My ship girl setup is off...

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"Guards? I'm perfectly fine in the port area, why would I need guards?"

"Master, this is necessary. You need ship girls by your side at all times. Although I hate to admit it, there have been Siren invasions, but thankfully, no damage occurred."

"Although they didn't succeed in the end, the main reason is that they suspected you would be targeted, so you'll need one or two guards."

"Of course, this also means being able to take care of your ship girls in your daily life, so that we can help you immediately if you need a maid."

Belfast spoke casually about what had happened before with a smile, which made Zheng Ri nod. There was a reason for it; something similar had happened before, and he seemed to have seen it somewhere. He could consider it.

"In that case, Belfast, do you have any recommendations?"

As soon as Zheng Ri finished speaking, he began to regret it.

Chapter 350 Competing for Favor is Also a War

"Let me choose? Heh~ Since Master has said so, then Belfast will provide you with some candidates that you deem suitable."

Being called upon by Zheng Ri, Belfast's smile widened even more. After bowing respectfully to him, she took out a framed file from her ship's rigging, untied the binding thread, and took out...

They presented their pre-selected lists and placed them one by one in front of Zheng Ri, each giving an introduction.

"Master, this is the list of maids I have selected. Each of the maids chosen possesses extraordinary abilities and unique skills. Their combat skills and endurance are astonishing. They can protect you perfectly even when facing an attack from a hundred mass-producing sirens."

"Of course, they'll also be very proactive about any little hobbies you might have wanted, Master."

Belfast wore an extremely happy smile as he told Zheng Ri about the great benefits of arranging the personnel, but the more Zheng Ri listened, the more uneasy he felt. He wondered if he had heard of this before, and it even seemed a little scary.

At first, it was unclear whether this was a choice between humane weapons, guards, or people who could take care of oneself, but upon reflection, ship girls seem to encompass all of these, each one a powerful, mobile nuclear bomb.

For a moment, Zheng Ri's feelings began to become complicated.

"Is it really that strong...? I haven't even had a subjective experience with it, so I can't tell."

Zheng Ri looked at Belfast's pretty face, then at the files on the list: Newcastle, Hermione, Charybdis, and... Scylla.

It's hard to imagine that they could have such power. After all, Masaharu had witnessed the strength of the ship girls and began to doubt whether Belfast was exaggerating.

However, when he saw the last one, Scylla, he still couldn't remember who it was. He started to frown and think hard. Belfast noticed his expression and began to help him interpret it.

"Master, that's because the ship girls in this world aren't generally that strong, so they didn't give you a direct impression. So, if there's an opportunity later, we'll arrange a spectacular performance for you."

"As for Curaçao, she is a maid ship girl you built while visiting Miss Richelieu. As a successor to the Royal Maids, Scylla is excellent. I believe that whichever one you choose, they will fulfill any of your wishes."

After the introduction, Belfast fell silent. As a maid, she couldn't make choices for her master at will; she could only offer suitable suggestions.

Even partial derivative suggestions are still suggestions.

After listening, Zheng Ri felt that Belfast's words had a hidden meaning, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. They seemed to have something in common. However, before Zheng Ri could think about it in detail, he saw the last list. The information on the file was not detailed, but it looked very familiar.

Belfast.

"Belfa, is this considered self-recommendation?"

Upon seeing the names on the list, Zheng Ri chuckled softly, then looked at Belfast, noticing her still elegant smile. Clearly, this was Belfast's English name.

“Of course, Master. As the current head lady-in-waiting of the Royal Navy, although Belfast and you haven’t been too intimate, I believe that with my abilities and… being your wedding ship…”

"As long as Belfast remains before you, I will protect you until I fall."

After speaking, Belfast gave Zheng Ri a curtsy, her face still bearing that confident and elegant smile. But at this moment, in front of Zheng Ri, Belfast became exceptionally beautiful, exuding a dashing aura that brought out her natural charm, reminding Zheng Ri of a similar word.

perfect.

