Elder brother's garrison

Page 1521

What about your appetite?

"I can't eat much."

“That makes sense…” Xiaobai nodded, recalling Missouri’s half-eaten bowl of rice earlier. She looked down at Missouri’s face, thought for a moment, and then asked, “Missouri, didn’t you just mention that you had a similar situation about a week ago?”

"Ah."

"What happened around you in Missouri a week ago?"

“From Missouri’s perspective, nothing special should have happened.” Missouri shook her head and said to Xiaobai, “Well… for Missouri, it’s just ordinary daily life. If that’s the case for Missouri, then the other senior naval officers with similar schedules and lifestyles are also in danger.”

“Oh…that makes sense. So it shouldn’t be due to everyday life…hmm…a week ago…a week ago…” Xiaobai thought for a moment, then asked thoughtfully, “If we consider the time it takes for symptoms to appear after getting sick, it might be a week or two ago…at that time, we should have just arrived at Chapter Eight…”

As Xiaobai finished speaking, he looked up and made eye contact with Missouri.

Missouri also watched Little White quietly.

"Chapter Eight... Missouri, could your symptoms be related to Chapter Eight?" Xiaobai asked curiously. "The deep-sea aura in Chapter Eight is fundamentally different from the previous seven chapters. You've been fighting at sea for a while now, so it's possible that you inhaled too much of the deep-sea aura from Chapter Eight, which caused these unusual symptoms?"

“But back then, the older generation was with Missouri too,” Missouri replied.

“That might depend on individual constitution… Although ship girls are theoretically not afraid of deep-sea aura, what if…” Xiaobai said, then turned to Missouri, “In any case, this is the only possible reason I can think of. Missouri, let me check you first.”

"...How does the admiral intend to inspect it?" Missouri asked.

“It’s simple. If this abnormality is caused by the invasion of deep-sea energy, then we should be able to find the presence of deep-sea energy in your body, Missouri, right?” Xiaobai said to Missouri, readily rolling up her sleeves and showing her snow-white arm. “Let me search your body for deep-sea energy!”

"..." Missouri blinked, looked at Xiaobai's palm, then nodded knowingly, her gaze gentle, "Missouri understands."

Missouri cupped Little White's hands in her hands, gently pulled them to her lower abdomen, and pressed them onto her body.

Xiaobai's face flushed slightly at first, but she quickly returned to normal and nodded: "Hmm...that's it. Missouri, don't move yet, let me sense it."

Done.

Xiaobai took a deep breath and focused her attention on Missouri's lower abdomen.

Missouri's outer clothing was quite thin, especially around her abdomen where there was only a thin layer of close-fitting fabric. When viewed from a distance, one could occasionally see the shapely curves of Missouri's abdomen and the delicate outline of her navel through the close-fitting fabric. Now, with Missouri pulling Xiaobai's palm up to hers, it felt as if he were directly caressing Missouri's skin, making one's heart flutter.

However, before Xiaobai could even begin to feel excited, she quickly noticed something strange.

When Xiaobai touched Missouri's forehead just now, she could feel that Missouri's forehead temperature was within the normal range of body temperature. But now when she touched Missouri's lower abdomen, in addition to enjoying Missouri's elastic body, her palm also had a burning sensation as if she were holding a ball of fire.

Good guy.

It's probably around 40 degrees Celsius.

Xiaobai knew nothing about medicine, but based on her own experience, she judged that Missouri's lower abdominal temperature was clearly outside the normal range.

And this is not a body temperature that a human could reach without being harmed...

"Missouri, why is your stomach so hot..." Little White looked up and asked Missouri.

"Is it hot?" Missouri looked at Xiaobai curiously, seemingly unaware of the temperature of her lower abdomen.

“…Hmm…wait, let me take my hand out first.” Xiaobai thought for a moment, then suddenly pulled his hand out and went behind Missouri, touching her shoulder, lower back, and thighs. Then, to check her condition, he put his hand inside Missouri’s collar and explored the back of her neck for a while. “Hmm…the other places are pretty normal, but the area below her chest and above her hips is burning hot, like it’s on fire.”

