bookpower Chapter 182 : Chapter 182
Chapter 182 : Chapter 182
Swoosh— Splash!A port on the west side of the kingdom.
Here, in the closest port to the royal capital, I thought to myself as I looked out the window.
‘Jereuth should be meeting Ronak around now.’
According to the schedule in the
‘The diary said that Ronak brought the Great Lord’s daughter. And that the daughter was a person who tried to prevent the war.’
However, there was a problem.
‘In the end, the war happens…… that was it.’
That’s right. Looking at the contents of the
A war in which the Jerpan Archipelago invaded the kingdom.
So, in the past, I would have been contemplating how to prevent that war somehow, or how to reduce the damage from it.
But now, my heart was at peace.
Because….
‘It was written in the diary. That all the ships of the Jerpan Archipelago were sunk before they even reached the kingdom.’
Flip—.
Sitting on the windowsill, I opened the
It was the part slightly after the nearest future.
…….
The daughter of the Great Lord of the Jerpan Archipelago, Loa.
At her earnest plea, I decided to hold off on invading the Jerpan Archipelago first. Since it had become certain that they would attack our kingdom, I had intended to launch a preemptive strike.
But I couldn’t just let the Jerpan Archipelago attack the kingdom.
So I dispatched Ronak first. Then I ordered him to attack if the ships of the Jerpan Archipelago crossed a ‘line’ in the sea.
The ‘line’ I told Ronak about was the halfway point in the sea between the edge of the kingdom and the Jerpan Archipelago.
…….
I continued reading the next page.
It was content I already knew from reading it multiple times, but still.
…….
Three months after I dispatched Ronak.
A message came via crystal ball from ‘Véry-Catena,’ a territory in the kingdom’s southwest.
The one who sent the message was Ronak’s adjutant, Rollo.
「“Your Majesty, we have sunk all the ships of the Jerpan Archipelago. The ‘Griffon Aircraft Carrier’ you provided was truly incredible. The enemy couldn’t even approach, let alone resist. Our forces have suffered no damage. It is a great victory, Your Majesty!”」
This was the last entry of the nearest future.
As can be seen from the diary’s contents, it seemed I had stopped the invasion of the Jerpan Archipelago without any damage to the kingdom.
‘It would have been better if it detailed how we stopped them…… but since we won without any damage, it shouldn’t matter much.’
Although the invasion of the Jerpan Archipelago seemed to be easily resolved like this.
At the same time, there were a few things that bothered me.
First, what to do after stopping the invasion of the Jerpan Archipelago.
‘If we sink all the ships of the Jerpan Archipelago at sea, their military power will probably be greatly weakened. Should I continue the attack at that timing? Or should I just leave them be since I’ve put them in their place once.’
The past me would have recalled Ronak without even considering this.
Not only did I not want to escalate the war if possible, but I was also afraid of war.
But things were a bit different now.
‘I need to crush them so they never dare to covet my kingdom again. Since they have the experience of attacking once, they might gather their strength and attack again someday. In the name of revenge.’
Coming to this world and living as a king had changed my way of thinking a bit.
I became able to make rather bold decisions if they were advantageous.
‘That’s not to say I’m thinking of attacking and occupying an innocent country, but I need to make clear what the price is for attacking my kingdom. I need to show them fear.’
Only then would not only the Jerpan Archipelago, but also other powerful nations around the kingdom, not dare to attack my kingdom rashly.
Like the Angla Empire on the continent beyond the kingdom’s northwest, or the Osius Kingdom in the northeast.
While thinking about various things.
‘……Wait, should I just take over the Jerpan Archipelago on this occasion?’
Such a thought suddenly occurred to me.
At that timing, when the enemy’s main force had been easily crushed, occupying it would be easy.
For a moment, a thought similar to greed crossed my mind, but I shook my head.
‘Right now, I don’t think I’ll have the leisure to directly rule the Jerpan Archipelago. Because in a few years, the Angla Empire will attack—.’
Just as I was about to worry about the slightly more distant future.
Knock knock—.
—Your Majesty, preparations for the Griffon Aircraft Carrier’s departure ceremony are complete.
A knight’s voice was heard from outside. At those words, I erased my thoughts and closed the
‘Let’s think about the Angla Empire’s matter slowly when I get back to the royal capital. That war…… even if it’s decided that the Plank Kingdom will win, it’s a war that must be prevented.’
***
West port of the kingdom, in front of the Griffon Aircraft Carrier departure ceremony venue.
Knights and soldiers stood in a single line, their faces tense, staring straight ahead without moving a muscle.
For today’s event, these knights and soldiers had literally shed blood and sweat over the past few weeks, practicing the operation of the Griffon Aircraft Carrier.
At the end of the line, the Gryphon Knight Order was on standby. Their tension was just as palpable.
Because, at today’s event, they had to present themselves to the King.
