Kraken’s Return?!

“The Magnia Empire could not recognize the group called Promance that had the bizarre political system known as a republic, and hereby recommended immediate surrender. If you had no intention of surrendering, a declaration of war would be proclaimed as of October 1, and you would experience the Empire’s mighty military power.”

Ian thought that the Magnia Empire had made a blunder. In the end, Emperor Jedic could be said to have protected his pride. After all, he had joined late even in the war with the Doicheun Empire and became the biggest beneficiary, so it seemed he would be full of confidence.

‘In the end, he is overconfident in what he has.’

Even though he knew it was difficult, he chose such a blunder, so he thought that the position of emperor was difficult for this reason. To choose a war that expected massive damage for the sake of pride and prestige, he inwardly thought that he should not become such a being.

‘Still, it feels like he might use an unexpected move, though.’

With even biological weapons already existing for them, there was no telling what outlandish and bizarre weapon might exist. Still, what was certain was that this matter would not proceed easily. He thought it would probably become a war that would greatly gnaw away at national strength.

Perhaps the Moria Empire and the Noma Empire would also be pleased at this decision. Even if only because of the Magnia Empire’s power that was already growing too excessively, they had intended to join hands with the Polia Kingdom and keep it in check, and since it was starting a war on its own, it would be a good thing for them.

“What were you thinking so hard about?”

“Ah, I was thinking for a moment about the international situation.”

“Your Majesty, at least at a time like this, please rest a bit.”

“That’s right. You should rest. If you keep thinking like that, only fatigue will keep piling up.”

With Queen Adrina asking from the side, Princess Helena, who had already grown accustomed to a place like this, was speaking out of concern in her own way. Hearing the two of them, Ian shrugged. He did not want to, but it could be said it had become such a habit that his thoughts kept straying down other paths.

More than that, Adrina was sitting in a chair with her belly quite swollen. This place was the palace garden, and while receiving warm sunlight, they were drinking tea together to take a break. The fact that Princess Helena was with them in such a place meant that being together had become fairly familiar.

“Ahem, I will try.”

“It’s fortunate enough that you will try, Your Majesty.”

“Her Majesty is too generous to Your Majesty, you know.”

“Is that so? Hoho.”

From their laughing voices, it could be seen that the relationship between the two looked much closer than before. Since they met and talked almost every day, their relationship could not help but grow closer. Even to bring things to this point, Princess Helena’s efforts could be said to be considerable.

Ever since the first walk, she often followed along the path when they took walks together. Before long, she always joined even family meals and built closeness. Besides that, she showed herself participating in various matters as well. Ian could not help but leave it be, if only because her efforts were commendable.

‘I have really become indecisive too. I should be firm if possible, but I am not doing that.’

In a way, he might have been in a situation where he could not do this or that out of pity for her unfortunate circumstances. If she had a vicious personality and was a bad woman, he would have firmly driven her out, but since she was not, he could not help hesitating even more in how to treat her.

Moreover, it was not as if he could show a harsh side even to Adrina, but not only Princess Helena herself, even Queen Adrina was showing only very good expression toward each other, so the option of driving her out was disappearing more and more. Certainly, it was a somewhat different atmosphere from the moment they first met.

Unlike the moment they first met, she had confirmed Ian’s love, and before long she had even conceived a child that could be called the fruit of that love, so as the emotion called leeway arose in her heart, it was possible for it to develop into such a relationship.

“Oh my?”

“Why is that?”

“Right now, the baby inside is kicking.”

“Again? Let me feel it.”

Ian’s action of approaching without reserve, placing his palm on her belly, and trying to feel it was a path different from other kings. Princess Helena’s gaze as she watched that had the emotion called envy settled in it. It could be said that the more she was with them, the more the presence of King Ian filled her heart.

‘Envious.’

If there was something in her thoughts that differed from before, it would be her feelings toward King Ian. If before, because of her circumstances, she thought she wanted to be joined with him as a not-bad king, now it could be said that she had fallen for how warm he was and how dearly he treasured his woman.

