It's my first drawing since ~1,5 year, so probably it isn't perfect.

I have a question regarding Tempesta event:

1. I got Ganj-i-Sawai and São Martinho. I noticed they only equipped 1 cannon. Should I take off cannon from Tempesta submarines and put into those into Gabj and Sao? I know I can buy SR cannon from event shop but its on second question.

2. I already bought 1 Tempesta sub from event shop. Should I get another Tempesta sub or buy SR cannon instead (I assuming Tempesta might return infuture though Im aware only on banner).

The reason why I want asking above is because I still did not use submarines for now, rarely playing much as I currently focus on Nikke. So not able to farming Tempesta event for now. Also Skelebeast really hurt my fleet very much. 😩

Also some few questions: 3) Does limited animated Tempesta skins will return in future? I kinda like Ganj skin. I know I should priority Dock slot and Dorm slot more since Im F2P, but.. just a guy issue. More into collecting waifu. 😅

4. Does ship tier rarity matter? Or should more focus on SR & UR only? I see someone said some Elite and R ship actually better like Portland & Z23. So just wondering.

Apologies for grammar, English is not my main language. Also sorry if these repeated questions.

Can anyone tell me what are the best things to buy from every shop currently? I'm quite new, so clueless.

Many people say that Bismarck Zwei was made from Iron Blood, but i swear i saw a chapter where Bismarck said to Queen Elizabeth that the type two rigging is breathtaking or sth and she said that she experienced it on her own, but i looked through every Shouls Story only video about azur lane but cant find it.

I need help, pleeeeeeaaaaaaase

(P.S. i forgot the questionmark on the title)

Edit: I found it!!! Its the seventh and last chapter of „The Weavers Omen“, so Bismarck Zwei is from the Eagle Union and not an Iron Blood invention; it also seems that an Iris Libre shipgirl was build with Eagle Union Assistance, likely to be Alsace since she is similar to Kearsarge with her robotic behaviour while also having childish behaviours like Anchorage

I recently started amd I was near the end of the login rewards (2 days away from the T5 crate) bit today suddenly it reset and it started all over again before finishing. Because today is November 1st I thought it might be that but it still feels like a weird choice to make it work like that.

***

Kaga, with the hem of her beautiful kimono tied up with string and her sleeves rolled up, nodded her head vigorously as she tasted the soup she had made in the pot sitting on top of the stove.

「...... Right, so even if it is some new Royal Navy-exclusive ingredients that I have to work with, the basic way to make the soup is not that much different from the way of making Sakura Empire's miso soup. However, it's important to make the stock for miso soup, which may be troublesome for beginners to get a hold of properly. On the other hand, the Royal Navy has many convenient ingredients available for the cooks. And it goes without saying, but actually "learning the ingredients themselves" is a very important step in the cooking process on a daily basis...... Oh my, and speaking of which, it looks like the hot sandwiches are also about to be done.」

As she spoke those words, Kaga poured the soup she had just made into the plates in front of each person present. What she had made was "Ratatouille soup with lots of beans and potatoes" mixed into it.

Yes, it was without a shade of doubt a Royal Navy specialty dish.

The ingredients that Javelin had prepared for the sake of their training were mainly those used in the typical Royal Navy cuisine, so Kaga's soup was naturally that of Royal Navy's style. As for the Ratatouille, it was the kind of soup that was made with the use of  both canned beans and tomatoes, which were especially popular ingredients among the Royal Navy's members.

In addition to that, Kaga placed another portion of round plates before everyone present, this time around with skillfully placed hot sandwiches on them, which happened to be just freshly taken out of the oven. The filling for the sandwiches also happened to be that of tuna and egg. Although it was a pretty standard filling, it was the kind of combination of ingredients that was vastly popular with many generations of people and shipgirls alike.

「Hooray! It looks so delicious! Hamuh~!」

「Ah......! M-Mutsuki, that's not fair......! I also wanted to......!」

Both Mutsuki and Kisaragi could not possibly resist the fragrant aroma that was wafting from both plates, and so they jumped onto the food right away and started to wolf it down without a moment of hesitation.

The Ratatouille soup was made with plenty of potatoes, which little children especially loved, and the spiciness of the soup was also slightly subdued, making it a flavor that adults could fully enjoy as well, while also being considerate of children whose palates were not yet fully matured and developed.

On the other hand, the hot sandwiches were the kind of combination that packed quite a bit of a punch. The tuna sandwich had cheese in it, and the cheese melted in the heat of the toasted bread and would spread a wonderfully fragrant aroma throughout the entire room.

https://preview.redd.it/5749dkkd5ayd1.jpg?width=1135&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=591d680f569e3af45af7036bf16fd5298dcc0c0c

And the egg sandwich would come together with a mini hamburger inside of it. This was a frozen food that Javelin had prepared for the lunch boxes, but Kaga showed off her creative side by using it and incorporating it into hot sandwiches instead of placing it on its own.

「Well, I guess that's just Kaga-san for you all...... But I must say, I would never expect you to know how to handle the food from the factions other than Sakura Empire. I'm really impressed.」

「I just had to learn how to adjust my cooking to many different cuisines when I assumed the duties of the Secretary Ship, because there are kids from other factions serving in this Home Port as well...... The Eagle Union kids like hamburgers and hot dogs, the Royal Navy kids like fish and chips and sandwiches, right? The Sakura Empire kids will eat pretty much anything that is tasty, but the kids from other factions can be surprisingly picky eaters......」

Kaga muttered those words more to herself rather than to anyone in particular, a particularly pained and troubled expression painted over her face.

Kaga would often serve various snacks to the little Destroyers who had just returned from their commissions and escort missions.

When it comes to food, there are no such things as barriers that would normally be present between the members of various factions. And if you want to feed hungry, growing children what they like, it would be problematic to only make the same kind of Sakura Empire cuisine all the time.

「Muuh, yes. Just as expected of Kaga-san......」

Ayanami was also deeply impressed by the sheer scope of Kaga's culinary skills. And what was even more impressive than that, was the sheer speed at which she managed to prepare those dishes. Every single one of her actions and moves was smooth and efficient, as if she was gracefully gliding towards the goal line that was already visible in the distance.

There is a saying that the first ones to make their move win, and when Kaga also said that in cooking it was important to learn "when and how you can cut certain corners", Ayanami was now completely convinced that her words were actually quite true.

In fact, Ayanami had a thought that cooking meals that were this elaborate every single day had to be really exhausting and rather hard.

It was true that everyone in the Home Port was a shipgirl, and their main purpose was to fight. If they were to neglect that fact, it would be counterproductive to their very nature and purpose, but if they were to cut corners too much, there would be no point in going to the trouble of cooking for themselves at all. Therefore, Kaga's cooking style seemed to match Ayanami's ideals very well in that regard.

「A-Awawawawah...... M-My plans! My perfect plans......!」

At the same time, Ayanami could clearly notice that Javelin right next to her was cradling her head in her hands in a fit of panic.

It seems that not only Ayanami and the others were shocked and amazed by Kaga's cooking skills, but also Javelin, who already had some cooking experience behind her belt.

In the end, Javelin munched down the food that Kaga had made with a look of a dead fish in her eyes, occasionally letting out sounds like "Oh wow~." or "It's so delicious~." as she savored the food with every bite.

「Ah......」

Javelin, noticing Ayanami's curious gaze, let out a deep and long sigh with a gloomy expression on her face.

「............ Ayanami-chan, surely you would want Kaga-san to teach you how to cook after a demonstration like that, huh?」

「Huh?」

「I mean, Kaga-san can cook perfectly delicious Royal Navy cuisine, and she can cook for many different people from many different factions as well...... Meanwhile, the only thing that I have confidence in is the simple Royal Navy-style boxed lunch...... Uuuuuuhhhhhh~!!!」

「Javelin......」

Seeing her dear friend's expression becoming more and more blank, Ayanami's heart throbbed softly inside of her chest. Then the words started to flow out naturally from her mouth, and Ayanami spoke them all in one breath:

「But Ayanami wants Javelin to teach me how to cook.」

「Huh......」

Javelin, who had been looking down this entire time, raised her head as if she had been suddenly revived.

Ayanami then continued speaking.

「Kaga-san's cooking surely is amazing and wonderful, but I still think that you are the only one who can teach me properly how to cook, Javelin...... Yes, you are the only one who can do this. Because, Javelin is the only one who knows Ayanami the best, better than anyone else. So if I were to ever ask someone to do this, Javelin would still be the best and the only choice for me......」

Those words Ayanami spoke right from the inside of her heart.

Ayanami, Javelin, Laffey and Z23 were the four Destroyers who happened to share a special kind of relationship with one another. Up until now, and even after she would marry the Commander, Ayanami wanted to spend some irreplaceable time together as friends and comrades in arms with the other three.

Javelin, who understood Ayanami the best, would surely be able to teach her how to cook in the best way possible, even though she had no experience in the cuisines of other factions and could not cook as elaborate of dishes as Kaga did. Of that, Ayanami was sure.

