The silver-haired mecha girl struggled to sit up from the table.
Her deep blue, dynamically shifting eyes, full of a futuristic glow, fixed on Lin Lan, a hint of confusion appearing on her face.
Seeing Sui Qiong in such a just-awakened state, Lin Lan hesitated slightly before asking,
"Sui Qiong, you're finally awake. Do you still remember who I am?"
"Sui Qiong scanning… Commander?"
(Sui Qiong)
The girl tilted her head slightly, then raised her hands to examine her intact body, her expression filled with uncertainty.
Hadn't she already sent the Commander away? How was it that she hadn't turned into a monster?
Seeing that Sui Qiong seemed to be fine and still recognized him, Lin Lan finally let out a sigh of relief.
He reached out and gently patted the dazed girl's head, smoothing out her slightly messy, silky white hair, and smiled as he said,
"My companions rescued all of us earlier. Now, you're home."
"Ho…me?"
Sui Qiong looked around in confusion, the unfamiliar workshop environment leaving her disoriented.
"Come on, let's go outside. I'll introduce you to your new companions."
Lin Lan extended his hand, speaking gently to the bewildered mecha girl.
Looking at the outstretched palm before her, Sui Qiong's azure eyes flickered with hesitation.
She understood that the young man in front of her was not truly an Orland military commander.
That identity had been false data, granted by the other fallen Titan mechas in the illusion.
Her gaze shifted to Lin Lan's face, which was watching her with anticipation.
This was the face that, even in the depths of her utter despair, even in the collapsing darkness of that world, had never given up on saving her.
The pure and innocent heart within Sui Qiong had already made a decision.
She gently placed her delicate hand into Lin Lan's.
"Commander, can you come a little closer?"
Hearing the small, soft request from the petite mecha girl, how could Lin Lan possibly refuse?
"What is it, Sui Qiong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Just as he bent down toward her, the small girl suddenly sat up straight on the table, spread her arms, and tightly hugged him.
"???"
Being suddenly embraced by the petite girl's soft form, Lin Lan froze.
But before he could say anything, an irritated voice rang out from beyond the workshop door:
"Idiot! Are you done yet? How long are you going to take just to smash one META crystal?"
Immediately after, he heard the sound of the door opening.
"Damn it—Hipper, could you not come in at this exact moment?!"
Lin Lan was startled, trying to straighten up, only to find that Sui Qiong was clinging tightly to him, unwilling to let go.
Having no other choice, he simply lifted the small girl into his arms, turned around, and faced the entrance.
The moment he turned, he saw the shocked expression of Hipper, as well as Ulrich and the others walking in behind her.
"Hah? You were sneaking around doing something indecent? You do realize we've all been waiting outside, getting impatient, right?!"
Compared to the furious golden-haired Hipper, Prinz Eugen wore a playful, knowing smile.
"Oh my, Commander, it seems like we walked in at the wrong time~"
Lin Lan's face flushed as he held Sui Qiong, clearing his throat awkwardly.
No, actually, you arrived at just the right time.
Even after much coaxing, Sui Qiong still refused to let go of Lin Lan's hand.
Surrounded by Hipper's sisters, the tiny white-haired mecha girl was being closely examined by her new companions, just as she was curiously observing the Iron Blood shipgirls in return.
Even though Lin Lan had already told her that these people were her allies, the innocent mecha girl still felt a little uneasy being suddenly encircled by so many onlookers.
"Wow! These wings are amazing! The moment you showed up yesterday, I really wanted to touch them! Can I? Please, can I?"
Brünhilde's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the deep black floating wings behind Sui Qiong, full of anticipation.
"Uhh… alright."
Faced with Brünhilde's overflowing enthusiasm, Sui Qiong couldn't bring herself to refuse and gave a small nod.
"Sui Qiong, right? Can I touch them too?"
For Hipper, an absolute model enthusiast, these sleek, jet-black, high-tech wings were just as alluring as a rare warship model.
Seeing her younger sister already enjoying herself running her hands over the wings, Hipper eagerly asked Sui Qiong as well.
"…Okay."
At this moment, Sui Qiong looked just like a small, helpless rabbit being surrounded and toyed with, reluctantly nodding in agreement.
These new companions… seemed a little too enthusiastic.
"Sis, you might scare her off if you keep doing that. You can't just bombard her with those kinds of requests the moment you meet her."
The youngest of the Hipper sisters, Weser, smiled at her older siblings before crouching in front of Sui Qiong. Taking a colorful lollipop from behind her back, she held it out.
"Here, Sui Qiong, this is a lollipop. Just unwrap it and put it in your mouth to eat it."
Watching Weser's gentle, older-sister-like demeanor, Lin Lan couldn't help but think that among the Hipper sisters, the youngest really seemed the most mature.
Since Sui Qiong was completely surrounded by the sisters, the cunning merchant Akashi tried to squeeze in but failed due to her small stature.
Her large, muscular cat assistant was off working at the dock, leaving her at a disadvantage.
Having no other choice, she bribed Magdeburg with a store discount voucher and climbed onto her shoulders, just in time to see Weser handing over the lollipop.
"Weser! That's blatant gift-giving at my expense, nya! You haven't paid for that lollipop yet, nya!"
Hearing Akashi's loud complaint, Sui Qiong, who had just received the lollipop, looked up in confusion at the green-haired feline girl.
"Sui Qiong scanning… Based on appearance, identified as Liaozhou native?"
"I'm not a Liaozhou native, nya! I'm the one and only repair ship of the Sakura Empire Joint Fleet, nya!"
Hearing the white-haired girl mistakenly call her a Liaozhou native, the indignant Akashi's ears twitched furiously as she protested.
"Akashi, did you forget that everything we take from the stores today is being reimbursed by the Commander?"
Prinz Eugen smirked as she interjected, adding mischievously,
"What's the harm in taking one extra lollipop? Who knows, maybe we'll end up using our rigging to clear out your entire store later. Heh heh heh~"
"Guh… You Iron Blood girls are nothing but bandits, nya."
Akashi shrank back; she could tell from Eugen's gaze that she was absolutely serious.
"Alright, alright, let's take Sui Qiong out to see the port first."
Seeing Hipper still stroking Sui Qiong's jet-black wings in fascination, Lin Lan exchanged a helpless glance with Ulrich before speaking up.
Before leaving the workshop, Lin Lan also made sure to remind Brünhilde to pack up the snacks from the table.
When they finally stepped out of Akashi's store, it was exactly three in the afternoon.
The late autumn sunlight bathed the port, the gentle sea breeze making the atmosphere particularly pleasant.
Out in the open, Sui Qiong seemed to relax a little, finally releasing Lin Lan's hand as she gazed at the serene harbor and vast blue sky.
As Lin Lan watched her basking in the sunlight, looking livelier than before, Hipper suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
"Idiot, come here for a second."
Hearing her hushed tone, Lin Lan turned to look at her in confusion before following.
Near Akashi's shop entrance, Hipper checked to make sure Sui Qiong wasn't paying attention before looking up at Lin Lan with her emerald green eyes, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Just as Lin Lan, utterly perplexed, wondered what this was all about, Hipper stammered, her face turning redder.
"T-That girl… Sui Qiong… Can you let us take care of her?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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