My ship girl setup is off...

Page 177

After gulping down the water in the bottle and tossing it into the trash can with perfect aim, Dunkirk wiped her chin and looked at Zheng Ri with an ambiguous gaze. The reason for this was obvious, so Zheng Ri could only lightly tap her head.

"Don't overthink it, Dunkirk. So, what are we going to do next, and what are we going to eat?"

He hugged Dunkirk, kissed her cheek, stroked her head, and said, "As for why I didn't kiss her lips, Tiger Poison..."

They don't eat their own children.

"Hmm? Where does the Commander want to go? As for me, I usually go to dessert shops or something, of course, shops owned by my other comrades."

Held so gently in his arms, Dunkirk felt embarrassed to bring up the past again. It was fine to do it occasionally, but he always said that such things would make things worse. So Dunkirk buried his head in his neck and told him about the places he usually went.

As a pastry chef at Iris, setting aside her identity and duties as a knight, her favorite place to go on a daily basis is the pastry shop.

After all, simply making the same flavors without learning from others won't lead to improvement.

"Really? Okay, then let's go to the dessert shop. It'll be a good opportunity to satisfy your cravings."

Zheng Ri nodded and agreed to go to the dessert shop with her. He casually teased her about what had just happened, which earned him a glare from Dunkirk, who then proceeded to playfully punch him in the chest...

"Welcome, Commander!! And, former Miss Dunkirk..."

The centaur, dressed as a waiter, was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the door being pushed open. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that the visitors were none other than Zheng Ri and Iris's Dunkirk.

"Oh, it's Miss Centaur. I didn't know you could make desserts! I had no idea."

After being led in by Zheng Ri, Dunkirk was more interested in the fact that the royal centaurs could make desserts than in the shop's decor. This piqued his curiosity, as he had visited before but had never seen the centaurs make desserts.

"Ah, no! That's not it! I'm just here as an intern waiter. I'm not the one making the desserts; it's Aurora-senpai!!"

In response to Dunkirk's respectful gesture, the centaur quickly waved his hands to indicate that it was not him, but someone else, namely Aurora.

"Miss Aurora? She's here too? Hmm... I didn't know Miss Aurora could make desserts. I guess I'll have to try some."

Upon hearing that it was Aurora, Dunkirk nodded. In his memory, he had never seen Aurora make desserts before, but now he could learn a new technique.

Dunkirk thought one thing, but Zheng Ri thought another. Aurora, he didn't seem to have taken the initiative to go to her.

"Alright, Commander, let's sit here. What kind of dessert would you like? Although I don't know how good Miss Aurora's cooking is, since I've come all this way, it must be pretty good, right... Commander?"

Dunkirk sat down opposite Zhengri, picked up the menu on the table, nodded happily at the wide array of desserts, and glanced at the vase of flowers on the table.

Hmm, it's starting to feel like a date.

However, after calling the commander's name a few times, Dunkirk realized that the commander was not paying attention to her. She put down the menu, looked at him who was staring out the window, and tugged at his sleeve.

"Commander, what's going on outside?"

"No...it's nothing. I just seem to have forgotten something, but there's nothing I can do about it now. It's alright, I just need to face Dunkirk properly."

Dunkirk was somewhat puzzled by Zheng Ri's sudden words. Although he was guessing what was going on, he decided not to worry about it for now since Zheng Ri told him not to.

"So, Commander, what do you want? Or would you like me to order for you?"

"Of course, this is our date, so let's eat the same thing."

Turning his gaze away, Zheng Ri looked at Dunkirk, who was browsing the menu, and let her choose. This time, the vow date should naturally be attended by her. So Dunkirk ordered a dessert that was very suitable for the current atmosphere.

"Miss Centaur, I'd like a Parfait sundae, please~ I'd like to try what your parfait is like."

"Oh yes! Please wait a moment, it will be served to you shortly. Um, are you just ordering the parfait? Would you like to order something else?"

"Let's leave it at that for now. One serving of Parfait is enough for the Commander and me. Besides, desserts are a great way to satisfy our taste buds and lift our spirits, hehe~"

The centaur that came to the two of them took notes. After confirming that they would not order anything else, it left their side, took the order to the food window, and returned to its post. During this short period, even on a normal day, one could feel the centaur's occasional furtive glances.

"Commander, look, Miss Centaur is peeking at you. Shouldn't you go over and say a few words?"

"Dunkirk, it's not good to push your commander away, especially since I'm on a date with you right now. I wouldn't mistake my target."

Looking at Dunkirk, who seemed to be harboring some thoughts, Masaharu couldn't help but wonder after explaining, "Where did they get these bad habits from? They just made their vows and then immediately pushed themselves away to other ship girls. Is that a good thing?"

"Hehe, no, I just wanted them to know how good our commander is."

Dunkirk rested his chin on his hands, smiling faintly.

Chapter 471 Extraordinarily Romantic

"Guests, this is your parfait sundae. Oh? Hehe, I didn't expect it to be the Commander and Miss Dunkirk. Are you two on a date? How wonderful..."

