Chapter 125: Clues

"Oh, what is it?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked.

"At first, I discovered this when I was visiting Sanli Xianbei's home with Banrenma and Nengdai." Qin Ge said.

"Visiting?"

Everyone looked at Banrenma and Nengdai with doubtful eyes, and the two of them quickly recalled what had happened before, but they found that day had been completely normal, with nothing special occurring.

Looking at Banrenma and Nengdai's somewhat doubtful expressions, Qin Ge explained, "Do you still remember Sanli Xianbei's model collection room?"

"Yes." Banrenma and Nengdai nodded.

"At that time, didn't Sanli Xianbei take out a model, saying it was a ship model sketched from her awakening and memories?" Qin Ge said.

"Hmm, indeed that happened." Banrenma immediately recalled and nodded.

"And the model that Sanli Xianbei took out is exactly the same as the battleship shape I recorded from my previous life. So I feel that your world's ships and the battleships from my world are inevitably connected." Qin Ge told everyone.

"Yes, I was also wondering back then why Sanli Xianbei said that was our prototype ship; isn't our memory always like this?" Banrenma said.

Ou Gen Qin Wang nodded. "So, according to what the Commander said, after we reach full training, if we want to awaken, it must be related to the prototype ship."

Qin Ge shook his head. "Not certain, but from Sanli Xianbei's words we can indeed derive something related to the prototype ship."

"But awakening is extremely difficult, just like Guanghui, who has been with us and already at full training for a long time, yet shows no sign of wanting to awaken."

"Perhaps the only ones in this world who truly wield awakening power are the flagship vessels of each faction's leaders."

"Then what if the Commander's lead runs out? Have we found any other clues?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked Qin Ge.

"Yes." Qin Ge told the shipgirls, "Afterwards, the Dean summoned me and inquired about my true situation. After all, my appearance earlier was too abrupt."

"So, besides us knowing the Commander comes from another world, does the Dean, Prince of Wales, also know?" Ou Gen Qin Wang narrowed his eyes and said.

"That's right; she kept my identity very secret, and she told me that the flagships of the major factions might be the first to grasp awakening." Qin Ge said, "Moreover, she also mentioned some other clues."

"What clues?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked.

"Sirens." Qin Ge said, "Sirens were the first to appear in this world, while you appeared later."

"But you knew nothing about the Sirens at that time, whereas the Sirens knew you and even produced many copies modeled after you."

"Therefore, the Prince of Wales concluded that the Sirens might know the truth of all this; they know where you come from and also possess a way to let me return to my original world."

Ou Gen Qin Wang nodded upon hearing this. "Indeed, the Prince of Wales's judgment is correct; if anyone in this world knows most about world traversal, it must be the Sirens."

"So is this what the Commander has been hiding from us? Even if we knew, we wouldn't go around blabbing—why not tell us sooner?" Banrenma asked.

"I guess the Master is worried; if one day I truly find a way home, then for both returning home and us, we'd have to choose between the two."

"Either give up home and stay in this world, or betray us and return to the original world. Master, am I right?" Belfast asked.

"Yes, this has also been my dilemma all along." Qin Ge paused, "I've always thought that I would just keep going like this, and if I ever truly found the way home, I would go home. But today, Ou Gen Qin Wang told me something I've always overlooked."

"I forgot, you are not just warships; you are also ordinary girls with your own thoughts and pursuits. If you place your feelings on me, then my leaving this world would be a betrayal of you."

"So, has the Commander already decided by telling us all this now?" Banrenma asked Qin Ge.

"I haven't decided yet; I'm telling you all this now just to hear what you really think." Qin Ge said to everyone.

"Master, have you not heard of this? That shipgirls, once summoned by the Commander, absolutely will not betray the Commander except in individual cases."

"This means that from the moment we were summoned by you, we have become your possessions. No matter whether we are happy or sad later, we will never leave you."

"Even if you later find a way back, we will support your choice; this is us, this is shipgirls." Belfast said.

"What Senior Belfast said is correct; the Commander can tell us this as soon as possible, and we can also help the Commander return home together."

"Moreover, you said before that whether we can return home is uncertain now; if we can't return home then, wouldn't we be wasting more time and more feelings?"

"And even if you find a way back then, what if we could also go with you to your world? After all, we also want to see a world without war." Banrenma said.

"That's right; the Commander always considers the worst-case scenario, so can we this time consider the optimal solution?" Nengdai said.

"Yes, oh, if we could spread the glory of the Sardinian Empire to another world, then I wouldn't mind either." Weineituo smiled and said to Qin Ge.

"You..." Qin Ge said emotionally, "Sorry, I've never considered your feelings, but right now you are considering mine—I'm truly sorry."

"Now is not the time for apologies, Commander." Ou Gen Qin Wang said to Qin Ge, "Because the road to your goal is still long, and none of us here are at full training, let alone talk about awakening."

"Moreover, taking the Sirens as an example, even large-scale fleet battles on the front lines can't deal with some of the Sirens' advanced humanoids. What do you think—how difficult would it be to obtain information from them, or how great is our hope of awakening?"

"Instead of pondering such illusory things, it's better to stay grounded and live each day well in this world; perhaps when the time truly comes to leave this world, you might instead miss it—who knows?"