Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Hiiro
The cloudy sky entered his field of vision, making Matthew realize that he was lying on his back.
「… Ughh…」
He moved a little, and jolts of pain passed through his entire body. He wasn’t bleeding, but his body was protesting painfully after getting slammed onto the deck. The cannon shot landed near him this time.
「D-Damage report…」
Matthew finally propped up his upper body and looked around him. It was worse than he thought, all the crew gathered at the quarterdeck fell down, and there was a crater in the deck where the ship was hit. The unlucky sailors standing near there were wounded gravely, with some of the limbs on the verge of falling off.
「Damn it… this is bad…」
Matthew listened to the choir of screams and could see that the situation was worse than it appears. The weather that was too terrible for sailing; Naval Commander Higorum and Naval Commander Kutsuchi went down; and now, they were hit for the third time─ the battle was far from over, but the crew’s spirit had almost been broken by this unfortunate series of events.
Matthew understood that because he felt the same too. He didn’t suffer any injury that kept him from standing up, but his arms were weak and knees were heavy. This is it─ he tightly shut his mouth to say such disheartening words, and search desperately for someone he could rely on:
「Po… Naval Lieutenant Polminue, hurry up and take over command, don’t keep quiet! If you don’t restore order now, it will be too late─」
The voice of the pudgy youth waned off at this point:
「…Naval Lieutenant… Polminue…?」
He called out with a trembling voice. However, he couldn’t see Pommy in front of him. Before they were hit, Pommy was standing near the railings at the starboard, but only streaks of fresh blood was left there.
「… It can’t be… Hey, this is a lie, right…?」
Matthew dragged his weak legs as he crawled to the blood stain. At the same time, he searched around frantically, but couldn’t find any signs of Pommy anywhere. That means─
「Ughh…!」
He arrived at the worst conclusion. Matthew forced himself to shelf away that thought and continue crawling:
「Answer me! Naval Lieutenant Polminue! Please tell me you are alright…!」
Matthew reached the blood stain without getting an answer to his pleas. He had checked all the places his eyes could see, and going by the merciless process of elimination, Matthew had to face the possibility that he feared the most. He looked fearfully beyond the railings─ at the rolling waves of the grey sea that threatens to devour everything.
「Pommy…!」
Matthew grabbed onto the railings and search below. He knew that doing so was meaningless, the sea was too violent for anyone to surface in it. The cold reality pierced his heart, and Matthew’s hands gripping the railings tightly suddenly loosened.
「D-Damn it…!」
After stubbornly ignoring his disheartening thoughts, Matthew couldn’t stop himself from groaning anymore─ he was just starting to believe in her! He had just put his faith in her!
「… Damn it…」
A sense of powerlessness struck Matthew, and he remained kneeling on the deck motionlessly. His body felt as heavy as lead, and he didn’t have the strength to even move a finger. Am I going to die here─ this thought that flashed across his mind countless times finally felt real this time and encroach into his senses.
He didn’t have the means or will to defy death, and was already wallowing in despair…
And suddenly─ he heard singing.
「─ The sun rises~ The seagulls sing─」
The crew members raised their head. Numerous gaze searched up high for the figure of the singer.
「─the tide ebbs and rises~ the waves wash ashore. Now is the time to sail─」
The next moment, they saw a mirage on the beam of the main mast. The tall figure stood confidently despite the unstable footings. He wore a tricorne on his head and had a scar on his right cheek.
With a bold smile and the expression of an adventurer that didn’t know fear mesmerized everyone and took their breath away. He was the key stone of the Pirate Navy, an undying legend passed down from sailors to sailors.
「─Board the ship~ Undo the ropes~ Sail forth and never turn back─」
This mass hallucination only lasted for a short time. The crew snapped back to reality, and realized that the person standing there wasn’t so tall that they need to look up at her face, and wasn’t wearing a tricorne. It was just a young girl with reddish blonde hair they were all familiar with. Her left arm was still bleeding, staining the sail below her red.
But she was just like the legend, bearing the same will and singing the same song.
「Boat song of the Windmill Palm…」
Matthew muttered as he looked up at that figure with the rest of the crew.
─ According to legends, this great sailor will sing this song to encourage his friends when they sailed in a storm, was pursued by enemy and when their food was running out.
「─Head to uncharted land~ Sail to the unknown seas~ With limitless dreams in our arms~ and our minds soaring forth─」
He encountered numerous hardship brought about by men and nature during his journey through the seven seas. If they didn’t have this song that symbolized their determinations during their journey, they wouldn’t have made it. Everyone who sent them off thought the same thing─ None would survive the journey.
「─The assault of a storm~ the torment of a drought~ Will death claim me tomorrow?
Not today, I say~ If I was to slumber forever~ It will be under the waters at the far end of the world─」
But after leaving on their journey of no return, they came back. The ship that sailed westwards went around the world, and returned back to their home country from the east. They didn’t reach the far end of the world, as the destination they seek was actually connected to their starting point. The world was actually a closed loop.
After leaving his homeland for so long, he said with a wry smile─ we didn’t find the land of our dreams, and failed to leave this place behind.
「─Raise the sails~ Catch the wind~ The goal of our dream marks the end of our journey─」
After that man left the world, his spirit remained at sea. Many sailors held on the compass and the will to sail towards the far ends of the world.
「─Without any fear~ With no regards to life~ I just want to see~ what lies beyond this ocean─」
Spurred by this song, the crew lying on the quarterdeck of the 「Spearfish」 pulled themselves up. They had to do so, because they were the proud Katjvarna Pirate Navy, the ones who inherited the will of the great Captain Garciev!
「… You awake now!? Good, then get a move on, lads! Prepare for tacking!」
Polminue‧Jurgus yelled from the beam in her capacity as the Captain. This order was like a light that restored morale and order on the dispirited 「Spearfish」.
「… Ha… Haha…! This girl…!」
Feeling blood circulation returned to his limbs, Matthew stood up again. Pommy who confirmed that the morale had returned to the ship climbed down the rope ladder swiftly, then said energetically to the youth waiting for her on the quarterdeck:
「Matthew, sorry for the wait! As per your nomination, I will take over command!」
「Ohh… Right…!」
As her tone was different from before, Matthew felt awkward. He wondered if she had reverted to her ways on the 「Tyrannosaur」 for a moment, but dismiss that thought immediately, sensing that it was different. Her attitude wasn’t tense for the sake of protecting her ego. Her face wasn’t irate, nor was her voice unnecessarily oppressive. Before him was a female pirate who was just being herself.
「You two there! Send the wounded into the cabin! Give priority to Naval Commander Kutsuchi and the serious casualties!」
Pommy gave instructions swiftly as she walked through the quarterdeck. She quickly locked eyes with Naval Lieutenant Paume and Naval Lieutenant Yorin who was standing up near the helm. The two of them were still caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, and Pommy lowered her head without hesitation and pleaded:
「Naval Lieutenant Paume, Naval Lieutenant Yorin… Please lend me your strength. Your aid is necessary to overcome this desperate times.」
「Huh… Ah…?」「No… that’s…」
「Paume, please continue to take the helm, Yorin, can you supervise the sails─ since your training days, you are good at seeing the limits of the sails deployment, correct? With how the wind currently is, I will be counting on you.」
Pommy patted the shoulder of the woman she had a bad history with, and showed a big smile. Yorin’s hostility probably got washed away by that smile, and she ran to her assigned station after a moment’s hesitation.