Or rather, it simply HAD to be Javelin for her. Ayanami truly thought that from the bottom of her heart. That was the true extent of strong convictions and trust that Ayanami was putting in her good old friend Javelin for the moment and ------

「Ahh...... A-Ayanami-chan! T-Thank you, so very much! I-I will do my very best to teach you how to cook the most delicious meal, Ayanami-chan! Let's do our best to make a lunch box that will make the Commander happy!」

Javelin opened her eyes wide, nodded her head vigorously, and with a shining smile on her lips she raised her right arm high into the air with her fist clenched tightly.

「I'm counting on you...... desu.」

「Yup! Just leave it to me!」

「...... Hmm, I see. Well, this looks like something in which we cannot allow ourselves to lose at, either.」

Kaga relaxed her chin as she watched the exchange between Ayanami and Javelin. Then he turned her attention to Shoho, who was still munching on the hot sandwich Kaga had made with much relish and reverence, and then said,

「...... Are you listening to me, Shoho?」

「Hm? Y-Yeah?」

Shoho, suddenly asked something like that, raised her head, seemingly not knowing what it was all about.

Kaga then let out a long and deep sigh.

「I swear, the likes of you are just...... What's the point of you stuffing your face with food so much? In just a moment, it will be your turn to show everyone what you are made of in the kitchen...... Do you understand? When it comes to cooking, it can be strikingly similar to the battlefield, in the sense that only the strongest ones can emerge victorious. As a matter of fact, both you and Ayanami are complete amatours when it comes to cooking, and I am certainly not going to forgive you if you end up losing to her today. Do I make myself clear here?」

「S-So cruel and unreasonable!? Comparing cooking to battle and putting the equal sign between the two...... Only you could actually come up with a flawed logic like that, Kaga-san!」

「Whatever, just go out there and do it. And just so you know, I won't accept any complaints coming from you.」

「N-No way......!!」

「Mutsuki is going to give it her best, too! So, cooking is also a battlefield, right!?」

「K-Kisaragi, too...... I will give it my best to cook......」

「...... Fufufu. Of course, I haven't forgotten about you two. It seems like they are trying to make a bento lunch box, so we will follow suit. Let's start with how to wash the rice properly......」

And thus, the curtain was raised on what was now basically a small time cooking contest.

As for its results, it was ------

One hour later.

「I'm done...... desu.」

「W-We are also done over here!」

At the same time, Ayanami and Shoho finished their bento lunch boxes. Then they looked at each other's bentos, checking the workmanship of their opponent as if they were trying to size them up. And then......

「W-What the heck is this!? Why is your bento box not looking all that appetizing to begin with, Ayanami!?」

「As for Shoho's bento...... It's a complete and utter mess.」

----- They have both confirmed that the other's bento was, well, not really something that was that praiseworthy to begin with.

Both Javelin and Kaga, who were the instructors for the two of them, had their arms folded on their chests, and both of them looked extremely  bitter. They both seem to be thinking: "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this, so why!?"

「Ayanami...... It's awfully bold of you to dare to make such a bento box...... But is this even worthy of being called a bento box now? It's an indescribable bento box that surely makes the gal who happened to make it look all cute and adorable, albeit in an entirely different way here......」

It was Shoho who tried to somehow deescalate the situation here.

However, Ayanami immediately retorted back at her, perhaps not being too fond of the honest criticism.

「I don't want to be told something like this by the likes of Shoho, who has no sense of style at all. After all, there's no way that Ayanami's bento box is not delicious, even though it may lack in presentation. After all, this is a very practical bento box that combines both the good and delicious elements of the Royal Navy's "Royal Gourmet" dish with the simplicity of the Naval Curry......」

「Royal Gourmet cuisine...... So is it supposed to be a "Stargazing Pie"? It is true that it does not taste bad, and all of the valuable nutritional elements are clearly there from the start. However......」

「Yes, that's right...... As far as the presentation goes...... It looks bad. Like, really bad......」

Both Kaga and Javelin said after a moment of careful and silent deliberation.

Ayanami's biggest problem here was her overly practical way of thinking.

Royal Gourmet was the kind of a rare dish that was only occasionally available at the Home Port's store, and consisted of high-class ingredients that required a copious amount of diamonds to obtain legitimately. However, its appearance was simply way too bizarre. It was a pie with many whole herrings stuck into it, and even if you knew that it had wonderful effects, the dish itself had an appearance that made you want to refuse to eat it.

But even though she knew all that, Ayanami chose to go through with this dish anyway.

There were other ingredients that could be used in its creation, such as hamburger steak, baked beans, meatloaf, fish and chips, yam, potato salad......

But Ayanami did not choose them. She elegantly ignored Javelin's whining and made a bento box mainly with the Royal Navy's ingredients gourmet food.

And to top it all off, she decided to pour curry all over it.

Why was that?

「But I must say, this bento is really amazing. Just eating it gives me strength. I'm sure...... I'm sure that the Commander will be happy to eat it......」

「「.........」」

Javelin and Kaga thought for a moment.

The Commander would definitely be happy...... but with a more normal-looking and normal-tasting lunch.

「When it comes to Shoho, she is certainly clumsy, or maybe it's just a case of her lack of experience, but when it comes to you, Ayanami, you might be a little bit too practical for your own good.」

Kaga groaned slightly.

「Is that so...... desu?」

「Yeah. But the way this dish is, it is simply not good...... If my Dear Sister saw me trying to feed this to the Commander, I would be in some real trouble ------」

「Dear Sister......」

「Ngh......」

Kaga seemed taken aback when she mentioned her sister Akagi. Then, after a few seconds of silence she said, clearly choosing her words carefully.

「Forget what I just said. I guess that we all have our own unique circumstances......」

「...... I see.」

「Anyways, Ayanami, if you want to give that lunch box to the Commander, you should raise your standards a little bit more. But ultimately, the decision is yours to make ------ And Javelin. Make sure that her cooking is going to be up to standards.」

「Y-Yes......!」

Having been called by name so suddenly, Javelin quickly saluted with a needlessly respectful look on her face. Kaga nodded her head slightly in response, then looked at Shoho's and Ayanami's bentos again and sighed deeply.

And then ------ she shifted her gaze to the two bento boxes that were placed right next to Ayanami and Shoho's.

「Mutsuki's bento box...... In a certain sense, it looks really delicious.」

「Yup! And that is because, I made sure to include SOOOOOOOOOOO~~~~~~ much candy, as much as I could put in there! And there are also many different kinds in there, from all over the place, so each and every single one of them is going to be delicious! Ehehe!」

As she spoke those words, Mutsuki puffed out her perfectly flat chest with much confidence.

It was something that was both unbelievable and completely believable since it was Mutsuki who did this ------ her bento box was filled to the brim entirely with candy, which in a sense made her "lunch box" transform into a "candy box" instead.

However, it was also important to note that Mutsuki seemed to have her very own sense of ingenuity when going for this arrangement.

She would usually like and preferred candy sticks, but it seemed that this time around she brought several loose candies wrapped in wrapping papers for the boxed lunch. In fact, the sight of countless colorful candies lined up in a cramped lunch box was very eye-catching in and out of itself. It would be problematic to eat all of this for a single lunch, but it would definitely bring a smile to the face of anyone who would open the lid of the lunch box and witness its contents.

「Umu. I am sure that the Commander would be more than happy if you were to give this lunch box to him. Well, if you were to ask me if this really counts as a boxed lunch, I would have a hard time to give you a definitive answer, but...... I guess I can give it a passing grade. Ayanami, Shoho, and Mutsuki, listen up. A proper bento box usually means something like the kind of set that Kisaragi just made. Go and have a closer look if you would like.」

Then, Kaga was finally ready to talk about the last bento, which was Kisaragi's. Having received such compliments as "making a proper bento, even above the one that your elders have made," Kisaragi timidly asked back in disbelief:

「Hueh...... Kisaragi's boxed lunch...... Did it come out that good?」

「Yes, that's right. It seems that out of the four people who made the bento this time around, it is you, Kisaragi, who has the most cooking talent. This is actually amazing.」

「HUEEEHHH!?」

Kisaragi's entire body shook in shock and her eyes opened up wide as she looked down at the bento she had made.

If making a bento box represented the rank of the person who was making it, then it could be confidently said that it was rare to find a maker of bento boxes more suitable for a bride than the one that Kisaragi had made.

The small light blue lunch box was packed to the brim with various side dishes, carefully placed and selected with great care. The vegetables were also included, which made a particularly good impression, and the fresh greens and cherry tomatoes added color to the overall composition of the entire box. The meat used for the box was sausage and fried fish. On top of the rice there was even a cute pink cat image made from a cut-out piece of ham.

In a sense, it was the kind of a boxed lunch that perfectly reflected Kisaragi's personality as a whole.

