Jiang Jiang was caught between laughter and tears facing the double construction time; was this luck or misfortune?
Sheffield was speechless at this point, another Dido-class Light Cruiser.
She just didn't know if this time it would be Dido, Black Prince, or Hermione.
But as soon as she saw Jiang Jiang's bewildered expression, Sheffield's anger flared up again.
Did he even know what this meant?
No, this Commander's luck was too terrifying, almost like cheating; it had to be reported to the higher-ups.
Now that the deed was done, Jiang Jiang had no choice but to compose himself, insert the quick construction tool, and prepare to welcome his second Royal Maid; fate truly played tricks on people.
A golden light shone through, the hatch slowly opened, and another Maid walked out from inside.
A backless Maid dress, white thigh-high stockings, long silver-white hair with a hint of light purple at the tips, rose-red eyes revealing timidity, and a melancholic, delicate face that looked very humble and piteous.
"Hello, Master, I am Light Cruiser Dido.
As a member of the Royal Maid Corps, I hope to provide you with satisfactory service." A weak voice sounded, and Jiang Jiang immediately recalled Dido's information in his mind.
But just as Jiang Jiang was having a "true brainstorm" with his Smart Chip, Dido, seeing Jiang Jiang in a daze, her eyes reddened and she began to sob uncontrollably.
"Ah... why isn't Master speaking? Does he dislike Dido?
Ah... poor Dido, is she to be abandoned by Master as soon as she is born?
Dido, Dido will obey Master's decision..."
Hearing Dido's cries, Jiang Jiang immediately snapped back to reality.
Seeing Dido in tears, Jiang Jiang quickly explained that he was just distracted and had no intention of abandoning her.
However, Jiang Jiang's explanation had no effect, and he was momentarily flustered and helpless.
"Tsk, scum!" Sheffield, on the side, looked at Jiang Jiang as if he were trash.
"Stop gloating, help me explain!
Sirius! Help me persuade Dido!" After that, it took Jiang Jiang a tremendous effort, and Sirius's comfort, before Dido finally stopped sobbing.
"Master, you won't abandon Dido, right?
You really won't abandon her, right?
Can Dido trust Master?
She can trust him, right?
Ah... Dido, as long as Master doesn't deceive me, I'll be satisfied..."
"Of course not, trust me..." Jiang Jiang soothed her again.
Looking at Dido, whose emotions had finally stabilized, Jiang Jiang realized that his future life would be a headache.
The timid and extremely insecure Dido was the type Jiang Jiang struggled with the most.
The burning gaze from Sirius nearby, coupled with Sirius's way of addressing him, clearly indicated that this one was also no easy task.
However, at least, the first large construction was a complete success.
Two Dido-class Light Cruisers, possessing excellent anti-aircraft and anti-Ship combat capabilities, made Jiang Jiang more confident about the Newborn Trial.
As long as he solved the problem of observation being easily interfered with during firing, a top ten finish was guaranteed.
As for how to solve this problem, Jiang Jiang already had a plan.
After construction was complete, Jiang Jiang took his Smart Chip and the remaining resources, called Sirius and Dido, and turned to walk towards the door.
Just as Jiang Jiang was thinking about his next plan and had just placed his hand on the doorknob, Sheffield's unique tone pulled Jiang Jiang back to his senses.
"I advise you not to just walk out like that, foolishly."
Jiang Jiang paused, and asked, "Why?"
Hearing Jiang Jiang's words, utterly lacking self-awareness, Sheffield couldn't help but chuckle, "Look at the characters you've constructed.
Five constructions, two ultra-rare Ship Girls.
Aren't you afraid of being torn to shreds by those irrational African Admirals the moment you step out that door?"
Hearing Sheffield's sarcastic remarks, Jiang Jiang instantly reacted, immediately moved away from the room door, and looked up at the window, ready to jump out and escape.
"Alright, go this way.
This is the back door, specially reserved for Commanders in situations like yours.
Tsk, hurry up and get out, don't stay here and be an eyesore."
Sheffield opened a secret door, gesturing for Jiang Jiang and the two Ship Girls to enter.
Jiang Jiang didn't mind Sheffield's sharp tongue, quickly thanked her, and slipped out with the two Ship Girls.
