When I thought that it would be two days later, Earl Bozes came in the next day, along with 500 soldiers of the Earl .
That was fast! I think that the messenger arrived at around nighttime, but wasn’t that just a few hours ago?
No, more importantly, if you come too early, the food is… .
Eh, the main unit will be arriving shortly?
Stop it ~! (Yamete ~!)
Tell them to head back ~ ~! !
Ah, you have heavy armored troops, is that so…
We don’t have the capability to manage a large number of prisoners for a long time, so why don’t we just transfer them to the Earl’s territory as it is, it’s definitely easier that way .
No? okay then . .
Even if I transfer them to the Kingdom’s Capital, I will not go there any time soon, probably I think most of the captives will be left here .
Because they have to teach me on how to operate a ship .
How to operate the three Yamano naval warships, our very first warships .
And the day after Earl Bozes arrived, the Marquis Icebringer arrived as well .
No, 3 days from the Capital was way too fast! Did you just made the impossible, possible?… .
Eh?…… It’s not part of the Royal Army, but the personal army of the Marquis who was brought in? A Cavalry alone without brute force, a forced march while refueling in the towns and villages on the way?
Didn’t the soldiers tried to stop the forced march, are they really eager to return the favor when I helped defend the Capital? Is that so…… .
For now, please let the soldiers and horses rest .
Eh . . The enemies? I made them all captives…… .
Well~, please don’t be disappointed .
====================
Now then, after the Marquis’ caught with his breath, the latest information is synchronized .
Information about the enemy’s country can be roughly grasped by the information heard from the officers who remained on the ship, the information obtained from the soldiers’ group, and the information by [The Eavesdropping Device] and recorders set up in the officers’ room .
Mitsuha: 「…… So, it seems that the country called the Kingdom of Vanel is a very ordinary aggressive marine nation . 」
Earl: 「Aggressive, is it normal?」
Mitsuha: 「It’s quite normal . [If they are weaker than us, they become colonies, and if they are equal, they become trade partners, if it’s an undeveloped place, then extortion and slave hunting . ] It’s quite normal . 」
「「……」」
Marquis and Earl, got silent .
Marquis: 「So, In the case of our country it’s supposed to be a colonial pattern this time, but it seems that the enemy commanders treated it as an undeveloped land instead, and tried to bring back the treasures and slaves for their triumphant return . 」
Earl: 「They thought of our country as a weak country…」
Marquis: 「A weak country, huh… . 」
「「……」」
Marquis and Earl, got silent again .
The atmosphere here, is quite dark…
Mitsuha: 「Even if the country is weak and the size of the country is small, the people are not weak! It’s only the existence of the ships, guns and cannons!」
Earl: 「They are really big…」
Encouragement, failed…… .
Earl: 「How much time do you think we have?」
Earl asked me that, but it is difficult to answer .
Mitsuha: 「Yea~ well, it should be at least 2-3 years the earliest, or 7 to 8 years the latest, their King would say [until I forget the pain of failure, only then will I send out the next survey fleet] . If we’re lucky, maybe 10 years… . To be honest I cannot predict it at all, Because it involves the political situation and financial situation of the country, and also the political situation with neighboring countries…」
Both Earl and Marquis are thinking about it, with deep wrinkles showing on their forehead .
I suppose I have to quickly put them at ease .
Mitsuha: 「No problem! It’ll be fine! By the time the enemy comes again, our country’s Naval Forces will be prepared and ready for battle!」
Earl & Marquis: 「「The Navy of our country?」」
Oi, your voices overlaps .
Mitsuha: 「E e, we have! There are 3 warship ships anchored offshore . 」
Earl & Marquis: 「「Eh………」」
Again, your voices overlaps .
I explained that, of the 3 warships owned by the country, one-third is for me and the Earl .
We’ll carry out establishing trade routes, in parallel with training and also the profit will be divided into 3 .
The Bozes territory will construct a shipyard and a harbor to build their own warships .
Then the development of weapons which are more powerful than the enemy’s .
Truth to be told, I don’t want to lend a helping hand for the advancement of weapons . But then, this country will be invaded . During the time when both Colette-chan and Sabine-chan are not adults yet .
At that time, what kind of treatment will the young girls get from the invaders…… .