Their skills.
A little differently from these knights and soldiers, the Dwarves gathered in small groups on the port floor were relaxed.
There were Dwarves smoking, and even Dwarves drinking beer.
—Kyah! It’s finally the launching ceremony!
—Good work, everyone, good work!
—To think we finished two weeks ahead of schedule!
—I never knew building a ship could be this fun.
—I want to build two more!
—Let’s finish the four we’re building now quickly, and then ask the human king to let us build two more!
—Sounds good, sounds good! As long as I get beer, I’m fine!
—I want to eat those skewers I had in the royal capital. They’re somehow different from the ones here, you know?
The Dwarves considered Leonardo a ‘friend’ rather than a king, so they were very relaxed.
In fact, Leonardo had also guaranteed the Dwarves autonomy.
A little ways away from the knights, soldiers, and Dwarves were the residents of the port.
They were all people who had heard the news that the King was coming to the port and had set aside their livelihoods to come and watch.
Some even held handfuls of flower petals to scatter when the King arrived.
It was then.
“The King is coming!”
At a knight’s resonant voice.
Clank— Clank!
The knights and soldiers turned their bodies in the direction the king was coming from, just as they had practiced for this event.
The residents who saw this from afar quietly admired the knights’ and soldiers’ disciplined movements.
—W-wow…….
—That must be the army from the royal capital.
—The elite are truly different.
—Dad, can big brother do that too?
—I think so? Your brother is also serving as a soldier in the royal capital!
The reputation of the King and his army was already famous throughout the kingdom.
It was only natural, as they had eliminated all the bandits, thugs, and monsters that had plagued the kingdom for a long time.
Nevertheless, seeing the actual majesty of the army like this, the residents couldn’t help but be impressed.
They also felt an inexplicable sense of security.
In the midst of this, a group of people began to walk from the direction of the port entrance.
The residents had never seen the person at the front before. However, everyone recognized who it was at a glance.
—It’s the King!
—Waaaaaaah!
—Kyaaaaaak!
—Long live the great King, Leonardo!
—May the blessings of Plank be upon the King!
—Your Majesty! Thank you!!!
At the cheers of the distant residents, Leonardo smiled lightly and raised his hand. He now looked very accustomed to such performances.
The once hesitant gestures and awkward smiles now clearly had dignity.
—Waaaaaaah!
—Did you see that?! His Majesty waved at me!
—He waved at me!
—You crazy fools, it was obviously me!
—Your Majesty! Your Majesty Leonardo!!
In a way, they seemed like religious fanatics.
But the knights and soldiers were not particularly flustered.
They had seen such sights quite often while serving Leonardo in the royal capital.
Right now, in the Plank Kingdom, King Leonardo was God himself. A god who made it possible for them to live happily today without worrying about tomorrow.
Clank—!
Hagen, who was waiting in advance at the port, bowed his head firmly to Leonardo in greeting.
“Thank you for coming to the launching ceremony, Your Majesty. We have prepared our best so as not to disappoint you.”
“Haha, yes. You said there will be a mock battle today, right?”
“That is correct. If you look over there, we have already launched ten ships disguised as enemy vessels. The objective of the mock battle is for the Gryphon Knight Order, taking off from the Griffon Aircraft Carrier, to throw Madans from the air and hit their targets.”
As Leonardo nodded, the mage standing next to Hagen spoke this time.
It was one of the elders of the Mage Tower who had created the Madan, Chomsky.
“King Leonardo! This is the ‘improved Madan’ I mentioned last time!”
Chomsky handed Leonardo an ‘improved Madan,’ slightly smaller than a fist, as he spoke.
In the past, if Chomsky had handed the King ‘anything,’ the knights and soldiers would have worried first.
That’s how dangerous and unstable Chomsky’s magic was.
However, after his Madans played a huge role in the war against the monster army, the military’s evaluation of Chomsky changed 180 degrees.
Now, Chomsky was one of the most supported mages in the military.
Leonardo asked as he received the Madan from Chomsky.
“This is the improved Madan…… The tip is sharp? Is there a special reason for making it like this?”
“Of course, there’s a reason! First, let me tell you about the improvements of the improved Madan. The improved Madan explodes with half the impact of the original! So even if the Gryphon Knight Order flies at a lower altitude and throws it, it will still explode!”
“Oh……. The accuracy will increase.”
“That’s right. But I couldn’t be satisfied with just that. A Madan that can devastate an enemy ship in one go! I wanted to create that. So I made the tip of the Madan sharp to contain ‘penetration magic,’ and I also added ‘delay magic’ to the Madan. Of course, I enhanced the explosive power too!”
Leonardo tilted his head and asked.
“‘Penetration magic,’ and ‘delay magic’? What are those?”
“Fufufufu……! You’ll know when you see it.”
Chomsky smiled confidently and handed the box of Madans behind him to Hagen.