Dressed in simple casual clothes and an apron, Aurora carried a huge parfait and sundae to the two of them, but her gaze lingered on Zheng Ri as she began to introduce them. Although she envied Dunkirk's date, Aurora's words were loaded with meaning.

"Hmm, a date. My first date with the Commander, it'll be so much fun. Oh, and the Commander even made a vow to me, that's great..."

Dunkirk hadn't originally intended to mention the oath, but since Aurora brought it up, he felt he had no choice but to speak up. So he extended his right hand to Aurora, showing her his oath ring and expressing his happiness.

Then Aurora's smile froze. She turned her gaze to him, still with the same smile, but it made Zheng Ri feel uneasy.

There is a danger signal.

"I see, that's great... Speaking of which, it seems like the Commander hasn't contacted me in a long time."

"Commander, when do you think we could have a date like you and Miss Dunkirk? Hmm?"

Aurora smiled and placed her hands behind her back, untied her apron and set it aside. Then she sat down next to Zheng Ri, straightened her back, put her legs together, and gently placed her hands on her thighs, just like a lady maintaining an elegant sitting posture. Aurora had a happy smile on her face, and her blonde hair, blue eyes and slightly curved lips made her look particularly cute.

However, Zheng Ri slowly moved his position and chuckled dryly.

"Haha, well, no problem, really..."

"However, I don't have much time right now, so it needs to be postponed a little," or something like that.

"Yes, yes, that's wonderful that the Commander agreed. But how long is the postponement you mentioned?"

As Zheng Ri moved a little bit inward, Aurora followed suit, until he had reached the window and there was no way to avoid it. Only then did Zheng Ri helplessly raise his right hand, gently place it on Aurora's fair left hand, and nod.

"Alright, it should take at least three or four days. Aurora, you know something about the Sirens, right? They might become our units soon, but it will still take some time before we can reach an agreement..."

"I'll come find you after this is over, okay, Chongqing?"

He took her small, fair hand and held it tightly. Logically speaking, doing such a thing in front of Dunkirk was a little inappropriate, but there was no need to worry too much.

After all, Dunkirk was very generous.

"Yes, since that's been said, then Aurora—no, Chongqing—understands. I will await your arrival, Commander."

He called her by the name after the oath, Aurora, or Chongqing. She smiled gently, her eyes crinkling. But whether it was Aurora or Chongqing, it was all part of her. It might have more significance to the faction, but to the commander, no matter what name she was called, she was his ship girl.

"Well then, Commander, I'll get back to work now. Have a wonderful date with Miss Dunkirk!"

Aurora squeezed his hand that was tightly clasped her left hand, and with a slight reluctance, she released his warmth. Aurora then left the seat she had been occupying, picked up the apron that was lying to the side, put it on, and then quietly moved away.

Zheng Ri watched Aurora's departing figure, silently nodded in his heart, and then returned to his seat. He looked at Dunkirk and was surprised to find that she had already started eating.

"Dunkirk, were you watching the whole time?"

"After all, this is a matter between Miss Aurora and the Commander, so it's not really my place to interfere. Although it has taken away a little of our time, I won't mind too much, Commander."

Dunkirk chuckled as he spoke, then slowly scooped out the part of the parfait mixed with ice cream, cream, and strawberries with a spoon and put it into his mouth. Feeling the cool and refreshing sensation, the sweet and tender fruit, and the fragrant and sweet cream, Dunkirk couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Mmm, it tastes really good! Although it's not the right season for frozen food, the combination of this creamy flavor and the sweetness of the fruit is really nice. Commander, you can put your sundae down for now and come and try this parfait with me!"

"I really don't know how Miss Aurora put this together; it tastes amazing. I'll have to learn from her later."

The more she ate, the tastier it became. Dunkirk's adorable smiling face revealed an innocent expression, a sense of happiness from having her taste buds satisfied. It also let Zheng Ri know that Dunkirk was really not angry. After smiling, she dug out the chocolate plaque that was placed on top.

Well, it's delicious.

...

"Commander, where are we going next?"

After satisfying one of humanity's three great desires—food—Jeong-il took Dunkirk to play some interactive games and experience some romantic moments. They ate and drank, and wandered around. Time flew by, and as night gradually fell, Jeong-il...

I've been thinking about my upcoming itinerary.

"Now that we've done all the fun we wanted to do and eaten all the delicious food we wanted to eat along the way, my naturally romantic Miss Dunkirk, is there anywhere you'd like to go together?"

Holding Dunkirk's hand, Zheng Ri handed over the rest of the itinerary to her. That's right, he would no longer make decisions himself, but let Dunkirk make them. However, to Zheng Ri's surprise, Dunkirk took him to a certain place.

Flower fields and pastoral scenery.

"Commander, this place is quite nice, isn't it? This is one of the projects that's about to be completed soon. I heard about it from Bishop Richelieu."

Holding his hand, we walked into the nearly completed flower field. Just walking in this place surrounded by the fragrance of flowers made me feel exceptionally relaxed.

It was also exceptionally romantic.

