an everyday basis, such as the facility for procuring of supplies and equipment resources, and a facility for replenishment of fuel. There is also a tactical classroom where girls can train various combat situations in a controlled environment, and today¡¯s lesson was scheduled to be held in a corner of the special classroom in that exact building. As she passed the fountain and was about to enter the building, Belfast saw a red-haired woman coming from the Department Store on the opposite side of the building where Belfast was walking towards. [Oh my ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Well, if it isn¡¯t Belfast-san.] That woman was the Eagle Union¡¯s Aircraft Carrier Ranger. She noticed Belfast and came over to her with a huge bag handing from her shoulder. [Ranger-san, thank you very much for your time today.] Belfast bowed down her head deeply before the Aircraft Carrier, and Ranger waved her hand at her to come closer and take a look at what she was carrying. [Oh, please. There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me. For today, we are both fellow lecturers. So there¡¯s no need for formalities, really.] Then Ranger put her hand to her chin and stared at the Head Maid¡¯s uniform. [But to think that Royal Navy would have real flesh and blood maids serving in its ranks, huh? And I hear that you perform a variety of tasks every single day there?] [Doesn¡¯t Eagle Union also have someone responsible for mundane, day-to-day tasks and chores?] [Hmm, not really. All of our food are rations brought in from the port. And all of those rations are fairy easy to make, so each of us makes and eats them on our own.] [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C As the nation that values freedom and autonomy the most in this world, everything that you are going to make with your own hands is going to taste good. As the fruit of your own labor.] That next voice actually came from behind Ranger¡¯s back. It belonged to a silver-haired woman wearing a military-fashioned uniform ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Eagle Union¡¯s Aircraft Carrier Enterprise. Touching the brim of the hat sitting atop of her head, she came over to where the two of the lecturers were currently standing. [And it certainly helps a whole lot some shut-ins who won¡¯t come out of their rooms all day and just waste their times playing video games. ¡­¡­ Not that I¡¯m going to name anyone in particular here, but still.] [Ahh¡­¡­ I will also not call any names here, but I certainly know who you are talking about. That Ghost of ours can be a real handful sometimes.] Volume 1 - CH 2.3 The two let out a warm sigh as enterprise came out from behind the fountain and walked towards them. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I see that everyone has their own sense of humor, no matter what it could be.] [Niimi-san. Are you going to be a lecturer here as well for today?] The girl that made her appearance now was Z23, a Destroyer of the Type 1936A Class belonging to the Iron Blood faction. But because of her name was the way it was, everyone around was calling her Niimi for short. And she just so happened to shake her head hearing Belfast¡¯s words. [I-I could never be a genuine teacher if I wanted to. I could never do such a great job like the one that Ranger-sensei here does.] Unlike her usual style and attire, for today Niimi was wearing a pair of glasses on top of her nose, and on top of that, instead of wearing her usual military uniform, she was dressed in a white lab coat, as well as a black shirt and skirt. [But, the thing is¡­¡­ Actually, I have taught classes here before. And for today, I was told that they need someone who would be able to interact with the other students at a very close distance, so I really had no other choice but to accept.] [Hmm, I see. Well, I personally think that this is a great idea to have.] Hearing Niimi¡¯s words, Ranger nodded her head in agreement, a gentle smile present on her face. [It seems that all of the students are already in the classroom, so let¡¯s go on and start the lesson, shall we?] Saying that, Enterprise cast a quick glance at Belfast. [Together with Ranger here, we are often responsible for carrying out pre-commission lectures like this. Belfast, I have heard that this is actually going to be your very first day teaching others?] [Yes. Since Hood-sama was unable to make her appearance here for today, I was asked by her to become a substitute instructor for her for today.] [Well, if that is the case here, then you should definitely learn all the tricks that are to teaching while observing the contents of our class today.] As the Enterprise walked into the school building, Ranger tapped Belfast on the shoulder. [Who knows? There might be a possibility that you will be called in as substitute teacher in the future as well if you do good today. So it would be best for you to experience as much of a teacher¡¯s life as possible today. After all, everything is all about that experience.] [Experience, you say?] It¡¯s true that it¡¯s important to put things that you have learned into practice, Belfast thought to herself as she followed the other two into the school building and then the group went towards their assigned classroom. *** When Belfast¡¯s group arrived at the right classroom and opened its door, there were already four students sitting inside of it and waiting. [Everyone, stand up!] When Enterprise said so, everyone stood up from their seats all at once. Following after Enterprise, the rest of the group entered the classroom as well, with Ranger being up front. [Huh? Niimi-chan?] Seeing Z23 amongst the group that just entered the classroom, one of the students there, the J Class Destroyer named Javelin, stared at her with a stiff, surprised expression on her face. For a moment out there, her expression was really stiff with tension, but all of a sudden it completely managed to relax, as she happily waved her hands Z23 and shouted: [I knew it! It IS you, Niimi-chan! Here, look right here! It¡¯s me! Javelin!] [F-For today, I am going to be your teacher rather than a fellow student, so I would like you to add ¡°-sensei¡± at the end of my name instead of ¡°-chan¡±! Just for today!] Niimi quickly scolded her friend while her face turned beet-red and Ranger, who was watching the exchange between the two, gently put her index finger to her mouth and said, [Yes, Javelin-chan, just for today, I would like you to refrain from any private conversations during class hours. Can you do that for me?] Then, while Ranger stood in the middle of the teacher¡¯s podium, she began the lecture by greeting the students and introducing the additional lecturers that would join the class for the day. [Alright, then first of all, I am going to be your instructor for the duration of the day, my name is Ranger. As you will be participating in the upcoming military commissions soon enough, you need to learn all that there is to know about those kind of activities beforehand. Especially since commissions teams may partner you up with people with which you have never even worked before. But for the sake of this being a learning experience, for the incoming commission we decided to make your group an already pre-determined one. So be sure to pay extra close attention for today, because this is really important!] [Umm, could it be that¡­¡­ Our group consists of us specifically because of our bad grades¡­¡­?] It was Cygnet, a C Class Destroyer, who timidly asked that question after raising her arm in the air. Hearing that question, Enterprise slowly shook her head in denial. [No, that¡¯s not what this is all about, so rest assured. Hmm, that¡¯s right. For example, even if you were to be called into action all of a sudden, it is completely natural to expect that someone with no prior knowledge and experience about certain things is not going to be able to act properly and achieve the best possible results, isn¡¯t that right?] [The lectures that are going to be given here are basically first-hand advice from an experienced people, commission veterans, you might even say. Even if they might not be the most accessible or practical, they are held with the aim of sharing knowledge and skills that can be used in the field as much as possible by all of you when the time comes ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C That¡¯s what this is more or less about.] Hearing Niimi¡¯s explanation like that, Belfast, even though she was not a student, was able to understand the essence of this course for the very first time. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Hmm, I see, I get it. That means that there would indeed BE some kind of knowledge and experience that she would be able to impart onto the students of this classroom. Adapting this particular attitude and approach, it would be something that would clearly let Belfast utilize her experience of teaching the novice maids of the Maid Corps to its fullest potential. And just when she thought that she was finally starting to feel a little bit better about having to teach the upcoming class, [¡ª¡ª Hmph, I see, so that¡¯s how it is.] As soon as those words were said out loud, one student in particular slammed their hands against the desk behind which they were sitting until now. Thinking about those words for a second, that student then thrusted her right hand out in front of her, pompously looking down at all the instructors and grinning fearlessly while she was at it. [So in other words, this course is one of the trials that us sublime souls must face from now on! Yes, I see! Everything is means to invite me to those particular trials of fate!] Belfast tilted her head slightly, seemingly confused by those words. Truth to be told, she had no idea what that person meant by formulating her words in that exact manner. But it would also seem that Belfast was not the only one in the classroom who was visibly confused. Everyone else seemed to feel the very same way, which was actually reassuring in a sense. They all stood still where they stood for a moment, staring blankly at that one particular student. [Ehh, umm¡­¡­ Certainly, you must be, just give me a moment¡­¡­] After about five seconds have passed, Ranger hurriedly looked down at the class roster that had been handed to her in advance. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oh yeah! That¡¯s right! York-san! Royal Navy¡¯s York Class Heavy Cruiser!] [No, that¡¯s wrong! It¡¯s York Class¡¯s Magical Heavy Cruiser! Be sure to don¡¯t ever forget that part! It¡¯s really important!] Hearing the Heavy Cruiser York¡¯s response, Ranger only nodded her head in silence, although her expression was clearly stating that she now realized that they have some sort of a nut-job to be dealing with here. [Y-Yeah, right¡­¡­ I get it, so if you would be so kind as to get down from that desk for now? That would be really great.] When Ranger said so after trying her best to keep her cool, York stepped down from the top of her desk way more obediently than anyone else might have expected her to do so, and remained silent for now. From the content of her remarks, everyone surely thought that she would be the type who would actively oppose the teacher in everything they say or do, but aside from that little quirky bit just now, she seemed to be a genuinely good and obedient girl. Volume 1 - CH 2.4 [Say, say! Does that mean we are also going to have a practical lesson for today? Like, actual combat situations and stuff like that!? Is that why we are here!?] The last person to speak up here was the fourth ship of the Shiratsuyu Class, the Destroyer Yuudachi, coming from the Sakura Empire faction. Looking at her figure, all restless and fidgeting in her chair, clearly looking for any opportunity to get out of the classroom, Ranger gave her a wry smile in response. [When it comes to combat exercises¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to happen today. We are going to focus purely on theoretical learning for today.] [Huh!? What the hell! That¡¯s so lame! That¡¯s not funny at all! Not even a bit!] Seeing Yuudachi puff out her cheeks in dissatisfaction like that, Belfast took Hood¡¯s words to heart and decided to act on them. ¡ª¡ª ¡°I¡¯ve heard that all of the students this time around are quite talented, but I think it¡¯ll be fine as long as you keep your spirits up¡±. [I¡¯m really starting to wonder if ¡°talented¡± is really the right word to use here¡­¡­] Belfast, who was finally beginning to understand the meaning, of Hood¡¯s was already worried about whether she would be able to do a good job as the substitute lecturer or not. Because it would seem that she would have her work quite literally cut out for her. * * * After all the students had taken their seats, the class was finally ready to begin in earnest. The first one to give her lecture was Ranger. As for the other lecturers, Belfast and the rest all moved to the back of the classroom from where they would quietly observe how the lesson would go, and possibly learn something as well from Ranger¡¯s example. [Alright then, I will be the one to start with the first lesson of this special course. Everyone, it¡¯s a pleasure to be working with you. I hope that you will treat me kindly.] When Ranger bowed down her head to the students, all of them responded in kind with a polite slight nod. All of the seats were arranged in a single row in this classroom, and from the side of the door leading into the hallway the order of seats was as follows: Javelin, Cygnet, York, and Yuudachi. Ranger then started by having a close look at each of the students¡¯ faces. [Well then, maybe I shall start by asking you all a question first?] While standing at the top of the podium, Ranger then fixed her eyes on the person who was sitting on the far left. [Huh? Umm, who? Me?] And it just so happened that the one sitting in that particular position was none other than Javelin herself. It seems that she never would have thought, even in her worst nightmares, that she would be the first one to be asked a question like that. She jolted up as if electrocuted, and looked around, pointing a finger at herself in a display of apparent confusion. [If you appoint me for something like that so suddenly, I just can¡¯t really help it but to feel all nervous all of a sudden~.] [Fufu, relax, relax. It¡¯s not going to be anything all that hard, I swear.] Javelin then took several deep breaths, and on top of it all Ranger made sure to calm her down by assuring her that the question would not be all that difficult to answer. [Now then. I¡¯ve done a lot of supply acquisition and escorting the transport ships as commission during my service time. And while carrying out those commissions, what do you think that the most important thing that you need to consider at all times is? Can you think about it for a moment? The most important thing?] [The most important thing¡­¡­ What do I think it is, huh¡­¡­?] Javelin immediately wrinkled her brows and cocked her head as she started to ponder the question that she was given. [It¡¯s okay to take your time with that question. I want you to think about it really long and really carefully. And once you have done so, I want you to tell Ranger-sensei what your thoughts are, okay?] With her hand on her chin and striking a small pose to underline the importance of her words, Ranger grinned warmly as she awaited Javelin¡¯s answer patiently. [Umm¡­¡­ I mean¡­¡­ This is¡­¡­ Uhh¡­¡­?] Javelin then put both of her index fingers on her left and right temples, as if she was trying to stimulate her brain to think harder about the question that she was given, and while she thought and pondered that matter seriously, she even started to groan slightly. And then she closed her eyes shut really tightly. And as if all of the above was not enough to give her brain a boost she so desperately needed, she started to press down on her temples even harder. After a few minutes of continuous brain stimulation, pondering and growling like that¡­¡­ [Alright! I¡¯ve got it!] Javelin opened her eyes and looked up happily. [This has to be the correct answer! I¡¯m sure of it!] Javelin stood up from her seat and puffed up her chest proudly. Judging from that reaction alone, she must have been really confident in the answer that she managed to arrive at. Javelin took a deep breath and then she opened her mouth wide. The answer she was ready to give was ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C [Don¡¯t forget your lunchbox! Never-ever!] And it just so happened that the answer she so proudly delivered was so off-the-mark that it was actually amazing how she actually managed to come up with something like this and sound so serious about it. Actually, the shock of hearing that kind of answer being delivered with such confidence was more than enough to cause Ranger¡¯s finger to slip off of her chin and just hang down her body like that. [How about that!? Did I do it!? Did I hit the bulls-eye?] While Javelin was so busy being proud of herself that her eyes were all sparkling and twinkling like that, Ranger somehow managed to regain her composure and address the elephant in the room with a wry smile on her face. [Well, unfortunately, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s quite off the mark, actually! So far that it could not be farther! No, truth to be told, I never would have even expected it to be this off the mark.] Ranger then cleared her throat in an awkward way in order to regain her lost composure. [The correct answer is this: what I thought as the most important thing during all of those commissions was the ability to make appropriate decisions according to the situation at hand. If you have this ability on your side and you can use it while maintaining a clear and leveled head, then you should be able to avoid the worst crisis at any given time and emerge victorious from even the most dangerous situations.] [But if we talk about something like that, then how exactly do we even hope to train an ability like that?] Hearing Yuudachi¡¯s question, Ranger took down the bag that was still hanging on her shoulder all this time, as if she was waiting for this exact moment, or for that exact question to be asked. What she then pulled out from the inside of that bag was a flip-projector, and the thing that could be seen on the very first slide of it was the picture of a small blue car driving down a narrow road and a bicycle running on the other side of the road in front of that car. Looking closely at this illustration, it was a small yellow bird-like creature that was driving the car and riding the bicycle. That small yellow creature was called ¡°Manjuu¡±, and was a creature that usually would do all sorts of miscellaneous chores all around the Home Port island. Besides, the way in which it was driving and riding in that picture looked really awkward for some reason, not to mention the fact that the bicycle manjuu seemed to be working for a soba delivery restaurant, judging by a huge number of bowls it was holding in one of its small hands. And it also looked as if it was about to fall over after losing its balance. [This particular class is going to be all about what is called ¡°Risk Prediction¡±. It is actually the same kind of subject that you would find during your driver license exam.] Ranger says so and points towards the blue car drawn on the flip and asks the four Destroyers that were present in the classroom the following question: [At the current moment, the speed of this blue car is about forty kilometers per hour. The sign says that this road has a five kilometers per hour speed limit. Now, I think you can easily predict various dangers that can be posed to both the car and the bicycle just by looking at the picture alone. What possible dangers can you imagine just by looking at it?] Volume 1 - CH 2.5 PART 5 Then, for some reason, York¡¯s hand shot up in the air almost a millisecond after that question was asked, as if she was waiting for an opportunity to prove herself like that. Also, her shoulders trembled slightly as she giggled. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C What a trivial matter! Truly, a child¡¯s play! By being able to feel the ripples and fluctuations of the ¡°Force¡±, predicting that sort of thing is so easy that it¡¯s hardly even worth mentioning¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh my, someone feels really confident here. Well then, what kind of dangers can you imagine by looking at this particular picture, York-san?¡¹ As soon as York stood up from her seat once again, she right away pointed her finger at¡­¡­ The flip machine itself, it would seem. ¡¸The color of the car must be jet black!¡¹ ¡¸Wrong.¡¹ Hearing Ranger¡¯s words, York sat right back down while looking visibly displeased, mumbling something under her nose. ¡¸Oh! Me! I think I have something!¡¹ This time around, it was Yuudachi who raised her hand vigorously up in the air. ¡¸Oh. Talk about unexpected. Would you like to share your answer with the rest of the class, Yuudachi-chan?¡¹ ¡¸The amount of soba in those bowls is way too small!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Y-Yeah. And what about any dangers? Can you see any in this particular picture?¡¹ Ranger spoke in a calm and gentle manner, but it seemed that she was giving it her absolute all in order to maintain a calm and composed demeanor. Especially when you could see blue and purple veins that started to pop up all over her forehead and temples. ¡¸H-How about you, Cygnet-chan?¡¹ Being called by her name like that all of a sudden, Cygnet opened her mouth quietly after a moment of pondering the question. ¡¸Umm, this is, uhh¡­¡­ T-The speed is the problem here? Probably?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s a very good answer. But you should sound more confident about it when you are speaking up. Also, can you name anything else?¡¹ After being praised by the Ranger like that, Cygnet narrowed her eyes and began to ponder over the illustration projected by the flip once more. And just like that, what followed was a long period of awkward silence that filled the classroom. ¡¸Umm, if you would be so kind as to let me take a closer look, just a little bit¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Umm, well, sure. I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Cygnet then stood up from her seat and approached the flip projector, and then she squinted her eyes without blinking even once. There was little to no sidewalk at the place where the bicycle Manjuu was riding while carrying the bowls of buckwheat noodles in its small hands. Ahead of the car, there was an intersection with no traffic lights or pedestrian crossing. Not to mention that the visibility in this picture must have been really poor, and beyond that was a huge truck that was staying in place. After that, what followed was yet another period of long and awkward silence. ¡¸¡­Umm, Cygnet-chan? Are you still here with us?¡¹ When Ranger finally managed to pull herself together from this strange calm numbness that this situation managed to induce in everyone and raised her voice slightly, Cygnet let out a groan without looking away from the flip projector even for a moment. ¡¸¡­¡­Just a little bit more. Just a little bit more, and I think I will be able to see it.¡¹ ¡¸When you put it like that, it really makes me wonder what in particular you are looking at¡­¡­¡¹ But after a few more minutes of fruitless endeavors, Cygnet finally decided to give up and reluctantly returned to her seat, looking as if she was about to cry. Ranger then let out a deep sigh as she gave the correct answer to the four Destroyers. ¡¸¡­¡­Listen well, everyone. In this particular case, the answer is: The bicycle may wobble and come to the center of the road all of a sudden¡±. You must always be able to foresee the dangers in the imminent future and be able to respond to them in a swift and flawless fashion. Not to mention that we have an incoming intersection here, as well as that huge truck, which makes the visibility of what¡¯s ahead really poor. So the correct way to drive this blue car is to slow down instead of driving at the maximum allowed speed limit, in order to be able to respond to any possible dangers.¡¹ While standing in the back of the classroom and observing this entire situation take place, Belfast turned towards Enterprise, who was standing right next to her, and asked her in hushed voice. ¡¸Umm, I was actually wondering if that would be the case here, but¡­¡­ Could it be that Ranger-san always gives her classes in such fashion?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you got that right.¡¹ Enterprise answered the question while putting her hat back on top of her head. ¡¸But, I guess that those four students might be a little bit too imaginative, or let¡¯s say, original, for Ranger¡¯s particular teaching methods.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Is that really the case here, I wonder?¡¹ Belfast, who was watching this whole scene unfold from the sidelines, was already sensing that the atmosphere in this classroom was turning rather strange. And it would probably only get worse from this point onwards. ¡¸Most probably, if you let something like that overwhelm you, Belfast, you might not be ready for things that are about to come¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Does that mean it gets this bad¡­¡­?¡¹ Averting his head from the serious look in Enterprise¡¯s eyes, Belfast once again began listening to the Ranger¡¯s lecture in earnest. As for Ranger, she looked as though she has already given up on that particular flip, she put it back inside of her bag, and then she took out yet another flip from the bag. ¡¸¡­¡­ For the time being, the danger predictions that we did just now are for the sole purpose of developing the ability of constantly judging the danger in your surroundings and properly assessing the situation. So each one of you should be aware of all of those things at all times. As well as ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ While saying that, Ranger rummaged through the contents of her bag, but after a few more minutes have passed, she was still unable to get the one that she was looking for. It was as if it was stuck in there somewhere and refused to be found. ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s weird. I¡¯m sure that I was putting it into the bag, so it should be in there somewhere for sure.¡¹ She then tried to pull on something inside of the bag with a little bit of force. ¡¸Umm, are you sure that you are alright, Ranger-sensei?¡¹ Just as Javelin got up and wanted to talk towards Ranger and lend her a helping hand, a certain object that was different from what the Eagle Union¡¯s Aircraft Carrier was looking for slid out of her bag with a mighty force. And yes, it was certainly not another flip. ¡¸Hmm? And what is this thing supposed to be?¡¹ While Javelin picked that object up, Cygnet, who was sitting right next to her, peered at it from Javelin¡¯s side. ¡¸T-This is¡­¡­!! N-No, don¡¯t! Not this one!¡¹ When Ranger realized what was going on, she hurriedly tried to reach out to her hand to retrieve the object that Javelin was holding onto, but Javelin was already gripping it tightly and would never accidentally drop it. ¡¸Is this something that is also related to that whole danger prediction?¡¹ She then turned the particular object upside down foe everyone else to see. What they could see what a single sheet of paper. That sheet of paper was really similar to that danger prediction flip from before, but was anything but that theme-wise. And it was hand-drawn. An in the picture that was drawn on that piece of paper, they could see a girl with big sparkling eyes running in a hurry down the corridor that looked like a school one. And right as she was turning the corner of that corridor, there was a handsome young man who was about to walk right into the girl. It was that particular kind of a scene. ¡¸This looks like a key frame from an anime storyboard.¡¹ ¡¸Or rather¡­¡­ This is more like a manga manuscript, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡¹ Cygnet, who was still peering at the picture from Javlin¡¯s side, answered with an utmost confidence. That image, it had been correctly framed, had speech bubbles all over it that did not yet have any words written on them, and Cygnet nodded even more strongly while looking at those parts in particular. ¡¸Oh geez, this is sick¡­¡­ That is a genuine manga panel!¡¹ Even those who thought this to be an anime key frame now had no other choice but to also agree. Actually, this particular manga was something that Ranger secretly received from Akashi when she passed in front of the Store Department earlier. She wanted to take a look at the shoujo manga manuscript out of curiosity, and she had been asking for it for a long time now. Volume 1 - CH 2.6 Ranger quickly ran towards Javelin and managed to snatch the piece of paper out of the Destroyer¡¯s hand. [Hyiiih!] Also the grim and serious look that was now written all over Ranger¡¯s face was so scary that it left Javelin spooked for a good moment or two. While holding the manuscript page in her hands, Ranger returned to the podium, and then spoke up with a trembling voice, as if she was about to break down on the spot and cry. [T-This is¡­¡­ No, that¡¯s not it, don¡¯t get it wrong¡­¡­ You see, it¡¯s just that¡­¡­] Ranger tried to mutter something in desperation, and then she turned round to face her students head on. [This is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Yes, that¡¯s right! This was a Free Addition to those Danger Prediction flips we were looking at just now! That¡¯s it!] With her face bright red with embarrassment, Ranger held the manga manuscript up high as she clearly managed to come up with that retort on the spot just now. [You see, it goes a little bit like this: this girl right here happened to oversleep in the morning right in the beginning of the new school semester. And right at the end of that hallway, there is this handsome guy that this girl cannot particularly stand! Because he¡¯s going to be asking her questions like ¡°What are you doing here so late?¡± and all other things like that¡­¡­] After Ranger tried to come up with a few more quick explanations on the spot like that while adding completely unnecessary retorts, she then reached a tipping point and she slapped the lecturer¡¯s desk with both hands with all of her might. [S-So then, here¡¯s a question: what is the girl supposed to do in a situation like that? Do you have any problems with that!?] Hearing Ranger say that, none of the students uttered any counterargument for that. Rather, it was impossible to do that. As well as to think of a suitable answer for that completely phony question. As for Belfast and the rest of the observing lecturers, they were completely swallowed up by the momentum of this chaotic scene and they were now left quite speechless when it was all over. Of course, the instructors, Belfast included, were well aware that this page was not a prompt for the lecture. No matter how you tried to look at it, what Ranger was currently showing was a manuscript of a manga, and it was too late to say that this was merely a part of the ¡°Danger Prediction¡± exercise. However, no one was going to say that to Ranger. It would be way too cruel of a thing to do. So before anyone even knew it, the classroom was filled once again with an awkward silence, but this one was even longer and even more awkward than the previous one. [¡­¡­ Can someone think of a possible answer here? Anyone?] However, the only thing that answered her was the deafening sound of silence, and Ranger started to become even redder all over her face, so much that even the tips of her ears were beet-red. She then groaned as she let her eyes down and stared at the podium that was right under her. It was completely clear to everyone present that Ranger herself was doing her best in order to try and clear the uncomfortable atmosphere that suddenly beset the classroom, but since she was not doing all that great of a work about that, she soon hung her head low in a self-deprecating gesture. It was also as clear as day that her ego took a mighty blow because of that blunder just now. While Belfast did not share those information with anyone else, she could not really help herself but to make a completely unnecessary assessment like that on her own. [W-What about you, Yuudachi-chan? Any ideas?] When Ranger called her out by name, Yuudachi raised her head from over her desk, looking as though she was mighty confused by this sudden development. [Huh? Ehh, umm¡­¡­ This is way too difficult for me. Besides, I don¡¯t even have a clue what the possible dangers in here might be?] Yuudachi scratched her cheeks as she pondered her head really hard, unable to look directly at Ranger¡¯s face for some reason, before she eventually gave her this answer. [W-Well, here goes nothing¡­¡­ ¡°W-Whoa! I¡¯m going to be late! So in order for that not to happen, let me just push this needlessly handsome guy aside, since he is clearly getting in my way!¡±] [But that action won¡¯t result in creating a romantic situation of any sort!!!] With a sudden change in her expression, Ranger once again vigorously slammed her hands into her podium while shouting those words. [Uwawawah!!!] Surprised by their teacher¡¯s sudden loud voice, Yuudachi leaned backwards and almost ended up falling out of her chair as a result. [W-Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be all about Danger Prediction?] [That¡¯s right! And it is precisely about that! This is a danger prediction of love! Girls are always in danger of falling in love with boys¡¯ casual gestures and attitudes! Be sure to remember that!] [All of a sudden I have no idea what the heck are you even talking about, Sensei!?] Apparently giving up on the idea of Yuudachi being able to produce any kind of sensible answer, Ranger turned towards York next. [Y-York-chan! What about you!? Any ideas!?] [W-With the use of my precious ¡°Force¡±¡­¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure that I can manage to avoid the pretty boy just in the nick of time¡­¡­] [But that¡¯s what I have been telling you! No romance can hope to bloom if you just evade him like that!] Ranger twisted her entire body as if she was perplexed and confused, and then after giving up on yet another student she pointed at the sear right next to York¡¯s. [Cygnet-chan! How about you? Any ideas!? Any at all!?] [Huh!? Umm, eeehhh¡­¡­?] In this new and unprecedented situation, where she no longer had any idea what this lesson was supposed to be all about, Cygnet involuntarily bursts into tears. [S-Sensei, you¡¯re so scary now¡­¡­ At this rate there is no other outcome but to collide into one another!] At that moment, Ranger¡¯s ears twitched with surprise upon hearing Cygnet¡¯s words. And then her expression turned brighter, as if she was finally able to hear what she wanted to hear all this time. [Cygnet-chan! Good! That¡¯s good! But what after!? What would happen after the collision!?] [A-After the collision, you say¡­¡­?] Hearing that Ranger¡¯s voice suddenly became gentle once more, Cygnet cried out and started to ponder her head about that problem some more. [I-I¡¯m sure that if something like that were to happen to me, I would have first apologized ot the handsome man, and then I would just run away from there in a hurry.] [¡­¡­ Yeah, go figure. It¡¯s just a shame that you are such a late bloomer.] After saying those words, Ranger let out a long and heavy sigh ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It seems that Cygnet¡¯s words just now managed to touch her heartstrings, albeit only ever so slightly. [Ranger-sensei.] At that time, Javelin raised her hand straight up in the air so fast that it was actually kind of surprising. As for the look in her eyes, it was the look of sheer and utmost confidence, as if she knew that this time she could not possibly get the answer wrong. [I¡­¡­ Javelin thinks that she knows the answer here! If it was me, when I would bump into someone like that, I would most probably first stare blankly at that handsome guy¡¯s face, at the same time wondering if it was perhaps destiny that we were able to meet like this here.] As Javelin was saying so, she started to stare at the ceiling of the classroom, with a somewhat mesmerizing look written all over her face. Seeing Javelin like that, Belfast was really starting to wonder if the young Destroyer really got that answer right. [¡­¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. Those words. Those are the exact words that I wanted to hear here for so long!] Ranger smiled brightly, the look on her face indicating that Javelin¡¯s words were some sort of a wondrous medicine for whatever it was that was ailing the Eagle Union¡¯s Aircraft Carrier. [But, you know. It¡¯s not like the two of you could really get along from the very beginning like this. Not to mention being honest with your feelings. It all starts with hating one another¡¯s guts and the like. Heck, there are probably even more things that you just can¡¯t stand about him.] Then, for some reason, while looking into the distance with an ensnared expression, she began to speak of the scene in the duplicated manuscript¡¯s page, completely forgetting about the flip they looked at before, engrossed in the setting of her own imaginary story and what way beyond that. And for some odd reason, Javelin seemed to have picked up on that idea and looked as if she was about ready to think of the possible continuation on the spot, if not the multitude of different scenarios. Volume 1 - CH 2.7 [But if you are going to wait for too long with your advances, there is always the risk of your love ¡°running cold¡±. That¡¯s just the way it is, don¡¯t you think¡­¡­? In fact, the handsome guy right here might almost be taken away by some other girl that he is going to meet completely by chance in the near future, and when the heroine is all depressed about it, she is going to meet yet another guy who is going to gently support her.] [Javelin-chan.] Ranger¡¯s voice became deadly serious all of a sudden, she stared at Javelin really intently. [This is going to be the final Danger Prediction problem, Javelin-chan. One day, the main character goes on a date with the nice guy that supported her, and ends up being seen by that handsome guy. What is going to happen now?] Even though the subject of this talk has already exceeded that of the ¡°Danger Prediction¡±, no one was going to be ¡°that person¡± and point it out to Javelin and Ranger, ultimately bursting their bubble on the spot. [At this rate, there is a huge danger that each other¡¯s fateful encounter will turn into a blank slate and reset their relationship to the point where everything was as it was before. What kind of action should the main character take when she sees the handsome guy being with someone else, even though they are not technically together? What would you do in her place?] It was then that Javelin looked at Ranger with a look full of confidence, not even a single trace of hesitation to be seen in her eyes. [She should chase after him ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Without thinking. Without hesitation. Without even looking back.] [¡­¡­ Yes. That is certainly the most correct answer.] Ranger said those words with a soft smile on her face. [And when the main character chases after the handsome guy, she says those exact words to him, all the while trying to get her own feeling sorted out: ¡°Why did you run away when you saw me just now me?¡± something like that.] [Yes! That¡¯s it, that¡¯s definitely it! And before the two even realize it, they are now is some sort of deserted area, with no people around them, and then the main character gets pushed against the wall and¡­¡­ and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] There, at that exact moment, their gazes would finally collide with one another. [The handsome guy goes for some classical Wall-Slam situation!] [And then he lifts the main character¡¯s chin with his fingers!] While squealing like a pair of little girls gossiping about romance, both Ranger and Javelin squirmed on the spot while they were putting their hands on their already flushed cheeks. [And his next line that should naturally follow after that should be:¡±You just have to look at me, and me only!¡± Oh my, just how amazing would that be!?] [Even if it would only be just once, Javelin would really like to see a scene like that play out in real life!] The other three Destroyers could only cock their heads in puzzlement, clearly unable to keep up with the conversation that was taking place just now. At that moment Belfast, who was standing in the back of the classroom alongside other lecturers, whispered to Enterprise who was beside her all this time. [Is this¡­¡­ Will something like this really allow those children to develop a good sense of the situation and judgment skills?] After that, what followed was a short quiz that was filled to the brim with questions about various tropes that you could find in a shoujo manga. In the end, only Javelin, who had a really high score in those quizzes because she was so knowledgeable about that particular subject, seemed to be having the most fun out of the four Destroyers. And just like that, the time for Ranger¡¯s allotted lecture has come to an end. * * * The next lecture was given by Z23, otherwise known simply as Niimi-sensei. [This is what my lecture is going to be all about!] After stacking each of the four desks with a plethora of different textbooks and reference books, Niimi hit her left hand with the pointing stick that she was holding in her right hand. [No matter what you say or what you do, after all, when it comes to education, you can never forget about the bare essentials! Not to mention that the knowledge you are going to gain during your studies right now will surely help you somewhere in the future. I¡¯m sure of it.] [At least this should be quite easy to understand. However, this is surely bound to be a very strict class¡­¡­] Such impressions spilled out from Javelin¡¯s mouth before she was even able to realize what she was going to say and stop herself from doing that. [That being said, academic knowledge across many different subjects is really important, the same way as the ability to be able to communicate efficiently between people. Actually, for today I was supposed to talk about Material Procurement Commissions, but I proposed to change the subject of the class accordingly, and this here is the result of me streamlining the whole thing down to the most essential things that you might need in the future. Also, there are some things that cannot be chalked up to academic knowledge alone, I realize that. For those things you need a fair share of experience, but we are going to worry about that in due time, I guess.] [But aren¡¯t you basically pushing your own convictions onto others here¡­¡­?] Seeing the amount of textbooks and the thickness of every single one of them, Yuudachi puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. However, Niimi-sensei quickly returned to her place behind the podium without actually paying those complaints any mind at all. Right after that, Niimi would address her four fellow Destroyers in an enthusiastic tone, one that was to make sure to try and push away any kind of sleepiness or aversion towards studying. [Alright then, let us start with mathematics right away! First of all, please open your textbooks at page thirty seven!] Just like that, Niimi¡¯s lesson started with such a firm feeling, but it was much easier to listen to than anyone would have initially thought. It is most likely that she selected and taught that kind of knowledge that she felt that would be necessary for the four Destroyers to utilize in the upcoming commissions, and she has even taken care to systematically incorporating knowledge that was slightly optional but still useful, just like a good teacher at a good cram school would do. No matter what kind of activity or subject the students were focusing on for the moment, at least Belfast enjoyed listening to the class that Niimi-sensei was in charge of. [This course is actually very easy to understand, and it just so happens that teaching it is also a whole lot of fun in its own right. Nimi¡¯s way of speaking as she was explaining various stuff to her students was very lively, and observing her, Belfast could not get herself rid off of the feeling that she was also really enjoying imparting knowledge onto others. Was this perhaps the natural joy that a lecturer was feeling when the students were actively participating and showing attention? Ranger also nodded her head as she crossed her arms. [After all, Niimi-chan is a good girl who really likes to study on her own. And once you get to teach others about the things that you yourself like, that teaching process becomes so much easier.] [You say that, but you seemed to have been having tons of fun on your own out there while you were teaching, Ranger-sensei.] Enterprise said something like that. And even though it was most probably supposed to sound sarcastic, there was some kind of sincerity and honesty to it as well. Once again Ranger glared at her, her face beet-red and her throat trembling as if she was about to cry from embarrassment. [W-Well, I mean¡­¡­ It¡¯s something that just cannot be helped, alright!? That was basically ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Interrupting Ranger¡¯s frantic attempt at an excuse, Enterprise suddenly pointed at something with a slight movement of her chin. Following that indication, everyone looked in that direction and they could all see Cygnet who was letting out a pretty huge yawn from her mouth. [Even if the teacher is presenting the material with great passion, the same cannot be said for certain about the students, that they are going to be listening with interest. And now, what is a bored student going to do?] Naturally, Niimi-sensei did not miss that huge yawn of one of her students. [That won¡¯t do. That won¡¯t do at all, Cygnet-san. You have to concentrate properly while the class is in session!] While Niimi-sensei glanced at her fellow Destroyer from behind the lenses of her glasses, Cygnet jerked her shoulders in a mighty way and straightened her spine all at once. Volume 1 - CH 2.8 PART 8 [Y-Yes! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­!] But it was at this exact time that Cygnet¡¯s stomach also rumbled out loud. [WAH!!! I-I¡¯m sorry for that as well¡­¡­!] Seeing Cygnet about to cry from embarrassment while she was still sitting in her chair, Niimi dropped her shoulders in an expression of exasperation. [Seriously now, did you eat a proper breakfast this morning?] [I-I woke up late so I was leaving in a hurry, so I only have a little bit for breakfast¡­¡­] [Well, that¡¯s not good, either. Eating well keeps your brain working at full capacity throughout the day. Blood sugar levels are especially low right after waking up, so the functions of the internal organs and nerves are also declining. You must really take all those facts into account when you are deciding to eat small breakfast or skip it altogether.] [I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­] [No, no, it¡¯s not that I actually blame you, Cygnet-san, or anything like that. And since this is actually an opportunity that managed to present itself to us, we might as well touch on that subject for a little bit as well¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] And just like that, instead of talking about science in general, which was supposed to be a theme of this lecture until a while ago, the talk about various forms of nutrition began in earnest. Even Javelin, who was seriously taking notes up until now, stopped doing what she was doing and was observing the situation with her mouth left hanging wide open. It was probably that she was left utterly bewildered that an honest-to-goodness lecture could have been so greatly derailed in a span of a single moment. And at the current moment nothing seemed to be indicating that it was supposed to be back on track anytime soon. As a proof of that fact, the lengthy lecture on nutrition continued on for more than twenty minutes now. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C And that¡¯s how it is, in a really huge nutshell. Food is the key to everything. Do not forget this fact!] It was at this exact moment that Niimi-sensei finally cast a glance at the clock that was hanging on the wall. [Oh no, this won¡¯t do! It would seem that I have gone pretty off topic there! I still haven¡¯t even conveyed the ten percent of what I was trying to tell you!] [All of that rambling and we are not even at a ten percent mark!?] Javelin screamed out loud without thinking. The hour was around 9:30 in the morning when Ranger-sensei¡¯s class ended, and it was almost 11:00 now. But even if they were to take the extra nutrition class out of the count here, it would still mean that Niimi-sensei¡¯s class had already passed the one hour mark and was still going strong. [Haah¡­¡­ All that listening to all those difficult topics is really exhausting. Say, Niimi-chan? Let¡¯s take a break here, shall we?] [But if we are to take a break here, this only means that the lesson is going to take even longer to finish!] Niimi-sensei said that, although what she really wanted to say here was: ¡°If things continue at this rate, I won¡¯t be able to do every little thing that I have planned for today!¡± Belfast was sure that was the case here. [Hey, I know that it¡¯s not the time for it yet, but how about we go and grab something to eat?] Yuudachi also came up with a suggestion like that, but upon hearing it Niimi shook her head vigorously and started to frantically flip through the pages of her textbook. [N-No, you can¡¯t do that! Concentration is important for studying! I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry too, you know! So cut me some slack!] [But it was none other than you who told us that proper nutrition is the most important when it comes to studying!] Hearing Yuudachi say that, and realizing that she was actually right about it, Niimi involuntarily let out a long and pained sigh when she realized that she cannot really argue with that. [What about that one thing, you know!? That one! Yuudachi heard all about it before! It¡¯s pretty amazing! One grain can give you enough energy to run for about one hundred meters!] [That¡¯s Glycogen! It was all about Glycogen that I was talking about for a while! But forget about it! Let¡¯s just move on! Fortunately enough, there are still children in this classroom who are eagerly looking forward to the continuation of the lecture, so that¡¯s that!] Yuudachi stared blankly at Niimi-sensei for a moment. [Who are you talking about?] [It¡¯s about York-san! See!? Just take a look at her!] Niimi pointed her finger at York, who was sitting right next to Yuudachi. [She¡¯s been listening to me with the same attitude since a while ago now! Even now, she¡¯s still listening to my class seriously! You should learn a thing or two from her!] True to what was said just now, York was sitting quietly in her seat, not even changing her position or reacting in the slightest. It was actually amazing, seeing someone being so calm when the teacher was arguing with the student like that. But for some strange reason, her eyes seemed to be weirdly wide open as she was unnaturally staring right in front of her exclusively, not even diverting her gaze to the side or blinking. [Isn¡¯t she keeping her eyes open for way too long? She could really use some blinking right about now.] Yuudachi then rose up from her seat and moved right in front of York, and then she bent over and stared at her seriously. [Yo, you are not even going to blink because of that? Huh?] Next, Yuudachi tried to wave her hand a few times in front of York¡¯s face, to see if that would get a reaction out of her. But as one might have already expected, York showed no reaction to that, either. About that time Javelin also got interested in what was going on with York, so she also got up from her seat and came over to where her fellow classmate was, [Ah! Could it be that she¡¯s actually ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Reaching out her hand to touch York¡¯s face, Javelin suddenly took interest in her wide opened eyes. Because all of a sudden, they started to peel off! Slightly startled, Javelin quickly withdrew her hand, and at that moment York¡¯s eyes peeled off completely from her face and started to fall down onto the classroom¡¯s floor. When Javelin took a closer look at what happened to fall onto the floor, it was just a sticker with big eyes drawn on it. [¡­¡­ Yup. Looks like York¡¯s asleep like that log! York¡¯s eyelids, now that the stickers with the false eyelids drawn on them fell right off, were tightly close and indicating that she must have been asleep for quite a while now. And if you were to draw your face closely to York¡¯s, one would be able to hear that her breathing was shallow and steady, just like from someone who was soundly asleep. [N-No way¡­¡­] Shocked upon realizing that one of her students fell asleep in the middle of her lesson, Niimi-sensei¡¯s body shook all over while she was still standing on the podium. [N-No, please don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­ Does that mean that my class is¡­¡­ My class is so uninteresting to you that you would rather sleep right through it¡­¡­?] [N-No, no, no! that¡¯s not it! That¡¯s not it at all, Sensei! We were listening all this time! And it was really interesting!] Cygnet immediately stood up from her seat, affirming Niimi-sensei that her class was not boring in the slightest. [But! You were also yawning earlier because my lecture was boring to you, right!? Cygnet-san!?] And don¡¯t lie to me!] With a visibly depressed expression, Niimi-sensei lashed out like that, and hearing her accusatory words, Cygnet froze on the spot. [Do you even know what yawning really is? It is a natural body response to a lack of sufficient energy, based on inhaling deeply in order to activate the functions of the brain and try to forcefully wake it up. There are various reasons for trying to wake up, but the most common main causes are fatigue, sleepiness, stress, and most importantly here, BOREDOM ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [W-Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wai!] Without even listening to Cygnet¡¯s words, Niimi-sensei looked at the four of her students with a glaring look. [Hmm, I see! It looks like I will have to carefully teach you all of those things once again, from the very beginning! But this time around, I will explain everything more carefully and in even greater detail!] [H-Huh? HUH!? N-No, no, no, no! N-Niimi-sensei, even for someone like you, that might actually be taking things a little bit too far!] But even though Javelin rose up from her spot and started to wave her hand frantically, Niimi-sensei would simply not listen to it at all. Volume 1 - CH 2.9 PART 9 [No! I¡¯m sure that if I just manage to teach you all of this material with sincerity and do it properly, you should be able to understand it all! So, we are going to start with the textbook page once again, and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Please wait just a moment.] After saying that, Belfast, who could no longer keep quiet here, came up from the back of the classroom, and then she picked up the reference book that was on Javelin¡¯s desk and flipped through its contents. [After listening to this lecture and seeing it with my own eyes just now, I get this distinct feel that the level of material that you are conveying here seems to be a little bit too high.] The mathematics section contained subjects such as vectors and complex equations, and when Belfast closed the book, what was written on its cover was the following: ¡°University Entrance Exams Reference Book¡±. Sure enough, from the instructor¡¯s point of view, Niimi-sensei¡¯s lectures are extremely easy to understand and useful. However, judging from what she has seen from the four Destroyers up until just now, the content of this level of lecture probably does not even reach the point where they would be able to even begin to comprehend a slight portion of it all. [I think that if you don¡¯t lower the level of the content you are going to teach to them a little bit more, they won¡¯t probably be able to keep up with it no matter how hard you will try to explain it to them.] Belfast explained the whole situation to Niimi, and even went as far as to propose a possible solution that she could utilize. [E-Even if you say that, I have only brought in here the finest selection of the reference materials, one that should be fairly easy to comprehend for all kinds of people, no matter their grade or academic prowess¡­¡­] Niimi answered like that after pressing her mouth tightly, defending her methods with a stubbornness that was actually impressive. [But even so¡­¡­ Even if it might be slightly complicated, I¡¯m sure that I will be able to explain it to everyone carefully and patiently, so that everyone understands!] After she quietly placed the reference book back at the desk, Belfast only shook her head slightly. [I understand how you feel, but all that I am trying to say here is that there is a proper order of things for learning and stuff like that. Even if everyone stays awake and listens carefully to your lecture, the level of understanding that those four is going to have will still be lower than what you are expecting of them¡­¡­] After Belfast was done making her point, she looked back at Niimi, who was looking as if she was about to cry any moment now, her shoulders trembling and her eyes getting wet with tears. Niimi-sensei then said with a crumbling voice, unable to hold the emotions from it: [Ever since last night¡­¡­ I have been sitting with all this material¡­¡­ carefully selecting it and preparing it¡­¡­ I have been working so hard for this¡­¡­ I have even been practicing presenting it all to the class¡­¡­ Eguh¡­¡­] [P-Please try to calm down! There is no need for you to cry like that!] The Head Maid then frantically turned around towards the back of the classroom, but Belfast sensed at that moment that both Enterprise and Ranger were unreliable in this situation as they looked as if that whole situation was not even their problem to handle, or that there was nothing that they could do here. So Belfast had no choice but to open her mouth once again and say: [I-I know that you must have been working really hard on this. And truth to be told, the content of this morning class was just on the level of a professional cram school teacher.] After all, since Niimi was so enthusiastic about studying and teaching others, it was understandable that she must have been preparing for this for a long time now, and that would probably be the case with all the lecturers in here. But that was not the point right now [S-So please, don¡¯t cry.] Biting her lips, Niimi desperately struggled to not let the tears flow out, even though she was this close from breaking down completely. While Belfast was uncharacteristically flustered about this whole matter and was wondering what to say, the one to rush to her help was actually Javelin, who came closer to Niimi in a hurry. [I-I personally think that your lectures were really helpful, Niimi-chan! I really do!] Continuing with the trend that Javelin started, Yuudachi also tried to console Niimi in some way, doing her absolute best. [T-That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t really understand it all too well because it¡¯s a field I¡¯m not all that good at¡­¡­ but I think so, too!] At that moment Cygnet also rose up from her seat. [A-And the only reason why I was yawning like that was because I stayed up late last night, so it¡¯s not your fault at all, Niimi-chan!] [E-Everyone¡­¡­] Niimi then managed to somehow hold back her tears, and right after that she started to flip through the pages of one of her textbooks once more while trying her best to not lose herself to tears once more. [B-But¡­¡­ But¡­¡­ Maybe it¡¯s true that I got just a little bit overly excited for this lesson for today.] Then, Niimi also glanced at Belfast and gave an apologetic look. [It¡¯s just like Belfast-san here said. I should have taken the course that was on a lower, more accessible level, but I did not want to go back to what I practiced just until yesterday. For that, I am sorry.] [¡­¡­I am also really sorry. Even though it was right in the middle of class, I think I actually went too far with my assessment of the situation.] After deeply bowing her head with added words of apology, Belfast slowly lifted her head back up. It seems that Niimi was currently opening a foreign language textbook for some reason. She then turned the textbook towards the class, showing to the four Destroyers the word that was written in one of its pages in huge and bold font. [This textbook is all about simple and basic words from the Iron Blood¡¯s native language¡­¡­ And it is really basic and beginner-friendly, so it should not be all that difficult to learn¡­¡­ What do you think?] [I think it is a great idea, actually.] Belfast nodded and went back to the back of the classroom so as not to disturb the class any further than she already did. [Alright then! Let¡¯s start with reading and writing some words. Even if it¡¯s just a learning experience, please try to learn a few words here and there. Times might come when you will need to communicate in different languages, so it¡¯s important to know them just in case.] After writing down the words in the textbook one after another on the blackboard, Niimi-sensei pressed her pointer with her finger against the blackboard and looked back at her students. [When it comes to numbers, we have ¡°eins¡±, ¡°zwei¡± and ¡°drei¡±¡­¡­ We spell them as ¡°EINS¡±, ¡°ZWEI¡±, and ¡°DREI¡±. They are the equivalent of ¡°One¡±, ¡°Two¡±, and ¡°Three¡± respectively. By the way, my name has the number ¡°23¡±, or ¡°Twenty Three¡± in it, and we read it like ¡°dreiundzwanzig¡±. Here is how we spell it out: ¡°DREI, UND, ZWANZIG¡±.] Just then, Niimi continued to write another word on the blackboard. [Then we have such words as ¡°Bullet¡±, which is ¡°KUGEL¡±, the ¡°Fuel is ¡°OTTO¡±, the ¡°Armor-Piercing Grenade¡± is ¡°Panzergranate¡±, ¡°High-Explosive Shell¡± is ¡°Geschoss mit Sprengladung¡±, just to name a few of the basic words. It goes without saying that those words might come in handy when doing various commissions, and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] At that moment, someone stood up from their seat in a hurry. And that action was so sudden and so out of place that for a moment out there even Niimi-sensei was left completely frozen up and speechless in awe of what just happened. [What¡­¡­ What powerful words those are! They are positively brimming with ¡°Force¡±!!!] The one who stood up was actually York, who had been asleep all this time. But when she heard the words that were written on the blackboard, her eyes opened up and were positively sparkling. And then she approached the teacher¡¯s podium while being visibly excited beyond all measure. [Isn¡¯t that actually amazing!? Especially words such as ¡°dreiundzweizig¡±¡­¡­ Ahh, I can already feel that they are all brimming with ¡°Force¡±! And what an unprecedented amount of it it is!] [W-Well, isn¡¯t someone here weirdly excited for learning a new language? B-Besides, i-it¡¯s just my name, so it¡¯s nothing really all that special¡­¡­] While hearing York mumbling some strange things, Niimi could only stand there behind the podium and listen to them in apparent confusion. Volume 1 - CH 3.1 CHAPTER 3: The Head Maid¡¯s Summer Vacation PART 1 As Belfast passed right next to the kitchen window, the dew from the rain that had been falling for about two weeks now was dripping down the edge of the window. As the dew slid gently over the edge of the windowsill, it slid down onto the ground below, combining with other fallen water droplets. The rain seemed to have continued until near dawn, and the air outside was so moist that it felt like it was sticking to your skin in a nasty manner. Looking out of the window that had just been opened, Belfast turned her gaze towards the clear blue sky with human-shaped clouds hanging over it. The clouds were so big that you could truly feel the change of seasons. Summer was about to begin in earnest, after all. [It looks like it will be hot today.] After saying that to herself out loud, Belfast prepared the usual serving of bread crumbs for the small birds from the nearby trees, and after casting a short glance at the slightly muddy terrain outside of the window, the Head Maid started to prepare the breakfast in earnest. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast.] Surprised when her name was called out all of a sudden like that, Belfast turned around right away. And surely enough, it was Sheffield who was standing right there. Staring at her face, which was her usual expressionless self, Belfast tilted her head to the side slightly. Normally, Sheffield would never come into the kitchen this early in the morning? Could it be that she had some business to attend to here? Or maybe it was something else entirely? [Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Sheffy?] In her hands, Sheffield was holding a long poker and a metal bucket. The maid took the extra trouble of showing off those two tools to Belfast before she eventually gave the Head Maid a proper explanation. [There was no one who was willing to do it, so I took it upon myself to clean the charcoal stove here. I guess that there is nothing that can be done about it.] There were also some rags and baking soda and other detergents inside of that bucket that Sheffield was carrying, so it seemed that she intended to thoroughly clean not only the stove itself, but also its immediate surroundings as well. Now, whether it was going to be a big cleanup or not, this action could actually put the usual breakfast serving time in jeopardy, derailing it from its usual time. But that was not the problem here. [Why do you want to do my job, pray tell?] While Belfast asked her that question, Shieffield actually did not answer, and while the Head Maid was still in doubt about her presence here, she casually approached the coal stove and crouched down right away in order to start cleaning it up. [Actually, that should be my line here, Head Maid. What are you even doing here in the first place?] Hearing that, Belfast was unable to understand what Sheffield was about, so she just looked at her with a completely blank expression left on her face. Sheffield looked at Belfast with a blank look as well. [Were you not the one who ordained that in the first place? That you are going to leave the preparations for breakfast for today in my hands? Normally it would be Edi¡¯s job to prepare breakfast, but since she said that she wanted to see you off properly, she made a deal with me to switch our responsibilities. Did you not know that?] [P-Please, wait a moment here! You¡¯re saying that it was my idea? And seeing me off? What do you even mean by that¡­¡­?] In response to Belfast¡¯s surprised question, Sheffield finally let out a long and deep sigh. She then wordlessly pointed at the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall. There was a large flower circle that was written in red pen on the square indicating today¡¯s date. When Belfast slid her gaze just below that red flower, what she saw there was that there was something written in the same red pen in the small blank area where you could write notes. And judging from the handwriting, it was probably written by Kent. [¡­¡­I would never think that it would be the case here, but did you really forget about today?] Now, that was completely unexpected. Flicking through the calendar in a hurry, Belfast finally remembered what day it was today. [Today is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Today is my day off¡­¡­] On the margin of the calendar, there was also a short message reading ¡°Holiday! Head Maid, thank you for all of your hard work every day!¡± in cursive letters. Also, there was a small caricature picture of Belfast, most probably drawn by Suffolk. [Head Maid, we all know just how much you tend to love your job, but even you ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] While scraping out the remaining ashes in the opening under the stove and removing it from under there, Sheffield then rose to her feet in a hurry. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I would advise you to return to your room as soon as possible and change into your plain clothes, Head Maid. If you keep looking like that, this day off will never actually feel like a day off at all, and if you do not hurry, you will have to be in a constant rush later on. As for the preparations, you can leave everything to me. So how about it?] [I¡­¡­ I guess that you are right. I really do need to hurry.] As she said those words, all of a sudden Belfast felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was actually the kind of relaxation that you were supposed to feel at the end of each day, and it felt very strange for the Head Maid to be feeling like that while the sun was only about to rise from over the horizon. After that exchange was over, Sheffield staggered out of the kitchen with the bucket still in her hands, watching the clearly troubled Belfast, who was quietly doing her job without saying any kind of words, and could now only watch as her usual duties were being stolen from her. She did not know why, but it felt a little bit lonely and sad. It was just two rainy afternoons ago when she was handed the notice of the seasonal holiday that she was obliged to take. In the notice, it was possible to choose from two possible options: a hot spring inn course to soothe one¡¯s tiredness and fatigue, and a camping course to enjoy outdoor activities by a mountain stream. When Belfast sent the notice back with a circle at her preferred choice, a lodging ticket for an inn as well as a train ticket was sent to her room a few days later. For someone like Belfast, even on a day when there was a military-grade commission that needed to be taken care off, there was absolutely no time for physical leisure of any kind. So even if she was already back from the commission, this meant that she would just go back to her regular duties, such as preparing meals or cleaning. It was physically taxing, but overall a fulfilling experience. While holding an unrealistic lodging ticket and a train ticket in her hands, she also vaguely recalled a memory of passing onto Edinburgh the list of duties for today, as well as instructing the other maids from the Maid Corps about the various things that they would need to get done. She did not understand why that memory would pop up inside of her head just now, but it did. [But anyways, I have to prepare accordingly.] Shaking off her feelings of loneliness, Belfast went up the stairs while putting her hand on the brass handrails. When she reached her room, she pushed the door open with an uneasy feeling for some strange reason. At the bottom of the bunk bed, Belfast gently shook Edinburgh, who was wearing a nightcap on top of her head and frilly pajamas to boot, and was still asleep peacefully. [It¡¯s morning already, Nee-san. Please wake up.] [Uuuhhhmmm¡­¡­ Morning already?] Seeing her sister sit up on top of the bed after her body slumped under the sheets for a moment, Belfast went towards a small closet that both of them shared at the side of the bed, and stood in front of it. When she opened the double-door closet made of mahogany wood, she found a few spare clothes that she had only tried on a long time ago, never to wear them again. But they were left as they were from that time, in nearly perfect condition. Edinburgh, who was looking at it all with still sleepy eyes, let out a big yawn while she was at it. As for Belfast, she spread the clothes right in front of her, facing a really serious choice of having to pick one outfit in particular for herself to wear. Volume 1 - CH 3.2 [Fuwaah¡­¡­ Hmm. I see. Today is Bel¡¯s day off, huh?] Edinburgh then put on her glasses and climbed out of bed, slowly approaching the closet. There, she took off her pajamas, leaving herself with nothing more but a pair of white panties that were still on her, and lined up next to Belfast, taking out her maid outfit from the closet. [I actually envy you so much, Bel. You get to go on a two day trip to a hot spring inn~. I would like to get some time off myself in the near future as well, you know~. And sooner rather than later.] [I personally don¡¯t ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Belfast tried to say something, but then she stopped in the middle of her sentence and just cast her glance towards the ground. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I would much rather prefer to serve everyone as a maid rather than waste my time on some day off.] For today, Belfast was planning on feeding the small birds some bread crumbs as usual, then prepare breakfast for everyone else, she then thought it would be nice to water all of the plants in the nearby botanical garden, as well as repairing the torn curtains that the girls damaged because of their excessive energy while playing around the dormitory. Continuing on, Belfast also wanted to try and clean the statues in the courtyard that were covered in dirt and the round table and chairs used for the tea ceremony that were located inside of the courtyard. And thinking that someone else would have to do all of those chores for her was making Belfast feel really sad. [Oh, wait a moment, Bel.] [Hm? What¡¯s wrong?] As soon as Belfast was about done picking up the clothes that she was going to wear for her outing, Edinburgh stopped her and she turned around on the spot. [Hmmm¡­¡­] Edinburgh narrowed her eyes behind her glasses and looked at Belfast¡¯s plain clothes, and suddenly began to rummage through the closet with great fervor. And while Belfast was starting to wonder what could it be all about, [Here, Bel. It¡¯s the one piece dress that I happened to buy a while ago thinking that I might happen upon some occasion to wear it, but unfortunately its size was impossible for me to fit in¡­¡­ But when it comes to you, Bel, I think it will fit just right!]] Saying that, what Edinburgh took out of the closet was a checked one-piece dress. Receiving the dress from her sister, Belfast started to undress on the spot, doing as she was told. She put the dress over her head and started to pull it down all the way, but then she noticed that her long hair got stuck on the dress¡¯s collar. [H-How it is?] [Yeah, yeah! I knew it, you look great in it, Bel!. I have always thought that cute clothes would really look good on you, and it looks like I was right about that after all!] While Edinburgh was nodding her head in satisfaction, Belfast was looking at her reflection in the closet¡¯s mirror, checking out the dress¡¯s size and wondering if it was really the case here. Not to mention that wearing something completely different from what she was used to wearing on a daily basis was making her feel uneasy and as if she was not herself anymore. [Oh, and speaking of which ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Edinburgh smiled as he tapped Belfast on the back, while her younger sister still seemed to be quite confused and uneasy about the notion of wearing unfamiliar clothes. [Since it is your long-awaited day off, it is well and good to forget it all about being a maid for a day, just kicking back and relaxing. Also, that hot springs is not only good for helping you to recover from any fatigue, but I also heard that it does wonders for stiff shoulders. It also helps with sensitivity to cold, and neuralgia, you know? I know that we are working as maids, but we are also women, you know? And that line of work is not exactly easy on our bodies. Quite the opposite, actually.] [But I don¡¯t have any problems with stiff shoulders, sensitivity to cold, or neuralgia, Nee-san.] [Not right now. But once you do, it will be too late to do anything about that. It¡¯s called prevention for a reason, you know? Prevention!] As Belfast was wondering if the hot springs could really have any of such preventative effects, Edinburgh circled around her back as she stood in front of the mirror and gently scooped up her silvery hair from the inside of the dress¡¯s collar. [Since you are so busy today with your day off, just for today I am going to act like a proper elder sister and I¡¯m going to do your hair for you, Bel-chan.] [N-Nee-san, there is no need for you to do this. I can do this perfectly on my own, and¡­¡­] [Now, now! Just stand still and let me have that, why don¡¯t you?] Even though Edinburgh was clearly getting slightly carried away here, Belfast did as she was told and followed her sister¡¯s instructions obediently. [Hmm, I wonder what kind of hairstyle would be the best here?] Edinburgh muttered those words to herself while playing with a red ribbon that she was holding in her hands, and quickly started to braid Belfast¡¯s long hair after arranging them on her back. She then tied it at the side to form a low ponytail, and then she added a few more smaller ribbons to make the effect even better. Finally, as a finishing touch, Edinburgh said out loud with a smile on her face, as if she was an artist that was thinking of a name for his lifelong masterpiece: [Alright! I shall name this creation ¡°Softly Waving Bel-chan¡±! I know that you look good while wearing your maid uniform, and that¡¯s fine, too, but isn¡¯t it nice to wear something different once in a while for a change?] When Belfast looked in the mirror again, she was surprised to see that she had changed completely, like she was an entirely different person all of a sudden. Belfast was strangely convinced that even though she knew it was her own reflection in the mirror, she was still finding it hard to accept. With her younger sister still left in a daze, Edinburgh then brought a chocolate-colored fiber trunk from the bottom of the closet. [It might be a little too big for one night trip, but it¡¯s always better to have something like that on you in case you would ever need some extra space. So make sure you¡¯ll put it to a good use.] [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Bel! I heard you said you were going to a hot spring inn for your day off!] Queen Elizabeth¡¯s loud voice rang out in front of the door that was suddenly swung open with great force. When Belfast came to her senses on the spot and turned towards the door, [Fufun! Normally, I should be sound asleep at this time of day! I bet that you are probably wondering why I¡¯m actually awake right now?] Elizabeth said so more to herself rather than to anyone else while folding her arms on her chest. [Why yes, Your Majesty. It is indeed a great mystery as to why that¡¯s the case here.] [Wait! I want you to answer me honestly here! You see, even someone like myself can sometimes get up early all by myself!] After stomping her small foot to the ground, Elizabeth strode into the room, staring at Belfast from head to toe, as if she was appraising her. [Hmm, I see¡­¡­ Edi, you said that what was the name of this creation of yours here? ¡°Softly Waving Bel-chan? Hmm, yes, I can certainly see that. That name suits her really well.] [That name that you keep using, I cannot stop thinking that you might have either heard it somewhere else before, or that you perhaps agreed on it beforehand?] [Rather than that, if you¡¯re going to a hot spring inn, I would definitely like to for you to buy some dumplings out there and bring them back here to have them served at the next tea party.] [Dumplings for a tea party, Your Majesty?] It was certainly an unexpected combination for sure, but not something that was that unheard of. Actually, Belfast had a lingering suspicion that a nice Darjeeling tea would go surprisingly well with dangos for some reason. Elizabeth¡¯s proposal, which she had never imagined to be possible, made Belfast feel a little more excited about her day off trip, especially that she had been reluctant to go on it from the get go. But no more. [I understand, Your Majesty. I shall bring you back a whole lot of delicious dangos that will certainly satisfy your palate.] [Just simply delicious won¡¯t be able to cut it here, Bel. They have to be THE BEST of them all! By the way, Edi? Are you going to see Bel off or what?] Volume 1 - CH 3.3 PART 3 [Huh? Umm, y-yes, that was indeed my intention here¡­¡­] [Fufun, hmm, I see, I see. Good.] Hearing Edinburgh¡¯s words, Elizabeth¡¯s gaze became much sharper for some reason, and then Her Majesty stared in the distance, as if she was trying to see something well beyond the horizon. Her genuinely uninterested tone of voice was as clumsy as ever, to the point where Belfast almost burst out laughing by accident. [Would you perhaps like to come with me on this trip, Your Majesty?] When Belfast asked her that with a smile on her face, Elizabeth turned her head back towards her Head Maid as if she had been waiting for those exact words to occur. [Nmuh¡­¡­ Hmm, I guess it really cannot be helped, huh? Now listen to me here, Bel. When it comes to sending people off somewhere, it¡¯s like, really annoying, you know?] [Yes. I do realize that, Your Majesty.] [It¡¯s really, really, really, really annoying! And I¡¯m not saying that only because I cannot go there myself, just so that we are clear on that one! But I guess if you really insist on me going together with you, Bel, then I have no other choice but to agree and go!] [Yes, and I would be honored for you to accompany me, Your Majesty.] [But you know¡­¡­ I would like you to say it officially. No, I want to hear you say it!] [Would you like to accompany me on this holiday trip, Your Majesty?] Elizabeth puffed out her small chest and laughed as she snorted with satisfaction upon hearing those words. [Alright then! I guess that some things really cannot be helped, no matter what you say or do! And if you want me to go together with you so badly, Bel, I guess I have no other choice but to accompany you! Fufun, oh Bel, if I knew that you would feel so lonely on your own, you should have said so from the start! That would have changed everything.] [Yes, that¡¯s right, Your Majesty. This Belfast right here is a maid who gets lonely really easily~.] Belfast, while doing her best to try and stop herself from laughing or giggling, held her hand in front of her chest and then she slowly bowed down her head in front of Elizabeth. And when she slowly lifted her head back up, she was able to catch a glimpse of Warspite¡¯s figure back in the corridor. [Hmm, I see. So that¡¯s how it is, huh?] It seems that in the end it was not Elizabeth who managed to wake up on her own today after all. Belfast was sure that Elizabeth must have been sitting behind her desk and taking care of paperwork late into the night last night, but she must have made sure that she would wake up early enough for this exact situation to play out. Inside of her heart, Belfast thanked the Old Lady in the corridor for waking Her Majesty up on time. [Then let us hurry up and get ready. Oh, and Bel? That hairstyle of yours for today is really cute. Did Edi do that for you?] [Yes, that¡¯s right. Since you seem to like it so much, would you like me to style your hair in a similar way in a moment or so, before you board the train, Your Majesty?] While Edinburgh and Elizabeth were busy chatting and leaving the room first, Belfast opened the fiber trunk and stuffed some spare underwear and clothes inside, just to be on the safe side. Then, while wondering if the beneficial effects of the hot springs would improve her skills and efficiency as a maid in general, Belfast finished her preparations and followed the other two with her trunk firmly in her hands. *** [This far should be more than good enough.] When the Belfast¡¯s group reached the outer gate on the north side of their Home Port, Belfast turned around and looked behind her. The gate together with its high outer walls and lookout tower was left open for the impending supplies to arrive and pass through the checkpoint that was here. [Huh? What are you talking about, Bel? I¡¯m obviously going to the station with you as well, since I have already come this far. Isn¡¯t that only natural?] Edinburgh scolded Belfast while Elizabeth pouted her mouth visibly. [If memory serves me correctly, you did not receive permission to leave outside of the Home Port, Nee-san.] [That¡¯s right! Besides, I¡¯m sure that this has nothing to do with seeing Bel off or guarding me, the Queen! Admit it! You just want to see the train with your own eyes, do you!?] Upon hearing her sister¡¯s embarrassing words, Belfast tried to persuade her with logic, while Queen Elizabeth started to openly pester her about the possible ulterior motives that the other maid might have had here. [Nee-san, if I¡¯m not mistaken about this, there should be some frozen milk being kept inside of the Still Room in the annex of the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory.] A Still Room is a room where the distillation process would usually take place in distilleries and wineries, but the maids of the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory were using one such room as a mere additional storage room. The Still Room has not only refrigerated items being kept in it, but also frozen items as well, making it a particularly useful place during the humid summer months for a variety of reasons. [Today is supposed to be very hot and humid, and if I hadn¡¯t had extra time to spare, I was thinking of making some ice cream for everyone after I was going to be finished with my gardening duties.] [I-Ice cream!? Did you just say ice cream!?] Just as Belfast had expected, just hearing those two words made Her Majesty¡¯s attention shift from the subject at hand, now being completely fixated on the matter of the tasty treat. [Edi! I want some ice cream! Like, right now! On the double!] After she shouted those words, Elizabeth grabbed Edinburgh¡¯s hand and started to forcibly pull her away from the port¡¯s gate. [Y-Your Majesty!? Please wait just a moment, Your Majesty! I can walk on my own perfectly well, you know!? ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C B-Bye, Bel! Have a good time! And see you back tomorrow!] [Yes, thank you very much. I will be on my way now.] [Bel! Just for today, you are to forget all about your maid duties and just focus on kicking back and relaxing, so that you can resume your duties tomorrow being all well-rested!] Finally, Queen Elizabeth also turned towards Belfast and shouted those words from afar, where Belfast could hardly even hear her. After waving her hand at them until the two were finally completely out of sight, Belfast began walking beyond the gate, towards the railway station. The railway station itself was not all that far from the Home Port, and Belfast managed to arrive at her destination after a short and pleasant walk alongside the road. When Belfast passed through the station building and came out into a semi-open corridor, she could hear the chirping of cicadas perched on the nearby green leaves, and she felt that the time was passing here at a much more leisurely pace than usual. [It¡¯s so peaceful here¡­¡­] Sitting on a bench in the corridor, Belfast did nothing but wait for the train to arrive eventually. A warm breeze gently blew, rustling the leaves on the trees, causing the shade to fluctuate and shift. The sweat on Belfast¡¯s back managed to cool down for now and the way in which she currently was was so very comfortable. [Maybe it¡¯s not really all that bad to relax like this once in a while?] Beyond the roof over the corridor, Belfast could see a larger human-shaped cloud than she had seen from the kitchen this morning. Belfast also wondered if there was perhaps some private house nearby, for she could hear the wind chimes ringing loudly and happily from somewhere off in the distance. She closed her eyes, listened to the faint sound in the quiet and tranquil moment, and spent a really peaceful time while she waited for the train, away from the hustle and bustle of her everyday life. It was actually a pretty enjoyable change of pace. It also felt very luxurious to her for some reason. Belfast wondered if it was really okay for the Head Maid to take some time off from work like that, but now Belfast was starting to see just how enjoyable a day off from work could really be, albeit it was still something that felt like a little bit too much for her. ¡ª¡ª But since that was her first day off in quite a while, since she was going to be away from home and work, she might as well want to enjoy it to the fullest, so that she would really go back home well-rested and refreshed. And that¡¯s what she¡¯s been doing for a moment, just thinking like that. For how long was she doing that now? Five minutes? Maybe more? [Umm, are you perhaps ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C?] Volume 1 - CH 3.4 Belfast then suddenly heard a voice coming from her left, and she opened her eyes in a hurry. When she turned her head in the direction where the voice was coming from, what she saw there was not one person, but four of them. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I knew it, it was Belfast-san! I couldn¡¯t see your face because you were wearing a hat on your head, so I was wondering what I should do if you were actually an entirely different person altogether.] Belfast did not recognize her for a moment out there because she was wearing her plain clothes as well, but the one who spoke to her was the first ship of the Nelson Class, Battleship Rodney. And right behind her stood Nelson, the second battleship of the Nelson Class. [Oh my, it certainly is Belfast! But where is Edinburgh? She¡¯s not here with you today?] The one who spoke now was the person standing right next to Rodney, the battlecruiser of the Renown Class, Repulse. And just like Nelson and Rodney, right behind Repulse was the battlecruiser Renown, the namesake of her Class. [Yes, it is me. And unfortunately, Nee-san is not here. I¡¯m on my own for today.] Belfast nodded to the four of them, as they were all familiar faces from the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, and they were all people with whom Belfast could talk in a much more relaxed fashion than with other maids or lecturers at the school, not to mention the fellow shipgirls with whom she would do commissions from time to time. [Hmm, is that so? We met Rodney and the others in front of the station a while ago, and seeing that we are all sister ships, I was wondering if that was supposed to be some sort of a theme for today¡¯s outing or something like that. You never know with the top brass, after all.] Laughing dryly, Repulse pointed to Belfast¡¯s side, as if she was asking if it was okay for them to sit down right next to her. And once Belfast nodded her head in affirmation, Repulse sat down right next to her without hesitation. Repulse¡¯s plain clothes were very simple and looked really comfortable. And when Belfast saw her sitting on a bench while wearing a T-shirt and hot pants, all the while crossing her legs, Belfast suddenly felt like saying out loud what was at the very top of her head. [But I must say, it¡¯s really surprising. Seeing you, Repulse-san, and the company right here like this.] [Huh? Is that so?] [You see, it¡¯s just that, there was also a camping option in the choice for a possible vacation spot, so I just assumed that you would choose that option instead.]] [Are you saying that camping is something that is more like ¡°us¡± rather than a trip to hot springs? And you know what? You¡¯re right. But the thing is, Nee-san right here really wanted to do this, so here we are.] Saying that, Repulse cast a quick glance to the side at her older sister Renown. Renown dropped her gaze while making an exasperated expression. But even with her like that, it was clear that her thoughts were already up ahead at the hot spring inn. It was clear that she must have been really looking forward to this particular trip. [Umm¡­.. If I were to choose between those two, I think that hot springs are way more attractive of an option than the camping trip.] Renown replied firmly, defending her choice. [But I have heard that the camping trip had things like fishing for sweet fish, barbecues, and fireworks in its itinerary, aside for a few other things.] [You keep saying that, while in reality you have not even cast a glance at the pamphlet that was describing both options in greater detail.] After that was told, Renown actually started to read through the pamphlet that she just so happened to be holding in her hands. [¡°This option offers a trip to a natural hot spring discovered north of the Home Port some time ago. The unique qualities of this natural spring is weakly alkaline with sodium, calcium, sulfate, and chloride among many others. It is said that the water there has a healing-like effects such as ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] When Renown read that far in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone, everyone on the spot gathered in front of the pamphlet and stared at the text with a cannibalistic gaze in their eyes. [What do we have here, what do we have here¡­¡­ ¡°The history of this hot spring goes back almost twelve hundred years back. If you take a bath in the spring even once, your skin will be moisturized and smooth like never before, and any fatigue, injury or illness is said to be healed instantly¡±¡­¡­ ] [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I have never even heard before about a hot spring with such magnificent healing qualities. It seems that the pamphlet attributes those to some deity known as the ¡°God of Hot Springs¡± that resides in those waters¡­¡­ But seriously? Do you guys really believe in such a thing?] Rodney, who spoke right after Repulse, raised her head and looked around at everyone¡¯s faces. However, no one responded to her words of doubt. [Among all of us here, has anyone ever been to a natural hot spring before?] Belfast asked a question of her own, but just like Rodney, she did not receive any sort of answer for her question. In other words, all of the members here seem to have never experienced hot springs before, having only been to the artificial hot springs in their Home Port. [That actually sounds like some bullcrap story made up entirely for the sake of advertisement, don¡¯t you think?] Said Nelson and then she walked away slightly, seemingly bored by what she heard just now. [I mean, I¡¯m sure it is all just exaggerated. It says it¡¯s a hot spring meant for caring and beautifying the skin, but isn¡¯t it actually just a normal, run-of-the-mill warm spring water?] [However, according to this pamphlet, some research conducted by an independent pharmaceutical company has proven that the skin beautifying effect has been scientifically proven and ¡ª¡ª] Nelson just shook her head in disbelief when Belfast pointed to a small piece of writing in the corner of the pamphlet. [Please don¡¯t expect too much, but also don¡¯t get discouraged, they say that the effects of this spring also work wonders for arteriosclerosis and rheumatism¡­¡­ Hmm, how is it possible to heal so many things just by soaking in hot water, I wonder?] [Then why did you choose to go to the hot springs as well, Nelson-san?] [Well, you see, I heard that you can eat delicious kaiseki cuisine there as well. Rather than eating peculiar food like BBQ at the camp, that is something that a classy lady would enjoy far greater, don¡¯t you think? Or at the very least, I myself prefer to eat a fancy meal cooked by a great chef and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] At that time, Belfast heard the sound of the heavy machinery drawing closer and a long piercing sound of a whistle, and everyone who was there at the station turned around all at once. When they all looked up, there was steam coming out of the chimney of the train, and it was slowly making its way towards the people waiting at the station¡¯s platform. [Rodney, on the other hand, thinks that it is important to get excited about stuff like that. It is our long-awaited day off, so we might as well get to enjoy it as much as possible without having to needlessly worry about every single little thing.] With that being said, Rodney happily walked into the train with her huge luggage in tow, and Nelson followed right behind her. [Ah, wait! Wait just a minute! Just so you know, I¡¯m calling dibs on the seat by the window!] After that, Renown and Repulse also entered the train, and finally Belfast boarded it as the last one. [I know that each and every one of us has a lot going on, but I hope that we are going to get along really well during this trip.] Before actually entering inside of the train, Repulse came back to Belfast and said those words while extending her arm for a handshake. [The pleasure is all mine. I hope that we will have a relaxing journey together.] Saying that, Belfast shook Repulse¡¯s hand and smiled brightly. Soon after, the train¡¯s whistle blew loudly, and the train, with the five people on board, began to run slowly toward its destination ¨C¨C¨C the hot springs inn. * * * The train with five people on board continued to run over many mountains. While the train was on its way, Belfast started to read the pamphlet that Renown had in her possession, starting from the very beginning. According to what was written in it, it was said that the spring itself has been there for a long time now, and recently members of the Sakura Empire started to work together with the Naval HQ with the intention of turning the place into a huge spa town-style fitness facility for shipgirls from all factions. Volume 1 - CH 3.5 While Belfast was reading through the pamphlet and watching some of the photographs added in it, the train finally came to a stop at the station it was supposed to arrive at. When Belfast returned the pamphlet to Renown as she was leaving the station building, she looked at the large clock hanging at the front of the station building. When the whole party realized that it was already long past noon, Rodney turned towards the rest of her companions and said, [Would you like to go and have lunch somewhere before we arrive at the inn?] [Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. I have been drinking nothing but Oxygen Cola throughout the entire train ride, so I could definitely use some real food right about now. Among a few other things¡­¡­] When Repulse pressed her hands onto her stomach, she then pointed to Renown, who was right next to her, to see if the pamphlet was listing some good shops or restaurants around the inn itself where the whole group could eat something for lunch. [It seems that this hot spring inn is famous for its soba dishes.] [Soba! I like the sound of that!] Then all of a sudden, Nelson shouted with joy. Seeing Nelson act like that, with her usual coolness and sharpness being completely gone, everyone just kind of stood there and looked at her in a daze, not saying a single word. [¡­¡­ E-Ekhem, ekhem!] After realizing what she has done just now, Nelson coughed loudly and turned away so that she could hide her completely red face from everyone else. [I-It¡¯s not all that often that you get to eat soba, don¡¯t you agree? That is why my voice got so loud and excited here. Yes! That is the only reason!] [Yes, that¡¯s right. I have heard about soba dishes before, but I have never had the opportunity to try them out myself.] Belfast nodded her head in agreement while speaking in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone and then she turned her face towards Renown who was holding the pamphlet in her hands. [Renown-san, how long does it take to get to the soba restaurant from here?] [If we walk, it¡¯s probably about thirty minutes or so.] [Hmm, if that¡¯s all there is to it, let¡¯s go for a little walk, shall we? After wandering around the place like that, I¡¯m sure that everyone is going to be just hungry enough for a good lunch.] No one objected to Repulse¡¯s words, and each member of the party began to walk along the road with their luggage in their hands. As soon as they left the small station building, they could see a signboard with an arrow that said ¡®Onsen Town¡¯, and they would turn into that direction and continue down the street. As the buildings of various restaurants and inns gradually came into view, Belfast noticed that the townscape was decorated with a myriad of small paper hanging lanterns that were literally everywhere you looked. [Perhaps they are doing something called a ¡®Summer Festival¡¯ here? The time of year should be just about right for that.] True to Belfast¡¯s assuming words, once the group continued heading down the street lined with decorative lanterns, they would eventually come to a place where various stalls were lined up exactly like they would be during a festival time. From the speakers installed at the telephone poles here and there a very specific melody was being played, and just listening to it combined with the sight in front of you was more than enough to make you feel slightly drunk with the festive atmosphere. All the more so that for Belfast, it was actually her very first time seeing a genuine summer festival with her own eyes. Even Rodney, who was walking in front of everyone else, seemed to be smiling brightly, even if it was completely unintentional. [If we are going to have some time on our hands later on, let¡¯s come here for sure! I really want to try that Goldfish Scooping game that they offer here!] Surrounded by various stalls, colorful lanterns and fancy decorations, everyone present seemed to be completely enthralled by it all. Before she was even able to realize what was going on, even Belfast herself started to curiously look around, taking in those new and unfamiliar sights. And since they were all proceeding forth in such fancy and colorful conditions, the walk was so pleasant and enjoyable that none of the Royal Navy shipgirls even realized that they have been walking for about thirty minutes now, and that they had already arrived at the shop they were aiming at. [It would seem that our inn where we are staying is also not all that far away from here. So let¡¯s go in right away, shall we?] As soon as Renown opened the door to the shop, an enthusiastic voice could be heard from the inside of the store. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Welcome! Welcome! Come right in!] [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Table for five people, is it? ¡­¡­ Huh? Oh my?] When the five Royal Navy shipgirls turned towards a set of somewhat familiar voices, they could see both Ping Hai and Ning Hai, both Light Cruisers of the Ning Hai Class from the Dragon Empery, standing in the middle of the store while wearing aprons. [Look, Nee-chan, it¡¯s the Royal Navy girls. What are the Royal Navy girls doing here in this place, I wonder?] Nelson then approached the two Dragon empery waitresses while tilting her head to the side. [That¡¯s exactly something that I would want to hear. What are you guys doing here of all places?] Just then, seeing that Nelson was encroaching heavily onto Ping Hai¡¯s personal space, Ning Hai put a silver tray that she¡¯s been holding in her hands in order to put some space between the two. [We are just working here for the duration of Summer as part of a Civil Exchange program. That¡¯s us. Now it¡¯s your turn: what are you guys all doing here?] [We are all here for our day off. We came here to this hot spring inn after hearing about just how many beneficial effects its waters seem to have, and we are going to stay here for two nights.] When Nelson give a brief explanation to the two Dragon Empery shipgirls, Ping Hai clapped her hands together as if she all of a sudden remembered something important. [Ah, I see. So it¡¯s more about this place overall, huh? And certainly enough, I remember Yat Sen-nee saying something about these hot springs having some beneficial effects before, even if I was finding it hard to believe.] [Oh, now that you mention it, she certainly mentioned something like that, didn¡¯t she?] Ning Hai nodded her head and then guided the five Royal Navy girls towards their table. [Does that mean that Yat Sen-san is here at these hot springs as well?] Rodney asked that question while sitting down, and Ning Hai nodded her head in affirmation and spread the menu on the table of the five people to browse at their leisure. [Yeah, she should have come here a few days ago, but since we have been working all this time at this place, we have yet to actually go and meet here on our own. And she did not pay us a visit, either. But she said that we should pay the hot springs a visit at least once, that it will make our skin all smooth and shiny.] When Ning Hai said that, she touched her own cheeks with both of her hands, and then she pressed them really hard and they bounced right back quite vigorously. Right next to her, Ping Hai did the same thing, imitating what her sister did just now. [Originally, we were going to go camping or something alongside those lines, but before we could even submit the right documents, it turned out that Yat Sen-nee had already submitted one for us, forcing us to come here.] [But then again, we were offered here that we can take part in the all-you-can-eat-buffet, and that was more than enough to make my sister grow fond of this place right from the get-go. So that¡¯s that.] [You don¡¯t have to say something so unnecessary to those people! They don¡¯t need to know that! Well then, please call us again when you¡¯ve decided on your orders.] Even after the two Dragon empery sisters left, Nelson would still frown in suspicion at them. [I wonder if the waters of this hot spring really make one¡¯s skin so shiny and springy¡­¡­ Oh well, I guess that we are about to see it for ourselves pretty soon. Not that these two could serve as a definite proof.] Nelson then happened to glance at Belfast after making a brief pause. [Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Belfast?] [Huh? Excuse me?] Belfast herself might have not even realized it, but she would actually continue to gaze in the direction where the two Ning Hai Class sisters just went. Volume 1 - CH 3.6 PART 6 Seeing someone else wearing an apron all of a sudden like that, for some reason it was causing Belfast to become all restless and for her maid¡¯s blood to start boiling. Which was now making the Head Maid feel all guilty, since she promised herself that she would enjoy this vacation to the fullest without thinking too much about work. [W-Well. I don¡¯t even know myself how to say it, but ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C For a moment out there I thought that it might be a good idea for me to ask those girls if I could join them for a while, and just like that I could serve you all while we are still being here¡­¡­] [Huuuuuuh?] Hearing that, Nelson put her finger on her chin, as if she was having a hard time understanding what Belfast just said. However, for Belfast herself this was going to be a very huge and serious problem. But for Belfast it was a very serious problem. To tell the truth, ever since she had put on her one-piece dress, she has been feeling completely restless, and being in an establishment quite like this one, not as someone working there, but rather a customer, was making her feel even more embarrassed. And it was an even stronger feeling since she had company with her. [N-No, really. I knew it, I can¡¯t stand it! I¡¯m going to go to the kitchen and ask them to let me help in preparing the soba, too!] [No, no, no! Oh, no you won¡¯t!] Nelson firmly grabbed Belfast¡¯s hand as she tried to stand up and restrained her. [You are supposed to be on your day off, right? This is supposed to be your summer vacation, right? Then why the hell are you thinking and trying to work!? Just do as the Commander ordered you to and obediently have a nice and relaxing time!] [B-But¡­¡­ But I¡­¡­] [Belfast-san, it¡¯s just like Nelson-san said just now.] Renown straightened her posture in her seat as she looked straight into Belfast¡¯s eyes. [Today is supposed to be a day where we don¡¯t have to worry about work, we can just kick back, relax and take care of ourselves. I understand that you must feel really uncomfortable as a simple person as you are not working as a maid, but why don¡¯t you at least try to be on the side of the recipient for once? You know, instead of being the one who is serving? Who knows? You might learn something completely new from this experience.] [B-but¡­¡­] Even though Belfast knew all that inside of her head, her heart wanted to serve someone in earnest. She tried to sit back and relax just as she was told, but Belfast just could not control the feelings that were raging inside of her heart. [Everyone, could you give it a rest for the time being and just be quiet? More importantly, about that soba¡­¡­] The soba noodles at this particular restaurant, which Nelson could see the pictures of inside of the menu, were a little bit darker than the ones you would see anywhere else¡­¡­ But aside from that, the soba itself was also served on a round three-tiered lacquerware plate, which was making it look just like¡­¡­ Well, just like a typical meal that you would get for a New Year. [How about you? Is everyone else okay with that?] In addition to the soba noodles, there was also a variety of different dishes on the menu, but since the whole company came here solely for the soba noodles, no one was really interested in trying anything else. And so the other four shipgirls simply nodded their heads in silence. When Nelson raised her hand, she then told the Dragon Empery sisters what order they had all decided on, and from then on out they just had to wait for a few minutes until the order was brought to them from the kitchen. [Yes, thank you for waiting so patiently!] What Ping Hai and Ning Hai brought from the kitchen was indeed a three-tiered stack of soba noodles accompanied by a dashi broth, as shown in the photo from the menu. The accompanying condiments included some seaweed, green onions, and large slices of grated daikon radish, while the soba itself was sprinkled with sesame seeds and accompanied by a hard-boiled egg. [It is said that the first layer of soba needs to be poured with all the dashi broth. When you have finished eating the second layer, pour the remaining dashi over the second layer of soba and eat the third layer in the same way, eating the condiments alongside the way at your own leisure.] [It¡¯s certainly a very peculiar way of eating soba noodles.] Rodney stares at her portion of the soba from above. [Don¡¯t ask us about it. It seems to be some sort of a local custom or something like that. Now then, take it easy and enjoy your time!] After the Dragon Empery sisters waved their hands at the Royal Navy shipgirls and went away, the five of them each picked up their chopsticks and got ready to dig into their soba noodles. However, Renown, who was sadly unable to make due with the chopsticks like everyone else and was just struggling with them while making funny and awkward gestures, finally looked at her companions as she said: [C-Can someone pass me the fork here, please?] [No! You absolutely cannot do that!] Nelson immediately raised her voice in objection, even though she was also having a whole lot of trouble with using her own chopsticks. [Since we have already come to a local soba restaurant like this one, it would simply not use forks instead of chopsticks! ¡­¡­ Besides, we are guests in this town, so we should do our best to accommodate the local custom! When in Rome, do as the¡­¡­ AH!] At that moment Nelson lost control over the chopsticks in her hands which resulted in her dropping her soba back onto her plate. She then groaned quite miserably while casting a curious glance at Belfast. [Hm? What¡¯s wrong?] Belfast just continued to deftly use her chopsticks as if nothing had happened. [Belfast-san, where on God¡¯s green Earth did you learn to use chopsticks like that?] After she was asked that question by Rodney, Belfast curtly answered her without a moment¡¯s delay. [Just to be on the safe side in case of emergency, I have studied the bare minimum of each major faction¡¯s cuisine and eating etiquette. After all, as a maid, you never know just what kind of customers you are going to be serving.] [If that¡¯s the case, could you show me how to do it properly?] Saying that, Renown put her hand forward, the one in which she was holding her chopsticks in a clumsy way. Belfast smiled and carefully explained to everyone how to hold chopsticks from scratch, making sure that everyone would understand. The soba, which had a unique aroma to it, seemed to be boiled harder than Belfast had imagined. The more she chewed, the more the flavor would spread in her mouth, and the dashi broth made from bonito and kombu seaweed had a really strong aroma as well. [Delicious! This is really good! At this rate, just three layers might not be enough to satisfy me! Repulse, who had finally gotten used to using chopsticks enough to eat comfortably, slurped down on her soba in a clumsy but cute way, but she never stopped holding the chopsticks and before long she moved to the second layer, this time trying to change the flavor little by little by adding different side dishes. She also started to add different seasonings. As for Nelson herself, the girl who was looking forward to coming in here the most even before the group arrived in the hot spring town, she had a big smile on her face that you could never actually imagine that her usual moody expression and sharp demeanor would be able to make. But now she was slurping down on her soba with a particularly satisfied expression. The gap between her usual self and her current self was just too great. Belfast, just like everyone else, started to make her way through her noodles, observing her fellow shipgirls at the same time. She could not help herself but to think that she was witnessing a truly rare moment here right about now. ¡ª¡ª However¡­¡­ Just being able to sit at the table like that and behave like a normal customer would, no matter what, it was still making Belfast feel awkward and uncomfortable. * * * After being done with eating their soba, the five shipgirls soon arrived at their inn. After being handed the key to their room, they headed to the room where the right number was written according to the map of the hall, and as it turned out, it was a fairly spacious room. It was for five people, but presumably even eight futons or more would easily fit in here, and there would still be plenty of space left out. Volume 1 - CH 3.7 PART 7 [Here we are! Here we are! I¡¯m calling dibs on this place, by the way!] There was a huge rectangular table placed right in the middle of the room, with a bunch of legless chairs lined up all around it. And after she said those words, Repulse took the position on a chair right next to the window, from where she could easily admire the panorama that was spreading outside. [I must say, this room is way bigger than what I had initially imagined.] Nelson, who was acting so carefree and excited not so long ago, was now completely back to her usual self. She then sat right across from Repulse. [And there are enough yukatas and slippers for a huge number of people here.] On the other hand, when Renown opened the closet that was near the entrance and took a look inside of it, and after stating that she moved to begin checking the bathroom and then she switched to the equipment placed on the cabinet with the built-in TV. [Look, they even have some means of killing time in here, as well! Like puzzles and stuff! And you could even buy some more things in the shop downstairs! Wow, this inn really has it all figured out, huh?] [Renown-san, I¡¯m surprised to see that you seem to be so interested in things like that.] Rodney chuckled a little bit and put her luggage by the closet where the futons were being placed for the duration of the day. [Everyone, let¡¯s just put all of our luggage together here for the time being. You too, Belfast-san. Just place it right here and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] When Rodney said that and turned around, she saw Belfast standing perfectly still, staring at a single point in the room. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast-san¡­¡­?] Rodney twisted her neck slightly, wondering what¡¯s wrong and looked towards the side of the TV where Belfast was currently looking. A box of puzzles was not the only thing that was placed there. There was also a couple of tea cups, a number of bags with instant green tea, some Sakura Empire-style sweets and snacks, as well as the electric kettle for boiling water in it. At that exact moment Belfast¡¯s body swayed from side to side, as if it was possessed by something. [Huh? Umm, this is, wait a minute¡­¡­ Guys?] Hearing Rodney¡¯s bewildered voice, everyone else finally realized that something was clearly not right with Belfast. Finally, Belfast, who had been away from her usual duties for the longest time than ever before in her life, was about ready to snap. She could no longer resist the maid¡¯s blood that was running through her veins, calling out to her. She had to serve someone as soon as possible, or else she was afraid that she might actually lose it. [Right away, right away¡­¡­ I shall serve some tea and snacks to all of you right away!] After saying that out loud, Belfast took a step forward towards the tea and snacks set. [Now hold on just a moment!] Rodney hurriedly tried to stop her from going any further, but Belfast managed to dodge her hand and then she was already on her way towards the TV stand, right where Renown was currently standing. [How can she move so fast in a crowded space like this¡­¡­!?] Belfast stared at the point where the teacups were placed, ignoring the startled Rodney and her question. Renown put the puzzle box back onto the TV stand, by the teacups. Then she took a deep breath and gently closed her eyes for a moment. [And here we are, despite the fact that we just told you to sit back and try to relax¡­¡­ Haah, I guess that some things really cannot be helped, huh?] At that moment when Belfast was fast approaching the TV stand, [Renown ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Both sides full speed ahead!] With their eyes wide open and their hips slightly lowered, both Repulse and Renown met the incoming Belfast with wrestling-like tackles. But the Head Maid¡¯s initial step when she kicked the tatami mat under her feet was probably so quick that no one present in the room was able to properly see it all, but even so, Renown was sure that in this situation, there was no way that they would not be able to catch Belfast and hold her in place. However, as if Belfast had read the movement of her ¡°opponents¡± before they were even able to make them, she was already jumping up thanks to all of the speed that she managed to build up in order to dodge those tackles. Renown then lost her balance and performed a brilliant head-slide alongside the tatami mat-ridden floor. As for Belfast herself, she was able to successfully land back on the ground with grace after making a glorious somersault, The distance between her and the precious tea set was already so close that she could just reach out with her hand to get it. At that moment, when she thought it would all be but a smooth sailing from here on out, [Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough of that, dear ladies!] Before she even knew what was going on, Repulse, who was still supposed to be right near the legless chair on which she was sitting on just a moment ago, had her body locked in a tight grip from behind and just would not let her go. [¡­¡­!?] And while Belfast was still being restrained by Repulse from behind, Nelson, who was just sitting in her chair and observing up until that point, just got up from her chair, walked to the TV stand, picked up the tea set and just casually carried it back to the table while Belfast could only watch. [We really do know that you seriously love your job, but don¡¯t you think that you are taking this a little bit too far?] While Belfast was still being firmly restrained, Nelson quickly lined up the teacups and teabags for everyone, and turned on the power button on the electric kettle so it would start boiling up the water. Seeing that there was literally nothing that she could do now to stop her fellow shipgirls from robbing her of her duty, Belfast spoke up in frustration: [N-No, please, stop it! If you will go through with this, then there will really be nothing else left for me to do, and¡­¡­!] However, without paying Belfast¡¯s words any heed at all, Nelson got everything ready for everyone and slowly sat back in her legless chair. Belfast, who had been completely deprived of her usual duties as a maid, was then finally released from Repulse¡¯s grasp and was left on her own on the spot. She then slumped down and sat back on her own chair, sulking. [M-My maid responsibilities¡­¡­] While Belfast was still busy with being gloomy and depressed about this whole situation right now, Renown, who just managed to sit back down and was resting in a flashy way, stood up once more and put her hand on Belfast¡¯s shoulder in a supporting gesture. [Belfast-san, we don¡¯t need any maids with us for today. During this trip, we want to spend time with you, just Belfast, and not Belfast the Head Maid.] When Belfast looked up, she could see that the tip of Renown¡¯s nose was all red, as if that previous summersault of hers managed to scrape it. Seeing this, Belfast suddenly came back to her senses all at once. [¡­¡­I¡¯m most terribly sorry. This is all my fault.] [But still, that sounds exactly like something that you would say, Belfast-san.] After saying that and accepting Belfast¡¯s sincere apology, Rodney offered Belfast her hand and helped her to get back up. [We really wanted to keep quiet about this and keep it to ourselves, but I guess that there is no other choice but to come clean, huh?] Nelson sat back down on her legless chair and opened her mouth, speaking up. [Actually, to tell you the truth, when we were all on our way towards the train station, we met Sheffield from the Maid Corps. And normally there would be nothing strange about that, but she said to us the following: ¡°That Head Maid of ours doesn¡¯t have a clue about the concept of taking a break from her work.¡± And she asked us to help you relax and rest properly during this trip.] [Sheffy said something like that¡­¡­?] Her thoughts coming back to Sheffield, who was known for being and acting bluntly, but never actually quite like this, Belfast was honestly surprised about what she heard just now. [After that, we also happened to stumble upon Edi and Her Majesty as we passed each other, and they said more or less the very same thing to us: ¡°Bel loves her job, maybe even a little bit too much, so in case she wants to get back to work, do your best to stop her from doing just that.] Volume 1 - CH 3.8 Nelson only nodded her head hearing Rodney¡¯s words, basically confirming them all. [It may be that your help is unnecessary for the duration of this trip, but it¡¯s the thought that ultimately counts. So while we appreciate it, we want you to try and forget all about it and just relax for today.] Getting a feeling that she was actually being treated like a small child, Belfast¡¯s face really hot all of a sudden. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Those people, all of them¡­¡­ They have always thought of her that way, didn¡¯t they? Belfast also feel really happy because she knew that caring for someone like that could only be born out of genuine kindness. However, she was still ashamed that she caused her beloved ones to worry about her like that, and that feeling far outweighed any other feeling in her chest right now. [Anyways, before anything else, let¡¯s just all try to calm down, shall we?] Repulse then clapped her hands together as if she just managed to think of a great idea. [How about we all go visit the hot springs together? After all, there is nothing else that beats a nice bath after a good tea and delicious snacks! And besides, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing if that skin beautifying effects are real or not!] For a moment out there, there was nothing but silence in the room, only broke by the loud gurgling of the electric kettle once the water inside of it was boiling hot. All this time, Belfast would not turn around to face her comrades. Belfast was desperately trying to cool down the heat that was burning across her face somehow, thinking that she might not actually be able to get over it seriously this time if even her face was being so red-hot after making such a humiliating blunder as the one she just did. * * * By the time the five of the Royal Navy¡¯s shipgrils headed for the large bath, the sun had already begun to set in behind the western horizon. When they arrived at the dressing room, Belfast tried to remove the ribbon from her hair first before she would start to take off her clothes. She stood in front of the mirror and gently touched the ribbon, but then her hands stopped all of a sudden. ¡ª¡ª Come to think of it, it was her sister that did her hair for her in this exact style. Looking back at the events that transpired ever since the morning, Belfast felt like she was actually a completely different person today, far from her usual self. It is possible that Edinburgh did this exact hair style with the thought of Belfast enjoying herself outside of her usual personality and mannerism. And while there was no way for her to actually discover what the truth behind that matter could be, Belfast quickly untied the ribbon while giving that matter some more thought. [That looks nice, that looks nice~. Like, really, really nice~.] When Belfast heard Repulse¡¯s voice and turned around, she noticed that everyone else was already stripped down to their very underwear. Thinking that she needed to pick up her pace as to not be left behind, Belfast immediately took off her one-piece dress and began to fold her clothes in a neat way, and she then put them all into the basket that was at the changing room¡¯s shelf. Apparently, Repulse was staring at both Rodney and Nelson¡¯s breasts, comparing them to her own breasts size with envy clearly shining in her eyes. [Gosh, how I envy those two! Both Rodney and Nelson have such big and nice pair of boobs on them! Nice, nice, so nice~!] [H-Hey! What the hell do you think you¡­¡­ Stop! Stop staring at me like that!] Nelson shrieked while desperately trying to hide her huge breasts clad in red and fancy underwear, before she just walked away. As for Renown, she was wearing light blue underwear and was standing right next to Repulse, softly touching her own modest breasts. [Indeed, I do believe that our breasts might be a little bit too modest when compared to everyone else.] [Nee-san, let¡¯s not keep our heads down here, shall we? Instead, let¡¯s just focus on the things that every girl like us would need to ask in a situation like that! What kind of food do you usually eat? What kind of exercise do you do! Come on! Spill the beans! Tell us your secret!] Raising her index finger sharply, Repulse said something so strangely specific to her sister Renown, before she finally turned her attention back at Belfast. [Come to think of it, our dear Belfast hear also has quite a nice pair on her! So, what it will be? Come on, tell us how to get them to grow so big~!] [Even if you say that to me, I honestly don¡¯t know what to say to that¡­¡­] While Belfast was at a clear loss for words here, Repulse took a step towards the Head Maid, which in turn caused her to instinctively take a huge step backwards. [Hehe, got you now! You¡¯re wide open, missy!] Belfast then felt that Repulse¡¯s hands managed to touch her chest, and after the initial grab all of her ten fingers just continued to massage the two elastic and springy protrusions, sinking deeper and deeper into the Head Maid¡¯s milky-white flesh. [So? How is it? How is it? How does it feel to have your boobs groped like that?] [H-How? Even if you ask me that, I don¡¯t think I can answer you in any¡­¡­] Even in a situation quite like that Belfast remained perfectly calm and just stared at Repulse groping her breasts without any reaction whatsoever. [¡­¡­ Hey, excuse me.] [Yes? What is it?] Belfast turned her face towards Repulse, whose tone had suddenly dropped from her previously high and upbeat one, into a pretty hostile and harsh one. [This is the exact situation in which you should react by letting out a squeal, shrieking things such as ¡°Kyah!¡± or ¡°Aaahh!¡± or something alongside those lines! But I can¡¯t hear any of that?] Repulse said something that would much better befit of an old perverted man rather than a young woman, and moved her hand as though he wanted to rub and knead Belfast even more, but even in face of all that, Belfast¡¯s face remained perfectly blank. [Hmm, is that so? But we are all women here, so I don¡¯t that there is any need for me to react like that.] [No, I mean, look, I know that, it¡¯s just that¡­¡­] [And just like that, you too are wide open.] [Uwah! Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait just a freaking minute!] As a method of an effective counterattack, Belfast quickly put her hands to work together, and the Head Maid¡¯s fingers managed to dive under the confines of Repulse¡¯s light green underwear and started rubbing her modest breasts softly while cupping them from the sides. [Kyah! W-Wait a second! This is¡­¡­ But that¡¯s¡­¡­!] [Aren¡¯t you supposed to let out the noises alongside ¡°Kyaah!¡± or ¡°aaahh!¡± or something like that?] When Belfast smiled in a devilishly wicked way, Repulse let out a sensible moan while her cheeks blushed furiously in red. [H-Hey! Stop it! I¡¯m serious here, please cut me some slack! I¡¯m begging you here¡­¡­ Aaahhh, uuuhhh~!] Seeing Repulse bite her lower lip as if she was desperately trying to endure this sweet form of sensation, Belfast decided to fondle and rub her breast even more intensely, as to give her the punishment Repulse deserved. [How about this spot right here, I wonder?] [P-Please stop it ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Anything more of this and I will seriously¡­ I¡¯ll seriously¡­¡­ Uuuhhh~~!?] [Please don¡¯t be silly here. Now, without any further ado, let us continue with this.] It was at that exact moment that the sliding door leading from the bathroom to the changing room slid right open, and the one to appear in it was Nelson with a truly disgusted look painted all over her face. She was already wearing nothing more but a thin towel wrapped around her body, and she quickly disappeared inside of the bathroom, fading away behind a thick veil of hot steam and fog. [Alright then, we are going ahead.] Next one to transition from the changing room into the proper bathroom was Rodney and soon enough Renown followed right after her, both shipgirls smiling politely while also being wrapped up in thin bath towels. [T-This, any more than this, and I¡¯ll¡­¡­ L-Limit, Belfast¡­ I¡¯m at my limit already¡­¡­] Repulse¡¯s body then shook violently, and she couldn¡¯t help it but to let out a loud yell. [Ah. Ahahaha! H-Hey, did you see that!? E-Everyone else have already gone inside, so maybe we should do that as well and go ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Ahahahaha! T-That¡¯s why, stop tickling me! It really tickles, you know!? Stop it already! I said stop~! I-I know, I know! It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m sorry! Ahahahahahaha!] Volume 1 - CH 3.9 At that moment, hearing that honest plea, Repulse finally let go of Belfast¡¯s boobs for good. But even so, Belfast did not slow down her own attack, not even one bit. [Speaking of which, I have heard an interesting rumor as of late: that the more you rub and fondle a woman¡¯s breasts, the bigger they tend to get. If that is indeed so, how about we continue this for a while longer? Who knows? Yours might even get bigger as a result, wouldn¡¯t you agree?] [H-Hyiiih! Hiiihhh! Please, I beg of you, just stop this already¡­¡­ I surrender! See!? I surrender! It was all my fault, and I¡¯m sorry!] Seeing that Repulse was truly at her very limit right about now, screaming and pleading with tears in her eyes, Belfast finally released her hands from her fellow shipgirl¡¯s modest boobs. Right in front of her, Repulse collapsed on all fours, to which Belfast only proceeded to fold her clothes once again and put them away into the clothes basket. [Repulse-san¡¯s breasts, they were really springy and very comfortable to touch and fondle. I think that fact alone is going to be more than enough to make up for your lack of size to any gentleman out there, and will make you quite appealing.] Saying that, Belfast smiled viciously again, after which she covered her own breasts with a bath towel and headed for the bath. The bathhouse in itself was a very simple structure, with only one large bathtub, a slightly smaller bathtub right next to it, some even smaller tubs with hydro massage installed in them, a cold bath and a sauna. There was also a glass door between the normal baths and the sauna seemed to be connected to the outside, and it seemed that the ones who had gone before Belfast and Repulse went straight into that open air bath to just how it would feel like to bathe there. After lightly washing her body with a shower head, Belfast also opened the glass door and went outside. Then, in the perfect location where you could see the surrounding mountains and forests, a large cypress open-air bath awaited the Head Maid. When Belfast came closer to where Nelson was sinking into the water with a delighted look on her face, she then got right up and looked at Belfast. [S-So, hey. Just a minute. Turns out, this bath is really amazing, so you should come inside right away, too.] [Hmm? What seems to be wrong?] As Belfast tilted her head at Nelson¡¯s urging words, Rodney, who was sitting right next to her, stroked her shoulders that seemed to be glowing in a strange way. [This thing right here, you can say that it¡¯s really slimy just by touching it slightly¡­ And it feels just like being soaked in warm water, to boot!] [That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right! You will be able to tell it right away the very moment you step inside, so come on and just come in already!] It was really hard for Belfast to even imagine that Nelson, someone who used to be so skeptical about the hot springs here from the get go, was now so excited and restless about them. Just like she was told, Belfast immediately submerged her entire body in the bathtub. The water temperature was just right, not too hot and not too cold, and she felt her body getting warmer and warmer by the second. She could also feel the slimy texture of the water gently washing against the skin of her legs, arms, stomach and neck. [S-Since this is the proper hot spring, y-you might want to soak your face in the water as well! I-I would like to do so myself, you see, but I really can¡¯t, because in my opinion it might be well too indecent of a behavior for a lady¡­¡­] After she said that, Nelson would then writhe her whole body in apparent frustration. If she was still but a small child, she might have even felt so unreserved to go for a swim in the hot spring if it would be spacious enough, but seeing how mindful she was about proper manners, the probability of her doing that now was next to none. [Now then, lightly and slowly. Just a slight pat, just like if you were trying to apply lotion all over your body¡­¡­] Just like that, Renown said so and scooped up some of the hot spring water with both of her hands, and then she lightly splashed it all over her face. [W-Well, yeah, that¡¯s right¡­¡­ That¡¯s actually a good idea, come to think of it.] Eventually, Repulse joined the others and entered the bath, scooping the hot water and splashing it all over herself. But when she saw everyone else and what they were doing, she stopped right in her tracks with a puzzled expression on her face. [Umm, guys? What are you doing, pray tell?] [Does it really matter? Just come on and come right in already! Don¡¯t just stand there!] When Repulse did exactly as Nelson told her to, washing herself in a hurry and entering the bathtub, once she could feel the slime-like sensation brushing against her skin, her eyes opened up wide. She then submerged her body in the hot water completely. And then, with the repeated splashes of water against her face, Repulse¡¯s face was as slimy and shiny as the rest of her submerged body. Thinking that her body had warmed up quite a bit already, Belfast stood up to let some of the excess heat leave her body and cool down. At the current moment only the Head Maid¡¯s feet were soaking inside of the bath, as she sat down at the edge of the bathtub made out of fragrant cypress wood. [Fuaah~¡­¡­ This feels just like Paradise.] Repulse also put her elbows on the edge of the bathtub and closed her eyes, her face painted in the colors of sheer pleasure and delight. On the other hand, Renown, whose body was flushed red all over, tried to get out of the bathtub without even trying to hide any of the embarrassing parts of her body, her small buttocks included. [I think I¡¯m going to go ahead and cool down for a bit. If I get any hotter than this, I think it might not end well for me.] Having said that, Renown was already on her way out, but her body was wobbling to the sides as if she was about to faint at any moment now. When Renown finally managed to leave with a somewhat pained expression on her face, Rodney also stood up. [I think that I am going to take my leave soon, as well. It might have been a short soak, but I can¡¯t believe that there is a natural hot spring like that. What a pleasant surprise.] The moment she stood up, Rodney covered her chest with a towel and walked out of the bathtub towards the glass door, ignoring the gaze of Repulse who was staring at her enviously, her huge breasts shaking and swaying to the sides with her every step. [Say. It¡¯s just a suggestion, but how about after we get out of the bath, we go to town and check out the festival? You know, right before dinner is served?] As if suddenly remembering something, Nelson turned towards Belfast as she said that. [Yes, it might be a good idea to do that.] After all, there was still some time left before the dinner at the inn would be served. After thinking about it for a moment, Belfast came to a conclusion that she would have enough time to change into her yukata and take a leisurely stroll at the festival and look around. * * * By the time the Royal Navy¡¯s shipgirls put on their yukatas and left the inn, it was already getting dark outside. If you were to look up at the sky, you can see the first stars beginning to shine in the dark blue sky. If you were to look down, you could see the winding paths of the hot spring town, decorated with dimly lit lanterns and festival decorations. [Let¡¯s go to the shooting range right away, the shooting range! Then let¡¯s buy some cotton candy! Oh, and water balloons! Let¡¯s not forget about the water balloons!] Repulse then took her older sister Renown¡¯s hand and ran down the winding path, which for some reason was feeling both fantastic and slightly nostalgic for some reason. [H-Hey! Now wait just a minute! Don¡¯t decide things so arbitrarily like that on your own!] Nelson hurriedly tried to chase after the two, and then Rodney started walking alongside her as if to accompany her in her chase. [Fufufu. Then how about we just call it a Free Time period and just go with that?] Belfast, who was left alone in no time at all, said that while standing alone on a stone-covered path. Volume 1 - CH 4.1 CHAPTER 4: The Evening Star Part 1 After the autumnal equinox came to pass, you could feel the coolness in the air from the late evening to early morning. The anthropometric clouds that were supposed to be in the sky changed to scoria clouds, and the fully-fledged signs of autumn have arrived all across the Home Port. Now, on a certain day around that exact season. Currently, the girls living in the dormitory were gathered in the large hall on the first floor of the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory. If you were to go to this large hall, you would see a mass of chairs being placed alongside a particularly large and long table, the one that was stretching from one end of the hall to another, and the inside of the hall itself was bursting with chatter and excitement. A meeting of the entire Royal Navy Dormitory¡¯s inhabitants was about to be held in this very room. But despite that fact, there was not a single shred of formality hanging in the air at the current moment. [It seems that everyone is really excited for this event.] Said Edinburgh to Belfast when she was finally done with preparing the tea and distributing it to everyone present in the room. On this day as well, or perhaps because it was a day like that, the members of the Maid Corps were serving others as per usual. [Well, I guess it cannot be helped. After all, this is the meeting regarding the School Festival event that we are having right now.] Belfast quietly whispered to her sister, making sure that nobody else would be able to hear her. School Festival ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C as its name might suggest, it was the annual event organized by the school facilities present in this here Home Port, a sort of grand festival. It was the time when the shipgirls could kick back and relax, and the members of various factions could perform special performances and exhibitions. Needless to say, on that day all military training and commissions were canceled so that everyone could properly enjoy themselves in peace. When the other maids who came back from preparing and distributing the tea to everyone present, Belfast told each of them a quick :¡±Thank you for your hard work,¡±, all the while she was looking around at the laughter of the girls who were waiting impatiently for the upcoming festival. [Since the purpose of this meeting is to decide who will be participating in the beauty pageant, it¡¯s only natural for all of those people to make a really huge fuss about it all.] The Beauty Pageant was the big stage event held at the very end of the Azur Lane Festival, and it was without a doubt a thing that was called the main event. Every year, one representative was selected from each faction and they would all appear on stage in front of everyone. After presenting a performance of their choosing, the winner would be determined by a vote from all the girls present around the stage. As for the voting, there was no particular criteria to consider, it could be pretty much everything: ¡°She was cute!¡±, ¡°She was so cool!¡±, ¡°she was so fun to watch!¡± and so on and so forth. It was basically a voting for the one who managed to leave the biggest impression on you. The winner of the entire event would then be personally awarded a certificate and a trophy by the Commander himself. For any of the girls living in this school, it was like a special, irreplaceable medal. Each faction was at a loss as to who should be their contestant each year, because their victory or defeat hinged on that simple yet impossible decision. In fact, there was no special reward for the winner or the faction in itself, but there was a postscript to it all that said that this particular shipgirl from that particular faction won the first place in the beauty pageant, and it was like cementing that fact in stone.¡¯ And since each year each faction needed to submit a new contestant, choosing one was a matter of the utmost importance, something over which eyebrows would be frowned and discussions would be held, sometimes reaching truly heated levels. Those who were chosen in this way would receive a wide variety of back-up from their own camps regarding the costumes and stage props used in pageants, as was expected. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It would seem that everyone gathered here for today. Thank you all for coming.] When Queen Elizabeth¡¯s voice echoed in the bustling hall, all of the girls who belonged to the Royal Navy¡¯s faction turned towards her in unison. As for Elizabeth herself, she was standing with her arms crossed at her chest at the furthest point from the door leading to the hallway, at the far end of the hall. As for Elizabeth¡¯s entourage this time around, she had Warspite, Hood and Prince of Wales all at her side. [The main purpose of this meeting is, of course as you are almost probably aware of, choosing this year¡¯s representative for the Beauty Pageant. Every year, we think really hard about picking the best possible candidate for this event, but this year is especially important! Since the Royal Navy did not manage to win last year¡¯s contest, we need to put a whole lot more thought into this year¡¯s! Everyone! Let¡¯s show all the other factions that in terms of beauty, the Royal Navy has all the beauty that no other faction could ever possibly compete with!] After Elizabeth gave that short but passionate speech through the microphone in her hand, it caused the entire hall to erupt in a fiery cheer. [Alright then, Wales! Please take it from here!] [Please leave it to me, Your Majesty.] As Elizabeth took a step back, she passed the microphone to Prince of Wales, who was now in the center of attention. [That being said, let us start deliberating about who we are going to choose as the representative of the Royal Navy for this year¡¯s contest. There may be various opinions to consider here, but I would like to approach this year¡¯s School Festival with even stronger enthusiasm than ever before.] A thunderous applause spread throughout the hall in response to that proclamation. Wales then continued with her explanation, holding the microphone in her hand and looking at the excited crowd. [For this year, I¡¯m also going to do my very best to find a participant who is going to let us win. I want to pick someone who can be thought to be unbeatable even by people from other factions. A complete and utter victory.] Wales then glanced at Hood as she spoke those words. Hood was holding onto a large set of printed photographs that she seemed to have prepared in advance, and slowly picked them up. The pictures were so big that even Belfast, who was standing at the furthest point from where they were, could clearly recognize what was in them. The first picture showed the pink-haired little girl with a baby-like face ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It was Saratoga, a Lexington Class Aircraft Carrier from the Eagle Union. [As everyone in here is probably aware of, she was the winner of last year¡¯s pageant and she simply dominated the entire competition, blowing everyone else out of the water. As an idol, the only way to compete against her, who has an extraordinary talent and skill, is to use even more cuteness than what she possesses. That being said, it¡¯s not something that we want to compete with against her. The Royal Navy¡¯s faction needs a contestant who will have her own unique ¡°selling point¡±, something that excels way better in different areas of expertise.] Listening to Prince of Wales¡¯ words, Belfast absent-mindedly started to think about the previous years¡¯ pageants. In fact, Saratoga and her older sister, Lexington Class Aircraft Carrier Lexington, have almost monopolized the past pageants as winners. Being faced with the famous Idol sisters of the Eagle Union, there was simply no way that other shipgirls could compete against them, and would always end up embarrassing themselves. Their performances on stage were always simply overwhelming. Their ability to captivate the audience with their singing and dancing was nothing short of spectacular. All the other factions, who were being left at the mercy of their high quality performances, had repeatedly selected girls who seemed to be able to behave like Idols in the same way, only for them to fail even more spectacularly. Yes, as a matter of fact, none of the girls selected from any of the factions was able to pull off singing and dancing better than the Eagle Union representatives. In other words, what Wales was trying to say here was that rather than competing in the same area, she was trying to push out something more attractive in a different area, something that the idol sisters would not be nearly as proficient in. Volume 1 - CH 4.2 Belfast slowly raised her head, and Suffolk, who was standing right next to her, whispered to her. [What exactly does Wales mean by that ¡°selling point¡±? Are we going to be selling something during the event? Aren¡¯t you curious about it yourself, Head Maid?] [Hmm, I really wonder about that myself.] Belfast then smiled loosely at Suffolk while she gave her such a vague answer. To be perfectly honest, Belfast was unusually calm at the current moment, amidst all the excitement. But that was only because she did not really care about beauty pageants and stuff like that. After all, even though it was a School Festival, the work of the shipgirls who were the members of the Maid Squad, was the same as usual, with nothing really changing. Even if there were no military activities that were normally supposed to be conducted, cleaning and laundry must have been done every single day, so in actuality this period was not so different from the maids¡¯ usual daily routine. Of course, even if Belfast had some free time to spare from her work and actually go witness the beauty pageant taking place, she would never even think to concern herself with notions such as who is going to win and from what faction they would be. [Also, do bear in mind that none of the factions are monolithic in their voting. It¡¯s not an iron rule that the members of one faction can only vote for their own faction. So depending on this ¡®selling point¡¯, it would be a good idea to grab the hearts of children who are tired of the recent idol route. I¡¯m personally looking forward to it.] As for Suffolk herself, her tongue was spitting out word after word in an unusually talkative fashion for her. Seeing her become like that all of a sudden, Belfast was frankly surprised. Until now, even though she knew that the School Festival was supposed to be a big event, she hadn¡¯t really gotten involved with it all that much. Because of this, Belfast felt that beauty pageants were held somewhere far away, somewhere way outside of her reach. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Maybe the other children felt exactly like that, too? When she glanced sideways at the other maids, she saw Kent from the same Maid Corps looking at the Prince of Wales with her eyes positively sparkling. Sheffield was practically the only maid in here who looked as emotionless as ever, but aside from that it would seem that a vast majority of the maids were also interested in the beauty pageant at least to some extent. Hood then quietly took out another picture and took a step back. As Wales stepped forward once again, she slowly looked around at the faces of everyone gathered. [Now then, everyone, here¡¯s a question: what is the greatest charm of our Royal Navy that we have to offer?] Hearing that question, many people started to whisper among themselves. Wales took a moment for everyone to stop whispering, and seeing that no one was brave enough to step up and provide the answer, she answered her own question herself. [We of the Royal Navy are the absolute top of elegance that a lady can possess! We are more about ¡°beauty¡± rather than ¡°cuteness¡±! So with that being said, for this year¡¯s competition, we want to elect someone who is the absolute epitome of the concepts of ¡°beauty¡± and elegance¡±, combining them in a most natural and charming way!] One thing was for sure here: Prince of Wales certainly was really passionate about this whole beauty pageant thing. Involuntarily, the entire hall fell silent at that very moment. [Cuteness is not the only way to win a beauty pageant. Elegance, dignity, maturity, beauty, all of the above elements are something that a proper ¡°Lady¡± excels at at all times, way more than anyone else ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C So having this in mind, this time around we have prepared something like this.] The Prince of Wales then snapped her fingers. While everyone was still buzzing about what was going on, someone started to move at the edge of Belfast¡¯s field of vision. When the Head Maid looked around, she saw Illustrious pulling something heavy and rattling as she was coming closer towards Prince of Wales and Hood were standing. Also, right behind Illustrious, Belfast could see Unicorn¡¯s small frame going right behind her big sister. Stopping something that Illustrious was pulling right in front of Prince of Wales, both Illustrious and Unicorn grabbed the cover on that mysterious thing and after doing a good old ¡°One, two, three¡­¡­!¡± they removed it all at once. At that very moment, a huge sigh of admiration leaked out from everyone¡¯s mouths across the entire gathering hall. The thing that was being unveiled right now was a gorgeous dress that looked like something a princess from a fairy tale would wear. Looking at the dress being displayed on a mannequin, Illustrious began to explain what that thing was to everyone present. [This dress was designed by yours truly, and then hand-crafted by Unicorn and Victorious. The red, yellow, and green artificial flowers on the long skirt of this dress were Unicorn¡¯s idea, and I also put a veil on the head to make the entire thing look even more elegant and beautiful¡­¡­ Anyways, this product is the epitome of beauty, and something in which a whole lot of effort and hard work was put into.] After saying that, Illustrious handed the microphone to Unicorn. Apparently, her little sister was also going to say something here to everyone present. Unicorn timidly grabbed the microphone from her sister and stepped forward, hugging Yuu-chan, a small unicorn plushie who she was always carrying around with her at all times, while her face was completely flushed red from embarrassment and shyness. She then bowed her head humbly. [¡­¡­ AH. Umm, this dress, it¡¯s actually¡­¡­ I wanted it to resemble the dresses that characters such as Cinderella or the Sleeping Beauty were wearing, since those are the characters that I deeply admire, which is why¡­¡­ I wanted my dear sister to make something just like that, something that¡­¡­ would reflect the dream of wanting to shine the brightest while being on the stage¡­¡­ at least that was my main intention.] After saying all that, Unicorn bowed down her head once again and took a step back, hastily hiding right behind her big sister Illustrious. At the same time Warspite, who must have been watching and listening closely to Unicorn¡¯s explanation, suddenly raised up her hand as if she just thought of something. After receiving the microphone from Unicorn, Wartspite asked the two of them a certain very important question. [I know that technically that question might be unrelated to the matter at hand that we are discussing right now, but¡­¡­ Where is Victorious, exactly? I¡¯ve been meaning to ask this for a while now.] With those words still hanging in the air, everyone in the hall began to look around for the shipgirl in question. But when even Queen Elizabeth saw that Victorious was nowhere to be seen, she took the microphone from Warspite¡¯s hand and cried out loud right into it. [Now hold on just a darn minute! Don¡¯t tell me that she¡¯s late for the meeting! Even though everyone was notified about it ahead of time, specifically for the purpose of no one being late for it!] Elizabeth puffed her cheeks, seemingly fuming with rage, and it was exactly at that moment that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry for being late!] All of a sudden, the oldest of the Illustrious Class ships, Aircraft Carrier Victorious, slowly opened the entrance door to the great hall and walked inside. The way she walked with her tongue sticking out did not really look as if she was even realizing that she did something wrong just now. [Hey, Victorious! You have some real nerve to show this late for a meeting that you were previously notified about! And just when we were showing off the best dresses that you have made¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [Wait, wait, wait! Please wait just a moment, Your Majesty! I actually have a very good reason to justify my being late here ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Actually, I happen to bring the information I just heard.] [¡­¡­ Information that you happened to hear? What kind of information?] While walking towards Elizabeth, Victorious, wearing a crown of olive branch on her head, turned towards everyone present. [Everyone! It seems that the Eagle Union have chosen San Diego-chan to represent them during this year¡¯s pageant!] Elizabeth wasn¡¯t the only one who spontaneously raised her voice upon hearing that sudden revelation. Everyone in the hall was unable to hide their feelings of surprise just now, and the turmoil started to spread in an instant. [Are you sure about that information?] Victorious nodded her head in response to Elizabeth¡¯s skepticism. [Yes, it¡¯s true. And it is already a rumor that circulates among the other factions as well¡­¡­Now, for my actual reason for being late. I was actually doing some reconnaissance.] Volume 1 - CH 4.3 [I¡¯m still not entirely sure if that¡¯s true or not¡­¡­ But oh well. I will let that slide for now. You won¡¯t even be punished for being late.] Elizabeth said as she folded her arms on her chest, and she said to the people in the hall who were beginning to make a fuss once again: [Alright, alright! Keep it quiet, all of you! I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s going to be neither Saratoga nor Lexington. I thought that the Eagle Union would be able to put out one of those two in order to solidify their supremacy in this year¡¯s contest, but¡­¡­] Having said that, Her Majesty looked back at Warspite while scratching her head in puzzlement. [I¡¯m more concerned that they will try to pull off here for the time being. Of course, it might be just that they wish to give those two a deserved break, but they might also have arrived at the conclusion that going in a direction different from their usual Idol route is the way to go here. But as to why they would even think that, I don¡¯t really know¡­¡­] [Your Majesty, in my opinion, as long as the Eagle Union is aiming for such an unexpected selection of their representative, we should not limit ourselves to select people who are not just ¡°beautiful¡± and ¡°elegant¡± but who also possess a certain unproductiveness to them. Unpredictable.] [Yes, that makes a whole lot of sense¡­¡­] Elizabeth put her hand on her chin and began to think long and hard, biting down on her lip. But it was not only Elizabeth who was lost in thought. Hood, Prince of Wales and Warspite were all pondering their heads about that matter, growling and muttering to themselves as they were being at it. However, since the rest of the Royal Navy shipgirls that were present in the room were unable to know what was going on through the heads of their top brass, they could only whisper among themselves as they all cocked their heads and twisted in their seats in anxiety. Meanwhile, Kent, who was standing right next to Suffolk, whispered into her ear. [Oh¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid that at this rate the meeting is going to keep on going for quite a while, huh?] Hearing that remark, even Sheffield, who was standing in the farthest corner of the great hall, let out a deep and silent sigh. Without saying a single word, her expression was telling everyone around her that she wanted to return to her normal cleaning duties as soon as possible, without wasting her time on this pointless chatter. Belfast also glanced at her wrist watch and began to calculate how much time the meeting would last and how much work she would need to make up for if she was to stay in here. There was still more than one hour left before the dinner was supposed to be ready to serve. If the meeting was over by then, it would be all good and the remaining work would not need to be rushed too much, but if it was to be anything more than that, it might be a little bit tough for the maids to make it in time. [Say, Bel?] At that time, Edinburgh, who was right next to Belfast, suddenly thought of something and looked up. [I think it would be a good idea to make some extra tea for everyone. If you can¡¯t decide for that long, it¡¯s more than probable that everyone is going to be quite thirsty.] Certainly, it is the kind of a meeting that might just end up going for a really long time. Realizing that fact, Belfast nodded her head slowly to her sister¡¯s words. [Yes, that¡¯s right. And since that might be a task that will be a little bit too hard to handle on your own, especially with so many people to be served, let me come with you and lend you a hand.] And just like that, deciding on their course of action for now, the two maids secretly headed for the exit of the great hall. The door was left half-open just as it had been when Victorious arrived at the scene, and Belfast gently put her hand on the handle. [Hey now! Bel and Edi, just where the heck do you think you¡¯re going, huh? Trying to sneak out like that on your own.] But it was then that Belfast and Edinburgh could hear the voice of Queen Elizabeth coming from behind their backs. Realizing that they have been caught red-handed now, Belfast let go of the door handle and looked back right behind her. [You see, Your Majesty, I thought that the meeting would still take a while, so I was going to make some more tea for everyone gathered here.] In response to the Head Maid¡¯s polite tone of voice, Elizabeth shook her head to the sides vigorously. [Oh, no you don¡¯t. At the current moment no one is asking for any extra refills, so there is no need for you to go out and brew any more tea for the moment. That is why you are going to stay right here with everyone else. I think that the way in which you are acting right now makes it as though this matter is someone else¡¯s problem, but aren¡¯t you actually forgetting something, Bel? You guys from the Maid Corps are as good of a candidate for the pageant as anyone else in here.] [But, Your Majesty ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [If I said that you cannot leave, that means that you cannot leave. And that¡¯s final. Now go back to your place and sit down.] Even though Elizabeth¡¯s tone of voice was not all that strong or demanding, it was that kind of voice that once you heard it being directed at you, you could not really go against it. So having no other choice, Belfast took Edinburgh with her and the two returned to their seats and sat back down. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Bel, stop. You know what? I have a better idea. That skirt of yours.] Once again, Elizabeth called out to the Head Maid, and in response Belfast stopped dead in her tracks, with a dumbfounded look on her face. For some odd reason, Elizabeth was staring right at her. Even though Belfast did not know what she did to deserve this, she decided it would be way faster to just play along and she walked towards Elizabeth in a hurry. But then something completely unexpected ended up happening. [Hey now, where are your manners? Show you Queen some proper courtesy here.] [¡­¡­ Excuse me?] It was so sudden that Belfast actually ended up opening her mouth and asking that, before she could actually stop herself and consider the situation that she was currently in. [Courtesy, Bel. Now, curtsy, You know, that thing that you are always doing to show someone the respect they deserve? Do I seriously need to remind you about that?] A proper courtesy. In other words, curtsy is, to put it simply, an act of a bow: one leg being placed slightly behind one¡¯s body, the other knee being bent, and the hands holding the hem of one¡¯s skirt while the person herself lowers her head in a show of utmost respect. But doing exactly what she was told to do, Belfast pinched the hem of her skirt in her hands, and then she performed a flawless courtesy on the spot. Looking at her skirt, bending her hips and knees and slowly and politely bowing her head, everything being just a textbook-perfect example. That being said, Belfast did not pay any special attention to that curtsy just now. I was just how she would normally do it, every single step of the process. [Is this¡­¡­ Is this good? Does this satisfy you, Your Majesty?] Without knowing why she was even asked to do something as bizarre as this, Belfast returned to her normal posture and asked that of Elizabeth. [Yes, it was good. Very good, indeed. It was truly amazing performance¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Elizabeth loosened her lips and she turned towards both Warspite and Prince of Wales. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Say, I was wondering about that just now, but what would you say if we nominated Belfast to represent the Royal Navy in the Beauty Pageant? What do you think?] For a moment out there, Belfast actually couldn¡¯t understand what Elizabeth just said. [¡­¡­ Hoo, I see. Certainly, there is a certain fresh kind of appeal to having a maid, who usually does all the work behind the scenes, to take the spotlight for an event like that. It is also something that no one should really expect to happen.] Warspite said while nodding her head without any objections. [It is also true that Belfast seems to be fitting the theme of ¡°elegance¡± quite perfectly here. As expected of you, Your Majesty. Your insight is truly something else.] Volume 1 - CH 4.4 Prince of Wales also took notice of that fact and she clapped her hands vigorously. [Ahh, umm, everyone? If you could please wait just a moment and¡­¡­] When Belfast was finally able to realize what was going on just now, she tried to interrupt the excited top brass shipgrils. [Umm, if I may so inquire, what are you all talking about? And what do you mean, make me, a mere maid, a representative?] [Wasn¡¯t there a particular rule that would forbid maids from entering the contest, as it would be unfair? So would she even be allowed to enter?] Warspite cocked her head slightly as she suddenly thought of a matter such as this. [I am also sorry for having to say this, but on the day of the school festival, I have to do my usual job as a Head Maid. And it is something with which I cannot be replaced, or simply entrust those duties to someone else. And besides, even if I were to appear on the stage during the event, a lowly maid such as myself would never be able to win, and¡­¡­] Belfast cast a quick glance at that fancy dress. It was truly a wonderful and beautiful dress. However, no matter how hard she tried, Belfast was simply unable to imagine herself wearing such a beautiful thing on the stage for everyone else to see. First and foremost, there was no way in hell that she would look good at something like this, and she seriously thought as she returned her gaze to Elizabeth and the others. [In the first place, I don¡¯t have any of the necessary qualities that would constitute a good idol. On the other hand, you might call me ¡®beautiful¡¯ or ¡®dignified¡¯ or ¡®elegant¡¯, but there surely must be many other possible candidates who are way more suitable for the role of the representative than I am.] [Bel, does that mean that you are accusing me of miscalculating when I have made that decision? Huh?] Belfast hurriedly waved her hand in denial when Elizabeth gave her a really annoyed look. [N-No, that¡¯s not true at all, Your Majesty. And I am really happy that Your Majesty holds me in such a high esteem, but I¡¯m afraid that I ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] All of a sudden, Belfast was taken aback. Before she even knew it, everyone in the hall was staring straight at her. And when the time of the Beauty Pageant finally rolls around, the viewers would come from all other factions as well, so their numbers would even exceed the one that was present right here and right now. Belfast quickly felt embarrassed because she was only accustomed to working behind the scenes, and having so many people¡¯s attention centered upon her was an unfamiliar experience, one that got her to feel really nervous. Not to mention the fact that Elizabeth seemed to be unfazed even in the face of Belfast¡¯s protests. [Well, I have seen that courtesy of yours earlier and I thought that it was something that was really good, so I still think that you are going to be perfect for that task.] Belfast herself was at a loss for words even after being told such a thing. In the past, every time the Beauty Pageant¡¯s topic was being discussed, Belfast would distance herself from it and would not even concern herself with it, since there was no way that it would ever become a matter that the Head Maid would actually openly address. But right about now, she was about to stand at the very center of the event that she would much rather prefer to avoid. It was only a matter of course that Belfast couldn¡¯t help herself but to start panicking, wondering if she was really going to become the Royal Navy¡¯s representative, even though her knowledge about the subject at hand was next to nothing. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C If Belfast is really so against the idea, how about we first see if there are any other candidates who would like to volunteer for the contest, or that would be worth selecting?] As Hood opened his mouth to propose that idea, she also picked up the microphone again and called out to everyone who was currently in the great hall. [Her Majesty has nominated the Head Maid Belfast to represent the Royal Navy in the upcoming Beauty Pageant. However, should any of you gathered here have any other person who they would like to see nominated, then you are free and encouraged to speak up your mind right here and now. That being said: is there anyone else who would like to stand on the stage before everyone from the port?] At that moment Belfast could feel that her heart started to beat faster. If there would be any other person who would be enthusiastic about representing the Royal Navy in this contest, she might be able to convince Her Majesty to change her mind. For a moment out there, the Head Maid was honestly thinking that way. She also expected many people to raise their hands in the air, but much to her horror, no one was raising their hands. If memory serves Belfast correctly, during last year¡¯s Beauty Pageant meeting, everyone was raising their hands one after another, so why was it that no one was so enthusiastic about this idea for this year? Now starting to become seriously startled, Belfast looked back at the extravagant dress hanging on the mannequin. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C That dress¡­¡­Is it really all because of that dress? Illustrious, Unicorn, and Victorious all worked together in order to make this costume, and it looks simply dazzling even when observed from a distance. Belfast thought that everyone in this place were drawn in to stand on the stage while wearing the best dress that the three of Illustrious Class aircraft Carriers would be able to put together. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C However¡­¡­ It would seem that the entire great hall was in reality just like Belfast, which was super intimidating. It was just like Unicorn said: it was something suitable for a princess from a children¡¯s fairy tale. She was right on the target with that description. And it would not even be a stretch to call it that way. Because it was truly something that felt out of this world, that¡¯s how splendid that dress was. In addition, this time around, there was a clear and concrete theme that the Royal Navy was aiming towards, which was ¡°beauty¡± and ¡°elegance¡±. So that was also a really important factor here. If it was just about being an Idol like before, it would likely be that the people gathered here would be able to appoint a person or two who would be a much better candidate. And Belfast was sure that there were actually people in the Royal Navy who were casually practicing their idol skills just for this day. But with things being the way they were right now, the hurdles were simply set too high for everyone else¡¯s comfort. And there was also a matter that most probably many people in here felt that there was no way that they could possibly compete against Belfast in terms of both beauty and elegance. [Uuuhhh¡­¡­] It was the very first time that Belfast had raised such a pathetic voice from her mouth. That was also partially Queen Elizabeth¡¯s fault, for handpicking Belfast just like that. The Royal Navy wanted to have the utmost confidence that it would be able to win the pageant and leave the competition in the dust, and not many people here would be able to brim that kind of confidence on their own. However, even when you handpick someone and will be sure about their abilities, there could be no such thing in this world as an absolute certainty. As for Warspite, Hood and Prince of Wales, the three of them were all looking at Belfast with very serious expressions painted all over their faces. At the current moment, everyone present in the great hall was awaiting Belfast¡¯s answer with their breaths held. Someone might call it common courtesy, just like Elizabeth mentioned earlier, but even so, Belfast would still feel like she was not really the right person to do this. There must have been someone better. With her eyes pointed at the floor right between her shoes, the Head Maid was frantically looking for a way in which she could weasel her way out of this situation¡­¡­ [Bell, it¡¯s alright. Everything will be okay.] Queen Elizabeth grinned her teeth and smiled at Belfast in an earnest way. [I honestly think that you are the best maid in the Royal Navy. No one can ever hope to best you in that regard.] For Belfast, those words were pretty much synonymous with being checkmated. With no possible way in which she could respond to Her Majesty¡¯s direct compliment like that, Belfast was unceremoniously selected as this year¡¯s Beauty Pageant¡¯s contestant representing the entire Royal Navy. But above all else, Elizabeth¡¯s carefree smile was too foul for her. Volume 1 - CH 4.5 [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sometimes I really think that you are way too good-natured for your own good, you know that?] As soon as the meeting was concluded, all of the maids returned to their assigned duties, and while they were back in the kitchen, Sheffield opened her mouth and voiced her opinion right away. [H-Hey, Sheffy? Even for you, that¡¯s a little bit¡­¡­] When Edinburgh reprimanded Sheffield like that, the maid only looked at her with indifferent eyes, shrugged her shoulders, took out the necessary cleaning supplies from the closet and went on her way to finish cleaning without saying anything more. And since both Kent and Suffolk went on their way to do some other tasks that needed to be taken care of, right now Belfast and Edinburgh were the only ones who were left in the kitchen. [I mean, there was no way for me to actually be able to refuse a direct request from Her Majesty.] [Yeah, and that smile of hers was just played at a perfect moment. It was just so sly and cunning¡­¡­] Even though Edinburgh scratched her cheek here, Belfast was still able to let out a sigh of relief that was long overdue here. [At any rate, right now there is nothing more left in this for me but to try and do my very best. But more importantly, Nee-san. What do you think about Eagle Union¡¯s move?] [Eagle Union¡¯s move? So, who are we talking about, again?] [San Diego-san, San Diego. Don¡¯t you think that it is really interesting to see that Eagle Union chose her as their representative, even though they could go well with the two who guaranteed them victory in past years?] [Ahh, yeah, about that¡­¡­ It certainly makes you a little bit worried, doesn¡¯t it?] Edinburgh then put her finger on her chin as she stared at the ceiling, lost in deep thought. [That being said, I surely see her singing and dancing a whole lot here and there, so I think that she is certainly the type of an Idol, and a performer for sure. I don¡¯t think that Eagle Union would do anything to diminish their chances for winning this years¡¯ competition, especially since they are on a winning streak like that.] [So in other words, this means that the other side had chosen to once again go down the Idol path, although in a slightly different version from before.] [Yeah. And there is no doubt in my mind about it: she is going to be a tough opponent, for sure.] Just as Edinburgh said those words, the two maids could hear a loud sound of knocking onto the kitchen¡¯s door. [Yes? Who is it?] Belfast called out in the direction of the doors in a loud but polite tone of voice. The two maids waited for an answer, but what they were waiting for never actually came back. [Hmm, just who could it be?] After waiting for a little while longer and still not getting the answer, Belfast finally decided to approach the door and turn the handle. When she opened the door with the sound of metal fittings creaking loudly, she could see on the other side a small person who was standing with her head hung low, while hugging a stuffed toy tightly to her chest. [¡­¡­ Oh my? Unicorn-chan?] The small purple-haired shipgirl looked at Belfast with her eyes wide open and her mouth opening and closing rapidly, as if she wanted to say something here, but she didn¡¯t seem to be able to say anything right away, unable to find the words from all the stress and anxiety. After crouching down so that they could be on the same eye level, Belfast smiled softly at Unicorn. [What¡¯s wrong? What happened?] [¡­¡­ Umm. It¡¯s actually about that dress. It¡¯s about the advice for that dress.] Belfast immediately connected the dots and assumed that the dress that Unicorn was talking about was the one she would have to dress for the contest, in front of the entire audience. [We will have to measure your sizes before the School Festival comes about¡­¡­ And we will have to re-tailor the dress itself¡­¡­] [Oh, I see. So at the meeting earlier, it was just an example with a temporary size that was just to show everyone how the finished product will look, correct?] When Belfast nodded her head in understanding, Unicorn finally rose her face from the stuffed toy named Yuu-chan and said: [For tomorrow¡­¡­ Please come to my Sister;s room. She said that we are going to make you shine like the brightest star on that stage. And Unicorn¡­¡­ Unicorn is going to give it her best¡­¡­ as well¡­¡­] We can make it twinkle as one. [Thank you very much, Unicorn-chan. That¡¯s actually really reassuring.] Belfast then gently stroked Unicorn¡¯s head, her thin and very soft hair gave off a pleasant aroma. Unicorn enjoyed the sensation on top of her head for a little bit, before she eventually buried her embarrassed face in her plushie companion Yuu-chan once more, and run away from the door. I¡¯m getting away from it. Belfast watched Unicorn¡¯s back until she could no longer be seen from the entrance to the kitchen, and then stood back up. [When it comes to that dress, I don¡¯t really think that I have what it takes to wear it all that well, to be perfectly honest.] Edinburgh crossed her arms on her chest when she heard that, raising her eyebrows as if she could not believe what she just heard. [Huh? Y-Yeah, about that¡­¡­ Even if you say that, Bel, everyone saw you out there, and they are perfectly aware of the fact that there is no one else who would better impersonate the notion of ¡°dignity¡± and ¡°elegance¡±. So isn¡¯t it fine? Maybe you are just worrying too much here?] [It will be fine, huh? I wish it would really be so simple.] After smiling in a troubled way and closing the door to the kitchen, Belfast clapped her hands together in front of the kitchen table, as if trying to give herself that extra motivation boost that she was so desperate to have right now. [I don¡¯t know why, but when you put it that way, Nee-san¡­¡­ I also start to think that it is something that is only natural here, for some reason.] There aren¡¯t that many days left until the School Festival comes about. Belfast pondered that matter for a while in silence, before eventually, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do on stage, she lifted her hands from the table and set about preparing the meal. * * * She never intended to make light of her newfound situation, and she intended to see the matter through until its very end. However, it was right the very next day that Belfast started to sincerely regret becoming a beauty pageant contestant. [And now what exactly is this supposed to be¡­¡­?] Right after breakfast, until that moment Belfast day seemed to be just the way it was supposed to be, perfectly fine and ordinary. However, that came to an abrupt end when she came to the center of the Academy to do some errands, and noticed that the walls of the surrounding buildings were filled with posters of none other but herself. It would not be anything all that weird, if not for the content of those pictures. Because those pictures were the ones that depicted herself from that time when she was forced to wear that school swimsuit as a part of the punishment game. At the exact moment the Head Maid could feel that her entire body started to tremble in an uncontrollable way. And while she was starting to wonder if it was not all that too late for her to back away from becoming the beauty pageant representative or at least persuade the Royal Navy from going down the dreaded Idol path for it, she could feel that someone was tapping her on the shoulder. She then turned around instantly, wondering just who it might have been. [So? What do you say about that, huh? I tried to make a promotional poster right away because I wanted to increase our chances of winning as soon and as much as possible.] Belfast knew it right away from looking at the photos used for creating the posters, but the poster was still the work of Queen Elizabeth and none other. Next to Her Majesty was of course Warspite, with a whole bunch of those swimsuit posters in her hands. [Your Majesty¡­¡­ As expected, so it was you who was behind all this, and¡­¡­] When Belfast opened up her mouth and managed to force her confused words out of it, she was unable to actually finish that sentence properly, because she could feel as if a thunder struck right alongside her spine when she heard a certain sound coming right from behind her back. Volume 1 - CH 4.6 As soon as people saw the poster that the two of them were putting on all over the place, they brought their faces closer to them and looked with great interest. [Hmm, I see¡­¡­ So the Royal Navy chose to put Belfast as their candidate for this year¡¯s contest, huh?] [But she¡¯s not wearing her usual maid outfit¡­¡­ Anyways, why is she wearing a swimsuit?] Hearing the two shipgirls speaking to one another like that, while most certainly cocking their heads in puzzlement, Belfast became increasingly uncomfortable as she lowered her head and whispered to Elizabeth¡¯s ear after coming closer to her. [Y-Your Majesty¡­¡­ At the very least, how about we use a different photo for the purpose of the promotional poster?] [I mean, even if you ask me for that, this photo is the only one we have that is poster-worthy, so that¡¯s that.] [Well, in that case, how about we take some more photos for the sake of promotion, Your Majesty? Just¡­¡­ Please, let¡¯s just use any other picture for the poster beside that one.] [Haah¡­¡­ Oh well, I guess it cannot really be helped, huh? Warspite, you heard that? I know it is a waste of your hard work and effort, but don¡¯t put any more posters up. And peel back the ones that were already posted here.] Just as Belfast suggested that solution, Warspite turned around and started to peel off the posters that were already posted all over the walls. After looking at Warspite hard at work with peeling off those posters for a while, Elizabeth then finally turned to look at Belfast once again. [We have also heard that Yamashiro from the Sakura Empire Deutschland from Iron-Blood are going to be the contestants in the pageant for this year, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to place too much importance on them. I mean, they are sure to be a competition, but not someone who would be able to jeopardize us gaining the title for ourselves.] It was almost as if Elizabeth was underestimating their opponents here, which was not something that the Royal Navy should be doing, no matter what. But even though she honestly thought that, Belfast chose to not speak those words out loud, afraid that they might be considered rude or inappropriate. [This means that the only one that we need to be worried about for the competition is San Diego! Fufufu, I don¡¯t know why Eagle Union decided to take a different approach than in earlier years, but anyways, I am very much looking forward to the competition itself!] Elizabeth said so proudly and raised her fist high in the air, pumping herself up. [And with that being said, Bel. You are going to come with me later on. We are going to take some nice pictures of you.] Elizabeth said that, and once she saw that Warspite had returned with a bunch of torn off posters in her hands, she turned her back to the Head Maid and was once again on her merry way. After watching Her Majesty leave just like that, Belfast, who was left behind, let out a heavy sigh. [Haah¡­¡­] When it comes to the contest, Belfast hasn¡¯t really decided on a way in which she was going to perform on the stage. Even if she was told that she was to express the Royal Navy¡¯s ¡°beauty¡± and ¡°elegance¡±, that was only a rough pointer, with no concrete advice what needed to be done. So even when Belfast was really clever and observant, she had literally nothing to work with here. Even though Elizabeth herself seemed to be very confident about this whole beauty contest, Belfast had not yet found any clear vision on how she wanted to approach it. She was even starting to feel like she was going to be overwhelmed by the representatives of other factions, not to mention the Eagle Union. [Seriously now¡­¡­ Just whatever am I supposed to do about all this?] At that time, Belfast raised her head when she heard a roaring noise coming from afar. A large number of people were gathered at the fountain with a statue resembling a large anchor. Curious as to what all of the commotion was all about, she came closer and finally recognized what was going on here. [Alright~! Everyone! Thank you for coming today~!] A red-haired girl was standing on top of a small stage that seemed to have been prepared by her alone just for the occasion. Even while being in front of the shipgirls that gathered here for the occasion, the girl didn¡¯t seem to be intimidated or anxious in the slightest. [This is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Belfast knew who it was as soon as she saw the girl¡¯s face. The Eagle Union¡¯s representative who was going to participate for the first time ever this year ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C this time ¡ª¡ª- the first ship of the Atlanta Class Light Cruisers, San Diego. Her appearance combined with the way in which she greeted the crowd with a big smile on her face seemed to shine with all of her might even while being in a stage that was so small and insignificant. [Hehehe! Actually, I was chosen to become a candidate for a Beauty Pageant this time around, but it would just be boring to be able to appeal only to an audience during the competition¡¯s time, so I have come to sing for all of you! Now, let¡¯s see some smiles on those faces, shall we!?] With just one glance, Belfast understood everything. She was able to fully understand that this girl was an incarnation of everything that was supposed to constitute a perfect ¡°Idol¡±. Not to mention that compared to Belfast, who was still wondering just how she should behave on the stage during the competition¡¯s time, this girl already knew what she wanted and was actively doing her best to obtain it. While Belfast was feeling a looming sense of dread coming from her soon-to-be rival, San Diego grabbed a microphone in her hand and pressed a switch on top of the speaker. [Alright then! Let¡¯s get this show on the road! The first song is going to be ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] At that moment, with a loud noise, a tremendous wave of both sound and melody came out of the speaker, flooding the entire area. The volume of the sound coming from the speaker was so loud that the people gathered in front of the stage blocked their ears all at once, and Belfast also covered her ears and crouched down on the spot. ¡ª¡ª T-This is¡­¡­ It was a terrifying roaring sound that seemed to vibrate throughout your entire body. And while it was not that Belfast was about to retract her previous statement here, but that roaring sound right now was surely creating a very distinct sense of first impression when it was coming to her most ferocious competitor. Now, putting the volume of the song aside, its melody was actually pretty nice and catchy, and Belfast was sure that it would be even better if San Diego was about to bring that volume down a notch or two. Yes, it surely must have been a wonderful song¡­¡­ ¡ª¡ª But well, as expected, this volume right here was a little bit much¡­¡­ Feeling that she was about to become dizzy from the unbearable sound and her consciousness all wobbly, Belfast quickly began to scan the ground in search of the cable that was connected to the loudspeaker. [La, Lalala, lala, la, Lalala!] As for San Diego, she was happily circling around the stage as if she was unable to see the suffering that her audience was currently going through. Belfast slowly crept up to the stage and pulled out the cable that she thought was the one she was looking for with all of her might. When the roaring music and the insufferably loud volume suddenly ceased all at once, the people around the stage who were covering their ears collapsed on the ground on the spot, looking all thankful to whatever force that was behind their salvation. [La, lalala, lala¡­¡­ Huh? What the!?] Realizing that the music was no longer playing and that her performance was pretty much dead, San Diego lowered the microphone she was holding in her hand and the look on her face made her look as though she had finally come back to her senses. And when she finally caught a glimpse of the loudspeaker cable that Belfast was holding in her hands, she jumped off the stage and approached the Head Maid on the double. [Hey! What gives!? Why are you unplugging the loudspeaker cable while I¡¯m giving a guerilla concert here!?] As San Diego was closing in on Belfast at a fast pace, the Head Maid calmly answered her question. [I did that out of necessity. As you would expect, at that volume, the listeners¡¯ eardrums would all burst without a shred of a doubt.] [Huh? Wait, seriously?] Hearing that explanation, San Diego calmed down and answered back as if she couldn¡¯t possibly believe that was what actually happened. Volume 1 - CH 4.7 Rather, Belfast was confused about the fact that when she told her that, San Diego looked at her with sheer admiration in her eyes. That, and there was also a fact that despite playing the music so loud, the Eagle Union¡¯s Light Cruiser seemed to be fine, as if nothing happened. [At least, if you want to carry on with your concert, you¡¯d best lower the volume of your loudspeaker a little bit.] [But if I do that, then the whole Home Port won¡¯t be able to hear me sing!] [That may be so, but you should also think about the ears of poor souls who are going to be nearby at the time when your concert begins.] At that point, San Diego seemed to finally realize what Belfast was talking about here, and right after that her expression changed to that of pure shock and disbelief. [¡­¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­ But wait! That¡¯s right! I knew that I happened to see your face somewhere before! It¡¯s from those posters! Are you not the Royal Navy¡¯s representative for this year¡¯s Beauty Pageant?] Crossing her arms on her chest, San Diego said that and then she began to nod her head really fast, as if agreeing with her own words. [Sorry, missy, but I¡¯m definitely going to win this year! I won¡¯t lose to the likes of you even if you actively try to get in my way!] San Diego lashed out at Belfast while she also picked the loudspeaker¡¯s cable off of the ground and then she started to go back towards her makeshift stage. [Bleeh!] Then San Diego turned around one more time, pulling her lower eyelid slightly and showing Belfast her tongue in a child-like gesture. [Haaah¡­¡­?] Once again for today, a deep and long sigh escaped from Belfast¡¯s mouth. Even though it was unavoidable, it seems that pulling out the cable on her own only managed to upset San Diego and bring her mood down a little bit. But even so, she did not forget about her concert and got back on the stage and started singing once more. What¡¯s more, the expression on her face was still as friendly and energetic, as if that whole exchange did not even happen. This actually surprised Belfast more than anything else. [Can we really hope to win¡­¡­ especially when facing someone like her?] As the Head Maid of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps, Belfast naturally had the responsibility of guiding the other maids and correcting their mistakes, but it was actually the first time when she had to bear the expectations of everyone in the Royal Navy solely on her own two shoulders. Belfast then left the place, her shoulders slumped under the pressure she had never experienced before in her entire life and career. * * * In the afternoon, Belfast came to the third floor of the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory and knocked on one of the doors there. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oh my, you¡¯re here. Finally, I have been waiting for you.] The one who opened the door was none other than Illustrious herself. As soon as she let Belfast through the door and the Head Maid entered it, she guided her towards the dress that was placed on a mannequin placed at the back of the room. Unicorn and Victorious were also waiting in front of the dress, seemingly all ready to do their job. [For today, all three of us are going to be present here, each one of us doing our share of the job.] Hearing that, Belfast raised her head a little bit, a question written all over her face. Seeing the Head Maid like that, Illustrious let out a small chuckle. [Since it was a dress that we all made while bringing out each other¡¯s characteristics during our work, we decided that we would do the final adjustments together as well. To keep it consistent. That¡¯s why the other two are also going to be present during the measurements taken. I hope it won¡¯t be a problem for you?] While listening to her elder sister¡¯s words, Unicorn got closer to Belfast while hanging her head low. [W-Well then¡­¡­ I-I¡¯ll be taking your measurements now, is that alright¡­¡­?] Belfast slowly raised her arms upwards, as instructed by Unicorn who was gently holding onto a tape measure in her small hands. [Yes, please do. I leave myself in your care.] Then, while gently wrapping the tape measure around the Head Maid, Unicorn checked the size of Belfast¡¯s body thoroughly from top to bottom. While she was at it, she would occasionally ask her sisters for help with the areas of Belfast¡¯s body where she was unable to reach due to her small height, and then she carefully measured the Head Maid¡¯s chest and waist circumferences in order to make the dress to be the perfect size possible. After taking all the measurements in more than a few minutes, Belfast looked at the dress again and said: [By the way, I think that everyone would agree that this is a really nice dress.] [You really think so? It¡¯s actually a little bit embarrassing to be praised like that, even though you know it¡¯s your work.] Victorious smiled happily as she said that. [Truth to be told, it wasn¡¯t originally made for the sole purpose of that Beauty Pageant. It all actually started when Unicorn was reading a picture book and suddenly said, ¡®I want to see such a wonderful dress in real life, with my own eyes¡±. Something like that.] Hearing her elder sister tell someone else such an embarrassing story in such a casual tone, the person responsible for the creation of that dress, Unicorn, suddenly turned her head away, looking down at her feet while her face was beet red with embarrassment. [It¡¯s just that¡­¡­ I really, really wanted to see a dress that would be worth a Princess wearing it in real life.] Unicorn only left that short and simple explanation, and then she remained perfectly silent as she continued to do her work. Taking over after that brief explanation, Illustrious chose to elaborate a little bit in her little sister¡¯s place. [So, as you can see, that¡¯s how it all started. Needless to say, both of us wanted to help, so we got together and got to work right away. And it just so happened that while we were right in the middle of the work, Wales-san came to us and brought up the incoming School Festival. And hearing that, we all decided that we would like to offer that dress to be a part of that idea, a kind of our share of work for the event.] [Ah, I see. So that¡¯s how it is.] Belfast nodded and suddenly noticed that Unicorn was staring at her dress for a while now. [Come to think of it, I was wondering about that ever since I got to witness those promotional posters back outside a while ago, but when did you even have the opportunity to take pictures of yourself like that~?] Victorious then poked at Belfast¡¯s side with her elbow once or twice, a really wicked smile on her face. [Ah. That. Well, I can only say that there were some really special circumstances regarding the time when that picture was taken.] [Hoo~? Care to elaborate a little bit more about what kind of circumstances led to a situation like that?] As if to try and elude Victorious¡¯s question, Belfast opened her mouth and asked her in an almost quizzical way. [W-Which reminds me, I actually asked Her Majesty to take some new, more appropriate pictures for the promotional posters, so I¡¯m afraid I have to go for now. So there you have it.] [Ah! Hey! Wait just a minute!] Belfast then quickly bowed down her head and left the room faster than Victorious was able to move in order to intercept her and get that juicy information out of her. [Fuh¡­¡­ I think that maybe a little bit more people than I would have liked managed to get a look at those posters.] Just thinking about it made the Head Maid feel utterly depressed. While walking down the corridor, Belfast eventually stood in front of Queen Elizabeth¡¯s private quarters and knocked twice before opening the door herself. [Please excuse me, Your Majesty.] [You¡¯re late! I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Bel!] Elisabeth¡¯s lively voice assaulted Belfast right as she went inside of Her Majesty¡¯s room, which caused the Head Maid to raise her head up, clearly startled. [T-This is¡­¡­] Once Belfast got to actually see the inside of Elizabeth¡¯s room, she could see that it was completely littered with various sorts of costumes being placed where there was a place to get them. There was a shrine maiden uniform, sailor uniforms, blazer, nurse¡¯s uniform, office lady¡¯s attire, station staff uniform, policewoman uniform, and there were even some animal costumes thrown into the mix. The sheer amount was making Belfast¡¯s head feel dizzy, and that was even without wondering where Elizabeth could possibly get all those items from. Volume 1 - CH 4.8 [When I asked that Akashi girl from the store to help me out a little bit, she quickly prepared a variety of different outfits that are sure to cover a huge range of different tastes.] Now that Belfast knew that it was not Queen Elizabeth who prepared those outfits, Belfast could let out a sigh of relief deep down inside of her heart. However, there was no way that Belfast could afford to wear any of those outfits for the purpose of the promotional photo shoot. [Your Majesty¡­¡­ Umm, I would just like to check real quick, but you have not actually forgotten the theme that the Royal Navy decided on for this year¡¯s contest, have you?] [Of course I haven¡¯t forgotten about it! It¡¯s all about ¡°elegance¡± and ¡°beauty¡±, right? However, I know that this is for the sake of our promotion, but just because it is like that it doesn¡¯t mean that you have to wear your usual maid uniform, Bel. Besides, I want this dress to be kept a secret until the very end, when it is finally the time for the contest to take place. As for the overall theme, once you are on that stage you can express yourself in any way you like, so for now pick one of those outfits so we can get this photo shoot started! Then we can pick the best pictures and decide on the poster that will appeal to everyone around the port!] At that moment Belfast thought that it was entirely possible that Elizabeth failed to understand what the Head Maid was hinting at here. So, even though Belfast was admiring just how fired up Elizabeth seemed to be about this entire thing, she had to make sure that everything was perfectly clear. [Your Majesty, I believe it would be best if we were on the same page about this entire matter. Otherwise we are running the risk of losing out sense of purpose and direction here.] [Well, that may be so, but¡­¡­] ¡¸Please, Your Majesty. I implore you: just this once, since I am going to represent the entire Royal Navy, I would like you to listen to my words and refrain from doing what your whims tell you to do.¡¹ This was the only way to resolve this situation, even though it was also something that Belfast was honestly hoping that she would never have to say out loud to her beloved queen. It was already a tremendous weight being put off of Belfast¡¯s shoulders that this swimsuit picture was scrapped for a promotional poster, but if their original theme was going to deviate even further from what it was supposed to be, it would become completely ruined and unsalvageable. ¡¸Ugh¡­¡­ Alright, I guess. Then, can you stand right there for a moment?¡¹ While sounding all grumpy and disappointed about this, Elizabeth pointed towards the window while she was holding onto her single-lens reflex camera. Feeling relieved, Belfast stood where she had been told. Elizabeth then looked into the viewfinder, but then she took her eyes off of it after a moment. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you going to strike a pose or something like that? If you don¡¯t at least do that, there¡¯s no point in making that picture into a poster-worthy material.¡¹ ¡¸A pose, you say?¡¹ That statement was actually true: just casually standing by the window and doing nothing felt rather dull. As a test of sorts, Belfast tried to pinch the hem of her apron. ¡¸What do you think about that?¡¹ Elizabeth took her eyes off the viewfinder once more and nodded her head. ¡¸I think that it¡¯s pretty good. Also, how about you try to change your facial expression for a bit? Try to smile a little, and then tilt your head to the side¡­¡­ Yes, that¡¯s it! Just like that! Also, rather than having a boring straight angle like this, we might want to try to adjust the angle her for a better effect.¡¹ Doing as she was told, Belfast tilted her head and tried to smile softly, in response to which Elizabeth moved to the side and snapped the shutter in an instant. ¡¸Yeah! That¡¯s the good stuff! That honestly felt like a really good photo right there! But I feel like it would be a huge waste to use it solely for the purpose of poster-making.¡¹ Belfast approached Elizabeth, who seemed to be genuinely satisfied with how the photo ended up. ¡¸As for me, well, I guess I cannot really say anything until we develop the film and see how the picture turned out.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, rest assured. It is a really good photo. I¡¯m going to make it into a poster by tomorrow, and then we can just go and distribute them all over the Home Port!¡¹ Placing the camera on the table in her room, Elizabeth glanced at Belfast. ¡¸Also, Bell. I think it would be a whole lot better if you were smiling a little bit more in front of other people, you know? I know that there are people out there who are genuinely oblivious to their own charms, but that¡¯s taking it a little bit too far, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ ¡¸Being oblivious to my own charm¡­¡­ Your Majesty?¡¹ Belfast thought about it for a moment, but that only resulted in her becoming even more lost and unable to understand it. Edinburgh said something like that to her once before. That she should take a moment to look inside of herself and do whatever feels natural for her. However, since Belfast was only focused on serving others with all of her might for as long as she could possibly remember, she never actually had time to go and take a good look inside of herself. That¡¯s why it was hard for the Head Maid to understand. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Bel?¡¹ Seeing just how troubled Belfast seemed to become, Elizabeth looked at her face with a curious, but also slightly worried expression. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. It seems that I was lost in my own thoughts a little bit for a moment out there.¡¹ Just as Belfast was about to tell Elizabeth that it was nothing and that there was no need for her to worry, she suddenly remembered what had happened at the previous meeting. ¡¸Speaking of which, Your Majesty. I would like to talk to you a little bit about the role of the Maid Corps throughout the duration of the School Festival ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ * * * Ever since that moment, Belfast has been thinking about what she wanted to do for the contest specifically while doing her daily maid work flawlessly. When he had free time to spare, she would just stare vaguely at the puffy clouds floating in the autumn sky from the window, or while watching the waves crash against the shoreline, she would ponder how she would express herself in the form of a performance that everyone would find entertaining. However, so far she was drawing up a blank. And that fact worried her to no end. Everyone from the Maid Corps who would see Belfast looking all melancholic and lost in thought like that would oftentimes approach her and ask her what seemed to be wrong, but every single time she would just laugh it off and dismiss the matter as nothing all that serious. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Perhaps she was simply overthinking this entire matter. Maybe the best kind of performance is the one that comes naturally, without planning and thinking about it for so long? That¡¯s was what she thought the night before the School Festival was about to begin. Belfast, who had come to Illustrious¡¯s room again after cleaning up after the dinner was over, finally got to try the dress out for herself, in order to get the feel for it before the Beauty Pageant would begin tomorrow. Illustrious, who had just finished checking out the dress¡¯s waist, looked up at Belfast¡¯s face. ¡¸Everything¡¯s alright? Is it not too tight? No trouble with breathing?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Ah. N-No, it¡¯s fine. Everything¡¯s fine.¡¹ Perhaps relieved to hear Belfast say that, Illustrious stroked her chest and sat down on the chair while letting out a small sigh. ¡¸That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m glad we were able to adjust the dress in time.¡¹ ¡¸And with some finishing touches here and there, it¡¯s literally perfect!¡¹ While Victorious also nodded her head in satisfaction, Belfast cast a quick glance towards Unicorn. She was just gazing at Belfast in complete silence while hugging Yuu-chan close to her chest. ¡¸Unicorn-san? Is something the matter?¡¹ When Belfast called out to her, Unicorn blinked in surprise and then she quickly turned her gaze away from the Head Maid. ¡¸¡­N-No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Unicorn hide behind her big sister Illustrious back in a hurry, Belfast was able to vaguely remember that the little Aircraft Carrier was also looking at her like that with her absent-minded eyes when they were taking her measurements before. ¡¸I-It¡¯s just that¡­¡­ You really look like a genuine Princess while wearing that dress¡­¡­¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 4.9 Unicorn then answered in a shy voice, her figure hidden behind Illustrious. ¡¸Hearing you say something like that makes me feel a little bit more at ease, actually. It means a lot when the creator of such a lovely dress thinks so.¡¹ After answering Unicorn¡¯s praise with the words coming straight from her heart, Belfast then turned towards Victorious and asked her for help in taking the dress off. ¡¸So. What are you going to do when you go on stage? Have you given it some thought yet?¡¹ In response to Victorious¡¯s words, when she casually asked her about something like that, Belfast was stunned for a short while, thinking of the possible answer that she could give here. And then she simply decided to be honest about it. ¡¸Well, actually, it¡¯s just that¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t even given that matter that much of a though yet.¡¹ Hearing the words that finally came out of the Head Maid¡¯s mouth, Victorious¡¯s eyes widened in shock and surprise. ¡¸Huh!? No way! Are you kidding me!? But the School Festival is tomorrow! Are you sure that you¡¯re going to be okay!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know. I am perfectly aware of that, it¡¯s just that¡­¡­¡¹ After changing back into her maid uniform, Belfast lowered her head in an apologetic bow. ¡¸I¡¯m actually thinking of doing something that comes to my mind when we think of ¡°maid¡±, but also comes with a sense of naturalness to it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But judging from that look on your face, that thinking process was not all that helpful, huh? Now I am seriously starting to worry if the Royal Navy is going to be okay when it comes to the contest¡­¡­¡¹ Beside Victorious, who dropped her shoulders as if she had fallen to a sudden wave of despair, Illustrious began to chuckle a little bit in amusement. ¡¸Since this is Belfast-san that we are talking about here, I am sure that you are going to figure something out eventually. And no matter what that something is going to be, you are going to present it in the most entertaining way possible.¡¹ ¡¸I-Is that so¡­¡­?¡¹ Belfast knew that Illustrious did not mean anything bad by that, and that she genuinely wanted to help here. However, the Head Maid could only utter those words without sounding all that confident about them. . ¡¸No matter the outcome of the contest, that one thing I know for sure: no one in the Royal Navy is going to shun you for doing your best. Victorious, myself, Unicorn, Her Majesty¡­¡­ we all know that you are always doing your very best on a daily basis, and that fact won¡¯t change.¡¹ Illustrious then smiled in a warm way, and just one glance was enough for Belfast to realize that she was speaking from her heart and that she meant every word that she just said. At the same time, it also made Belfast believe that what Illustrious just said was genuinely true. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C However. Belfast was still unable to quite understand what was exactly going on inside of her own head at the current moment. ¡¸But anyways, we are surely looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s pageant.¡¹ When Belfast was told that as she was about to leave the room, she slowly bowed down her head and then slowly walked down the corridor. ¡¸Whatever am I supposed to do about this¡­¡­?¡¹ Inside of her own heart, Belfast could feel nothing more but endless waves of anxiety. Partly it was all because she was thinking way too much about this whole matter and making things harder for herself, and once she was able to realize that she also realized that she was growing even more impatient now than ever before. Even if she tried to take it easy right before the contest as a change of pace, she couldn¡¯t possibly change the way in which her mind was thinking, and Belfast descended down the stairs in order to catch the night breeze outside of the dormitory, which had already turned dark. She also knew that even if she was to go back to her room and go to bed early, she would just continue to agonize over her situation and would ultimately be unable to catch even the slightest wink of sleep. ¡¸A short walk outside might help me feel a little bit better.¡¹ As she left the dormitory and went downhill down the road, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, listening to the gentle sound of the waves as she was walking toward the seashore. ¡¸¡­¡­ Huh? A singing voice¡­¡­?¡¹ It was then that Belfast heard someone humming a melody of some sort down the shore, and soon she found herself approaching the source of that voice. She came right to the brink of the beach and the sea, and poked her head out of the shadows to see what was going on here at this particular hour. ¡¸¡­¡­ San Diego-san?¡¹ Right on top of the breakwater, there was San Diego, wearing a fancy dress while spinning and dancing, humming some sort of melody. Unlike the dress that was made by Illustrious and company of the Royal Navy, San Diego¡¯s dress had a way shorter skirt for making the movements that much easier. Even if it was nowhere near as gorgeous as the one that Belfast was to wear, the Head Maid thought that when the two of them are going to be on top of that stage, San Diego¡¯s dress would be the one that would be dubbed as the true idol dress. ¡¸La, Lalala, Lalala, la~?¡¹ While she was listening to the way in which San Diego was humming and singing, Belfast felt as though she was paralyzed in an instant and she was unable to move from the spot at which she was standing. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Huh!? Who¡¯s there!? Show yourself!¡¹ Perhaps she sensed that someone must have been there and was watching her, because all of a sudden San Diego stopped her dancing and humming and turned towards where Belfast was standing. Belfast¡¯s very first thought here was to hide further back into the bushes and go into hiding, but after a moment of thinking she realized that this was probably a very bad idea. So, being left with only one option, she emerged from the shadows, thinking she still had to apologize for silently spying on San Diego like that. ¡¸Please forgive me, San Diego-san¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to spy on you like that, but I heard a singing voice while I was walking around, so¡­¡­¡¹ The Head Maid then bowed down her head deeply while expressing her sincerest apology. She wondered if she would be scolded again by the Eagle Union¡¯s Light Cruiser, including the previous case of pulling out the cable of her loudspeaker, but for some reason San Diego stood there in place with her mouth hanging wide open. ¡¸Umm¡­¡­ San Diego-san? Is everything alright?¡¹ A thought like that occurred in Belfast¡¯s mind and she called out to her. Then all of a sudden San Diego put her hands in front of her chest and she started jumping in place with sheer joy and excitement. ¡¸No way! Seriously!? Were you drawn here the moment you have heard my beautiful singing voice!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Excuse me?¡¹ For a moment out there, Belfast was unable to actually understand what San Diego was saying just now, but she seemed to be extremely happy for some bizarre reason. And seeing her like that, Belfast reflexively nodded her head in affirmation. ¡¸Y-Yes, that¡¯s right. It was a very beautiful singing voice. I was completely captivated by its charm.¡¹ ¡¸Ehehe, thank you very much! ¡­¡­ E-Ekhem! B-But you know that you shouldn¡¯t be spying on me like that without my permission, right? Especially since the beauty pageant is tomorrow and we are both rivals, after all!¡¹ San Diego began to speak with a big smile on his face, as if she was starting to feel better, sounding much more like her usual self. ¡¸You know? Tonight¡¯s breeze was feeling really good for some reason, so I got in the mood for going out for a walk. Were you perhaps the same, Belfast-san?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, indeed. It¡¯s a really cool breeze that doesn¡¯t make your skin feel chill.¡¹ As Belfast came closer to San Diego, she took a really dizzying jump off the breakwater. ¡¸Yeah, you got that right. So here¡¯s a suggestion. Why don¡¯t we actually hold tomorrow¡¯s competition right here, in this place? It would be an ideal stage for singing and dancing.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think that will be necessary. For you see, I do not plan on dancing or singing on the stage tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? You won¡¯t? Well then, what are you going to be doing?¡¹ ¡¸Well, about that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ There was no way that Belfast could actually admit to San Diego that she hadn¡¯t really thought about anything yet. In the first place, she didn¡¯t know if it was okay to be meeting with other contestants right before the actual beauty pageant, especially since both Royal Navy and Eagle Union have chosen to follow down the Idol path. Volume 1 - CH 2.10 [Ahh, the amount of life energy that I can feel from those words! I knew it! There is nothing better in this world that¡­¡­!] [H-Hey! Your face! It¡¯s too close! Personal space! Give me some personal space!] While York was leaning forward in excitement more and more towards Niimi, she finally snapped and pushed her away from her, since the distance between their faces was clearly way too close for Niimi¡¯s comfort. Cygnet, who was staring blankly at the two of her colleagues from her own seat, suddenly raised her hand as if she had suddenly come up with something that she wanted to ask about. [S-Sensei! I would like to learn some more of Iron Blood¡¯s words, if it¡¯s not a problem!] [Huh? Huh!?] Niimi, who up until now had been busy dealing with York, began to panic when she heard Cygnet¡¯s words. [I want you to teach me more and more words! Niimi-sensei! I envy you so much for knowing something like that!] At that point, Javelin seemed to sense Cygnet¡¯s intentions, and with a huge smile on her face, she raised her hand straight up in the air and said that. [Javelin, too! I want to learn more words as well! Especially the ones such as ¡°Destroyer¡±, since those relate to us in a way!] [E-Even you too, Javelin¡­¡­!?] Unable to hide just how perplexed she was about the fact that her students were finally showing interest in her lecture and were asking her questions of their own volition, she scratched her cheek with her finger in a gesture of embarrassment. She then coughed profusely as if trying to clear her throat, and began to behave in the same manner as before in front of the ever-eager students. [E-Ekhem, Ekhem! W-Well, I guess it really cannot be helped, then! But let me warn you now, I am going to be writing a whole lot, so be sure to take your notes diligently!] She then turned her face to the blackboard and started writing the words from one edge of the black board to another one. Even without looking at her expression, it was clear that Niimi was happy and was really enjoying herself. At the same time, at the back of the classroom, Belfast smiled with relief. For about thirty more minutes after that, Niimi-sensei¡¯s fun foreign language class continued uninterrupted like that. * * * [Next is going to be my turn.] Just like that, it was finally time for Enterprise¡¯s class. She came over to the teacher¡¯s podium with a dashing gait, flipping her long overcoat, and spoke in a smooth tone as she looked around at the students from the classroom. [As for the contents of my class, I am going to have you all go outside for now, guys.] Not only the students alone, but also the instructors were all dumbfounded by that remark of hers. [Umm¡­¡­ I thought that today¡¯s lessons are going to be classroom exclusive ones?] Even though she knew that she should not get in the way of someone else¡¯s lecture, Belfast could not help herself but to go and ask about that. [That¡¯s true. But at the same time, there is no rule that dictates that the classes need to be taught exclusively inside of the classroom.] For the first time in a long time, Enterprise made a bold statement like that. [In the first place, the battlefield that we face every single day is not something that is so simple that it can all be explained verbally alone!] But if that was supposed to be true, then what was the coursework up until now? Was there any sense to it at all? Belfast was not really convinced by that answer, but at the same time she knew all too well that arguing here would only end up further restricting the students¡¯ time for the actual class activities. [Alright, then. Let¡¯s go outside and follow me.] Following Enterprise¡¯s words, the students have left the classroom. After that, the other lecturers also went out into the hallway and followed right after Enterprise outside. The place that the entire classroom group arrived at was a sandy beach near the great pier. [What the¡­¡­ What is this¡­¡­?] Surprised, Javelin raised her voice without thinking. What was right in front of them on the beach was a mud pool with a diameter of ten meters or slightly bigger. Nobody was able to tell how deep it was just by looking at it, and everyone was wondering what they were going to do in such a bizarre place. [From now on, you will have to jump over this mud pond. Of course, if you fail to do that and fall right in, your bodies will be covered in mud from head to toe.] Enterprise explained so in an emphatic tone, as if it was the most natural thing in the entire world. Because the way she speaks is always way too serious, even Belfast had the illusion that right now the Destroyers were about to take part in a genuine military exercise, but that was not the case here right now. [Is an exercise like that really going to be useful for doing commissions in the future?] Yuudachi was actually the one who went forward and asked the question that must have been stuck in everyone else¡¯s minds, but no one else was brave enough to actually ask it. [Once you are going to be able to perform it well, you will know.] It seems that the Destroyers would not get the answer that they were hoping to hear from Enterprise before they would actually start doing the assigned exercise. But in that way, they had no idea what Enterprise¡¯s intentions actually were with this. With a confident expression on her face, Enterprise walked over the pond to the destination at the other side of it. [It doesn¡¯t matter who you are, or who goes in first! The important thing here is to have the courage to actually jump straight in! Of course, those who can successfully cross to the other side without falling into the mud pool can go and have their lunch break early!] The four students that were left behind looked at one another. [And there you have it. This will probably be as much explanation as we will get here¡­¡­] The way in which she said that, it seemed that Javelin was already pretty low on motivation to get this exercise all done before it even managed to properly start. Everyone present must have been wondering who was going to be the first one to jump right in, and at the same time they were all glancing at one another in curiosity. [Fufu. I see that all of you are still little children. No, little cowards, I say!] Then, for some reason, York was the very first one to take a step forward, a look of total confidence written all over her face. [No! No, no, no, no! No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s just impossible! That jump is over ten meters long!] It was actually just as Yuudachi said just now. Ten meters was way too long of a distance for any of them to traverse in one go. Heck, even the world class athletes would be unable to do it. [Even if you were to get a pretty good running start, a long jump like that is just impossible to perform~.] [And who said anything about doing a long jump here?] York then pointed her finger straight towards the mud pool. Everyone squinted their eyes and looked towards the place where York was pointing her finger at, cocking their heads in puzzlement. If you were to look really closely, you could see that there were small poles sticking out of the pond, barely visible. [Ah! Hmm, I see, so that¡¯s how it is? I see that nothing is the way it seems at first glance, huh?] Signet said that while clapping her hands together. [Does that mean that we are to just jump over the pond with the use of those sticks?] [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Yes! Exactly!] The four students could then hear Enterprise¡¯s voice calling out to them from across the mud pool. [This right here is based on a sport called ¡°Fierwappen¡±. This sport is said to have originated from the use of poles to cross waterways in order to cross water-filled canals. It may look simple, but it is actually quite difficult to pull off! Not to mention that the pool itself is surprisingly deep! It requires a whole lot of skill to handle the pole properly and traverse your way through the pool in a quick fashion. Also, landing from a sufficient height without losing your balance also requires you to possess a great deal of fitness and agility!] Hearing that explanation, the four students started to nod their heads in agreement. But this is this, and that is that. Even though they just received some explanation, they still had no idea just how that was going to become useful in the commissions and exercises that they would be bound to do at some point. Volume 1 - CH 2.11 PART 11 [Besides, if you don¡¯t start doing it soon, the lunch break will be long over by the time you will be finished here!] The moment York heard Enterprise¡¯s words, she kicked off the sand from the ground and ran towards the mud pool at full speed. [I am going to be the one who will finish first and receive a bountiful lunch offering!] York went so fast that the sand she was kicking from under her feet was flying all over the place, while York herself was shaking her fists in a gesture sensing her imminent triumph in this exercise. [Hey York! But we haven¡¯t even decided the order in which we are going to do it yet!] Even though Yuudachi yelled those words out loud like that, the distance between York and the mud pool was already less than five meters. [First come, first served! Have you ever heard about a saying like that!? Everyone, the next time we meet will be after our stomachs are swollen with delicious food and ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] As she spoke, York jumped up with tremendous momentum and grabbed the pole that was sticking from the mud pool. In no time at all, the pole drew an arc with York present at its end. As for York herself, she was standing up straight, clinging to the pole and trying to climb up to the top that that the pole would allow. However, the pole was already falling towards the opposite bank of the mud pool, and in the end York managed to land a spectacular dive into the mud pool without being able to climb very high in the air. The other students could only watch with their breaths held back as York plummeted face-first into the mud pool, followed by the nasty sound of something heavy sinking into the nasty liquid. It was too plain to call it a special attack, and no one was able to come up with possible words that could possibly cheer York up after that spectacular failure of hers. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Right! York is out for now!] Standing on the other side of the mud pool, Enterprise announces this to everyone through the loudspeaker she was holding in her hand. [And now, who is going to be the next challenger, I wonder?] * * * Belfast, who was watching this whole scene play out while maintaining some distance from the four Destroyers, glanced at her wristwatch while listening to Enterprise¡¯s voice. Belfast was informed by Hood that the students from the school were supposed to have their lunch break in the Royal Navy¡¯s cafeteria in the middle of the school day. They would all be served a simple lunch meal made by the port ¡°Manjuus¡±, and their seats were already reserved there in advance. As far as times goes, it was almost time for that particular moment, but from Belfast could see right in front of her eyes, the lesson here was far from being over. Of course, other people were also going to be using the dining room, so if they would not make it there in time, their seats would have been taken, as a matter of course. But this was not only relevant to the students, but to the instructors here as well. Belfast and the others would not be an exception from that rule. [Umm, Ranger-san?] Looking to the side, Belfast could see that at the moment both Ranger and Niimi were building a huge sandcastle together. Hearing Belfast calling out her name, Ranger raised her face from the sandcastle, her expression seemingly asking what it was that Belfast wanted to know. [I really want to think that I am actually wrong about this one, but if the children won¡¯t manage to finish Enterprise-san¡¯s lecture before the lunch hour is over ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [Well, of course they are going to go without any meal. Isn¡¯t that only to be expected?] It was a very blunt and straightforward answer. [And knowing Enterprise, it¡¯s not something that she would not be able to do. Actually, I am pretty sure that something like that has already happened before.] [And just what on Earth is she hoping to teach those children through a lesson like that?] [Hmm, actually, when you put it like that¡­¡­ But actually, she always seems to be doing more or less the same thing, every time. After all, when it comes to things that children want to do, there is only one thing that comes to mind, wouldn¡¯t you agree? But when it comes to actual execution of that idea, she is always putting some variation to it, like¡­¡­ She can get really creative about it.] While Belfast was wondering what it could possibly be that Enterprise wanted to convey here, Niimi and Ranger continued to add sand to their castle and harden it with their hands. After a moment of silence, Niimi spoke up once more. [It¡¯s more of a recreational activity than a regular class, isn¡¯t it?] After a moment of thinking about those words on her own, Belfast nodded her head in agreement. Niimi took her eyes off of the sand castle that they were making for a moment, looked at the struggling students, and then let out a short and shallow sigh. [I think that enterprise¡¯s intentions here are to focus more on the attempts themselves rather than the goal waiting at the end of the road. After all, it¡¯s pretty boring to just sit behind the desk indoors for the entire day. Well, but I mean, just because it¡¯s like that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [Hmm? What is it?] When Belfast asked her that and urged her with her eyes, Niimi said only a few words in response as she immersed herself in building the sand castle once again. [But when it comes to me, I would not really want to do that kind of activity. My clothes would get completely covered in mud.] [I¡¯m right here with you.] While pinching the hem of her maid uniform with her fingers, Belfast gave Niimi¡¯s words a huge nod. [Uuuhhh¡­¡­ I lost~¡­¡­ ] While York managed to get herself out of the mud pool, while all of her hair and clothes were dripping with mud all over, Cygnet cried out loud. As a result of the rock-paper-scissors match that they all held while trying to determine the one who would go next to take the mud pool vaulting challenge, she was the one who lost miserably and had no other choice but to do it. [D-Do your best, Cygnet-chan!] Following Javelin¡¯s enthusiastic cheering, Yuudachi also directed some stern warning words at Cygnet. [You have to build the right amount of momentum when you¡¯re going to hit that pole!] [E-Even if you say that, I don¡¯t think I can¡­¡­] [Hey, everyone? I don¡¯t care who it will be, but can the next person please hurry it up? At this rate, the lunch break is going to be over before we are going to be finished here.] Cygnet then reluctantly started running across the sandy beach. However, each of her step was way slower and less energetic than usual. Looking at how tense she was at the current moment, Belfast would not be all that surprised if she ended up tripping over her own legs at some point. Most probably, Cygnet really did not wanted to land in that mud pool no matter what, and that thought alone combined with immense fear were running circles in her head, holding her back and weighting her down. It was obvious that nothing good would ever come from it. And then the tension inside of Cygnet¡¯s head managed to reach its absolute limit, rendering her unable to tackle this challenge no matter what she would try to do. [T-The mud! The mud is scary! I don¡¯t wanna! I don¡¯t wanna~!] Finally, when she let out those words of honest from her mouth, there were only two meters left between her and the mud pool. [Ei! Eeeeeeiiiiii!!!] Cygnet clung to the pole with her whole body, but perhaps because she lacked the momentum that Yuudachi spoke of a moment ago, the pole fell right in front of her before she could get it up and make it stand straight. [Fuuueeehhh~~~!?] And when Cygnet was at the height of her ¡°jump¡± like that, a strange voice unlike any normal words could be heard leaking from her mouth, and the Destroyer simply let go of the pole all at once. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C SPLOOOSH!!! [Cygnet! Same as York! You¡¯re out!] Hearing the voice of Enterprise quietly reporting through the loudspeaker, Yuudachi held her head in her hands in a gesture of pure desperation. [See!? What did I tell you!? That¡¯s why I told you to build up that blasted momentum¡­¡­!] [J-Javelin is going to go next!] Javelin¡¯s shoulders could only shudder in sheer terror when the next round of rock-paper-scissors was over and she was the one who ended up losing. [I¡¯m scared! This is way too scaryyy!!!] [I-It¡¯s fine! You¡¯re going to be fine, you¡¯ll see!] Volume 1 - CH 2.12 Yuudachi clenched both of her hands into fists as she offered those words of encouragement with both hands and offered words of encouragement. [You should run pretty vigorously, cling to it with all of your might, and climb up quickly before the pole starts to turn straight up! After that, the Pole will move toward the opposite bank of the pool, so do your best to just let go at the right time!] [Yuudachi-chan, don¡¯t you think your last piece of advice is a little bit negligent?] [Is the next person ready or not!?] Enterprise¡¯s voice rang out through the loudspeaker, and Javelin reluctantly cut off the conversation with Yuudachi and stared at the mud pool for a good while. But inside of her mind, she could still see quite vividly the two people who just so happened to land straight into the mud pool not too long ago. [W-Whoooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh~~~!!!!!!!!!] With her eyes tightly closed as if she wanted to disperse her negative thoughts that way, Javelin ran towards the pole at full speed without stopping. She then clung to the pole in a fairly fast run-up and would not let go. [And there¡­¡­ There we go!] Shouting like that, Javelin scrambled up before she would stand upright. As a base for her movement, it was going better than anyone else so far. [S-she¡¯s doing it! She¡¯s climbing up!] The moment the pole stood upright, Javelin was still doing brilliantly. And just like that, she also managed to reach the very peak of her climb. [I, I did it! D-Did you see that, Commander!? I really did it!] In a burst of joy, Javelin made a slight victory pose without even thinking about it, but it was from here on out that her problems started to pop up one after another. There was no problem with the place where the pole was clinging to the direction of the opposite bank of the pool. So the rest was simply whether or not Javelin would be able to land well. [Hyih!? Hyiiiiiiiiihhhhhhhhh!!!???] Javelin screamed in an uncontrollable way as the pole started to fall way faster than she would have expected. That should have been true, and the distance from the edge of the pole to the ground after climbing up was almost the same as jumping off the second floor of a tall building. [T-This is impossible!] Javelin sensed that she was already at her limit, and suddenly let go of the pole with both of her hands as she fell to the opposite bank of the mud pool. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C SPLOOOSH!!! [And just like that, Javelin is covered in mud from head to toe as well!] As Javelin slowly made her way out of the mud pool while being completely covered in it, Enterprise casually reported her failure like that through her loudspeaker. With that voice being heard through the loudspeaker and treating it as a signal to go, Yuudachi took a few steps back and then she started to run as fast as she could. [Everyone, it¡¯s such a shame that you were unable to succeed here! But rest assured! I shall definitely learn from your mistakes and make sure that I will nail this sucker in one fell swoop!] As Yuudachi yelled those words she ran straight towards the mud pool faster than any other student before her. Just before she kicked the sand under her feet really hard, she took a big jump and clung to the pole with all of the strength that her small body could muster. She then tried to climb up as quickly and possible and stand up as fast as possible. However, because she jumped into the pole with too much force behind her movements, she fell from an upright position to the opposite bank at twice the speed she had when poor Javelin clung to her attempt a moment ago. [W-Waaah!!! Too early! It was too early~~~!!!!!!] ¡ª¡ª SPLOOSH!!! [And just like that, everyone has been sunk.] Enterprise said so without any clear emotion behind her words, and then lowered her gaze towards the mud pool. There, she could see all of her students covered in mud from head to toe, looking so tragic that it was actually hard to look at them right now. [Right before we started doing this, you asked what the point of this exercise was supposed to be, isn¡¯t that right?] Enterprise, who has turned away from the loudspeaker, looked at her students who looked as though they would much like to be anywhere else but here at the current moment. [In my honest opinion, the most important thing on the battlefield to have is, without a shred of a doubt, ¡®an indomitable fighting spirit and a strong heart that never gives up at any time¡±! Yes, that is the most important!] And then Enterprise saw Yuudachi, who was still stuck in the mud head-first, looking like a spear or a javelin that was thrown into the ground. [Oh, and next time around, do try to not land head-first into the mud like that. It can be potentially dangerous, you know? And damage control is extremely important when fighting at sea! You understand that? So get back up, on the double! Be sure to do a better job next time!] [P-Please wait just a moment!] Javelin, who had been submerged up to her shoulders in the mud pool still, panicked at what enterprise had just said. She then raised her voice slightly. [Umm, I hope that it was just Javelin¡¯s imagination here, but Enterprise-san, did you just say ¡°next time¡±?] [Well, of course, that is exactly what I said. I mean, isn¡¯t that obvious? This lecture will continue until everyone jumps across the pool safely. Is there something wrong with that?] Enterprise answered with a blunt look on her face, and then the faces of the four Destroyers as well as the lecturers turned visibly pale all of a sudden. * * * ¡ª¡ª As Belfast stood in front of the podium looking back on the events that transpired all the way from last night until today, the students who had just returned from the shower room entered the classroom. [Everyone, thank you all for coming so swiftly, although I know that you must be tired.] Seeing the four students who had just returned, Belfast smiled at them gently. A faint scent of shampoo wafted from the four girls who were covered in mud until just a moment ago, but now it was all gone, as if was never there in the first place. [Ahh, umm¡­¡­ I-Is it really okay for us to wear this?] Cygnet asked that question while grabbing the edge of her skirt and looked at Belfast with a worried expression, tears in the corners of her eyes. [Of course it is quite alright. After all, we have spare maid outfits in different sizes for that kind of emergencies, just in case.] True to her words, all of the girls who came back from the showers were dressed in maid clothes. Even if the mud on their bodies could be removed easily, there was nothing they could do about their dirty clothes, so Belfast had specially prepared clothes for them instead. [And I must say, everyone! You look really lovely wearing those!] While Belfast was looking at the four girls in their maid outfits with a look of pure adoration, the other three instructors also returned from the outside. Both Ranger and Niimi were helping Enterprise clean up after the class that took place at the beach, while Belfast was instructed to go back to the classroom first and prepare for the next class. [Ranger-san.] Seeing Ranger, Belfast approached her in a hurry, having one more matter that needed to be taken care off post-haste. [Umm, you see, about those seats that were supposed to be reserved in the navy cafeteria ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] But before Belfast managed to finish her sentence, Ranger shook her head in a hurry with a sad look on her face. It seems that the seats that Belfast managed to reserve in advance were all gone because the Enterprise lecture has gone for just way too long. At the same time as confirming that in advance, Belfast asked Ranger if there was anything at all that could have been done about it. [Uwaaah! That¡¯s it! I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t even move another inch anymore!] Yuudachi groaned while throwing her whole body weight on top of her desk and basically freezing up in that exact position, not moving even an inch anymore. Normally she was the one who would be the most enthusiastic and hyper-active in this whole group, but the exhaustion from the previous lessons combined with not getting food for lunch has left her completely devoid of energy. As if that complaint was also a signal of some sort, the stomach of all four Destroyers present in the classroom started growling out loud at the exact same time. Volume 1 - CH 2.13 GROOOWWWLLL~~~!!! [Auuuhh¡­¡­ My stomach¡­¡­ so hungry¡­¡­] Cygnet murmured in embarrassment as she put her hands on her growling stomach, as if trying to mute the sounds that it was making. [G-Go figure¡­¡­ We were told that there would be no food, so there really is going to be no food, huh¡­¡­?] Javelin also involuntarily fell down on the spot behind her desk with tears welling up in her eyes. The only one to sit silently on her seat without saying anything was York. However, the sound of her stomach was the only thing that kept insisting that she was indeed hungry just like the rest of the Destroyers. [Oh, but we are going to have a proper meal.] Belfast puts her hands on the lecturer¡¯s podium and spins the she spun the pointer in her hand around a few times as to underline her words. [Huh? But Ranger-sensei just shook her head in denial just now¡­¡­] While Javelin and her fellow Destroyers were cocking their heads in curiosity, Belfast left the teacher¡¯s podium and headed towards the classroom¡¯s door¡­¡­ [Everyone, we are going to go to a certain place right now, so please follow me.] Belfast quickly went out into the hallway, and the four students looked blankly at each other while they obediently followed after her. [Umm¡­¡­ But isn¡¯t the class still in session?] In response to Cygnet¡¯s words, Ranger winked at her and followed Belfast, placing her hand on the door. [Yes, that¡¯s right. And from here on out it will be Belfast-sensei¡¯s lecture. Everyone should just follow her instructions.] [But where exactly are we going?] When the whole group left the school building again and came in front of a fountain with a statue resembling a large anchor, Yuudachi came up in front and approached Belfast, asking where exactly were they all going. [The Naval Cafeteria. I¡¯m thinking of actually teaching you how to prepare your own meal in times of need.] [Meal? Like dinner or what?] Just as Belfast was about to answer that, the group already managed to arrive at the Navy Cafeteria. [Dear Instructors, could I ask you to please wait right here for a moment?] When Belfast found a set of empty seats, she placed the instructors there and turned back to her students. [For the time being, please go into the kitchen.] As instructed, the four students headed to the kitchen together while being guided by Belfast at all times. As for the kitchen itself, it was pretty much empty, with no one inside of it. Belfast opened the refrigerator, took out some ingredients, and placed them on top of the cooking table. [With the ingredients that are available here, you will be more than capable enough to make some curry from scratch.] [A curry?] Javelin looked at the potatoes that she was holding with both of her hands as she repeated that word curiously. [Luckily we have all the spices that are necessary for it. I just asked Ranger-san to reserve this place for me in advance, in case something would happen. Since this is a military port, let¡¯s go with naval-style curry, shall we?] [Curry, huh? Nice! I like the sound of that!] Standing up and her ears twitching like mad, Yuudachi was happily jumping on the spot. [My stomach is so empty that it might collapse on itself at any time now, let¡¯s just hurry it up and get on with it!] [I strongly suggest that you should all try to divide the work between yourselves and work together on this. That way, you should be able to create a dish that is going to satisfy even the palates of the instructors.] [Umm, I don¡¯t really know about that, but¡­¡­] While Belfast was smiling at the other students, it was actually York who has remained silent all this time, and chose to speak up right now. And the question she asked was actually of great importance here. [What kind of knowledge will this course give us?] Hearing York¡¯s accurate question, the other students turned towards Belfast. [I honestly think that Enterprise-san¡¯s lecture just before that was important, especially for each and every one of you individually.] Belfast answered quietly, staring at the ingredients right in front of her. [Having an unyielding fighting spirit on the battlefield can sometimes turn the tide of battle, but that is the strength of each individual that is being taken into account. I think there is one more thing that you all have to learn to be successful: working as a group. Especially in an organization like the one we have here.] [Hmm¡­¡­ What does that even mean?] Belfast lifted her head in response to Yuudachi¡¯s question. [What I want to teach you right now is, without a doubt, the act of ¡°cooperation¡±.] While slowly looking at everyone present in the kitchen, Belfast then assumed a more focused position as she went on to explain. [Trusting in one another, supporting one another in need, providing constructive criticism, and careful evaluation. I will watch over you here and there, and give you cooking advice if needed, but please do not forget to do things your way and apply your own judgment in your work.] [Learn to trust¡­¡­ One another, huh¡­¡­?] While listening to Cygnet¡¯s hesitant words, Belfast quietly moved away a few steps from the four students. [This is more than just a matter of going on commissions. The spirit of mutual cooperation should be strong enough in you to overcome any difficulties that may lie ahead, no matter the situation.] Belfast said something like that all the while thinking to herself. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I can be here right now, because I trust the other members of the Maid Corps to do a good job in my absence. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get the cooking started, shall we? It seems that flour is needed as well, so please make sure as to not make too big of a mess in the kitchen while you will be at it.] *** In a sense, the students¡¯ curry making, which began as a momentary decision, was even more of a struggle than the course that enterprise had prepared. Despite the fact that they were looking at the recipe written down by Belfast at all times, Yuudachi, who was not all that good with numbers, continued to make mistakes almost at every single step of the way. Also, during the vegetable cutting, both Javelin and York managed to cut their fingers slightly, and were making quite a fuss about it. Cygnet, who was trying to clean the rice with a detergent, ended up spilling it all over the sink and the rice had to be thrown away. In the end, it took them twice as long to complete this curry dish as it would normally take. As for the final product, Belfast dared not to taste this curry and just carried it to the cafeteria for everyone as it was. After everyone was seated in their seats, Belfast said to everyone gathered behind one long table: [Well then, everyone. Please, dig right in.] With those words as a signal, the four students started shouting in the loudest voices that they could have muster today. [Let¡¯s eat!!!] Each of them scooped up a portion of the curry with a spoon and carried it into their mouths at the same time. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C!? Delicious!!!] York was the first to speak up. It seems that she was so moved that she accidentally let out a word like that, and when she covered her mouth, she looked down embarrassedly and silently started to eat her curry. [Refill, please!] Yuudachi, who finished eating her portion in no time, immediately headed for the kitchen. And surprisingly enough, Cygnet was close to follow right after her. [It turned out better than I expected. It¡¯s so delicious!] When Enterprise voiced her opinion on the dish as well, Belfast only smiled back at her in a warm way. [So, how was it? Did you manage to get along with the students?] Ranger asked Belfast that question with the spoon in her hand. [Yes. We managed to get along just fine. I really want to believe that.] Belfast nodded and looked at the students. The four had become good friends during the lectures so far. The four of them shouldn¡¯t have been strangers to each other to begin with, but they may have learned to cooperate with one another while studying together in the same place. [Belfast-san, won¡¯t you consider continuing giving lectures in the future?] After drinking some water, Niimi asked her that question. [Even though it was my first time giving a lecture like this, I now see just how draining it can be and how much it takes to keep the students in check and class in order. And while I think I might not be the best fit for a teacher, I now admire you even more than before¡­¡­] After being told something like that, Niimi lowered her head in embarrassment. Even her ears were bright red, and she was unable to look Belfast in the eyes for a while. [I-If you tell me something like that all of a sudden¡­¡­ Y-You know what!? Forget it! Please forget that I said anything! It was nothing, really!] Belfast put down her spoon and turned towards her. [It is only my honest opinion as the proud member of the Royal Navy, and the Head Maid of the Maid Corps.] That¡¯s what she has decided ever since before she came here. She knew that working behind the scenes and in the kitchen suits her way better than anything else. That, and ever since she came here, her thoughts were slowly drifting towards the matters of the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory. ¡ª¡ª Come to think of it, why is it that Her Majesty was not here, when all good children should be present at school? The sheer thought of that suddenly crossed her mind, and then Belfast chuckled lightly. If Elizabeth were here right now, she probably would not be able to bear what happened throughout this day alone. And just as Belfast was thinking about a matter like that¡­¡­ * * * ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Meanwhile, back at the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory¡­¡­ [Bel! Bel! Are you here, Bel!?]] As Elizabeth wandered the corridors with Warspite in tow, she was looking for Belfast. [It looks like she hasn¡¯t come back yet.] [I heard from Edi that she was supposed to be a substitute teacher for today, but she surely is taking her sweet time.] And as Elizabeth folded her arms, she turned towards Warspite. [So, are you saying that I should also take a preparatory course for the military commissions, just in case? [Yes, Your Majesty. And I think I might accompany you as well.] [Hahaha! I have always wanted to just how classes like that go! Well, I¡¯m good at classroom studies, so don¡¯t be surprised when you witness my academic prowess first-hand!] She didn¡¯t know what class was awaiting her, and Elizabeth could not help it but to have a huge smile on her lips. Volume 1 - CH 3.10 Thinking that there would be no point in her just standing still in one place, Belfast started to move forward as well. Turning at the corner of one path and going into a completely different path, the place where the Head Maid arrived at was filled to the brim with food stalls wrapped in a warm light of paper lanterns stretching to the left and right as far as the eye could see. [But even so, I wonder just what kinds of stores are even opened for business here¡­¡­?] While gazing at the stalls lined up right in front of her, Belfast thought she would take a peek at one that had a banner titled: ¡°Takoyaki Shop¡± in huge colorful letters. As for the stall itself, there was a lone manjuu with a headband wrapped around its head, working tirelessly and doing its best to flip the takoyaki over once they were ready to be flipped. [Oh, I see, so you are the ones who are running the stalls in here, you guys.] The appearance of the ¡°manjuu¡± working with all of its heart made Belfast actually crack a smile of its own. If you were to look closely, you could see the ¡°manjuu¡± at the other stalls were cooking yakisoba and okonomiyaki, while they were also those who were handling Western dishes such as hamburgers or kebab sandwiches. [Excuse me, can I have some takoyaki, please?] After receiving the freshly made takoyaki from the manjuu, Belfast slowly walked around the city, with the sounds and bustle of the festival serving as her background music. Unaware of the fact that she was unconsciously smiling all the time, she was thrilled by the sight of her very first summer festival. At the current moment, the fact that she was feeling so down because of the need to go on her day off seemed like nothing more but a lie to Belfast. As she was making her alongside the various stalls while cooling herself down with a small hand fan with summer festival decorations that someone handed to her, she eventually found a stall that had a banner reading ¡°Lottery¡± on it. [Could you give me one lottery lot, please?] The ridge of strings was handed over to the Head Maid by the Manjuu working at the stall, and when she chose one of them and pulled on it really hard, the string that Belfast had chosen managed to go past all of the luxurious-looking and exotic prizes, going straight towards the box containing a single piece of candy. No matter how you look at it, Belfast had lost here. But she stared at the candy for a moment and just let out a small chuckle in reaction to that. After picking up the candy that was her prize, she walked a little bit further down the street, and soon she reached the last food stall on that road. Just when Belfast thought that this was basically it for all the attractions here, she remembered that a pamphlet Renown had had on her introduced a nearby shrine as a popular tourist spot. [I¡¯m pretty sure¡­¡­ That you are supposed to go this way to get to it.] Belfast continued to walk past the last food stall, even though she only vaguely remembered the location where she was supposed to be going. As she ate her candy, the light from the lanterns gradually faded away, and before long, the vague outline of the shrine¡¯s main hall came into her view in the distance. There were two torii gates before her, and she passed through them and went up the stone steps. There were also lanterns hanging in the precincts beyond the tori gates, but their light was much fainter than the ones closer to the city. The place here looked like a fortune-telling shrine, and as Belfast wandered around and advanced towards the back of it, she discovered a large, round stone sculpture in the back of the shrine. There was a wooden sign right next to the stone carving, and Belfast proceeded to get closer to read what was written on it. [A wish stone, huh¡­¡­? And the shrine itself is supposed to be dedicated to the God of Marriage?] Apparently, this shrine right here was a popular tourist spot especially amongst young women who were hoping to get married in the near future, but since Belfast had no real interest in that particular topic, she couldn¡¯t help it but to feel as if coming here was actually one huge waste of her time. [It looks like I would have done a whole lot better if I were to go where everyone else went. At least that could have been a good use of my free time.] Belfast tried to turn around and start heading back from the shrine, but then she just stopped right there on the spot. Even though this shrine in particular was dedicated to having a good fortune with the members of the opposite sex for the prospect of the future marriage, Belfast recalled that there was never a rule that would prohibit giving a prayer in intentions that would differ from the ones that the shrine was dedicated to. And as the Head Maid of the Maid Corps of the Royal Navy, Belfast thought it was only natural that she should pray for a continuous good fortune in her work, that she would get along with everyone back at the port, and that they should stay in good health. When Belfast looked up, she saw that the shrine office was still open, partly because it was the summer festival time. According to what was written on the notice board, if you pray in front of the Wishing Stone along with the stone in a drawstring bag called the ¡°Wish Stone¡± given to tourists at the shrine¡¯s office, your wish was said to be able to come true. As soon as Belfast was given the ¡°Wish Stone¡± talisman at the shrine office, she came back in front of the Wishing Stone and crouched down on the spot. She squeezed the ¡°Wish Stone¡± in her hands really tightly while she closed her eyes, and then she muttered the silent prayer from the bottom of her heart. [From now on, and possibly forever¡­¡­ I hope we can all get along really well together with the members of the entire Maid Corps.] And then the Head Maid thought of a person¡¯s face, one that was always on her mind and which she knew she must never forget, no matter what. [I hope that I will continue to have a good relationship with Her Majesty ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C My Beloved Queen Elizabeth.] When Belfast was busy with praying extensively for the well-being of her comrades and beloved ones from the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, their faces began to pop up inside of her mind one after another. Now, since she was already here, praying, should she also pray for the luck and good fortune of every single one of her acquaintances? However, suppose that she was to do that, wouldn¡¯t the God of Marriage simply think that Belfast was way too greedy with her wishes like that? Belfast would then stop and think about that for a moment or two. If it would be truly just for a little bit, she was sure that the God of Marriage would not mind. [Oh Dear God, I am most terribly sorry for this, but you see ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] While holding the stone tightly in her hands, Belfast gently put her hands together and closed her eyes. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I might not look like it, but I am actually a very greedy person.] After clapping her hands once more, Belfast went on and on in her head, naming all the shipgirls that she has come to know all over the Home Port island, and everyone she could possibly think of. And while she was doing that, she certainly was not concerning herself with the fact that she might be troubling the God of Marriage here, or that her own greed basically knew no bounds. After Belfast was done naming every single person inside of her heart, she made one last earnest prayer. ¡ª¡ª I want to spend time with everyone forever and ever, while getting along as friends. Just for how long she has been doing that now? But having done her share of praying, Belfast was ready now to leave the shrine. And so she turned from the Wishing Stone, and started her descent down the shrine¡¯s stairs while holding tight onto the Wish Stone talisman that she was still holding in her hand. He walks toward the stone steps of the shrine while looking at his kimono. [I just hope that I won¡¯t end up being hated by that God in particular¡­¡­ Fufufu.] While carefully holding the stone filled with her wishes, Belfast headed towards the hot spring town where the festival music was playing without a break all the time, and with a strangely radiant feeling in her chest, she decided to return to the inn on her own for now. Volume 1 - CH 3.11 Belfast returned to their room at the inn, and while she was standing by the window and fanning herself with that hand fan, at some point she heard a noise coming from the corridor and she then turned around, thinking it was her fellow Royal Navy shipgirls that came back as well. [Welcome back, every ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] But seeing the state of her four fellow shipgirls who came back to the room, Belfast swallowed those words halfway through. [Umm, everyone? What is the meaning of this?] Rodney was holding a huge glass bowl in her hands, with goldfish swimming inside of it, and Renown was holding onto a large water balloon. As for Repulse herself, well, it was not something that Belfast did not actually expect to happen. Because she really expected that she might go too far at some point here. As for what she was holding onto, it was a literal mountain-load of various gadgets and prizes, so big that she was unable to hold it in her hands all at once. No matter how one might have wanted to enjoy the festival¡¯s mood, it was clearly WAY too much. [Ahahaha¡­¡­ I guess I must have gotten way too enthusiastic about this whole festival thingy at some point.] Repulse could only smile wryly while she said that. [Really now? For me it felt more like this was exactly what you were aiming for from the start, and once you were on a roll you just could not stop yourself¡­¡­] When Repulse finally laid all of the prizes she was able to get on the tatami floor, she then started to faithfully recreate the whole situation for Belfast and others to see. According to her story, she was just casually strolling from stall to stall ,and she just so happened to score a main prize after the main prize and before she even knew it, the pile of goods she had won grew to this gargantuan size. [Okay, so? What exactly are you going to do with all of that junk? Because I hope that you are aware of that, but you can¡¯t possibly take it all back home with you.] Nelson was staring at the mountain-load of prizes as if she was smitten by its sheer size. Belfast also looked at the prizes carefully, and among them she could see the latest home-use game consoles, as well as the retro ones, an item that surely could not be taken onto the train with them. Repulse said that she might have gotten too excited about the prizes, but how could a mere excitement produce a result that was so much outside of the norm like that? [N-Noo, you see, about that. Umm, I don¡¯t really know what to do with all of that stuff, but wouldn¡¯t that be a waste just to return them like that? You know?] Even though Repulse was scratching his head, it clearly looked like she really didn¡¯t want to return any of her spoils. The Head Maid then cast a quick glance over at Rodney. [Rodney-san, where exactly did you get this huge bowl?] There was a huge bowl filled with water in Rodney¡¯s hands, and there was a red goldfish and a black goldfish swimming happily inside of it. [Oh, this? I actually bought this bowl at a high-end product store at one of the many attraction stalls at the festival.] As Rodney was saying that, the door leading to the room slid open again and several ¡°Manjuu¡± came right in. Nelson watched over them as they laid out the sumptuous kaiseki dishes that they were carrying in both of their ¡°hands¡± each, the portions made for five people and carefully laid all over the dining table. After the food was all brought over, Nelson then sternly turned towards Repulse. [Since this is just the perfect opportunity for it, how about you return all those prizes that you have managed to get back to those birds?] Hearing that, Repulse let out a short cry of dissatisfaction, and stared at the literal mountain-load of prize she hauled back to the inn with reluctance. [D-Do you really want me to give it all back? Seriously? All of it?] [I will throw you a bone here and you can keep one of those.]] [¡­¡­ But it took me like ages to get all of that stuff!] With huge tears in her eyes, Repulse regretfully handed the mountain-load of prizes back to the ¡°Manjuus¡±. Belfast for a moment out there thought that the ¡°Manjuus¡± would not be able to accept the mountain-load of various prizes, but to Belfast¡¯s imminent surprise the ¡°Manjuus¡± just accepted it all and started to carry it all out without a problem. Perhaps thinking that a retro gaming console would be too bulky to bring it back home with them, Repulse left only one thing with her: a 1.8-liter bottle of sake. [I wonder if this is a good idea to drink while we are here? Think it is allowed?] [Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­¡­ I don¡¯t actually see a problem with it.] As soon as Nelson looked at the table where the kaiseki dishes were all neatly placed and ready to be consumed, she couldn¡¯t help it but to smile in a warm way. In addition to fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables, the food on the dining table, which also included a small pot with a lid on it for boiling purposes, looked so delicious that you would start to drool just by looking at it and inhaling its tempting fragrance. [Oh, long have I waited! I waited so long just for this very moment now!] As soon as Nelson took a seat with an eager look on her face, everyone else sat down as well and picked up their chopsticks and got ready to eat. And thanks to the lesson that Belfast gave them earlier today, this time around no one seemed to be having any problems with holding onto their eating utensils. [Well then, without any further ado, let¡¯s eat!] After Nelson said those words enthusiastically, each of the Royal Navy shipgirls began to place the dishes on their plates and consume them. There was sashimi, boiled soy sauce, soup, and other summer-like dishes, and all of them were simply delicious. As for the raw ingredients, a huge portion of them was unfamiliar for the Royal Navy shipgirls who would usually have little to no touch with the Eastern cuisine, but even so, they have all found a thing or two that was very much to their liking, and overall it was all surprisingly good. Then, after everyone was done with eating the dishes of their choosing, it was time to move on to the main attraction of the meal, the hotpot and its contents. [Isn¡¯t there a lighter or something with which we could light the pot? Maybe a candle, or something like that?] Nelson asked while looking around. Seeing her sister acting that way, Rodney also searched under the table, and she was able to discover a kitchen lighter, an item that had been completely forgotten until now. [Speaking of which, I completely forgot about this bottle, and that it was here in the first place.] Rodney said so while spinning a huge bottle that she just found, trying to read what was written on its label. [Umm¡­¡­ It seems to be eastern sake, or something closely related to it.] [Huh? I thought it was going to be wine or something like that.] When Repulse let her voice out in apparent disappointment, Belfast also took interest in the bottle and looked at its label from the side, wanting to see it for herself. At the same time, the rest started to light the fire under the pot. [I knew about some of the Eastern liquors from before, but this will be my very first time drinking a legitimate sake.] Belfast then looked around her companions, but just like her, no one seemed to have any genuine prior experience with it. [So, what would you like to do now? Open it up and drink it? See what it tastes like?] Renown, who was sitting right next to Repulse, immediately distributed the cups for everyone from the additional tray. [Yes, let¡¯s do just that. Let¡¯s see what it tastes like.] With a slightly uneasy look on her face, Rodney picks up the 1.8 liter bottle and started to open it up. With a slight faint sound, the stopper was pulled out, and then Rodney started to pour the sake into everyone¡¯s cup. [If we start with a small amount like this, it should be okay to drink it, even if you do not find the taste to be entirely to your liking.] When she finally finished pouring it all into the small cups while filling it not even halfway through their maximum volume, the pot that was just warmed up by the fire began to slam its lid vigorously up and down. Volume 1 - CH 3.12 [The pot seems to be all ready, so let¡¯s enjoy both the food and the sake, shall we?] Following Belfast¡¯s words, everyone reached the pot and sipped on their sake. [Somehow¡­¡­ It certainly has a really unique flavor to itself.] While saying that, Repulse picked up a 1.8-liter bottle and vigorously stirred the sake that was still inside of the bottle, and then she did the same to the one that was still left in her own cup. [Yeah, it might not be that bad overall, but I personally do not like the fact that it has that slightly fruity aftertaste to itself.] When the shipgirls decided to take a look at the label to see if there would be a list of ingredients, mainly fruits, posted there, they sadly found no such thing. But when she tried the sake herself, Belfast had basically the same impression as her colleagues. She thought it was an easy-to-drink, never-tiring taste with a rich fruity aroma and a deep flavor to boot. Before long, the 1.8-liter bottle was once again placed in the middle of the table. Each cup was tilted, and sake was poured into the empty cups, filling them once again. [Well, I don¡¯t know, somehow¡­¡­ It¡¯s really good, and I think I¡¯m actually starting to really like it.] Reharus kept smiling while her face was becoming redder and redder with every cup she drank. She was obviously drunk at this point in time, but she did not stop pouring more and more sake into her cup. Renown, who was next to her, has not turned red on her face, but her eyelids have become really heavy and she herself was starting to behave really drowsy. [Please excuse me. I¡¯m getting really sleepy for some reason, so I¡¯m going to lie down for a bit.] After finishing her meal in a proper way, Renown put down her chopsticks and stood up unsteadily in order to take out the futon that was stored inside of the sliding door closet. [Oh, that¡¯s dangerous, dear! Here, let this Rodney help you a little bit.] Rodney stood up in a hurry as well and helped Renown to spread out her futon, on which she quickly fell asleep on the spot. Rodney returned to the table after laying out the futons for everyone else while she was being at it, sat down on the legless chair, and poured sake into his own cup once again. [What a blessing to have futons here! If you have a futon on the floor, even if you pass out from drinking too much, you¡¯ll be able to fall asleep quickly and without incident.] Even though Rodney drank a whole lot of sake herself, her tone of voice was still pretty gentle, almost motherly to a certain extent. [Huh? Oh my? What¡¯s thish~? Don¡¯t you think that you had a little bit too mush to drink, dear Rodney~?] On the other hand, Repulse was already in a state that could have been summed up as confused drunkenness, her head swaying from one shoulder to another like a metronome. With a gleeful smile plastered onto her face, he lifted the cup in the air and looked towards Belfast. [Oho? And what do we have here? What have we here~? Aren¡¯t we all drinking tad a little bit too much, huh, ladies? What say you to that, Bel?] Belfast quietly put her cup on the table, and answered after a moment of silence. [No, not really. I don¡¯t really think so.] Her tone was as clear and dignified as usual, and she did not look to be the least bit drunk. [Huh, what the hell!? So, doesh that mean that it was only me and my shishter who got piss drunk in here or what~?] Despite just how frustrated her expression seemed to be, Repulse seemed to be in a pretty good mood herself, and she just continued to smile as she looked at Nelson. [How about Nelson, huh? Are you drunk already? Or are you having fun? Huh? What¡¯s it gonna be?] Nelson had just finished eating the contents of the pot and was drinking the sake that was still left in her cup. Rodney watched the situation for a while with a genuine interest, and then she quietly put her cup back on the table. [¡­¡­ Am I perhaps too cold, I wonder?] Nelson was looking down this entire time without letting go of her sake cup. Hearing that question, Repule let out a slightly baffled and slightly entertained voice at the same time. [Gee, I don¡¯t know, you see¡­¡­ Sometimes I get a feeling like I¡¯m saying really mean things that make me pass as cold and uncaring. But deep down inside of my heart I know that I need to try and be more honest with myself and also say things that won¡¯t offend others so much¡­¡­ But being honest with yourself is so hard! I just can¡¯t do it, no matter how hard I try!] At the same time, Nelson¡¯s hands that were holding onto her cup started to visibly shake. While everyone was at a loss for words due to that slightly shocking confession, and the only thing that could be still heard was the clattering of the table, Nelson suddenly began to cry. [Am I really¡­¡­ too cold?] Once Nelson raised her face up, everyone could see that tears were flowing down her cheeks without stopping. In addition, her behavior and her mood swings were so sudden right now, that there was no way that anyone would be able to just consult her and tell her that everything will be alright here. So, not knowing that Nelson was so deeply troubled by her own aloof personality and seeing her cry so openly just now, everyone could just stand there and watch her son while being perfectly stunned. [Hey, I want you to tell me something¡­¡­ Surely I am a useless person¡­¡­ *Sniff* ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sure that because I am like that, I am hated by everyone around me¡­¡­ And soon, soon no one is going to even want to sortie with me¡­¡­ *Sniff* I¡¯m going to be left behind¡­¡­Completely on my own, for sure¡­¡­] After that, there was a long period of silence broken by occasional sniffing and crying coming from Nelson. Judging from the way this conversation was going, at this point in time Nelson was surely waiting for someone to actually step up and try to console her in any way. However, clearly not knowing what to say, both Rodney and Repulse looked at one another, troubled as they folded their arms on their chests while thinking deeply. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C That¡¯s not true.] Belfast suddenly said so as she sat right next to Nelson. [There is nothing wrong with you, Nelson-san. And you are certainly not a bother to anyone. And here¡¯s some good advice for you to think about: If you can¡¯t express your feelings with words for some reason, then perhaps you should try and take action instead.] Then, after Belfast took down the entire cup of sake in one swift gulp, she put it back on top of the table and then leaned closer towards Nelson, her body staying in a very close contact with her body. Nelson, who was only crying and crying up until now, was so surprised by Belfast¡¯s spontaneous action that she instinctively panicked and tried to lean backwards, to put some much needed distance between them. [¡­¡­ H-Hey, wait a minute! Y-Your body, i-it¡¯s close, way too close¡­¡­!] But Belfast only continued to get closer to Nelson, touching her chin softly without hesitation, and then pointing her index finger and tracing it alongside Nelson¡¯s chin in a sensual way. [How about I do something like this? Will that help you cheer up, perhaps?] The Head Maid said so with a truly impish smile painted all over her lips. While watching the series of spicy events unfold right in front of her eyes, it was more than enough for Repulse to completely sober up on the spot. [U-Umm, R-Rodney¡­¡­ -san? I don¡¯t want to think that this is what I think it is, but I fear that it is exactly what I think it is.] [Y-Yes. I was actually thinking the very same thing as you were just now, Repulse-san¡­¡­] The two of them would then face one another, both of their faces being awfully pale right now. Belfast¡¯s appearance was the same as it always was, so her fellow shipgirls foolishly assumed that Belfast was not drunk in the least, but apparently she was even more drunk than anyone else in the room at the current moment. And it was starting to show. [N-No, s-stop it, Belfast¡­¡­] Before Nelson could even realize what was going on, she was already caught deep in Belfast¡¯s pace, and what was even worse, her back had already hit the backrest of her chair, meaning that she had nowhere else to lean backwards to. She then tried to get up and get towards the window to try and get away, but Belfast slowly approached her while still being on all fours. Volume 1 - CH 3.13 [Ah¡­¡­] At that moment, the part of Belfast¡¯s yukata came undone on its own. From Belfast¡¯s potent collarbone to her slender and milky-white shoulders, all of her pure-white, soft skin was now completely exposed for everyone in the room to see. Apparently, the Head Maid must have also loosened the sash of her yukata when no one was looking. That was the only logical explanation here. Both Repulse and Rodney, who were just mere bystanders here, could only freeze up on the spot while they watched the scene before their very eyes play out. [Fufu¡­¡­ Nelson-san, that troubled expression on your face is actually pretty nice, don¡¯t you think?] [N-No, stop it, don¡¯t¡­¡­ Don¡¯t come any closer¡­¡­ Kyah!] Wrapping her arms around Nelson¡¯s shaking shoulders, Belfast pressed herself tightly against her chest and whispered right into her ear in a seductive tone. [Why are you trying to run away, you naughty little kitten? I¡¯m just trying to teach you a great way for you to get along with your Master. Or rather, how you can express your feelings through actions alone rather than with words¡­¡­] [H-Hey, wait just a¡­¡­ Wha¡­¡­] Their bodies entangled and entwined, all of a sudden Nelson¡¯s face became beet red for reasons completely different than simply being drunk. Also, Nelson must have gotten somewhat excited by Belfast¡¯s words, for her breathing just now was so heavy and erratic, with a little bit of hot breath emerging from her mouth. Both Repulse and Rodney covered their eyes with their hands so as o avoid having to look at the spicy scene, but even so their hearts were pounding like mad inside of their chests. That, however, proved to be meaningless action, because they could still see the two of them rather clearly through the gaps in between their fingers. As Nelson¡¯s face was buried deep in between Belfast¡¯s bare chest, her gaze went upwards from the shockingly soft sensation pressing tightly against her. Also, her face became so hot that she felt as if she was going to boil inside. Anything that would go beyond that point seemed to be more than enough for Nelson to reach her limit. Nelson¡¯s whole body began to squirm violently, and she was not even trying to fix her disheveled yukata anymore. And just like that, all of a sudden she fell unconscious on the spot. [Oh my, did you fall asleep, by any chance¡­¡­?] Looking a little disappointed, Belfast turned around to presumably find a new target that she could aim for. [Hyiiih!?] [Whoa there!?] Realizing what was about to happen, both Repulse and Rodney stood up in a hurry. [What¡¯s the matter, everyone¡­¡­ ? And what¡¯s wrong with your faces? You look really scary right now for some reason¡­¡­] [N-No, it¡¯s nothing. Think nothing of it!] In response to Belfast¡¯s puzzled expression, Repulse frantically waved her hand in denial, trying to calm the Head Maid down a little bit. [H-How about we all go to sleep now? Everyone else has fallen asleep already, so we might as well do the same, don¡¯t you think? Please? Pretty please?] [Oh? But I haven¡¯t even told you the secret for getting along with your Master, have I?] Belfast slowly approached the other two shipgirls as she swayed her body in a seductive way from side to side. [W-Well¡­¡­ We have learned more than enough about that by watching Nelson¡¯s example just now!] [Oh, is that so~? Come on now, don¡¯t be shy, it will be fun ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Each time Belfast would take a step forward, the two would take a step back. However, that situation did not last all that long. Driven to the edge of the wall, Repulse and Rodney became horrified once they realized that they had nowhere else left to escape. [I am going to make extra sure that the two of you are going to be thoroughly educated on that matter~.] When Belfast¡¯s hand slowly loomed closer and closer towards them, the two frightened shipgirls shouted out loud with all of their might while their eyes began to fill with tears. [NOOOOOO ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C!!!!!!] * * * The next morning. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Please wake up. It¡¯s already morning.] When she heard Renown¡¯s voice and opened up her eyes, for a moment out there Belfast was blinded by the light that shone through the opened window. She slowly sat up as she held her throbbing head in her hands. [Say, what exactly happened last night? I fell asleep way earlier than you guys did, so I don¡¯t really know anything, but after seeing the state of the room, I can only assume that it was something big.] After hearing those words, Belfast looked around the room in a state of shock. Nelson, Rodney, and Repulse all lay fainted on the spots where they fell last night, their yukatas all disheveled and their bodies practically half-naked. The futons, which should have been carefully laid out, were all scattered all over the place. It was a state that could be well described as ¡°disastrous¡± or ¡°warzone-like¡±. As her mind slowly began to clear up, Belfast covered her embarrassed face when she remembered the events that took place last night, the ones that could only be described as disastrous. [Nothing serious¡­¡­ At least I think so.] The Head Maid then jolted up on her feet, and wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, to avoid any further embarrassment and shame. [Now that I think about it¡­¡­ I seem to have forgotten to buy some souvenirs that I wanted to buy yesterday.] After ignoring Renown¡¯s call and leaving the room in a hurry, Belfast noticed that her face was getting hotter and hotter for some reason. After that, Nelson and the others finally started to wake up as well, but not even a single person was able to answer Renown¡¯s question about what exactly transpired last night after she had already gone to sleep. [What¡¯s wrong, everyone? Is there something that you are hiding from me? I admit, it¡¯s my fault that I fell asleep in the middle of drinking, but still¡­¡­ Yeah, I knew it. Something DID happen. Something abnormal. Now I¡¯m even more curious, so please, can¡¯t you really tell me?] But much to Renown¡¯s disappointment, no one said anything, even when it was finally time to pack their luggage and leave the inn and go back to the train station. Eventually, when the group arrived back at the station near the Home Port, everyone went their separate ways without saying anything about the incident of last night. Belfast walked back to the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory while being all alone. [Sake is¡­¡­ truly a terrifying drink¡­¡­ It¡¯s a force to be reckoned with.] In order to satisfy her desire to enjoy her vacation to the fullest, she let her guard down and drank too much, enjoying the taste that was spreading inside of her mouth. At that moment, a distant voice could be heard ahead of her, almost at the same time as Belfast made a vow inside of her heart to be more careful and responsible with her drinking from now on. [Heeey! Bel~~!!] When Belfast looked up, she could see both Edinburgh and Elizabeth in front of the gates leading to the Home Port. [I hope that you haven¡¯t forgotten about your promise! I hope that you have those delicious dangos together with you!] Hearing Elizabeth¡¯s words, Belfast let out a burst of sudden laughter. [Your Majesty¡­¡­ I guess that¡¯s just like you.] The first two days and one night of her summer vacation. There were a lot of unfamiliar things that she was able to experience, but now Belfast waved at them all with a warm smile, thinking that she was able to fully enjoy that time in order to appreciate her unusual and extraordinary life even more. [Everyone, I have just returned. It¡¯s good to be back home.] Volume 1 - CH 4.01 CHAPTER 4: The Evening Star Part 1 After the autumnal equinox came to pass, you could feel the coolness in the air from the late evening to early morning. The anthropometric clouds that were supposed to be in the sky changed to scoria clouds, and the fully-fledged signs of autumn have arrived all across the Home Port. Now, on a certain day around that exact season. Currently, the girls living in the dormitory were gathered in the large hall on the first floor of the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory. If you were to go to this large hall, you would see a mass of chairs being placed alongside a particularly large and long table, the one that was stretching from one end of the hall to another, and the inside of the hall itself was bursting with chatter and excitement. A meeting of the entire Royal Navy Dormitory¡¯s inhabitants was about to be held in this very room. But despite that fact, there was not a single shred of formality hanging in the air at the current moment. [It seems that everyone is really excited for this event.] Said Edinburgh to Belfast when she was finally done with preparing the tea and distributing it to everyone present in the room. On this day as well, or perhaps because it was a day like that, the members of the Maid Corps were serving others as per usual. [Well, I guess it cannot be helped. After all, this is the meeting regarding the School Festival event that we are having right now.] Belfast quietly whispered to her sister, making sure that nobody else would be able to hear her. School Festival ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C as its name might suggest, it was the annual event organized by the school facilities present in this here Home Port, a sort of grand festival. It was the time when the shipgirls could kick back and relax, and the members of various factions could perform special performances and exhibitions. Needless to say, on that day all military training and commissions were canceled so that everyone could properly enjoy themselves in peace. When the other maids who came back from preparing and distributing the tea to everyone present, Belfast told each of them a quick :¡±Thank you for your hard work,¡±, all the while she was looking around at the laughter of the girls who were waiting impatiently for the upcoming festival. [Since the purpose of this meeting is to decide who will be participating in the beauty pageant, it¡¯s only natural for all of those people to make a really huge fuss about it all.] The Beauty Pageant was the big stage event held at the very end of the Azur Lane Festival, and it was without a doubt a thing that was called the main event. Every year, one representative was selected from each faction and they would all appear on stage in front of everyone. After presenting a performance of their choosing, the winner would be determined by a vote from all the girls present around the stage. As for the voting, there was no particular criteria to consider, it could be pretty much everything: ¡°She was cute!¡±, ¡°She was so cool!¡±, ¡°she was so fun to watch!¡± and so on and so forth. It was basically a voting for the one who managed to leave the biggest impression on you. The winner of the entire event would then be personally awarded a certificate and a trophy by the Commander himself. For any of the girls living in this school, it was like a special, irreplaceable medal. Each faction was at a loss as to who should be their contestant each year, because their victory or defeat hinged on that simple yet impossible decision. In fact, there was no special reward for the winner or the faction in itself, but there was a postscript to it all that said that this particular shipgirl from that particular faction won the first place in the beauty pageant, and it was like cementing that fact in stone.¡¯ And since each year each faction needed to submit a new contestant, choosing one was a matter of the utmost importance, something over which eyebrows would be frowned and discussions would be held, sometimes reaching truly heated levels. Those who were chosen in this way would receive a wide variety of back-up from their own camps regarding the costumes and stage props used in pageants, as was expected. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It would seem that everyone gathered here for today. Thank you all for coming.] When Queen Elizabeth¡¯s voice echoed in the bustling hall, all of the girls who belonged to the Royal Navy¡¯s faction turned towards her in unison. As for Elizabeth herself, she was standing with her arms crossed at her chest at the furthest point from the door leading to the hallway, at the far end of the hall. As for Elizabeth¡¯s entourage this time around, she had Warspite, Hood and Prince of Wales all at her side. [The main purpose of this meeting is, of course as you are almost probably aware of, choosing this year¡¯s representative for the Beauty Pageant. Every year, we think really hard about picking the best possible candidate for this event, but this year is especially important! Since the Royal Navy did not manage to win last year¡¯s contest, we need to put a whole lot more thought into this year¡¯s! Everyone! Let¡¯s show all the other factions that in terms of beauty, the Royal Navy has all the beauty that no other faction could ever possibly compete with!] After Elizabeth gave that short but passionate speech through the microphone in her hand, it caused the entire hall to erupt in a fiery cheer. [Alright then, Wales! Please take it from here!] [Please leave it to me, Your Majesty.] As Elizabeth took a step back, she passed the microphone to Prince of Wales, who was now in the center of attention. [That being said, let us start deliberating about who we are going to choose as the representative of the Royal Navy for this year¡¯s contest. There may be various opinions to consider here, but I would like to approach this year¡¯s School Festival with even stronger enthusiasm than ever before.] A thunderous applause spread throughout the hall in response to that proclamation. Wales then continued with her explanation, holding the microphone in her hand and looking at the excited crowd. [For this year, I¡¯m also going to do my very best to find a participant who is going to let us win. I want to pick someone who can be thought to be unbeatable even by people from other factions. A complete and utter victory.] Wales then glanced at Hood as she spoke those words. Hood was holding onto a large set of printed photographs that she seemed to have prepared in advance, and slowly picked them up. The pictures were so big that even Belfast, who was standing at the furthest point from where they were, could clearly recognize what was in them. The first picture showed the pink-haired little girl with a baby-like face ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It was Saratoga, a Lexington Class Aircraft Carrier from the Eagle Union. [As everyone in here is probably aware of, she was the winner of last year¡¯s pageant and she simply dominated the entire competition, blowing everyone else out of the water. As an idol, the only way to compete against her, who has an extraordinary talent and skill, is to use even more cuteness than what she possesses. That being said, it¡¯s not something that we want to compete with against her. The Royal Navy¡¯s faction needs a contestant who will have her own unique ¡°selling point¡±, something that excels way better in different areas of expertise.] Listening to Prince of Wales¡¯ words, Belfast absent-mindedly started to think about the previous years¡¯ pageants. In fact, Saratoga and her older sister, Lexington Class Aircraft Carrier Lexington, have almost monopolized the past pageants as winners. Being faced with the famous Idol sisters of the Eagle Union, there was simply no way that other shipgirls could compete against them, and would always end up embarrassing themselves. Their performances on stage were always simply overwhelming. Their ability to captivate the audience with their singing and dancing was nothing short of spectacular. All the other factions, who were being left at the mercy of their high quality performances, had repeatedly selected girls who seemed to be able to behave like Idols in the same way, only for them to fail even more spectacularly. Yes, as a matter of fact, none of the girls selected from any of the factions was able to pull off singing and dancing better than the Eagle Union representatives. In other words, what Wales was trying to say here was that rather than competing in the same area, she was trying to push out something more attractive in a different area, something that the idol sisters would not be nearly as proficient in. Volume 1 - CH 4.02 Belfast slowly raised her head, and Suffolk, who was standing right next to her, whispered to her. [What exactly does Wales mean by that ¡°selling point¡±? Are we going to be selling something during the event? Aren¡¯t you curious about it yourself, Head Maid?] [Hmm, I really wonder about that myself.] Belfast then smiled loosely at Suffolk while she gave her such a vague answer. To be perfectly honest, Belfast was unusually calm at the current moment, amidst all the excitement. But that was only because she did not really care about beauty pageants and stuff like that. After all, even though it was a School Festival, the work of the shipgirls who were the members of the Maid Squad, was the same as usual, with nothing really changing. Even if there were no military activities that were normally supposed to be conducted, cleaning and laundry must have been done every single day, so in actuality this period was not so different from the maids¡¯ usual daily routine. Of course, even if Belfast had some free time to spare from her work and actually go witness the beauty pageant taking place, she would never even think to concern herself with notions such as who is going to win and from what faction they would be. [Also, do bear in mind that none of the factions are monolithic in their voting. It¡¯s not an iron rule that the members of one faction can only vote for their own faction. So depending on this ¡®selling point¡¯, it would be a good idea to grab the hearts of children who are tired of the recent idol route. I¡¯m personally looking forward to it.] As for Suffolk herself, her tongue was spitting out word after word in an unusually talkative fashion for her. Seeing her become like that all of a sudden, Belfast was frankly surprised. Until now, even though she knew that the School Festival was supposed to be a big event, she hadn¡¯t really gotten involved with it all that much. Because of this, Belfast felt that beauty pageants were held somewhere far away, somewhere way outside of her reach. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Maybe the other children felt exactly like that, too? When she glanced sideways at the other maids, she saw Kent from the same Maid Corps looking at the Prince of Wales with her eyes positively sparkling. Sheffield was practically the only maid in here who looked as emotionless as ever, but aside from that it would seem that a vast majority of the maids were also interested in the beauty pageant at least to some extent. Hood then quietly took out another picture and took a step back. As Wales stepped forward once again, she slowly looked around at the faces of everyone gathered. [Now then, everyone, here¡¯s a question: what is the greatest charm of our Royal Navy that we have to offer?] Hearing that question, many people started to whisper among themselves. Wales took a moment for everyone to stop whispering, and seeing that no one was brave enough to step up and provide the answer, she answered her own question herself. [We of the Royal Navy are the absolute top of elegance that a lady can possess! We are more about ¡°beauty¡± rather than ¡°cuteness¡±! So with that being said, for this year¡¯s competition, we want to elect someone who is the absolute epitome of the concepts of ¡°beauty¡± and elegance¡±, combining them in a most natural and charming way!] One thing was for sure here: Prince of Wales certainly was really passionate about this whole beauty pageant thing. Involuntarily, the entire hall fell silent at that very moment. [Cuteness is not the only way to win a beauty pageant. Elegance, dignity, maturity, beauty, all of the above elements are something that a proper ¡°Lady¡± excels at at all times, way more than anyone else ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C So having this in mind, this time around we have prepared something like this.] The Prince of Wales then snapped her fingers. While everyone was still buzzing about what was going on, someone started to move at the edge of Belfast¡¯s field of vision. When the Head Maid looked around, she saw Illustrious pulling something heavy and rattling as she was coming closer towards Prince of Wales and Hood were standing. Also, right behind Illustrious, Belfast could see Unicorn¡¯s small frame going right behind her big sister. Stopping something that Illustrious was pulling right in front of Prince of Wales, both Illustrious and Unicorn grabbed the cover on that mysterious thing and after doing a good old ¡°One, two, three¡­¡­!¡± they removed it all at once. At that very moment, a huge sigh of admiration leaked out from everyone¡¯s mouths across the entire gathering hall. The thing that was being unveiled right now was a gorgeous dress that looked like something a princess from a fairy tale would wear. Looking at the dress being displayed on a mannequin, Illustrious began to explain what that thing was to everyone present. [This dress was designed by yours truly, and then hand-crafted by Unicorn and Victorious. The red, yellow, and green artificial flowers on the long skirt of this dress were Unicorn¡¯s idea, and I also put a veil on the head to make the entire thing look even more elegant and beautiful¡­¡­ Anyways, this product is the epitome of beauty, and something in which a whole lot of effort and hard work was put into.] After saying that, Illustrious handed the microphone to Unicorn. Apparently, her little sister was also going to say something here to everyone present. Unicorn timidly grabbed the microphone from her sister and stepped forward, hugging Yuu-chan, a small unicorn plushie who she was always carrying around with her at all times, while her face was completely flushed red from embarrassment and shyness. She then bowed her head humbly. [¡­¡­ AH. Umm, this dress, it¡¯s actually¡­¡­ I wanted it to resemble the dresses that characters such as Cinderella or the Sleeping Beauty were wearing, since those are the characters that I deeply admire, which is why¡­¡­ I wanted my dear sister to make something just like that, something that¡­¡­ would reflect the dream of wanting to shine the brightest while being on the stage¡­¡­ at least that was my main intention.] After saying all that, Unicorn bowed down her head once again and took a step back, hastily hiding right behind her big sister Illustrious. At the same time Warspite, who must have been watching and listening closely to Unicorn¡¯s explanation, suddenly raised up her hand as if she just thought of something. After receiving the microphone from Unicorn, Wartspite asked the two of them a certain very important question. [I know that technically that question might be unrelated to the matter at hand that we are discussing right now, but¡­¡­ Where is Victorious, exactly? I¡¯ve been meaning to ask this for a while now.] With those words still hanging in the air, everyone in the hall began to look around for the shipgirl in question. But when even Queen Elizabeth saw that Victorious was nowhere to be seen, she took the microphone from Warspite¡¯s hand and cried out loud right into it. [Now hold on just a darn minute! Don¡¯t tell me that she¡¯s late for the meeting! Even though everyone was notified about it ahead of time, specifically for the purpose of no one being late for it!] Elizabeth puffed her cheeks, seemingly fuming with rage, and it was exactly at that moment that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry for being late!] All of a sudden, the oldest of the Illustrious Class ships, Aircraft Carrier Victorious, slowly opened the entrance door to the great hall and walked inside. The way she walked with her tongue sticking out did not really look as if she was even realizing that she did something wrong just now. [Hey, Victorious! You have some real nerve to show this late for a meeting that you were previously notified about! And just when we were showing off the best dresses that you have made¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [Wait, wait, wait! Please wait just a moment, Your Majesty! I actually have a very good reason to justify my being late here ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Actually, I happen to bring the information I just heard.] [¡­¡­ Information that you happened to hear? What kind of information?] While walking towards Elizabeth, Victorious, wearing a crown of olive branch on her head, turned towards everyone present. [Everyone! It seems that the Eagle Union have chosen San Diego-chan to represent them during this year¡¯s pageant!] Elizabeth wasn¡¯t the only one who spontaneously raised her voice upon hearing that sudden revelation. Everyone in the hall was unable to hide their feelings of surprise just now, and the turmoil started to spread in an instant. [Are you sure about that information?] Victorious nodded her head in response to Elizabeth¡¯s skepticism. [Yes, it¡¯s true. And it is already a rumor that circulates among the other factions as well¡­¡­Now, for my actual reason for being late. I was actually doing some reconnaissance.] Volume 1 - CH 4.03 [I¡¯m still not entirely sure if that¡¯s true or not¡­¡­ But oh well. I will let that slide for now. You won¡¯t even be punished for being late.] Elizabeth said as she folded her arms on her chest, and she said to the people in the hall who were beginning to make a fuss once again: [Alright, alright! Keep it quiet, all of you! I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s going to be neither Saratoga nor Lexington. I thought that the Eagle Union would be able to put out one of those two in order to solidify their supremacy in this year¡¯s contest, but¡­¡­] Having said that, Her Majesty looked back at Warspite while scratching her head in puzzlement. [I¡¯m more concerned that they will try to pull off here for the time being. Of course, it might be just that they wish to give those two a deserved break, but they might also have arrived at the conclusion that going in a direction different from their usual Idol route is the way to go here. But as to why they would even think that, I don¡¯t really know¡­¡­] [Your Majesty, in my opinion, as long as the Eagle Union is aiming for such an unexpected selection of their representative, we should not limit ourselves to select people who are not just ¡°beautiful¡± and ¡°elegant¡± but who also possess a certain unproductiveness to them. Unpredictable.] [Yes, that makes a whole lot of sense¡­¡­] Elizabeth put her hand on her chin and began to think long and hard, biting down on her lip. But it was not only Elizabeth who was lost in thought. Hood, Prince of Wales and Warspite were all pondering their heads about that matter, growling and muttering to themselves as they were being at it. However, since the rest of the Royal Navy shipgirls that were present in the room were unable to know what was going on through the heads of their top brass, they could only whisper among themselves as they all cocked their heads and twisted in their seats in anxiety. Meanwhile, Kent, who was standing right next to Suffolk, whispered into her ear. [Oh¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid that at this rate the meeting is going to keep on going for quite a while, huh?] Hearing that remark, even Sheffield, who was standing in the farthest corner of the great hall, let out a deep and silent sigh. Without saying a single word, her expression was telling everyone around her that she wanted to return to her normal cleaning duties as soon as possible, without wasting her time on this pointless chatter. Belfast also glanced at her wrist watch and began to calculate how much time the meeting would last and how much work she would need to make up for if she was to stay in here. There was still more than one hour left before the dinner was supposed to be ready to serve. If the meeting was over by then, it would be all good and the remaining work would not need to be rushed too much, but if it was to be anything more than that, it might be a little bit tough for the maids to make it in time. [Say, Bel?] At that time, Edinburgh, who was right next to Belfast, suddenly thought of something and looked up. [I think it would be a good idea to make some extra tea for everyone. If you can¡¯t decide for that long, it¡¯s more than probable that everyone is going to be quite thirsty.] Certainly, it is the kind of a meeting that might just end up going for a really long time. Realizing that fact, Belfast nodded her head slowly to her sister¡¯s words. [Yes, that¡¯s right. And since that might be a task that will be a little bit too hard to handle on your own, especially with so many people to be served, let me come with you and lend you a hand.] And just like that, deciding on their course of action for now, the two maids secretly headed for the exit of the great hall. The door was left half-open just as it had been when Victorious arrived at the scene, and Belfast gently put her hand on the handle. [Hey now! Bel and Edi, just where the heck do you think you¡¯re going, huh? Trying to sneak out like that on your own.] But it was then that Belfast and Edinburgh could hear the voice of Queen Elizabeth coming from behind their backs. Realizing that they have been caught red-handed now, Belfast let go of the door handle and looked back right behind her. [You see, Your Majesty, I thought that the meeting would still take a while, so I was going to make some more tea for everyone gathered here.] In response to the Head Maid¡¯s polite tone of voice, Elizabeth shook her head to the sides vigorously. [Oh, no you don¡¯t. At the current moment no one is asking for any extra refills, so there is no need for you to go out and brew any more tea for the moment. That is why you are going to stay right here with everyone else. I think that the way in which you are acting right now makes it as though this matter is someone else¡¯s problem, but aren¡¯t you actually forgetting something, Bel? You guys from the Maid Corps are as good of a candidate for the pageant as anyone else in here.] [But, Your Majesty ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] [If I said that you cannot leave, that means that you cannot leave. And that¡¯s final. Now go back to your place and sit down.] Even though Elizabeth¡¯s tone of voice was not all that strong or demanding, it was that kind of voice that once you heard it being directed at you, you could not really go against it. So having no other choice, Belfast took Edinburgh with her and the two returned to their seats and sat back down. