Chapter 337 The Course to the Isolated Country

Chapter 337 The Course to the Isolated Country

The Imperial Prince and Princess found themselves in private quarters shown to them by Admiral de Richebourg and Captain Waldeck. The room was of utilitarian design, devoid of any gilded embellishments and extravagant decorations they were accustomed to. Bare metal walls painted a neutral hue and functional, yet unornamented furniture made it evident that aesthetics were not a priority in this marine sanctum. It was a stark contrast to the luxurious environments of their imperial upbringing.

"Your Highnesses, I trust the accommodations, though simple, will be to your satisfaction," Admiral de Richebourg said with a deferential bow.

"We're not here for luxury, Admiral. This will suit us fine," Francis responded. Daphne nodded in agreement, though her gaze still lingered on the plainness of their surroundings.

"If there is anything that we can do for you, please, don't hesitate to give us a call using this telephone here," Captain Waldeck said in a respectful tone as he pointed to a sturdy, naval-grade telephone affixed to the wall.

Francis nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Captain. We'll be sure to do so. By the way, how many days would it take for us to reach Japanese waters?"

"Approximately eighteen days, Your Highness, depending on the weather and sea conditions, it could add a day or two." Captain Waldeck answered.

"I see, that would be all, gentlemen, thank you for your assistance," Francis replied with a nod, signaling the conclusion of the interaction. Both officers bowed, excusing themselves from the room.

The door clicked shut, and a sudden quietness enveloped the siblings. Daphne's gaze shifted between the unadorned walls and her brother.

"Brother, there's only one bed here," Daphne said.

"Don't worry about that, I'll sleep on the floor," Francis responded, scanning the room for extra bedding materials.

Daphne protested, "It's not proper for an Imperial Prince to sleep on the bed, brother."

"Then would you want to share a bed with your brother?" Francis jested, attempting to lighten the mood, though the formal atmosphere around them made his humor feel out of place. Daphne, not flustered, gave him a stern yet playful look.

"Honestly, brother, as long as you don't do anything weird, I don't see the issue. We've done this before when I was nine years old and we were in Milan.," Daphne reminded him.

Francis's brow lifted, slightly amused yet endeared by Daphne's candor.

"Alright then," Francis agreed. "But if I wake up to you hogging all the blankets like you used to, we'll need to revisit this arrangement."

Daphne chuckled as she walked towards the wall where the telephone was affixed.

"Where are you going," Francis asked.

"I'm going to make sure that my personal maids have their own accommodation on the ship," Daphne said as she picked up the phone and started dialing the service line.

Francis nodded and moved to the window, where he stared out at the vast expanse of the ocean.

"Well, brother," Daphne's voice dropped lower. "Why don't we use this opportunity to show these inferior Eastern nations exactly who the real barbarians are?"

***

July 8th, 1821.

Kaito started his day early, as always. The sky was just beginning to light up, and the waters of Edo Bay were calm. His small fishing boat, along with several others, was already out, hoping for a good catch.

Hiroshi, a young fisherman on Kaito's boat, pointed out towards the horizon. "What's that?" he asked, his tone more curious than alarmed.

Kaito squinted, noticing a distant shadow. At first, he dismissed it, thinking maybe it was just a far-off island. But Hiroshi persisted.

"I've never seen that before. Look, there's more of them."

Now more fishermen began to notice. Several shadows, growing bigger, moved across the horizon. As they approached, the fishermen were able to discern that those weren't islands but—.

"It's a ship!" One of the Japanese fishermen exclaimed.

"There's no way..!" Kaito rubbed his eyes and squinted again, trying to make out the shapes in the distance. The size of the vessels was astonishing; they dwarfed any ship Kaito and his fellow fishermen had ever seen. Panic and awe spread amongst the fishermen as the silhouettes of the ships became clearer.

"There's more than one of them," Hiroshi noted.

The ship that was approaching them was seemingly made of silver steel, it had no mast and its structure was unfamiliar. It was like nothing they had ever seen; it was modern, gigantic, and intimidating. The technology seemed to be far more advanced than anything available in Japan. The fishermen were in awe but also terrified.

"There's more behind it," another fisherman pointed out. Panic started to settle among the group. These were not trading ships; they were warships.

"This is unbelievable, how come that ship is floating in the sea?"

"What's more, how can it sail without sails or oars?" another added.

"Those aren't like any ships from our nation, or even from the Chinese. They're completely different," Kaito remarked.

"We need to warn the town," Hiroshi said urgently. "These aren't merchant vessels; they could be here for something else."

"We must alert the local lord," Kaito added.

"Wait! Look at the flag fluttering in the wind," Hiroshi interrupted, squinting to make out the emblem. Blue, white, and red. After experiencing many visitors from the West, they quickly recognized where those ships belonged to.

"Furansu..."