CH 64

First, I’m going to Carruzan’s shipbuilder. The shipyard is located near the Dierbe River in the east, but the office is in Carruzan, and except for the actual ship construction, I visited just to talk about future plans and meetings.

Of course, I’m not going to have a full-fledged talk today. First of all, I’d like to discuss the future, so I just went to make an appointment with the shipbuilding guild masters I’m involved with. There are four shipbuilding-related master builders I have to deal with. Each of the three ships I currently own has been individually commissioned from the three master builders, but there is another one that I am indebted to for repairs, modifications, etc., so I have a relationship with four different organizations.

Furthermore, one of the four groups is a Lubek shipbuilder, so I can’t just say, “Let’s meet now.” If you tell them in the morning, they might be able to gather in the evening, but there’s no need to rush that far. So I’ll just contact the four groups of master builders and meet them 3 days later to see if they can come together. If it’s not possible, let’s think about whether to meet again on another day or if it’s impossible, we’ll meet individually.

For the time being, I’m done with the shipbuilding-related business, so I head to Manor Caan. It’s later than usual to enter Manor Caan, but there’s still time… before I meet Mikoto, let’s clear up some paperwork. The documents are sorted into important ones, urgent ones, and ordinary ones, so I sort them out from the urgent ones. Even if it’s only decreasing them, it will become considerably easier later.

I worked hard on the paperwork until the usual time came, but I couldn’t finish everything because I arrived here later than usual. But if I don’t head out soon, I won’t be able to meet Mikoto, so I reluctantly leave my work behind.

I think I’ll get scolded if I throw away my work too much and play around, but… I stopped by the shipbuilding guild today, so it can’t be helped… or at least that’s how I’ll explain it. Those who are waiting for me to finish my work, probably don’t know about my convenience. In the first place, throwing work out to play with Mikoto is out of the question.

But after all, I promised Mikoto, so I want to avoid it today. Because the urgent paperwork is over! With that excuse, I escaped through the window and rushed to Mikoto.

“You’re late! Why am I always the one waiting for you?!” Mikoto snapped.

It was as expected or something like that. When I arrived at the meeting place, Mikoto was angry. The promised time hasn’t even passed yet, but…

“I’m sorry, Mikoto. If you make that kind of expression, your cute face will be ruined,” I said.

For the time being, I lie to Mikoto to stop her from ruining that cute face of her as it’s all scrunched up in anger, but I still poke and pinch her swollen cheeks. But it won’t be ruined. The puffy angry face is also cute. Just don’t forget to take care of her emotions because she can be in a bad mood.

“Hold…!” Mikoto said. “Cute, you said…! You mean me!?”

“…? You’re cute, aren’t you, Mikoto?” I said.

When I poked Mikoto’s soft cheeks and looked into her face, Mikoto was bright red. This is new. I wonder if Mikoto has ever been called cute by the locals at her home.

“You can’t just… says something…” Mikoto said.

“Pardon?” I asked.

Mikoto seems to be mumbling something, but I can’t hear it.

“It’s nothing!” Mikoto yelled. “I’ll teach you some words today, Floto, so be prepared!”

“Fufu, then please, go ahead, Teacher Mikoto,” I said.

When Mikoto is angry like this, I feel it’s when she’s embarrassed. It’s nice. In the past, I didn’t really understand this type of cuteness, but now I do. It’s kind of cute to tease her and imagine her reaction… but despite my wants, I decided to get serious and worry about that later.

“Now then, shall we get started?” I asked.

I couldn’t help myself, took Mikoto’s arm, then sat down with her on the usual stone.

“~~~~!? Wha-?! Wha-?!”

Mikoto stammered, blushing. She’s really innocent and cute. I have a bad feeling about teasing her a little, but I have to be patient. If I go too far and she hates me, there’s no coming back from that.

“What’s wrong, Teacher Mikoto? Shall we hurry up and start?” I asked.

“I-I know that!” Mikoto yelled.

It’s obvious that even if she looks angry, she’s just embarrassed. I was a little mean today, but we had a great time together while learning words and letters from Mikoto’s language.

For the past two days, I’ve been doing paperwork at Manor Caan and meeting Mikoto repeatedly, but I can’t go see Mikoto today. I told Mikoto yesterday, so it’s okay. It’s not like I don’t want to go to Mikoto’s place and made a last-minute cancellation.

Even so, Mikoto’s face when I said I couldn’t go because I had something to do today… she was obviously depressed and looked lonely, but when I pointed that out, she said, ” I can’t be lonely! What are you talking about!?!” and looked angry, but… it’s written on her expression that she’s lonely… so cute…

Even though she’s always so forceful in her words, yesterday she was the last to go home and clutched the sleeve of my clothes… Aah~! So cute! I want to pat her head so badly! She’s cute like a small animal when it’s affectionate. Despite that, it’s that gap that makes her bullish or opposite her true feelings that makes her so cute.

“Miss Flora?” Isabella asked.

“Huh? Ah… shall we head over, then?” I said.

“Yes,” Isabella said.

Her words brought me back to my senses, and I boarded a carriage and headed for Manor Caan. The master shipbuilders are to come to Manor Caan. Other master carpenters also came and had a meeting. The carpenters already belong to House Caan, but the shipbuilders belong to Carruzan and Lubek. If possible, I would like to take this opportunity to invite them into House Caan.

After waiting for a while at Manor Caan, the master builders came one after another. Four guild masters and four master carpenters.

“Thank you for coming all the way here today,” I said. “Well then, I would like to have a meeting right away, but before that, does anyone have anything to say?”

Everyone is already familiar with each other, so there is no leader who looks at me and makes fun of me. The master carpenters are all top-level workers who are involved in the construction of buildings in Caanburg and Cien, and it seems that the carpenter’s guild masters in Carruzan are envious of them because they are doing so well these days.

