An average among specials

by Dasmara

...Have I ever imagined how this war looks like through the eyes of the ship girls? Our commanders? No, I saw this war, experienced it, lived through it in this normal human body of mine, with average natural talent, equipped with rifle in hand as I battled the Sirens...How long will I survive in this war? Don't know, but I'm down for the ride to the end, one way or another.

19. Throwback and babysitting

"Alex…You are alive…" Kallen said to me while she smiled as she cupped my cheeks with her hands.

"I am…You look well, Kallen" I said to Kallen while I smiled.

"So are you…Look at you, you're quite slender now. Quite muscular as well based on what I felt earlier…And you are a soldier now" Kallen said to me while she smiled before it faltered as she muttered the last part.

"…Something wrong?" I asked Kallen as I felt her hands leaving my cheeks.

"…Forgive me, Alex…I was just worried that you're possibly fighting the Sirens" Kallen said to me as she frowned.

"Not possibly, I am fighting the Sirens" I said to Kallen.

"…I never want you to get in danger, but it seems fate has other plans for you…" Kallen said to me while she smiled bitterly.

"Wallace, you know her?" Nelson asked me.

"She's my sister" I said to Nelson.

"Wallace? But your last name is Goldenbell…" Kallen said to me while she frowned.

"…It's a long story" I said to Kallen as I glanced to the side.

"Goldenbell? You mean that automobile enterprise? Huh?! You're one of them!?" Nelson asked me in surprised tone.

"Was" I said to Nelson.

"…And Wallace is not your real last name?" Nelson asked me.

"No, yes…It is my last name now, it's complicated and a long story" I said to Nelson while I frowned.

"We got time for you to explain everything, Alex…Please, tell me the truth…What happened since you left five years ago" Kallen said to me while she frowned.

…I can practically feel the expectant gazes coming from Kallen and Nelson…Should I tell them about everything? About what happened to me for the past five years? A part of me loathed the fact that I have to speak about this, this story, a story of me being at the bottom of society, a lowlife trying to survive against this world's cruel reality and what caused it…But I can tell that not telling anything won't get me anywhere, I will lose the trust that Nelson has in me, yet if tell the story I will definitely disappoint Kallen after not seeing her face for years…What should I do here? I am at a crossroad…No, there is no other way Alex…The truth will have to come out one of these days, right? You don't expect to be hiding them forever. It will catch up to me no matter how much I tried to hide it, like imagine you have a child in the future asking about your childhood? Would you lie to them? Adding another pile in the stack of lies that you've built over the years? Or just tell the truth and save yourself the hassle from doing so with pain in the future? I think…I have no choice…I'm knees deep already, let's get this over with…

We headed back for the ballroom, grab ourselves some food and drinks then we sat on the corner. Nelson and Kallen sat in front of me, they watched me eating some drumsticks as I prepare myself to tell them everything…When I finished my meal, I started telling them everything, starting from my beginning in life for Nelson to catch up…I was born as Alexander Goldenbell, the third child of Thomas Goldenbell and Maria Goldenbell. I was birthed with the expectation of me being one of the people that will ensure the Goldenbell dynasty lingers on even in the far future, whether as a worthy heir or as one of its supporting pillars. However, I wasn't able to fill in that shoe…It is pretty clear from my early days of living that I do not possess the same talent as my older sibling does. My eldest brother, Terrence, is practically a handsome genius who can aced anything thrown at his way like a perfect human being. Kallen, in addition to her beauty, possess extremely beautiful voice and acting ability on par with the world's greatest actress. Me? Nothing, I am a waste that only consume fresh air and food. I am not godly handsome, I'm no genius, I do not have natural talent that stood out, I'm a useless baggage and the only reason my parents didn't kill me is because they couldn't do so without sparking a controversy.

As a toddler, I was primarily raised by the maids and the family butler. It's the same as my other siblings, my parents really have an offhand approach when it comes to raising the kids. They don't feel like parents, more like supervisor in charge of the house. But that might be because of my personal experience, they treated their other children quite differently compared to me. So, while my siblings were given the attention they need, I was often left in the hands of the maids or the butler. In a sense, they are a lot more like family to me than my own. However, they are doing it for the money, so I never really felt genuine attachment to them. Fortunately, I managed to grow up properly, without being malnourished or anything. As a small child, I was practically left to my own devices. They already knew that I don't have anything going for me, because Terrence shown his genius and Kallen shown how capable she could act during my age so they receive extracurricular class. Me? I was often adventuring through the vast back garden, getting my clothes dirty, searching for bugs, digging up lands in hope of finding treasures and even jumping into the pool to catch the fishes there…The maids said that I am quite handful as a child with my antics, but all of them commented that I'm what a child supposed to be, compared to my other siblings.

Then one day, I got lost in a sewer for half a day because I'm chasing rats. I cried as I unknowingly traversed the vast network of London sewers for so long, I even threw up several times until I get used to the smell. I also slipped and had to swam through thick sewage full of shite, I almost drowned due to how deep it was. I was saved by a maintenance worker who saw me when he's performing an inspection, he was baffled to say the least. I managed to get back home and to no one surprise, my parents know that I'm missing and didn't prompt for a wide area search. Only the maids alongside Kallen and our butler who quietly search for me after my parents reasoned that I'll be back before dinner, because food is the only thing I would never miss out for the world. When I returned home, the maids frantically scolded me as they cleaned me in the bath and my parents just expressed their disappointment and disdain because I act unbefitting of an aristocrat child…Needless to say, I grew some kind of trauma with sewers. Not that I hate them, I just find them unnerving especially with having to traverse through it because it brings back memories of that day.

…I grew up even more, now I'm old enough to go to elementary school. My siblings got to be schooled in an elite academy to be given the best education possible, me? Ha, just kidding, I went to the same school as they do but…well…to say I'm a problem child is putting it lightly. The teachers complained that I could absorb lesson properly, the problem is I don't have the drive to study. I am more interested in adventuring outside than sitting inside a classroom for hours, heck, even I ditched the class so I can play with the other naughty kids in the backyard despite it being school hours. I was often the candidate of staying behind after school due to detention, either getting lectured or writing an essay full of 'I'm sorry for blah blah blah' that my handwritings became quite polished. Unfortunately, I didn't get better with time. As a growing child, I crave for attention from my parents or anyone that cares and that often being my teachers. So, I made problems, vandalizing school walls with childish painting, trespassing into the rooftops despite the dangers of falling down, skipping classes, pranking my fellow batchmates and even once getting caught by police because I got off school before school hours are over.

The thing is, this kind of shite only fly until you're done being a kid. It's not tolerable as a preteen, so I quickly stopped that behavior when I'm enrolled in middle school. Due to my ordinary grades however, I was not able to get into the same middle school as my siblings. Well, it's still the same academy, but I'm on the ordinary course that's reserved for the common folk. Unlike the rich boy I am, they grew up without silver spoon and they can be quite…harsh. I got into fight numerous times, just because I'm a Goldenbell and they didn't like a rich boy like me being around them. The teachers on this course were merciless, they have to rule with iron fist. I often got spanked by wooden rulers, my hands being the most targeted, I got my ears pinched, and even get shoes thrown at my face when I tried to escape…Due to all of that, I've become more of a quiet little guy who did his school work properly but not enough to excel at anything. I spent my time with reading anything but school material, there are lots of books on the library and encyclopedias being the my most often read. I learned a lot about the world from those books, even piqued my interest slightly in automotive.

One day, the Goldenbell Automobile Enterprise chief engineer had to stay over for several weeks on the mansion because he had to design a new vehicle to be used in a racing sport. I took interest in his work, often spending my time watching from the side on how he works. He asked me whether I am interested in automotive, I said that I do so he taught me the basics. He taught me how to maintain a car, how to change its wheels, to change its oil, he even let me drive few of the derelict cars that's about to be decommissioned with reasoning that any further damage won't matter since it'll end up in scrapyard anyway. It's also the time where my butler decided to mentor me in how to be a gentleman, he's quite strict but that did allow him to drill the lessons directly into my brain and made it a second nature for me to act like how he taught me. Aside from that though, when he had his days off, he would often bring me with him to the countryside. My other male siblings never shown interest in nature, and Kallen isn't exactly free with how many elite kids she had to meet most of the time. So, it ends up being me who follows him back to a little village outside Hastings, where he will take me to a survival training in the woods, even camping outside during my summer vacation.

The man taught me how to survive in the wild, how to fish, how to forage and even how to hunt with either bows, spear, guns or traps. To him, it is his vacation, I often just saw it as an extended learning course for me so I never really find the enjoyment in doing them. Still, I picked up a lot of important skills, even my stomach was trained hard because I have to consume a lot of things in the wild. He told me a lot of stories while we were outside in the nature, like how the nearby field used to be a massive battleground for the Battle of Hastings between the Royals and Iris Orthodoxy. They clashed for eleven hours, the longest direct battle in medieval history. I learned quite a lot, down to the strategy and tactics in use. He also once told me that because I never have any talents according to my parents, he wanted me to be a gentleman with a knowledge to survive anything thrown at my way. He told me that wealth would only do you good until you are robbed of them, and the true value of a man is proven in how he's able to survive in any situation…In a sense, I did forget some aspect of that lesson, with how I almost give up several times before.

Hang on, I'm with him so much as a child, why can't he help me when I'm at my lowest point? Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after I entered high school. Our butler was poisoned by someone who tried to assassinate my father, he took the brunt of it because he tastes tasted the lunch he's about to deliver, to make sure it's up to standards. That end up being his demise, his loss made quite an impact to me who saw him as this invincible survivalist outside of his job being a butler. This was the guy who once ingested poisonous berry and lived! And he died because of a poison?! I remembered hearing the doctor who did the autopsy concluded that he died because of Tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin, most likely extracted from a puffer fish. Throughout investigation pointed toward the cook as the perpetrator, he was arrested on the spot…But thanks to that, I was left with no mentor, as the new butler is quite an elitist and he hated me. But fortunately, Kallen paid more attention to me during this time period, she's grown up enough to manage her own schedule so she does have plenty of time to talk to me. She acted like a proper sister when it's just the two of us, but she'll give me the cold shoulder in public or in front of our family…It's a façade she has to keep, if she wants to continue interact with me without outside interference. That being said, it doesn't free me from being compared to everyone every damn time.

Kallen have grown into a beautiful young woman, many young men or even some adults sought her hand in marriage. I don't know how Kallen always managed to get away from those marriage proposals, both arranged and not, but she was quite elusive in dodging their advances. She was the school Madonna, everyone from the elitist to the common folk knew who she is…and that unfortunately got me in a pretty tough spot as her little brother. I was quite fat at this time, overweighted enough to make my body puffy but I'm not obese that I have troubles doing everyday activity. And, the bullying started. The boys bullied me because of my physique and some did because my sister rejected them so they take it out on me, the girls who are jealous of my sister's popularity picked on me and spread rumors as me being a perverted creep who gets off by smelling girls' BO. Needless to say, I was soon becoming the school's public laughing stock and punching bag. I don't want to trouble Kallen so I kept quiet about the ordeal, fortunately the elite part of the school was a closed society that those in public division has little chance to glimpse into.

…I endured for two years, but Kallen eventually noticed that something has gone wrong. Some of her friends spilled some info on the bullying to her that she ended up pulling me to the side when we returned home one day, and she confronted me about the bullying directly. I dodged at first, but she's quite persistent so I give in. I told her everything, how I was bullied for two years. I was physically manhandled, my stuffs were vandalized, my reputation was utterly in ruin. Not helping that I once confessed to a girl that I like her, only for her to buy into the rumors and publicly shamed me for it…I admit to Kallen that I was contemplating the noose more than I'd like to admit, I had enough with everything. At that rate, I'll turn into a complete good for nothing and I better off dead. With no knowledge on what I can do, no support from family outside Kallen and no friend around to keep me on my feet. I was utterly lost, confused, and committing suicide seems to be the only easy way out. Kallen hugged me tightly that day, she gave me a long hug as she cried silently. Her little brother has suffered so much without her knowing anything, she apologized to me that she's not a good sister. But I told her that there's nothing to forgive, she still took time to talk to me, to hug me, to show me familial love and that is loads better compared to what the others did which is jack shite.

Kallen told me to never give up and endure slightly longer, at least until I graduate from high school. By then, she would already graduate ahead of me and she had saved up some money. She told me that when the time comes, she'll give me that money so I could get away from Goldenbell family, to go anywhere I want to start a fresh life. She can't be free from the family with how many chains it has on her, but she could at least ensure my freedom when the time arrives. Originally, she planned to do that herself. But she saw how much I endured, how long I persevere with my situation, and she deemed me as the fitting one between us to escape from this hellhole. She still got it good; I was treated like garbage almost every time so it's a no brainer, really. As good as how that plan sounded, shite hit the massive fan several weeks later. A massive scandal spread across the school that Kallen is a whore behind her popularity, she slept with teachers to get better grades, popular with boys because she'll have sex with them if they pay up and rumored to be seen on a compensated date with older men. Safe to say, Kallen was hit pretty badly with this accusation. Her popularity instantly vanished and she's treated the same way I do, except without the violence part. She was shunned as a slut, and boys at school started hitting on her for sexual favor.

I know better than them, Kallen is an outstanding student with good grades because she studied properly, she is popular with boys because of her looks alongside her killer body, and she accompanied few older men because those men are close ally to Goldenbell and they asked for her input regarding a couple of things or discussing business ventures. Kallen talked to me about that incident, she swore to God that her hymen is intact and she had never kiss anyone before…I believed her with all my heart. Fortunately, Kallen does have a few genuine friends backing her up, they defended her and tried their best to quell the rumors. One of the jocks though, conspired to make them his personal bitch. I heard he'll sedate Kallen and her friends, blackmail them not to say anything and will gradually turn them into sex slave to serve his cock or something. Him having access to school infirmary's supply of sedatives alongside thralls willing to do his bidding made his plan a guaranteed threat, but the moment they threaten Kallen like that? They earned my fury, for I marked them for a good beating...or death.

Snitching is not an option; the teachers won't do shite because it's me so I have to do it myself. Me never fighting back all this time doesn't mean I don't know how to fight; I can hold up pretty well against a beatdown and I know exact spots to murder someone thanks to me reading encyclopedia. But I'll be real, even I won't survive a fight against that jock and his underlings unscathed. So, with no time to prepare extensively, I made a plan to ambush them just as they about to act. Handheld camera is already a common thing by this point, so I 'borrowed' one from photography club, grabbed a bow alongside several arrows from archery club, grabbed a bag of flour and a kitchen knife from the cooking club. They blabbered that they'll call for Kallen to the school backyard where they will ambush her and her friends. Too many bushes and trees though, a perfect ground to ambush the ambusher. I stalked the group like I would hunt animals, and sure enough, Kallen and her friends did come with her saying to the jock that his threats are not funny in the slightest. I captured the moment with the camera after ensuring that Kallen talked a bit with the jock, then I prepared myself for the sacrifice…because I'm surely going to jail for this.

I drew my bow that's equipped with arrow before I launched it toward the jock, it hit him in the neck and surprised everyone on site. I gave the other three boys the same treatment before I leapt out of the bush, howling in rage with a knife in hand, they charged at me for wounding the other boys but I stood my ground. I dispersed the flour inside the bag in front of them, creating a cover where I could charge toward them while hacking blindly with my knife. I remembered that I wounded several of them before the commotion attracted the teachers and some students…One thing led to another, I ended up on the police station interrogation room with cuffs on my hands. I explained everything, including giving hard evidence with the photo I've taken, eyewitness account, and Kallen alongside her friends' testimony. It took several days until I was cleared up, but the jock I shot? He ended up in coma after losing too much blood, the other three managed to survive somewhat. I was under the charge for multiple assault, but my father's influence with the police managed to get me free from trouble. However, that was the turning point in life for me.

