At the same time, the atmosphere in front of the Royal Dormitory's gates was heavy.
Amagi, Akagi, New Jersey, and Bismarck stood at the entrance, not moving so much as a fingertip.
Their gazes met, yet no one stepped forward, and no one spoke.
The first to break this awkward silence was the sound of Akagi's teeth grinding, which she couldn't hold back. Her tail was already standing on end.
'Why? Why are these pests suddenly here? The information about the commander shouldn't have leaked!' she fumed silently.
Akagi knew that no matter how furious she was, she had to stay calm. So, forcing the words through gritted teeth, she asked, "Miss New Jersey, Miss Bismarck, this is the Royal Navy Dormitory. What brings you two here?"
New Jersey wore a smile that was perhaps a little too radiant as she stepped forward, casually reaching out as if to pat Akagi on the shoulder.
"Don't be so tense, Miss Akagi. We've all had some free time lately. Isn't it natural to take a walk? Besides, the Royal Navy gardens are quite famous. Right, Bismarck?"
-NEW JERSEY-[1]
Akagi shifted slightly, neatly avoiding the approaching hand.
"A walk?" She let out a cold, disdainful snort. "Miss New Jersey, do you even believe that yourself? Or do you think the Sakura Empire is full of fools?"
In contrast to her younger sister's barely restrained hostility, Amagi remained calm and composed.
A gentle, refined smile rested on her lips, as if everything unfolding was well within her expectations.
She stepped forward slightly and addressed them with a warm expression.
"Good morning, Miss New Jersey, Miss Bismarck. What a coincidence. To be honest, the Sakura Empire fleet happens to be planning a small-scale exercise in nearby waters. Since you've arrived so early, may I ask if you have any particular arrangements?"
New Jersey and Bismarck exchanged a glance and gave a subtle nod, understanding each other instantly. Bismarck spoke first.
"A military exercise..."
-BISMACK-[2]
"If that's what you mean, Miss Amagi, then Iron Blood and Eagle Union have similar plans," New Jersey continued, her bright smile fading somewhat. "But I don't think there's any need to keep speaking in circles. Let's be honest."
She stepped closer, closing the distance between herself and Amagi.
"This so-called 'exercise' is just a cover, isn't it?"
She moved even nearer and said, "In truth, you're here for the same reason we are. You've come to the Royal Navy to confirm something."
With that, New Jersey reached into her uniform and pulled out a rolled document.
"I believe this should look familiar."
She unrolled it, revealing one of the Eagle Union files Jun Hao had handled the previous day.
The document was covered in printed text, accompanied by several clear handwritten notes.
"Something about my Honey has definitely changed. The kind of change we've all been waiting for."
"Oh? And what makes you so certain?" Amagi already had a rough idea of what New Jersey was implying, but she chose not to expose it.
Instead, she intended to draw more out of her.
New Jersey, however, had no interest in playing along. Charging straight in and overwhelming her opponent was her style as the 'Biggest and Strongest Black Dragon.'
Without hesitation, she laid out both her own and Bismarck's conclusions.
"The reason is simple."
She tapped the annotations lightly.
"In the past, when my Honey handled documents like these, the most he'd write were basic notes like 'stamped' or 'confirmed.' But yesterday, every single file submitted by the Eagle Union was thoroughly reviewed and annotated."
As she spoke, her voice carried a barely restrained excitement.
"Look at this. Every suggestion is clear, precise, and logically sound. You could even call each line a masterpiece. This is not something my Honey was capable of before."
Her gaze swept across Amagi and Bismarck.
"We got them, and I'm pretty sure you did too. So we talked it over and figured we couldn't just sit around waiting. We had to come check out what the hell happened to him to cause a change like this."
With everything laid out, Amagi knew there was no point in hiding it any longer.
If anything, the presence of New Jersey and Bismarck only reinforced her plans.
No matter how much the Royal Navy tried to keep the Commander to themselves, they would have to contend with pressure from the other three factions.
With that in mind, Amagi gave a faint smile.
"I see... To draw such conclusions from a single document, just as expected of you, Miss New Jersey, Miss Bismarck. You are correct. As you've realized, My Lord has undergone a significant change."
She glanced at Akagi, who looked displeased but ultimately remained silent.
"In simple terms, the Commander has been 'remastered in HD.' He has truly appeared by our side in the flesh."
"Really?" New Jersey asked excitedly.
She tucked the document away and grabbed Akagi by the shoulders. Akagi tried to shake her off, her face filled with disgust, but couldn't break free.
"That's amazing! Now I can finally show my Honey the Eagle Union's stern. If I remember correctly, he was quite fond of it before..."
"Silence! What nonsense are you spouting in my territory?!" Elizabeth, who'd shown up at some point, suddenly barked, her face turning bright red.
Even New Jersey, who usually didn't mind confrontation, scratched her head awkwardly after that.
"Ahaha... sorry, Miss Elizabeth. I got a bit carried away."
"Hmph! I heard your three factions are planning to run military exercises on my domain. Have you obtained my permission?"
Despite her small frame, Elizabeth's presence was no less imposing than Amagi's or the others.
"Have you forgotten the principle of mutual respect between allies of the same port?"
"Not at all, Miss Elizabeth. That's exactly why we're here. We wish to discuss it with you," New Jersey replied, trying to smooth things over with her usual grin.
Before she could say anything more, Lion stepped forward.
"Miss New Jersey, please be serious. Otherwise, the Royal Navy will have no choice but to refuse your request."
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