After all, the doujinshi drawn by Tirpitz were all yuri anthologies starring her sister and characters like Prinz Eugen, Hood, Prince of Wales, and Rodney.
But ever since receiving Hikaru's "education," her artistic development had advanced at rocket speed. Her latest works even introduced a new character: "Commander Artist Hikaru"!
This was her first work after transforming from the "Queen of the North Sea" back into a reclusive otaku—based on a concept provided by Hikaru himself!
As the male lead in her new doujin, he lived a life of decadent luxury, surrounded by an elite harem: Ironblood mercenary Bismarck, street boss Prince of Wales, bloodthirsty berserker Rodney, and nearsighted tea-loving lady Hood.
Bismarck, the lead heroine, was even forced—under his pressure—to participate in all kinds of "performances" with Hood and Rodney.
If Bismarck ever saw it, even if Hikaru was her Commander, he'd get a serious beating!
Hikaru stared coldly at the distant figure of Tirpitz as she ran off.
Tirpitz… Tch. You'd better behave yourself. Otherwise, all I have to do is drop that stash of yours in front of your sister and—swish—even imagining it gives me chills of excitement!
Of course, this kind of mutually destructive Seven Wounds Fist wasn't worth using unless necessary. A little blackmail was enough to keep this shut-in in check.
"By the way, Commander," Yat Sen gently tossed her hair, making sure her dark tresses didn't brush Hikaru's face. "What kind of nightmare did you have earlier?"
"Ah, well…" Hikaru scratched his head. "I can't remember."
Dreams, by their nature, vanish within minutes after waking. No matter how hard you try to hold onto them, ninety-nine percent fade away. It's a brain's built-in cleaning mechanism.
Some cultivators could reach the state of "lucid dreaming"—where waking and sleeping were one—but Hikaru was clearly far from that level.
"Really can't remember anything?" California had been intrigued by his nightmare from the start. "Try harder!"
Hikaru squeezed his brain. "Still nothing. I just… kinda feel like drinking. Wait, I think someone invited me for a drink. But I didn't get to meet them."
California made an X with her arms. "Nope! Not helping you get booze! Lexington already laid down the law!"
Just then, Lexington returned, looking a little worn out.
She had just finished comforting her younger sister—by using rocks to write words on the ground.
She did feel a bit guilty about it. She'd promised Sara she'd never leave her again… and then got summoned away by the Commander the very next moment.
But was that really her fault? Obviously not.
Still, Saratoga cried.
Said her sister didn't want her. That her brother-in-law didn't want her either.
That no one wanted her. That she was going to spiral, binge eat, and not bathe or brush her teeth for three days straight. That she'd chug five cans of beer in one go.
As childish as the threat was, it worked alarmingly well on Lexington.
Because she was the big sister.
Lexington sighed.
Sigh… How am I supposed to bring her over here?
Right now, the only way to cross over was through the Commander's random summoning—or by rotating into one of three staff roles.
Mess hall chef, instructor, or secretary ship.
Instructor was already limited to just three candidates. As for chef… Jaja had zero cooking skills. Even Lexington herself was no match for Yat Sen in the kitchen.
More importantly, Hikaru's health needed careful attention. Dietary therapy was crucial. It just wasn't practical to shove Saratoga into the position.
Her cooking might not be as catastrophic as that of U-1405 or London (whose meals caused HP damage), but it was far from nutritious.
That only left the secretary ship post—which everyone in the base was eyeing.
Missouri had already been promised the next rotation by the Commander. But judging from the current situation, Bismarck didn't seem eager to go back, and if Lexington tried to pull strings to bring Saratoga in, she'd be accused of abusing her influence.
That "influence," of course, meant her hold over the Commander.
Not to brag, but Lexington was certain that if she pouted and asked sweetly, the Commander would find a way to bring Sara over.
Even if he'd already made a promise to Missouri. Even if Bismarck's feelings were written all over her face.
That was the charm of being the wife.
But in the long run, such favoritism would hurt her status as the primary wife.
As the head of the "Crystal Palace," Lexington's role was like that of an imperial empress—responsible for managing the harem, selecting marriage candidates, and balancing all the girls' petty rivalries.
If she was too biased toward Saratoga, her authority would slowly erode. People might stop listening to her altogether—or worse, cast her into the cold palace.
Lexington sighed again. Being the chief consort of the Commander's floating palace was such a headache.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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