After preventing the world from being destroyed, the ship girls started acting strangely.

The stables at the horse farm weren't very big, and they were all free-range. The few mares inside weren't usually looked after by any ship girls. When You Ran and Hu De arrived, only one chubby little colt was still sleeping in the stable; the rest had probably gone out to forage or play on their own.

"That horse belongs to Little Swan, but she's probably gotten a bit chubby because Little Swan spoils her too much, feeding her almost every day, and she doesn't like to run around much," Hood explained considerately, seeing the commander looking at the chubby little colt not far away.

"So it was raised by the little swans, no wonder it's so fat..." You Ran nodded in sudden realization, "Then what about the one you raised, Hu De?"

It was called a horse farm, but it only had a fence and stables built around the perimeter. The plains and grasslands inside were not defined in a specific area, so You Ran didn't see any other horses except for the little fat foal raised by Little Swan in front of her.

"That child has probably gone out to play. Commander, please wait a moment, I'll call it over right away."

With that, Hu De climbed over the fence and entered the horse farm.

Just as You Ran thought that Hu De would call the horse over by whistling, he saw Hu De suddenly unfold his ship's rigging and take out his 381 main gun. Then, without hesitation, he fired a few shots at a small mound not far away.

As the roar of cannons sounded, a moment later, a magnificent horse with snow-white fur but black mane and tail galloped from afar.

Okay, this way of calling the horse is very much like Kantai Collection.

......

Chapter 179 Shame on Horseback

"Um, Commander, don't misunderstand. Actually, I usually use a whistle to call the child, but this plain is quite large. If I don't fire the cannon, the child might not be able to hear me."

Seeing You Ran's surprised expression, Hu De explained somewhat embarrassedly.

"It's nothing, I actually think this way of calling horses is pretty cool."

It would be even cooler if the horse had been blown out of a cannonball.

"Commander, would you like to try it out first?"

He mounted the horse with practiced ease, and after taking off one glove, Hu De smiled and extended his hand to You Ran.

"together?"

"Has the commander ridden a horse before?"

"No, actually not..."

To be honest, although he has never ridden one, he is theoretically a skilled horse rider.

“That’s it. Now I’ll let you experience it first, Commander. If you feel good about it, then you can try riding it freely by yourself later,” Hood explained.

In fact, ever since she thought of the horseback riding activity, she had been looking forward to taking the commander for a ride, so Hood naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity.

"That's fine."

Although it wasn't quite what You Ran had initially imagined, it was still an experience. Nodding, You Ran took Hu De's hand and followed him onto the horse, stepping into the stirrups.

"Um...would it be better if I sat in the back?"

At first, she didn't think there was anything wrong, but after getting on the horse, You Ran realized that if she wasn't riding the horse herself, the feeling of being protected in Hu De's arms was a little strange.

"Hehe~ I didn't expect the Commander to be shy. Well, it's nothing. Although the Commander in my arms looks like a little man right now, in my heart, the Commander will always be a great man."

Without giving You Ran a chance to change positions, Hu De flicked the reins lightly, and the horse obediently began to move forward.

After all, Hood knew that such an opportunity to ride a horse with the commander was rare, and might only come once in her lifetime. Once she had taught the commander how to ride, there would naturally be no more opportunities.

"Why would I be shy? I'm just afraid of blocking your view, Hood." You Ran blushed slightly after being told that by Hood, but still stubbornly insisted.

"Yes, yes~ I understand, I understand. Okay, Commander, you need to listen carefully now, because what I'm about to talk about are the three most important things for beginners to pay attention to when riding a horse..."

......

While riding the horse, he explained the key points of riding, took the opportunity to admire the scenery along the way, and occasionally talked about interesting things that had happened over the years. This simple and peaceful feeling made Hu De feel intoxicated.

If she could, Hood would even prefer to teach the commander to ride a horse here for the rest of her life.

But things didn't go as planned. As time went by, Hood found herself reciting everything she knew about horseback riding. Finally, she pursed her lips, unsure of what to say next, and realized that she had probably gone a bit too far for a novice like the commander.

Somewhat embarrassed, Hu De handed the reins to You Ran. Hu De originally wanted to see how much the commander had learned, and then teach him a thing or two. But who knew that You Ran, who was already a master of theoretical riding, would pick up the skills very quickly after combining Hu De's explanation of the riding techniques. In no time, he had mastered the essentials of riding and transformed into a riding expert.

"So, now you're comfortable letting me ride it, right, Hood?"

After taking Hu De for a ride across the plains, I must say, riding a horse across the grasslands was a really great experience.

"This..." It was supposed to be a happy occasion, but Hood couldn't feel happy at all. He just forced a smile. "I didn't expect you to be so talented, Commander. Alright then, Commander, try riding it around by yourself. I'll be waiting down here!"

Disappointed, he was talking as he stepped into the stirrups to get off, but just as he was about to finish his sentence, Hud's toe had barely touched the ground and he hadn't even gotten a firm footing when he suddenly felt a tremendous force on his arm. The next second, Hud found himself back on the horse.

This time, however, Hu De was in front and You Ran was behind. Because it happened so suddenly, Hu De almost instinctively hugged You Ran, which resulted in Hu De now riding his horse facing You Ran, or rather, sitting in You Ran's lap.

"There's no need to wait down there. I'll bring Hood with me."

"Well……"

Suddenly, the tables turned; nestled in You Ran's arms, Hu De blushed with embarrassment.

"But this posture is a bit too strange. Commander, could you please let me turn around first?"

Hood didn't mind, or rather, she was looking forward to being carried around by the commander, but it was still a bit too embarrassing to do it face to face.

