Chapter 0639 Midnight Conference
-x-X-x-
Present in the room were eight people: Prince Ryun, Princess Shio Fen, Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun, Chamberlain Wen Shu, Captain Lu Yao, Guard Captain Bizis, the chambermaid Mifa, and Imperial Guard Commander Tin Meu.
In addition, two golems stood in the corner of the room—No.1-kun, in charge of advance notice, and No.2-kun, the token of friendship.
Amidst all this, Mifa was brewing tea for everyone.
"Your Highness, thank you for sparing the time."
Commander Tin said, bowing his head.
"No, Commander Tin. I wished to know myself what exactly happened."
Prince Ryun replied, nodding with calm composure.
The incident had occurred three weeks earlier, when Emperor Tsuin visited Yos, near the imperial capital.
"Yos is a hot-spring resort. Ever since His Majesty collapsed, his condition had not fully recovered… so it was decided that he would undergo therapeutic bathing there, combined with an inspection."
Commander Tin explained.
Yos was a well-known hot-spring area close to the imperial capital Hanlin.
It took about half a day by carriage, and there was an imperial villa there.
Emperor Tsuin had often visited the place before the death of the former Crown Prince; it was familiar ground to him.
However, trouble arose on the way there.
"We were attacked."
Commander Tin said with a grim expression.
Tin himself had been leading a thousand Imperial Guards.
It was not a careless escort.
And yet…
"The attackers were not human."
"Phantomkin…"
"The Imperial Guards were wiped out. I too was injured and burned."
"Burned?"
"Yes. To be precise, the bodies of my subordinates covered me, and I survived… but I could only watch as His Majesty was taken away…"
Commander Tin lowered his head in frustration.
No one spoke.
"After you survived, why did you not report yourself immediately?"
It was Prince Ryun who asked quietly.
At those words, Commander Tin looked up sharply.
"I was rescued by fishermen living nearby. However, there was no healer, and it took time to recover. According to them, I did not wake for three days."
"…"
"When I awoke, I headed straight for the capital. But on the way, I met an acquaintance, who told me that His Majesty had been abducted and that I was being named as the culprit…"
"An acquaintance? Who was it?"
"Li Wu, the Inspector of the Inspectorate."
"I see."
The Inspectorate was responsible for overseeing Darwei's regions, and an Inspector was the official charged with that duty.
"Inspector Li Wu is a man of integrity, someone worthy of trust."
"Yes, I have heard as much. Come to think of it, Duke Rondo often speaks with Inspector Li Wu and Secretary Shau of the Censorate."
Prince Ryun said, glancing sideways as he searched his memory.
Princess Shio Fen, meeting his gaze, nodded lightly.
"Honestly, I did not know how I should act. So I told Inspector Li Wu exactly what had happened and what I thought. He consulted with Secretary Shau, and they advised that I should lie low for a while."
"I see."
"Then Secretary Shau brought me to the Rondo Manor. He asked the golems there to shelter me…"
"So you have been at the Rondo Manor until now?"
"Yes."
Everyone's gaze turned to No.1-kun and No.2-kun, standing quietly in the corner.
Naturally, they showed no reaction.
Simply returning the gazes of the eight with eyes that seemed utterly transparent and unfathomable…
"It is true that the Rondo Manor is likely the safest place in the capital right now… But the reason you came to the royal residence tonight is that His Highness has returned, correct?"
"Yes, that is part of it."
Chamberlain Lin Shun asked, and Commander Tin replied with a nod.
"In fact, this began to move earlier today."
As he spoke, Commander Tin took out a thin card about ten centimeters square.
"An alchemy device."
Captain Lu Yao said at a glance, taking it.
"It's a fairly old type, but… most likely made by Master Byun Yan. A device that detects magic power…yes, one used to track an individual."
She continued, then suddenly realized something.
"An alchemy device to track His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Exactly as Captain Lu Yao says."
Commander Tin nodded.
"It is said to be passed down from one Imperial Guard Commander to the next… this is only the third time I have seen it activate. There are apparently several conditions for it to do so, and this time they were met. More importantly… this device only functions if His Majesty the Emperor is still alive."
"Then… His Majesty lives?"
"Brother Kouri said that His Majesty had passed away. That must be a mistake—or a lie."
At Commander Tin's explanation, Captain Lu Yao widened her eyes, while Prince Ryun nodded as he spoke.
"We must rescue him at once!"
Chamberlain Wen Shu cried out.
But Prince Ryun did not agree.
Nor did Princess Shio Fen or Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun.
They all understood: no help would come from the Imperial Palace.
"Most likely, my brother… Prince Kouri will not dispatch troops to rescue him. Nor will anyone else…"
"Why not?!"
"Because it is more convenient for Prince Kouri that way."
When Prince Ryun stated this plainly, his face showed no emotion.
The thought that had flashed through his mind earlier returned.
Was everything proceeding according to Prince Kouri's plan?
The imperial throne would fall into Prince Kouri's hands.
That was probably inevitable.
If that happened… those connected to the Ryun Royal Residence, himself included, would not be able to continue as before.
Still, their lives would likely not be taken.
Prince Kouri would believe the overall trend had already been decided.
Killing capable people at this stage was not his way.
Rather, he preferred to bring even former enemies under his command.
But was that truly acceptable?
Commander Tin, standing before them now, would be executed if discovered.
He was a capable man—but one who had devoted everything to Emperor Tsuin.
He had waited for Ryun's return to the capital before appearing at the residence because he suspected that Prince Kouri was behind the attack.
Secretary Shau likely suspected the same.
Should they risk everything to rescue the Emperor?
Reason told him it was difficult.
Perhaps not worth the risk.
But emotion screamed that they must save him.
"Ryun-sama, what will you do about your father's safety?"
That single question from Princess Shio Fen struck directly at Ryun's heart.
Yes—the captured Emperor was his father.
Abandon him?
Impossible!
"We will rescue him."
That was the conclusion.
The problem was how.
Everyone present nodded at the decision.
But when it came to concrete methods…
The enemy was the Phantomkins.
They were strong enough to launch a solo assault on the Imperial Palace.
According to reports, there were as many as one hundred thousand of them.
"One hundred thousand…"
"That's a massive army."
Princess Shio Fen added to Prince Ryun's murmured words.
At the same time, a single verse resurfaced in both their minds.
'And with King Abel stands a lone magician. His magic erased the heavens, shattered the earth, and froze the world—a mighty water spell. That he annihilated a hundred thousand-strong army with a single strike was no dream. People praised him as Ice Fall, or sang of him as the Silver Duke.'
"We really… always end up relying on him."
"I do feel sorry about it, but…"
Prince Ryun said, shaking his head slightly, and Princess Shio Fen replied, her expression tightening just a little.
Realistically, there was no other option.
The Ryun Royal Residence's power was all but sealed.
The power of the Imperial Palace was firmly under Prince Kouri.
When examined one by one, there was astonishingly little they could use.
That was only natural.
If this had been orchestrated by Prince Kouri, the Second Prince.
His calculating ability allowed no rivals.
"We will ask Duke Rondo."
Prince Ryun stated it clearly.
He felt hesitation.
He felt apologetic.
But he let none of it show.
"Lin Shun, is there any move I can make?"
"Your Highness, as a prince, you hold formal command authority over official ships, just as His Majesty the Emperor does."
Chief Chamberlain Lin Shun replied.
His answer flowed smoothly, as if he had anticipated both the question and who they would rely upon.
"I see. Authority over the tenth ship that diverted to the port town of Hoi An in the Atinjo Grand Duchy."
"Yes."
"If Duke Rondo uses the tenth ship and proceeds north by sea, things should be somewhat easier."
"At least compared to traveling overland through Darwei and the Peiyu state…"
"Very well. I will write the order."
Prince Ryun nodded.
Then let out a small sigh.
There remained the biggest problem.
"The issue is how to get word to Duke Rondo. And how to deliver the order."
He said, and many nodded.
Yes. How to contact Duke Rondo, who should be making his way back after leaving the residence and the capital.
And to do so without Prince Kouri's faction discovering it.
"Your Highness, I have an idea."