「… Very good. I will leave the rest to you, Naval Lieutenant Polminue.」
Naval Commander Kutsuchi said these parting words as he was taken away on a stretcher Pommy glance his way and nodded firmly:
「I will do the very best I can─ Paume, hard to port!」
In response to that order, the young officer turned the wheel to the left on reflex. With that tacking maneuver, the Blast cannon ship they were chasing disappeared to their right. Matthew who was grabbing the railings to counter the slanting of the ship asked:
「Hard to port…? If you want to give up the chase and escape downwind, you should be turning right instead, correct? What are you planning to do, Pommy!」
「We are switching targets! We will let our original target go, and pursue the ship that shot at us! From my observations, that is the enemy flag ship!」
The female pirate concluded confidently. During her look out duties all this while, Pommy had been analyzing the enemy. The movement of the vessels, the order they raise their signal flags and send their light messages─ from what she had seen, she determined that one of the eight Blast cannon ships was the enemy flag ship.
「If that’s the flag ship, then the fleet admiral will be there! If we take down that ship, we might end this battle!」
「… I see, got it!」
Matthew didn’t ask for further explanations, and decided to follow her directions. Since he had chosen Pommy to lead them, he won’t interfere with her judgement on navigation. In order to do his best under this circumstances, the pudgy youth started to analyse the situation.
「─They are coming after us? They already took three hits, how tenacious…!」
On the quarterdeck of the Kioka flag ship 「White Wing」, Elulufay noticed the 「Spearfish」 had veered off course widely. That ship was less than a hundred metres away from them. They got so close to avoid hitting their own ship by accident.
「Great Mother! Our allied ship had escaped safely! Let’s flee upwind too!」
「… I want to do that too. But I said many times already, the enemy has the advantage if we sail upwind. With them so close to us, we will be caught even if we attempt to flee.」
Forced to make an immediate decision, Elulufay increased her thinking speed─ and considered the relative position with the enemy, the equipment, ship and crew damage on both sides. After analyzing these conditions, she reached a conclusion:
「… I have decided, we won’t run. We will sail downwind to engage the enemy.」
When he heard the Great Mother’s decision, her deputy felt a chill down his spine:
「A-Are you planning to engage them in a one on one duel?」
「That’s right. We are a Blast cannon ship, our opponent is just a regular vessel─ there’s no reason that we will lose. Luckily, Greg and the others blocked the other enemy ships, so the conditions for our victory are all ready.」
「That might be so… but if anything…!」
「I already said, there won’t be any accidents if I am in command─ ready the cannons!」
「They are coming…!」
Pommy started shaking when she saw the enemy ship turning downwind. It was about 70 percent fear and thirty percent excitement. In any case, there was no doubts that the enemy wished to fight.
Excluding the first time when she suffered a crushing defeat before even knowing what hit her, this was also Pommy’s first one on one encounter against a Blast cannon ship. However, she now has the knowledge and will to do battle with it.
─ Listen up, Pol-chan. There is only one goal when fighting a Blast cannon ship, that is evade the cannon fire and close in at the same time.
That was the advice given by the dark haired youth when she was on the 「Yellow Dragon」. Pommy had been thinking about everything he said all this while, and confirming it with her own experience as a sailor.
─ The Blast cannons are fixed to the side of the ship, so the enemy will try to show their flanks towards us. In this situation, the head on engagement and parallel engagement that are normally used to attack will give them an overwhelming advantage, do you understand?
Two ships sailing parallel to each other would be the best opportunity for the enemy to fire. With that mind, it was possible to deduce with some margin of accuracy when the enemy will fire.
「… Now! Hard to starboard!」「Aye aye!」
The enemy vessel could be seen sailing across the front of the ship about 40m away. Pommy estimated the moment when the enemy would be perpendicular to the 「Spearfish」, and gave the instruction to perform tacking. The movement of the rudder and the mast beam turned the ship the other way─ the next instant, the water on their port side exploded.
「Good, we dodged it…!」
Pommy clenched her fist and savored the feelings of success. Because her guess was spot on, they managed to evade the bombardment and close the distance significantly at the same time─ the next question was, what would their opponent do now?
Since they just fired, the cannons on their starboard would need some time to reload, which would be two and a half minutes at best. Would the enemy vessel maintain its course during this time? Sail upwind? Or maybe move further downwind─ Pommy watched the enemy vessel’s movement closely.
「… It’s maintaining course, alright then!」
If they both keep their speed and bearing, then the 「Spearfish」 will soon close in to the enemy’s diagonal rear. It was obvious that their opponent would want to avoid that, and would probably pull off some trick right before they are caught. They might turn the sails parallel to the wind so they would slow down and sail beside the 「Spearfish」. Or they could set course downwind while they still had a lead, and shoot at the 「Spearfish」 in the midst of their turn.
「If it is the former, we need to tack to the opposite side… And overtake them to seize the upwind position. If it is the latter, we will match the enemy’s turn and ram into their flank. We might get shot at if the timing is off, but our ship’s ram will definitely smash into them…」
They could hold on to the advantage no matter which option was taken. But Pommy realized how naive she was in the next moment.
「─ What…!」
The Kioka ship flung its stern hard before her eyes. By only making the front mast catch the wind and letting the wind through their other sails, the ship’s bow was suddenly turned downwind. The ship’s stern was spun clockwise by the momentum─ Pommy never expected the enemy ship to pull off a 180 turn.
The female pirate felt a chill down her back at this instance. A 180 turn meant that the flank facing the 「Spearfish」 had swapped. So instead of the starboard side that was still reloading, this was the port side that was ready to fire…!
「Hard to starboard!」
Her judgement came at the nick of time. The 「Spearfish」 escaped successfully downwind, with the cannon fire brushing dangerously close to the ship’s stern. And the chilling thing was, this volley was aimed below their waterline, and would deal a mortal blow to the ship if the order was given a few seconds slower.
「What happened just now… Did they lead us on intentionally…?」
The descendent of Jurgus looked at the Kioka ship gradually moving away from their port side with fearful eyes.
「─ To turn downwind at that instance, what impressive judgement.」
When she saw the cannon fire missed the enemy, Elulufay gave due props to the opposing commander. She thought that trap had an eighty percent chance of taking out the enemy, and was impressed by her foe who beat that expectation.
「Did I underestimate the skills of the imperial navy? Or does the credit lies with the observations of the unknown enemy strategist… No, it should be both. Without both conditions, the battle won’t devolve into a close fight like this.」
Elulufay warned herself, she wasn’t taking the enemy lightly anymore.
「But even so, our overwhelming advantage remains unchanged. Our first exchange just now yielded a result of 6 to 4, to our advantage. If we continue this fight, this difference will accumulate. It will be just a matter of time before we win.」
The distance closed in by the enemy were lost because the opposing ship turned downwind to avoid the bombardment. If they repeat the same battle conditions, Elulufay was confident that she wouldn’t lose.