「Mutsuki's bento box is fine the way it is, but Ayanami and Shoho's are absolutely out of the question. You should follow Kisaragi's example and practice your cooking some more. You see, cooking is one of the few hobbies of women in the Sakura Empire. If you can't even make a bento box properly, you will end up embarrassing yourselves later on, so you need to be really careful about that.」

「Ngh......!」

「A-Ayanami-chan...... F-From now on, let's keep on practicing, so that you can improve your cooking skills more and more! Alright? I will help you every step of the way!」

「...... Yes, desu.」

Ayanami ended up deeply shocked by Kaga's words that summarized this particular "Bridal Training".

Although Javelin did her absolute best to try and comfort her...... In fact, the bento box that Ayanami made was a close match against Shoho, a complete defeat against Kisaragi, and was harshly criticized by Kaga when compared to that of Mutsuki.

------ Could it be that she was missing something here?

Ayanami was sure that she had made the bento box that would please the Commander the most.

But right now, when she would think about how the Commander would react when he would see this "Royal-Style Gourmet Curry Bento Box"...... All that she could imagine was the image of the Commander smiling wryly rather than being happy.

It seems that there was a big gap between Ayanami's vision of the ideal bento and the public's reaction to that image.

「(But if that's the case here, then I need to work extra hard to correct that image...... desu!)」

In order to normalize a trained aim, it was necessary to correct errors by repeating test firings. Ayanami was sure that cooking was no different if you were to get down to it. By repeating the same processes, Ayanami's aim must be optimized and she must train to strike the target with the most accurate shot possible.

And in order to accomplish that, all that she could do was practice more and more.

Ayanami was going to be married to the Commander.

And in order to achieve this, and her own happiness ------ she intended to spare no amount of effort.

***

And thus, there was a fire that was lit inside of Ayanami's heart.

Up until now, Ayanami has been a far cry from a plain and normal person, spending her time fighting the battles at the sea and playing video games in her spare time, but she has changed.

Under Javelin's guidance, she started to study cooking every day. All of this was so that she could please her precious Commander, but Ayanami was a girl who was quite different from normal ones.

Because Ayanami was extremely easily influenced, and was too pure and earnest for her own good.

And so, what that meant was ------

「Javelin, why don't we try and make some lunch boxes and bring them to the Commander?」

「...... Ayanami-chan. It's really hard for me to say this, but...... Maybe we should take a break from trying to make the lunch boxes for today......?」

「But why?」

「Why, you ask? I think it's really amazing that your cooking skills have improved so much in such a short amount of time, Ayanami-chan, and that you can now make bento boxes that look and feel really good. The Commander was also very happy when we first brought him the bento boxes. But......」

Javelin spoke up, her eyes wide opened and her voice slightly panicked.

「Isn't it simply too much to deliver lunch boxes to the Commander three times a day for every single meal every day!? Moreover, your cooking has improved so much that your dishes are simply amazing, Ayanami-chan! But if the Commander had to eat a full-course meal for every meal, he would soon get sick and had to be sent to the hospital! And this goes especially true since the Commander never leaves a single grain of rice behind whenever you bring him your boxed lunch for him to eat!」

Ayanami's cooking skills have improved rapidly, and now she has acquired the skills to make "full-course meals" basically from scratch.

------ That is why it could be said that a tragedy has occurred.

Normally, a man and woman who have pledged their futures together to one another eating homemade food for every meal was a sight that was nothing short of pure happiness and bliss. However, when Ayanami put all her effort into making the best food for every single meal and the Commander ate it, the picture that was being painted here was quite different.

Truth is, the Commander's body was rapidly approaching its limits. 

Ayanami's cooking and the feelings behind it was so heavy that it even affected her normal routine and the Commander's duties. However, Ayanami was just a little too pure, and the Commander who loved her too much, could not know any better.

That was all there was to it.

「I see, I understand...... But it's a little bit disappointing......」

Thus, in order to protect the Commander's health from deteriorating any further, a limit was imposed on Ayanami bringing in food only once a day. 

Seemingly not understanding what she meant by that, Ayanami asked with a puzzled expression on her face, but Mutsuki paid her no mind at all and just continued to speak in a loud and cheerful voice.

「Yup! It's the kind of training that teaches you all of the skills that a newlywed wife needs to have! Like cooking, cleaning, sewing, and all that kinds of stuff......」

「...... Could it be that you are talking about the "Bridal Training" here?」

「I think so, yeah!」

「...... I see, desu. In that case, no, I haven't done anything like that yet. Not to brag about it, but personally I can't cook, clean, sew, or do any of those other things that a bride should do at all.」

Ayanami answered in a slightly forceful tone of voice. Hearing that, Shoho almost stumbled on her feet and fell to the ground.

「Well, that's not good! Not good at all! And it certainly is not something that you should be bragging to others about.」

「But it is kind of true, right? I mean, personally, I can't really imagine Ayanami-chan doing any of those above things......」

「Yup, you got that right! The only images that fit Ayanami like a glove are the image of a "Demon God" showing her fighting prowess on the battlefield against the Sirens, or the one where she will simply stay inside of her room all day and waste the time away playing video games.」

Both Javelin and Shoho said those things while confidently nodding their heads.

However, from Ayanami's point of view, it was not as if she did say anything all that strange.

It would go without saying that Ayanami lacked any kind of domestic skills, but she was a Destroyer belonging to the Sakura Empire, and fighting was her number one purpose in life until just now.

So this meant that even if she was unable to do any kind of housework on her own, she would still be able to get through life just fine.

If her room would get too dirty, the Manjuus would come out of nowhere and clean it, you she could always eat some delicious food in the Dining Hall, and she did not have to worry too much about things like sewing and all that other housekeeping stuff.

That is because the clothes that Ayanami and the others were wearing on their day to day basis were, first and foremost, battle uniforms ------ So there was no way that they would wear, tear or get dirty that easily.

No matter how much damage their clothes would take, its materials were made from the same type of materials that they themselves were made out of, the Wisdom Cube, which was on a completely different level from ordinary pieces of cloth. 

They would basically become undamaged even when hit directly by cannon fire or a torpedo strike, and protect the shipgirls no matter what.

Perhaps it was because of that simple fact, but the amount of clothes that the shipgirls could bring with themselves onto the battlefield was usually severely limited.

Ayanami had three other outfits in addition to her favorite sailor-style uniform, but there were many other shipgirls out there that only had one outfit that could be worn by them on the battlefield at all times because the military's production was simply not enough. Also, there were times when the Naval HQ did not have enough diamonds to purchase the outfit even if it was available for sale. In this regard, it could be said that Ayanami as a shipgirl was pretty much blessed. 

Because the moment new outfits for Ayanami would arrive at Akashi's store, the Commander would always buy it immediately and ------

「But if you get married and become a wife, you will have to cook for your husband and show him your love and devotion that way. Kisaragi thinks that cooking is an important skill to master, too......」

Kisaragi said sincerely after she had completely stopped crying.

Kisaragi was the kind of shipgirl who was naturally gifted when it comes to all sorts of household chores, even though she was still relatively young. But she would already exude the aura of being a very good wife, and her future prospects looked really bright in that regard. She was in stark contrast to Mutsuki, who was beside her and did not react to Kisaragi's words at all, licking a piece of candy and looking dazed and spaced out.

Javelin nodded her head deeply upon hearing Kisaragi's words, and then added.

「Kisaragi-chan, you say some really good things in that regard! That's right, yeah! I dabble in cooking quite a bit, too, but I guess that every girl should learn how to cook properly, even if it is only a form of a hobby. No matter how you look at it, cooking is an essential skill, especially if there's someone that waits for your cooking with anticipation......」

Javelin was certainly very good at cooking, and Ayanami has accompanied Javelin on several occasions when she went to meet with the Commander at lunchtime, bringing a homemade lunch box with her every single time. However,  Ayanami has never thought that cooking was such an essential skill for the concept of marriage, which seemed to be completely unrelated to one another to her ------

「Yup...... Alright then, it's decided! Hey, Ayanami! After all, it would be way too sad for a wife to be unable to cook even the simplest of dishes out there, and more than anything, I would feel really sorry for the Commander! So we are going to practice...... No, it's more like proper training! Let's practice being a perfect and exemplary bride!」

「.........!?」

Both Javelin and Shoho seemed to be taking this cooking business very seriously, and so both of them turned towards Ayanami with a rather serious and excited gleam in their eyes. Then both of them decided that Ayanami was in dire need of some actual training.

「T-Training...... you say?」

「Yup! After all, it's no good for a wife to not be able to perform even the simplest of the chores and tasks around the household! Especially for a newlywed wife! I'm on a diet too, so how about you try your best at cooking, Ayanami-chan?」

「...... No, Jave-kko, like, your own belly fat percentage does not have anything to do with poor Ayanami, now does it?」

「EEEEEEHHHHHH!!!???」

Shoho then mercilessly retorted to Javelin's assertion.

But Javelin was not the type of weak woman who would give in to something like that, and while pretending to be shocked while making exaggerated faces and sighs she continued to barrage away like a machine gun.

「N-No, don't do it, Shoho-chan! Don't use such crude words such as "belly fat" in front of the girl who is on a diet! And please don't talk like it's someone else's problem. Because Shoho-chan, you will be joining us in this Bridal Training, too!」

「S-Say what now!?」

Shoho's eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief.

