69novels Page 11
Page 11
Recalling Hu Teng's previous behavior, a very ominous feeling suddenly arose in Royal Fortune's heart.
Could Hu Teng be secretly planning something to lure Xu Huan away while I'm away?
However, based on her understanding of Xu Huan's personality... she shouldn't be so easily fooled.
"What were you two doing just now? Miss Hu Teng, you didn't do anything bad to my crew again, did you? Why are there still remnants of mental energy here?"
As Xu Huan was pondering how to explain the situation to Royal Wealth, Hu Teng calmly offered an explanation for him:
"Because of the commander, I accidentally summoned the ship's equipment just now..."
"Commander... I see. Don't make too much noise. If a battle breaks out, fight at sea."
Royal Fortune nodded, and just as he was about to return to his cabin, he suddenly realized a problem.
Why is Hutten calling for the commander?!
Chapter Fifteen: Preparing to Enter the City
Following this incident, Royal Fortune's attitude towards Hutten became even more hostile.
Although she already knew that Xu Huan had gained Hu Teng's approval as a ship girl, Royal Fortune still felt a little depressed when she actually saw Hu Teng address Xu Huan as Commander.
She's a ship girl too, and ship girls understand each other in many ways. Thinking about it carefully, wasn't Hu Teng's strange behavior just the amplification reaction after the first confirmed connection?!
It's said that Ironblood is known for its meticulousness, but I never expected that its efficiency could be so fast.
They've only been on board for a short time, and they're already calling someone a commander. If this continues, I don't even dare to think about calling it "Royal Wealth" anymore...
If the two had a better relationship, wouldn't the crew member he picked up have easily run away with him?
Therefore, during the rest of the voyage, Royal Fortune, under the pretext of ensuring safety, installed many small tentacles on the deck to keep a 24-hour watch on the bow and stern. Whenever they discovered that Hu Teng had an opportunity to secretly approach Xu Huan, they would appear on the deck at just the right moment.
It's impossible to give them any space to be alone; it wouldn't be good if Hu Teng secretly did something while I'm not around.
From Xu Huan's perspective, Royal Fortune's behavior seemed fairly normal. Apart from occasionally taking a stroll on the deck to express some dissatisfaction with Hu Teng, it was not much different from usual.
As for Hutten...
He maintained a blank expression, revealing nothing of what he was thinking.
And so, the ship sailed toward the royal seas and cities for about three days. The three of them were safe and sound along the way until the morning of the fourth day when Xu Huan was suddenly woken up from his sleep by the royal family calling him through the door.
"Pack up, we're almost there. After breakfast, we'll change boats."
After saying a few words, the girl swaggered away, leaving Xu Huan somewhat bewildered.
Why the sudden change of ship?
Is it because sailing warships are too obvious and dated?
It wasn't until Xu Huan finished washing up and went onto the deck that he understood what the girl meant by changing ships.
The two ship girls in front of them had already changed out of their usual casual and comfortable loose clothing into outfits for a long journey, and were now surrounding a speedboat on the water.
Xu Huan glanced at the somewhat diminutive speedboat, then at the giant warship behind him, and raised his question.
"Are we... going into port in this little boat soon?"
"Well, once we get to this point, it'll be very difficult to encounter Sirens, so we can switch to a lighter, more portable vessel to enter the port..."
Royal Wealth's gaze darted away slightly as he smiled and said...
"Commander, what she means is that I am a member of Ironblood, and she doesn't have a very friendly relationship with the Royal Navy, so it's inconvenient for either of our prototype ships to sail out... so we can only use speedboats instead."
Hu Teng glanced at the girl and explained calmly:
"She doesn't want to expose her and our whereabouts to the royal family..."
"Well....?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Huan glanced at the royal treasures and, seeing that Hu Teng's expression was indeed somewhat unnatural, knew that what Hu Teng said was probably true. He then spoke:
"What serious consequences would there be if our whereabouts were revealed to them? We're all ship girls on the same side, we can't possibly fight to the death over such trivial matters, can we?"
"That won't happen, but they'll always come up and ask about the purpose of their visit... that might cause some trouble. Similarly, if people from the Royal Family come to our Ironblood side, we'll do the same."
"I see... Okay then."
Xu Huan originally wanted to interact more with the ship girls from the so-called Royal Navy faction to gather some intelligence, but since it would cause trouble for those around him, he decided against it.
The three boarded a speedboat, and after being enveloped in a large bubble, they began their journey towards their destination.
