Bismarck had never imagined that her Commander was once a person from an entirely different world.
But after hearing the man beside her speak, Bismarck carefully recalled the past.
That Commander, who could clearly see them and even touch them, always carried an indescribable sense of distance.
Moreover, even though the Commander had made an oath with every companion who joined the port, he had never actually done anything indecent with them.
At times, Bismarck even wondered whether the Commander simply did not find them, the shipgirls, attractive enough to desire such things.
But now, she realized—it was merely that the Commander had no choice in the matter.
Thinking of this, Bismarck felt a faint, inexplicable sense of joy in her heart. She tightened her embrace around the warm arm of the man beside her.
Yes, holding the Commander's body close like this finally brought her a sense of peace.
Lin Lan gazed gently at the beauty leaning against his shoulder, her golden hair fluttering in the sea breeze.
Moments ago, the Manjuu and Muscle Manjuu had just finished transporting a batch of cargo away from the dock. Now, the port was enveloped in a moment of silence.
Neither of them spoke, as if by mutual understanding, unwilling to disturb this rare tranquility. Together, they quietly admired the starry sky and the vast ocean.
Just like that, time passed until, in the distance, a fleet of Iron Blood ships, their searchlights cutting through the darkness, sailed into view.
"It's Bismarck! Bismarck, I missed you so much!"
With an excited cheer, the underwater knight U-556 spotted the two figures standing at the dock.
At last, Brunhilde and the others arrived at the port at 3 a.m.
Before they could even set foot on land, U-556 had already cheerfully piloted her submarine rig to the dock's edge, pouncing into Bismarck's embrace ahead of her companions.
"You've worked hard, U-556. You didn't get hurt, did you?"
Bismarck gently patted U-556's small head. The lively little girl with blue twin-tails beamed with joy.
"Mhm! Bismarck, we're all fine! The mission was super easy! Ah, Commander, I want a hug!"
The heartwarming scene brought a faint smile to Lin Lan's face.
Hearing U-556's request, he naturally did not refuse. He bent down and scooped up the small figure, still damp with seawater, into his arms.
As a submarine shipgirl, the little one wore only a tight-fitting swimsuit, yet she never feared the cold of the sea.
Thus, what he felt in his hands, aside from smoothness, was also a trace of warmth.
"U-556, you didn't even dry yourself off before making the Commander hold you. Now his clothes are all wet."
Bismarck chuckled, but Lin Lan, being held tightly by the Iron Blood underwater knight, didn't mind his damp clothes at all.
"It's fine. I'm not exactly an ordinary human anymore—I won't catch a cold. As long as U-556 is happy, let her have her hug."
Lin Lan gazed indulgently at the adorable little girl in his arms, playfully pinching her round, rosy cheeks, which were brimming with happiness.
Watching the joyful expressions of U-556 and Bismarck, he suddenly recalled their historical story.
In history, the submarine U-556 and the battleship Bismarck were built and outfitted at the same shipyard. Their berths were right next to each other, often sharing the same dock.
During U-556's launch ceremony, her captain was struggling financially and couldn't afford to hire a military band. So, he turned to Bismarck's captain for help.
Upon learning of this, Bismarck's captain immediately lent his ship's band to U-556 for free, as a gift for her launching ceremony.
In gratitude, U-556's captain wrote a solemn pledge:
"We, U-556, hereby swear before Neptune, the lord of the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, and creeks: We shall provide all expected support to our elder sister and brother, the battleship Bismarck, whether on the surface, underwater, on land, or in the skies."
However, as the brutal war unfolded, one day, while returning from a mission, U-556 received an urgent telegram from command to locate the missing Bismarck.
When U-556 finally found Bismarck, she was witnessing a tragic sight—the battleship was surrounded and under heavy attack by the Royal Navy.
Having already expended all her torpedoes during the mission, the crew of U-556 could only watch in despair as Bismarck sank, powerless to change her fate.
This historical event was woven into the game's storyline, unfolding like fate upon the two shipgirls who now bore these legendary names.
During U-556's launching ceremony as an Iron Blood submarine knight, the leader of Iron Blood, Bismarck, brought her personal military band to offer the most sincere blessings.
Beyond asking Bismarck to acknowledge her as an "older sister," U-556, just like in history, presented her with a pledge—a small yet unwavering oath:
"Whether on the ocean, in lakes, rivers, or streams, U-556 will protect her sister Bismarck from all aerial and torpedo attacks."
"No matter where, if Bismarck is ever wounded, even if she must drag her, U-556 will bring her sister back to port."