「I acknowledge your skills and wits─ however, you don’t have the blessings of the wind!」
Pii… her pet bird’s caw came from the sky. She heard the message sent by her pet, and issued the next order to the crew.
「─Hah!」
On the Kioka warship 「Ravisher」, Greg’s thrust missed for the upteenth time, and a red figure attempt to flank from the left or right after each failed attempt. But he kept her at bay with the stubborn defence of the tower shield in his left hand.
「Amazing, as expected of the commander!」「You have the advantage, keep it up!」「Avenge our comrades!」
The gruesome looking Marine Commander cursed as he listened to the cheers behind him─ all of you are just shooting your mouth off irresponsibly, you have any idea what kind of monster your boss is fighting against?
「Wooahh!」
The thrust from the saber brushed dangerous close to his palm from the opening that showed during Greg’s blow. Greg felt frustrated as he could feel his opponent’s attack was getting bolder and more precise after each exchange.
「You monster…!」
The cramp space on the ship and the unsteady footings due to bad weather was the norm for Greg who was a marine. He used the combo of spear and tower shield in order to further restrict the enemy’s movement in this cramp space, a tactic he came up with after years of study. All these conditions would maximize the advantage Greg would have─ and since he was still standing here, it had proven effective.
「Watch it, girl!」
Yatori who pulled away had her back to the anchoring platform. Seeing the chance he had been waiting for, Greg charged forth with his shield raised. On his opponent’s right was a pile of rope, and she could only jump to the left to avoid being knocked overboard. Greg realized this and cut off her only escape route, and thrust his spear forth─ However, his two prong attacked missed.
「─Ughh!」
The next instant, a blade slashed down from above. With her left hand on top of the tower shield acting as the pivot, the vermillion haired girl jumped over Greg’s large body with a somersault, and slashed with her saber at the same time. The only thing Greg could do was to pull his hand away from the shield on reflex and roll away.
「Tch…!」
After barely escaping death, he found Yatori pointing her blade at him. Even with one hand holding a weapon, she still managed to land on her feet after a somersault. In contrast with Greg who was sweating profusely, the girl’s breathing wasn’t even ragged.
─She’s not human.
His lips that were split to his ear twitched a little. The unsupported tower shield fell into the sea from the anchoring platform, but now wasn’t the time to care about that. Greg grabbed his spear with both hands and backed away in cold sweat. He tried to turn his pouch towards his opponent nonchalantly─
「I have seen that move before.」
Yatori saw through his move and immediately dash forth. After evading Greg’s instinctive thrust by millimeters, she cut off the pouch from his waist from a low stance.
「What…!」
The pouch made a sound when it fell onto the deck, and Greg’s Wind Sprite partner rolled out of it. When she saw the mini barrel of a wind gun attached to the belly of the wind Sprite, Yatori sighed:
「That must take a lot of effort to prepare… But your movements to aim it is too obvious. And your attention is on your hidden trump card, so your spear moved stiffly.」
「… Ugh!」
「Basically, using range weapon in a duel is a violation of the rules. I’m upset by this development─ I won’t demand the bout to end here, but I won’t show any mercy now.」
Yatori declared as an intimidating pressure was emitted from the tip of her blade. She was implying that she had been holding back and fighting without any intention to kill. Greg felt the urge from the bottom of his guts to laugh dryly.
─That’s right, she never planned to kill me right from the start.
Greg noticed that too. For the vermillion haired girl whose skills overwhelmed his, instead of killing him, it was better for her to defeat and make him yield. The soldiers could still fight after losing their commander, but they would have no choice but to surrender if ordered by their superiors. Yatori never believed that Greg would honor his promise to surrender the entire ship if he lost.
Since she was more powerful than her opponent, she didn’t need to kill him, and opts to make him yield instead. This was the style of the strongest. However, Greg disagree with that─ from another perspective, this pride was no different from arrogance.
「Damn it!」
He kept her at bay with his spear and slowly back away. He retreated slowly to the ship’s bow along the side of the ship as he schemed quietly… for the best and only chance to take out this monster.
─ From the very start, my thinking is the opposite of you.
Greg stopped half way along the way. To his opponent, he must look as if he had been forced into a corner and resolved himself. His trembling hands weren’t an act either, however…
─ The only thing I’m after is to kill you, even if I have to break all the dueling rules!
At this crucial moment, Greg wasn’t bracing himself for death, but resolving himself to kill.
「Fall!」
Greg stamped the deck as he roared. The roar was a signal spurring the three murderous intent above him.
Three of Greg’s crossbowmen were hidden on the beam of the foremast, in the blindspot of the imperial soldiers watching the duel. As the duel started at the stern of the ship, so they weren’t aware of an ambush at the ship’s bow. They took position before the negotiation flag was raised, which was Greg’s real scheme.
─ We did it!
The Marine Commander was certain of it. His men won’t miss at this distance, and their bolts would definitely pierce the enemy. He would attack with his spear while she was stunned, and he thought up all sorts of simulations leading to his victory.
「─ Phew…」
Before Greg’s eyes, Yatori drew her sheathed short sword with her left hand. It’s too late for that now─ Greg mocked her in his mind before witnessing a nightmare at the next moment.
Yatori stepped forth with the blades in her hands cutting the air in a whirlpool pattern. The three bolts aimed at her flew into the path of her swords as if they were drawn in─ and were deflected by the oval path of the blades, falling harmlessly onto the deck.
「─ How can this be─」
She cut down the three bolts just by drawing an oval in the air. The astonishing technique was so beautiful and brought about so much despair that Greg couldn’t help being mesmerized. He then thought about the rumours he dismissed as bullshit in the past. The rumours amongst the men that the Igsem could deflect arrows.
「You are incorrigible, marine!」
Yatori charged forth with that, dodging the spear that was slowed because of shock, coming right up to Greg’s arms. The slash from below cut his face a little, and while her foe was still faltering from the sharp pain, Yatori smashed her hilt into Greg’s jaw.
「Uwah…!」
The sound of his jaw cracking reverberated on the ship, and Greg fell feebly onto his knees because of concussion. The fiery haired swordsman pointed her blade at his eyes, and asked sternly:
「This is your last chance─ do you choose to yield, or to die?」
Her bright red eyes signalled her intentions clearly. Depending on his answer, she might lop his head off on the spot. Greg understood clearly that he was lucky to be alive, and that his luck has run out.
To the east, the battle was still raging on. The 「Spearfish」 and 「White Wing」 continued their to and fro engagement. Elulufay used her impressive seamanship and Blast cannons to ward off Pommy and the others that were trying to dodge the cannon fire and close in. With neither side able to pull off a decisive strike, the one on one battle was starting to heat up.
「To think the Kioka has such a capable sailor…!」
Pommy gave props to the enemy commander. The weather continued to deteriorate, and it was a miracle that they were sailing at all. Controlling the ship in such whimsical winds was as dangerous as walking on thin wire. The enemy vessel was able to pull off stunts from time to time in such terrible conditions, as if they had the blessings of the wind deity.
