Chapter 124: The Truth

He is now very clear about his identity; he comes from another world. His wish is simply to return to that world, to return to his own army, to his own country.

Even if he stays here for a long time, this place will never be his roots. Therefore, from the very beginning when he was with the shipgirls, he never thought of their relationship in that direction.

However, Ou Gen Qin Wang's words thoroughly woke him up.

As the saying goes, familiarity breeds affection.

The days he spends with the shipgirls will only grow longer, and according to his observation, shipgirls are basically no different from ordinary girls in daily life. That means they also have feelings; they can also fall for people, they can also love people.

So when they come to like him, what should he do? Accept or reject?

If he accepts, then when the time comes to leave, what will happen if they cannot follow him to his world?

But if he rejects, how will he deal with hurting their hearts? After all, he truly does not know when he will be able to return.

Torn and hesitant, a flood of negative emotions surged into Qin Ge's heart at this moment; he had never felt so difficult before.

Should he tell them the truth? Then what would they think?

Would they think that the commander they follow is merely a weakling constantly struggling to find the way home?

Would they then lose their direction for the future?

Countless problems flashed through Qin Ge's mind; he now feels indecisive.

"Commander, can you stop?" Ou Gen Qin Wang said to Qin Ge.

After hearing this voice, Qin Ge suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked at Ou Gen Qin Wang.

"What on earth has made you suddenly so anxious? Do you think it's so hard for you to accept that they have taken a liking to you?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked.

"No, this is my own problem; it has nothing to do with them." Qin Ge said anxiously.

"Then can you tell me this problem?" Ou Gen Qin Wang said, "Speaking it out will at least let me help you relieve your worries. If you say nothing, things will only continue to worsen."

"I…" Qin Ge sighed, "I really don't know how to tell you all, and I truly don't know what consequences await after I tell you."

"Perhaps I shouldn't have become a commander in the first place, or perhaps I should have just lived out my life quietly in Minghai City."

"Commander, what exactly is the problem that makes you, usually so proactive, turn out like this? I'm curious."

Moreover, life gives no second chances; you are now our commander, you are not alone—if you encounter a problem, speak up and we will solve it together.

"If you don't even have the courage to speak up, then you truly disappoint me." Ou Gen Qin Wang said coldly to Qin Ge.

"I…" Qin Ge heaved a heavy sigh, "Call them all in; if I am to speak, they also have the right to know."

"So have you already decided?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked.

"Yes." Qin Ge nodded, "After I finish saying this, whether you still acknowledge me as commander or not is a matter for later."

Ou Gen Qin Wang frowned after hearing that, wondering what could make them not recognize him as commander; he couldn't figure it out—even if he were a murderer, it wouldn't matter to him, after all, which shipgirl's hands are unstained with blood? Especially since he himself was born of Iron Blood.

But she did not hesitate; she walked to the door and shouted outside. Soon, the doors on both sides of Qin Ge's room opened, and the stairs echoed with two sets of footsteps.

In less than a minute or two, Qin Ge's six shipgirls had all gathered in his room.

Seeing the somewhat agitated Qin Ge and Ou Gen Qin Wang standing aside with arms crossed, Belfast was the first to react. She said nothing, merely walked to a side tea cabinet, poured a cup of tea, placed it beside Qin Ge, and then stood quietly to one side.

"Ou Gen Qin Wang, why did you summon us up? Or is it that the commander has something?" Weineituo said, looking at the two odd individuals.

The remaining Banrenma, Nengdai, and Ling Bo also turned their gazes toward Qin Ge. They too were guessing what had happened.

"The commander has some important things to tell us—namely, matters he has concealed from us for a long time. However, he worries that revealing them might complicate our relationship, so he has been hesitant. But now he has made up his mind, which is why he has gathered us all together." Ou Gen Qin Wang said.

Everyone's gaze this time was focused entirely on Qin Ge; they wanted to know what matter had made him so torn.

Qin Ge looked at the shipgirls facing him and said, "Actually, I am not a person of this world—literally speaking."

"What!"

"How could that be?"

"How is that possible?"

In an instant, the shipgirls' reactions showed great surprise; even Ou Gen Qin Wang, who usually stayed most composed, restrained his gaze toward Qin Ge, after all, this was truly unexpected.

"Hold on a moment, commander—I'd like to ask: when you say you're not a person of this world, do you mean you came from another world into this one?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked.

Qin Ge nodded, "The world I come from is called Earth; its history is very similar to that of this world. But there are no shipgirls there, nor Sirens, and war there is a contest between nations."

"Just as your Iron Blood, in that world is known as the nation of Germany. And the Donghuang we are now in, in that world, is called Huaxia (just understand the meaning)."

Qin Ge's explanation shocked all his shipgirls; everyone else stared at him, for they had once imagined what a world without Sirens would be like, and now they suddenly realized their commander actually came from such a world.

"So this matter is precisely what the commander has dared not tell us all along?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked Qin Ge.

Qin Ge nodded, "Because I also don't know how I arrived in this world; I have been searching for a way back to that world, and only after discovering that shipgirls and Sirens are not native to this world did I come to the Commander Academy."

"So the commander became a commander precisely to use us to find the way home?" Ou Gen Qin Wang's eyes lit up as he said to Qin Ge.

"Exactly." Qin Ge nodded.

"Then what's the result? I don't know whether the commander has found any clues or traces." Ou Gen Qin Wang asked.

Qin Ge glanced at all the shipgirls and said, "Indeed, I have found some clues…"