The adventures of the young engineer and Prinz Eugen Volume 2.

Adventure No. 7"What the new year holds."Chapter 1

Listening to his music on his headphones, the young engineer focused on the large assisted ruler and made sure it was aligned in the right angle by using his geometric triangle. Satisfied that it was in the right position, he tightened down the adjustable arm and held with his left the other end of the ruler. He reached for the pencil at the bottom tray and drew a line along the ruler's long edge. Placing the pencil back on the tray, the young engineer unscrewed the adjustable arm and moved the ruler downwards. Checking his work he was satisfied with the line and checked its length and dimensions with those noted down on the schematics description. It was tedious work but the young engineer liked what he did. Seeing the blueprint he was working on take shape up to the full picture of a ship was something special. Even though he had not designed it and worked based on previous blueprints and translated specifications of the design, he felt like he did his part to bring this design into existence by filling out the blueprints and technical drawings into the overall construction plan. The one to one hundred scale plan no longer showed an empty drawing of a hull from port, starboard and a top down view of all the decks, but now had its compartments and main machinery as well as equipment added into it. The young engineer had been at work for almost two months by now. He had worked on the layout of the machinery and main electrical systems the entire time while other designers had worked on the crew compartments, bridge, armament systems and all the other aspects of the ship. Their combined work was by now almost finished. And showed the multiple square meter large blueprints and schematics of the latest design the navy of the Sakura Empire had been working on before the ships became alive. Looking back at his plans he continued to draw in the steam pipes from the boilers to their respective turbines.

He was not aware that by now he was the only one still working in the design room. With his headphones on and his favorite music blasting into his skull, he had not heard them say goodbye nor had he seen any of the other designers leave. Not that it concerned him much, the language barrier between him and the other designers ensured that he had little ways and opportunities to communicate with them in the first place. He instead continued on working on the plans of the engine room. Measuring out the millimeter count on one of the compartments, he neither saw nor heard the door to the drawing room open. He was oblivious to the quiet splashing sounds of bare feet walking over the marble floor toward him.

Only when he turned around to draw in the next piece of the engine room did he see the blond haired, red horned woman sneaking up on him. Stopping in his motion the young engineer took his headphones off and placed them around his neck. "There you are! I was looking for ya all over base. Were you just working all day? That is so boooring. Come on, dontcha wanna hang out with me? Can't be that more interesting than hanging out with me what you are doing here right?" The woman asked him in the language of the royal islands while looking at the equipment and plans the young engineer was working on. The latter had muted the music on his headphones by now and uncomfortably looked the woman in the eyes. "Good evening Kumano. Yes, I have been working all day and no, my work is not boring to me." He answered. "Well, it doesn't matter, you have to take the rest of the day off now anyways. Otherwise you can't work tomorrow. So what about spending some quality time with me?" The cruiser asked while placing a lollipop in her mouth. "I think I prefer my bed for tonight." The young engineer answered in an attempt to evade the cruiser. "Not gonna happen. You said that the last couple of times as well. You really need some time to relax and have fun every now and then. Always being that serious is so out." Kumano countered before grabbing the young engineer's hand and gently but decisively dragging him behind her. The young engineer rapidly twisted his wrist out of Kumanos hand. "I am sorry but I'd rather be by myself for tonight." He apologized. "You are no fun, you know? Are all of you Ironbloods so stuck up and boring?" The cruiser murmured. The young engineer meanwhile had to try to figure out a way not to completely redden in the uncomfortable situation he was in. Kumano had crossed her arms in front of her and therefore pushed up her sizable forms. The fact that Kumano only wore a hoodie, legwarmers and her lower underwear, did not help in that situation as well. "Not fair, ya know? You know that Atago and I are supposed to take care of you and you always try to avoid us." Kumano accused the young engineer. "You know what? I can't order you what to do since I am not in charge of you here. But I have been so cool and kind around ya and you're always just such a bore. Come on, let's hang out together for once. I even invited my bestie Suzuya over. It'll be sooo embarrassing when I show up alone." Kumano pleaded while her purple eyes searched for any clues in the young engineer's expressions. The latter relented, mostly out of fatigue than any supposed persuasive talent of the cruiser. "Alright, alright. I will go with you for half an hour or so to meet your friend. Afterwards I will go and rest though." He tried to break a deal. "Ya really coming with me? Tuts that's lit! We will have such a mega nice evening the three of us. I can't wait to introduce you to Suzuya." The cruiser exclaimed in her excitement and went right back to her school girls rambling. The young engineer shrugged and tried to forget his discomfort.