Chapter 113: Navigating with Caution to Shake Off the Pursuers
“Damn it! We can’t catch up! What speed is that?!”
“How many ships are there?! I can see at least six!”
“Set the sails! Hey, you slackers, don’t loosen the ropes!! Move it!”
“Number six and seven, give it your all! Catch the wind! Pull, pull!!”
The crew of the patrol boat was in a frenzy. Although it was a frigate sailing ship known for its speed, catching up to a powered vessel was impossible. Even with a tailwind, it would be difficult, and right now, the wind direction was particularly unfavorable.
Meanwhile, a small insect clung to the ship’s railing, observing the chaos intently.
“What a commotion.”
“Yes, Commander. With this level of distraction, the bots can infiltrate unnoticed. It’s a rare opportunity to gather on-site intelligence.”
A spy bot had been dispatched to one of the patrol boats using the Orca submarine. They were currently watching the video and audio feed being transmitted from it.
“The speed of sailing ships has its limits. If the wind direction is poor, speed is naturally compromised, and if there is no wind at all, they cannot move. To address this, the development of paddle steamers is underway, and a transition to screw propulsion is currently in progress. However, at the grassroots level, sailing ships remain the mainstream. It seems that technological advancement is leaping ahead rather dramatically. That said, it’s not so isolated as to be unnatural.”
“Ah, you mentioned that before. So, the investigation in that area hasn’t progressed, has it?”
“Yes, Commander. I apologize. Due to the uncertain location of the research facility, information gathering has stalled. It is likely hidden in the outskirts. If we could obtain aerial photographs a few times, we might be able to analyze them, but for now, it remains unclear.”
“…It feels off, doesn’t it? For a civilization at this level, it’s unnatural to allocate so much effort toward counterintelligence.”
As they conversed, the patrol boat that had given up on catching up was steadily drifting away.
“Due to the influence of magic, there are sporadic leaps in technology. The stagnation in coal usage is likely due to the impact of Redstone. What’s puzzling is that there has been some progress in electrical technology. It seems as if they are trying to create light bulbs from the outset, indicating a leap in development. It’s more likely that foundational technological research is being conducted elsewhere.”
“True… For us to be considered anomalies, it’s too limited, so we should keep observing.”
“Yes, Commander. We will continue our investigation.”
The coastal command centers, alerted by messenger pigeons from the patrol boats, were thrown into chaos. A fleet of ships, clearly powered vessels, was sailing without their sails raised. Even from a distance, one could see rotating turrets, large cannon barrels, and several protrusions of unknown purpose. There were no crew members visible on deck, yet they were sailing at astonishing speeds while maintaining formation. Ignoring the patrol boats, they took a route that circled the coast of the Kingdom of Repuitari. This was a foreign fleet they had never encountered before.
Naturally, the command center immediately began relaying information. Messenger pigeons were expensive, but the speed of information transmission was worth more than gold. The pigeons were dispatched to the coastal military ports and the naval command in the capital, Moar. The alchemically treated messenger pigeons could travel up to 800 kilometers in a day. In half a day, they would deliver the information to the command center.
However, the problem was…
“Their speed is too fast… By my estimate, it’s several times ours.”
“Colonel, that means they might be faster than our paddle steamers.”
Currently, the Lafret Sea was relatively calm, not allowing for maximum speed. Yet, the report from the patrol boat’s captain indicated that the unidentified fleet was moving far too quickly.
“We won’t know for sure until we actually compete… As soon as we receive further reports, send out the messenger pigeons immediately. For now, there seems to be no signs of attack, but the fact that they passed by here means they might have figured out the location of the capital.”
“That… understood.”
Military Port Carmora. The westernmost port of the Kingdom of Repuitari, tasked with monitoring the Kalmora Strait before them. It operated a massive lighthouse and had numerous warships docked. It was hard to believe that an unknown fleet would deliberately ignore this port. Even if the port was not visible, the lighthouse should be detectable. If they were ignoring the patrol boats, it was clear that they were underestimating their strength.
“However, if it were a military invasion, they wouldn’t just pass by… If we leave them be, we will surely be caught in a pincer attack. If they were to attack, they would definitely start by taking out the outer ports.”
That said, it wasn’t necessarily a wrong tactic to aim for the capital first. There was a significant possibility that this fleet was a vanguard, with the main force following behind. In any case, the decision would rest with the central command. The only preparation that could be made at this military port was to ensure that the ships were ready to depart at a moment’s notice.
“If it’s quick, we might receive the order to sortie by tomorrow. Be prepared.”
“Understood.”
As if monitoring the situation at each military port was a matter of course, Ringo observed the progress of the operation. Messenger pigeons scattered across various locations via communication hubs established in each city. Compared to the Afrasia United Kingdom, their transmission speed was astonishing. Setting aside the issue of poor comparison, this communication method was the backbone supporting the Kingdom of Repuitari. Naturally, both the leadership and military utilized it, as did major commercial companies in the civilian sector. The use of promissory notes was also developing into a nationwide banking system. The Kingdom of Repuitari was on the fast track to modernization from this point onward. Since technological advancement leaned toward science, it was easy for Ringo to predict this. At this rate, within the next 200 years, rudimentary information processing devices would emerge.
Well, in 200 years, The Tree would likely be venturing beyond the star system.
“Commander, report. In about 30 minutes, the capital Moar’s great lighthouse will come into the flagship Panas’s visual range. From here, we will transition to control by the local strategic AI. The flagship Panas, along with the eight Hedgehog-class vessels, will have their Communicator Androids under the command of the strategic AI aboard the Panas.”
“Understood. I authorize the operation. Grant priority authority to the strategic AI aboard the Panas. Olive, give the orders.”
“Permission confirmed. Fleet Commander Olive. To the strategic AI aboard the Panas. I command the commencement of operational actions. Authority transferred.”
“Receipt acknowledgment from the local strategic AI. Authority transfer confirmed.”
“Notification from the local strategic AI. Operational actions commencing. All Communicator Androids online. Initiating movement to designated positions. All armaments online.”
“Tactical Link operational status, good. Microwave power reception status, green. Increasing power supply to combat output.”
“Requesting link with the Spy Network Management AI. Link established. Requesting authority transfer for high-altitude surveillance drones. Request approved. Operational authority for drones 013 to 019 has been successfully transferred.”
“Threat level calculation support requested. Request approved. Data link request forwarded to Ringo.”
“Data link established. Beginning download of foundational data.”
Receiving the request from the local strategic AI, Ringo began data analysis. The foundational data was received from the high-altitude surveillance drones. Information on ships docked at the port, surrounding warships, land artillery, and infantry forces was synthesized along with data from the spy bot network to calculate the military strength and threat level of the capital, Moar.
“First calculation completed. Data upload. Completed. The second calculation will finish in 72 seconds.”
“Receipt acknowledgment from the local strategic AI. No hindrance to operational progress.”
“After the second calculation is completed, I will cease threat level calculation support. I have determined that support is not needed at this time.”
“Understood. Notify the local strategic AI. Acceptance response. Reallocating calculation resources.”
Eventually, the Paraiso fleet broke through the capital Moar’s defensive line. It seemed that the information about the fleet’s approach had not been fully shared yet, as the response from the Kingdom of Repuitari was sluggish. The fleet, maintaining a circular formation, advanced, while merchant ships hurriedly altered their courses. No one possessed the reckless courage to approach a clearly identifiable warship. The fleet continued to navigate toward the port’s front, carefully adjusting their paths to avoid contact with other vessels.