47: Chapter 47 Legends of the South

"Ta-da! Everyone! Look what I found!" A girl with dark brown hair rushed into the room. "Eh? Where is everyone?"

"...My dear Captain, I hope you've actually found something good this time..." A black-haired lady stroked her tentacles. "You didn't go on another impulsive shopping spree, did you?"

"I told you, last time was necessary..." The girl's eyes darted around. "And I didn't spend any money this time; I just heard some information!"

"Oh? Then let's hear it."

"In the south, do you remember that massive storm the Meteorological Bureau mentioned?"

"Hmm?"

"A while ago, a cruise ship got lost in the storm and was rescued by a completely unknown fleet! Most importantly, I heard the Federation's search and rescue team made contact with them!"

"Are you sure it wasn't the Sirens?"

"Positive! I went to check that cruise ship myself. The state of the ship and its escorting Destroyers shows they just went through a storm! If it were the Sirens, they wouldn't have made it back alive!"

"So, what does this have to do with us?"

"I went to the crew members, and for the price of some drinks, I got some useful info!" The brown-haired girl gesticulated wildly, her red-topped pirate hat wobbling. "They encountered an entire fleet! A fleet of standardized warships like I've never heard of before! Not sailing ships like ours, but Destroyers and cruisers!"

"Ooh... that is indeed good information... and then?"

"Then there are some rumors that get more and more mysterious as they spread. Anyway... how should I put it?" She thought for a moment, flopping onto the sofa. "The most credible part is that beyond the existing charts of the continent, there are indeed other civilizations. As for the islands with ruins, hasn't the Federation already confirmed those?"

"Captain Royal Fortune, do you have exact coordinates then?" The black-haired lady was almost laughing from exasperation. "We don't have a Commander here to back us up. Are you really planning to go on an Indomitable Expedition?"

Royal Fortune stuck out her tongue. "Not really, but I do have a general direction."

"Is that so?"

"Golden Deer, you have to believe me!" Royal Fortune wailed. "A fleet that large can't stay at sea forever, not even Ship Girls from the Commander's port. So there must be islands nearby serving as their supply points!"

"What if?" Golden Deer really didn't want to comment further. "Are strange things in this world ever in short supply?"

"Uh... ahaha..." Royal Fortune laughed guiltily.

"...So, what you should be doing now is calling the others to find a way to gather more information, instead of rushing south in a panic!" Golden Deer was numb to her occasionally airheaded fleet leader.

"Alright! I'm on it!"

——————

"...After all, this is no longer the world we know, so our information channels have basically been cut off." A... mermaid? with light blue hair fading into pink continued. "But the information you provided is quite accurate. According to the mission details released by the Federation's Ship Girl General Bureau, I can directly pin it on that Apprentice Commander. Finn Hawke... a somewhat airheaded descendant of nobility."

"Gang Yishawa, where is this... Commander Hawke? Is there anything we should watch out for if we make contact?" Royal Fortune asked as she sat across from her, sipping the juice Gang Yishawa had poured for her.

"Don't let him steal your heart~"

"Gang Yishawa!"

"Just kidding~"

"That's not funny at all!" Royal Fortune, usually easygoing, suddenly snapped, which took Gang Yishawa by surprise.

After an apology and letting her pick a few treasures to calm her down, Gang Yishawa continued, "Undoubtedly, the Ship Girl General Bureau will keep this confidential for now while the Federation decides on its next move... though I think the Federation will choose to avoid trouble if they can; their internal problems are already plenty and troublesome enough. As for that Commander Hawke..."

Gang Yishawa took a sip from her cup and set it down gently. "With his personality, he definitely can't keep a secret. And... look."

She glanced at her phone and slid it across the table to Royal Fortune.

Breaking News: Mysterious Fleet in the Southern Seas, Unknown Armed Force Rescues Civilians! What on earth is that aircraft?!

"..." Royal Fortune fell into deep thought.

"The photos inside can basically be verified as authentic, and..." Gang Yishawa took back the phone and swiped a few times. "There are shots from several different angles and time periods. Look..."

She slid the phone over again. "You should recognize this, right?"

"...An Omaha-class cruiser from the Eagle Union?" Royal Fortune narrowed her eyes.

"Judging by their condition—though most people wouldn't notice—there's no doubt these ships are newly launched. Furthermore, the livery isn't the original Eagle Union Navy style; it's more like... a special style?" Gang Yishawa analyzed.

Royal Fortune looked at the nearly brand-new cruiser. Below the front-middle section of the grayish-white hull, extending from the waterline to just below the deck, was a deep blue diagonal stripe over ten meters wide. It was a style she had never seen before.

She swiped through a few more photos: Destroyers scattered in the storm with their searchlights on (too blurry to identify the model), an Omaha-class towing a vessel, the fleet sailing in formation after the storm, and the shadow of an unidentified flying object in the sky.

"So you mean..."

"A production center. At least one industrial chain for both the navy and air force," Gang Yishawa replied. "Of course, I can't be certain; it's just a guess."

Royal Fortune nodded. "Then there's all the more reason to go."

"Listen, Royal Fortune." Gang Yishawa's expression became serious. "I'm just as worried as you are about the whereabouts of our other colleagues and the Commander. But the moment the Commander disappeared, we left the port to search everywhere, and then we got trapped in this world. Teleportation methods are unusable, and we have no idea what happened to the port."

She observed Royal Fortune and saw her determination. "It could be a companion from the port, a Siren trap, or an Eagle Union fleet from another parallel dimension. If you really intend to go, prepare for the worst—there's just too little information."

"I understand. I'll go make some preparations." Royal Fortune stood up. "What about you? Are you coming this time?"

Gang Yishawa shook her head. "I'd like to, but I have a feeling it's more appropriate for you to lead a team there."

"Alright then, good luck. I'm off!"

"Okay."

...

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