「Things like that are better done in a larger group of people. Of course, Kisaragi-chan and Mutsuki-chan will also join us! I think it's a good thing to practice cooking from a young age, so Mutsuki-chan and Kisaragi-chan are more than welcome to join us!」

「N-No, no, no! Even if you say that, I don't like it one bit. While it is true that I have a slight interest in cooking in general, doing something like this with a group of people is just......!」

「Waah......! Kisaragi wants to do some cooking training, too......! Come on now, Mutuki, let's all train cooking together!」

「Um! I don't really understand what is going on, but if Kisaragi says that she wants to do it, then I want to do it, too!」

「This is going to be a great opportunity for you, too, Ayanami-chan! If you will be able to make the Commander a home-cooked meal, he will surely be delighted!」

Ayanami's eyes opened wide when she heard that.

「The Commander will be...... delighted by this?」

「Yup! For sure! You see, the Commander always looks so happy when I give him those home-made lunch boxes of mine! So if someone like you, Ayanami-chan, was to give him a hand-made lunch...... I am sure that the Commander would be even more delighted than usual!」

This was the kind of proposition that could have been called a literal godsend.

Because just a mere moments ago, Ayanami had reaffirmed herself that for the sake of her beloved Commander, she would have to venture out there and dabble some more in things that were previously unknown to her or that she was not all that good in.

------ Cooking.

Truly, it was the kind of area that was previously unexplored for someone like Ayanami.

「...... Yup, it's just like you said, Javelin. So Ayanami wants to try her hand at cooking, too!」

「Hooray! Well then, that settles it!」

Ayanami tried to imagine that just now.

How she would train long and hard to master the art of cooking, how she would make a home-made lunch box for the Commander and how she would bring it to him during his lunch break, just like Javelin used to do, and the look of sheer happiness visible on the Commander's face ------

The Commander would surely be happy with that. And the Commander would surely smile his most heart-warming smile at her.

And then...... The Commander would surely praise Ayanami for all the hard work and effort that she put into the lunch box.

Until now, Ayanami had only been able to get praised by her beloved Commander for firing point-blank torpedo shots at the enemy ships and achieving considerable military feats on the battlefield.

But what if there was actually another way to make the Commander smile and genuinely praise her?

「(I guess that I have no other choice but to do it...... desu.)」

It was really a strange thing, that the act of cooking, which she had never been interested in, had suddenly become so extremely interesting to Ayanami.

Ayanami was truly grateful to have such a wonderful group of friends. And thus, it was decided that Ayanami's "Bridal Training" together with her entire entourage, was going to be officially held.

***

However, it was not that Javelin had encouraged Ayanami to take up the "Bridal Training" and the cooking class without at least some sort of ill intentions behind her actions.

「Fufufufun~!!! Cooking is my specialty! You could even call it the kind of battlefield when I feel the best! After all, I did not make cooking up boxed lunches to be my hobby so that I could not show anything for it!」

Three days later.

Inside the kitchen of the Royal Navy's Dormitory, the Destroyer Javelin was very pleased with herself after having completed preparations for the incoming "Bridal Training" that was to be held here today for the sake of her friend Ayanami.

The art of cooking was Javelin's specialty.

However, this did not mean that Javelin happened to possess some Professional-level cooking skills or anything like that.

In fact, there were at least several shipgirls in the Home Port's fleet that were known far and wide for being outstanding cooks.

The Light Aircraft Carrier Houshou of the Sakura Empire, who was in charge of the "Ohanami (Flower Viewing Party)" that took place some time ago. Hiei, the battleship bearing the nickname of the "Imperial Ship" belonging to the Kongou Class and also one of the Sakura Empire, the master of ceremonial tea-making. The first ship of the Dunkerque Class battleships, Dunkerque, belonging to the Vichya Dominion First Division of the Line, was said to be second to none in terms of her skill at making all sorts of different sweets.

And in the Royal Navy faction, there was the Second Light Cruiser of the Edinburgh Class, Belfast, who was said to be the embodiment of a perfect maid, who served as Royal Navy's Head Maid of the Royal Maid Corps, serving directly under Her Majesty the Queen.

All of the above people were the one who would take the concept of "cooking" and elevate it to some new and higher, never-before-seen grounds.

There was simply no competing with any of them if you did not have sufficient enough skills in cooking. For example, if Javelin were to have a cooking contest with Belfast, it would be extremely difficult for her to win, and the match would be basically a one sided slaughter.

But that was not the point here at all.

The process of cooking is not at all about whether you win or lose in the end.

To begin with, Javelin's cooking was never all that spectacular or extravagant at all. Because her specialty was the good and reliable "Royal Navy's home cooking".

Unfortunately, the Royal Navy's cruising did not have all that great of a reputation out there, but...... this did not mean that they did not have delicious dishes at all. Their dishes might not have been all that flashy, but they were still plenty nutritious and incorporating the bounties of the sun, the earth and the sea. It was chalk full of dishes that were simple and inexpensive to make, as well as being able to fill your belly in an efficient way. This might have been slightly off from her usual cheerful and energetic personality, but personally Javelin was finding such down-to-earth food philosophy to be quite endearing.

And there was also the matter of putting copious amounts of love into the dishes that you make, all the while holding the image of who was going to eat it in your mind at all times. That was, in Javelin's humble opinion, the most important thing in making your dishes taste even better than what they would normally be.

If there was ever a thing that Javelin was one hundred percent sure of inside of her heart, that would have been it.

So Javelin planned to teach this principle to Ayanami and the others during this "Bridal Training" with all of her might. The first principle that was in the heart, and the most important thing is to think about during cooking: the person you were making the food for.

The luxurious appearance and the price of individual ingredients were all but trivial matters.

「Fufufu...... Fufufufufufufu!!!」

In the not so distant future, Ayanami and her friends would definitely bring the food that they made to the Commander and have him taste it. And after tasting the food that they have trained so hard and improved to perfection, the Commander would surely be impressed and would ask:

"Oi, oi! Just who on earth did they learn to make such wonderful food from?"

And Ayanami and the company would surely answer in the following way:

------ We happened to learn this all from Javelin, who is not only cute in appearance but also benevolent in heart.

If something like this were to happen, then the Javelin likeability meter would surely skyrocket in the Commander's eyes.

Javelin was sure that her opinion in Ayanami's eyes would improve even more than it already was, and that her position in the fleet would also be elevated, thus leading her to living a pleasant and comfortable life right at her beloved Commander's side......

「W-What a perfectly crafted plan that is......! Ahh, sometimes I am almost scared of my own talent and capability! Who knows? Maybe deep down inside I also have it in me to possess a military strategist ability on par with that of Jintsu-san......?」

Unable to contain her joy within her, Javelin chuckled slightly.

------ But little did she know, Javelin's cunning plan was quickly to hit a major roadblock, one that would be really hard for her to overcome.

As the time for their training approached near, both Ayanami and Shoho arrived at the kitchen.

Up until that point, there have been no problems at all.

「A-Are we really going to go through with this? B-Besides, this is the Royal Navy Dormitory's kitchen, right? Is it really alright for the members of the Sakura Empire to just waltz in here and act as if we own the place......?」

「Javelin, listen to this. Shoho has been whining and complaining to me for a while now.」

「You idiot! If I feel like whining and complaining, then this is exactly what I am going to do! Besides, can you even blame me!? Not to mention that even if you can't cook at all, Ayanami!」

「This is...... But! That's the point of today's training! We are here so that Javelin can teach us how to cook properly so that we can improve!」

「Kyaaah~~~! Ayanami-chan is right, Shoho-chan! Just leave it all to me! I am going to teach you everything there is to know about the essence of the Royal Navy's cooking!」

「...... Good grief, if you are going to say stuff like that with those sparkling eyes of yours, even I am going to end up believing you. And...... You know...... I mean, I'm a girl, too. So deep down in my heart, I actually knew all along that it would be better for me to actually learn how to cook, even if it was the very basics......」

Standing in front of the environment where the food and ingredients were perfectly prepared, Shoho, not to mention Ayanami, seemed completely intimidated.

And that is precisely why the responsibility that was currently resting on Javelin's shoulders was so great.

So Javelin had to make sure that she would properly support both Ayanami and Shoho's efforts, not only so that their own cooking skills could improve, but also so that they would leave with the opinion that "Javelin is a great cook and even greater teacher!"

And in order to do just that, Javelin had to carry out the lesson plan perfectly and in a cool and composed manner. 

So this time around, there was absolutely no place for cartoon-like accidents such as burning food, exploding the pots, or confusing sugar with salt ------

「Everyone! We are sorry for being late!」

Just as Javelin was about to say this out loud, a very lively voice rang out right behind her back. That voice of course belonged to Mutsuki.

「I-I am looking forward to...... working with everyone for today......」

Then, right after Mutsuki came flying into the kitchen with the force of a cannonball, Kisaragi stepped out right behind her with her small hat in her hands, her cute ears reminiscent of a small, squashed Scottish Fold cat, all trembling and shivering in the unfamiliar environment.