After confirming Jiang Jiang's safe departure, Sheffield shook her head, called a Ship Girl to temporarily take her place, and then walked towards Hood's location.
She needed to report Jiang Jiang's peculiar situation thoroughly.
Five constructions, two ultra-rare Ship Girls; it was simply too exaggerated.
On the other side, Jiang Jiang was cautiously sneaking back to his dorm.
Along the way, Jiang Jiang dodged and hid, seeing many red-eyed Commanders.
Their murderous aura was such that even the most fortunate European Emperor would have to avoid their wrath.
"Look! There's a lucky dog, grab him!"
"Lucky dog, eat a spear!"
"Sacrifice him to the High Priest!"
"One lucky dog, three blessings!"
Instantly, a Commander was engulfed by the crowd, pinned down, tied up, and carried away.
It was a smooth, flowing process, and the air faintly echoed with pig-slaughtering screams.
Jiang Jiang gasped, still shaken; fortunately, he had slipped away discreetly, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Jiang Jiang, with the two bewildered Ship Girls, circumvented the red-eyed African Commanders and, after much hardship, returned to Jiang Jiang's single dorm room.
After confirming their safety, Jiang Jiang breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as Dido arrived at the dorm, she began to display the professionalism of a Maid, taking Sirius to observe the environment, though Sirius was merely watching.
Jiang Jiang, meanwhile, was contemplating information and characteristics about the Dido-class Light Cruiser.
This type of Ship primarily focused on anti-aircraft defense but also possessed strong anti-Ship strike capabilities.
Its main task was to protect sea lanes, making it a versatile Cruiser.
However, the original design of the Dido-class had the forward C turret too high, leading to a high center of gravity for the entire Ship, creating a top-heavy problem.
Moreover, the C turret was too close to the bridge, making observation easily interfered with during firing.
Thinking of this, Jiang Jiang looked at Dido and Sirius.
Well, to be fair, they were indeed top-heavy.
Afterward, Jiang Jiang combined the Azure Lane game information recorded in his Smart Chip to gain a more intuitive understanding of Dido and Sirius's data.
Thus, the problems with Dido and Sirius were evident: observation was easily interfered with, and their durability and torpedo attack were insufficient, but these issues could all be resolved.
First, he would exchange the remaining resources for some equipment, then ensure their proficiency reached an average level.
After that, it would be the "Cosmic Heritage" he brought...
Although Jiang Jiang was unprepared when he fell into this predicament, the Smart Chip contained records of many cross-era technologies, many of which could be replicated.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of advanced production equipment and the limitations of this world's technological level, not many weapons could be created, but enough to cope.
In the Azure Lane world, due to the emergence of Ship Girls and Siren, the technological direction of this world completely skewed towards Ship Girl research.
Although there were high-end achievements like the Wisdom Cube and Ship Equipment, other areas of research inevitably lagged.
Jiang Jiang, however, possessed technology hundreds of years ahead.
Seriously, given enough production support, Jiang Jiang could assemble a fleet of cosmic battleships in minutes.
How could he lose?
Jiang Jiang's lips curved upward, and a confident, sharp aura spread, attracting the attention of Dido and Sirius.
Sirius stepped forward and asked, "My proud Master, have you thought of something joyful?
If possible, please let Sirius share your happiness!"
"Uh, nothing.
I'm just a little thankful for your arrival.
Oh, right, no need to clean so thoroughly.
This afternoon we'll be going to a new place, there's nothing much to tidy up here, so Sirius doesn't need to force herself."
Seeing Sirius clumsily helping Dido, Jiang Jiang kindly reminded her.
"Is that so?
It is my honor to make Master happy.
"Cleaning"... well, if it's battle, I will definitely not disappoint you, Master!" Sirius replied confidently.
But Dido, on the other side, did not react with such excitement.
"No need to clean... then Dido's meaning as a Maid is no longer needed.
Ah, Master really is going to abandon poor Dido..." Dido, full of negative energy, heard Jiang Jiang's words and started wildly imagining being abandoned again.
Jiang Jiang quickly went to comfort her.
