Even in the world of Kancolle, I want to drive a robot!

"Befa, I'm in my room and I'm hungry. Come and make me something to eat."

In less than twenty seconds, the head maid's voice rang out from the communication ring.

"As you command, Befa will prepare dinner for the master. Please wait."

At critical moments, I still have to rely on Befa, who is worthy of being my head maid. But then again, for things like eating, can't I just go to the White Eagle Canteen by myself? Why bother Befa?

Could it be that I have become so accustomed to being served by Sheffield that my diligent self has disappeared, turning me into the kind of useless person who can’t do anything without a maid?

In order to prevent himself from sinking deeper and deeper into the sudden sadness, Xia Bai's thoughts began to diverge and he forced himself to think wildly.

After a while, there was a knock on the door. Xia Bai's eyes lit up and he sat up from the bed: "The door is not locked, just come in... Really, Beifa, do we still need to care about these etiquettes in our relationship now?"

But when the door was pushed open, the person who came in stunned Xia Bai. He stretched out his finger tremblingly and stammered, "Are you still not willing to let me go? You actually chased me here!"

"You should know that what I want is... Bai! What's wrong with you?" The smile of successful surprise attack disappeared, and RX-03 also stood there in a daze.

She actually saw the man who had been holding on all this time shed tears, and the room was even covered by strange mental fluctuations, which made it seem very depressing. You know, even when RX-01 was "killed" at the Solomon Line, he didn't shed tears like this.

Just as Xia Bai himself said, tears are useless and cannot change anything, so he never cries for anything. No matter how sad he is, he will keep his emotions in his heart.

RX-03 quickly walked to Xia Bai's side, put his hands on his shoulders, and said worriedly: "Bai, what happened? Is it because of the ship girl or the previous exercise..."

"Uh, I don't know either. I just can't stop crying." Xia Bai replied.

Such a calm tone and expression made RX-03 even more worried. He was clearly crying non-stop, and he could feel the suffocating sorrow from his mental fluctuations, but he himself seemed to be completely unaware of it. This... was too contradictory.

Chapter 158 Laughing and Crying

‘Boom——’

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and occasionally a few flashes of lightning flashed through the impenetrable clouds. The wind blew violently in the evening and the rain poured down heavily.

The White Eagle Port area, which was originally bustling with playfulness, suddenly became deserted. Both the ship girl and the Son of Prometheus returned to their rooms.

In the bright room, amid the sound of rain and thunder, Akashi removed the detection device from Xia Bai and said in a relaxed tone, "The commander is fine, meow. There is no core damage."

"Akashi guessed that it was just that his mental energy had been depleted, and the long-suppressed emotions were released at the same time. It should be fine after the release is over, meow."

But this did not reassure RX-03. She looked at the dense data on the test instrument and asked softly, "I'm still a little worried... Could you trouble Akashi to test it again?"

"It's not really a problem. After all, he is the commander of our Sakura Empire, and we should take it seriously, meow." Faced with 03's suggestion, Akashi readily accepted it and picked up the instrument again and put it on Xia Bai.

"Forget it." Stopping Mingshi's movements, Xia Bai wiped his dry eyes and shook his head, saying, "Since the results have been checked, let's not waste time."

"But......"

Interrupting Mingshi again, Xia Bai touched her little head and said gently: "You should also take a rest, don't tire yourself out."

"Bai, you're crying and trying to comfort me... It's totally unconvincing."

"It's not like I want to shed tears. Didn't Akashi say that it's a normal release of mental energy after losing it?"

After turning around and talking to 03, Xia Bai pushed the instrument away and said seriously, "Don't check if there's no problem. Go back first and let me calm down by myself."

Seeing Xia Bai's insistence, Mingshi looked up at 03 who looked embarrassed, and finally nodded. He pushed the cart with the instruments and prepared to leave. As if he suddenly remembered something, he reached his little hand into his wide sleeves and fumbled around.

"Commander, I've finished what you asked me to do this morning... Here it is."

"What is this?" Xia Bai asked with some confusion after taking the small box that Mingshi took out from his sleeve.

"Well, this is the oath ring of the flagship, meow. The commander asked Akashi to make it quickly this morning, but you forgot...?"

After hearing what Akashi said, 03 suddenly remembered what Xia Bai's wedding ships had told him, about what happened on the way to the Sakura Empire, and immediately spoke out to test it.

"Do you still remember who the flagship of the Sakura Empire is?"

Without any hesitation, Xia Bai blurted out: "Nagato, how could I not remember my own ship girl."

"Although I'm not very smart, my memory is still fine. Don't think I'm too stupid."

At this time, Akashi also understood something, and he widened his eyes and asked Xia Bai quickly: "It's not this, 03 wants to ask about our former flagship, meow."

"Mikasa and Shinano."