「Hueh......!?」

But that being said.

Mutsuki and Kisaragi were not the only ones who entered the Royal Navy's kitchen at the moment.

「...... What a strange sensation this room radiates. I just hope that a Sakura Empire's Aircraft Carrier stepping right into the Royal Navy Dormitory's kitchen won't end up causing a commotion of some sort......」

Dressed in a mixture of both white and blue.

The instant that person entered the kitchen, the atmosphere in the room changed quite drastically. Her voice was solemn yet commanding, she was really tall and her figure was slender, and her pure white ample cleavage was clearly visible through the revealing opening of her kimono. Her ice-like gaze of her blue eyes gave off a noble feeling, and from right behind her there were nine fluffy white tails that were visible ------ In other words.

The Nine-Tailed White Fox.

She was one of the Aircraft Carriers belonging to Sakura Empire's First Carrier Division --- Kaga. A rather unexpected person ended up appearing right in front of Javelin and the company!

「K-Kaga-san!? W-What is someone like you doing in a place such as this, Kaga-san!?」

Shoho, who had a suspicious look on her face just a moment ago, now straightened up and the look of suspicion was changed to that of pure shock and disbelief. In contrast to that, Kaga continued to speak in a calm and composed manner.

「Shoho. I have heard the news from Mutsuki and Kisaragi. They said that you were going to do some kind of intense cooking training here today?」

「Huh? A-Ahh, y-yeah, I mean...... Yes, that's right! That is indeed what we intend to do here for the time being, but...... O-Oi! Mutsuki! Kisaragi! What the heck is the meaning of this!? 

「...... Hm? Shoho-onee-chan? Why are you acting so surprised?」

「Umm...... Mutsuki thought that if she was to call Kaga-san here, that way she would also be able to make some delicious dishes for everyone, so......」

「W-What does that even supposed to mean? Besides, the purpose of this training is not for Kaga to cook, but for you to try your hand at it, Mutsuki and Kisaragi!」

「...... I also do not know the reason why I was brought here in the first place. I just happened to stumble upon those two in front of the Sakura Empire's Dormitory and I decided to bring them here. And besides......」

There was a long and deep shadow that fell over Kaga's face. The person she was looking at with her sharp blue eyes right now was ------

「...... I also happened to hear some rather interesting rumors regarding this here Ayanami.」

「Good day to you, desu.」

Ayanami then bowed her head as she said a polite greeting. Even with Kaga's overwhelming presence, she did not seem intimidated by it at all, as expected of Ayanami. On the other hand, Kaga looked somewhat uncomfortable when faced with someone like Ayanami,

「Yeah, good day to you, too. The thing is, what was it again......? Ah, yes. I heard a rather interesting rumor.」

「A rumor?」

「Ayanami-chan! The marriage! She is talking about your marriage!」

「...... Ah, I understand, desu.」

Ayanami seemed to be genuinely clueless as to what Kaga was talking about, so Javelin quickly came over and supported her.

Upon hearing Javelin's words, Kaga nodded her head slightly.

「Yes, that's it. I must say, I never would have thought that someone like you would go and marry the Commander like that ------」

「Yes, that's right. Is there a problem with me doing that?」

「...... No, there is not. It is a very happy and joyous thing for a man and a woman to marry one another. It is also especially significant that someone from the people of the Sakura Empire has married the Commander. I also wanted to congratulate you, but I must also say that not everyone is happy with this exact state of affairs...... Umu.」

「I see...... But I don't really get it......」

Kaga frowned her brows a little bit upon hearing Ayanami's words, but then she shook her head again.

Ayanami only cocked her head in further puzzlement, and Shoho, who was currently watching the exchange between her friend and her respected senior, had a very uneasy look on her face. As for Javelin herself ------

「(T-This is......! Kaga-san normally does seem like a very strict and scary person, but that's not about it right now! She is also a regular member of the "Drill Fleet", which is the formation that gathers the strongest shipgirls from the entirety of the Home Port's fleet! Not to mention that......)」

Kaga had a very conflict-loving and warlike personality, and some even would go as far as to call her a "Battle Maniac" because of the terrifying aura she would usually display during battles. Needless to say, she was the kind of person who was perfectly capable of instilling fear in both her enemies and allies alike.

On the other hand, one of Kaga's great characteristics was that she also happened to possess a very domestic side to her character.

It was because of that domestic side of her that while serving as the Commander's secretary ship from time to time, Kaga would often "show a her gratitude and appreciation for everyone;s efforts" to the younger ships that had just so happened tp return from their assignments and commissions ------

https://preview.redd.it/j88xbvcfq9yd1.jpg?width=1135&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46dc5629c8feafe8d03c8eabd6f3c3e177f73629

CHAPTER 1: TIME FOR THE BRIDAL TRAINING...... DESU

And just like that, on that very same day, the news about Ayanami getting married to the Commander spread throughout the entirety of the Home Port.

By the way, it was not because Javelin, who just so happened to hear this story from Ayanami herself before anyone else did, talked about it to everyone that she could possibly come across. Javelin was not such a loose-lipped shipgirl (of course, she went to tell both Laffey and Nimi that Ayanami was getting married to the Commander on the double right after that initial conversation took place),

In fact, there was an entirely different and separate reason for that rumor to spread all over the Home Port.

The biggest contribution to that particular state of affairs was the "Oath Ring" that Ayanami wore on her right ring finger all the time now. This was what really caught the eye of various other shipgirls that Ayanami managed to come across throughout the day. Even though they were all shipgirls and this was a military base, there were many types of shipgirls gathered here at the Home Port. So if Ayanami, who was usually completely unpretentious and mysterious to many other people, was wearing such a ring completely out of the blue like that, many people would have taken notice of that fact almost right away.

For example ------

「...... Hmm? Oh my? What's this? Have you always been wearing such a flashy-looking ring, Ayanami?」

「I wonder why, but...... Right now, I can feel an even stronger power of Destiny coming off of you, Ayanami-san...... ><」

「*Sniff*, *sniff*, *sniff*...... Hmm, that's weird. For some reason, there is the pleasant aroma typical of the Commander coming off of you, Ayanami...... Ah! Could it all be because of this ring?」

Fubuki, Fortune, and Foxhound were the fellow Destroyers just like Ayanami. Now, the reasons as to why each of them managed to notice the ring on her finger varied quite a bit, from the "Big Sister Energy", through "Destiny Power," to "The Sense of Smell" apparently radiating off of her, but whenever someone would questioned her about the ring, Ayanami would repeat the same kind of explanation as she had said to Javelin a while back: "I'm going to be married to the Commander."

And every single time she would do that, this explanation would cause quite a stir, similar in nature to a violent explosion.

The information soon began to spread and propagate at an incredible speed. Soon enough the Sakura Empire, the Royal Navy, the Iron Blood, the Eagle Union, the Iris Libre, the Vichya Dominion, the Northern Parliament and the Dragon Empery ------

There was not even a single shipgirl in any of the major factions currently stationed at the Home Port that would not be aware of the latest bombshell news.

***

「Fuwaaahhh......」

Ayanami woke up from her sleep the moment the brilliant bright light started to come in through the window and gently caressed her cheek. Then, she slowly got up and opened the window, letting in some fresh air right into her bedroom.

The moment she happened to look outside, she could see two distinct colors of blue stretching as far as the eye could see.

The blue color of the sky and the deep blue of the ocean ------ bright, clear, and vivid shades of blue that stretched out endlessly across the distant horizon.

The sound of the engines running and the gunfire blazing of other Destroyers was signaling that the others must have been conducting some sort of exercises somewhere nearby, and it echoed across the distance. From time to time, the walls and the floor of the room would vibrate faintly. The game controller in front of the TV and the decorative flower bouquet on the window would also shake and sway gently. Of course, Ayanami, who was born as the Destroyer shipgirl and who was used to naval fighting across her stay at the Home Port, was already used to both the fighting noises and the vibrations it would bring.

Because of that, she paid those things no mind in the slightest.

It was also something that has already managed to become a part of her everyday life at this point.

Today, the Home Port was sunny once again, with not a single cloud to be seen in the sky. Yesterday was a very noisy day for her, and Ayanami thought about it deeply even when she happened to wake up today.

However, even though it was certainly noisy, it was by no means unpleasant to her.

------ It was a very special and "happy" day, probably the happiest day in her entire life thus far.

At that moment, when Ayanami reached her hand to open the window, she could clearly see something shining on one of her fingers, its silvery shine reflected in the warm rays of the morning sun.

It was the ring.

For Ayanami, it was an undeniable symbol as well as proof of her own happiness. Since yesterday, Ayanami has undergone a big transformation, but it was only a change that took place deep within her heart. But it was a change that was slightly different in nature from the "Retrofitting" process, when her body became thinner and lighter, and her physical strength also happened to increse. But there have been no particular changes in her appearance this time around.

