In The Name Of Ingrad!

After several days of work, the sea fortress had roughly taken shape, and quite a few people showed interest in it.

They were mostly people from other countries, and among them, the country that showed by far the greatest interest was Wedia.

“It truly is… a wonderful ship!”

At Princess Forne’s words, I also agreed and said,

“This wonderful fortress will protect the waters off our country.”

After hearing my words, Forne looked at me with an envious gaze and asked,

“I suppose it would not be possible to place a separate order for one, would it?”

It seemed she coveted it. Certainly, it looked like something she could not help but covet. Its majesty was that great. A massive fortress floating on the sea, and if I considered the various strategic weapons that would be placed there, merely having this floating in the middle of the sea could create a deterrent against war.

Moreover, this fortress was not going to be deployed alone. A whole fleet was scheduled to accompany it at all times while moving.

It would have propulsion installed, but because the hull was far too large, we planned to connect ships to the fortress and have them help move it, on the assumption that it might not reach a good speed.

“Honestly, even if you had something like this, I doubt you would see much effect because the weapon system is different, would you?”

If she asked me to make one, it was something I could make for a large sum. However, for the fortress to properly display its power, it needed to have the same or a similar weapon system as Ingrad’s, and I pointed out that other countries could not do that. Princess Forne quickly understood and spoke regretfully.

“If our Wedia also had weapons like Ingrad’s, we surely might have wanted this fortress. A fortress floating on the sea…”

Judging from her dazed expression, she seemed to be imagining something, and Duke Desilon, who was beside her, asked me,

“I never dreamed that this was the reason you requested an audience last night.”

“Is it not magnificent?”

“Is magnificent all it is? Considering the fact that various strategic formations would be possible, and Ingrad’s seemingly endless magical weapon system, would it not be more than a strategic weapon…?”

From what I had heard, there was no ruler of the sea. In general, the naval power of countries bordering the coast seemed to be more or less similar.

Even the Terakan Empire’s navy, when compared to its army, was something I knew to be fairly weak.

‘In reality, the only empire bordering the coast is Terakan, but right now, that place is in no situation to turn its eyes toward the sea…’

I thought of the Empress, and before long, Riana came to mind. In truth, my connection with her had somewhat ambiguous aspects.

Moreover, since I knew the feelings she held, it could be called a burdensome connection. I had heard that she had gone missing, and I merely wondered whether the Pearl family might have had a hand in it.

“This is… nothing more than the beginning. For what I am envisioning to be completed, I will need even more excessive greed.”

After hearing my words, Princess Forne and Duke Desilon looked at me with envious gazes.

After that, thanks to several people beside me asking this and that throughout the work, I was able to continue working without being bored, and just as I was working on the finishing part of the fortress, Volv came to find me.

“Your Majesty, what is today’s schedule?”

Volv was a fairly famous person in the outside world. Part of it was probably because his face was known, but the fact that he was the head of the Black Gold Merchant Company made him even more famous.

Because of that, nobles from other countries nearby suddenly showed interest in Volv, but since he did not even seem to intend to listen to other people’s questions and was only looking at me, even I felt burdened.

“…For now, I intend to finish today’s work with this and withdraw. Tomorrow, we are scheduled to work on trade ships and warships. Why do you ask?”

“If that is the case, I would like to do something else.”

“Something else?”

At my question, Volv looked around, and I had no choice but to ask the others for their understanding before moving away separately with Volv and speaking to him.

“There are quite a number of ships that we placed in the nearby waters, and I was thinking of bringing them here.”

“….This island was not all of them…?”

“We thought there might not be enough, so we brought a little more.”

No matter how I thought about it, it was excessive. However, after making the fortress, I somehow began to feel greedy. So I imagined several fortresses floating on the sea and protecting Ingrad, swallowed dryly, and looked at Volv.

Volv had an expression as if asking me to quickly issue the order, so after thinking for a moment, a question came before giving permission.

“By any chance, how many did you bring?”

“….”

Seeing Volv hesitate, I could tell that there were quite a lot. Just how many had he brought?

Then, suddenly, I recalled the fishermen who had recently complained that accidents where their net mesh got caught somewhere and tore had become frequent.

The fishermen had lamented that, thanks to help from the whale beastkin nearby, they did not lose the nets themselves, but repairing them was no ordinary trouble….

“Are there… more than on this island?”

“There are… somewhat more.”

Volv’s answer made my head go blank. I remembered one mistake I had made.

‘Right… the entire whale beastkin race practically moved. And yet, thinking that simply bringing two thousand ships was everything… was a mistake, if it could be called one. Just how many ships did they bring…?’

“Could it be… about three thousand?”

“It is a little more than that.”

I asked, thinking I would like him to just say it clearly.

“How many are there? Let us speak plainly.”

“….A little… under ten thousand…”

I almost swore. Yes, only a scale like that would suit the whale beastkin. Thinking that, I let out a sigh and asked Volv seriously.

“The ones placed on the island are relatively normal ships, correct?”