"Commander, come here~"

Dunkirk led him to a slightly open space, took out a picnic blanket that was big enough for several people to lie down on. Lying on it, smelling the flowers, the chirping of insects, and the sound of the waves in the distance, he felt very peaceful.

However, what Dunkirk said next didn't feel so romantic.

"Commander, is this alright? If so, please do it here."

"?"

Chapter 472 Rebellion

"Good morning, Commander. I'm sorry, I feel really tired..."

Feeling the sensations emanating from his body, besides the bloating, he also felt a strange sensation of being forcibly penetrated. Opening his still slightly confused eyes, Dunkirk felt Zheng Ri's hand gently stroking his body, but it was a warm touch.

The only downside was that Dunkirk forgot that his commander's body had been enhanced, and facing his brute force alone was indeed somewhat difficult to resist.

The thought of her sisters always having rosy complexions and full of vitality, while she herself looked so pitiful, weak, and powerless, made Dunkirk feel like she had utterly disgraced them.

But I'm still so sleepy.

"It's alright, Dunkirk. Don't force yourself. You're just not used to it yet. Actually, it's not just you; some of the other ship girls are reacting the same way. Don't overthink it."

Zheng Ri gently stroked her long hair, which was disheveled from the panic of the previous night, and tucked it behind her pink earlobe, saying with a smile.

She never expected her knight to be so brave, daring to face her without any skill. Other ship girls only lost because they had a large number of people or varied techniques.

Dunkirk is fine; she only knows a few righteous methods to accept my attacks, so there's nothing I can do about it.

"Yes, Commander, I understand... But Commander, shouldn't we be heading back soon? Perhaps the Sirens have already arrived and are waiting for you?"

Supporting his soft, somewhat weak body, Dunkirk embraced his lover. He felt as exhausted as if he had faced nearly forty battles, but he didn't want to cause any trouble because of this, lest he lose more than he gained.

"It's okay, let them wait if they want. We'll talk about it after they wake up. That's all for now, get some sleep."

Stroking her face, thinking of how hard she had worked the night before, and seeing her sleepy look now, Zheng Ri held her and closed his eyes. Dunkirk softly hummed in agreement and then continued to sleep.

Only after confirming that Dunkirk was asleep did Zheng Ri speak, softly calling the name that had been waiting for him for so long.

"zero..."

"What's wrong, Father? Do you need my help? Or do you need me to do something pleasant for you, like the ship girl in your arms who became Dunkirk?"

After Zheng Ri called out her name, a blue, digitized entity appeared beside her and gradually took on a human form. Only after feeling the physical touch of the entity did Dream Weaver Zero look at Zheng Ri, who was holding the ship girl, and take a deep breath of the lingering scent in the air. In an instant, her initial slight joy quickly amplified.

The taste of father...

Zheng Ri naturally had no idea what Zero was doing. He glanced at Dunkirk, who was still unconscious, and touched her white mushroom-shaped hair with his left hand, savoring its silky smooth texture. He then poked her pale face.

For some reason, Zheng Ri felt that Ling's complexion seemed to have a bit more color than at the beginning.

"Necessity is a need, but it certainly doesn't refer to the need for pleasurable things."

"Zero, how's things going over there? I didn't expect you to have been here so long; I saw you the moment I opened my eyes."

Touching her little face, Zheng Ri thought of when Dunkirk was still asleep, and she was lying on top of him, staring at him face to face. When she opened her eyes, she was almost scared. Although sometimes the ship girls would sneak up on him without any sense of martial ethics, such situations were still very rare.

It would be strange if you weren't startled by something like that all of a sudden.

"Hiss... Father, the Sirens are ready. Now, aside from those super-large pieces of equipment that need to be disassembled and moved, they're basically..."

Ninety-two percent of them have been shipped and have arrived at your side, Father.

"With just your command, human society can be wiped out."

After taking another deep breath of his scent, Zero suddenly said something that frightened Zheng Ri. He looked at her with a strange gaze, wondering what was going on. Why did he keep erasing things? Had he forgotten about her too?

"Erase what? Have you forgotten that I'm human too? Besides, what are you saying all of a sudden? What I mean is, are you guys ready for a face-to-face discussion with META and the others?"

He pinched her cheek slightly, making her puff out her cheeks, but Zhengri still got down to business. After all, this was very important. Otherwise, what would happen if the two sides started fighting? Who would they help? Should they really help or just stand by and watch? It was all hard to say.

Of course, I personally hope that this outcome will not happen, because knowing that the Sirens are mine and that META is on my side, I feel like I have to choose between them, and it hurts to see them both.

However, things are never so easily resolved. You have to understand that some of the META ship girls became like this because of the world experiment conducted by Zero and the others, which made them look like this and have nothing left. It must be really difficult.

Picking up a weapon is easy, but putting it down is difficult. Being able to pick it up and put it down is easier said than done.

Zero was silent for a while, a lot of data flowed through his deep blue eyes, but in the end he still gave him a reply.

"...Father, we are not enemies with META, but we are not afraid because of that. We will follow your instructions, no matter what."