Launching Ceremony Of The Avalon-class Battleship

The situation in the Republic of Promance was being conveyed from moment to moment. It was possible to learn about their way of life, what was currently in fashion among them, what items they used a lot, and what kind of social system they had.

Since they were implementing an open-door policy, they did not particularly block us from learning about this either, so through intelligence agents who had the status of our diplomats, we were able to capture many things on camera. Naturally, these materials were immediately delivered to Ian in the royal palace.

‘As expected, seeing it like this, their industrial power is considerable.’

They also had industrial districts. They were located between mountains, and in places built on fairly wide open spaces, so many factories had settled that they were almost packed together. If there was something different from ours, perhaps it was that they were unusually tall.

‘There are many two-story factories to maximize space expansion, huh? There are even places that are three to five stories high here and there.’

Since there was a risk they could collapse if careless, the photograph showed that the pillars and other parts appeared to be supporting them firmly and securely. As factory forms also changed depending on the environment, he could not help but feel admiration deep down at the fact that they had done it that way.

‘Now they have even adapted factories to the environment. Just how far can humans adapt?’

Deep down, he thought it was amazing that they had developed such dense factory complexes and that they were also quite orderly. Even when looking at other photographs, he could see narrow roads located between the factories, and carts of moderate size moving through them.

‘Somehow, they resemble a country called America, yet they are also quite different.’

When looking at their political form, the appearance of the people, and the way they acted, they were exactly the kind of sight that brought America to mind. If there was something different, it was the fact that their territorial size was extremely limited. From that fact, he thought that now that they had appeared in the world, they too might have the possibility of aiming for colonial territories.

‘Even if resources and food have been solved through some special ruins, in the end, there are bound to be limits. So they must want the vast flatlands located around them.’

In the past, they had remained quietly inside the mountain range because they had needed to hide themselves, but now that they had revealed themselves to the world like this, it seemed clear that they would try to aim for new lands. When he thought about the purpose of such a Republic of Promance, he wondered if, should they obtain the colonial territories located in all directions, a superpower might be born in the future.

‘They have enough potential.’

Their industrial power had been prepared, and they had technical power as well. They even had a population of over two hundred million, so it could be said that the materials were more than enough and overflowing. The problem was that, in order to seize such colonial lands, they would have to wage war. There was no one who would hand over land easily.

‘Everyone has absolutely no intention of giving up the colonial territories they possess.’

In a situation where the countries had even requested our kingdom and suppressed colonial rebels, there was absolutely no reason they would hand them over easily.

The thought occurred to him that if they also adapted to this world to a certain degree and established diplomatic relations, they might become one axis of a fairly significant force. Perhaps, if things went well, they might even become a fairly good allied relationship for us.

‘For us, who have no colonial territory on the continent, they are not a threat at all. The Republic of Promance will also have no burden regarding us.’

He thought that perhaps the Republic of Promance was now actively trying to establish diplomatic relations with us because it had considered that. From what he had heard, people on that side often conversed and mingled with our diplomats. He thought that perhaps they were acting this way as a move for the future.

‘Come to think of it, did they say they wanted to send people to our side once as well?’

Just as countries around the world had dispatched diplomats to the Republic of Promance, the Republic of Promance also seemed to have the desire to dispatch diplomats to various places around the world. For now, since talks were proceeding well and it seemed diplomatic relations would be established soon, they too might dispatch diplomats to our kingdom.

‘There is nothing bad about staying on friendly terms.’

Ian also wanted to learn more about them. In particular, there were many things he wanted to know about the ruins. For reference, as soon as Ian heard that news, he had already told them to simultaneously conduct research on types other than biological weapons using the White Crystal.

‘Will there really be a way to produce resources and food with only the White Crystal?’

For now, seeing that there had been no contact for several days, it seemed there were still no notable results. Deep down, he thought it had been too unreasonable an order.

‘Still, it is fortunate that there are two White Crystals, so they can be researched separately.’

Thanks to the additional White Crystal obtained when the secret organization was wiped out, he thought it was fortunate that they could proceed with more leeway and conduct research at the same time. If there had been only a single one, they would have set aside research on biological weapons and attempted research according to the order he had given.