My parents were extremely furious at me for threatening their very empire, so despite what I've done and the reason for doing so? They casted me out from home immediately, without the slightest chance for me to pack my bag or say good bye to Kallen. So, I left London, just like that…The next part is where Kallen and Nelson listened even closely for its what fills the gap. After being casted out like that, I walked around London for a while to prepare. I sold my watch and get an overcoat for myself so I got something to cover me when it's hot or too cold, then I was left with just enough money to go outside London and that's how I ended up in Birmingham. With no way for me to get a job because I'm still a student and part time job won't accept me without my parents' approval, I ended up homeless as a bum. I wandered into a particular alley one day and that's how I met a community of hobos, they welcomed me and gave me a spot alongside some disassembled cardboard boxes as a rugged shelter. I stayed there for a few days, learning from them how to survive in the streets and they told me that I could always return here if I don't know where to go. Cardboard doesn't make a decent shelter against rain, there are no blankets, no shower, no food or water except from scavenging the trash. But hey, at least during the night we'll create a dumpster fire in a barrel so it's quite warm.

Aside from survival, some did teach me further on the art of stealth and crime alongside the street rules so I can keep myself safe. They told me how to compose myself when I'm lying, they taught me on how to pick locks, how to blend into a crowd, how to steal from a store without a trace except for the missing items, how to avoid guard dogs though this is pretty hard to do and even telling me not to be ashamed in begging if I need to survive. I honestly contemplated on living in the woods, but I thought it over because at least in the city you'll get a proper burial if you die. And…I honestly hoped that I'll get a glimpse of Kallen, so I can properly say good bye to her. I lived like that for a year, learning to appreciate kindness and generosity along the way. I'm by no mean arrogant, but living like that humbled me deeply that I could empathize with common people more than rich person. I even come to loathe a lot of them, but I really appreciate those who are willing to help out a poor sod like me. And then, I got caught stealing and thrown into jail for several months…all because I stole a candy.

As if the streets were bad enough, the jails were worse. You could at least live alone without disruption on the streets, not so much for jails. You're alone? You're an easy picking. Fortunately, I did make some 'friends' in there who listened to my story and pitied me. They were fellow people who only did petty crimes like me, so we grouped together and tried our best to hold out against the worser criminals inside the facility. We kept our head low and avoid trouble, it's the only way to survive. Due to my young age and good behavior, the warden listed me for a rehabilitation program, a second chance in life for people like me and it is state sponsored. In order to participate though, you'll need to be willing to discard your old life. You're allowed to have new names and clean slate, with the promise that you'll never repeat your mistake. I wholeheartedly agreed without a slightest doubt, and they told me to pick up a new name for myself. I decided to keep my first name, and I changed my last name to discard my only connection to that family…Wallace, the name means 'foreigner or stranger' which is fitting because Alexander Goldenbell is no more. In his place, is a stranger wearing his husk who return to society in order to live a new life.

Alexander Wallace participated in a three month's course rehabilitation, since my crime is petty enough that I won't need intensive monitoring or anything. They asked me what I want to do next and I decided that I want to be a functional member of society, I have some experience with machinery so I believe I can work in a workshop. However, they offered me a chance of going to a college sponsored by the government to polish hidden gems within people. I am considered one, so they offered me the chance. I took it and soon enrolled into a university on Cambridge where I started a new life, going to classes by morning and working at an automobile workshop on the afternoon. I did this for two years, keeping my head low, being a good citizen and doing my work properly. I rent a flat near my workplace, it's cheap, not exactly spacious, but it's home. Then, something happened. Basically, what happened next was caused by one bloke getting too nosey with my life.

He had a vendetta with me, thought that I'm an easy picking. This man thought he could make me his goffer, a typical rich bastard attitude. I couldn't exactly punch him in the face given my vulnerability as a reformed man under a rehabilitation program and sponsored by the state, I told him to fuck off and we can keep the peace between us. Alas, maybe he's gay for me which might explain his unhealthy obsession, but he brought his friends and caused trouble for me at my workplace. I can protect myself in self-defense, but in this case? I had to fight smart if I want to defend myself and not seen as the attacker. I goaded him into trying to attack me, once he landed his fist on my face, all restraints are off. He's the type that thought money would protect him from anything, sorry to say but when you talk shite? You better be able to take a hit. His fighting skills are nonexistent that I pacified the bastard with a single uppercut that broke his nose, his goons were easy picking as well especially with my workmates helping me in the fight. But that caused him to hire a private investigator, she stalked me for a while and gained every info she can get including by trying to hit on me in campus. So, he found out about my previous last name, what I've done and my current situation. He got one of his goons on the campus media club to publish it…that's how my second life was ruined.

I packed it up and left Cambridge, aimlessly wandering through Britain for months. I even told Nelson and Kallen on the story of me meeting the noble lady and had sex with her, the one nightstand that I'll never forget not because how awesome it was, but because of the potential fallout. Then war with Crimson Axis started, they started a military draft and I'm on the right age and physique to be included in them. Yup, that's how I got picked up by the military. Before my transfer to Azur Lane military, I was thrown into Royal Navy bootcamp to be trained as a marine. With my experience as survivalist, shooter during hunting, experience in close ranged fights and the devil may care attitude because frankly I got nothing more to lose? I was fast tracked to a specialized sniper class. The instructor noted how I already know how to stalk a prey, knowing how use stealth and know how to shoot a gun. My training wasn't as difficult as the others because I already knew some aspect of the training yet I need to put in a great effort to not fail the class, because of that the instructor paid special attention to me. He expected me to be the top of the class, and that's how I came to hate expectations. Still, I did what he wanted me to do and that got Gordon's attention. I completed the basic training and the sniper course, then I was shipped off to fight on Iris.

My first battle is near the Ardennes Forest, we had to push back Ironblood mechanized infantry unit from breaching our defense line. I was assigned to Agincourt Platoon as a marksman, and I had to fight for real this time instead of shooting dummy targets. I lined up my reticle with an Ironblood rifleman before I popped his head with my scoped Lee-Enfield, the bullet was lodged between his eyes and the man fell down with blood spurting out of his head. That's my first kill as a soldier, out of twelve other kills I made in that short skirmish alone. After the twentieth kill during the battle, I became used to the deed. There is no more hesitation when I pulled the trigger, no more nervousness when I lined up my reticle onto someone. All I need to do is to aim, shoot, reload and repeat. It's either me or them, and knowing that I got nothing more to lose, I decided to fight with all I got. If I die? So be it, but before that, they're going to have to put in their best to bring me down. It's the only proper way out of this world, but back then I didn't make it so obvious because of my position as marksman.

Then come Dunkirk where I got wounded by a grenade and a bayonet in close quarter, that got me a premium ticket into evacuation ship instead of holding the line for the others. I spent several weeks in the hospital, recovering from my injuries before I rejoined Agincourt Platoon to be deployed on African campaign. I thought Ardennes was nothing compared to the fight in Africa, because Ironblood was quite relentless over there. Not helping with the fact that I have to fight on the desert, which I never saw until that day. The scorching heat, the whizzing bullets and the explosions? I think I could immediately picture them if I close my eyes, it left such an impression to me…I have been shot by man, tanks and planes in the first two weeks into the fight. We're losing grounds with Ironblood's relentless pushes and it didn't take long for our frontline to break, we were told to systematically retreat west. That was the plan, before my battalion got ambushed in an Ironblood pincer attack while pinned down from the sky by Luftwaffe…I was the only survivor, me alone, surviving an attack that killed hundreds other people.

I played dead until the Ironblood tanks, halftracks and aircrafts clear the scene. They didn't seem to worry about any survivor, given the absolute carnage of what befell my previous battalion…The order is clear, head west and rendezvous with the survivors. So, I searched the convoy for a functioning car, and found a truck still in good condition. The only reason why it's there was because the driver is shot dead from the side. I spent around two and a half days scrounging up supplies like food, water, ammo and fuel from the remains around me. I put them in whatever available containers, stuffed them onto the back and drive off to the west. I was driving peacefully for around three days before a patrol spotted me and decided that I'm an easy prey, so they intercepted me. Bad decision, for I am a survivor with a very short fuse at the time. I pretend to stop, but I was just reaching for the PIAT on the shotgun side and then blasted the jeep clean thus killing the lone patrol. I looted their bodies and car wreckage for supplies, even grabbing their radio despite not understanding much of German language. Still, I know much more words of it compared to other language especially when it concerns military language. I also grabbed their map; thanks to that I found their outpost.

Supplies were running thin quickly, I got to find as much as I can and if that means raiding an Ironblood outpost by my lonesome? So be it. This outpost that I'm targeting located a bit on the far side than their forward base, it's basically a supply drop off point for their patrols. I parked the truck close, just behind a big mound of sand and recon the place. If I remember correctly, there's around ten guards armed with MP40s and some with Kar98k. However, I can't snipe them off without sounding an alarm and risk having an entire Ironblood QRF ganging up on me, so the only option is to secure it…with stealth. I waited until nightfall, then I sneaked into the outpost. I slitted their throats open, popped their hearts with my knife edge and snapped their necks. It took me ten minutes, but I secured the outpost by myself. I brought the truck inside, loaded it full with supplies and drove off into the dark…I continue the journey until fate decided to throw a massive fuck you into my face. I was spotted by an aerial patrol, and strafed like a farm rat on harvest day. The truck busted, but I'm alive. Playing dead once again was the only way for me to survive, but at a cost. I was captured by the responding patrol, and brought back to another outpost.

I was interrogated on everything, including how they found tons of Ironblood supply at the back of my truck. I kept my silence, it reminds me of school days for a bit so that's what I did. Eventually they were fed up with my persistence that they planned to kill me off and feed my body to the coyotes, which failed because I managed to unlocked the handcuff holding me. I fought tooth and nail through so much Ironblood soldiers, using whatever weapons I could get my hands on, got shot in the left calve and one of them tore a chunk of my back with a shovel…but I lived, wounded but alive. I patched myself as best as I could, packed a jeep with supplies and continue west. But now, the Ironblood African Command noticed that two of their outposts has gone dark. Based on the radio chatter, they are sending investigation teams. It didn't take long before they got wind of me, which forced me to travel at night with almost no visibility since their aircraft were buzzing in the sky. I can't keep getting away however, the jeep I'm using quickly ran out of fuel and supplies that I packed weren't enough to last all the way to West African Coast…I need to raid my hunters for their supplies.

So, I prepared a trap for them, I purposely left a track for them to follow and set up an ambush on some remote Saharan canyon. Sure enough, a squad managed to track me down and walked into the trap. I used the desert mirage to conceal my position from my pursuer, observing their movement before greeting them with grenades, rockslide and automatic MP40 fire which easily murdered the entire squad. After looting their supplies, I stole their truck that has supplies and bolted out of the area…Finally, after three weeks on the run, I reached Morocco which is in control of Iris Libre. Azur Lane was baffled when they found me, my skin had sun burn spots, with pus covered wounds due to bad hygiene, thin body from lacking food, severely dehydrated and shambling like a zombie once I got off the jeep that I'm using…But I was goddamn happy when I saw allied soldiers approaching me, I was so happy and relieved that I collapsed there and then, my body finally caved in from the weeks of survival it has endured.

…I woke up around three days later, on the military hospital at the city of Rabat. They treated me very well, they feed me good food, give me a private room and even the nurses serving me were cuties. One of the Azur Lane higher ups, I think his name is Raymond, asked me regarding what I've experienced. I told him everything, every single detail that I could remember. He was quite skeptical at first, until I mentioned that I'm from the battalion that perished during an ambush on southern Libya. He noted my words, congratulated me for surviving all of that and offered his deepest condolence to me. Then he mentioned that High Command want to debrief me personally so I'll be following him back to London, once I can stand on my own. It took a week before I'm cleared from the hospital, I still need to continue with the treatment of my back and calve injuries but at least it's on the recovery phase now. With that out of the way, Raymond and I flew to London through Spain.

It was the first time I stood in front of generals and admirals, testifying regarding what I said to Raymond and describing the ambush in further detail. They also asked how I survived through two outposts and Ironblood pursuers by myself, and I actually received Purple Heart and Africa Star for all of that. After confirming my story and getting all the information they could get from me, they promoted me to Lance Corporal and gave me a month rest before transferring me to another unit. I was transferred to Gordon's unit, and that's the start of my service within Phobos Platoon. Being an experienced marksman and in stealth recon, Gordon often relied on me for target identification or assassination and intel gathering. That only lasted for short while however, as Sirens finally revealed their fangs to the world and our target swiftly changed. Now, we're going to war with aliens. I was honestly anxious the first time I heard the news, but I heard they bleed…If something bleeds, it can be killed, so that eased me a bit regarding if I can kill them or not.

It didn't take long for me to encounter the Serpents, a huge load of them were trying to set up a base on Scotland and that's where we first fight them. Intel about them were still obscure at this time, we practically know nothing about them other than their inhumane form and advanced technology. One of the reasons why Daedalus Squad was split and thrown into a recon mission to observe them, we need to know more about them. I got to see how the Serpents acted, their habits and even their hissing language somehow. There is information that have been gathered by other recons and serve as our base of judgment, so our reconnaissance back then is mostly to confirm what we already know. Still, the time comes and we battled them in a straight on fight. I can still remember vividly on how their energy weapons rained upon us, the heat it produced as it barely missed your face, their screech as they charged while carrying their short sword and even their savage close quarter fighting with their claws and bites…It is scary to fight something so alien in close range, but that shown me that they can be beaten. All you need is the courage to face them and the smarts to not just shoot them in the face, because while not at genius level, they can think, they can strategize, and with no understanding of their language? Yeah, we won't know how they think.

Still, we did manage to understand some basic aspect of their behavior. Their hearing sucks but they got quite an eyesight, so they can be quite keen in noticing you. That means they can easily be flanked, but hiding from them in plain sight is very hard to do. But that can be mitigated by remaining completely still, their eyes pick up movement faster than difference in environment and they tend to ignore a lot of things if they didn't move. We don't understand why, but it works in our favor so far. After my encounter on Scotland where I got shot by an energy bolt to the stomach, we were deployed to Greenland where intel suggested that Serpents tried to build another base over there. The battle is underway by the time we arrived; this is the time where my sniping skill was truly tested. Most of the engagements with those monsters happened in medium range, we got armor and air support but the infantry was bogged in trench warfare as we sieged their base. It's extremely short for a siege, only lasting around ten days. Those ten days, were filled with gunshots and cannon fire. You really have to be too tired in order to sleep peacefully, Azur Lane brought all the munitions they can ship to the front.

The new base that they constructed were destroyed from nonstop shelling, their reinforcement got taken down pretty easily with how ferocious our air force was. But all of that were a preparation for us, because New York was attacked and urban warfare with those creatures are a nightmare. They can climb buildings, their hover tanks are unhindered by debris most of the time, their aerial transport easily pinned our soldiers to cover and their own KANSENs made the battlefield a living nightmare. That fight was so intense, I can't believe how easy it was for the media to downplay the whole thing. That fight though, it changed my outlook in life. Because that's where I first meet the KANSENs, fighting on the ground with their support from the sea. I witnessed their prowess in obliterating Sirens, how their ship grade guns tore apart anything that stood in the way, how their physical strength allows them to reign supreme in close range fight. On New York, they are like super heroes in our eyes and we did everything in our power to pull our weight so we won't trouble them much. I realized then that KANSENs are the key to winning the war with the Sirens, thus I become protective of them…fully realizing they might not need my help most of the time.

