Chapter 466: Night Talk

The battle at sea went on day after day, seeming endless. After wiping out one wave of the Siren Fleet, another would appear, as if there were no end.

Under the night sky, Qin Ge lay alone on the deck of the command ship, gazing up at the star-filled heavens.

It was already past September, yet the night sea breeze still carried a hint of warmth, so he felt no chill at all; Qin Ge remained very comfortable.

Not long after, orderly footsteps echoed from the stairs, and a figure appeared on the deck.

"Commander, aren't you going to sleep this late?"

Qin Ge turned his head to look at the person who had appeared on the deck, then turned his eyes back to the sky: "Bismarck, aren't you still awake? I thought the one on duty tonight should be Tirpitz."

"Yes, but when I just went to the commander's quarters, I found you weren't there, so I came to check. Are you unable to sleep, or are you thinking about something?" Bismarck said.

"I just can't sleep, and tonight's night view is nice, so I came out for some breeze." Qin Ge smiled. "Why don't you sit down too and feel the night sea breeze?"

"Hmm." Bismarck nodded and sat down right beside Qin Ge.

"Bismarck, do you think anyone in my world can see these stars I'm looking at now?"

Feeling Bismarck sit beside him, Qin Ge then spoke up.

"Perhaps not, after all, according to the correspondence, the world we are in now is analogous to the Earth where the commander previously was."

"So everything the commander sees here is exactly the same, yet it is not the stars seen from Earth." Bismarck said to Qin Ge.

"Heh, is that so?" Qin Ge said with a laugh.

"Are you feeling homesick, commander?" Bismarck asked, looking at Qin Ge.

Qin Ge shook his head. "Not homesick; I just suddenly had this thought. Maybe it seems strange to you?"

"No, actually it would be perfectly normal for the commander to feel homesick, since nobody fails to miss their birthplace. Unless he despised that world, which clearly he does not." Bismarck said.

"Well, time flies—before we know it, we've been in this world two years." Qin Ge smiled. "The next Siren Tide is coming up soon; I don't know if we'll be able to weather it smoothly this time."

"So you're thinking about this here?" Bismarck asked.

"Yeah, it's already the mid‑twenty‑something of September; we planned to go back in October, and the Siren Tide usually falls in mid‑October, so it's getting urgent." Qin Ge said.

"I don't think the commander needs to worry so much. First, our fleet already has enough strength; moreover, with over ten awakened shipgirls stationed at our base, we certainly won't fail to hold off this Siren Tide."

"Furthermore, when we arrived, the fleet led by Commander Li Chengyin could hold its ground, let alone ours." Bismarck said.

Qin Ge nodded. "You're right; I suppose I'm just the type who worries too much, always thinking of that place unbidden."

Bismarck nodded. "I understand; after all, the commander has to lead a fleet, so the issues you consider can't be one‑sided, and I get that."

After Bismarck finished speaking, Qin Ge nodded and smiled. "Actually, sometimes compared to a fleet's leader, you outshine me by a lot."

Bismarck shook his head. "No, the commander is far better than you imagine. I am merely the flagship of the Iron Blood faction; the commander must coordinate all the other fleets, all the factions."

"He also has to handle dialogue and cooperation with other factions, so he works harder than I do. Moreover, our fleet is now so well‑ordered that most of the credit belongs to the commander's efforts." Bismarck said.

Qin Ge waved his hand. "Heh, it feels like we're just complimenting each other. Forget it, let's not talk about that."

After saying that, he sat up straight and looked at Bismarck beside him, saying, "Bismarck, I have a question I'd like to ask you—could you answer honestly?"

Bismarck looked at Qin Ge with slight doubt. "Commander, go ahead; I will answer any question truthfully."

Qin Ge gave a small smile. "It's just that you don't seem to laugh very often—why is that?"

"Well..." Bismarck froze.

"You're clearly pretty, so why are you always so stern every day? Just like Prince Ou Gen and Peter Strasse, who are usually stern and rigorous but still laugh when appropriate—what about you, why not?" Qin Ge asked.

"I... I'm not good at expressing emotions, so..." As she said this, her expression grew slightly heavy. "Moreover, when facing my compatriots, I must be uncompromising and forge ahead. I cannot merely be the Bismarck who is poor at expressing feelings; I must be the invincible leader of Iron Blood."

Qin Ge smiled and took Bismarck's hand. "But you're not in front of your compatriots now; it's just the two of us here. Can you show your feelings in front of me?"

Feeling his hand taken, Bismarck's pale face flushed a faint red, and that blush made Qin Ge's heart flutter.

"I... I actually feel happy having you by my side, and in your presence I can ease that burden a little, because I know I can rely on you." Bismarck whispered.

Qin Ge chuckled. "That's good enough, but it would be even better if you could smile a bit more right now."

"Like this?" Bismarck glanced at Qin Ge's eyes and forced out a faint smile. Though strained, it unexpectedly looked lovely.

"Very beautiful." Qin Ge praised.

"Thank you." Bismarck said.

"I hope you'll show more smiles from now on, at least when you're with me." Qin Ge said, looking at Bismarck.

"Hmm, I'll try." Bismarck nodded and said.

"Haha, come on then—since we've set down our burdens, let's lie beside each other and watch the stars. The night is still long; no need to rush to sleep." Qin Ge smiled.

"Yes."

Thus the two lay together on the deck; Bismarck also took off her hat, placed it aside alongside Qin Ge's hat, and they rested each other's heads on their arms, welcoming the breeze as they gazed upward at the stars.

"Heh, I didn't expect the commander to sometimes take the initiative like this, right?" Tirpitz?

"Ou Gen, is she really my sister?"

"Who says she isn't?"