Setsuna had no idea when Richelieu decided to appoint herself as his secretary ship.
But clearly, her statement had caused a massive uproar.
The previously pacified Taihou immediately challenged Richelieu to a duel, citing that the position of secretary ship should belong to the strongest shipgirl in the fleet.
Ten minutes later.
"You pest, just you wait!!!"
The defeated Taihou was dragged away by Formidable.
Well, it turns out that Richelieu really was the most capable fighter in the fleet.
"Commander, shall we continue working?"
"But before that, to better fulfill my duties as your secretary ship, I have a few questions to ask you."
Richelieu brushed off the dust on her uniform, pulled out a notebook from her pocket, and looked earnestly at Setsuna, as if nothing had just happened.
"Do you have any preferences for food? Is French cuisine acceptable? I'm quite confident in preparing it."
"Do you have any dietary restrictions? What's your typical schedule like…?"
"…"
"Isn't this the Royal Maid Corps' responsibility?" Setsuna asked, still somewhat dazed from the earlier duel.
"Royal maids? Are you asking for Stargazy Pie?" Richelieu scoffed.
"Oh, fair point."
Setsuna thought about it. It seemed that the entire world was united in looking down on British cuisine. France, being their historical rival, was even more disdainful.
"But Richelieu, let's put these little things aside for now."
"Why did you unilaterally appoint yourself as my secretary ship? I haven't made any decisions yet."
Setsuna gave her a half-amused, half-inquisitive look.
Normally, such an assistant position was chosen by the commander.
"I…"
Richelieu hesitated briefly.
"Well, I felt that as the flagship, I am more suited to serve as your secretary ship than anyone else."
"I'll do my best to help solve your problems. In the face of emergencies, I'm also stronger and better equipped to fight…"
Her voice faltered slightly as her confidence wavered.
"…"
Setsuna studied her carefully.
It was curious—despite being a cardinal of the Church and an unfailingly diligent flagship, Richelieu exuded a certain aloofness. She gave the impression of being untouchable and unapproachable.
Yet beneath that aura, she clearly harbored plenty of endearing little quirks.
"An unauthorized self-appointment doesn't count without the commander's approval," Setsuna said, deliberately emphasizing the latter part.
"Then…"
"Are you going to make a proper appointment?" Richelieu ventured cautiously.
"Hmm."
"Ah… I see. I went too far, after all. I apologize…"
She sighed, a faint sense of dejection coloring her expression.
"Richelieu, I hereby appoint you as my secretary ship."
"Do your best."
Setsuna patted her shoulder.
"!?"
The sudden shift in circumstances caused her emotions to fluctuate wildly, leaving her momentarily disoriented.
Eventually, she straightened her posture, fixing Setsuna with a resolute gaze.
"I will bring you victory, Commander."
Without cranes, excavators, bulldozers, or any other industrial machinery, construction on the new capital city began.
Initially, Setsuna estimated that it would take at least 30 days, if not longer, to build something resembling a proper settlement.
After all, he had seen the port. It wasn't just a naval base—it was a sprawling military-industrial complex.
With facilities like dry docks, assembly plants, shipgirl dormitories, aircraft assembly lines, and artillery manufacturing plants, its complexity rivaled that of a space center.
But when the Bulins and little yellow chickens began working, Setsuna could only marvel:
"I used to put so much faith in science."
The Bulins and Manjuus were building the base barehanded.
While their strength wasn't on par with a typical shipgirl, it still far exceeded that of any machine.
Some Manjuus hauled steel beams weighing thousands of pounds out of the containers, carrying them steadily to the construction site without so much as a wobble.
They even called out rhythmic chants of "Chi!" "Chi!" "Manjuu!" as they worked.
Setsuna suddenly understood why the shipgirls never worried about the Manjuus' safety, letting them forage freely in the forest.
Honestly, any tigers or lions that tried to mess with these little yellow chickens would likely get kicked into next week.
The Bulins took the steel parts from the Manjuus, snapping them into place with a resounding "clack." Then, pulling out wrenches, they hammered and twisted until the framework of a building stood tall.
It was like watching someone assemble a giant Lego set.
These modified Bulins were like humanoid construction bots.
No blueprints.
No schematics.
No structural calculations.
For tasks requiring precision, Golden Bulins and their drills or Colorful Bulins and their hammers got to work. A few bouts of vigorous tinkering later, everything was complete.
How the Bulins knew about architectural techniques remained a mystery, but their constructions were solid.
The harbor had endured countless battles with Sirens, including carpet bombings from aircraft carriers, without suffering significant damage.
Setsuna could only attribute this miraculous efficiency to the chaotic power of Wisdom Cubes and the "magical lane" that governed this world.
Half a month later.
To the north of Constantinople, on the shores of the Golden Horn.
The coastline, once cluttered with ruins and debris, now hosted a grand naval base.
The surrounding terrain and coastline, stretching for dozens of kilometers, had been cleared.
The crescent-shaped port could simultaneously dock several aircraft carriers and battleships.
Though slightly smaller than the harbor, the naval base featured shipgirl dormitories, repair facilities, armories, and more.
It even boasted a fully functional military production line, capable of churning out torpedoes, naval guns, aircraft, and other equipment—as long as resources were available.
Naturally, all of it adhered to Azur Lane's technological standards.
The members of the Vanguard Fleet were overjoyed.
To them, a port was more than just infrastructure—it was home.
