Elder brother's garrison

Page 2812

"Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?" Ticonderoga asked.

"Uh... Captain... you..."

"Captain, were you just talking to... the Chairman?" The ship girls stammered, but finally couldn't help asking.

“Yes.” Ticonderoga nodded matter-of-factly.

"What a great 'yes'... Hey, hey, hey! Do you know what this means?!" The ship girls' eyes widened immediately, and they quickly spoke up.

“Hmm… the Admiral’s network is indeed powerful; such clear and lag-free communication can be conducted even from such a distance…” Ticonderoga continued.

"We're not talking about that!" The ship girls waved their hands repeatedly, then asked, "Captain, when did you establish a mental link with the guild leader?"

"Oh... so that's what you're asking about." Ticonderoga lowered his hands. "What happened this morning?"

"Hmm... How could you just do something so important like this..." The ship girls hesitated, wanting to say something but then stopping themselves.

For ship girls, mental linking is no small matter.

Especially for the ship girls in the Admiral's Guild who are born without a master, it is a life-long matter.

The fact that Ticonderoga suddenly established a mental link with White was as shocking to her teammates as if their best friend of many years had suddenly gotten married to someone else behind their backs.

“After all, as the captain of the Royal Guard, it would be easier for me to issue orders if I had a link with the Admiral,” Ticonderoga said. “Moreover, establishing a mental link with the Admiral was a decision I made after careful consideration.”

"...Alright...But Captain, after you establish a mental link with the guild leader, you'll no longer be a ship girl of the Admiral's Guild, but truly the guild leader's ship girl..." the ship girls whispered. "Do you think this outcome is okay?"

“I have no objection,” Ticonderoga shook his head, speaking with complete composure.

Chapter 3974 News Leaked

After hearing Ticonderoga's answer, the other five ship girls in the Royal Guard exchanged a subtle glance.

Their gazes finally focused on Ticonderoga's face in unison. Looking at Ticonderoga's serious and determined expression, they said nothing more, only nodding slightly in response.

In fact, Ticonderoga's five teammates were somewhat resistant to her establishing connections with outsiders in the admiral network.

The emotion they felt wasn't jealousy, but rather a deep-seated fear that their best friend, with whom they had shared a lifetime of friendship, would be snatched away by some unknown wild boar.

In their eyes, Ticonderoga was undoubtedly a treasure that was extremely attractive to the "admirals".

Yes.

Ticonderoga is a gem.

As a ship girl, Ticonderoga not only boasts outstanding appearance but also exceptional strength. Throughout Chapter 8, she consistently ranks among the top-tier ship girls of ordinary naval bases, and even among the top ten naval bases, her power remains highly competitive. Furthermore, besides her formidable strength, Ticonderoga possesses a straightforward and reliable personality. She completes any mission with utmost speed and efficiency, remaining undistracted and focused, making her deployments remarkably efficient.

Most importantly, she has always been a ship girl in a state of "no owner".

Powerful, capable, beautiful, and currently single.

The ship girl possesses all the advantages, making her incredibly attractive to any admiral who has access to her. Therefore, in the hearts of Ticonderoga's teammates, the admirals of Chapter 8 likely all hope to establish a link with her, using this opportunity to recruit her into their naval base, utilizing her power to serve their base, further enhancing its strength, and making her a free elite force for their base.

—To be honest, if this is the outcome, then it's truly terrible.

Ticonderoga's teammates didn't necessarily want her to remain unclaimed forever. Deep down, they also hoped that she could find a good admiral who truly loved her and was someone she could entrust her life to.

However... given Ticonderoga's current status and condition, her conditions in all aspects are simply too "outstanding." Over 99% of the admirals who are willing to extend an olive branch to Ticonderoga are not interested in her as a person, but simply covet her strength.

For ship girls, finding an admiral isn't as simple as an employee randomly choosing a company to work for. It's about finding someone to spend their life with. Can recruiting someone from Ticonderoga just because they're attracted by its power truly bring them happiness?

For the ship girls at the Admiral's Headquarters, who are born without a master, this is a question that is difficult to answer accurately.

However... on the other hand...

Since Ticonderoga herself said that this was a well-considered decision and that she was not coerced in the process, then given the circumstances, Ticonderoga's teammates are willing to respect her choice.

after all……

The person who established the Admiral Network with Ticonderoga was none other than the respected president of the Admiral Guild.

If there had to be one admiral in the world to establish a link with Ticonderoga's admiral network... the president of the admiral's guild would be the best candidate than anyone else.

At least that's what the other five members of the Royal Guard thought.

The world's number one admiral has no shortage of combat power, nor does she lack beauty, so she should not lack Ticonderoga's power. Therefore, when she established a connection with Ticonderoga, she was more concerned about Ticonderoga himself than beauty and power.