Captain Lu Yao spoke, her expression filled with resolve.
"Lu Yao? You have a plan?"
"Yes."
At Prince Ryun's question, Captain Lu Yao nodded.
She stood and walked over to one of the golems standing in the corner.
"No.2-kun, I have a request. I want you to find Duke Rondo and deliver His Highness's letter. Can you do that?"
Her tone was gentle—perhaps even lonely.
Depending on circumstances, this could become a farewell in this lifetime.
Thus, it couldn't be helped.
Yet Friendship Token No.2-kun said nothing.
It did not nod.
Instead,
It clenched its right hand into a fist and thrust it forward.
Captain Lu Yao touched that fist with her own right fist.
That was all.
But it was enough.
"Your Highness, let Friendship Token No.2-kun, deliver it."
"Agreed."
-x-X-x-
Time: present.
Ryo and Abel slipped into a private room at a nearby teahouse, together with Friendship Token No. 2-kun.
The letter from Prince Ryun that No. 2-kun had brought was spread out and read by the two of them.
It contained a detailed account of the situation surrounding Prince Ryun's faction, the capital, and the Emperor.
And at the end…
"A request to rescue the Emperor, huh."
"My goodness…"
Abel's face grew troubled, but for some reason, a pleased expression crept across Ryo's face.
Naturally, Abel reacted to that expression with a puzzled, suspicious look.
"Why are you pleased, Ryo?"
"Huh? I—I'm not pleased, really."
Ryo stammered when Abel pointed it out.
"The Emperor has treated us well, and it's a terrible thing if someone like him has been kidnapped! We must do everything in our power to fulfill this request! "
"I agree entirely… but you haven't said anything about your expression."
"My expression is one of resolve! I will carry out this request to the letter!"
"I see."
Abel gave Ryo a dubious look and nodded, clearly not believing him.
While they talked, Abel had already thought of the reason.
"You're not thinking this is some kind of classic 'heroic rescue' trope, are you?"
"Of course not! I'm not thinking anything like that at all!"
And yet—Ryo had been thinking just that.
He'd convinced himself that the long-awaited light-novel-style 'rescue a bigshot' plot had finally arrived.
Still, he also understood that Prince Ryun, the princess, and everyone else were likely suffering greatly, so openly rejoicing at the emergence of a trope would be wrong.
So he tried to hide it.
He thought he had hidden it…
Maybe he hadn't hidden it at all, but he resolved not to say it out loud.
That said, if his eagerness translated into helping people… then it wasn't something to blame him for.
…Probably.
"What else was in there? An order for the Tenth Ship and an explanatory supplement… and a metal plate? An alchemy tool?"
Abel examined the card-shaped alchemical device.
"That's the one Commander Tin of the Imperial Guards had. It looks like it can tell where the Emperor is."
Ryo fiddled with the instruction sheet as he explained.
It seemed to be able to determine distance and direction.
Ryo wondered if something related to this alchemy tool might have been embedded in the Emperor's body.
"Commander Tin must be filled with regret."
"He couldn't protect his lord. But if they were up against phantomkins, it's understandable. Knowing they couldn't win and would only get in the way, he probably entrusted this tracking alchemy tool to us."
"Well, yes."
Ryo nodded at Abel's words.
Being expected to succeed but lacking the strength to deliver… that stings the most.
"We'll make this succeed for the people waiting for them."
"Indeed. If we strike at the phantomkins' stronghold, there might even be a chance to defeat the Phantom King."
After Ryo fully infused No. 2-kun's magic stone with mana, he wrote down the acceptance of the request and other details on paper and handed it to the Friendship Token No. 2-kun.
"No. 2-kun, I'm counting on you."
No. 2-kun took the papers without a word and ran off.
Ryo and Abel watched him go.
"No. 2-kun's expression was full of drive."
"…I see."
Ryo said with a look like a parent watching a child grow, and Abel nodded with an expression that was hard to read.
After all, Abel couldn't tell a golem's expression at all.
But Abel had another question and decided to ask it.
"How did that golem know where you were?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, we stayed in the capital a long time because we attended the ceremony, but still—how did it know to come here? We ought to have gone to the port town Hoi An and already set sail."
"Oh, that's because I made No. 2-kun."
"Huh?"
Abel couldn't keep up with Ryo's far-too-brief explanation.
"I mentioned before that the thing I made has an invisible line of mana connecting it to me, right?"
"I remember you saying something like that. That you could thaw an ice coffin no matter how far away it was."
"That's it. Because I made No. 2-kun, something like that mana line is connected."
"You said that the magic power comes from the magic stones embedded in it, right?"
"Yes. I don't think I'm actually supplying mana to it now—at least, probably not—but the connection seems to be there. I don't know the exact details either, but I think No. 2-kun found my location along that line."
There were still many conjectures even for Ryo.
If you asked him precisely what a 'mana line' was, he couldn't be confident in his answer…
"There's so much we still don't know about magic and mana."
"Being a magician is tough."
"Isn't it hard for swordsmen, too? Mastering the way of the sword must be difficult. It's the same for anything."
"Maybe so."
They rode horses borrowed from the palace straight to the port town of Hoi An.
They had intended to travel more slowly and sightsee a bit, but circumstances wouldn't allow it.
They completed the formalities at something like the port bureau, returned the horses, and headed to the Darwei Public vessel No.10, which was moored there.
The Tenth Ship was already prepared and ready to depart at any time.
In fact, when the two boarded, the final checks began.
"Ryo-san, Abel-san, I'm glad you're safe."
Captain La Wu said as he shook hands with them.
Ryo and Abel tilted their heads in puzzlement.
"Glad you're safe"? What did he mean by that?
"The hospitality in the Atinjo Grand Duchy was splendid, you know."
Ryo, wanting to avoid diplomatic misunderstandings, politely replied that they had indeed received proper hospitality.
Captain La Wu realized his earlier words had been misleading.
"My apologies. It wasn't the Grand Duchy—something happened back in Darwei proper."
"Oh? How do you know that?"
"Actually, someone came asking yesterday."
As Captain La Wu said this, the door to the stern captain's cabin opened and a man stepped out.
"Inspector Li Wu?"
Ryo called out in surprise.
Abel was surprised beside him.
Ryo suddenly thought of something.
"Aren't Captain La Wu and Inspector Li Wu's names similar?"
"Yes. Li is the much older brother."
"I see—La is the much younger brother, then."
That seemed to be the case.
Inspector Li Wu had been asked by Secretary Shau of the Censorate to deliver something to Duke Rondo.
Having accepted the errand, he didn't know where to go, so he traveled south along the coast and learned that the Darwei Tenth Vessel was docked in this port town of Atinjo.
And sure enough, the captain of the Tenth Vessel was his younger brother, La.
Brothers are brothers, even if they haven't spoken in a long time.
When he checked, he found they had been waiting for Duke Rondo.
"Still, Inspector Li Wu arrived quickly."
"Quick? No, it took about two weeks from when I left the capital Hanlin…"
"Oh… I see."
Ryo had assumed it was coordinated with Prince Ryun and the others, but that wasn't the case.
Secretary Shau had moved before Prince Ryun's diplomatic corps returned to the capital and apparently wanted to hand something to Ryo.
"Here you are."
Inspector Li Wu handed Ryo a bundle of papers.
About fifty sheets—inside a bag treated with waterproofing alchemy.
"Information on the Choouchi Empire pulled from General Yun?"
Ryo read the title and blurted out in surprise.
Abel leaned over to peer at it from the side.
At that moment, a report arrived for Captain La Wu.
"All preparations for departure are complete."
"Understood."
Captain La Wu turned to the three of them.
"Let's set sail and head north first. You'll have plenty of time to read them while underway."
He spoke as if he already knew exactly where they needed to go.
-x-X-x-
Under a clear blue sky, Ryo and Abel set out an ice table and chairs on the main deck and began reading the materials Inspector Li Wu had brought.
They were filled with information the two of them didn't know… plenty of both good news and bad news.
First, the good news.
There were said to be one hundred thousand phantoms in the Choouchi Empire, but most of them were 'empty inside'.