“Commander Hagen, I’m counting on you. You’re not going to show an embarrassing side in front of His Majesty, are you?”
“Of course not. We’ve practiced more intensely than a real battle, so we will definitely succeed.”
“Hmm!”
Chomsky nodded at Hagen and stood next to Leonardo.
“Then, King Leonardo. Let’s go forward. You’ll have a much better view from over there.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Come on, come on! Let’s go quickly! I’ve even prepared a seat for you!”
Chomsky was in a very excited state at the thought of showing his new invention to the King.
Thanks to Leonardo, he had shed all the infamy of being an ‘eccentric’ and was being praised as a great mage, so Chomsky was grateful to Leonardo.
Soon, Leonardo reached the area closer to the sea with Chomsky. As Chomsky had said, everything necessary for Leonardo to watch the ‘mock battle,’ such as a chair and a parasol, was prepared there.
A moment later.
Puuuuuuuuu—!
With the signal of a horn announcing the battle, the knights and soldiers waiting at the port began to shout in unison and run.
—This is a level 1 emergency! We will depart as soon as preparations are complete! All hands to your positions!
—To your positions!
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!
As if they were one body, the knights and soldiers began to board the Griffon Aircraft Carrier in unison.
It was incredibly fast. There was no other way to describe it.
Piyooooo—!
The Gryphon Knight Order, which had been on standby at the port, also took off on their Gryphons.
Then, just like the knights and soldiers who had boarded the ship, the Gryphon Knights also flew in a line and boarded the Griffon Aircraft Carrier.
‘They must have practiced a lot.’
For some reason, Leonardo was reminded of his time in the military in Korea, preparing for the division commander’s visit.
Within three minutes of the horn signaling the start of the battle, all the knights and soldiers had boarded the Griffon Aircraft Carrier.
And that ship, incomparably larger than any other ship in the port, began to move.
Creeak—!
At first, a creaking sound was heard.
Gradually, its movements became more fluid and faster.
And finally—.
Swooooooosh—!
Without any delay, the massive ship left the port and went out to sea. Seeing this, Leonardo unknowingly let out a sound of admiration.
“Oh……”
‘It’s not the first time I’ve seen a ship move…… but I didn’t know it could move so smoothly.’
It really seemed like they had practiced a great deal.
Perhaps it was because he, the King, had come.
The Griffon Aircraft Carrier left the port very quickly.
But suddenly, the ship stopped. It hadn’t even gone far from the port.
‘……What is it? Is there a problem?’
—Just as Leonardo was thinking that.
Piyooooooo—!
Piyoooo—!
Piyooooo—!
The Gryphons that had boarded the Griffon Aircraft Carrier took off.
In an instant, they flew towards the ‘mock enemy ships’ floating on the sea.
A moment later.
……Swoosh—!
……Swoosh—!
The Gryphon Knights passed over the ‘mock enemy ships’ and threw fist-sized black balls—Madans.
In less than 20 seconds after launching from the Griffon Aircraft Carrier.
And each Madan hit the enemy ship accurately.
Seeing this, Chomsky spoke in a voice full of anticipation.
“A direct hit! Watch! One, two, thr—!”
Just as Chomsky was about to say ‘three.’
Boom—!!!
Booooom—!!
Boom!!
The mock enemy ships exploded from the inside.
Not the top of the ships, but the inside had exploded.
Not long after, the mock enemy ships began to sink. At a very fast speed.
“……!”
As Leonardo watched this with surprised eyes, Chomsky laughed in an even more excited voice.
“Hahahaha! That’s the effect of the ‘penetration magic’ and ‘delay magic’ I told you about!
The Madan penetrates the ship and explodes inside and below it!”
“Ah……!”
“If the Madan just explodes on top of the ship, it’s difficult to sink it in one go! So I tried to increase the explosive power immensely, but that reduced its stability! After much deliberation, I developed that! What do you think, isn’t it brilliant?!”
Chomsky was so happy he even dropped his glasses.
He was satisfied with his achievement and thought that the respected King would also be happy with his achievement.
And of course, Leonardo was.
“……Lord Chomsky.”
“Hmm? W-why so suddenly?”
As the King called him so seriously, Chomsky was flustered.
Leonardo took Chomsky’s hand and said.
“Lord Chomsky’s Madan will protect this kingdom for decades to come. I was right to believe in you. Thank you very much.”
Hearing those words, Chomsky.
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and replied in a deliberately dry voice.
“……King Leonardo, it is I who am grateful. If it weren’t for you, I would have been called an eccentric, a mage who plays instead of working, for my entire life.”
“……”
“I will continue to do my best to create Madans for the King. King Leonardo, I will also train disciples for your son and the sons after him.”
Chomsky spoke happily and turned around, walking towards the port entrance.
Now that his new invention had been acknowledged by the King, he had to start his next research.