Chapter 312: 304: A Lively Eagle Union Party (Part 1)
Just as Lin Lan was beginning to feel a sense of worry, several deep blue orbs of light suddenly shot up into the air within his pitch-black vision, trailing flames behind them.
After soaring into the sky, these glowing orbs exploded abruptly, transforming into a sky full of stars. The night sky followed suit, turning deep blue and gradually becoming brighter.
The next second—
"Commander, welcome back!"
As this synchronized chorus of greetings rang out, Lin Lan finally saw his surroundings clearly.
Eagle Union shipgirls—familiar faces stretching out so far that he couldn't see the end.
Beneath this deep blue canopy of stars, all of his Eagle Union shipgirls stood inside a hall filled with dining tables and chairs, and every pair of eyes was focused on him.
It turned out that while he had been led by Hammann just moments ago, without realizing it, he had ended up right at the center of his Eagle Union shipgirls.
He saw Helena, tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes as she was held by Saint Louis.
He saw the bright, smiling faces of Washington and North Carolina. He saw San Diego holding a microphone…
There were so many—too many—that Lin Lan felt like his eyes weren't enough to take it all in.
He stood there in a daze, frozen in place.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself for something like this, when the moment actually came, he was still stunned by the sheer grandeur of the scene.
"Surprise! Commander, catch me!"
Just then, a cheerful little girl's voice rang out from above Lin Lan. Before he could even look up, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulders as a blonde little girl landed on him.
"Albacore, aren't you worried about sending me straight back to the infirmary like this?"
Lin Lan instantly recognized the lively, little girl and laughed as he gently lifted the mischievous "Taihō Slayer" off his shoulders and into his arms.
"Heehee~ Commander would never be that fragile. I have full confidence in my own weight!"
Albacore was wearing a black evening dress.
Her youthful appearance paired with seductive black stockings, and her bright green eyes blinked mischievously as she smiled at Lin Lan, exuding a unique charm.
But Lin Lan wasn't buying any of it. He reached under her skirt and pulled off a string of red and blue party poppers.
"Ah! I've been found out!"
Seeing Albacore's startled expression, Lin Lan couldn't help but laugh and say,
"When I bought you this outfit, I saw you hanging these party poppers on your leg. If you're going to prank me, at least change it up a little." (*)
Thanks to Albacore's antics, all the Eagle Union shipgirls finally relaxed and smiled.
After all, aside from the Cleveland-class sea knights and South Dakota and Intrepid, most of them had only seen Lin Lan while he was unconscious.
The commander had been missing for so long, and now he had suddenly returned looking like his younger self—only to be in a coma.
Would the commander be different when he woke up? Would he suffer from amnesia?
Especially with Intrepid and the Cleveland-class knights spreading the news over the past few days, everyone knew the commander had used a power beyond imagination.
In many Eagle Union movies and comics, great power often comes with great cost. What if the commander really had forgotten them?
But watching how he handled Albacore's prank, everyone could tell—he was still the same commander. Nothing had changed.
"Commander, say a few words to everyone."
After Lin Lan set down the little troublemaker Albacore, Enterprise smiled at him and spoke.
At the same time, the drowsy Laffey took the microphone from San Diego's hands and handed it to Lin Lan.
Taking the mic, Lin Lan let out a helpless chuckle. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: he clearly wasn't the outgoing type, so why did he always end up in these situations?
Though he'd been in a similar spot back in Iron Blood, there were far fewer shipgirls there.
Now, there were nearly twice as many Eagle Union shipgirls—over a hundred pairs of eyes staring right at him with intense focus. The pressure was real.
Still, considering he was both their commander and oath partner—and that nearly every shipgirl wore an oath ring on her finger—
Lin Lan felt his pressure suddenly lighten. Since they were all long-time "husband and wives" now, he might as well speak casually.
"Um… sorry for making everyone worry…"
At a party like this, there was no need for a formal speech.
Lin Lan simply went ahead and explained the past events, including the fact that he came from another world, to all of the Eagle Union shipgirls.
Of course, he also made sure to promise them that he would never leave them again.
However, Lin Lan didn't notice that as he spoke toward the end, several clever Eagle Union girls were already beginning to get some ideas.
No wonder the commander liked to get handsy but never did anything real.
No wonder the sea knights and Benson-class sisters had been so cheerful lately, looking like they'd won some huge prize but refusing to say what.
So this is what they've been up to behind the scenes!
"Intrepid, no wonder you've been so distracted these past two days. Did you already snag the commander for yourself?"
Five elegant and curvy mature ladies in deep blue evening dresses stood at a table a little further from Lin Lan.
As she listened to his story, a beautiful shipgirl with smooth lavender hair and amber-red eyes gave a playful glare to the bashful Intrepid standing beside her.
"Essex-sis…"
Even though she was wearing a formal gown, Intrepid still had her signature deep blue mechanical button pinned to her chest.
Blushing under the gazes of her four sisters, she looked too shy to speak.
Indeed, this beautiful carrier shipgirl with lavender hair and amber eyes was none other than Essex—the lead ship of the Essex-class aircraft carriers, also known as the "Dumpling-class."
Alongside her were the elder-sisterly Ticonderoga with orange hair accessories and lavender hair, the sharp-eyed and fierce-looking Bunker Hill with beige hair, and the bespectacled Shangri-La with light gray hair.
All four Essex-class shipgirls cast knowing glances at Intrepid, who had clearly gotten a head start. Intrepid, red-faced, could only lower her head even more.
"Well, since you were the ones who found the commander, I suppose this is what you deserve."
Essex didn't really blame Intrepid. She smiled calmly, then turned her gaze toward Lin Lan… and the Enterprise standing beside him.
Her expression also grew much more serious.
"No matter what, this time I must win the commander over before Enterprise-senpai does—and prove to him that I've truly surpassed her!"
"Essex-sis, your voice is too loud, way too loud!"
Essex's bold declaration was just a bit too loud, catching the attention of the nearby "Little Beaver Squad," five curious girls who turned their heads in confusion.
Noticing this, the observant Shangri-La quickly tugged on Essex's skirt and whispered a reminder to her older sister.
But this kind of thing wasn't just happening among the Essex-class. In many other groups of Eagle Union shipgirls, similar conversations were starting to brew.
Everyone was gearing up to make their move on the commander, ready to collect on all the affection he owed them.
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(*) If mc bought the outfit before, that means its an official skin. You can search it if you're curious, for example this Albacore skin.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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