Empty inside meant exactly what it sounded like: they were simply there.
Other phantomkins could move them, but they had no will of their own and could not act independently.
They were nothing more than dolls.
Among the phantoms, they were called 'vessels'.
In fact, they vanished with just a light tap.
Apparently, that was where the 'phantom' in 'phantomkin' came from.
However, they could use sorcery.
Because of that, they were often employed as something like mobile artillery.
Then, the bad news.
The location of the Choouchi Empire was far to the north.
So far north that in some years, January temperatures dropped to minus thirty degrees…
It wasn't quite that cold this season, but the place was still extremely distant.
Naturally, it was also a sea route that Darwei's official vessels had never travelled before.
Captain La Wu intended to obtain maps—and if possible, nautical charts—along the way in the country of Peiyu.
Ryo had already relayed everything written in Prince Ryun's letter to Captain La Wu.
Apparently, even before that, Captain La Wu had made some guesses based on what he'd heard from Inspector Li Wu.
Ryo also handed over the formal written order addressed to the Tenth Ship, issued by Prince Ryun in his capacity as an imperial prince.
Captain La Wu would likely have cooperated even without it… but with this order, the crew would absolutely not face punishment.
Operating a 'public vessel', which was state property, apparently came with many constraints and little flexibility.
There were several other astonishing pieces of information as well, but…
"Oh, there's information about the Phantom King."
"The Phantom King's Palace? Like Prince Ryun's Royal Residence?"
As they went through the sections related to the Phantom King, Ryo and Abel noticed the term.
"So the Phantom King isn't just someone from among the common phantomkins, some figure from the masses. Even within the Choouchi Empire, the imperial government officially recognises the Phantom King's existence."
"The fact that there's a 'palace' makes that clear. But according to these documents… doesn't it read like power is split in two?"
"Huh?"
Abel handed the documents he'd finished reading to Ryo.
After three years buried in paperwork as a king, Abel read documents at remarkable speed.
Ryo didn't think he was slow, but he couldn't compete with Abel.
"…You're right. And it even looks like the Phantom King holds more power than the Choouchi Emperor?"
"Since he can control phantomkins… does that mean the Emperor is just a puppet too…?"
"Ah, but look—this document here lists their respective objectives."
"The Choouchi Emperor wants to push south and dominate Darwei. That makes sense. But the Phantom King's objective is…"
"Passing through the 'Corridor' to reach the Central Countries? What? Why would he want to go to the Central Countries?"
According to the documents, the Phantom King's goal was to reach the Central Countries, leaving both Abel and Ryo confused.
Why the Central Countries?
"It says the Darwei Emperor is necessary to open the Corridor leading to the Central Countries, but…?"
"What does that mean?"
The information was a treasure trove that could be called priceless.
Yet it was too fragmentary to fully grasp…
"At times like this, if you don't properly set priorities, the project will fail!"
"Pro… what?"
"First priority is rescuing His Majesty the Emperor."
"That's true. That comes first."
"Everything else, we'll handle as it comes."
"…I suppose we have no choice."
Both Ryo and Abel accepted this compromise.
Ideally, Ryo would like to defeat the Phantom King and free Duke Helb from the ice, but that would have to be a lower priority.
Just then, Captain La Wu came over.
He seemed to be there to explain the tentative schedule, but…
"Honestly, I don't know how long it will take to get there."
"That figures…"
Ryo nodded sympathetically at Captain La Wu, who spoke with a troubled, apologetic expression.
They didn't know the exact distance, the ocean currents, or the winds.
There was no way he could give a firm schedule.
"I don't know how closely the Darwei Imperial Palace is tracking this ship's movements, but we'll avoid major ports. Water won't be an issue since Ryo-san is aboard, but we'll need to resupply food somewhere."
"True."
"We loaded a generous amount of food at Hoi An when we departed, so we should have about twenty days' worth. It takes fourteen days to reach the capital Hanlin, which means we can head north for about six more days after passing Hanlin."
"Is there a good port around six days past Hanlin?"
"There is one place that comes to mind, roughly halfway between Hanlin and Peiyu. It's a port town called Shunboul… if things go as planned, we should reach it in eighteen to nineteen days from here."
Captain La Wu answered Abel's question confidently.
As expected of a public vessel captain, he seemed very familiar with Darwei's ports.
"We'll resupply there and continue north. The destination, the Choouchi Empire, lies even further north of Peiyu, but we should be able to get maps in Peiyu. Whether we can obtain nautical charts is the tricky part…"
"That's the hard part."
Sailing unknown seas came with many difficulties.
After Captain La Wu was called away by a crew member and left, Ryo and Abel resumed their discussion.
"In the worst case, we might have to go overland from Peiyu."
"You think so too, Abel?"
Both of them were realists.
They didn't know how far north they would go, and it was possible the sea would freeze, making further travel by ship impossible.
"It really is all improvisation from here."
"Not being able to see the path ahead makes things difficult in many ways."
Suddenly, someone caught Ryo's eye—another person aboard who, like them, wasn't part of the crew.
"Inspector Li Wu is staying on board like this too, right?"
"Seems so. He might disembark at the port we reach on the nineteenth day… but until then, he'll probably stay aboard."
"Won't he be questioned by the Imperial Palace—or rather, by Prince Kouri's faction?"
"Hard to say. He's an inspector by trade, right? He travels all over Darwei to conduct inspections. It wouldn't be strange for him not to be in the capital. Secretary Shau probably took that into account when he entrusted him with this."
"Ah, I see."
As they spoke, Inspector Li Wu began swinging his sword.
Apparently practising.
"Ohh!"
"That's a pretty sharp sword technique."
Both Abel and Ryo praised Inspector Li Wu's form.
Though he was an inspector who travelled the provinces, he clearly knew how to use a sword.
He hardly seemed like a civil official.
Admittedly, his nearly two-meter-tall physique didn't look like that of a civil official either…
Noticing their gaze,
Inspector Li Wu stopped swinging his sword and came over.
"Sorry—did our staring bother you?"
Abel apologised lightly.
"No…"
Even if it had, one didn't usually say, "Yes, it did".
"Inspector Li Wu, you don't look like a civil official at all. Your swordsmanship is impressive."
"You flatter me. When you travel the provinces as an inspector, your life is often targeted."
"What?"
The two were taken aback by his words.
"There are corrupt lords… though not only lords. High-ranking officials like magistrates as well. To them, I'm apparently a thorn in the eye…"
"They try to placate you with bribes, don't they?"
Abel asked, responding to Li Wu's self-deprecating tone.
As a ruler himself, Abel likely understood well what provincial lords and senior officials—far from the central government's watchful eye—were capable of.
It was something common to all eras and all worlds.
"Exactly. But I refuse such things outright. So when I obtain evidence of wrongdoing, I submit it directly to the Inspectorate."
"Impeccably incorruptible…"
"Impressive."
Ryo exclaimed in admiration, and Abel echoed the praise.
"Well, to be honest… my family is wealthy, so I simply don't need bribes…"
"That happens…"
"There are people like that…"
Li Wu gave a wry smile, Ryo nodded, thinking of people he knew who held public office yet were wealthy enough to reject bribes outright, and Abel nodded as well, picturing someone like Phelps in his mind.
Abel himself probably wouldn't accept bribes either.
"So you trained with the sword because your life was in danger."
"That's a big part of it, yes."
Inspector Li Wu admitted it with a wry smile.
-x-X-x-
It was the eighteenth morning since the tenth Darwei government ship departed the port town of Hoi An in the Atinjo Grand Duchy.
"Today we're supposed to stop at a port right? A port called Shunboul."
"Seems so."
Ryo asked and Abel answered.
Both of them were the sort who were up and about early.
Abel woke at six.
Ever since becoming king of the Knightley Kingdom, he had gotten into the habit of rising at six every day, and even now that he was back to being an adventurer, that habit made him wake automatically at six.
Ryo also usually woke shortly after six.
If he was in the mood, though, he sometimes stayed up until the middle of the night… for example, reading books on alchemy or doing alchemical research…
On those nights, he did sleep in later the following morning, but even then, he would be up by six-thirty.
