A/N: That feeling when you can't even complete Winter 2018 on Casual difficulty... If only I had a few thousand more resources. This was pretty much my first event, though, so I guess it was a decent enough run considering how incredibly unprepared I was.
"Great, the goddamn machine's broken…"
Drake frowned as the currency exchange machine refused to take his money, instead spitting it back out and forcing him to go off and look for a new one. Kaga followed him as he stalked off, leaving Bismarck and Shigure (both of whom were asleep) in the waiting area at their terminal.
The group was currently in the London Heathrow Airport, fresh off their flight from Tokyo. Their flight started early in the morning back in Japan and they arrived at London sometime in the afternoon, so everyone was understandably tired, and Drake himself was feeling extra cranky thanks to his lack of sleep. Kaga seemed to be functioning just fine, but that was no surprise. Either way, the flight to London had gone well for the most part, and as promised, Fleet Admiral Boston had sent them four first class tickets, luckily giving them plenty of space in the cabin. The flight was also surprisingly empty, which Drake was thankful for since he was never a fan of crowded places. Bismarck and Kaga, having been on planes before, were able to steel themselves for the ride despite the airliner being larger than planes they were used to. Shigure, however, had never flown before, and though she tried not to show it, Drake could tell she was nervous, so he sat next to her on the flight over. After being assured that airplanes were incredibly safe, Shigure managed to sit through the flight, though she did grab onto Drake whenever there was even the slightest bit of turbulence, a trait he noticed she shared with her more timid sister.
The three ship girls who accompanied Drake had also changed from their regular uniforms to more 'normal' outfits so they would fit in better. Kaga's and Shigure's clothes were mostly the same, though they had slight alterations. Kaga wore the same blue skirt but with black tights instead of her usual thigh-highs, and her top was the white and blue shirts she normally wore. Shigure wore her regular skirt, but she too wore black tights underneath, probably because of the cold weather in London. She had on a long-sleeved version of her normal shirt, though she had left her red school ribbon behind. Bismarck, on the other hand, was forced to ditch her usual German officer's uniform for a dark gray sweater and a pair of gray jeans. She had wanted to keep her cap with her, but Drake threw out that request because he was sure people would wonder why Bismarck was wearing a military officer's hat. All three girls wore a pair of black military-style boots as well, since their normal shoes were a bit strange, to say the least. Drake himself settled for a standard pair of khakis, a black long-sleeve, and a USLN brown leather jacket since he was taking a civilian flight, though he did make sure to pack his admiral's uniform. Ultimately, Drake had to be the 'fashion police' and tell the girls what they could and couldn't wear, which made him feel uncomfortable, but he doubted INFCOM would appreciate it if he and his fleet caused a ruckus at the airport because of their outlandish outfits. It also didn't help that the girls were exceptionally beautiful and just naturally drew attention to themselves anyway.
"Hopefully there's another machine somewhere around here," Drake muttered to himself as he continued his search. He had been to Heathrow a couple times before, but his last visit was more than a decade ago, so his memory was slightly shaky on the layout of the airport.
Kaga seemed to be quite interested in the airport, just as she had been back in Tokyo, though they only got to spend a few minutes there because they were actually fairly late for their flight. Though the aircraft carrier tried not to show it, Drake could tell that she had some sort of penchant for airports.
"How do you like the airport?" he asked Kaga as his eyes scanned for another currency exchange location.
"It is… Strange. It's very different from the hangars at military bases and on aircraft carriers."
"Yeah, civilian airports tend to be a lot nicer," he said as they passed by one of the American Airlines 'Admirals Clubs.' "Hey, think they'll let me in for free?"
Kaga glanced at the lounge. "This airport has a station for admirals…?"
"Nah, I doubt it's actually for admirals. It's probably just called that for some other reason," Drake said as the continued past. "Then again, I've never actually been inside one, so who knows…"
The two of them finally found a new currency exchange machine, and Drake exchanged his dollars and yen for some British pounds. As he waited, the rear admiral pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. We're pretty early… We might have to stay at the airport for a while.
