Chapter 0725 Banban Kingdom
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"Ichiban Island? Ichiban Port?"
Ryo tilted his head.
As a former Japanese person, they were a familiar string of sounds.
"Ichiban, as in 'number one'?"
No one answered that question.
No, wait, there was!
"Abel, in the Banban Kingdom report you were reading earlier, did it say the names of the islands?"
"There were three big islands."
"What were the names besides Ichiban Island?"
"I think they were Niban Island and Sanban Island."
"What the…?"
Ryo was stunned.
No matter how you looked at it, first, second, third…
"I can feel the shadow of a reincarnator."
Ryo's mutter was too soft for Abel to hear.
Still, he could tell Ryo was muttering about something.
"Ryo, is there something on your mind?"
"Huh? No, nothing. There is just something that is bothering me."
"There is something bothering you, then. What is it?"
"Nah, I'll report it after I look into it and confirm it…"
"Look into it?"
Abel tilted his head at Ryo's answer.
Look into it in a country he was visiting for the first time?
How?
Abel had that question, but he pushed it to the back of his mind, assuming it would not be solved anyway.
Skidbladnir docked at Ichiban Island.
From there, Abel would disembark via the gangway.
On the port, Banban Kingdom soldiers were lined up in formation.
"Information is being passed around freely."
"Hm?"
"They knew we were arriving, as if they had been expecting us."
"They probably did. For the Banban Kingdom, the only country they normally have dealings with is Pishkan. Since that's the case, they would naturally have built a system to obtain information from the core of the Pishkan government, would they not?"
"Spies…"
"Naturally."
At Ryo's words, Abel shrugged.
About twenty knights from the Knightley Kingdom were also lined up below the gangway.
They were there to provide protection so that no disturbance like the one in Pishkan would occur.
Abel had said it was excessive, but the two company captains, Zack and Scotty, had objected.
And when Captain Paulina also hinted at it… he had no choice but to accept the knights standing in formation.
By the way, as before, Ryo followed right behind Abel, holding up Abel's beloved sword.
But the two company captains had also told Ryo, "Please, you absolutely have to protect him!" and under that pressure, he had nodded…
Protecting the king was hard in a lot of ways…
Abel descended the gangway.
Once he stepped onto the port, a man from the Banban Kingdom approached him.
Of course, there was no attack this time.
"Your Majesty Abel, we have been awaiting you. I am Lakkan XX, King of the Banban Kingdom."
"Your Majesty Lakkan, a pleasure to meet you. I am Abel the First, King of the Knightley Kingdom."
And so, the meeting between the two kings was completed without issue.
After that, the Knightley Kingdom party was guided to a place called the Government First Hall.
"As I mentioned earlier, our country does not have a facility for receiving state guests. Well, it did in the past, but for the past hundred years we have only dealt with our neighboring country Pishkan, so we have not maintained it."
"I see."
King Lakkan explained this to Abel as he led the way.
"If your guards also wish to stay overnight, this auditorium is the only place available."
"No problem. Having the guards with me was something we requested, after all. Please do not worry about the location."
King Lakkan said apologetically, and Abel nodded magnanimously.
"A gymnasium…"
Ryo's mutter went unnoticed by anyone.
The First Hall they were shown to was, in fact, a gymnasium.
It was a large open space with no pillars.
Probably everyone would sleep there.
The Skidbladnir's crew, along with the twenty-five Knightley Kingdom knights led by Zack and the civil officials, remained on the Skidbladnir.
That was because they had been told in advance that there was no place where so many people could stay together.
For that reason, only Abel and Ryo, along with the twenty-five knights led by Scotty, had disembarked.
Even in the Banban Kingdom, this was not going to be a formal negotiation.
It was only a courtesy visit by Abel…
They would simply convey the same message they had given to Chief Marta in Pishkan.
Still, since arrival was in the evening, they had no choice but to spend one night there.
What was more, the Banban Kingdom side wanted to hold a garden party to welcome King Abel.
Things like this were part of diplomacy.
They could not refuse.
However, due to Abel's wish to keep the group small, it became a dinner at the royal palace rather than a garden party.
From the Knightley Kingdom side, King Abel and Knights' Company Captain Scotty Cobuk were the two participants.
Yes, the premier duke, Ryo, was not attending.
Naturally, Abel had asked Ryo to come.
But…
"M-my stomach and head and hands and feet hurt…"
Ryo threw a fit like a child.
Normally, Abel would have dragged him along by force, but he realized that Ryo was acting strangely this time.
Even while he was throwing his fit, it was as if his mind was elsewhere… as if he was doing something else inside his head…
For that reason, Abel did not force him, and Scotty ended up attending with him.
Ryo stayed behind in the First Hall with the other Knightley Kingdom knights.
Then he sat by himself in a corner with his eyes closed…
Nine o'clock at night.
The dinner was over, and Abel and Scotty had returned to the First Hall.
Many candles were lit in the auditorium, but it was by no means bright.
In the midst of that, Abel looked around.
Ryo, who had been sitting in the corner, suddenly stood up.
Then he walked toward Abel.
There was something not normal about the way he looked.
"What is it?"
"To be honest, I don't know what is happening, but…"
"Hm?"
"Armed people are coming to the island."
"…Huh?"
At Ryo's explanation, Abel let out a startled exclaim.
But that cry caused the knights who had been talking to clamp their mouths shut.
In that silence, Ryo's words rang out.
"Armed people are heading toward this island in small boats from Niban Island and Sanban Island."
Naturally, Abel also wondered why Ryo had that information.
But that was not what mattered right now.
"You don't know what those armed men are after, do you?"
"No, I do not. I think they are probably regular soldiers. Their equipment is similar to the soldiers lined up at the port, in this country…"
"Are they attacking us, or are they rebelling against the government on this island…"
Abel muttered.
That mutter sent tension through the knights who were straining to listen.
Some put their armor back on after taking it off.
Some brought their beloved swords close at hand.
Others still listened closely to the conversation between Ryo and Abel…
"Scotty, what do you think we should do?"
Abel asked Company Captain Scotty.
It was a question asking him to state, from a guard's perspective, what he thought should be done.
"I think we should all move to the Skidbladnir and anchor outside the port while we watch how things unfold."
Scotty answered without hesitation.
His highest priority was ensuring King Abel's safety.
If that was the case, there was no other answer.
"Understood. We'll move immediately."
Abel decided at once.
There was nothing to be gained by wasting time.
First, they needed to break out of this situation, where they were split from their allies.
After that, they needed to secure an escape route.
If they could clear those two things, then they could deal with whatever came next.
Abel hurriedly wrote out a statement.
Scotty took the document, put it in an envelope, and handed it to a subordinate.
The subordinate who received it ran off.
"What was that?"
"I wrote that, due to circumstances, we would be sleeping on the Skidbladnir tonight. There are Banban Kingdom soldiers outside, so I want them to deliver it to King Lakkan from there."
Abel answered Ryo's question.
While he answered, everyone had already begun moving.
While they were moving on foot, the knight who had taken the letter also came back.
Scotty confirmed that.
"Your Majesty, everyone is together."
"Good, let's pick up the pace a little."
When Abel said that, everyone increased to just short of a run.
Running would have looked bad, after all… but they wanted to get back to the ship before anything happened.
Of course, one knight had already returned to the ship ahead of them and explained the situation.
So that they could depart immediately once they boarded.
Ryo walked beside Abel as usual.
But Abel had noticed it.
He noticed that Ryo was still concentrating on something else.
So he did not ask anything.
The group quietly moved to the port.
They went up the gangway and boarded the Skidbladnir without incident.
"Everyone has boarded."
Scotty reported to Captain Paulina.
Paulina gave one nod in response, then signaled wordlessly.
The Skidbladnir moved out with almost no sound.
Without hoisting its square sails, the Skidbladnir slipped out of the port using only a few fore-and-aft sails.
After confirming that, Abel looked at Ryo.
Ryo had kept his eyes completely closed after going up onto the deck, but he opened them when he sensed Abel approaching.
"The people who landed on Ichiban Island surrounded the auditorium where we were, and the royal palace."
"So moving early was the right call."
Abel nodded at Ryo's report.
Then he asked.
"Ryo has been… probing with magic all this time?"