Later, history repeated itself. When Bismarck was encircled by the Royal Navy, she refused the META transformation offered by the Tester and, just like in the past, chose to fight until the very end.
But this time, as Bismarck sank into the sea, the underwater knight finally had the power to fulfill her oath.
She successfully rescued the severely injured Bismarck and brought her back to Iron Blood.
After a moment of affection, Lin Lan gently set U-556 down.
In his port, he would never allow a tragic, despair-filled scene like that of history to unfold again.
His beloved wives should always be as they were now—happy every day, never treated as mere weapons, forced to throw their lives into battle.
Although shipgirls were essentially weapons, Lin Lan had long regarded them as real, flesh-and-blood people and, at the same time, his closest family.
While he was getting affectionate with U-556, Brunhilde and the other Iron Blood shipgirls also returned to the dock.
"Commander, we have successfully completed the mission you assigned to us. Battleaxe Industries did indeed send reinforcements, but we have completely annihilated them."
After saluting Bismarck, the valiant, black-and-white short-haired Valkyrie of Iron Blood, Brunhilde, looked at Lin Lan and spoke in a calm tone.
Lin Lan had just put U-556 down when two little girls, U-1206 and U-101, who had arrived later, immediately clung to him from both sides.
"Ugh, they got to him first! I was supposed to be the first to hug that inferior life form!"
"Urgh... If I had known, I wouldn't have held back! I should have just rushed in and hugged the Commander first!"
Seeing the two submarine girls monopolizing Lin Lan, Deutschland and Elbe gritted their teeth in frustration, deeply regretting their hesitation.
"Well done, Brunhilde. As for the battle report, just give it to me tomorrow. Get some rest first."
Lin Lan naturally noticed the jealousy on Deutschland and Elbe's faces, but he only smiled and didn't point it out. Instead, he first praised Brunhilde.
Battleaxe Industries' reinforcements being wiped out by the Iron Blood fleet was the most expected outcome.
Not to mention that whether it was the Wolfpack, the Scharnhorst sisters, or the Deutschland sisters, they had long been masters of commerce raiding.
With the aerial reconnaissance support of light aircraft carrier girls Elbe and Weser, Battleaxe Industries' forces were doomed to be eliminated no matter how many they sent.
As for the defense of Dongyun City afterward, Lin Lan believed that Jian Qianou and the Tianou Group didn't need him to worry about it.
That old fox was no pushover.
If he couldn't even hold onto a city they had taken without a single casualty, then all his years of experience might as well have been wasted.
"Oh dear, I didn't expect us to return this late. I was hoping to have a drink with the Commander and Big Sister Bismarck."
Scharnhorst looked at Lin Lan and Bismarck and sighed.
"If you want to drink, it's not too late to do it in the morning. Commander, if you decide to hold a banquet, I'll inform Roon early so she can prepare in advance."
Scharnhorst's younger sister, the pink-haired glasses-wearing girl Gneisenau, seriously adjusted her red-framed glasses and looked at Lin Lan.
"Hmm, I think that's a great idea. What do you think, Bismarck? The battle in Dongyun City just wrapped up successfully, and now that you've all arrived, we could hold a banquet."
Lin Lan found the suggestion appealing and looked at Bismarck for her opinion.
"Since the Commander has said so, I'll leave this matter to you, Gneisenau. You can also have the Wolfpack and the Z-class destroyers help out."
And so, the decision was made. After a few more casual exchanges at the dock, they all headed toward the port area together.
Along the way, Lin Lan acted as a tour guide, walking beside Bismarck under the glow of streetlights, briefly explaining the new port area's development plans.
Before long, Brunhilde and the others arrived outside the office building's courtyard, where they had to part ways with him for the night.
Their dormitory area was still a bit further inside the port.
"Rest early, everyone. Good night. See you at sunrise."
Lin Lan smiled and waved as he watched the reluctant Iron Blood shipgirls bid him farewell.
"Good night, Commander!" "Good night, Bismarck-sister/lady!"
Just as Lin Lan was about to turn and return to his office building, he was suddenly taken aback by the last words he heard from the shipgirls.
Why were they saying good night to Bismarck as well?
Wait a minute—where was Bismarck?
Didn't she go with them to the dormitory area?
Just as this thought crossed Lin Lan's mind, a steady voice came from beside him.
"Hmm, this office building is quite exquisite. But for a command center, isn't it still a bit too simple?"
Following the voice, Lin Lan turned to see Bismarck, still dressed in her Iron Blood military uniform, standing at the entrance of his office courtyard, rubbing her chin as she evaluated the building.
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