No, no, not good, not good, not good!
Such thing is not acceptable!!
Besides, if you don’t have a gun, you will fight with a sword and if you don’t have a sword, you will fight with a club . It’s not something like the battle and the number of casualties will decrease if the weapon is lost .
There are already guns and cannons in this world . I didn’t brought it here personally .
I didn’t intend to take responsibility for anything that happens after I’m dead, but I want to protect those important to me while I’m still alive .
Earl & Marquis: 「「Eh… . . 」」
The two of you, your voices just keeps overlapping . As expected, you’re good friends .
Earl: 「I have such a right to… . Are you sure about this?」
Marquis: 「Would you let me take a bite of it as well?」 (「私にもひとくち噛ませて貰えんか?」)
Ah, I didn’t get it this time .
As expected of the Marquis, a high-ranking Aristocrat, a good person and also unshakable, huh .
Mitsuha: 「Then, on this side of the Kingdom, [we are in the position to take charge of the navy’s full power], if we asked that, it will most likely be approved . Please do everything on your convenience . 」
Marquis: 「Please leave it to me!」
Yeah, it’s hard to be in charge of the odd nobles for money and concession . With this, I feel relieved if it’s Marquis Icebringer, the trust of the King is also solid, and the rank is quite high .
Mitsuha「Perhaps that ship is a two-line class or less, I will not send out a new ship in such a dangerous gamble, so the ship’s built must be two steps higher or more . Please leave the blueprint design to a shipwright, I think that there is a shipwright or a repair crew within the prisoners of war, so I will look for it . Otherwise, we will have to make do with only our country’s shipwright… 」
In anticipation of the troubles that lies ahead, the Earl tightened his face and nodded .
No, it will prosper rapidly as a military port from now on, it is the birth of a big consumption area .
There will be no way that I’ll miss it .
In addition, I received approvals for various things from the Earl .
Like the development of a road that connects us and the territory of the Bozes .
It is a day on foot with the current road, but if you arrange and pull the rear car with a rudimentary bicycle… .
It won’t get you to the Kingdom’s Capital within 24 hours, but it can take you to the territory of the bozes within a few hours . If its difficult to make a chain, there is also a belt-driven method by using slime as rubber or use a leather or a shaft-driven method, then Randy-san can build it .
Also, permission to use a small vessel for trading that connects our fishing village with the port that will be built in the Bozes territory .
So before building a large ship, let’s build a small high-speed sailing ship in the name of practice .
Why not build a military port in my own territory, you asked?
No, no, first of all, the population is too small, it cannot support the development that will surge .
Besides, I don’t want to see a lot of rough people coming in .
I don’t want to make a lot of profit . (TN: Huh? That’s weird . )
If you can live leisurely with good friends, while not worrying about old age, if you can eat delicious foods everyday, then that’s fine .
If you lose your free time or enjoyable life in exchange for money that you don’t need, then it’s totally pointless .
So, all the things such as, dealing with rough people, deterioration of security, environmental destruction and so on, were all given to the Earl! Since the Earl’s territory is large and the population is huge, you should think about improving the lives of the people by turning the money you made in the military port to other areas, isn’t that right?~ Earl-sama .
Hey, you have to accept some disadvantage from time to time, you know?
Fufufu…
Mitsuha: 「Oh, right, take some prisoners with you, Earl-sama! Marquis-sama! Because we don’t have a building large enough to house them, some of the are even exposed open in the field… . Aside from ordinary soldiers, a sailor is an important person that can teach you how to sail . 」
In the end, the landing group including the commander will be taken by the Marquis back to the kingdom and the others will be taken by the Earl back to the Bozes territory . Since the landing group saw my ability and the submachine gun, it is good that I didn’t mixed them with the other prisoners . Because its necessary for the commander to take responsibility for the war, he will be taken to the kingdom goes underground, but still, I wonder… .
Ah, officially, were still at war with the Kingdom of Vanel, even if the people of the Vanel Kingdom doesn’t know this fact at all .
Everyday he repeats that he cannot understand the words, I have to go back to the Capital, before they get one-sidedly accused with unknown words .
Their days would be lonely .
But that is the circumstances that the idiot insisted himself, so it’s self-inflicted .