Currently.
On the main deck, Abel was swinging his sword while Ryo had set out an ice table and was fiddling with something.
They were checking today's plan while doing their own things.
"Hey, Ryo."
"Yes, Abel?"
"That thing you've been tinkering with—you've been at it a while, haven't you?"
Abel glanced sideways at what Ryo was doing as he practiced his swings and pointed it out.
"You noticed quickly. Hmm… about ten days, I guess—I've been trying different things."
Ryo smiled but kept writing something on the slab of ice in his hand.
In other words, it was some kind of alchemical research.
At the end of the ice slab sat an object about the size of a cup: a small desk fan… more like a handheld fan in appearance.
He'd been adjusting various magic formulas and testing how its behavior changed.
"I've been wondering for a while… could that be that 1024-character string thing?"
Abel said, and Ryo looked up.
Clearly surprised.
"You figured it out! Wait, did I mention it?"
"You didn't say it… but watching you work made me think so."
"Abel… actually, you might have the talent to be an amazing alchemist. When we go back to the kingdom, you should apprentice under Kenneth right away!"
"Why's that…"
"They say strike while the iron is hot. Today's the best day to decide. Do it while you can!"
For some reason, Ryo was encouraging Abel to pursue alchemy and to apprentice under Kenneth.
Abel shrugged.
"I can't use magic, you know."
"Oh…"
It's true—a first-rate alchemist is also a first-rate magician in many cases; alchemy and magic are two sides of the same coin.
If you can't use magic, you apparently can't become an alchemist.
"It's okay. They say where there's a will, there's a way. Let's aim to be the world's first alchemist who can't use magic."
"If I get absorbed in alchemy… who'll sign off the paperwork? Will you do it for me, Ryo?"
"Th-that's not possible."
Ryo panicked at the prospect of suddenly getting overwhelmed with work.
But there was a good idea.
If Abel became an alchemist… then!
"Make a replacement-golem for King Abel!"
"…Huh?"
"Create a golem that signs paperwork in Abel's stead, and let that golem handle the work!"
"That… will it actually judge the content of documents and approve properly? Won't it just sign everything blindly?"
"That depends on Abel's skill."
Ryo answered Abel's concern with an oddly confident expression.
"Whether you can make a proper golem depends on you, Abel."
"Come on… can you make a golem after only a few weeks of alchemy?"
"That's impossible. You'd have to reach the very brink of the abyss of alchemical mastery…"
"Then I won't make it in time."
"Y-yeah, maybe…"
Becoming top-class takes time for anything.
"The Abel-the-Alchemist plan is cancelled."
Ryo said, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Anyway, putting my alchemy aside, about that 1024-character string…"
"Right."
"If you use that, it amplifies magic, right?"
"Yes, there's no doubt about that."
"Is the plan to use it in your alchemy tools?"
"That's the problem."
Ryo tilted his head a little at Abel's remark.
"You can argue to use whatever works… but somehow I feel uneasy inserting something I don't really understand into my own magic formulas."
"Ah…"
"I know it's convenient. But honestly, I want to understand it before I use it."
"So that's why you're experimenting."
"Exactly."
Ryo nodded.
Abel understood Ryo's feelings.
It might indeed be better to use something convenient.
But even if you use it, you want to understand it and be convinced first.
Things that work but for reasons you don't know—even if they're good… give a subtle, uncomfortable feeling.
"Of course, we've discovered that this string's effect disappears if you change the order of the characters…"
"Well, it's a character 'sequence' after all."
Abel stopped swinging his sword, came over to the table, and sat on the ice chair Ryo had summoned.
"Probably this is also a sequence of characters that works on the fabric of the world."
"The fabric of the world?"
"Well, think about it… the Central Countries' magic uses spoken incantations, right?"
"Yeah, they do."
"That chant works on the world's laws to activate magic."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. The True Ancestor of the Twilight Land said so. The True Ancestor discovered a series of sounds that act upon the world's laws. That's the incantation."
"Impressive."
Abel, sincere, praised the True Ancestor at Ryo's explanation.
It's not that any sequence of sounds will do.
Out of countless combinations of sound, the True Ancestor found the series that affects the world's laws to generate magic…
That's the incantation.
Truly awesome.
The magic formulas used in alchemy are the character-sequence version of that.
Sequences of characters that act on the world's laws.
That, too, isn't simple.
Ryo, who was born in Japan, had long pictured sound sequences as something like 'shinto prayers' and character sequences as like 'talismans'.
Lately, he was convinced that this impression wasn't far off.
"Well, I'm trying many different character orders, too."
"Must be tough to test all that."
"Of course it's tough. But that's what experiments and research are."
Ryo nodded gravely.
But Abel noticed. The twitch in Ryo's cheek.
"Tough, but you're happy about it, huh?"
"I-I am happy, but it's still hard, you know? So Abel, I want you to take care of me."
"Take care of you? How exactly?"
"Giving me your portion of meat, desserts, and things like that would be best."
"Nope, I refuse."
"You're so blunt…"
It's not easy to take someone else's food.
As the ship steamed closer to the port town of Shunboul, the number of islands increased considerably.
"There are a lot of islands."
"With this many islands, a pirate ship could appear out of nowhere!"
Abel warned, and Ryo reacted.
Even Ryo… who, to be fair, had a little curiosity about experiencing a pirate attack—didn't want to be attacked here.
He frowned.
As they talked at the bow, Captain La Wu approached.
"You're right—this area is one where so-called pirate gangs hold sway."
He said with a laugh.
It seemed he had heard their conversation.
" 'So-called pirates'?"
Ryo tilted his head.
"They surround a target ship… they rarely actually board it, but they threaten it. They demand a toll. It's illegal under Darwei law, so we call them 'so-called pirates'."
Captain La Wu explained.
His tone suggested he knew the area well.
Ryo realized something.
"Could it be that the food resupply for this tenth ship came from those people?"
"Yes. If you pay, they'll sell to anyone. Even though they're called so-called pirates, they're people of the sea and won't break their word. They're actually fishermen living in Shunboul."
Outlaw types who live outside the law can look frightening at first.
Those unfamiliar with their customs can be treated harshly.
But among those bound by the ties of living on the sea, there's a certain trust…
Captain La Wu kept looking through his spyglass beside Ryo and Abel at the bow.
Compared with earlier, as they approached the archipelago, he was tilting his head more and more in puzzlement.
Then he finally shouted toward the mast.
"Sentry! Do you see any fishing boats?"
Halfway up the mast was a crow's nest where a lookout could scan the surroundings.
A platform that could rotate 360 degrees around the mast…
After a moment the lookout called back.
"Captain—there isn't a single fishing boat!"
Hearing that answer, Captain La Wu barked orders.
"Helmsman! Hard aport!"
"Aye sir! Haaard aport! "
The helmsman answered and the rudder was turned to the right.
La Wu then shouted into a speaking tube.
"Engine—full power! Get us out of this area at top speed!"
"Engine room, roger!"
The engine room answered La Wu's command.
They probably had alchemical navigation devices installed— something like the 'wind generator' on the Lone Dark of the Suje Kingdom navy.
The ship's speed clearly increased.
The two watched these orders with astonished faces.
Captain La Wu, usually calm or nonchalant, now displayed the roughness of a seafarer as he barked command after command.
But in truth, that was normal.
They were on a ship.
A captain's single mistake could put every crew member's life at risk.
"Ah, sorry to startle you."
Captain La Wu said with a wry smile as he finally noticed their surprise.
"You're going to withdraw?"
"Yes. This situation isn't normal."
After Abel checked, La Wu nodded and explained further.
"In these waters off Shunboul, there are usually dozens of fishing boats floating about unless there's a storm. They fish, but they also act as lookouts."
"You mean those so-called pirates you mentioned?"
"Exactly. On such a clear day, having not a single fishing boat is unusual."
Indeed, the sky was clear and cloudless.
"Maybe they've taken the initiative?"
Abel murmured, and the mast lookout shouted.
"Ship silhouette behind the island at the front!"
Another lookout called out.
"Ships are coming out of Shunboul's harbor, too!"