「We can’t lose! I can see and hear the wind too…!」
Pommy raised the keenness of her five senses to the limit, and read the turbulent wind with her instincts─ the ability to directly understand her environment was undoubtedly an innate talent of a Jurgus descendent.
「Incoming fire! Perform tacking!」
The moment they changed course, splashes erupted at the position they were at moments earlier. Pommy had gotten used to dodging the first barrage while they were still some distance away, but the problem was with the second volley as they close in. Since the enemy was determined to keep their opponent away, it was incredibly difficult to close in and avoid a critical hit at the same time.
「Ugh─」
Pommy shook her head to clear a sudden sense of vertigo. Her left arm that was wounded during the third strike was still bleeding, and posed a serious problem.
「I need to pull myself together! Tis but a scratch…!」
First aid was given and bandages was used to dressed her wounds, but it couldn’t stem the bleeding completely. A few stitches and proper rest was needed to .
A pudgy youth stood some distance away and looked at Pommy who was hiding her discomfort with her strong will:
「She doesn’t look good… she won’t last long.」
Compared to earlier, Pommy’s face look paler and worried Matthew more. Matthew scratched his head violently, realizing that they would lose a drawn out battle.
「We can’t wait the enemy to commit an error, we have to take the initiative to create an opening.」
Matthew already tried to snipe them with the Anti Material Air Rifle. But the enemy had raised their guard, making it hard for him to target the helm, and the wayward wind reduced the precision of the shot. It might be possible for Torway, but the sniper on this ship couldn’t pull it off.
「Damn it! Isn’t there any other target! Anything within our range…?」
Matthew glared at the enemy ship through his telescope to search for a way out. At this moment, his right eye noticed something in the sky.
「What’s that… a bird…? No, a hawk…?」
The white winged bird glided freely in the raging storm. Wild birds wouldn’t take flight in such precarious weather, so that Kioka ship was controlling that bird in some way? Matthew still felt baffled. Why would they do that?
「Wait, a hawk…? Speaking of which, I heard somewhere…」
The drawers in the slightly plump youth’s memory started to creak. He rummaged through his memory from the slight sense of disjointment, and found the relevant data in an unexpected place.
The chronicles of Captain Garciev’s eastern sea adventures that was read to him when he was young. The fourth chapter mentioned that he encountered a foreign tribe on the shore of the eastern continent known as the 「Falconer Tribe」. Instead of Sprites, they had birds as partners, and learned the wisdom of the sky and the wind from them for their entire lives.
「… Could that be it?」
The godlike sailing skills matched the information from his memories. Since Kioka claims to be a multi cultural nation, so this was very plausible. Matthew was convinced that there was merit in this line of thinking.
「It’s worth a try…!」
After making that conclusion, the youth rushed back to the ship’s bow where his men were waiting─ in anycase, he had to try everything that he could!
「All gunners switch targets! Aim for that bird circling above the enemy ship!」
This order with unclear intentions confused the windgunners. But seeing that their commander was serious, they push aside their doubts and execute the order. Twenty odd muzzles pointed towards that bird, and the triggers were squeezed simultaneously.
「They are tight on our tail…! They might be our enemy, but I can respect their persistence!」
Elulufay wasn’t fazed by the rain hitting her cheeks and continued directing the flag ship 「White Wing」. She couldn’t catch the enemy with the cannons, but she refused to give up the advantage of her upwind position.
「I want to continue the race, but I can’t waste more time here. We will decide this in the next exchange─ I’m counting on you, Misai!」
Elulufay raised her gaze to her pet bird above and issued her orders to the crew. The 「White Wing」 changed course, passing by the bow of the enemy’s ship. She plans to win the jostling for position this time and deal a critical blow to the enemy.
Both ships had made plenty of bold maneuvers, but their relative position of being upwind and downwind remained unchanged. On the whole, the 「Spearfish」 was operating under harsher conditions. This difference was clearly showing with its slower speed.
「The enemy isn’t as nimble as before. We can just see what they will do and then react to it.」
Elulufay was convinced that she was just one step away from checkmating her opponent. The movements of both ships were predictable because their speed was about the same. But they were now significantly faster, so the enemy had lost the means to overturn their disadvantage.
「Prepare the cannons on both flanks! We will finish them off right here!」
They were less than 50m from the enemy. Right before it sails into the firing line of the 「White Wing」, the 「Spearfish」 turned again. Unfortunately, their movement was too slow and they failed evading on time. The 「White Wing」 had plenty of leeway to turn the rudder to catch their prey.
「Oh no, danger! Two notches to starboard!」
Pii─ She heard the cry of her pet bird. Elulufay knew that the wind would be changing from that, and ordered the helmsman to turn the rudder. Right after the turn, a violent horizontal wind pass through between the sails.
This movement was only possible because Elulufay Tenerexilla was of the 「Falconer Tribe」. Misai that was circling above the ship could read the changes in the wind accurately and inform its owner. Only Elulufay could differentiate the minute difference of its cries.
No matter how terrible the weather was, the 「Great Mother of White Wings」 wouldn’t be fazed since she possessed such an ability, and could navigate calmly. A long time ago, the man who took her in suggested that she use the skills of the falconer in the military.
「Sail parallel to the enemy ship, with our starboard facing them! The gunports that have the enemy in their sights, open fire─」
The moment she was issuing this order, her pet bird above her cawed. It wasn’t a signal of the changing wind, but the urgency and pitch made it clear that it was a cry of distress.
「─Misai?」
She looked up on reflex, and saw with her own eyes─ a white figure tumbling in the wind as it fell. Her partner since childhood who had been through thick and thin with her was being pulled towards the ocean without any resistance.
「Ugh…!」
As the sail blocked her view midway, Elulufay couldn’t tell if her pet bird really fell into the ocean. She wanted to rush to the bow of the ship from her current position at the stern, but her adjutant stopped her:
「Please wait, Great Mother! There’s enemy movement…!」
That pulled Elulufay back to reality and she looked to the portside. The enemy ship that was almost in line with them had fallen behind in pace. While she was looking away, they used their sails to forcefully slow their advance.
「Oh no, we lost our chance to fire…!」
The Great Mother’s face turned tense when she realized that she missed her opportunity. The enemy forcefully slowing down was just a desperate measure, and if Elulufay dealt with it calmly, she could inflict great damage on them. However, her attention was drawn away at the crucial moment, and she let that chance slip.
「What should we do, Great Mother? Shall we return upwind and try again?」
Even if her adjutant asked her that, Elulufay couldn’t answer immediately like before. She acted without hesitation because she had Misai’s help. But after losing its guidance, sailing from this moment forth would be riddled with risks. Elulufay felt her back drenched in uncomfortable cold sweat.
「Great Mother, your orders please!」
「… Ugh!」
However, she didn’t have time to worry about that now. After a brief moment of thought, Elulufay gave her instructions, feeling like her wings had been clipped mid flight:
「Tacking… No, wearing! Turn the rudder right!」
Fearing that she might misread the wind, the Great Mother became cautious in her judgement. Her bold decisions earlier was like a dream, and this instruction was very passive─ her shortcomings as a sailor under her thick feather coat was being exposed.