However, as Drake was looking at the time, the phone screen suddenly changed to the incoming call notification as he received a phone call from INFCOM again, which meant that it was probably Fleet Admiral Boston.
"Hello?"
"Yo, Dick! You landed?"
"Yes, sir. We're at Heathrow now."
"Aight… Well, we're going to be a little late in picking you up… A lot late, actually, so you'll probably get to HQ sometime tonight. It turns out that we only prepared an extra room for you and not your ship girls, so we're going to have to sort that shit out. Also, the guys who were supposed to pick you up got called over to get Cassius instead, and he's coming over by boat this afternoon. On top of that, there are a bunch of random-ass dignitaries taking up space at HQ right now because they apparently think that it's cooler to hang out here than their embassies, so we gotta wait for them to clear out as well. Y'hear?"
"Uh, yes, sir." Damn, why is the Navy so incompetent when it comes to logistics? "So should we just wait at the airport…?"
"You kiddin' me? You brought three beautiful girls with you, and you're just going to make them sit at the airport for hours on end? Go show 'em around the city or something! C'mon, Dick! You're giving American men a bad reputation!"
"Right… What about our luggage, though?"
"Oh, fuck. Uh… Just get a cab to take you over to INFCOM headquarters and leave your luggage with the guards and we'll store it for you. Then go do whatever the hell you want for a few hours, and the rooms should be ready at around nine or so and we'll just pick you up or something. Good?"
Drake didn't really have a choice in the matter, so he just agreed. The fleet admiral then ended the call, causing Drake to sigh in mild frustration.
"Is there an issue with our transportation?" Kaga asked.
"Yeah. We won't be able to get to HQ until around nine, so we'll have to wait until then," he answered. "Do you want to have a look around the city in the meantime? We can drop off our bags at HQ, but we can't really go in ourselves yet. The alternative is waiting here at the airport."
"I don't have a particular preference," Kaga replied, but by the way her eyes slightly lit up at the prospect of going out into her first major city ever, Drake had a feeling she wouldn't complain if they did end up going out into the city.
"All right, we'll go look around London, I guess," he decided as they began walking back towards where Bismarck and Shigure were. Drake himself never had a chance to explore the city either, so he saw this as a good opportunity.
The two of them returned to where Bismarck and Shigure were sitting, and they found that the two drowsy ship girls had more or less awakened.
"Where'd you two go?" Bismarck groggily asked.
"No one will be able to pick us up until around nine, so we're going to have to take a cab to drop of our bags at HQ," Drake told them. "Then we're going to walk around the city for a while since HQ is apparently too busy to house us right now. That all right with you two?"
"Yes, sir!" Shigure replied, seemingly snapping out of her tiredness almost instantly.
Bismarck shrugged, so Drake took that as a yes. The three of them then left the terminal and headed down to the baggage claim, after which the rear admiral paid for a taxi to take them down to INFCOM headquarters. The HQ was located in Westminster, and both Drake and the ship girls couldn't help but stare out the window when they passed through the city, especially as the drove by famous landmarks like the House of Parliament. The actual HQ building itself was not as impressive as the other London attractions, but it was no slouch either. It was a large building that seemed to be modeled after the House of Parliament, and a black iron gate guarded the entrance as two armed soldiers stood by. They looked to be part of the New Royal Guard, who wore uniforms similar to the red coats British soldiers used to wear, except with a patch on their shoulder with a design of a pink rose. However, though their uniforms looked like a throwback to the eighteenth century, their firearms clearly weren't, and their guns combined with the bulletproof nature of their uniforms made them a deadly adversary. Either way, the two soldiers were just there to guard the gate, so they didn't do much other than stare curiously when Drake and the three ship girls got out with their luggage.
"You here for the conference?" one of the soldiers asked, his accent further emphasizing the fact that they were now in London.
