"This place has been invaded by the Sirens? This is an inland river, and there are so many boats with radar systems—how is that even possible?"
Lin Lan was surprised but quickly remembered that the radar systems of Orlan were probably like toys to the Sirens.
They could be easily detected if the Sirens wanted to be found.
"So, where are these Sirens hiding? You might as well tell me," Lin Lan said, unable to spot anything suspicious around his yacht.
He spread his hands helplessly and glanced at Agir beside him.
This wide river, nestled between mountains, was clearly not like the mirrored sea he was familiar with.
So where could the Sirens possibly be hiding?
"It's simple—they're right below us," Agir said, smiling as she pointed to the water beneath their feet.
"In the water? Could they be... submarines?" Lin Lan immediately thought of the terrifying Siren submarines from the game's main storyline, specifically the ones in chapter 14.
When he had first opened the 14th map, Lin Lan, without looking at any guides, had nearly been traumatized by those concrete-like submarines.
"Yes, they're submarines. But it seems like these Sirens are dormant for now; they haven't awakened yet," said Weser, who had walked up next to Lin Lan.
"Taking care of these submarines wouldn't be too difficult, but there are too many boats on the river right now. Any action might cause collateral damage," Weser added, looking at the bustling river traffic.
Lin Lan frowned, looking at the many boats on the water. It was troublesome.
This wasn't his jurisdiction; the port authority of Yalang City was responsible for this area. He wasn't obligated to deal with the Siren threat here.
After a moment of thought, Lin Lan said, "In that case, let's head to Yalang City first."
Lin Lan wasn't refusing to deal with the Sirens but understood that to eliminate the Siren submarines, they'd have to temporarily close off the river, which would require the cooperation of Yalang City's port commander.
Lin Lan was quite interested in seeing how his classmate, who now ran the port, was doing. Not for showing off, of course—not at all.
During his time at the Naval Academy, Lin Lan had noticed something curious: the newly-commissioned ship girls in Orlan were mostly destroyers, light cruisers, and light aircraft carriers.
He hadn't encountered any powerful ship girls that would be classified as SSR in the game.
He wasn't sure if this was because of some limitation in the world or the result of poor management by the local commanders.
Hearing Lin Lan's decision, the Ironblood ship girls in the cabin relaxed, dropping their combat-ready stances.
Lin Lan sat back down and said to Weser, who was still watching the river, "When we reach Yalang City, send out some carrier-based planes to monitor the Siren submarines. If they make any moves, report to me immediately."
"Understood, Commander," Weser replied with a smile.
Watching this reliable, short-haired Ironblood light cruiser, Lin Lan reflected.
While at the academy, he had seen many ship girls, but compared to the ones from his own port, the Orlan ship girls seemed to lack something vital.
As Lin Lan stroked Z46's head, he pondered what that might be. Perhaps it was a sense of humanity?
The ship girls of the Royal Navy and the White Eagle faction that Lin Lan had observed seemed less human than his Ironblood companions.
It was almost as if they were more like chess pieces than living beings. Chess pieces, in this case, referred to the Sirens' mimicked ship girls in the game, who copied the real ship girls' personalities and voices to a frightening degree.
But if all of Orlan's ship girls were merely pawns... that was a terrifying thought.
Lin Lan shuddered. He knew the difference between a real ship girl and a chess piece.
Real ship girls were created using a Wisdom Cube as their core, while the chess pieces were made without one.
He had seen Wisdom Cubes at the Naval Academy, and when he visited the Iron Fortress, he brought some Wisdom Cubes with him.
But unfortunately, he had forgotten to bring them when he set out. Otherwise, he could have tried to create a new ship girl.
Lin Lan pushed those thoughts aside for now. He planned to ask his classmate about it when he had the chance.
By now, the sun had nearly set, and the sky was growing darker.
As the yacht sailed through the river fork and entered the passage to Yalang City, the river's current began to flow faster.
Surrounded by mountains, the sight of the setting sun disappearing behind the ridges was imposing.
If not for the lights from the nearby boats and riverside buildings, the dark, narrow waterway would have felt eerily oppressive.
Finally, at around seven or eight in the evening, the towering mountains suddenly gave way, as if they had been split apart.
"Commander, we've reached the river's end. We're near the coast now," Brunhilde called from the forward deck.
The Ironblood ship girls gathered by the windows, and Lin Lan rose from his seat to join them.
At the edge of the plains, where the mountains ended, the vibrant nightscape of Yalang City, painted in a myriad of colors, came into view.
Lin Lan smiled. They had arrived.
Yalang City—the only coastal city in Orlan built at the foot of a mountain range.
A few minutes later, Lin Lan docked the yacht at the city's riverfront pier.
Though smaller than the docks at Shinonome City, it was still bustling with activity. Lin Lan led his Ironblood companions to the area designated for small yachts.
The coast guards in their cyan uniforms seemed much more professional than those in Dongyun City, not hassling any outsiders.
With Z46 in his arms, Lin Lan checked the map on his phone and walked out of the dock with the ship girls, heading into the city streets.
"Is this the capital of this country? It's so noisy," Agir remarked, frowning at the traffic and crowds.
"The cost of living here is much lower than in Dongyun City. We'll stay at the beachfront resort for now. The travel forums say the views are spectacular," Lin Lan said, glancing at his ship girls for their opinion.
They all agreed without hesitation.
Lin Lan used his phone to call for a self-driving minibus big enough to accommodate their group, and they set off for the beach.
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