The person sitting in the driver's seat at the start was Royal Fortune, but the girl's driving skills and some bad habits made the other passengers on the boat feel dizzy. So, halfway through the journey, Hu Teng, who could no longer tolerate it, finally took control of the speedboat in a very forceful manner.
"Tsk... your skills are practically no different from those drunk guys from the Northern Alliance..."
"I do lack experience, but don't compare me to those drunkards from the Northern Alliance."
Xu Huan watched silently, then closed his eyes without saying a word.
To be honest, he felt that the two players were about equal in skill. Royal Fortune was only focused on speed, so it wasn't very comfortable to sit in. Hu Teng was a bit more stable, but his speed had also decreased significantly.
"Look, even the Commander is dizzy from all the shaking..."
"That's because you fell asleep while driving too slowly."
"...Both of you step aside, I'll do it."
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About two hours later.
In the distance of the city's still-bustling port, a nimble little boat gradually approaches.
Those were Xu Huan and his group.
Looking at the city gradually spreading along the coast in the distance, the young man finally felt a lot more relaxed.
Although from a distance the city's infrastructure and technology are far below the average level of the Human Federation, giving it a nostalgic feel of the 21st century, in any case, after being inexplicably on this planet for so long, I have finally seen a scene that I am somewhat familiar with again.
The supplies in the tactical watch need to be replenished, and there are many things about this planet, as well as my exact coordinates, that I need to figure out.
Are you coming with me?
"of course."
Royal Wealth immediately replied, and Hu Teng nodded slightly.
"That--"
Xu Huan looked at the parts of the two ship girls' bodies that differed from those of humans—Royal Fortune's tentacles and Hu Teng's short horns.
"Do you need to cover these areas up, or are you just leaving them as they are?"
"Oh yes!"
Just as Royal Wealth was about to insert the tentacles into the hair after hearing this, Hu Teng took out two bracelet-like objects from the ship's storage space:
"No need, I have a mind-blocking device that can reduce the presence of ship girls."
"Even if you're carrying a car on the street after you put it on, they'll just treat you like an ordinary passerby and won't find it strange or give you a second glance."
"...How come I've never heard of such a thing?"
The royal fortune seemed somewhat uncertain.
"There are quite a few ship girls with non-human characteristics. Even though ship girls rarely come to cities, this product was developed to avoid being mistaken for Sirens and causing panic... Almost every faction has one." Hu Teng glanced at the girl indifferently:
"This thing has been around for quite a while now. How long have you been at sea?"
"However, I still have to remind you that this is to reduce your presence, not to eliminate or make you invisible. It's still not good if a lot of tentacles suddenly grow out of you on the street."
Chapter Sixteen: Can You Notice Me?
To truly understand the essence of a city, look to its streets.
After disembarking at the port, Xu Huan and his group walked for a short time before finally arriving at the city protected by the royal forces.
Unlike the less bustling port, the streets were teeming with traffic and pedestrians. Shop windows displayed a wide variety of goods, constantly attracting people's attention. Some pedestrians hurried along, while others leisurely strolled and shopped.
People chatting about everyday life in cafes, children playing on the grass in parks, and elderly people chatting leisurely together create picturesque scenes of life, complementing the blue sky and white clouds. This makes the city seem like a colorful painting, with everyone depicting its beauty and vitality in their own way.
When people are in it, they feel a unique sense of security, which makes them relax completely.
Something's not right...
Xu Huan frowned slightly.
He saw no trace of worry, panic, or fear on the faces of the people he passed by.
It was as if the threat of the Sirens was just a distant dream.
"Because cities without the protection of ship girls cannot be guaranteed safety... so most of the humans in the surrounding areas will move to cities near the major faction's port area, which is why there are so many people." Hu Teng walked beside Xu Huan, slightly behind, and explained.
"...What puzzles me is that the Siren threat is far from being resolved, so why don't the people here feel any sense of tension?"
The enemy is clearly nearby and could approach at any moment.
"Well... firstly, because this place is indeed some distance from the seas where the Sirens appear, and secondly, because the Royal Family is indeed strong enough to resist the Sirens' invasion. Even if we encounter a very difficult situation, we will try our best to stall them and issue an alarm."
Royal Wealth listened intently, then interjected, "I know that! In all the records of attacks on cities, the city that the Royal Wealth protects has not suffered the slightest damage so far."
Hutten was interrupted by the Royal Wealth. He glanced at it coldly before continuing, "She's right, but there's another crucial point, and the key factor in how the humans living there behave—the flagship of the Royal Faction, Elizabeth."