That didn't stop me from doing just that, but I didn't really have the chance to prove my resolve because the ship girls were confined to the waters most of the time during Battle of New York. When we were deployed to Caribbean, we also didn't get the chance to fight alongside one directly. But that's all it took for me to believe in that way of thinking, and I'm ready to lay down my life if that's what it takes to save a KANSEN from being doomed. We fight in Caribbean for some time, squaring off against another Siren forces when an order came down straight from the top. Don't know who issued them specifically, but our unit were redeployed to Point Azure on the pacific theater. We thought it's some kind of backwater facility, turns out it's the primary KANSEN base. Everyone is stationed there, a massive alliance from everyone around the world, with one clear goal in mind, to fight as unified force. That's where I work and live now, a place that I can call home…at least for now.

"…That was basically it. That summarized everything…" I said to Nelson and Kallen.

"…Alex…Y-You have been through so much, so much! You've been sent to hell over and over again…yet it shows no signs of ending…You managed to escape Goldenbell, but thrown into even worse situation out there…" Kallen said to me in low tone as tears running down her cheeks.

"Well, at least I'm doing the best I can, sis…" I said to Kallen as I smiled reassuringly.

"I-I want to help you, Alex. Tell me, is there anything I can do to ease your burdens?" Kallen asked me as she grabbed my right hand with hers.

"Heheh…Seeing you is enough help…I honestly thought I'll never be able to see you again, Kallen. But here we are, and that's more than enough. I feel at ease knowing you're fine and well" I said to Kallen while I smiled.

"…You don't have to continue with this kind of work, Alex. I can help you find safer and well-paying job; I can get a friend of mine to hire you for office work" Kallen said to me while she looked at me seriously.

"Your thoughtfulness really makes me happy, Kallen…But I can't…I found my calling. This work, is the best I can do. After knowing what's threatening our survival out there? I can't just quit and pretend I never been involved; the guilt will not allow me to…I've shed blood, I've bled, I've killed, I don't really fit for normal society anymore, Kallen. I'm a soldier, trained to fight and it will be a complete waste not to put the result of those training at the right place" I said to Kallen.

"Even though you are conscripted? You don't owe the military anything, Alex" Kallen asked me while she frowned.

"This isn't about being indebted, Kallen. It's about knowing what's out there, and knowing I'm one of the people standing in the front to protect the people who can't fight for themselves…Is it wrong being a soldier?" I asked Kallen.

"No, it's not wrong…It's just…I finally meet you after all these years, and you still haven't stop from suffering. I just want you to live your life happily, Alex" Kallen said to me while she frowned deeply.

"Hey, it's not like I'm always suffering 24/7 around the clock, Kallen. It's fine…Despite my work, I've been paid well, I got friends and finally got my life in order again…It's my third chance and I'm making full use of it, not to mention that I'm feeling much more alive now than I did in the past twenty years…Kallen, I understand that you are worried for me. I can't guarantee you that I will be fine, but I have skillsets that could be fully used as a soldier…I don't intend to do this forever, but right now? With our situation? I belong in the front. And even if I quit? Can I rest easy at night knowing that there are people fighting for our survival out there? Sleeping soundly in my bed, deep behind the frontline while fully knowing there are people bleeding and fighting out there, who I could help with my skills?" I asked Kallen while I frowned.

"Alex…" Kallen called my name in soft tone.

"I'm a marksman, sometimes a sniper. I am entrusted with the job of long-range shooting, information gathering and overwatch…I could save my fellow soldiers by taking out threats from long range, the information I gathered could help in planning a strategy, my overwatch could help the others traversing the battlefield without having to fight every inch of the way…It might not be much, but I could make a real difference to those around me in the front. That's what I've been trained for, Kallen. Can I use that for office work? Hardly…" I said to Kallen while I frowned.

"…Hah…Seems there's nothing I could say that could change your mind, Alex" Kallen said to me after she sighed.

"I'm sorry…You can't" I said to Kallen, no way I'm quitting with Nyx's vision haunting the back of my mind!

"…Alright…You're an adult now, you must've thought this whole thing through…I can't stop you…But Alex, I want you to know, that if you can't go on, I'll be here to help you. If you ever in a pinch, I will help you out to the best of my abilities…Don't forget that" Kallen said to me while she smiled slightly.

"I won't" I said to Kallen as I nodded.

"Good…So, who you might be? Are you his girlfriend?" Kallen suddenly asked Nelson!

"W-Wha?! N-No, I-I'm not!" Nelson said to me as her cheeks reddened.

"Oh, is that so, I thought you two are an item. My apologies for assuming" Kallen said to Nelson while she smiled.

"I-Its fine…" Nelson said to Kallen.

"Uh, I believe I haven't caught your name. Are you a KANSEN, by chance?" Kallen asked Nelson.

"Eh? How did you know?" Nelson asked Kallen as her eyes widened.

"I happen to spot you mingling with the other KANSENs like old friends, so I instantly thought that you might be one" Kallen said to Nelson while she smiled.

"You saw Nelson that early? You must've also saw me then" I said to Kallen while I folded my arms.

"Indeed. I saw you having dinner, and even how you dealt with that one rude gentleman" Kallen said to me.

"And it took you that long to approach me?" I asked Kallen while I cocked my eyebrows.

"Sorry, I was so in disbelieve that I could finally see you again. You've changed so much that I have my doubts when I saw you for the first time, but when I heard your voice? I instantly knew that you're my dear little brother…" Kallen said to me while she smiled softly.

"And you haven't changed a bit, still as beautiful and charming" I said to Kallen.

"Ahaha, thank you. When did you become such a smooth talker, Alex?" Kallen asked me while her cheeks reddened.

"Don't know when he picks up that habit, but it's quite dangerous" Nelson suddenly commented.

"Truly, I'm afraid he might lead a girl on one of these days" Kallen said to Nelson before she sighed.

Both of them started talking about the whole thing while I remained silent…Smooth talker? Am I categorized as one? Well, got to admit, I mostly use persuasion in other pursuit that is not romance. How many women would be under my influence if that's really the case? If I really try to? But nah, my face isn't going to be able to support that route. It's just slightly handsome to some people, and ordinary or scary to the rest, depending on who you ask…Hmm…Wait, isn't Nelson and Kallen getting along quite well? Both of them are currently talking about Kallen's job, since she's not the direct heir to the company, she's been doing a lot of side gigs on the theater. Huh, like I suspected, she's really diving into that world. I always figured Kallen would make it big with her acting and singing skills, she has almost complete mastery of her expression and voice tone after all.

"How's theater been treating you, Kallen?" I asked Kallen.

"Fun! So far so good, some even offer to sponsor a tour around the world! Last I talked with the manager, we got offer to perform on Eagle Union, Iris, Ironblood, Dragon Empery, Sakura Empire and even numerous other cities outside the major states between the two alliances!" Kallen said to me while she grinned.

"A chance to travel around the world without it being some business trip nonsense, you got to do what you love and travel around. Maybe you should take the chance, Kallen" I said to Kallen while I smiled.

"I'm planning to say yes, because there's also talk of moving our base from Britain" Kallen said to me while she smiled.

"Huh…That's it, that's your ticket out" I said to Kallen, that's her way out of the family.

"Well, it won't be so easy, I'm the only girl among my siblings. Father and mother even consider marrying me off already, especially now that I'm hitting twenty four" Kallen said to me as she leaned on her right hand.

"Ah…I forgot about them" I said to Kallen with my eyes half closed.

"…You know, technically, I can just get married and they'll be off my back. But they really want me to marry into another elite family, what if I fall in love with a commoner?" Kallen asked me while she pouted.

"Typical aristocrat family attitude, nothing more important than status and prestige huh…Well, any of those 'rich' people you found worthy of your time?" I asked Kallen while I frowned.

"Zilch. Even if there's one, I'm not sure his family will be as nice as him" Kallen said to me while she pouted.

"True…Maybe you should just run? Break away from everything and go somewhere you want. It's what you're trying to do before, right?" I suggested Kallen.

"…Maybe I could do just that, if this whole tour could go well…Ah, wait, Alex, you are stationed on Valencia? The one on the Azure Archipelago, right?" Kallen asked me.

"Yeah" I said to Kallen while I nodded.

"That's it! That place is basically a mix match of people from all over the place! Theater business would do very well over there!" Kallen said to me while she smiled widely.

"Hmm, I haven't heard a theater being so famous on Valencia. Maybe you can convince your manager to move there?" Nelson said to Kallen.

"I will certainly try to, Ms. Nelson. We might be able to see each other more often if we did, Alex" Kallen said to Nelson then me while she smiled.

"I wish you the best of luck for that" I said to Kallen while I smiled.

"…Miss Kallen, there you are. It is time for you to return home" A butler suddenly approached us before standing behind Kallen…I don't recognize him…

"Did my father told you to pick me up, Maurice? It's barely nine at night" Kallen asked Maurice…That bastard still put curfew on Kallen?

"Yes. Please do heed his words Miss Kallen, for both of us. You do know how strict he is with curfew" Maurice said to Kallen while he frowned.

"Hah…That old bag of dirt, why can't he realize that I am now a mature woman who knows what's right and wrong? Besides, what kind of twenty four years old woman being subjected to curfew?" Kallen grumbled as she stood up.

"You're going home huh?" I asked Kallen as I stood up alongside Nelson.

"Shame Mr. Wallace, but I have to. My father can be quite…demanding, when it comes to his daughter's safety" Kallen said to me while she smiled bitterly.

"Shame, I hope we can meet again, Ms. Goldenbell" I said to Kallen while I smiled.

"We certainly will, you are quite interesting man. Point Azure is where you're stationed at, am I correct?" Kallen asked me while she smiled.

"Yes, on Valencia" I said to Kallen while I smiled a bit.

"I'll be sure to write you something. Until then, farewell, Mr. Wallace" Kallen said to me while she smiled sadly.

"To you as well, Ms. Goldenbell" I said to Kallen while I smiled slightly.

Kallen waved at me slightly before she walked away with Maurice, she stole a glance at me just before she disappeared off the entrance and I nodded at her to reassure her. Then she's off, going back to the Goldenbell Mansion…I sat back down on my seat, massaging the bridge of my nose due to the slight headache because of what happened tonight…That's it, I really confessed everything, to Nelson, to Kallen. There's no going back from this. Nelson approached and sat beside me silently, she occasionally glanced towards me as if waiting for me to say something…What do I want to say? Telling her to forget everything and pretend this never happens? No way Nelson would accept that…No, the truth is out now. But I don't want anyone else to know about this…except my close friends…Maybe they won't be so judgmental on the story, that as a teen I acted like that and almost killed people. That I'm a thief who got sent to prison before, that I'm such a failure…

"…Alex?" Nelson called me by name.

"…Yeah?" I asked Nelson as I turned my head towards her.

"In my eyes, you are the strongest person that I know, more so than the ship girls…You are a survivor, you are a hard worker and you are very brave…I respect you for that" Nelson said to me while she smiled reassuringly.

"…Don't put me on pedestal, Nelson" I said to Nelson in low tone.

"I don't and I won't. Your story won't make me change on how I treat you…It just make me see you in different light, that's all" Nelson said to me while she smiled a bit.

"Are you sure that won't do anything? In the future?" I asked Nelson.

"Hey, people's view of you changes all the time, no matter how hard you try to keep up appearance. Life is not a flowing canal, it's a river with many branches…It might change my perspective, but you are still Alexander Wallace I know. I won't ever associate you with Goldenbell, because you are not Alexander Goldenbell...You are Sergeant Alexander Wallace, and you are my friend" Nelson said to me while she smiled as she rubbed my left forearm…

"…Alright…Just…don't tell everyone on Point Azure about this" I said to Nelson while I smiled weakly.

"I won't…But…what about our friends? I kind of feel it's wrong for me to hide this" Nelson asked me while she frowned slightly.

"…As long as they can keep it a secret, even from Ambrose and Nobuyuki…" I said to Nelson with serious tone.

"Done, I'll make sure of it…And I'll tell them to keep treating you like they usually does, alright?" Nelson asked me while she smiled.

"Yeah, sure…" I said to Nelson while I nodded.

"…It looks like the music will start again; people are back on the dance floor" Nelson commented as she stared at the people filling the dance floor.

"…Well, how about we join them?" I asked Nelson.

"I believe you can ask in a bit nicer way, Alex" Nelson said to me while she smirked a bit.

"Troublesome woman you are…Still, may I have this dance, my fair and beautiful lady?" I commented yet I stood up and offered my right hand as I bowed a bit.

"I thought you'll never ask" Nelson said to me while she smiled widely as she grabbed my hand.

We both walked hand in hand to the dance floor, mingling with the others who also want to dance. I put my right hand on her hip and my left hand gripping her right, Nelson put her left hand on my shoulder and we stood in silence until the music started. Then, we glided on the dance floor with a rehearsed and smooth set of movements. I still remember how to dance properly, me and Nelson are moving in harmony according to the music playing…Nelson kept staring at my face, it honestly made me self-conscious. Are my breath smells bad? My hair tugging out of my beret? Do I forget to clip my nose hair? Oh wait, I did shave before dressing up…So I stared back at her, looking at her straight in her crimson eyes…I never get a good look on them before, so I never noticed how red her iris are. They twinkle slightly, like a ruby being shined by a light…Eh? My heart's beating faster? Why? W-Well, I do find her beautiful so maybe I'm just subconsciously get excited that I'm dancing with a beautiful girl in my arms.

"…You can dance very well" Nelson said to me.

"Well…It's among the first thing that was relentlessly crammed into my head" I said to Nelson.

"Ufufu, no wonder you seem natural at it" Nelson said to me while she smiled.

"Yeah…" I said to Nelson.

"…I'm glad I brought you here with me" Nelson said to me while she smiled.

"You do?" I asked Nelson.

"Yes, truly. I get to know about you more, Alex" Nelson said to me.

"You've been calling me by my first name" I said to Nelson.

"You don't like it?" Nelson asked me as she raised her eyebrows a bit.

"Just curious about it" I said to Nelson as I shook my head.

"After that story, I felt more at ease with calling you by first name. It's your name ever since you were born…I want to acknowledge your efforts after all those times, that's why I'm calling you with your first name" Nelson explained to me.

"Ah now I see…It's fine, I'm not mad about it. Though it does makes us seems a bit closer than before, isn't it?" I asked Nelson.

"After what happened tonight, you just thought that we are getting closer?" Nelson asked me while she widened her eyes.

"Not exactly, I know we do. It's just that I fully realized that now…" I said to Nelson.

"Slowpoke" Nelson said to me while she smiled slightly.

"Heh, I can be one sometimes" I said to Nelson while I cringed.

…We fell in silence as the dance continues, both of us only staring at each other as we dance to the music…Suddenly, I got an impulse to kiss her lips yet I managed to hold myself back by yanking my mental rein…What the actual fuck, Alex? Are you so horny that you'll kiss your friend?! I don't want her to feel awkward if I do that! Hold your horses, you can beat your meat on the toilet later after this! I inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled to calm myself, I'll consider that kiss if Nelson and I becomes even closer. Right now, she's nothing more than a close friend to me…The music stopped, we let go of each other and I bowed slightly at her while she curtsied elegantly. Both of us decided to retire to our room after that dance, fortunately with smiles on our faces as we recount tonight's event…Nothing else interesting happened after that, we guided Vanguard's group and we flew back to Point Azure…That's it…

.

