Chapter 1: Before the Storm
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
Editor: Hiiro
Her earliest memory was the sound of the tides. The sound of the ocean tides entered the ears of the girl held in her mother’s arms.
Shortly after learning to speak, the girl whose lullaby was the ocean learned her heritage. She realized the great sailor, Captain Garciev and his lineage to the Jurgus house, and understood what it meant to be a member of this house.
Her young mind didn’t waver and decided─ One day, I will be just like him.
The adults around the girl agreed with her─ One day, you have to be just like him.
From that day when the girl decided on her way of life, a tsunami formed in
the sea that was her gentle cradle. Every sailor challenged the sea with their knowledge, skill and courage. These weren’t things that could be gained overnight, so the girl worked hard to study under her stringent seniors. Compared to her peers, she graduated from sea apprentice period which the old sailors mocked as 「human-like burden」 faster than anyone else
Her first chance to shine was the training to sail a small five men sailboat. The girl steered the boat freely in the ocean, as if she was favored by the sea breeze. She needed to completely understand the structure of the sailboat, give precise instructions to the sailors and be capable of judging the wind and waves accurately to sail so splendidly. The girl easily gained the ability other sailors needed long years of experience to achieve.
Everyone said that the blood of Captain Garciev flowed in her veins. The girl nodded in agreement proudly.
And so, many people supported her rise through the rank at breakneck speed. Aside from her peers competing with her, there was a consensus in the entire navy; since she had displayed the capabilities of her heroic bloodline, she should get command her own ship as quickly as possible. 「Reincarnation of Captain Garciev」─ these words from an unknown source was attractive enough to strip the composure that the experienced high ranking naval officers should have.
And with the backing of her uncle, the girl was quickly assigned to the 「Tyrannosaur」. A year later, the ship captain Naval Commander Kutsuchi stepped back and took on the role of a supervisor, and the 「Tyrannosaur」 became her vessel. The mid sized ship yield great results under the command of the girl, and no one in the navy questioned her capability as a sailor again.
All that was needed was for her to experience her first battle─ but during this time, from a place she didn’t expected, news came from inland.
Five youths younger than her were given the title of 「Imperial Knights」 for rescuing the third princess. With that as a starting point, they achieved great results in the battlefield and quickly climbed the ranks… And amongst them were members of the Igsem and Remeon house of the 「The Three Loyal House」, just like the girl.
The girl then looked at herself who had not even been through a battle, and for the first time since she was born, she felt a burning anxiousness.
Things shouldn’t be like this─ the heroes shouldn’t be from the land, they should hail from the sea instead.
「… She is talking in her sleep.」
Yatori looked at the bed behind her and mumbled. The other members of the knight order and Princess Chamille looked in the same direction with the tea cups Haro prepared for everyone in their hands.
「She just lost her subordinates yesterday, of course she will have nightmares… Let’s leave her be.」
Matthew’s considerate words were directed in front of him─ where the pale Polminue Jurgus was lying in bed with a pained expression as she slept. Her water Sprite partner was staying beside her pillow.
Last night, Matthew brought Pommy who was wandering aimlessly on the ship back to this cabin. And so, Pommy spent the night with the female members of the knight order until now.
「Pommy-san probably only fell asleep at dawn. She didn’t eat dinner last night, so I’m worried that she might fall ill.」
「Yes, when a person is mentally weak, her body will weaken too…」
Haro and the Princess also shared their concern for Pommy. At this moment, Ikuta who was lying in the bed on the opposite side propped himself up with a groan.
「Ughh… The inverse of that is true too. My heart is breaking down because of the pain in my waist.」
「Isn’t keeping them apart your specialty? Someone who can cut off his own pinky shouldn’t cry over a little bruising.」
「This suits you just fine, Solork. If you can only lie down, you can’t waste your energy on flirting. Alright now, the doctor didn’t give you permission to get up, so just lie down.」
The Princess who seemed to be in a good mood pushed him, and Ikuta could only fall back onto his bed reluctantly. It had been one whole day since his injury, and the swelling had eased. According to Haro’s diagnosis, he still needed to rest a little more before he could move around freely.
「… Forget it, I can sleep however much you want me too, that’s fine by me. But the war conference will be held in an hour, it will be bad if we don’t discuss this now, right?」
「That’s true, since you can’t attend, who should go in your stead?」
Everyone aside from Ikuta looked at each other. Admiral Jurgus requested two person from the knight order to attend the urgent meeting set in an hour’s time. Since this was an important opportunity to attend an operational level meeting, they couldn’t let it slip… But Ikuta has trouble getting up from bed, so he couldn’t attend even if he wanted to.
<TL: https://www.cc.gatech.edu/~tpilsch/INTA4803TP/Articles/Three%20Levels%20of%20War=CADRE-excerpt.pdf>
「I wouldn’t mind attending the meeting while lying down, but they will probably just chew me out.」
Ikuta said quietly as he held his partner luminous sprite Kusu to his chest. Torway wasn’t sure how serious he was being smiled awkwardly and turned to the others:
「Since we can’t send our double aces of Ik-kun and Yatori-san, then… we have to decide on Ik-kun’s replacement.」
「Oh, I’m a permanent member?」
「Aside from Ikuta, you are the only one who can share your views fearlessly to the navy big shots… Torway will be best suited as the other member, right? He is from the Remeon house, so those guys from the navy will show him some respect.」
「Me…? To be frank, I’m not confident in negotiations…」
The youth who was mentioned by name crossed his arms with a troubled look. At this moment, the bedridden Ikuta said:
「Like what he said himself, this work isn’t suited for him. I recommend Matthew.」
「… Huh? M-Me?」
That startled Matthew who was suddenly named, even the pitch of his voice had gone higher. Ikuta explained his rationale calmly as the slightly plump youth looked at him with baffled eyes:
「Thinking about it negatively, this is just the answer from the elimination process. I’m like this, Torway isn’t suited, Haro can’t leave as she needs to nurse me. Since Yatori is a permanent member, then the other candidate will be you.」
「E-Erm… Ikuta-san doesn’t need my constant attention anymore…」
「Let’s correct that part. Haro has to feed me since I can’t move, so she won’t be available for the meeting.」
「…Yatori, it seems that Solork wants his injuries to become more serious.」
「As expected of Your Highness, how about dislocating his arms? Then it would be reasonable for someone to feed him his meals.」
「… Let’s correct that part. I hope Haro can stay with Pol-chan, because it’s better for someone to chat with her. If it was the Princess, she might be frightened. So Yatori, don’t crack your knuckles anymore, please.」
Ikuta crawled away on his bed, and Matthew asked again with a baffled tone:
「So I have to go…? But I’m not good with negotiations either…」
「No, you have a talent for that. Remember how we forced Viscount Hamatoll to the brink? We only discussed the brief outline ahead of time, but you managed to follow my lead. If you didn’t grasp the topic and where the discussion was headed, you won’t be able to do that.」
「Because I just need to follow your lead…」
「We will be discussing before hand for this time too, and Yatori will be there to support you. To be honest, I really hope you can attend. Aside from Pol-chan, your knowledge of the Navy is leaps and bounds ahead of us. I think this knowledge is crucial for this war conference.」
The black haired youth concluded with a smile. It wasn’t certain how much of that was flattery, but being praised like that still made Matthew feel good. He thought about it, then cast his gaze to the others for confirmation.
