3 bar menu

Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 3 Chapter 1 Part 4

Yeah, even if she was to do that, there is no way that the effect could have been the same. Neptune thought to herself like that.

Even if it did not look like she did anything special, it was clear that Belfast brewed tea differently than all of the other maids out there.

What if the most sought-after skill for serving at a tea party was how to brew the tea?

Neptune must be able to brew tea the same way as Belfast did, or even better. That was going to be the key factor.

Otherwise, a waitress’s recommendation from Queen Elizabeth herself, a dream come true for Neptune, would still be just that: a mere dream.

「…… Huh? Wait a second. Could it be that I’m coming as a total tsundere in here? I am, aren’t I?」

Such frank doubts slipped out of Neptune’s mouth before she was able to stop herself and realize what she was doing.

But fortunately neither of the other two people present in the room seemed to have heard that. Belfast turned towards Elziabeth, in order to ask about the reason why Elizabeth summoned her here. It was as if Neptune ceased to exist for a moment.

「Your Majesty, what kind of business did you want to have with me today?」

「Oh yes, that’s right. I’m actually calling you about the Pancake Party that is about to happen in a week’s time.」

「Pancake Party, Your Majesty?」

The troubled Neptune’s ears quivered at that very moment.

Listening to their conversation just now, Neptune remembered that it was indeed the season for that event already.

The Pancake Party, otherwise known as the Pancake Race, was a somewhat unusual event that takes place every year on the main Royal Island between January and March, in which you race other contestants while holding onto a plate filled with fluffy pancakes in your hand.

And it was at Elizabeth’s strong request that the race was held every year at this here Home Port island as well.

People from all other factions could also take part in the to support the event, and it’s a great success.

By the way, right about now it was already the end of February.

Just the other day, Bel-chan had just released a small bird she happened to stumble upon in the woods near the dormitory and now released it back into the wild. But that was actually a whole different story from a whole different time.

「Just like every single year, we are going to do it with each team consisting of four people. And just like every year, I expect the Maid Corps to participate as well. This goes for you as well, Bel!」

「Yes, of course. But Your Majesty, I still cannot quite understand why you would like to see me regarding the event in question?」

When Belfast asked about that with a blank expression on her face, Elizabeth answered her frankly.

「Yes, about that…… Honestly speaking, you guys are way too strong.」

In fact, when it comes to this particular event, Belfast and the Maid Corps’ team would score an overwhelming victory every single year.

The stage of the Pancake Race, unlike in the Royal Islands, was not set on land, but rather at sea.

The contestants would compete by circling the surrounding waters with a frying pan in one hand, and when you arrived at each checkpoint island, you were supposed to flip the pancake inside the pan a predetermined number of times.

Or, if the contestant wanted to do so, they could pass the baton onto the next runner instead. Those were the basic rules of the Pancake Race ——

「But flipping the pancakes is one of the basic breakfast skills when it comes to a maid.」

「Yes. That is why I want you to teach all the other contestants the cooking techniques that the maids know.」

Belfast nodded her head obediently.

「In the first place, since you can perfectly perform that pancake-flipping technique every single time, which can be said to be the real thrill of this entire race, the Maid Corps already has a tremendous advantage over the competition.」

What’s more, all of the members of the Maid Corps had relatively good motor nerves and reflexes.

Of course, the race itself would not be so simple. Alongside the course there would be various obstacles set up by Sakura Empire’s Akashi, but the members of the Maid Corps would always break through them without any kind of difficulty. Not to mention the difference in speed that originally existed for each ship type that was completely meaningless here.

As a result, the current situation was that the Maid Corps had been on a long winning streak.

「If the winner is always the same each year, everyone will get tired of it before long. . So from this year on, the Maid Corps team will only be able to participate with a team consisting of two members as a form of handicap. And that is after we were considering limiting you to only one person, mind you.」

「Only two people per our team?」

「That’s right! Two members for the Maid Corps team, and additional two from outside of it! And all other teams are going to be four people as per usual. And I don’t want to hear any complaints about that, got it?」

「Hmm, I see. So in that case, the Maid Corps’s team should probably consist of both Kent and Sirius, or ——」

「Whoa, whoa, whoa! Now wait a minute here! I cannot allow those two to participate in the event! They are the biggest threat out there!」

Elizabeth immediately objected to that idea.

Both of the maids mentioned by Belfast possessed exceptional motor skills, so it was only natural for her to object.

「But, Your Majesty. Both of them were really looking forward to this year’s race as well……」

「A no means no! And that’s final! I’m really sorry for that, but for this year’s competition, those two will have to make due with only cheering others from the sidelines! …… That’s right! They can be a part of the Maid Cheering Corps!」

At that moment Neptune could easily imagine that the two aforementioned maids would actually have even more fun in the cheerleading squad than in the actual racing squad.

As Neptune thought like that, Elizabeth leaned back on the sofa, as if thinking about something really deeply.

「But if we were to make a team out of Edi-Suffolk Combo, then it would be possible that their capabilities would be more biased towards a bad side.」

Then what about Newcastle-san and myself?」

「Hmm…… Even with a handicap in place, I still believe that you two would make too fierce of a combination.」

Elizabeth then got up and went back to her work desk and started to look for something amongst all of the papers out there.

「But oh well, since it cannot be helped, it really cannot be helped. So don’t worry about it too much for the time being. Now, this thing is way more important.」

With that being said, Elizabeth came back towards the couch, clutching a few thin strips of paper in her hand.

「The remaining two people will be decided by lottery. Their names are written on those strips of paper, so let me know the names that you draw right now.」

Belfast pulled the lottery strips from Elizabeth’s hand one by one and read out the names that were written on them.

「Fiji-san and Jamaica-san.」

「Coincidentally, those two happen to be in the same ship Class.」

From the other side of the room, Neptune was listening to the exchange between the two.

Still, the tea party was always on her mind, and all she could think about was how she could outwit Belfast into serving during that event.

However, no matter how many times she thought about it, it was still difficult for her to be able to beat Belfast in terms of brewing tea.

So she wondered if there was another way around that matter,

「……Come to think of it, both Fiji and Jamaica are pretty inexperienced when it comes to the Pancake Race, isn’t it?」

Looking back at last year’s race, Neptune suddenly noticed something that she was unable to see before.

This year’s Maid Corps, which was going to have two inexperienced contestants paired up with two maids, would seem to have a hard time aiming for defending the championship title.

Just when she thought that the Maid Corps’ team, which had been winning consecutive championships year after year, might be giving up the spot for this year, an idea flashed through Neptune’s head.

「That’s right, I have no other choice but to use this!」

Brushing her bangs to the side with her slender fingers, Neptune then cut right in between Belfast and Elizabeth.