Chapter 267: Zhang Men's Gaze

After Fu Sang finished pouring the tea, she gave Mikasa a small smile, said goodbye, and left the room, leaving only Qin Ge, Zhang Men, and Mikasa behind.

At this moment, Zhang Men said to Qin Ge, "Commander Qin Ge from Donghuang, earlier when I was chatting with Senior Mikasa, she mentioned your excellence and your luck many times."

"I thought that when luck reaches a certain point it becomes inevitable, so I have become interested in you. I want to see what kind of inevitability lies within luck."

Qin Ge glanced at Mikasa, who was smiling at him, then steadied himself and said to Sir Zhang Men, "I don't know what you mean by inevitability, Sir Zhang Men. To me, I feel I'm no different from other commanders, except that my luck is just a bit better."

"Can you extend your hand?" Zhang Men said to Qin Ge.

Qin Ge nodded and immediately extended his right hand. Zhang Men looked at Qin Ge's extended right hand, then stretched out his own hands, and a faint light flowed across them.

Zhang Men's hands gently lifted Qin Ge's hand, the halo of light gradually rose, enveloping his hand. Qin Ge looked on in astonishment, feeling a bit flustered, for he had never witnessed such a strange phenomenon happen to himself.

As the halo flowed, Zhang Men closed his eyes, and the light surrounding Qin Ge's right hand grew brighter. Yet throughout the process, Qin Ge felt nothing unusual, so he simply let it be.

It didn't last long; as the light flowed from Qin Ge's hand to Zhang Men's, Zhang Men opened his eyes, lowered his hands, and Qin Ge withdrew his hand.

"It's strange; I can't see anything of yours, as if your fate is shrouded in a mist that cannot be probed." Zhang Men said doubtfully, looking at Qin Ge.

"Mist?" Qin Ge was stunned. He had considered that Zhang Men might discover he wasn't a person of this world, but he never imagined that Zhang Men would say his fate was veiled in mist, obscuring the path ahead.

"Yes." Zhang Men nodded, looking solemnly at Qin Ge, and said, "I specialize in observing souls, but when it comes to fate, I am inferior to Xinong."

"It's a pity that Xinong does not exist in this world; if she were here, she could surely dispel the mist veiling your fate and get to the bottom of it, to see whether your luck is chance or necessity."

"Xinong?" Qin Ge said thoughtfully.

He naturally knew Xinong, for Xinong was originally the third ship of the Yamato-class battleship begun under the 04 Ship Supplement Plan, but when construction was 50% complete she was converted into an aircraft carrier.

Moreover, Xinong's service set the record for the shortest-lived aircraft carrier in history; during her maiden voyage, after only seventeen hours underway, she was sunk by four torpedoes fired from a White Eagle submarine.

If Xinong in this world held sway over fate, Qin Ge thought it plausible; perhaps, knowing the destiny that awaited her, she chose to end herself in that unfathomable manner.

Meanwhile, Zhang Men across from him, seeing Qin Ge's pensive expression, asked, "Do you know Xinong?"

Qin Ge snapped back to attention at Zhang Men's question, and seeing Zhang Men's doubtful look, he realized he might have revealed something.

Having been in the Sakura Empire for so long, no one had ever mentioned the Yamato-class battleships or Xinong, as if they didn't exist in this world, and Zhang Men was the first to tell him about them.

That said, Qin Ge could only steel himself and say, "I've heard some rumors." valley

However, it seemed Zhang Men had no intention of pursuing the matter further; he simply nodded and said, "Xinong is the Sakura Empire's most powerful aircraft carrier and also the priestess who commands the Sakura Empire's power over fate. She and Yamato are sisters, but unlike Yamato and Wuzang, who were born as battleships, she was born as an aircraft carrier."

Qin Ge then wondered, "Why, up to now, have we not seen any shipgirls like Yamato and Wuzang in this world?"

Zhang Men glanced at Qin Ge and said, "The rules of this world are deficient, so they cannot awaken here."

But now it seems a turning point has occurred; Tiancheng, which according to the world's rules should never appear again, has shown up in your fleet, and perhaps at some later moment they will manifest in this world.

"Is that how it is? Is it because of the world's rules?" Qin Ge didn't grasp it; after all, those terms had previously been far removed from him, and now, though Zhang Men mentioned them, he only understood the literal meaning, not the underlying principle of the rules.

I have just examined your soul and found it to be utterly pure, so I can set my mind at ease.

I had been worried that if one day your power slipped beyond control, you might do something that would affect humanity's survival.

But it seems my worry was unnecessary; I can be quite certain that even after hardship, your resolve remains unchanged, and your soul determines your future." Zhang Men said to Qin Ge.

Upon hearing Zhang Men say this, Qin Ge smiled faintly and said, "When I first joined the Commander Academy, I once swore an oath beneath the banner of Azure Lane."

I am a person who keeps his promises; having chosen this path, I will see it through to the end.

I also want to lead my shipgirls to victory, so that in the end they can live just like ordinary girls, free from the threat of war, happily and peacefully.

Zhang Men nodded and said, "I believe in your oath; this is also our shared wish."

I have heard that your strategy and tactics have earned endless praise from Senior Mikasa, so this time I would like to seek your advice and hear your lofty insights.

I have been studying the senior's exploits, but inevitably there are aspects I cannot see myself; since the senior holds you in such high regard, could you please explain a few things to me?

Qin Ge glanced doubtfully at Mikasa, who merely nodded; he then chuckled, having previously thought this meeting would be fraught with suspense, only to find it ultimately landing on his most familiar subject—perhaps this is fate?

Qin Ge then said to Zhang Men, "I wouldn't call it instruction; rather, we should study together and progress jointly, which is the truest approach."

"If that's the case, then let us begin." Zhang Men suddenly became excited and said to Qin Ge.

"Hmm."

Thus the two began to discuss strategy and tactics, the examples they cited being battles in which Mikasa had participated; Mikasa sat nearby, watching the two juniors talk about her own affairs, and she could not help but join in, occasionally offering her own opinions…