Abel had also realized that Ryo had been doing something.
He thought that the reason Ryo had turned down the invited dinner was that he had been doing that same 'something' the whole time.
"Yeah… It's about the right distance for sonar now. I should retrieve them."
"…Retrieve?"
"Niban Island and Sanban Island are pretty far away, you know. There's water in between, even if the strait is narrow. So even my sonar cannot reach them."
"Hm."
"So I sent them instead."
Thump.
As Ryo spoke, something landed on the deck.
It landed, but was invisible… only a glint of reflected light showed itself.
To Abel, they were the sort of beings he was already somewhat familiar with.
"Oniwaban?"
"Yes, exactly. Oniwaban, First Squad."
As Ryo answered, color returned to the transparent ice golems.
"So with transparent ice, you really cannot see them at night."
"That's right. Even in the evening, if they are in the shade, the human eye can hardly recognize them."
In other words, Ryo had sent the First Squad of the Oniwaban to Niban Island and Sanban Island.
"All the way to those islands… you had been controlling them the whole time?"
"Yes. I sent them in groups of three, but controlling six at once was pretty difficult."
Ryo's expression was full of satisfaction.
It had been difficult, but because he had obtained information early, they had been able to withdraw from the auditorium unharmed.
If they had learned about it too late, there was a high chance the group would have been caught up in the clash that was about to break out.
"You did not send the golems in because you thought this attack might happen in the first place, did you?"
"Of course not. I told you, 'I'll report it after I look into it and confirm it,' remember?"
"I see. So that was what you meant by looking into it."
"After looking into it a little, both on Niban Island and Sanban Island, the soldiers there were acting pretty suspiciously, so I started investigating that side, and then… the attack happened."
Ryo shrugged, seemingly considering it a nuisance.
"In the end, I couldn't investigate what I actually wanted to."
Ryo was convinced that a reincarnator had been involved in the Banban Kingdom's past, and he had wanted to look for evidence of it.
But before he could search, this happened…
"Ah…"
"What is it?"
Ryo cried out before he could stop himself, and Abel asked.
"A large clash has started near the entrance to the royal palace."
Ryo conveyed the information he had read through
After thinking for a moment, Abel turned around and asked.
"Zack, Scotty, you would both be against intervening, right?"
"Yes, strongly against it."
"Yes, we should definitely remain observers."
In response to Abel's question, both Zack and Scotty advised against intervening.
Abel also called out to the person standing behind the two of them.
"Captain Paulina."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"I read the Banban Kingdom report that the captain and the others compiled. Is there any additional information beyond that?"
"It is mostly already in there, but…"
As she spoke, Paulina tilted her head slightly upward.
It looked like she was recalling the contents.
"If I were to add a point based on this incident, it would be that Niban Island and Sanban Island are currently controlled by the younger brothers of the present King Lakkan the Twentieth as island lords."
"Island lords?"
"I was not able to investigate the exact details, but they seem to be the rulers of the islands. Compared with the king… they would be something like viceroys."
Compared with the king… they would be something like vice kings."
"I see. That means it's highly likely this attack was led by those viceroys, the king's younger brothers."
Abel nodded at Paulina's explanation.
"We will not interfere in Banban Kingdom's domestic affairs. We do not have enough information to know which side we should support. We'll observe the situation from here."
Abel announced their policy.
The two company captains and Captain Paulina nodded in silence.
And so, the Skidbladnir spent the night outside Ichiban Port.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0726 Overthrow
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Early the next morning.
A bell rang out across the deck of the Skidbladnir.
Abel emerged from the guest suite after hearing it.
"Zack, what happened?"
He asked Zack Cooler, who was standing guard outside the guest suite door.
"A ship seems to be approaching from the harbor."
Zack replied, pointing toward the port.
Indeed, even without a spyglass, it looked like a ship was coming in.
It was not as large as the Skidbladnir, but still fairly big.
The other company commander, Scotty Cobook, was already leading the Kingdom Knights and lined up on deck.
Of course, the knights had not drawn their swords, but they were fully armed.
So they would be ready if it came to combat right away.
"Zack, Scotty, do not make the first move."
"Understood."
Abel ordered, and the two answered in unison.
It was not only the knights who were in combat readiness.
The Skidbladnir's deck was also set up for battle.
More specifically, rows of bows and arrows had been arranged where they could not be seen from the enemy ship.
So the crew could grab bows and string arrows immediately.
"Captain Paulina, tell the Skidbladnir crew not to make a move yet either."
"Understood."
Paulina nodded as well.
The crew must have heard her, because they nodded too.
"Ryo, can you tell how many people are on that ship?"
"Fifty on deck. Of those, thirty are armed soldiers. And… there's some pompous-looking guy at the bow."
"Pompous-looking?"
"Arms crossed, and probably glaring at us."
"So you can tell that much."
Abel was surprised by Ryo's detailed report.
Zack, Scotty, and Paulina, who had heard Ryo's voice, also seemed surprised.
Even so, all of them remained silent.
The tension mounted.
And then…
"Stop the ship!"
Zack shouted.
At a distance of about fifty meters between the two ships, the one that had come from the harbor came to a stop.
It resembled the galleons that were common in the Central Countries.
At roughly fifty meters in length, it was smaller than the Skidbladnir, and its deck sat lower.
But because the bow and stern were built a little higher up, the man standing at the bow with his arms crossed was clearly visible from the Skidbladnir as well.
"Ryo was right, he does look pompous."
"Right?"
Abel muttered, and Ryo, standing beside him, nodded.
The man standing at the bow looked to be in his mid-thirties.
He stood about 180 centimeters tall, with a broad, thick chest and an imposing physique.
He had his arms crossed before that chest and was haughtily thrusting it out.
His long black hair, streaked with a little gray, was tied back, but even more striking were his black eyes, which seemed to hold a powerful will.
"I am Mafredi, lord of Niban Island. I wish to meet with His Majesty Abel I, King of the Knightley Kingdom."
The man standing at the bow, Mafredi, introduced himself.
"I am Abel I."
At the introduction, Abel introduced himself in return.
"Hoh… just as reported, you're giving off the aura of a real powerhouse."
"As reported?"
"I heard that aura of yours got the 'freak' in Pishkan to go berserk."
"I see."
Abel nodded, understanding Mafredi's words.
It seemed the events in Pishkan had been relayed to this man.
"I have heard that a lord of an island holds a position similar to that of a viceroy. In other words, is it correct to understand that you held a supporting position to King Lakkan, whom I met yesterday?"
"Yes. Up until yesterday, that was indeed the case."
"In other words, not anymore?"
"Yes. Starting today, it is I, not Lakkan, who am the king of the Banban Kingdom."
Mafredi declared with a grin.
"I see. And what brings Mafredi-dono here?"
Abel asked without changing either his expression or his tone.
But Ryo noticed something.
Abel had said Mafredi-'dono'.
Not 'His Majesty' Mafredi.
Just 'dono'.
But he said nothing.
Silently, his smile deepened.
If Abel were to say 'His Majesty Mafredi', the Knightley Kingdom would be acknowledging this coup d'état.
That is what the words of a king at the top mean.
It would not be settled with 'It was a slip of the tongue'.
That is what diplomacy is.
It was a carefully laid trap by Mafredi.
He rushed over first thing in the morning, introduced himself aboard ship, and made the other side call his name.
If they happened to add the honorific 'Your Majesty' at that point, all the better…
But Abel had elegantly dodged that trap.
It was the brilliance of Abel that Ryo praised.
"As the newly crowned king, I would like to hold talks with His Majesty Abel, King of the Knightley Kingdom. Could you come to the palace?"
"Hm."
Abel thought for a moment.
The moment Mafredi introduced himself as the new king, Abel had already guessed this sort of proposal would follow.
And as a rule, there was no option of not accepting that invitation.
However…
"During yesterday's attack on the palace, the First Hall where we were staying was attacked as well. To be honest, I feel uneasy about going with someone like that."
Abel said plainly.
This too was diplomacy.
He was pointing out the other side's blunder.
At the same time, he was making it clear that he also held information.
"We sent troops to the hall so that the people of the Knightley Kingdom would not get caught up in the troubles of our country."
