Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

The breath that leaves my mouth is white and a chilly wind blows against my face.

My foot sinks into the snow and my eyes can only see three things.

「A land of pure white, a flowing river and――Elektra.」

Our army resumes marching without waiting for winter to end and is now in front of Elektra.

「This is a lot better compared to the extreme cold period. We can breathe and walk without our faces freezing. Although, we would really have liked to wait until spring.」

I ignore Tristan and peek at the soldiers of my army.

They are hugging their shoulders and shivering and rubbing their frozen canteens to try to warm them up.

They are not in perfect condition.

In the first place, they are soldiers accustomed to the stable climate of the Central Plains.

「But they can fight. It's not like they are crippled by the cold.」

It's fine as long as we can take Elektra.

That's all that's important to me, I can leave the rest to Leopolt and the others and go with the flow.

I see multiple Federation flags fluttering and soldiers lined up on top of the walls of Elektra.

Simple camps created utilizing the snow are interspersed in the vicinity of the city, making it hard to even get on the walls.

「There's also that.」

Leopolt points at the river.

Elektra is spread along the river with a large trading port, meaning the city has the facilities for a sizable fleet to be stationed.

A few dozen ships have dropped anchor next to the city and their cannons are pointed at us.

「According to prior information, they have five battleships, ten gunboats, and twenty large combat vessels, with the rest being small ships, but there are three unidentified ships confirmed.」

「It's looking quite impregnable.」

Leopolt checks the distance between our cannons and the enemy formation, then speaks.

「We have the advantage when it comes to the range of our large cannons. Against a stationary opponent like a city, we can weaken them with blind bombardment through day and night.」

「Rejected.」

Destroying the city is out of the question.

I'm becoming unable to tell why I'm doing all these villainous things.

「Your reason?」

Leopolt asks.

「The surface reason is that Elektra is the largest city in the region and an important supply base. I want to obtain the supply port not destroy it.」

「And the real reason?」

Tristan pursues.

「It's for a woman.」

I tell them, having no reason to hide it.

Why don't we just adopt the surface reason and do our best without complaining?

When we start advancing, a person resembling a Federation messenger runs up to us.

The young female soldier dressed in a commander's uniform stands before me, somewhat nervous, and raises her voice.

「While our victory is unquestionable, it is not the will of His Majesty Jutland for innocent citizens to be hurt, thus they have been allowed to evacuate. Since you, the king of Goldonia, known to be heinous, will be making a journey to the afterlife soon, you will overlook them if you want to make the slightest excuse to the God of the underworld.」

So he's basically telling me not to lay hands on the citizens who he is letting escape before the war.

Perfect, I don't want the women in the city to be caught up in the battle either.

「But he speaks about me so horribly. Calling me heinous is excessive.」

「Count the things you did at the start of war.」

Tristan says, lowering his fingers one at a time.

Mmm, I guess it's warranted then.

I'm sure the female soldier is teary-eyed and shaking because I could possibly go into a frenzy and kill her.

「Alright, I understand. I'll wait one hour, so tell them to hurry.」

The enemy is already waiting fully prepared.

There's no meaning in hastening the attack one or two hours earlier.

「Thank goodness......ahem! I praise the tiny remnants of conscience left within you. Now, if you will excuse――eek!」

As she quickly turns her back to leave, I hug her from behind, fondle her breasts and ass, steal her lips as she turns her head in surprise, and then insert my tongue in her mouth before releasing her.

「You fiend! Do you know no shame!? Er, uhm......you idiotーーー!」

She flees wailing as I send her off with a smile and a wave of my hand.

The sudden gaze I feel is from Celia.

「The me right now is but a bungling fool being brought along out of the kindness of your heart. I have no right to complain.」

Let's use the time waiting for the evacuation to make the withered Celia smile.

One hour later.

Our army assembles into a siege formation and approaches the city from the area furthest away from the river.

If we get too close to the river, the fleet will bombard us.

「Of course, the enemy also knows that.」

There is a camp outside the walls constructed with packed snow in the path we are trying to take.

A cannon roars from behind us, dropping a shell onto the hut-like defensive camp and blowing it up in one shot.

Snow scatters like flour and the enemy soldiers caught in the blast bloom like red flowers on a white canvas.

A second and third shot follow, causing more red flowers to bloom.

I mutter with a faint creepy smile on my face.

「It reminds me of a delicious ice dessert with strawberries on top.」

「Eeh, if you want to act like a villain, shouldn't you say『Beautiful......』or something?」

I kick Tristan's ass after he makes the remark and look at Leopolt.

「Cease the bombardment.」

Grasping my intentions, Leopolt informs me of the result.

「It had little effect. Our cannons will break before the camp is destroyed.」

The enemy's snow camps are small but numerous.

Even though we landed direct hits, we only killed a handful of people.

「Also, the snow prevents the cannonballs from rolling and the debris from flying. We can't expect much collateral damage to the other camps.」

In a dry environment, cannonballs would dig into the ground and spray lumps of earth or rock fragments on impact, injuring soldiers in a wide range.

Depending on the angle, the cannonballs can roll too.

However, the dense snow absorbs the cannonball.

The impact also sprays powder snow, which doesn't cause damage to the surroundings.

Only those directly hit are killed.

「Mixing in oil is meaningless against snow as well. We can only steadily close the distance.」

I give the order to attack directly.

The soldiers move forward through the snow.

「Here come the arrows.」

A scattered volley of arrows rain down on us from the snow encampment.

「Shields, to the front.」

Without a moment's delay, soldiers wielding large shields position themselves at the vanguard to block the incoming arrows as the entire army continues marching.

Enemy cannons shoot at those shields, sending them and the soldiers behind them flying.

「Concentrate your attacks on the enemy cannoneers.」

The collective shooting stops and fire erupts from the cannoneers waiting on standby, smashing apart snow, cannons, and cannoneers.

