How do I start a romantic relationship with a ship girl?

Page 7

Even though the two of them have only known each other for a short time.

No matter what, it's a 'treasure' that I discovered myself... and the feeling of having others covet my things is really unpleasant.

“I’ve never heard of any other crew members on Miss Royal Fortune’s ship before, so I suddenly became a little interested.” Hu Teng also watched Xu Huan’s departing figure and explained slowly, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear it.

"I wonder where Miss Royal Fortune plans to run off to with her crew?"

"..."

Hey, hey, hey? So they really are planning to target their own crew?

There's nothing about her that would interest the other party; ship girls from such a large faction basically have everything.

Royal Fortune did not answer, letting Hutten continue.

"As far as I know, Miss Royal Fortune is quite fond of adventure and treasure hunting, which are both quite dangerous hobbies. I know that being an underwater vessel can largely avoid most of the dangers, but there are always exceptions, aren't there?"

"What exactly are you trying to say? How come the Ironblood, which is usually known for its meticulousness, is starting to become as annoying as the Royal Family?" Royal Wealth asked, frowning.

Hu Teng knew she wasn't exactly a smooth talker, and continuing to bother him might backfire, but since it concerned the commander, she had to take the safest approach.

After a moment of silence, he spoke simply and directly: "Ironblood has something that interests him greatly. If Miss Royal Wealth can help, the reward is negotiable..."

"Very interested? My crew?"

“Yes…” Hu Teng nodded, put down his teacup, and sat up straight.

"We are willing to offer any reward as long as the Royal Lady is willing to release her."

All compensation...?

Aside from exploration, this was her ultimate goal.

Royal Wealth didn't speak. She touched the crystal pendant in her pocket, feeling the energy fluctuations emanating from it, and her restless mood calmed down slightly.

"...What do you want him to do? Conduct human experiments?"

"No, if things go smoothly, I swear in the name of Ironblood, he will receive the best treatment and protection in Ironblood, and will not be harmed by any other Sirens or ship girls."

Royal Fortune was somewhat speechless.

Given Hu Teng's position within Tiexue, she certainly has the ability to fulfill the promise she made at this time.

"...May I ask why?"

"Oh? I thought you knew..." Seeing Royal Fortune's furrowed brows, Hu Teng had a sudden realization.

The pirates in front of them seemed to have no idea what kind of people their crew members were.

"He has an affinity for mental energy, which means he has the potential to become a commander..."

Hutten wasn't worried that his words would hinder the 'deal'; on the contrary, speaking so directly would, to some extent, make things go more smoothly.

Royal Fortune... after all, isn't a ship girl from any of the major factions.

To some extent, she alone, or even the entire Hurricane Fleet, could not stop the many factions from eyeing Xu Huan.

There's a saying in Donghuang that perfectly describes the current situation.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

Every faction is well aware of the importance of the commander to the ship girls, and the Royal Treasury is no exception.

After hearing this, the girl looked at the fruit and tea set on the table with a sense of melancholy, remaining silent. All her previous enthusiasm and energy had been extinguished by the water.

She had this feeling before, it started when Xu Huan casually took the pendant containing mental energy out of his pocket, but this absurd guess had always been suppressed at the bottom of her heart.

Before today, finding a human being with mental energy and affinity would have been considered a pipe dream.

But it was just a coincidence, wasn't it? She just happened to run into it?

"Don't think too much about it. It's just that you have the potential to become a commander." Hu Teng shook his head: "The most important thing to become a commander, besides your own qualities, is to gain the approval of the ship girls. Without that, other qualities like mental strength and affinity are nothing."

“But we Ironblood have the best training system... As you know, Frederick the Great was very good at doing this kind of thing.”

"This kind of thing... I can't make the decision. Although Xu Huan is my crew member, he is also an independent individual. You have to ask him yourself..." Royal Fortune felt a bit confused and couldn't figure out what he was thinking at all, so he quickly shook his head.

"As long as you agree, we can leave it unhindered. After all, you're the first ship girl he's ever met. As for the follow-up work on his side, Ironblood can handle it."

“...Miss Hu Teng, I have a question.”

"Please say."

"Judging from your attitude just now... does that mean Xu Huan has already gained your approval?"