「… That’s what Ikuta says, but what do you all think? Especially you, Yatori, are you really fine with me attending this important war conference with you?」
「I have no complains, please cover my lack of knowledge when the time comes.」
Yatori answered immediately with a smile, and the others also nodded. Their trust made Matthew blush, and it took him quite a bit of effort to keep a straight face.
「I… I understand. I don’t know how much I can contribute, but I will give it my all.」
「My dear friend Matthew, you are so reliable. But don’t worry, I will set aside time for your training, so you can answer any queries.」
The moment he finished, Ikuta’s gaze cut through his comrades seated around him, and rest on the bed opposite him.
「Will you help us too, Pol-chan?」
「… Ugh!」
Polminue Jurgus’ shoulders shuddered as the topic shifted to her even though she was lying down. Aside from Ikuta and Yatori, everyone turned back in surprise:
「You… You are awake?」
「Speaking of which, her sleep murmurings died down a while ago…」
「Ehh… Pommy-san, do you feel unwell anywhere? Please wait, I will pour you a cup of tea.」
Haro picked up the teapot and cup from the floor and poured a cup. It was hard for Pommy to feign sleep anymore, so she timidly propped her body up. Haro immediately offered her the cup of steaming tea.
「Here, please have some! Careful, it’s still hot!」
「Thank you…」
Matthew looked at her as she took small sips of the tea, and said quietly:
「… Drink slower, you will choke.」
「Yes…」
The warmth in this short exchange made Torway opened his eyes wide. Not long ago, the tyrannical female pirate on the 「Tyrannosaur」 was so docile now.
Ikuta looked at the two of them with a peaceful expression and said:
「When discussing about naval tactics, an active naval officer like you is an invaluable consultant. The contents of army officers would just be empty talks, but with your input, it would become correct theories that can be put into practice.」
「……」
「I hope you can give your opinions without holding back, Pol-chan. Well then, first─」
The rain brought by the west wind that had grown stronger started falling before 10 am in the morning. The flagship 「Yellow Dragon」 situated in the middle of the formation was surrounded by smaller boats despatched from the other vessels.
The Captains who boarded the ships with their First Officers all had dark faces. Stopping the entire fleet in order to hold an emergency meeting was enough to rob them of any optimism. And they could all see the battered 「Tyrannosaur」 to the flag ship’s portside. It looked no different from a ghost ship after getting bombarded by the cannons on a Kioka vessel.
「Looks like everyone’s here, let’s begin.」
More than twenty naval officers sat down around a table that had been nailed to the floor. In the corner were Yatori and Matthew, participating as observers for now. A short moment later, Admiral Erynphin Jurgus who was in the seat of honor said in a loud voice:
「You all must have seen it, correct? The 『Tyrannosaur』 is completely battered, and the Kioka vessel we wanted to capture shook off the pursuit of three of our ships and fled. We have confirmed a few unexpected elements in that battle, that’s why I’m holding this meeting in the middle of the sea.」
After the Admiral gave a brief summary, and officer raised his hand:
「… What happened to the 『Tyrannosaur』 during its pursuit of the enemy vessel?」
「According to reports, nothing out of the ordinary happened. If we really have to say, it’s just that the Blast cannons were more powerful than we expected, and the commander of the 『Tyrannosaur』 was more immature than I imagined, and the tactics of the enemy ran completely contrary to our thinking─」
Admiral Jurgus suddenly stood and turned mid sentence. His eyes locked onto the mirror hanging on the wall, which was something hanging all over the ship for the admiral to check his makeup.
He walked to the mirror and stopped, his figure reflected on the spotless mirror.
「─ that’s all! Hmmp!」
He then attacked with a merciless headbutt to the mirror with a smile.
The shattered mirrors fell all over the floor with clanging sounds, in contrast to the room that was dead silent.
Admiral Jurgus slowly pulled back his head from the mirror and turned to his subordinates. Blood flowed down from his forehead to his chin, and the sight of that made everyone gasp─ And after shedding his blood, the relax expression on the Admiral’s face was gone.
「… Forget, I will conclude with just one line, I was daydreaming. But I have woken up after what I did just now, so don’t worry.」
「No… Can you please refrain from clearing your head in such a way…?」
Naval Commander Kanron who was standing beside him stood up with a sigh, then deftly removed the glass shards from his superior’s forehead. He then took out bandages from his pocket, dabbed it in disinfectant, and secured it onto the wounds. The entire process took less than a minute.
「Really, how reckless of you… Do you know what you just did?」
「Tis but a scratch. Can you do your nagging later?」
「So you don’t get it. What I mean is, unlike your rock hard face, the mirror won’t repair itself…」
「I will make you share its fate, Danmier!」
Naval Commander Danmier Kanron dodged the hand reaching for him, and sat down with a nonchalant face. The thick skinned Admiral Jurgus just clicked his tongue, and returned to the conference table.
「Tchh… forget it, let’s continue. After clearing my head, there is just one thing I wish to discuss with everyone. We have confirmed that the threat of the Kioka navy is beyond our expectation, we need to drastically revise our tactical planning.」
The officers straightened their backs tensely, and Naval Commander Kanron spoke again:
「Tactical planning…? I think we should deliberate the operational planning instead?」
「… What do you mean?」
「Instead of how to defeat the enemy, we should figure out if we have any chance of winning. If defeat is inevitable even before the battle, we should avoid engaging the enemy.」
The room turned rowdy, and Admiral Jurgus raised a hand to silence them as he glared at his deputy:
「So before we suffer an even more terrible defeat, we should flee with our tails between our legs… That’s what you are suggesting, correct?」
「Thank you for your clear summary.」
Naval Commander Kanron had the attitude of being outwardly respectful while inwardly contemptuous towards his superior who had murderous eyes. This was a common sight, but the intensity was many times stronger than normal. After a long tensed silence, Admiral Jurgus narrowed his eyes.
「… Alright then, give your explanation. After all, having a pessimistic view is your job.」
「An explanation is unnecessary, everyone have already seen the power of the Blast cannons. The enemy possess them, while we don’t. We can plainly see how heavy reality is, correct?」
Naval Commander Kanron looked at the mustered officers and continued:
「For example… ten of our warships faced off against five of their Blast cannons vessels 1 nautical mile away. Our tactics would be approach until 200m before firing on them, ram into their ships, then board their ships in hand to hand combat. What about the enemy? They would start bombardment at 1 nautical mile with their Blast cannons, and stay more than 200m away from us, until all our ships are disabled.」
What then? Naval Commander Kanron asked the floor. The silence was a clear answer.