“That is correct. In the case of the ones sunk underwater, many had damage or crustaceans and the like attached to them, so we were in the middle of cleaning them up.”

So that was what it had been. I had recently thought that there were many whale beastkin in the sea, and they had been doing that work underwater. It was a situation that made me sigh automatically, but I decided that it was rather better this way and said to Volv,

“Bring the ones that have finished being cleaned first. And if possible, please make sure they do not catch other people’s eyes. Also, there have been many complaints from fishermen recently. They said the fishing nets in the waters off the coast often get caught somewhere. So I would like you to pay attention to that part as well.”

“Would there be any objection?”

Volv bowed politely, and when he received the order and left the scene without lingering, several foreign nobles showed interest, but I had no intention of freely releasing information about him.

I gave those who asked questions suitably roundabout answers and proceeded with the finishing work, and by using Construction, I completed the sea fortress by connecting all of its joints.

The sight of them attaching together one after another and becoming one was quite a spectacle, and everyone watched with trembling eyes as the sea fortress truly completed itself before them. Finally, after the last joint attached as if it were densely tangling together, I was able to stop Construction.

“Complete!”

At that brief shout, cheers burst out from all around.

Nothing had been placed on top of the fortress yet, but the majesty of the “ship” surrounded by round castle walls gave off something difficult to describe in words. When Hare and Richard came running at the news of its completion, they looked around the fortress and made detailed requests about what was needed, allowing us to adjust this and that.

“I would like watchtowers and turrets to be installed. This is the design drawing for the shells.”

Richard held out a drawing he had prepared and drawn in advance. It was a turret where the magic cannon was clearly exposed, and it had been devised so that the barrel of the magic cannon could be fixed to the floor and freely change direction to cover every direction.

“Since the castle walls appear to be twenty meters high, I think the watchtowers should be installed roughly ten meters higher. However, since objects such as telescopes must be placed there, please make them in this form.”

And what he showed me was a watchtower in a form similar to a “lollipop,” with a wide platform.

“What is the reason for insisting on this form?”

“It is to combine offense and defense. If holes through which gun muzzles can be extended are installed at various angles in the gaps of this outer wall, then surely, like this…”

Seeing Richard take a posture as if aiming a gun at the ground, I could understand.

Judging by the size of the watchtower, I recalled that it was designed to protrude slightly outward beyond the castle wall, and it seemed clear that it had been designed so that even enemies pressed right up against the wall could be targeted with guns.

He had probably imitated it after looking at the castle walls I designed, but even so, the fact that he had thought of this was enough to make him admirable.

“In the case of the watchtowers, I would like to install one every thirty meters. How would it be to assign roughly five people to each?”

It was probably a number considering surveillance and enemy response. It was not a large number, but I thought it would be sufficient for the role of a “watchtower.”

After that, we planned to leave space inside the castle walls and install ammunition warehouses and the like. Richard proposed placing a huge structure in the center of the fortress, injecting fixed coordinates into it, and then opening a gate so that people could constantly come and go.

Hare also said that it seemed like a good idea. And she made the outrageous statement that it would be nice if we could place several fortresses like this, but since that matched my own thoughts, I immediately responded affirmatively.

And the fleet guarding this fortress was planned to have fifty warships assigned to protect a certain area. Hare and Richard said it would be good to place simple docks made by tying ropes and the like to the outer wall of the fortress, securing a space where ships could rotate in and rest normally.

I could tell how much the two of them had thought over and devised various things.

Overall, nothing in the preparation was difficult, but the problem was how to decorate the interior of the fortress.

We had already made separate cabins. We had not decorated the inside, but at least in terms of cabin size alone, it had been arranged so that two thousand people could receive private rooms and live there.

“Considering shift work and the like, I would like to assign roughly three thousand five hundred people at maximum, with two people per room. What do you think?”

“I think that may be too few. Considering the size of the fortress…”

Richard’s words were also correct. Compared to the size of the fortress, it was an absurdly small number. However, there was one part he was overlooking.

“The crew will all be whale beastkin. Think of their build and the like. And should we not also take into account that food, combat supplies, and even the crews of the warships will be able to rest in the fortress in shifts?”

“Ah… so there was that aspect. That is why there were so many cabins.”

The fortress’s cabins had a three-story structure. Since it was so large, I had deliberately made many spaces, but I had also tried various things while thinking of things necessary for several ships, including the hold, and securing spaces that would serve as buoyancy and counterweights.

“It is an experimental form, but depending on how it is operated, we may be able to employ various strategies and tactics. Moreover, if a gate is installed, there will be no worries even if it sails out to distant places.”

When I said that, Hare and Richard nodded, and at that moment, one thought flashed through my mind.

And in order to confirm it, I asked Hare a question.

“What is the minimum range of space needed to install a gate?”

“….Why do you ask…?”

Hare looked at me as if puzzled, and I gave her a broad smile as I said,

“Because I would like to produce gate ships.”

I was thinking that if we had a medium-sized sailing ship with a gate installed, then even if it sailed a long distance, whether for crew or goods, as long as we sent the ship, everything would be okay.