"I didn't mean that, I have no intention of abandoning Dido, listen to me... So, Dido has more important things to do."
Jiang Jiang told the two Ship Girls about the Newborn Trial, which finally stopped Dido's anxiety.
"Then, Master, is there anything Dido needs to do now?
Even the smallest task is fine!
Because Dido is a Maid, and serving Master is Dido's only reason for existence...!"
Jiang Jiang now roughly understood Dido's personality. As a Royal Maid, she was quite capable, but extremely insecure and afraid of being abandoned. If she was anxious, the only way to calm her was to give her a task, making her feel needed.
"Since that's the case, could you cooperate with me for a check-up?" A flash of inspiration struck Jiang Jiang, as he made this somewhat excessive request. He had always been very interested in what kind of beings Ship Girls truly were.
"M-Master, it's Dido's honor to receive your favor... but isn't this a bit improper...?" Dido's face flushed crimson, and she replied weakly.
Sirius, too, uncharacteristically blushed, and requested, "Please conduct such physical contact where others cannot see, my proud Master."
"Huh? What favor? Anyway, Dido and Sirius, could you show me your Ship Equipment? I've long wanted to get a close look at them!"
Jiang Jiang and the two Ship Girls were on completely different wavelengths. He excitedly summoned his Smart Chip and pulled out various testing gadgets from who-knows-where in the room.
At this point, Dido and Sirius realized their misunderstanding, but the temperature on their faces rose a few more degrees.
Afterward, Jiang Jiang collected data on the Ship Equipment and Ship Equipment space, and used various detectors to scan and compare the Ship Girl's various indicators of change before and after summoning their Ship Equipment.
Then Jiang Jiang had the Smart Chip analyze the data, while he took the opportunity to step out.
When new students became Commanders, the school would arrange new residences for all novice Commanders, which could be considered a perk for Commanders.
Jiang Jiang chose a rather secluded house, as both his own secrets and the rarity of his two Ship Girls were not suitable for public display.
Jiang Jiang didn't have much luggage; most of it consisted of items he had previously hidden on a small island and later found an opportunity to retrieve. Another portion was small gadgets Jiang Jiang had secretly made over the past year.
Though he called them small gadgets, each one, if revealed, would cause great trouble. Therefore, Jiang Jiang firmly refused the Royal Maids' help, which then led to another chaotic scene while trying to appease Dido.
Jiang Jiang lay in his new room, pondering the day's events. The new residence was two-storied with many rooms, most of which were provided for the Commander's Ship Girls. Currently, Jiang Jiang only had two Ship Girls, so the three of them were all on the second floor.
Moving today, Jiang Jiang witnessed the capabilities of the Royal Maid Corps. In just one afternoon, the new residence was spotless from top to bottom. Of course, Dido was the main contributor; Sirius could only lend a hand and keep an eye on Jiang Jiang, preventing him from interfering.
Finally, using the excuse of needing time to familiarize himself, he appeased Dido, who wanted to serve Jiang Jiang to bed. Jiang Jiang finally had free time to review the day's Harvest.
Jiang Jiang looked at the reports of the two Ship Girls, which the Smart Chip had already analyzed and organized, and pondered in silence. Recorded information was never as reliable as actual firsthand experience, especially when the information came from a game in a parallel dimension.
Recalling the ambiguous information from the game and the data collected today, Jiang Jiang was getting closer to the true nature of Ship Girls.
"Smart Chip, create a research plan for Ship Girls, set the priority to second level." "Yes, established..." Jiang Jiang turned over and gave an instruction to the Smart Chip.
"So, let me see, are you truly machines or living beings?" With these thoughts about the connection between Ship Girls and Siren, Jiang Jiang drifted off to sleep. The night passed without a word.
The next morning, Jiang Jiang suddenly opened his eyes, his body reflexively springing up from the bed, looking warily towards the bedside. A beautiful Royal Maid stood gracefully there; it was Dido.
Seeing who it was, Jiang Jiang's body relaxed, and he slowly lay back down.
"Master, good day. Today, too, allow Dido to wholeheartedly serve you, and let both your body and mind find rest. For Master is Dido's only beloved Master," Dido said respectfully, her head bowed.
