The Admiral of Hogwarts

“Being in the same world as the Commander is just wonderful.” After a brief exchange about their recent situations, Hood spoke in standard aristocratic English, unhurried and measured. “The past 11 years in the naval base, filled with nothing but expeditions and exercises, were truly boring.”

“What about the Abyssals?” Hugo asked. If he remembered correctly, when he played the game, there would always be a major event every few months where the ship girls would beat up those Abyssals. In theory, it shouldn't have been so boring for them. “I thought they would be harassing you.”

“Since you came to this world, all Abyssals with self-awareness have disappeared. Since we woke up more than a decade ago, what we often do is just beat up those ordinary Abyssals who are as stiff and robotic as machines, constantly popping up from various places.” Veneto, who appeared petite, said.

“Most importantly, that world wasn't very real. No matter what we did there, it felt like sleepwalking. If it weren't for being able to sense that you, Commander, were closer to us than before, I think the sisters would have gone crazy long ago.”

“I'm sorry, I only found out about your existence in the last few days.” Hugo said apologetically to the two ship girls in front of him, “If I had known earlier, I think I would have—”

“You don't need to apologize, my Commander.” Before he could finish speaking, Veneto and Hood stepped forward and each took one of his hands, and then Hood further explained. “For us, being able to feel your presence, Commander, from such a close distance is enough to make us happy. And we also know that you did your best to find us at this time.”

“But it still made you suffer.” Hugo sighed softly, then suddenly thought of something very important, “By the way, do you have any identification and money on you?”

Because of Hugo's age, he couldn't bring these two ship girls back to his home. So he looked at the two ship girls, one big and one small, with concern and asked about their current identities, while reaching into his pocket to feel the seven or eight hundred pounds he had saved up over five or six years.

“We both have identification, and they are all legal. But the problem is that the money we have seems to be unusable.” Hood said, taking out her passport and a stack of paper money. The passport showed that Hood was a 19-year-old British woman. But the stack of banknotes in her hand was an old version from the 1940s, which was obviously no longer usable.

“What about you, Veneto?” After looking at the things in Hood's hand, Hugo noticed that Veneto's hands were empty, so he asked with concern. “If you don't have any, I think I can—”

“Of course, I have it too.” Feeling the concern in Hugo's heart, Veneto hesitated for a few seconds and reluctantly took out her passport as well. After opening the passport and taking a look, Hugo immediately understood why Veneto was unwilling to take out this passport just now.

Because the passport showed that Veneto was born on April 28, 1980, which meant she was even younger than Hugo. As a battleship ship girl, she naturally didn't want to be seen as an elementary school student. But unfortunately, the will of the world arranged a birthday for her in this world that clearly didn't align with her wishes.

“Okay, don't be angry.” Looking at Veneto with a pouty expression, Hugo earnestly returned Veneto's passport and a stack of equally unusable old Italian lire, and at the same time handed over the only 700+ pounds he had on him. “You guys take this money and find a place to stay first, and I'll think of a way to figure out where to settle you.”

“No need to bother so much, my Commander.” Veneto felt very happy in her heart about Hugo handing her the money, because she knew that this meant her Commander didn't see her as a child because of her appearance, but as an adult who could take on her responsibilities.

But happy as she was, Veneto still politely declined the money Hugo handed over, and said: “Don't forget that Hood and I are not ordinary humans. For us, there are quite a few ways to make money.”

“Uh—your ways of making money, can you explain in detail what methods those are?” Remembering Veneto's Sicilian mob boss side in the game setting, Hugo suddenly had an ominous premonition.

“As long as we have this thing, we can find money from many places.” As she spoke, Veneto took out a Beretta m1938 submachine gun from her ship rigging space. On the other side, Hood even more exaggeratedly took out a Chicago Typewriter.

“Ladies, listen to me.” Looking at the guns in the hands of the two girls, Hugo felt cold sweat running down his back. He quickly raised his hands in front of his chest to strengthen his tone and said: “I think you should know that this world has changed when you came. Now is a very peaceful era. At least in the capital of England, using weapons of this level is very excessive.”

“I don't think so.” In the next instant, Hood, who had put the gun back into her ship rigging space, shook her head, and then seriously lowered her head to look into Hugo's eyes and said. “After all, I understand London better than you. The peaceful and orderly world you speak of only exists in a part of London, while the other side of this city is not like that.”

“—Okay, you're right.” After being silent for a few seconds, Hugo had to admit that what Hood said was true. At least in East London, especially in some areas where illegal immigrants gathered, almost the darkest side of the entire city was deposited. Even Hugo's parents had specifically warned him not to go to those dangerous places in East London, especially at night.

“If you have decided, then do what you feel is right in your heart.” Hugo knew that if he gave an order, these ship girls would completely follow his orders. But as a Commander who regarded ship girls as independent lives, he was unwilling to violate the ship girls' wishes to order them in daily life.

“Thank you for your trust in us, my dear Commander.” Hood gave Hugo a very elegant curtsy and said. “But please rest assured, we can tell the good from the bad among humans and ensure that we will not harm the innocent. After all, we are ship girls, not those Abyssal ship girls who are full of malice towards all life.”

Unlike the setting in the previous life's game, ship girls are not restricted from killing ordinary humans. Thinking about it, it makes sense, after all, the ship girl prototypes are all warships, and their purpose of birth is to kill. So it is certainly impossible to be that kind of pure pacifist, and having a warlike side is also reasonable.

Fortunately, as ship girls, they are also, in a sense, the embodiment of various good and bright wills. So Hugo doesn't have to worry about them creating some unmanageable big news.

“Then I wish you all the best.” Hugo raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist and said, “It's already 12:00 at night, I have to go home. Otherwise, my parents will check the room and find that I'm not at home, and I'll definitely be dead.”