Perhaps sensing the strange discomfort Hikaru was trying to suppress, Bismarck raised her voice and, with a combination of barking orders and a few strategic kicks, finally restored order.
Kicks were necessary—some of the shipgirls were obsessed with their commander, and others simply had no shame. Without a bit of force, they'd be pawing at Hikaru until the end of time.
After explaining why he had suddenly appeared in a ghost-like form, and clarifying that Missouri and the others had already materialized in the other version of the base, Hikaru was met with a wave of envious and jealous shrieks. He turned toward Bismarck.
She was the first shipgirl he had encountered upon entering the dream.
Perhaps seeing the seriousness in his gaze, Bismarck stood at attention and saluted crisply.
"Awaiting your command, Commander."
"Good. Bismarck, I hereby appoint you as the secretary ship of the base."
The very next instant, Missouri's body was suddenly pulled out from thin air and appeared in front of the office desk—while Bismarck's figure faded and disappeared at the same time.
Hikaru awoke from the dream just in time to see Bismarck catching Tirpitz, who had leapt into her arms.
The experiment was a success!
Bismarck's face showed barely contained joy, her eyes shining with tears as she spoke in a nasal, emotional voice: "Commander… Bismarck, reporting for duty!"
Hikaru nodded to her, but the next moment his vision swam, his head spun, and his legs gave out as he collapsed.
"Commander, are you okay?!"
Lexington was the fastest to react, catching Hikaru tightly and asking in a panic.
Hikaru shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. He still felt dizzy and nauseated, but the overwhelming sense of vertigo gradually faded.
What remained was the groggy, hungover sensation of a pounding headache.
"My head's a little dizzy," Hikaru said as he clutched Lexington's delicate hand. "Hold me steady."
Without her support, he probably would've collapsed in the next second.
The shipgirls quickly gathered around, and Bismarck looked especially concerned. She blamed herself, saying, "Was it because of summoning me…?"
If bringing her over had harmed Hikaru, Bismarck would probably never forgive herself.
"It's not your fault," Hikaru shook his head. He had experienced something similar before. "I think it's just mental exhaustion. After all, summoning you girls into this world must have a price."
He sensed that his mental energy was almost completely drained. Mental energy was like water in a lake—it could fluctuate without issue, but if the lake dried up completely, the exposed bottom would crack.
That's how his head felt now—like it was about to split open.
"What should we do, then?" Fletcher was panicking, running around in circles. "Do you need medicine? I'll go get some!"
"No need," Hikaru caught the scrambling Fletcher. "A good sleep will do."
California spoke up, concerned. "So, does that mean Missouri won't be able to come over today?"
Missouri wasn't exactly the easiest person to deal with, but she was still a U-ship like California, and that gave them a sense of camaraderie.
Bismarck, on the other hand, just a glance from her was enough to make California's legs go weak.
She would've much preferred Missouri.
"I'm afraid I'll have to go back on my word," Hikaru said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "I didn't expect that switching secretary ships would use up so much mental energy."
In the game, switching secretary ships was as easy as tapping a few times. In the dream base, it was even simpler—just give an order.
But now that the real-world base and the dream base had become linked, switching secretary ships had become a task that required a significant mental toll.
It was essentially opening a rift in the fabric between reality and dream, pulling the secretary ship from one side to the other.
Hikaru was secretly relieved—it was only his mental energy being drained. Thankfully, his soul was much stronger than an average person's, or he might not have survived the process.
If it had consumed life force or supernatural energy instead, he might've been drained into a dried husk—he certainly didn't have that kind of power to spare!
Yat Sen touched a finger to her cherry lips and asked uncertainly, "So, Commander… does that mean I, as the cook, can't be swapped out either?"
Hikaru quickly shook his head. "Of course not."
Just swapping out a single secretary ship had nearly left him brain-dead. If he tried it again so soon, he might really lose his mind.
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[p@treon.com/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]