Chapter 105: Consultation on Espionage
“How is the situation?”
“Yes, Ma’am. There are no particular issues. The fleet is taking a route back to the Northern Islands without entering the visual range of The Tree.”
“Good, good. I was worried about what to do if they came this way, but it seems we can avoid that.”
It had been two years since the fleet, believed to have been dispatched from the militarily occupied Northern Islands, had finally begun to return, albeit with reduced numbers. It had been confirmed through documents found on a previously secured drifting ship that it belonged to this fleet.
“Still, I wonder just how far this fleet has traveled?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Although we had postponed this due to the distance, there is indeed a continent to the south. It is over 6,000 kilometers away, but it is likely they headed in that direction.”
“Wow. It’s impressive that sailing ships can travel such distances… especially without any maps.”
In reality, 6,000 kilometers was not an easy distance for The Tree to cover. While reaching it was not a problem, the issue lay in the horizon, which made communication difficult. Ideally, they would prefer not to dispatch forces over such a distance. Nowadays, if they prepared relay drones along the way, they could cover the range, but the vast, empty ocean made prioritizing the Northern Continent a more sensible choice.
“They must possess some form of navigational technology. Although they primarily rely on wind power, these ships are equipped with some sort of propulsion system. Their sailing capabilities and navigational skills are likely far beyond those of Earth’s sailing vessels.”
“Is that so…?”
Thanks to the detailed investigations conducted by Ringo and Olive on the drifting ship, the technological level could be predicted quite accurately. However, the ship had a patchwork appearance, featuring both rudimentary structures that seemed to be new technologies and more refined designs. It was likely that rapid technological advancements were ongoing. For instance, while the paddle wheel bearings were of poor precision, they utilized ball bearings. Yet, sliding bearings were also discovered onboard, likely due to the low reliability of the bearings. However, according to Ringo, the difficulty level of both ball bearings and sliding bearings was similar, leaving the question of which was the less developed technology unanswered.
“Since this is a good opportunity, let’s deploy a Spy Bot into this fleet. We will monitor them with high-altitude drones for surveillance and power supply, and we’ll attach a submarine (Orca) beneath the flagship. Ultimately, we aim to infiltrate the Kingdom of Repuitari with the Spy Bot.”
“Sounds good. We’ll extend our reach there as well. …Ah, it’s nice to have resources at our disposal.”
Several influential nations around the Afrasia United Kingdom had been identified. First was the Eastern power, the Forest Country (Lebresta), which was currently engaging in territorial annexation against its will. To the west lay the Country of Wheat (Wheatland), a major food production area. To the southwest of the Afrasia United Kingdom, small nations were scattered, but little information was available about them. They seemed to lack significant industry, so there were no plans to approach them.
And further west lay the problematic Kingdom of Repuitari.
The Kingdom of Repuitari was a peninsula state that only bordered Wheatland at its narrowest point of about 60 kilometers, making it surrounded by sea on all sides. It boasted a formidable navy and appeared to be a relatively young nation formed by subduing a peninsula that had been divided into three. Although the original Kingdom of Repuitari had existed for several centuries, it had absorbed two nations without significant issues, likely due to the domestic revolution that occurred during the conquest wars, which eradicated the old power structure. The reset of vested interests resulted in minimal disparities in the conquered regions.
“While there are many immature aspects as a nation, it is a fact that they are effectively governing this vast peninsula. At this point, they are the nation we should be most wary of.”
To the far west, there was a coalition of states united by a single religion. Communication with this group had been sparse from Port Town of Terek, resulting in limited information. However, it was known to be an ambitious religious coalition steadily expanding its influence.
“They are quite far from us. For now, we can afford to observe.”
With Commander Eve’s decision, Ringo had not been overly proactive in gathering information.
However, if they were to establish relations with the Kingdom of Repuitari in the future, gathering intelligence on the religious coalition would likely become necessary.
“The submarine (Orca) will be positioned directly beneath the fleet’s flagship. Power supply will be conducted at night by deploying antennas underwater, effectively granting us unlimited operational range. Yes, our ultimate goal will be to infiltrate the Kingdom of Repuitari and deploy the Spy Bot.”
“Indeed. By the way, what is the status of their anti-air capabilities to the west? I believe we’ve been sending the Solar-powered Scout Aircraft (SWIFT) into their territory occasionally.”
“As of now, we have not detected any interception movements. The recent reconnaissance operation by the Long Range Fighter-1 (Vulture) also showed no notable activity. We assess that they do not possess means of attack that reach up to the altitude of the Forest Country (Lebresta). However, those who are observant may be able to spot us at around 20 kilometers in altitude. The Vulture does produce a considerable engine noise, so frequent flights could raise suspicions.”
“True. I’m starting to wish for a satellite, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer. Let’s take our time with the Kingdom of Repuitari. So, did we learn anything from the Vulture’s flight?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The scanning range was vast, so it took some time to analyze, but it has been completed without issue. To ensure accuracy, I would like to conduct about three more reconnaissance missions, but there is a risk of raising suspicions, so I will consult separately on that. We have obtained aerial photographs and laser measurements of the entire territory of the Kingdom of Repuitari. The accuracy is over 98%. Through image analysis, we can estimate their national power. In particular, we have almost precisely identified their military strength and navy, which are of interest to us.”
What Ringo displayed was a distribution map of the warships surrounding the Kingdom of Repuitari.
“As you can see, the Kingdom of Repuitari is a peninsula state, with only this portion of approximately 60 kilometers wide connecting it to the continent, thus being surrounded by the sea on all sides. Military ports have been constructed in various locations, and many warships are stationed there. Most of them are of the type known as line-of-battle ships, featuring wooden hulls with unarmored cannons. A considerable number of these are deployed. The aerial photographs confirmed a total of 247 line-of-battle ships. Additionally, there are about 50 semi-metallic ships equipped with simple rotating turrets. However, the caliber of their cannons appears to be larger, and they seem to possess aiming capabilities, making their overall combat strength superior to that of the line-of-battle ships. Furthermore, it is likely that these are the main fleet, consisting of eight battleships covered in metal armor and equipped with rotating turrets. Including accompanying vessels, their combat power is expected to be higher than the previously mentioned total of 297 ships.”
“…There seems to be quite a mix of ship types, doesn’t there?”
“Yes, Ma’am. For some reason, it appears that shipbuilding technology has advanced dramatically. In particular, industrialization is progressing around the capital, and many shipyards have been confirmed. They seem to be constructing multiple warships. Based solely on image analysis, there are considerable differences in the capabilities of the eight battleships. It seems they are continuously incorporating new technologies into their construction.”
“I see. Is it akin to an industrial revolution?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It likely is. There are clusters of factories that appear to be ironworks, followed by railroads. A railway network has been established from the northern port city to the industrial area. What is being transported is likely iron ore. The fuel is currently unknown, but since no smoke has been observed, it is presumed that the aforementioned Redstone is being used.”
Redstone is a magical stone that burns with the power of magic, which has recently been mined around Port Town of Terek.
At The Tree, there had been no particular use for it, so research had not progressed. However, it was undoubtedly easier to use than coal, and since there was no need to worry about impurities, it might be ideal for iron production.