NOVEL NEXT vol. 4 chapter 20 - Commence Exercise
“Commander Ma’am. It seems the Kingdom of Lepuitari is becoming rather restless.”
“Hmm?”
Eve had been in the middle of developing export product lines for Fortress No. 2, Black Iron, when Ringo came with the report.
“The ground intelligence network picked it up. The Navy’s foreign affairs bureau is conducting secret negotiations with Paraiso, but the contents appear to have leaked.”
“Ohh? That’s troublesome, isn’t it…”
Her tone didn’t sound particularly troubled.
In reality, whether the negotiations leaked or not hardly mattered to Paraiso. If anything, the more confusion the other side fell into, the easier it would be to wring out favorable terms.
From Paraiso’s standpoint, even provoking disorder inside the Kingdom of Lepuitari could be said to their advantage.
“But dragging it out too long wouldn’t be fun either. Will it affect us?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. It is expected that considerable interference will be applied to the treaty conclusion.”
That much was true—Eve had said it herself. Letting the process drag on was hardly interesting. Honestly, she wanted to conclude some treaty quickly and begin trade.
The paramount objective—blocking the sortie of the punitive fleet aimed at Telec Port City—had already been accomplished.
What remained was mop-up: if trade could be opened and various metals imported, The Tree could develop further.
The best outcome now was for the Kingdom of Lepuitari to grow into a full-fledged resource-exporting nation.
“Mm… vested interests are such a nuisance. If only they’d calculate long-term profits properly.”
“Fearing the loss of what one already possesses is a natural human instinct. The problem is that there is no guarantee whatsoever that present profits will continue identically into the future.”
Indeed, if one held vested interests, one should use them as capital for new ventures. Current profit is not guaranteed into the future. At minimum, it requires reinvestment to sustain.
Failing that, clinging to it like the dead to a corpse merely turns it into a hotbed of corruption, eventually decaying and vanishing.
“Well, basically it’s not our concern. The Navy people will just have to do their part.”
In the end, the turmoil was Lepuitari’s alone. Paraiso only had to wait. Some measures would be necessary to ensure they weren’t underestimated, but in essence, their posture was passive.
“Lieutenant Colonel Deck Estainca. This way, please. The only glass windows are here. I regret there are no chairs.”
“No… merely being shown around is a favor. …So this is the bridge?”
“In your terms, yes. However, this is not used in battle.”
“And that is…?”
“There is a Combat Information Center in the central section. This area is lightly armored and unsafe.”
“I… see…”
Given a dry tour of the ship’s interior, Deck Estainca looked about cautiously.
Behind him stood two Paraiso guards armed with rifles, upright. Their presence was less surveillance than simply a matter of protocol.
By this point, Paraiso no longer regarded people of the Kingdom of Lepuitari as threats.
“Palliard Aminas and Rebidel Klinkica appear prepared as well. We will sortie toward the designated sea area. Is that agreeable?”
“Yes… no problem.”
Deck Estainca was guided to the flagship Panas’s bridge, while the other two officers boarded different ships—destroyers slated to conduct most of the gunnery drills.
But the fact that Dry was apprised of their status without any particular communication being visible must have felt strange to him.
Still, he already understood bone-deep the technological gulf separating them from Paraiso.
“Paraiso fleet, departing. Destination: Point Alpha. Commence turn.”
Nine vessels of the Paraiso fleet, centered on flagship Panas, controlled their water-jet thrusters and began pivoting in place.
To the harbor folk accustomed to sailships, it must have looked abnormal, uncanny.
A sailing ship would use tugs to exit the harbor.
Paddle- or screw-driven ships could move under their own power, but usually backed out first.
Never—never—did a vessel spin about on the spot.
“Course clear. No obstructions. Ahead slow.”
In short order, the fleet’s bows faced seaward. Notices had already been issued to all ships regarding the gunnery exercise; any vessel obstructing their path might, in the worst case, be sunk.
No ship dared to attempt obstruction.
“….”
From countless hull slits, Panas vented jets of water, beginning forward motion. The scenery through the bridge windows slid slowly into motion.
Lieutenant Colonel [N O V E L I G H T] Deck Estainca of the Lepuitari Navy watched with a grim face.
As a foreign-affairs officer, he had boarded many ships abroad.
Thus, he noticed Panas’s acceleration—and that of the accompanying Hedgehog-class ships.
Compared to his own navy’s latest battleships:
the acceleration performance, the silence most of all.
The despairing gulf of technology.
“Range to Point Alpha, approx. 15 km. In far units, 9.93 far. Lieutenant Colonel Deck Estainca, the target is at visual distance.”
“With a telescope, it could be confirmed, but…”
Of course, one could not pick out a target buoy 15 km away with the naked eye.
On a normal bridge there would be fixed telescopes, but none were present here.
“Display the telescopic feed.”
Dry nodded and touched the controls.
One of the front glass panes turned white, then projected a magnified image.
“That pane can display telescopic view. With the console here you may shift, zoom in or out.”
“W-what…!”
Deck Estainca was transfixed. Projected there was indeed the prepared target: an aged clipper hull. Its sails removed, a red flag marked it as target vessel.
“Colonel, this way. With this lever you pan, with this wheel you zoom. This button resets to default. Please.”
One of the guards explained the console.
“Aah… so the telescope’s view is being shown on this glass…”
He struggled to understand it. Naturally, the mechanism was unimaginable.
He tried the controls, confirmed the image expanded, and that it truly displayed the distant scene, not some trick.
This device alone carried enormous strategic value. Observation and fall-of-shot spotting could be done unilaterally from well beyond enemy visual range. Unlike telescopes or binoculars, each individual need not squint, and the field of view was far wider.
Most of all—no shaking from the ship’s motion whatsoever.
Deck Estainca knew this problem well from repeated telescope use.
On a swaying deck, keeping focus on a single distant point was a trial. Perhaps a skilled observer could manage, but surely this image was mechanically stabilized.
Because his nation lacked in magic yet excelled in mechanics, he feared Paraiso’s technology all the more.
He could imagine how it worked. Had it been some inexplicable foreign magic-tool, he might have been comforted.
The devices already introduced, the ship’s facilities, and the fact that Fleet Captain Dry=Ringo had even provided simplified theory—Deck Estainca had no choice but to admit it.
This nation, Paraiso, was far ahead.
“Your country’s observation vessel is already in position. Gunnery start time approaches.”
“Understood. The schedule is circulated. Begin at your discretion.”
Dry nodded and faced forward.
“From: Paraiso flagship Panas, Fleet Captain Dry. To: Hedgehog-class, hull number three. Commence Exercise 167 Operation.”
Her words carried through the throat-mounted intercom into the bridge of Hedgehog No. 3.
There, Majors Palliard Aminas and Rebidel Klinkica shuddered to hear Dry’s voice so clearly from a ship not their own—but that was a minor issue.
“Now commence gunnery drill.”
A warning siren blared, signaling live fire.
Exactly ten seconds later, from Hedgehog-class No. 3’s forward Number One main gun, a single shell was fired.