“Missouri herself didn’t feel anything…” Missouri looked down and touched her stomach.

"Don't you feel the heat when you touch it?"

“...It’s more accurate to say that I didn’t realize it…” Missouri paused for a moment before explaining, “After the admiral’s reminder, Missouri realized that it was hotter here than in other places… but before, Missouri seemed to have already adapted to the difference.”

"...Does it hurt here?"

“…No.” Missouri shook her head and smiled faintly at Little White. “In fact, Missouri feels that this place is relatively comfortable.”

“…It shouldn’t be a human disease.” Xiaobai was silent for a moment, then said to Missouri, “Human body temperature wouldn’t have such a significant difference…Let me continue examining the deep-sea aura in your body.”

"Ok."

"..." Xiaobai took another deep breath and infiltrated the Admiral's Network into Missouri's body. Missouri did not resist and let Xiaobai's mental power penetrate the deepest part of her abdomen.

Xiao Bai used his mental power to search for the presence of deep-sea energy within Missouri's body.

Xiao Bai's mental energy quickly circulated throughout Missouri's body.

"Eh..." Xiaobai opened her eyes in confusion.

"Admiral, what's wrong?" Missouri asked.

"...There's no deep-sea energy in your body..." Xiaobai said softly, looking puzzled. "You're completely clean. Not only is there no deep-sea energy, but there's not even a trace of it having been invaded. According to feedback from my Admiral Network, your body is incredibly healthy right now."

"...That should be good news."

"This is bad news..." Xiaobai lowered her hand dejectedly. "If it really is a disease related to the aura of the deep sea, I could easily cure you with just a little effort... But now, let alone the aura of the deep sea, I don't even know what disease you have, Missouri... I have no idea where to begin..."

The worst thing about seeing a doctor is not being unable to get cured, but not knowing what disease you have at all.

Without knowing the root cause of the problem, there's no way to treat it effectively.

This is the part that beginners find most confusing.

"..." Seeing Xiaobai's troubled expression, Missouri closed her eyes slightly, then opened them again, and smiled at Xiaobai, saying, "At least from the current symptoms, it's at most a minor ailment like a cold or fever, right? It's best if it doesn't significantly affect Missouri's daily life."

"...I'm sorry...I can't be that optimistic..." Xiaobai looked up and whispered to Missouri, "...I'll help you to your sleeping area to lie down for a while. You rest first, and then I'll find Super Yamato, and we'll take you back to the naval base together...I'll explain to the other ship girls for you."

Little White gazed at Missouri with an unyielding look.

After a moment of silence, Missouri nodded slightly.

Fortunately, Missouri's symptoms were not severe. Although she said she felt dizzy and weak, and coughed occasionally, she could still walk without any problems and did not need Xiaobai's help.

Back in her sleeper berth, Missouri lay down in bed under Xiaobai's watchful gaze. Xiaobai sat beside Missouri, pulled the blanket up for her, and then stood guard by the bedding, staring at Missouri's face with an expression that suggested she was weighing something.

"Missouri, wait a moment, I need to think about something."

Xiao Bai spoke to Missouri, then closed his eyes. Soon his breath became very weak, and he became as still as a statue, as if his soul and consciousness had gone elsewhere.

Missouri did not express any doubt about Xiaobai's condition.

She lay quietly in bed, gazing at Xiaobai with gentle, tender eyes.

"...Yes, Admiral."

"Cough cough..."

Chapter 2042 Master of Pulse Diagnosis

Little White sat quietly and motionless on the edge of Missouri's bed.

Xiao Bai remained in deep thought for a long time.

Missouri remained quietly in bed throughout, only her head peeking out as she watched Little White without making a sound to disturb her.

The two were currently some distance from where the ship girls were eating at the main gate, so they could still faintly hear the sounds of the ship girls clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

The sounds coming from the dinner table were somewhat lively, but not noisy. They were muffled, as if separated by a sheet of paper, making it seem especially quiet for Xiaobai and Missouri.