“Miss Belfast, while I have no objection to you wanting to serve as the commander's bodyguard, it's not like you'll be in charge of arranging things for Queen Elizabeth and other matters within the Royal Family.”

Seeing Belfast about to win over her commander's lover's heart, Richelieu put down her sip of tea and, with a benevolent smile, spoke to Belfast, as for why...

It can only be said that if Belfast were to be on the field, there would be little chance of victory. The commander's focus would be on the Royal Navy, which is an effect of favoring the Royal Navy as a whole.

“Belfast… Richelieu is right. The Royal Family still needs you. Otherwise, you're taking care of so many things, helping with some affairs, and also looking after me. It's too much of a burden.”

Zheng Ri didn't understand the hidden meaning in Richelieu's words, nor did she realize that they were currently engaged in internal strife. Instead, she thought that Richelieu was right, and that the royal family did indeed need Belfast's execution, since she was the head maid and the maids were under her management.

“Bishop Richelieu, the Royal Family doesn’t cease to function without Belfast. Belfast’s continued presence by the Commander’s side is a testament to the Royal Family’s trust.”

Richelieu's words made Hood start to feel that even the black tea he was drinking didn't taste good anymore, even though it was still a little lacking. So he turned his head and looked at her with a smile, but his gaze was seriously unfriendly.

“I believe Richelieu and the Commander are right, Belfast, the Royal Navy needs your support.”

Surprisingly, Enterprise, the chief secretary ship, nodded in agreement. In Enterprise's mind, Belfast's role in the Royal Navy was extremely important, often even more influential than the Prince of Wales and others. If Belfast weren't in the Royal Navy, well...

However, that's how the company sees it. Belfast, the person at the center of the conversation, was indeed looking directly at her with the same smile on his face. But upon closer inspection...

Belfast's lips trembled slightly, and his chest began to heave more heavily.

"Well, I'd like Belfast to come too, but it's not really appropriate. You're both too busy. You're my ship girls, and I don't want you to be so overworked."

"I understand, Master. So, does Master still have designs on these other maids? They are also excellent candidates."

Zheng Ri's words were like a final decision, making Belfast realize that she had no chance either. But it didn't matter; she hadn't had much hope to begin with. As long as the Royal Family could occupy one of them, that would be enough.

"Commander, it's not necessarily necessary to have maids. White Eagle also has some candidates here. Please take a look."

While Belfast was trying to persuade him, the company stabbed her and handed her a list. Faced with the look of surprise in Belfast's eyes, the company chose not to look at it.

This is war, after all.

Chapter 351 Returning to the Origin

"St. Louis, Helena, Cleveland, Bremerton, Independence, Vestal and Shangri-La... and, the Enterprise?"

Jung-il looked at the list handed over by the company, examined the files inside, and read out the names in each file. At first, it was fine, but as the appointments progressed, they became increasingly suspicious. Finally, the company's name was mentioned. Upon seeing this, Jung-il shut his mouth and looked at the company with a smile.

"Ahem, Commander, don't look at me like that. I think they're excellent and worthy of being your personal guards, that's why I recommended them."

"Hehe~, Miss Enterprise, is it because there are no ship girls left in Eagle Union who can take care of and fight? It sounds like they're just there to fill the quota?"

Hearing the name read out on the day, Veneto thought for a moment and suddenly realized something. The beginning was okay, but would he really be able to take care of the commander later on? It felt a bit unlikely.

Veneto's words naturally made the other ship girls laugh. They looked at Enterprise with amusement, thinking that Eagle Union was so powerful, yet no one was using it. It was truly delightful, or rather, regrettable.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Commander, these were all carefully selected by me... You just need to make your own choice honestly."

Under the gazes of the other ship girls, Enterprise knew that her thoughts had been seen through, and a faint blush rose on her face. In the end, she let Masaharu make the choice.