「Do we have any ways of turning this around? If we can’t hit the enemy effectively, then we can’t make use of our advantage in numbers. All we can do is to endure until their ammunition run out, but how many of our ships will be left? One? Two? Let’s be optimistic and assume five… Even with that many ships, we would still be battered after being bombarded for so long. In contrast, the five enemy vessels are unscathed, and would attack us with their full might.」
The simplified battle simulation allowed the officers to grasp the gulf between the enemy and themselves. Naval Commander Kanron threw his pale faced audience into deeper despair:
「Some of us might think that it is unlikely for all the enemy vessels to be equipped with Blast cannons. I agree, but we can’t be too optimistic and assume there are only a couple. Please think back to our previous encounter. If you are the admiral of the Kioka navy, will you send such a precious ship to scout?」
His deduction was very logical. Blast cannons vessels forming up in the sea─ imagining this despairing scene sent a chill down the officers’ back.
「Based on the factors I have listed, I judged that the chances of establishing sea superiority in this area is slim. I propose that the Imperial First Naval Fleet perform a tactical retreat. Gentlemen, should we run away with our tails between our legs? We should do so while we still have our tail with us.」
His words shocked everyone. And the officers raised their dissension:
「Wait, wait! Given the current situation, is retreat a forgivable option? The battle to take the Hioredo ore mines is already underway. This isn’t just a combined operation between the navy and army, we are also acting under Imperial Edict!」
「That’s true, retreating after suffering a defeat aside, pulling out before even engaging the enemy is plain insubordination. Not only is the reputation of the Imperial Navy at stake, Admiral Jurgus will be lucky if he is just relieved of his post for this!」
Most of the officers agreed that 「retreating isn’t realistic」. However, Naval Commander Kanron just shrugged, as if he expected such a reaction from the start.
「Hmm, what should I make of this? In order for our beloved Admiral to keep his standings, we should risk being wiped out?」
「You… Watch your tongue, Naval Commander Kanron! There are things you cannot say as his deputy─」
「No, it’s fine, he made his opinion very clear.」
Admiral Jurgus interjected casually as he cast a sharp gaze at his nonchalant deputy.
「… You are saying that I shouldn’t let my subordinates fight a losing battle for the sake of me saving face and salvaging my standings, right?」
「Yes, I think out of the many ways to die, this is the one of the most foolish death.」
Even after hearing Naval Commander Kanron’s sarcastic comment, Admiral Jurgus didn’t lash out, and just closed his eyes in deep thought. The other officers mimicked him and kept quiet.
Their refusal to speak freely resulted in silence engulfing the room. At this moment, a determined voice intervened:
「Pardon my insolence, Naval Commander Kanron. For this situation, we aren’t weighing the risk of battle with just Admiral Jurgus’ reputation and standings.」
Everyone looked towards the unexpected speaker. The girl with vermillion hair cast a strong gaze towards Naval Commander Kanron from the opposite end of the long table.
「Compared to other issues, the first priority should be other friendly forces participating in this operation. If we retreat in order to avoid engagement, they will lose their reinforcements and resupplies. That will inadvertently lead to them taking more losses in the coming battles.」
「… Yes, First Lieutenant Yatori Shino, it is as you say. We have no intention of deserting our allies on the land and fleeing either.」
Judging that his debate opponent had changed, Naval Commander Kanron showed a refreshing smile towards Yatori.
「I’m proposing retreat, but that only means 『avoid engaging the enemy in the designated area』. Maybe it will be easier to understand if I change it to 『The landing point will be adjusted further to the west』? This was already worked into out plans, as the 『backup strategy should we lose the naval battle』, so the army must have made the corresponding arrangements. The reinforcements and supplies will be sent by an alternate route, so don’t worry.」
「Is that really the case? Thinking about it carefully, the main objective of this operation is to take the Hioredo ore mines. It is very likely that Kioka will fortify their defences as a countermeasure. So we have to defeat the enemy hiding in the ore mines before their reinforcements arrive. There are two objectives─ First is a swift attack, and the second is to cut off the enemy coming from the rear. Obtaining naval superiority won’t just help with the first objective, but also to keep the enemy coming from the sea at bay.」
The enemy units deployed in the Hioredo ore mines weren’t too great in numbers. The soldiers mobilized by the Empire were more than enough to take the mines if the enemy didn’t have any reinforcements. In other words, the Empire would win if they took the mines before enemy reinforcements arrive; if not, the Kioka army would be victorious.
「If we avoid sea battle here, that means giving up on seizing the Kioka harbor ahead. If they still have access to the sea and the harbor, their reinforcements will keep coming. It is clear that this will be a thorn in our side for the coming battles.」
「… I agree that this is a threat. But realistically speaking, the threat of the Blast cannons looming before us is more pressing. If we engage the enemy without being sure of victory and the fleet suffers serious losses, we won’t be able to even provide the minimal resupply to our allies. We must avoid that from happening.」
「Choosing an alternate strategy to avoid the worst outcome, that’s a very sound judgement─ but, Naval Commander Kanron, this theory only applies if we will definitely lose a sea battle.」
「… You think we have a chance of winning? Having already experienced the might of the Blast cannons in the northern territories, you still think…?」
「I’m an amateur in naval warfare, so I can’t say for sure, but I can raise the possibility─ before we choose the alternate strategy to avoid the worst case scenario, why don’t we have a discussion with the most optimal situation in mind first?」
Yatori stopped here before turning his gaze to the pudgey youth beside her. Matthew who was staying as low key as a decoration understood that it was his turn.
─Alright, I already laid the groundwork for you.
Yatori signalled with her gaze, and Matthew responded with a stiff nod. It then took him ten seconds to raise his shaking right hand above his head.
「… I… I’m… Army! Army Second Lieutenant, Matthew Tetzirich! Erm, when the Tyrannosaur and Kioka vessel engaged in battle, I… I was there, and… I saw the enemy ship from close up… and observed it with my own eyes.」
The youth did his best to speak stutteringly. He forced himself with his sense of duty and refusal to lose, he braced his heart that was shrivelling because of the stern gaze of the older and more senior officers.
「Based… Based on my past experience… allow me to propose a counter strategy against the Blast cannons vessels…」
The ship that delivered a heavy blow to the First Imperial Fleet by itself surprised its allies just as much as its enemies. The crew from the flagship of the Kioka fourth fleet patrolling the southern seas of the former eastern territories, the 「White Wing」, received the scouting report from the Blast cannons vessel, 「Dragon Gall」, about the approaching enemy fleet.
「The enemy is an entire fleet, correct?」
On the rear deck of the White Wing, Marine Commander Greg who was the first to receive the report confirmed the contents. The messenger was frightened by Greg’s intimidating aura, but still nodded stiffly:
「Yes… Yes Sir…! The gigantic ship In the middle of the fleet was definitely the 『Yellow Dragon』, so it’s very likely that the enemy is the First Imperial Fleet─」
Greg didn’t even listen to the rest of the report before turning around and dashing down the stairs.