I don’t know how long it took.

Finally, the dormant aura on Xiaobai, who had been transformed into a sculpture, slowly began to stir. Xiaobai took a gentle breath and opened its eyes.

However, when Xiaobai opened her eyes, a hint of disappointment flashed across her pupils.

Missouri's illness is not something humans can get; it should be considered a rare and complicated disease among ship girls. Generally speaking, ship girls occasionally get a few unique illnesses that should be included in textbooks. However, Xiaobai recalled all the books and materials he had read about ship girl training, including the admiral crash course written by his brother, and none of them described Missouri's peculiar symptoms at all.

So just now, Xiaobai was thinking about whether she should consult an authority figure, which is why she spent some time going to her mental world, finding the Deep Sea Will waiting for her there, and asking her about Missouri's illness and whether she knew anything about it.

Deep Sea Will is Xiaobai's biggest trump card. Whether it's temporarily logging in for power leveling or accumulating knowledge in ordinary times, Deep Sea Will has helped Xiaobai a lot. In such situations, Deep Sea Will can be said to be Xiaobai's greatest reliance.

But who would have thought that the Deep Sea Will, who used to answer every question Xiaobai asked and seemed to know and do everything, would, when faced with questions about Missouri's condition, unusually say that even she, who was omnipotent, was clueless about Missouri's current problems and suggested that they should find other more professional people. In doing so, she poured cold water on Xiaobai's hopes.

Even the will of the deep sea... is powerless...?

When Xiaobai left the spiritual world, his heart was ice-cold.

makes sense.

No matter how invincible Deepsea Will is, it is still a Deepsea entity. It can indeed be said that it knows everything about the Deepsea. However, Missouri is a ship girl after all. The problems of ship girls are completely outside the knowledge blind spots of Deepsea Will. Even Deepsea A-Dream can only sigh and shake its head at the difficult problems that appear on the ship girl, indicating that it is not its professional expertise and it is powerless to help.

"Admiral?" Missouri, lying on the bed, smiled slightly after seeing the fleeting disappointment in Xiaobai's eyes. She said to Xiaobai, "Missouri doesn't feel unwell right now. She's quite comfortable and at ease lying in bed. In the end, it's just a minor ailment. Admiral, you don't need to worry too much about Missouri."

Little White looked up pitifully and met Missouri's gaze.

Missouri smiled at Little White.

Missouri...

"Missouri is here."

“Your body can’t stay in Chapter Eight any longer. I’ll take you back to the naval base soon,” Little White said to Missouri. “Right now, it’s just a few symptoms of a minor illness, but who knows if it will worsen later? You need to get away from the deep-sea aura and rest at the naval base for a while—and we can’t keep this from everyone anymore. I’ll tell the others about you later and then take you back immediately. There are many experts in the human world, and our naval base has good connections and resources. We can provide you with the best medical care. Whether it’s a serious illness or a minor one, we’ll definitely be able to diagnose your symptoms and cure you, I guarantee it.”

"...So, Missouri really did drag everyone down..." Missouri looked at Xiaobai's face and smiled helplessly.

"How could that be? It's impossible, Missouri. Don't be discouraged... This isn't your fault..." Xiaobai quickly comforted Missouri.

"Yes, please rest assured, Admiral. Missouri is not actually feeling too frustrated... on the contrary, she is quite happy."

"Happy?"

“While I have indeed caused trouble for my seniors and delayed the Admiral’s plans, Missouri, as a junior, should feel ashamed… but…” Missouri paused, her eyes gazing at her reflection in Shiro’s eyes, then pulled the blanket over her and whispered, “Missouri is currently… feeling remorseful for the joy she felt…”

"……"noob.

"Hey! Admiral! What are you guys talking about?!" Just then, from afar, Yubari, having eaten and drunk her fill, patted her round belly and happily made her way towards Shiro and Missouri, laughing to herself, "Wow... I never expected the food in Chapter 8 to be this good. This is the first time I've ever eaten abalone, lobster, crab, and other seafood to my heart's content every day—wait, Admiral, what's with you guys doing this...?"

