For Yat Sen, such a confession was already extremely bold and blunt.
California was in the middle of fighting Glowworm for a piece of sashimi when she heard it. She let out a sly laugh but, recalling that she'd inevitably be sneaking snacks from the kitchen in the future, wisely chose not to provoke the "goddess of cooking." She let it slide.
Still, Yat Sen was so embarrassed she couldn't raise her head. She hurriedly lifted her cup and took a sip.
The cup only held plain water, but Yat Sen's cheeks flushed red, her eyes grew misty—she looked as if she were already tipsy.
Looking at the table full of shipgirls, each with different personalities yet each uniquely charming, Hikaru took a sip of water himself and felt a bit light-headed too.
If all a person wanted was to get drunk, then what difference was there between wine and water? This was the so-called: it's not the alcohol that intoxicates, but the moment itself.
Tirpitz noticed Hikaru smiling like an idiot and quickly reached over to steal a slice of sashimi from his bowl—one that Lexington had just placed there for him.
"Tirpitz! Can't you eat properly for once?!"
Bismarck, who had been awkwardly fumbling with her chopsticks, narrowed her eyes and put them down to discipline her sister.
Unable to beat Glowworm in the sashimi grab, California tugged on Hikaru's sleeve and started tattling.
Under the table, Vampire was concocting weird potions with grilled fish and sashimi, muttering incantations, only to be gently scolded by Fletcher.
The entire table was a joyful mess.
While Hikaru's family basked in the warmth of their little feast, Murong sat fuming before a grand banquet, so angry could barely eat.
This was supposed to be a celebratory banquet for the victory in the South Seas defense campaign. Over a thousand guests were invited—people who had made outstanding contributions in various roles. As the host, Murong smashing his bowl and storming off completely killed the mood.
Guests at the feast were left flustered. When Murong didn't return for a while, whispers spread throughout the room—no one knew how to continue.
"Hmph, this banquet wasn't fun to begin with. Everyone's just pretending to enjoy it."
Commander Takeyama set his chopsticks down and gave a sideways glance at Wakayama Shogo. "Commander Wakayama, is something happening in the East?"
Wakayama slowly picked up a piece of roast pig and placed it into Josephine's bowl, then calmly arranged his chopsticks before speaking.
"It's not looking good."
Takeyama snorted. "I knew it. Expelling heroes before the war is over—let's see how they clean up that mess."
His shipgirl London gently pressed his hand under the table to warn him: Watch your mouth.
And rightly so—Takeyama hadn't lowered his voice, and nearby guests had already turned to stare at him, as if he were a wild boar that had crashed into the feast.
But Takeyama didn't seem to care in the slightest.
Josephine quickly gulped down her meat, wiped her mouth with her hand, and leaned in. "I said from the start they'd pay for this. From what I hear, the Shipgirl Command wants to bring them back."
She was clearly aligned with Takeyama's camp.
"Not so simple," Wakayama shook his head. "Shipgirl Command also has to consider our nation's pride. At best, the outcome is that Hikaru and the others go to another continent."
Hikaru and his group were currently "fugitives from justice." Though this wasn't publicly announced for the sake of appearances, everyone in high command knew. The resistance to their return to the country was immense.
That resistance came from none other than Fleet Admiral Gorou, backed by a significant portion of the naval high command.
Since the case against Fleet Commander Noboru hadn't been settled, the Nation couldn't afford to accept Hikaru's return.
"Tirpitz and the others have the sea and sky before them—why should they come back just to be humiliated?" Josephine said. "Now some people are panicking. The war's only half over, and the strongest warriors have already been chased off."
Wakayama shook his head again. "This war may not be as large-scale as the last one."
"You sure? Who knows what the enemy's thinking?" Takeyama downed a glass of strong liquor and hissed as it burned. "Even at this stage, things are messy enough to make Parliament and the Commander's staff lose sleep."
"I heard the Fleet Admiral even lost his temper that day—during the parliamentary questioning," Josephine added with interest. Gossip like this rarely showed on the face of a military-minded shipgirl like her. "They had just driven off Tirpitz and the others… and then Ryuujou came knocking."
Wakayama responded flatly, "We may not have the 'Number One in the World,' but we can still defeat Ryuujou. The real loss is political, not military."
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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