CH 183

Chapter 183 – Naval Battles as Other People’s Business

I throttled down the hovercraft to reduce the noise of the engines (to a degree to ease my mind), and we moved forward on the surface of the sea for a few minutes. I could now see the island where the battle was taking place and the surrounding area.

However, I had no idea what was going on.

“On the sail of a large ship, there is a mark of some kind, like a winged tribe. McKin-dono, whose ship is that?”

“A red and yellow flag of the Oceanian Women. It is the most powerful fleet of the northern lord.”

The southern lord McKin informed me with a sigh. Looking at the course of the battle, it does not look like the most powerful.

There are two large, stout sailing ships, cruiser gunboats, or something like that. Surrounding them were four high-sided transfer battlecruisers. All of the ships were fully damaged and were all tilted up as if they had been flooded. Only one of the transfer battle cruisers made contact with the enemy. The slashing force of that one ship was also unable to enter the battle due to being shot down, and the casualties were piled on top of each other, just waiting to be annihilated.

It seems that the slow-moving troop landing craft, the flatboats used for landing, could not even join the battle. There seemed to be more than a dozen of them, but they were drifting around aimlessly, with bodies and wounded lying on their half-destroyed decks, their masts were broken, and their oars washed away.

“…To be exact, it used to be the strongest fleet of the Republic, right?”

“I see. And the northern fleet is fighting… huh? Takifu?”

“Yeah. Mir-san, you are correct. But it’s not a firefight; it’s a gunfight.”

The ink-colored hull of the ship seems to blend into the evening darkness. The black-robed marines writhing on the deck of the large sailing ship are most certainly the imperial army. I had never heard of the Imperial Army having a navy, but I had never asked in the first place, so it was only natural. The northeastern part of the continent is Imperial territory or their provisional control area, so it is not surprising that they at least have a maritime force.

The guns lined up on top of the imperial hull are probably the same gunpowder-fired bronze forearm cannons that were once carried by the mounted golem. The old guns, once developed by Rinko and stolen (according to her) and poorly made, are now firing a sparse barrage at the Republic’s northern territory fleet.

…What should we do with this?

“McKin-dono, why are they at war with the Empire?”

“I don’t know. There is no news of war in the southern territories. The only conflict of interest should exist at the trade level…”

“The reasons are not important. It’s a war we have nothing to do with. Shall we leave it alone and move on?”

“No, that’s not possible. Putting aside the Imperial Army, the surviving northern fleet might invade the southern territory.”

“…Hmm. In this situation, you’ve got to be wary of the countrymen. Takifu, McKin-dono wants to avoid any lingering fears. Can you help him?”

I hesitate for a moment and then move the Griffon forward. When I was about 200 meters away, I stowed the imperial ship. Immediately there were screams, splashes, and cheers from the northern fleet.

Unfortunately, you will die here, too.

Continuing on, two Republic gunboats and four transfer battlecruisers were stowed. There, I feel rapid suffocation, bloating, and intense nausea again.

Hurriedly, I open the throttles of the hovercraft and throw the hulls of the seven ships into the air a few hundred meters offshore from where we have moved. Slamming into the water from a drop of several dozen meters, the hulls smashed into each other, crumbling and snapping in a fold.

“Oh…”

“Hey, you okay, Takifu?”

Louis rubbed my back as I opened the window to let the breeze in.  

“O-oh… I’m fine now. Let’s hurry on.”

Some of the soldiers who swam to the island might be able to survive, but they would not have the legs to invade the southern territory. We can’t take care of that much.

Accelerating the hovercraft, we headed north off the coast of the Republic as dusk approached.

“Mir, let me know if you see any obstacles ahead. If we collide with a reef or an island, we will die.”

“In that case, it’s all right, Demon King. North of the eastern territory, the depth of the water suddenly rises. There are no rocks or islands within a mile of the shore. As far as the white waves on your left.”

I relaxed my shoulders in relief at the information from McKin-dono. It would be hard to concentrate if I had to maintain my utmost caution for several hours.

I turn on the headlights just in case, but all I can see is the dark surface of the sea. I look back at Louis and Tig, feeling a little uneasy.

“We’ll be on the lookout too, but no ship rows out to sea at night in the Republic in the winter, right?”

“Yeah. The battle earlier was the result of prolonged fighting, and they did not want a suicidal night battle.”

“Yes. The only thing you need to watch out for is sea monsters.”

Mir-neesan, please stop it. I’m done with those flags and such.

The slight remaining candlelight on the horizon disappeared, and darkness enveloped the hull that almost made me lose my sense of equilibrium. Without a word, we continued onward through the night. The roar of the engines melts into the sound of the waves and becomes less of a distraction, like background noise, detached from our consciousness, almost hypnotic.

“McKin-dono. Your escorting soldiers should also sleep in the back for a while. And everyone else, too; I’ll wake you up when we get closer, so you can rest.”

“Woof.”

In the passenger seat, Myrril and Moff kept me company as I continued to maneuver.

I understood that Snow White Wolf doesn’t need to eat, but doesn’t he also need to sleep?

Moff sniffs around the back of my head, making a huffing and sniffing sound. Oh, you, what are you doing?

“Oh?”

I felt sleepiness and weariness leave me. Hey, you beast, what did you just do⁉︎

“Woof.”

“He seems to be saying something about having sucked out the muddiness of the magic. That is why your head is starting to feel very clear.”

A natural energy supplement? It would be wonderful if it were a way of repaying the favor of sucking out the magic, though… Hey Moff, this isn’t addictive or anything, is it?