「Retract the sails on all masts to the minimum! It’s too dangerous to stay like this─」
The whimsical god of wind didn’t forgive Elulufay’s mistake.
「─What!?」
In that moment when the dark skies was illuminated by lightning, the 「White Wing」 was assailed by strong winds, as if divine retribution had struck them. The ropes snapped without even getting a chance to creak, and two of the sails on the front mast that took the brunt of the wind were torn to pieces and scattered into the air. The destruction happened instantly, and didn’t permit the crews to even protest.
「Uwahhhh!」「Damn it! The main sail and top sail of the front mast are damaged!」
Their admiral listened to the choir of screams all over the ship. Just a whimsical gust of wind dealt incredible damage to the 「White Wing」. Before Elulufay could even take that all in, a bigger threat was approaching from the port side.
「G-Great Mother! Look at that…! A tidal wave!」
She turned and found a wall of seawater taller than her ship approaching slowly. Elulufay was shocked by this menacing threat─ it’s reaching soon!
「H-Hard to portside! Aim the bow of the ship at the tidal wave!」
If they didn’t do anything, the ship would be capsized by the wave. They had to minimize the surface of the ship facing the wave to survive this. No one raised any objections. The helmsman forcefully turned the rudder that had grown stiff because of the drop in speed.
「We have to make it in time...!」
As Elulufay prayed with bated breath, she saw something ludicrous from the corner of her eye.
「─What the...!」
She could only brace herself for impact. The enemy didn’t falter before the threat that forced the Great Mother to turn on the defensive. The 「Spearfish」 cut into the slope from an angle, and surfed on top of the wave!
「Charge!!」
On the ship that was tilted to the limits, the roar of the female pirate echoed through the ship. The crew was moving with a spirit that rivalled hers, but Matthew and his men couldn’t keep up. It took everything they had just to grab the ropes and railings to bear with the fear.
「T-This is insane…!」
It was only natural for his voice to a pitch higher. The 「Spearfish」 that rode on top of the wave was slanting beyond comprehension, with the sea that was supposed to be under them appearing at their side. If they tilt a little more, they will flip over and ground into bits like seaweed and foam. This reckless adventure was at its climax.
「We won’t lose to them!」
In contrast to her face that was turning green, Pommy’s eyes were sparkling. A madness was driving her, and it had spread to all the crew on this ship. Their eyes clearly showed that they had been driven mad by fanaticism, and all showed the same determination─ there is nothing to fear, I have already thrown my life into the sea!
「Ram the enemy! Arghh!」
The ship standing in their course was very near. The enemy vessel was attempting to brace against the huge wave by turning its bow towards it, and spotted the unhinged actions of the 「Spearfish surfing on top of the wave. They started firing immediately, blowing off a protruding beam of the foremast, but that didn’t stop the ship!
The sound of heavy wood clashing erupted. The impact announced the end of the suicidal attack reverberated through the 「Spearfish」. The ship’s ram was embedded deep into the flank of the enemy ship, and a moment later, the wave crashed down on them. The rudder turned the bow of the ship to the wave at the very last moment, stopping the ship from flipping over─ and the two warships were connected through the bow of the 「Spearfish」.
「We caught her…!」
The moment she confirmed that, the tension within Pommy was finally liberated, and her knees buckled. She had kept her consciousness which was fading from anemia with her force of will. As she blacked out, her limbs couldn’t support her body anymore and she collapsed onto the deck.
「Naval Lieutenant Polminue……!」「Send her into the cabin quickly! Medic─!」
The medic immediately rushed out from the stairs. As they lift Pommy on a stretcher, the most she could manage was to shift her gaze to the bow of the ship:
「I leave the rest… to you…」
She could barely eke out a voice, but Pommy felt the youth at the front deck three masts away was nodding.
When Pommy fell down at the quarterdeck, the youth at the other end of the ship was getting up. Before him was the enemy ship connected at the deck. The last remnants of calmness in his mind restrain his anxiousness to charge in right away with his men.
「… Can we win? If we have an all out fight…」
He couldn’t ignore the worry in his heart and looked behind him. The marines that mustered at the front deck was by no means enough. That was only natural as many of them were wounded by the multiple bombardments, and many more were exhausted by the reckless sailing earlier.
「A-Are we going in… Second Lieutenant… Bleghh…」「G-Get up, guys…」「… Bleahh…」
Most of Matthew’s men were in a sorry state. Just vomiting was fine, there were others who couldn’t even stand because of seasickness. Matthew was holding back his nausea with his willpower too, and understood that he was in no condition to fight a melee battle.
「… The enemy can’t be worse off than us. They weren’t hit by cannon fire, and can easily draw on their reserves… Damn it, what should we do!?」
The more he thought about it, the more disadvantageous this fight seemed to be, which made Matthew hug his head in frustration. The enemy had not recovered from the shock yet, but once they find out that our side wasn’t attacking, they would launch a counter offensive. They would seize the initiative and momentum and overrun the 「Spearfish」.
「That might be so… but what other choice do we have!? The enemy is right before us, but we don’t have the numbers, this is hopeless…!」
Matthew’s mind was forced into a corner, and he felt he was going insane. At this moment, he heard a voice pop out from the drawers of his memories:
─「A relaxed war」 is the 「correct way to wage war」!
「─Ah…」
At this moment, his stiff mind loosened to an incredible degree.
「… Is that so? I shouldn’t be restrained like this.」
Matthew muttered to himself, and widened his narrow view─ the goal wasn’t to win a melee battle. That was just a tactical goal, a means to achieve 「victory」. Since this method wouldn’t work, he could just find another way.
They had to win this battle, but they needed to avoid fighting further. What would a commander do to achieve these goals? When Matthew thought about that, the answer sprung right into his mind.
「… Get me the negotiation flag, now!」
The pudgy youth ordered with a strong tone, and his deputy took out a folded flag from his bag and opened it. Another soldier nearby went to get a pole to hoist the flag.
Matthew looked at their preparations from the corner of his eyes, and gave his orders to all the soldiers at the front deck.
「Everyone who can still stand get your uniform and posture in order and follow me! ─ to the enemy ship!」
On the Kioka flag ship 「White Wing」 that was being attacked, Elulufay was desperately rallying her troops who were on the verge of falling into disarray. They had just gotten ready for the imminent enemy boarding attack, which they expect to happen immediately.
「Listen up, lads! The enemy will throw everything they have at us, but we can’t let them get on our ship!」
On the Great Mother’s orders, the gunners that formed a line and aimed their muzzles at the enemy, ready to decimate their foes when they show up. After they made that decision and readied themselves, something unexpected appeared in their field of vision. A flag with vertical red and white stripes hoisted high on a pole.
「Negotiation flag…? Hold your fire! Stand by with your weapons at the ready!」
Great Mother was suspicious of the enemy’s intent, but still decided to see what they had up their sleeves. She instructed her deputy to raise the flag with red and white horizontal stripes that meant 「accept negotiations」, and yelled at the enemy vessel:
「We accept your request to negotiate! You may board our ship with a small number of men!」
After hearing that, the imperial soldiers finally came over from the 「Spearfish」. Their uniform wasn’t that of the navy, but the army. Their commander was a youth who seemed to be in his teens, which surprised Elulufay.
