When Belfast heard his question, a soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Master, I believe you already know the answer~"
Jun Hao had a vague suspicion, and Belfast's following words proved him right.
"Allow me to share a few names, and everything will become clear. First, Miss Mogador. Second, Miss Taihou. Third, Miss Roon..." She raised a finger for each mention.
"Stop, stop, I get it!"
As Belfast recited the notorious names, images of those girls involuntarily flooded his mind.
When Taihou, Akagi, Mogador, and Roon, dubbed the "Four Horsewomen of the Port," came together, any Commander would be obliterated.
At that point, forget about his seemingly decent but dangerously unstable Harmony Level. Even his own well-being would be nearly impossible to secure.
In that instant, Jun Hao finally understood why the system said he needed its help and what the so-called threat to his "personal safety" actually meant.
"Bam! Bam! Bam!"
The heavy doorframe already displayed obvious cracks, a clear sign that he had no time to waste.
Jun Hao nodded at Belfast, silently agreeing.
"You're right! It really wouldn't be good to show up before the girls are ready!" His gaze swept quickly across the office, searching for a suitable hiding spot.
He considered slipping under the desk, but that would be far too obvious. The space behind the curtains would never conceal a grown man. That left only the wardrobe in the corner as a reasonable option.
Before Jun Hao could finish weighing his choices, Belfast had already grabbed him and pulled him into the wardrobe. Her movements were so rapid that everything happened in an instant.
"BANG!"
With a thunderous crash, the office door finally gave way under the continuous assault and collapsed heavily onto the floor.
Amidst the swirling dust, a tall and beautiful figure appeared at the doorway.
Her long black hair was styled into a pair of lively twin tails that swayed with her rapid breathing, while her crimson eyes burned with anxiety and fury.
Just as Akagi had anticipated, the intruder was none other than one of her eternal rivals, Taihou.
-TAIHOU-[1]
Taihou was panting heavily, clearly having sprinted all the way here. She stepped over the collapsed door, paying no mind to Akagi standing nearby, and swept her frantic gaze across every corner of the office.
She searched desperately. Searched for that simple "stickman" silhouette drawn in clean lines, the figure she longed for day and night.
Yet the Commander's seat was empty, and that familiar figure wasn't there. The spark in Taihou's eyes faded at an alarming rate.
Her fervent anticipation shifted into disappointment in seconds.
An instant later, that disappointment gave way to even more scorching fury. Her eyes shot toward Akagi as she shouted.
"Smelly Fox! Where did you hide the Commander?!"
Akagi had initially intended to stay as calm as she could to preserve her "perfect wife" persona before Jun Hao.
But the moment Taihou called her "Smelly Fox," it was like lighting a fuse that blew up the powder keg in her heart.
In response, a red aura matching Taihou's flared up in direct confrontation.
"You damn Dirty Bird! Do you think I'd stoop as low as you? Someone who completely disregards the Commander's feelings and confines him whenever possible! You're not worthy of being at his side!"
In the face of Akagi's ruthless accusations, Taihou offered no defense whatsoever. She released a dismissive huff, her eyes brimming with scorn and contempt.
She approached Akagi, and two soft yet firm forces collided. Although this "clash" was not truly a contest of strength, neither showed the slightest intention of retreating.
"Hehe, you're acting like you're so innocent and pure, Smelly Fox. But let's not forget~" Taihou said mockingly while pushing harder.
"Back then, to enable the Commander to engage with us more authentically, the port introduced the 'Dormitory Project.' In theory, every girl in our port qualified to participate. Yet somehow, your room was firmly and decisively rejected by Akashi and the others. So tell me, Smelly Fox, would you like me to refresh your memory about why you were turned down?"
Taihou's mouth curved into a dangerous smirk.
"The review report made it crystal clear: 'Numerous abnormal modification traces found in the room, risks detected, safety level: High Risk'!"
"Holy crap? Are you kidding me—?" Hidden in the wardrobe, Jun Hao felt stunned hearing such scandalous gossip.
However, Belfast promptly covered his mouth and signaled for Jun Hao to remain silent.
Jun Hao gave a quick nod and went back to quietly observing Akagi and Taihou's dispute through the wardrobe's narrow opening.
"Hmph, who knows? You might have planned everything from the start!" Akagi retorted, unwilling to give in.
"My, my, the Commander visits Taihou's dormitory quite often~ He even gifted Taihou plenty of furniture and delicious cakes to enjoy~"
"You shameless bird! Those were meant for me! All of it!" Akagi burst out angrily.
As the quarrel between Akagi and Taihou intensified, Belfast gave a light shrug.
"You see, Master? I wasn't exaggerating," she whispered in his ear.
Jun Hao nodded, getting what she meant, when a soft but strong hand quietly grabbed his arm.
It turned out Belfast was shifting its positions with remarkable elegance inside the cramped wardrobe.
Although her movements made some noise, Akagi and Taihou, who were in the middle of their argument, didn't notice the activity in the corner at all.
This change of position made Jun Hao a bit more comfortable. However, he was still essentially pressed tightly against her.
Even so, his attention stayed on the two fighting outside. As he listened to their conversation grow more and more ridiculous, Jun Hao pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
'It's over.'
Jun Hao was thinking about the Harmony Level that had barely reached 88, knowing it would definitely plummet.
With an anxious heart, he hesitantly opened the system panel. Yet when he caught sight of the displayed numbers, he froze.
[Current port Harmony Level: 88/100]
The number sat there solid as a rock, not budging even a little.
Wait, it didn't drop? They're fighting like it's the apocalypse, and the Harmony Level hasn't budged at all? What's happening here?'
While Jun Hao was completely lost, he detected a very delicate, barely audible giggle near his ear, as though someone were desperately holding back laughter.
"Pfft..."
The sound came from Belfast. In the narrow darkness, Jun Hao slowly turned his head toward the figure pressed tightly against him.
"Belfast? Why are you laughing?" he asked with a whisper.
"Because... while they're busy fighting, I can have you all to myself, Master."
Her tone carried such casual certainty, while her warm breath grazed Jun Hao's ear, sending an inexplicable shiver through him.
"Even though this place is a bit cramped... However, Master, a small space has its own advantages, doesn't it~"
-+ + +-
-> To have access to more than 15 extra chapters, go to:
[-p -a -t -r -e -o -n . com/DysFiction.]
-> To make a don@tion go to:
[ ko - fi .com /dysfiction ]
-+ + +-
Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
-> Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives! (Translation)
-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original)
-+ + +-
[1] IMAGE