Seeing that Xia Bai still remembered the big gray fox, the two looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. The current situation of tears really looked a bit like what Shinano did, after all, she had a history of this.

As long as Shinano did that, there must be a problem with the confinement center. However, this doubt can be eliminated now. It is probably just a normal emotional release.

After Akashi had been gone for a while, the rain outside the window still showed no sign of stopping, and seemed to be getting heavier.

Noticing that Xia Bai was distracted by the window, 03 asked softly, "What is Bai worried about?"

"I was wondering if Belfa would get wet when she brings the food in since it's raining so hard outside... You know, she's not only a maid, but also my wife on the wedding ship."

"Hello, have you ever considered that for a ship girl like Belfast who has a servant mentality, a maid wife might be better."

"How can you know the joy of a fish if you are not a fish? Maybe."

Xia Bai did not agree with RX-03's opinion of Belfa, but he would not completely deny it, because Sheffield was like that. Although she had obtained the Ring of Oath early on, she still regarded herself as a maid.

'Boom thump—'

After a crisp knock on the door, the door was pushed open again, and the little maid Dido and Sirius slowly walked in pushing a dining cart. When they saw 03, they looked a little strange.

Placing the tableware and dishes on the small round table, Sirius slowly bowed his head and said, "Proud master, Dido and I are here to serve the food. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Oh, just in time...Where's Befa? Why isn't she here?"

"The head maid is not feeling well, so she asked us to come here...it seems she sprained her ankle."

When Xia Bai heard about the sprained ankle, he immediately understood what happened. He guessed that he had used too much force on the ice cream in the morning, which made it inconvenient for Befa to move. He did not ask any more questions and just enjoyed the attentive food provided by the maids.

"By the way, have you eaten yet? We didn't eat together."

"Hehe, how do you know I haven't eaten it yet? It's a pity that I can't join you..."

The sudden soft voice made Sirius and Dido instantly unfold their ship suits and hold the big swords in their hands, while the guards on both sides stood alert beside Xia Bai.

Patting the two on the shoulders, Xia Bai comforted them softly, "It's Ling-chan, we're family, don't be so nervous."

"Yes, we are family, so I went through a lot of trouble to get information about the confinement center for you... But, can a man like you cry? Your eyes are swollen from crying."

"Normal catharsis... Tell me what you got out of there."

"The situation is not good. Qiangong appeared in the solitary confinement."

Hearing this, Xia Bai put down the cutlery in his hand, wiped his mouth, and asked seriously: "You said that the Prison exists in the gap above this world. Now Qian Gong can still appear there. Didn't you Sirens chase it afterwards?"

"It has been staying with the Alien God since the battle. How could we know? If it weren't for your conditions this time, no one would know where Qian Gong would go..."

"Tsk, I also suffered a little loss at the hands of the alien god, but luckily its injuries were only serious."

"Zero-chan, you are no match for the Alien God?"

"What else?" Ling-chan asked unhappily, and explained unhappily, "It is a life form called 'God' after all, it's not that simple. It's really bad luck to run into it alone this time..."

"As a 'family member', I advise you to act quickly. You have lost all the humility in your soul, but you really want to replenish yourself."

"That fox ship girl of yours is no weaker than the arbitrator of the arbitration agency."

Chapter 159: Keep Smiling and Keep Walking

At midnight, the room fell into silence. The only sounds that could be heard were the sound of waves, the sound of raindrops falling, and...03's breathing.

A faint fragrance filled the air near the tip of his nose. Xia Bai pulled the quilt and stared at the ceiling helplessly.

This action seemed to wake up 03. She opened her eyes, turned sideways and hugged Xia Bai's arms, and whispered: "You are not asleep yet... Are you thinking about what Observer Zero said?"

"The rain falls fragilely, but the pain remains silent."

"?"

"Um, what I mean is that you guessed right, 03. I was indeed thinking about what Ling-chan said... I originally thought that there was still plenty of time to rescue the flagship, but now it seems that this is not the case."

"I never thought that Qian Gong would go to the solitary confinement... Tsk, plans can't keep up with changes."

Noticing that Xia Bai was a little impatient, RX-03 comforted him softly, "We need time, everyone needs time, this is normal, Bai doesn't have to feel guilty about it."

"Observer Zero is serious. She will not give Shiro the key to the confinement center unless she completes the Solomon Raiders."

"I know, but do I have to accompany the ship girl? If it weren't for this damn test that required bringing a fleet, I could break the defense line by myself."

Patting Xia Bai's head, RX-03 said: "Because it is a test site, it is not only testing you, but also testing the world. Without perfect preparation and plan, we can't attack rashly. I hope you can understand."

"Now that we have tolerance, we can save time on the journey, otherwise it would take more than half a month."

"So, as long as the Royal Family and the Sakura Empire arrive, they can quickly launch an offensive... The Solomon Line is not just a concern for Shiro, it's the same for both Azur Lane and humans."