…So, two days after returning from London, Daedalus Squad is tasked to patrol the main compound. Well, it is business as usual, I guess…So far, no one among Phobos Platoon confront me about what really happened in London so Nelson kept her word. Still, I haven't seen her or my ship girl friends since yesterday, wonder if they talked about it…I stifled my yawn with my gloved left hand then checked my wristwatch, it's ten in the morning…Why am I yawning? Am I bored? Seems so, because I've been standing on this particular spot for around fifteen minutes now…staring at the endless sea in front of me, with occasional ships passing by…Ha, while I agree with the commanders' reasoning for special forces still being assigned guard duty, doesn't mean I don't find the activity boring on occasion…

BOOP!

"Aie!" I heard someone yelped from my left side after bumping into me.

I glanced to the left and saw a little girl, sitting on the snow while clutching some kind of rectangle object wrapped in a neat blue cloth. She has white hair, wearing some kind of maid headband, her adorable face scrunched up a bit in pain, her blue eyes staring at me and her lips curled a bit in a frown. She's wearing a thick white winter coat, and blue winter gloves…Wait a second, her face looks familiar…Where have I seen it before? No, who is her face resemble to? I knew she's the child of a ship girl from a glance, they do roam the base from time to time. But who? Umm, the KANSENs with white hair and blueish eyes…Enterprise? No, her eyes are on the purple side…Wait, maid headband? Is she Belfast's child? She's a mother? What?! This doesn't make sense! I heard that woman is workaholic, but she has a daughter?! Is she neglecting her? Wait, wait, I shouldn't jump on conclusion…

"Are you alright?" I asked the girl as I crouched and offered my hand.

"U-Um, yes. I am" The girl said to me politely as she took my hand and stood up.

"…You look familiar, have we met somewhere?" I asked the girl, let's see if she's going to spill the beans.

"Oh, I think not. But I think you met my mother?" The girl asked me.

"Ah, is your mother Belfast?" I asked the girl.

"Yes, she is. U-Um, my name is Little Bel. Y-You are?" Little Bel asked my name.

[Subject: Bella the Little Bel]

[Belfast's daughter]

"Name's Alexander Wallace" I said to Little Bel while I smiled…Bella? ANARIS already has info on her?

"Eh? You are Mr. Wallace!? Mother told me about you! She said you are a very dangerous man!" Little Bel said to me…OUCH!

"Um…Dangerous?" I asked Little Bel while I cringed.

"Yes, dangerous! But kind! She said that if I get in trouble, I could rely on you to help me!" Little Bel said to me while she smiled widely.

"Uh…That's quite the praise" What have you been telling her, Belfast?!

"So…I might need your help right now, Mr. Wallace…I walked around hoping to run into you" Little Bel said to me as she gripped on the box in her hands.

"My help? Alright, how can I help you?" I asked Little Bel, her mother really put a heavy expectation on me! Is this her way for revenge for that exercise?!

"Can you accompany me to find her? I asked everyone, but she's nowhere to be seen! I heard she's not away on missions, so where could she be?" Little Bel said to me while she frowned.

"You sure you asked everyone?" I asked Little Bel.

"Well, I asked my friends and the other big KANSENs. No one has seen her" Little Bel said to me while she frowned.

"Hmm…Alright then, let's try someone who might know" I said to Little Bel.

"Eh? You know someone?" Little Bel asked me as her eyes widened.

"Call it a hunch. Let's go" I said to Little Bel while I smiled.

Little Bel nodded enthusiastically, she gripped my left hand and both of us started walking. I have to match my speed with her since she's walking a bit slow…Okay, let's think about this. Belfast went missing, no one knows where she is, at least those that also know Little Bel…Doesn't that sounds like Belfast don't want to be found right now? Maybe she disappears on purpose, but why? I don't understand why would she leave Little Bel in the dark, she can at least give her some sort of clue on where she might be going. Hmm…Am I looking at things the wrong way? Well, I do need more information. Like, why would Little Bel try to find Belfast in the first place.

"Why would you want to meet your mother right now?" I asked Little Bel.

"I…just want to" Little Bel said to me while she frowned.

"Sounds like you're not being completely honest with me. There must be a reason, right?" I asked Little Bel.

"Um…Mother looks a bit sad this morning, then she suddenly disappears. So, I baked delicious cookies with Aunty Edinburgh. I want to give it to her; I want to see her smile again" Little Bel said to me as she stared at the pavement we walked on.

"Is that so…I'm sure she will appreciate your effort, Little Bel" I said to Little Bel while I smiled.

"Um! I hope so! Oh and, uh, you can just call me Bella, Mr. Wallace. I don't really want to be called-" Little Bel said to me while she smiled.

"Bella-chan!" We heard someone called Little Bel.

Bella and I looked back, we saw a brunette little girl with twin pig tails hairstyle? She wears a winter kimono, her face looks familiar too…Hmm, she has foxtails! That narrows it down! Judging from how she looks and coupled with her crimson eyes, is she Akagi's daughter?! Wait, she did mention being married at some point…I-I thought she was married recently! But it's been years that her daughter has grown this big? I'm so confused right now, who else among the KANSENs that have kids?! So far, I know Cleveland, Helena, Belfast and now Akagi. I was about to talk to her when I saw another brunette girl approaching us shortly behind Akagi's daughter, she also has foxtails and wears winter kimono but her eyes are purplish…Oh great, is she Amagi's daughter?! H-How come I ran into so many kids today?! Not to mention, discovering the fact that those women have children! It makes me wonder why outside Cleveland and Helena who I haven't talked to, why did they never mention that they have children? Also, the father, I didn't figure them to be a married woman. In case of Akagi, I understand, she lost her husband during an ambush. But what about Belfast? Amagi? ARGH! Maybe it's a sign I shouldn't pry too deeply…not sure I want to know the answer.

"Eh? Aki? Amai?" So that's their name.

"Where are you going? And who is this old man!? Hey, unhand my friend you pedo!" URGH! Getting accused of that really stabs where it hurts!

"Aki-chan! Don't just assume things!" Amai said to Aki while she pouted.

"That's right! He's helping me finding my mum! He's not kidnapping me!" Bella said to Aki and Amai.

"Oh, he has the face of one so I naturally thought so. Sorry~" Aki said to me while she snuck her tongue out…She is a brat…

"…Seems your friends are here" I said to Bella.

"Yes. What are you two doing?" Bella asked them both.

"We saw you walking, so I thought we should greet you. Until Aki assume you are being kidnapped, of course" Amai said to Bella while she folded her arms.

"Hey, kaa-sama always warn us not to trust some adults who want to take you somewhere! Or giving out free candy! Or telling you to get in a car! Or claiming knowing our kaa-sama!" …That is a good lesson to avoid kidnappers.

"Then there's nothing to worry, I asked for Mr. Wallace here to help me" Bella said to Aki.

"Help? With what?" Aki asked Bella.

"You really forget already? She said she want to find Belfast obaa-san" Amai said to Aki with half closed eyes.

"Ah! Then let's go help her!" Aki said to Amai while she smiled.

"Eh? You will?" Bella asked Aki.

"We don't have anything to do" Amai said to Bella while she smiled.

"That's why, we will go with you Bella-chan! On an adventure to find Belfast obaa-san!" Aki said to Bella while she grinned.

"…Let's go!" Bella said to Aki while she smiled widely.

"Where are we going, Wallace-san?" Amai asked me while she smiled.

"Follow me to the administration building" I said to Amai while I smiled slightly.

"Urk! He told us to follow him! He's a kidnapper after all!" Aki said to Amai as she latched on her with scared face.

"Hah…I'm not one, kid" I said to Aki as I sighed then facepalmed.

…How does it come to this? It's like I'm babysitting! And without pay! Oh well, let's get this over with. I walked alongside Bella, Aki and Amai while heading for the administration building. Why I'm bringing Bella here? Because if someone might know where Belfast is, it would be Nobuyuki himself. If we're lucky, Belfast might be there. If we're not, he might know where she is since she's technically AWOL. If we are really unlucky, this entire lead is a bust…Throughout the way, I can sense the stares coming from everyone, but no one tries to intervene or anything. Is it because of my uniform? Or is it because the girls are still considered safe? I might never know but I'm glad I didn't run into big trouble or anything because people assume things too quickly. We entered the administration building and we headed for the second floor, where the commander's office is. We walked to the front door and I knocked on the door, we heard someone saying that the door is open so I entered the room alongside the kids. There, behind the office desk, is Nobuyuki himself…Looks like he's quite busy.

"…Ah, Wallace-san…Why are you bringing kids with you?" Nobuyuki asked me as he cocked his eyebrows.

"Things happened sir. But anyway, we're here to ask you something" I said to Nobuyuki while I shrugged.

"Sure, just don't drag me out of this room, this paperwork isn't going to finish itself" Nobuyuki said to me as she gestured at the tall stack of papers to his right…

"Where's Amagi?" I asked Nobuyuki.

"On an errand. So, what is it that you want to ask me?" Nobuyuki asked me.

"I'm wondering whether you know where Belfast have gone to sir" I said to Nobuyuki.

"Belfast? Oh, she requested permission to leave her station for a bit. She said that she should be back in the afternoon" Nobuyuki said to me while he smiled.

"U-Um, master? Do you know where she is going?" Bella asked Nobuyuki while she frowned slightly.

"I'm afraid not. But she said she will be back soon, so you have nothing to worry about, Bella-chan" Nobuyuki said to Bella while he smiled.

"…Oh, alright…Thank you for telling us" Bella said to Nobuyuki while she frowned…Hmm, something doesn't smell right.

"…Bella, Aki, Amai, wait outside for a bit. I got something I want to talk about with Commander Nobuyuki here" I said to the three little girls.

"What do you want to talk about?" Aki asked me.

"Grown up stuff" I said to Aki while I smiled a bit.

"Bleh, that's what all of you adults said every time. Come on you two" Aki said to Amai and Bella before they go outside then closed the door.

"…Grown up stuff, huh?" Nobuyuki asked me while he smiled.

"…Yeah, because I find it hard to believe that you let Belfast leave without knowing where she's going" I said to Nobuyuki after I closed in on him so we can talk in hushed voice.

"Hmph, sharp…Belfast asked me not to tell Bella in case she asked me, but Belfast is going to talk with someone she knows from the past" Nobuyuki said to me in serious tone.

"Someone she knows?" I asked Nobuyuki.

"Yeah, they're meeting up on Valencia. I don't know who is it and what they are talking about, but judging from Belfast's face? It's serious business, something she don't want the others to know about, at least for now" Nobuyuki said to me while he shrugged.

"Any theory?" I asked Nobuyuki.

"…This is between you and me, but have you wonder what kind of man Bella's father is? What kind of man Belfast has chosen?" Nobuyuki asked me.

"The thought did cross my mind a bit, but I'm coming up blank" I said to Nobuyuki while I frowned.

"So far, I never saw or heard about him. He's not with us, and he didn't leave anywhere nearby. She's not fond of him, I know because I asked her once" Nobuyuki said to me while he frowned.

"And how did she respond?" I asked Nobuyuki.

"She only said that the man is not with them anymore, and I don't know the right context for that. Are they divorced? Is he dead? Who knows, and I felt it's wrong to pry further" Nobuyuki said to me while he frowned.

"…That so…Maybe he's the one she talks to right now?" I said to Nobuyuki as I folded my arms.

"The chance is quite high…Our KANSENs has their own history before their reveal to this world, each one of them has a story to tell, even the recently arrived ones. Some has amazing tales to tell, some has troubled past…So it's not surprising that Belfast has her own past to contend with. I just hope that she's able to solve any problems peacefully, if she insists on resolving them by herself" Nobuyuki said to me while he leaned on his seat.

"Yeah…Thank you for answering our question, I'll be leaving now" I said to Nobuyuki as I turned around.

"Wallace-san, why don't you stick with Bella for a bit longer? At least until Belfast returns" Nobuyuki asked me…Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"…And my job?" I asked Nobuyuki.

"Consider it a part of your job, shouldn't be that boring, right?" Nobuyuki said to me while he smiled.

"…Fine" I said to Nobuyuki.

Yup, that's it, I was voluntold to babysit her while doing my job. How the hell am I supposed to do that?! Oh wait, all I need to do is to not leave the main compound! Easy! Yeah, until I realize how tiring it is to deal with a kid…But if I'm ever going to be a father in the future, I have to learn from now on. I hope I don't mess this up or anything…I walked out of the commander's room and sure enough, I saw Bella, Aki and Amai talking to one another on the side. Once they heard the door opens, they immediately turned toward me with puzzled look. They must be wondering what I'm talking with Nobuyuki, or they could've eavesdropped on our conversation and heard about the whole thing? I'm betting on the former, they don't look they know what I'm talking about with the commander. My gaze fell toward Bella for a bit, this little girl could possibly grow up without knowing her father properly…In a sense, she reminded me of myself for a bit. Our circumstances might be slightly different, but both of us basically experienced the same thing.

"Hey ojii-san! You're done talking?" Ojii-san?

[Ojii is the word for uncle in Sakura language]

Well…it's a step above being called an old man and pedo, I guess…

"Yeah, I am…Bella, commander told me to wait for Belfast with you. Is that okay?" I said to Aki then asked Bella.

"Sure. I don't have anything else to do today" Bella said to me while she smiled.

"Hey, why don't we play something then? It's rare for Bella-chan to have free time like this!" Aki said to Bella.

"Hmm? Why is that?" I asked Aki.

"I usually help around the dorms, Mr. Wallace. I am a maid's apprentice" Bella said to me while she smiled.

"At your age? Color me impressed" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"Come on, Bella-chan! Let's play! Let's play!" Aki said to Bella as she tugged on her sleeve.

"Alright, alright. What do you want to play?" Bella asked Aki while she smiled.

"…Hmmm…Let's build a snow hut! I think there's enough snow in the park to build one!" Aki said to Bella while she grinned.

"Snow hut? But the last one you build-" Amai said to Aki.

"Ah don't sweat the small details! Come on, let's go!" Aki said to Amai before she dragged Bella.

"Matte yo Aki-chan!" Amai said out loud as she followed them.

…I silently walked behind them as they head for the park with golden anchor statue in the middle, then they gathered at one side and started gathering snow in one spot. I sat on the nearby bench as I keep an eye on them, I don't have to actually play with them, just make sure I could watch over them. Bella, Amai and Aki enthusiastically gathered up snows and started building the wall for their snow hut, I wonder how would they accomplish that engineering marvel. Come to think of it, I think I once tried to build one myself as a kid. But it's more like a fortress compared to a snow hut, it's for snowball fight so it doesn't have a roof so we could throw snowballs at approaching hostile…Wonder what those kids that I've played with back then become, I never caught their names…Just as I thought of that, my vision blackens as something covered my face. My body immediately went rigid and it took everything I have to not reach for my rifle or headbutt the person doing this…

"Guess who~?" I thought It's Eugen, but seems it's not just her who have this pranking side.

"Hey Zara" I said to Zara.

"My, you can tell?" Zara asked me as she let go of my face.

"Your voice is quite distinct among your Sardinian KANSENs, I can recognize you instantly" I said to Zara who walked to my right side and sat down on the bench.

"Dios, nothing escapes you, Alex" …She called me by name.

"There are couple of things, but I'd rather not say" I said to Zara while I smiled.

"Are my three sizes among them?" Zara asked me while she smiled smugly.

"Definitely" I said to Zara while I smiled.

"Ufufufu…So, what are you doing here?" Zara asked me after she giggled.

"Looking after those kids over there, you?" I asked Zara.

"Just passing through, and I didn't expect to run into you" Zara said to me while she smiled.

"…I'm guessing you've heard what happened on London" I said to Zara as I leaned on the bench.