「This is a frontal assault indeed.」

Like Tristan says, we aren't doing anything special, we are attacking and defending by the book.

At this point, we have gotten halfway through the snow encampment while taking out 1000 or so enemies and suffering several times the amount of casualties.

「Your Majesty, there's movement on the walls.」

I see we have entered the range of the Elektra city walls.

Federation soldiers line up to face us as we desperately advance.

「Aim――」

I can even hear their high-spirited yells from where I am.

「It's an important city. There's no chance they don't have any.」

I wrap Celia, who has become frightened perhaps due to past trauma, in my cape.

「Fire――!!」

A dry crack resounds and the snow near our allied forces pop like bubbles.

Soldiers fall down at a speed incomparable to when they are shot by arrows.

「Shields to the front! We expected this!」

「Crossbows......won't reach. Counter with arrows!」

Shields prop up and archers loose arrows at the walls between the gaps of their cover.

Multiple enemy soldiers who failed to get behind shelter are killed by the arrows.

That's when another order is shouted and another crack resounds.

「Gugah!」

「Through the shields――!?」

「It's no good! Even with snow behind me......ugh!」

「Incredible.」

I can't help muttering in amazement.

Muskets are insignificant in field battles.

That opinion hasn't changed.

「However, their value is exponentially higher in a siege, especially on defense.」

「The weapon might have been developed for that reason to begin with.」

As long as they have dry footing and a roof over their heads, the weakness to water disappears, and the protection of the walls eliminates the disadvantage of the long loading time.

That leaves them with the power to shoot through shields like paper.

「Maybe we should develop them too.」

「The dwarves did remake the muskets given by His Majesty and improved their power and range though.」

Those idiots, I don't care about the power or range.

I'm sure they made it bigger and heavier than before.

「Aaah, I would love to joke around, but we'll collapse at this rate.」

Of course, I know that.

Leopolt nods and swings his arm down.

Emerging from the rear is a battering ram measuring two meters tall, five meters wide, and ten meters long, with a roof attached.

Its legs are changed from wheels to sleds to cope with the snow field.

「The enemy has plenty of muskets and cannons, will we be alright?」

「Probably.」

Attacks from the enemy focus on the obvious threat.

The side and the roof are hit with a barrage of hundreds of bullets and dozens of cannonballs.

That's right, they hit, not penetrate.

The projectiles bounce off, creating a storm of sparks.

「What is that!?」

「A steel plate? But it shouldn't be able to take hits from cannonballs and not dent!」

「It's like the armor of a warship......no, in that case it would be too heavy to move!」

The battering ram moves forward at a snail's pace.

It ignores the muskets and arrows, repels ballista bolts and catapults, and doesn't budge from the direct hits of cannons.

「Hii......we're saved. Get under the roof!」

「You're late. Come quicker!」

「It's heavy and slow as hell, plus you have to clean up the snow or else it'll flip over!」

Infantry under fire by muskets see the battering ram as their savior and take cover under the roof.

「It was worth plucking them for five years.」

The layer coating the side and roof is an organic armor that only we can use...... in other words, Pochi's scales.

In the past few years, he has grown bigger and shed a lot of scales.

Those scales are much harder than steel and any special metals the dwarves can make.

It goes without saying that it fends off arrows and bolts, and also blocks catapults and cannons.

The toughness of the scales is on a level where it's doubtful whether my full-powered stab of the Dual Crater or the close-range blast of a giant cannon like the Urgan can do anything.

「We were short a few scales in the end though.」

There were barely not enough to completely fill the surface, but I directly plucked some off of Pochi just in case.

I swear I can hear a sad whine from somewhere.

Naturally wanting to stop the battering ram, the enemy rushes out of the snow camp.

Our infantry confront them to disallow that from happening.

The muskets on the walls don't have the precision to distinguish between friend or foe and shoot only enemies.

And so with a decrease in the number of targets, sporadic shots don't affect the battle much.

「Bring out the next one.」

「Yes.」

「Aah......it's finally time.」

Chariots begin to run from headquarters, taking advantage of the opening created by the melee.

They dart through the gap between the battering ram and the battlefield where ally and enemy soldiers are fighting.

「Commence mixing!」

The order, incongruent with those typically heard on the battlefield, prompted soldiers in a bizarre get-up to appear, their faces covered by a headscarf and wearing double-layered gloves that reached their elbows.

Loaded on the chariots are two pots, one with a viscous black liquid and the other with a bubbling bright purple liquid.

「Mixing complete!」

「Alright, time to go!」

The soldiers jump off the chariots altogether.

Despite having snow to cushion their landing, some still break their legs, but they still crawl away wasting time to cry.

「S-some of it got on me because of the vibrations......」

An individual of the group pauses.

It seems the shaking splashed liquid onto his body.

「Was it simple or mixed!?」

The commander shouts, realizing seconds later that the stain on the headscarf is a rainbow color matching neither the black or purple of the initial substances, before shooting the soldier in the head with a crossbow.

Gradually, the unmanned chariots come to a stop.

「What are they trying to do? I thought they were ambushing us, but they ran.」

「Are those containers filled with gunpowder or something? They can't destroy our reinforced walls from there though.」

「Wait, the horse pulling the cart just fell over.」

The horse pulling the chariot falls on its side with foam coming out of its mouth.

It didn't happen to only one chariot, it was the same for all of them.

「Are they overworked? No, all of them can't be......」

「What on earth......mu, I'm feeling......」

Soldiers who peeked over the wall clutch their chest in pain.

「Hey, you alright? What are you doing......u, un?」

Another soldier who extended his arm to try and look after the fallen soldiers becomes unsteady on his feet and drops down from the wall.

「You guys, what's going on!? You were entrusted with the new weapons――」

The bellowing commander turns blue mid-sentence and falls face first to the ground.