"I see. You sent soldiers as protection."
"Yes, that is correct."
Mafredi's expression did not change at all. He was shameless in the extreme.
Of course, there was no telling whether Mafredi's words were true.
There was also no telling whether they were lies.
It was not impossible that they had kept the group under protection while trying to negotiate with the Knightley Kingdom proper…
In reality, the distance was so great that it seemed unlikely they could maintain contact with the Central Countries at all, but… there was no way to know just how much the people of the Banban Kingdom understood.
"Well, fine."
Abel nodded once.
Then he added a condition.
"In Mafredi-dono's name, you will guarantee the safety of us heading to the palace and those remaining on the ship, I assume?"
"Of course. In the name of Mafredi, the 111th king of the Banban Kingdom, I will guarantee everyone's safety."
And so the group headed to the Banban palace, now ruled by a new master.
On the way to the palace.
"Sorry to the king from yesterday, but this island lord has more presence."
"I… can't deny that."
The premier duke and His Majesty the king were whispering to each other.
"Maybe this regime change is something that happens often in the Banban Kingdom."
"What do you mean?"
"Among the three islands, the strongest person removes the old king and becomes the new one… some kind of political system like that."
"How could something like that… even be possible?"
"Isn't it fine if it does exist? If the people don't have to suffer and the heads of the powerful are simply swapped around among themselves… and if a capable person ends up at the top, then isn't that better for the people?"
"Ryo's conclusions are as out there as ever."
Abel shook his head slightly at Ryo's reasoning.
"The worst thing for the people is for an incompetent leader to keep governing. If you try to remove that person by force, the people often get caught up in it, and that makes the people unhappy, so it is not recommended. But if no civilians are harmed, then whether by force or some other means, if a competent person ends up at the top, isn't that fine?"
"So long as the competent person… is someone who actually thinks about the people."
"Exactly. The question is whether that can be guaranteed."
Ryo accepted Abel's point.
The root of all the problems was whether the people would be considered in the politics being carried out for them… that was what it came down to.
"Even so, we are not interfering in the Banban Kingdom's affairs."
"Yes, I understand. Relations between countries are noninterference in internal affairs."
Equal diplomacy cannot exist unless sovereign states recognize one another as such.
Of course…
"Unless Abel wants to turn this Banban Kingdom into a vassal state of the Knightley Kingdom."
"Yeah, as I always say, that is not something I want."
"So this time, we won't get involved."
"Yeah, please correct that to we won't get involved this time 'either'."
"Oh, come on now."
"Don't 'come on now' me! "
It was the usual teasing between Ryo and Abel.
"But what happened in this Banban Kingdom might also happen in the Knightley Kingdom."
"Hm?"
"If King Abel is removed, then if someone more capable becomes king, the kingdom's people would be even happier."
The premier duke said it in a stern, utterly matter-of-fact tone.
"Then that more capable person who would replace me is probably you, Premier Duke."
"Eh? Me? No, I hate dealing with being king…"
"For the sake of the people."
"My life comes before the people's lives. That's the motto I intend to live by."
"…A guy like that becoming the top of the country would make the people miserable."
"Yes, absolutely."
For some reason, the king and the premier duke seemed to reach an agreement.
Maybe that was a joke allowed only because King Abel was so popular with the common people…
Guided by Mafredi, the group stepped into the palace.
The palace bore raw, vivid traces of a fierce battle having taken place.
"Even if ordinary civilians were not caught up in it, soldiers were."
"That's true. On that point… peace really is best, I suppose."
"Or a bloodless revolution is okay too."
"Bloodless? You mean a revolution without bloodshed… I see."
Abel thought it over a little and nodded.
In Earth's history, there have been a fair number of successful bloodless revolutions.
Some conditions need to be in place, but… if they can be met, it might be ideal in a certain sense.
"Still, this not-yet-cleaned-up feeling… it seems deliberate, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Maybe that's Mafredi's personality. He's deliberately showing it to us."
"Is this part of diplomacy too, I wonder?"
"Diplomacy is really a pain in the ass."
Abel let out a small sigh.
Within relations between nations, everything becomes a diplomatic card.
Even a scene like this after a coup.
Would you clean it up before inviting people in, or invite them in without cleaning it up?
There should have been a choice between those options.
And Mafredi chose to invite the Knightley Kingdom's group in without cleaning anything up.
What that meant was not yet clear, but… it offered a glimpse of the way Mafredi thought, or perhaps one aspect of his tastes.
Proceeding deeper into the palace, the group was shown into a fairly large room.
There was a long table in the center of the room, with chairs arranged on both sides.
The left side for the home country, the right side for the other country… a table and chairs that looked as though they were meant for diplomatic talks.
And on the left side, people who seemed to be Banban Kingdom officials were already seated.
Among those officials, Abel spotted someone he recognized.
"Your Majesty Lakkan?"
Yes, Lakkan XX, who had been king of the Banban Kingdom until yesterday.
He was not being restrained.
He did not seem injured.
Whether from frustration or humiliation… he seemed to be trembling with a stiff expression.
"Your Majesty Abel… I am sorry."
He lowered his head as he said it.
"No, I am just glad you are safe."
Abel nodded.
"I have asked Lakkan to be present here as a royal adviser. It would seem there was some sort of flow from yesterday's negotiations… though perhaps calling them negotiations is a bit much, but still."
Mafredi said with a laugh.
Even then, Lakkan's expression remained stiff.
That was only natural.
Until yesterday, he had been the ruler of this country.
But now, he had been stripped of that position and was even seated here as a subordinate of the new top man.
In front of the king of a foreign country they had met yesterday.
Abel did not change his expression, but the expressions of the Kingdom Knights who had come as his guards probably did.
Seeing that, Mafredi opened his mouth and began to explain.
"In our country, it is common for the weak king to be brought down by the strong."
The moment Mafredi said it, Lakkan's face twisted.
"It removes political rigidity and prevents the king and those around him from becoming corrupt. So in fact, there are times when it is even praised."
"I understand that political systems differ from country to country."
Abel replied to Mafredi's words.
"But I was simply wondering why it had to happen last night. Why act while we were visiting?"
"Because yesterday was the new moon. For nighttime operations, it is more convenient when the moon is not out."
"So even if a diplomatic mission was visiting, that made no difference."
"We had heard you were powerful people. We assumed you would protect yourselves."
"I see."
That was all Abel said.
He said nothing else, and without changing his expression, he sat in the seat at the center of the right side of the table.
With a small shrug, Mafredi also took his seat opposite him.
And thus, the bilateral meeting began.
That said, it was not an official meeting.
From the Knightley Kingdom's perspective, the purpose of this port call was simply for King Abel to greet the representative of the other country.
They were not planning to establish diplomatic relations or conclude a treaty of friendship.
The purpose was simply to say, "We may stop here during future trial voyages, so we'll be in your care", and "A route will be opening up ahead, so please take care of us then as well".
That matter had already been conveyed by Abel to the Banban Kingdom government the previous day.
It had also been conveyed directly to Lakkan at the evening dinner party.
So Mafredi, who was sitting here, knew about it too.
Even so, the reason he had called Abel and the others here was probably to show that Lakkan was no longer king and that Mafredi had become king.
He wanted to make it plain that Lakkan had come under the new king Mafredi.
"I am Mafredi, King of the Banban Kingdom."
"I am Abel I, King of the Knightley Kingdom."
They introduced themselves to each other and shook hands.
That was diplomatic protocol.
After that, the Banban Kingdom side's attendees were introduced one by one.
Of course, Lakkan as royal adviser was among them too.
Then the Knightley Kingdom side's attendees were introduced as well, but… aside from the Kingdom Knights serving as guards, there was only one other person.
"This is the Knightley Kingdom's premier duke, Duke Rondo."
The one Abel introduced was only Ryo.
Ryo stood up and gave a slight bow.
Once the introductions on both sides were over, Abel opened his mouth.
"Last night's dinner party was splendid."
"Hm?"
Suddenly, he praised the dinner party.
Mafredi could not help but frown.
That was only natural, because the host of last night's dinner party had been Lakkan, the king at the time.
For Mafredi, the current king, it was not amusing.
