After an exhausting night, Lin Lan was sleeping so soundly that nothing could wake him.
When Bismarck woke up in Lin Lan's arms, she drowsily glanced at the clock beside the bed.
It was already past eleven in the morning.
She gazed at the commander's face, buried against her, sleeping peacefully. For a brief moment, she was lost in thought.
As the spiritual leader of the Iron Blood faction, the most dignified flagship of Iron Blood, she had never slept this late before.
Yet now, lying in the commander's embrace, her heart was filled with happiness and contentment, granting her the most restful sleep she had ever experienced.
"So… this is the happiness I've been seeking?"
Bismarck gently stroked the sleeping commander's face, murmuring softly as if asking herself.
From the moment of her creation, she had borne the heavy burden of Iron Blood's resurgence, whether as a battleship or as an Iron Blood shipgirl.
That responsibility had always weighed on her shoulders.
She had once believed that leading the Iron Blood fleet out of Siren control and breaking through the Royal Navy's blockade was the happiness she pursued.
But it wasn't.
Because after escaping the Sirens and joining the port, she realized that even greater challenges and enemies awaited her.
She had once thought that under the command of a trusted and sworn commander, defeating one enemy after another would bring her happiness.
But that wasn't the case either.
Because when the commander, whom she had taken for granted would always be by their side, suddenly disappeared, an overwhelming sense of confusion and regret engulfed her, tormenting her relentlessly.
All the shipgirls could clearly feel that the commander was not dead.
This gave them a sliver of hope, preventing them from falling into the despair of meta corruption.
Yet they also knew that if they didn't find the commander, he might never return.
To maintain stability within Iron Blood, she and Friedrich der Große had to step forward and prevent their faction from descending into chaos.
After discussions with the other faction leaders, it was decided that the Royal Navy would guard the port while she and Friedrich led the Iron Blood fleet on a journey to search for the commander.
Throughout their search, Bismarck had pondered countless times—given the commander's condition when he disappeared, what if he never returned?
Until last night, when she and her beloved commander finally shared the same bed in the truest sense, Bismarck finally understood.
The happiness she had been seeking was simply to live a peaceful life forever with her beloved commander and her companions.
That pastoral satisfaction and tranquility—that was the ultimate destination she pursued, not as the flagship of Iron Blood, but as Bismarck the shipgirl.
"Mmm…"
In his sleep, Lin Lan murmured, shifting his sleeping position.
"Commander, since you're going to bring back all your companions from the other factions sooner or later, for now…"
Having reached the place her heart longed for, Bismarck's deep blue eyes, as clear as a tranquil lake, gazed at the commander resting against her chest.
Then, she gently lifted his face with her hand, lowered her head, and kissed him.
"Let me selfishly keep you to myself for a little longer."
With Bismarck's series of actions, Lin Lan naturally woke up.
The first thing he saw was a breathtakingly beautiful face, tinged with an expectant and dreamy expression.
Being kissed awake by the dignified flagship of Iron Blood, whose demeanor was usually cold and stern, was certainly not something he could sleep through.
At your age, how could you possibly stay asleep in this situation? Have some ambition!
And so, it wasn't until the afternoon that the two of them, having freshened up and changed, finally left the bedroom.
"With you by my side, I doubt any secretary ship will dare come to the office today."
Feeling refreshed, Lin Lan donned a clean and neatly pressed white naval uniform.
As he descended the stairs, he teasingly remarked to Bismarck, who had changed into her black Iron Blood military uniform.
"That's not necessarily true. I believe in the discipline of Iron Blood's warriors… Look."
With a hint of smugness in her voice, Bismarck directed Lin Lan's attention to his office, where the door was already open.
"Well, well, someone actually showed up. Truly the proud tradition of Iron Blood. Let's see which of my dear wives is the secretary ship today and ripe for my torment."
After last night's "battle," Lin Lan could now joke with Bismarck at will.