But still, that ring currently shining on Ayanami's right ring finger was something else entirely.

This otherwise cold ring of metal wrapped around her finger was constantly reminding Ayanami that the notion of "happiness" was most certainly real, it was there, and existed in the clearly tangible form for her to grasp.

Ayanami clenched her slender fingers tightly and inhaled some of the fresh morning air. The various smells unique to a naval port base stimulated her nostrils. The smell of sea salt, gunpowder, iron, and then...... 

「...... I can smell that we are having curry for lunch today.」

The strong aroma of the Naval Curry, a specialty of the Home Port base, gently wafted from the direction of the Dining Hall.

The Naval Curry, cooked using a high-purity fuel as the main ingredient, was the source of sustenance that would give the shipgirls such as Ayanami and her friends a whole lot of energy needed for them to perform their daily duties and activities.

Since this was the start of a brand new day, Ayanami quickly fumbled out of her usual loungewear, which was a plain and long white T-shirt with the words "Combat Endurance Posture in the Face of Adversity" written on it, and then she began to change into her familiar uniform.

「Ayanami-chan~! Here! Right this way!」

「Oh! Ayanami! Finally decided to show up, huh? Here, come this way!」

When Ayanami arrived at the Home Port's Dining Hall for lunch, she was greeted by the energetic-as-always Royal Navy's purple-haired Destroyer Javelin and the Sakura Empire's Light Aircraft Carrier, Shoho.

Shoho, who's main characteristics were her relatively small frame, the fact that she was speaking with a noticeable Kansai dialect, and had two sharp teeth sticking out of her mouth, is a Light Aircraft Carrier with high support capabilities that rivaled even those of the Royal Navy;s Light Aircraft Carrier "Unicorn." She was also the kind of person who would worry about Ayanami more devotedly than anyone else, and she would always be there for her when she was in trouble or simply needed someone to talk to.

She was the affectionate and friendly kind of a girl, but at the same the one who had a rather tearful side to her on some rare occasions.

「Javelin is together with Shoho for some reason......?」

That being said, seeing those two together was certainly unusual and never before seen.

Both when it comes to seeing the Light Aircraft Carrier together with the Destroyer. But the same could be said for the Royal Navy and Sakura Empire pairing.

Although the two of them certainly shared a common denominator of being close friends with Ayanami, this was the first time that she had seen those particular two together.

「Yeah, I get what yer are saying. It's certainly weird that the two of us are together now. Well, I mean, I can understand that, because Ayanami gets along well with the kids from all the other factions really easily, but it's normal for each faction to usually stick together with their close friends.」

「That's certainly true. I mean, I knew about Shoho-chan for a while now, and we have been on missions together many times before, but I don't think we have had a chance to talk like this before.」

「Yup, yup, that's right. But you see...... Isn't that right, Javelin? This time around is a really special occasion.」

Shoho laughed enthusiastically and nudged Javelin who was standing right next to her with her elbow. As for Javelin, she continued with a broad smile on her lips.

「Yes, that's right! Because, I mean, Ayanami-chan is going to get married to the Commander soon! It seems like Shoho-chan was also itching to celebrate the occasion with you, Ayanami-chan, so the two of us ended up talking about your wedding plans together, Ayanami-chan~!」

「...... I see, desu.」

In other words, Ayanami's marriage was the perfect occasion to bring those two together.

Thinking about it like that, Ayanami also felt a little bit happy, because it must have been a wonderful thing that her friends, who basically had no contact with each other until now, were getting along so well.

「Hehehe, how about that, huh? Are you perhaps surprised? Of course, there are many people other than the two of us who are eager to celebrate your marriage, Ayanami. The Sakura Empire's Heavy Aircraft Carrier, Houshou-nee-san, not to mention the Aircraft Carriers Soryu, and the Hiryuu as well. Oh, Aircraft Carriers Zuikaku and Shoukaku were also very happy to hear the news! and then, you know...... I would also like to know what those two in the First Aircraft Carrier Division think about it, but honestly speaking, I am way to scared of them to just go and ask them about that...... Oh?」

The moment Shoho, who was talking proudly about her fellow Aircraft Carriers, mentioned the words "First Aircraft Carrier Division," a slightly anxious look appeared on her face.

But that moment of gloom only lasted for a single moment, and soon a more natural and relaxed smile stepped into its place.

「Oh yeah! That's right! Of course, it's not just the Aircraft Carriers who are happy for you! Oi! Mutsuki! Kisaragi! You have come to the right place, at the right time! See!? Ayanami is here!」

Shoho, with a bright expression on her face, beckoned with her hand to someone behind Ayanami's back, and two extremely petite girls came running towards Ayanami and Javelin with fast and light footsteps. These two were ------

「「Ayanami-onee-chan~!!」」

Two Destroyers: Mutsuki and Kisaragi.

Mutsuki and Kisaragi were the youngest Destroyers in the entirety of the Sakura Empire, belonging to the Mutsuki Class. The Mutsuki-Class Destroyers were wearing their trademark kindergarten uniforms, and even when looking around at the members of other factions, they had a strong presence as the "Mutsuki Class group" as a whole, the youngest group in the entirety of the Home Port base.

「Ayanami-onee-chan! Congratulations on your marriage! ------------ Here, this is for you! Have some delicious candy to commemorate the occasion!」

Mutsuki, the black-haired girl who cheerfully congratulated Ayanami for her marriage, handed her a handful of candy that she just so happened to take out of her pocket.

She was a charming little girl who was innocent and yet very playful, and was only half the height of Ayanami, who was in the youngest group among the entire ships of her Class.

Despite the fact that Mutsuki seemed to have very little idea about what the concept of "marriage" actually entailed, at the very least she was able to recognize that it was a very happy event.

However......

「But, this is...... Isn't this your precious candy stash, Mutsuki? Are you sure that you want to give this to me?」

Ayanami could not help herself but to ask Mutsuki that question.

Although Ayanami had seen Mutsuki receiving candy from various other shipgirls on many different occasions, this was the very first time that she had witnessed Mutsuki sharing some of her precious stash with someone else.

「Yup! The Commander once said to me, that whenever something nice or happy happens to me or my friends, I need to celebrate that properly! Which is why, I want you to have this, Ayanami-onee-chan!」

「...... Thank you, desu. I am going to treasure it greatly, and I will definitely enjoy it.」

Saying a proper thank you for the gift that she received, Ayanami popped one of the candies that she received from Mutsuki into her mouth.

It was a simple strawberry taste, and yet it was somewhat profound.

Giving such a wonderful candy that she treasured so much to a stranger must have been a big decision for a young girl like Mutsuki, and so Ayanami decided to properly enjoy the candy as a form  of thank you.

Thinking this, Ayanami tried to open her mouth again in order to properly thank Mutsuki, but ------

「K-Kisaragi too...... Kisaragi also wanted to congratulated Ayanami-oneechan, but...... She did not bring anything to give to Ayanami-onee-chan...... like Mutsuki-onee-chan did...... Uuuhhh......」

Just like that, yet another completely unexpected problem has occurred.

Kisaragi, the pink-haired little girl right next to Mutsuki, began to cry.

Unlike the lively Mutsuki, Kisaragi was a very quiet and shy girl. At the same time, she had a slight character flaw of being quite a crybaby and would usually get teary-eyed rather easily.

Needless to say, seeing Kisaragi cry made Ayanami and the others panic on the spot.

「K-Kisaragi...... Look! It's really okay if you did not bring any gift......!」

「Ayanami is right, Kisaragi! It's true that there is a word for "Wedding Celebratory Gift", but that doesn't mean you have to give her something as well!」

「Y-Yes, that's right! In fact, we didn't even bring any presents for Ayanami, either! Look, Javelin only has her Javelin with her!」

The other shipgirls present quickly added, trying their best to reassure Kisaragi.

Javelin was the one who tried her best in a particularly drastic way. Since Javelin did not usually have much contact with Kisaragi, she had no idea how exactly she should be dealing with little shipgirls like her.

That's why she chose the way that she thought would be best suited for someone as young and small as her.

------ Then, as if to put an emphasis onto her words, she took her precious javelin spear and spun it around above her head.

However, that was a very inappropriate behavior. If this had been out on the open sea, there would have been no problem with that. But, this was not an unobstructed middle of the blue ocean, but the inside of the Home Port's Dining Hall.

Javelin had completely forgotten about that crucial and important fact.

Here in the Royal Navy-run Dining Hall, the use of force and all kinds of weaponry was strictly forbidden. Not to mention that the Royal Navy's Dining Hall was crowded with all of the shipgirls from the different factions, and frankly speaking, it was very cramped at the moment.

Brandishing one's weapon in the middle of a Dining Hall was considered an act of pure barbarism that should never take place here.

So naturally, this sudden action caused a flood of complaints from all of the shipgirls who happened to be eating nearby.