"Regardless of who the current king may be, I could hardly fail to mention a dinner party held between the representatives of two nations. It would also be for the honor of the chefs and others who prepared the meal."
"Hm, well, fine."
And then Abel praised, one by one, each menu item that had been served at the dinner party.
Mafredi, of course, wore an unhappy expression, but Lakkan, who had been the host at the time, also looked bewildered.
Still, every now and then, he would briefly show a pleased expression.
It took twenty minutes before Abel's praise finally came to an end.
Having received that, Mafredi brought up the main topic.
"I hear the Knightley Kingdom is conducting trial voyages to open a sea route with the Western Countries. I understand this port call is part of that effort."
"That is correct."
"I would like to hear how our country factors into your voyage."
Mafredi asked plainly.
"There is a possibility that during the trial voyages, we may port in the Banban Kingdom."
"I see."
"However, as for the route that will eventually connect the Knightley Kingdom and the Western Countries… to be honest, I do not know whether we will stop in the Banban Kingdom."
"…What?"
At Abel's ominous words, Mafredi asked again.
"I have heard that in the neighboring country of Pishkan, once the route opens, you proposed the possibility of receiving supplies and also of trade."
"Yes, we did propose that. That is true."
"Then our country should also…"
"As king of the Knightley Kingdom, I believe we should prepare and propose safe port-of-call destinations for the ships that travel the route. Thinking along those lines, I have to ask whether this Banban Kingdom is truly suitable as a port of call…"
"Are you saying my country is inferior to Pishkan?"
Mafredi's tone changed, and anger covered his face.
"No, please do not misunderstand. That is not what I am saying."
By contrast, Abel wore a composed expression.
"Only that it is difficult to recommend an unstable country as a port of call."
"An unstable country…?"
"Can a country where the government's representative changes from one day to the next really be called stable?"
Abel said it flatly, without changing his expression.
In response, Mafredi remained angry, but had nothing to say back.
"King Abel seems not to understand the current situation."
"The situation?"
"A change of regime was carried out overnight. And now, this palace is completely calm. How can you call this an unstable country?"
"Last night's attack succeeded precisely because you mobilized a considerable amount of force. The fact that it is calm now is because… you exterminated the soldiers guarding the palace."
"Even if that is so, is there some problem?"
Mafredi retorted.
"No, there is no problem. There is no problem, but… I was thinking of returning your words to you exactly as you just said them, Mafredi-dono."
"My words?"
"It seems Mafredi-dono does not understand the current situation."
"What did you say?"
Calm Abel, and Mafredi full of anger.
The one who spoke first was Abel.
But the words that came out of his mouth were not something anyone had imagined.
"Duke Rondo!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yes, he called for Ryo. Ryo also replied with a formal, businesslike expression.
He had deliberately called him 'Duke Rondo', not 'Ryo'.
In this diplomatic setting.
"Report the movements of Niban Island and Sanban Island last night."
"At 7:00 p.m., thirty-five ships departed from Niban Island and thirty from Sanban Island. Each was a small boat carrying twenty people. That means 700 soldiers departed from Niban Island and 600 from Sanban Island. They landed on Ichiban Island at 9:00 p.m. and began moving. There were two targets: one was the palace, and the other was the First Hall where we were staying."
Ryo reported in an orderly manner.
On the Banban Kingdom side, no one, including Mafredi, said anything.
They listened in silence.
"Two hundred surrounded the First Hall, and the remaining more than one thousand surrounded the palace. Then, at 11:00, they launched an assault on both. We had already moved to the Skidbladnir, so we suffered no damage, but fighting broke out at the palace. At the time, ninety-five soldiers were defending the palace. They fought bravely against an enemy more than ten times their number, but… in the end, they were wiped out. Literally every one of them died."
When Ryo finished explaining that far, one person lowered his head.
It was Lakkan, the palace's lord at the time.
He was probably remembering what had happened then. His lips trembled with frustration.
So at present, there were no forces under Lakkan left in this palace… or so it seemed.
That is why the palace was calm… or so it seemed.
But even if he had been king until yesterday.
Could it really be possible that he had only ninety-five soldiers under his command?
"Then report the current situation surrounding Ichiban Island and the palace."
"As of about thirty minutes ago, the 'skirmish' that began has already resulted in roughly one thousand soldiers from Niban Island and Sanban Island who were stationed in the palace and on Ichiban Island surrendering."
"…Huh?"
Mafredi let out a comically odd voice at Ryo's words.
"This palace too appears to be… about eighty percent secured by the new soldiers."
"What are you talking about…"
Ryo was explaining, but Mafredi did not seem to understand the meaning.
That was only natural.
He could hear no sound.
It was so quiet…
But the next moment…
"S-stay your ground!"
"It's futile!"
"Surrender!"
"Do you want to die!"
Those voices came from outside the door.
Yes, suddenly.
As though sound had been blocked until now.
As though sound had been cut off by an invisible wall of ice.
Clang.
Having understood the situation, Mafredi thrust his sword at Lakkan, who remained seated… but it was knocked back by an invisible wall.
Whether he had intended to kill Lakkan or take him hostage, no one knew.
But an invisible wall was protecting Lakkan.
Yes, an invisible wall of ice.
The next moment, the door was kicked open.
Soldiers came pouring in.
"Your Majesty Lakkan, are you safe!?"
"Nothing to worry about, secure the room! Do not kill Mafredi!"
Lakkan gave the order while still seated in response to the soldiers who rushed in.
He understood that there was an invisible wall around him.
During the commotion, the Knightley Kingdom group did not move at all.
Normally, if such a disturbance broke out, the guards would circle their lord to protect him… but every one of them remained seated where they had been.
Seeing that, Lakkan became certain.
The invisible wall protecting him would not break.
Probably, the Knightley Kingdom group, including King Abel right in front of him, was also protected by the same invisible wall.
And that wall would not break.
That was why they remained seated.
That was completely correct.
The invisible wall… was a completely transparent wall of ice.
Ryo's
There was no way human attacks could break it.
It took less than a minute to secure the room.
After confirming that, Abel gave a small nod.
Ryo dismissed the
Lakkan saw Abel's nod too.
He understood it as the signal to release the invisible wall that had protected him, and stood up.
"Your Majesty."
"Lord Admiral Nashin, good work. Report."
"The palace has been fully retaken. At that time, the island lord of Sanban Island, Hikaso, was detained. As a result, the Sanban Island troops around the palace surrendered. Many resisted among the Niban Island troops, but about five hundred surrendered and were taken prisoner."
"Well done. Immediately inform Niban Island and Sanban Island that their respective island lords have been detained. Tell them we will not attack if they submit to me."
"Understood."
The man called Lord Admiral Nashin stood up at once and left the room.
Lakkan went around the table and approached Abel.
"Your Majesty Abel, I apologize for the disturbance."
"No, congratulations on reclaiming the throne. That was splendid work."
"I did nothing. Only my subordinates were capable."
Laughing cheerfully, Lakkan praised the subordinates who had carried out the operation.
"I am grateful for many things."
Lakkan deliberately left the words vague.
He understood that the invisible wall that had protected him was undoubtedly the work of one of King Abel's people.
But it would not be good to make that clear here.
Mafredi was present.
He was under restraint, but he could still hear.
It would not do anyone any good for it to seem that the Knightley Kingdom had been involved in this retaking of the throne.
Noninterference in internal affairs.
That is an important principle as sovereign nations.
"There should still be small matters to attend to. Your Majesty Lakkan, we shall take our leave of the island."
"Once things have settled down, let us meet again, Your Majesty Abel."
And so, in the midst of the bustle, the Knightley Kingdom group departed from the Banban Kingdom.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0727 Behind the Scenes
-x-X-x-
On the deck of the Skidbladnir, which had departed Ichiban Port and once again turned west.
There were those who had left the confusion of the Banban Kingdom behind and could finally relax.
"I honestly didn't think they would retake it that quickly. Do you think His Majesty Lakkan knew from the start?"
"Who knows. Maybe he didn't. If he did, then… that would mean he used himself as bait to draw out Mafredi's rebellion."
"That's amazing."
Ryo was astonished by Abel's theory.
Honestly, he didn't seem like the kind of king who would go that far…
If anything, Mafredi, who had usurped the throne, seemed like the more troublesome man.
