I'm in the azure sky, and I have an anti-fraud app.

Bumblebee: "And with the sandstorms being so frequent lately, it's difficult to go out and investigate."

Bumblebee: "Only the pizza here can give me some comfort... Indeed! Pineapple pizza is the best!"

She took a big bite of her pizza as she spoke, and several resentful glances immediately fell upon her.

Bell continued the relay with Bumblebee: "Commander, it's my turn again?"

Li Wei: ...

"I don't know why, but I always feel like I'm in a vulnerable position."

"Hehe, Commander, that's how it is~"

Bell has been moved to a different location; it's no longer in the core compartment, but in the cargo hold.

"Well……"

[Commander: "I think it's best to be a little more careful with your wording when praising pizza..."]

Bumblebee: "Hmm? I don't understand why... but since it was the Commander who said it... I'll pay attention next time!"

Bumblebee: "But if I keep living like this, my savings will be completely depleted."

Herring: "Me too. If I can't get the promised reward, I might have to resort to robbing..."

Commander: "Have you been here long? You've even run out of money?"

Bell: "Sorry to keep you waiting—Miss Pittsburgh, here are your five mixed-flavor juices, which will cost 1000 gold coins in total!"

"This time it's... Oh? Pittsburgh, you didn't follow the order!"

"Shh... Commander, don't expose me~"

"Humph……"

Pittsburgh: "I'll settle the bill at the bar later."

Bell: "Yay~!"

Bell's timely quote answered the question.

Herring: "Look, these prices aren't something the average person can afford."

Commander: "Have the prices in this town always been this outrageous?"

Bumblebee: "I don't know! Anyway, when I was drawn here by the bounty to lift the curse, the prices were already this high."

Pittsburgh: "It's alright, Commander, if you're short on cash, you can use mine..."

Pittsburgh finished a glass of juice, then, slightly tipsy, snuggled up to the commander.

"What was the commander thinking at the time?"

"Hmm... it'll probably be the same as it is now?"

"Just like now? Hmph..."

Commander: "Ahem, thank you for your kindness, but I'll pass."

Pittsburgh: "Is she blushing? What an adorable reaction..."

Pittsburgh: "Alright, I was just kidding. Prices in town haven't always been this high."

Pittsburgh: "It only suddenly rose in temperature after Mayor Santiago issued a bounty and sandstorms started becoming unusually frequent."

Commander: "Hmm? It's because sandstorms have become unusually frequent again..."

Commander: "Speaking of which, is it only Mayor Santiago's niece, Raffi, who was cursed and turned into a rabbit?"

Commander: "Before Laffey, has anyone else been subjected to this so-called curse?"

"Speaking of which, I also contributed to this script~"

"Oh? Where has your contribution been?"

"Of course, it's this exciting storyline!"

"...I didn't really notice..."

"Hmph... We'll make up for the parts the commander didn't notice with ammunition~"

Bell: "Yes! He was the first person to go to the mine to investigate decades ago, shortly after the mine disaster—Bristol."

The waitress in the tavern had somehow gotten up and was sitting next to the seat.

Commander: "Bristol?"

Bell: "Bristol mysteriously disappeared in the mine, and the brave people who went to look for her only found a rabbit near the mine."

Bell: "No one in town went near the mine anymore... no one dared to pan for gold, and the town slowly became desolate."

Bell: "Until recently, Miss Raffi also wanted to help change the fate of the town and prove that the curse didn't exist, so she..."

Bell: "But I've only been in this town for a short time, and U556 told me all this history."

Bell: "If you're curious... ah, U556 will be delivering something in a little while, you can just go ask her!"

"Phew... I finally finished reading it. It felt a bit long... Was it just my imagination?"

"Well... it's all dialogue, so it's understandable that it might feel a bit long..."

"Commander... wait? Isn't it Indiana?"

Pittsburgh, you've sneaked out again!

Chapter 362 Hu Teng's Tail

Li Wei stated that he has also begun to oppose leaks.

Because the result of each sneak run is that it satisfies all the ship girls who failed to sneak out.

Nothing else is wrong, but the cows are having trouble keeping up.

……

"Commander, it's rare to see you here today. What brings you here?"

"It's been a long time, I've come to see you."

"Hmph..." Hu Teng snorted lightly, "I'm afraid that's not the real reason, is it?"

Li Wei admitted that this was not the real reason. The main reason was that he saw Hu Teng's selfie online and wanted to try it.

In the selfie, Hu Teng is wearing an adorable JK uniform with a tail hanging behind him, looking just like a real high school student. Li Wei immediately understood what Hu Teng was trying to convey.

However, Li Wei wouldn't say it aloud: "If I don't like it, I'll leave."

"No..." Hu Teng grabbed Li Wei immediately: "Commander, I was just joking."

Li Wei then sat back down in his seat.

Ha, if you don't want it, plenty of ship girls will.

Hutten was already sitting in Levi's lap: "Commander, would you like something to drink? I have coffee and drinks here—if I don't have any, I can go out and buy some for you."