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Bel, stop. You know what? I have a better idea. That skirt of yours.] Once again, Elizabeth called out to the Head Maid, and in response Belfast stopped dead in her tracks, with a dumbfounded look on her face. For some odd reason, Elizabeth was staring right at her. Even though Belfast did not know what she did to deserve this, she decided it would be way faster to just play along and she walked towards Elizabeth in a hurry. But then something completely unexpected ended up happening. [Hey now, where are your manners? Show you Queen some proper courtesy here.] [¡­¡­ Excuse me?] It was so sudden that Belfast actually ended up opening her mouth and asking that, before she could actually stop herself and consider the situation that she was currently in. [Courtesy, Bel. Now, curtsy, You know, that thing that you are always doing to show someone the respect they deserve? Do I seriously need to remind you about that?] A proper courtesy. In other words, curtsy is, to put it simply, an act of a bow: one leg being placed slightly behind one¡¯s body, the other knee being bent, and the hands holding the hem of one¡¯s skirt while the person herself lowers her head in a show of utmost respect. But doing exactly what she was told to do, Belfast pinched the hem of her skirt in her hands, and then she performed a flawless courtesy on the spot. Looking at her skirt, bending her hips and knees and slowly and politely bowing her head, everything being just a textbook-perfect example. That being said, Belfast did not pay any special attention to that curtsy just now. I was just how she would normally do it, every single step of the process. [Is this¡­¡­ Is this good? Does this satisfy you, Your Majesty?] Without knowing why she was even asked to do something as bizarre as this, Belfast returned to her normal posture and asked that of Elizabeth. [Yes, it was good. Very good, indeed. It was truly amazing performance¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Elizabeth loosened her lips and she turned towards both Warspite and Prince of Wales. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Say, I was wondering about that just now, but what would you say if we nominated Belfast to represent the Royal Navy in the Beauty Pageant? What do you think?] For a moment out there, Belfast actually couldn¡¯t understand what Elizabeth just said. [¡­¡­ Hoo, I see. Certainly, there is a certain fresh kind of appeal to having a maid, who usually does all the work behind the scenes, to take the spotlight for an event like that. It is also something that no one should really expect to happen.] Warspite said while nodding her head without any objections. [It is also true that Belfast seems to be fitting the theme of ¡°elegance¡± quite perfectly here. As expected of you, Your Majesty. Your insight is truly something else.] Volume 1 - CH 4.04 Prince of Wales also took notice of that fact and she clapped her hands vigorously. [Ahh, umm, everyone? If you could please wait just a moment and¡­¡­] When Belfast was finally able to realize what was going on just now, she tried to interrupt the excited top brass shipgrils. [Umm, if I may so inquire, what are you all talking about? And what do you mean, make me, a mere maid, a representative?] [Wasn¡¯t there a particular rule that would forbid maids from entering the contest, as it would be unfair? So would she even be allowed to enter?] Warspite cocked her head slightly as she suddenly thought of a matter such as this. [I am also sorry for having to say this, but on the day of the school festival, I have to do my usual job as a Head Maid. And it is something with which I cannot be replaced, or simply entrust those duties to someone else. And besides, even if I were to appear on the stage during the event, a lowly maid such as myself would never be able to win, and¡­¡­] Belfast cast a quick glance at that fancy dress. It was truly a wonderful and beautiful dress. However, no matter how hard she tried, Belfast was simply unable to imagine herself wearing such a beautiful thing on the stage for everyone else to see. First and foremost, there was no way in hell that she would look good at something like this, and she seriously thought as she returned her gaze to Elizabeth and the others. [In the first place, I don¡¯t have any of the necessary qualities that would constitute a good idol. On the other hand, you might call me ¡®beautiful¡¯ or ¡®dignified¡¯ or ¡®elegant¡¯, but there surely must be many other possible candidates who are way more suitable for the role of the representative than I am.] [Bel, does that mean that you are accusing me of miscalculating when I have made that decision? Huh?] Belfast hurriedly waved her hand in denial when Elizabeth gave her a really annoyed look. [N-No, that¡¯s not true at all, Your Majesty. And I am really happy that Your Majesty holds me in such a high esteem, but I¡¯m afraid that I ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] All of a sudden, Belfast was taken aback. Before she even knew it, everyone in the hall was staring straight at her. And when the time of the Beauty Pageant finally rolls around, the viewers would come from all other factions as well, so their numbers would even exceed the one that was present right here and right now. Belfast quickly felt embarrassed because she was only accustomed to working behind the scenes, and having so many people¡¯s attention centered upon her was an unfamiliar experience, one that got her to feel really nervous. Not to mention the fact that Elizabeth seemed to be unfazed even in the face of Belfast¡¯s protests. [Well, I have seen that courtesy of yours earlier and I thought that it was something that was really good, so I still think that you are going to be perfect for that task.] Belfast herself was at a loss for words even after being told such a thing. In the past, every time the Beauty Pageant¡¯s topic was being discussed, Belfast would distance herself from it and would not even concern herself with it, since there was no way that it would ever become a matter that the Head Maid would actually openly address. But right about now, she was about to stand at the very center of the event that she would much rather prefer to avoid. It was only a matter of course that Belfast couldn¡¯t help herself but to start panicking, wondering if she was really going to become the Royal Navy¡¯s representative, even though her knowledge about the subject at hand was next to nothing. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C If Belfast is really so against the idea, how about we first see if there are any other candidates who would like to volunteer for the contest, or that would be worth selecting?] As Hood opened his mouth to propose that idea, she also picked up the microphone again and called out to everyone who was currently in the great hall. [Her Majesty has nominated the Head Maid Belfast to represent the Royal Navy in the upcoming Beauty Pageant. However, should any of you gathered here have any other person who they would like to see nominated, then you are free and encouraged to speak up your mind right here and now. That being said: is there anyone else who would like to stand on the stage before everyone from the port?] At that moment Belfast could feel that her heart started to beat faster. If there would be any other person who would be enthusiastic about representing the Royal Navy in this contest, she might be able to convince Her Majesty to change her mind. For a moment out there, the Head Maid was honestly thinking that way. She also expected many people to raise their hands in the air, but much to her horror, no one was raising their hands. If memory serves Belfast correctly, during last year¡¯s Beauty Pageant meeting, everyone was raising their hands one after another, so why was it that no one was so enthusiastic about this idea for this year? Now starting to become seriously startled, Belfast looked back at the extravagant dress hanging on the mannequin. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C That dress¡­¡­Is it really all because of that dress? Illustrious, Unicorn, and Victorious all worked together in order to make this costume, and it looks simply dazzling even when observed from a distance. Belfast thought that everyone in this place were drawn in to stand on the stage while wearing the best dress that the three of Illustrious Class aircraft Carriers would be able to put together. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C However¡­¡­ It would seem that the entire great hall was in reality just like Belfast, which was super intimidating. It was just like Unicorn said: it was something suitable for a princess from a children¡¯s fairy tale. She was right on the target with that description. And it would not even be a stretch to call it that way. Because it was truly something that felt out of this world, that¡¯s how splendid that dress was. In addition, this time around, there was a clear and concrete theme that the Royal Navy was aiming towards, which was ¡°beauty¡± and ¡°elegance¡±. So that was also a really important factor here. If it was just about being an Idol like before, it would likely be that the people gathered here would be able to appoint a person or two who would be a much better candidate. And Belfast was sure that there were actually people in the Royal Navy who were casually practicing their idol skills just for this day. But with things being the way they were right now, the hurdles were simply set too high for everyone else¡¯s comfort. And there was also a matter that most probably many people in here felt that there was no way that they could possibly compete against Belfast in terms of both beauty and elegance. [Uuuhhh¡­¡­] It was the very first time that Belfast had raised such a pathetic voice from her mouth. That was also partially Queen Elizabeth¡¯s fault, for handpicking Belfast just like that. The Royal Navy wanted to have the utmost confidence that it would be able to win the pageant and leave the competition in the dust, and not many people here would be able to brim that kind of confidence on their own. However, even when you handpick someone and will be sure about their abilities, there could be no such thing in this world as an absolute certainty. As for Warspite, Hood and Prince of Wales, the three of them were all looking at Belfast with very serious expressions painted all over their faces. At the current moment, everyone present in the great hall was awaiting Belfast¡¯s answer with their breaths held. Someone might call it common courtesy, just like Elizabeth mentioned earlier, but even so, Belfast would still feel like she was not really the right person to do this. There must have been someone better. With her eyes pointed at the floor right between her shoes, the Head Maid was frantically looking for a way in which she could weasel her way out of this situation¡­¡­ [Bell, it¡¯s alright. Everything will be okay.] Queen Elizabeth grinned her teeth and smiled at Belfast in an earnest way. [I honestly think that you are the best maid in the Royal Navy. No one can ever hope to best you in that regard.] For Belfast, those words were pretty much synonymous with being checkmated. With no possible way in which she could respond to Her Majesty¡¯s direct compliment like that, Belfast was unceremoniously selected as this year¡¯s Beauty Pageant¡¯s contestant representing the entire Royal Navy. But above all else, Elizabeth¡¯s carefree smile was too foul for her. Volume 1 - CH 4.05 [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sometimes I really think that you are way too good-natured for your own good, you know that?] As soon as the meeting was concluded, all of the maids returned to their assigned duties, and while they were back in the kitchen, Sheffield opened her mouth and voiced her opinion right away. [H-Hey, Sheffy? Even for you, that¡¯s a little bit¡­¡­] When Edinburgh reprimanded Sheffield like that, the maid only looked at her with indifferent eyes, shrugged her shoulders, took out the necessary cleaning supplies from the closet and went on her way to finish cleaning without saying anything more. And since both Kent and Suffolk went on their way to do some other tasks that needed to be taken care of, right now Belfast and Edinburgh were the only ones who were left in the kitchen. [I mean, there was no way for me to actually be able to refuse a direct request from Her Majesty.] [Yeah, and that smile of hers was just played at a perfect moment. It was just so sly and cunning¡­¡­] Even though Edinburgh scratched her cheek here, Belfast was still able to let out a sigh of relief that was long overdue here. [At any rate, right now there is nothing more left in this for me but to try and do my very best. But more importantly, Nee-san. What do you think about Eagle Union¡¯s move?] [Eagle Union¡¯s move? So, who are we talking about, again?] [San Diego-san, San Diego. Don¡¯t you think that it is really interesting to see that Eagle Union chose her as their representative, even though they could go well with the two who guaranteed them victory in past years?] [Ahh, yeah, about that¡­¡­ It certainly makes you a little bit worried, doesn¡¯t it?] Edinburgh then put her finger on her chin as she stared at the ceiling, lost in deep thought. [That being said, I surely see her singing and dancing a whole lot here and there, so I think that she is certainly the type of an Idol, and a performer for sure. I don¡¯t think that Eagle Union would do anything to diminish their chances for winning this years¡¯ competition, especially since they are on a winning streak like that.] [So in other words, this means that the other side had chosen to once again go down the Idol path, although in a slightly different version from before.] [Yeah. And there is no doubt in my mind about it: she is going to be a tough opponent, for sure.] Just as Edinburgh said those words, the two maids could hear a loud sound of knocking onto the kitchen¡¯s door. [Yes? Who is it?] Belfast called out in the direction of the doors in a loud but polite tone of voice. The two maids waited for an answer, but what they were waiting for never actually came back. [Hmm, just who could it be?] After waiting for a little while longer and still not getting the answer, Belfast finally decided to approach the door and turn the handle. When she opened the door with the sound of metal fittings creaking loudly, she could see on the other side a small person who was standing with her head hung low, while hugging a stuffed toy tightly to her chest. [¡­¡­ Oh my? Unicorn-chan?] The small purple-haired shipgirl looked at Belfast with her eyes wide open and her mouth opening and closing rapidly, as if she wanted to say something here, but she didn¡¯t seem to be able to say anything right away, unable to find the words from all the stress and anxiety. After crouching down so that they could be on the same eye level, Belfast smiled softly at Unicorn. [What¡¯s wrong? What happened?] [¡­¡­ Umm. It¡¯s actually about that dress. It¡¯s about the advice for that dress.] Belfast immediately connected the dots and assumed that the dress that Unicorn was talking about was the one she would have to dress for the contest, in front of the entire audience. [We will have to measure your sizes before the School Festival comes about¡­¡­ And we will have to re-tailor the dress itself¡­¡­] [Oh, I see. So at the meeting earlier, it was just an example with a temporary size that was just to show everyone how the finished product will look, correct?] When Belfast nodded her head in understanding, Unicorn finally rose her face from the stuffed toy named Yuu-chan and said: [For tomorrow¡­¡­ Please come to my Sister;s room. She said that we are going to make you shine like the brightest star on that stage. And Unicorn¡­¡­ Unicorn is going to give it her best¡­¡­ as well¡­¡­] We can make it twinkle as one. [Thank you very much, Unicorn-chan. That¡¯s actually really reassuring.] Belfast then gently stroked Unicorn¡¯s head, her thin and very soft hair gave off a pleasant aroma. Unicorn enjoyed the sensation on top of her head for a little bit, before she eventually buried her embarrassed face in her plushie companion Yuu-chan once more, and run away from the door. I¡¯m getting away from it. Belfast watched Unicorn¡¯s back until she could no longer be seen from the entrance to the kitchen, and then stood back up. [When it comes to that dress, I don¡¯t really think that I have what it takes to wear it all that well, to be perfectly honest.] Edinburgh crossed her arms on her chest when she heard that, raising her eyebrows as if she could not believe what she just heard. [Huh? Y-Yeah, about that¡­¡­ Even if you say that, Bel, everyone saw you out there, and they are perfectly aware of the fact that there is no one else who would better impersonate the notion of ¡°dignity¡± and ¡°elegance¡±. So isn¡¯t it fine? Maybe you are just worrying too much here?] [It will be fine, huh? I wish it would really be so simple.] After smiling in a troubled way and closing the door to the kitchen, Belfast clapped her hands together in front of the kitchen table, as if trying to give herself that extra motivation boost that she was so desperate to have right now. [I don¡¯t know why, but when you put it that way, Nee-san¡­¡­ I also start to think that it is something that is only natural here, for some reason.] There aren¡¯t that many days left until the School Festival comes about. Belfast pondered that matter for a while in silence, before eventually, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do on stage, she lifted her hands from the table and set about preparing the meal. * * * She never intended to make light of her newfound situation, and she intended to see the matter through until its very end. However, it was right the very next day that Belfast started to sincerely regret becoming a beauty pageant contestant. [And now what exactly is this supposed to be¡­¡­?] Right after breakfast, until that moment Belfast day seemed to be just the way it was supposed to be, perfectly fine and ordinary. However, that came to an abrupt end when she came to the center of the Academy to do some errands, and noticed that the walls of the surrounding buildings were filled with posters of none other but herself. It would not be anything all that weird, if not for the content of those pictures. Because those pictures were the ones that depicted herself from that time when she was forced to wear that school swimsuit as a part of the punishment game. At the exact moment the Head Maid could feel that her entire body started to tremble in an uncontrollable way. And while she was starting to wonder if it was not all that too late for her to back away from becoming the beauty pageant representative or at least persuade the Royal Navy from going down the dreaded Idol path for it, she could feel that someone was tapping her on the shoulder. She then turned around instantly, wondering just who it might have been. [So? What do you say about that, huh? I tried to make a promotional poster right away because I wanted to increase our chances of winning as soon and as much as possible.] Belfast knew it right away from looking at the photos used for creating the posters, but the poster was still the work of Queen Elizabeth and none other. Next to Her Majesty was of course Warspite, with a whole bunch of those swimsuit posters in her hands. [Your Majesty¡­¡­ As expected, so it was you who was behind all this, and¡­¡­] When Belfast opened up her mouth and managed to force her confused words out of it, she was unable to actually finish that sentence properly, because she could feel as if a thunder struck right alongside her spine when she heard a certain sound coming right from behind her back. Volume 1 - CH 4.06 As soon as people saw the poster that the two of them were putting on all over the place, they brought their faces closer to them and looked with great interest. [Hmm, I see¡­¡­ So the Royal Navy chose to put Belfast as their candidate for this year¡¯s contest, huh?] [But she¡¯s not wearing her usual maid outfit¡­¡­ Anyways, why is she wearing a swimsuit?] Hearing the two shipgirls speaking to one another like that, while most certainly cocking their heads in puzzlement, Belfast became increasingly uncomfortable as she lowered her head and whispered to Elizabeth¡¯s ear after coming closer to her. [Y-Your Majesty¡­¡­ At the very least, how about we use a different photo for the purpose of the promotional poster?] [I mean, even if you ask me for that, this photo is the only one we have that is poster-worthy, so that¡¯s that.] [Well, in that case, how about we take some more photos for the sake of promotion, Your Majesty? Just¡­¡­ Please, let¡¯s just use any other picture for the poster beside that one.] [Haah¡­¡­ Oh well, I guess it cannot really be helped, huh? Warspite, you heard that? I know it is a waste of your hard work and effort, but don¡¯t put any more posters up. And peel back the ones that were already posted here.] Just as Belfast suggested that solution, Warspite turned around and started to peel off the posters that were already posted all over the walls. After looking at Warspite hard at work with peeling off those posters for a while, Elizabeth then finally turned to look at Belfast once again. [We have also heard that Yamashiro from the Sakura Empire Deutschland from Iron-Blood are going to be the contestants in the pageant for this year, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to place too much importance on them. I mean, they are sure to be a competition, but not someone who would be able to jeopardize us gaining the title for ourselves.] It was almost as if Elizabeth was underestimating their opponents here, which was not something that the Royal Navy should be doing, no matter what. But even though she honestly thought that, Belfast chose to not speak those words out loud, afraid that they might be considered rude or inappropriate. [This means that the only one that we need to be worried about for the competition is San Diego! Fufufu, I don¡¯t know why Eagle Union decided to take a different approach than in earlier years, but anyways, I am very much looking forward to the competition itself!] Elizabeth said so proudly and raised her fist high in the air, pumping herself up. [And with that being said, Bel. You are going to come with me later on. We are going to take some nice pictures of you.] Elizabeth said that, and once she saw that Warspite had returned with a bunch of torn off posters in her hands, she turned her back to the Head Maid and was once again on her merry way. After watching Her Majesty leave just like that, Belfast, who was left behind, let out a heavy sigh. [Haah¡­¡­] When it comes to the contest, Belfast hasn¡¯t really decided on a way in which she was going to perform on the stage. Even if she was told that she was to express the Royal Navy¡¯s ¡°beauty¡± and ¡°elegance¡±, that was only a rough pointer, with no concrete advice what needed to be done. So even when Belfast was really clever and observant, she had literally nothing to work with here. Even though Elizabeth herself seemed to be very confident about this whole beauty contest, Belfast had not yet found any clear vision on how she wanted to approach it. She was even starting to feel like she was going to be overwhelmed by the representatives of other factions, not to mention the Eagle Union. [Seriously now¡­¡­ Just whatever am I supposed to do about all this?] At that time, Belfast raised her head when she heard a roaring noise coming from afar. A large number of people were gathered at the fountain with a statue resembling a large anchor. Curious as to what all of the commotion was all about, she came closer and finally recognized what was going on here. [Alright~! Everyone! Thank you for coming today~!] A red-haired girl was standing on top of a small stage that seemed to have been prepared by her alone just for the occasion. Even while being in front of the shipgirls that gathered here for the occasion, the girl didn¡¯t seem to be intimidated or anxious in the slightest. [This is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] Belfast knew who it was as soon as she saw the girl¡¯s face. The Eagle Union¡¯s representative who was going to participate for the first time ever this year ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C this time ¡ª¡ª- the first ship of the Atlanta Class Light Cruisers, San Diego. Her appearance combined with the way in which she greeted the crowd with a big smile on her face seemed to shine with all of her might even while being in a stage that was so small and insignificant. [Hehehe! Actually, I was chosen to become a candidate for a Beauty Pageant this time around, but it would just be boring to be able to appeal only to an audience during the competition¡¯s time, so I have come to sing for all of you! Now, let¡¯s see some smiles on those faces, shall we!?] With just one glance, Belfast understood everything. She was able to fully understand that this girl was an incarnation of everything that was supposed to constitute a perfect ¡°Idol¡±. Not to mention that compared to Belfast, who was still wondering just how she should behave on the stage during the competition¡¯s time, this girl already knew what she wanted and was actively doing her best to obtain it. While Belfast was feeling a looming sense of dread coming from her soon-to-be rival, San Diego grabbed a microphone in her hand and pressed a switch on top of the speaker. [Alright then! Let¡¯s get this show on the road! The first song is going to be ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] At that moment, with a loud noise, a tremendous wave of both sound and melody came out of the speaker, flooding the entire area. The volume of the sound coming from the speaker was so loud that the people gathered in front of the stage blocked their ears all at once, and Belfast also covered her ears and crouched down on the spot. ¡ª¡ª T-This is¡­¡­ It was a terrifying roaring sound that seemed to vibrate throughout your entire body. And while it was not that Belfast was about to retract her previous statement here, but that roaring sound right now was surely creating a very distinct sense of first impression when it was coming to her most ferocious competitor. Now, putting the volume of the song aside, its melody was actually pretty nice and catchy, and Belfast was sure that it would be even better if San Diego was about to bring that volume down a notch or two. Yes, it surely must have been a wonderful song¡­¡­ ¡ª¡ª But well, as expected, this volume right here was a little bit much¡­¡­ Feeling that she was about to become dizzy from the unbearable sound and her consciousness all wobbly, Belfast quickly began to scan the ground in search of the cable that was connected to the loudspeaker. [La, Lalala, lala, la, Lalala!] As for San Diego, she was happily circling around the stage as if she was unable to see the suffering that her audience was currently going through. Belfast slowly crept up to the stage and pulled out the cable that she thought was the one she was looking for with all of her might. When the roaring music and the insufferably loud volume suddenly ceased all at once, the people around the stage who were covering their ears collapsed on the ground on the spot, looking all thankful to whatever force that was behind their salvation. [La, lalala, lala¡­¡­ Huh? What the!?] Realizing that the music was no longer playing and that her performance was pretty much dead, San Diego lowered the microphone she was holding in her hand and the look on her face made her look as though she had finally come back to her senses. And when she finally caught a glimpse of the loudspeaker cable that Belfast was holding in her hands, she jumped off the stage and approached the Head Maid on the double. [Hey! What gives!? Why are you unplugging the loudspeaker cable while I¡¯m giving a guerilla concert here!?] As San Diego was closing in on Belfast at a fast pace, the Head Maid calmly answered her question. [I did that out of necessity. As you would expect, at that volume, the listeners¡¯ eardrums would all burst without a shred of a doubt.] [Huh? Wait, seriously?] Hearing that explanation, San Diego calmed down and answered back as if she couldn¡¯t possibly believe that was what actually happened. Volume 1 - CH 4.07 Rather, Belfast was confused about the fact that when she told her that, San Diego looked at her with sheer admiration in her eyes. That, and there was also a fact that despite playing the music so loud, the Eagle Union¡¯s Light Cruiser seemed to be fine, as if nothing happened. [At least, if you want to carry on with your concert, you¡¯d best lower the volume of your loudspeaker a little bit.] [But if I do that, then the whole Home Port won¡¯t be able to hear me sing!] [That may be so, but you should also think about the ears of poor souls who are going to be nearby at the time when your concert begins.] At that point, San Diego seemed to finally realize what Belfast was talking about here, and right after that her expression changed to that of pure shock and disbelief. [¡­¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­ But wait! That¡¯s right! I knew that I happened to see your face somewhere before! It¡¯s from those posters! Are you not the Royal Navy¡¯s representative for this year¡¯s Beauty Pageant?] Crossing her arms on her chest, San Diego said that and then she began to nod her head really fast, as if agreeing with her own words. [Sorry, missy, but I¡¯m definitely going to win this year! I won¡¯t lose to the likes of you even if you actively try to get in my way!] San Diego lashed out at Belfast while she also picked the loudspeaker¡¯s cable off of the ground and then she started to go back towards her makeshift stage. [Bleeh!] Then San Diego turned around one more time, pulling her lower eyelid slightly and showing Belfast her tongue in a child-like gesture. [Haaah¡­¡­?] Once again for today, a deep and long sigh escaped from Belfast¡¯s mouth. Even though it was unavoidable, it seems that pulling out the cable on her own only managed to upset San Diego and bring her mood down a little bit. But even so, she did not forget about her concert and got back on the stage and started singing once more. What¡¯s more, the expression on her face was still as friendly and energetic, as if that whole exchange did not even happen. This actually surprised Belfast more than anything else. [Can we really hope to win¡­¡­ especially when facing someone like her?] As the Head Maid of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps, Belfast naturally had the responsibility of guiding the other maids and correcting their mistakes, but it was actually the first time when she had to bear the expectations of everyone in the Royal Navy solely on her own two shoulders. Belfast then left the place, her shoulders slumped under the pressure she had never experienced before in her entire life and career. * * * In the afternoon, Belfast came to the third floor of the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory and knocked on one of the doors there. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oh my, you¡¯re here. Finally, I have been waiting for you.] The one who opened the door was none other than Illustrious herself. As soon as she let Belfast through the door and the Head Maid entered it, she guided her towards the dress that was placed on a mannequin placed at the back of the room. Unicorn and Victorious were also waiting in front of the dress, seemingly all ready to do their job. [For today, all three of us are going to be present here, each one of us doing our share of the job.] Hearing that, Belfast raised her head a little bit, a question written all over her face. Seeing the Head Maid like that, Illustrious let out a small chuckle. [Since it was a dress that we all made while bringing out each other¡¯s characteristics during our work, we decided that we would do the final adjustments together as well. To keep it consistent. That¡¯s why the other two are also going to be present during the measurements taken. I hope it won¡¯t be a problem for you?] While listening to her elder sister¡¯s words, Unicorn got closer to Belfast while hanging her head low. [W-Well then¡­¡­ I-I¡¯ll be taking your measurements now, is that alright¡­¡­?] Belfast slowly raised her arms upwards, as instructed by Unicorn who was gently holding onto a tape measure in her small hands. [Yes, please do. I leave myself in your care.] Then, while gently wrapping the tape measure around the Head Maid, Unicorn checked the size of Belfast¡¯s body thoroughly from top to bottom. While she was at it, she would occasionally ask her sisters for help with the areas of Belfast¡¯s body where she was unable to reach due to her small height, and then she carefully measured the Head Maid¡¯s chest and waist circumferences in order to make the dress to be the perfect size possible. After taking all the measurements in more than a few minutes, Belfast looked at the dress again and said: [By the way, I think that everyone would agree that this is a really nice dress.] [You really think so? It¡¯s actually a little bit embarrassing to be praised like that, even though you know it¡¯s your work.] Victorious smiled happily as she said that. [Truth to be told, it wasn¡¯t originally made for the sole purpose of that Beauty Pageant. It all actually started when Unicorn was reading a picture book and suddenly said, ¡®I want to see such a wonderful dress in real life, with my own eyes¡±. Something like that.] Hearing her elder sister tell someone else such an embarrassing story in such a casual tone, the person responsible for the creation of that dress, Unicorn, suddenly turned her head away, looking down at her feet while her face was beet red with embarrassment. [It¡¯s just that¡­¡­ I really, really wanted to see a dress that would be worth a Princess wearing it in real life.] Unicorn only left that short and simple explanation, and then she remained perfectly silent as she continued to do her work. Taking over after that brief explanation, Illustrious chose to elaborate a little bit in her little sister¡¯s place. [So, as you can see, that¡¯s how it all started. Needless to say, both of us wanted to help, so we got together and got to work right away. And it just so happened that while we were right in the middle of the work, Wales-san came to us and brought up the incoming School Festival. And hearing that, we all decided that we would like to offer that dress to be a part of that idea, a kind of our share of work for the event.] [Ah, I see. So that¡¯s how it is.] Belfast nodded and suddenly noticed that Unicorn was staring at her dress for a while now. [Come to think of it, I was wondering about that ever since I got to witness those promotional posters back outside a while ago, but when did you even have the opportunity to take pictures of yourself like that~?] Victorious then poked at Belfast¡¯s side with her elbow once or twice, a really wicked smile on her face. [Ah. That. Well, I can only say that there were some really special circumstances regarding the time when that picture was taken.] [Hoo~? Care to elaborate a little bit more about what kind of circumstances led to a situation like that?] As if to try and elude Victorious¡¯s question, Belfast opened her mouth and asked her in an almost quizzical way. [W-Which reminds me, I actually asked Her Majesty to take some new, more appropriate pictures for the promotional posters, so I¡¯m afraid I have to go for now. So there you have it.] [Ah! Hey! Wait just a minute!] Belfast then quickly bowed down her head and left the room faster than Victorious was able to move in order to intercept her and get that juicy information out of her. [Fuh¡­¡­ I think that maybe a little bit more people than I would have liked managed to get a look at those posters.] Just thinking about it made the Head Maid feel utterly depressed. While walking down the corridor, Belfast eventually stood in front of Queen Elizabeth¡¯s private quarters and knocked twice before opening the door herself. [Please excuse me, Your Majesty.] [You¡¯re late! I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Bel!] Elisabeth¡¯s lively voice assaulted Belfast right as she went inside of Her Majesty¡¯s room, which caused the Head Maid to raise her head up, clearly startled. [T-This is¡­¡­] Once Belfast got to actually see the inside of Elizabeth¡¯s room, she could see that it was completely littered with various sorts of costumes being placed where there was a place to get them. There was a shrine maiden uniform, sailor uniforms, blazer, nurse¡¯s uniform, office lady¡¯s attire, station staff uniform, policewoman uniform, and there were even some animal costumes thrown into the mix. The sheer amount was making Belfast¡¯s head feel dizzy, and that was even without wondering where Elizabeth could possibly get all those items from. Volume 1 - CH 4.08 [When I asked that Akashi girl from the store to help me out a little bit, she quickly prepared a variety of different outfits that are sure to cover a huge range of different tastes.] Now that Belfast knew that it was not Queen Elizabeth who prepared those outfits, Belfast could let out a sigh of relief deep down inside of her heart. However, there was no way that Belfast could afford to wear any of those outfits for the purpose of the promotional photo shoot. [Your Majesty¡­¡­ Umm, I would just like to check real quick, but you have not actually forgotten the theme that the Royal Navy decided on for this year¡¯s contest, have you?] [Of course I haven¡¯t forgotten about it! It¡¯s all about ¡°elegance¡± and ¡°beauty¡±, right? However, I know that this is for the sake of our promotion, but just because it is like that it doesn¡¯t mean that you have to wear your usual maid uniform, Bel. Besides, I want this dress to be kept a secret until the very end, when it is finally the time for the contest to take place. As for the overall theme, once you are on that stage you can express yourself in any way you like, so for now pick one of those outfits so we can get this photo shoot started! Then we can pick the best pictures and decide on the poster that will appeal to everyone around the port!] At that moment Belfast thought that it was entirely possible that Elizabeth failed to understand what the Head Maid was hinting at here. So, even though Belfast was admiring just how fired up Elizabeth seemed to be about this entire thing, she had to make sure that everything was perfectly clear. [Your Majesty, I believe it would be best if we were on the same page about this entire matter. Otherwise we are running the risk of losing out sense of purpose and direction here.] [Well, that may be so, but¡­¡­] ¡¸Please, Your Majesty. I implore you: just this once, since I am going to represent the entire Royal Navy, I would like you to listen to my words and refrain from doing what your whims tell you to do.¡¹ This was the only way to resolve this situation, even though it was also something that Belfast was honestly hoping that she would never have to say out loud to her beloved queen. It was already a tremendous weight being put off of Belfast¡¯s shoulders that this swimsuit picture was scrapped for a promotional poster, but if their original theme was going to deviate even further from what it was supposed to be, it would become completely ruined and unsalvageable. ¡¸Ugh¡­¡­ Alright, I guess. Then, can you stand right there for a moment?¡¹ While sounding all grumpy and disappointed about this, Elizabeth pointed towards the window while she was holding onto her single-lens reflex camera. Feeling relieved, Belfast stood where she had been told. Elizabeth then looked into the viewfinder, but then she took her eyes off of it after a moment. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you going to strike a pose or something like that? If you don¡¯t at least do that, there¡¯s no point in making that picture into a poster-worthy material.¡¹ ¡¸A pose, you say?¡¹ That statement was actually true: just casually standing by the window and doing nothing felt rather dull. As a test of sorts, Belfast tried to pinch the hem of her apron. ¡¸What do you think about that?¡¹ Elizabeth took her eyes off the viewfinder once more and nodded her head. ¡¸I think that it¡¯s pretty good. Also, how about you try to change your facial expression for a bit? Try to smile a little, and then tilt your head to the side¡­¡­ Yes, that¡¯s it! Just like that! Also, rather than having a boring straight angle like this, we might want to try to adjust the angle her for a better effect.¡¹ Doing as she was told, Belfast tilted her head and tried to smile softly, in response to which Elizabeth moved to the side and snapped the shutter in an instant. ¡¸Yeah! That¡¯s the good stuff! That honestly felt like a really good photo right there! But I feel like it would be a huge waste to use it solely for the purpose of poster-making.¡¹ Belfast approached Elizabeth, who seemed to be genuinely satisfied with how the photo ended up. ¡¸As for me, well, I guess I cannot really say anything until we develop the film and see how the picture turned out.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, rest assured. It is a really good photo. I¡¯m going to make it into a poster by tomorrow, and then we can just go and distribute them all over the Home Port!¡¹ Placing the camera on the table in her room, Elizabeth glanced at Belfast. ¡¸Also, Bell. I think it would be a whole lot better if you were smiling a little bit more in front of other people, you know? I know that there are people out there who are genuinely oblivious to their own charms, but that¡¯s taking it a little bit too far, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ ¡¸Being oblivious to my own charm¡­¡­ Your Majesty?¡¹ Belfast thought about it for a moment, but that only resulted in her becoming even more lost and unable to understand it. Edinburgh said something like that to her once before. That she should take a moment to look inside of herself and do whatever feels natural for her. However, since Belfast was only focused on serving others with all of her might for as long as she could possibly remember, she never actually had time to go and take a good look inside of herself. That¡¯s why it was hard for the Head Maid to understand. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Bel?¡¹ Seeing just how troubled Belfast seemed to become, Elizabeth looked at her face with a curious, but also slightly worried expression. ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. It seems that I was lost in my own thoughts a little bit for a moment out there.¡¹ Just as Belfast was about to tell Elizabeth that it was nothing and that there was no need for her to worry, she suddenly remembered what had happened at the previous meeting. ¡¸Speaking of which, Your Majesty. I would like to talk to you a little bit about the role of the Maid Corps throughout the duration of the School Festival ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ * * * Ever since that moment, Belfast has been thinking about what she wanted to do for the contest specifically while doing her daily maid work flawlessly. When he had free time to spare, she would just stare vaguely at the puffy clouds floating in the autumn sky from the window, or while watching the waves crash against the shoreline, she would ponder how she would express herself in the form of a performance that everyone would find entertaining. However, so far she was drawing up a blank. And that fact worried her to no end. Everyone from the Maid Corps who would see Belfast looking all melancholic and lost in thought like that would oftentimes approach her and ask her what seemed to be wrong, but every single time she would just laugh it off and dismiss the matter as nothing all that serious. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Perhaps she was simply overthinking this entire matter. Maybe the best kind of performance is the one that comes naturally, without planning and thinking about it for so long? That¡¯s was what she thought the night before the School Festival was about to begin. Belfast, who had come to Illustrious¡¯s room again after cleaning up after the dinner was over, finally got to try the dress out for herself, in order to get the feel for it before the Beauty Pageant would begin tomorrow. Illustrious, who had just finished checking out the dress¡¯s waist, looked up at Belfast¡¯s face. ¡¸Everything¡¯s alright? Is it not too tight? No trouble with breathing?¡¹ ¡¸Huh? Ah. N-No, it¡¯s fine. Everything¡¯s fine.¡¹ Perhaps relieved to hear Belfast say that, Illustrious stroked her chest and sat down on the chair while letting out a small sigh. ¡¸That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m glad we were able to adjust the dress in time.¡¹ ¡¸And with some finishing touches here and there, it¡¯s literally perfect!¡¹ While Victorious also nodded her head in satisfaction, Belfast cast a quick glance towards Unicorn. She was just gazing at Belfast in complete silence while hugging Yuu-chan close to her chest. ¡¸Unicorn-san? Is something the matter?¡¹ When Belfast called out to her, Unicorn blinked in surprise and then she quickly turned her gaze away from the Head Maid. ¡¸¡­N-No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡­¡¹ Seeing Unicorn hide behind her big sister Illustrious back in a hurry, Belfast was able to vaguely remember that the little Aircraft Carrier was also looking at her like that with her absent-minded eyes when they were taking her measurements before. ¡¸I-It¡¯s just that¡­¡­ You really look like a genuine Princess while wearing that dress¡­¡­¡¹ Volume 1 - CH 4.09 Unicorn then answered in a shy voice, her figure hidden behind Illustrious. ¡¸Hearing you say something like that makes me feel a little bit more at ease, actually. It means a lot when the creator of such a lovely dress thinks so.¡¹ After answering Unicorn¡¯s praise with the words coming straight from her heart, Belfast then turned towards Victorious and asked her for help in taking the dress off. ¡¸So. What are you going to do when you go on stage? Have you given it some thought yet?¡¹ In response to Victorious¡¯s words, when she casually asked her about something like that, Belfast was stunned for a short while, thinking of the possible answer that she could give here. And then she simply decided to be honest about it. ¡¸Well, actually, it¡¯s just that¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t even given that matter that much of a though yet.¡¹ Hearing the words that finally came out of the Head Maid¡¯s mouth, Victorious¡¯s eyes widened in shock and surprise. ¡¸Huh!? No way! Are you kidding me!? But the School Festival is tomorrow! Are you sure that you¡¯re going to be okay!?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know. I am perfectly aware of that, it¡¯s just that¡­¡­¡¹ After changing back into her maid uniform, Belfast lowered her head in an apologetic bow. ¡¸I¡¯m actually thinking of doing something that comes to my mind when we think of ¡°maid¡±, but also comes with a sense of naturalness to it¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸But judging from that look on your face, that thinking process was not all that helpful, huh? Now I am seriously starting to worry if the Royal Navy is going to be okay when it comes to the contest¡­¡­¡¹ Beside Victorious, who dropped her shoulders as if she had fallen to a sudden wave of despair, Illustrious began to chuckle a little bit in amusement. ¡¸Since this is Belfast-san that we are talking about here, I am sure that you are going to figure something out eventually. And no matter what that something is going to be, you are going to present it in the most entertaining way possible.¡¹ ¡¸I-Is that so¡­¡­?¡¹ Belfast knew that Illustrious did not mean anything bad by that, and that she genuinely wanted to help here. However, the Head Maid could only utter those words without sounding all that confident about them. . ¡¸No matter the outcome of the contest, that one thing I know for sure: no one in the Royal Navy is going to shun you for doing your best. Victorious, myself, Unicorn, Her Majesty¡­¡­ we all know that you are always doing your very best on a daily basis, and that fact won¡¯t change.¡¹ Illustrious then smiled in a warm way, and just one glance was enough for Belfast to realize that she was speaking from her heart and that she meant every word that she just said. At the same time, it also made Belfast believe that what Illustrious just said was genuinely true. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C However. Belfast was still unable to quite understand what was exactly going on inside of her own head at the current moment. ¡¸But anyways, we are surely looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s pageant.¡¹ When Belfast was told that as she was about to leave the room, she slowly bowed down her head and then slowly walked down the corridor. ¡¸Whatever am I supposed to do about this¡­¡­?¡¹ Inside of her own heart, Belfast could feel nothing more but endless waves of anxiety. Partly it was all because she was thinking way too much about this whole matter and making things harder for herself, and once she was able to realize that she also realized that she was growing even more impatient now than ever before. Even if she tried to take it easy right before the contest as a change of pace, she couldn¡¯t possibly change the way in which her mind was thinking, and Belfast descended down the stairs in order to catch the night breeze outside of the dormitory, which had already turned dark. She also knew that even if she was to go back to her room and go to bed early, she would just continue to agonize over her situation and would ultimately be unable to catch even the slightest wink of sleep. ¡¸A short walk outside might help me feel a little bit better.¡¹ As she left the dormitory and went downhill down the road, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, listening to the gentle sound of the waves as she was walking toward the seashore. ¡¸¡­¡­ Huh? A singing voice¡­¡­?¡¹ It was then that Belfast heard someone humming a melody of some sort down the shore, and soon she found herself approaching the source of that voice. She came right to the brink of the beach and the sea, and poked her head out of the shadows to see what was going on here at this particular hour. ¡¸¡­¡­ San Diego-san?¡¹ Right on top of the breakwater, there was San Diego, wearing a fancy dress while spinning and dancing, humming some sort of melody. Unlike the dress that was made by Illustrious and company of the Royal Navy, San Diego¡¯s dress had a way shorter skirt for making the movements that much easier. Even if it was nowhere near as gorgeous as the one that Belfast was to wear, the Head Maid thought that when the two of them are going to be on top of that stage, San Diego¡¯s dress would be the one that would be dubbed as the true idol dress. ¡¸La, Lalala, Lalala, la~?¡¹ While she was listening to the way in which San Diego was humming and singing, Belfast felt as though she was paralyzed in an instant and she was unable to move from the spot at which she was standing. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Huh!? Who¡¯s there!? Show yourself!¡¹ Perhaps she sensed that someone must have been there and was watching her, because all of a sudden San Diego stopped her dancing and humming and turned towards where Belfast was standing. Belfast¡¯s very first thought here was to hide further back into the bushes and go into hiding, but after a moment of thinking she realized that this was probably a very bad idea. So, being left with only one option, she emerged from the shadows, thinking she still had to apologize for silently spying on San Diego like that. ¡¸Please forgive me, San Diego-san¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to spy on you like that, but I heard a singing voice while I was walking around, so¡­¡­¡¹ The Head Maid then bowed down her head deeply while expressing her sincerest apology. She wondered if she would be scolded again by the Eagle Union¡¯s Light Cruiser, including the previous case of pulling out the cable of her loudspeaker, but for some reason San Diego stood there in place with her mouth hanging wide open. ¡¸Umm¡­¡­ San Diego-san? Is everything alright?¡¹ A thought like that occurred in Belfast¡¯s mind and she called out to her. Then all of a sudden San Diego put her hands in front of her chest and she started jumping in place with sheer joy and excitement. ¡¸No way! Seriously!? Were you drawn here the moment you have heard my beautiful singing voice!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ Excuse me?¡¹ For a moment out there, Belfast was unable to actually understand what San Diego was saying just now, but she seemed to be extremely happy for some bizarre reason. And seeing her like that, Belfast reflexively nodded her head in affirmation. ¡¸Y-Yes, that¡¯s right. It was a very beautiful singing voice. I was completely captivated by its charm.¡¹ ¡¸Ehehe, thank you very much! ¡­¡­ E-Ekhem! B-But you know that you shouldn¡¯t be spying on me like that without my permission, right? Especially since the beauty pageant is tomorrow and we are both rivals, after all!¡¹ San Diego began to speak with a big smile on his face, as if she was starting to feel better, sounding much more like her usual self. ¡¸You know? Tonight¡¯s breeze was feeling really good for some reason, so I got in the mood for going out for a walk. Were you perhaps the same, Belfast-san?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, indeed. It¡¯s a really cool breeze that doesn¡¯t make your skin feel chill.¡¹ As Belfast came closer to San Diego, she took a really dizzying jump off the breakwater. ¡¸Yeah, you got that right. So here¡¯s a suggestion. Why don¡¯t we actually hold tomorrow¡¯s competition right here, in this place? It would be an ideal stage for singing and dancing.¡¹ ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think that will be necessary. For you see, I do not plan on dancing or singing on the stage tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? You won¡¯t? Well then, what are you going to be doing?¡¹ ¡¸Well, about that ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¡¹ There was no way that Belfast could actually admit to San Diego that she hadn¡¯t really thought about anything yet. In the first place, she didn¡¯t know if it was okay to be meeting with other contestants right before the actual beauty pageant, especially since both Royal Navy and Eagle Union have chosen to follow down the Idol path. Volume 1 - CH 4.10 PART 10 Seeing Belfast being so flustered and stumbling for words like that, San Diego frowned her brows even more now. [Belfast-san, are you not going to try and go down the Idol path for this event as well? You must have been chosen by the careful deliberation of all the members of the Royal Navy, so because of that surely you must have thought of something that you think is going to let you win, right? That¡¯s what being a representative is all about, wouldn¡¯t you agree?] [W-Well, when you are putting it like that, I mean¡­¡­ Basically, it is like that, but it is also entirely different.] [Huh? Different? So, what¡¯s the difference here?] With each passing moment San Diego¡¯s face was creeping its way towards Belfast closer and closer. Overwhelmed by the sheer strength of how pushy she could be about stuff like that, Belfast finally decided to give up and just give it to her straight. [Umm, this is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Royal Navy¡­¡­ is not going down the Idol route! And that¡¯s final!] [Huh? Is that so? Is that how it is?] As soon as Belfast spilled the beans like that, San Diego put her hands behind her head and turned around, seemingly in a gesture of disappointment. [Oh well, so that¡¯s how it is, huh. Then, could you at least tell me what is it that you are going to do?] [I¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to think of anything just yet.] [Huh? Seriously now?] San Diego then stood in place, seemingly in a daze. [Geez, what the hell are you even doing!? The competition is tomorrow, you know? Tomorrow!] [I know, but¡­¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know what it is that I should be doing¡­¡­ No matter how hard I try to ponder the idea, nothing comes to mind¡­¡­] Even though she originally thought it might be a bad idea to talk about a matter of such an importance like that with her contest rival, especially a day before the actual competition, right now Belfast did not even care about that. She just wanted to share all of her worries with someone who would be willing to listen to her troubles. [I was originally thinking of doing something that would feel the most natural for me as a maid. However, the more I was thinking about it, the more and more complicated that issue was becoming, and before I even realized it, I had lost sight of my original goal.] [Oh, so it¡¯s something like that, huh? I guess everyone has a moment like that every now and then.] Now, even though San Diego said something like that, Belfast had an inkling that she did not really understand what seemed to be bothering her at all. The way in which the Eagle Union¡¯s Light Cruiser was singing here was unmistakably natural, and she didn¡¯t seem like she was consciously wondering about what she should do, or how she was supposed to go about it. So Belfast¡¯s troubles must have been something completely incomprehensible to her. [In the first place, this is going to be my very first time standing on top of a stage quite like that, so I have no prior experience with performances like that. So even if this is something completely natural for you, for someone like me it is something I need to seriously ponder and deliberate¡­¡­ And I don¡¯t think I have the necessary strength for that¡­¡­] Hearing Belfast¡¯s story just now, San Diego shook her head. [No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite it.] [Huh?] [You see, when it comes to me, the thing that matters the most about any sort of performance is whether or not you are having fun doing it. Sure, inexperience is something that can set you back a little bit, it is not a barrier that cannot be overcome.] When San Diego said something like that so bluntly and so naturally, Belfast could not help it but to stare at her in disbelief. [I should be thinking more about having fun during the performance¡­¡­ But how exactly am I even supposed to do that?] [Hmm, I wouldn¡¯t be really able to tell you, since honestly I have never really given that matter that much of a thought. But how about trying to change the stage to be more to your liking?] [Changing it to my liking? Are we even allowed to do that? And how would that even work?] When Belfast cocked her head in puzzlement because she was having trouble with understanding the meaning behind San Diego¡¯s words, San Diego herself started to dance brilliantly while spinning on the spot. [This place is really lovely, wouldn¡¯t you agree? It was actually Saracchi who recommended it to me first. She said that I should come here whenever I need to clear my mind of any useless thoughts and just go for a change of pace. So I come here from time to time, having fun on my own, dancing just like that. But you know ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Kyah!] As San Diego tripped and nearly fell over to the ground, Belfast hurriedly grabbed her by the hand and lifted her up just in the nick of time. [Are you okay?] [Y-Yeah, I¡¯m fine! I just wanted to test whether you would react properly to this, Belfast-san!] Even though that line just now seemed to be mighty suspicious to Belfast, she slowly let go of San Diego¡¯s hand without actually saying anything to that. [You see, when it comes to me, I think that my strongest point is just how energetic I am in general.] San Diego straightens her posture and stares straight at the moon up in the night sky. [Initially it was said that only Saracchi was supposed to appear on the stage for this year¡¯s contest, so I decided to run for the position because I wanted the Commander to see me sparkling on stage, no matter what everyone else would think.] San Diego continued speaking as she stared at Belfast with her eyes sparkling bright. [And if I want to shine the brightest of all people, I have no other option but to win this thing. And that is precisely why I do not intend to lose to anyone tomorrow. I¡¯m sure of it!] She then giggled innocently at her own words, a gesture that made even someone like Belfast smile warmly and earnestly. It was also at that moment that Belfast honestly thought that maybe San Diego was able to understand her troubles, even if only just a little bit. And just looking at her cheerful figure was more than enough to make Belfast smile and become happy as well. [Fuwaah¡­¡­ Alright, I think it¡¯s high time for me to get some much needed sleep in preparation for tomorrow. It is a pretty big day, after all.] While opening her mouth and yawning in a mighty way, San Diego said so and flipped her dress, and she started walking towards the Eagle Union¡¯s dormitory or somewhere else in its general direction. [Be seeing you, Belfast-san! And see you on the stage tomorrow!] [Umm!] [Hm?] Belfast opened her mouth and tried to stop San Diego from leaving, the expression on her face being truly apologetic right about now. [It¡¯s about that time earlier today¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry that I pulled out the loudspeaker¡¯s cable like that.] For a moment out there San Diego seemed to be frozen solid, and then, all of a sudden she burst out laughing. [Hahaha, oh, about that? Yeah, I don¡¯t really care! It¡¯s already water under the bridge anyways! Bye now! It was really fun talking to you today!] She then waved her hand for goodbye, and Belfast held her hand up in the air and kept on shaking it until she could no longer see San Diego in the distance. Belfast, who was now left all alone for a while on top of the breakwater, and then she murmured those words to herself, feeling the night breeze. [Certainly, this breakwater is a very pleasant place to be on a night like this.] Thinking that she might not yet be able to actually get some sleep, Belfast eventually returned to the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory and headed to her usual place of work. After turning on the lights in the pitch-black kitchen and sitting on a small chair, Belfast leaned over the cooking table and took a deep breath. ¡°When I¡¯m in this place, for some reason I feel the most calm.] The Head Maid would never actually think that she would be able to feel so calmed and relaxed in an empty kitchen late at night. [But I guess that this is also my very first experience just like that.] She then let out a small chuckle and laughed. Belfast then turned her face, which had been buried in her arms until now, to the side and stared at the fire inside the lantern for a little while. Volume 1 - CH 4.11 As she continued to stare blankly at the warm colors of the fire, she gradually began to doze off. ¡¸¡­¡­Make the stage¡­¡­yours ¡ª¡ª¡¹ She thought that she shouldn¡¯t sleep like this in a place like this, but no matter what she tried to do now, her body just wouldn¡¯t listen to her anymore. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Tomorrow is finally¡­¡­ the long awaited School Festival¡­¡­ Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard the sound of a wooden door knob turning. Startled and panicked, Belfast jumped out towards the door to see who could be in a place like this at this hour, and then she saw that the one who walked into the kitchen was none other than Edinburgh. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C There you are! For you to be in a place like this so late at night, geez¡­¡­ I have been looking for you all over, you know? Do you even have any idea what time it is?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, e-excuse me. You see, Nee-san, I was just about to go back to our room, when¡­¡­¡¹ As soon as Belfast was about to open her mouth some more and start explaining her sudden disappearance and absence from the dorm, she could see that yet another familiar face popped out from behind Edinburgh¡¯s back. ¡¸I see that Belfast is as much of a role model for every Royal Maid out there as ever. For her to be stuck in the kitchen until it¡¯s so late at night, talk about being passionate and dedicated to your job.¡¹ That familiar figure was none other than Sheffield. And truth to be told, in the dim light of the hand lantern, her expressionless face looked just a little bit scary. But that was not over yet. From behind Sheffield¡¯s back, more and more familiar faces of other Royal Maids started to pop up one after another. ¡¸Relax! Even like this, the Head Maid¡¯s face does not lose any of its natural charm! So there is no problem, I would say!¡¹ Alongside Kent¡¯s cheerful words, Suffolk¡¯s face was next in turn to make an appearance, all smiley and upbeat. ¡¸The Head Maid¡¯s current expression is so soft and fluffy, just like clouds drifting through the sky. So nice and so innocent~. I wish I could be like that, too~.¡¹ Hearing all those words directed at her, Belfast looked at everyone¡¯s face and then cleared her throat in a hurry to try and hide her own embarrassment. ¡¸Everyone¡­¡­¡¹ Even though Belfast did not want to cause all the people who cared so deeply about her any unnecessary worry, it would seem that her intentions and actions managed to do something quite the opposite, seeing how worried everyone seemed to be about her. Feeling really apologetic for causing everyone needless worry like that, Belfast reflexively stood up from her chair. ¡¸I-I am really sorry for making you worry like that about me, everyone. It¡¯s just that, with the contest being so close, I wanted to go to someplace where I could feel calm and relaxed, thinking it might let me think of something¡­¡­¡¹ It was at that moment that Belfast was suddenly taken aback. ¡¸¡­¡­ Bel?¡¹ Even when Edinburgh called out to Belfast anxiously, she couldn¡¯t immediately respond in any kind of way. It was then that the Head Maid felt like she was finally able to understand what exactly San Diego meant when it came to transforming the stage into a place of your own choosing, of making the stage yours. ¡¸It was here at my side, all along, wasn¡¯t it¡­¡­ My own stage. A place where I belong.¡¹ As Belfast slipped her finger on the table¡¯s top, her face burst into tears as the many memories of working here with everyone else all her life came back to her all at once. ¡ª¡ª Also, Belfast then remembered that Her Majesty told her that she should be smiling more in front of other people. Because she was the kind of person who is oblivious to her own charms, even though others could clearly see them. Once that memory flooded her head and Belfast fully understood its meaning, Belfast once again turned towards everyone gathered in the kitchen at the current moment. She then bowed down her head really low. ¡¸Thank you for worrying about me like that, everyone. However, it¡¯s alright. I am fine now.¡¹ What is my true nature? What is the most natural thing in the entire world for me? It was at that exact moment when Belfast was finally able to grasp it after thinking about it long and hard. * * * Today was finally the day that everyone was waiting for. The day of the School Festival. At the Academy at the Home Port, which was unusually filled with a festive mood, each faction put on a show of their own choosing, each filled to the brim with enthusiasm. At the Eagle Union¡¯s dormitory there was a movie of their own production being shown. It seems that the filming for this particular picture began quite a while back, and the action scenes were so flashy and showy that their impact was really powerful, especially the stunts being performed on the screen. It was a great production value that was simply crushing the viewers into their seats. At the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, the girls borrowed some spare uniforms from the members of the Maid Corps and opened up a maid cafe. All the dishes served were simple snacks that didn¡¯t have to use fire to prepare them, and the girls who received the recipes from the Maid Corps in advance entertained the other shipgirls from the different factions in many ways while being at it. The Sakura Empire decided to go with a haunted house. The children disguised themselves as ghosts and monsters with the help of artificial blood and special makeup, all so that they could do a good job at scaring the visitors the best they could. And the word going around the Academy was that the haunted house was so scary that some of the visitors from other factions ended up bursting into tears on the spot. Iron-Blooded had opened a beer garden that was a little more grown-up than what the children of the Royal Navy did with their maid caf¨¦. The beer that was being served there was paired up with grilled sausages and German potatoes, all the dishes that were making an exceptionally good combination with the clear autumn sky, and for children who could not drink alcohol there was a cold freshly squeezed fruit juice in a few different versions. But even in such an exceptional and festive situation, the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps had their hands full of work right from the early morning. But that being said¡­¡­ ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C From this point forward, you can do whatever you want with your free time. So please use your time and schedule plans that you must see fit.¡¹ In the morning between the usual work, Belfast suddenly called all the maids to the kitchen and said so. ¡¸What? But Head Maid, is there not still some work that needs to be done?¡¹ Kent looked at Belfast with a startled look on her face, and Suffolk, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen, stopped her hands halfway through her work in sheer disbelief. ¡¸Huh? But I thought that even though it is the School Festival, for us Royal Maid it would only mean business as usual¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸From this year onwards, I wanted to let the members of the Maid Corps participate in the School Festival as well, so I told Her Majesty about it beforehand.¡¹ The trigger was at the time of the Beauty Pageant meeting. At that time, Belfast learned that Suffolk was interested in the topic of beauty pageants, and thought that maybe the other maids wanted to use that occasion to let loose and have a moment to just sit back and relax, just like everyone else in the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory. Of course, if the chores such as cleaning and laundry would be abandoned for the whole day, it would be troublesome for everyone living in the dormitory at the current moment. So Belfast took the plunge and consulted the matter with Elizabeth on her way back from taking photos for the promotional poster. Hearing that, Her Majesty had only one thing to say: ¡°I don¡¯t mind if the maids who are always working hard take a break for one day. I¡¯m sure that no one is going to complain about that. Just as Elizabeth said, even when Belfast went out of her way and told about that to the children living in the dormitory, not a single person complained. On the contrary, the children in the dormitory were so grateful to the Royal Maids and their hard work that they could not express their gratitude enough. So lending them a hand for a day so that they could relax instead was a small price to pay. Volume 1 - CH 4.12 [So, this is the end of our work for today. Everyone, please enjoy the School Festival to your hearts¡¯ content.] When Belfast said that, the kitchen erupted with shouts of pure joy. The members of the Maid Corps rushed out of the kitchen one after another, leaving only Belfast, Edinburgh, and Sheffield inside. [Aren¡¯t you planning on going to see the School Festival yourself, Sheffy?] When Belfast asked her that, Sheffield shook her head while holding a mop and a bucket in her hands, ready to clean as usual. [When it comes to me, I think that cleaning duty suits me much better than just walking around.] Edinburgh let out a small sigh when she saw Sheffield turn around and leave to perform her duties, her face as expressionless as ever. [I think that Sheffy really thinks that. Not to mention that if you were to take away her cleaning duties from her, she would most probably feel like she was no longer herself anymore.] [Yes, most probably.] Belfast also agreed to that statement, although reluctantly. [By the way, isn¡¯t the Beauty Pageant right around the corner, Bel? And if so, umm, it¡¯s just that, you know¡­¡­ I was wondering if, umm¡­¡­ What are you going to do¡­¡­?] Edinburgh¡¯s words were fragmented and all over the place when she was having trouble putting her thoughts into words, but then Belfast gently held her index finger onto her sister lips, forcing her to become silent for a moment, before she said: ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Nee-san. I finally figured it out last night.¡¹ When she slowly let go of Edinburgh¡¯s lips with her index finger, Belfast smiled and pushed open the kitchen window. ¡¸Until now and all the way into the future ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I am Belfast, the Head Maid of the Royal Maid Corps of the Royal Navy.¡¹ The leaves of the tree near the window were already turning yellow, giving the feeling that autumn has officially arrived in full swing. Belfast admired the view for a while, continuing to feel the gentle breeze that blew into the kitchen. * * * The busy time passed quickly. When the late afternoon sun hit the Home Port, a large number of shipgirls gathered in front of a special stage built in the middle of the Academy, waiting impatiently for that time one time, their hearts beating with excitement at the upcoming big event. ¡¸The time if finally here.¡¹ Even though San Diego said so, she was still a little bit nervous inside. At the back of the stage, the members of different factions who were about to participate in the Beauty Pageant had gathered. Yamashiro of the Sakura Empire and Deutschland of the Iron Blood were already there and all wrapped up in the costumes prepared by their respective factions, waiting for the signal to appear on top of the stage. ¡¸But even so, Belfast seems to be late¡­¡­¡¹ San Diego was genuinely worried about the shipgirl he has met last night, and she was also wondering just how Belfast would perform on the stage when her time would come. Thinking that she might actually withdraw at the last minute, she felt a little lonely even though she knew that the Head Maid was supposed to be her rival. ¡¸Alright! Concentrate, San Diego! You need to concentrate!¡¹ Slapping her own cheeks a few times to make herself focus on the task at hand, San Diego turned her attention towards the center of the stage. When she thought that she would have to make everyone smile with her live performance, she was starting to feel more and more motivated. ¡¸I¡¯m definitely going to win this thing!¡¹ At that moment, Akashi¡¯s voice came through the microphone from the center of the stage. ¡¸Umm, testing, testing. Alright! Everyone! The time has finally come for the long awaited Beauty Pageant to kick into full swing! Are you ready?¡¹ In response to Akashi¡¯s words, the gathered crowd broke into a loud and enthusiastic cheer. The cheers of the audience were so loud that they actually travelled all the way backstage, where San Diego and other contestants could clearly hear them. ¡¸Alright, I can see that everyone is in great spirits today. Well then, without any further ago, let¡¯s get this thing started, shall we!?¡¹ Akashi then reached out into the pocket of her uniform and started to search for something in there. For a while only the sound of rustling could be heard through the microphone, but eventually Akashi took out a folded sheet of paper. ¡¸For this year¡¯s contestants, we have Yamashiro-san of the Sakura Empire, Deutschland-san of the Iron Blood, San Diego-san of the Eagle Union, and Belfast-san of the Royal Navy. I want everyone gathered here to vote on who you think is the best!¡¹ When Yamashiro¡¯s name was called, the large ears on top of her head twitched a little bit in a cute manner, and she stiffened up and headed towards the front of the stage. * * * ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Are you really sure about this?¡¹ Belfast nodded in response to Illustrious¡¯s question. At the current moment she was able to do so confidently and with conviction. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m sure. This is exactly what I want.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­¡­ We even got that dress ready especially for the occasion.¡¹ ¡¸Unlike my dear sister, I do not exactly put all that much thought into the things that others are going to wear, as long as they feel comfortable in them. That¡¯s just how I am.¡¹ Beside Illustrious who was staring at Belfast with a worried expression, Victorious opened her mouth and spoke up. ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s only natural for someone like Belfast, but more importantly than that, what do you think about it, Unicorn?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Hueh!?¡¹ Hearing that question directed at her, Unicorn¡¯s small shoulders shook and trembled as she rose her face from the fluffy plush of Yuu-chan. For a moment out there she was completely silent. Eventually she looked at Belfast with a somewhat sad look, but then it was clear to see that she managed to gather her thoughts together. ¡¸When we were making adjustments and trying the dress on earlier¡­¡­ Unicorn really though that Belfast-san looked like a genuine princess. Glittering and¡­¡­ shining like that¡­¡­ Unicorn was sure that everyone¡¯s eyes would be glued to Belfast-san for sure.¡¹ But, while she was saying that, Unicorn raised her face even more. ¡¸But¡­¡­ I then happened to notice something. While Belfast-san was wearing that dress, her thoughts seemed to be somewhere else entirely¡­¡­. So maybe, just maybe¡­¡­ Unicorn thought that what Belfast-san wants to show on that stage is fundamentally different from what everyone else wants¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Unicorn-chan¡­¡­¡¹ Belfast involuntarily let out those words, not really knowing what else she was supposed to be saying here. ¡¸And that is why¡­¡­ That¡¯s okay. Unicorn want to see it with her own eyes¡­¡­ The thing that Belfast-san wants to do the most while standing on that stage¡­¡­ That¡¯s what I think.¡¹ After saying that much, Unicorn quickly moves away from Belfast and the others, hiding behind Illustrious¡¯s back. ¡¸If there is anyone who should be grateful here, it should be me. Thank you, all three of you.¡¹ Seeing Bellfast bowing her head so deeply, Illustrious shook her head to the sides quietly. ¡¸Think nothing of it. And you don¡¯t have to apologize. I¡¯m sure that everyone will understand how you feel, Belfast-san.¡¹ ¡¸But more importantly, isn¡¯t it finally the time for you to go? The contest is about to start.¡¹ Hearing Victorious¡¯s words, Belfast looked at her wristwatch. It¡¯s true, the time was almost up for the contest to start. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. Well then, everyone, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll have to excuse me here. I really must be on my way.¡¹ Belfast immediately headed to towards the beauty pageant¡¯s venue without stopping. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It¡¯s really strange¡­¡­ I should have hesitated way more than this. With that thought in her mind, Belfast walked with her skirt fluttering in the wind that was gently blowing from the sea. From the distant stage, she could hear the singing voice of San Diego reverberating across the entire area. Come to think of it, starting from the past six months, which began in spring, almost every single day was filled with something entirely new to her and exciting and fresh. She was really hesitant about consulting her sister Edinburgh on how to brew the kind of tea that she was supposedly unable to brew. She was acting as a substitute teacher for the shipgirls who were about to participate in the military commissions for the first time ever. She even went on a day off trip to a hot springs inn. So much ¡°first times¡± that she was able to experience. And she was sure that even more of them were to come. But¡­¡­ But even so¡­¡­ ¡¸I¡­¡­ I want to continue to be a maid who can be useful to everyone around me.¡¹ Now that Belfast was thinking about it, maybe she really was way more selfish than she thought? Volume 1 - CH 4.13 At that time, Belfast could honestly say that for the first time ever, she felt like she had a glimpse of who she really is. And with the incoming performance, she knew that this tiny glimpse would become much clearer of a picture. It was at that moment that the chorus stopped singing from the direction of the stage. In the distance, Belfast could see San Diego leaving the stage, surrounded by thunderous rounds of applause. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I wonder if Master was also watching the performance from somewhere? As Belfast walked forward, her thoughts slowly drifted towards the Commander who assumed his duties over this entire Hope Port a while ago. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C By all means, Belfast wanted for the Commander to look at her while she was going to go on that stage soon. And hopefully, when they would look at her giving it her very best at being herself, they would smile at her in that gentle and warm way of theirs, look at me like this and smile gently, [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C And now, last but definitely not least! Let¡¯s welcome Belfast-san of the Royal Navy! A warm round of applause as she is about to show us her performance!] When the Head Maid finally made it to the backstage, San Diego was shocked to see Belfast the way she was right now. [Ah! Huh? W-Wait just a minute! But this is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] But before she could finish her sentence, Belfast ran up the stairs leading to the stage and went out. * * * [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Huh!? Wait just a minute here, Edi! Why the hell is Bel dressed up like that!?] Edinburgh was then violently shaken by her shoulders by Elizabeth, who was watching the entire event from the side of the audience zone. Even to Edinburgh, who was Belfast¡¯s older sister and who should understand her best out of everyone in the Home Port, the Head Maid¡¯s decision proved to be a complete and utter mystery. [Even though¡­¡­ Even though we had that bloody dress prepared for her and everything! So why!? Why is this happening!? This doesn¡¯t make any sense!] [I-I don¡¯t know why, Your Majesty¡­¡­ But I¡¯m sure that Bel already has a clear idea inside of her head what it is that she wants to do.] Edinburgh answered while fixing her misaligned glasses with a swift gesture. [Because that woman¡­¡­ Bel would never do anything without giving it a proper thought and preparation. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C So even though she¡¯s wearing her usual maid uniform, I¡¯m sure that she is already moving according to some plan that she has conjured in her mind.] Of course, Elizabeth wasn¡¯t the only one who was confused by Belfast appearance. All the shipgirls of the Royal Navy seemed to be stunned by her as well. Because Belfast came out onto the stage while wearing her usual maid outfit instead of the dress that was supposed to have been prepared exclusively for this beauty pageant. At that moment, Belfast opened her mouth with the microphone in his hand and spoke up. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Just until today, I have been wondering what am I supposed to do here, right on top of this stage.] To those words, the entire venue fell silent all at once. [My good friends and companions from the Royal Navy even went as far as to prepare a beautiful dress for me to wear just for today. But I chose to not wear it for this contest. Because¡­¡­ I could not possibly imagine myself standing here before all of you while wearing it, and still being able to call myself ¡°myself¡±.] At that moment, there was a flash of light that shone on the darkened stage. Over the horizon in the distant sea, the sun was about to set. But instead of the darkness, what emerged here were countless stars twinkling high in the night sky. [I am deeply sorry that I caused my fellow maids unnecessary worry. However, the answer that I managed to arrive at is really simple. The one that has been by my side all along.] Seeing Belfast¡¯s smiling expression in the light of the stage, Elisabeth almost unconsciously murmured those words out loud. [Oh my, she¡¯s so¡­¡­ Incredibly beautiful.] Even Edinburgh could not possibly take her eyes off of Belfast, watching her and feeling as if her radiance managed to completely paralyze her entire body. She had her usual soft demeanor and a pleasant voice. Her gracefully smiling figure would rather lose its brilliance if she was poorly decorated with extravagant clothes like that dress from before. [That is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C In order to truly be myself. I stand here as a maid as I always do and serve everyone at the Dormitory. In order for me to be myself, I must never lack that sense of wanting to serve someone else and see them smile. Without that, there would truly be no point to it!] After saying that, Belfast let go of the microphone for a moment and said something to Akashi who was standing right beside the stage. After nodding her head a few times, Akashi immediately retreated backstage. When she returned shortly after, Akashi was holding a simple folding table that had been prepared for the shipgrils who were waiting behind the stage. [Just what is she going to do with that table, I wonder?] Warspite, who was sitting right next to Elizabeth, unintentionally let out her voice as she wondered about that. When Akashi withdrew to the backstage again and came back, the next thing she brought was a single folding chair. Placing it in the center of the stage, Belfast once again brought the mic closer to her mouth. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Nee-san, can you come to the stage for a moment, please?] It was at that exact moment that the eyes of everyone gathered in the audience turned towards Edinburgh all at once. [¡­¡­ Huh? HUEAH!?] Pointing a finger at himself, Edinburgh hurriedly stood up while her expression was a textbook definition of panic. [W-W-Why would I¡­¡­ have to go to the¡­.. stage of all places¡­¡­?W-why am I on stage¡­ T-T-This is so embarrassing¡­¡­] [Nee-san, we do not have an entire day for this, so please hurry it up and come to the stage already, why don¡¯t you?] Regardless of just how red with embarrassment Edinburgh¡¯s face was, Belfast still casually told her to hurry it up and come over. [O-Okay, okay, I get it already, I get it¡­¡­ Why is this happening to me of all people¡­¡­?] When Edinburgh went up on the stage while trying to avoid the stares of other audience members while mumbling to herself like that, Belfast urged her to sit on the chair right in front of the small table. [¡­ So? What exactly are you going to do, Bel?] Feeling slightly embarrassed, Belfast said to her older sister after removing her hand from the microphone. [I¡¯m going to make tea for you for the time being, Nee-san.] [Making tea? Could it be that this is your method of appealing to the audience?] With Belfast gave a slight chuckle and nodded her head a little bit as a form of answer, Edinburgh leaned back in her chair as though she couldn¡¯t quite believe what she was hearing here. [Now I¡¯m seriously amazed¡­¡­ Why are you doing this? I mean, this is something that you do all the time back at the Dormitory¡­¡­] [Yes, it¡¯s precisely because of that. This is what I always do, but this will also be the very first time that I am going to do something like this.] After saying something with a whole lot of implications behind it, Belfast turned her face towards the audience. [To tell you all the truth, I have never before made tea for my dear sister in all of my life. So for today, I would like to do just that, serving my older sister, who is also a Royal Maid, while also pouring all of my gratitude for her into that cup. This is ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C] First glancing at her older sister¡¯s face, Belfast then rose her head and looked somewhere far away into the distance. Edinburgh followed her gaze, and then she suddenly realized something. She was sure that this gaze of her must have been directed towards a certain special someone somewhere in this Academy. [This is who I am. I am Belfast, the Head Maid of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps, currently serving at the best stage possible in the entire world. Please, burn this image of me giving my best service into your mind ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C My beloved Master.] Volume 1 - Epilogue Translator: Kurehashi Aiko EPILOGUE: The Head Maid¡¯s Courtesy The school festival was over, and life around the Home Port has returned to its usual steady rhythm. At the breakfast table this morning, Elizabeth announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to have a tea party today!!¡± ¡¸It¡¯s starting to get really chilly now.¡¹ Said Edinburgh while she stopped moving her broom and looked up to the autumn sky. When Belfast looked up at the sea in the distance, she could see a low, thin quake stretching toward the sea in the sky. It seems that when the temperature drops, it becomes difficult for the water vapor from the seawater to rise, so if you go to the coast, you should be able to see mostly clouds and fog that overlap with the horizon. ¡¸Let¡¯s get this done before someone notices us and decides to give us a hand, shall we?¡¹ Hearing Belfast say that, Edinburgh immediately dropped her gaze and started cleaning once again. ¡¸Say, Bel?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Edinburgh stares at her sister with a dull look for a moment. ¡¸Why do you look so happy all of a sudden?¡¹ Hearing that, Belfast touched her own cheeks. ¡¸Do I really¡­¡­ look that that?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you do. As plainly as a day. Somehow, I feel like there¡¯s this really weird rhythm to the way in which you are cleaning.¡¹ As if she hadn¡¯t really noticed herself, Belfast stopped her hands as he stared at the fallen leaves on the ground. ¡¸And I¡¯m not talking about just today, you know? I get a feeling that you have been way happier ever since that School Festival.¡¹ Edinburgh made a slightly difficult expression and turned away for a moment. ¡¸Even though¡­¡­ you weren¡¯t able to win in the end.¡¹ Seeing her sister frustrated like that all of a sudden, Belfast thought to herself for a while. In the end, Eagle Union ended up taking the victory by a landslide in this year¡¯s Beauty Pageant, as everyone would expect. San Diego, who was awarded the commendation certificate and a trophy by the Commander themselves, was happily posing with a ¡°V¡± sign in the commemorative picture of her that was still being posted on the bulletin board in the Academy. Neither Elizabeth nor anyone else from the Royal Navy had anything to say about Belfast¡¯s actions. ¡°Although the result was quite disappointing, the direction taken was right and spot on.¡±. That was the only word of comment that Elizabeth had for the situation, wishing that next year they should strive towards a better result. ¡¸I don¡¯t really think there¡¯s a win or lose when it comes to contests like this.¡¹ Grabbing the collected fallen leaves into the dustpan, Belfast stood up, and before long, the Head Maid calmly answered Edinburgh¡¯s question. ¡¸I was happy that I was able to show everyone there that I am happy and proud of being a maid, and that I was able to properly present myself without losing sight of who I really am¡­¡­ So as long as I am happy with that result, isn¡¯t that fine?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really think that¡¯s fine.¡¹ Edinburgh puffed out her cheeks and answered immediately. ¡¸Didn¡¯t you want to be commended by the Commander themselves, Bel?¡¹ ¡¸No, that¡¯s not really it.¡¹ Belfast smiled wryly while frowning in embarrassment. ¡¸However, that dress did not really suit me that much. Because I really wanted to show everyone myself the way I usually am all the time. That¡¯s why I¡¯m very satisfied with the results.¡¹ ¡¸You are one hell of a selfish little sister, you know that?¡¹ ¡¸Sometimes what it takes to make the perfect maid is to be terribly selfish every now and then, Nee-san.¡¹ Just when Belfast said that, they could hear people¡¯s voices gathering in the courtyard. The time for the tea party was about to begin. At once Belfast and Edinburgh put down their brooms and stood before a large round table. ¡¸The tea leaves for today are Earl Gray and Ceylon blend.¡¹ ¡¸I know. You are the one who makes the tea with all your heart, Bel. Just like I said before, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. And I guarantee that it¡¯s going to be delicious.¡¹ When the two maids let out a small chuckle, they saw Elizabeth entering the courtyard. ¡¸Bell, Edi! Are we all ready now?¡¹ Belfast grabbed the edge of her skirt with both of her hands and bowed her head really low, as if she was trying to touch her skirt with it. ¡¸Welcome everyone. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡¹ Her curtsy was as beautiful today as ever. Volume 2 - Prologue If you really think about it long and hard enough, the history of mankind was always connected to the big and vast ocean. It was always humanity¡¯s insatiable greed and ambition that drove them to the seas and oceans, to seek new and undiscovered lands that might lay beyond them. Over the course of their long history, humanity developed many different nautical tools and techniques, which eventually allowed them to venture and land on the other side of the distant horizons. But even then, humanity continued to improve through both science and technology, academic knowledge and repeated process of trial and error. But at the same time the endless greed and ambition of humanity would eventually put various nations into conflict with one another, for the sole purpose of increasing the prosperity of individual nations. The world is never going to be a calm surface of the water without any waves on it. There is always going to be a dark stream of conflict and war distorting that calm surface. And it was during those turbulent times that the position of humankind changed drastically and completely due to the appearance of the previously unknown enemy. The atypical kind of enemy who emerged from the depths of the oceans all of a sudden, and then would use their full power to sink human ships only to drag the helpless humans underwater, into the far reaches of the dark watery abyss down below. ¡ª¡ª The ¡°Sirens¡±. Faced with the overwhelming power of foreign invaders, humankind was forced back quickly and lost control of about ninety percent of all the seas and oceans. As a result of that both scientific and technological fields suffered a huge blow and regressed greatly, and the damage to both logistical and economic systems resulted in worsening of the living conditions around the globe. Just like that, time was passing for decades. In order to regain the glory that humankind once had and to regain this very planet, each of the factions decided to put their differences and grievances aside, creating the largest military coalition the world has ever known called the ¡°Azur Lane¡±. In the beginning, it seemed that Azur Lane was succeeding in repelling the Siren threat. However, full eradication of the previously unknown threat was not possible. And then there was the issue of the philosophical differences between the various camps of the Azur Lane. Those differences slowly led to the battle with the Sirens coming to a standstill. And before long, this has once again developed into the battle between different factions. What resulted from the cracks forming across Azur Lane was the creation of four different factions. A federation that values scientific research and freedom more than anything else ¡ª- the Eagle Union. The faction originating from the British Isles, with the longest history of sea voyage, navigation and shipbuilding in the entire world ¡ª- Royal Navy. And then there is the ¡°Crimson Axis¡±, the new faction that was created after a split formed in the Azur Lane. One of the members of this new faction was a nation focused on military dictatorship and research of the Siren technology ¡ª- the ¡°Iron Blood¡±. Then there is another member of ¡°Crimson Axis¡± following the Iron Blood¡¯s lead, the mysterious faction shrouded in mist and cherry blossom petals located in the Far East ¡ª- The ¡°Sakura Empire¡±. And while there were tensions and conflicts running between the various factions, there was a certain other military port far away from the violent frontlines. This military port gathers the ¡°Shipgirls¡± under the command of a ¡°Commander¡±. As for ¡°Shipgirls¡±, they are a countermeasure against the Siren threat and the product of human science and the Mental Cube, from all faction ¡ª¡ª This here is a story of a certain silver-haired girl, a member of Royal Navy and someone who is working as the member of the Royal Maids formation. And the name of that shipgirl ¡ª¡ª is Belfast. Volume 2 - CH 1.10 Also, that was all without even mentioning the problem of cake-making. Most of the people were afraid that the thieving ghost might visit the kitchen again, which resulted in all the work and preparations coming to a screeching halt. ¡¸At this rate we really are going to be in serious trouble¡­¡­¡¹ Realizing that, Belfast let out a long sigh. As for the time, it was already way past noon, and they were late into the afternoon. Belfast also asked Nelson and Rodney to keep quiet about the Ghost Maid in order to prevent the commotion from escalating even further, but it seems that the candy theft damage was already starting to increase little by little, even among the other factions. And since the candy thief was at large while being dressed up as a maid, there was no way for the Maid Corps to avoid being falsely accused of stealing. Just as Belfast was starting to feel that she was at the end of her rope as to what to do with this entire situation, ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast.¡¹ Suddenly hearing someone calling her name, Belfast turned around in search of the source of the voice. But even so, she was having trouble recognizing to whom exactly that voice belonged. Everyone else seemed to be just as concerned as Belfast was, but they seemed to be as clueless about it as the Head Maid was. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Here, Belfast. I¡¯m right here.¡¹ At that moment Belfast looked behind her in astonishment. The one standing behind Belfast¡¯s back was Newcastle. She must have finished her portion of the chores for the time being and was back to receive some more duties to perform. ¡¸Newcastle-san! When did you¡­¡­!?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­ I have been standing here and listening for a while now.¡¹ Belfast thought that this should be surprising, but at this point in time that was really no longer the case. ¡¸There is one thing that I have forgotten to tell you earlier.¡¹ ¡¸Something that you have forgotten to tell me?¡¹ ¡¸About the Ghost Maid, I mean.¡¹ Not only Belfast, but the eyes of everyone present in the kitchen widened up and they held their breath. ¡¸To tell you the truth, I might have an idea about a person who might be familiar with the Ghost Maid. Originally, the Ghost Maid was the first among the shipgirls who have been affiliated with this Home Port a long time ago.¡¹ Newcastle then opened the wooden door leading to the dining room. ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, I can tell you all about it as we walk around for a bit¡­¡­ Now then, what do you want to do?¡¹ Belfast followed after Newcastle without even a moment of hesitation. ¡¸I-I guess I¡¯ll just stay here and watch the house while you are gone, Bel¡­¡­ Haha.¡¹ Said Edinburgh in a helpless tone, trying to look positive, even though that did not quite work the way she intended it to be, because her face was even more bluish in color right now. ¡¸And we shall resume the cake-making process in the meantime.¡¹ After saying that, Sheffield made her way to the cooking table and began to continue the work on the already finished sponge cake. ¡¸If we were to stop working at this point, it would be really difficult for us to finish the cake before the appointed time. Besides, it would be nice if there was at least one person who could counterattack when the Ghost Maid comes with another unannounced visit.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­¡­ Y-Yeah, you¡¯re right. Then we shall help you out with this, as well!¡¹ ¡¸Me too! Let me help out, too!¡¹ Seeing that Kent and Foxhound opted to stay behind, it would seem that Belfast had no other choice but to go and listen to Newcastle¡¯s story all on her own. At that point, Belfast could feel a small hand pinching at the hem of her uniform. ¡¸¡­¡­ Bel-chan? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Bell-chan said to Belfast, after stopping pulling on her dress and shuddering for a second out there: ¡¸I-I want to go as well, Belfast-nee-sama!¡¹ ¡¸But Bel-chan, aren¡¯t you afraid of ghosts?¡¹ When Belfast asked her that with a surprised look on her face, Bel-chan replied to her after a brief moment of silence. ¡¸But that would actually be a first time for me if I was able to actually meet one.¡¹ If only that was the case with anyone else, then Belfast¡¯s job would have been a whole lot easier. Belfast took the hand of her little maid companion and expressed her gratitude. ¡¸Thank you. Thank you so much, Bel-chan.¡¹ In addition to that, it would seem that this small hand was hiding the amount of courage in itself that could even put that of an adult to shame. It was certainly reassuring to have a companion like that. At that moment Belfast really thought so. * * * Newcastle left the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory through the back door, unfolded the umbrella that she was holding in her hand, and started to walk ahead. Belfast and Bel-chan followed closely behind her. ¡¸There should be a small detached building not so far away from here.¡¹ Bel-chan suddenly spoke up while the three of them were walking forward. Right behind the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory, there was a small hut that even the maids usually wouldn¡¯t go near to. Even the Royal Maids were instructed that there was no need to clean that place up, even occasionally. So it was left alone just like that. At this point in time, it would hardly be surprising if some thief would make this place into their hideout. Surely Bel-chan was not the only one who would know about this place, for there were bound to be at least a bunch of children who would try to venture into this area during their playtime, but considered the place to be just a plain and ordinary abandoned house and nothing else. ¡¸Actually, this place was supposed to be an annex for the children¡¯s room back at the dormitory.¡¹ Newcastle started to explain while they continued to walk. ¡¸The ones who were supposed to live here were the people who did not wish to be disturbed by others while they were going about their daily routine. That is also the reason why the Maid Corps was explicitly told to not perform any cleaning in this place, either.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. So that was the reason, huh?¡¹ While listening to the talk that Belfast was having with her senior, Bel-chan said that to herself. ¡¸It seems that we have arrived.¡¹ While saying that, Belfast also gazed at the constructed hut for the first time in a long while. The hut itself was like a wooden bungalow. The skeleton of the hut was densely overgrown with ivy, just like any other building on the Home Port island. Combined with just how run-down it looked to be, it looked really eerie and disturbing. ¡¸It looks like a perfect place for a ghost to appear in. Or like a perfect setting for a ghost story.¡¹ Certainly, it was just as Bel-chan said. It was also an appearance that wouldn¡¯t make it all that surprising if a thief was living here. ¡¸How about we try to go in right away?¡¹ Saying so, Newcastle stood at the entrance of this realistic-looking Horror House. Seeing the door knocker that was right in front of her while looking from behind Newcastle¡¯s back, Belfast was in shock for a brief moment. That¡¯s because the door knocker was fashioned in the shape of a terrifying demon¡¯s face, with goat-like horns growing from the sides of its head. What¡¯s more, the one that was installed at the front door had its expression to be fashioned in a really grotesque and anguished way, making placing one¡¯s hand onto the knocker in its mouth feel especially disturbing. Then there was also a hoof-shaped handle-like protrusion sticking from the door, designed for turning rather than from pressing it down. ¡¸Come to think of it, this is going to be the first time for me to be coming to this place at this time of the year.¡¹ Belfast said that while staring at the uniquely designed door-knocker. Newcastle took it upon herself to knock onto the door, seeing just how reluctant her junior seemed about it. As to be expected, there was no reply. ¡¸The door are open, imagine that.¡¹ Newcastle then looked at Belfast while opening the door with a silent sound after twisting the doorknob a little bit. ¡¸Then one that we are looking for is probably inside, so let¡¯s just go inside for now.¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡¹ When Belfast asked her about that, Newcastle simply nodded her head slowly. ¡¸This here building may be in the middle of the field and might look abandoned and that you cannot enter it, but basically it seems that you can freely come and go whenever you please, with little to no consequence.¡¹ Belfast and the others proceeded through the open door right after Newcastle, wondering if that was really the case here. Volume 2 - CH 1.1 CHAPTER 1: A Bonding Halloween PART 1 The hour was still before dawn, so it was no surprise that the world outside was still shrouded in the veil of darkness to some extent. That was actually the very first thing to do on the list of daily routines for the beginning of the day for the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps¡¯ the second ship of the Town Class, Edinburgh Sub-Class Light Cruiser named Belfast. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, this area was the section of the Port island where the school managed by a certain faction was located. And located in the north-eastern part of the school¡¯s campus, there was another building, a dormitory, where the young shipgirls of the ¡°Royal Navy¡± lived their daily lives, ate their meals and went to school to receive education. The three-story dormitory was built in the Neo¡ªGothic style and even had a solitary bell tower erecting from its roof. And to the west of the dormitory, there was the long concrete pier that could be seen, as well as the bridge connecting this area to the central port. And it was inside of the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory that Belfast was walking down the quiet corridor where all the windows were lined with tracery. Eventually, Belfast would go down the stairs in the center of the building and arrive at the ground floor, going down another corridor before eventually arriving in front of a large double door located slightly to the south of the staircase. [¡­¡­ Oh my?] She slowly turned the doorknob ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C But much to her surprise, the door would not open. [It¡¯s way heavier than I would have expected¡­¡­ And way harder¡­¡­ That¡¯s troubling¡­¡­]¡¯ When she put her whole body against the double door and pushed it with all of her weight, it took her a moment but they eventually started moving forward inch by inch. This dormitory was quite large in order to properly accommodate all of the shipgirls who are supposed to live here all at once, but even taking that fact into account, there were still quite a bit of empty rooms to spare. Although there was a stained glass in every window that would allow for the daylight to easily pass through into the building, the corridors and the rooms inside of the dormitory were still quite dim, much more than in the other dormitories around the Port island. After staring for a moment or two into the distance, the maid directed her gaze towards the lantern that was hanging on the cedar wall just outside of the double door. However, the lantern was hanging way higher than the maid was able to reach, way above her head. But since she was always prepared for such an eventuality to occur, she brought out portable stairs that she prepared in advance, and she climbed them up and stretched out her arm in order to reach for the lantern without having to strain her legs too much. [And there we go¡­¡­ Alright, I got it!] After getting the lantern from the wall, the maid jumped off the top of the portable stairs, even though she knew that it was dangerous and that she should not really do it, and then she quietly placed the lantern on top of the table. Next, the woman gently put her hand inside of the pocket of her maid uniform¡¯s apron. Then she started to rummage through the contents of her pocket in search of a matchbox, all the while there was a huge smile blooming on her face. For her, gently lighting up a lantern seemed to be synonymous with being a prim and proper maid who can behave gracefully and elegantly at all times without fail. However, the matchbox was nowhere to be found inside of her pocket. She thought that it was really strange, and then she put her hand inside of her apron¡¯s pocket once more and started searching. Realizing that the matchbox was not there, there was a small feeling of emptiness that was born inside of her heart. Not to mention that the inside of her pocket was a true mess, since she had a whole lot of small things and thingies there, like extra tea bags and such. The movement of her small hand inside of her pocket became gradually more erratic and chaotic, and her cheerful expression was replaced with a huge frown. Just when she started to get a little frustrated that she was unable to find what she was looking for, she felt a shape ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C a single matchbox brushing against the tips of her fingers. She immediately latched onto that shape and pulled the match out of her pocket before it managed to elude her further. In that blink of an eye, the match slipped out of her hand with the excess momentum and started to fall down towards the floor. [Aahh!] The matchbox fell out of her hand and started falling towards the floor while rotating in mid-air, and the contents that were inside of it were scattered all over the place. She hurriedly picked them all up one by one and put them back inside of the box. [Nothing seems to be going as smoothly as I would like it to today¡­¡­] That action right now might not have been elegant in the slightest, but even so, the young maid proceeded to light the lamp and then she started to walk through the room as if nothing at all happened. There, at the very end of the long and spacious room, there was a single wooden door in the back, and when the young maid inserted the key into the keyhole and opened the door, the kitchen with the scalary integrated into it came into a full view. From the window curtains on the east side of the room, where many cooking utensils and tableware were lined up, there was a bright light that was falling into the room, just before the sun was about to rise over the horizon. It was a truly pretty sight when you were observing it through the window. Gently placing the lantern on top of the cooking table, the maid slid her body inside of the curtains that covered the window. Staring at the ginkgo trees that could be seen from behind the glass windows, the maid unlocked it with a little pomp and pulled the window up. At that moment, the ¡°silk curtain¡± softly swelled into the kitchen like a giant balloon would when you would fill it with air. After taking a deep breath of the still cold morning air, the maid would look at the birds sitting on the trees and opened her mouth to greet them. [Good¡­¡­] [¡­¡­ Good morning.] It was then that a certain voice echoed from behind the young maid¡¯s back, and before she was even able to react in any way or turn around, someone placed both of their hands right on top of her shoulders. Surprised, the little maid turned around to find a silver-haired woman wearing an apron standing in the middle of the curtain that was all fluttering up in the gentle morning breeze. [Now, this won¡¯t do, I¡¯m afraid. You have to properly extinguish the lantern before you open the window. If it¡¯s a particularly windy day, it can be blown away from the table, and that¡¯s something that we would rather not want to see, am I right?] The gentle, and sweet voice as if it was dripping with honey, sounding like the most perfect example of sheer elegance. With her hands still being placed on the little maid¡¯s shoulders, she gently warned her about the lantern that was still on the table. The little maid ¨C¨C¨C the little Belfast that everyone was calling Bel-chan for short ¨C¨C¨C looked at her grown up self and asked with small flames of anxiety starting to smolder in her eyes. [¡­¡­ Could it be that I got in here as the last again?] While Bel-chan was saying that, the silver-haired Belfast the Head Maid pulled her hands from her shoulders and then she tilted her head slightly while at the same time she grabbed a hold of the bulging kitchen curtains and pulled them to the left and to the right, tying them firmly in one place so that they would not disturb the kitchen¡¯s work.. [No, that¡¯s not it at all. It¡¯s just that I got up really early, the little Head Maid-san.] When Belfast said that with a bright smile on her lips, Bel-chan seemed to become slightly embarrassed by her visage, her hands fidgeting while being placed on top of her maid apron. In fact, all of the other maids were already in the kitchen, but there was no need to say that for now. [That¡¯s because, I¡¯m afraid that today is going to be quite a busy day.] When Belfast said so, the soft autumn breeze flowed in from the outside of the window right into the kitchen. Volume 2 - CH 1.2 There was a loud sound that could be heard from the very top of the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory building ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C It was the morning routine that upon striking the designated hour, the bell at the top of the clock tower would ring out loud to indicate that it was about time for everyone present at the dormitory to wake up. The sound the bell was making was so loud that it reached even all the way across the home Port, and it was often considered to be way too loud among the shipgirls who were living in the dormitories. That very same bell was to toll out loud right about now. Just three more seconds left. Two seconds. One second ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C [It¡¯s time to get to work!] With those words being said, there was indeed a loud toll of the bell that could be heard. And at the same time, both Belfast and her sister Edinburgh rushed from the kitchen into the dining room. What was right in front of them was the huge dining room. And what each of them was holding in their hands was a bunch of pure white table cloths. They divided their work to the left side and the right side, and proceeded according to the shape that was made out beneath their feet by the tape in the shape of a huge rectangular shape. Doing their job, each made their way further and further down their designated side of the dining room. And while they were going, the folded table cloth in their hands was slowly unfolding with a gentle rustling sound. And after a short while, the two maids came to a screeching halt all at once. The tape was the thing that told them where to go and where to stop. Looking at the dining room from the bird¡¯s-eye perspective, the clothes held by the two maids seemed to be the thick lines that were dividing the dining room in a straight line. ¡¸And one! And a two ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C!!¡¹ While the two maids made quiet shout in unison like that and made the white table cloth in their hands into a motion, it went upwards way higher than their heads for a single moment. And once the two maids managed to confirm that the table cloth landed safely on top of the table, it was time for Belfast to quickly turn around and go back into the kitchen. ¡¸Well then, everyone. If you¡¯d be so kind.¡¹ ¡¸OK! Alright then, here we go!¡¹ The first person to come out of the kitchen with an energetic shout to boost her morale was Kent, the County Class Heavy Cruiser. Next one to emerge was Suffolk, also a Heavy Cruiser of the County Class, followed by Sheffield, a Light Cruiser of the Town Class. The three of them approached the end of the table where Belfast was standing, each pushing a serving cart loaded with a large amount of various tableware. First of all, Sheffield quickly lined up the napkins on each seat, followed by Kent lining up knives and forks. ¡¸Is the soup ready to be served?¡¹ Belfast turned towards the busy Kent, asking her that. ¡¸Yes! Just a little bit more and we will be ready to serve it!¡¹ ¡¸And how about the preparations for tea serving?¡¹ This time around Belfast turned towards Suffolk, who was busy arranging the cups and pots on the table. ¡¸I-I think we are going to be fine to serve it! Probably.¡¹ Thankfully, the speed at which the members of the Maid Corps were arranging the tableware on the table was quite fast, and somehow it seemed that the preparations would be finished before the first shipgirls from the dormitory would arrive in the dining room to have their morning meal. ¡¸Sheffield, what about ¨C¨C¨C¡¹ Belfast turned towards Sheffield with that next inquiry. However, the maid in question suddenly disappeared from the dining room without a trace. All of the napkins were already beautifully arranged. When Belfast took a peek into the kitchen really quick, Sheffield was already there, instructing the other maids on how to properly arrange the pieces of the meal on the plates. ¡¸Make sure that you do not go overboard with beans. Think more about the balance of the whole plate, and bring together the best proportions for each ingredient to make that perfect image in your head become reality.¡¹ Next, Belfast was going to ask about the way in which the meal was arranged on the plates for everyone as well about its taste, but it would seem that there was no longer any need for her to worry about that. It was already nicely taken care of. When Belfast was letting out a small sigh of relief for a moment out there, ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Belfast?¡¹ All of a sudden, Sheffield raised her head and noticed that the Head Maid was looking at her. ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ When Belfast answered while shaking her head to the sides, Sheffield lowered her head as if she had lost all interest and she immediately began giving instructions to the maids once more in the most serious of tones. ¡¸Toast and eggs should always be up front. Now hurry it up. We don¡¯t have that much time left.¡¹ When it comes to Sheffield, she might have seemed harsh at times, but that was only because she did not want to hold back even when it comes to her subordinates and other shipgirls, making sure that they would absolutely get the job done. Belfast knew that fact about her very well that although she usually had that expressionless mask on her face all the time, and it was difficult for anyone to be able to reach what lied underneath it, she was the one who was the best choice to train others to do things the right way. As evidence of that simple fact, Sheffield moved around the kitchen more than anyone else would when there was the time to make any sort of preparations. Each and every one of her juniors was always properly trained and instructed, while Sheffield herself was always keeping a firm eye on them so that they wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes that would impede the rest of the work. ¡¸Anyways¡­¡­ I think that we will manage to make everything in time.¡¹ Looking at just how smoothly things were proceeding, Belfast said those words more to herself rather than to anyone else in particular. After all, the morning at the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory was just getting started for today. When it comes to the Royal Navy¡¯s breakfast, it is called the Full Breakfast, and is particularly extravagant compared to the breakfasts of every other faction. In other words, out of all the three meals of the day, the breakfast was always the most challenging of them all for the Royal Maids to prepare. And what¡¯s more, today that fact was especially true, because there was another reason for that Full Breakfast that was making it even more difficult than it usually was. ¡¸I was afraid that the work for today might be especially sluggish because of the lack of personnel, but I guess it was good thing that I was wrong¡­¡­¡¹ Belfast then quickly glanced into the kitchen. In front of the tables that were meant for cooking that were placed at even intervals, several maids were doing work other than that related to preparing breakfast. One of the most noticeable things about that work was the large orange pumpkin in the middle of the kitchen. ¡¸But I must say, that pumpkin cake surely looks delicious.