La Wu glanced through his spyglass and shouted.
"What kind of ships?"
"Not sure yet, but they're pretty large!"
"Unknown, but they look like warships!"
La Wu shouted down the speaking tube.
"Deploy the 'Public Ship magic barrier'! Open the port-side gunports! Prepare for artillery!"
The next instant, a
From the port side, a clattering sound could be heard.
Curious, Ryo and Abel leaned over from the main deck and looked at the ship's port.
Small hatches were opening.
A dozen or so lids popped up.
Something wooden protruded.
At first, it looked like 'something', but on closer inspection, it was familiar.
"Aren't those the things Captain Lu Yao and the others used at first…?"
"Yeah—the magic artillery devices they assembled and used on Midorisou Plain."
It made sense that they remembered seeing them.
"Abel… our Knightley Kingdom ships rely on boarding tactics, right?"
"That's how it is, Ryo… wasn't it the same for Sujie Kingdom and other archipelago states?"
"Well, the Go-wo ships of the southern continent Atinjo Grand Duchy had magic bombardment…"
"They were fired by magicians. Compared to that…"
"Darwei really seems like it'll be an artillery battle."
Both Abel and Ryo understood the meaning of the alchemy devices protruding from the hull.
They had a decent idea of what was about to happen.
"The ones Lu Yao's team called 'magic artillery corps'… seems they've adapted that to fleet warfare."
"As expected of a superpower. Their alchemical progress is ahead of neighboring countries."
Technological development tends to show most prominently in the military first… that's true in many eras and places.
It seemed to be the case in this 'Phi' as well.
"Ship type identified! Six Bei Fan Hei-class high-speed bombardment ships! "
"From the harbor, the same Bei Fan Hei-class—sixteen of them!"
The lookout called from the mast.
"They've taken the initiative."
Captain La Wu muttered with a grimace.
"Captain?"
Abel called.
"Yes—if we intended to resupply, only Shunboul's port made sense. They must have suspected that. The town is probably occupied by someone in Prince Kouri's faction."
"The ships that came out are the Darwei fleet?"
"Yes. They're fast ships that are usually assigned only to Hanlin's regular forces. Their magic bombardment is powerful. They must've been forwarded from Hanlin in advance. It's unavoidable, but it seems that the fact that the tenth ship and you two are heading north may have been detected by the Imperial Palace."
"Typical of Prince Kouri."
As Abel confirmed and La Wu detailed the trouble they were in, Ryo again recognized that Prince Kouri was not someone to be taken lightly.
While they spoke, people on the main deck were also getting into position.
Tripod-like alchemy devices were being set up to launch things into the air from the deck.
They didn't look like magic artillery.
They could have been machine guns… but their firing angles—the elevation—were set upward…
"The enemy has twenty-two ships. Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine."
La Wu answered Abel's worried question with a grin.
"This is, after all, an official government ship. It sometimes transports foreign royalty or Darwei royals. That means it's one of the most unsinkable ships Darwei has, so worry not."
When he finished, a report came in.
"Port-side battery, deck interception ready."
The report came from the ship's combat commander, Lin Shin.
Short-haired and black, usually she gave a gentle impression, but now she was different.
There was a core of steel in her; you felt you could trust her completely.
"Understood. Lin Shin—don't fire yet. Do not engage unless I say so."
"Aye sir!"
A little while before, it had been chaotic as they prepared interception devices on deck, but now there was a calm about the place.
"They look calm even though it's right before battle."
"Yeah, I get that feeling too."
Ryo whispered to Abel, and Abel answered in a similarly low voice, nodding.
"That must mean everything's ready."
"I see."
There's always bustle while preparing—that's natural.
Within a minute or two of the order, everyone moves to their stations.
And puts on whatever necessary gear.
That's hectic.
But once they're ready, they appear composed like this.
Even if a battle might soon follow.
That composure is proof of training upon training.
"This time we'll probably just watch."
"Not like the Rain Shooter incident."
They both remembered when the Rain Shooter had been attacked while escaping from Komakyuta Domain to return to the Suje Kingdom.
Back then, Ryo had erected an ice wall around the Rain Shooter and counterattacked with the
At that time, the Rain Shooter had been essentially unarmed, having been sent into enemy territory to slip into Komakyuta.
The Lord Protector Kabui Somal had likely planned to rendezvous with the Suje navy at the border.
The Atinjo Grand Duchy tried to stop them regardless.
Even without Ryo's help, the Rain Shooter might have broken through, albeit damaged… but Ryo intervened because he didn't want the ship harmed.
This time was different.
They couldn't yet say exactly how it differed, and the enemy had over twenty warships… but still, they had a confidence they could handle it.
And then the bombardment began.
-x-X-x-
"Enemy bombardment incoming!"
A lookout on the mast shouted.
Some fifty fire-attribute attack spells struck the Tenth Darwei Government Vessel.
But the barrier woven by alchemy protected the Tenth Vessel from the attack.
Countless lights of mutual annihilation flared into being.
"Mutual annihilation?"
Ryo murmured.
"What's wrong?"
Abel asked, as if he had heard the murmur.
"No… I was just wondering how they could defend against bombardment from more than twenty ships with a
"Ah—I've heard that reported too."
Abel nodded at Ryo's words.
Whether
Ryo, for his part, sometimes gathered information on existing magic.
It usually came up in casual conversation rather than through deliberate research… but he'd heard talk of it before.
"It seems the
"Wouldn't that make re-deploying the
"Exactly. That's why from the start they deploy dozens or hundreds of small barriers. By keeping the area of each one small, they limit the mana consumption. The design itself is for 'to disappear together' rather than 'to repel'."
"I see. There are a lot of ways to do things."
Abel nodded, impressed by Ryo's explanation.
Ryo noticed something else.
Beside Captain La Wu, who was directing things on the main deck, there was a half-sunken command seat.
Sitting there was the government vessel combat commander Lin Shin.
Her upper body was on the first deck, while the lower half seemed to be below.
"Under there is the second deck, right?"
"Yes. The alchemy tools for magic bombardment protruding from the hull are on that second deck."
"The seat where Lin Shin is…"
"Usually that hatch is shut. Since she's a combat commander, she might be directing both the second-deck magic bombardment and the interception lineup on this first deck from there."
Neither Ryo nor Abel knew the Darwei fleet in detail.
They didn't know Lin Shin's exact role, but they could imagine it roughly.
"Alright, Lin Shin, that's enough. Sink them!"
"Aye!"
Captain La Wu ordered, and Lin Shin—seated in that half-submerged pit-like command seat—nodded.
Immediately, Lin Shin's orders were relayed to the second deck's magic artillery.
"Aim for the first ship that came out from the island on the far right. As always, one meter to the left of the bow, above the waterline."
Detailed instructions issued.
Ten seconds later.
"Aim! Three, two, one, fire!"
At the same moment, from the Tenth Vessel's port side, twenty fireballs were launched.
They all landed at the same spot, at the same time.
The explosions characteristic of fire magic followed.
The enemy ship that had taken those hits—apparently suffering a large hole in the bow—began to sink.
"Amazing…"
"Unbelievable."
Ryo and Abel fell silent, stunned.
"Next! Target the second from the right. Same as before—one meter left from the bow, above the waterline."
Without hesitation, the second-shot directive was issued from Commander Lin Shin.
This rapid-fire capability was the strength of the alchemy tools for magic bombardment.
Again, ten seconds later.
"Aim! Three, two, one, fire!"
The result repeated.
At the same time, twenty fireballs from the Tenth Vessel's port side struck one spot at the same time, producing the characteristic fire-magic explosion.
The second enemy ship hit by that barrage began to sink.
"Their discipline is incredible."
"This consistency is the product of training."
Ryo voiced amazement at the repeated result, and Abel pointed out that it was no coincidence.
With the government's
The situation was, as far as one could imagine, perfect.
"If only we can slip away like this…"
"This is the Darwei vessel—we're talking about their ship. The enemy knows roughly what it's capable of too. Of course, they'll have second and third waves."
"Abel, you're too pessimistic."
"Better than kicking the bucket from being too optimistic."