However, when he stepped into his office, he was surprised to see four familiar Iron Blood shipgirls lounging on the sofa.
Admiral Hipper, Blücher, Prinz Eugen, and the converted light carrier Weser.
Except for Tallinn, who had joined the Northern Parliament, the entire Hipper-class family was present.
What shocked him even more was that, aside from Weser, who stood behind Hipper and greeted him with a gentle smile, the other three heavy cruisers had a set of Iron Blood playing cards in their hands—or laid out on the table.
Upon seeing Lin Lan enter, Blücher immediately raised her cards, beaming with joy, and leaped at him, wrapping him in a hug like an overjoyed puppy.
"Yaho~! Commander, you're finally awake! You have to shower Blücher with love today too!"
Hipper, witnessing this unbearably sweet display, hesitated for a moment before crossing her arms, puffing her cheeks in frustration, and standing up in silence.
Lin Lan, stealing a glance at Hipper's reaction, secretly chuckled.
Ah, in the face of an affectionate, naturally clingy girl, a tsundere really doesn't stand a chance.
Prinz Eugen, noticing her elder sister's irritation, smirked widely.
Seeing Hipper sulk was one of her greatest joys.
While tidying up the playing cards, she turned to Lin Lan with a playful smile and teasingly asked,
"Mmm~ Commander, you're finally up. So, Bismarck… you two last night, did you…"
Before she could finish, Eugen abruptly cut herself off.
Because at that exact moment, Bismarck entered the office behind Lin Lan.
Upon seeing Eugen straighten up with a somewhat awkward smile and formally salute Bismarck, Lin Lan burst out laughing.
Compared to seeing Hipper flustered, witnessing Eugen caught off guard was an even rarer sight.
Blücher, along with her three sisters, also stood up straight and saluted Bismarck the moment she arrived.
"Eugen, you…"
Bismarck gestured for the four of them to relax, then turned to her longtime silver-haired battle companion and shook her head with a knowing smile.
Eugen, in turn, shot Bismarck a playful wink, as if she had already figured everything out.
Lin Lan could already tell—Eugen was definitely going to seek Bismarck out in private later to exchange "experiences."
After all, historically, Bismarck's only sortie had been alongside Prinz Eugen.
Their bond was naturally extraordinary.
Getting back on track, Lin Lan glanced at the four Hipper-class sisters before him and curiously asked,
"So why are all four of you here? Who's my secretary ship today?"
"It's me, it's me! Commander's secretary ship today is me!"
The moment Lin Lan asked, Blücher gleefully answered and clung tightly to his arm again.
"Hmph, we knew you'd sleep until the afternoon, so we came early with Blücher to keep her company so she wouldn't be bored."
The golden-haired, flat-chested elder sister Hipper crossed her arms and huffed in mild annoyance.
"I should've had Hood let you all know that today was a rest day. My bad."
Lin Lan apologetically patted Blücher's head, though she didn't seem the least bit bothered by his late arrival.
"Commander, neither you nor Bismarck have had lunch yet, right? We brought you some bento from the cafeteria."
Weser pointed to the two lunchboxes on Lin Lan's desk with a gentle smile.
As the saying goes, a man is made of iron, and food is steel—you can't go without eating.
Lin Lan hadn't felt hungry, but at the mention of lunch, his stomach grumbled in response.
Oh, right. He hadn't eaten breakfast—or dinner last night—so he had gone an entire day without food.
Without hesitation, Lin Lan and Bismarck settled down at the sofa and table, digging into the German-style bento brought by the four sisters.
"By the way, Commander, Ulrich came by this morning to deliver Brünhilde's combat report. She asked us to tell you that once you're awake, you must visit Akashi's shop."
After tidying up the table, Prinz Eugen, now seated beside Lin Lan, grinned mischievously.
At that moment, both Eugen and Bismarck flanked him from either side, with the silver-haired heavy cruiser leaning close to his ear and whispering with a teasing smile.
_______
50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!