"Hood, you're shy now?"

Without giving Hud any chance to adjust his posture, You Ran flicked the reins lightly, just like Hud had done before. As the horse began to move forward, Hud, who had just tried to get up, had no choice but to hold You Ran back again.

Originally, Hood thought that was shameful enough, but as the journey went on, he gradually discovered something even more shameful.

"Um, Commander... just ride your horse properly, and don't let your hands wander off. If you want something, wait... wait until we get back, I'll do whatever you want with me..."

Hu De pressed down on You Ran's restless hand that was resting on his lap, his face flushed, and his voice grew softer and softer.

No matter the situation, Hood could always maintain a composed demeanor like a lady, but in this particular area, she really had no experience.

"It's alright, my horseback riding skills are already superb, one hand is enough."

Originally, it was just a habit that made her subconsciously want to touch something, but after hearing what Hu De said, You Ran became interested instead.

And so, following the route that Hood had taken with him on his bicycle, they returned, and the blush on Hood's face became more and more pronounced.

At first, Hu De slightly hindered You Ran so that he could ride the horse properly.

But the more Hu De tried to stop him, the more excited You Ran became. Just like a general conquering cities and territories, You Ran began his fearless conquests.

Compared to You Ran's fierce attacks, Hu De, who only knew how to defend and compromise, was destined to fail in the end.

Only when the last line of defense was breached and the entire line collapsed, did Hu De, who had been slaughtered and was in disarray, finally surrender, his face flushed, and lay in You Ran's arms, breathing heavily, letting You Ran do as he pleased.

It was only after this that Hu De, having successfully piqued You Ran's interest, learned that the jolting sensation of riding a horse could have such a shameful use...

Chapter 180 Small Reputation and Raising a Cannon

Ring ring ring ring—!

Minato Ward, on campus.

As the classic school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, the entire school came alive.

In the classroom on the far left of the first floor of the teaching building, named Class 3 of Grade 1, Z23, wearing glasses and dressed in a rather daring teacher's uniform to appear mature, closed his textbook after hearing the bell.

"Alright, that concludes our lesson. Now it's lunchtime, so please enjoy your lunch."

As Z23 finished speaking, the classroom was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Most of the ship girls had their own small groups, and they found each other as soon as school was over. They chatted and walked to the cafeteria together.

In addition, a small number of ship girls have pre-prepared bento boxes, so they can enjoy their lunch directly at their seats or in any corner of the campus.

"Abercrombie, aren't you going to eat?"

After standing up, Hobby noticed that Abercrombie hadn't gotten up for a while, so he asked curiously.

Leaning on the table, Abercrombie shook his head listlessly. "No, I don't have much of an appetite today. You guys go ahead."

Normally, Abercrombie would be one of those heading to the cafeteria, but today she had other plans.

"Okay, then we'll head over first."

Seeing Abercrombie shake his head, fearing that the best food in the canteen would be snatched up, Hobby didn't ask any more questions and instead hurried into the canteen with Kork.

After the two left, Abercrombie immediately perked up and went straight to Little Renown's side with great interest.

"Oh, little Renown, did Aunt Hood make your bento box today too? Just like last time, it looks awful."

The reason Abercrombie didn't want to go to the cafeteria was precisely this: ever since he accidentally saw and tasted the deluxe bento box that Little Reputation brought last week, he had been thinking about it non-stop, which is why he didn't want to eat in the cafeteria.

"No way! Hood's bento boxes are delicious and nutritious!" Nobita frowned cutely when Abercrombie said that, and immediately retorted.

"I don't believe you unless you, Little Fame, let me try it like last time, until I'm completely convinced."

As he spoke, Abercrombie couldn't wait to take the bento box in front of Little Renown.

He thought that, like last time, in order to gain her approval, Noble would just stand by and watch her finish eating. But to his surprise, things didn't turn out the same way. No sooner had Abercrombie reached out than Noble immediately clutched the bento box to his chest.

"No, Abercrombie, you can't fool me this time. Hood said that it's because her bento is so delicious that you're so eager to eat it. Otherwise, if it wasn't delicious, you wouldn't want to eat it so much."

"What?! I didn't think that at all! Aunt Hood is just overthinking it!"

Seeing that his intentions had been seen through, Abercrombie became somewhat exasperated and said...

"That won't work either. Sister Hude told me not to pay attention to what you say and just focus on eating my fill."

For Renown, Hood's words are just as reliable as the Commander's and his sister's.

"Hmph! Fine, I won't eat it. What's the big deal? I don't even want to eat such a awful bento! When I get home, I'll ask Nelson's mom to make me a bento that's a hundred times, a thousand times better than this. You'll be so envious then!"

As he spoke, Abercrombie got carried away and wanted to go home. However, after turning around and taking a couple of steps, he became angrier and angrier. Little Shengwang had just taken another bite when Abercrombie turned around again and slammed his hand on the table.

"Alright then, Little Prestige, let's decide who gets to eat this meal by having a decisive battle!"

"Abercrombie, you mean... you want to duel me?"

Although he wasn't scared, Little Renown was still stunned for a moment.

"A duel...? Yes! That's right! A duel! A fair and square duel like the Royal Knights!"

"Royal Knight." Upon hearing this, Little Renown's face immediately lit up with longing, and as a knight, Little Renown naturally had no reason to refuse. "Alright then, I accept your challenge."

As he spoke, Nobunaga took out his greatsword from his ship's rigging, but as soon as he stood up, Abercrombie raised his hand directly at Nobunaga.

"Wait a moment!"

Little Rising tilted his head, somewhat puzzled: "What's wrong?"

"Little Shengwang, did you just eat?"