3 bar menu

Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 5

「—— In other words, it’s going to be a tough job…… but we should make it not feel like hard work?」

After thinking for a while, Belfast said something like that.

She was trying to think of something that would be much more concrete and precise, but that was the only thing that she was able to come up with on the spot like that.

It was not a particularly good idea, she realized it more than anyone else, but……

「Yes! That’s it! That’s precisely it!」

Elizabeth snapped her fingers in delight at that suggestion.

It was not really an idea that Belfast had given much thought to, and she was bewildered by the unexpected reaction of Her Majesty to it.

「Bel. I like that concept a lot. Will you be able to put together a plan on the spot? Preferably so that we can announce it to everyone even before the general meeting after dinner?」

After thinking about that for a moment, Belfast nodded her head firmly.

「Yes, Your Majesty. I shall get to it right away.」

「Yes, please do that. I am counting on you.」

Elizabeth smiled and then she called out to Echo next.

「As for you, Echo, I would like to have a look at that notepad of yours once more. I want to use it for reference and as some material when writing the script, so I am afraid that I will have to borrow it from you for a while.」

「Yes! With pleasure! Please use it as much as you like, Your Majesty!」

With a cheerful voice, Echo handed out her notepad to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth and Warspite then headed towards the exit of the library.

「Nee-san, just as we agreed on just now, I am going to be focusing on preparing that plan of action that Her Majesty wanted me to create.」

「Yes, I know. But worry not! You focus on that, and leave the dinner preparations for your big sis right here!」

Seeing Edinburgh puffing out her chest with pride and a chuckle, Belfast also the library with everyone else.

「It looks like we are all going to be quite busy for a while.」

She also muttered those words to herself with a slight smile on her lips.

* * *

When the dinner time preparations were finally over, the maids had announced to everyone in advance that there would be a meeting after the meals would be served, so all the shipgirls belonging to the Royal Navy faction were gathered in the dining room after that.

On the opposite side of the door leading to the corridor, Elizabeth and Warspite were standing side by side with microphones in their hands, under the stained glass windows that would normally let the colorful daylight in.

Belfast was waiting by the left wall. It was agreed upon in advance that she would stay there and wait there until a signal would be given to her to take action at just the right time, and for now she was watching the two of them, holding a crumpled piece of paper in her hands.

「As for the current moment, Her Majesty has something very important that she would like to share with all of you.」

With Warspite saying that in her usual composed voice, many people around the dining room began to whisper and speculate what this could be all about, but all those voices and whispers came to a stop the moment Elizabeth took a step forward.

While everyone was paying attention to her exclusively, Elizabeth slowly began to speak while looking over everyone’s faces.

「Actually, I know that some of you have been waiting eagerly for this year’s School Festival and this year’s edition of the Beauty Pageant, so I regret to inform you that this particular attraction won’t be happening this year. Instead, the representatives of all factions decided to host a different kind of event. For this year’s School Festival, each faction has decided to present a new performance in the large auditorium for everyone else to see and enjoy.」

Everyone listened quietly to the explanation that began to pour out from Elizabeth’s mouth.

「While we do not have a lot of time left until the actual event, we at the Royal Navy faction have decided to put on a play at the theater. It will be a bit of a tight schedule with only eighteen or so days left until the actual performance, and that is including today.」

Suddenly there was a loud commotion that started to go through the dining room.

「Additionally, starting from this year onward, it has been ordered that all the shipgirls in the Home Port are to be involved in the preparations for the event. This time around there won’t be a situation when only a select few get to enjoy themselves while others are being left outside of the loop. So the stage crew and all the people supporting them will have to work together in unison, otherwise we are never going to make it in those eighteen days of time we have left.」

As expected, upon hearing those words, there were no voices of support or enthusiasm to be heard from the gathered shipgirls.

None of the shipgirls currently present in the dining room seemed to be able to hide their surprise and disappointment at what they were told, and they were more than a little perplexed by the fact that they were going to do something they had never experienced before.

While Belfast was still standing by the wall and watching the surroundings and their reactions, the noise gradually began to grow louder and louder with every passing second.

Soon, the whole dining room was wrapped in a color of confusion and disarray.

「—— NGGGHHH!!! Quiet, you! All of you! We are not done talking yet! At least hear Her Majesty out to the very end, why don’t you!?」

Warspite shouted into the microphone, additionally banging her hand on top of one of the tables to give her words even more power.

「We are going to start explaining all of those things in order, so please keep quiet for a moment and listen to us! As His Majesty said earlier, we need a whole lot of people to work both on top of the stage as performers and behind it for everything else. So for the time being, it was decided that you are all going to be split into four groups.」

Then, Warspite picked up the staff members distribution table that she and Elizabeth had prepared in advance of the general meeting.

「From now on, I will announce the leaders of each group here! When called, come forward in turn. Well then! Illustrious, the leader of the Costume Group!」

When her name was called out, Illustrious slowly got up from her table seat and walked over to where Elizabeth and Warspite were.

Apparently, the leaders of each group had been called out in advance and notified of their roles, all in order to avoid further confusion.

In the same way after that, Warspite continued to name the leaders of other groups, one after another.

「The Equipment Team is going to be in the capable hands of the Prince of Wales! The Sound and Lighting team is going to have Amazon! Casting Team is going to be led by King George V! As for the Assistance Team, this will be led by Hood! Everyone, please step forward!」

Each leader stood up from their seat in time with Warspite’s voice, starting with Illustrious, and lined up in front of her and Queen Elizabeth. And just like that, when all of the team leaders were all lined up, Warspite took the microphone again and said while pointing at each one of them.

「Those shipgirls right here are the leaders of each group. After this meeting, everyone should go to the leader of the group they would like to apply to and get themselves registered. However, each group can only have a fixed number of members, so if a certain group already reaches its maximum capacity, the people who are going to be left will be assigned by lottery to other groups!」

It was then that Waspite finally cast a glance towards Belfast.

Thinking it was finally her turn, Belfast stepped forward right away.

「As for what is going to be happening in the near future, I will leave the explanation to the Head Maid, Belfast.」

Receiving Warspite’s permission and blessing to officially take over, Belfast deeply bowed her head to thank her.

「What I am about to tell you all is in regards to the goals and milestones that we would like each group to achieve in this extremely short time period that we have left for preparations.」

As Belfast began to talk, she unfolded the rolled up paper that she was holding in her hands all this time.