第８２９堀：海の夜 (Part1)
Chapter 829: Night on the Sea
Side: Kirika
"Everyone, what did you make of Yuki-dono's words earlier?"
The one posing this question is the Queen of the Sea-Cypho Kingdom, Emerald Sea-Cypho. She is the person who held an audience with my Master just a short while ago. Since Master felt she was not to be underestimated, he dispatched me to monitor this meeting.
We had slipped onto the aircraft carrier the moment the Gate connected, blending in with Steve and his group, and then ran across the water to infiltrate the castle. We have already completely mapped out the castle's interior; I am prepared to carry out any mission required. Protecting my Master is, after all, my duty.
"I believe he is trustworthy. While I suspect he still has hidden motives, this is a nation with the technology to produce such incredible ships. Looking at Hayden, Findal, and the Haile Faith, who were also facing similar problems, there don't seem to be any signs of harm. I believe it would be fine to cooperate with them."
That was Chancellor Aquamarine. At first, she seemed to have been deceived by Master's appearance and held some contempt, but the woman I saw earlier—the one who turned pale upon seeing the aircraft carrier—did not seem to hold much wariness anymore. Perhaps, being as intelligent as she is, she understood the disparity in power. It is a good thing, as it led her to speak in favor of Weed in this very room.
"However, Chancellor. Regarding the reports of monster damage, is it not possible that this is a self-directed performance staged by Weed? General Lake, you saw them with your own eyes, did you not? Them controlling the monsters. Is the reason they didn't mention it during the meeting because they have something to hide?"
The one refuting the Chancellor is Prince Louis, who also spoke up on behalf of everyone during the audience. It seems he has taken on the role of the opposition. No one seemed to frown at the Prince's words, so I suppose it is accepted. Still, I find it questionable for an heir to be so openly confrontational with the Queen.
"I understand the Prince's perspective, but if that were the case, there would have been no need to tell us they could control monsters in the first place. It would have been far easier to pretend they had no connection to the monsters."
"Hmm, indeed. If it were a scheme, it would be foolish to intentionally show a connection to the monsters and invite suspicion."
General Lake is correct. If Master had intended to cover his tracks, he would never have left a trail for them to find.
"In the first place, as you can see from that ship, it is a terrifying vessel made entirely of iron. With that, it would be easy for them to destroy our country."
"Indeed, I understand that well. To build such a massive ship without it collapsing under its own weight far exceeds our shipbuilding technology. It is impossible that a nation with such shipbuilding prowess would not have advanced weaponry."
Hmm, this Queen is truly intelligent. Her foresight is excellent. That is precisely why she is difficult to deal with; she is trying to uncover Master's intentions. Well, she won't be able to uncover them, but if she were to somehow hinder Master, I would have to consider how to deal with her.
As I was thinking this, a man in a military uniform, who appeared to be of low standing and not seated at the table, spoke up.
"That is not the case. That ship is simply large. There was nowhere on it that could be used for attacks with guns, bows, or spears."
"Ho. I do not recall giving you permission to speak, Commander of the 5th Fleet."
"My apologies. However, I felt that everyone was being overly fearful, and as a soldier, I could not help but speak."
"Hey, you!! How rude to Her Majesty and the high-ranking officials!!"
"Now, now, Lake. However, it seems your fleet could not keep up with that ship's cruising speed, could it?"
"……That is merely because that ship is fast; it does not mean that speed is useful in combat!!"
……What a complete fool. He knows he was being held back, yet he still insists on posturing. Everyone in the room seems to realize this, casting cold glares at the man calling himself the 5th Fleet Commander. Honestly, I feel sorry for the subordinates of a man like that.
"Hmm. Indeed, it is true that it is meaningless if it is not useful in combat."
"Then!"
"However, they have come all the way from another country, and to cooperate with us at that. It would be rude to turn them away. Therefore, we must see their true strength."
"Your Majesty, that is……"
"Well, it is a necessary expense. We, too, want to know the combat capability of that ship. If it is only vaguely 'strong,' many soldiers like this 5th Fleet Commander will remain unconvinced. They, too, likely want to confirm how much power we hold and how serious we are about dealing with the monsters."
"……I see. If that is your reasoning, I will say nothing. However, I ask that you do not let the lives of our young men be thrown away in vain."
"Hmm, that goes without saying. The more people who know the true strength of Weed, the better. That said, our military will find it hard to cooperate if our comrades are killed. Chancellor."
"Yes."
"Inform Weed of our request for a mock battle, and tell them we wish to avoid unnecessary casualties."
"Understood."
With Chancellor Aquamarine bowing, the meeting for the night was concluded. I immediately headed toward Master's guest room to report the events. There were guards—or rather, soldiers assigned to monitor Weed—but such security could not stop us. I didn't even need to use force to knock them unconscious; I slipped in and out without them even noticing.
"Yo, welcome back, Kirika."
"Yes, I have returned. Master, everyone."
In truth, Master had opened the door to welcome me in. The Sea-Cypho soldiers simply could not find us while we were hidden by optical camouflage. If they had been more attentive, they might have noticed something amiss; they are truly failures as guards.
"Hm? What is it, Kirika?"
"No, I just thought the soldiers were quite inexperienced."
"Ah, well, they aren't exactly keeping optical camouflage in mind, so I suppose it can't be helped."
"Well, it makes our job easier, so I am grateful. Now, here is the report on Queen Emerald's meeting."
"Ah, go ahead."
I immediately explained the outline of the meeting while showing the recording from the call function. Of course, I skipped the trivial details and focused only on the key points and areas of concern.
"A mock battle with the 5th Fleet, huh……"
"To those of us who know, it's a level of 'what kind of foolish thing are they doing' in terms of combat power. But I understand the sentiment."
"Still, it didn't seem like they were unaware of that, either."
"Hmm. It looked like they wanted to try it once just to be convinced."
As Master muttered this, Deryu-sama, Kirue-sama, and Sasari-sama each offered their opinions. I, too, understand the need for a mock battle. The problem is that the gap is so vast that the average soldier cannot grasp it.
"Kirika, what do you think of this mock battle?"
"In my opinion, we should accept it."
"The reason?"
"I believe we should grasp their naval combat capabilities. There is a great difference between being suddenly inconvenienced without knowing what to expect, and dealing with a nuisance that you have already anticipated."
"I see. Since we will be standing side by side, there is no harm in knowing each other's strength. Well, it seems you expect them to be a nuisance, Kirika."