“Your Majesty, it is almost time for you to leave.”

“Has the time already come? Let us go, then.”

At the words of Mardin, his secretary, only then did he turn his gaze toward the clock hanging on the wall, immediately put down the materials he had been looking at, and stood up. For reference, the place he was currently going to was none other than Tebes Shipyard. He was going to that place, which was counted as the foremost among the five major shipyards located in the metropolitan area.

For reference, it was also the place that had refitted the battleship Mythos, which Ian had ridden in the past.

‘A battleship, huh.’

The reason he was currently heading to the shipyard was none other than to see the launching ceremony of a newly completed battleship. A plan had been made to build a battleship every five years, and in the midst of that, the time had come and construction was carried out, so it had finally been completed.

‘With this battleship launched, we will possess a total of sixteen battleships, then.’

Because the navy had caused such a fuss, there had been no choice but to build the battleship, but he was still skeptical about building battleships. They would only become useless targets. They only looked like a waste of money. It was fortunate, at least, that the condition was attached that only one would be built every five years.

The other empires had lost much of their strength during the last Great War and were now said to be churning out several battleships a year, but compared to them, they had ended up building a battleship like this only once in a while. Still, the development and construction of cruisers, destroyers, and the like were being carried out periodically.

‘In addition, construction of aircraft carriers is also continuing steadily.’

Now, over nearly ten years of construction and technical accumulation, the size of aircraft carriers has gradually increased, and their usability could also be said to have improved. Now, so many aircraft carriers had been produced that one could say one or two aircraft carriers were always deployed to each fleet.

With this reality, perhaps it was natural in a sense that the battleship side was sluggish. In fact, the battleship being launched this time had also been delayed quite a bit due to various problems. Still, as a substitute, new technologies had been introduced, and a reasonably good battleship had been completed.

Before long, Consort Helena was at Ian’s side as he left the royal palace. It would have been good to take Queen Adrina, but if she were to go, Princess Karina would also have to be brought along, so she had no choice but to remain in the royal palace. In a sense, it would be correct to say that Queen Adrina had yielded to Consort Helena.

Come to think of it, he thought this was the first time he had gone out with only Consort Helena like this. They got into the car and ended up sitting side by side as they went. Since they had married and had also spent quite some time together, there was no wall between them as there had been before. So now, starting a conversation had also become natural.

“I hear you still play well with Karina these days.”

“She is pretty, after all. The way she acts is also very cute.”

“I can only say thank you, but I truly am grateful.”

Ian genuinely felt grateful. In a sense, she was his daughter’s stepmother, yet she treated her well like a daughter. Of course, he had been suspicious at first. He had also wondered whether she might perhaps behave badly in places that could not be seen. Even in dramas from his previous life, how many scenes were there where a stepmother harbored ill intentions and deliberately tormented someone?

He felt sorry to Consort Helena, but because of that, Ian had secretly carried out surveillance, and in the midst of that, was able to confirm that she treated her well even when the two of them were alone. From that fact, Ian felt sorry that he had trusted her too little. Come to think of it, after getting married, they still had yet to conceive.

“There is no need to thank me. Rather, I am even more grateful to Your Majesty. If not for Your Majesty, I would have been sold off to someone else.”

“I did not choose you for that reason. I watched you and chose you because I thought that if it were you, you could sufficiently be with me.”

“I know. That is why I am even more grateful. You love me just as much, after all. Hehe.”

He loved Queen Adrina, but now he was also treating Consort Helena with feelings of love. In the past, he had thought, why did guys who loved several women live like that? But when he found himself in such circumstances, he thought he could understand.

‘They say there is nothing as complicated and difficult as having several women to take responsibility for.’

If he neglected even one of them a little, that alone would become something that caused a headache. He did not want to become someone who, like certain others, lost interest and fell for another woman. As such, he wanted to treat both the queen and Consort Helena well.

“More importantly, how do you feel? This will be your public appearance, will it not?”

“I am a little nervous, but I am confident.”

At the sight of Consort Helena showing confidence, Ian nodded as if relieved. In reality, this event would be the first time her face was properly made known to the public. Naturally, the role she would perform was to be the sponsor at the launching ceremony.