"Si, I did…I won't lie, I never expected you to have such backstory, Alex" Zara said to me while she smiled sympathetically.

"Neither am I. But it is what it is" I said to Zara as I stared at the three little girls gathering more snow.

"Now it makes sense…Now I understand why would you have such negative outlook on yourself" Zara said to me while she smiled bitterly.

"…I'm trying not to constantly do it" I said to Zara while I smiled slightly.

"And it makes me glad to hear that" Zara said to me while she smiled.

"Yeah…I just want to be more confident in myself" I said to Zara while I smiled.

"Oh right, Nelson told us to keep treating you like how we usually does" Zara said to me while she frowned slightly.

"I asked her to; I don't need to be pitied or anything" I said to Zara as I looked at the grey sky above us.

"Still Alex, can I give you a hug?" Zara suddenly asked me.

"A hug?" I asked back as I stared at her.

Zara only nodded her head…Seems she's pretty insistent on this one, so I opened my arms slightly and Zara scooted closer before she pulled me in a hug…Holy hell her massive breast is squishing against me, but I can't feel them due to the armor plating I wore underneath my coat! Fuck you, you piece of metal that could save my life but hindering me from glory at the moment! Zara feels quite warm, I can smell her perfume and feminine scent mixing together to create a soothing fragrance. This woman wants to give me a comforting hug after what she heard, she's really a nice person. Her right hand is rubbing my back soothingly, as if telling me that it's alright to cry or anything. But no, I'm not doing that right here. I don't even feel like crying, I just feel comfortable from the hug. After hugging for a bit, both of us separated from one another. We then sat in relative silence for a bit, watching the little girls building their snow hut further…

"You're a legend in your own right, do you know that?" Zara said to me as she leaned on the bench.

"Legend huh? What do you think of the fitting title for the story?" I asked Zara while I smiled slightly.

"Hmm, what would be a good name for that legend I wonder? Personally, I think 'The Lionheart' is already good enough name" Zara said to me as she smiled.

"Alexander Wallace The Lionheart…Mouthful, you can shorten it with Alex the Lion" I said to Zara while I smiled.

"Is that how you want to be called from now on?" Zara asked me while she smiled teasingly.

"Nah, I don't really like being called with titles or anything. Just call me Alex or Wallace, not a fan of the attention it gets" I said to Zara while I shrugged.

"Yeah, I admit, it might get annoying. But, what can you do at this point, everyone already knows your name after the stunt you pulled during the exercise" Zara said to me while she smiled wryly.

"What happened, happened…Anyway, want to ask you something. Do you know who're the ship girls that has child of their own?" I asked Zara.

"Hmm, it's Akagi, Amagi, Belfast, Helena, Cleveland, Chesire, Renown, Enterprise, Graf Zeppelin and San Diego…I think there are several other ship girls currently being pregnant, but that's who I know on top of my head" Zara said to me…I didn't expect some women in that name!

"Enterprise is a mother too?" I asked Zara as I cocked my eyebrows.

"Surprising, right? She doesn't look like one. However, her daughter is among the reason why she's the fearsome Grey Ghost. There's nothing that could beat an enraged mother protecting her child" Zara said to me as she stared at the little girls.

"You know the story?" I asked Zara.

"It's practically a known tale among the ship girls. When Pearl Harbor was attacked by Sakura Empire, a lot of Eagle Union ship girls were injured or close to death. In the middle of all that chaos is Ellen, a little girl no older than five…She cried for her mommy, her rigging is activated but she can't do anything against the planes buzzing overhead. She almost died from a bombing, before Enterprise grabbed her in nick of time. They said, her eyes glowed brightly as she shot down planes left and right with extreme precision and lethality. Enterprise managed to escape Pearl Harbor with her daughter safe and sound, after cutting a large swath of Akagi's and Kaga's planes…They are pretty much on edge when they first met as allies on this base, but over time they managed to get along just fine…And it's not just her, even the usually reserved Helena really shown a Siren fleet what an angry KANSEN mother could do. Can you believe the story of Helena sinking an entire fleet by herself? All because during their journey here, they got ambushed and an energy shell narrowly miss Helen" Zara narrated while she stared at me.

"Glowing eyes…" How could their eyes glow brightly?

"No one knows why that happened, not even Enterprise herself. But one thing for sure, you do not mess with a mother ship girl, especially if you endanger their child" Zara said to me while she smiled.

"Hard noted…Ever think of becoming one as well in the future?" I asked Zara while I smiled slightly.

"Of course. It's just that being one is not my biggest priority at the moment" Zara said to me while she smiled.

"So, what is your top priority right now?" I asked Zara.

"Believe it or not, living my days to the fullest" Zara said to me while she smiled.

"That's quite nice-"

SPLAT!

My left hand shot up and caught a snowball flying to my face, I stared at Aki who is the perpetrator for that thrown projectile. The girl only snickered as she ran away and hid inside the completed snow hut…Oh wow! I'm impressed they can make a legit one, though the structural integrity might be horrendous. I could hear soft giggles coming from Zara as I stood up and walked toward the snow hut, I think that's their signal asking me to play with them. I walked toward the snow hut and peeked inside the entrance, I can see three little girls staring back at me while they waved and Aki even snuck her tongue out at me…Hmm, what to do here. I don't want to break down the snow hut that they've built with their hard work, but neither putting my hand inside the hole. Who knows what Aki has in mind if my hand ever sneaks in there, I heard kids can be quite terrifying at times.

"Hmm, I think there's a naughty little girl inside this hut. I wonder if she going to come out and apologize properly" I said out loud.

"Never!" I heard Aki said from within the hut.

"Never, eh? I guess she don't know that I possess the power to drill through fortifications, with my bare hands!" I said out loud while I smiled.

"Our fortress is impenetrable! Try as you might, demon!" Oh, so we are roleplaying now.

"Oh, you will regret that! I will show you my full power!" I said out loud while I grinned.

I heard whispering inside the hut as they try to form a plan, they might try to take me down by dragging me with their strength. I can't forget that despite them being little girls, they are still KANSENs which means their strength could be equal to a grown adult. I caressed the snow hut's surface, feeling them with my fingers…As expected, the walls are quite weak. One small push and my hand would practically be inside…Alright, judging from what I see when I peeked into the snow hut, Aki's position should be around…here. I snorted before I pushed my right hand and it goes through the wall, I felt something akin to a cloth and I heard squeals coming from within the hut. I pulled my hand while destroying the snow hut and sure enough, I managed to grab Aki who stared at me in astonishment. Bella and Amai quickly climbed out of the snow hut, both of them also looked at me in childlike wonder…Um, did I do something amazing or what?

"M-Mr. Wallace! How did you know where Aki was?! You grabbed her collar like you could see her through the walls!" Bella asked me excitedly.

"Hai! That was incredible!" Amai said out loud while she smiled widely.

"I told you that I will show you girls my full power!" I said out loud while I grinned.

"Guh! Help me! I'm your princess, save me from this demon!" Aki said out loud as she wiggled on my hand.

"Un! Bella-chan, we have to take him down! We will attack him together!" Amai said to Bella as she prepared a snowball.

"Yes! I'm ready!" Bella said to Amai as she holds a snowball.

"Hyah!" Amai threw a snowball at me, which I effortlessly blocked with my left hand.

"Hup!" Bella threw her snowball, which I also blocked with my hand.

"Puny weaklings! Your magic spells are useless against me!" I said to them while I grinned.

"Try mine then~!"

SPLAT!

My face got hit by a snowball and I accidentally dropped Aki who immediately ran way while she laughed alongside Bella and Amai…Now who might be the thrower for that snowball? Easy guess, I wiped the snow off my face and saw Zara giggling alongside Amai, Aki and Bella. I quickly crouched, scooped a handful of snow, quickly made a ball and threw it at Zara who narrowly dodged it. She smirked at me before she grabbed some snow, formed a snowball and threw it at me who dodged it…Is it just me, or that throw just now is not a throwing speed an adult human could do? Zara is using her strength! Oh boy, she's not messing around! But I found myself kept moving around because the three little girls joined in on the fun, they kept throwing snow balls at me like a machine gun barrage! At this rate, I'll end up exhausted before I could get a hit in! Just as I about to counter them, Amai and Aki charged towards me then held my leg in place! Then Zara and Bella threw snowballs to my face, causing me to fell into the snow as I panted…Yup, no way I'm winning this one…Damn I'm tired!

"And the demon is taken down by the heroes! The world returned to peace, at last!" Aki said out loud as she stood on top of my stomach triumphantly, I can't breathe!

"Ahaha, don't step on the dead demon. Give him some respect for holding out that long against us" Zara said to Aki as she lifted her up then put her on the side, thanks Zara...

"For some incredible demon, you are quite weak in a fight" Amai said to me as she poked my left cheek with her finger.

"Was his strength before a fluke?" Bella asked out loud.

"I don't think so, we just ganged up on him mercilessly" Zara said out loud as she crouched next to me.

"I think that's what okaa-sama mentioned as the power of friendship!" Amai said to Zara while she smiled.

"That is true, teamwork could do absolute wonders" Zara said to Amai as she patted her head.

"Mother also often tell the maids to work together too, so that's why. We can solve problems easier together!" Bella said out loud while she smiled.

"Zara baa-san, I'm a bit thirsty" Aki said to Zara as she tugged on her sleeve.

"Um, me too" Bella said to Zara.

"Me three" Amai said to Zara.

"Let's get some drinks then, I'll treat you girls. You coming, Alex?" Zara asked me while she smiled.

"…Yeah" I said to Zara as I raised my hand.

Zara smirked before she grabbed my hand and pulled me up, I stood up and cleaned the excess snow off my outfits. After making sure we're ready, all of us walked to the canteen. We picked the corner seat where it's a bit secluded, Leander then approached us and asked what we want to order. Since it's close to lunch, we decided to eat as well. I ordered some tuna chops, Zara ordered fried rice with chicken, Bella ordered omelet, Amai ordered chicken soup and Aki ordered sausage rolls. While waiting for our food, Zara and I watched Amai and Aki arguing about their choice of food while dragging Bella on occasions. I subtly glanced at Bella and she's smiling widely, I guess she's temporary distracted with the fact that Belfast is away…Our food arrived and we quickly eat them with warm tea as our drinks, we engaged in light chatter while we eat. Aki excitedly told us a story on how last night Akagi told her the story of Princess Kaguya, which apparently, an old tale from Sakura medieval times. Then Amai told us about how Amagi sliced apple bits in rabbit shape, that intrigued me as I might ask Amagi on how to do so later.

"What did you do last night with Belfast obaa-san, Bella-chan?" Aki asked Bella, oh shite.

"Last night? Mother taught me how to sew, she said I could make my own clothes or repair them if I know how" Bella said to Aki.

"Hee, sewing huh? I tried to do it once, but it ended up ugly" Amai said to Bella while she smiled.

"Fufufu, sewing is quite hard to master, you know? It requires dedication and concentration if you want to sew properly. Even I have trouble doing it at times" Zara said to Amai while she smiled.

"Eh? You too Zara obaa-san?" Amai stared at Zara as her eyes widened.

"Si~, I failed a lot when I first started" Zara said to Amai while she smiled.

"Me too! It's harder than it looks! I couldn't make it as neat as mother" Bella said to Zara while she smiled wryly.

"Hoho, and how about you jii-san? Can you sew?" Aki asked me.

"Nope, I rely on tailors" I said to Aki while I shrugged.

"Ha? You're a lame adult" Aki said to me while she pouted…I can feel something snapped within me.

"You know, you're quite a brat, Aki" I said to Aki while I smiled wryly.

"Heheh!" Aki said out loud while she looked proud.

"That's not something to be proud about, Aki-chan" Amai said to Aki with half closed eyes.

"That's Aki alright, not a day she's not causing headache for adults" Bella said to Aki with half closed eyes.

"Hey, it's not like you two never cause problems yourself!" Aki said out loud while she pouted.

"But at least we don't do it every day" Bella said to Aki while she smiled proudly.

"Hai, I wouldn't if I could" Amai said to Bella in agreement.

"Amai, Aki, there you are" We suddenly heard Amagi's voice, the woman approached and stood beside our table.

"Okaa-sama!" Amai said out loud while she smiled widely.

"Obaa-sama, konnichiwa!" Aki suddenly became well behaved?!

"Let's head back to the dorms" Amagi said to Amai and Aki while she smiled.

"Ehhh? Already? But it's not even noon yet!" Aki said to Amagi while she pouted.

"Did you forget that we're going to make Manjuu Buns today?" Amagi asked Aki while she smiled a bit.

"A-Ah! Right! I've promised kaa-sama! Come on Amai-chan, we have to go back!" Aki said to Amai as she stood up.

"H-Hai! Um, thank you for playing with us today! Wallace ojii-san, Zara obaa-san!" Amai said to Zara and I as she bowed a bit.

"You're welcome~" Zara said to Amai while she smiled.

"Hope you had fun" I said to Amai while I smiled.

"I did!" Amai said to me while she grinned.

"You're quite funny ojii-san! Maybe I'll play pranks on you later!" Aki said to me while she grinned.

"Don't go overboard like last week, Aki-chan" Amagi said to Aki while she smiled…menacingly.

"D-D-Don't worry! I won't!" Aki said to Amagi nervously…Ah, I see what's going on here…

"Thanks for playing with Amai and Aki, Wallace-san, Zara-san" Amagi said to us while she smiled.

"It's fine, been a while since I last cut loose like a child myself" Zara said to Amagi while she smiled.

"No sweat, Ms. Amagi" I said to Amagi while I nodded.

"I'm glad. I bid you three a good day. Bella-chan, your mother said she is heading back. She'll be arriving soon, be patient for a bit longer, okay?" Amagi said to Bella while she smiled softly.

"A-Alright! Thank you for telling me, Ms. Amagi!" Bella said to Amagi while she smiled.

Amagi, Aki and Amai left the canteen, leaving only Zara, Bella and I still sitting on the canteen. Bella took out the box she stored on her coat pocket, she stared at it and occasionally checked on the clock hanging on the canteen's wall. She really can't wait to meet with Belfast huh? She loves her mother so much that she wants to make her feel better just by seeing her sad. Zara distracted Bella a bit by talking to her about random things, Bella originally quite reluctant but eventually got distracted by Zara…I just noticed this, but Zara seems to know how to handle children. Does she have experience in babysitting? Or is she just natural at it? Bella told Zara the story she told me, how Belfast looked sad this morning. Zara reassured Bella that Belfast might be facing some troubles that only adult could understand, but Belfast would definitely be happy with Bella's effort to cheer her up with the cookies she baked.

"Ms. Zara, is the adult world so complicated?" Bella asked Zara while she frowned.

"Yes, really complicated. Being a kid is easier you know? I don't mind being one if it means not dealing with adult matters from time to time" Zara said to Bella while she smiled bemusedly.

"Being a child could be troublesome, there's so many limitations. I can't do a lot of things" Bella said to Zara while she pouted a bit.

"True. But you know what Bella, you don't want to hurry along being an adult. Many kids want to quickly becomes an adult, until responsibility kicks in" Zara said to Bella while she smiled.

"Responsibility?" Bella asked Zara.

"When you become an adult, you will take responsibility for everything. Like, you have to take care of yourself, pay bills, work so you can have money, it's all the things you don't have to do as a kid and it's quite annoying to deal with sometimes. Right Alex?" Zara dragged me into the discussion.

"Zara's right…I have to work, pay bills, feed myself, take care of myself and has a lot of other responsibilities because I'm a proper adult. You can do lot more stuff, but those responsibilities would be the balancing factor…None of the adults will ever tell you being one is fun" I said to Bella while I smiled slightly.

