Episode 120: Interlude (A Certain Maritime Nation 3)
“…”
“…”
Silence reigned within the conference room.
They had just received an oral report from Lieutenant Commander Deck Estainka, the plenipotentiary ambassador, as a preliminary measure.
But everyone had fallen silent.
“…I understand how you all feel. Even so, we must consider how to respond.”
Deck Estainka felt this more acutely than anyone else present.
They could not afford to err in their response.
The future of the kingdom hinged on how they navigated this difficult situation.
It was that important.
“…Alright. First, let’s organize our thoughts. We need to confirm that we all share the same understanding.”
Alban Blayais, Grand Admiral of the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy, spoke.
“First, the capabilities of the ＜Paraiso＞’s warships are extraordinary, and our ships cannot match them. Is this understanding correct?”
“I wouldn’t say we can’t match them… If a Cannon Shell hits directly, any ship would…”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m asking if we have any chance of winning if we pit those nine ships against our nine newest vessels.”
Simply in terms of size, they were already outmatched.
And then there were the main Cannons he had seen up close.
The caliber of the Cannon was one thing, but the length of the barrel was unlike anything he had ever seen.
“Just looking at the main Cannons, they are far superior to ours. Their technological level is not just a few generations ahead, but a dozen or more.”
A Cannon barrel cannot tolerate even the slightest distortion. If a high-speed Cannon Shell catches on a distortion, it could explode inside the barrel. Even if it doesn’t, the trajectory of the Cannon Shell after firing will be off, reducing accuracy.
Therefore, the Cannon barrels used by the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy are still short, and they are constantly being improved day and night to lengthen them even a little.
“In the first place, the accuracy of the guns they are equipped with is on a completely different level. I couldn’t confirm their firing status, but from their shape, they are undoubtedly machine guns. They are the pinnacle of infantry-carried firearms. Even in the army’s plans, such equipment is still laughed at as a pipe dream.”
No matter what they considered, no matter what they heard, their technology was superior.
This was a shared understanding among everyone present.
“More than anything, they are speaking directly to us. That is the most terrifying thing of all. A force we have never seen or heard of, a force far more technologically advanced than us, is speaking our Repuytari language fluently. What greater problem could there be?”
Indeed.
The ＜Paraiso＞ used fluent Repuytari from the very beginning, without any sense of incongruity.
Repuytari is only used by the Repuytari Kingdom among the surrounding nations. This is natural, as it was originally the language of a single power on the peninsula.
Even with their expanding influence, there is no reason why they could overwrite the local languages in just 30 years or so. Moreover, they have not annexed or Colonizationd anyone.
Rather, the most widely spoken language in the surrounding area is the Sacred Language. A kind of unified language used by the theocratic powers in the west.
“A force we have never encountered before is perfectly fluent in our language. How is that even possible? I can’t understand it at all.”
“…Could it be some kind of magical effect…?”
“Magic, huh? A convenient power that we cannot utilize.”
Alban Blayais gave a wry smile.
“If it is a magical phenomenon, then we cannot understand it, can we? I suppose that’s the only way to think about it.”
“And the problem of them using magic is added to the pile, isn’t it?”
One of the administrative vice-ministers continued his words.
“This pure white thread and cloth that Deck-dono brought back. It is also incredibly precise and elaborate. The thickness of the thread is uniform, and so is the cloth. There are no color irregularities, and it is impossible to reproduce the same thing with our current technology. Moreover, from their tone, it seems they can provide as much of this cloth as we want.”
“If we distribute it carelessly, our domestic industry could be devastated…”
“For the time being, we could release it as a luxury textile, but…”
It was a product with overwhelming quality compared to their own. They were well aware of the impact these products would have.
After all, it was a rehash of what they had done to various small nations.
“The glasses and tableware used during the meeting were also of very high quality. The fact that they handle such fragile items on ocean-going ships is something we cannot understand from our customs…”
“It is common to use metal ones. If there is a problem with elegance, we can simply unify them with silver. Of course, pottery and glass ones look better.”
Naturally, they were probably just keeping them in storage and using them only when necessary.
“The fact that they showed them to us means we have to consider the possibility of them being Trade Goods.”
“If those are brought in in large quantities, our domestic industry could be devastated.”
Nearly colorless, highly transparent glasses. Above all, they were very thin and uniformly shaped.
The ceramic tableware was also not to be underestimated. Even a single cloudless, pure white plate is difficult to manufacture within the Repuytari Kingdom. If these were supplied in large quantities, domestic kilns would be forced to close down.
“Their ships themselves are terrifyingly large and beautiful. And there are eight more of the same type. That means they can mass-produce warships. Mass-producing warships of that size. We have only just begun to tackle the project of mass-producing warships.”
Grand Admiral Alban Blayais had lived alongside the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy.
The advent of Cannons, the construction of ships-of-the-line, and the invention of rotating Turrets. The transition from sailing ships to Paddle Steamers, and then to Screw ships.
In his view, the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy had been strengthening its warships at an incredible pace of development.
With this, it might be possible to seize the surrounding nations, the continent, and even the world.
It was that much of a military buildup.
“Listen. We must not antagonize them. I have this feeling because I have been on the front lines of the navy for so long. And I am convinced that you all share this feeling. There is a gap of dozens of generations between the ＜Paraiso＞’s warships and our own.”
That is why this contact must be handled with caution.
“We have used our naval power to establish our hegemony here. We have threatened rebellious nations, forced unequal treaties, and plundered local wealth. And now, we are about to receive the same Cannon diplomacy from the ＜Paraiso＞ that we have inflicted on others.”
The highest authority in the military was making this statement. It was, in effect, a declaration of defeat.
Normally, such a statement would not be tolerated. In the worst case, he would be accused of unforgivable cowardice as Grand Admiral and dragged down from his position.
Even so, everyone in this conference room correctly recognized the situation.
“We must never make a mistake in our response. We must remember how we behaved towards countries that made mistakes in their response. If we approach them with the same attitude as before, our glorious and beautiful Royal Capital will be reduced to ashes.”
“We will keep that in mind.”
“There are no such fools in this room.”
“Let’s respond with all our might.”
Fortunately, the Repuytari Kingdom Royal Navy, being a new force, had not yet become a breeding ground for corruption.
Because it was at the forefront, it was full of realists.
If this had been the traditional Royal Army, with its complex power structure and nest of vested interests, it might have caused the worst possible situation from the start.
“I will not allow those blockheaded old codgers to be involved in this negotiation. We must never leak this to those old fogeys who cannot even correctly assess the current situation. I will handle all negotiations with the upper echelons. You must all be mindful of this.”
“Understood!!”
The Royal Navy, its wisest leaders, unified their will and vowed to face this national crisis as one.
They resolved unanimously to make full use of the power and wealth they had built up, to allow no failures, and to bring everything to a perfect conclusion.
The problem was the filth of this country, dominated by the monster of vested interests.
The huge boil that continues to reign from ancient times, which has yet to be eliminated.
The name of that organization was the Traditional (Legendary) Senate (Seneto).
It was a commercial guild under the direct control of the king, sometimes even influencing the king’s will.