Yubari was talking to himself when he suddenly saw Missouri lying in bed like a patient, and he became curious.

"Admiral, you two have only been gone a short while. It's one thing to be having a romantic time together, but how come you're talking in bed in broad daylight..." Yubari looked at Shiro with an expression that said, "As expected of you," and clicked her tongue in amazement.

"It's not what you think... Actually, Missouri is sick." Shiro wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush with Yubari anymore. She simply shook her head and explained directly to Yubari.

"Huh? Sick?" Yubari, who was about to tell Shiro a few dirty jokes, froze on the spot when she heard the second half of Shiro's sentence, "Missouri?"

“Yeah…Missouri has actually been keeping it a secret all this time…Oh well.” Xiaobai sighed and changed the subject, “Anyway, Missouri has contracted a very strange illness and can’t stay in Chapter 8 as a fighting force for the time being. I’ll find Super Yamato to send her back to the naval base to recuperate.”

"Ah, this..." Yubari stared blankly at Shiro.

“Looks like you guys have almost finished eating… I should go over and explain to the others…” Shiro stood up and patted Yubari on the shoulder. “I’ll head over there first.”

Xiao Bai walked towards the villa's main entrance.

Yubari stared blankly as Shiro left, then slowly walked to the ship girls' dining table in the distance. Surrounded by the ship girls, she raised her hand and jumped up and down, gesturing wildly as she explained to them. She couldn't help but look down at Missouri in her blankets.

"Missouri, are you... sick?"

“It seems so,” Missouri replied to Yubari.

“Uh…” Yubari frowned, sat down next to Missouri with a puzzled look, and asked seriously, “Missouri… tell me the truth, are you pretending to be sick because you haven’t been getting much of the Admiral’s attention lately and want to get his attention and a chance to be alone with him…”

"What kind of person does Yubari-senpai think Missouri is?" Missouri gave Yubari a bitter smile. "Even if Missouri is willful, she wouldn't do something like this to the Admiral while the seniors at the naval base are preparing for war..."

"Ah... I'm so sorry..." Yubari lowered her head awkwardly. "I was just a little surprised when I heard the news that the ship girls were sick... After all, you know, ship girls have a rather special constitution..."

"..." Missouri smiled and frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed.

"What kind of illness is it?" Yubari rubbed his hands together and asked in a low voice, full of curiosity.

"Missouri doesn't know either."

"Can you tell me about your symptoms?"

“The symptoms are… I occasionally feel a little weak, and sometimes I feel dizzy after sitting for a long time, and then I cough and stuff…” Missouri said to Yubari, paused slightly, and continued, “Also… when the Admiral examined Missouri just now, he found that Missouri’s body temperature was mostly normal, but his torso was a little too hot.”

"Body temperature? Most of them?" Yubari looked bewildered, scratching her head with an expression of not understanding.

"Would you like to touch it, Yubari-senpai?" Missouri asked.

"Eh? Is that okay?"

“Senior Yubari is probably the person in the entire naval base who has studied ship girls the most... So Missouri thinks it wouldn’t hurt for Senior Yubari to learn more about Missouri’s physical condition.” Missouri said, freeing both hands from under the covers and opening them to Yubari. “Senior Yubari, please give Missouri your hands.”

“Oh… okay.” Yubari quickly stepped forward and offered his palm to Missouri.

Missouri slowly guided Yubari's hand into the blankets.

"...Speaking of which, Missouri, you seem to be in pretty good spirits." Yubari asked softly, looking at Missouri's calm face.

"Well... thankfully, although Missouri's illness is somewhat obscure and remote, it hasn't caused her any torment or pain," Missouri said with a smile.

“…How optimistic…” Yubari sighed at Missouri with a complicated expression and murmured softly.

"Yubari-senpai, this is probably the right position."

"Hmm... I touched it, it's really hot..." Yubari squinted, feeling the temperature of the Missouri blankets inside the bed. "Hmm... this temperature... this temperature..."

Sudden.