Drake nodded. "I'm Rear Admiral Richard Drake of the United States Liberation Navy. I was told I could leave my baggage here and that someone would take it inside?"
The two soldiers exchanged looks before one of them opened the gates and went inside. Drake, the ship girls, and the remaining soldier stood by awkwardly for about five minutes before the guard reappeared, this time bringing two men in suits with him. The suited men wordlessly went over and grabbed the group's suitcases and took them inside the building.
"You going inside too?" the same soldier asked once the men left.
"Uh, no, we were told that it's too busy in there right now," Drake replied, then glanced back over to the cab driver who was waiting for them to finish up.
The soldier merely shrugged and shut the gate.
"Anywhere you girls want to go in particular?" Drake asked as they walked back to the taxi.
Shigure glanced at Bismarck and Kaga, though the former seemed to be busy looking around the city while the latter wore her usual blank expression.
"Um… Wherever you want to go is fine, sir," Shigure spoke up.
"This is also my first time here, so I don't have anything in mind," Drake admitted as he stopped briefly to think about where they could go. "Uh… We could go to Trafalgar Square, I guess. It's named after a famous naval battle, so you might find that interesting."
The three girls had no objections, so that was where Drake told the taxi driver to go next. After about ten or so minutes, they arrived at the square, which was actually fairly crowded. Drake feared the girls might get bored just standing around and looking at stuff, but luckily, they seemed to be enraptured in the city atmosphere.
I guess that makes sense. This is their first time outside of the base, after all, he thought as he watched Shigure curiously approach one of the lion statues.
"Who is that man atop that column?" Kaga asked, looking up at the statue standing on top of the large white column that towered above the square.
"I think that's Admiral Horatio Nelson," Drake answered as he too looked up at the statue. "He was the one who led the British attack at the Battle of Trafalgar, and he died during the battle as well."
Kaga continued to stare with wonder. "I see… This must have been before our time, no?"
"Yeah, the Battle of Trafalgar was in the late 1700s… Or was it the 1800s?"
Kaga turned to him, the corner of her mouth kicking slighlty upwards. "Perhaps they'll make a statue of you too one day, Admiral."
Drake smirked. "Yeah, fat chance of that."
"What is that building back there?" Kaga then asked, looking out towards the large structure towards the back of the square.
"I don't actually know… It looks like a museum of some sort. No harm in getting a closer look."
Drake turned back to see what Bismarck and Shigure were doing, and he saw that they were talking to each other about something in front of the lions, so he decided to leave them alone. He wouldn't be too far away, so they could probably find him if they needed to. He could also call them if they got lost, so he wasn't too worried about leaving them by themselves.
The pair walked up to the museum-like building, and they saw that the red banners hanging from it read 'NATIONAL GALLERY.'
"Yeah, it's definitely a museum," Drake concluded as they got to the steps. "It probably houses an art collection or something."
"Art? Paintings and things like that?" Kaga asked curiously.
"I'd assume so. It's been a while since I've visited a museum… You want to go inside?"
Kaga looked at the entrance to the museum, then glanced back at Bismarck and Shigure, who were still by the lions. "If it's all right…"
Drake nodded. "Yeah, sure. Last time I was at a museum was when I was a kid, so hopefully this'll be interesting."
"I wonder if all cities are this lively…" Shigure said as she continued to stare at the numerous people that walked throughout the square. Cars and big red buses also filled the streets surrounding the square, adding to the noise of the city.
"I'm sure they are. Los Angeles in America seemed to be just as crowded," Bismarck replied with a frown.
Shigure walked over to the fountain, her blue eyes taking in the sight. "Sorry, this is my first time outside of the base, so I didn't know. Everything seems so fast…"
Bismarck nodded in agreement. "I suppose that's how it is nowadays. Back in our time, I'm sure that cities weren't this packed… The Allies sure seem to have grown prosperous since the War, but I'm sure they've grown soft as well."
"You shouldn't speak of them that way. They are our allies now too, you know," Shigure said with a disapproving look.