"Cough, cough, cough! Only beloved Master?!" Jiang Jiang's recently relaxed heart immediately tensed up again. Dido's words struck Jiang Jiang hard.
"Yes, Dido is Master's Royal Maid, Dido's body and mind both belong to Master. C-could it be that Master no longer wants Dido? Dido, Dido, boo hoo..." Dido, "at the slightest provocation," started crying again, tears streaming down her face.
"N-no, it's just that I'm not used to it..." Afterward, the physically and mentally exhausted Jiang Jiang, enduring the discomfort, accepted some of Dido's wake-up services. Although Jiang Jiang really wanted to refuse the help, seeing Dido's happy expression, he endured it.
"Dido, where's Sirius?" Jiang Jiang asked as he walked downstairs.
"Sirius is preparing breakfast. Because Sirius's Royal Maid abilities... are a bit lacking, Dido is temporarily serving Master to wake up."
"Hmm... I see."
As Jiang Jiang walked downstairs, he saw Sirius setting the dining table, with two servings of food laid out.
"Master, please have breakfast." Jiang Jiang sat down in a chair at the two Royal Maids' gesture.
"What about you two? Sit down and eat breakfast together," Jiang Jiang said. However, Dido and Sirius firmly refused to dine with Jiang Jiang, citing Royal Maid duties, etiquette, and so on; in short, they wouldn't sit down. Finally, Jiang Jiang gave up with a headache and let them be.
Jiang Jiang looked at the two servings of food: one exquisite, the other... nutritionally balanced? Sorry, Jiang Jiang really couldn't think of anything to praise about it. It was obvious that the former was made by Dido, and the latter was Sirius's masterpiece.
"Moderate eating is the foundation of health, so—even if Sirius's cooking is not entirely satisfactory, please do not be picky, my... proud Master."
"I will, this is already very good." In the past, Jiang Jiang had eaten plenty of synthetic nutrient solutions and compressed energy bars; during space travel, high-nutrient, high-energy food was the most important. As for the taste, as long as it was palatable, it was fine. So Sirius's cooking was just a trifle to Jiang Jiang.
"Oh, right, have you two eaten yet? Sit down and join me." Jiang Jiang looked at the two Royal Maids, inviting them to dine together.
"Ah, ah... Master is actually concerned about us...! But Dido cannot dine with Master." Although Dido looked very happy, she still refused.
"No need to worry about us, my proud Master. As Royal Maids, we cannot eat before Master, and as for dining with Master, please forgive my refusal." Sirius's words revealed an undeniable tone.
"Uh, it's okay, let's eat together. With you two watching me like this, I feel rather awkward. Also, next time you don't have to deliberately wait for me." Jiang Jiang firmly invited the two Ship Girls again.
However, Jiang Jiang had underestimated the two Ship Girls' adherence to their Royal Maid duties. In the end, Sirius and Dido still did not sit down.
They only agreed that Jiang Jiang would no longer deliberately wait, which was the result of Jiang Jiang's sweet-talking and even threatening not to eat. As for whether they would actually follow through, that was up to the two Royal Maids themselves.
After a breakfast full of twists and turns, Jiang Jiang took the two girls to the school's training ground.
The Commander's school was built by the sea, and the training ground was just outside the beach, within the inner sea area of Azure Lane, and also where the Ship Girls conducted their daily training.
Jiang Jiang first went alone with his Commander's credential to register, then took the two Ship Girls to a secluded spot to practice.
The school had several training grounds, and each time one was used, a specific area could be selected. To prevent accidental injury, that sea area would then be closed off, and other Commanders would cooperatively keep their distance.
After all, bullets have no eyes; even if hit by practice rounds, a Ship Girl might be fine, but a Commander might not. So there was no need to worry about being disturbed. As long as he was careful, the fact that Jiang Jiang had two ultra-rare Ship Girls would not be exposed.
Over the next few weeks, except for the first few times when Jiang Jiang collected data and delivered equipment, the subsequent training was left to Dido and Sirius themselves. Jiang Jiang was busy with more important matters, such as exploiting a bug to solve Dido and Sirius's observation problem.
Just as Jiang Jiang completed his bug-exploiting endeavor, the freshman trial finally arrived.