Shipgirls and Salted Fish Commander, Port Survival Guide

Of course, it was also because everyone could see that Jing Su was indeed exhausted. Jing Su had already been through a lot during the day, and then she had to go through such an physically demanding activity at night. It was obvious to the naked eye that Jing Su's complexion was much worse. So, after all the large ships had danced together once, the ship girls no longer made any other requests. It was more important to hurry back and make preparations now.

Seeing the banquet end, Jing Su breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly exhausted, but it wasn't time to rest yet. After all, he had clearly noticed the change in the ship girls' expressions after hearing about the so-called summer offensive, so he was very curious about what this was all about.

Before recounting the details of this matter, Curaçao suggested that Jing Su first put away her strange accessories and then wash her face, as Jing Su's face was now flushed and she could hardly bear to look at herself.

Upon hearing this news, Jing Su felt embarrassed but agreed. Led by Curaçao, she walked to a small dressing room.

The room was small, but it had everything you needed, including a washbasin. Upon inquiry, I learned that Curaçao had anticipated that Jing Su would definitely need a place to wash her face after the banquet, so she had prepared it in advance.

"Curaçao, she truly is a perfect maid~" Jing Su exclaimed as she took the towel Curaçao handed her. The towel was even warm; she was so thoughtful.

"Hehe, making my master happy is my lifelong pursuit. These are things I should do anyway." Hearing Jing Su's praise, Curaçao lowered her head, but the joy and pride in her tone were crystal clear.

No matter how humble the royal maids are, they still have the word "royal" in their names. Pride and self-esteem are ingrained in their bones. They will do their best to do everything they are supposed to do, and they will accept praise without hesitation. Of course, Curaçao will proudly say that this is the praise I deserve. Why can't I be proud?

"What's this?" After Jing Su finished washing her face, Curacao handed her a box with many layers.

"Hey, Commander, do you really want to wear all these necklaces, earrings, and rings all the time? It must be tiring with so many."

“Indeed.” Jing Su nodded, and hurriedly began to remove the jewelry, complaining as she did so, “Does this behavior have any special meaning? The necklace is one thing, but what’s with this ring…”

"They're all wedding rings."

"?" Curaçao's words stunned Jing Su, who was taking off her necklace.

"Hehe, it's bound to happen sooner or later, isn't it?" A sly glint flashed in Curaçao's eyes. "Commander, you'd better keep these things safe. If you make a mistake at the wedding, everyone will be heartbroken."

"Is this how the wedding goes?" Jing Su stared at the sparkling rings on her hands, lost in thought.

Of her ten fingers, only her thumb was too thick to fit, and her little finger was too thin to fit and would fall out. The remaining six fingers were covered in rings, with the ring finger being the most exaggerated, almost reaching the nail. Jing Su couldn't even bend her fingers at one point.

"You're so popular, Commander! We Royal Family are taking advantage of this and have secured a spot first. Now that you've accepted the ring, Commander, you can't back out." Curaçao took a small box out of her pocket and handed it to Jing Su. "Commander, this is mine. Please don't refuse."

Upon opening the box, a sparkling diamond ring lay quietly in the center, captivating the soul.

“This isn’t right.” After a moment of silence, Jing Su suddenly spoke up, startling Curaçao.

Upon hearing Jing Su's words and seeing his silent demeanor, Curaçao felt a chill run down her spine. Did the Commander dislike this behavior and not want to be forced? He accepted it earlier because he didn't know, but now that he's been informed, is it unacceptable to give it to him?

Curaçao panicked, not just panicked, she was truly terrified, and crystal tears streamed down her face like a flood.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Master, I shouldn't have done that, I..." Curaçao's voice choked with sobs as she reached out to take back her ring.

“There is indeed a problem.” Jing Su said with a smile, and before Curaçao’s hand could touch the box containing the diamond ring, she grabbed her hand. “You, I just praised you as a perfect maid, so thoughtful, but why did such a big oversight happen with the diamond ring?”

"?"

"One life, one love, one partner. As for the diamond ring, you said it was for the wedding. Others, because of the occasion, forced it on my hand. If there were problems, I wouldn't say anything. But you..."

