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

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Translator: Kurehashi Aiko

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PART 2

 

But teaching people how to do certain tasks is a whole other story than doing that task yourself.

 

[I also know that you tend to be overly serious about your duties, but there is no need to take them so seriously this time around.

 

Hood smiled as if she could see right through what Belfast was thinking about.

 

[Then how about we do something like that? I will arrange for your class to take place right at the very end of the school day. Also, it seems that two other shipgirls are going to teach their respective classes tomorrow. So, how about you take a look at how they perform their teaching duties first, and then you try to tach your class based on what you will be able to observe beforehand?]

 

And just like that, it was decided that Belfast would become a lecturer for the children for tomorrow, in a way that actually did not even allow Belfast to voice her own opinion or possible concerns.

 

After that, Belfast was trying to come up with any possible reason that she could use for her refusal to comply with Hood’s request.

 

However, when actually no such thing would even come to her mind,

 

[…… I guess it’s something that cannot really be helped.]

 

[Judging from your tone of voice, that did not sound all that convincing, you know?]

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, it would seem that the things that she would be required to teach were not all that complicated to begin with, and since she already had some expertise with them herself, there should be no problem for her to do it, and she would be able to do it without overly exerting herself.

 

[That you very much for agreeing to do this, Belfast-san.]

 

After saying that, Hood smiled happily. 

 

[I have heard that the current students in the class you will be teaching are really talented, so as soon as you guide them with enough strong will, they should be just fine. May the glory of the Royal Navy be with you, always.]

 

Then Hood stood up from the couch and bowed down her head in front of Belfast, to which the Head Maid also responded with slowly bowing down her head.

 

There was something about the phrase “really talented” that seemed to have rubbed Belfast the wrong way, but at that time she simply left the dormitory without thinking anything in particular about that subject.

 

[—––– Waaah. What is this?]

 

Just as Belfast was putting her hand on the handrail to go down to the first floor, she saw a young girl walking briskly into a strange space surrounded by partitions, separated from the rest of the floor like that.

 

Belfast casually stared at the mysterious screen she had left behind when she realized that the one who went behind it was actually the G Class Destroyer, Glowworm.

 

And just there, there was plate on one of the partitions that read “Emergency Escape Mechanism GT Mk.2”.

 

[It’s one of those pieces of furniture the purpose of which you cannot really comprehend simply by reading its name.]

 

Belfast was aware of the fact that sometimes you could awfully bizarre and weird devices and pieces of furniture inside of this particular dorm.

 

She wondered just exactly what kind of furniture it was supposed to be, but she also thought that it was time for her to get back to her maid job, so she continued down the stairs without bothering to inquire further.

 

After that, Belfast walked briskly through the Home Port in order to hurry up back to the Royal Navy Dormitory and prepare for all the work that would await here tomorrow first thing in the morning.

 

As for her absence, Belfast intended to ask her sister Edinburgh to assume the responsibilities of the Deputy Head Maid for the day, but in case of emergency of any kind, she also prepared a vast amount of notes and memos in advance that would anticipate any potential problem.

 

As Belfast was climbing her way onto the small hill over which the Royal Navy’s Dormitory was located, her head was filled with things that she would have to do or prepare for tomorrow. And it was at that moment, when……

 

[UNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!?]

 

Suddenly, the screams of none other than Glowworm could be heard way above in the sky, and Belfast turned around in amazement to look at the source of the scream.

 

When she looked up, she saw something like a rocket rising vigorously above the dormitory where she had been a not all that while ago.

 

[…… A-and just what is that thing supposed to be?]

 

Even Belfast was at a loss for words at the unimaginable sight that was currently spreading right in front of her eyes.

 

Because the thing on which Belfast was blankly staring at right about now while standing completely still, was without a shred of a doubt a launching rocket.

 

[…Unyaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!]

 

[O-Oh noo! This is so scary! Help me! Please, help meeeeee!!!]

 

It was at that moment that Belfast could see that Glowworm was wearing some strange backpack on her back, and right now there was a parachute that emerge from the inside of that backpack.

 

[Hmm, I see. So that is the way in which this device would allow one to escape, huh?]

 

Belfast finally managed to realize what the identity of that strange screen back at the dormitory was.

 

Thinking that it was wise of her to not touch that mysterious device without actually knowing what it was or how exactly it worked, Belfast turned around again and headed back to the Royal Navy’s dormitory on the double.

* * *

The next morning.

 

As soon as Belfast was finished with making preparations for breakfast, she gave Edinburgh her handwritten notes of the rest of the work that needed to be done for the day and left the Royal Navy’s dormitory.

 

As she descended from the lodge and came near the pier, she could see a large fountain with a statue of an anchor in the middle of it right in front of her.

 

Various buildings and facilities stood here side by side, and the school was placed right in the center of all those facilities. Each facility here was equipped with all the necessities that shipgirls must have to properly function on an everyday basis, such as the facility for procuring of supplies and equipment resources, and a facility for replenishment of fuel.

 

There is also a tactical classroom where girls can train various combat situations in a controlled environment, and today’s lesson was scheduled to be held in a corner of the special classroom in that exact building.

 

As she passed the fountain and was about to enter the building, Belfast saw a red-haired woman coming from the Department Store on the opposite side of the building where Belfast was walking towards.

 

[Oh my –––––– Well, if it isn’t Belfast-san.]

 

That woman was the Eagle Union’s Aircraft Carrier Ranger. She noticed Belfast and came over to her with a huge bag handing from her shoulder.

 

[Ranger-san, thank you very much for your time today.]

 

Belfast bowed down her head deeply before the Aircraft Carrier, and Ranger waved her hand at her to come closer and take a look at what she was carrying.

 

[Oh, please. There’s no need to be so formal with me. For today, we are both fellow lecturers. So there’s no need for formalities, really.]

 

Then Ranger put her hand to her chin and stared at the Head Maid’s uniform.

 

[But to think that Royal Navy would have real flesh and blood maids serving in its ranks, huh? And I hear that you perform a variety of tasks every single day there?]

 

[Doesn’t Eagle Union also have someone responsible for mundane, day-to-day tasks and chores?]

 

[Hmm, not really. All of our food are rations brought in from the port. And all of those rations are fairy easy to make, so each of us makes and eats them on our own.]

 

[–––––– As the nation that values freedom and autonomy the most in this world, everything that you are going to make with your own hands is going to taste good. As the fruit of your own labor.]

 

That next voice actually came from behind Ranger’s back.

 

It belonged to a silver-haired woman wearing a military-fashioned uniform –––––– Eagle Union’s Aircraft Carrier Enterprise. Touching the brim of the hat sitting atop of her head, she came over to where the two of the lecturers were currently standing.

 

[And it certainly helps a whole lot some shut-ins who won’t come out of their rooms all day and just waste their times playing video games. …… Not that I’m going to name anyone in particular here, but still.]

 

[Ahh…… I will also not call any names here, but I certainly know who you are talking about. That Ghost of ours can be a real handful sometimes.]

 

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