Chapter 846: Forever Together

Walking on the quiet little path, the noisy bustle from the festival street seemed far away.

Qin Ge certainly didn't come here alone; he came here after teaming up.

At this moment, the one following beside him was Nengdai; after all, visiting the festival was originally suggested by her and her sisters, otherwise today wouldn't have turned out this way.

"Are you still having fun today?" Qin Ge said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm having fun. Although I didn't expect it to turn out like this, the festival here is much better than the one over there; at least we don't have to worry about other things, and the Commander can enjoy the festive atmosphere with us—really thanks to Xianghe and the others." Nengdai said softly.

"As long as you're happy." Qin Ge said with a smile.

"Does the Commander really care whether we're happy or not?" Nengdai asked, tilting her head.

"Of course. Besides, aside from harbor district duties and such, all I can do is keep you happy every day; I can't help with combat-related matters either." Qin Ge said with a smile.

"Actually, Commander, you don't need to worry so much; you're already excellent enough. As your first ship girl, I've watched you from a novice commander all the way to having such a great fleet."

"Actually, when I'm with you, I occasionally feel a bit of pressure, after all, the Commander is so outstanding; if I don't perform a little better, wouldn't I be letting down the Commander's guidance?" Nengdai said with a smile.

Qin Ge shook his head with a laugh, "Is it really that exaggerated? But I already know what you said, so from now on I'll act a little worse."

"Hehe, no need for that; if the other sisters found out that the Commander became lackluster because of me, I'd definitely feel guilty." Nengdai laughed.

"Haha, of course I won't be too lackluster; actually I feel my current state is just fine—I won't put too much pressure on you, nor will I be too lax." Qin Ge laughed.

"Mm, the Commander's current state is pretty good." Nengdai laughed.

Qin Ge chuckled, "Actually, it's not just that you get to witness me; speaking as my first ship girl, I've always been paying attention to you. From the initial seriousness to now often wearing a smile, Nengdai has also undergone great growth."

"Commander..." Upon hearing Qin Ge say that, Nengdai's face turned slightly red, "After all, back then we weren't that familiar, so we could only face each other very normally."

"Hehe, still bringing that up? Who was it that wanted to draw a blade and slash me over a disagreement back then?" Qin Ge laughed.

"Who made the Commander ask those embarrassing questions of the centaurs?" Nengdai said helplessly.

"Cough, back then I didn't know anything, and the centaurs have a gentle temperament, so I only asked a few small questions."

"After all, you know I come from another world; back then I had zero knowledge of ship girls. Although you look human, your power is absolutely not what I imagined."

"In short, I was just curious, so I asked those questions, but I never expected your reaction to be so big." Qin Ge explained.

"But even so, would the Commander ask those questions of an ordinary girl?" Nengdai said awkwardly.

"Cough, no way—after all, I haven't lived enough yet..." Qin Ge immediately said.

"Hehe, so my reaction counts as a normal girl's reaction." Nengdai laughed.

"That's right." Qin Ge chuckled, "Time really flies—before we knew it, it's been over four years, almost five. From someone who knew nothing, lost and searching for family, to becoming the widely known Commander today, it really feels like time flows like water, slipping by unnoticed."

"Are you worried, Commander?" Nengdai asked.

"A bit, I'm almost thirty now; I don't know how long I can keep this up, nor do I know what our future holds, but you remain just as you were when I first summoned you—youthful and beautiful, time never leaves a mark on you."

"I'm not lamenting the unfairness of fate or anything else; I'm just worried that if I ever grow old, what will you feel, and will you do something foolish?" Qin Ge said, gazing at the star-speckled night sky.

"I don't want to think about those things; just imagining them feels like my heart would break. So all we can do is cherish the time we spend together." Nengdai said, tightening her grip on Qin Ge's hand.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought up such a downer in this happy atmosphere." Qin Ge said apologetically, "Maybe I'm just being too greedy; anyway, no matter what happens from now on, I'll always stay by your side."

"Mm."

Just then, a huge firework suddenly burst in the night sky, scattering brilliant light. Qin Ge and Nengdai looked up at the same time, watching that cluster of fireworks gradually fade in the sky, after which bright firework shells kept being launched higher, bursting into the most splendid fireworks.

"How beautiful." Nengdai praised, "I never expected that the place we happened to choose would be the best spot to watch fireworks."

"Yeah, it's really beautiful." Qin Ge smiled, "These fireworks were probably prepared by Zuikaku and the others, right?"

"Not necessarily; just now, as I passed a roadside stall, I saw someone selling fireworks there—maybe our fireworks were bought and set off by people from our harbor district." Nengdai said.

"Hehe, if that's the case, it's definitely Xuefeng and Shiyu and their gang." Qin Ge laughed.

"Maybe, but today I should thank the Commander more—because you accompanied me here, I got to see such beautiful fireworks." Nengdai smiled.

"If that's how it is, I should thank you too—thanks for inviting me, letting me see these beautiful fireworks, and also thanks for having you by my side." Qin Ge laughed.

"Then Commander, I heard that making a wish at the festival fireworks can make dreams come true. If you really were to make a wish, what would you wish for?" Nengdai asked.

"Hasn't someone said that speaking a wish aloud makes it ineffective?" Qin Ge laughed.

"But the Commander hasn't made a wish yet." Nengdai said, tilting her head, sounding a bit sly.

"Alright, if I really had to make a wish, I suppose I'd wish that we could always stay together, that we could always be happy. Of course, I also hope the war ends soon so we don't have to worry too much, and we can easily enjoy this world when it comes to combat." Qin Ge laughed.

"The Commander really is a bit greedy." Nengdai laughed.

"Then what kind of wish would Nengdai have?" Qin Ge asked with a laugh.

"Me?" Nengdai gave a charming smile, suddenly lunged into Qin Ge's embrace, "I wish we could stay together forever!"