「Erm… Well… I’m the imperial army… No! I-I’m a crew of the imperial warship 『Spearfish』, Second Lieutenant Matthew Tetzirich! I wish to negotiate with your commander as a representative of the 『Spearfish』.」
Even the Great Mother felt surprised by his pale face and stuttering demeanour.
「… I’m the representative of the Kioka warship 『White Wings』, Elulufay Tenerexilla. I accept your request to negotiate. But let me clarify this first, why is an army Second Lieutenant representing your ship?」
「In the battle so far, the Captain and two acting Captains after him had been incapacitated. If anything happens to the other officers left on the ship, there won’t be anyone left to lead the crew. Hence, I have to be the representative.」
Elulufay opened her eyes wide when she heard him admitting how desperate his situation was. His bitter expression showed no trace of any deceit.
「… Noted on your situation. Well then, let’s hear your terms.」
On Elulufay’s urging, the pudgy youth took two deep breath and then answered:
「─First, we stop the fight. Next I hope we can help each other to sail back to port.」
His proposal made all the Kioka soldiers scratch their head bafflingly.
「─ I’m not sure, but are you saying you will surrender? Or are you demanding our surrender?」
「I’m not proposing either. For our two vessels, there is no sense in fighting now.」
The sudden words of enlightenment filled Elulufay with doubts. Matthew continued:
「… It’s dangerous for our damaged ships to stay in such turbulent waves. Your ship must be taking in water after our collision earlier. Further fighting serves no practical purpose, so we should help each other sail back to shore.」
His argument from an unexpected angle made the Great Mother cast her gaze to the sea that was growing ever more treacherous:
「I see, you have a point… However, we can only do that after the battle has been decided. It might be an emergency now, but we won’t allow the enemies that had yet to surrender from entering our port. I will only accept your terms if you surrender your ship.」
「Like I said, that don’t matter anymore…」
Matthew repeated himself adamantly. Feeling that this conversation was getting nowhere, the Great Mother finally lost her patience.
「Of course it matters! After disarming you and sending you to the calm waters in the gulf, we have to continue our naval battle! This battle decides the fate of our fleet, so we can’t let enemies who aren’t prisoners go to our rear!」
In response to the harsh tone of Elulufay’s counterargument, Matthew shook his head with his gaze low:
「That’s what you have gotten wrong─ you have a telescope, right? Use it and look over there.」
The youth pointed downwind, where the Empire and Kioka fleet were fighting chaotically. Elulufay took out a telescope and look in that direction─ a few seconds later, her body turned stiff.
「You get it now? The naval battle is already over.」
「─Ah hahaha! What a bountiful harvest!」
A loud laughter erupted on the imperial flagship 「Yellow Dragon」, which came from a beautiful man─ Admiral Erynphin Jurgus. He looked at the allied ships all around him, and appeared very pleased.
「Danmier, make your report as cheerfully as you can! How’s the situation?」
「… Yes Sir. Aside from the 24 surviving ships, we captured 11 Kioka vessels─ making a total of 35. Compared to the start of the battle, our losses are minimal, Admiral.」
「That’s right! Oh ho ho ho!」
His bellowing laughter turned into cheers of victory, and spread across the raging sea. On the 「Yellow Dragon」 he was sailing on, a fleet of comparable number to before the start of the battle sailed in formation. Two thirds were the surviving vessels of the imperial fleet, while the other third were the Kioka three masts warships. However, all these ships were flying the flags of the imperial navy.
「─Ara, I thought it might work, but the results are better than I expected.」
On the front deck of one of the imperial warship, 「New Moon」, a dark haired youth said with a face of surprise and awe. Suya and his other subordinates behind him concurred.
「Suppressing the enemy ship and seizing control. It sound easy on paper, but is difficult to pull off. They have to subdue the enemy crew and strip them of the ability to resist, then send the appropriate personnel to the various parts of the ship. Personnel that had been trained to operate an enemy vessel that had a different structure and environment.」
「─But for the personnel involved, this isn’t anything special. Suppress meant capture, and from that moment on, that is their property. That is probably their belief from the start.」
Imperial warship 「Rising Sun」, quarterdeck. Beside the Anti Material Air Rifle that was still warm, Torway who had completed his mission was also watching over the fleet.
「The Kioka fleet’s tactic is to ram into us from upwind, and take down our ship with them. Sacrificing one ship to sink one of ours… But that is too naive. Normally, capturing a ship and turning it around for our own use would take several hours of hard work, and our foes probably drew up their plans with that in mind─」
「But the imperial navy pulled it off in a short amount of time, making it a breeze. They are really showing their unique traits of a pirate navy. Another crucial factor is that the 『Yellow Dragon』 can readily supply any shortage of personnel.」
Yatori said to herself as she watched from the bow of the warship 「Fierce Tiger」. Beside her was Greg, whom she kept here as she felt it was 「too dangerous to let him out of her sight」. The Marine Commander who was bound and gagged glared begrudgingly at the girl beside him.
「As the difference in numbers between the two fleets grow, the battle will become easier. The result is an overwhelming victory. Our losses are in no way trivial either… But considering the disadvantage we were at, this is an exemplary result. The battle has already been decided.」
「─ It should be clear to you. You can’t turn the tide of battle with just the Blast cannon ships you have on hand.」
Matthew said in as somber a voice as he could to Elulufay who was looking through her telescope motionlessly. What he was trying to do, was to convince the enemy commander to admit that she had lost.
「There’s no sense in fighting now. It will just lead to unnecessary bloodshed. Too avoid that, the best option is for our ships to sail to port together.」
「……」
「If you insist on fighting, it can’t be helped… We will brace ourselves to trap you here before our allied ships makes it here. It’s obvious that our side is in bad shape, but we can still stall for time. After all, we can minimize the damage to our fleet by stopping you from linking up with the other Blast cannon ships…」
That last part sounded a little slimy, but that was because Matthew wasn’t in the state of mind for sophistry. His nausea and vertigo were despairingly strong, and the agony made him feel that anything was fine now─ that was how he actually felt, so his tone sounded firm and convincing.
「… To think I neglected the big picture while my attention was diverted by you all…」
Elulufay finally put down her telescope and said with a bitter face. It was difficult for Matthew to even hear what she said clearly, but Matthew still squeezed out his almost depleted stamina:
「Ughh… No, this is just consequentialism… Our goal is to suppress the Blast cannon ships, we never thought we would fight a one on one battle against the enemy flagship…」
「You know this is the flagship? When…」
「Our crew figured it out by observing the way the signals are sent… I’m sorry, can we leave the detailed explanation for later? I want to finish the negotiations quickly, as you can see, it is dangerous for the ship in this terrible weather.」
It was clear from his tone and face that the thing in danger was Matthew’s stomach. Elulufay observed the person negotiating with her carefully, and felt her tense nerves relaxing quickly─ After troubling over something she didn’t really understand herself, she sighed:
「─ How sly. You are one of the imperials who killed my beloved children, but for some reason, I don’t wish to vent my anger on you… I even feel that delaying the negotiations any longer will be a mistake on our part.」
The slightly plump youth didn’t have the energy to respond, and just looked at her with a stiff standing posture. The Great Mother of White Wings looked at this youth and apologized to her troops in her heart─ At the same time, she finally admit that her wings couldn’t bring victory to her beloved children.
