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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 1 Chapter 4 Part 6

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Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

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PART 6

 

As soon as people saw the poster that the two of them were putting on all over the place, they brought their faces closer to them and looked with great interest.

 

[Hmm, I see…… So the Royal Navy chose to put Belfast as their candidate for this year’s contest, huh?]

 

[But she’s not wearing her usual maid outfit…… Anyways, why is she wearing  a swimsuit?]

 

Hearing the two shipgirls speaking to one another like that, while most certainly cocking their heads in puzzlement, Belfast became increasingly uncomfortable as she lowered her head and whispered to Elizabeth’s ear after coming closer to her.

 

[Y-Your Majesty…… At the very least, how about we use a different photo for the purpose of the promotional poster?]

 

[I mean, even if you ask me for that, this photo is the only one we have that is poster-worthy, so that’s that.]

 

[Well, in that case, how about we take some more photos for the sake of promotion, Your Majesty? Just…… Please, let’s just use any other picture for the poster beside that one.]

 

[Haah…… Oh well, I guess it cannot really be helped, huh? Warspite, you heard that? I know it is a waste of your hard work and effort, but don’t put any more posters up. And peel back the ones that were already posted here.]

 

Just as Belfast suggested that solution, Warspite turned around and started to peel off the posters that were already posted all over the walls.

 

After looking at Warspite hard at work with peeling off those posters for a while, Elizabeth then finally turned to look at Belfast once again.

 

[We have also heard that Yamashiro from the Sakura Empire Deutschland from Iron-Blood are going to be the contestants in the pageant for this year, but I don’t think it’s necessary to place too much importance on them. I mean, they are sure to be a competition, but not someone who would be able to jeopardize us gaining the title for ourselves.]

 

It was almost as if Elizabeth was underestimating their opponents here, which was not something that the Royal Navy should be doing, no matter what.

 

But even though she honestly thought that, Belfast chose to not speak those words out loud, afraid that they might be considered rude or inappropriate.

 

[This means that the only one that we need to be worried about for the competition is San Diego! Fufufu, I don’t know why Eagle Union decided to take a different approach than in earlier years, but anyways, I am very much looking forward to the competition itself!]

 

Elizabeth said so proudly and raised her fist high in the air, pumping herself up.

 

[And with that being said, Bel. You are going to come with me later on. We are going to take some nice pictures of you.]

 

Elizabeth said that, and once she saw that Warspite had returned with a bunch of torn off posters in her hands, she turned her back to the Head Maid and was once again on her merry way.

 

After watching Her Majesty leave just like that, Belfast, who was left behind, let out a heavy sigh.

 

[Haah……]

 

When it comes to the contest, Belfast hasn’t really decided on a way in which she was going to perform on the stage.  Even if she was told that she was to express the Royal Navy’s “beauty” and “elegance”, that was only a rough pointer, with no concrete advice what needed to be done. So even when Belfast was really clever and observant, she had literally nothing to work with here.

 

Even though Elizabeth herself seemed to be very confident about this whole beauty contest, Belfast had not yet found any clear vision on how she wanted to approach it. She was even starting to feel like she was going to be overwhelmed by the representatives of other factions, not to mention the Eagle Union.

 

[Seriously now…… Just whatever am I supposed to do about all this?]

 

At that time, Belfast raised her head when she heard a roaring noise coming from afar.

 

A large number of people were gathered at the fountain with a statue resembling a large anchor.

 

Curious as to what all of the commotion was all about, she came closer and finally recognized what was going on here.

 

[Alright~! Everyone! Thank you for coming today~!]

 

A red-haired girl was standing on top of a small stage that seemed to have been prepared by her alone just for the occasion.

 

Even while being in front of the shipgirls that gathered here for the occasion, the girl didn’t seem to be intimidated or anxious in the slightest.

 

[This is ––––––]

 

Belfast knew who it was as soon as she saw the girl’s face.

 

The Eagle Union’s representative who was going to participate for the first time ever this year –––––– this time ——- the first ship of the Atlanta Class Light Cruisers, San Diego. Her appearance combined with the way in which she greeted the crowd with a big smile on her face seemed to shine with all of her might even while being in a stage that was so small and insignificant.

 

[Hehehe! Actually, I was chosen to become a candidate for a Beauty Pageant this time around, but it would just be boring to be able to appeal only to an audience during the competition’s time, so I have come to sing for all of you! Now, let’s see some smiles on those faces, shall we!?]

 

With just one glance, Belfast understood everything.

 

She was able to fully understand that this girl was an incarnation of everything that was supposed to constitute a perfect “Idol”.

 

Not to mention that compared to Belfast, who was still wondering just how she should behave on the stage during the competition’s time, this girl already knew what she wanted and was actively doing her best to obtain it.

 

While Belfast was feeling a looming sense of dread coming from her soon-to-be rival, San Diego grabbed a microphone in her hand and pressed a switch on top of the speaker.

 

[Alright then! Let’s get this show on the road! The first song is going to be ––––––]

 

At that moment, with a loud noise, a tremendous wave of both sound and melody came out of the speaker, flooding the entire area.

 

The volume of the sound coming from the speaker was so loud that the people gathered in front of the stage blocked their ears all at once, and Belfast also covered her ears and crouched down on the spot.

 

—— T-This is……

 

It was a terrifying roaring sound that seemed to vibrate throughout your entire body.

 

And while it was not that Belfast was about to retract her previous statement here, but that roaring sound right now was surely creating a very distinct sense of first impression when it was coming to her most ferocious competitor.

 

Now, putting the volume of the song aside, its melody was actually pretty nice and catchy, and Belfast was sure that it would be even better if San Diego was about to bring that volume down a notch or two. Yes, it surely must have been a wonderful song……

 

—— But well, as expected, this volume right here was a little bit much……

 

Feeling that she was about to become dizzy from the unbearable sound and her consciousness all wobbly, Belfast quickly began to scan the ground in search of the cable that was connected to the loudspeaker.

 

[La, Lalala, lala, la, Lalala!]

 

As for San Diego, she was happily circling around the stage as if she was unable to see the suffering that her audience was currently going through. Belfast slowly crept up to the stage and pulled out the cable that she thought was the one she was looking for with all of her might.

 

When the roaring music and the insufferably loud volume suddenly ceased all at once, the people around the stage who were covering their ears collapsed on the ground on the spot, looking all thankful to whatever force that was behind their salvation.

 

[La, lalala, lala…… Huh? What the!?]

 

Realizing that the music was no longer playing and that her performance was pretty much dead, San Diego lowered the microphone she was holding in her hand and the look on her face made her look as though she had finally come back to her senses.

 

And when she finally caught a glimpse of the loudspeaker cable that Belfast was holding in her hands, she jumped off the stage and approached the Head Maid on the double.

 

[Hey! What gives!? Why are you unplugging the loudspeaker cable while I’m giving a guerilla concert here!?]

 

As San Diego was closing in on Belfast at a fast pace, the Head Maid calmly answered her question.

 

[I did that out of necessity. As you would expect, at that volume, the listeners’ eardrums would all burst without a shred of a doubt.]

 

[Huh? Wait, seriously?]

 

Hearing that explanation, San Diego calmed down and answered back as if she couldn’t possibly believe that was what actually happened.

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