CH 297

Beyond the Mediterranean, we’ll explore the Dark Continent of the South. And to do that, we’ll head west across the ocean. That’s why I’ve been developing navigation skills and the tools necessary for sailing. A large ship can carry a large amount of goods. It should be possible to manage without replenishment for a considerable time.

Plague and scurvy are the most feared. Once an epidemic spreads to an area with no immunity, it becomes a serious problem. But current technology and medicine cannot fight against those diseases. Knowing about the existence of a plague is meaningless if there is no way to cure it.

Those with scurvy still have a chance of recovery. During the Age of Exploration, many sailors died from scurvy. The cause was a lack of vitamin C. Fresh raw vegetables do not survive long voyages. Sailors mainly ate pickles, dried fish, and dried meat, and due to lack of vitamin C, they developed scurvy and feared it as a disease of unknown cause.

I know how it happened, so there’s a way to fix it. The best thing would be to extract vitamin C and make tablets or supplements. If it can be done, it may be the most reliable.

Unfortunately, there is currently no way to extract and process vitamin C. It might be possible, but I don’t know how to do that with my knowledge. I can tell them about the existence of vitamin C, but I don’t know how to extract or process it.

Well, even if it’s difficult to supplement raw vegetables and citrus fruits, you can actively feed foods rich in vitamin C or recommend eating raw fish and other foods.

I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve heard stories about Japanese fishermen who ate raw fish even though they were drifting to uninhabited islands, so they didn’t get scurvy. Whether it’s true or not, vitamin C is heat sensitive and easily destroyed when heated. If raw fish may be effective in terms of preventing scurvy, we’ll feed them it, but it’s going to be a real eye-opener if they catch scurvy anyway. 1

“Exploring the Dark Continent… What are you going to do? Are you going to land from the coast of the Mediterranean?” Schwartz asked.

“No…if we enter the Mediterranean, it will cause unnecessary conflict. Let’s leave the coastal affairs to the coastal nations,” I replied. “We will explore the coast along the Dark Continent without entering the inland sea. There is no need to go inland, at least not yet. First of all, we need to clarify the entire coastline of the Dark Continent… and then we will build a supply base from now on.”

Explore the Dark Continent along the coast to see the big picture of the continent. And… if I’m going to go east or northeast around the southern tip, I’d like to go further than that.

“So what is it you hope to find due West?” Schwartz asked.

“Right now, nothing has been confirmed on the Blish Isles, on this peninsula, or on the west side of the Dark Continent. However, I believe that there is something to be found if we go further,” I said. “I want to confirm that. If there is something… I want to reach there.”

""

Schwartz is excellent, but I have a different perception of things. Should I explain a little more?

“This earth we are standing on is round,” I said. “Isn’t there a way to find out our bearings and current location from the position of the northern star? That’s because this earth is round and spinning. With that in mind… can you get a sense for it now?”

“Hmm…” Schwartz went.

I can’t explain it well to people either, but… I will explain it to Schwartz easily. The navigation that I taught is based on the premise that the earth is round and rotating, changing how you see the stars. So even if you don’t understand it logically, the sailors intuitively understand it… don’t they? No, I don’t know for sure, but…

“If the sea were flat, we could see far ahead. But in reality, we could only see a little further. And the horizon would be slightly curved. That’s because the earth is round,” I said, drawing a diagram. “If you stand on a watchtower or crow’s nest, you can see further ahead. That’s because the higher you look, the farther you can see before the curve gets too steep.”

“Ho~… I see… If you say so, it might be true,” Schwartz said.

When I drew a picture and explained it properly, Schwartz nodded. I don’t know if he really did understand, but I guess there are some parts that he can get, somehow.

“In other words… if you keep going in one direction on this round earth, you’ll eventually come back from the opposite direction,” I said. “If you keep going east, you’ll come from the west, and if you keep going west, you’ll start coming from the east… so if you cross this ocean to the west, you will definitely find yourself somewhere, but you don’t know how far or where it is. This is an expedition to find out just that.”

“…………”

Schwartz is silent. So I have to say that. Because it’s my responsibility to do it…

“I’m sure there’s going to be something, but you can’t know how far it is until you go. I mean… beyond the current ships, cargo capacity, and sailing days,” I said. “We may have to go far. If we can’t find a place to resupply along the way…we won’t be able to return. This is a life-threatening expedition.”

That’s right… this proposal of mine… is the same as saying that it’s a test to see if you’re going to die. I don’t know what will happen if they sail far beyond for however many days. To go to such a place without resupply is the same as saying that if you go beyond the limits of your cargo, you’re going to die.

“Well, it’ll work out somehow, won’t it? If we wanted to, we could catch fish and eat them,” Schwartz said, smiling.

“Schwartz…” I said.

His face is that of a boy full of curiosity.

“Let me tell you now, you can’t go, Schwartz,” I said. “You have so many more responsibilities to do.”

“What!?” Schwartz yelled.

He looks surprised. It’s natural, but… I can’t let my admiral go on an adventure with a high chance of dying. We can’t dispatch important people unless we can at least secure a certain amount of safety.

“All equipment and supplies will be provided by House Caan,” I said. “There is no need to hold back. The important thing is the people who are dispatched.”

The rifle will be finished soon. There is also the cannon. If you go with a fully loaded galleon, you should be able to go a considerable distance safely. I don’t worry too much about them. If there is a problem, it is negotiating with the crew and the captain on the ground.