「W-What are you doing!? Javelin!? You should only do that kind of thing out on the open sea! If it wasn't for a lucky ship just like this here Yukikaze-sama, my lunch might have already been blown away! You should apologize for that unbecoming behavior!」

「Yes, certainly, that's true. Isn't that a bit too violent for a mere prank? But, well...... I think that it was certainly entertaining in a sense, Hihihi!」

「Swinging your spear around in a place like this is nothing short of stupid and foolish! You are the Royal Navy's shipgirl for crying out loud! So act like one and show at least SOME degree of elegance and refinement, goodness gracious!」

「HYAAAAAAHHHHHH!? I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-so s-s-sorrryyyy!!!」

Once the rest of the shipgirls currently sitting in the Dining Hall started to openly voice their complaints towards Javelin's behavior, the Javelin in question began to panic and she started to bow down to everyone, apologizing for her behavior over and over again.

And since things had already become so hectic, the situation with the little Destroyers also undertook a drastic change.

Naturally, even though she was still young, Kisaragi was quick to realize that the situation had escalated because of her. Kisaragi's expression then became even more tense and tearful, and she said while on the verge of tears:

「J-Javelin-onee-chan got yelled at so much...... I-Is it all Kisaragi's fault? It is, isn't it......?」

Kisaragi, standing right next to Javelin, muttered those words softly. Transparent drops were faintly visible on her eyelids, and the small cat's tail that extended from under her skirt was swaying sadly and low.

「......!!!!!!」

------ Things simply could not continue in this way.

Ayanami instantly realized this fact, and in the next moment, her body moved naturally, as she bent down and met Kisaragi's gaze. Then, staring right into Kisaragi's pink eyes that matched the color of her hair, she spoke in a clear, stern voice.

「Kisaragi, you are not to blame here.」

「B-But I...... I......」

Kisaragi's eyes opened up wide in shock.

「It is the truth that Javelin-onee-chan got yelled at because of me......」

To those words, Ayanami slowly shook her head in negation.

「No, that's not it. The thing that happened now...... Javelin is the one who is at fault here, exclusively. But it is also true that being that way is one of Javelin's strongest points.」

「Strongest points......?」

「Yes, desu. I mean, look...... Surely, there are quite a bit of people who are mad at Javelin for doing that, but there are also those who are laughing because of her performance just now. See? Even Mutsuki is one of those people.」

「Ahaha! Javelin-onee-chan, what is this!!! You got yelled at so much for doing that!!! Ahahaha!!!」

Ayanami pointed right towards Mutsuki, who was laughing so long and so hard that right now she was frantically holding her stomach with her hands.

In fact, some of the people involved in the incident were actually furious about Javelin's actions of swinging her spear around so thoughtlessly, but the most of the other shipgirls were more favorably disposed towards her and simply thought that: "Here she goes, Javelin is doing something weird yet again," rather than actually criticizing her for it.

So even though Javelin was surely yelled at, it was not that she was scolded or anything like that.

「Now do you understand? Even Javelin, who would swing her spear around in a place where we are all eating in peace and quiet, will be forgiven eventually. After all, everyone here at the Home Port are nice and warm-hearted people. So there is absolutely no need for you to feel responsible for causing this, Kisaragi. And you don't have to concern yourself with not bringing me any gift.」

「I-Is that so......?」

「Yes, desu. What is important here is that you were able to properly convey your feelings to me, Kisaragi. Ayanami is very happy just to have you congratulate her on her marriage to the Commander.」

「I-I see. So that's how it is...... Ayanami-onee-chan...... Thank you... so much......」

Then, Ayanami gently stroked and patted Kisaragi on the head to encourage her some more.

Ayanami would then think.

This mysterious warmth that she could feel at the palm of her hand, the one that felt as pleasant as the gentle radiance of the morning sun, was not only because of Kisaragi's bodily temperature. And it was also certainly not because she was able to feel it directly through her skin.

Ayanami was sure that if she was still the way she was when she first arrived at the Home Port base, she wouldn't have been able to calm down Kisaragi the way she did just now, especially not when the little one was about to burst into tears at a moment's notice.

She was sure that she would not think anything in particular about this situation. She would not feel anything about it, or think anything about it, and she would just watch her tears fall from her eyes as if they were something irrelevant to her in the first place. She could imagine herself doing that all too clearly.

But now, things are entirely different.

Now she felt that she had to do something to help the crying Kisaragi. She even felt it was her responsibility to do so, her duty, to do so as one of her Senpais that had to give her a good example.

Ayanami felt like this was the sign that she has grown as a person.

She honestly felt that.

And she did not mean it only in a physical sense, but mentally as well.

Perhaps that was part of the reason as to why the Commander decided to propose to her in the first place.

Being young, being mostly ignorant of the world around her, feeling nothing about it, thinking nothing of it, she would not be worthy to stand right next to the Commander. Because Ayanami has changed, because she has grown up, the Commander chose her as the one worthy of being his partner.

So, in order for Ayanami to be able to be by the Commander's side and continue to be the one who was worthy of the Commander's affection, she must learn many more and different things.

Surely Ayanami could not be satisfied with the current situation. Surely there were still many different areas where she was lacking and where she could vastly improve.

At this very moment, the feeling of the "Symbol of Happiness" was vividly present on the right ring finger of Ayanami's hand, but she felt that she should not bask in that warm feeling forever without doing anything.

Because if she did not do anything, she was sure that she would soon completely drown in this "Sea of Happiness".

Ayanami was a shipgirl first and foremost. A Destroyer.

She could not possibly allow herself to drown or sink.

------ As long as her path would lead her towards the ocean, no matter what kind, she would have to brave it while sailing gracefully right on top of its surface.

A few minutes later, Javelin, exhausted from being ridiculed by a barrage of complaints from the surrounding shipgirls, returned to the table where Ayanami and the others were already in the middle of eating their lunch.

「Haaaaaahhhhhh~~~. Oh boy, it surely took a while, but Yukikaze-chan and Hamman-chan finally forgave me.」

「Hahaha. They surely grilled you rather hard over this, huh?」

「Javelin, welcome back.」

「Yeah, you can say that again...... Ahh, everyone is already having lunch, huh? I'm glad. Ah, that curry looks and smells delicious, but I'm on a diet, so unfortunately, umm......」

Javelin said so as she ran off to the Dining Hall's store, but returned within a minute or so with a cup of juice and no other food items in hand. It would seem that she was thinking of having only that drink for lunch.

「Javelin-onee-chan? Why aren't you eating anything for your lunch?」

「Yes, that's right. I know that it might not top the candy, but the food in the port's cafeteria is really good!」

「If you would like, Kisaragi can share her hamburger steak with you?」

Saying that, Kisaragi moved her plate with the children's meal set that she was eating closer towards Javelin.

In this Home Port's Dining Hall, shipgirls could eat freely unless there was a major problem such as "The fuel at the Home Port base is almost depleted" or some other major crisis like that.

And outside of the basic and staple menu items such as "Oxy Cola", "Coolant Popsicles", "Torpedo Tempura" and "Naval Curry", it was almost an all-you-can-eat buffet treat.

However, since the shipgirls would quickly get bored of eating just that, so it was common for the fuel to be cooked into the image of other kinds of foods and eaten that way.

For example, Ayanami decided from the moment that she woke up and smelled the strong fragrance through her window that she would go with curry for lunch. so she ate the Naval Curry, but sometimes she would eat her favorite dish, which was syrup-covered pancakes. Shoho would usually eat soba noodles. Today, Mutsuki and Kisaragi were slurping on tempura soba noodles topped with torpedo tempura, which was a special kind of menu ment for for children shipgirls that only the Mutsuki Class Destroyers were allowed to order.

Faced with that option, what Javelin chose to do was......

「Wawah! I-I'm really sorry, Kisaragi-chan! I really appreciate the offer, but you see, the thing is, umm...... O-Oh yeah! Javelin-onee-chan has a very good reason as to why she cannot eat her lunch today, so......」

「I-Is that so?」

「Y-Yeah, it is. B-Because, you see......」

As she said this, Javelin then glanced right towards Ayanami really quickly.

「You see, I have decided to go on a diet for Ayanami-chan's wedding ceremony's sake! I have to look my absolute cutest at my best friend's wedding ceremony, you know!? I need to work hard to wear a cute dress that will make even the Commander gasp in awe of my natural charm and......」

Javelin declared in a loud and confident voice, and then she placed her hand on top of her hip as she brought the tapioca milk tea that she just brought to her lips and down the entire thing in a few powerful gulps.

「No, I mean, talking about a wedding ceremony soon? Someone here sure seems to be rather hasty, wouldn't you say, Jave-kko?」

After all, it was only yesterday that Ayanami's marriage was announced to her closest friends. As of today, the day after, or even further down the road, there was literally no mention of a wedding ceremony even being held at all, so it seemed a bit premature to start a diet right away for that particular reason.

Meanwhile, Ayanami's reaction as the person who was going to marry the Commander and should be the most interested in the idea was,

「The wedding ceremony, huh......? Now that I think about it, there really is such a thing, and all of the things that surround it...... Fumuh......」

Come to think of it, Ayanami has never even bothered to think about such things before.

