Chapter 272: The City Connecting East and West

New chapter of The Demon King is out! (1/2 chapters)I was on a ship under the clear autumn sky. In the distance, Telumur was visible. Since it was from the sea, only the city walls could be seen, but even just looking at the tall and long city walls that stretch on far into the distance, I could tell it was a large and splendid city.

“Alright, wait until the enemy does something.” (Yuri)

I said to the sailors who were conscripted. The ship was requisitioned, but the sailors were the ones hired by the Hou company.

“Do you think they’ll do something?” (Myaro)

Myaro, who was riding with me on the ship, said.

“Well… if they don’t, we’ll just destroy the blockade tower and go back.” (Yuri)

“That’s dangerous. From here on, the strait is too narrow. Arrows from the city walls will reach us.” (Myaro)

“That’s true…” (Yuri)

“Well, let’s go a little further.” (Yuri)

“Yes.” (Myaro)

“If they’re willing to fight, they should start shooting arrows soon.” (Yuri)

The ship is gradually getting closer to the tip of the city walls.

“Ah!” (??)

Something was fired from the tip of the city wall, drew an arc, and fell toward us. It was an arrow. It fell about 50 meters ahead.

“Alright, drop anchor immediately.” (Yuri)

“Are we dropping anchor?” (??)

The captain asked.

“There is a current here. If we get carried away without realizing it, it would be a problem.” (Yuri)

“If it gets dangerous, we can just cut the anchor chain. If it’s just returning to Shantinion from here, we can manage somehow.” (Yuri)

“Understood. —Hey! Drop the anchor!!” (??)

The captain shouted loudly, and the sailors immediately moved to release the chain’s fasteners, and with a rattling sound, the anchor began to drop.

“Gunners! Load the cannon and prepare to fire.” (Yuri)

I shouted loudly and gave the order.

“When the ship stops, measure the distance and aim. The target is the city wall from which they fired the arrows. Aim for a wide area so that we hit somewhere.” (Yuri)

“Yes!!”

Preparations began with the cannon set in the middle of the ship. First, the direction was adjusted, and a cannonball was loaded. Using a simple rangefinder, the approximate distance to the city wall was measured. The elevation angle was adjusted using a calculation chart. It was a somewhat sluggish operation, but we managed to get a decent aim.

“Preparations for firing complete!” (??)

The chief gunner faced me and said this while saluting. The sailors were standing quite far back, watching the cannon.

“Alright, fire.” (Yuri)

“Roger!” (??)

The gunners moved away from the cannon, and the chief gunner pulled the cord. The end of that cord was inside the propellant at the rear of the cannon. When pulled strongly, a tube-shaped ignition device scraped against it, scattering sparks intensely like a lighter, and igniting the propellant. The moment the cord was pulled, the cannon roared.

With a boom, there was a thunderous sound, and at that moment, all the fastenings securing the cannon to the ship’s body came loose, and the ropes that were securing it leapt up like living creatures. Simultaneously, the ship swayed violently toward the stern.

The sway created a tilt on the deck. The heavy cannon, as if forgetting its own weight, began to slide easily. It collided forcefully with the part of the railing on the side of the ship, breaking through the boards.

“……” (Yuri)

Once the commotion settled, a strange silence fell over the ship, as if everyone had held their breath. Everyone was looking at the cannon. The cannon had broken through the bottom two layers of the planks at the most protruding part of its base, but it was somehow being held by the remaining two layers.

“Ouch…” (Myaro)

I heard Myaro’s voice nearby, and when I looked over, I saw Myaro sitting down, possibly having fallen and hit her back during the sway. Because of the noise, my ears were ringing, and I hadn’t noticed.

“Are you alright?” (Yuri)

“…Yes.” (Myaro)

When I extended my hand, Myaro took it and stood up while rubbing her back.

—

After checking for injuries, a roll call was conducted, but aside from one sailor who got a concussion from being hit on the head by a rope, there were no serious injuries.

“Chairman, if possible, I’d like to cut through the planks here and dump this cannon overboard.” (??)

The captain said.

“Can’t we just go back to Shantinion like this?” (Yuri)

“That’s not ideal. The ship’s stability will be compromised, so if we hit rough waves, we could easily capsize.” (??)

The ship didn’t seem in immediate danger of sinking, but the cannon had lodged itself on one side, making it tilt slightly. Judging from his tone, this imbalance seemed like a significant problem for a sailor.

“In the first place, why is it tilting so much? In terms of weight, we should be fine, right?” (Yuri)

I had checked before departure, and there wasn’t an issue with overloading.

“Well, Chairman, heavy cargo is usually stored in the hold at the bottom of the ship. But now, the heaviest thing is at the very edge of the highest deck, so this is what happens.” (??)

“We also unloaded the ballast to balance the weight. If we’re not going to use it anymore because it’s broken, we’d be better off just throwing it away.” (??)

“But it would be a problem if it were salvaged.” (Yuri)

After a quick inspection with the chief gunner earlier, it seemed that the recoil mechanism was damaged from the shock, so I wouldn’t mind disposing of it. However, having it recovered would be a big problem.

“But going back like this is a bit too dangerous.” (??)

“Even if we’re going to dump it, we can’t do it in the strait. It would be too easy to find. Let’s wait until we’re out at sea to dispose of it.” (Yuri)

“Ah, if that’s the case, understood. Well, that should be manageable.” (??)

As the captain readily agreed…

“Ship spotted!” (??)

A sharp voice called out from the lookout atop the mast.

“A white flag is being raised. They’re flying the flag of the Entak Dragon Kingdom!” (??)

“Could they have asked for mediation? I see, that’s a clever move.” (Myaro)

Myaro said the same thing I was thinking.

“However, this is far too quick, no matter how you think about it.” (Yuri)

“I haven’t heard of it, but perhaps there are signal towers connected between the two capitals…? Given the deep, traditional ties between the two countries, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had something like that.” (Myaro)

“Considering the distance, it’s a bit hard to believe, but… well, they’re raising a white flag. We can meet with them and ask then.” (Yuri)

There aren’t any large-scale international treaties or agreements in this world, but the idea of raising the flag of an enemy’s ally just because you don’t want to be attacked is too implausible. It would damage a nation’s prestige, and it’s simply unthinkable. Since they’re flying the national flag, there must be a legitimate government representative from the Entak Dragon Kingdom aboard.

“That’s true. But if we’re going to hold talks on this ship, the state of that cannon is a bit embarrassing.” (Myaro)

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“Captain, quickly bring a cloth or something to cover that up.” (Yuri)

As I gave these instructions and looked out to sea from the bow, I could already see the ship with the white flag in sight. Looking to the right, I could see the city wall that had been destroyed by our cannon fire, partially collapsed.

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