"Well, it was your 'sonar,' right? That magic that checks the surroundings. That's how you noticed the retaking this morning, right?"
"Yes, yes. Have I made you understand the greatness of water-attribute magic?"
Ryo said this happily.
The information Ryo had picked up had been passed on to Abel.
Yes, without anyone else noticing.
((Soul Resonance really is convenient!))
((Yeah. Kenneth told me mass-producing it would be difficult, but it's definitely useful.))
Through the 'Soul Resonance'…Ryo's earring in his left ear and the ring on Abel's finger, the two of them exchanged information.
"Mafredi-san looked strong, and he probably was a capable leader in practice, but… I think he was arrogant. It's true he did defeat His Majesty Lakkan once, though…"
"There's a common trait among arrogant people. They never consider the possibility that they themselves will one day become the weak and be defeated."
"That's the law of rise and fall…"
Abel pointed it out, and Ryo recalled the opening of The Tale of the Heike.
Yes, the proud do not last long.
If you become arrogant and haughty, you will be brought down.
This time, the situation turned around in just a few hours, not even overnight, so it did feel a little too fast….
Abel must have been thinking the same thing.
"Even so… wasn't it a little too smooth?"
"The retaking of the throne?"
"Yeah. In terms of military strength… there wasn't that much of a gap, was there?"
"Yes. In terms of numbers too… it wasn't the kind of difference we saw when Niban Island and Sanban Island first seized the royal palace, with more than a ten-to-one gap."
"Then why did it go so well?"
"Because of that person… no, that Djinn."
Ryo turned his gaze to the red-clothed Djinn who, on the deck, was enjoying a late breakfast together with the crew.
"Merlin-dono?"
"Yes. It's because Merlin-san quietly slowed the movements of the soldiers from Niban Island and Sanban Island."
"Slowed their movements?"
Abel tilted his head at Ryo's explanation.
"By controlling gravity… though I guess that doesn't really get across what I mean."
"Right, that power that affects everything in this world."
"Huh? How do you know that? Well, yes, that's what gravity is. As long as something has mass, it's affected by it, but…"
"Didn't you and that old man Ilarion talk about that before?"
"…Four years ago, before the Liberation War, back when we were still in Rune, right? I'm surprised you remembered that."
"I found it very interesting."
Ryo was surprised, and Abel laughed.
Ryo had explained it to Ilarion before.
But even with Ilarion, if you asked whether he had fully understood it, honestly, Ryo wasn't sure.
Ryo knew the concept of 'gravity,' so when he learned that the ones called Djinns could control gravity, he understood it.
No, more precisely, he only knew that they could cause that kind of phenomenon. He didn't know why they could control gravity.
To begin with, controlling gravity was not something that could be done even on Earth in the twenty-first century.
Or rather, no one truly understood gravity in precise terms.
In physics, gravity is really, truly, the final frontier, like the final boss.
Why is it so weak?
Why is it so different from the other three forces?
And why does it even exist in the first place…
Leaving those theory-of-physics endgame questions aside for the moment.
As Ryo and Abel were talking, the very Merlin himself came over.
"Whitefish karaage is a fine dish indeed."
It seemed that the fish supplies they had received in Pishkan Country or the Banban Kingdom had been used to make karaage.
"I have something I want to ask you, Merlin-dono."
"Mm, what is it, King Abel?"
Abel asked, and Merlin replied with a smile still on his face.
"Why… did you help the soldiers on Ichiban Island in the Banban Kingdom?"
"Hm? Was there some problem? I did it without letting anyone notice, just in case."
"No, there isn't a problem. Well, even if there were, one could argue that since Merlin-dono is not a citizen of the Kingdom of Knightley, it wouldn't count as interfering in internal affairs."
"Indeed. As expected of King Abel."
He must have liked Abel's answer, because Merlin laughed heartily.
"Actually, I had a little something on my mind, so while you all were being invited to that meal, I walked around the island."
"Eh…"
Ryo was startled by Merlin's words.
He had not noticed that Merlin had left the ship and walked around the island.
"If even the Fairy King's favorite didn't notice, then my magic still isn't worthless, eh."
"Yes, I didn't notice at all. Did you… bend space or something?"
"Oh, as expected, you figured it out."
Merlin was surprised by Ryo's guess.
"So I went around and checked, and there was a shrine."
"A shrine?"
"You know, one of those things called a 'hidden shrine' or a 'hidden temple' that there are several of in the Kingdom of Knightley."
"Ah, there are."
Abel nodded.
It was something the Central Countries' temples had long been searching for.
Long ago, in an era when not only the current Goddess of Light but other gods were also worshiped… it was said that rites were performed in that age.
Now, because no records remain of those places, whenever rumors arise that one has been found, temple factions sometimes submit an exploration request to the Adventurers Guild to verify it.
Abel had accepted such requests back when he was an adventurer too.
Of course, Ryo knew about them too.
He had found one together with the three from 'Room 10', and, in the first place, he had been brought into a hidden temple used by a dark-attribute mage together with Abel.
Yes, and in the end, he had been put through hell by the Akuma Leonor…
"That place was originally built by us Spellno… before humans ever used it."
"Eh…"
Ryo and Abel were speechless.
"Originally, they were set up in places where the veins of the earth, or dragon veins, if you will, gather. We Spellno use them to draw power from there. Because we can obtain that power, we can revive even after turning to ash."
"I see… Garwin revived even after I shredded him into pieces too small to see."
At Merlin's explanation, Ryo nodded as he remembered.
He had shredded the Djinn Garwin with
If energy exists, matter can be created.
That familiar equation, E = mc².
However, even the creation of a small amount of matter requires enormous energy… the problem is how to prepare that much energy.
The Djinn Garwin regenerated from a state like ash and dust.
It must have required a considerable amount of energy.
But if there were a place where the energy of the earth gathered, and if that energy could be drawn from there…
"There was a shrine like that on this Ichiban Island too. It was in a place close to the royal palace. There was no jewel there, so human rites were probably never performed. Without that, humans can't draw out the power of the land."
"A jewel?"
"Forget I said that. In any case, no rites were performed, but it had been swept clean and kept very tidy. I could tell the people living here had kept it clean every day. The soldiers had protected it too. They had been picking up fallen leaves and all that…"
Merlin shook his head slightly.
"The soldiers who came from the outer island also killed the soldiers who were guarding the shrine."
"…"
"In conflicts between people, the strong survive and the weak die… something that has repeated everywhere since ancient times. I don't care about that anymore. But… what bothered me was that the dead soldiers had been left abandoned in the shrine."
"…"
"I didn't like that."
The moment he said those last words, Merlin's eyes narrowed.
Without meaning to, both Ryo and Abel drew a breath.
For a brief moment, they truly felt Merlin's anger.
"Of course, what happens to the shrine now no longer matters. I have no intention of saying they should return it to us, and I don't need it myself, living in the Western Countries anyway. But… the instant I saw the soldiers cast aside, I felt anger. So I just helped the soldiers on this island rise a little… that's all."
"I see. I understand."
Abel nodded.
He could somehow understand the emotion Merlin had felt.
In a way, it almost seemed natural that he had felt for the soldiers of Ichiban Island.
To something they themselves had once cherished… they were now showing respect for it.
"My actions didn't cause you any trouble, did they?"
"No, no problem. No one noticed except Ryo."
At Merlin's words, Abel answered with a smile.
Ryo silently nodded with a grin, over and over.
A little apart from the three of them on the deck, a piece of whitefish karaage on a large platter floated up into the air, was carried over to the coffin-shaped box… and suddenly disappeared.
The strange phenomenon repeated itself again and again.
"The fallen one inside that box… really likes karaage, doesn't they."
"Mm. The chicken one was good too, but they say the whitefish is delicious."
"I did revise the magic formula myself, so this is a little… that box was supposed to be a seal."
"Yes."
"But no matter how you look at it, that person doesn't seem sealed."
"Well… wouldn't that depend on how you define a seal?"
"Well, as long as they don't go outside and go on a rampage, isn't that fine?"
Ryo was bewildered, Merlin shrugged, and Abel offered a practical compromise.
"They did say the inside of that box was comfortable, but… well, yes. If everything can be tucked away in there without any problems, I guess that's fine."