Moreover, the president seems to have the same gentle heart as Ticonderoga. The president was the one who pulled Ticonderoga out of the mire and has done a great favor for the 7th Patrol Squad, which is now the Royal Guard... Although Ticonderoga and the president have only spent less than a day together, the ship girls believe that some fates in this world do not need a long time to prove.

Compared to the other admirals in Chapter 8, the guild master is the most likely candidate to bring happiness to Ticonderoga.

Thinking of this, the five members of the Royal Guard, who were staring at Ticonderoga, couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Captain, I wish you and the guild master happiness." A ship girl clasped her hands to her chest and said to Ticonderoga with emotion.

"What are you talking about? It's like I'm about to leave you guys." Ticonderoga looked at his teammates speechlessly. "We're still on a mission, don't joke around."

"Haha, Captain, don't worry, the 8-4 area is safe today, after all, it's full of ship girls!"

The atmosphere among the ship girls in the guard unit immediately lightened.

As Ticonderoga listened to the voices of her teammates, she sighed softly and reached out to touch her ear.

Xiaobai and Ticonderoga's mental communication was always active.

Because Shiro's mental strength is strong enough, Ticonderoga has maintained a state of sharing her "sight," "hearing," and even "touch" with Shiro. It's unknown whether the words the ship girls said when they were joking with her and Shiro reached Shiro...

Hopefully not...

Ticonderoga led her personal guard towards the sea area where the Black Tower was located. As the group got closer and closer to the Black Tower, the figures of ship girls on the surrounding sea surface appeared more and more frequently.

At the distant horizon, the towering black tower, shrouded in black mist, still exudes an imposing aura. On the water below, the figures of the ship girls surround the tower in tight circles, and the sea, which should have been calm, is now filled with the buzzing sounds of discussion.

"So clearing all five floors in one go is still too much of a grueling battle..."

"Each floor has five waves of battles, and there are five floors in total, which means there are twenty-five battles... The known information is that the last wave of each floor is a large enemy comparable to a sea boss, the pressure is too great."

"Our team just cleared the first three levels. The first three levels weren't too difficult, but we were ambushed by a wave of submarine enemies on the fourth level..."

"You've finished the third floor too? Is there a reward of a rainbow cannon?"

"No, the confetti cannon is a first-clear reward. We only got resources, but there are quite a lot of resources, 180,000 units."

Wow! That's a lot! You got more than the person who got the rainbow cannon!

"My admiral said that the admiral who got the rainbow cannon wasn't actually that strong; he was just very lucky to be the first to enter the Black Tower challenge! If it were us doing the first clear, we could have gotten the rainbow cannon too!"

"Your admiral is so sour."

"You curse again!"

"..."

As Ticonderoga led her teammates toward the Black Tower, they could hear the ship girls who had just finished challenging the Black Tower, clutching their tattered ship suits and discussing information about the Black Tower with those around them.

The members of the guard listened intently to the conversation of the ship girls around them.

Because the ship girls in the guard were still wearing the Admiral's Guild uniforms and armbands, the nearby ship girls assumed they were on official business and did not stop them. They immediately made way for them, allowing them to walk unimpeded toward the Black Tower's cordon.

After the guard ship girls arrived outside the cordon, they saw the patrol ship girls guarding the cordon.

The patrol team's ship girls were busy registering the ship girls challenging the Black Tower, arranging the challenge order, and patiently explaining the basic rules... In a brief break from their busy work, they quickly noticed the figures of Ticonderoga and his group. Then, one of the ship girls in charge of registration stopped her work in surprise and called out to them in surprise: "Ticonderoga? Is that you?"

Ticonderoga and her group stopped in their tracks and approached the patrol ship girls.

"You must be the vice-captain of the third patrol team. Hello." Ticonderoga nodded politely.

"It really is you guys. You haven't shown up since you left with the guild leader. I was worried something had happened to you," the ship girl said with a smile.

“…Um…Actually, starting today, we are no longer patrol ship girls. From now on, we are the guild leader’s personal guard,” Ticonderoga explained.

"I see." After hearing Ticonderoga's words, the ship girl raised the corners of her eyes slightly, and a smiling expression like a kitten appeared on her face, but she was not surprised.

"Hmm? Has anyone mentioned this?" Ticonderoga paused, then frowned and asked.

"No, not at all." The ship girl shook her head with a smile, but her smile was almost too wide to contain. "Alright, alright, let's move on to the next topic, dear Royal Guard ladies. So, what are you here to help the Chairman with?"

"..." Ticonderoga looked at the smile on the ship girl's face. Although it was a little strange, he nodded silently. "...The guild leader asked us to challenge the Black Tower for her."