「─I accept your proposal. I don’t wish to see unnecessary bloodshed either, so let’s work together to sail to port.」
After hearing the enemy commander give the answer he wanted to hear, Matthew wanted to follow the formalities and say:「Thank you for your wise judgement」─ He attempted to say that.
Unfortunately, what came out of his mouth instead was the contents of his stomach that he had been trying to hold back the entire time. For the first time in his life, the youth understood what it felt like to vomit out everything inside him.
Chapter 3: The Shadow by the Side
「─Hey, Midshipman Elulufay. Do I look like someone who likes to meddle in other people’s sex life?」
The sun shining in from the west window made the room look bright and clean. But for the girl in uniform sitting in the chair in the middle of the room, the sunlight made it hard for him to see the face of the man seated before me.
「Maybe a little?」
The girl retorted spitefully. In this room where the light and shadow formed a deep contrast, the man place both hands on the heavy wooden desk and worked stubbornly to unravel several entangled metal rings. The girl was watching him move.
「Let me clear this up. That is a misunderstanding. Depending on the circumstances, I might create, remove, or twist the facts, but I won’t compromise or lie about 『loving freedom more than anyone else』. And of course, that includes the freedom of one’s sex life. If it isn’t detrimental to public order, I have no problem with whatever fetish anyone might have. It’s fine to be very involved in one’s sex life.」
「That will be a big help.」
「Like I said, the precondition is not being detrimental to public order. Unfortunately, an officer cadet bedding whoever she fancies would be detrimental in all sorts of ways.」
Creak… the chair the man was sitting on started to creak. The neatly pressed jacket and pants he was wearing were navy blue, and meshed well with the black leather chair he was leaning back in.
「I don’t think there’s anything wrong with doing that openly in the day.」
「It is necessary to discuss the negative impact an exhibitionist would have on society. However, that isn’t the main point we are talking about today.」
The man stopped fidgeting with his puzzle rings, and looked at the girl.
「I think a girl of your age repeatedly indulging in such sexual acts is a sign of some defect. I hope you can answer honesty without hiding anything. What are you trying to achieve with your contact with those men?」
「……」
「You are smart, at least smart enough to not get addicted to the pleasure of the flesh. I think you are aware of this defect. For example… right─ your yearning for fatherly love that you couldn’t get.」
The man raised a corner of his lips, as if he was saying 「How’s that, I got the right answer, right」? But when he saw the subject tilt her head puzzledly, he quickly reverted back to a serious face and started struggling with his puzzle rings again.
「Don’t worry, my first deduction is usually wrong.」
「If you know that, why are you acting so confident about it?」
「The less confidence you have in your words, the more confident you have to look. This is the basics of a politician, and you will do well to remember that.」
That ridiculous reason made the girl giggle. She looked at the man who continued challenging the puzzle rings during this entire time, then confessed what she really thought after a slight hesitation:
「It’s the complete opposite of your postulation just now… What I want isn’t a father, but a child.」
「Oh?」
「I want a child that is related to me by blood, and devote all my love to that child for the rest of my life.」
「Is it because you want to pass down the skills of the falconer to the next generation?」
「That’s part of the reason. But the main reason is being alone feels too lonely. The people in this nation won’t ostracise me, but they won’t welcome me readily either. There seems to be an insurmountable gulf between each individual, and it feels depressing when I experience it…」
The girl hugged her own shoulders as she said that. At this moment, one segment of the complicated puzzle rings was solved by the man.
「Is that so, you mean living in Kioka feels unpleasant to you?」
The man nodded to show he understands, then grasp his hands together over the puzzle rings:
「I’m glad that you said that honestly and will reflect on it. Since you don’t feel comfortable in this country, I have to share a part of that responsibility too.」
After firmly stating his willingness to take responsibility, he returned his gaze to the girl:
「─ However, before coming up with a plan, let me confirm something first.」
「? What is it?」
「It’s a simple matter. You said you have lots of sex with different men because you want a child. If that is so, you didn’t use any contraceptives, correct?」
「Oh… Yes, I never thought of that.」
「And, when did such a behaviour become a routine in your life?」
「That’s about… three years ago?」
「And the frequency of sexual intercourse? Roughly how many times per month?」
「In a month… Ehh… Let me count…」
Seeing that the fingers in both hands wasn’t enough for her calculation, the man nodded firmly and said: 「I understand.」
「As I suspect, my worry is true. This must be a painful news to you─ no, even if you got pregnant, that will be a difficult situation in another sense.」
「… What are you saying?」
「My medical opinion─ You had frequent sexual intercourse with numerous men over the past three years, but showed no sign of pregnancy. Is that correct?」
「… Yes…」
「If that is so, then regrettably, I have to make this diagnosis─ Midshipman Elulufay, you are infertile. No matter how many men you bed in the future, you probably won’t ever get pregnant.」
The instant she heard this declaration, the girl felt that the foundation of her world had been shook. Another part of the puzzle rings in the man’s hand broke free with a clink.
「… How… How can that be…」
「It must be hard for you to accept this, but at the same time, you don’t think I’m lying. You must be filled with anxiety and doubt, since you aren’t pregnant after so long.」
「……」
「If you wish, I can introduce you to a doctor. But aside from prayers and unorthodox medicine, modern medicine don’t have any means of treating infertility. Until you accept this fact, this diagnosis will probably be repeated to you over and over again.」
The man’s calm words pierced the girl’s heart mercilessly. The only hope she had in her lonely life in a foreign land had been crush, and was gradually crumbling.
As the soul of the girl who had lost her spirit faded into the void, the man spoke again, like a devil seizing the right moment to clinch the deal:
「But Midshipman Elulufay, if you tweak your mindset a little, your wish can be realized easily.」
「… Huh?」
「You just want to devote your feelings to someone, correct? Then, it don’t have to be a child that shares your blood. If it is someone who honestly accepts your feelings and admires you as a mother, that is as good as any other parent and child bond. This will relieve your loneliness too. I think it’s worth a shot.」
「… You want me to adopt orphans?」
「That’s right, aside from your home nation Lao, Kioka also accepted many refugees from the neighboring nations that had fallen. Amongst them are many children who had lost their parents in war.」
「……」
「Do you understand? They are lonely existence just like you, and children that you could care for as a mother.」
The man’s proposal warmly embraced the girl’s heart that was suspended in mid air. Her spirit started pulsing again with the new light she was given.
The puzzle rings in the hands of the smiling man slipped apart with a clink.
