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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 1 Chapter 2 Part 1

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Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

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CHAPTER 2: The Teacher’s Time

 

PART 1

 

At around 2 p.m. the bell signaling the beginning of recess rang out loud all across the Home Port island.

 

[Uuuhhh…… My head hurts, I don’t want to take classes anymore……]

 

A small girl with messy purple hair whined out loud while walking down the school’s corridor with wobbly and uneven steps.

 

The usual lovely smile filled with energy that could be seen on her lips all the time was now nowhere to be seen.

 

[M-My precious Force reserves…… I can feel them being drained at an alarming rate……]

 

A little bit behind the purple-haired girl there was a brown-haired girl walking with even more wobbly step, emitting an even darker aura than anyone else around her. She had a haggard look on her face, staring at her own right hand and while mumbling some truly incomprehensible words all the time without caring if someone was able to hear her or not.

 

[As for me…… I’m starving, I want to eat something already……]

 

[I’m going to be done for any minute now…… Isn’t lunch here yet?]

 

Even more behind the purple-haired girl, another girl was holding onto her stomach with both of her hands. As if to confirm her words just now, there was this loud rumbling that could be repeatedly heard coming from the inside of her stomach all the time, resembling a rumbling of some wild beast.

 

All of the four girls: Javelin, York, Cygnet and Yuudachi then let out a long and tired sigh as they continued to march forward, and that sight alone made Belfast stop for a moment and cock her head in puzzlement.

 

[That’s strange…… I wonder what happened to make them all be that way?]

 

At the current moment Belfast was walking down the corridors of the school building of the Home Port, specifically in the part of the building called the Tactical Classroom.

 

The girls living in the dormitories often join the military operations and sorties at the request of their Commander.

 

As for those sorties and exercises, the number of shipgirls taking part in them can vary, but it was usually from one to six members at maximum. They cover a wide range of tasks and activities, such as material procurement and defense patrols, and the degree of achievability for their goals varies as well from task to task.

 

As for Javelin, York, Cygnet and Yuudachi, those four have never experienced military assignments before.

 

That’s why for today, four experienced shipgirls, including Belfast, became instructors and gave preparatory classes to the girls who had not yet experienced any kind of military assignment, in order for them to be fully prepared when the time would finally come for them.

 

Or at the very least, that should have be the case here.

 

Because for some bizarre reason, all for of the girls were now covered in mud from head to toe.

 

[Umm ––––––]

 

Bearing witness to such an unusual right, Belfast could not help herself but to cock her head in puzzlement some more.

 

[Everyone, for the time being…… How about we do something about all that mud covering your bodies? Before we do anything else?]

 

After Belfast made a suggestion like that, the four being led by the crying Javelin made their way towards the shower room in a hurry.

 

And while the four girls were busy cleaning themselves under the showers, Belfast decided to return to the classroom ahead of others.

 

When she slowly closed the classroom door, she lets out a deep sigh and muttered to herself.

 

[Well then…… I wonder how exactly did it come to this?]

 

After saying that, Belfast slowly looked back and reflected on the events of last night.

 

—— It happened just after dinner time last night.

 

[You want me to become a teacher?]

 

[Yes. You see, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to cover for me for tomorrow.]

 

Hood smiled as he sat on the thick green leather sofa.

 

[By Commander’s orders, I cannot really leave here until tomorrow, you see.]

 

As she stood right next to Hood, Belfast pondered her head, considering Hood’s request very seriously, as well as its possible consequences for a while.

 

The two of them were currently in a separate dormitory from the one that housed the main force of the Royal Navy.

 

It was stipulated that only ten people at maximum can live here at any given time, regardless of the faction to which they belonged to. It could be said that this place was built specifically for the purpose of nurturing inter-faction relations. For some reason, the furniture inside would change with the seasons, and it was a place with a special construction effects that’s been called one of the Seven Wonders of the Home Port Island.

 

This particular two-story dormitory could only accommodate up to five people at the same time on each floor, but as for that limit, Belfast did not know if it was actually true or not, since there was never any precedence regarding that particular number.

 

However, according to the stories that could sometimes be heard from those who spent their time on the first floor of this dormitory, they felt that their bodies had become lighter and more relaxed than before they entered this dormitory. In fact, Suffolk, one of the Maid Corp, had been on the floor of this building before when she was delegated for the Secretary duties for the Commander, and by the time she returned, she was able to perform her usual maid duties more efficiently than before. So even the Head Maid, as skeptical as she was, had to acknowledge this dorm’s beneficial effects. 

 

On the other hand, it is said that the second floor had a different effect. It was proven time after time that the shipgirls living there would see their mood vastly improved, and that they would be calmer during their everyday life and military duties. Also, it would be harder for them to get stressed out or angry. And if someone needed a definite proof for this dormitory’s effectiveness, Queen Elisabeth was also a guest on the second floor once as per Commander’s request, and when she happened to be back from that place, she would even be seen eating beans for breakfast, one of her least favorite dishes, with a huge smile on her face and without a single care in the world.

 

And right now Hood was on the first floor of this exact dormitory.

 

Belfast had heard from before that she ended up becoming seriously fatigued because she had been sortieing for a long time without any break. That’s probably why she has been ordered to rest here for a while and do not leave.

 

Hood closed one of her eyes apologetically and put her hands together in front of her face while facing Belfast.

 

[Is it usually my responsibility to educate the children who have no experience in military exercises, but as you can see I won’t be able to attend tomorrow. And the lesson still needs to take place, no matter what.]

 

[However, please bare in mind that I have no prior experience of ever teaching anything to anyone else ––––––]

 

At that moment, when Belfast’s was about to protest to Hood’s request, she was interrupted by the sound of a brisk clicking, similar to one object striking against another object.

 

And yes, it was the kind of noise that Belfast was quite familiar with. After all, it was the sound of billiard balls. When the Head Maid turned around to see where the noise was coming from, she could see some of the light cruiser shipgirls belonging to some other factions happily playing 8-Ball while surrounding the billiard table.

 

[When it comes to teaching others, it is exactly the same as teaching the new maids how they should be doing their jobs properly.]

 

As Belfast was distracted by the sound of a billiard stick striking against the cue ball, Hood said so while holding a cup full of tea in her hand and bringing it to her mouth.

 

[And because you have so much experience in teaching new maids, Belfast-san, I know that I can safely leave that task in your capable hands. Also, we see each other at tea parties on a daily basis, so I know that you are a dependable person, no doubt about it.]

 

After slowly sipping on her tea, Hood quietly placed the cup back on the table.

 

Looking at Hood’s face, Belfast was seriously troubled right about now.

 

She has also been involved in the various escort missions of small transports and materials procurement in the past, and she was delegated to those duties more than a few times at that, and she even recently was able to take part in what could be described as an advanced tactical course, to boot.

 

So it could be said that she was quite a veteran when it comes to commissions, and she would always perform her duties with utmost care and efficiency.

 

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