「… Hmmp, this war is turning out to be more interesting than expected…!」
For Greg’s enormous build, the narrow walkway was too cramped. He charge down the passageway, knocking down his subordinates along the way. When he reached the Admiral’s stateroom, he raised his giant fist and slammed onto the middle of the door.
「Rear Admiral! The scout ship we despatched has returned! They enemy is launching a huge offensive!」
He roared at the door, but there wasn’t any response. The anxious Greg shouted even more loudly:
「Rear Admiral! Now isn’t the time for you to rest─」
At this moment, the door in front of Greg suddenly opened. The next instant, the snarling face of the Marine Commander turned stiff. For some reason, a shirtless young man was standing behind the door timidly─ it was Kuranga, the marine who experienced true terror at the hands of Greg some days ago.
「C-Commander… I’m helping Great Mother… No, Mdm Rear Admiral, sending food to her bird…」
Kuranga held his crumpled shirt and partner water Sprite in his arms as he explained stutteringly. There was a sweet scent on his body, and Greg understood the situation from that and sighed heavily.
「─Enough, get lost!」
His subordinate scampered away at his roar. Greg stepped into the admiral’s stateroom as if he was taking his place. The same scent which was several times stronger assailed his nose.
「Hi Greg. Judging from your appearance, the situation must be abnormal.」
On the bed that took up half the room, was a naked woman covered in a thin sheet─ Kioka Rear Admiral Elulufay Tenerexilla, who was smiling sweetly. On the perch atop of her bed was her pet bird, Misai.
「Yes, it’s abnormal. So now isn’t the time for you for casual man eating.」
Greg’s tone was accusatory, but Elulufay nonchalantly put on her uniform. And for some reason, she started with her top instead of her underwear. Greg had already gotten used to this sight, but was still troubled about where to look. The Marine Commander felt a onset of a slight headache and continued:
「They just got whipped in the north, but those imperials still haven’t learned their lessons and mobilized their forces again. Since they sent an entire fleet here, they must be planning to seize the sea superiority here.」
「Yes, that must be so.」
「But what’s their goal in doing so? Take back the eastern territories? They couldn’t handle the territories in the first place, that’s why we have kindly relieved them of that burden. And now, they have come to take it back, their motives are as incomprehensible as ever.」
「You are right─ ah, sorry Greg, can you pick something out of the second drawer for me?」
Greg went to the closet that his superior officer was pointing at, took an underwear at random and tossed it to the bed. Elulufay caught it with one hand with a warm smile:
「Aqua blue stripes? As expected of Greg, what exquisite taste.」
「At least take your own underwear!」
Rear Admiral ignored the horrid scream of her deputy and put on her underwear slowly. Greg had no choice but to wait patiently. After she finally did the buttons on her shirt, Elulufay said again:
「I think their goal is the ore mines.」
「Huh? What did you say?」
「I’m talking about the ore mines, in the western territories seized by Kioka─ which is the former eastern territories for the Empire, the Hioredo ore mines has a high iron yield, correct? Control of these mines would affect the production of the Blast cannons drastically, I think the Empire is aware of that.」
She shook her long slender legs as she sat on the bed. Even after hearing this analysis, Greg didn’t buy into it completely:
「Is that really true? Then why didn’t they hold on to the mines in the first place?」
「If the Empire is a militarism country, they would probably have done that. To be honest, I feel the same as you.」
The Rear Admiral said as she rest her elbow on her exposed thigh. Greg pleaded with his superior officer with a forlorn face:
「Please put on your pants…」
「Your proposal have merits, but Greg, pants is a sin to me. Since we eventually have to take it off after putting it on, I feel it’s a waste of effort to repeat in this endless endeavour.」
「Is it that bad? You just need to take it off once a day when you go to bed.」
「Once a day...? Sorry Greg, that’s very difficult. Is this some kind of deep joke?」
The sight of Elulufay thinking about it seriously made Greg sigh again. She wasn’t pretending to be retarded, if she get the chance, she will pull a man into her room even if they were in the midst of sailing. 「Going to bed」 means very different things for Elulufay and Greg.
「Never mind, there’s merit in this waste of efforts too. I will give in to your patience this time.」
When he saw his superior officer finally reaching for her pants, the scary looking Marine Commander finally sigh in relief.
「Thanks a lot… Can you also stop man eating the crew indiscriminately?」
「But this only happens because I’m not being biased towards anyone. All these precious children have the rights to be embraced by me, so I won’t pick and choose. So Greg, stop being stubborn and sleep with me too.」
Elulufay tossed aside the pants she was just starting to put on, and waved him over happily. Even in the face of this pure temptation, Greg still averted his gaze and turned her down firmly:
「I will pass. Sorry, but I firmly believe that I should be one going after girls proactively, not the opposite. I have long graduated from my mother’s embrace.」
「Hmm, but Greg, this is what I believes too─ Men like you who takes the long way around will still return haplessly to this place.」
Elulufay said as she pointed to her bountiful breasts. Greg smiled wryly:
「I hope I can continue working hard to avoid that. But you are right─ I’m really grateful to the Rear Admiral for treating me the same as the others despite my horrid face.」
Greg mixed in some sincere words into his reply. Elulufay watched his back quietly, and picked up her pants again.
「… Okay, we need to gather the fleet, so set course towards the southwest for now. Can you get the crew ready to go before I put on my pants?」
「Yes Mdm!」
Greg left the admiral’s stateroom after getting his orders. He navigated the narrow corridor with brisk steps and climbed up the stairs. The crew who noticed that something was amiss had already gathered at the deck. Greg called for the Chief Navigator and Boatswain, then repeated the Admiral’s orders.
「Yes, understood.」「Alright! Deploy the top sail!」
The ship immediately turned lively. The crew disconnected from the 「Dragon Gall」 while other crew men climbed up the masts to deploy the sails. When the sails caught the wind and slid out into the sea, their admiral appeared at the stairs leading onto the deck.
「Listen to me, my beloved children. It appears that war is upon us.」
Elulufay announced in a gentle tone that encompassed all, and glee appeared on the faces of the crew. The content was obviously bad news, but the crew was happy to just hear her voice.
「The enemy is the First Imperial Fleet, and they best us in terms of numbers─ But no need to fear, you have me, your mother, and I have you, my children. With our tight bonds, we won’t lose to the vulgar Pirate Navy.」
Elulufay declared as if she was singing a song. Her pet bird Misai that was soaring in the sky landed nimbly onto her shoulder, its wings spread out like a flower in full bloom. Its feathers were blindingly white, giving its mistress the effect of a holy light behind her.
「Great Mother…」「It is as you say, our 『Great Mother of White Wings! 』」「Everything will be as you will!」
The crew praised their commanding officer as one. The woman they called the 「Great Mother of White Wings」 acknowledged these cheers with a gentle smile. She had a face of motherly love towards children not related to her by blood.