"I'm aware of that, thank you," Bismarck bitterly shot back. "Even so, that doesn't change the fact that they were our enemies at one time, and that they were ones who sank us. This country's warships were the ones that brought an end to my life, and that's not something I can easily forget."
Shigure remained silent for a minute. Though she truly believed that she should try and get along with the countries that fought against her in World War II, a small part of her felt a bit of anger and frustration towards her former enemies. As evidenced by her dreams of Surigao that refused to go away, Shigure was still feeling the effects of her defeat at the hands of the Americans even to this day.
"But… We can't afford to feel that way anymore," Shigure then spoke up. "We're facing a new enemy now, and if we don't come together to defeat them, then they'll destroy us on a scale far greater than anything we experienced during the War. There just isn't any room for old grudges."
Bismarck scoffed. "You sound just like the Admiral, you know that? Speaking of the Admiral… Where did he go?"
Now that Bismarck had pointed it out, Shigure also began looking around for her admiral, but he was nowhere in sight. Kaga was gone as well, so she assumed that the two of them went somewhere else.
"Looks like he and Secretary Kaga went off on their own," Shigure noted.
"Tch. They seriously just ditched us? And who knows what those two are doing alone together…"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Anyway, I'm not just going to wait around here for them like an obedient dog," Bismarck said, turning away from the square.
"W-wait, where are you going?" Shigure asked, hesitantly following the blonde battleship.
Bismarck shrugged. "Somewhere else, I guess. There's no point in standing around in the same spot all day."
"But the Admiral…"
"What about him?"
"Shouldn't we wait there for him to return?"
Bismarck glared at Shigure. "The Admiral didn't even bother to inform us where he went, so who knows how long he's going to be gone. If he expects us to stand by at his beck and call when he can't even do us the decency of telling us where he's going, then he's sorely mistaken."
"But… He is the Admiral…"
"So? It's not as if we're on a sortie right now." Bismarck stopped and glanced back over to the square, where there was still no sign of Drake or Kaga. "How about we just return back here later? Or if they're still not here, then we can just go back to headquarters. I used to spend a lot of time there, so I know where it is… I think."
Shigure seemed unsure. "I still think it's better if we just waited here…"
Bismarck scowled venomously at the destroyer. "Then by all means, wait here."
The German stalked off, and Shigure reluctantly followed. Shigure felt like she couldn't let Bismarck go into the city by herself, and that it would be better if they stuck together.
The two wandered around the city aimlessly, Bismarck apparently just leading the way to nowhere. Shigure was about to ask if she had any destination in mind, but she felt like that would only annoy the battleship even further, so she kept quiet. They walked on the sidewalk and past busy streets, and the scenery was still quite captivating to Shigure even though there weren't any famous landmarks like Trafalgar Square that they passed. At one point, she could see what appeared to be a garden of some sorts in the distance, but Bismarck just marched past it, so Shigure did as well. Eventually, the German blew off enough steam and slowed her advance to a more leisurely stroll.
"Should we go back now?" Shigure worked up the courage to ask.
Bismarck rolled her eyes. "You can go back anytime you want."
So much for that, Shigure thought as she sighed to herself. "Where exactly are we going, then?"
Bismarck paused. "Anywhere in particular you want to see?"
Shigure shook her head. "I don't really know this city…"
"... So the Admiral told you a week in advance that we were going to London, and you didn't even bother doing any basic research on the city?"
"Um, I… No." Shigure looked at the ground, disappointed at herself.
"Whatever. I don't know much more about London than you do, and I've even lived here before, so I can't really fault you too much for that. You see that?" Bismarck pointed to a large clocktower in the distance. "That's what the British call 'Big Ben.' We passed it earlier, remember? Anyway, that's one of London's most famous landmarks. We might as well see it up close since we've come this far."
The destroyer's blue eyes lit up with excitement. "It's so big… Can we go inside?"
"Uh… I don't know, actually. They were doing some sort of renovation on it the last time I was here, so I suppose we'll find out."