One by one, the enemy soldiers drop like flies.

They don't make a sound.

The entire squad is wiped out, and even the messenger that comes running collapses with his mouth open as he tries to yell.

Below them, steam is rising from the pots on the chariots, almost like they are boiling.

Natia is next to me with her head in her hands, satisfied with the fruits of war that were produced as ordered.

She was the one who created the contents of the pots.

「The poison extracted from the insects which can occasionally be found even now in the south...... if the slightest amount enters your body, it can cause instant death within seconds.」

Leopolt mutters.

But if that was all, it would simply be a powerful wolfsbane.

「Add to that poison......the antlers of a monster deer, the stubble of a human-faced lizard, and the powder of a dried rotten leech, and it suddenly boils and turns into vapor......」

It's a good thing that the workshop given to Natia was outside the capital.

If she was in the center of town and the poison accidentally hit an unintended target, it would have caused a historic disaster.

In any case, we discovered a new weapon in an unexpected way.

What we have to be careful about is the direction of the wind, although we should be fine as it's rather calm at the moment.

「Urk, it'll take twenty minutes until it reacts with the water in the air and vanishes......not a single human or monster or bug will be left alive......I created something terrible, didn't I......I feel like I'm going to get smacked after a few hundred years pass.」

「Don't be ridiculous. You're the one who made it, but I was the one who used it.」

I pat Natia's head as she assumes a praying pose, begging the elf God to spare her life.

「I better write down this historic evil deed.」

Well, do as you please. All that matters is that we win.

「Exactly.」

Leopolt and I share the same opinion.

I knew it, we should fight a little cleaner.

The enemy soldiers on the walls are temporarily wiped out by the evaporated poison, and the momentum of the ones trying to hinder the battering ram has visibly dulled.

Slowly but surely, the battering ram moves closer toward the city.

Our cannoneers also advance with the intention to destroy the walls.

There is no one in sight to stop us.

「Did we do it?」

I feel like muttering those words almost always results in bad things happening, but I'm impatient.

「......」

I stare at Leopolt's gloomy face, poke Myla's cheeks, and slip a snowball into the back of the repenting Celia's shirt as I listen for sounds of movement from the enemy, but nothing happens.

「Ok, good, it seems the enemy has no more cards to――」

That's when I hear consecutive high-pitched whistling sounds that I've never heard before.

「Here it comes.」

I knew it was too good to be true and stuff a snowball in the back of Myla's shirt too.

「It's an attack.」

Leopolt states bluntly.

I rest my elbow on the table Celia brought and smirk.

「We're too far away, we're not even in the city. A shell fired over the walls randomly won't hit anything!」

When I finish saying the lines I thought up before the battle, numerous fireballs come down on the frontline squad.

It's not just one or two.

There are ten, twenty......no, hundreds of them.

The fireballs burst open when they hit the ground, sending snow and soldiers flying.

「What are those!? Catapults!?」

「They're dropping everywhere! No way they have this many catapults!」

「Be careful. Even if you avoid a direct hit, the fireballs explode on impact!」

The soldiers who thought that they only had to knock down the door after eliminating the enemy with the poison mist were instantly thrown into disarray.

More fireballs rain down to compound the chaotic situation.

「What is that?」

I get Celia to tidy up the prop table and strain my eyes at the projectiles.

The fireballs are not only flying from within the city, they are also coming from the enemy fleet.

Accompanied by a distinctive shrill sound, the fireballs are launched at a nearly vertical angle up into the air.

「That's not all.」

One stray fireball wiggles as it passes over our head and falls toward the rear.

It's roughly three kilometers from our frontline squad to the enemy fleet on the river, and the hill we are on is one kilometer behind that, meaning that fireball, although wobbly, traveled four kilometers.

「A cannon can't shoot that far even if you tilt it diagonally.」

When I look at Leopolt and Tristan, both of them shake their heads.

Another new weapon, huh?

「On the other hand, it seems to have poor accuracy. They ended up shooting behind us when they were aiming for our frontline. I can confirm some shots also landed in the city.」

「If this is as accurate as they can get, they must have saved them for when we attack. I guess they were prepared to use them in a disadvantageous situation even if it meant suffering friendly fire.」

That is certainly true.

While hundreds of shots came down on us, many more fell further away from the battlefield in outrageous places like the river and within Elektra.

「But whether it hits a hundred out of a hundred shots or a hundred out of a thousand shots, there are a hundred shots raining down.」

Our allies are still panicking from the unknown attack.

And now I can see new soldiers deploying on the walls as well.

「Your Majesty!」

An allied soldier shouts.

One fireball is coming straight down on top of me.

Leopole and Celia step in front to shield me.

Tristan buries his head in a pile of snow.

「Get down.」

I kick Leopolt and Celia over, and brandish my Dual Crater.

Exhaling sharply, I swing my sword with enough force to scatter the snow around me and strike down the fireball.

（Can't eat it. I was expecting magic, but it wasn't. I'm going to sleep.）

The fireball bursts when it touches the sword, assaulting me with a tremendous shockwave and enveloping my body in a blaze in the next moment.

I guess I don't have the luxury to react to the dragon's cursing.

「They got His Majesty!?」

「We're done for, let's surrender.」

I cross my arms to ease the fussing soldiers' concerns.

「Nnun!」

In one swift motion, I swing my arms out, dispersing the flames around my body.

「We can't ignore them after all. It seems we can't take the city if we don't defeat the fleet.」

The harpies, who had been waiting at the back of the headquarters by a campfire, all take off into the sky.

They grab pots containing oil and tubes filled with gunpowder and fly over the city of Elektra.

When the harpies get above the enemy fleet, they sharply descend.

「The enemy fleet is firing back!」

A column of smoke rises from an enemy ship.