‘Could a day come when he would do that for me too?’

If she too had His Majesty’s child and the moment came when her belly swelled, how good would it be if he placed his hand on her belly like that and looked at her that warmly? As she thought that, the sound of conversation being shared in a low murmur was heard.

“When will the baby come out into the world?”

“There are still a few months left. They said it would probably come out around late November or early December.”

“There is still that much left? I find myself wanting to quickly see the child who comes out into the world.”

“If you wait, you will surely be able to see it.”

“I too want to quickly become a father who takes the child and boasts to everyone.”

“Your Majesty will truly be able to become a good father. Hohoho.”

“I will try to become that way.”

At Ian’s face as he spoke as if making a vow, Adrina looked at Ian, her husband and king, with warm eyes. In that face, there was a silhouette approaching toward where they were. It was Viscount Rubingston. At that sight, Ian let out a short sigh and, as if muttering, spoke.

“Viscount Rubingston is coming here. Whenever something bad happens, he always comes in a hurry like that, you know.”

“What could it be?”

“There will be no need for you to hear it, so I will get up from my seat now.”

As he asked for understanding and stood, Adrina also tried to stand with effort, and Princess Helena supported her from the side and helped her stand. Amid the faces of the two of them, Ian slightly bowed his head, moved his steps, and spoke to Viscount Rubingston approaching.

“What matter is it that you come like this?”

“Your Majesty. The Republic of Promance conveyed to us that if we had no intention to fight, we should immediately withdraw our troops from the tunnel entrance and the surrounding area.”

“Hm, it seems they too heard the Magnia Empire’s declaration of war and are preparing in advance.”

“It seems they want to make it clear who is the enemy and who is the ally.”

“To gain their trust, we have no choice but to withdraw. Contact them and have all our troops pulled back. Especially convey that we are a neutral country.”

“Understood. And…”

“Hm? Is there other content to report?”

“It is news relayed from the Sea of Abundance, and it seems a kraken has appeared there and is rampaging.”

“Kraken? Is it that fellow from before, the one that came toward us, got beaten badly, and ran away?”

“I do not know exactly, but we are reporting that the possibility is high.”

“In that direction, I believe there are a few islands that belong to our kingdom?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Since there were many islands filled with tangled ownership, he knew that a few islands belonging to the Polia Kingdom also existed. In truth, it could be said they did not pay that much attention to that place. It was because of the islands’ sizes, but also because not that many residents lived there.

“Would it not be somewhat dangerous to send only a few warships?”

“Yes, if we face the kraken, the possibility of being easily defeated will be high. To properly deal with it, at minimum a fleet that even has battleships must move.”

As Viscount Rubingston said, the danger would be reduced only if a fleet moved. Of course, if it became like that, it could be said it would be inefficient in various ways.

‘But if we leave it alone, that itself can later cause an issue about ownership.’

If they left it to handle itself, later it could become something that raised doubts about ownership of the islands. They were islands that would be isolated in the distant Sea of Abundance to begin with, and if they did not even provide help, dissatisfaction among residents living on the islands could not help but grow considerably.

“It will be a problem in terms of cost, but in the end we must be able to strongly appeal our claim of ownership, so we have no choice but to dispatch a fleet.”

“Perhaps it would be best that you do so. I think.”

“Hm, which fleet should we send?”

“If you ask my thoughts, how about the 11th Fleet?”

“Do you mean the 11th Fleet that was newly established before?”

After the establishment of the 10th Fleet, the 11th Fleet was newly established again and came into being. The composition of this fleet could be said to be a fleet consisting of three cruisers and twenty-two destroyers centered on one battleship seized and taken from the Doicheun Empire. Of course, it could be said that submarines and an aircraft carrier were also included besides this.

“Since it is a situation where they are training anyway, how about sending them to the Sea of Abundance in that it would also serve as training to sail the ocean?”

“Hm, not bad.”

If it also served as training that had to be conducted anyway, then in terms of cost, it would be right to send them. In the past too, they had sent a fleet to the Marin Archipelago in that way and had once ridden along together.