On the other hand, Greg who was watching this fanatic crowd scrowled his lips that were splitted all the way to his ear:
「Hmm, this is really something… But there are many ways to deal with a femme fatale.」
He couldn’t help smiling. The battlefield was a man’s world─ he used to believe that staunchly. The Greg from back then probably couldn’t imagine that he would work under a woman without complaints in the future. Meeting Elulufay was that life changing of an experience.
「And the most scary thing is, she is a woman filled with motherly love─ who can win against that? Any man will understand that defying such a person is such a waste of effort.」
Because of the high ranking officers interrupting with their questions multiple times, Matthew’s briefing lasted more than two hours. It felt like several times that long to him, but he managed to stave off the pressure with Yatori’s support, and the assault of questions finally turned into silent thoughts.
「─Interesting.」
Admiral Jurgus commented with a intimidating smile on his face with distinct features. The high ranking officers all gasped, they knew from that face that the competitive instinct of their superior officer had been lit.
「A flexible and bold idea that targets the enemy’s blindspot… Well done, kid from the Tetzirich house. That’s right, this is how young people should be!」
His eyes were filled with life. Standing beside his commanding officer whose fists were clenched from fighting spirit, the deputy, Naval Commander Danmier Kanron, finally said calmly:
「… I think that is an excellent idea. For an army officer, it is an extraordinary feat for the proposal to remain feasible after such rigorous scrutiny.」
As Naval Commander Kanron gave the impression of being difficult and sharp, Matthew felt relieved. But at the same time, he felt vexed that he had no right to accept this praise. Because the part that Admiral Jurgus and Naval Commander Kanron judged to be 「extraordinary」 came mainly from the black haired youth.
「Personally, I’m not optimistic enough to think that we can win by just following this plan. This does raise a possibility, but that will change depending on the situation and luck, and is unreliable. Considering that the fate of the First Imperial Fleet will be depending on it, I can’t cast a vote of confidence─」
「I didn’t ask you to rationalize why you are flinching, Danmier.」
Admiral Jurgus cut off his deputy. Even the sharp tongued Naval Commander Kanron got dumbstruck. The Fleet Admiral glared at him as he rubbed his fingers together:
「You get it, right? I’m fine with your conduct earlier, but such pretense won’t be forgiven. Success will be dependent on the situation and luck─ you tried to conceal the truth with that, but the biggest factor that will decide our success aren’t that.」
「……」
「You must have realized with your smart brain. The biggest factor deciding victory or defeat is the level of training of the crews in the First Imperial Fleet. To be more precise, it’s whether all our ships can maneuver at the standard the kid from the Tetzirich house has set for us. Simply put, we will lose if we suck. Compared to this factor, how lucky we are is within our margin of error─ am I wrong?」
「…… No, it is as you say.」
Admitting that his sophistry had been seen through, Naval Commander Kanron didn’t continue his facade. After his self-mocking smile flashes and fades, he turned towards his superior officer:
「Then let us stop with the pleasantries and get real. According to Second Lieutenant Matthew’s plans, the technical execution required of the First Fleet is too high. Especially for the seamanship at the crux of the battle, the plan is on a knife’s edge. Depending on the situation, there might be ships that couldn’t live up to the challenge, and failure will have drastic consequences─ ughh!」
His speech was cut short. The reason was obvious, and time froze in the war room─ Admiral Jurgus reached his right hand out and grabbed Naval Commander Kanron by the balls, and he looked as if he might crush them at any moment.
「Let me ask you, Danmier. Who are we?」
「─F-First Imperial… Fleet─」
「I’m talking about our identity before that─ have you forgotten? We are the Katjvarna pirate navy. We are the heirs of Captain Garciev’s skills and spirit, the fearless gang of violence. And our pride is built on the outstanding standards of our crew. In other words, the moment we grow fearful of our seamanship, we will have lost.」
「──」
「This has nothing to do with safekeeping my position and dignity, and you are right, it shouldn’t be. However, our priority is our pride as a pirate navy. From everyone present to the seaman scrubbing the decks, our pride is a common soul currency shared by every navy personnel. In other words, we won’t be ourselves if we lose our pride.」
The grip in his right hand increased. The boss of the pirate navy looked at his deputy who was breaking out in cold sweat and asked again:
「Are you going to insist that now is the time we should give up on our pride? That the pirate navy don’t even need to be bested by the enemy, and end here right here, right now?」
「─…No … it is, as you say.」
Even though his manhood was at great risk, the Naval Commander Kanron still showed an unfathomable smile. His face was full of sweat though.
「─ Ara… Ara, I have forgotten about what kind of organization I’m in… We can never do something like giving up without a fight. If we had such smarts about us, we would never have gotten the foolish reputation of being a pirate navy in the first place.」
Admiral Jurgus smiled, and accepted this reluctant yield by his deputy. He removed his hand from Kanron’s crotch, then slowly clench and unclench his hands in front of his face.
「I felt relieved that you didn’t shrink for real.」
The tension around them was gone, and the people watching them could finally breathe easy now. Despite the fear he felt from the development happening before him just now, Matthew still felt what happened just now was because of the quirk of the 「Jurgus」 house.
「Since it has been decided, we can’t dally anymore. We have to quickly iron out the details of the tactics, and decide on the battle formation─ but before that, we have to settle some issues, Naval Commander Kutsuchi!」
The veteran sailor straightened his back, and with a stoic expression, Admiral Jurgus faced the Captain of the Tyrannosaur whose jaw was covered with white beard and said:
「I think you have already prepared yourself mentally, and understand that the Tyrannosaur won’t be returning to the frontlines. We need a lot of men to scoop out water to keep the ship afloat… Repairs might be possible at a port, but there’s no telling if it will sink before that. A decisive battle is coming, and we can’t spare any hands… Do you understand?」
「… Aye aye, Sir.」
Only during a time like this would two sailors put aside their difference in ranks and nod solemnly at each other. For sailors, their ship is just like a house for their family ─Matthew recalled the words written in by Captain Garciev in his chronicles. The youth couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to lose his home.
「Once the preparations are done, we will scuttle the Tyrannosaur by today, and reassign her crew to other vessels. Kutsuchi, your new abode will be the 『Spearfish』.」
「Aye aye Sir! That’s Naval Commander Higorum’s ship, correct?」
「Yes, since his your old mate, it’s easier to bunk over at his place, right? Make full use of your experience fighting against a Blast cannon vessel to aid him. You can bring three of your trusted aides with you.」
After listening carefully to his orders, Naval Commander Kutsuchi asked a little hesitantly:
「The Missie… No, what are your thoughts on the next assignment for Naval Lieutenant Polminue?」
「I leave it to you. If you think she is a trusted aide, then take her with you. It’s fine if you don’t think that way, I will just treat her as a normal sailor and throw her to a suitable ship.」
No matter how incompetent she is, she can at least scrub the decks, right? With a coldness befitting a war council, the Admiral made it clear that he wouldn’t show her any favours. The old sailor nodded firmly and cast his gaze low.