The shot disrupts the movements of the diving harpies.

Some fall straight down, some release their load and quickly climb back up into the air, while others cluelessly turn in the opposite direction.

「It's similar to the scattershot fired by our field artillery. They must have adjusted the cannons to point at the sky from the start.」

「I overused the harpies, huh......」

In all the battles thus far, the harpies could attack opponents one-sidedly from the air.

Although they also faced muskets and arrows, their high speed was able to keep most of them safe.

Despite being confused, the harpies still drop their load on the enemy fleet, however they don't hit much of anything.

「And our cannons can't reach.」

「They can if we move them close to the river, but we'll be attacked on the way. Since we'll also need to carry plenty of gunpowder, one direct hit and......」

If we turn into a gigantic firework, our soldiers' spirits will definitely break.

「Time to bring out the decisive weapon then.」

My eyes land on a beast with glowing......how strange, its eyes are closed.

「Ah, he's sleeping! He's hibernating! I left him alone in a cold place for too long!」

「Even with that big body, he's still just a subspecies of lizard.」

Celia starts a campfire nearby to try and warm up the decisive weapon, but it looks like it will take some time before it can be activated.

「It's fine, Your Majesty. Our surefire weapon has arrived.」

Leopolt points to the upstream portion of the river.

Sailing my flag, a fleet that is half...... no, not even a third of the size of the Federation's fleet draws close.

――On the North Teries – Goldonian Fleet: Flagship.

「Enemy fleet ahead......5 battleships, 35 large combat ships, and about 50 smallfries, huh? Truly boring. It seems the Federation's national power has fallen considerably.」

「Obviously, it's because their main force has left to the west. In the first place, we barely managed to cobble together two battleships and twenty combat ships......we are in no place to make light of the opponent!」

Sekrit speaks provocatively, while Ivanna, who is on the same ship, scolds her.

「Still can't tolerate badmouthing your motherland? Even though you'll be exchanging shots with them......kuku, you got no excuse for the kid you left at home.」

Sekrit, who is wearing casual and revealing clothes unthinkable for a soldier, says as she rests a stolen musket on her shoulder.

「If you don't shut up, I'm going to punch you in the face first......that's why I purposely dressed this way so nobody will find out!」

Ivanna has shed her Federation military uniform and is also dressed in a pirate outfit that exposes her thighs, shoulders, and navel, and has several loaded muskets strapped to her back.

Perhaps influenced by her attire, her tone is also rude and coarse.

「So, His Majesty......calling him that is so strange, but anyways where did that studhorse say the trump card of the naval battle was?」

Sekrit spreads her arms and gazes up at the sky.

「Behind us. It's following us freely as it pleases. Also, don't take what that guy says seriously.」

She says mockingly before lightly stomping her foot and continuing her thought.

「We have the important stuff loaded. The trials went well, so all that's left is a practical test.」

「......that test is in a decisive battle though.」

When Sekrit spreads her arms again, Ivanna clicks her tongue.

The distance finally closes.

Sekrit glares at the Federation fleet right as the harpies' attack is repelled.

「Look at them. They have lowered their anchors and lined up in a land bombardment formation. They didn't even consider our presence.」

Ivanna scoffs and retorts.

「You're wrong. They're just confident in being able to deal with us several steps behind.」

Ivanna hops into a small boat and transfers to an adjacent ship.

Only the two of them are capable of commanding the navy so she's ensuring the entire fleet is not incapacitated when one ship sinks.

Sekrit adds on, her eyes still fixed to the front.

「They have the upper hand in ship performance.」

「Naturally. Our battleships are repaired old models, and our new battlecruisers are inferior copies based on the design in our memories.」

Ivanna snorts, stroking her four muskets.

「Our navy is no match either.」

「Needless to say. They're dimwits who didn't know how to swim three years ago.」

Ivanna kicks away a navy soldier who complains pathetically.

「But we have two areas in which we are better. That is, the firepower of our dwarven cannons and the ability of the commanders.」

「You called me over to say such nonsense?」

The slightly embarrassed Ivanna curses as she drifts away.

「Well, I never thought I'd be fighting the Federation on the water again.」

Sekrit smiles, gripping a sword in her prosthetic left hand and holding a musket in her right.

「Man, life is interesting. Way more so than bearing the child of a man you love and breastfeeding my own baby.」

She licks the blade of her sword seductively, almost like she's servicing a man.

「I guess I must be insane for being happier here.」

She twirls her sword that is wet with saliva and points it in front.

「Full speed ahead. Get within 500 meters and then turn hard to port. If you're thrown overboard, you'll die of cold.」

And so the battle begins.

Led by the two ships of Sekrit and Ivanna, the Goldonian fleet adopts a double line formation.

Of course, the Federation fleet is not foolish enough to be taken by surprise.

Federation Fleet.

「Enemy attack――!!」

「At the worst time......but they're no more than a worthless collection of scrap. Raise the anchors! Hold off on firing any cannons until an order is given! The only chance for the enemy to win is if they induce us to panic and friendly fire.」

Precise commands fly despite the swearing here and there.

They take the route of stopping the Goldonian fleet by sending out large and small combat ships while keeping the sluggish battleships stationary.

「Proceed with a frontal attack. If we fight in an organized manner, the difference in our size and firepower will naturally lead to our victory.」

「Let the gunboats with fire batteries go. I don't think they can hit targets on water......I mean, twenty shots landed in Elektra......the defense commander is shouting at us from the port.」

The Federation combat vessels head in a straight line, closing the distance with the incoming Goldonian fleet.

Shooting will begin when either side turns and lines their broadside cannons at the other.

It was Goldonia who made the first move.

「Enemy fleet has turned hard to port!」

The Federation commander unconsciously claps his hands and yells.

「So quick! And stupid!」

The wily adjutant next to him nods.

