Lexington nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Back then, we'd probably seized thousands of panties like this—no way we could count them all. You used to trade them all in for rewards. We even used to joke about how terrible it was that the Admiralty treated panties from transport ships as military spoils… but after you disappeared, the world began to crumble, and we lost all contact with the outside. I don't even know if the old Admiralty or the other naval bases still exist."
Hikaru suspected they didn't. He weighed the panties in his hand. "If anyone wants something, go ahead and take it—swimsuits, manga, plushies, clothes—whatever. They're all unopened. And these clothes don't even have labels—they're clearly custom-made, high-end, and kind of meaningful as collector's items."
Come to think of it, many of the manga and toys were clearly bought from human nations. The deep sea's infiltration into human society went deeper than Hikaru had imagined.
Lexington plucked the underwear from Hikaru's hand. "Commander, aren't you even a little embarrassed holding a girl's underwear like that? Even if you're not, we are."
Hikaru scratched his nose. He'd been planning to mount the panties on his collection shelf as a trophy—a symbolic piece that blurred the line between game and reality.
"They're unopened, so it's not a big deal… right?"
He still tried to defend himself.
Fletcher suddenly popped up, cheeks flushed. "Commander, you were just rubbing that fabric for like five minutes. Pervert!"
Sigh. Even as a commander, Hikaru couldn't always do as he pleased. Life was tough.
…
Given the importance of the discovery, the group immediately towed the remains of the steel whale back to port.
Along the way, they crossed paths with the patrolling heavy cruiser Takao. Hikaru gave her a brief warning and advised caution.
Truthfully, Takao was far more experienced than Hikaru. The moment she saw the steel whale, she seemed to sense what was coming. After saying goodbye, she turned back toward her own naval base, visibly concerned.
The clouds overhead seemed to press lower still. A storm was coming.
By dusk, about ten nautical miles from the Academy port, Hikaru had California stay behind with the whale—still submerged just offshore—while he went to report to Yamato.
Fortunately, Yamato had been stationed in Windridge lately to deal with recent events surrounding Hikaru. Normally, as one of the top military authorities in the Eastern Hemisphere, she'd be difficult to find.
Hikaru waited in the Academy Director's office—where Yat Sen worked—until Yamato arrived.
When Hikaru finished his report, Yamato looked skeptical.
"A transport ship? Are you sure you're not mistaking it for one of those 'only-you-can-see' supply ships?"
Hikaru didn't feel like arguing. "It was a transport ship. We hauled her steel whale back as proof."
Yamato exchanged a glance with Yat Sen, and their expressions turned serious. She nodded. "Alright. I'll go with Hikaru and inspect it myself."
Transport ships were a subset of supply ships—but their resupply capacity was thousands of times greater. Discovering one this close to the front lines usually meant only one thing: the outbreak of a major war.
Unexpectedly, the steel whale had already been brought all the way to port and was now surrounded by a crowd of over a hundred people.
California stood proudly at the pier in front of the massive carcass, animatedly bragging about her exploits.
Yamato shot Hikaru a glare before quickly pushing through the crowd to examine the scene.
Several admirals who recognized Hikaru perked up when he arrived and gathered around.
"Damn, Kuramoto! You just scored a fat loot haul—drinks on you tonight!"
"I heard deep sea transport ships are cute little silver-haired girls. Did you get a photo? I'll pay top price!"
"Kuramoto, where'd you catch that whale? I want to try my luck too!"
The excitement among the newer recruits—most of whom had only been at the Academy for two months—was palpable. But the upperclassmen looked far more grim. They understood what the presence of a transport ship this close to the front really meant.
"Let's talk later—I've got business right now."
Hikaru led Tirpitz and the others across the dock. When he asked California what happened, she explained that a port defense shipgirl had spotted the whale, and she simply helped tow it ashore.
By then, Yamato had already jumped into the whale's mouth to inspect its remaining supplies.
(End of Chapter)
[+50 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]