"Huh…Then I don't really want to grow up" Bella said to me while she frowned.

"Unfortunately, the world doesn't work that way. You have to grow up eventually, and growing up means accepting the fact that you will not be a child forever. So enjoy your time as a child as much as you can, Bella. As an adult, the time where you can have fun is quite limited" Zara said to Bella while she smiled.

"Alright, I understand a bit more now…Other than these cookies, I should massage her shoulders later!" Bella said to Zara while she smiled a bit.

"You really are a good daughter, Bella. I hope my child would be like you one day" Zara said to Bella while she smiled softly as she patted her head.

"Hmm? Why not have one now, Ms. Zara?" Bella innocently asked her.

"Err, well, being a parent is one of the responsibilities that adult might have. But you need to be ready for it" Zara said to Bella while she smiled wryly.

"And you are not?" Bella asked Zara as she tilted her head.

"Si, not now. I'm not ready yet to be a mother" Zara said to Bella while she smiled wryly.

"Oh. What about you, Mr. Wallace?" Bella asked me.

"Physically speaking, I am ready. But right now, I can't provide for my future family properly so I'm also not ready" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"Physically ready?" Bella asked out loud as she tilted her head.

"…Zara" I said to Zara as I stared at her nervously.

"You mess up pretty bad Alex, time to fix them~" Zara said to me while she smirked.

"…Um, only adults can have children, Bella. It requires a ritual that only adult knows" I said to Bella, time to salvage this situation!

"Is that how a baby ends up in a mother's stomach?" Bella asked me as she stared me in the eyes.

"More or less. You'll know more when you grow up, let's keep it that way for now" I said to Bella while I smiled wryly.

"…Adults have lots of secrets that child couldn't know" Bella said to me while she pouted.

"Trust me, the less you know right now the better" I said to Bella as I patted her head.

"I see…I'm going to the lavatory" Bella said out loud as she stood up.

Bella walked toward the restroom nearby, Zara and I then collectively sighed as we managed to avoid a disaster. I almost corrupted someone's child with a knowledge too early for a girl her age, we're in luck that Bella isn't a stubborn girl who wants to know everything and I could smoothly lie about the real thing…Zara and I sat in relative silence for a bit, that until Zara noticed something outside the cafeteria. Zara nudged my feet with hers and I stared outside as well, which caused me to widened my eyes. There's an argument over there, between Daedalus Squad and some Azur Lane riflemen. I immediately rushed outside after telling Zara to keep an eye on Bella for a bit, I got out through the backdoor and immediately approached the group. Maximus is on the verge of punching one of them if not for Sullivan holding him back, that said, even Sullivan looks pissed so this is something serious.

"What the fuck is going on here?" I asked out loud.

"Ah great, more of them" One of the riflemen said out loud…He's a corporal.

"I said, what the fuck is going on here? Do I have to pull rank over you lots? Because I won't hesitate" I asked out loud while I scowled.

"No sir! We were just having a discussion" One of the riflemen said out loud.

"Elaborate" I said out loud.

"That fucker just said that we won the exercise because Nobuyuki leaked his position to you! That he plays favorites! That we are his boy toy!" Maximus said to me while he gritted his teeth.

"Because that's who you are! You're just his lap dog! Don't act so hot just because you got special attention!" One of the riflemen said to Maximus.

"That's it? All of this because you lots are jealous?" I asked the rifleman.

"Jealous? The fuck you're on about!? Ever since there's SCAR Unit, that's all they ever talk about. It's getting annoying! We can totally take you on in a fight ourselves! There's nothing special about you fucks other than being lucky!" One of the riflemen said to me.

"…Soldier, have you been day drinking?" I asked the rifleman, because all of this is total nonsense!

"Guys just drop it; this is getting ridiculous!" One of the riflemen said to his friends, yeah! He's talking some sense!

"Shut the fuck up! Someone's got to humble these assholes from their high horses!" The riflemen said to his friend before he approached me with fist raised.

BIG FUCKING MISTAKE! I grabbed his flying fist and performed a shoulder throw, the rifleman is thrown to the ground and landed harshly on his back. His friends immediately charged at me, but two of them got body decked by Maximus who rammed at them like a charging bull. Sullivan dropkicked one of them, the rifleman is sent flying before rolling on the ground. Archer punched the last one to the ground before Gideon restrained the last rifleman who tried to deescalate the situation…Six of them are neutralized in under ten seconds, if that didn't enforce our reputation, I don't know what will. We called the military police and they swiftly came to our location, we then explained the situation and they quickly took the six of them to the brig for questioning. That's that, but still, what prompted them to do this in the first place? From what I saw, its pure jealousy, but there could be something else that drives them to openly confront us like this.

"…That was weird" Archer commented while he frowned.

"Yeah, they just come over so suddenly and hurled insults. What's their fucking problem?" Sullivan asked out loud.

"What did they say?" I asked Sullivan.

"Same like what he says to you, and few others that questions our legitimacy as a combat unit…Hah, I don't get it. We tried our best to behave well, to remain friendly with everyone despite our new status. And this is how they respond to us!?" Sullivan asked me while he scowled.

"Sometimes people hate you for no reason, guess that saying is true" Gideon said to Sullivan.

"I think Ambrose would handle this as soon as he heard what's going on. Let's just drop this and move on" I said to Daedalus Squad.

"Hahhhhh…If you say so" Maximus said to me after he sighed deeply.

"…Where have you been?" Sullivan asked me.

"Babysitting some KANSENs children, direct order from Nobuyuki himself" I said to Sullivan while I shrugged.

"No wonder we haven't see you for quite a bit…Hmm?" Sullivan looked past me.

"What is going on, Mr. Wallace?" I heard Bella's voice and I turned around to face her.

"Some…disagreement happened, they got a bit too rough and we are forced to pacify them" I said to Bella while I smiled slightly.

"Um, please don't fight. I'm sure you can talk it out" Bella said to me while she frowned a bit.

"Don't worry, they weren't thinking very clearly back then. We were just protecting ourselves" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"Who's she? Ship girl's child?" Archer asked me as he stood next to me.

"Yeah, Belfast's daughter…Would you like to meet my squadmates, Bella?" I said to Archer then asked Bella.

"Yes! I'd love to!" Bella said to me while she smiled widely.

"Okay. This lad next to me is called Archer, he's the one who got to play with the bombs" I said to Bella as I gestured toward Archer.

"Nice to meet you, Bella! As he said, I'm the one who has the most fun!" Archer said to Bella while he grinned.

"Um, isn't explosive dangerous? Why is it fun?" Bella asked Archer while she cocked her eyebrows.

"Because explosion is art! And I'm an artist myself!" Archer said to Bella while he grinned.

"Stop, you're sounding like a terrorist now…Moving on, that man over there is called Gideon, he's our field medic" I said to Archer then to Belfast as I gestured toward Gideon.

"Hello" Gideon said to Bella while he nodded.

"Hi, Mr. Gideon…Um, so you're a doctor?" Bella asked Gideon.

"Something like that, I'm basically a doctor with a gun" Gideon said to Bella.

"This man over here is Maximus, he's the big man" I said to Bella as I gestured toward Maximus.

"Heya! Just call me Max!" Maximus said to Bella while he grinned.

"H-Hello, Mr. Max" Bella said to Maximus.

"You are so polite! Here, for you!" Maximus said to Bella as he handed her an orange candy while he grinned.

"Thank you very much!" Bella said to Maximus as she accepted the candy.

"And last but not least, there's Sullivan. He's the one who usually carries radio around" I said to Bella as I gestured toward Sullivan.

"Afternoon young lass, name's Sullivan. I'm the one carrying radio and got to be bossed around by Wallace here" Sullivan said to Bella as he circled his arm around my shoulder.

"Bossed around? Um, y-you shouldn't do that, Mr. Wallace" Bella said to me while she frowned.

"I'm the leader and outranked all of them, they don't have a say in that" I said to Bella while I smirked.

"Chilling on the evil side of the spectrum, aren't you?" Archer commented with half closed eyes.

"But don't worry, if I order them to do something, I'm perfectly willing to carry that order myself. I don't treat my teammates like slaves" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"Yup, Wallace is a good man, he just looks a bit scary" Sullivan said to Bella while he grinned, oi!

"He looks kind of scary, hehehehe!" Bella said to Sullivan before she giggled…

"…Little kids tend to be the most honest one" I said out loud as my shoulder sagged.

"Say Bella, want to see something cool?" Maximus asked Bella.

"Oh, what is it?" Bella asked Maximus.

Maximus made a hand sign, he shown his hands to Bella before he moved them and resulting in optical illusion of him severing his thumb. Bella gasped before she clapped in amazement, I can't help but notice that Bella still likes to play around like proper kid despite her being a maid apprentice at such a young age. She shown some maturity, but deep inside she's a kid nonetheless…I saw Zara staring at me from within the canteen, I told Daedalus to watch over Bella for a bit before I walked back into the building and sat in front of Zara. I kind of leave her without bidding goodbye properly, the least I could do is to return and do just that in a bit.

"What a commotion" Zara commented as she sipped her second glass of tea.

"People being people, I guess. You heard everything?" I asked Zara.

"Yup…No matter how you look at it, those soldiers are the ones in the wrong" Zara said to me while she frowned a bit.

"…Sorry you had to see that" I said to Zara.

"No worries, I'm no stranger to violence and conflict…I'm assuming you're going to join them next?" Zara asked me while she smiled.

"Yeah…I feel we haven't gone out together properly, to enjoy things together as friends" I said to Zara while I smiled slightly, I feel like I haven't spent some time with her despite being friends.

"Oh? You're asking me out on a date?" Zara asked me while she smiled smugly.

"I heard there's a term called casual date on this world, the one you can do with friends" I said to Zara while I shrugged.

"Ufufufufu, they are not wrong…Well, we can discuss that in the future when our schedules line up properly" Zara said to me while she smiled.

"Brilliant. I got to go now, sorry that I couldn't accompany you more" I said to Zara as I stood up and left some money on the table.

"Hush, it's nothing to be sorry about. You don't have obligations to do so, you know? So, it is fine" Zara said to me while she smiled wryly.

"Right…Well, arrivederci, signorina" I said to Zara who widened her eyes a bit.

"…Si signor~, I'm liking this new Alexander Wallace more and more~" Zara said to me while she smirked.

"New?" I asked Zara as I tilted my head slightly in wonder.

"Believe it or not, you've changed. And for the better, in my personal opinion" Zara said to me while she grinned slightly.

…Really? Have I changed? I wonder about that in my head as I parted ways with Zara…Have I been changing for quite some time now? But then how come no one comments on it? Maybe they did but decide to keep silent for now or most actually don't except for Zara…Well, I can think about that later. I walked toward Daedalus Squad who kept Bella accompanied, then all of us decided to walk along the pier before stumbling into Shiranui's shop. We entered the shop that is relatively empty at the moment, save for the impassive looking shopkeeper behind the counter, greeting us with monotone greeting while bowing slightly. It is Shiranui alright, I approached the petite woman and stood in front of the counter.

"What can I get you, Wallace-san?" Shiranui asked me.

"Just window shopping, at least for now" I said to Shiranui.

"So, you and your friends alongside Bella-chan are here for the free heating?" Shiranui accused me in monotone voice.

"I guess that's a bonus" I said to Shiranui while I smiled slightly.

"Then can I offer you something?" Shiranui asked me as she leaned on the counter.

"If the offer being old items being sold at over fifty percent discount because it's collecting dust, sure, I might be interested in something" I said to Shiranui while I smiled in amusement.

"Aikawarazu ne anta" Shiranui natively commented as she reached for something on the shelf.

Wish ANARIS got complete language decipher skill or something, if only I could understand people all around the world without having to learn all of their languages. The device could only translate few words instead of complete coherent sentence for now. Maybe I could ask Akashi to develop that universal language decoder or something…Heh, you're getting too ahead of yourself, Alex. Right now, even she still doesn't have a clue on what to make with that electronic piece that I handed to her. I don't doubt her skills or knowledge, it's just the world refuse to cooperate with you on many occasions…Shiranui took out two rectangular box and opened the cover, that revealed the two items she's going to offer me. One is a pair of premium quality hairband with black bow, the other one is a black bikini that's quite…skimpy.

"I'm surprised you fail to sell them" I said to Shiranui while I pursed my lips.

"If business always runs well, people would've wonder whether I did something suspicious" Shiranui said to me.

"So you did do something suspicious?" I asked Shiranui while I folded my arms.

"Nothing much, I'm just using psychological tricks and blackmails to keep the goods coming in low price so I can sell them high...Oh, did I say that out loud?" Shiranui said to me in monotone voice…

"…You know, you seem like a person that could do that" I said to Shiranui while I cocked my eyebrows.

"Let me assure you Wallace-san, I'm just joking" Shiranui said to me.

"…I'll take your word for it. But these are the discounted items? I'm still confused with the hairband with bow, but swimsuits? In February?" I asked Shiranui while I frowned.

"The swimsuit is an item from last summer, the previous owner of this store failed to sell them and it's collecting dust on the storage until I found them while I did some cleaning yesterday" Shiranui explained to me.

"Wait, previous owner? This store is a hand's down?" I asked Shiranui.

"I arrived here on September, just two months before you" Shiranui said to me…that's a new info.

"Oh…Didn't expect that…Alright, explain the hairband to me" I said to Shiranui.

"It has elastic plastic as the base, encased within soft black fabric and with black bow on the very center. It is very girlish and quite stylish if paired with casual clothes, anyone you know who might be interested in this?" Shiranui asked me.

"I can think of some already" I said to Shiranui…Bremerton might accept this, maybe Zara or Algerie too.

"You should buy this as a gift for them then" Shiranui said to me.

"Alright, how much?" I asked Shiranui with half closed eyes.

"Thirty gold" Shiranui said to me…

"Seriously? Thirty gold? I don't see this thing costing that much" I asked Shiranui while I frowned.

"It is handcrafted by the previous owner as his way of practicing his craftmanship, he himself determined the price" Shiranui said to me.

"The lad's clearly overestimating his skill" I said to Shiranui while I frowned.

"That was pretty mean comment, Wallace-san" Shiranui said to me.

"…I'm considering it if its twenty gold" I said to Shiranui.

"Twenty seven?" Shiranui bargained at me.

"Twenty two or no deal" I said to Shiranui as I stared at her…Not even ANARIS could read her expression.

"…You drive a hard bargain, but fine, since no one wants it for some reason" Shiranui said to me.

"Hold on, it's not cursed or anything, right?" I asked Shiranui while I frowned, that could be the very reason why!

"Of course not, this is not some occult item or I'll sell it with way higher price" Shiranui said to me.

"Yo Wallace, what are you buying?" Sullivan asked me as he stood next to me.

"This hairband" I said to Sullivan.

"Planning on giving gifts, eh? I see you're improving!" Sullivan said to me while he grinned.

"Can't be some daft bastard forever" I said to Sullivan as we watched Shiranui pack the hairband in a paper bag.

"Now we're talking! Keep that confidence and women will be all over you" Sullivan said to me while he grinned before he patted my right shoulder.

"Let's keep it real now" I said to Sullivan as I handed Shiranui twenty two gold.

"Thank you for your patronage" Shiranui said to me as I stored the hairband on my coat pocket.

"Miss, I'm buying this" Maximus said to Shiranui as he placed a small jar full of jellybeans on the counter.

"Seven golds, please" Shiranui said to Maximus.

"Here" Maximus immediately handed her seven gold.

"…Thank you for the purchase" Shiranui said to Maximus after she placed the jar in a small paper bag.

"Here you go, Bella" Maximus said to Bella as he handed her the bag.