The area around the clock tower was actually not too crowded, and there were only a few people who were taking pictures of the tower from afar so as to get the entire structure in their photo. The two ship girls approached the tower more closely, and when they did, they saw a man dressed in some sort of uniform waving goodbye to a few men in suits and a couple police officers. When he noticed Bismarck and Shigure, he gave them a bright smile.
"Afternoon, ladies!" he cheerily greeted.
Bismarck nodded. "Good afternoon."
"Ah, are you two tourists from Germany?" the man asked, astutely picking up on Bismarck's accent.
"I am from Germany, she is from Japan," Bismarck replied, jerking a thumb towards Shigure.
"Um, hello," Shigure greeted, bowing politely.
"Yes, hello!" the man said with an amused grin as he returned Shigure's bow. "So, are you two here to see Big Ben?"
"Yes. Is it possible to go inside it?" Bismarck asked, glancing up at the tower, which appeared to be finished with its renovations.
The man nodded energetically. "You're in luck! We quite literally just finished the final preparations for opening the recently-constructed elevator up to the top of the tower, now open to the general public… Well, technically it's supposed to open tomorrow, but no harm in giving you an early look, eh? It's going to cost you a bit, but it's bloody well worth it!"
"Oh? How much?"
"Well, let's see - seventy pounds per person, I believe is the rate. It's free for all military personnel and INFCOM staff -"
"Oh, then here," Bismarck cut him off, pulling out her wallet to reveal her INFCOM ID. Shigure followed suit, and the man gave the ID cards a curious glance.
"Well, looks like we got a couple of navy girls here, huh?" he noted enthusiastically, evidently not having read their strange names. "It'll be our honor, then. Please enter through here, and then you'll spot a silver elevator a bit off to the right. There should be someone in there who can help you out, but the elevator buttons are fairly intuitive themselves, so it should be no problem. Please enjoy London in all her glory!"
Bismarck and Shigure thanked the man and then went inside the clock tower, where they did indeed find an elevator that appeared to be newly-constructed. They took it up to the top of the tower, past the bell and towards a viewing area that overlooked the city of London. When they disembarked from the elevator, they were greeted with a splendid view of the late afternoon cityscape. They could see Trafalgar Square from one end of the tower, and on the other end, they could look across the river at the magnificent ferris wheel that rose to join the tall buildings.
"It's so beautiful up here…" Shigure said out loud as she took in the view.
"I suppose it is," Bismarck agreed as she glanced down at Westminster Abbey in the distance. "And to think, all this could have been ours…"
"Hm…?" Shigure turned to look at Bismarck.
The German battleship sighed. "If we had won the war. This city would have belonged to Germany."
"Oh." Shigure didn't know exactly what to say to that. "But… Perhaps it's better that it turned out this way?"
Bismarck raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Wouldn't you have preferred it if Japan had defeated the Americans as well?"
"Well… It's not as if things are bad the way they are now, right?" Shigure pointed out. "Both Japan and Germany are doing well for themselves, and our people are happy. Besides… Both our countries committed plenty of crimes throughout the war, so maybe…"
"Oh, come on," Bismarck scoffed, "I'm sure the Allies were no saints either. Did you forget that they firebombed our cities? Your country was even hit with nuclear weapons."
"Yes…" Shigure's look turned melancholy. "But… I still don't think we should focus on our past differences. It's best to move forward now."
"... I suppose," Bismarck quietly conceded, which surprised Shigure. "But still, you can't blame me for thinking about what could have been…"
The two were silent for a bit before Bismarck spoke again.
"So you truly don't blame the Americans for what happened during the War?"
Shigure wore a pensive and slightly sad expression. "I… No, I don't… If I did, would this pain go away? Or would adding hatred only hurt even more?"
Bismarck's blue eyes softened. It was clear that Shigure still harbored trauma from World War II. "I think that you may be right, Shigure. We should try and get along with each other. It's for the best."
