A stranger shipgirl greeted Hikaru.
"Hello, I'm Cumberland, a war correspondent dispatched by the Shipgirl Headquarters to document your heroic moments."
Was Yamato trying this hard to make him a poster boy? Were they seriously setting Hikaru up as a model hero for political points?
Tirpitz's eyes paused on the little crown on Cumberland's head.
Cumberland touched her silver hair. "Is this outfit too eye-catching? I used to work as an actress for a while, so I'm just used to presenting my best self."
"It's not. You look very pretty. She just thinks your getup looks like too much work," Hikaru replied kindly, extending a hand to shake hers. "Once the fighting starts, you can come record whatever you want. There's nothing interesting going on right now."
Tirpitz was a lazybones—the kind who looked cold on the outside but was constantly grumbling in her heart about everything being a pain. After a month together, even that icy front of hers was starting to melt, and her naturally sluggish self was showing more and more.
Cumberland could tell Hikaru was being honest. She smiled warmly. "This big sister is beautiful even without makeup. And actually, I'd really love to stay close to you. The daily lives of heroes are just as important to capture! I may not be much help, but I promise I won't be a burden."
Cumberland was a heavy cruiser shipgirl from the British County-class, the Kent subclass. Saying she wouldn't be a burden was modest—heavy cruisers like her were often core members in most town guard fleets.
But Hikaru really didn't want a stranger constantly hovering around him, camera in hand, looking for a "heroic moment" to film.
Just as he was about to politely decline, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind.
Right now, Tirpitz's name on the Eastern Continent was still basically unknown. To elevate her reputation to "peerless demon-god" levels, he'd need help from the official propaganda machine.
At the moment, Tirpitz had no major accomplishments to her name, so Hikaru couldn't very well ask Yamato to promote her without some actual results—it'd be awkward and obviously forced.
But in the future, if Tirpitz crushed the enemy on the battlefield with overwhelming force, then the press could start crafting her image as a war hero—in other words, to deify her.
And that would require a whole media machine. Cumberland alone wasn't enough, but she could at least be a starting point.
So Hikaru swallowed his rejection and instead smiled. "Then you can stick with us for now. If you have any filming needs, feel free to speak up."
Cumberland saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Shipgirls without an admiral could still earn military rank. Honestly, Hikaru thought Cumberland's rank might be higher than his—but it didn't matter. He waved it off and led her toward the construction warehouse.
Cumberland was a chatterbox. After a few casual questions, she launched into tales of her acting career, strange creatures she encountered during her travels, and award-winning photographs she'd taken.
Hikaru listened with genuine interest. Tirpitz, on the other hand, was clearly annoyed. It felt to her like trying to fall asleep with a mosquito buzzing nonstop in her ear.
If it had been the old Tirpitz from a month ago, she would've told Cumberland to shut up outright. But now that her negative emotions had lightened a lot, she just silently slipped her arms around Hikaru's neck.
"Commander, hold me."
No one could refuse a request like that. Hikaru scooped her up into a bridal carry, and the pink-haired girl contentedly curled up in his arms and drifted off.
Cumberland walked beside them, glancing at the ring on Tirpitz's left ring finger. She swallowed hard. "Are you two always… this, um… sweet together?"
Heavens above—she'd originally wanted to say "clingy," but at least managed to soften her tone.
Still, weren't they embarrassed about being so lovey-dovey in public?
Cumberland looked around and was stunned to see that all the other shipgirls and admirals wore completely unbothered expressions. At most, there was a tiny bit of envy in their eyes.
Naturally. Hikaru and Tirpitz had been attending classes at the academy for almost a month now, and his title as "wife-spoiling maniac" had long since spread across campus. Especially since the girl he doted on was one of the rarest shipgirls in existence—Tirpitz. Others were too busy being jealous to judge. And if there were any strange looks, they were probably just the hateful glares of bad-luck commanders wanting to stab a lucky one.
(End of Chapter)
[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]