「The assignments of the other crew will be decided in due time. If there are no further questions, this concludes the matter of the 『Tyrannosaur』.」
Admiral Jurgus ended this topic, and started on the next agenda:
「And with that─ the only thing we need to think about now is how to defeat our enemy.」
「─ Actually, I could tell at a glance that the gem on her necklace was an opal turned black through impregnation. But I didn’t tell her as I know that lady cherish it a lot. I asked, and it was a wedding gift from her dead father. He was a well known miser, but broke the bank to buy this gem for her. Her father didn’t have an eye for gems, but this was still a heartwarming tale.」
After the war council ended, Matthew returned to his cabin with Yatori and was welcomed by this long tale. Ikuta was demonstrating his glib of the tongue to Princess Chamille and Pommy.
「However, she discovered this fact in the worst way possible. She needed money because her elder sister was very ill, so she apologized to her father’s grave and reluctantly went to sell her necklace. The shop’s appraised it to be a fake, so her memories of her father was tarnished, and she couldn’t raise the money. She told me all that while she was lost and confused. After hearing that, I decided right then to make that conman pay.」
Ikuta was fluid in his speech and has good rhythm, drawing the attention of his listeners very well. The Princess and Pommy were completely entranced. The youth looked towards Matthew and Yatori who just entered to acknowledge their return as he continued with his story:
「We found that guy in no time because he had been repeating the same modus operandi without restraint. I tapped on Yatori to trace the source of the fake black opal found in the Banhatar market back then, and got an 『answer』 in less than two weeks. However, the real problem starts from here. If we confront the fraud directly, he will just bluff his way through. There was no other way aside from conning him to get the money back. So I came up with a plan─」
「─Pretend to be a young master from a wealthy house who didn’t have an eye for appraisal, and con them of a real gem when the target completely let down his guard. After that, he ran away without a trace, and coerce the other victims he gathered ahead of time to find the fraudster, bringing him to task. The end.」
Yatori ended the topic by skipping most of the contents, which made the one telling the story passionately prone down onto his bed in tears:
「That’s too mean, Yatori. I was just about to climax.」
「Sorry about that. It just felt like you will be droning on for quite a while.」
「Even so, you skipped too much of the plot. Before tricking him out of the gem, there are a lot of details involved too, right!?」
「That’s true. You brought the fraudster to a public museum, and declared that 『the items on display are from my personal collection』. That was so shockingly thick skinned of you… And that fraudster even tried to claim those items as compensation for the gem he lost.」
Yatori seemed to be amused as she spoke, and covered her mouth with her hand. Matthew was relieved that she ended the topic so quickly, and stepped forth:
「… Really now, while we were struggling in the war council, you were here chatting idly?」
「Thanks to the two of you, I had a meaningful time. How’s the result?」
「It was so tense and exhausting… I can understand how Major Sazarf felt during the military court proceedings… However, I think I accomplished what I set out to do. I thought things would be more complicated, but despite how Admiral Jurgus looked, his thinking is surprisingly flexible. But he is scary at times too.」
「In the end, they used your proposal as the framework to construct a battle plan. Places we didn’t notice was amended, but the main gist of the tactics remained the same… The result will affect the fate of an entire fleet drastically, so our responsibilities are heavy too.」
「Compared to being forced to shoulder a battle that has gone terribly later, it is better to give our proposals and take responsibility ahead of time… Even if we avoided a decisive battle now, we will still need to make up for it after we make landfall. Hence, we should let the navy share part of the risk right now. Since this is a combined operation, we need to be fair about this.」
The black haired youth finished with a shrug, then returned his gaze onto Matthew.
「Okay, since we are going to fight, we need to prepare ourselves too─ Matthew, you have to unload that cargo, and train your men to operate it on the ship. Have you gotten permission from Admiral Jurgus to do so?」
「Yes, he give us his blessings and is eager to see our performance on the field.」
「Alright, Torway and Haro already went ahead, so you should meet up with them in the sixth cargo hold below. After bringing the cargo out, you need to test it on the Yellow Dragon, and then test it again on the ships you will be assigned to. This is necessary to advertised that this is a 『weapon that can be deployed on the field』.」
「Got it─ by the way, you are too used to ordering people around. Even though you are just lying in bed the entire time.」
Matthew complained as he turned, and walked briskly to the passageway with no signs of fatigue at all. Ikuta waved from his bed as he saw him off, and finally propped himself up after his footsteps grew distant:
「─Yatori, which ships are our soldiers berthing in?」
「Yours are on the ‘New Moon’, Torway’s are on the ‘Sun wheel’, both are on the edge of the formation. Mine is on the ‘Fierce Tiger’, which is located near the formation center. Only Matthew’s ship had not been decided yet, but they will tell us once it has been confirmed.」
Yatori continued her report before the nodding Ikuta.
「The Princess, Haro and her platoon will stay on the flag ship to tend to the wounded. I won’t allow the enemy to board the flag ship, but things will get hectic here as the battle rages on. Naval Lieutenant Polminue, you─」
A light knocking interrupted him. A hoarse voice then sounded out:
「I’m Ragieshī Kutsuchi, is anyone there? I heard the missie from my place is with you.」
「Grandpa Kutsuchi!」
Pommy who was called hurried to the door. Naval Commander Kutsuchi looked at her with a troubled face, and spoke hesitantly:
「… The admiral ordered my transfer to the Spearfish.」
「T-Then, the Tyrannosaur…」
「The damage is too much for repairs… once the preparations are done, it will be scuttled by today.」
When she heard this news, Pommy’s legs gave way and she collapsed onto the floor. Yatori reached out for her on reflex, but Pommy steadied herself with a hand on the wall. The descendant of Jurgus endured the feelings of despair as she fought to accept the consequences of her own actions.
「… Ughh… ughh… ughh…!」
She barely stopped her sobbing at the last moment. As if showing her unsightly side to others just once was already too much.
After Pommy calmed herself, Kutsuchi continued:
「I can bring three subordinates to the Spearfish with me… The rest is up to you, Naval Lieutenant Polminue.」
「… I want to go, please take me with you.」
Pommy squeezed out these words with a bitter expression. The old sailor was surprised by her quick response, and Naval Commander Kutsuchi opened his eyes wide:
「Is that so… But it will be hard. Intruding on another ship as a crew of a defeated ship will be an ordeal. Naval Commander Higorum is a gracious man, but the officers under him will look at you with scorn.」
After hearing this warning, Pommy bit her lips hard… She had been promoted at an abnormal pace after joining the navy, and was well liked by high command, but scorned by her peers. Many would want to bully her since her debut battle ended in a horrible defeat.
「I will find a way… this is my own doing after all.」
After seeing her resolve from her trembling voice, Naval Commander Kutsuchi nodded heavily. The old sailor who had finished evaluating her determination surveyed the room to look for familiar faces.