「It's a mistake that young commanders tend to make.」

At a glance, it appears that if the turn is fast enough, the head of the enemy line can be suppressed first.

However, if the ship is too far away, firepower of the cannons is weakened and no damage will be dealt no matter how many shots are fired, turning the leading ship into a sitting duck that cannot fire as it drifts off to the side.

If from there the ship that responds later steers to the opposite side, the opponent's mid row and beyond is open to be attacked at close range.

The Federation commander became even more sure of his victory.

Faced with the broadside densely fitted with cannons, the Federation ship line sails forward.

「Enemy battleship is firing――!!」

Neither the highly trained commander nor the navy soldiers are fazed by the stomach-rumbling vibrations and the screams of the lookout.

「Soldiers on deck, hide yourselves. Shots at that distance won't have any power. Once the enemy battleship passes, turn to port! We'll annihilate the trailing ships and then seize the battleship.」

「Looking at the type of ship, it appears to be based on our designs.」

Most of the shots that were clearly made from too far away will miss, and the few that will hit won't even penetrate the body of the ship.

The enemy's attack will result in just one or two insignificant and unlucky sailors on deck being crushed, and that's it.

The counterattack will begin here, or so that was what the commander thought.

「We are hit!!」

In timing with the lookout's voice, the core and main mast of the ship breaks in half.

「Eh?」

Portions of the thick broadside are blown away, shocking the commander.

「W-what?」

The adjutant is taken aback as two big holes are opened on the deck.

「Enemy cannons have reached us! The main mast is damaged!」

「There is a large hole in the ship's bow. If we don't decelerate, we'll fill up with water!」

「Our armor plating has been bypassed! The deckhands are......it's a scene out of hell!」

The commander and adjutant exchange looks, then scream in unison.

Goldonian Fleet – Sekrit Ship Line.

「What a fool. He panicked and steered to starboard.」

The corners of Sekrit's mouth curl up.

As she continues to watch the enemy ship line, her smile widens and she bares her canines.

「Slowing down in this situation......kukuku, there must be a hole in the hull of the ship's bow.」

Sekrit smacks the ass of the adjutant she was using as a chair with her prosthetic arm and stands up.

Cannons fire from the Federation ship, but most miss and the few that hit don't pierce through the battleship's sturdy deck.

「I knew it, our cannons are superior to theirs. Keep hard to port and――」

The ship's body slowly begins to tilt to the right as the rudder turns to the left.

「Now. Aim for the enemy's second ship, fire all starboard cannons.」

The ship fires at the moment it leans, giving the shots a bit of a dip in angle, driving the cannonballs at the draught line of the enemy ship.

「Multiple shots landed on the enemy's second ship. It is tilting and slowing down!」

Sekrit kicks the ass of the reporting adjutant.

「Idiot. We call that capsizing. Next, the enemy's third ship.」

With the Federation fleet in disorder after losing their first and second ship at the beginning of the battle, the Goldonian fleet one-sidedly pours on the attack.

Meanwhile, the Federation recovers from the bit of confusion and launches a counterattack.

Both fleets line up and shoot at each other as they sail side by side.

「Woah......」

A cannonball hits the bridge where Sekrit is, denting the protective plate sending chips of metal scattering.

「A head-on battle is pretty tough after all. Even with the advantage in cannon power, the gap in the number of ships and cannons is big.」

As if to prove her point, a ship in the rear loses its mast and tips over, falling behind the rest of the fleet.

Further, another ship suffers over ten shots to the side, which causes a fire inside.

「Combat ship Kirial is requesting help due to the spreading fire!」

Sekrit's brow furrows.

「Tell them to steer to starboard and cut into the enemy. They won't want anything to do with a burning ship.」

As Kirial obeys orders and heads toward the enemy ship line, Sekrit points with her prosthetic arm and gives another command.

「Kirial is deserting. Fire the broadside cannons at Kirial.」

「Huh?」

The cannon operators ask for a repeat of orders, but Sekrit simply gives them an icy stare so they relay what they heard.

Several cannonballs hit the burning Kirial, shredding the inside of the ship and inducing the stored gunpowder to explode. The close-range explosion greatly messes up the enemy ship line.

「Now then.」

Sekrit sits down on the adjutant, who gets on all fours, and surveys her surroundings.

「There's a good amount of smoke. And the smoke left by the idiots is perfect.」

The enemy battleships can finally be seen approaching through the smoke.

「Hard to port. Turn around.」

Sekrit's ship line instantly heads in the opposite direction.

Of course, this can only appear like they are fleeing to the Federation side.

The Federation chases at full speed, not wanting to let them escape――but that is when Ivanna's ship line rushes in out of the smoke.

Ivanna's cut disrupts the Federation ship line once again, and as they try to reorganize, Sekrit's ship line circles back around to flank the battleships.

In spite of the overwhelming difference in number of ships, the two lead the Federation fleet by the nose, and at the very least level the playing field.

The Federation fleet has to unavoidably spend all its efforts to fight back, meaning they cannot afford to provide support to the land with bombardments.

And with the bombardment gone, the land troops are able to resume their plan to break down the city gates.

Eventually, the Federation fleet reached their wits' end.

They needed to eliminate the obstacle in front of them in whatever way possible and return supporting their inland army.

They commit all that they have to the battle.

「There it is.」

The ship sailing slowly out of the Elektra port was bizarre.

It had a low draught, a flat shape and the surface was covered with a shiny black steel.

「How many years has it been? It feels like meeting an old acquaintance.」

Sekrit kicks the ass of the adjutant she is using as a chair and stands up.

Cannonfire of allies concentrate on the strange ship.

All the cannonballs that land bounce off with a metallic clank and a few sparks.

Multiple allied ships suffer a counterattack and go up in flames, then slowly fall behind the fleet.

「Go closer.」

The flagship approaches the steel boat on Sekrit's orders.

