Chapter 46

From the early hours of the morning, the voices of soldiers echoed across the area. Morning at a military port starts early; drills begin at 6:00 AM. As guests, we weren’t required to participate, but since everyone else was awake and we’d heard the cafeteria food would run out if we didn’t hurry, we ended up rising at 5:00 AM with the rest of them.

True to a soldier’s diet, the food wasn’t luxurious, but we were able to eat our fill to start the day. The menu was fairly balanced: vegetable soup with beans, bread, cheese, and raisins. With nothing particular to do once breakfast was over, we had Ingo guide us to watch the military exercises.

The training began with practice for greetings and salutes. We had received some degree of training from Clara-sama, but it seemed the methods used by sailors and guards were slightly different. Once that was finished, they moved on to a march with heavy gear to build physical strength.

Wait. Are we doing this too?

The Japanese urge to not refuse in such situations is a powerful thing…

I thought the march would stay within the training grounds, but we were led out to the outskirts of town still hauling the equipment. Just how far were we going?

“Senpai… I’m bored,” Yoshioka muttered.

I felt the same way. We had been marching for over forty minutes, and there was no sign of stopping. Thanks to healing magic, we weren’t physically tired, but we were definitely getting fed up. Eventually, the march lasted a full hour before finally coming to an end.

Where exactly were we? We had been led quite far from the city.

“I didn’t think sailors needed to do so much marching.”

“Well, they perform landing operations too,” Ingo explained. Since Lake Baden and the Reinga River aren’t as vast as the ocean, perhaps they can’t afford to just stay on the boats.

“After a break, the training for the Magic-Guided Cannons will begin.”

Oh! That was exactly what I wanted to see.

The Magic-Guided Cannon that appeared was much smaller than I had anticipated. It was about a meter long and thirty centimeters in diameter, shaped like a cylinder and mounted on a wooden carriage pulled by a horse. It was operated by a five-man crew.

“It’s smaller than I thought. You know those battery mounts left at Odaiba back home? That’s what I was picturing.”

“Ah, those were 36-pounders,” Yoshioka noted.

Damn that Yoshioka and his endless supply of useless trivia. I could almost fall for the guy. By the way, what does 36 pounds even stand for? The caliber? Oh, the weight of the cannonball. I see.

“These are field-use Magic-Guided Cannons, so they’re this size to make them easy to move. If you go to the port, they have large ones for base defense, but those are off-limits to visitors.”

In other words, these were small cannons capable of supporting infantry or cavalry. They certainly looked maneuverable.

“Commence light artillery drills! To your stations!”

At the commander’s shout, the soldiers moved in unison. First, they unhitched the horse and secured the cannon. They even used a spirit level to ensure it was set correctly. Meanwhile, infantrymen with long spears—looking almost like laundry poles—formed a phalanx on both sides, with archers lining up behind them.

“Those are the infantry meant to protect the cannons from a charge by Magic Cavalry,” Ingo said.

“Magic Cavalry” refers to knights who can use magic, like Clara-sama. Next, a specialist used a telescope to measure the distance and elevation to the target, aiming based on a sense born from experience.

“Load the Magic Stones!”

Once the aim was set, powdered magic stones from a wooden container were poured into a hole on the side of the barrel. The range is determined by the amount of powder and the angle, much like old-fashioned cannons. However, since this weapon fires the mana energy contained within the stones themselves, there is no physical projectile.

“That seems easier to operate than a regular cannon,” Yoshioka observed.

Really?

“Well, without cannonballs, the amount of weight the soldiers have to carry is significantly reduced, isn’t it?”

I suppose a single cannonball would weigh about 20kg. Carrying just five would be 100kg. The preparation for firing seemed complete. Since they didn’t have to load a shell, it was remarkably fast. The target was a wooden stake set atop a small hill across the field.

“How far is that?”

“600 meters.”

It looks like a large, red-painted stake, but from this distance, it’s so small that I can’t imagine actually hitting it.

“Preparation for firing complete!”

“Confirmation complete! …Fire!”

The moment the gunner touched the barrel, the magic circle on the attached plate glowed. I thought I saw a flash of red light, and in that same instant, the ground near the target erupted with a thunderous roar. It veered slightly to the right, but the power was incredible.

“Correcting aim!”

The man peering through the telescope called out instructions. Three others adjusted the direction and angle, while the remaining one measured out a precise amount of powdered magic stone. As soon as they were ready, they fired the second shot.

This time, it was a direct hit.

“They hit it in just two shots!”

“That squad is one of the most skilled in the entire unit,” Ingo explained, his eyes filled with admiration. Artillerymen get paid better than infantry and are considered the elite of the force.

