Helena and Prince of Wales had both received repair buckets, but neither used them right away.
Helena didn't particularly need to. Different ship types required different amounts of time for repairs. A heavily damaged battleship might take more than ten hours to fix, but as a light cruiser, Helena's repairs would take at most two or three hours. By now, she was almost fully restored anyway.
Prince of Wales, on the other hand, was simply thrifty—she was reluctant to use a bucket unless absolutely necessary.
In fact, even Bismarck hadn't used one.
Repair buckets were an important strategic resource. Hikaru might not have been stingy with them, but the shipgirls were self-conscious enough to save them for the sake of the base.
If a real battle broke out, they could use the buckets instantly. For now, holding onto them was simply a matter of being prepared.
It was the same as the elite damage-control fairies that were never revealed until the most critical moments.
While they were still speaking of Yukikaze, the northern envoy group arrived nearby.
At the front was a dark-haired shipgirl with wheat-colored skin, wearing loose-legged lantern pants and a cropped sports top. She looked less like a formal envoy and more like a dancing girl, radiating a vivid tropical allure.
That so-called tropical style mostly meant she wore very little. Yet because her physique was strong and athletic, the wide swaths of bare skin didn't come across as indecent, but rather carried the warmth of desert sunlight.
"You all stay here. Helena, come with me."
Bismarck gave the order, then set out with Helena at her side. Yamato, suspending her own repairs, quickly followed.
The two groups met at sea. The shipgirl in the lead beamed and extended her hand.
"You must be Bismarck, and you must be Helena. Your qualities are both dazzling. Heh, let me introduce myself—I am the shipgirl who inherited the soul of the battlecruiser Goeben. Aside from my seniority, I'm practically useless."
Helena fixed her gaze on Goeben, sizing her up. So this is Goeben? Doesn't seem all that impressive. Why is the Commander so hung up on her?
In the game, Goeben had been a closed-beta reward ship—an unobtainable exclusive. Helena naturally didn't know that Hikaru's longing for Goeben came from that.
She had imagined Goeben to be some kind of super-powerful planet-killer.
Bismarck did not take Goeben's hand. She only gave a curt nod. "We are currently in the middle of recovery. Once it's complete, we'll naturally pay a visit to the upper staff of the Northern Fleet's base."
Goeben withdrew her hand and glanced past them at the other shipgirls, some standing, some sitting out on the sea. She looked puzzled. "Why aren't you using the repair facilities aboard ship? The Northern base has everything fully prepared. By the way, I even contributed a small bottle of dried flower petals myself."
At that, Yamato's stomach twisted with anger. Her face darkened as she began, "Yavuz, you—"
"These matters can wait," Bismarck cut her off, raising a hand to silence her. "Do you have any other business?"
By now, even a fool could see something was off. Otherwise, why would Hikaru's shipgirls refuse such convenient recovery baths? The members of the envoy group glanced at one another, unease plain on their faces.
They knew that in just a matter of days, Hikaru had gained several new shipgirls on par with Tirpitz in strength. His importance had risen from "extremely valuable" to absolutely irreplaceable.
Goeben's smile remained fixed. "It seems we underestimated this yacht of yours. Then let's head to the base instead and rest there—we guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Bismarck's expression was cold. "That won't be necessary. If there's nothing else, please return."
Goeben might have been warm and lively, but Bismarck's attitude was like an unscalable cliff—icy, rigid, and utterly unapproachable. No amount of cheer could bridge that gap.
She flicked her eyes toward Yamato, hoping the younger girl might smooth things over and ease the tension.
Yamato bit her lip and turned to Bismarck. "Bismarck, maybe I should go back first, and then—"
She didn't finish. Bismarck suddenly extended a hand and pressed it firmly over Yamato's face.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]