That was the conclusion Ryo came to.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0728 Raid
-x-X-x-
The Skidbladnir had departed the Banban Kingdom and, for a week now, continued its peaceful voyage.
"Peace is wonderful, isn't it?"
"Absolutely, I agree."
Both Ryo and Abel were people of the Knightley Kingdom who loved peace.
"This peace has been made possible by the sea monster repellent. And that, in turn, is nothing less than the greatness of alchemy."
"Yeah, I won't deny that."
"I think our kingdom should foster even more alchemists."
"Don't we already foster enough of them?"
Ryo made his suggestion, and Abel tilted his head, as if to say that they were already doing plenty.
In fact, the Royal Alchemy Workshop's budget was exceptionally abundant.
Since Abel became king and the liberation war ended, it had been granted a budget incomparable to what it had before.
Naturally, the Royal Alchemy Workshop was producing results worthy of that budget.
"About Kenneth and the others, yes, that's true of the Royal Alchemy Workshop. They're producing results worthy of it, too. But there are other alchemists as well."
Ryo said this clearly.
Up to that point, it was a perfectly reasonable suggestion.
It could even be called a direct remark to the king, worthy of a premier duke.
But after saying it, he spread both arms wide and moved his body up and down, trying to make himself as conspicuous as possible within Abel's field of vision.
Yes, as if to say, "Look, the person you should be talking about is right here".
"Ryo is… a junior researcher at the Royal Alchemy Workshop, right?"
"Huh…? Y-yes, I am."
"Then you're one of the people covered by the budget for the Royal Alchemy Workshop."
"Well, that's… no, but I don't really use much of the Royal Alchemy Workshop's money…"
"You eat meals in the Royal Alchemy Workshop's cafeteria, don't you?"
"Well, when I'm holed up in the workshop doing research…"
"That's enough. Give up."
Abel said it flatly.
The Royal Alchemy Workshop had a dining hall for the people working there.
Of course, not only alchemists, but also guards and cleaning staff could use it, for example.
They could all use that dining hall for free.
After the liberation war, Ryo had been registered as a junior researcher at the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
Because of that, he was free to use the workshop's facilities.
Of course, all of that was only because he had kept producing results.
The 'Long-Range Diffusion Mercy of the Goddess', deployed in the battle against the Djinn Garwin, was one such example.
As a junior researcher, a room for sleeping had also been prepared for him.
In principle, the alchemists of the Royal Alchemy Workshop had private rooms inside the workshop, and moved back and forth between those and their research rooms… yes, their lives were entirely self-contained within the workshop.
A place where they never had to think about anything other than research.
A place where they could immerse themselves completely in research.
That was an alchemist of the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
Ryo thought it only natural that alchemists from across the kingdom would aspire to it.
All they had to do was research… the country would provide everything else.
For someone who truly threw themselves into research, it was a dream environment.
If they did not think so?
Then perhaps they were not suited to being a researcher…
Perhaps they would be better off aiming for something else…
Still, in the end, there was no way to know until you tried.
Human life was never quite so simple.
Ryo, told to give up by the king responsible for the national budget, sank into gloom.
He fell deep into thought, trying to devise a new strategy.
Then a woman approached the two of them.
"Reporting, Your Majesty."
It was Captain Paulina.
"We will soon be entering the 'archipelago' region."
"Understood."
Abel nodded at Paulina's report.
Abel seemed to understand, but Ryo, listening beside him, did not.
"Archipelago?"
"It does not form anything quite large enough to be called a country, but it is a sea area with several dozen islands. Most of them appear to be uninhabited islands, though some are inhabited."
"There's a pretty large island to the north, and that's supposed to have a country on it, right?"
"Yes. I only heard that from people in the 'archipelago,' so I do not know the distance or the country's scale. So this time, we will not stop there and will head west instead."
"Yeah, there's no problem with that proposal. It's not as though we must stop at every country. Reaching the Western Countries is our top priority."
Abel's thinking was clear.
By making it clear, everyone around him would not be left confused.
In any organization, regardless of size, those at the top must make priorities clear.
That was so their subordinates would not be left wavering.
Spending time on that sort of uncertainty would be a tremendous waste.
That time should be spent wavering over, and solving, more essential problems.
Abel had learned that during his time as the second prince.
If his late elder brother, Caindish, had inherited the throne, Abel had been slated to become supreme commander of the kingdom's army.
As someone who would lead an organization.
He had thoroughly learned what not to do.
Especially on the battlefield, where a single order from a commander could cost many lives.
Thirty minutes after Abel received Paulina's report.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang…
Bells rang out across the deck.
Ryo and Abel raised their heads from the books and reports they had been reading.
Both of them immediately understood what was happening.
The last time those bells had rung like this was outside the Banban Kingdom's harbor.
It had been when a ship was approaching.
This time, too, most likely…
"Lookout! How many ships are there!"
"Five ships, Captain! "
In response to Paulina's sharp question, the lookout crew member shouted back from atop the mast.
Looking out beyond the ship, they could see vessels emerging from behind several islands.
Even without a spyglass, one could roughly tell their size.
"They're smaller than the Skidbladnir, but…"
"They're not small boats."
"It feels like they've been modified from fairly large fishing boats."
"But they don't look like they're out fishing."
Ryo and Abel voiced their impressions as they watched the ships bearing down on them.
"The sea monster repellent keeps the sea monsters away, but…"
"Sea pirates are not affected by sea monster repellent."
Yes, the threat at sea was not limited to monsters.
"Your Majesty, if you permit it, I would like to intercept them."
"Intercept? That's fine, but… wouldn't it be easier to just outrun them?"
Abel tilted his head at Paulina's words.
The Skidbladnir was quite fast.
The five ships closing in were not slow, but they should be easy enough to leave behind.
But…
"It will also be useful for future operations, and for gathering information."
"Hmm."
Hearing the exchange between the two, Ryo cut in.
"Um, if I help, I think we could get through this without a scratch…"
Yes, Ryo's magic was powerful.
However, Captain Paulina…
"Thank you, Your Grace. However, if possible, we would like to handle this ourselves."
"You mean you do not want the Royal Knights to get involved either."
At Paulina's words, Abel must have understood as well, and confirmed it.
"This time, Your Majesty and Your Grace are here with us, but you will not be here for future trial voyages. However, there is a high likelihood that we will have to pass through these archipelago waters. I would like to show you that we can handle it ourselves… that the Skidbladnir's crew alone can resolve the situation safely and without trouble."
"I see."
"We're the safety net…"
Paulina explained, Abel nodded, and Ryo murmured.
For this voyage, with the two of them and the knights present, even if something unexpected happened, it would still be fine.
With that kind of safety net in place, they would confirm the strength of the Skidbladnir's crew.
They wanted their employer to see it.
That was what this was about.
"Understood. I'll leave everything to you, captain. Me, Ryo, and the Royal Knights… and Merlin-dono and Coffin-dono as well, will watch from the deck."
Abel gave his permission, and Paulina bowed deeply.
Abel informed the Royal Knights and Merlin, and even as he did so, preparations continued on the deck.
"Hey, Ryo."
"What is it, Abel?"
"There's something I've always wondered…"
"That's unusual."
"Why doesn't this ship have any propulsion-type alchemy tool?"
"A propulsion-type alchemy tool?"
"You know, the ships in the Eastern Countries and the Archipelago Region had them, didn't they? Some kind of mechanism?"
"Oh, the Wind Engine!"
Ryo remembered too.
Ships in the Eastern Countries and the Archipelago Region had such alchemy tools.
They were remarkable things that allowed a ship to keep moving even directly into a headwind.
But the Skidbladnir did not have one.
Ryo knew that because he had seen the design documents in the Republic. It had not been included.
No, to be precise, there had originally been a plan to install a 'wind-attribute magic-based alchemy tool'.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that it had been possible as an option.
Neil Andersen's design documents had carried a caveat.
"You may install it, but if sailing into the wind, it is only expected to improve speed by three to four percent. And in doing so, some functions will become unusable."
Unusable functions… and because of that, it ultimately had not been installed.
"That is because of the mana stones used for the sea monster repellent."
"Mana stones for sea monster repellent?"