「Okay… sorry for the trouble, especially the boys from the Tetzirich and Remeon houses─ oh, they aren’t here? I was thinking about apologizing to them before I take Pommy with me.」
「I will send them your regards. Naval Commander, please be careful in the next battle, I don’t think it will be an easy fight.」
Ikuta advised from his bed, and the old sailor nodded with a serious face:
「I won’t be the Captain of the ship, but I will do everything that I can… I promise that I will keep your advice in mind.」
The old sailor bowed deeply and left quietly. Pommy followed him, but stopped right at the door, then said a little hesitantly:
「… Thank you… Erm… For your help in so many ways…」
After stuttering her words of thanks, she added in a barely audible volume:
「… Please tell that guy for me too.」
At the same time at another place, Matthew who left the room earlier went to the steerage below to meet up with Torway and Haro. Seeing them unloading cargo alongside their subordinates, the pudgey youth rolled up his sleeves and joined them.
「… How much can this thing do against the enemies’ Blast cannons?」
In the dim steerage lit by luminous sprite, the canvas covering the cargo was removed, revealing the metallic body of a mid sized cannon. Torway smiled at Matthew who was both worried and expectant at the same time and smiled awkwardly:
「If we fire at each other at a count of three, it won’t be a contest at all. But depending on how we use it, this thing will have its chance to shine. As for the things that needed to be done before that time comes, let’s believe in Ik-kun’s tactics and the capabilities of the navy.」
「That’s true… the navy will be in charge of the bulk of the operation, which makes me anxious. Even if we want to attack, we have no choice but to wait for the ships to go near the enemy.」
The two of them continued to work as they spoke, directing their subordinates to unload the cargo in the right order. When they were taking a short break, Haro who was working some distance away walked towards them with a strained expression. She was carrying a heavy crate in her arms.
「M-Matthew-san, Torway-san! Erm, Ikuta-san asked me to give each of you ten bottles after unloading the cargo!」
After saying that, she placed a crate onto the ground, which was filled with bottles of brown liquid. Matthew picked up a bottle and appraised it.
「What is this? Looks like wine…」
「That’s correct! This is distilled spirit made from sugarcane!」
「Sugarcane wine? Oh, that is often mentioned in Captain Garciev’s chronicles… Wait! He went out of his way to get this thing onboard? What is he thinking? If there is space for wine, he should have brought more ammunition!」
「─He also said that Matthew-san will definitely be mad. Ikuta-san has another message:『This is the best ammunition against pirates. Before the decisive battle, everyone should put it to good use on the ships you will be boarding』.」
「So… Simply put, Ik-kun wants us to use these wines to butter up to them…?」
Torway thought with a wine in hand. Matthew was convinced after hearing him say that.
「So this will be the backing that will soothen our relationship with the sailors on our ships, huh… If that is so, then I will take this. However, I don’t think just gifting them wine will be enough to improve their treatment of us.」
The three of them looked at each others with doubts in their mind, and decided to to divide up the wine anyways.
With the looming battle before them, the 「Yellow Dragon」 was very hectic, and Yatori heading to level 2 to meet with her subordinates was caught in there. She was in charge of a company, and although she received the orders to transfer them to the other mid sized ships early, they had to be seperated to several ships because of their numbers. This was in fact the last chance for her to give any instructions to her entire company.
「OC, the marines plans to engage the enemy with just a saber, instead of air shooters or crossbows. Should we change our weapons?」
<TL: OC is short for Officer Commanding, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Officer_commanding>
「No need. We have been training with these weapons all along, there is no point in mimicking the navy now. Sabers might be more wieldy on a ship, but in the untrained arm, it will just increase the risk of hurting our own allies. Armed the men with spears attachments, and fight by using thrusts.」
Even in a different environment, her judgement was still as accurate and unwavering. The uneasiness of Yatori’s subordinates were allayed when they heard Yatori’s command.
「Be it land or sea, melee combat remains the same, what we need to do won’t be too different. There is no need to be afraid, but don’t charge in recklessly in witless bravado either. Work together with your comrades to take down the enemy. If we do that, we will definitely win.」
「Yes!」「Understood!」
The convinced troops left with their orders. Princess Chamille beside Yatori watched them leave sighed in awe:
「What firm determination. Even amidst the undulating tides, you remained as steady as ever.」
「Some of my men are down from seasickness, so as their Officer Commanding, I have to take the place of the steady land, where they could put their trust in.」
The two of them chatted as they cast their gaze inside the room. A familiar figure was hobbling pass the half open door. As that figure was carrying something that shouldn’t be there on his shoulder, Yatori and the Princess looked at each other:
「… I will be right back, please take care of the men.」
After leaving the rest to her deputy, the vermillion haired girl left the room, with the Princess right behind her. They walked down the corridor briskly, and caught up with that figure walking with a crutch at the stairs leading up to the quarter deck.
「… My eyes didn’t trick me. What are you doing?」
「Oh, Yatori, and the Princess. It is exactly what you are seeing.」
Ikuta answered casually with a hand on his crutch, and another holding a fishing rod that was twice his height for who knows why. Yatori climbed up the stairs with unsteady steps right to where he was staying, and asked mockingly:
「So you can finally get off your bed, and can even practice tearing the enemies’ sails with a fishing hook?」
「I didn’t think of that. Well, since we are so far from the shore, the fish we can catch are very different too, right? So I want to give it a try.」
「On a warship preparing for battle? What impressive passion towards angling.」
「I was surprised that my request was permitted. It seems that catching some fish is better than just idling around in bed.」
They were ushered by cloudy skies when they walked up the stairs. After walking by the rear mast, they stopped at the railings at the back of the ship and the youth put bait onto his hook. The bait was moldy jerky.
「Alright!」
He slowly swing the rod towards the sea after completing this step. The hook and sinker swayed in the air, and the reel by his hand started feeding out line. This was Yatori’s first time seeing this tool, and he said in an impressed tone:
「I was just wondering how you will overcome the distance from the ship deck to the ocean. So you have such a convenient tool.」
「Isn’t that right? I can cast the hook to the position I want, and I don’t need to pull back the fishing line by hand too. Fishermen tools are a treasure trove of inventiveness.」
After adjusting the length of the line, Ikuta sat down. He leaned the rod against the railing and remained still with his eyes on the horizon. Princess Chamille wanted to talk to him, but hesitated. There was a strangely tense aura about this youth.
As the seagulls cries, the girl with flamed colored hair spoke quietly as she looked into the distance too:
「Your plan this time seems to be sending Matthew out to act.」
「That’s right. Thanks to him, I can slack off all I want.」
「It might look that way, but your mind seems to be hard at work.」
The youth kept his peace. A while later, he smiled wryly, as if he had given up.
「… Was it so obvious? I don’t think so, right?」
「It was obvious. Going by your personality, when it’s time to play, you will play hard. You are holding the fishing rod absentmindedly, so I doubt you are really slacking off.」
That’s right─ Ikuta said self mockingly, retracted his left hand from his shaft and raised it up high.
