第９６０堀：来訪者 (Part1)
**Chapter 960: The Visitors**
**Side: Hiiro**
"Ugh. Boring."
"Princess Hiiro, you really shouldn't say things like that. You're on duty, after all."
"Nn, I know. But boring is boring. Can Hiiro just sleep like this? Shera-chan?"
"I told you, that’s not allowed. We are on the open ocean, you know? There are monsters out here."
That’s right. Hiiro was currently riding on Shera-chan’s back, out on maritime patrol with her unit.
"Leviathan-san? Was that it? That rotten fish Shera-chan mentioned. It doesn't look like there's anything edible on it..."
"Well, it is rotten, after all. So, if we find any other delicious-looking seafood, we'll capture it. Please, cheer up."
"Poo. It’s finally a job without Vili-onee or Dore-onee around, but it’s so dull."
"Work is usually dull, you know."
It was true that when doing diplomatic work or helping Onii-sama, it was always just paperwork. But back then, Onii-sama was there, so it wasn't a problem. Ah, and with Kagura-onee and the others around for diplomatic duties... well, it wasn't boring.
"...We came to the ocean, yet we're in military uniforms instead of swimsuits. It's not suited for swimming."
"No, no, you know that's not true, right? These are special uniforms made by Narjia-san; they don't sacrifice mobility or defense even in the water."
"...Narjia-onee's recent development direction is strange."
"You shouldn't say that. Besides, that's just how she's always been."
As we were chatting like that and reached the patrol zone...
『Report! Report from the forward reconnaissance unit! We have confirmed a wooden fleet 30 kilometers east-northeast of our current position!』
"Nn! Confirm the number of ships and the flags, then record it. Send the data to headquarters and to Hiiro. Hiiro will contact Dore-onee. Shera-chan and the others, stop your advance. All-around alert!"
"『『Roger!』』"
Following Hiiro's orders, Shera-chan's subordinates immediately began their maneuvers.
"Geez. I wanted to take it easy..."
"Princess Hiiro, you said you were bored just a moment ago."
"Onii-sama said moderate stimulation is good. This is clearly excessive."
A bunch of ships heading our way could only mean trouble. I have to contact Dore-onee first.
"This is Hiiro—not Hiiro, this is Stonefish 1. Dore-onee, can you hear me?"
『This is headquarters. I hear you. And really, you shouldn't say your own name. So, what happened?』
"We confirmed a wooden fleet 30 kilometers east-northeast of Stonefish 1's current location."
『What was that? Whose ships? What is their destination?』
"Still investigating. As soon as we capture the footage, the information will be sent to..."
*Beep.*
Looks like it arrived.
『It's here. Let's see, first let's check the footage.』
"Nn."
Following that, I looked at the footage that had just arrived. Just as reported, five wooden ships were visible. However, the flags they were flying were ones I had never seen before. Actually, I don't really know the countries around these parts to begin with. I figured Dore-onee and the others would know.
"Hey, Dore-onee. Do you know whose flag that is?"
『No. It’s not in my memory... Connect this to Yuki, and have Princess Parphil and the Great Emperor Show confirm it.』
It seems Dore-onee didn't know either and was reaching out to Onii-sama and the others. That was probably the best course of action.
"So, where are those ships aiming for?"
『It's not clear yet, but judging by their heading, they seem to be aiming for Aurelia Port.』
『Can you see any armaments on the exterior of the ships?』
『No. I don't see anything like cannons. There are no ports or windows for cannons, either.』
Nn. They certainly looked like unarmed wooden ships.
『...I see. Hiiro, can you deploy a drone and scout from above? It's too far for us to send out flying monsters from here.』
"I'll try."
Hiiro took a reconnaissance drone out of her Item Box and floated it into the sky. This drone had been modified by Zargis so that real drones could be operated with magic power, and it boasted an operational radius of 100 kilometers. That said, it hadn't had a chance to shine until now, because scouting with flying monsters was usually enough. But this was an emergency. It was a good thing Hiiro had been practicing with the drone alongside Onii-sama. We weren't just playing around back then; we had trained for the possibility of something like this happening.
"Sending the footage."
『OK. I see it.』
First, a rapid ascent. If it went well, the fleet should be visible just from that.
...I saw them.
"Found them immediately. Five ships. I'm going to get closer and take a detailed look."
『Yes, please. I'll check the flags on this end, so don't make a move until you receive orders.』
"Nn. I understand."
With that, Hiiro operated the drone and moved it above the ships. The footage of the decks sent back from the drone was...
"Wow, they're ragged."
"Well, isn't that to be expected for wooden ships? Look, weren't the Sea-Cypho ships like that too?"
"The Sea-Cypho military ships were much cleaner."
"Well, those were military ships. I think those wooden ships are just merchant vessels."
"But some of the people on board look like they're wearing armor."
"Hmm? Oh, you're right."
Looking closely with the zoom lens, there were indeed people wearing armor mixed in with the crew. Wearing armor on the sea sounded like a death wish, but since the ships didn't have cannons, the only way they could fight was to pull alongside and board.
『Hiiro. Can you see the crests on the armor?』
"I'll try."
I maneuvered the drone to focus on a person wearing what looked like very heavy armor.
"Can you see the footage?"
『Yes. That's enough. ...I've figured out the identity of the fleet.』
"Really?"
『Yes. ...Yuki, if you would.』
『Yo, Hiiro. First off, thank you for your vigilance. You found them because you were working hard.』
"Hiiro can do her job properly if it's for Onii-sama!"
"Ow...!"
Shera-chan didn't read the room, so I gave her a little *pash*.
『Anyway, regarding the identity of the fleet, it seems to be a fleet from Haine, the leader of the Zuraburu encirclement and a former imperial faction.』
"Haine? Is that some kind of one-hit-wonder comedian?"
『Hiiro, you shouldn't say that.』
"Sorry. So, how did you know it was Haine?"
『Of course, it's information from Show and Princess Parphil. Since their answers matched, there's no mistake. Still, I'm curious about their objective. What could they possibly be after with only five ships? Moreover, they're merchant ships, not military vessels. Despite that, they're flying flags, so I can't quite grasp their intentions.』
"That's true. If it were five aircraft carriers, it would be a major force, but five tiny wooden ships like that... It's too few to attack, so I wonder what they're after."