"That's right?"

A hint of something indescribable flashed in Hu Tengyao's bright yellow vertical pupils, and her cold and beautiful face softened slightly. She thought for a moment and said, "Just now, when you weren't here."

Chapter Ten Communication

"...when I'm not around?"

Upon hearing this, Royal Wealth suddenly felt inexplicably displeased.

It's like the feeling of being left behind by a large group, or like having a spoonful of chili added to a bowl of clear broth noodles, ruining its original flavor.

It was as if they were abruptly pushed aside and excluded.

She didn't know if Hu Teng was saying that on purpose to provoke her, but judging from her current reaction, he had indeed achieved one of his goals...

"You think you can gain Miss Hu Teng's approval in such a short time? Isn't that a bit too hasty?" Royal Wealth suppressed its inner irritation and asked back.

"Such a short time? First of all, you have no idea what happened...right? And then—"

Hu Teng glanced at the sails on the ship:

"Didn't you also let someone you'd only known for less than a day board the ship? Does Royal Wealth mean that letting someone board the ship doesn't count as a form of approval?"

“No, he’s just an ordinary crew member, and he doesn’t even have—” Royal Wealth was about to argue when Hu Teng waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Since it doesn't count, shall we let Xu Huan board my ship later?"

"no!"

Royal Wealth suddenly slammed his hand on the table, so hard that even the tea set on it trembled slightly.

The girl's voice was tinged with anger; she gritted her teeth, "He's my crew member! Someone I picked up! If Miss Huteng says anything like that again, please leave immediately. My ship doesn't welcome people like you..."

After saying that, she looked at Hu Teng, whose face was still calm, and after a long while, she sighed softly.

"...I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

When was the last time he lost his temper? It seems like it was when the royal family forcibly took back all his 'gains'?

Having explored the seas so freely for so long, the Royal Fortune rarely felt annoyed anymore.

"I understand how you feel, Miss Royal Fortune." Seeing that his verbal provocation had achieved its purpose, Hu Teng didn't pursue the matter further and instead said:

"It's certainly infuriating to have something that originally belonged to you taken away..."

"Never mind... I don't understand. Enjoy your meal. I'm going back to my cabin to rest."

Royal Fortune, not wanting to hear any more, turned and walked cleanly back into the cabin.

"People don't really care about things that are easily obtained; they only know how to cherish them after they've lost them..." Hu Teng muttered to himself as he finished the last of his tea and took out his communication device, pressing a few beeping buttons.

"Let's not go back to the port area for now... We can take this opportunity to learn more and get some rest."

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At this moment, Xu Huan was lying on the not-so-comfortable wooden bed in his room, carefully recalling and analyzing the details of today's battle.

Before each rest, he would review the situation and learn from the experience. This was a habit he had developed over a long period of time, and it was also the key to his ability to survive for so long in harsh environments.

Judging from what I've experienced today, this planet isn't particularly weak.

Take Hu Teng as an example. Although his close-combat skills were not very good, he certainly couldn't withstand the power of the shells fired from the device on his back.

It should be said that no carbon-based life form could survive in that environment.

If I hadn't developed any skills related to psionic abilities, I probably wouldn't have been able to back down in that final move today. And if the opponent then consciously created distance, the situation might not have been so easy to handle.

If the sirens or ship girls had such terrifying firepower, and given that I currently have no starship support and no equipment, I could easily capsize in a ditch if I'm not careful.

We still need to be careful...

After thinking it over, Xu Huan turned over, just as he was about to take advantage of this rare opportunity to rest for a while, when his watch vibrated slightly twice.

The warning device that was just set up outside the door has been triggered.

Xu Huan immediately sat up and looked towards the door with a slightly wary expression.

But a long time passed without the expected knocking on the door.

"Ok?"

Xu Huan checked his watch again to confirm, and it showed that there was indeed someone standing at the door who had not left.

What does this mean? Standing at the door without knocking or leaving?

I can't just keep wasting my time like this, can I?

Xu Huan slipped off the bed, his combat suit reappearing and covering his entire body. Just as he was about to open the door, the person at the door seemed to have finally made up his mind and gently knocked on his door.

"Hey, Xu Huan, are you asleep?"