Having a naval base here not only solidified their foothold in this new world but also gave them a sense of belonging.
On land, the ruins of the city had been entirely leveled.
Tens of thousands of square kilometers of debris had been cleared, leaving the ground flat and smooth—like a giant runway.
The soil bore carefully marked yellow lines, designating spaces for residential areas, commercial zones, and research facilities.
All that remained was to deliver the necessary resources and begin constructing the central city.
"Ah, what a thriving, burgeoning scene this is," Setsuna observed, his gaze lingering on the sight.
"Commander, Commander, come quick! Let me show you the new buildings we made!"
Near the naval base, a Golden Bulin and a Purple Bulin eagerly tugged on Setsuna's sleeve.
The two retrofit mascots looked up at him with eager expressions, akin to dogs proudly showing off their accomplishments.
"Alright, lead the way."
As the leader of an entire civilization, Setsuna felt obligated to familiarize himself with the developments in their new settlement.
Even if he couldn't fully understand the underlying principles of Azur Lane technology, he could at least comprehend its practical uses and functions.
Accompanied by Richelieu and the two Bulins, Setsuna hopped into a small boat and headed into the naval base.
"Commander, this base was constructed as a scaled-down replica of the harbor," Richelieu began explaining as they walked.
"It integrates all the production lines necessary for naval operations and can support the logistical needs of a fleet with up to 100 shipgirls, including aircraft carriers."
Azur Lane fleets weren't measured by the number of ships but rather by the number of shipgirls.
A fleet of 100 shipgirls, equivalent to 100 warships, was an astonishingly large force.
Even the world's naval superpower, the United States, had fewer than 300 warships in total, many of which were smaller vessels like frigates.
The fact that this base could sustain such a massive fleet made Setsuna reevaluate the Bulins' capabilities.
"Why do I keep thinking about Bulins lately?" Setsuna suddenly questioned himself.
"I must be getting addicted to construction projects."
"This is the aircraft assembly factory," Richelieu said, gesturing to the next facility. "It's used to supply carrier-based fighters, torpedo bombers, and dive bombers to aircraft carrier shipgirls."
Inside, rows of propeller aircraft were neatly lined up: F6F Hellcats, Supermarine Seafires, Fairey Barracudas, and Gloster Meteors.
All of them were classic World War II-era models.
If not for the shipgirls standing nearby, Setsuna might have mistaken the place for a museum.
"At full capacity, this factory can produce 300 to 350 aircraft per month. However, since we're not engaged in combat, the factory hasn't been operational recently," Richelieu reported, glancing at the clipboard in her hand.
"Can I fly one of these planes?" Setsuna suddenly asked.
The aircraft looked almost identical to their World War II counterparts, down to their size and appearance. The only difference was that shipgirls could store them within their rigging and enhance their capabilities through the power of Wisdom Cubes.
"Ah?!"
Both Richelieu and the Bulins were taken aback—they had never considered this possibility.
"In theory, yes, meow," a familiar voice interjected.
It was Akashi, appearing seemingly out of nowhere to provide an answer.
"Everything produced at the naval base is available for the commander to use, whether it's carrier-based aircraft or other weapons, meow~"
"But since you're not a shipgirl, they'll only perform at their base level, meow~"
"…"
Setsuna quickly gave up on the idea of flying the planes.
Without the enhancements provided by shipgirls, the aircraft would just be basic propeller planes, easily shot down by any anti-aircraft gun.
It'd be more practical for him to use his superhuman strength to punch enemies to death.
"Over here is the torpedo factory, which produces between 1,200 and 1,500 torpedoes per month. We have anti-ship, anti-submarine, and aerial torpedoes…"
"This is the naval gun assembly plant. Currently, the base can only produce naval guns up to 380mm in caliber. Anything larger requires the facilities at the harbor…"
"This is the dockyard for repairing shipgirls' hulls and constructing new ships. Monthly output…"
"This is the small arms factory…"
"This is the shipgirls' dormitory and bathhouse. Um… would you like to take a look inside?"
As Richelieu led the way, Setsuna nodded frequently, absorbing the information.
Azur Lane's technological marvels lay in their ability to repurpose seemingly antiquated World War II-era weaponry into cutting-edge tools of war through Wisdom Cube enhancements.
Moreover, their production capabilities were extraordinary.
Even this small naval base boasted industrial capacity rivaling that of a mid-sized European country.
After touring the base, a sudden thought crossed Setsuna's mind:
"I've seen so much military industry. What about everything else?"
"Agriculture, light industry, manufacturing? What kind of crops do you grow—potatoes, wheat? What's the yield like?"
"…"
The group froze.
"Agriculture? What agriculture? What's light industry?"
Akashi and the Bulins stared at him, completely perplexed.
"Commander, we're shipgirls. We don't farm."
"?"
"Then what do you eat?"
"We drink warship fuel and coolant."
"What about the bread and tea from the harbor?!"
"Oh, that's just snacks. We don't consume much of it."
"…"
Setsuna stared at the production report in his hands, falling into deep thought.
Without agriculture, light industry, education, healthcare, or even basic sciences, this civilization had achieved an unprecedented leap forward.
They had maxed out their military industry, leaving them leagues ahead of most pre-spacefaring civilizations.
With their absurd production rates for cannons, fighter planes, and torpedoes, they could probably flood other worlds with surplus weapons.
How inspiring.
Azur Lane's technology truly defied logic.
"Damn it, who starts farming by maxing out military tech first?!"