¡¹ Peeking from behind Belfast¡¯s back, Bel-chan¡¯s eyes were shining with the truest child-like excitement. She then looked at Belfast from below while her whole body was fidgeting restlessly. ¡¸I know why everyone got up so early in the morning today. That¡¯s because today is Halloween, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is in fact a correct answer.¡¹ Belfast smiled as she put her hands on Bel-chan¡¯s tiny head and stroked her hair gently. It all started just the other day. Since Halloween was just around the corner, a decision was made to prepare some pumpkin-like decorations and have some dishes and sweets with a pumpkin motif for the occasion. And it was none other than Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth who came up with such a proposal. Everyone was surprised to hear it at first, and Belfast immediately gathered all the maids to discuss the exact plan for the event that was to take place, and just like that they were able to devise a plan that would be manageable and would please everyone participating in it. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C For example, how about making a huge pumpkin cake? The planned height of the cake was about two meters. It would be a cake taller than any small shipgirl that was currently living in the Royal Navy¡¯s Dormitory. Normally, it would only be Bedfast who would get up early in the morning in order to prepare breakfast for everyone. Volume 2 - CH 1.3 But this time around, everyone else was already fully awake for the sake of getting all the preparations ready. Belfast then looked around the cooking table, carefully observing the maids that were walking around it and taking care of things as they needed. ¡¸I really don¡¯t want any ghosts to play tricks on my precious kitchen, and especially not today. So for today, we are going to give the cute little ghosts who live in the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory a delicious cake in order to appease them as much as possible.¡¹ Immediately after Belfast made that proclamation, everyone else currently present let out a cheerful voice and seconded that opinion. The expressions of all the maids currently present were that of a bright smile, and could feel that their motivation was going through the roof right about now. For all of the members of the Maid Corps who have been involved with serving the children living in the Royal Navy¡¯s dormitory almost all day long, a seasonal event like this one was like a true test of their skills as maids. As for the process of cake-making, everyone said that they wanted to be a part of it, so for today it was decided that the members of the Maid Corps would alternate accordingly for each task. Currently, it was a turn of the cake-making group inside of the kitchen, but soon they would be switched with the group that was responsible for preparing breakfast. ¡¸It¡¯s almost the time for the children in the dormitory to start waking up.¡¹ Belfast headed to the door to check on the state of the dining room¡¯s preparations. Taking a quick glance into the dining room, she could see that some of the children had already begun to gather. ¡¸So fluffy~¡­¡­ That looks so delicious¡­¡­!¡¹ The first thing that caught Belfast¡¯s eye was a group of Destroyers that sat at the edge of the table. One of them was Cygnet, a C Class Destroyer who still looked to be half-asleep, her mouth opened wide as she let out a mighty yawn. ¡¸Eheheheh! It¡¯s trick or treat time of the year once more!¡¹ Next one was a J Class Destroyer, Javelin. Wearing a red-colored headgear on top of her head and a black cloak draped over her shoulders, it looked like she was ready for the festivities even before the breakfast was to be served. But it seems that there were also quite a few other people who were quick to act because of the current date, not just the Destroyers. One of them was York, a Heavy Cruiser of the York Class, that had just arrived through the doors leading into the dining room. ¡¸Now, bear witness! This is my true form! ¡­¡­ I can already feel the Power ¡°The Force¡± surging through this body!¡¹ She had a pitch-black coat that even covered her head with a deep hood, and she had something on her that looked like a machine gun handle hanging from her back. And saying corny lines like that while being dressed like that, you would think that she was actually cosplaying some sort of manga or video game character of some kind. As Belfast looked at the people who just entered the dining room, especially York, she suddenly remembered a training course a few months ago that had preceded the birthday celebration of Her Majesty. It was then that she would first interact with York, and since then she had at least several conversations with her from time to time when they would pass one another by on the dormitory¡¯s corridors. Even in the midst of such a large crowd, the reason why her gaze would end up naturally following York¡¯s face way more than anyone else might have been because right now she considered her to be a good and dear friend. Not to mention that not so long ago it was only the beginning of summer and the summer vacation, but before anyone could even notice it was already autumn. After that, more and more children from the dormitory started to come to the dining room, and within a few minutes the dining room was full to the brim, becoming loud and lively. . Then, at the last minute possible, Queen Elizabeth came to eat as well while swinging the door wide open in her usual fashion. ¡¸Happy Halloween, everyone! Now what¡¯s for breakfast today!?¡¹ It was at that moment that Belfast retreated into the kitchen. The food that Sheffield had instructed earlier was finished neatly and was ready to be served to everyone. And seeing that all of the maids that were currently present were ready to serve breakfast at a moment¡¯s notice, there was only one thing left for Belfast to tell all of them. ¡¸Well then, everyone. Let¡¯s do our best today as well!¡¹ *** Once the busy breakfast period came to pass without incident, Belfast decided to go and clean up the tableware in order to give the cleaning maids a hand. ¡¸Belfast-nee-sama!¡¹ Just then, Belfast could see Bel-chan approaching her with a bunch of dirty dishes in her hands. ¡¸I¡¯m going to help with washing the dishes as well.¡¹ Looking up at her grown-up version, Bel-chan¡¯s eyes were brimming with ambition and will to prove herself. She then proceeded towards the sink to put the dirty dishes inside of it and get to work. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s a great idea. Let¡¯s do the dishes together. It will be much faster that way.¡¹ Then Belfast took the plate from Bel-chan¡¯s hands. And once again, she was reminded just how small and tiny those hands seemed to be. After they were done with the dishes, the two maids went out of the kitchen while still holding each other¡¯s hands, only to find out that Elizabeth was standing in front of the kitchen door, waiting for them. ¡¸Your Majesty?¡¹ ¡¸Ah! Bel!¡¹ Elizabeth smiled brightly upon seeing Belfast. ¡¸¡­¡­ Haa!¡¹ But no sooner than that enthusiastic greeting Elizabeth must have realized that she was acting out of character, for she frowned and then cleared her throat as if trying to reset the whole conversation. ¡¸E¡­¡­ Ekhem, ekhem! I-I was wandering, Bel, completely incidentally, how is that cake-making of yours going on? Everything is proceeding smoothly?¡¹ Elizabeth was doing her best to try and sound indifferent about this whole matter, but it was easy to tell that she was worried, curious and impatient at the same time. ¡¸I am sure that since you are the one in charge of making it, Bel, that it is going to be delicious and entirely to my liking. So? What is it? Come on, spill the beans already!¡¹ Honestly speaking, it was not that Belfast did not expect such a turn of events. Most probably Elizabeth must have been skulking about the kitchen¡¯s door ever since she was finished with her breakfast. It would also explain the mixture of both anxiety and excitement that was written all over Her Majesty¡¯s face. For a proper and elegant adult, she was still very much in touch with her inner child. ¡¸¡­¡­ I¡¯m afraid that if I would let you taste the cake right here and right now, Your Majesty, then it wouldn¡¯t be that much of a surprise for later, now would it? And what would be the point of that?¡¹ After all, surprises are the most effective if they can remain a secret until the moment of their grand reveal, so Belfast had no other choice but to remain silent here and not comply with Elizabeth¡¯s request. Thinking that to herself, Belfast also started to think about the most suitable excuse that she could give Her Majesty here. ¡¸Um, actually, to tell you the truth, Your Majesty, it¡¯s still a secret to everyone else.¡¹ But it was then that Bel-chan, who was still beside Belfast, interrupted her, and she spread her arms out as wide as she could. ¡¸But actually, it¡¯s going to be at least THIS big and¡­¡­!!!¡¹ In order to salvage as much as she could out of this situation, Belfast covered Bel-chan¡¯s mouth with her hand in a hurry. ¡¸¡­ *Mumble*? *Mumble*, *mumble*, *mumble*¡­¡­?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, Bel-chan. I know that you are also really excited about it, but since it is still a secret, I cannot have you reveal it prematurely like that. That would be in a really poor taste.¡¹ With her mouth still covered by the Head Maid¡¯s hand and unable to formulate a normal sentence, Bel-chan only nodded her head once in order to show Belfast that she understood. Making sure that Bel-chan properly understood the gravity of the situation and that she would not reveal the big secret before it was time to do so, Belfast gently let go of the little maid¡¯s mouth. ¡¸There you have it, Your Majesty. It¡¯s a pity that I cannot actually tell you what kind of sweets are going to be served, but a secret is a secret, I¡¯m afraid. You will just have to wait patiently for the grand reveal.¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 1.4 ¡¸Oh well, at least I know that it is going to be a big one. I guess that this will have to suffice for now.¡¹ Elisabeth whispered those words softly to herself, and then she addressed Belfast again, this time with a louder voice. ¡¸Oh well, I guess it cannot really be helped, huh? If you say that it is a surprise, then I guess I have no choice but to stay put for now and wait, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Your Highness. That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for being so understanding.¡¹ Belfast then smiled in a warm way. Nodding her head in affirmation and seemingly satisfied with herself, Elizabeth lets out a small giggle of self-satisfaction. ¡¸Yes, I guess that some things in this life really cannot be helped. Well then, I must go for now, but I expect that you are going to grant me the tastiest of treats when the time comes!¡¹ She said, although there was still a part of her expression that looked to be slightly disappointed that she was unable to sneak a peek at the sweets that were being made inside of the kitchen. That was also when Elizabeth¡¯s gaze rested on the figure of Bel-chan. ¡¸But even so, I must say that this girl¡­¡­ Now she finally started to look like Edi and Bel. She¡¯s become your little sister through and through.¡¹ Elizabeth then approached Bel-chan and looked at her from above, while Bel-chan¡¯s expression managed to remain perfectly blank. ¡¸I guess that in the beginning it was hard for her to really feel like the integral part of the Maid Corps, but now she seems to be getting along with everyone else quite well.¡¹ No matter how you look at it, Bel-chan was an identical copy of Belfast. The only difference being that she was a child. But that would be the most accurate way to describe the being that was Bel-chan: a smaller, child-like Belfast. But how on Earth did that actually happen? How come that Bel-chan came to be in the first place? What exactly happened between the School Festival and now ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C In order to explain that, we need to go back in time a little bit, to ¡°that¡± particular day, a few days after the school festival officially ended. And that day was also a particularly sunny and pleasant day like the one that was today. In a certain place around the Home Port area, Akashi and Yuubari of the Sakura Empire were in the middle of conducting a ¡°certain experiment¡±. That particular experiment was called ¡°The 265th Wisdom Cube Structural Analysis Experiment¡±, and its premise was the structural analysis of the Wisdom Cube as well as its ability to radiate heat, performed with the aid of the ¡°Irradiation Device (Provisional Name)¡± taken from the Sirens. As for what exactly the Wisdom Cube is, it is a ¡° a metaphysical object that contains the thoughts, ideals and beliefs of humanity inside of itself. This object is embodied in Shipgirls and is their basic foundation.¡° It is also a valuable resource that could only be collected, and it could never be manufactured in any other way. At that time, the analysis experiment of this Wisdom Cube, a precious material with more unknowns to it than meets the eye, was just about to begin. The light that came out when the two shipgirls shot the heat beam right into the Wisdom cube happened to hit Belfast directly, who just so happened to be there because Akashi wanted to see her for some reason. As a result of that accident, the treasured Wisdom Cube disappeared into nothingness, and in its place was this little Bel-chan. Belfast, an existence born from the power of the Wisdom Cube, doesn¡¯t have a ¡°childhood¡± record like any normal human being would. In other words, Bell-chan is not the Belfast of the past because Belfast has always been the same since she was first born into this world. By the way, for some reason Bel-chan also called herself ¡®Belfast¡¯ and would refuse to be addressed otherwise. However, since it would have been very confusing for everyone else in the dormitory to have two people of the same name here, in order for everyone else to be able to distinguish between the two, everyone decided to call this little Belfast ¡®Bel-chan¡¯. ¡¸I will do my very best to catch up to you in no time, Nee-samas!¡¹ With a sharp expression written all over her face, Bel-chan shouted from the bottom of her heart. ¡¸Good! It¡¯s always great to see someone being so motivated to do their absolute best. Of course, I will also continue to work my hardest!¡¹ While both Belfast and Bel-chan affirmed one another about their intentions to continue giving their work their very best, the two also realized something else: that they were having such a good time that they actually forgot to keep on cleaning. It¡¯s always a good idea to have a friendly rivalry, but they couldn¡¯t allow for it to actually interfere with their everyday work. ¡¸Well then, if you would excuse us, Your Highness. There are still dirty dishes that are in the need of cleaning.¡¹ With Belfast saying those words, it also served to remind Elizabeth that she also had her respective responsibilities to attend to. ¡¸Y-Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡­ Actually, I also have a whole lot of paperwork waiting for me to get done. I can¡¯t actually participate in those Halloween festivities from the very beginning, but I should be able to join before they will be over. You can be sure that I will get all the work done before it will be the time for sweets to be served, so be sure to wait for me with that!¡¹ After that, Elizabeth went back to her private chambers while saying things like ¡°It will be okay!¡± and ¡°Absolutely!¡± over and over again, while both Belfast and Bel-chan saw her off. ¡¸Well then, shall we also begin on our part?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s do just that, Belfast-nee-sama!¡¹ With Her Majesty finally gone, Belfast and Bel-chan were able to resume their cleaning without any further interruption. * * * After less than fifteen minutes, the two managed to return all the dirty dishes back to the kitchen. When the two returned back to the kitchen, just inside the scalary, several maids were washing a large amount of dishes, covered in hot water and washing soap. The rest of the maids were using that time to clean the kitchen floor, and the whole room was filled with nothing more but the sound of cleaning tools being fast and hard at work. ¡¸Oh my? What¡¯s this?¡¹ At that time, Suffolk just looked at the assignment book and tilted her head and let out a strange voice. ¡¸Aren¡¯t we on the kitchen duty all day again?¡¹ It was Edinburgh, a Light Cruiser of the Town Class and Belfast¡¯s older sister that managed to give her the answer to that question. She came towards the front of the cooking tables from behind Suffolk¡¯s back, a bowl of cake dough resting firmly in her hands while she was working its contents without a break. ¡¸Today, most of the other duties are going to be in my, Bel and Bel-chan¡¯s hands. Aside from that, you, Kent, and Sheffield are in charge of waiting in the kitchen and taking care of whatever matter might need resolving.¡¹ ¡¸In other words, you need someone who would serve as the curator for that pumpkin cake.¡¹ Belfast added a supplement to her sister¡¯s explanation. ¡¸Of course, the chores that we are going to be taking care of are going to be in parallel with the cake-making duty. That was always the intention here, from the very start. That is also why I thought it might be a good idea for some members of the team to stay in the kitchen at all times to monitor things.¡¹ ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C We really need that many people to be able to keep things under control and be able to make it in time, huh?¡¹ Sheffield said so while puffing her lips slightly, coming right next to Edinburgh with slender elegance. ¡¸I would also like to be on the cleaning duty if possible, believe me.¡¹ In the hand of the maid, there was already her very special and personal mop that she was always using to clean. For Sheffield, this situation would be something completely unexpected and extraordinary, to be relegated from her usual duties. It was only a matter of course that she would feel confused and at a loss. Belfast then turned towards Sheffield with an apologetic look on her face, lowering her head in a deep bow before her fellow maid. ¡¸I am really sorry for that, Sheffy. But from what I could see before the breakfast was served, there is hardly a better choice for someone who could see to it that other maids are going to perform their duties properly¡­¡­¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 1.5 ¡¸Well, if that¡¯s the case, how about you join me in here as a supervisor for just today?¡¹ Listening to Belfast¡¯s request and pondering it carefully, Sheffield stood in complete silence for a moment out there. However, she eventually let out a long sigh as if she was giving up in her mind, and she went to put her beloved mop away in resignation. ¡¸Thank you very much, Sheffy.¡¹ ¡¸Why are you saying that? Ah, could it be that you think that I am going to give up on my duties?¡¹ Saying that, Sheffield opened the tap water handle in the sink with all of her might, and, ¡¸I have no intention of quitting my cleaning duties, just so to let you know.¡¹ As she said that, she picked up a bucket from the supply storage and put it under the running water, filling it to the brim. She then put her beloved mop inside of it. And when she squeezed it and swirled it around with full force in order to get it ready for work, ¡¸I just decided to clean the windows in the kitchen first and foremost, that is all.¡¹ ¡¸I see that you are as stubborn about cleaning as ever, aren¡¯t you, Sheffy?¡¹ Despite Edinburgh¡¯s wry smile, Sheffield quickly began wiping the window frames with a true finesse and skill. Come to think of it, Sheffield¡¯s obsession with cleaning was truly something else, something that no one could overtake her with. ¡¸Hey! Head Maid! I know that the base for the cake is supposed to be a sponge cake, but I don¡¯t really think that we will be able to bake it all at once, you know? Don¡¯t you think it would be better for use to bake the layers one by one, instead?¡¹ It was at that time that Kent spoke up from behind the preparation table, all the while working alongside the other maids without a moment of rest. As for that matter, when Belfast happened to be measuring the size of the stove oven in advance, it was just barely big enough to accommodate the entirety of the bottommost layer of the sponge cake. And since the pumpkin cake would be served in the late afternoon as a sort of snack, it meant more or less that even if they were to bake all the layers of the cake separately, they would still be able to make it in time and have some additional time left to spare. ¡¸Hmm, yes, that¡¯s actually a good suggestion. Please do just that, if you¡¯d be so kind.¡¹ And just like that, the cake-making process could proceed forward without interruption and unnecessary trouble. At that exact moment, a single thought blossomed inside of Belfast¡¯s mind: that everything was proceeding smoothly and that there was no way that something could have possibly gone wrong now. But it was also at that exact moment that the wooden door leading into the kitchen came flying open with a loud bang. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Give it back! Give it back, I said!¡¹ ¡¸Kyaah!¡¹ As a result of that sudden action, Edinburgh, who just so happened to be right in front of the kitchen door, slipped and the bowl that she was holding in her hands was no longer there. ¡¸Ah!! Oh no!!¡¹ By the time anyone was able to realize what was going on, the bowl that Edinburgh was holding onto went flying high in the air. But fortunately enough ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C it was thanks to Bel-chan¡¯s quick thinking and actions that she was able to catch the bowl in her small hands right before it was able to smash into the floor. ¡¸Phew, that was a really close call.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thank you very much, Bel-chan¡­¡­¡¹ With that sudden crisis somehow managed to be averted, Edinburgh thanked Bel-chan while wiping the sweat off of her forehead while at the same time letting out a sigh of relief. ¡¸Hey!! It¡¯s really dangerous to open the door so suddenly like that! Whose bright idea was it!?¡¹ As Kent lashed out towards the sudden kitchen visitors, Suffolk, who was reading carefully through the recipe book and Sheffield, who was busy with her cleaning, all looked towards the entrance to the kitchen. All of them wanted to see what the commotion was all about. The first one to come into view was the Royal Navy¡¯s F Class Destroyer Foxhound, she was the one who shouted out loud as soon as she stormed into the kitchen. As for her clothes, she was wearing a cute orange and black outfit with pumpkin motif all over it. The other person was also a Royal Navy Destroyer, an F Class called Fortune. She was dressed in all black in an outfit that was most probably a witch, accompanied by the pointy hat sitting on top of her head, and holding onto a surf clam in one of her hands. By the way in which both of them were dressed, it looked like they were ready to enjoy Halloween to the fullest. ¡¸If you want me to give it back to you, you have to give me something in return! That¡¯s how the law of equivalent exchange goes!¡¹ Foxhound yelled out loud once again, completely ignoring Kent¡¯s roar just now. But if you were to look closely at the two Destroyers, one could see that their eyes were filled to the brim with tears. Of course, that fact did not manage to slip Belfast¡¯s attention, and she slowly approached the two child-like shipgirls. ¡¸You two, first of all, please try to calm down a little bit.¡¹ She then spoke in a soft and soothing tone to both Foxhound and Fortune, not looking angry in the least. ¡¸Do you think you could possibly tell us what exactly happened between you two? You barged in here so suddenly that I am sure that I speak for everyone in here when I say that this is all a little bit confusing.¡¹ Hearing Belfast say that, Foxhound fell strangely silent. But it also seemed that she was beginning to calm down a little bit. ¡¸Let¡¯s take a deep breath first and foremost. And then, based on your explanation, we will decide what to do with you, or maybe to forgive you altogether.¡¹ ¡¸Y-Yeah¡­¡­¡¹ Foxhound then took a deep breath, just as Belfast instructed her to do. After slowly breathing in the air and then releasing it after holding it in for a moment, she finally started to explain the situation to Belfast. ¡¸A-Actually, umm, the thing is, until a while ago both Fortune and I were walking around the school, showing off our Halloween Cosplays for everyone else to see¡­¡­¡¹ While saying that, Foxhound spreads her hands to show Belfast the pumpkin-design outfit that she was wearing, as if to confirm her own words. It was a very well-made costume with parts of it that were becoming more accentuated and parts that retracted themselves as the one wearing it moved around, and it looked even better on a model such as Foxhound, who would always look good, no matter what kind of clothes she would wear. In the same way, Fortune would spin around while standing in place in order to show her costume off to everyone. Even though if anyone else was to do those poses and show off like that it could have been considered as extremely embarrassing, but when the two Destroyers were doing it, it looked downright adorable. Also, both of those costumes were surprisingly well-made. ¡¸So, while we were dressed like that we were going from room to room, saying ¡°Trick or Treat¡± as per tradition to get our hands on some free candy. Also, the reason why I was going around with Fortune was that she said that she feels way too embarrassed to do this on her own, so I tagged along with her as support. Right, Fortune?¡¹ Fortune nodded her head vigorously in affirmation of Foxhound¡¯s words. ¡¸Y-Yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡­ And both of us actually ended up receiving way more sweets than we could handle¡­¡­ >.<¡¹ Even though Fortune must have felt really anxious about having to explain the situation to so many people that were currently in the room, she was still doing her very best while her small body was shaking. ¡¸A-As to be expected, with so much candy on us we were unable to carry it around with us, so¡­¡­ So we decided to go back with it to the dormitory and put it all back in our rooms for the time being¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, so we did just that, dropping the candy back to our rooms. Then, I went to the first floor, but then I remembered something all of a sudden while I was on my way, and I decided to get back to my room to get it. But then we saw some maid going away somewhere with nothing else but our candy in tow!¡¹ ¡¸But for one of the maids to be stealing candy from children without their permission¡­¡­? No matter how you try to think about it, that¡¯s pretty much inconceivable¡­¡­¡¹ Volume 2 - CH 1.6 While Edinburgh was trying to think out loud, Foxhound quickly countered that statement with a retort of her own. [We only saw her from behind, so we didn¡¯t really see her face, but it must have been a maid, who else would that be? And my eyesight is impeccable, so I¡¯m certain of it! There is no way that this is a mistake!] While listening to this story, Belfast suddenly came back to her senses and cast a quick look at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It was a little past 10:00 a.m now, and she was supposed to be in the middle of clearing out the millet that had been left in the kitchen. [Were you the only ones who saw that maid at that time?] Belfast then started to walk at a fast pace, going between Foxhound and Fortune and reaching for the assignment book that was always kept at hand. It was none other than Belfast herself who made the list of all of the tasks for every maid every day. If everyone was following the assignment book, they should have always acted individually in their assigned posts at all times. [It¡¯s really hard to imagine that someone would be acting all alone at this time of the day. And if someone really was doing just that, it would be someone who willingly has left their assigned post, and their partner would surely come to complain about that.] That being said, Belfast did not think that Foxhound and Fortune were lying to them regarding that matter. After pondering it for a little while, she finally snapped out of it and turned towards Bel-chan while placing her hand on her shoulder and saying: [Bel-chan. Can I leave you here to look after the cake-makers while I go out for a bit? There is a little something that I must absolutely take care of, you see.] [Of course, Nee-sama! You can count on me!] Next, Belfast turned to Edinburgh, Kent, Suffolk and Sheffield and addressed them directly. [Let¡¯s go and ask the maids who are in charge of the cleaning a few questions ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C whether anyone has left their post, and if so, how long they were gone before they got back.] The moment that one of the Maid Corps has been accused of stealing something that did not belong to them, that was the moment when Belfast simply could not sit idly and just watch. The honor of the entire Maid Corps was at stake here, and so she wanted to get to the bottom of this case as soon as possible. With that being said, the five maids immediately set off from the kitchen and headed to find out if the maids on the cleaning duty had an alibi for the presumed time when the crime took place. * * * While Belfast was climbing up the stairs, [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oh! Well, if it isn¡¯t Belfast! Hello there!] She was met with the Renown Class Battlecruiser Repulse in the middle of the staircase. As far as Belfast knew, ever since yesterday she was on her leave from duty, and she used that time in order to go pay a visit to some famous hot spring resort together with her sister. Of course, she was not alone. Right next to her was her sister Renown, a Battlecruiser of the Renown Class as well. And as a matter of course, she also had an alibi of being out of the port on a hot spring inn trip. Belfast then glanced at the objects that each one of them had in their hands. Each of them had a bunch of bags in their hands, with nothing else but sweets inside of them. But at the same time, they not even once tried to hide the bags of their contents, leaving them completely in the open. [Oh, this thing? Are you interested in it, perhaps?] Repulse, noticing that Belfast was staring at the object in her hands, handed the Head Maid one of the bags. [We were going to give them to the little ones later. I thought that maybe I should dress up appropriately for the occasion, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to just walk around like normal even when you can change your image.] After stealthily opening the bag and looking through its contents g, Repulse took out a huge piece of wrapped candy and showed it to Belfast, as if boasting about it. [Want one? Also, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, would you like to tag along as we go and distribute those to the kids, Belfast? How about that?] [No, you see, right now I am¡­¡­] Because the entire group was in a bit of a hurry right now, Belfast knew that she could not talk too long with those two. And while she was thinking that, Renown, who was behind Repulse all this time, stepped up and opened her mouth. [Is there something wrong, Belfast?] Renown then stared at the whole group intently, as if sensing that something was wrong. Well, aren¡¯t you exceptionally sharp, huh? Belfast thought to herself like that. Even if they did not act particularly all that strange, she might have seen an unusual tension in Belfast¡¯s eyes, but even so, there was no way that the Head Maid could blatantly admit that they were currently investigating a candy thief on their own. More than anything else, Halloween was supposed to be a fun little event. And Belfast did not want to spoil it by causing people unnecessary worry and anxiety over something that could have been nothing. So, Belfast decided to actually play around the subject at hand, disclosing only a part of their reason for being here. [Actually, I was thinking of going to see how the maids on cleaning duty are doing right now.] [Oh my, I¡¯m sorry. Are we actually interrupting your work?] As if that was some sort of a magic spell, Repulse put the candy back into the bag and moved out of Belfast¡¯s way. [I¡¯m sorry for being in the way of your work. Come on, Renown, you do the same!] Renown also gave a reluctant nod and moved aside while moving down the stairs, allowing Belfast¡¯s group to pass. [Well then, see you around!] Belfast smiled and waved at the two of them and just like that they parted ways, and then her group went up the stairs and managed to easily find the first group of maids, the ones that were tasked with cleaning the floors. [Can I interrupt your work for a minute¡­¡­?] Just like that, Belfast¡¯s group moved from one maid to another, making inquiries with over ten people so far. And all this time, they were unable to obtain any clues as to who the mysterious candy thief could be. Just like that, the group managed to arrive at the dormitory¡¯s rooftop, where a group of maids was tasked with airing out the freshly made laundry. They were currently spreading the bed sheets over the driers to let them dry in the warm rays of the sun. According to the cleaning assignment book, the cleaning maids were supposed to be here as well. And so the group moved forward in between the washing poles filled with freshly washed sheets, the clothes gently flapping in the wind and the smell of detergent filling their noses¡­¡­ [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast.] It would seem that the group of maids was spotted first by the ones who were supposed to be here. And just as they continued to scurry around, pushing their way forward through the mass of drying sheets and washing poles, [Here. Right this way.] They could hear a voice coming from behind their backs. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Newcastle-san.] A Town Class Light Cruiser, Newcastle. One moment she was nowhere to be seen, and the very next moment she was right in front of them, holding onto a black umbrella with one hand. Until the very moment she called out to them, none of the group was able to sense her presence at all. [I was just about to hang the freshly washed sheets. Come over here, if you¡¯d be so kind.] Belfast followed right after Newcastle¡¯s footsteps, the place where the other maid was currently working. Newcastle was a former Head Maid of the Royal Navy¡¯s Maid Corps, and Belfast¡¯s dear senior as a maid. She was also the one with whom Belfast had the longest relationship out of the entire Royal Navy. Just as Belfast was thinking that her entire existence seemed to be as ephemeral as ever, the group passed through the mass of sheets that had been put up and came out into a wider space of the roof. Then there she was: a new maid who was supposed to be drying the sheets together with Newcastle. Newcastle then looked at Belfast with curiosity in her eyes, putting the laundry basket that was right next to her away. [By the way, Belfast? You¡¯re supposed to be in the kitchen right now, aren¡¯t you?] Volume 2 - CH 1.7 Newcastle paused for a moment, and then she faced Belfast. [Yes, about that¡­¡­] When Belfast briefly explained the situation to Newcastle, she then cast a brief glance at the novice maid, before she looked back at Belfast and slowly shook her head in negation. [The two of us were hanging out the freshly washed sheets here to dry all this time¡­¡­ And I assure you that neither of us left our post during that time.] Listening to Newcastle¡¯s words, Belfast then carefully thought for a moment. There was no way that Newcastle could be the candy thief. And Belfast was sure of it, even more than anything in this world. In the first place, Newcastle was not the type who would act in a malicious way just so that she could actively mess with someone. And that was also creating an alibi for the novice maid that was helping Newcastle here. Because it would be impossible for a complete rookie to sneak out undetected from under the former Head Maid¡¯s watchful gaze and commit a crime like that. [¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Thank you very much for your time.] Belfast then politely bowed down to the former Head Maid and the novice maid. At this point, she had already heard the testimonies of all the maids that she had planned to hear. And just as she was about to head back to the kitchen, [¡­¡­ By the way, Belfast? There¡¯s something I would like to ask you: do you think that there are thieves amongst the ranks of the Royal Maids?] All of a sudden, Newcastle asked Belfast an outrageous question like that. [No way. It¡¯s impossible.] Belfast responded immediately to that question, without any hesitation. [And I have never even suggested it myself that such a thing might be the case here.] Rather, it was never the case that Belfast was suspicious of any member of the Maid Corps in the first place. This whole inquiry escapade was only to prove that none of the maids were at fault here. That this entire situation was one huge misunderstanding and false accusations. And just as she was about to say that to Newcastle, the former Head Maid laughed quietly. [That¡¯s actually a very ¡°you¡± kind of answer to give.] At that point in time Belfast, who seemed to be thinking about something for a while now, suddenly mentioned a completely different possibility that was on her mind. [Since it¡¯s Halloween today, it is not entirely implausible that some of the children might have tried to dress up as maids for the occasion.] Certainly, it could have been one way to explain things. However, that particular thought would give birth to another question almost right away, one that couldn¡¯t be brushed aside all that easily. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Who would want to dress up as a maid for Halloween? No matter how you look at it, a ghost costume would have been way more appropriate for the occasion. There was also a possibility of a ghost or apparition being at work here, but Belfast knew it better than anyone else that entertaining such fickle thoughts was a huge waste of one¡¯s time and energy. [¡­¡­Come to think of it, there used to be a strange rumor about a ¡°Ghost Maid¡± that used to circulate around the Home Port some time ago.] But all of a sudden, Newcastle said something so incomprehensible and so utterly ridiculous that Belfast¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. [A ghost¡­¡­ maid, you say?] * * * Since Belfast¡¯s group had already finished their inquiries with every single maid that was supposed to be on the cleaning duty, they decided to come back to the kitchen and sum up what they had learned there. Seeing that Belfast came back from her excursion, Edinburgh came towards her while adjusting the glasses on top of her nose. [We have gone to see if anyone on the cleaning duty would know anything about the candy theft, but unfortunately no one seemed to notice anything suspicious. In the first place, it looks like everyone involved in the cleaning outside of the kitchen has a strong alibi, so it might actually be impossible to pinpoint the culprit that way.] [And how was your investigation, Belfast-nee-sama?] Bel-chan asked that question while striking a cute pose, placing her index finger on her chin. [I¡¯m afraid that we are also returning empty-handed. Everyone seems to have an alibi, and no one saw any maid that was leaving her post or was in a place that she wasn¡¯t supposed to be.] [That being said, we cannot actually completely rule out the possibility that someone might be lying to us, but¡­¡­] As she said that, Sheffield gently traced the edge of the window with her finger, blowing the wisps of dust off her fingertips after some of them managed to accumulate there. [For example, the maids might be perfectly aware of who the culprit is, but they are choosing to feign ignorance to avoid being dubbed as co-culprits or they do not want to see one of their friends get punished¡­¡­ However, even though I¡¯m the one who said that, please bear in mind that I do not want to believe that myself. Although¡­¡­] [Why? We know practically nothing about the culprit and their motive, but why would someone even want to do that in the first place?] Faced with Kent¡¯s question, Sheffield raised her index finger and swung it in a circle in one swift motion. [Foxhound and Fortune said that they had more candy on their hands than they could handle, right? If we are going to take that fact into account, there are not all that many places in the shared cleaning areas that could handle storing so much candy all at once.] [Okay, but if we assume that maybe one of the other girls did steal the candy, couldn¡¯t they just bring it all back to their room? Or spread the candy between a few hiding places?] [Perhaps the culprit was unable to do that, either.] Belfast, in turn, denied Suffolk¡¯s suspicions with an utmost conviction. [If you really wanted to raid every single dorm room, in order to do that you would need to get past every single maid that is working on cleaning on each floor. And that is without taking into account that the room of the perpetrator might be on the floor that is different from the ones that are being cleaned right now.] [Well then, what about the possibility of stashing the stolen candy somewhere outside? ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C But wait, yeah. That also seems to be a little bit¡­¡­] Edinburgh seemed to have realized that such a method would prove to be extremely time inefficient, but before she could say anything more, it was Belfast who actually replied to that question. [There are always maids who are working around the entrance to the dormitory. And even if someone was trying to go out through the window, it¡¯s the middle of Halloween today, so there are no blind spots around the area because both the inside and the outside of the building are full of people. Also, the rooms that are not currently in use are locked away tightly, so it¡¯s impossible to stack anything there.] [Then, does that mean that you think that there are no actual thieves amongst the members of the Maid Corps?] Listening very intently to that conversation, Foxhound then voiced her concerns out loud with a genuine suspicion in her voice. [But then, if the thief that we saw was not one of the maids, then who the hell was that!?] [Yes, actually, about that very matter.] After saying those words, Belfast looked at everyone present in the kitchen, as if trying to make sure that she¡¯s got their undivided attention. [Do you happen to know anything about the Ghost Maid who just so happens to inhabit this very Home Port island?] [A ghost¡­¡­ maid?] Fortune opened her mouth wide with a dumbfounded expression written all over her face. But it was not only Fortune. Right now, there were literal question marks floating above everyone¡¯s heads, not knowing what Belfast was actually talking about. [I just happened to hear about it not so long ago. The person who heard about it also said that she didn¡¯t know much about it because it was an old rumor or an urban legend circulating around the Home Port¡­¡­] Since the time was as good as any right about now, Belfast figured out that she might as well fill the rest of the maids in on what she has heard from Newcastle. And it was at that time that Belfast saw a portion of a shadow that moved just at the edge of Belfast¡¯s field of vision. It was the tiniest snippet of a shadow, and she caught a glimpse of it just under the nearby table. And when she glanced over the table, there was only a sugar jar there and a burnt sponge, but that was it. Volume 2 - CH 1.8 ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C What was that¡­¡­ Somehow, Belfast felt that something was wrong here¡­¡­ But then, Belfast¡¯s vigilance was strengthened by a foreign object that had suddenly entered her field of vision. ¡¸Ghost, you say¡­¡­ Wait, Bel, why would you even bring out such a scary subject all of a sudden¡­¡­¡¹ Looking at the blue-faced Edinburgh, Belfast approached the cooking table as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Slowly. Casually. Pretending to be ignorant. Pretending that she didn¡¯t actually see the thing that she saw. She was getting closer and closer to the mysterious black shadow, without it even realizing what was going to happen in just a short while. And so, Belfast opened her mouth and spoke to Edinburgh while gradually moving forward and forward. ¡¸I haven¡¯t heard any specifics about it either, so I¡¯m wondering if anyone has heard of it before. If you do happen to possess some information about it, then please let me know. I would really appreciate it.¡¹ ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Belfast.¡¹ At that moment Sheffield suddenly turned towards Belfast while speaking up. ¡¸Actually, I might have heard that story somewhere in greater detail.¡¹ That actually managed to startle Belfast. But it was not because of what Sheffield said, but rather the way in which she moved now. She was still doing her job with cleaning the kitchen, but she was also gradually getting closer and closer to that certain spot that Belfast was also approaching on her own. Most probably, Sheffield must have also noticed the presence of this strange black shadow. The black shadow was still holding its breath under the table as it was slowly making its way towards the table with the cake on it. Maybe the shadow thought that no one was able to notice it, as it started to move faster and more daring than before. Belfast then shifted her gaze at the rest of the maids currently present in the kitchen and at the kitchen door, at the same time keeping a close eye at the black shadow. And true enough, the door to the kitchen was left slightly open. That must have been the way through which the black shadow managed to slide its way inside. ¡¸Sheffy, if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me some more about that ghost maid?¡¹ Continuing to monitor the movements of the black shadow closely, Belfast slowly moved her legs again to get even closer to the targeted table. ¡¸I also only vaguely remembered something about it, come to think of it.¡¹ Sheffield then reached the front of the cooking table. ¡¸Please tell me what you know. It doesn¡¯t matter what it is, every bit of information here is going to be a tremendous help.¡¹ ¡¸Even though it might be something really small and insignificant?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I really want to know everything about it. Even the slightest of clues.¡¹ While talking like that to Sheffield, Belfast also arrived at the preparation table. And seeing Belfast lining up next to Sheffield the way she did, it would seem that both Kent and Suffolk also realized what was going on and started acting as well. The two maids also became aware of the presence of the black shadow under the table, and so they moved right away in order to apprehend it at once, not wanting to give it a moment to escape. ¡¸I understand. As you wish. I shall tell you everything I know, no matter how small and insignificant it might seem.¡¹ Now being ready to take action, Sheffield grabbed a metal fork that was laying on top of the table. ¡¸You see, to tell you the truth, the Ghost Maid is very bad with her hands. Yes, for example¡­¡­¡¹ While Sheffield was saying those particular words, the black shadow under the table reached out its small hand towards the portion of the sponge cake that was on top of the table. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Just like this!¡¹ Sheffield shouted out loud, swinging down the hand in which she was holding the fork. However, the black shadow managed to dodge it, and swiftly retreated under the table. ¡¸Belfast!¡¹ ¡¸Roger that!¡¹ In response to Sheffield¡¯s shout, Belfast tried to catch the black shadow before it would be able to reach the kitchen door and escape into the dining room. When the black shadow passed Belfast while it was escaping, something in its appearance made Belfast frown her brows on the spot. ¡¸You¡­¡­ But you are¡­¡­!¡¹ Belfast let out her voice unintentionally. Capitalizing on that moment when the Head Maid let her guard down, the black shadow flew under the table once more and then dashed towards the kitchen door. ¡¸Hm? W-What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Passing by Edinburgh, who was honestly confused as she did not understand the situation, the black shadow rushed out of the kitchen with a tremendous speed. ¡¸That back appearance, that was¡­¡­!?¡¹ Foxhound cried out loud. ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt about it! That¡¯s the same person who stole our candy from us earlier!¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t let you get away that easily!¡¹ Belfast gave chase almost right away, followed by Sheffield, Kent, Fortune and Edinburgh. As for the black shadow, or the thieving ghost maid, she went straight into the dining room and darted forward towards the exit without stopping even for a moment out there. While Belfast and her group gave chase, the black shadow continued to run away while avoiding the other children by dashing under the tables and chairs in a zigzag manner. However, the difference in speed was obvious here, and it was something that could never be overcome with sheer will alone. Although the thieving maid was moving forward in a steady manner, Belfast and the other maids were way slower than the one they were chasing after. ¡¸Belfast! If we let this thing go outside, at this rate we will never be able to catch it!¡¹ Sheffield shouted those words to Belfast, who immediately picked up on that. ¡¸Roger that. Everyone! No matter what happens, we must not let this shadow reach the front door and go outside!¡¹ That being said, they could already see the entrance. And right there, there was glowworm, a G Class Destroyer who was casually trying to go outside with a carefree smile plastered onto her face. ¡¸Glowworm! No matter what you do, do not open that door, you hear me!?¡¹ When Belfast raised her voice in the direction of Glowworm with a stern look on her face, the young Destroyed turned her head towards her in apparent confusion, frightened and not knowing what to do. ¡¸Wa, wawawa, wawawawawah! What is it, what is it, what is it, what is it!?¡¹ Even in a state of panic, Glowworm still managed to close the front door in a hurry, and the thieving maid, seeing that her way out had been cut off just like that, immediately changed her route and headed in a new direction, looking for her chance to get away. Belfast¡¯s group flowed right after the thieving maid, going up the staircase while skipping every second or third step along the way. The thieving maid arrived at the second floor and rushed further into the depths of the corridor while not even bothering to look back at its pursuers. Shortly after, Belfast and the rest of the maids have reached the second floor as well. There, right in front of the thief, there were Nelson and Rodney, both battleships of the Nelson Class. ¡¸Hmm? Is that¡­¡­ The Maid Corps that I see?¡¹ Nelson stopped on the spot when she saw the thief wearing the maid outfit. Then Rodney also came to a stop, noticing that Belfast and the other maids were right behind the thief, giving chase. ¡¸Is that Belfast and others coming after that maid? What the hell¡­¡­ What is even going on here?¡¹ Noticing both Nelson and Rodney, Kent shouted loudly in a hurry. ¡¸Please! No matter what, don¡¯t let that thieving maid get away! I beg of you!¡¹ It seems that Kent¡¯s words were more than enough to make both Nelson and Rodney somehow understand what was going on, for the two of them just nodded their heads at one another. Both of them then stood straight on the spot, staring at the incoming thieving maid with serious and stern expressions. ¡¸I don¡¯t really get what¡¯s going on, but for the time being you want us to catch her, right?¡¹ ¡¸You two! Whatever you do, don¡¯t underestimate her! She¡¯s much more tenacious than she looks!¡¹ But seeing the new roadblock right in front of her, the thieving maid did not slow down and she even picked up her pace. And when she was right in the faces of the two Nelson Class battleships, ¡¸We¡¯ve got you now you ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C little¡­¡­ thief¡­¡­!?¡¹¡¯ At that time, the thieving maid jumped into the air, and it looked as if she actually flew. With an acrobatic move like that, the thieving maid managed to dodge the two battleships quite easily. It was just a testament to the incredible jumping power that she possessed inside of her small body. Volume 2 - CH 1.9 The thief, who jumped lightly over Nelson and Rodney¡¯s heads, spun in the air and made a stunning landing pose just like a physical athlete at the international competition. And then, as if nothing had happened, the thieving maid continued to run away once more. ¡¸W-What was that!? J-Just who is she!?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe that someone would be able to jump this high in the air with such an ease!¡¹ Belfast and others passed by the two still dumbstruck Nelson Class shipgirls while exchanging those words in a hurry. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, you two! I swear that we shall explain everything later to you!¡¹ At the same time the thieving maid accelerated even more and went even deeper down the corridor. On the other hand, the members of the Maid Corps were already showing signs of fatigue all over their faces. ¡¸Haah, haah¡­¡­ I can¡¯t, so tired¡­¡­ I think I¡¯m going to drop on the spot¡­¡­¡¹ Belfast could hear the tired grief of Suffolk right behind her back. Edinburgh was also running at the very end of their group, and looked like she was unable to go any further. Because each one of them ran so far with all their might, it seemed like they were about to reach their limits sooner rather than later. But even so, this whole charade was about to end, soon. ¡¸Because this corridor is a dead end!¡¹ As Belfast said, the whole group turned at the corner of the corridor and arrived at a shorter corridor that was ending with nothing but a solid wall. There was nowhere else for the thieving maid to go now. However¡­¡­ That didn¡¯t mean that they could just let their guard down like that¡­¡­ Judging from the sheer jumping and acrobatic abilities that the thieving maid demonstrated just a moment ago, it might be possible that she had some other hidden technique that she could use in the time of need. If they were to let their guard down thinking that they have already caught up with her and there was nothing she could do, it was quite possible that it would result in her making her escape once again. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C If they were going to succeed here, they really needed to start thinking outside of the box. Just when the Head Maid thought so, the thieving maid turned around on the spot. ¡¸Everyone, please line up right behind me! We cannot let her escape from here, no matter what!¡¹ After telling that to everyone, Belfast turned at the corner, going after the ghost maid. Of course, everyone else followed suit and before long everyone arrived in the corridor that was a dead end. And once they all did that, at that exact time, ¡¸Huuuh¡­¡­!?¡¹ Edinburgh was the first one to open her mouth and speak up. Because no matter how you would look at it, the thieving maid was nowhere to be seen. There was only one maid uniform that was currently lying on the floor of the dead end corridor. And there was nothing else. There was only one way in which someone could get out of that dead end corridor. But it was only a small window, so small that even someone as small as Bel-chan would have trouble squeezing her way through it in a hurry. ¡¸The Ghost Maid¡­¡­¡¹ Belfast murmured those words involuntarily to herself. This was truly starting to feel like the handiwork of a genuine ghost. Because this was a dead end, but even so the thieving maid disappeared without the trace, nowhere to be found. Sheffield then picked up the maid uniform that had fallen on the floor right next to Belfast, who was still quite stunned after what they had seen here. ¡¸This uniform¡­¡­ it certainly belongs to the Maid Corps.¡¹ ¡¸So¡­¡­ So is this true!? Is there really a ghost at large in here!?¡¹ As Belfast watched Edinburgh start trembling in fear and then going into a genuine panic attack on the spot, she shook her head in a firm denial. If their thieving maid was really a ghost, then there would be no need for her to get rid of her maid uniform as she was making a run for it. She would have just slipped through the wall with the uniform still on her. So there was no doubt about it in Belfast¡¯s mind. Their thieving maid was a normal living being, made out of flesh and blood. So the possibility was huge here that the maid¡¯s uniform was just a form of disguise here. Either that, or¡­¡­ ¡¸That appearance¡­¡­ That was¡­¡­¡¹ Belfast remembered the thieving maid and the things that she was able to catch a glimpse of back in the kitchen, next to the cooking table. It was a glimpse of a pale and sickly face, looking as though it was ready to collapse at any moment if you would simply let it. At that moment a thought occurred in Belfast¡¯s mind. That she has seen that face somewhere in some book in the past. After digging through her memory for a little bit, Belfast finally came up with the name of that strange face. It looked exactly like¡­¡­ ¡¸Scarecrow¡­¡­¡¹ After being able to realize that, all that Belfast could do was to gaze in silence at the maid uniform that was left on the floor like that. * * * ¡¸¡­¡­ So in the end, we did not manage to get any closer to solving the case. Sheffy, are you sure you don¡¯t know anything more?¡¹ Back at the kitchen, Belfast decided to ask Sheffield about the Ghost Maid once more. ¡¸Yes. I have told you everything that I know of, but even so, much of it is only my own guesses and assumptions. Sorry about that.¡¹ So in other words, Shieffied really did not know anything about the Ghost Maid at all. It was just a front that she happened to come up with on the spot in order to let the Ghost Maid¡¯s guard down and get closer to it. ¡¸As for me, I am not all that familiar with the matters of the occult myself, either.¡¹ And if none of the maids gathered here knew anything about the subject at hand, then there was really nothing that could be done about it on their own. But in the end, since no one in here happened to know anything about the Ghost Maid, that would mean that the case of the stolen candy would really come to a standstill. ¡¸¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C I-Its face. It was¡­¡­¡¹ Then, a trembling voice could be heard right from behind their backs. ¡¸Pale¡­¡­ It was frighteningly pale¡­¡­ ><¡¹ Looking behind them, Fortune looked to be so scared that she was about to cry on the spot, her face all pale with fear. ¡¸God damn it¡­¡­ I didn''t know that our candy thief would turn out to be so creepy and out of this world¡­¡­ Scary, so scary¡­¡­!¡¹ Looking at Foxhound right next to Fortune, she was also so scared that she could only tremble in fear, unable to move. It was really something, seeing someone who was usually so lively and energetic to be afraid like that. The two of them were hugging each other and their shoulders were trembling so much that it looked like they would fall off at any moment now. She really messed up. This whole situation was a direct result of her wrong decision, and Belfast was only starting to realize that now. And now they had to stick with the consequences of that bad decision. Actually, just a little while ago, the Head Maid thought it would be better to tell everyone currently present the information that she happened to see, but then they have become so preoccupied with the thieving maid that she never managed to do just that. But this was bad. Very, very bad. As a result of her failure, Belfast''s remarks only managed to instill fear in the hearts of the people gathered in the kitchen. ¡¸S-Say, Bel? I-I-I, I also t-t-t-think that we are¡­¡­ b-b-biting more than we can c-c-chew here¡­¡­¡¹ Looking to the side, Belfast could see that Edinburgh was also scared out of her mind, tears welling up inside of her eyes. But it was not Edinburgh alone. The other maids that were present in the kitchen were all frightened and seemed unable to do their jobs properly anymore. ¡¸To think that we would be dealing with ghosts of all times of the year¡­¡­! Not to mention the one with such great motor skills at that! I-I don¡¯t think that anyone would be able to move like that¡­¡­ even if they tried¡­¡­!¡¹ This was the primary example of what it means to wage a psychological warfare on your enemy. At the current moment, many of the maids have become aware of the presence of the Ghost Maid and were really afraid of it. And even though it was the middle of the day, some of the kids were even afraid to go to the toilet on their own, without having someone to assist them all the way.