How should I put it? Have you ever seen anyone put only one wedding ring on their wedding band? What about yours?

"Huh?" Curaçao was stunned, then surprise, astonishment, and disbelief filled her face, and a visible blush appeared on her cheeks. "Commander, I..."

"Silly girl, what are you thinking? Do you think I'm an unfeeling person?" Jing Su smiled and tapped Curaçao on the head.

"I didn't." The gentle and mature Curaçao acted like a girl in love, shy and hesitant, wanting to say something but being stopped by Jing Su pressing her finger to her lips.

"I'll take this as my engagement ring. It's a very nice gift, and I love it. Although the timing and occasion aren't quite right, I'm still very happy."

"By the way, you can't wear it now."

"what?"

"There's no room on my hand." Jing Su raised her hand, her fingers already covered with rings, and there was no room to put another one in.

"Pfft, Commander, you're so mean." The mature woman, with red eyes, revealed a girlish shyness, which was quite charming.

"Moreover, in this kind of thing, it should be the man who takes the initiative."

Jing Su smiled, picked up the box, took out the ring, then stood up and, under Curaçao's incredulous gaze, knelt down, took Curaçao's left hand, and whispered.

“My dearest Miss Curaçao, please forgive my intrusion, but from the moment I saw you, I wish to become the spring breeze to awaken your sleeping heart; I wish to become the stream to be with you sincerely; I wish to become the sunshine to illuminate your heart; I wish to become the god of love to enter your heart!”

"My dearest Miss Curaçao, will you marry me?"

"I...I do." Curaçao wept with joy, covering her mouth with her other hand to keep her words from trembling, but she couldn't control herself.

Chapter 109 Going to the Front Lines

The two embraced for a while. Curaçao, who had come to her senses, suddenly let out a strange cry, broke free, and ran to the side, her cheeks flushed. She pretended to be calm and said, "Commander, this is really too embarrassing. I, I'll wash your face."

"Haha, Curaçao, you're so cute." Jing Su sat upright in the chair, letting Curaçao rub her face. Some things are better left to professionals.

"Commander!" Curaçao scolded, but her hands were still nimble, and in no time she had washed the lipstick mark off Jing Su's face.

The towel was warm, and the massage was done skillfully; Jing Su thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Commander, let me put these accessories in the box for you." After washing her face, all that was left were the sparkly accessories on Jing Su's body.

"Hmm." Jing Su nodded, then, as if remembering something, said, "By the way, Curaçao, could you make me a few notes and give me a few more boxes?"

“That’s fine, but what do you need this for, Commander?” Curaçao asked, having just removed a necklace, upon hearing Jing Su’s question.

"After all, it's everyone's good intention. It doesn't feel right to pile them all together. I was thinking of putting them in different boxes and writing the girls' names on them, so that we won't forget whose jewelry it is."

"Oh, is that so?" Curaçao asked, somewhat surprised. "But Commander, can you tell whose accessory it is now?"

“Of course I can.” Jing Su said with some pride, “Luckily, the girls tonight are all wearing different accessories, so I can still tell them apart. But it won’t be long before they get confused. My short-term memory is pretty good.”

"This is more than just good~" Curaçao said helplessly.

Jing Su currently wears nearly twenty necklaces around her neck, not to mention the numerous rings on her fingers. Matching them one by one is quite a challenge.

"Haha, it's not as difficult as you think," Jing Su explained. "Everyone has different preferences and different scents, so even if you don't remember who gave you the accessory, you can guess by smelling it. I have a very sensitive nose."

For example, Curaçao, you have a faint lavender scent on you right now, a very pleasant smell. I really hope I can smell it every day from now on.

"Commander~" Curaçao said with a hint of annoyance, but her heart was full of joy.

"By the way, Curaçao, I have a question for you."

"Please speak, my dear commander."

"You mean that thing you just mentioned, uh, what's this summer offensive? After you told us about it, everyone was getting ready to leave. Is it time for a battle?"

"Oh, this~" Curaçao then remembered that she had rushed to the banquet hall to find Queen Elizabeth to talk about something, "It was a battle, I guess."

"What's going on at the front? Is it related to the Sirens?" Jing Su knew about the combat strength of this world, and the only ones who could keep the ship girls from proposing a battle were the Sirens.

