But her understanding was too profound, so profound that Raize was extremely uncomfortable. His heart, not yet fully open to anyone except Nep, was highly sensitive to such blunt and undisguised behavior.
Last time, only the mature form of Sei had managed to do so with her sacred and all-embracing stance.
It wasn't that Friedrich was inferior to Sei; it was just that opening his heart more deeply to another person was beyond Raize's current emotional capacity.
If Raize hadn't met Sei, Friedrich would have needed only a little time to enter deeper into his heart. But that path had already been walked and blocked by a god.
Attempting to replicate what Sei had achieved back then was undoubtedly impossible.
"..."
Faced with Friedrich, who exuded a maternal presence as tangible as reality and smiled with open arms toward him, Raize's mouth twitched, unsure of what to say. He was very bad at dealing with Friedrich and didn't know what to do.
So he cast a pleading look toward Bismarck beside him.
Bismarck averted her eyes from Raize's gaze, pulling her military cap down as if she couldn't see.
If the Commander wasn't good at handling this, did she think she was any better at dealing with this Friedrich?
"Phew! Finally done training; time to rest."
Suddenly, the office door opened, and a voice full of tsundere undertones sounded, breaking the awkward and unusual atmosphere in the room.
A flicker of displeasure passed through Friedrich's golden eyes as she glanced somewhat reluctantly at Raize, who had already turned his attention to the three shipgirls entering the room.
Her child was somewhat sensitive but didn't dislike her, so he certainly wouldn't refuse her—Friedrich knew this.
If she waited just a little longer, Raize definitely wouldn't openly reject her to her face, but now it was interrupted.
"Huh! Everyone's here, and... the Commander in person!?"
Raize's most familiar Laffey was happily drinking a beverage, her clothes loose and sloppy, exposing her slender, fair shoulders.
Behind her was another shipgirl from the Iron Blood faction, wearing a seemingly gentle smile on her face—especially upon seeing Raize in person, her smile deepened, and a faint, more fanatical gleam flickered in her beautiful eyes.
However, upon noticing Friedrich der Große in the room, who seemed slightly displeased, it slowly faded away.
The girl had tea-colored shoulder-length hair, Iron Blood mechanical accessories on her head, and light pink eyes that appeared particularly gentle. Her slightly round, delicate face was full of a mild and warm smile.
She wore the same black military uniform as Friedrich and Bismarck, which looked especially high-quality. The ultra-short, body-hugging skirt paired with her curvy figure made her appear especially alluring.
Iron Blood Priority Heavy Cruiser—Roon.
One of the two shipgirls from Raize's first phase of research. The other was a Royal Navy shipgirl, likely still training and not back yet.
"The Commander in person~ You've been using clones to deal with us all this time; how insincere."
A voice full of the signature tsundere Kugimiya-style voice spoke up. Laffey and Roon, along with the remaining shipgirl, made their presence known.
Standing beside Laffey, she appeared petite in stature but surprisingly mature.
And though this shipgirl looked somewhat young, she exuded a strongly seductive aura.
Her attire was even bolder and more eye-catching than Laffey's sloppy clothes.
She wore a black bikini top with a bright red bow, accentuating her modest yet noticeable curves.
Her waist was wrapped in white and black leather, showcasing its slender, easily-grasped graceful curve.
Beneath the pure white and overly short lace skirt were black thigh-high stockings and high-heeled leather boots, with a hint of black faintly visible.
On her porcelain-like tender face, her silver-white twin ponytails and crimson eyes revealed a little devil-like flair.
Royal Navy Elite destroyer—Vampire.
Upon seeing Raize, the young girl widened her crimson eyes, stepped closer to examine him, and sensed him briefly, confirming this was the Commander in person.
Within the port, the other Raizes they'd seen were all shadow clones.
"Commander~ my Master~ Since it's really you, let me taste your blood as compensation for never seeing your real body."
"As a Commander, not properly accompanying your shipgirls is quite unqualified of you~"
Vampire wore a coquettish smile, grabbing Raize's hand and speaking in a cutesy, spoiled tone.
She even seductively stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, her scarlet eyes flickering with a wine-red glow.
"Little devil acting all grown-up!"
Raize laughed and scolded, skillfully freeing his hand from her grasp and placing it on her head to mess up her hair.
He already knew Vampire's personality. Though she had a tsundere voice, her personality wasn't shy at all. As a destroyer, she possessed a little devil-like seductive aura.
She was almost the opposite of a certain equally ridiculously mature little swan.
Against Vampire's little offensive, if you showed shyness or retreated, she'd only become more pushy.
And sure enough, Raize's actions immediately broke the little devil's act.
"You think I'm a kid? ...Ah, feels so nice and ticklish. Huh, already done?"
Vampire's delicate face showed an enjoying expression, but her tone was petulant.
Though Raize seemed to be ruffling her hair messily without restraint, he had honed his petting skills on Scarlet long ago. Vampire only felt a pleasant tingle, and when Raize stopped, she even seemed a bit reluctant.
"Hey, Commander, I'll show you my panties! Keep serving me, the great lady!"
Though Vampire had a little devil aura and personality, she also had the recklessness typical of a child. Under Laffey's flat gaze and the sharp looks of other shipgirls, she actually lifted her already short skirt, openly revealing her black, mature panties.
"..."
Under the sharp gazes of the other shipgirls, would Raize dare to look?
The answer was: he actually did, since Vampire's move was sudden, and not seeing it was impossible.
Regarding Vampire's fanservice, Bismarck and Friedrich expressed strong dissatisfaction, Nevada was indifferent, Cheshire thought that if the Commander wanted to see, though she'd be shy, she could do it too—
As long as it was just her and Darling, with no one else around.
As for Roon, with Friedrich here, any opinions and dissatisfaction she had couldn't be openly shown.
---
"Raize, the final music and voice acting for the galgame 'Dies Irae' are all set. But... can a game like this from our company suddenly become popular?"