"Exactly two hours. The faction is also Eagle Union. I'll meditate here while waiting."
Raize had no intention of killing time elsewhere. He chose to wait right here for his shipgirl's birth. Compared to the time he had spent in the deep sea, two hours was nothing.
At the same time, he was extremely curious about seeing a real shipgirl appear before him. He felt uncertain about how to interact with one.
Though powerful, he was a complete novice when it came to being a commander.
Hisssss…
Two hours later, Raize opened his eyes on time. White mist and golden light filled the construction pod, and a small figure gradually emerged from within the fog.
She had pure white hair tied into smooth twin tails, a cute rabbit-ear headpiece adorned with blue ribbons, and wore a symbolically pure wedding dress. Her legs were wrapped in white stockings resembling whipped cream, and she wore small white high heels.
At the moment the girl in the wedding dress stepped out of the construction pod, a mental network formed instantly in Raize's mind. The connection felt as though it reached deep into his soul. As his mental energy flowed into her, some of his own power flowed back in return.
He also sensed emotions of anticipation and joy through the mental link.
Along with a bit of nervousness, much like his own.
At the same time, a virtual interface appeared before Raize's eyes, displaying information about the owner of the mental link—Laffey.
[Name]: Laffey
[Type]: Destroyer-class — Shipgirl
[Contract]: Raize Yotsuki
[Level]: 130
[Talent]: Wargod of Solomon (Gets stronger the longer the battle lasts)
[Skills]: Chaos Acceleration — Ultra-high-speed movement, Annihilation Mode, All Out Assault, Absolute Domain, Penetrate
[Standard Equipment]: Twin-mounted 127mm dual-purpose guns, Twin-mounted 105mm SKC improved anti-air guns, Five-mounted sea-land-air pursuit missiles
[Special Equipment]: High-energy laser cannon, Electromagnetic railgun, Sea-land-air specialized sprint boots, Nano-transforming combat suit, Wisdom Cube force-field energy shield
[Firepower]: S++
[Durability]: S++
[Anti-Air]: S+
[Mobility]: EX
[Aviation]: A++
[Torpedo]: S++
Raize's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at Laffey's stats. Could anyone really believe this was the status panel of a destroyer?
A flawless all-rounder with no weaknesses. It seemed his decision to use the modification blueprints had been correct—Laffey's special equipment existed precisely because of his prior actions.
Although her classification listed her as a destroyer, Laffey's true nature was not limited to the sea. Her core form was a space-capable destroyer warship.
After clearing Iron Man, Raize had obtained a space battleship. By dismantling it and mastering its technology, he personally modified Laffey using his vast knowledge.
In effect, Laffey had undergone two modifications—one in-game, and one here.
Raize stood up and looked nervously at the adorable and beautiful little girl as the fog dissipated. He was genuinely surprised that Laffey had appeared wearing a wedding dress right from the start.
As Laffey completed the connection to the mental network—her emotions a mixture of nervousness and fondness—she opened her ruby-red gem-like eyes and looked at Raize, who appeared slightly stiff himself.
At this moment, the shipgirl was truly born.
Although she had no shared memories with Raize yet, the intimacy and bond originating from the soul could not be faked. The first time she saw Raize felt like a newborn animal seeing its family for the first time. This was the innate perception designated shipgirls had toward him.
"Commander, nice to meet you for the first time. I am Laffey…"
Her first words were spoken nervously. The soft, gentle voice was comforting to hear. Laffey blinked her ruby-red eyes and stared intently at Raize, as though trying to engrave his image deeply into her mind.
Under normal circumstances, a newly summoned Laffey would not be this nervous. She would introduce herself in a lazy, soft tone.
But Raize's was a designated summoning. This Laffey did not see him as a stranger, but as family—like a newborn recognizing its kin.
The closeness from body and soul was undeniable. Though Laffey possessed basic knowledge, she had only just been born, like a child meeting her parents for the first time.
Feeling the nervousness flowing from Laffey through the mental network, Raize wanted to speak, but his instincts and body moved before his words could.