"I-I can't trouble you like that, Mr. Max" Bella said to Maximus while she frowned.

"It's fine, just think of it as a gift. You want it, don't you?" Maximus said to Bella while he smiled.

"B-But…" Bella said to Maximus while she frowned.

"Sugar is good for brains; glucose is required for a brain to keep functioning properly after strenuous thinking activity. Jellybeans is a good supplement for you" Gideon said to Bella.

"R-Really?" Bella asked Gideon.

"Really. Just don't eat them too much and keep brushing your teeth, that way you won't gain weight or get any cavities" Gideon said to Bella.

"Then I'll take it. Thank you, Mr. Max" Bella said to Maximus while she smiled.

"You're welcome!" Maximus said to Bella while he grinned.

I smiled as I watched Bella interacted with my squadmates, they really are friendly with children. Even Gideon, despite his impassive face, could be quite supportive and caring in his own way. I guess we won't have a problem if we ever have to take care of a kid if we stumble into one in a warzone, just hope it won't happen often…Come to think of it, we did meet a kid during the Battle of Ceres. How is he doing now? Hope he's doing fine…After spending some time in the shop, Daedalus Squad returned to their patrol duty while Bella and I walked to main compound's entrance. We sat down on a bench just beside the entrance, so we can be the first one to see Belfast when she returns. Bella stared at the jellybeans that Maximus bought for her, she opened the jar and popped one into her mouth. She then hummed as her eyes widened, that jellybeans must be quite sweet. Bella then offered the jar to me, so I took one and popped them into my mouth…Wait, are jellybeans always been this sweet? Or am I the one getting too old for this amount of sweetness? It's a bit much for me to be honest.

"It's delicious!" Bella said to me while she grinned.

"Y-Yeah, it's very sweet" I said to Bella while I smiled a bit.

"Do you want some more?" Bella offered me another one.

"I'm good, I can't eat too much sugar" I said to Bella.

"Why? Do you not like sweets?" Bella asked me as she tilted her head.

"I like them, I just ate too much of them lately" I said to Bella.

"Why?" Bella asked me.

"I could get fat if I eat too much sugar, something I'd like to avoid as a soldier" I said to Bella.

"Why?" Bella asked me.

"So I could move around as fast and as long as possible" I said to Bella.

"Why?" Bella asked me.

"…You're pulling my leg, aren't you?" …I just realized she's messing with me.

"Ahahahaha! You really took a while to realize that, Mr. Wallace!" Bella said to me after she laughed merrily.

"Yeah, really…Do you have fun today?" I asked Bella while I smiled.

"Yes I am, it's really fun to play with you and the others" Bella said to me while she smiled widely.

"Glad to hear that" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"You're like a big brother, Mr. Wallace…or is it father?" Bella asked out loud.

"Father? Aren't I more an uncle?" I asked Bella.

"Um, well, I don't know…I don't have a father" Bella said to me as she sulked.

"…Do you want one?" I asked Bella…

"…Yes, but…I can't trouble mother. I heard from Clara that marrying someone is a big deal, you can't just marry anyone…I don't want mother to be forced to marry just because of me" Bella said to me while she smiled sadly.

"You're so considerate…Bella, you might not have a father. But I'm sure you will find someone out there who can act like one to you, a father figure" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"Father figure?" Bella asked me.

"It's someone you look up to, like a father even though he's not" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"Hmmm…will I find him?" Bella asked me.

"You will, I'm sure of it" I said to Bella while I patted her head.

"If you say so Mr. Wallace" Bella said to me while she smiled.

"Bella?"

We heard someone called Bella so we turned to the gate, and there stood Belfast who's wearing black winter coat. Bella didn't waste a second from jumping off the bench and sprinted full speed toward Belfast before tackling her legs in a big hug, Belfast looked surprised but she smiled then carried Bella while hugging her so they won't block the road, Belfast walked toward me before she sat down on the bench while letting Bella keep hugging her silently. Belfast also said nothing, she just hugged her daughter while she caressed her head softly. Hmm, I think Belfast know what Bella needs right now. Bella is just glad to see her mother, especially after she suddenly became a ghost on her this morning. Sure enough, after hugging her for a while, Bella let Belfast go and she sat down in the middle between Belfast and I.

"I see you met Mr. Wallace" Belfast said to Bella while she smiled.

"Yes, he is as nice as you told me!" Bella said to Belfast while she grinned.

"Fufu. Thank you for taking care of Bella while I was away, Mr. Wallace. I hope she doesn't trouble you too much" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"Oh no, she's very behaved. Must be raised by one hell of a mother" I said to Belfast while I smiled.

"My, what a compliment~…Bella, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you" Belfast said to me then Bella while she smiled bitterly.

"It's fine mother, I forgive you…Um, I made you some cookies. Would you like to taste them?" Bella asked Belfast as she took out the wrapped box.

"You baked some cookies? Oh dear, these look appetizing. Did you make them with Aunty Edinburgh?" Belfast asked Bella while she inspected the cookies inside the box…Hoo, chocolate chips cookies.

"Yes, she helped me…M-Mother, I don't know why you are sad this morning, but I hope these cookies will cheer you up!" Bella said to Belfast while she smiled.

"I am already pretty happy that you worry for me, Bella. But sure, let's judge how good your cookies are…Hmm…" Belfast said to Bella while she smiled then bite one of the cookies.

"…How is it?" Bella asked Belfast while she smiled nervously.

"The dryness is perfect, but it is a bit tough to bite. Maybe because you're outside for quite some time that it hardens, although you managed to balance the cookie's flavor with the chocolate chips so it won't overpower one another…Overall, I think you did well, Bella. I like them" Belfast said to Bella while she smiled gently.

"Yay! I'm happy that you like them, mother!" Bella said to Belfast while she grinned.

"Mr. Wallace, please try some" Belfast said to me.

"Please do!" Bella said to me as she offered the box.

"Don't mind if I do then" I said to Bella while I smiled.

I took a cookie and popped it into my mouth…Yeah, Belfast was right, it is a bit hard to chew but it tasted really good. I think Edinburgh is a great baker that she managed to direct and oversaw Bella's baking effort so she could produce something this delicious…I sat in silence as I watched Belfast and Bella chatting up with one another, the little girl is recounting her experience today while she smiled widely. Belfast is listening to her daughter attentively, never even once taking off her motherly gaze away from her cute visage…Heh, I admit, I felt jealous for a bit. My own birth mother never gazed at me like that, her eyes always filled with disdain whenever she saw me. Seeing that not all mothers are as cruel as mine really makes me glad, no kid deserves the treatment I received when I was one…Even without a father in her life, Bella still managed to grow into a cheerful and well-mannered girl. Belfast really adores her daughter, to raise her this well. Not exactly being a spartan about it, but not exactly laxing either…

"Mr. Wallace, would you kindly escort us back to the Royal Navy dormitory?" Belfast suddenly asked me.

"Oh, uh, I'm currently on duty" I said to Belfast while I frowned.

"I'm sure Master Nobuyuki or Master Ambrose would let it go if your absence is due to escorting a ship girl and her daughter back home" Belfast said to me while she smirked a bit.

"…You know what, you're right. Let's go" I said to Belfast as I stood up.

Belfast and Bella also stood up before started walking beside me as we head for Royal Navy dormitory. Nobuyuki, you told me to wait for Belfast with Bella but you never said that I have to leave Bella once we met with Belfast. Ambrose, I'm escorting them back home to ensure they arrive safely for it is my duty to protect our fellow base dwellers. In other words, you two can't punish me! Ha! I couldn't help but to smile at the realization, I can ditch my guard duty if I meet with ship girls that I know and they need me for something…Well probably shouldn't do that too often, for despite my laziness, I do have sense of honor and camaraderie. I would feel bad if I don't do anything while my squadmates busting their arse in boredom, but I would be an idiot not to exploit the chance to relax for a bit, especially with the special forces retraining and all…Yup, other than class? We receive physical retraining. That means, CQC class, marksmanship class, physical conditioning class, stealth practice class and more…I don't mean to brag, but I passed them all. Not as good as the others though, there are those who are faster, stronger and smarter than me. But I managed to pull through all of those classes so far, and that's more than enough. Because not all of us could pass them, it's the bitter truth of being put into a special force.

…There are rumors of people talking of quitting, and I think it's given. We became special forces after grouping up four platoons with above average performances, but does that translate to the individuals? No, everyone has their limits, and this retraining is to select those who truly have what it takes. My squad, despite their flaws, proven that they could handle them so far. Gideon, Maximus and Archer, who originally has subpar training and no motivations, could survive in a harsh retraining and pull their own weights. No one honestly expect that, given their performance during Battle of Ceres. But I guess the three of them found their own motivation on why they want to continue being a soldier, and not backing down from the chance of becoming something more than ordinary grunts…As a squad leader, I'm happy that the squad members are motivated to push through with me. But still, if a lot of people going to quit later, that will reduce our manpower even more. They could be replaced by new guys who proved that they could stand with us…Why am I getting sentimental for? It's business as usual, isn't it? People come and go, it's not like you know those people well, Alex.

"Mr. Wallace? Are you alright?" Bella asked me as she tugged on my right sleeve.

"I'm fine Bella, I just lost in my own thoughts" I said to Bella while I smiled.

"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked me.

"I was just wondering where should I go when I'm off work in a few days" I expertly lied to Bella.

"Is there a place you want to visit?" Belfast asked me while she smiled slightly.

"Hmm, sadly, no. Although, I might do something. Maybe fishing, it has been a while" I said to Belfast.

"You can fish? Truly a man with many skills" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"Oh, you're praising me too highly. I just happen to have lots of experiences" I said to Belfast while I smiled.

…We talked leisurely as we kept walking to the dorms, thanks to that it doesn't feel as long as it should. We arrived on the Royal Navy dorm; I was about to head back when Belfast invited me into her and Bella's room. She wants to thank me for today, saying that the least she could do is to brew me some tea before sending me back…Oh well, not like Sirens going to start pounding Point Azure out of nowhere. Oh, fuck's sake Alex, don't fucking jinx it. I accepted her offer and that's how I found myself entering Belfast's dormitory room, its located on the third floor near the main stairwell. It's a room painted in white, and as expected of a head maid's living space, it's a very tidy one. I can see that they have lots of trinkets, things like decorations and stuffs which are organized properly on top of cabinets, nightstands or the dressing desk. Not only that, the walls have a lot of pictures of Belfast and Bella. Some of the pictures was taken when they are on vacation, some are just them and their friends…It's a lovely room, certainly better than mine. Bella proudly gave a tour of her home, that until tiredness kicks in. Belfast tucked Bella on the bed for her nap time, she played a lot and her tummy's full so it makes sense she felt sleepy.

Belfast sang a lullaby for Bella, caressing her head softly before standing up and proceed to brew the tea she promised me. I sat on one of their dining chairs, chatting with Belfast about casual topics. I honestly quite curious on where she's going and what happened there, but its rude to just suddenly ask that. I need to remember that she and I are acquaintances at best, she is entitled to her own privacy and her problems aren't necessarily mine. I need to know when not to butt into someone else's affairs, to restrain myself unless I am asked to help…Belfast swiftly brew the tea, put them in a pot and poured two cups for herself and I. I thanked her for serving the tea before I sipped on it…Hmm, black tea, with a hint of sugar on it but not enough to make it sweet. Belfast must've had years of experience in brewing tea, I trusted her ability to make a fine drink fitting for those who enjoy them. She also served me a slice of cheese cake that she received last night, and damn it tasted great.

"Your tea is delicious, Ms. Belfast" I said to Belfast while I smiled as I put the cup on top of the small plate.

"Please, just Belfast is fine" Belfast said to me while she smiled slightly.

"Then don't hesitate to drop the mister part for me" I said to Belfast while I smiled.

"Certainly, Wallace…Once again, thank you for taking care of Bella today" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"Yeah, no problem" I said to Belfast while I nodded.

"She's a considerate and thoughtful little girl" Belfast said to me as she glanced toward the sleeping Bella.

"You raise her well, I think" I said to Belfast.

"Yes, but it's also thanks to her environment. She is surrounded by friendly faces and friends; she could grow without a mean bone in her" Belfast said to me while she smiled bemusedly.

"…A good environment to grow up" I said to Belfast while I smiled slightly.

"Indeed. Although it took me extra effort to make her understand that not everything in this world would be so kind to her, and I try to teach her that the world is more grey than black and white. But I guess some of those lessons are a bit too early for her. Bella is more mature than kids her age, but she is still a kid nonetheless. Other than preserving her innocent view for now, I think she will understand those lessons I told her as she grows older. I shouldn't hurry her up, she will get there in time on her own and I'll be there to guide her further…Oh dear me, I'm sorry Wallace. I want to thank you for today but here I am, gushing about Bella without paying attention to you" Belfast said to me while she smiled slightly.

"It's fine, not much I could talk about myself anyway" I said to Belfast as I shook my head.

"Oh? But aren't you the infamous Lionheart? Surely you have a tale or two to share?" Belfast asked me while she smirked slightly.

"…Alright, what do you want to know about?" I asked Belfast.

"Let's talk about your love life, shall we? I heard that you are well acquainted with lots of KANSENs, some naturally thought that you are interested in us" Belfast said to me while she smirked.

"I won't deny that I find each and every one of you beautiful, but that doesn't mean I would just sleep around" I said to Belfast, better give some clarification this early.

"Ah, is that so…You are more restrained than I thought, or are you afraid?" Belfast asked me while she smiled slightly.

"Restrained is more like it" I said to Belfast while I smiled.

"I see. A man like you would eventually find someone to keep you upright, Wallace. Someone to catch you when you fall, who can be your supporting pillar…Or, perhaps, some people instead of someone?" …

"Are you insinuating that I'll end up in a harem situation?" I asked Belfast while I cocked my eyebrows.

"It is the norm for a great man, no? To be surrounded by women? There is nothing wrong with that" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"Sorry to say this, but the rest of the world aren't going to readily and openly accept that. Maybe in the world of nobility, not so much for common folk" I said to Belfast while I frowned.

"That is true, I just realized that" Belfast said to me while she frowned.

"Well, you might be previously living in environment full of nobles so your view might be different for a bit" I said to Belfast while I smiled wryly.

"You are right about that…They have views that are completely different than other people, some are even living in their own delusions…I am glad that I am currently employed to a more benevolent master and mistress, who cares about us as their servants" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"That wasn't the case with your previous master?" I asked Belfast…OH FUCK I SLIPPED!

"…He's not…After my appearance in this world, I was employed as a maid servant under Ms. Newcastle who are the head maid on our previous post. We were serving an admiral that hails from nobility, The Marquis Lord David Livingston. He served in the Royal Navy as a captain during the first great war and steadily rise to the rank of admiral, that raise also gave him one of the biggest ego on earth. I was to serve my master no matter when he's right or wrong, I am to give my all for them. Lord Livingston was a great man on the field of battle, but not so much on the daily living. He was arrogant, short tempered, selfish and a narcissist. Ms. Littorio is one, but at least she doesn't put others down and care for other people. The same can't be said for him" Belfast spoke of her previous master while she frowned.

"He doesn't sound like a good man in the slightest…" I said to Belfast while I frowned as I clenched my fist on the table surface.

"Yes, he's a horrible man. Lord Livingston was also a notorious skirt chaser, when he's not chasing around women outside, he was harassing the maids. That includes me" Belfast said to me while she frowned.

"Huh? Does that mean…" I asked Belfast as my eyes widened...I got a bad feeling about this.

