Chapter 99: A Required Course for Iron Blood Ship Girls

"Rupprecht? Commander! You left me here alone for so long, that's so mean!"

The bored light aircraft carrier girl with silver hair streaked with black highlights and colorful eyes brightened up when she saw Lin Lan and Rupprecht return. 

She stood up from the yacht, her hands supporting her body.

However, upon seeing the two so close, Elbe instantly felt a pang of jealousy.

Today was supposed to be her day as the secretary ship, but these two were gone for half the day. 

She didn't need to think much to know they were probably up to no good.

"Elbe, sorry to keep you waiting."

After Rupprecht let go of him, Lin Lan jumped onto the yacht and gently hugged the sulking Elbe.

"Hmph, I'm a bad girl. I won't be so easily appeased."

Despite saying this, Elbe's face showed a happy expression, betraying her true feelings.

Once everyone was on the yacht, it slowly set sail. Lin Lan returned to the soft sofa inside the cabin and suddenly yawned.

It was then that he realized the exhaustion from last night's intense activities and lack of sleep hadn't entirely disappeared. 

Instead of a single burst of fatigue in the morning, it had spread evenly throughout the day.

As he relaxed, this fatigue would gradually surface, like a form of installment payment.

However, this was already a powerful and mysterious force, especially after prolonged work, greatly enhancing his endurance.

If the feeling of fatigue truly disappeared, Lin Lan would be more worried.

If fatigue disappeared without reason, only to accumulate and suddenly erupt, that would be a ticking time bomb.

The faint sense of exhaustion now reassured him, indicating that he could continuously recover from fatigue.

To Lin Lan, this ability was far more reliable than other more opportunistic powers.

Thinking of this, he glanced at the faint silver pattern on the back of his right hand.

This mysterious power, needless to say, was undoubtedly due to this silver pattern.

He had to admit, though he wasn't interested in being a "hero" or anything like that, this power belonging to the hero had been of great help in his life.

"Commander, if you haven't slept enough, you can beg me. I might just let you lie on my lap~"

Sensing Lin Lan's drowsiness, Elbe grinned mischievously.

"No way! He's mine. If he wants to sleep, it has to be on my lap!"

Rupprecht immediately interrupted, unwilling to let Lin Lan fall into another companion's embrace in her presence.

"Huh?"

Elbe hadn't expected this interference. She'd let her guard down and forgotten Rupprecht was still here.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

But before she could react, the possessive pink-haired dragon girl felt a flick on her forehead from Lin Lan. 

She let out an adorable growl.

"Today it's Elbe's turn to be the secretary ship. I know you don't want to let me go, but you can't bully her."

Lin Lan smiled, then lay on Elbe's lap, feeling the warmth of her lap pillow.

As a research ship from the fifth series, Rupprecht typically commanded respect even from Bismarck and Friedrich der Grosse within the Iron Blood faction. 

However, Lin Lan wasn't one to pamper her.

Fortunately, this naughty dragon girl had a short memory. She quickly understood Lin Lan's words and soon ran off to gaze at the scenery outside.

When Lin Lan woke up, the yacht had already returned to the port.

He had to admit that the many items the game officials had given players, now turned into reality, were quite practical.

This yacht's autopilot function was on par with those mass-produced ships. 

It had an unremarkable appearance, making it the best choice for Lin Lan in this world filled with rivers and oceans.

After giving Elbe a light hug as a reward, Lin Lan disembarked with the two Iron Blood ship girls and returned to the port.

Over the past few days, the port had been mostly completed. If anything was lacking, it was the atmosphere.

Currently, this vast and empty port was home to only a dozen Iron Blood ship girls and the manager, Akashi. 

Hence, the emptiness was only natural.

Walking back to his office with the two girls, Lin Lan suddenly felt like he was back in the game's early days.

Back then, he only had about a dozen ship girls in his port.

Upon returning to the courtyard of his office loft, he saw Akashi leading two Manjuus in cleaning the lawn.

"Good morning, nya~"

Upon seeing Lin Lan's return, the cat-eared merchant happily greeted him.

Patting Akashi's little head, Lin Lan curiously asked, "Where's the robot you brought back yesterday? Where did you put it?"

"Nya? That robot has been disassembled, nya. I believe the Manjuus will soon be able to start mass production, nya~"

???

Hearing the merchant's casual reply, Lin Lan's hand on her head paused.

"That strong? Can you mass-produce that thing?"

In Lin Lan's memory, even if Orlan's robot technology was far more advanced than Earth's, Akashi being able to mass-produce it was surprising.

Like a happy kitten being petted by its owner, Akashi rubbed against Lin Lan's hand while explaining, 

"Of course, nya. The Manjuus are very smart, nya. And we have the Iron Blood comrades like Deutschland helping out. The Iron Blood companions are all very skilled in mechanics, nya~"

Hearing Akashi's explanation, Lin Lan suddenly understood.

He did remember that, in the game's lore, many of the Iron Blood ship girls were highly skilled in mechanics.

After all, the fearsome sharks and dragons of the Iron Blood ship girls were mechanical creatures made of metal.

They lived and fought with their riggings every day. Those riggings were part of their bodies, and maintaining them was a necessary daily task.

For example, Bismarck, the leader of Iron Blood, was found researching mechanical design in the Iron Blood workshop during her personal storyline in the game.

If shrine rituals and swordsmanship were the unique mandatory courses for the Sakura Empire ship girls, then mechanics were undoubtedly the required course for the Iron Blood ship girls.

Thinking of this, Lin Lan recalled an amusing thought.

He remembered the shabby-looking dragons on the riggings of Bismarck and Tirpitz compared to their Iron Blood comrades.

No wonder he found Bismarck in the workshop researching mechanical design.

Maybe she had always been dissatisfied with her rigging and wanted to design a new one herself.

Poor Iron Blood leader, poor Tirpitz.

Lin Lan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nya? I get the feeling you're thinking of something mean, Commander, nya."

Ship girls were often very sensitive to others' emotions. Seeing Lin Lan's sudden laughter, the merchant already guessed he was up to no good.

"No, no, I was just thinking how skilled the Iron Blood comrades are with mechanics. We can indeed rely on them."

Lin Lan finished speaking, and Elbe quietly stepped forward and added, "Commander, that's not necessarily true."

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