“Yes.” Curaçao nodded. “The front lines predict that this summer’s offensive will be the most intense in recent years. Let us send more men to support it.”

"Is it dangerous?" Jing Su asked nervously after hearing Curaçao's words.

"Haha, it's alright, Commander, you don't have to go," Curaçao reassured him.

"Huh!?" Jing Su asked, puzzled.

“Well, how should I put it?” Curaçao organized his thoughts. “According to our research, the Sirens’ warships are mostly intelligent warships that do not require intelligent beings to operate. However, these warships are not easy to build. Therefore, as long as we annihilate the Sirens’ main force in one go, we can usher in a long period of stalemate.”

During peacetime, it's not that there won't be Siren invasions, but the scale will be small, and routine patrols can handle them. If a large-scale enemy does occur, the forces remaining on the front lines are sufficient to deal with it.

However, the Sirens would organize a large number of warships to invade at once every once in a while. At this time, the front-line forces would not be enough. It's not that they couldn't defeat them, but that there were too many Sirens. The front-line ship girls could not stop so many enemies, and some Sirens would break through the defense line. In this case, the ship girls in the rear would need to go to the front line to provide support.

Otherwise, if the sirens were allowed into international waters, patrolling would be too troublesome.

"I see." Jing Su nodded. This fighting style did indeed seem like something a Siren, a creature with a programmed system, could do. "Since there's a summer offensive, does that mean there's an autumn offensive, a spring offensive, and so on?"

"Yes, the Sirens build warships very quickly, and on average they can reorganize a large fleet in two to three months."

Since the timing was roughly the same, we divided our offensives according to the seasons.

Judging by the timeline, the summer offensive is almost here.

"So you went to see Queen Elizabeth just now to discuss this matter?"

“Yes,” Curaçao nodded. “The Sirens invade in large numbers according to the seasons, so we rotate our ships accordingly. The last rotation was for the Eastern Empire, and now it’s our Royal Navy’s turn. We need to organize a group of ship girls to support the front lines and then have them stationed in the port area. This is a well-established practice.”

"According to custom? Are there exceptions?"

“Yes, Commander, you are indeed very clever.” Curaçao pressed Jing Su’s slightly red earlobe and said with a smile, “It’s not about any particular routine. This time, our Royal Navy doesn’t actually need to send anyone to the front line. We already have a considerable number of main force ship girls on the front line. Their combat power is definitely sufficient.”

All that's left to do is send a few people to the port area to guard it.

However, since you're already here, Commander, there's no point in sending more people to the port.

For the ship girls, wherever Jing Su is, that is the actual port area. Without Jing Su, the so-called port area is just a larger island. With Jing Su present, even if it is just a castle, it is the home that everyone longs for day and night.

"I see." Jing Su nodded. "Hey, then why are they calling for reinforcements at the front lines?"

"Hehe, well, how should I put it, Commander, why don't you go to the front lines and take a look?"

"To the front?"

"Yes, many of our comrades will be unable to return for a while because they have to stay on duty. They must miss you a lot. Commander, go and see them. They will definitely be very happy."

This is also why so many ship girls went straight back to their rooms to prepare. They knew that, given Jing Su's personality, once she found out what the so-called seasonal offensive was all about, she would definitely want to go to the front lines to see for herself. And going to the front lines would definitely require someone to accompany her, so this was the opportunity.

As for reminding Jing Su to go to sleep?

Needless to say?

Everyone left Curaçao and Jing Su alone, so who else could it be?

"Yes, that's perfect. I'm also quite curious about what the front lines are like."

Chapter 110 Promise

"What? You want to go to the front lines, my servant? No, I won't allow it! What if something happens?" Queen Elizabeth was furious in her office.

The reason for this was naturally that Jing Su suggested to her that she wanted to go to the front line.

It's the day after the banquet ended. Last night, Queen Elizabeth ran away shyly and hid in her room, hugging and rubbing against a life-size Jing Su pillow.

It twists and turns, grins foolishly, and mutters to itself.

This was Queen Elizabeth's most direct feedback. However, it is unclear whether it was because the bed was too comfortable or because her feelings were finally conveyed and she received the feedback she wanted, which relieved her of a huge weight.