Until yesterday, Ayanami had never even thought about marrying the Commander, and even after he actually proposed to her, she had not even thought about what would change in her usual lifestyle in the first place. She had only just remembered the existence of the thing called the wedding ceremony, and it was only because of the things that her friends happened to be discussing amongst themselves.

「Ayanami-chan, haven't you discussed the details about the marriage ceremony with Commander yet?」

However, this was a very unexpected statement coming for Javelin, who had already started dieting for the wedding ceremony on her own. So Ayanami only nodded her head obediently.

「Yes, that's right. We haven't talked about that in the slightest yet.」

「T-This isn't good! This isn't good at all! This is going to be your great day, so you have to make sure that you make all of your dreams come true! Not to mention that the three of us, Niimi-chan, Laffey-chan and I, will fight over the flower bouquet that you are going to throw, Ayanami-chan!」

「I have never heard of myself having a dream quite like this before.」

「Well then, let's make it happen, all of us! I will make sure to engrave every single detail of it onto your ears, Ayanami-chan, so do your best to listen closely!」

「I...... I will try to do that...... desu.」

Faced with Javelin's fierce determination, Ayanami could only nod her head slightly in agreement.

Apparently, the marriage ceremony was something that required a whole lot of effort, and it was something that absolutely needed to happen. Personally, Ayanami had no idea what the point was of her throwing a flower bouquet and having Javelin and the others fight over it, but...... It certainly seemed like a fun scene to take place.

「...... What the heck is that all about? Anyways, the three of you fighting over a flower bouquet? Seriously now, a ritual like that would most definitely attract other shipgirls than your own group, Jave-kko. Maybe I should even try my luck just a little bit......」

「Say, say, Shoho-onee-chan.」

「Hm? Oho? What's this? You want to also get in on that entire flower bouquet business, Mutsuki and Kisaragi?」

Shoho asked Mutsuki about that with a wry smile on her face. 

Mutsuki then tilted her head, and asked with a truly puzzled expression,

「Come to think of it, this whole marriage thing is something that the two of us can also do, right? Because marriage means "friendship", and "getting along", right? In that case, I also want to marry the Commander!」

「Ah......! I-In that case...... Kisaragi wants to marry the Commander...... too!」

Both of them said something that was completely and utterly outrageous.

「Hoo, hoo? I see, I see. So, both Mutsuki and Kisaragi also want to marry the Commander, huh?」

Shoho said while taking a deep breath and then closing her eyes for some reason.

Then she nodded her head deeply.

「...... But I mean, isn't it obvious that something like this is going to be no good? No good, I say you!」

She then opened her eyes out wide and declared in a loud voice.

Even at a time like this, it was typical of Shoho to be unnecessarily easygoing. However, Mutsuki pouted her cheeks and vehemently argued back.

「Eeeeeehhhhhh!? Why!? Why not!? Shoho-onee-chan, you cheapskate!!!」

「No matter what name you decide to call me and how much you are going to criticize me, you can't change the fact that impossible is going to be impossible! Besides, none of you really seem to understand what the concept of getting married even means in the first place! True, being good friends is a part of that process, but that's not all there is to it! This is a very special kind of relationship!」

「A very special kind of relationship?」

「Yeah, that's right! You might be more than ready to be good friends with the Commander, but it is way too early for the two of you to be more than that! ...... And besides! When it comes to marriage, there is the actual age restriction that has to be maintained!」

「...... So, does that mean that we cannot get married to the Commander until we get older?」

Age restrictions.

Kisaragi's eyes widened in shock and disbelief at the sound of those unexpected words.

「Yes, that's right! According to the most recent laws passed within the Sakura Empire, the earliest age for a girl to be able to be married is sixteen years old...... No, wait, scratch that! I do believe that nowadays it was even raised to eighteen years old! ...... Anyways, unless you are going to become "adults" in certain ways and sense, there is no way for the two of you to become able to be married to the Commander! No matter how much you would like to wish for it to be otherwise!」

Shoho spoke to both Mutsuki and Kisaragi in a rather eloquent way.

However, Ayanami quickly realized that Shoho was clearly being mistaken with her explanation, and she tugged on the sleeve of Shoho's kimono,

「Shoho, I do believe that what you described just now relates to the actual process of "marriage", and not the "Oathing" that is taking place here, desu.」

In order for her friend to save her face, she whispered those words to her in such a way that both Mutsuki and Kisaragi could not possibly hear her.

But that being said,

Shoho bared her twin fangs at Ayanami in a clear display of irritation and annoyance, and then she yelled at Ayanami:

「You moron! Of course I know that! And I have been deliberately preaching the wrong thing to them, so that they would get off of your back!」

「What do you mean by that?」

「Goodness gracious, you are so dense it's simply unreal! Now listen here!」

Shoho then lowered her head and said:

「Unless I tell them all this, there is no way that those two would ever go on that matter. Forget about those two, but if the news keep on spreading, not only Mutsuki and Kisaragi, but also other Mutsuki Class Destroyers like Minazuki, Fumitsuki, Uzuki and others are going to jump on that wagon and think that it will be possible for them to marry the Commander...... But surely you can see that it is not going to be a good thing, especially from a long-term perspective. Which is why we need a good excuse to nip that matter in the bud.」

「But putting the matter what others might think about it for the time being, it will actually still be possible for others to become "Oathed" to the Commander.」

It was Javelin who happened to chime in on Ayanami and Shoho's private conversation.

「But normally when you think about it, it should be alright, huh? I mean, unless someone as problematic as Ark Royal-san also happens to become Oathed to the Commander in the future, which would be really problematic in its own right......」

「No, no, no! There's just no way! There is no way that anyone would be crazy enough to keep that crazy Lolicon in close proximity to any kind of Destroyer out there! You know what I heard? I heard that just the other day, she was caught stealing Destroyer clothes that were hanging outside of their rooms to dry, you know? So that kind of behavior obviously cannot stand! And if she starts to rub off on Commander, he might want to put his hands on small children like Mutsuki and Kisaragi, and he would then be taken away by some scary muscular guys from the Naval HQ at the break of dawn! Aaagh! I don't even want to imagine that!」

「Umm, when you say that some of the Destroyers' clothes have been stolen...... Ah! Do you mean that incident when Cignet-chan's spare uniform was stolen and everyone in the class went around and searched for it? I am also a member of the Royal Navy, so that was quite the incident that was all sorts of trouble, but...... Hmm, but I didn't know that the Sakura Empire knew about that incident, too...... Ahaha......」

Hearing the name of a person from the same Royal Navy faction as her being brought up as such an incriminating example, Javelin could not help it but to smile in a troubled way.

In the end, the incident itself turned out to be a complete and utter misunderstanding that was blown way out of proportion, but the strong love that Ark Royal had for the Destroyers of all shapes and sizes was still a thing that was talked about among the shipgirls of all the other factions, it would seem.

Meanwhile, at the same time, Ayanami......

「(...... I don't really understand what it means to be a "lolicon" that was just mentioned, but I think it's best to go along with Shoho's "lie" here for the moment.)」

Although she did not quite understand what Shoho was implying here with her words, she somehow decided that it would be far better to just "read the room" and go along with that for the time being.

In fact, Ayanami was also against Mutsuki and Kusaragi, alongside all other Destroyers, marrying the Commander. There was no particular reason for her to think that way, especially since in terms of raw combat prowess, "Oathing" promoted the growth of various shipgirls, and it would definitely be a plus for the fleet's overall fighting power, so there was virtually no reason for Ayanami to want to deny anyone that option, but ------

However, for some reason Ayanami could not stand the idea. And she did not like that prospect in the least.

Even Ayanami herself could not possibly explain why she would even feel that way.

「So, that's what this is, Mutsuki, Kisaragi. I am afraid that either one of you simply can't marry the Commander!」

「Well, that's just unfortunate......」

However, in the end, thanks to Shoho's words, it seemed that they had succeeded in stopping Mutsuki and Kisaragi's troublesome claim of both of them wanting to get married to the Commander as well.

Even though the two of them did end up looking severely sad and depressed over that idea,

「Ahh, I want to hurry it up and become an adult as soon as possible. Oh, but...... Ayanami-onee-chan is going to marry the Commander really soon, right? So, does that mean that you are going to undergo the "Wifey Training" soon, too......?」

「Wifey Training...... you say?」

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I’m curious when other people are getting rid of their blue ships? I got a bunch that I got to level 70 to max LB for tech points and I’m wondering if I should just go all the way with them or get rid of them and just worry about purple and up. If it helps I can add dock pic for which ships I have

Hello all, new player here,, which PR/DR ships would the community recommend going after, after getting Roon to have a good tank?

https://preview.redd.it/hh741h2k37yd1.png?width=1771&format=png&auto=webp&s=0bd9517ff3738e89afcda070972248a1259a2882

https://preview.redd.it/8y3cp05m37yd1.png?width=901&format=png&auto=webp&s=d72f30f178623fc5d68e258356ef6b79c8675b5e

Does anyone knows if we get the musashi rerun after this tempesta event?