He lowered his posture slightly and opened his arms toward her.
The small gesture made Laffey's eyes light up. Filled with joy, she ran toward Raize and leapt into his arms, her slender arms wrapping tightly around him. Her flushed little face buried into his chest as she gently rubbed against him.
"Commander… Commander… Commander…"
Her soft voice called out affectionately again and again, like a child calling for their parents.
Though Laffey's displacement was not small, her strength was equally formidable. At such close proximity, Raize could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within the petite girl's body.
The mass of a massive warship, compressed entirely into a small white-haired girl—what kind of density would her bones, muscles, and skin possess?
Ordinary humans could never endure a hug from her.
But Laffey, who had broken limits and reached level 130, could precisely control her strength. She did not leak even the slightest excess force, hugging Raize just like a normal little girl.
"Nice to meet you. I am Raize, and I am your commander. I look forward to working with you from now on."
Feeling the intoxicating fragrance coming from the girl in his arms, Raize smiled and gently stroked Laffey's smooth hair, his strong arms carefully returning the embrace.
Though she felt soft and delicate to the touch, no different from a human, who could imagine the power hidden within her?
Laffey stopped rubbing against his chest, keeping close contact as she tilted her head up to look at him. Her exquisite face was flushed red, so finely crafted it seemed like a masterpiece.
The intimate closeness, along with the affection and joy flowing through the mental network, made her feel truly happy—the person she cared about also cared deeply for her.
"Commander, can Laffey drink alcohol?"
She asked softly.
Her very first request was for alcohol. Letting a child drink would normally be unacceptable, but Raize did not regard Laffey as an ordinary child.
She was a shipgirl. Did anyone seriously think alcohol would harm her? At most, it would simply be enjoyable.
Raize knew well that Laffey was gluttonous, fond of drinking, and lazy—perhaps even more so than a certain notorious shipgirl. A booze-loving loli by setting, her desire for alcohol was only natural.
Of course, specially made carbonated drinks could also be given. In Laffey's heart, those ranked second only to alcohol.
"All right. Later, you can drink as much as you want. There's also a delicious feast prepared for you. Today is your birthday—I've prepared a celebration banquet just for you."
Raize's gaze was filled with indulgent affection, as though he were looking at his own daughter. Smiling warmly, he spoke to Laffey.
The adorable life he had personally created held extraordinary meaning for him. To Raize, Laffey was not merely a combat partner—she was someone close to him, someone precious, nearly on the same level as Nep of his own household.
Hearing that Raize had so thoughtfully prepared a birthday celebration just for her, Laffey's eyes brimmed with joy and fond affection toward him. Her cute little face buried itself once more against his chest, and a soft, delicate voice followed.
"Laffey… likes the Commander…"
It was a very pure kind of liking. From the moment she was born, she had liked him and felt close to him. Through the mental network, she could sense the genuine affection flowing from him, and that sincerity prompted Laffey to respond in kind. By now, she had completely come to regard him as someone she cherished.
Laffey had only just been born and did not yet understand things like romantic love. As a little girl, she was simply expressing her emotions in the most straightforward way possible.
Raize's frank affection in reality, coupled with his unreserved goodwill within the mental link, was met with Laffey's sincere response—she was a girl capable of accurately receiving his thoughts and emotions.
"Laffey, come with me to change into another outfit first. Clothes this formal and beautiful shouldn't be worn casually."
Lowering his head, Raize looked at the Laffey who was clinging to him coquettishly. He admired the perfectly fitted wedding dress she was wearing and spoke softly.
Laffey lowered her head to glance at the elegant and dignified outfit on her body. She felt very happy at Raize's praise and could clearly sense how much he liked seeing her dressed like this.
"Commander, there's no need to go through all that trouble. Laffey can do it like this."
She took a small step back, and the gorgeous, solemn wedding dress transformed into streams of energy light that retracted into her petite body.
Much like Haruna transforming into a magical garment girl, everything below Laffey's slender neck was wrapped in a layer of radiant energy, leaving only her head visible. Raize could tell at a glance that this was energy originating from the Wisdom Cube.