If a field cannon has this much power, the large-scale ones must be devastating. Furthermore, the magic circle plates attached to the barrel are interchangeable. For this drill, they used an “Earth” magic circle, which fires magic shells that deliver physical impact—perfect for destroying city walls.

However, as an anti-personnel weapon, that impact is a bit too localized. In those cases, they switch to a “Fire” magic circle plate. This allows them to fire magical shells that burst and spread flames like high-explosive incendiaries. The greatest advantage of the magic-guided cannon is this flexibility; you just swap the plate to suit the mission.

“The ‘Water’ ones are used for putting out fires or even riot control,” Ingo added.

“What about ‘Wind’?” I asked excitedly.

Ingo tilted his head. “There are ‘Wind’ plates, but I’ve never actually seen one in use.” Apparently, since the wind plates just release compressed gas, there isn’t much call for them.

What a waste!

“If we could use that compressed air to move a piston, we’d have an Industrial Revolution on our hands!”

“Whoa, Senpai, you’re sharp today! And it doesn’t even have to be wind magic; you could use fire or water magic to drive a steam turbine!”

The age of the sailing ship would be over!

But neither of us are engineers, so building one is out of the question. Maybe we could explain the concept to some genius in this world and have them build it. Then again, we’re still short on cash. To invest in technology, we need to make a lot more profit. All of this has to wait until we’ve earned enough to become true capitalists.

Ingo looked at us as if we were some sort of bizarre creatures as we got hyped up over our “skinning the bear before catching it” calculations. Still, it was thanks to Ingo’s invitation that we got to see the magic-guided cannon up close. I made sure to thank him properly.

“Here, Ingo. A token of my appreciation for today. Please, take it.”

I cut out another gravure page and gave it to him.

“Ah! Sayaka-chan!”

He even remembered her name. I didn’t even have to tell him to treasure it. We were happy to see Ingo’s collection growing. Bust: 88cm, F-cup. Impressive.

The training continued until it finally ended after 3:00 PM. But even after it was over, we still had a one-hour march back to the barracks.

“Senpai, I am not cut out for the military,” Yoshioka groaned.

“Neither am I.”

Born and raised on Earth, we just didn’t have the endurance for this. Basically, we don’t really want to follow anyone’s orders except Clara-sama’s.

“I guess we’d better hurry up, earn some military merit, and become nobles ourselves.”

“I agree with the ‘becoming nobles’ part, but personally, I’m happy being Lady Clara-sama’s attendant…”

“I’ll respect your ‘M’ tendencies, Senpai. So, let’s help Clara-sama move up in the world, and we can settle in as nobles serving under her.”

“M” tendencies…? I don’t have that kind of fetish! …I think. I hate pain, after all.

But if it was Clara-sama…

“Hmph. Just leave everything to me. Relax…”

Crap, I might actually like that. But then again, the reverse is also appealing!

“Kuh… do as you wish…”

I want to make her say that!

Ahem.

Setting that aside, Yoshioka’s proposal wasn’t bad. Being the “Power in the Shadows” sounds pretty cool! That night, Yoshioka and I stayed up late, getting excited about the “Road to Nobility.”

Ingo Troy was in his living room, reluctant to say goodbye to his beloved. He counted the years; it had been eighteen since they first met. If he closed his eyes, the passing years—colored with joy and sorrow—flickered through his mind.

“Father, you wanted to see me?”

His eldest son, Hans, entered the room.

“Yes. Have a seat.”

Hans obeyed, sitting down in the chair. Ingo thanked God that his son had grown into such a fine young man.

“The enlistment ceremony is finally here.”

“Yeah. I’m a little nervous.”

When his son told him he wanted to be a sailor just like him, Ingo had cried privately. He had been that happy. His wife had looked anxious, but Ingo couldn’t stop the tears, feeling that his son had validated his work and his life. Tomorrow, his son would finally depart. Before he left, there was something Ingo had to give him.

“Hans, I want you to take this.”

Ingo pulled out an envelope.

“The Defense of Bregantz, the Landing at Maiwu Island, the Invasion of Ostrea… This is the precious lucky charm that protected me every time my life was in danger.”

“Father… are you sure I should have something so important?”

“Yes. I want you to have it.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Hans took the envelope and left the room. Two trails of tears ran down Ingo’s cheeks.

Goodbye. And thank you. You were always there to support me, comfort me, and give me strength. It’s truly painful to part with you, but this time, I want you to support my son.

With a heart full of emotion, the name of his beloved slipped from Ingo’s lips.

“Goodbye, Sayaka-chan…”

It was a spring day, eighteen years after Ingo had first met Kota and the others.