Ryo understood but still frowned; Abel, from his experience leading armies as king, spoke with conviction.
The captain shared that view.
"If the bombardment isn't working, they'll send 'parachutes'!"
Captain La Wu barked.
"Parachutes?"
"What's that?"
Ryo and Abel, of course, didn't know.
Well—Ryo's knowledge associated parachutes with parachutes in the literal sense, but…
"Enemy ships have fired 'parachutes'! Number… ten!"
A lookout on the mast cried.
"Myan! I'll leave the ship's evasive maneuvers to you!"
"Aye!"
Captain La Wu instructed First Navigator Myan-Mar.
Myan, who received the order, went beside the helmsman and looked up toward the sky ahead.
"Something's falling from the sky."
"It's on the ship's course. That's the 'parachute'."
Following Myan's gaze, Ryo saw something descending toward the Tenth Vessel from above.
Abel, having also seen it, let out an exclamation.
It looked like a small parachute, but what hung from it was not a person.
"Bombs…?"
Ryo muttered.
They didn't have the streamlined shape of bullets; they looked more like spherical bombs.
"Deck interception—each man fire!"
Commander Lin Shin's command rang out, and the crew lined up on the main deck began operating their interception alchemy tools aimed at the sky ahead and opened fire.
Those interceptors were not magic artillery but seemed to be launching fairly small stones.
"A sudden turn to low-tech…"
"S-stones are probably more effective."
Ryo was surprised in a different way, and Abel offered a tentative explanation.
The stones were being fired at a rate of about one every half-second.
With twenty men firing, a curtain-like barrage of projectiles flew through the air.
"See? Told you."
"Abel, you're lucky."
"What do you mean?"
"Your soul was about to leave your body for a minute."
Ryo, as if seeing through Abel, said that with the sort of smugness that implied he'd noticed everything.
For once, their usual roles seemed reversed.
When a stone struck the sphere suspended beneath a parachute it…
Boom.
It exploded.
"Huh? An explosion?"
Ryo was surprised.
Of course.
If it exploded, and it wasn't fire-attribute magic, that meant gunpowder must have been used.
He had suspected they might be bombs, but to actually see it…
" 'Black powder' has already been put into practical use in Darwei, then."
Abel was not surprised.
The 'black powder' was gunpowder, produced in the eastern part of the Knightley Kingdom.
During the Kingdom Liberation War, a sizable stockpile had been taken by the empire, but production and research continued even after Abel ascended the throne.
It would likely be used in large-scale construction someday, but Abel understood that it would inevitably appear on battlefields as well.
It was a sad reality… but Abel was a king. A ruler.
His job was politics, not morality.
Even if sad, one cannot ignore realistic possibilities.
The large quantities of black powder that had flowed to the empire would inevitably show up on battlefields…
And in the Eastern Countries, in Darwei, they had simply appeared on the battlefield a bit sooner.
"Does the kingdom research gunpowder… black powder too?"
"Yes, we do."
Abel answered Ryo's question plainly.
"As… a weapon?"
"You can count on that."
Abel did not lie, even though he knew Ryo would dislike the answer.
"Most research focuses on its use in large-scale construction, but use in warfare is also being studied."
"Right…"
Ryo nodded at Abel's reply.
It was the same history that dynamite had followed on Earth.
War uses whatever can be used.
That is the same whether on Earth or on 'Phi'.
"If those spheres explode just from being hit by stones, then if one lands on this deck…"
"Yes, it would detonate."
Pulling themselves together, Abel and Ryo returned their attention to the battle.
Yes, the fight continued.
"But the stone barrage is working quite well."
As Ryo said, all of the parachute-dropped bombs were being intercepted.
Moreover, the simultaneous magic bombardment from the hull had been effective—six ships that had come out from behind the island were all sunk.
But sixteen ships from the harbor were closing in.
That was because the Tenth Vessel wasn't particularly fast.
"They had to furl some sails to secure firing lines for the stone barrage."
"Can't be helped. If the stones pierced the sails, that would be a problem, and if the sails remained and blocked our view, we'd miss the 'parachutes'. It's probably their plan to slow us down with those parachutes."
Ryo said, frustrated, Abel nodded in agreement.
"Here comes a salvo of 'parachutes'—prepare!"
Captain La Wu shouted.
He called toward the speaking tube as well.
"Engine room, prepare the secondary engine!"
"Engine room here—secondary engine ready. We can go at any time!"
The engine room's voice answered through the tube.
"Secondary engine?"
Abel muttered and glanced at Ryo, but Ryo, of course, didn't know either.
He shook his head.
A large number of crew had come up from below on the first deck.
Likely those who had been manning the hull's magic artillery until just a while ago.
Indeed, the six ships that had come out from the island's shadow were on the port side.
So they had been sunk by port-side hull bombardment…all six.
The remaining ships that had exited the harbor were approaching from behind the Tenth Vessel.
In that case, hull-side bombardment would be hard to target them.
Of course, a
"The men who came up from below…"
"Are standing by around the sails."
Ryo and Abel watched the situation from the edge of the main deck to avoid getting in the way.
In their view, the crew from the second deck readied themselves near the sails.
"Salvo of 'parachutes' incoming!"
The mast lookout cried.
From the sixteen ships pursuing behind the Tenth Vessel, projectiles were fired that passed the Tenth Vessel and opened their parachutes ahead, slowly descending toward the sea.
If the Tenth Vessel continued on its present course, it would impact imminently.
But…
"Alright! Deck interception complete. Bring the secondary engine online!"
"Aye!"
"Full sail!"
"Aye!"
Captain La Wu issued orders in quick succession.
The engine room and the Tenth Vessel's crew responded.
"Whoa."
"The speed—it's incredible!"
The Tenth Vessel's speed clearly increased.
Presumably, a second alchemy tool—something like the wind generator—had been activated to boost speed, and the previously furled sails had all been set.
It felt to them as if the ship's speed had doubled.
"We'll pass beneath the 'parachutes'! Look carefully, watch!"
"Aye!"
The mast lookout answered Captain La Wu.
The Tenth Vessel, now faster, cut under the 'parachutes' with considerable clearance.
"Won't the pursuing ships increase speed too?"
"No, they don't seem able to."
"Huh? Why is that?"
Ryo tilted his head.
"If they increase speed, those pursuit ships will run into the 'parachutes' over them."
"Ah…"
Abel's remark made Ryo realize.
Yes—they would be driving straight into the very 'parachutes' they'd launched themselves… they couldn't increase speed for fear of plunging into their own bombs.
Everything had been a trap set by Captain La Wu.
The Tenth Vessel had concealed its top speed… and at the last moment used the enemy's parachute salvo to break away.
"Captain La Wu is amazing."
"And the crew who can respond to him."
Ryo and Abel were astonished.
Thus, the Tenth Government Vessel slipped through the snare and succeeded in escaping.
-x-X-x-
"That was an incredible fight from start to finish."
"Yeah. A fleet battle that taught us a lot."
Neither Ryo nor Abel had much experience in fleet battles.
Because of that, both recognized there was a lot to learn.
"It was that— those perfectly ordered magic barrages. Twenty fire-orbs striking the same spot at the exact same moment."
"That's true. That's probably why they managed to pierce the other ship's
"They hit right at the draft… at the sea surface. If you blow a big hole there, of course the ship will sink."
"That bombardment was impressive, but the ship also shook quite a bit."
"Exactly! Recoil is expected, but don't they have mechanisms to absorb recoil for each gun?"
Ryo tilted his head.
From what Ryo knew of sailing warships in the West, each cannon sat on a wheeled carriage and, when fired, the carriage rolled backward to absorb recoil.
But the firing on this ship felt as if the guns were fixed to the hull like turrets—and the ship moved from the recoil itself…
"In our case, the magic bombardment guns are fixed."
Captain La Wu approached, smiling as he spoke.
Apparently, he'd overheard their conversation.
"When they're fixed, the ship rocks from the impact, right?"
"Yes, it does."
Captain La Wu nodded in agreement at Ryo's concern.
"So that's why they fired all at once?"
"Yes—that's part of it."
La Wu nodded again at Abel's reply.