It was a traditional ceremony carried out as if cutting the umbilical cord of a newly born baby, and this time, Consort Helena was to perform it. The vehicle they rode in like that drove for quite some time, and after passing through the city center and driving along the coastal road, they were finally able to arrive at Tebes Shipyard, where the launching ceremony would be held.

As around thirty cars moved in a line and entered the shipyard, they could see the enormous shipbuilding facilities.

“Wow, it really is huge. I think this is my first time entering a shipyard directly like this.”

“You can think of it as one of the foremost shipyards in our kingdom, where most large ships are built.”

They saw ships located in each dock. There were places where construction had just begun, but there also seemed to be quite a few ships that were almost completed. Of course, the place they had to go to was not where such ordinary ships were built, but where the dock dedicated to building warships was located.

“Is that the battleship for which I will be the sponsor this time? It really is huge.”

The sight of the battleship visible through the window certainly made one think it was huge. It could not be helped. The battleship boasting the largest displacement in the history of the Polia Kingdom was present for this launching ceremony.

‘The Avalon-class battleship, huh.’

In a sense, it was a battleship built by concentrating all the technology we possessed. It could be said that quite a lot of the technologies we had received in place of payment while selling weapons had gone into it. In addition, it could also be said that it had received considerable help from the excellent battleship construction technology of the Doicheun Empire.

Of course, the abilities of our battleship designers were also outstanding, so a proper battleship had been born. More than that, it was a battleship of no less than forty thousand tons. Considering that the oldest Monglia-class battleship was twenty thousand tons, it was a battleship with twice the displacement.

It was not only large in size. It was equipped with three triple 390 mm naval guns. Considering that the Doicheun Empire had unveiled the Modirak-class battleship during the Great War, and that it had been forty thousand tons and equipped with triple 350 mm naval guns, we had built a battleship with a similar displacement but far stronger punching power.

The fact that such a battleship had been built made him feel newly proud. Although his heart had drifted away from battleships, seeing one in front of his eyes made him feel something that shook a man’s heart. This was why he thought the navy went crazy with joy when it came to battleships.

‘Until only a dozen or so years ago, the greatest battleship we had was someone else’s battleship, captured from the Doicheun Empire, which mounted 305 mm guns on thirty thousand tons. But now, for a battleship we made ourselves to be at that level, a great deal has changed.’

Of course, since we had built something like that, the other empires would probably be developing or building things even greater than that. Battleships mounting supermassive large guns on forty thousand tons, or perhaps even fifty thousand to sixty thousand tons, might appear. Still, personally building a battleship of this scale was quite a remarkable achievement.

‘Considering that battleships mounting guns exceeding 400 mm will appear later, this is not that large.’

He thought it was not unreasonable if one considered that battleships with far greater displacement would also appear.

‘Still, the fact that they are naval targets does not change.’

Thinking that moderation was still best, he entered the ceremony venue before long. Many people, including participating naval officials, were in attendance. Even ambassadors from various countries attended, and because they thought the existence of a battleship itself was a measure of a nation’s military strength, they were watching with interest.

Amid these appearances, many reporters had taken their places before long and were photographing us with cameras. Amid that sight, Consort Helena stepped forward as the sponsor and proceeded to cut the rope with an axe. Along with the rope being cut with a thud, a bottle struck the surface of the ship before long and broke, making the liquor flow down.

Booooong—!

Along with the majestic sound of the ship’s horn, it strongly resounded around the area where the launching ceremony was being held. Since the ship was large, he thought the sound of its horn was truly loud as well. Amid that sight, they were soon able to watch what could be called the final part of the launching ceremony.

Thud! Along with the sound of something falling away, the battleship soon began sliding down into the sea. Fairly thick logs were lined up along the bottom surface, and the moment it entered the sea through that floor, it created fierce waves.

Swaaaaash—!

Before long, they could see the battleship tilt and gradually regain its balance. The fact that such a massive battleship showed such righting ability showed that it had been built with its center properly balanced. Without any defects, the battleship stood tall upon the sea.

Clap, clap, clap, clap—!

Everyone applauded. The most enthusiastic were, as expected, the naval generals. They were cheering while looking at the gigantic battleship with expressions filled with emotion.