"I see, such an important matter right after taking office." The ship girl nodded with a smile, tearing a page from the list in her hand as a pass and handing it to Ticonderoga. "Here you go, Miss Royal Guard, take this list to the Black Tower. Good luck with your challenge!"

Ticonderoga accepted the tickets, thanked them, and then quietly led her team toward the Black Tower.

After taking two steps, Ticonderoga stopped and looked back at the smiling ship girl.

"...Was the news really not leaked?" Ticonderoga asked.

"What news?" The ship girl smiled as she held the list.

"...No, it's nothing." Ticonderoga looked away and scratched his cheek.

Chapter 3975 Placement

With the pass, Ticonderoga and her party arrived at the Black Tower without any hindrance. The patrol ship girls passing by were not surprised to see them arrive; instead, they all showed smiles as if they had expected it.

“These guys definitely know we’ve been appointed to the SS,” said Königsberg, in his blue uniform, from the group.

"How did they know? I only found out this morning..." The other ship girls looked puzzled.

"The news leaked too fast..." another ship girl sighed. "Honestly, we usually guard our guild's confidential information so tightly, but gossip spreads like wildfire..."

"Becoming the president's personal guard isn't anything to be ashamed of, everyone knows that, right?" A ship girl said, arms crossed and neck straight. "Anyway, they definitely don't know the more exciting news yet."

"You're talking about our captain and the president..."

The other ship girls whispered among themselves, and everyone's eyes fell on Ticonderoga's back.

Ticonderoga stopped and turned to look at the crowd.

"We're about to challenge the Black Tower, so let's not talk about things that have nothing to do with the battle."

"Yes, sir!" The ship girl teammates immediately stood at attention and saluted.

Ticonderoga shook her head, looked at the Black Tower, gazed up at the towering building that soared into the clouds, and blew a small breath.

Ticonderoga led the group to the foot of the tower, where they once again witnessed the mysterious building's exterior. A layer of faint smoke slowly floated above the strange, gleaming black metal.

The three ship girls in blue uniforms in the group swallowed hard, their eyes clearly showing some tension.

The three of them were sucked into the black tower yesterday because they accidentally touched it, and then lost contact with the main group. They were rescued less than a day ago, and they are about to go in with their teammates to challenge the black tower. They are under a lot of psychological pressure.

"Don't worry, this time all six of us will go in together. The challenges for the first four levels of the Black Tower are all set. We've already discussed our tactics on the way to the 8-4 sea area. With our strength and teamwork, there won't be any problems," Ticonderoga said to his teammates. "And if anything unexpected happens, the Admiral will save us, just like yesterday."

Upon hearing that Xiaobai had saved someone, the team members' expressions immediately calmed down.

Although it's a bit of a contradiction that the ship girls get their sense of security from human admirals, the thought of Shiro waiting for them in the guild does make the ship girls in the guard less nervous.

Everyone reached out and gently placed their palms on the outer shell of the black tower.

Immediately afterwards, six whooshing sounds appeared, and the six ship girls of the royal guard disappeared directly in front of the Black Tower.

……

On the boundless, clear blue sea, the figures of Ticonderoga and his six companions suddenly appeared.

Six ship girls landed on the water with a splash. Three of them, who were in blue uniforms, were more experienced and prepared, and they quickly stood up. However, their two teammates stumbled and had to grab the blue-uniformed ship girls to steady themselves.

"Wow? This is the inside of the Black Tower??"

"What a vast sea! What clean water! There's not a trace of the deep sea in the air!"

The two ship girls exclaimed in surprise, looking around repeatedly.

"Captain! We've really been teleported to a place we've never seen before! So this is what it's like to fight inside the Black Tower..."

The ship girls kept talking, their eyes all fixed on the front of the formation.

Although it was Ticonderoga's first time here, she didn't make a fool of herself like her other two teammates. Instead, after arriving at the water, she carefully observed her surroundings.

Just as Ticonderoga was gazing at the distant horizon and squinting, a surge of mental energy appeared beside him.

hum-

Immediately afterwards, a blue projected dialog box appeared out of thin air in front of Ticonderoga.

Ticonderoga turned his head to look at the dialog box, which was filled with densely packed strange characters and a pattern that was constantly changing shape.

"Hmm? This is..." Ticonderoga looked at the dialog box in front of him and murmured unconsciously.

Then, just as Ticonderoga murmured to herself, a gentle, clear voice appeared out of nowhere in her ear.

"It says here that the personnel in the arena have been detected to have assembled. The challenge on the first floor of the first section of the Black Tower is about to begin. The thing below that keeps changing shape is a ten-second countdown."

"Huh?" Ticonderoga, who was staring at the blue dialogue box in deep thought, twitched her shoulders. She subconsciously took a step back and quickly looked left and right. "Admiral? You... is that you?"

"I'm here."

Ticonderoga continued to hear that gentle voice, as warm as sunshine.