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“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.

A ship is a kind of closed space, so there’s no way I could sleep peacefully on a ship operated by Kurans.

“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)

This ship isn’t that big, but it has the cannons used in battles mounted on the deck. It could be lifted with the crane from the port facilities in Shantinion. Now it is secured in the middle of the deck with ropes and bolts. Since there are also gunners on board, it should be possible to fire.

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

“That’s true…” (Yuri)

There are two eagles on this ship for me and Myaro, so our retreat is secured, but there are probably more than ten thousand soldiers over there, and if they shoot thousands of arrows from both sides at once, it won’t even be a matter of taking off.

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

“Yes.” (Myaro)

There are only five requisitioned ships around. When we entered Shantinion, the large ships had already left, so only medium-sized ships were left. Four eagles are on three of them, and the other ships carry soldiers. The eagles were brought in case we had to fight pirates or remnants of the navy along the way, but if we try to bomb Telumur, dragons would appear, so they can’t be used for bombing. The soldiers were brought as a force to become a shield if the dragons appear and seal off the eagles and the regular navy closes in en masse. The only actual offensive capability we have is a single cannon.

“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)

This is the sea, not a river, but in this narrow strait, there is a flow in a certain direction like a river. If fresh water flowing from rivers into the Black Sea only flowed out like a river, the Black Sea would eventually become a freshwater lake, but that’s not what happens. That’s because the difference in salinity is involved. The seawater in the Mediterranean has a higher salinity than the seawater in the Black Sea, which is diluted by the inflow of freshwater. Since seawater is heavier than freshwater, it sinks to the bottom. As a result, the lighter water of the Black Sea slides along the surface and flows out, while the seawater of the Mediterranean creates a reverse flow at the bottom and flows into the Black Sea.

In other words, what is happening in this strait is an exchange of seawater, not a one-way outflow. However, the phenomenon experienced on the ship behaves no differently than that of a river. It is a gentle flow, but if left alone, we would be slowly carried away.

“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.” (??)

I suppose that makes sense. It’s the highest point from the ship’s center of gravity. Ah, that might be why it swayed so much. Sailing ships are made of wood, so they’re heavy, but not as heavy as ships made of iron.

“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.

I don’t think the enemy could salvage something this heavy, but if it were me, I could think of a few ways, so it is still a concern. For example, you could attach strong pulleys to both ends of a large ship, run a thick chain across, attach one side to the cannon underwater, and place a weight on the other side. By doing this, when the weight exceeds the combined weight and frictional resistance of the chain and the cannon, the cannon will float up.

“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!” (??)

The Entak Dragon Kingdom? The name of a country I didn’t expect came up. The Entak Dragon Kingdom is a country with which we’ve built a favorable diplomatic relationship ever since we met the ambassador while on a visit to the Albio Republic and shared drinks with him. Due to the distance, we haven’t established embassies or resident ambassadors, but we have managed to sign a trade agreement.

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

Myaro said the same thing I was thinking.

If they are flying the flag of a friendly country to us, even if we were in a state of furious rage, we obviously couldn’t attack them.

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

Given that their prince was taken, it’s perfectly logical for the Kururuan Dragon Empire to request mediation from the Entak Dragon Kingdom. However, to make this happen, after the prince was taken during the battle in Kurtos, someone would have had to quickly report the news back to the homeland. The Dragon Emperor likely decided to request mediation, then sent an envoy to the Dragon King of Entak, received a reply, and so on. Those are the steps. While not mind-bogglingly slow, it would still require a bit of time.

Moreover, these steps involve messengers traveling long distances back and forth, progressing step by step. Although the two countries are neighbors, their capitals are quite far apart. It has only been about a month since the battle at Kurtos, so it’s strange that the discussions are already settled.

“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)

What Myaro is referring to is semaphore communication, where someone climbs to the top of a tower and waves a flag to signal the next tower. Though a primitive method, the movement of the flags travels at the speed of light, so if trained personnel accurately relay the signals on a clear day, it can transmit information faster than eagles. Even in the Shaalta Kingdom, witches were utilized to quickly know the arrival of ships. It was equipped with a short but well-maintained line between Sibyaku and Eluin at the mouth of the Sibyaku River, and it should still be in use today.

“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)

That was true.

“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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