If the ship is going to rock anyway, make the timing of the rocking the same…
No— it's not something that can be done so easily!
"That's thanks to the training work of the firing crews under Commander Lin Shin's command."
La Wu said proudly, smiling.
He continued with further explanation.
"Our bombardiers are indeed amazing, but… even if some other ship, say a high-speed bombardment vessel, tried to volley from its broadside, the captain wouldn't permit it. Even if they trained and could coordinate simultaneous fire."
"You mean it's a ship issue?"
"Yes, as Abel just said. Because this ship is what it is, a twenty-gun simultaneous broadside is permitted."
La Wu declared it plainly.
"Is that… a matter of the ship's righting ability?"
Ryo asked, offering a thought as he tilted his head.
When the West had tinkered with the later Skidbladnir, issues had arisen around righting ability.
So he knew about it.
The importance and difficulty of righting ability.
In short, righting ability is the power to return from a heeled state to an upright one.
Put another way, it's the ship's resistance to capsizing.
"Yes, precisely."
La Wu nodded, pleased.
"Our state vessels, including this Tenth Ship… the first-class state ships of Darwei, have extraordinary righting ability. That's why they don't capsize even when the entire broadside fires at once."
"So Darwei is a superpower not only in magic and alchemy but also in shipbuilding technology."
Ryo nodded repeatedly at La Wu's explanation.
There still seemed to be much to learn from Darwei.
Captain La Wu left them to give further orders.
"In the Central Countries… no, even in the archipelago region and the southern continent, fleet fights have focused on close-quarters boarding actions."
"Right. But in Darwei it's different."
"Yes. To think it would be a bombardment battle."
Ryo shook his head slightly.
The kind of 'bombardment battle' Ryo knew referred to cannon exchanges on Earth.
But the battle they'd just witnessed was unquestionably a bombardment battle, albeit with alchemy instead of gunpowder.
Magic as the propellant, alchemy tools as the cannons.
"Somehow, I feel that eventually the Central Countries will see fleet battles like this too."
"They will."
Abel said decisively.
"If something is already practical somewhere, it will eventually be adopted elsewhere, right?"
"I don't deny that."
"The reason Eastern and Central Countries haven't mixed much was that corridor thing. But now…"
"Yeah—the Phantom King plans to use the Emperor to open it, right?"
"Before long, naval warfare in the Central Countries will shift toward bombardment battles."
Abel stated this as if it were certain.
Abel was a king.
Because of that, he had to look decades ahead for his realm's future.
A country's century-long plan is something everyone involved in governance must bear in mind…
"In that case, should we be the first to install this on our kingdom's warships?"
"Huh?"
Ryo murmured, and Abel asked what he meant.
But Ryo was talking to himself more than speaking to Abel.
"Captain Lu Yao's gauntlets are superior to these… but those don't use magic stones—probably these receive mana from magic stones. If we put bombardment guns on our ships, would we need a magic stone at each turret…? Oh, but first, we'd need permission to use the magic formulas from Captain Lu Yao. Like a patent… I gave Friendship Token No. 2-kun as a gift, so if I promised to use it only in the Central Countries, she might permit it…"
"Ryo is impossible to read—is he scrupulous or just making it up as he goes?"
Abel gave a small shake of the head.
"Even so, they always said Central Countries' magic was inferior… but now even our alchemy is falling behind."
"Excuse me?"
Ryo snapped back to attention at Abel's murmur.
"I'd heard people say Central Countries' magic is inferior to the Western and Eastern Countries."
"Oh, I've heard that."
"But watching Ryo, I never fully believed it… yet it seems there's quite a gap in alchemy, which is closely tied to magic."
"No! The Central Countries' alchemy, no—our kingdom's alchemy, is wonderful because it's used in the lives of the people rather than on battlefields! That's what makes it look that way!"
For some reason, Ryo retorted hotly.
"Is that so?"
"Of course! The kingdom's alchemy is no loser! Sure, in terms of magic bombardment it's that… but the kingdom has that!"
"That?"
"The aerial battleship Golden Hind!"
"Ah… right…"
"And it's fitted with the overwhelmingly powerful main gun, Vaidra!"
"Y-yeah…"
"He who controls the skies controls the fight! We're by no means beaten by the Eastern countries' fleets!"
"T-true…"
Ryo spoke passionately.
But Abel's reaction was muted.
"What's with you, Abel? That reaction."
"Uh… Ryo wasn't there, so you don't know, but… actually, the Golden Hind sank."
"...What?"
"It was sunk by the Djinn Garwin…"
"What do you mean?"
Abel spoke with an apologetic tone; Ryo couldn't understand.
"The Golden Hind was moored in the royal capital or Rune, right? Did the Djinn attack even there?"
"No. It sank in that final battlefield where you were…"
"You sent the Golden Hind against the Djinn? Why?"
"It was our trump card against Garwin. The Vaidra would bombard Garwin from long range to weaken him and then seal him…"
"I see."
Ryo nodded at Abel's explanation.
With that much said, he could more or less understand.
Not just the 'Panacea Breath: Long-Distance Dispersal—Mercy of the Goddess', but even Kenneth's deployed Bullet Rain had been used… it really was an all-out war.
Using the Golden Hind was, in a sense, inevitable.
"If it were sunk, there's nothing to be done. We'll repair it when we return to the kingdom!"
Ryo declared loudly.
"Not only equip the main gun Vaidra with magic bombardment on the secondary guns as well… ah, yes, and accompany it with a Momonga Golem flight squadron."
"…Huh?"
"A vessel with powerful bombardment capability that also functions as the mothership for a golem flight squadron… yes, an aerial warship! A guardian deity that protects the kingdom's skies! With that, the empire wouldn't dare attack the kingdom."
In Ryo's imagination, the refitted Golden Hind swept the heavens with countless flying golems in tow.
He looked delighted.
"Yeah, well, keep it moderate."
That was all the king could manage to say…
-x-X-x-
After the king and the Premier Duke had thoroughly discussed the future of the Knightley Kingdom, Captain La Wu and First Officer Myan Mar returned, having finished calculating and recording the battle damage.
"We have completely shaken off the enemy."
Captain La Wu reported.
It was welcome news.
Yet the captain's face was grim. The same was true of First Officer Myan Mar standing beside him.
"However, we were unable to obtain the food supplies we had planned to purchase in the town of Shunbol."
"Ah…"
Neither Abel nor Ryo could immediately find words.
Yes—the entire reason they had intended to stop at Shunbol in the first place was to obtain provisions.
"Even if we ration strictly, we only have three days' worth of food remaining."
Myan Mar continued.
As First Officer, he was responsible for the ship's general operations.
And food management clearly fell under his authority.
"We've identified several ports that we might reach within three days, but honestly, there's no guarantee…"
"In other words, just like Shunbol, Prince Kouri's people may already be there."
"Yes. That is a strong possibility."
Captain La Wu nodded at Abel's observation.
"If we continue north and try for the port of Peiyu…"
"Even at best, it would take six days. That means the crew would have to endure roughly three days without food…"
"O-oh…"
In short, it was unrealistic.
While Abel, Captain La Wu, and Myan Mar discussed the situation, Ryo was oddly staring up at the sky.
Not vaguely, but intently.
"What is it, Ryo?"
"Well… I'm not sure if it'll work, but there's something I'd like to try. If it does, we might get food."
"What?"
Both Captain La Wu and First Officer Myan Mar were startled.
Of course they were.
Food—out here in the middle of the ocean?
"Please."
Captain La Wu said after exchanging a glance with Myan Mar.
Ryo took a deep breath, then shouted toward the sky:
"Leonor! If you're watching from there, please come here! I need something! "
His voice carried powerfully. Many of the crew on the main deck turned to stare at him.
All wearing identical expressions of shock.
But when nothing seemed to happen afterward, they gradually returned to their work.
One minute passed.
No one spoke—not Abel, not Captain La Wu, not Myan Mar.
The latter two simply exchanged uncertain glances, apparently deciding that since they had no idea what was happening, it was better not to speak.
Perhaps only Abel truly understood.
The name Ryo had called… Leonor.
