第８２２堀：お船を出しましょう (Part1)
Chapter 822: Let’s Set Sail
Side: Dressa
*Sigh.* As always, he shows no mercy when it comes to things like this.
I was watching Yuki—who was, at the very least, holding back within the bounds of his own personal "common sense"—right in front of Chancellor Aquamarine.
Well, I understand that they wouldn't have been convinced otherwise, but I can't help but wonder if there wasn't a better way to go about it.
Still, this is a tactic to ensure we have more freedom of movement in the future, isn't it?
I suppose this really is the best path forward.
While I was lost in such thoughts, Chancellor Aquamarine, following Yuki’s lead, began guiding us toward the naval port.
The high-ranking officials who had been casting insolent glares and seemed ready to complain were now looking completely terrified.
...I really do think he went too far.
"This is the naval port."
The port Chancellor Aquamarine led us to looked like a perfectly ordinary naval port to me.
Ah, by "ordinary," I mean the kind I used to see back in my homeland.
The facilities are completely different from the naval port Yuki built.
It’s a shallow-bottomed type where you have to take a smaller boat out to the open sea before boarding a large vessel.
There are a few piers, but they don't extend very far, and every available berth is packed with ships.
The large warships they use resemble the galleons I’ve seen in Earth’s illustrated encyclopedias.
Seeing these ships, I can tell they truly have been venturing out on long-distance voyages.
Just as I was forming these impressions of the port...
"Oh, look! A ship! Big Sister Vili, it’s amazing!"
"Indeed. It is quite a large ship."
Hiiro and Vilia were staring at the warships with sparkling eyes.
I’ve seen enough ships to last a lifetime, so I wouldn't be surprised unless it was one of Yuki’s aircraft carriers.
While we were doing that, Yuki continued the conversation.
"So, you use these warships to defend everything from the open sea to the coastal waters?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"And the monsters are capable of breaking through that armor?"
"No, that is quite rare. Generally, they leap from the surface of the water and jump directly onto the deck. Isn't that right, General Lake?"
"Yes. However, there are many instances where they strike the armor with the same momentum they use to leap onto the deck, so..."
"And that is how the armor gets damaged, then. But based on that, it doesn't seem like they would sink very often, does it?"
He’s right. If they’re basically just trying to board the deck and only hitting the armor when they miss, that shouldn't be enough to cause a sinking.
Ships usually only sink if the hull is breached or if they are rocked so violently that they capsize.
"No, according to those who survived, the monsters seem to have realized that wasn't getting them anywhere, so they started ramming the ships."
"So the armor breaks, and then... that’s troublesome."
What a troublesome type of monster.
If they couldn't board the ship, they decided to just sink it instead.
They’re smarter than I thought.
But wouldn't it be bad if they started specializing in that kind of attack from now on?
Just as I reached that conclusion, Yuki naturally did as well...
"However, if they’ve started acting like that, wouldn't the damage be increasing at an accelerating rate? Or is it limited to just that one school?"
"The damage is increasing, but we have managed to suppress the number of sinkings recently. Ever since we learned they were capable of such behavior, we have tightened our vigilance. Besides, the ships aren't so fragile that they’re destroyed in a single charge."
"Ah, so they aren't that powerful, then."
"Correct. It is dangerous if you keep taking those hits, but even after being attacked once or twice, there is still enough time to respond. That said, if we keep going out on patrol and encountering them repeatedly, we end up having to spend all our time on repairs."
"So, you’re saying that if you remain damaged, you can’t withstand the next battle."
"Yes. That is exactly it."
I see. Even if they can withstand one hit, the damage accumulates with every battle.
They have to repair to compensate, but that means less naval power available, and the remaining ships take damage in turn...
"At this rate, you’re going to be worn down to nothing."
"Yes. Eventually, the repairs won't keep up, and we will lose control of the seas. If that happens, our country will..."
Collapse.
And not just a simple collapse.
If the surrounding nations find out that the navy—the very foundation of the Sea-Cypho Kingdom’s glory as a great power—has been decimated, the lords will surely rise in rebellion one after another.
It wouldn't matter how well the Sea-Cypho Kingdom has governed until now.
For a lord, the lack of guaranteed future safety is a matter of life and death.
There is no need for a liege who cannot protect them.
And in the end, the Sea-Cypho Kingdom will cease to exist.
"To avoid such an outcome, would you please lend us your strength? With your assistance, we would surely not fall behind against the monsters of the sea."
That is what Chancellor Aquamarine and the others said.
It seems that after seeing the scarecrow blown to smithereens, they finally trust us.
The reckless display was worth it.
To that plea, Yuki replied...
"Yes. We came here with that intention from the start. However, we are a group of fewer than twenty people. It would be impossible for us to cover the entire sea area. Do you understand that?"
"Yes. We understand that."
"Then, what was your original plan for countering the sea monsters?"
"As for the original plan—or rather, our policy hasn't changed much. Thanks to your capabilities, I believe we can make it more practical."
"Practical?"
"Yes. The plan was to have mages from Haiden serve as instructors, have them board the ships, and teach magic on-site while repelling the monsters."
I see. That might be efficient.
Though, I’m not sure if magic can be learned in such a short time.
"One of our original goals was to see how effective Haiden’s magic was against the monsters, but after seeing the power you displayed at the training grounds, I am convinced that it is more than enough to repel them."
Well, Kagura’s magic attacks have quite a bit of power, and the only monsters that could survive attacks from Feeria or Deryu are the likes of Steve and his kin.
If monsters of that level were in the sea, the Sea-Cypho military would have lost control of the seas long ago.
Or rather, they would have abandoned the sea and been attacking—no, fleeing—inland.
"You heard that, Kagura?"
"No, the same goes for you, Yuki."
"Of course, that goes for all of us from Weed, Yuki-sama included. What General Lake said about being convinced once he saw it was spot on."
"That’s good to hear. Now then, since you’ve shown us your naval port and your ships, it would be unfair if we didn't show you ours, wouldn't it?"
"Pardon?"
At those words, Chancellor Aquamarine and the elderly men behind him tilted their heads.
Naturally. It doesn't look like we have any ships on us.
Well, we do have *that* inside the Item Box.