I don’t know if there’s a new continent in the west, but it’s confirmed that we’re heading south along the Dark Continent. And we have to secure a supply base on the Dark Continent. Then, of course, you will come into contact with the natives.

There were many rogues and criminals in the expeditions that were dispatched during the Age of Exploration on Earth. In other words, people who were sent out with the expectation they won’t be coming back. If such a person comes into contact with the natives in various places, trouble will occur here and there. In fact, the Age of Discovery is full of these conflicts when worlds collide.

I don’t want to overwhelm my opponent or take their land. It’s just taking in a place that currently has no country or owner as our House’s territory. If you try to take over a place where there are already people, it will be a war.

However, it is highly likely that the presence of people means an environment in which people can live, and the absence of people means an environment in which people cannot live. Why do people concentrate on narrow rivers and coasts? This is because they cannot survive in inland areas without water. Hence civilization builds around rivers and coastal areas.

We also want a replenishment base, so it’s inevitable that a place without water would be no good. Well, it can’t be helped, but I want a place where I can resupply to some extent. But as I mentioned earlier, there is a high possibility that people already living in such places.

If we dispatch rogues, there is a high possibility that it will become an unnecessary conflict. Even if I don’t attack from here, there is a possibility that I will be attacked, instead… but the people I dispatch must understand my thoughts, follow my instructions, and be led by them.

They ride a classified galleon ship, are good at handling Caan cannons and rifles, and follow the instructions of House Caan. Only excellent sailors and soldiers can meet such conditions. But I don’t want to send out talented people on such a gamble where they could die.

It doesn’t mean that it’s okay for them to die if they were convicts… but you have to choose the people you dispatch carefully…

“That’s all I have in mind,” I said. “I’m sorry to say this, but… for lack of a word, sent those who can be sent out, and those we can afford to send out.”

An order that is equivalent to telling them to die… still, I can’t help it. Thinking about the future…

“I find it hard to believe I don’t fit those conditions…” Schwartz said.

“Rejected!” I said. “I will never let you go, Schwartz!”

Who will lead the House Caan Merchant Fleet when you’re gone? Even if it’s a joke, I don’t want you to say that.

“Are you so worried about me? Could it be that Your Lordship has a liking of me?” Schwartz joked.

“…………”

Something like this… I feel like it happened just a while ago… If it’s that old man, it’s okay to show him the real me, but I can’t show my true nature to Schwartz. In a way, I’m glad I had the same experience beforehand. If this was the first, I might have dropped all pretenses immediately.

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“If you are gone, Schwartz, there will be no one to manage the House Caan Merchant Fleet. If you are going, Schwartz, it will be as the captain of the ship I’m boarding. First, you must select those who will be the advance party.”

“Well… it’s good to think about the western ocean and the Dark Continent… but first of all, what should we do with the Hermann Sea at our feet?” Schwartz asked.

When I answered seriously without reacting, Schwartz also returned to the topic seriously. And what he says is certainly a problem. If we go around the Blish Isles to the north, we might be able to go out into the open ocean without any conflicts and our movements being undetected. But it’s too long and the resupply becomes more and more difficult.

“I thought that we’d have had the Kingdoms of Hollant or Frasia’s hands on us sooner…” I muttered.

I thought Hollant would move soon after the pirate commotion. But in reality, nothing has happened yet. They may be moving behind the scenes, but they haven’t attacked us directly or declared war.

My plan of going to war with the Kingdom of Hollant and gaining a port there has completely failed. We cannot start a war from here. If a war is waged against the Kingdom of Hollant now, it will also lead to a war with the Kingdom of Frasia, and House Caan and Carruthers will not be able to deal with it immediately in the aftermath of the war with the Kingdom of Polsky.

The Principality of Moscove is also acting suspiciously, and even Polsky may come out to counterattack if they think they have a gap to exploit.

“It’s not too soon to go out on an expedition, but… we need to secure a base in the Hermann Sea first,” I said. “Let’s start with the preparations there.”

“What are you going to do?” Schwartz asked.

I’m sure Schwartz knows it too… I dare to ask… but I have to speak for myself. That’s right. I have to clearly indicate and give the order that it is my responsibility. I couldn’t just do like in some other country, where I couldn’t say the thing I was about to and you should just guess from my face.

“I will establish and unify a country on the Blish Isles,” I said. “I will use that as my base to explore the Western Ocean and the Dark Continent. We will land on the Blish Isles… some time by my next vacation.”

Currently, the Blish Isles is in a state made up of many smaller countries. House Caan will land there and establish a new country. And we’ll unite the Blish Isles. It’s less 5 five months until the next long vacation, but it should be possible just to prepare the ships and soldiers.

It’s not like I’m going to land in 5 months and unify the whole country. It’s just that I’m going to try landing on the ground once myself as the first group during the next long vacation. It’s not like I’m going to start a war right away at that time. Check the local area first. And if possible, secure a base and proceed with the preparations to establish a country.

“By then, we should be able to reinforce the House Caan Merchant Fleet and raise a landing force, is that right?” Schwartz said, checking the map before he gave me a direct serious stare.

I return the gesture and nod at him. “Yes. First, we invade the Blish Isles from here. In the meantime, Schwartz, please proceed with the selection and training of those who will go out on expeditions exploring the Western Ocean and the Dark Continent. I’ll go first to establish a foothold.”

“Sire! I’ll make certain to live up to your expectations!” Schwartz said, bowing dramatically.

Satisfied with him, I handed over the tea to go that Katharina prepared and saw him off.