Episode 114: Interlude (A Certain Maritime Nation 2)
That report was a bolt from the blue.
“An unidentified fleet is heading towards the harbor!”
It started with an emergency signal from the Moor Great Lighthouse. It was an emergency contact, something that was never normally used. The person in charge who noticed the signal initially had no idea what it meant. It was taught to him on his first day of assignment several years ago, and he hadn’t had to identify that signal since.
“Hey, that’s a fleet approaching alarm!! A fleet, five or more ships, unidentified!!”
One of the staff members, famous within the department as a manual fanatic, saw it and shouted. His colleagues didn’t doubt his knowledge, and the communications officer immediately ran to contact the harbor garrison.
Meanwhile, the mysterious fleet continued to approach. Merchant ships that noticed it hurriedly raised their sails and began to evacuate from its path. If they blocked the path of a warship, they couldn’t complain even if they were sunk without question.
Warships have the highest priority right of way, and merchant ships have the lowest. However, the warships of the Repuytari Kingdom were known for their strict discipline and politeness.
“Damn, we won’t make it!”
“Hurry!! Raise the sails!!”
However, ships that had dropped anchor and were moored couldn’t move so easily. They tried desperately to raise their sails, but most of the ships in the harbor had most of their crew ashore. Some ships couldn’t move as they wished.
“It’s coming this way!!”
“…! It turned…? Hey, it turned, it turned! You, drop anchor, run, run, run!!”
The approaching warship slowly changed course to the left. It seemed to be trying to avoid the immobile merchant ships. The ships that noticed this hurriedly furled their sails. If they caught the wind carelessly, they might end up on a collision course. If the other party was avoiding them, it was best not to move.
“Whoa…! How huge!”
“What country’s ship is that!?”
“It doesn’t have sails, and no paddle wheels either! Is it Repuytari’s newest ship!?”
The warship had a pure white hull. It had no sails and only one mast, so it was easy to imagine that it was a powered ship. Despite being as large as the main warships of the Repuytari Kingdom, its speed was unbelievably fast. It had come right in front of them in the blink of an eye after the lookout noticed it.
“Watch out for the waves!!”
“It’s rocking!! Grab on!!”
The wake created by the white warship rocked the merchant ships greatly. The sailors clinging to the gunwales and masts stared blankly at the passing ship. Normally, warships would never pass this close. The route would be announced in advance, and besides, almost no warships were moored in the capital Moor’s harbor in the first place.
As a result, Moor Harbor was in a state of mild panic. It wasn’t quite a riot, but rumors flew about the unveiling of a new type of ship or an attack by an enemy country, and onlookers crowded the harbor and piers. Naturally, with so many people gathering, the movements of the Royal Navy, which should have been the first to act, were delayed. Several coastal Patrol Boats managed to set out somehow, but they were clearly understaffed.
Amidst the confusion, the fleet slowly came to a stop. One ship, presumably the flagship, was particularly huge. Eight warships surrounded it at close intervals. Even though they hadn’t dropped anchor, they maintained their positions perfectly. Those who knew would understand that this was a very advanced technique.
“Captain, what do we do! Do we board them!?”
“You idiot, you can’t board a warship from another country!! We’ll get killed!”
And the Patrol Boat couldn’t approach carelessly either. Naturally, if they tried to board a warship, it would be judged as a hostile act and they could be sunk without complaint. Well, the country might complain, but it would be at the cost of their own lives and those of their subordinates. Unless they had a formal order, they wouldn’t want to approach it.
Fortunately, the pure white warship was just stopped there and didn’t show any signs of doing anything. They would have to stay here under the guise of surveillance until orders came from headquarters. The captain made that decision and gave the order to drop anchor.
“I haven’t heard anything about this. What was the coastal Garrison doing!”
“They may have infiltrated the Lafret Sea under the cover of night.”
“Of course! How many ships do you think we have patrolling the Calmora Strait to guard against that!”
The Grand Admiral, Alban Blayais, who was stationed at headquarters, roared at the subordinate who came to report. The Lafret Sea, despite being a bay, was very large and also bordered other countries, so it was impossible to monitor everything. Therefore, they had increased the number of Patrol Boats in the Calmora Strait, and stipulated that at least three ships should be on alert, especially at night. To let a fleet of nine ships pass through, not just one or two, was nothing short of incompetence.
“Alban-sama! An urgent letter has arrived from Calmora Port!”
“…Read it.”
“Yes. From: Calmora Port Commander, Colonel Crud Moor. To: Naval Headquarters External Affairs Department. At 08:16 on the 32nd day of the 10th month of the New Calendar, an unidentified fleet was visually confirmed passing through the Calmora Strait. Six ships confirmed. Estimated eight or nine ships. All ships are powered. Contact by Patrol Boat was unsuccessful. Please be advised. That is all!”
“…8 a.m. today, you say?”
It was currently 4 p.m. on the 32nd of October. That meant that the fleet had traveled from the Calmora Strait to the capital Moor in eight hours. Of course, if they believed the report.
“Alban-sama! An urgent letter has arrived from Braolitter Port!”
Alban Blayais silently urged him to continue.
“Excuse me! From: Braolitter Port Commander, Colonel Berias Grand. To: Naval Headquarters External Affairs Department. At 12:36 on the 32nd day of the 10th month of the New Calendar, a report was received from Calmora Port of an unidentified fleet intrusion. At 12:51, a Patrol Boat visually confirmed a ship shadow that appeared to be an unidentified fleet. One ship confirmed. Estimated to be powered due to the absence of sails. Contact by Patrol Boat was unsuccessful. Please be advised. That is all!”
This proved that the report from Calmora Port was correct. The fact that there was almost the same contact from another port meant that it was correct information unless they were colluding. And it was unlikely that the Royal Navy colonels of the Repuytari Kingdom would all raise false information.
And after this, similar reports and follow-up reports would continue to pour in from ports and Patrol Boats in various locations.
At this point, he had no choice but to admit it.
That fleet, which was stopped in the port of the capital Moor, had arrived here in Moor from the Calmora Strait in just eight hours or so.
That was a speed that even the most advanced ships of the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy had not achieved. To the outside world, it would take more than 20 hours for the latest Steam Engine Screw ship to travel that distance, and even unofficial speed measurements never fell below 15 hours.
“This is bad…”
The Grand Admiral muttered involuntarily. Fortunately, it seemed that no one had heard his mutter. The top of the Royal Navy couldn’t possibly show weakness. Grand Admiral Alban Blayais took a deep breath and gave instructions.
“I forbid any action from our side. Make that a strict order to the lowest ranks. Then, prepare a messenger immediately. Put the fleets stationed at Braolitter Port, Weissritter Port, and Vatsila Port on Battle Stations. I will go to the Royal Palace to report, send a herald. Also, I want to see it directly. Attach someone familiar with armaments. I’m leaving immediately.”
“Understood!”
The surroundings began to move busily at the Grand Admiral’s instructions. There was an underground passage connected to the harbor Observation Tower, so they could use that to check immediately. An unidentified warship had entered right in front of the harbor. At worst, it might be possible to bombard the Royal Palace.
There was not a moment to lose.
And all of that was being watched by a Spybot, clinging quietly to the corner of the ceiling.