The mast topples, the broadside is shot through and cannons are blown away by the enemy onslaught.

Meanwhile, the bombardment by allies only results in a small clatter and sparks.

「Keep going.」

When Sekrit answers the frightened gazes of her subordinates, another shot hits the bridge, rolling up the protective plate and scattering debris.

「I-is the admiral dead......?」

Time momentarily freezes.

「Unfortunately, not yet.」

Sekrit, with blood dripping from her forehead, stands up, throwing her adjutant's torn arm and page's head out of the bridge.

「Maintain the course.」

A direct hit gouges out the ship's bow, shatters an oar, and tears through a navy soldier.

「Don't tell me we're going to board......」

「No, going any closer will rip us to shreds.」

As the navy soldiers make uneasy faces, Sekrit raises her voice several times louder than before.

「Hard to port! Dump cannons one to six on the starboard side, then drop 'that' in the open space!」

Cannons are thrown overboard as instructed and a cylindrical object is also pushed into the river through the emptied space.

As it falls into the water, it slowly sinks, leaving just a tail fin sticking out.

「What is that?」

The second a Federation navy soldier opens his mouth, the object makes a mechanical sound and suddenly moves, propelling itself in a straight line toward the steel boat.

Instinctively sensing danger, the enemy fires cannons and muskets, but nothing hits the underwater object.

And then......

「――it's a success.」

A giant column of water erupts next to the steel boat.

Immediately, the steel boat, which was repelling cannonfire like pebbles, starts to tip over.

「Five barrels worth of gunpowder just exploded below the draught line. Steel or whatever it's made of, it won't escape unharmed.」

Sekrit points her sword at the smoking and gradually sinking ship.

「Time to board. I'm interested in this steel boat, let's see what's going on inside this thing.」

After several minutes of fierce fighting, a bloodied Sekrit sits on the deck of the tilting steel boat.

Allies around her cheer victoriously.

At the same time, a steel boat near Ivanna's ship line also tilts and falls onto its side.

「Looks like things went well on that side too. Now I don't have to listen to any annoying complaints.」

Sekrit holds her head and leans against the wall.

She tosses away her blood-covered sword and her used musket.

「With this, my job is done. You guys can do as you want.」

Sekrit retrieves a flask of strong alcohol from within her shirt, takes a swig and closes her eyes while watching the land army break through the gates.

Elektra.

The humongous battering ram busts down the gate.

Additionally, cannons fire at close range and cave in the city walls in various places.

When I glance at the river, I see the steel boat, which is supposedly the enemy's trump card, tilting with smoke coming from it.

Other ships seem to be busy fighting with ally ships and have no time to pay attention to us.

「Chargeee――!!」

Allied swordsmen run over the fallen door and invade the city.

As soon as one squad passes the entrance, I hear the sound of muskets discharging, and the entire group collapses on the spot.

「Funneled into such a tight pathway, it's easy picking for them.」

The commander who gave the order to charge, turns to me near the front of the gate and then raises his voice louder.

「Don't falter, keep going!」

After both the spearmen and light cavalry rush in, only to get shot down, I grab the commander by the head and throw him aside,

「If you're a vassal of a king renowned for being wise, use your brain more. Spread lime and obstruct the enemy's vision.」

As long as we close the distance, the muskets are like spears without the tip.

「There is snow on the ground. Lime can't be spread effectively.」

I think for three seconds after being informed by Leopolt.

「Then light a fire. Use smoke to block their vision.」

「A fire can't be started because the dry grass and kindling are wet from the snow. And if by chance the fire spreads, it'll cause unnecessary hassle.」

I think for five seconds after being denied by Tristan.

I pluck a scale from the battering ram that has served its purpose and brandish my sword.

「Chargeee!!」

「That isn't using your brain at all!」

Celia follows despite complaining.

I run through the gate, and first swing my Dual Crater in front of me to scatter the snow on the ground.

Next I block the shots from the left with the scale, toss it and then pick up a body lying on the ground and use it to block the shots from the right.

「Gueh.」

If they were arrows, I'd have blocked them, but muskets annoyingly penetrate the mass of flesh.

「It's better than being hit directly though.」

Once I confirmed the bullets have been stopped by my muscles, I run forward.

The snow I scattered happens to fall at the same time, opening up the field of vision.

「Alright, aim――」

Right as the enemy in front adjusts their aim, I launch the commander into their ranks with a front kick.

「Eek......」

「This means it's over for us, right?」

I swing my Dual Crater down vertically, slicing one of them in half, then twist my body for a forceful sweep that cuts the stomachs of three people at once, and lastly I stab the back of another who tries to escape.

「Y-you bastard!」

One enemy soldier pulls the trigger of the musket from close range.

「Woah.」

I watch the muzzle and movement of his finger and tilt my head sideways at the moment the bullet leaves the musket.

The bullet flies by and hits a Federation soldier in the head behind me with a dry crack.

「H-he dodged the bullet!?」

「It's not the bullet. I was looking at you.」

I grab the barrel of his musket and bend it 90 degrees, then I grab his head and do the same thing.

That's when I hear the thumping of heavy footsteps, and when I turn around I am met by a squad armed with shields that have wheels attached.

The shields seem to be made of thick enough steel to deflect the hurried shots from the muskets.

An order is given and then the crossbows positioned behind the shields peek out and shoot down the enemy.

「......if you have equipment to help with the charge, tell me. Why do I gotta run in alone? I'm the king.」

This is probably Leopolt's doing.

「I'm here too! But earlier it was Aegir-sama who went ahead and charged.」

I pat Celia's head as she chimes in behind me.

You followed me though.

Well, we've broken through the gate now and I'm sure the urban warfare ahead will be tough too, but before I can prepare mentally, a snowflake floats down on Celia's head.