There's no way around it. There are plenty of ship girls in the Eagle Union who can fight, but those who can both fight and take care of others are one in a hundred. Moreover, the Eagle Union ship girls make up a large portion of the total number in the port. Even so, Enterprise could only pick out this one who was decent.

As for what happened next, the companies all believed that Shangri-La was responsible for recording everything about the commander, but they didn't take good care of him.

"That's it..."

"Yes, Commander, you can make the decision. A bodyguard isn't something one person can do, especially a personal bodyguard. So at least two or three people should be by your side, but..."

"Commander, if possible, please consider independence. That child has been working hard ever since she fell in love with you, and I've seen it all."

The company spoke sincerely, looking at Zheng Ri with a very serious gaze, expressing strong recommendation for the independent individuals on their list.

Although many people say she looks similar to Noshiro from Sakura Empire and that they share some personality traits, Enterprise knows that Independent has been working hard to make the Commander like her, while she herself is learning many things.

It was precisely because they saw this that the company included him on their recommendation list, excluding even his own sister. This clearly demonstrates how fair and just this is.

However, Zheng Ri didn't understand the company's thinking. Instead, he listened to her earnest recommendation, picked up the independent file and looked at it carefully. Actually, there wasn't much in it. It was just a list of his likes, abilities, and level of understanding, as well as his recent efforts. Zheng Ri nodded after glancing at it a few times.

I will think about it carefully.

Hearing the commander say this, Enterprise felt much more at ease, because she knew that when it came to "considering," most of the decisions were already made, but there was still no final decision, and Enterprise was still a little worried.

"Tiancheng, what about you?"

After Zheng Ri finished speaking, Bismarck looked at Amagi like a smug fox, his delight practically written all over his face, like a fisherman.

"Oh? I'm not in a hurry. You all go ahead. I'm still thinking about a suitable list of candidates for the Lord, which will take a little time."

He said he wasn't in a hurry and that everything was fine, but Tiancheng's charming smile told you that he had it all figured out.

Hmm, which ones should I recommend to the Lord? There are so many, it's a bit hard to choose...

Amagi thought with a mixture of joy and slight unease that being able to be presentable in public and capable in the kitchen, as well as to climb into bed and take care of her master's ship girls, were all basic required skills in Sakura Empire. Even submarines and destroyers could achieve high scores in these areas. In that case, she needed to think about combat strength.

However, there aren't many ship girls with strong combat capabilities; it's always just a few. I'm afraid people might accuse me of favoritism, which doesn't seem like a good thing. If my master finds out, it might lower my evaluation. Hmm, what a happy dilemma.

Amagi narrowed his eyes, a rare occurrence for him.

He covered half his face with his folding fan and laughed happily. He knew he was going to win this round. Lose? Tell me how he could lose? Even if the dragon charged right into his face, he wouldn't lose. It was a sure win.

If he were to lose, Amagi planned to turn the folding fan that Akagi had given him into a folding fan.

Be wary of Tiancheng's strategy of securing a winning hand.

"Hmm... Commander, I don't have many candidates to recommend, just Egil and Passevar, Frederick the Great and Hutten."

Compared to Enterprise's forceful recommendation and Belfast's strong recommendation, Bismarck only provided four names, and that was after careful consideration. There was no way around it; there were just too many ship girls in Iron Blood, and some... were hard to describe. But this was already the best result.

"The Iris is here. The list includes Brest, Triumph, Algeria, and Dunkirk. Commander, please review it."

Richelieu stood up and went to Zheng Ri's side, handing him the list. However, Belfast intercepted it, and it passed through Belfast's hands before reaching Zheng Ri. Seeing this, Richelieu wasn't angry; he had already done what he was supposed to do.

"Zara, Pora, I'm still with Skyhawk, Commander."

After Richelieu handed over the list, Veneto also presented it, but Belfast did not stop her. Instead, she had her spread it out on the table, leaving Richelieu stunned.