Shigure smiled. "Yes. Thank you…"
The ship girls stood overlooking the city for a few more minutes as the sun slowly began to set. The view really was beautiful, especially for Bismarck and Shigure, who had seen very little outside of the naval base.
Bismarck breathed in the evening air with a slight smile. "If we can win this war with everyone, then I think the past will no longer matter. It's what we do now, together, that will truly define us."
Shigure nodded determinedly, but then her expression changed to one of confusion. "Um… Bismarck, do you notice some sort of strange presence…?"
"Hm? Now that you mention it…"
Ship girls normally need their equipment to make full use of their radar capabilities, but even when they are not geared up, the microscopic Fairies within their bodies can still pick up faint readings of other Fairies or Abyssal signatures if the girls concentrate and the signature in question is close by.
Shigure and Bismarck were currently sensing another ship girl signature, though they had to focus to really feel it. The two of them glanced around, but they didn't see anyone.
"Maybe it's Kaga…?" Bismarck wondered aloud.
Just then, the elevator doors opened, revealing a woman with neck-length raspberry-colored hair and and crystal blue eyes. She wore all white in addition to a silver tiara-like headband. The girl smiled as she saw the two ship girls.
"Ah, Bismarck, there you are," the woman greeted in a refined British accent. "It took me quite a while to find you, you know. I had to ask around a bit, but eventually my carrier senses managed to pick you up! Just like old times, right?"
Bismarck scowled. "Ark Royal… What the hell do you want?"
Ark Royal laughed, a pleasant, chiming sound. "Oh, don't be like that. I'm just here to take you back to headquarters. You're here for the conference, no?"
"Hmph. As if I would need your help to get there."
"I'm sorry, but I was ordered to find you and escort you anyway," Ark Royal replied. Her gaze then turned towards Shigure, who was unsure of what to make of this new girl who Bismarck was apparently not very fond of. "Who's your friend, Bismarck?"
"Um, I'm Shigure of the Imperial Japanese Navy," Shigure introduced.
Ark Royal smiled kindly at her. "Oh, a Japanese ship girl? Your English is good! I am Her Majesty's ship, Ark Royal. It is a pleasure to meet you, Shigure."
"L-likewise," Shigure responded with a small bow. She seems nice… Why does Bismarck not like her?
Bismarck groaned. "If we're done with the introductions, can we go? I'd like to spend as little time in your presence as possible."
Ark Royal seemed to be growing more amused every time Bismarck complained. "Oh come now, Bismarck. I know you're always like this, but at least try to show some class in Shigure's presence. You have to set a good example for your kouhai! I've been practicing my Japanese, see?"
"Stop trying to get Shigure on your side," Bismarck spat, stepping closer to the IJN destroyer. "Shigure, don't listen to her. She's evil."
"Er… Didn't you just agree that we should all try to get along?" Shigure pointed out.
"Ugh… Fine. Let's just go, all right?"
Ark Royal gave Bismarck another smug smile as the three ship girls entered the elevator. "By the way, where is your admiral?"
Shigure and Bismarck blinked as they just remembered that Drake and Kaga were still not with them.
"Eh, he'll show up to headquarters eventually," Bismarck decided. "I don't know where he is right now, though…"
"... They're gone, aren't they?" Drake asked no one in particular as he and Kaga stood outside the National Gallery, looking out at Trafalgar Square as the sun began to set.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spent so long looking at the paintings," Kaga apologized.
"It's not your fault," Drake said as he pulled out his phone. "Guess we should just try calling them…"
Since he didn't have Shigure's number, Drake called Bismarck and held the phone up to his ear. However, he was greeted with nothing but the dial tone, and he frowned in frustration.
"What's the point in having a cellphone if you're not going to use it…"
"Perhaps they put their phones into their suitcases," Kaga provided. "That is what I did with mine."
"Why the hell would you do that?" Drake asked with a bewildered look. "That defeats the entire purpose of having one."