"…One day, he ordered me to serve him in bed. I refused since I was ovulating, but he practically forced me by reminding me of my duty, that I am to serve my master with everything I got…I asked him to use contraceptive, but he viewed condoms as something beneath his stature. He said that women should be glad that they could be blessed with his semen, so he would never put one on…I was a virgin at the time, I know nothing concerning sexual matters, but he didn't care. He only wanted a hole to use, and he chose me…He penetrated and deflowered me, he was not being gentle in the slightest too. He pounded me from behind, its so I won't be able to easily refuse him. He knew that I can't hit him without being punished severely, I was so naïve and gullible at that time…I begged him to ejaculate outside because its not a safe day, but that only made his penis harder. He wrenched open my cervix and poured his semen deep inside my womb repeatedly, he really tried his hardest to impregnate me. Then he ordered me not to take contraceptive pills, since he wants his sperm to fertilize my egg…But my master, right or wrong, isn't it? That sentence caused me to end up pregnant, because I chose to do nothing about it" …Okay, too much information. But still, WHAT THE ACTUAL FREAKING CUNTASAURUS FUCK?!

"…So…Bella is…" I said to Belfast as my fist shook in rage.

"Yes…She was conceived when Lord Livingston forced himself on me, a classic story of a master getting a maid pregnant" Belfast said to me while she frowned…She was raped and forced to bear a child…

"I don't care that he's a noble, rape is still wrong no matter who you are! Tell me he got punished for doing that!" I said to Belfast while I scowled.

"No, back then he was praised instead, for being able to breed a KANSEN. Nobles mostly only care about their bloodline, and a child from a KANSEN would further solidify his status and prestige. But that didn't sit well with the other maids, especially Ms. Newcastle…My case was the turning point, where everything finally spilled over. Ms. Newcastle told Queen Elizabeth everything and informed her of my situation, she became furious and lobbied his majesty himself so we would be put on a far away base on an indefinite mission. That's how we ended up on Point Azure, as some sort of Royal Navy reinforcement for Azur Lane's Pacific Defense. Queen Elizabeth saved a lot of us…Some people suggested that I abort the baby, but it's grown too big already…Eventually, I birthed her. She was conceived because I was raped, I should've hated her for ruining my purity, right? No, the moment I laid my eyes on her, I fell in love…Its not her fault, it is mine for being so weak willed back then. And for that, I decided that I will raise her as my beloved daughter" Belfast said to me while she closed her eyes.

…I shouldn't expect any better from those elite circle of insufferable fucks…I am filled with rage and sadness for Belfast, who to expect the perfect head maid like her actually have this kind of past…I wish I could help her, but there's nothing I could do. I couldn't just up and murder Livingston, is that even the right decision? Beating him would just earn me unnecessary attention and lecturing him won't change a thing…What can I do to help Belfast? I don't know, the only way I could think of is treating her well and not trouble her. I glanced toward the sleeping Bella, it makes sense that she said she didn't have a father. Livingston might be one biologically, but he's never there for her. Neither he will make a good father, if I'm being honest. He sounds like my own father, minus the rape part…or he could also be one but me not knowing anything about it, the world of those who got power over the masses is quite fucked up. People are just toys to them, they couldn't careless about the consequences of their action, especially if money could buy justice.

"…I'm sorry, you've been through a lot" I said to Belfast as I scowled.

"You looked quite angry, Wallace. You normally have composed face, it was quite a sight to see" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"How can I not after hearing that? Some people deserve a bullet to the head, some even a magazine worth of rounds" I said to Belfast while I scowled.

"…Thank you for being troubled, you really care for us…I was meeting his son today; he was visiting Valencia to meet an old friend. He then requested for my presence, to talk about something" Belfast said to me while she smiled softly.

"His son? What does he want with you?" I asked Belfast while I frowned.

"…Well, he came to tell me that Lord Livingston has passed away, heart attack due to Viagra overdose, he said" Belfast said to me.

"Serves him right" I said out loud unconsciously.

"Oh my, that was quite harsh. But yes, I have to agree with that sentiment…His son came to apologize in his behalf, he was told about the story by his father's secretary and he felt that his actions were 'messed up' to say the least. He wants to compensate me for everything his father put me through, in the form of monetary aid" Belfast said to me. He thinks money would just solve everything!?

"Did you accept them?" I asked Belfast.

"I did. Bella's future would be brighter with the money I received" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"…Are there other terms on the table? Its hard to think he just give you money without some sort of benefits" I asked Belfast while I frowned.

"And that benefit is forgiveness...That's all he asks" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"And you forgive him?" I asked Belfast while I frowned.

"I forgive him for not acting sooner, not so much for his father. Yet I never clarify to him on who I forgave today" Belfast said to me while she smirked.

"You're a sly woman, I like it" I said to Belfast while I smiled a bit.

"Fufufu…Working under Queen Elizabeth, Master Nobuyuki and Master Ambrose is miles better than Livingston and Reynolds. I've become a better person ever since then; that I am to stand my ground if I don't like something. It is also the maid's duty to correct her master and mistress, in case they stray from their path. These days, I felt much happier than ever" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that you've healed…I don't know the extent of your relationship with Nobuyuki or Ambrose, but I'm glad that they don't hurt you…After what I heard, if he ever does so, I won't forgive them so easily" I said to Belfast while I frowned.

"It's relieving to hear that you'll do that for us, Wallace…However, I want to warn you, if you do self-sacrifice too much, there won't be much left of you for yourself…In that case, who will save you in the direst of time?" Belfast asked me.

"The friends I made along the way, I guess" I said to Belfast.

"If even your friends couldn't help you?" Belfast asked me.

"Then its my time…I respect you ship girls, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep all of you from unnecessary harm, even if it means losing my life. It is the risk of my vow, of what I want to do. But know that I won't just freely squander my life without a very good reason and if I'm going down, I'm going down fighting with everything I got. Small helps here and there are no trouble at all, Belfast. That's why, if you need my help, feel free to ask" I said to Belfast while I pursed my lips.

"Are you offering because you heard my story?" Belfast asked me while she frowned.

"No, while I feel sorry for what you experienced in the past, I offer you that because we are comrades who live on the same base. That and I respect your prowess, perseverance and dedication to your duty" I said to Belfast.

"…Fufu, then I hope you won't mind if I ask for your assistance on occasions" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"As long its doable, and reasonable" I said to Belfast while I smiled.

"Thank you…Oh, please keep this a secret. I don't want the others to know" Belfast said to me.

"I will, but why tell me all of this in the first place?" I asked Belfast while I cocked my eyebrows.

"…I guess I do need to let it out of my system, to a trusted acquaintance who's willing to listen. Telling them to my friends or relative wouldn't have the same effect, you know…Wallace. You are trustworthy man from what I've seen so far, I trust that you can keep it a secret" Belfast said to me while she smiled.

"Definitely" I said to Belfast while I nodded.

…After finishing the tea and cheesecake alongside talking some more, I parted ways with Belfast and exited her room. As soon as the door was closed, my lips curled in deep frown…Well, I guess there's nothing could be done about the perpetrator. That fuck died because he wants his cock to keep erect all day long huh? It's a fitting end for him, if I have to be honest. I guess karma really bit his arse, harshly…I walked out of the dorm but something is bugging me…Was Belfast telling the truth about that compensation? What are the chances of the apple falling not far from its tree? Could she be exploited in exchange for money? No, no, I think I get too paranoid there. I need to have some faith in Belfast, she has little reason to lie after telling me all that truth. And if she does, what can I do? I'm just her acquaintance, I might be able to suggest her to drop it…No, Belfast isn't that dumb to let herself be exploited. In fact, I think she's the one doing the exploiting…I need to have more trust in her ability to look after herself, she's by no means weak now.

.

"Good morning, everyone. Please take a seat" Ambrose said out loud.

The very next day. The lieutenants and sergeants of SCAR gathered within the briefing room; Ambrose summoned all of us the first thing in the morning. I was wondering what's so important that he'll summon us at five o'clock, even the man still looks sleepy. But after seeing how serious he looked, I'm sure this is an emergency. Something require our presence, and I don't think we're being sent to do anything peaceful. All of us took our seats and we could see there's a mission briefing on the board, I zoomed in with ANARIS and noted it's the map of an island. Hmm, I didn't recognize the map. Is it somewhere around Point Azure? No, I don't think so. After making sure we're all seated, Ambrose took the podium and stared at us before he opened his mouth to speak.

"We got an urgent task ahead, ladies and gentlemen…Six hours ago, one of the outlying island towns on Western Azure Archipelago, named Miriam, was under attack by a sizeable Siren fleet. It's a fishing town, their main commodities are products they harvest from the sea and frankly, hold little strategic value compared to the other settlements or facilities around Point Azure. The archipelago isn't short on fishing armada, but we can't just abandon its people to their fate. Our KANSENs that are on patrol quickly responded to the distress call from the town, they managed to eliminate all Siren warships and some of their KANSENs. But in the process, they saw Siren ground forces fortifying the whole town with defensive emplacements and positions. Maybe because they don't have the time yet, but they didn't deploy any shield generator. Instead, they kept the local residence as hostages, positioning them around the town in strategic manner so shore bombardment is out of the question unless we want a civilian massacre to happen. In addition to that, they are also seen constructing something on the town center. We don't know what are they trying to build there yet, but we have to stop them" Ambrose explained to us out loud.

…So, Ceres Town all over again? But this time we caught them with their pants down…Wait, has Point Azure sent out a response other than the KANSENs? Do we have our ground forces over there?

"I know what you guys are thinking, have we sent out any ground forces to retake the town? Yes, we did. We sent two battalions of marines to the island, it's not a particularly large island with around three kilometers in diameter so we expect Siren defenses to be focused on the town area. The marines tried to assault the town around three hours ago, but they can't push through their defenses. After casualties piled up to thirty percent, they chose to retreat and set up a perimeter around the forest south of the town. We are in a stalemate with them, at the moment. The marines can't push through, the Sirens seemingly don't have enough troops to chase and flush them out. The KANSENs then volunteered to directly assault the town on foot, creating enough chaos and commotion for the Sirens so the marines could make their second push. However, that ends up in a failure due to Siren ship girls ambushing them…Worse, a couple of them failed to retreat and presumably captured" …OH HOLY FUCKING SHITE! Majority of us gasped and voiced out our distress.

"Sons of bitches! They'll pay for that!" Letitia commented while she gritted her teeth.

"Shit, even the KANSENs took casualties!" One of us said out loud.

"Fucking hell, that's a nightmare!" Gordon said out loud.

"Any confirmation on their positions or general condition, shousha?" Koyanagi asked Ambrose.

"None so far, we only know that those girls last known position are somewhere around the town center. It is within reason to think that they must be detained somewhere close, especially that there are group of hostages within the building. But our spotter saw nothing so far, any intel we can get on them is a top priority. They are the reason why you are called today, ladies and gentlemen. You are to head there, rescue the hostages, soften their defenses for our main assault force and help them retake the town. We will be deploying armor and infantry reinforcement so you can be sure that the assault force will be prepared for direct engagement for the second time…Given the nature of your mission, we cannot send in too much soldiers or they'll detect you quite easily. Amagi advised that two separate teams consisted of two people would be limits on infiltrating the town, it will be a very dangerous so we want the very best as the one infiltrating. Someone that proves themselves that they can handle stealth work, like a ghost" That motherfucker is staring at me!

"Sir, a question. What about the rest of us?" Edmund asked Ambrose as he raised his hand.

"Two platoons would be deployed, the rest remain on stand by in the base as backup. The deployed platoon? You guys are the dagger that's going to bleed them out by hitting vital points, your job is to commence a separate assault once the fight begins. You'll rely on mobility and lightning quick strikes; the main assault force will distract the Sirens so you could catch them off guard" Ambrose said to Edmund.

"What's the confirmed threat present on the area of operation, sir?" I heard Brooks asking Ambrose.

"So far we got Serpents, Heavy Serpents, Siren Ship Girls, Hover Tanks, Energy Defensive Emplacements and the invisible snake you encounter on Ceres. The last one seemingly in limited numbers, around six were neutralized around the forest area and none are encountered within the town yet" Ambrose explained the threat we'll about to face…That doesn't sound good, too many types in one place, they're planning something.

"Ah hell, not those snakes again" I heard Grey said out loud.

"I know, invisible bastards really gives me the creeps" Brooks said to Grey.

"So we'll be infiltrating during daylight, the risk is much higher with sunlight above us" Koyanagi said to Ambrose.

"I wish we could wait until night, but if those ship girls captured by the Sirens are injured? I don't think they'll have much time, we don't want to waste any second if possible" Ambrose said to Koyanagi while he frowned.

"…Sir, who are the ship girls that were captured by them?" I asked Ambrose as I raised my hand.

"The patrol fleet that responded to the attack is consisted of Baltimore, Bremerton, Pola, Zara, Renown, Seydlitz, Volga and Aquila…Baltimore and Pola didn't make it out, it took everything we got to make sure their sisters didn't rush in to help them or we'll lose even more KANSENs…I told them that you're going in there to keep them calm, they have full trust that you'll get the job done, Wallace" Ambrose said to me while he frowned.

"…You told them that without my consent?" I asked Ambrose while I frowned.

"I was desperate to keep them in line…I'm truly sorry" Ambrose said to me while he frowned.

I don't like that he exploited that angle, I'm going to have stern words with him after this. He could order me to do the infiltration and I'll do it in a heartbeat, but I hate the fact that he used me to manipulate the KANSENs…Well, this mission just got personal now…Those two are the sisters of my friends, one of them even saved my life in the past…I'll have to repay her the favor, I'll get the both of them home no matter what it takes…After hearing who our targets are, there is no way I'm not volunteering to be the infiltrator. I subtly glanced around the room; everyone is staring at me as if they expect me to say something…I know what they think, they all want me to be the one to go…I can't imagine what Bremerton and Zara must be feeling right now, I'm sure Bremerton is crying from greatly worrying Baltimore and Zara agonized the fact that she can't go in to help Pola…All of that, added with Ambrose promising them that I will be the one to go, really sealed my fate on what I'm going to do next.

"…We are all in agreement that Wallace is one of the people that's definitely in the infiltration team, huh?" Gordon asked out loud.

"True, I've seen what he could do myself" Koyanagi said to Gordon.

"Even without the promise that Major Ambrose made, he's proven that he's the right guy for the job" Letitia said out loud.

"Agreed, no one's more suitable for this than you, Wallace. In a lot of ways" Edmund said to me…

"…What do you say, Wallace? Will you go?" Ambrose asked me…Damn you Ambrose, damn you expectations, and damn you fate. No way I could refuse this one.

"I'll go" I said to Ambrose in utmost certainty.

…If this is the crucial part in preventing that dark vision from happening, I absolutely can't fail this…

---

TheOneAndOnly: Thanks, and thanks for reading!

Well, it got depressing in the end. The backgrounds for KANSENs in this story are quite diversified and not all of them has a happy start, I want to try adding on events in their past that shaped their core personality. Like with Belfast here, she became the perfect head maid because she has experienced working for a trash master and a kind master, thus she knows very well on how to handle one. She will stand her ground if she judges her master goes too far, instead of keep serving them like a dutiful maid should. So yeah, mature topics are a guarantee in this story, but if you got this far then I assumed you already know that. Also, as you might probably noticed, it is insinuated that in this world they don't have ships origin but summoned as a ship girl directly. That resulting in them fighting in the world war as a ship girl, not as a ship that then turned into anime waifus. Well, next chapter is about Alex returning to action, squaring against the Sirens directly and it's a mission he can't fail. Thank you, dear readers, for the follow, favorite and review, stay tuned for the next chapter that will be released at unknown date!

Until next time!

- Dasmara