The territory of House Caan is in the midst of reclamation and there is a construction rush, so there is no interruption in work. I’m rather busy because I don’t have enough hands. Of course, there are other master builders besides these four people, but these four people who seem to be free now have experience in building a shipyard, so I asked them to gather here. I would like to have a meeting with the master builders of the shipbuilding guilds to build a dock in East Caanburg and a shipyard in Cien.

Not only the shipbuilders and carpenters, but all the people who are gathering here and who are involved in the development of House Caan’s territory are all people I’m on good terms with. I’m not very familiar with the other craftsmen and master builders in Carruzan and Lubek.

The reason is simple. Any person who didn’t take me seriously when I first went to ask for their business is no longer dealt with. I only deal with those who take me seriously despite being a child and just a knight. And when the relationship was deepening, I also invited them to belong to work for House Caan.

Other craftsmen in Lubek and Carruzan are jealous of the craftsmen and master builders involved in the development of the Caan territories currently in an economic boom, but they deserve it. I’m not even that kind of generous person. It’s only natural to give preferential treatment to those who have been cooperative from the beginning, rather than humbly lowering your heads and shopping contracts and jobs around even to those who have turned you away when you came to their doors.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s anything to say outright,” I said. “Moving on… we have received the permission to own the ships I applied for.”

“Ooohhhh!” the men cried.

The carpenters weren’t very involved, so they didn’t react very well, but the shipwrights cheered. They made a scale model and did a demonstration test. When they think that the project is given the go-ahead, it’s time to start building for real.

“So, we will build one caravel ship and one carrack ship, which were the vessels being tested. But first, I’d like to build a new shipyard at the dock of East Caanburg and build a large shipyard at the port of Cien, which is to serve as the new shipbuilding base, so what do you all think?”

This means that I’m inviting the shipwrights who are currently affiliated with Carruzan and Lubek to join House Caan. That’s what it means to set up a shipyard in House Caan’s territory.

“I see,” one of the master carpenters said. “So that’s why you’ve brought us all here.”

The rest of them also nodded in understanding. I want the carpenters to build a shipyard. However, it would be meaningless if only the carpenters built a shipyard on their own, so they gathered here.

The shipyard to be built in the future will be a facility that builds new types of ships that have never existed before. Therefore, we have to listen to the shipwrights’ opinions and make it a state-of-the-art shipyard with the necessary scale, facilities, and equipment.

“We would like the Caanburg shipyard to be a relatively small shipyard for vessels smaller than caravel ships, and the Cien shipyard to be a large-scale shipyard capable of building larger ships such as carracks. What are the opinions of those who’ll actually be on the ground?

Caravel boats have a shallow draft and can navigate in shallow waters in many locations. It’s bigger than the previous ships, but it’s relatively small and fast, so navigating the Dierbe River should be easy.

Carracks, on the other hand, are larger and more stable than caravels. The Dierbe River is a large river with deep water, so even carracks can navigate them well, but above all, the strength of the carrack is its stable large-scale transportation. It will be suitable for applications such as large-scale trade via regular shipping routes.

Right now, there is only a route from Carruzan to Cien. However, caravel ships and carrack ships should be of great help when going out to sea from now on.

Above all, it’s stronger and more stable than previous ships, so even if it’s attacked by pirates or ships from other countries, it’s considerably more resistant. You will be able to go to places that were previously too hazardous. Demand will increase and it will become more important in the future.

“I have seen the Caanburg dock, but I have never been to Cien,” someone said. “I know it’s on the coast, but what of its port?”

“We don’t know, either,” another added.

“Right now, it feels like a small docking port,” a third added. “I don’t think it’s the kind of place where you can construct a large shipyard…”

All eyes are on me. I know what they mean. Don’t worry, of course.

“Of course, we will expand from the port,” I said. “We’re not just building shipyards for our current needs. First, in anticipation of vastly increasing our large sea-faring vessels, we will build a large port with breakwaters and deep water.”

“Oooohhhh! That’s incredible!” the men cheer.

It costs a lot of money, but it can’t be helped. This is an absolutely necessary expense if Cien is to develop as a port town. Equipped with a full-fledged breakwater and a deep-water port, it will develop as a large-scale shipbuilding town with many shipyards. I already have a good spot for that. It’s a bit far from the current Cien port, but in that case, construction can proceed in parallel while using the current port.

Also, since the port is away from the sandy beach, there is no impact on the salt fields. The current port will be used by fishermen as a small port for locals. The newly constructed port will play the role of a trade center where large ships come and go.

For river and coastal activities, a caravel boat is more convenient than a large carrack boat because it can turn in a small, fine radius. Caanburg is responsible for the construction and repair of caravels, as well as ensuring that cargo from the Dierbe River can be landed and transported smoothly. By clarifying the division of roles, we aim to prevent wasteful investment and achieve mutual benefits.

Such discussions were held and we actually visited the site. A highway runs from Caanburg to the dock, so it’s easy to get there by horse-drawn carriage. There is a boat from the dock to Cien, so if you get on it, you won’t have to worry about getting around.

I brought carpenters and shipwrights to the place where I had my eye on Cien’s planned construction site, and also considered the actual operation and added reworks to the blueprints. Basically, it was just my plan and only some reworking was done. After that, gather civil engineers and build facilities including a port and a shipyard. And after that, the shipwrights will finally start building a new ship.

The initial cost and investment will be huge. Just thinking about how to raise the funds is a headache, but I have secured the funds, so there’s no worry. And when these are completed, both Caanburg and Cien will develop greatly as port towns equipped with the latest facilities. My dreams just keep getting bigger.