"Once again, I apologize. Some of us are still not entirely used to all the aspects of modern technology."
Drake sighed in defeat. "All right, all right. What now, then? Can you locate them somehow?"
"Without my equipment, I can only pick up faint signatures of ship girls, and that's only if I concentrate heavily," Kaga answered. "Aircraft carriers usually have better detection capabilities, but even I would find it extremely difficult to find them in a city like this where there are so many other distractions."
Drake frowned as he folded his hands behind his head and scanned the crowds. Trafalgar Square had become slightly less packed, but the city itself was still as lively as ever. He doubted they would be able to find Bismarck and Shigure on their own.
"Hm… Well, they can probably find their way back to HQ by tonight, right? Bismarck's lived at HQ before, so she should have some sort of idea. Also, since they're ship girls, we don't have to worry about them being kidnapped or hurt or anything, so I'm sure they'll be fine," Drake concluded. "We'll just head back to HQ at around nine or so and see if they're there. That all right?"
Kaga nodded.
"All right. So, what do you want to do next? We've still got a few hours until nine. Want to go see Big Ben?"
"Big Ben?" Kaga asked, confused.
"It's that big clock tower we passed earlier - er, it's the bell inside the clock tower, technically. I think you can actually see it from here…"
Drake pointed towards Big Ben in the distance, and Kaga looked on with curiosity.
"Ah… Why do they need such a large structure to tell the time with?"
"Uh… I don't know. It looks cool, though. So what do you say?"
Before Kaga could answer, a rumbling noise sounded from her stomach, causing her to look away and blush.
Drake suppressed a laugh. "We haven't eaten anything all day, have we? Guess we'll do that first."
The two of them made their way over to a small cafe by the square, where they were seated outside after a few minutes of waiting. Drake turned away from the menu for a bit to take a look at the city. This was his first time in London (outside of the airport, at least), and so he felt just like any other tourist. Though the city itself wasn't that different from most American cities, the sights of the big red buses that traversed the streets and the prevalent British accents were new, and then of course were all the city-specific landmarks like Trafalgar Square and Big Ben. Drake glanced back over at the square. The red-orange glow from the sunset cast a marvelous light upon Admiral Nelson, and the faint trickle from the fountain was audible even above the chatter of the city.
"Admiral… They don't happen to accept yen as payment here, do they?" Kaga asked, staring tragically at her wallet's contents.
"Probably not, which is why I had to go through that currency exchange," he said. "I'll pay for you, so don't worry about it."
Kaga looked disappointed in herself. "I couldn't inconvenience you like that…"
Drake smirked. "It's really no big deal."
"Thank you. I will repay this debt," Kaga replied seriously.
"Er… No need for that. Like I said, it's not a big deal."
"If you say so, sir."
The waiter then appeared to take their orders, and after listening to Kaga's order, Drake mentally smacked himself for offering to pay for the both of them. Oh well, not like she could have paid for herself anyway. Besides, I should have known that carriers eat a lot…
"Oh, wait," Drake suddenly remembered, "do Shigure and Bismarck have any money with them?"
"I don't believe so… You were the only one who exchanged his money for British pounds."
"Wow, sucks for them," the rear admiral remarked as he leaned back in his chair. It was still technically winter, but the London temperature was relatively mild. "I guess we should have told them that we were going in the museum after all."
Kaga nodded. "I don't think they are going to be too happy about this…"
Drake chuckled. "That's an understatement… Anyway, how are you liking London so far? This is your first time out in a real city, right?"
"Yes. It is… Quite interesting," Kaga said. Her answer wasn't very descriptive, but after months of spending time with her, Drake was used to this by now.
"So do you prefer this type of city, or are you more into the quieter places like Hachijo-jima?"
Kaga thought about it for a bit. "I dislike loud and crowded places, but… There is something about a city like this that I enjoy. Perhaps it is the lively nature of it. Back during the War, the naval yards were often busy like this, but the atmosphere was completely different. Instead of a sense of bloodthirstiness that I felt back then, I think this city exudes a… Strangely enough, a peaceful and calming feeling. These people seem like they are enjoying themselves."