"Rosia, what about yours?"

"Me? Anything is fine, Miss Belfast. Any comrade from the Northern Alliance is capable of taking care of the Commander, and I have faith in that!"

Rossia gave a very suitable answer for the Northern Union, Belfast nodded, and then looked at Amagi, who was now the only one who hadn't given a list.

Forget about Donghuang, but if Yixian comes along, he'll just slaughter everyone.

"I believe that any of the children of the Sakura Empire, whoever they may be, can please the Lord."

Amagi said confidently.

Belfast then looked at Zheng Ri. Now that the options had been given, it was up to the commander to choose.

"Emmmm... Belfast"

Clearly, Masakazuki was deep in thought, trying to decide who to choose, while the ship girls watched him nervously, wondering who he would pick.

"Belfa, can I not choose anyone from the list?"

"Of course, Master, but you must specify..."

Belfast looked at Zheng Ri with a puzzled expression. Did the master not like the maid? No, that doesn't make sense. But if that's the case, are there any good candidates? It seems like everyone's relationship with the commander is about the same, unless you do a thorough investigation.

But suddenly, Belfast thought of those two ship girls.

"Well, I plan to have Vanguard and Plymouth as my bodyguards; I think they are the most suitable."

Chapter 352 Appointment Letter

Plymouth, who was tending to the flowers and plants in the royal back garden, came to the courtyard where Glorious Hood and others usually sat down to rest for a while, when she saw Avant-garde, who rarely comes to the garden courtyard, with a cup of dark red tea that was no longer steaming in front of her.

"Oh? It's Miss Avant-garde, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Plymouth? No, it's nothing, I was just starting to reminisce about the past, nothing serious. By the way, would you like to come in and sit down for a bit? We could chat or something."

"Yes, I'd be delighted!"

Plymouth smiled slightly at the avant-garde, then lifted her skirt and gracefully sat sideways on the chair. She poured herself a cup of black tea; it was still warm, but the aroma was gone.

"So, Miss Vanguard, what do you want to talk to me about? If I'm not mistaken, then... you're thinking about the Commander right now, aren't you?"

Plymouth smiled and closed her eyes. After thinking for a short while, she opened her eyes and told Vanguard what was on her mind. It was most likely about the Commander, since only he could occasionally stir the hearts of so many people.

"How did you know? You guessed right!"

Avant-garde spoke somewhat awkwardly, having only intended to explain his current feelings to Plymouth, but unexpectedly, he was taken seriously at first glance.

"Because our Royal Guard Knight has temporarily lost his monarch, the two-dimensional knight, feeling utterly desolate, wants to confide in the Commander's puppet angel. Am I right?"

"Plymouth, who taught you this? And I'm not some anime/manga knight. You've changed, Plymouth."

Hearing Plymouth's words, which carried no sarcasm, Avant-garde's dejected expression turned into speechlessness. He stared at Plymouth, thinking, "If I remember correctly, she was an angel before. How did she become like this? She must have been corrupted."

"Yes, I did learn from Sheffield for a short time, as well as Hu Teng's tone of voice, but I didn't manage to pick up her icy tone, which is a real shame."

Plymouth nodded and frankly recounted her recent activities, which involved studying. Avant-garde, on the other hand, felt that the two who had corrupted Plymouth were utterly wicked.

However, Plymouth wasn't wrong. To her, Vanguard was a ship girl who loved watching anime, comics, and games (ACG) and upheld chivalrous etiquette. Moreover, she was capable of handling the duties of a maid squad. Therefore, all things considered, she should be described as an ACG maid knight.

The flavor is too strong.

"But you're right, I do miss the Commander. No, to be precise, I miss the past, the time we spent together by the Commander's side."

Finally, Qianwei nodded, admitting that she was right, and that he himself was indeed...

As a knight, he is now temporarily separated from his lord's side, and more importantly...