「Muu.」

Celia brushes the white powder off, though it melts and turns into water before it can fall to the ground.

「I don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky......no, I'll say I'm lucky.」

Heavier clumps of snow unlike the initial fluffy stuff drifts down seconds later.

「Snowing right when we've come this far. I'm in awe of Your Majesty's monstrous luck.」

Leopolt gives the order for an all-out attack.

The infantry, who had been wary of the muskets up to this point, transitioned into a full-fledged offense.

「Shit, water got in the muzzle after one shot......」

「The gunpowder over here is no good! Since it's close to spring, the snow is wet and has been soaked up!」

The muskets of the Federation soldiers go silent after a few sporadic shots.

「Aegir-sama, allow me to act independently!」

Celia requested something unexpected.

「Very well. Don't push yourself, you hear?」

When I rub her head, she nods and then runs off.

I'm a bit worried, but I don't want to rob her of the chance to redeem herself.

I mount Schwartz and cut down enemy soldiers while surveying the overall state of battle.

「Take the port! They can't fire the muskets anymore, rout them!」

「Forget about loading them. Use them as short spears!」

The Federation soldiers intercept my soldiers, swinging their muskets

「There's a strange equipment on top of the building. Take control of it!」

「The fire artillery can't be used either? ......argh, in that case!」

The enemy throws the weapon that shot the fireballs and tormented us at the soldiers rushing at him on the second story of the building. Both friend and foe are caught in the ensuing explosion and blaze.

It's good that the new weapon has also been sealed.

Celia.

I run like the wind through the city area.

「It has to be here.」

This area is away from the main battle and deserted as the inhabitants have already evacuated.

I look around, finding the most durable building.

That was a public bathhouse I had once visited.

Despite it being a facility used by citizens, there was a sign in front prohibiting people from entering.

「It's here!」

I kick down the door, surprising two soldiers having a friendly chat and causing them to raise their muskets in a panic.

Before either could pull the trigger, I threw a dagger between the eyes of one soldier and slit the throat of the other.

I flip up a portion of the floor, revealing a gentle slope that leads underground.

Slapping my cheeks several times after noticing a smile unconsciously form on my face, I then make my way down.

「Nn~ Came for supplies? Absolutely no one has been coming lately so I've been wondering what's been......gah!」

I pounce on the enemy soldier and stick my knife into his medulla oblongata.

I keep going down and down and down.

What I arrived at was a giant sliding door that even average treasure repositories don't have.

I clear my throat once and then approach the door.

「Bad news, it's an emergency! The enemy has discovered this location! We have to move all the goods right away!」

I knock on the door while exclaiming in a flustered feminine voice.

「Impossible! And the plan during emergencies is to pull the cork of the bathhouse and flood the entire――」

As soon as the man who appears to be the commander peeks his head out, I cut his neck, making him fall inward.

「Wha-?」

「An enemy!? The alarm didn't ring......」

Instantly identifying the four enemies present, I throw my daggers at each of them, then finish the job by getting on top of the fallen men and stabbing them.

Finally, I can take a breath and scan my surroundings.

「I knew it......it's here after all.」

When I cut open one of the many burlap sacs piled alongside countless barrels, a black sand......gunpowder spills out.

「If they can distribute muskets to even the rank and file soldiers, a big gunpowder supply base is essential. Not to mention, the Federation think of Aegir-sama as a wicked heartless mating macho man. In that case, they needed a place that is safe from an indiscriminate bombing of the city and also close to a large water facility in case of emergencies.」

I puff my chest out, proud of my excellent deductions, only to shake my head seconds later to tell myself this is not the time.

「If I blow this place up, the musketeers and cannoneers will not be able to shoot their weapons even if the weather clears. And maybe the impact of the explosion will shock the enemy and help decide the battle. I can redeem myself!!」

I kick over a barrel filled with gunpowder, open a hole in the side and roll the container, drawing a thin line of gunpowder, which will act as a fuse, all the way to the entrance.

「This should give me about three minutes......plenty of time.」

Just as I mutter and light the fire, a sudden impact and warmth hits my foot.

「You......vixen......」

It was the commander whose head was supposedly severed.

He had stopped the bleeding and struck my foot with a rod-like object.

「My foot......」

I feel my strength leave my leg as I collapse to the ground.

A bone had been broken.

Letting out a final soundless grunt, the commander then stops breathing.

I look up the slope leading out of the underground.

With my broken foot, it's too much for me to climb.

The small embers travel along the path of gunpowder making fizzing noises.

「Aegir-sama, I'm sorry.」

I took out a handkerchief from my chest area that was borrowed and later became mine.

「It's goodbye.」

I clutch my head, the last place which 'he' touched.

In an attempt to trap the tears, I close my eyes.

「――uooooooh!!」

I hear a reckless shout and hefty footsteps, then――

「Celiaaaa!」

「Aegir-sama!」

My eyes welling with tears widen and I reach my hand out.

「Celia-chan, you alright!!?」

It was Christoph.

「Nobody called for you!」

「You're so mean!」

Christoph carries me.

「Your chest is touching me. It's unpleasant so don't carry me with one hand.」

「There are still enemies outside! If I use both hands, I can't carry my sword!」

「It's pointless for you to carry a sword. Give up and use both hands to carry me, it's better if you just run.」

I sigh and add one more thing.

「There's ten seconds left until the gunpowder storage explodes. Run like your life depends on it.」

「You're kidding, right!?」

Christoph shouts and starts running.

No matter the situation, he's so uncool.

「Uooh!」

It happened when the enemies outside were confused by the bizarre scene of him running while screaming.

「Fugyu!」

A weird yelp escaped my mouth because of the powerful blast underground.

「Hagoh!」

Blood trickles from Christoph's mouth, probably because he bit his tongue.