When the luminous energy scattered into specks of starlight and dissipated across her small frame, Laffey's outfit reverted to the familiar, basic appearance she had at the beginning.
When entering combat mode, Laffey could transform into her Laffey Kai form, freely changing at will through her own intent.
"Still just as cute and beautiful."
After finishing her transformation, Laffey stepped forward and grabbed Raize's large hand. He smiled, gently patted her on the head, and praised her. Laffey half-closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the comfortable touch atop her head.
As he brought Laffey toward the celebration hall prepared within the naval base, the Manjuus they passed along the way burst into excited chirping the moment they saw her, flocking around her enthusiastically. To the Manjuus, shipgirls were beings they instinctively wanted to be close to.
This was the first shipgirl to appear within the naval base—how could the Manjuus not be excited?
Laffey also liked the Manjuus very much. At the moment, she was holding one in her arms, with a whole crowd trailing behind her.
Raize merely smiled at the scene. Since they liked her so much, it was only fitting to let the Manjuus join in celebrating Laffey's birthday.
---
For the time being, Raize recalled all of his shadow clones from the minecraft world. A massive influx of sensations and a trace of fatigue returned to his body, though it only left him feeling slightly tired.
Inside the specially constructed banquet hall of the naval base, a round table was laden with delicacies made from fantasy ingredients, piled like mountains of rare cuisine. Knowing that Laffey liked drinking, Raize also placed wines brewed from fantasy ingredients onto the table for her.
Laffey was happily enjoying the food her Commander had prepared. Several Manjuus stood nearby like diligent waitstaff—whenever Laffey wanted a particular dish, they would carry it over for her, and some even poured drinks for her.
Raize was busy serving food to the Manjuus. The little fellows had all grown noticeably plumper after eating and drinking their fill, round and adorable to look at.
Laffey's alcohol tolerance was truly impressive. After downing several bottles of specially brewed liquor, she showed no signs of drunkenness at all—her only change was that her small face had turned rosy red.
"Commander, you eat too."
Even while eating and drinking heartily, Laffey would still pick out vegetables or meat for Raize, sometimes even lifting the chopsticks herself to feed him.
Raize took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. Sitting beside Laffey like a parent fussing over their own child, he used a napkin to gently wipe away the bits of food clinging to her face.
Before long, Laffey had finished all the food and drinks on the table. The Manjuus began cleaning up the aftermath.
Satisfied and full, Laffey patted her completely flat, unbulging belly, then blinked her small eyes and looked at Raize as she asked,
"Commander, what should Laffey do next for you? Laffey is very strong, you know!"
She was eager to be of service to her Commander. Seeing Laffey raise her small pink fist to show how formidable she was, Raize simply smiled with gentle eyes.
There would be times when he and Laffey would fight together. Since there was nothing requiring immediate combat right now, it would be a good opportunity to test her actual fighting ability.
Raize wanted to see the strength of his shipgirl with his own eyes, so he spoke directly to her.
"There's no mission for you at the moment. You are my first shipgirl—would you let your Commander see how strong you are?"
"Mm… okay."
Laffey accepted her Commander's proposal without hesitation, and she was also very happy to be Raize's first shipgirl.
If other sisters were to appear in the future, then her position as the big sister would naturally be secured.
Raize brought Laffey to a large training ground built by the Manjuus. Along the way, Laffey was very curious about the sky above, which was composed entirely of block-like shapes.
He naturally explained things to her as they went. After learning that she was currently inside a small world, Laffey nodded her little head in understanding—though it was hard to tell whether she had truly grasped it.
The training ground they now stood in was even more spacious than a standard professional soccer field. Laffey looked around curiously, unsure of how her Commander planned to test her strength.
Raize intended to observe Laffey's combat personally and assess her capabilities with his own eyes. As for what he would use to test her, it certainly would not be himself.
If he fought her personally, Laffey would definitely hold back out of fear of hurting him. Therefore, Raize had prepared a creature with some real strength to test his shipgirl.