An akuma.
Terrifying beings.
Beings one would never describe as 'comforting company'.
Another minute passed.
Then, without any warning, a four-meter-square black wall—like a slab of darkness—appeared on the main deck.
When Captain La Wu and Myan Mar saw it, they did not immediately comprehend what they were seeing.
Their gazes passed over it once… then snapped back.
People apparently do double-takes when they witness something incomprehensible.
"Seriously, opening a gate without warning is way too overbearing…"
"Be silent, Jean-Jacques! I have not forgiven you yet, for siccing those two on Ryo… Yo, Ryo!"
Two akumas stepped out of the Gate.
One was a man dressed like a priest.
The other… a woman wearing something like a swimsuit… with horns and a tail.
"I've noticed this for a while, but your outfit changes every time you appear, doesn't it?"
"Indeed. I was in a pool just now. I saw you calling me and hurried over."
"She forced me to open the Gate."
Ryo commented on Leonor's appearance, Leonor explained, and Jean-Jacques complained.
"It was Pastra-san and Argenta-san, right? They said Jean-Jacques was the one who suggested that they fight me."
"W-wait, how do you know that…"
"Because Pastra-san told me."
"That bastard…"
"Which means, Jean-Jacques, you owe me."
"Tch…"
When it came to akumas, Ryo ended up playing the role of the one who pokes and points out the obvious—speaking reason…
He didn't like that role much, but this was an emergency!
Use whatever tools you can.
"So, Ryo, you said you wanted something?"
"Yes. When that incident happened, you told me to make a wish. I've found one."
"Ooh! Speak— and I shall grant it."
Leonor urged happily.
"I want food for everyone on this ship."
"Food?"
Leonor tilted her head.
Abel, Captain La Wu, and Myan Mar stared in disbelief.
"Our food is about to run out, and hostile forces have moved ahead of us at the ports. Abel and I could storm the city, but I came up with a smarter solution."
That was Ryo's answer.
He had been thinking about asking Leonor for something for a while.
Still, asking for something one could get oneself felt odd.
He'd thought and thought and couldn't come up with the perfect request.
Then this trouble appeared.
He had a feeling those akumas might be able to procure food, so he tried asking….
"Very well. What specifically do you need?"
"Myan Mar-san, do you have the list of what we were meant to procure?"
"Yes—here."
Navigator Myan Mar said, handing over four sheets of paper.
They were the list of items they had planned to get in Shunbol.
"There are other items listed besides food…"
"Hmm… no matter."
Leonor skimmed the four sheets and accepted the task.
"Then afterward, you'll fight me, Ryo!"
"No."
Leonor smiled eagerly; Ryo rejected her with firm resolve.
"Why not!"
"This is compensation for the trouble caused by Pastra-san, Argenta-san, and Jean-Jacques over there. It does not include a duel between you and me."
"Ehh—"
Ryo said decisively; Leonor's face fell.
Ryo felt a little sorry—if she was going to bring food, that was a kindness.
But that fight would be brutal, and Ryo's chance of dying was high.
Sympathy alone wasn't a good enough reason to accept…
"Very well. This is indeed the fault of these fools."
Leonor said, glaring at Jean-Jacques beside her.
"Me? How's it my fault? I just said 'Ryo could probably handle it' to those two—"
"There! See? That's it!"
Ryo pointed out Jean-Jacques' excuse.
"I was just going with the vibe…"
"People almost die because of your 'vibe'. Humans are not that sturdy!"
"Then humans should evolve to be sturdier."
"Maybe in several hundred million years, but not right now."
Ryo shook his head at Jean-Jacques' flippant remark.
Put that way, Ryo seemed very sensible.
Yes, perhaps Ryo really was a sensible person.
…Okay, that was going too far.
"All right, wait a bit. Some things take time… when it's ready, I'll drop them on this deck."
"Yes, please."
Ryo nodded to Leonor's confirmation.
He also confirmed that Navigator Myan Mar nodded.
"Okay, Jean-Jacques, let's go."
"Ugh, I feel like I'm being made to work again…"
"Of course you are! Those two will work too!"
"Ugh…"
People must take responsibility for the words they've spewed.
It seemed akumas, too, must bear responsibility for what they say.
Watching that, Ryo thought people from old times were really wise.
"Silence is golden."
Truly a maxim.
If you don't speak unnecessarily, you avoid unnecessary obligations.
You won't be accused of insult or defamation.
People who blurt things always say afterwards, "I didn't mean that."
It doesn't matter.
All is decided by the listener; the one spoken to decides.
By uttering words, you hand over the power of life and death to others… terrifying if you think about it.
How frightening.
One of the akumas, forced to take responsibility for words, was dragged and disappeared into the 'gate'.
Silence returned to the First Deck.
No—actually that's wrong.
From the moment Leonor and Jean-Jacques appeared from the 'gate', everyone on the First Deck had their eyes glued to the two of them and remained speechless.
Except for Ryo and Navigator Myan Mar, no one opened their mouths.
"Captain La Wu, for now, there's nothing left to do but wait."
Ryo said, turning to Captain La Wu.
"…Ah, yes. Thank you."
Even Captain La Wu seemed somewhat dumbfounded.
Together with Navigator Myan Mar, he went down to the hold to prepare for moving and stowing supplies if the food arrived.
"Getting Leonor to procure things was a great idea."
"Right? Honestly, I wasn't sure she'd agree…"
Abel praised him, and Ryo nodded that it had worked out.
Of course, they wouldn't know if it had truly worked until the goods actually arrived.
For now, there was nothing to do but wait.
"She said some things would take time, so let's wait calmly."
"That's right."
Just as Ryo said that and Abel replied—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A gate formed parallel to the deck, and several sacks that looked full of grain came through.
"So fast!"
"Sorry! Someone get these into the hold!"
Ryo cried in surprise as Abel called the crew.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A few barrels rolled out.
"Sorry! Those, too—please!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
More wooden crates filled with vegetables appeared.
"Sorry! Adding more!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Wooden crates of fruit also came through.
There weren't enough people.
"This is…"
"We'll have to help carry them."
So Ryo and Abel were drafted into carrying the delivered food to the hold as well…
Twenty minutes after the first grain sacks arrived.
The First Deck was piled high with food.
They were loading goods into the hold as soon as they appeared, but they couldn't keep up.
Then the two akumas appeared again.
"What a spectacle."
"Where's Ryo?"
Jean-Jacques nodded at the piled deck and Leonor searched for Ryo.
Ryo, who had been drafted to carry goods, returned after a while.
"Oh—Leonor, Jean-Jacques."
"Ryo, that took you long."
"I was pressed into carrying cargo…"
Leonor scolded him; Ryo gave his excuse.
Jean-Jacques, for some reason, stood on one leg and stretched both arms wide to balance horizontally…
Ryo had no idea what that was about.
"I brought everything on the list."
"When I look in the hold, it seems like you've brought more than what was listed…"
"Is that so? Pastra and Argenta brought some too, after all. So the total might be larger. Well, as long as the ship doesn't sink, there shouldn't be a problem."
"Ah, yes…"
Abel and Navigator Myan Mar arrived as well.
Ryo asked Myan Mar,
"Do we have everything we need now, Myan Mar-san?"
"Yes, of course. It looks like we've received much more than expected… We're saved."
Myan Mar said, bowing in Darwei fashion to Leonor in thanks.
"Don't worry. Give your thanks to Ryo instead."
Leonor said magnanimously, nodding.
Ryo thought Leonor had a big heart.
He was impressed—until the next line blew that impression away.
"Now we're even. Next time we meet, we'll fight again."
"I don't have to fight, you know…"
"No. I must be the one to fight and kill you, Ryo."
Leonor grinned.
The unsettling content of the words and the lovely expression formed quite a contrast.
"Well, anyway— thank you, that helped a lot."
Ryo said and bowed politely.
Abel bowed silently behind him.
Etiquette among friends, after all.
"Very well, until next time."
"Ryo, fight me too—ow! Leonor, stop pulling my ear, hey—"
Leonor and Jean-Jacques disappeared back into the 'gate'.
-x-X-x-