Next, the ground seems to swell and I feel an unpleasant floating sensation as I'm thrown into the air.

I spin in midair several times before dropping head-first toward the ground.

「Uooooooh!!」

My beloved comes riding on a horse and runs to the landing point.

I open my arms and fly into his chest.

Protagonist.

Celia spins in the air as she falls toward stone pavement.

Falling from a height of about ten meters will likely result in instant death.

「Make it in time!」

I smack Schwartz's ass like I'm trying to lift it up

There's no like, it was lifted up.

「Uoooooh!!」

I spread my arms to catch the falling Celia, then hug her tightly.

「I told you not to push yourself!」

I rub her head as I scold her.

「I'm sorry. But I――」

「Uwaaaaaah!!」

Christoph also drops down.

I thought about catching him too, but I gave up as it didn't look like I'd make it in time.

Aah, how horrible, she broke her foot.

Christoph falls into a snow-laden tree, his landing softened by the branches.

That won't kill him.

「Ahem. As I was saying......I did it!」

Celia continues her story.

I want to hear her heroic tale, but I want to confirm something first.

「What did you actually do?」

I turn around with Celia in my arms.

An entire section of the ground was gone and there was a large bowl-shaped crater left in its place.

「The battle stopped.」

Enemy and ally are looking blankly at us.

「W-was that explosion just now of the gunpowder storage?」

「My goodness...... The entire Sena district became a hole.」

「Who knows how many people would have died if the citizens didn't flee.」

Celia scratches her head sheepishly.

The enemy soldiers point at the river.

「W-what is that!? The enemy battleship!? It's more than double the size of our dreadnought-class battleship!」

「And that color......could it be made of steel? Impossible.」

「Look at the cannon on the deck! There are three barrels, each large enough to fit an entire person......」

「We're......done for.」

I hear the enemy's spirit break.

Ivanna Ship Line.

「Super dreadnought-class battleship, Giganto, has arrived.」

「You're too slow, idiot!」

Ivanna yells as she boards the Giganto.

Replying from the center of the giant ship was Tikuku.

「My deepest apologies.」

Then she rotates her head on its socket.

It makes Ivanna take a step back.

「By the way, what's that on your head? Putting aside how unnatural the golden mask looks, the size is all wrong. It's three heads tall and creepy as hell.」

「Size requests to the dwarf tribe were not handled properly.」

Ivanna escapes from the intimidating stare and goes on.

「Also, why is your voice coming from the groin region?」

「Vocal functions attached to the head is compatible with lecherous middle-aged males/ Administrator has instructed for its use to be prohibited.」

Ivanna tilts her head, unable to understand.

「Threat identified in front. Ceasing conversation.」

Tikuku's gaze is fixed on the Federation battleship.

「Speed input. Temperature, humidity, wind speed, geomagnetism calculation complete. Left 22.5, angle of elevation 11.35. Fire.」

The giant cannon shoots with a boom.

Seconds later, all its shots land and the Federation battleship instantly disappears under the water.

「All shots......landed?」

Ivanna is dumbfounded.

Other Federation ship focus their cannons on the Giganto.

「Incoming cannonballs confirmed. Calculating impact point――complete. Controlling secondary guns 1 to 16. Three, two, one, fire.」

Smaller cannons fire one after the other.

Almost simultaneously, sparks fly and multiple pillars of water erupt around the Giganto.

「Shooting down cannonballs with cannonballs......are you a monster?」

「The computing power of the T-99 model can handle 80 targets going supersonic speed at once.」

Ivanna sighs.

「So basically, the Federation fleet is like scrap paper as long as you and this ship are here.」

Tikuku slowly shakes her head, denying Ivanna's somewhat self-mocking statement.

「It's impossible if the enemy doesn't appear in front of the ship.」

「Why? Even if it's slow, if you just sit in front of White City...... also, don't shake your big head, it's gross.」

Tikuku answers while keeping her head still.

「The ship has no propeller and can only move using the natural flow of water. There are uncertainties in moving to the destination, and it will not be possible to return upstream.」

「It can't use oars?」

Ivanna asks, draping a cloth over Tikuku's head.

「The ship weighs 20 000 tons. Moving it with manpower is extremely unrealistic. They can be useful for a gradual change of direction.」

「Don't tell me, it doesn't even have oars?」

「It also doesn't have a way to stop.」

Ivanna rests her head in her hand.

「Now I understand why she didn't recognize it as a ship. Even with a giant main battery and thick armor, it's simply a floating gun. Bring me the guy who built this thing. I'll kill him for insulting ships.」

「Not recommended. It was a plan made by the dwarf tribe and the administrator while consuming copious amounts of alcohol.」

Protagonist.

The Giganto grounds with a thunderous rumble.

An allied ship pushes it from the side right next to the Elektra port.

「Good enough?」

Leopolt responds.

「Yes. I can't properly use a ship that can't move or stop on its own. With overwhelming firepower and defense, it's most optimally used as an unsinkable battery.」

In the face of the Giganto, the Federation fleet scatters, and those continuing to resist in the city add to the number of people escaping.

「Well, that was close.」

Our fleet must have been pretty beat up as we couldn't get in contact with anyone and the Giganto nearly became a present for the Federation.

Ivanna eventually responded after several attempts, while Sekrit must have fallen asleep after the battle was decided and couldn't be reached.

I tie a wooden splint to Celia's leg, then kiss the inside of her thigh.

「It's really done now.」

「Yes. All that's left is the headquarters.」

The headquarters is looking down on the city from atop a hill.

By the looks of things, it doesn't seem to be suited for defense, so it's most likely the former mansion of a feudal lord.

「It would be easy to destroy it with cannonfire.」

「Don't do it. I won't allow it to be destroyed. I'm going in myself.」

I fasten Celia to the stretcher as she tries to stand, then go towards the headquarters carrying the Dual Crater.