Meanwhile, he thought there would also be danger. If a fleet sent in a situation where it had not yet fully completed training met the kraken, it could lead to a situation where warships sank.

‘Of course, the possibility is almost none.’

In the vast Sea of Abundance, the probability of encountering the kraken would not be that high. Since it was said it was rampaging that much, the possibility was high that other nations’ fleets would also set out. While they owned only a few islands, other nations governed quite many islands.

‘The Magnia Empire will move most actively.’

They would likely even now be in a situation of exploring ruins on an island in the Sea of Abundance, so they would have to dispose of the kraken quickly to remove attention. Inwardly, he thought how nice it would be if by luck the kraken showed up around that island.

‘If that happened, we would only have gains, and the Magnia Empire would, literally, be put into a difficult situation.’

With the thought that the probability would be low, inwardly he thought that this year was a greatly chaotic situation for the Magnia Empire. The matter of the Republic of Promance was already busy, and on top of ruin exploration, even a kraken was rampaging in the sea.

With an inward thought that it served them right in such a situation, he soon hastened preparations to dispatch the 11th Fleet. Since it would take time even to go there, he had to hurry and have them prepare to move.

Sea of Abundance.

A vast ocean where many islands existed. Among these islands, one place was showing a condition where smoke was continuously spewing from the peak, as if a volcano was currently active.

On such an island, quite many people were currently stationed. What they were doing was none other than searching for ruins. In truth, it was a search activity that had continued for months, and even now it was not finished. This showed that this exploration was that difficult.

Meanwhile, since it was a place maintained very secretly, only submarines—over ten of them—were actively operating around the island. Literally, if there was any vessel approaching the island, they fired torpedoes and sank it regardless of reason.

It could be said that the number of vessels that had suffered such attacks was currently five. With the surrounding sea blocked by submarines like that, a fleet existed around the island. Their mission too was to guard the area around the island.

If the submarines were breached as the first layer, then they would have to survive against the Magnia Empire’s fleet.

Thus, the 800-ton-class submarines that the Magnia Empire called the Poti-class were leisurely roaming underwater and watching the surroundings. At that time, suddenly, a fairly large boulder flew toward one of those submarines. It came flying while cutting through the water and went thud! as it struck the hull surface.

The inside became chaos. With the sudden shock delivered, those who were sleeping or cooking, and even the captain and leaders who were conducting a meeting, were thrown into the air and tumbled around inside. At the moment everyone was in shock, water began to rush in from the struck hull.

“Flooding confirmed! Water is coming in!”

“Block it somehow!”

“T-the rate it is coming in is too fast!”

The rush of water coming in as if the hull was splitting was growing stronger. The more so, the submarine had no choice but to go down as it was. More and more seawater rushed in, and in the end they tried to close the door to block the flooded area, but it would not close due to the rushing water.

Everyone tried, but in the end, as it went down into deep waters, the pressure grew, the submarine crumpled, and it had no choice but to explode as it was. The explosion sound spread in all directions. Soon other submarines, their allies, also came to know this.

A submarine exploded?! Everyone thought they had been struck by an unidentified enemy. As vigilance rose, what flew toward these submarines were, as expected, huge boulders.

The sizes varied, so there were submarines that hurriedly retreated as they were crumpled, while there were continued cases where the hull tore and they sank into the deep sea and exploded.

With this situation, the submarines realized the disadvantage and hastily decided to retreat to the island’s coast. At this time, the number of submarines that survived was only seven. In a short time, as many as eight submarines had been struck.

Soon, an emergency was raised even in the Magnia Empire’s fleet that learned of this. Meanwhile, a giant silhouette was briefly revealed on the sea surface a little away from the island, then showed a movement of disappearing again. That was right. A kraken had appeared here.

What it did a moment ago was literally an action that came from experience: it had once experienced having a leg blown off after grabbing a submarine with its leg, so it scraped the seafloor to obtain boulders and attacked the submarines by throwing them.

With the appearance of this kraken, the Magnia Empire’s side could not help but become extremely confused.