「To be frank, I want to slack off too─ now that I think about it I was overworked in the northern territories.」
「That’s true, that war was hectic. The situation kept changing, and there wasn’t much time to even sleep or eat.」
「Yup. While we were all busy─ I somehow lost a pinky.」
Ikuta reached his left hand that was missing a pinky towards the cloudy sky, and tilted his head as if he was confounded by it.
「I don’t think that was a mistake, but it wasn’t something that I will normally do. After all, it hurts a lot─ even thinking back about it is enough to make me puke. I thought I will die from the pain. If you ask me to do it again now, I won’t be able to do it. However, I did it back then.」
「……」
「How did I managed it back then? ─ I don’t want to admit, but it’s because I’m a hero. When I was in that harsh and cruel battlefield, I subconsciously want to be a hero.」
Ikuta confessed in disgust, and clenched his four fingers.
「『All heroes dies from overwork』 the advice I gave the General of Insomniatic Brilliance is actually a wake up call to myself. Heroes aren’t made from innate talent, but created by circumstances. Powerful foes, people that needed to be protected, and a conviction that must be upheld. If all these conditions are met, anyone can easily become a hero. When the masses wishes for that, the insignificant individual can only fade to the background, and didn’t even understand that it is a trap.」
A strong wind rises. The seated youth shrinked his body, as if he was enduring the strong pressure of the wind.
「A hero being born from a desperate situation that is unavoidable is still understandable… but in most cases, a hero is created because of the laziness and dependencies of others. The Empire is creating many such heroes and pushing them to exhaustion─ so I don’t want this to happen to me, or the people around me.」
The sea breeze eased, and the tensed mouth of the youth relaxed a little.
「That’s why I chose Matthew. He is motivated, refuses to give up and is responsible… but somehow gives the impression of being unreliable, so that’s just right. People might think of him kindly, but won’t become dependent on him. That’s why people around him won’t slack off in the wrong way, or use the wrong method to do their work.」
Yatori nodded slightly. She had about the same expectation for that slightly pudgey youth.
「Matthew doesn’t need to put on a facade of dignity or personal style. Ever since I met him, I had always admired his mediocrity. No matter how many times I see it, the way he gets shaken for the right reasons and continues to grow in a natural way always seems so respectable… But don’t ever say that in his face.」
「Yes, I can imagine how mad he will be… But your mind isn’t slacking off after delegating all this work to Matthew. And that’s because─」
Ikuta cast a serious gaze seawards as he dipped the tip of his rod a little:
「Because our opponent is Kioka… Firstly, we won’t be fighting a stupid admiral, even hoping for mediocrity will be too much. To be honest, compared to Blast cannons, I’m more worried about that. It’s even worse since I don’t have full command authority…」
The vermillion haired girl concurred with the youth’s worries with a tensed face.
「Yes, I know this feeling very well. That dangerous situation against the 『General of Insomniatic Brilliance』 comes to mind─ however…」
Yatori’s tone turned strong towards the end. She took a step forward and grabbed Ikuta’s rod from the side. The rod that was leaning limply on the railing was suddenly raised to the cloudy sky all high and erect.
「Promise me one thing─ if something like cutting off a pinkie comes up again, let me do it next time.」
「─ That’s…」
「And of course, it will be best if no one needs to lose a pinky, but that is inevitable at times. So if something like losing a pinky happens again, let me take one for the team next time. No complaints alright? Because the two of us have to take turns.」
The youth looked right back at the girl with his black eyes. Yatori Shino was smiling like an accomplice:
「When the masses wishes for that, the insignificant individual can only fade to the background─ isn’t that what you said? But if it is just two people, things will be different. Even a gear that would crush any small stone in its way, there is a chance it might stop if two stones are caught in it at the same time.」
They stayed together to avoid losing each other. The resolve that the youth expressed in the past made a round trip and returned to the youth.
「Yatori Shino wishes so, what say you, Ikuta?」
「… I can’t refute that. Because my wish is for you to live a life that you want. That is the one thing that has never changed─ since that day.」
Ikuta answered with a wry smile, and grabbed onto his shaft again─ at this instant, faint footsteps could be heard walking away from behind them.
「─ Your Highness?」
Yatori turned back on reflex, but the Princess standing there was already long gone.
After going from the quarterdeck to the stairs and descending to the level beneath, her feet started to move on their own. The Third Princess spooked several sailors she bumped into along the way, but her heart was a mess, and she couldn’t spare the effort to worry about these things.
「Ah, you are back, Your Highness ─uwah!」
She charge along the corridor and the guest stateroom soon appeared before her, slightly to the right. The Princess head straight passed the guards who were saluting and greeting her, and went straight in.
A bed that was one size larger than the ones used by officers, a desk with ample space and two wicker chairs welcome the mistress of the room. Two windows were situated nearby to better illuminate the room for the guest. In terms of a personal room on a warship, this was the highest class stateroom. However, the Princess had been going around together with the members of the knight corps, so this stateroom assigned for her personal use lack a sense of liveliness.
She shut the door and locked it. After getting her personal space, her last bits of reason finally crumbled. Princess Chamille collapsed onto her bed and started to cry.
「Ughh… Ughh…!」
The pain rippling in the depths of her heart made the girl moan in agony.
─So if something like losing a pinky happens again, let me take one for the team next time─
「… Ah…」
It wouldn’t go away. Even when she cover her ears desperately, the conversation between the two wouldn’t stop repeating.
─No complaints alright? Because the two of us have to take turns─
「… Aah…」
The girl listened to the creak as her heart started twisting and turning, and curled herself into a ball. She looked just like someone who died after getting scorched by the sun.
─Yatori Shino wishes so, what say you, Ikuta─
There was no redemption for her, just like a sinner in hell.
─I can’t refute that. Because my wish is for you to live a life that you want.─
「… Aaahhh…!」
Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik cursed herself as she rolled around in scorching heat. She cursed her own foolishness, uselessness, and incorrigible corruption.
Why was she hoping─ to tear this friendship apart?
Why was she certain─ that she was capable of breaking their bonds.
She knew very well. The souls of Ikuta Solork and Yatori Shino Igsem were bound together and inseparable. There wasn’t any space for others at all. Even just thinking about butting in was so sinful.
Her rational side knew very well that she should stop such delusions, and walk her path of destruction on her own… If her wishes couldn’t come to fruition, then she should just go off to a faraway land, and obediently wait for her solitary end.
「─Ugh!」
…… However.
However… However… She already dreamed about this, and couldn’t suppress her hopes and expectations any more.
Hope that the dark haired youth would walk alongside her, hope the ending that he would wrought, and hope for the completely destructive end.
She also hoped that her final judgement would be done by this youth─ as well as her redemption.
「…… How hideous…」
Tears flowed down her cheeks and stained the sheets. Her words were mixed with sobbings:
「… I am really… hideous…」
The girl reproached herself for her unforgivable sin, and kept weeping motionlessly. Her tears kept flowing and flowing─
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