At this point, 03 paused, then changed the subject and asked in confusion, "When Shiro mentioned Shinano just now, which flagship was used as a substitute? Given your relationship, you shouldn't..."

"forget."

"What do you mean by forgotten?" RX-03 asked calmly despite being a little shocked.

Looking at the dim ceiling, Xia Bai replied indifferently: "Literally, I only remember her name and voice now, and her appearance is already vague."

"If Akashi hadn't suddenly asked about Shinano, perhaps even my memories of being with her would have slipped away without me noticing... Do you know what this means?"

"This means that she is already a stranger to me. I know very well that I have this ship girl, but everything about her seems bland."

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Xia Bai turned and looked at 03. His dark eyes were deep and contained no emotion, like a pool of stagnant water.

"I was thinking, maybe the tears and sadness before were all due to this. Maybe Shinano and I have really been through a lot. I should have loved her very much before today?"

Shaking his head, Xia Bai laughed and said, "When my tears dry up and my sorrow dries up...I won't remember her anymore."

Although he was not crying at this moment, his expression was very gentle, and there was no pain in his heart, but in 03's eyes, Xia Bai looked extremely sad.

Unable to hold back his hug, 03 loudly questioned: "But you have to save her. This is what Bai and Shinano agreed on... Have you even forgotten this!?"

"Yes, but I have written it down now. I have an agreement with the ship girl named Shinano... but I will forget it soon."

"Do you know what this feeling is like? I know this person is very important to me, but I don't care about her safety at all, and I don't feel how precious she is to me."

"So I hope that while I can still remember this name, you can help me remember her and everything about Shinano, and explain it to me after the dust settles."

"Until the war on the Solomon Line is over? I understand." Nodding, RX-03 agreed to Xia Bai's request.

She could understand what the other party meant. Between the two, Xia Bai thought that Solomon's defense line was more important and didn't want this matter to disturb her thoughts.

Because Shinano now is just a stranger to him.

It was not until now that RX-03 finally understood how terrible the so-called forgetting was. Xia Bai could actually say such words so calmly without taking any action.

I know clearly that he is the most important person to me, but I am still indifferent inside... It's so sad.

The sad one is not Xia Bai, but Shinano. RX-03 simply cannot understand under what circumstances the other party chose to modify the memory of his beloved commander again, and did it so thoroughly without any reservation.

This must be related to Qian Gong's arrival at the confinement center. Judging from the current situation, the spiritual connection between the two has not been broken. Shinano should just be in danger?

But this does not make sense. The confinement cell is full of people from the Ashes. If Qian Gong wants to take in Shinano's soul, he will not encounter any obstruction. Even the alien gods appeared there, causing Observer Zero to suffer a loss.

There was too little information about that place. No matter how hard RX-03 thought about it, he could not come up with a more reasonable explanation. He could only gently comfort Xia Bai: "Shinano will be fine. Bai, you should have a good rest and stop thinking too much."

"At least now, I am still with you."

"I would rather Sirius and Dido appear in my bed right now. At least they can bring me warmth with 'justice', but you, 03, only bring me chilling coldness."

So why did 03 chase away the maid who wanted to stay and sleep with him? It must be because of jealousy.

Hearing this, RX-03 raised his eyebrows and a 'gentle' smile appeared on his face: "Mine is normal size. Normal people will not have the size of Sirius and Dido."

"Of course, I know I can't compare to them in this aspect, but I think other aspects can still bring warmth to Shiro... For example, black stockings and long socks."

"Forget it then. Allowing you to stay is already my biggest concession. Forget about the rest."

Looking away from 03's face, Xia Bai turned over with his back to her, pulled the quilt over him and said, "Remember what I told you today. I have a little trick up my sleeve. It might be useful later."

"With your intelligence, you should know when to tell me about 'Shinano'."

It turns out that he had a backup plan. No wonder he didn't care about Shinano at all. Is this what they call growth? He has grown from a reckless man to a scheming commander.

With love in his eyes, RX-03 hugged Xia Bai's back and slowly closed his eyes.

"Good night."

"Good night..."

Chapter 160 Winter

Since that night, Xia Bai would occasionally burst into tears, but he never mentioned Shinano again. Perhaps, as he said, he had completely forgotten about the other party.

RX-03 remembered what Xia Bai said and asked Akagi and the others about everything about Shinano, but the effect was not very good.

After all, the other party has not appeared in Sakura Empire for a long time, and any information about her only exists in Xia Bai's dreams. During the time they are together, no matter laughter or pain, only they themselves know.

But there is one thing RX-03 can be sure of, that is, Shinano is extremely important to Xia Bai. If Sheffield is the first ship girl who really entered Xia Bai's heart, then Shinano is the ship girl who has always accompanied him on his growth journey.