"I mentioned before that, for the sea monster repellent on this ship and others in the Western Countries, a magic formula had been developed."
"Yeah, I remember. And the one on the Skidbladnir is an improved magic formula, too."
"To put it simply, because that magic formula is so powerful, no propulsion-type alchemy tool has been installed."
"Hm? Sorry, I don't really follow."
In situations like this, Abel would honestly say he did not understand.
He would not pretend to understand.
"First… if you have two or more mana stones, they interfere with one another and do not function properly."
"Ah, I've heard that before. Something about whether a golem can have multiple mana stones installed. I think Kenneth mentioned it."
"Yes, yes. That is especially true for golems. What is amazing about the artificial golems made by Frank de Verde of the Union is precisely that. They have five mana stones installed, and they are arranged so they do not cause any strange interference… to be honest, I still cannot understand it."
"Kenneth said the same thing with a wry smile…"
Frank de Verde's artificial golem, to which he had devoted his life, was still not fully understood even by Kenneth Hayward, the genius alchemist.
"Well, that's how it is. In principle, a single mana stone is best. And for the Skidbladnir, a mana stone is always running so that sea monsters do not approach."
"I see. Indeed, in that state, even if a propulsion-type alchemy tool were installed, it would interfere with that mana stone and not work properly."
"That's right."
Ryo nodded at Abel's understanding.
Of course, the ships in the Eastern Countries and the Archipelago Region also had sea monster repellent installed.
However, it was very weak, and in fact, they switched it with the 'Wind Engine', with one mana stone supplying power to both.
That was why its sea monster repelling ability was not very strong… in fact, they had even been attacked by a kraken.
"As for the sea between the Western Countries and the Dark Continent, shipping-related trading companies have detailed information. Especially regarding the flow of wind and the tides. For the people of the Western Countries, when they 'travel far by ship', their destination is the Dark Continent, after all. When considering everything as a whole, perhaps something like the Wind Engine is unnecessary."
"I see. But if, from here on, routes across this sea are opened… like a route connecting the western countries and the kingdom…"
"Yes, a ship equipped with something like the Eastern Countries' Wind Engine might appear. In a form that can be switched with sea monster repellent. Or perhaps by building a new method that can run both at the same time."
Ryo nodded happily.
New inventions were coming.
Even just watching that was exciting.
And if it was something related to alchemy that he himself was involved in… it went beyond excitement and started making him fidget.
"Maritime technology in the Central Countries is surely going to develop even further."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Ryo and Abel let their thoughts wander to the age of great voyages that seemed about to begin.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0729 Battle of Skidbladnir
-x-X-x-
Even while Ryo and Abel were talking, battle preparations continued on the deck.
But hold on a second.
Skidbladnir was not a warship, but a merchant vessel.
So Paulina was not a 'captain' in the naval sense, but a ship's captain.
That's right, Skidbladnir was not a warship.
The crew were ordinary crewmen.
"But the captain said she wanted to intercept them, right?"
"Yes, she did."
"I have a big question about that too."
As he said that, Abel looked at Skidbladnir's enormous masts.
Since Skidbladnir was a clipper ship, it had three enormous masts.
By raising sails on them, it could sail at high speed.
Conversely, if those masts or sails took damage, the ship's strongest point, its speed, would drop.
Right now, perhaps because they were shifting into combat, all the sails had been taken in, and the ship was moving on momentum alone.
"You mean how they protect the masts and sails from, say, flaming arrows or stones?"
From Abel's gaze, Ryo inferred that and nodded.
Yes, that was the hardest point in ship-to-ship combat.
"You are His Majesty the King, after all."
"Yeah, that's right."
"So I assume you know this, but on the battlefield, arrow attacks are not very effective, right?"
"Right. A wind-attribute magician can use
"Yeah, that's exactly it."
Ryo nodded.
Ryo knew because he had seen the design documents.
The wind magic stones used to ward off sea monsters could be repurposed for defense during battle.
"Isn't the sea-monster repellent… a water-attribute magic formula for a water magic stone?"
"Oh, as expected of Abel. You noticed something excellent."
Ryo praised him.
That's right, the sea-monster repellent used by the Western Countries was a 'magic formula'.
Not a 'magic circle'.
In other words, the attribute was fixed.
"The magic formulas for the 'sea-monster repellent' exist separately for wind magic stones, earth magic stones, and each other attribute."
"Now that you mention it, I think I heard that before in the Eastern Countries. When you explained it for your ice ship… was it the Neil Andersen, I think? You explained it then, right?"
"You remembered that well!"
Ryo was surprised by Abel's words.
This was the kind of thing where Ryo honestly thought Abel was amazing.
He really remembered.
"You also said that sometimes it's inscribed directly onto the magic stone…"
"That seems to be possible too, but on this Skidbladnir, it isn't drawn directly onto the magic stone. There's a separate magic formula prepared to draw magic power from the wind magic stone."
"So it's prepared as an alchemy tool."
"Yes. By switching it over…"
"With the magic power from the stone used for the 'sea-monster repellent,' it creates a magical phenomenon like
"That's right."
"During that time, the repellent…"
"Yes, it becomes unusable."
Ryo nodded at the concern.
They were going to fight pirates and the like.
A temporary shutdown of the repellent was unavoidable.
"Deploy the 'Wind Wall'!"
Paulina's voice rang out.
Bwoom.
As if waiting for Paulina's command, a deep rumble sounded.
Even the two on deck could tell that something had been deployed over the ship.
"This is the
"Yes, it seems to be called a 'Wind Wall'. Its main purpose seems to be blocking physical attacks like arrows and stones."
"It can't block magic?"
"It seems it is not absolutely unable to, but… its effect is weak."
"Something like a
"Yeah, that. It came up when it was explained to me, but I don't really know that suspicious magic in the first place."
"Yeah, it sounds like that's the first spell magicians learn, but to Ryo it's suspicious."
"You mean that thing called non-attribute magic, right? Water-attribute magic is better!"
"I-I see…"
Ryo puffed out his chest and championed water-attribute magic, while Abel gave a small shake of his head.
"If we're talking about defense using wind-attribute magic, it's closer to a 'wind protective membrane,' I guess."
"Oh, the thing where wyverns deploy it close to their bodies."
"Whitnash has alchemy tools that imitate that too."
"What did you say!"
"And I heard that the Union alchemist Frank de Verde made a simplified version of it, and it was deployed in the war against the Inbury Duchy."
"What did you say!!"
Ryo was deeply shocked by the astonishing information.
"I'll have to ask Kenneth about this when we get back to the kingdom."
"Kenneth? Why him?"
"I hear Kenneth and Frank-san are old acquaintances. Through Kenneth, maybe I can arrange to see that alchemy tool…"
"That would be impossible, since it's classified in the Union."
"Grrr… Then I have no choice. I'll have to bring the Prime Minister another bribe, this time a cake from Café de Chocolat."
"A cake? A bribe?"
Abel tilted his head.
"With the intelligence network of Marquis Heinlein's House, I'll have them steal that alchemy tool… no, procure it for us."
"You better give it up. If we got caught doing that, it would mean war with the Union."
"F-for the sake of developing the kingdom's alchemy too…"
"Even without doing that, I've already asked the Royal Alchemy Workshop to develop it."
"What! "
At Abel's words, Ryo was once again deeply shocked.
"As expected of Abel… you sure move fast."
"But even the Royal Alchemy Workshop says it won't be easy. It's an imitation of the 'wind protective membrane' that, as expected of Frank de Verde, nobody else could make."
"Even though it's an imitation, they still can't make it…"
"I guess it's that difficult to reproduce."
Abel shrugged.
For Abel, all they could do was wait for it to be finished.
In five years, or even ten.
"Even so, you knew a lot about that thing called the 'Wind Wall'. Did you say you were taught about it?"
"I learned about it at the Franzoni Shipping Company during my first visit to the Republic. It's the family home of the head of the Intelligence Special Affairs Bureau, but after a lot of effort, they taught me a great deal about the Republic's maritime navigation technology."
"That could be useful for developing the kingdom's own navigation technology."
"Right? When we get back to the kingdom, shall we go to the Maritime Ministry? If it's Goro-san, I don't think he'd brush us off."