Li Wei hugged the girl in his arms: "I'd like to have a cup of milk tea. I wonder if Hu Teng has any?"

"Hmm... Is tea okay? I'll go buy you milk, but it might take a while to brew it... I'll go make the tea first..."

Hu Teng was about to get down when Li Wei grabbed him again: "Tea is enough. I have a way to take care of the milk."

“Hmm…” This wasn’t the first time Hutten had had a deep conversation with the commander, and he easily understood what the commander meant: “I’m not Frederick… You might be disappointed.”

"It's alright, I trust Hu Teng." Li Wei lowered his head and kissed the girl, savoring the taste of Hu Teng. "Shall we go make some tea together?"

"Hmm." Hu Teng twisted her jelly-like body slightly, clearly still a little uncomfortable from the tail earlier. Hu Teng found some tea leaves in her room: "Black tea, okay?"

"I'm not picky." Li Wei followed behind Hu Teng. "Wait, are you just going to go straight into the kitchen like this?"

"how?"

"You can't not wear your apron properly, be careful not to get burned." Li Wei casually took off the apron and stood behind Hu Teng to put it on her: "I know you're a ship girl and don't care about the temperature—but I just want you to wear this apron, okay?"

Hu Teng opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word of refusal.

"What I really wanted to say was... this is Frederick's apron, I have my own."

"No wonder the size was a little off..." Li Wei frantically tried to untie the apron, only to find that he had tied it in a knot.

“…You…” Hu Teng sighed helplessly, “Fine, let it be.”

Because of Frederick, Levi could easily manipulate the girl's cotton candy while standing behind Hutten; the apron had been specially designed to provide enough space for Levi to fully realize his ideas.

Hutten was certainly not small in size, but it was no match for Frederick.

"The water's boiling, I'm going to pour the tea in now. Be careful not to get burned," Hu Teng gently reminded him, only continuing with the next step after the commander whispered "okay" in his ear.

"Does Hu Teng usually like to drink tea? Your tea-making movements are very skillful."

"So-so. But since the commander likes it, I'll definitely practice it too." Hu Teng moved subconsciously, only then realizing that his jelly contained not only the tail section of the cargo hold, but also the commander's main gun.

"Is it that urgent?"

"...It's clearly the commander... Ugh!"

No one paid attention to the boiling tea. Li Wei skillfully removed Hu Teng's tail, and the main gun filled the empty space left in the cargo hold.

……

"...Phew, the tea's already cold..."

"If I hadn't turned off the stove in time, it probably wouldn't have been just cold."

Li Wei picked up a cup of dark, strong tea: "Come on, it's time for me to taste the milk tea."

"Hmph..." Hu Teng snorted lightly, but still obediently offered his cotton candy to Li Wei so that he could enjoy it with the strong tea.

Li Wei suddenly had a whimsical idea: "Actually, Hu Teng, you can also drink milk tea."

"Ok?"

"Look, in a sense, isn't this also milk? Anyway, the main substance is protein."

Hu Teng spat at the commander, but still knelt down in front of Li Wei as he had planned, and tasted his milk tea.

"How's it going? Does it taste good?"

"Hmph... I didn't feel any difference..." Hu Teng swallowed the black tea in his mouth: "If I had to say, it would just be that there are a few more layers of flavor."

"How does it compare to tasting it directly?"

"Taste it directly? It just tastes like regular black tea... Hmm... If that's what you mean, Commander, then there is indeed a difference. I still want to taste it directly; it tastes better that way."

“In that case,” Li Wei gestured for Hu Teng to come closer, “I have another way to let you taste more.”

"Hmm?" Hutten looked up: "Commander, do you have any other methods?"

"For example, you can keep it in your mouth without swallowing it."

……

"Hu Teng, do you really like tails?"

"Hmm...why do you say that?"

“Your photo album is basically full of them.” Li Wei flipped through Hu Teng’s selfies: “Look, this one has a tail, this one has one too, and the tails are even different styles. And this one… oh, isn’t this the one you posted yesterday?”

"Rather than saying I like tails, it's more accurate to say that the Commander likes tails, right?" Hu Teng said quickly. "I noticed before that the Commander really enjoyed having in-depth conversations with ship girls with tails when he was in Sakura Empire."

Li Wei silently looked away.

It's not that he enjoys interacting with ship girls with tails, it's just that some of those fox-like ship girls with tails are too fierce...

"So I gave it a try, and sure enough, the commander appeared."

"I came because I thought your outfit looked good," Li Weiyi said firmly, "not because of the tail."

"Is that so? Then I won't use a tail next time." Hu Teng had just finished speaking when he sensed something unusual in his cargo hold: "Heh, I just finished speaking and the Commander is acting differently... and you still say it's not because of the tail?"

Li Wei slapped Hu Teng's jelly hard: "You talk too much!"

Name: Ulrich von Hutten

Identity: Auntie's Boat (crossed out)

Personality: Aloof, caring towards companions, and unable to put on a stern face.