In short, it wasn't long before Queen Elizabeth fell asleep on her soft bed, accompanied by Jing Su's bolster pillow.

When I woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

Under the care of royal maids, Queen Elizabeth, yawning and carrying bread, sleepily entered her office.

Upon entering, I saw Jing Su and Yan Zhan handling government affairs.

Just as Queen Elizabeth was marveling at Jing Su for being the husband she had chosen, she overheard Jing Su and Warspite discussing going to the front lines, which led to the scene at the beginning.

"It's alright, Your Majesty. The commander is only going to the front-line logistics supply depot. That place is not on the front line. Even if the Sirens break through the defenses, there will be enough time to retreat. Nothing will happen."

Seeing Queen Elizabeth in a rage, Warspite quickly tried to calm her down. She wholeheartedly agreed with Jing Su's decision to go to the front lines. Although it was to support the front lines, as the rear base of the main camp, it was necessary to leave people behind. For Warspite, this was equivalent to reducing the number of potential adversaries.

Moreover, as a Royal Legendary Battleship, she had been to the front lines many times and was very familiar with them. She was arguably the Royal Navy's most knowledgeable warship about the front lines, aside from the members stationed there. Therefore, Warspite planned to use the excuse of helping Jing Su familiarize herself with the front lines to take the opportunity for a secret rendezvous.

Battlefield and love, slaughter and tenderness—is there a more compelling contrast?

As a legendary war spite, he says dating on the front lines is just too awesome.

So when Jing Su suggested going to the front lines, Warspite immediately expressed his desire to accompany him. Jing Su naturally had no objection and agreed on the spot. Warspite was so eager that he almost took off on the spot, rushed to Jing Su, hugged him, and gave him a kiss.

At this point, Warspite had even decided where to hold the wedding. She had been transferred by Queen Elizabeth to the banquet the previous night and had not attended, but that did not mean she was unaware of what had happened. Apart from the dancing activities, she knew that many of her companions were using the dance to present rings. Warspite expressed strong regret for not being able to participate in such an event and planned to make up for it during this trip to the front.

Of course, no matter where they go, Jing Su's safety will always be the top priority. The place they are going to this time is actually a logistics supply station established by the Maritime Safety Administration.

The front line is actually very large, with several war zones. Resources and supplies transported from the rear are first sent to this logistics supply station, and then the ship girl companions in the supply station carry out unified deployment according to the needs of the front line.

For safety reasons, supply depots are located some distance from the front lines. As Warwear said, if something goes wrong, there is still time to remedy the situation.

Queen Elizabeth was well aware of the safety of the supply depot, but she still refused. The reason was simple: as the head of the royal faction, she seemed to hold a high position and great power, but in fact, she had many restrictions. For example, as a symbol of the royal faction, she could not move around freely.

In other words, she cannot leave the royal residence for this summer offensive; she needs to stay in the rear. There are many things that she, as the person in charge, needs to handle personally. She cannot leave.

In the past, if one couldn't leave, one simply couldn't leave. No matter how much one didn't care about the Sirens, it was still going to the front lines to fight, and the back and forth would be quite a hassle. Queen Elizabeth herself was not a person who enjoyed fighting. What she liked most was to sit in a chair in a sunny, fragrant garden, happily drinking red tea and enjoying life.

But things are different now. Jing Su is going to the front line, which doesn't mean she won't see Jing Su for a long time.

"We finally met again, we finally expressed our feelings, and before we could even take it further, we have to part ways? No way! I don't want this!"

As War-weary tried to say something more, Jing Su noticed the desolation in Queen Elizabeth's eyes. Combining this with her earlier reaction, she quickly realized that Queen Elizabeth was objecting to something.

So Jing Su tugged at Warspite, signaling her to be quiet, and walked over to Queen Elizabeth. To the Queen's surprise, he picked her up in one swift motion.

"What are you doing! Put me down right now! This is rudeness, disrespect! This is a grave offense of disrespect! You are war-weary! Use your 15-caliber cannons to execute this audacious servant! Bombard him a few more times!"

Queen Elizabeth, her face flushed, kept shouting and struggling in mid-air.