「You just need to refrain from your habit of casaul sex, and don’t do anything unnecessary. Continue your training in the naval military academy and endure it for a while more. I will prepare the things you are craving for, it won’t take too long.」
It was almost evening, and the light shining through the window grew more intense. The girl narrowed her eyes because of the sun, and look at the man with pleading eyes. She could see his smile had deepened.
「I promise─ not too far in the future, your beloved children will address you as mother.」
「─Ugh.」
When she heard the footsteps outside the room, Elulufay who was dozing off on a plain wooden chair snapped awake. She focus her mind, then stood up and put on her uniform jacket. When she was done with the buttons, the door happened to be knocked at the same time.
「Enter.」
After she answered, the door was opened quietly and a man entered. His army uniform had the epaulette of a First Lieutenant, a dark haired youth that was much younger than he expected.
「Good morning, Tenerexilla-san. Did you sleep well?」
The Great Mother opened her eyes wide in surprise at his warm greeting. To address the imprisoned enemy commander as 「san」 despite his relative low rank, he was acting too familiar. Elulufay responded calmly despite the surprise in her heart:
「I slept soundly since this was my base in the first place, isn’t that obvious?」
「If that is true, then your sleeping posture must be amazingly still.」
The black haired youth sounded impressed as he looked at the bed in a corner of the windowless room. Elulufay kept quiet as the sheets on the bed was obviously not slept in.
「Not sleeping properly is bad for your skin, and that would be such a pity.」
「That is none of your concern, Imperial soldier. I don’t even know your name.」
Elulufay cast an accusatory gaze at him, and the youth nodded with a smile:
「Pardon me, I’m First Lieutenant Ikuta Solork of the imperial army, this is my luminous sprite Kusu. Please call me Ik-kun.」
Elulufay’s expression stiffen when she heard that name.
「… So you are that hero who gave all sorts of trouble to Jean?」
「I’m honored that you know me, but your impression of me is a little…」
「What other impression are you expecting from us? Speaking of which, I understand now… I can finally accept my defeat. You are the one who lent your wisdom to the imperial navy, which led to my demise, correct?」
「No, I was just slacking off. It’s my comrades who did all the heavy lifting.」
The youth answered with a shrug, then walked deeper into the room and sat down on the bed naturally.
「I wish to speak with you, is that fine?」
「I’m a prisoner and you are the victors. Interrogate me if you will.」
「No, this isn’t about the military, it’s more like my personal interest.」
His black eyes looked straight at the Great Mother’s face without a shred of hostility, and even a hint of closeness. Elulufay couldn’t judge what his intention was.
「Why do the navy sailors address you as 『mother』?」
That was an unexpected question. Elulufay couldn’t tell what that youth was thinking, and answered with her own question:
「… What will you do with that knowledge?」
「I want to know you, Elulufay Tenerexilla-san. That’s my goal.」
The Great Mother held her peace unhappily. She might be a prisoner, but she didn’t have the obligation to devulge her private past too─ sensing that she was closing her heart because of that, Ikuta took the initiative and said:
「About ten years ago, I had a mother. She was the most gentle and kindest woman in the world. If there is still any goodness in my heart, I got most of it from my mother.」
「……」
「That might be why I pay more attention to woman older than me. I just can’t leave a crying woman alone.」
「… Who is the one crying?」
「You are a mother, a mother will cry at the lost of her children.」
The calm words of the youth dealt an unexpected blow to the Great Mother. As if the inside of her tough shell had been hit directly, her lips quivered a little.
「After the conclusion of the naval battle, the captives soldiers all plead for your safety. They didn’t care what happens to them, and only wish that we spare the Great Mother… Normally, it should be the opposite. The men will push the blame to their superiors who gave the orders, and hope to be spared─ that should be the norm.」
「… They… did such a thing…」
「And they will cry for you whenever they can. Thanks to that, we are reaching the limits of keeping you isolated. The guards will probably ask you to help soothe them.」
「If it is possible, please let me do that. I have a responsibility to protect those children.」
Great Mother nodded repeatedly. Ikuta couldn’t bear to see her like this and said:
「…Their skin tone and accent are all slightly different. Most of them lost their family and home country. I suspect that the Kioka fourth fleet were made up mainly of such people. And for you, the 『Great Mother of White Wings』, you are a survivor of the 『Falconer Tribe』 from the fallen nation of Lao.」
「… That is true, our fleet have gathered many people who have lost their homes.」
「I see… This is just like the style of Kioka. They will promote patriotism by saying they are a multicultural country, and at the same time, create a military unit that draws parallel to a family. This exploit the weakness of those who had lost their homes, a brilliant and impressive plan─ but I disagree with the vulgar aesthetics of the one who came up with this idea.」
Ikuta critiques with a bitter expression. When she heard that, the Great Mother felt the heat got into her head:
「… Can you understand the feelings of a woman who can’t bear children!?」
Her shout echoed in the windowless room for a long time. After realizing what she meant, the youth’s face turned stiff:
「Is that the reason…? Why you took on the role of the soldier’s mother?」
「That’s right! That’s exactly it! My womb can’t bear children, and I can’t become a mother in the same way as most people! That’s why I devote all my feelings into my children who admires me like their mother…!」
「This is not scientific!」
The enraged Ikuta stood up with a start. He approached Elulufay with brisk steps, grabbed her shoulders and shook her as he elaborated with a trembling voice:
「Don’t you understand! People will die in a war! The job of the commander is to sell the lives of the soldiers at a high price! If you continue to run the fleet like a family, you will experience the pain of losing your children whenever war breaks out! Because you are their mother, so this heart wrenching pain will…!」
The youth’s agitated tone made Elulufay forget her anger and just stood there in a daze. What was he saying, and why was he so angry─ she couldn’t understand it immediately.
「There is no salvation through this method! The emotions you invested will be lost again, and you just keep accumulating the lamentations and sorrow of a mother losing her child! One day, when you can no longer take this burden, you will be destroyed by this despair! And go down a path that will give you nothing in return…!」
「Ikuta. Calm down, Ikuta.」
On the urging of Kusu in his pouch, the youth came back to his senses and backed away from the Great Mother.
「… I’m sorry for being so agitated. My apologies for my crude behaviour.」
「… Why are you so angry…?」
Elulufay was clearly baffled, and questioned the youth. Ikuta wanted to say something, but kept his peace after realizing one problem─ be it getting her to open up or helping her get over her psychological contradictions, he didn’t have the time right now.
「… When this meaningless war ends, I will come see you again. Please be an obedient prisoner in the meantime.」
Ikuta said with a bitter expression and turned around. He walked to the door with heavy steps, then added something as if that was an afterthought:
「─ Oh right, your pet bird was found by our soldiers, and is nesting at a corner of the 『White Wings』’s gundeck for now. Its wing was hit by a bullet, but the bones are fine. We can’t tell if it can fly again…」
「─You mean Misai! I-Is that true…?」
「You should be able to see him by today. I wanted to bring this up in the beginning, but it ended up being the last thing, sorry about that… Well then, farewell. Please take care of yourself before we meet again.」
The dark haired youth left the room with these words, and closed the door quietly. Elulufay watched him leave with feelings of gladness and confusion. Why did Ikuta Solork visit her? She couldn’t tell till the very end.
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