"So in Ryo's eyes, the Lord Admiral is highly regarded."
"Of course. The coffee beans I was sent showed just how capable he is."
Ryo praised the Kona coffee that had been sent during his time as magistrate of Kona Village.
"If everyone were as capable as Goro-san, the country would be safe."
Ryo folded his arms and shook his head, looking very smug.
Yes, even from Abel's perspective, he looked extremely smug.
Just as Abel was about to say something, he heard Ryo suddenly exclaim.
"No way, a catapult…"
"A kapataruto?"
A word Abel didn't know.
But he immediately understood what Ryo had muttered.
"Launcher Unit One, deployment complete!"
"Launcher Unit Two, deployment complete!"
"Launcher Unit Three, deployment complete!"
A wooden device that looked like it had to be operated by two people was set up on the deck.
"It looks like a kind of trebuchet used in siege warfare."
Drawing on his own knowledge, Abel gave his impression.
But he had a question.
"What are they throwing?"
"That… it looks like they will launch… shoot that barrel-looking thing out."
Ryo pointed out a barrel about sixty centimeters tall… it looked like they were going to launch that.
And on top of that 'barrel' was something like a fuse…
Then he looked at the five approaching ships.
"Ah… the people on that ship's deck are holding weapons."
"Definitely pirates or something of the like."
Ryo and Abel were in complete agreement.
From the five pirate-looking ships, shouts rang out toward the Skidbladnir, the ship carrying the two of them.
"Halt the ship! Leave your cargo and we'll spare your lives!"
"Definitely pirate ships."
"And the cargo we'd leave behind includes the Skidbladnir itself. Even if they say we'll spare your lives, they'd just leave us adrift in the sea."
Abel shrugged, and Ryo grimaced as he described the likely future.
The crew of the Skidbladnir did not flinch at the pirates' voices at all.
As always, they continued their preparations calmly and methodically.
The 'barrels' were loaded into the three launchers.
A crew member carrying a torch stood beside the launchers.
"Unit One, ignite!"
At Captain Paulina's command, the torch lit the top of the 'barrel' on Unit One.
"Unit One, fire!"
The next moment, the flaming 'barrel' was launched.
It drew a beautiful arc toward the deck of the lead pirate ship.
When it struck the deck, the 'barrel' shattered, and the liquid inside spread out.
It also spread the fire attached to the 'barrel'.
The deck where the barrel landed erupted into a huge blaze.
"Oil?"
"Yeah, looks like what was inside the 'barrel' was oil."
"It's a giant version of a Molotov cocktail…"
Abel and Ryo were both stunned.
And this had only just begun.
"Wind speed normal! No adjustment needed!"
"Good. Ignite Unit Two and Unit Three!"
Firing only Unit One had apparently been a test to see whether the barrel would drift off course under the influence of the wind.
"Unit Two, Unit Three, fire!"
With the command, the other 'barrels' were launched toward the remaining pirate ships.
Again drawing graceful arcs… the decks of two pirate ships were transformed into seas of fire.
"Well done…"
Abel murmured without thinking.
"Being able to drop them into exactly the right place means there must be differential calculus."
"Divun?"
"Ah… um… a method for calculating trajectories?"
Ryo gave an awkward answer to Abel's question.
Originally, the differential calculus taught in Earth's high school mathematics had developed in part to determine the trajectories and impact points of cannonballs fired from cannons.
It is a well-known story that Napoleon, who distinguished himself as an excellent artillery officer and eventually became Emperor of France, loved mathematics.
The launchers installed on the Skidbladnir worked on the same principle as cannons.
They were given kinetic energy the moment they were launched, then flew on inertia, slowing down under gravity and air resistance before finally falling.
Since, like cannon fire, the launch power was constant, the landing point had to be controlled solely by adjusting the launch angle.
That required differential calculus.
The cannons used on Earth had not seen major development in either the Central Countries or the Eastern Countries.
They had not developed much in the Western Countries either, but…
"Catapults certainly have a long history."
"Kapataruto?"
"Math is fascinating."
"Suugaku?"
"Abel has been playing the role of the jokester for a while now…"
"Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I've had the role of the funny man stolen from me."
Ryo lamented to himself.
"In both the Central Countries and the Eastern Countries, the basis of fleet combat was close combat… boarding the enemy ship, right?"
"That's called close-quarters boarding combat. But Skidbladnir is…"
"Engaging at long range, and not even with magic."
"It's probably oil meant for cooking."
"If not for this battle, it would have been used for cooking… that would have been the more practical use, honestly."
"All of this is the pirates' fault."
Abel and Ryo both shook their heads slightly at the same time.
The fourth 'barrel' was launched, and just as intended, the fourth pirate ship was swallowed by the sea of fire.
Those ships stopped, and the pirates either tried to put out the flames or gave up and jumped into the sea…
They were in chaos.
That left one ship.
And that one ship was still coming.
"Prepare for close combat!"
At Captain Paulina's command, the crew took up bows.
It seemed they would no longer use the launchers.
"For the last ship, it's a close fight."
"Maybe they're trying to reassure us."
"Reassure?"
"They want to show that even if it comes to close combat, Skidbladnir won't have any trouble."
"But, but… even so, it won't be as one-sided as before, right? It'd be better to burn them all down with the launchers and barrels like before."
Ryo said the obvious.
Abel understood what Ryo meant.
That way, they could reduce casualties to zero.
No matter how confident they were in close combat, and no matter if nobody died, it still would not be completely unscathed.
Someone might get hurt… well, as long as they could be healed with
"Still, if you look at how well they handled the long-range fighting just now, wouldn't that mean they're pretty well trained?"
"True."
"The crew is that well trained… I'm a little interested in what their close combat looks like."
"I see. Now that you mention it…"
Abel was saying, as a king rather than as an individual, that he wanted to see the strength of the captain and crew entrusted with Skidbladnir, a kingdom asset.
Ryo could understand that feeling too, now that he mentioned it.
And then…
"Magic bombardment, volley fire!"
With Paulina's command, five fire-attribute spells were unleashed.
Before they struck the pirate ship, they split apart.
"Area suppression!"
"
"One of them is… the head cook."
"No way…"
Ryo spotted Head Chef Kobatch among those who had cast the magic, and Abel was stunned.
The
They pressed the attack even further.
"Archers, fire!"
Twenty arrows were released all at once.
To begin with, the Skidbladnir's deck was higher than the pirate ship's deck.
Skidbladnir was a large clipper ship, after all.
Its deck height was different from that of pirate ships that looked as though they had been modified fishing boats.
And there is one major principle that applies to every battle.
Attacks from higher ground are more advantageous.
That is because it is easier to confirm the enemy's situation, and because gravity can be an ally too.
"Archers, second volley, fire!"
Another twenty arrows were fired.
How many uninjured pirates were still left on the pirate ship?
"Shift to boarding combat! Don't annihilate them! Get information out of them, and take about five prisoners!"
Paulina's order rang out.
At the same time, ropes were thrown from the Skidbladnir's deck to the pirate ship's deck.
When the grappling hooks at the ends of the ropes caught on the pirate ship…
"Charge!"
After giving the order herself, Paulina was the first to descend the rope and board the pirate ship.
"I had a feeling."
"Well, she's not the type to hide behind the crew."
Ryo nodded, and Abel agreed.
Yes, Paulina was the type who suited taking the lead and charging in first.
Of course, she did not look rough by appearance.
On the contrary, she usually spoke calmly and composedly, and her actions were not hurried.
But whenever the ship or crew fell into danger, both of them had the impression that she would throw herself into the danger first and save them.
And now, just as they had imagined.
Of course, a captain who hides safely somewhere while sending subordinates into danger is far less trustworthy than that.
"Rather than boarding immediately, striking the enemy's forces down thoroughly first may have been her usual calmness at work."
"Certainly. She probably wants to avoid not only crew members casualties, but even serious injury."
"Choosing close combat too wasn't just to reassure us by showing it off, but to extract information."
"What an impressively level-headed judgment."
Both Abel and Ryo praised Paulina's decisiveness.
And from that came the conclusion.
This captain and crew could be trusted with the ship.
Soon after, Skidbladnir subdued the five pirate ships without sustaining any serious damage.
-x-X-x-