"Wow, that's a surprisingly deep answer," Drake replied with an amused smile. "But you're right; sometimes it's good to get away from the war and forget the battles you've fought. But it's not always that easy to forget…"
Kaga picked up on Drake's shift in tone towards the end of his sentence. "I agree. Occasionally I recall how it felt to sink beneath the waves and watch the sunlight slowly disappear from view… But even so, I am happy to be given this new opportunity to fight again… Especially if it's with someone like you, sir."
Drake blinked in surprise, not expecting Kaga to say something like that. "Y-yeah… I feel the same way, Kaga. I'm glad that I can rely on you now."
Kaga gave him a slight smile, and Drake hoped he wasn't blushing. Luckily, the food then arrived, so their focus shifted to that. They then spent the rest of their meal talking about lighter things, such as the meager amount of British naval history that Drake knew about and the other landmarks of London. By the time they finished, the sun had almost completely slipped beneath the horizon, and Drake was a good deal poorer than he used to be.
The two of them sat for a bit afterwards, drinking tea because Drake had felt it necessary since they were in England. As Kaga stared into her cup, she began to recall her conversation with Houshou a week ago. Though she hadn't managed to tell her admiral about her doubts after all, she felt like… It almost didn't matter anymore. She was certain that the battles would get harder from this point on, but she also knew that Drake wasn't stupid and could probably figure that out on his own. And yet, despite that, he still seemed so calm, which in turn put her at ease. She was sure that the words they shared together also contributed to lessening her worries, and now, even though the threat of the Abyssals hadn't diminished in the slightest, she felt more prepared to face them than she did when she first spoke to Houshou.
Kaga stole a brief glance at her admiral, but she noticed that he was busy looking at something else. She followed his gaze to see an exceptionally beautiful young woman with silky blond hair, soft, white skin, and regal blue eyes. She wore a white sundress underneath a long light coat, and Kaga guessed the reason why Drake was staring at her was because the woman was intently staring at Kaga.
"Uh… Do you know her?" Drake asked Kaga.
"I don't believe so," Kaga said even as the woman approached them.
"Good evening," the blonde woman greeted with a smooth British accent and a polite smile. "I apologize for the intrusion, but would you two happen to be from the American navy?"
"Uh, yes," Drake replied, a bit taken aback at how she knew that. "Well, I am at least."
"Oh, of course," the woman replied, now turning back to Kaga. "You must be from Japan, correct?"
Kaga nodded, also unsure of how she knew that.
"Did INFCOM send you?" Drake guessed.
"Yes, sir. They sent me to find an Admiral Richard Drake and his ship girls, so… Ah, how rude of me; allow me to introduce myself first. Presenting to you Her Majesty's ship, Warspite of the Royal Navy. A pleasure to meet you."
Warspite gave the pair a light curtsy.
"Oh, a British ship girl?" Drake noted with enthusiasm. "I've heard of you. Do you know my cousin? Lira?"
"Lira? Ah, you mean Captain Snowbrook? Yes, I know her. She is a wonderful girl," Warspite responded with a pleasant smile.
"Well, I wouldn't call her 'wonderful,' but yeah," Drake said with a smirk as he stood up. "Guess we should get going, Kaga… By the way, Warspite, did you happen to see any other ship girls in town? You remember Bismarck, right?"
"Oh, you brought Bismarck with you?" Warspite seemed amused at that. "Did you get separated?"
"Yeah, kind of…" Drake answered, slightly embarrassed.
Warspite gave him a reassuring nod. "Bismarck has been to headquarters before, so I am sure she will be able to find her way back. One of my comrades has also gone out to search for you in other parts of the city, so it's possible that she may run into Bismarck instead."
"All right, that's good," Drake said with relief. "So, is HQ finally ready now?"
"Yes, sir. Please follow me."