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Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 1

CHAPTER 2: The Ghost Maid

There were only eighteen days left until the start of the School Festival.

「 —— Your Highness, I really think that it is the high time for you to take a break. See? It’s already noon!」

The one to address Elizabeth in such a way was none other than Warspite, while casting a sideways glance at Her Majesty from across the piles of books that were placed on top of the reading table. The two of them had shut themselves in the Home Port’s Great Library, and were researching various topics that could be used for the purpose of the creation of the script of a stage play.

「Ever since this early morning, we have been reading various books, but none of them had any information that would make it worthy of using them as a theme in our upcoming stage play.」

As for Warspite, for a while now she has been engrossed in studying the contents of the book titled “Keep Garriba Close At Hand”.

「Not to mention…… It should go without saying, but staying here and doing nothing but reading ,without any proper break or a meal to sustain ourselves, is only going to put our health at jeopardy.」

「We should be pretty much okay if we skip a meal once or twice. You are being overly dramatic, Warspite.」

Elizabeth took her eyes off of the “King Arthur’s Legend” book that she was holding in her hands and stared at Warspite for a moment.

「Besides, we have only eighteen days left until the School Festival, give or take? I knew it, our Royal Navy is falling behind other factions way too much. We need to hurry to make up for that loss……」

At that exact time, Elizabeth’s stomach let out a loud and long grumble, as if manifesting how badly it demanded food right now.

「T-That was not me just now! No, absolutely it was not me! That was…… Oh yeah! Animals! There must be some wild animals out there somewhere! Yes, that’s it!」

「I-It’s okay, Your Majesty! There is nothing for you to worry about! I did not hear anything! And I surely did not hear the sound of someone’s stomach grumbling just now! Of course, it was not me, either!」

Warspite screamed those words out loud with a face as bright and red as a beet. As Warspite gradually calmed herself down, the entrance to the grand library opened, and Belfast and all the other maids came inside without a moment’s delay.

「… Bel? And you all? What happened? What are you all doing here? What about your chores and other jobs? Is the dorm going to be okay with so many maids out at a single time?」

「You see, Your Majesty, we have actually finished our assigned work a little bit early and made some time in the afternoon to find some clues that could be used as material for the script that you wish to write. And we do believe that we might have actually found something worth pursuing.」

And just like that, Belfast confided in Elizabeth the story of the Ghost Maid that they were currently investigating.

What was surprising was that even Elizabeth, who was giving an impression that as the leader of the Royal Navy she would never actually bother herself with superstitions and rumors like that, had heard rumors of the Ghost Maid on more than once occasion out there.

「Hmm, I see. So, in other words, what you are trying to say here is that you are now going to investigate the story behind the Ghost Maid’s origins, is that correct?」

「Yes, Your Majesty. That’s right. We believe that once we are going to uncover the full story behind that character, it will be something that is going to be quite inspirational for the Royal Navy’s stage play.」

「Anyways, a ghost maid who commits good deeds, huh……? I don’t know if someone like that really existed or not, but at the very least this seems like a good idea to me! Let’s investigate this matter deeply and uncover the truth behind it!」

When Elizabeth burst into a smile like that, Belfast then turned to her fellow members of the Maid Corps and said,

「Everyone, in order to investigate the origin of the Ghost Maid, let’s go through all the enrollment data that we can find in this library, and let me know if you have any concerns or leads.」

Everyone answered with “Yes, Ma’am!” at the same time, and the search for the intel began all at once.

「As for you, Your Majesty and Warspite-sama, I want you to use that moment to take a much needed rest.」

When Belfast said so, next it was Kent who pushed the serving cart in front of Elizabeth as she came over.

「It’s lunch time! Your Majesty and Warspite-sama, surely you must be hungry by now?」

What was placed on top of the serving cart were bowls of warm soup accompanied with freshly baked bread. Warm soup and bread were lined up on the cart.

「You guys, you do really know when to show up and how to convince someone! I will give you that! But I would also expect no less from my capable maids!」

Elizabeth said while gleefully swallowing her saliva when the scent of the soup reached her nose.

「However, please bear that in mind, Your Majesty. Eating or drinking is strictly prohibited in this place, so please go and eat your lunch in the rest room at the back.」

When Belfast pointed to the location of the rest room with her right hand, Warspite’s expression softened considerably.

「I’m sorry, Belfast. For making you go out of your way for our sake.」

After seeing the two of them off with a bright smile, Belfast began searching for enrollment data, just like Erebus instructed her.

She decided to start with the unexamined bookshelf, when suddenly the White Prim that Erebus had shown her last night inside of her hut flickered in her mind.

—— Ghost Maid really does exist.

Thinking that, Belfast picked up a book at random.

For a while, she was browsing through its contents, which was a detailed description of the careers of the various “shipgirls” that had served in the Home Port in the past.

「…… It looks like it’s not in this book.」

After reading through all of its contents, Belfast looked at the clock that was located on the wall.

It took her about fifteen minutes just to check one book.

It was about two o’clock before the maids here returned to the kitchen in order to prepare dinner for today.

The number of registered data was simply far too large to browse through it in one sitting, and even considering the number of the maids that comprised this search party, by the time the two hours mark had already passed the search was far from being over.

「It looks like I will have to come here at night and maybe stay here……」

While thinking that it was going to be a long and strenuous search before they would be able to find what they were looking for, Belfast finished checking four different books.

「—— Did you understand that? Listen, if any of you happens to find something that is going to look even remotely like a lead to you, let me know immediately.」

It was at that moment that Sheffield’s voice came out from behind Belfast’s back, and when she looked back, she could see that Sheffield had brought a whole bunch of Meowofficers into the library, and they were swarming at Sheffield’s feet.

「Alright, go now!」

When Sheffield said that and waved her hand down, the Meowofficers all headed towards the bookshelves and began flipping through the enrollment data books one by one.

「Sheffy, what is the meaning of this?」

Surprised, Belfast put the book back on the shelf and rushed over to Sheffield’s side.

「I thought that we might want to use all the manpower we can get to get this thing over with as soon as possible, so I also thought of borrowing some cat power as well.」

The way in which Sheffield said that with a perfectly expressionless face made it really hard to discern whether she was actually joking or being serious here.

「Well, yes, while it is true that the more hands you have, the better, but…… How the hell did you manage to bring all those little ones all the way here?」

Sheffield then looked up at the Meowofficers’ direction while brushing her hair slightly with her hand she then let out a sigh.

「I just asked them to help me out a little bit. That’s all. As for why they decided to do that…… I don’t really care all that much.」

And then, she added after a brief pause.