An Elevated Standing

The next morning.

Unlike the previous night, when a sudden torpedo attack by submarines caused chaos, by now the confusion had mostly settled, and operations had returned to their original focus.

In the city of Pero, rebel forces were still putting up resistance, and army operations to break through were underway. Naval artillery support from warships had resumed. Although the torpedo strike had damaged the harbor facilities, fortunately, there were no human casualties.

In the midst of all this, the two submarines captured the night before had become the center of attention. Everyone aboard them had been arrested and was now being held in a prison cell aboard a battleship.

Since each submarine had fewer than ten crew members, it was just barely feasible to confine them all in a single space. As a result, the submarines now floated alone—inevitably drawing interest.

The concept of submarines and some details about their construction were known to a degree, but this was the first time anyone had seen such a large and properly built example.

“It’s incredibly cramped inside.”

“Yes, it’s so tight I’m not sure you can even stand up properly in here.”

Listening to his aide’s negative remarks, Ian examined the submarine’s interior, filled wall-to-wall with machinery. He felt a mixture of admiration and concern. For this era, the level of mechanical sophistication was impressive—and the fact that such a submarine existed was remarkable.

‘Submarines are going to become much more useful in the future. If it’s already at this level, it’s practically a completed concept.’

He imagined they’d keep evolving, eventually growing large enough to exceed a thousand tons. Just the thought of such submarines prowling underwater, assassinating warships, gave him chills.

‘Of course, they still can’t strike openly—but who knows how long that will last?’

The captured crews kept their mouths shut about their identities and affiliations. Still, Ian had a strong suspicion. Given their targeted attack on the battleship Mythos, it could only be the Doicheun Empire. The problem was the complete lack of evidence linking them to it.

‘Getting them to talk would be easy.’

He could use Mental Manipulation to extract the truth. But even then, the Empire would deny it. They’d probably accuse him of framing them. Considering all this, it was best not to press for their identities.

‘Besides, doesn’t this make these subs mine now?’

Like the battleship, these were his captures. What should he do with them? Selling them to the government seemed like the ideal option. Not only would he profit, but studying the submarines could help lay the groundwork for building their own.

‘Didn’t this country try to develop submarines too?’

Yes, but only experimental ones—tiny, tubular subs that could carry one or two people at most. Most countries with any technical capacity were running such trials. But none had reached the level of what they had now captured.

“My back’s starting to hurt just staying in here.”

“Indeed. The ceiling’s so low you have to stay hunched over. Performing missions in here must be extremely difficult.”

“That means the crew must be highly skilled—and mentally tough, too.”

“Exactly. Staying inside a metal shell beneath the sea would shake anyone’s nerves. So, what do you plan to do with this?”

“I plan to sell it to the state.”

“Really? That’s definitely a wise choice. Honestly, operating one of these things is… a bit much.”

“Why? Do you think it’s cowardly?”

“Well… launching torpedoes while hiding underwater does feel a bit underhanded.”

Ian, hearing this, realized that although his aide was capable, his way of thinking was rigid—stuck in the past. To be fair, Ian himself had once thought submarines were beneath him. But no longer.

“Eventually, every country will operate submarines like these. Cowardly or not, victory goes to those who eliminate their enemies.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Let’s get out of here. This place is too tight—I feel like I can’t even breathe properly.”

His aide nodded in full agreement. They exited the submarine, which was currently moored beside the battleship. Until a transport vessel arrived to haul them away, the two submarines would remain in place.

“Whew, now I feel alive again. I’m definitely not cut out for submarines.”

“Absolutely agreed. I’m not a submarine person either.”

Stepping out into the fresh sea breeze, they shed the stuffy feeling from before. Several personnel were stationed on top of the submarine, and a small boat floated nearby—complete with a camera mounted on it.

“Shall we take the photo now?”

“Of course. Once that photo reaches the homeland, it’ll cause a stir.”

“No doubt. They’ll call them ‘underwater assassins’ who targeted a battleship. It’ll be big news.”

That meant he could demand a higher price for the submarines—good news for him. He began wondering what to invest in next with the funds he’d receive for transferring the subs.

‘The problem is… anywhere I put the money, I’ll profit. It’s hard to choose.’

Since he could predict future events, earning money would be easy. He had also started a business producing barbed wire with spikes—soon to be in high demand wherever there was war. With that, returns would skyrocket.

‘Good thing I filed for international patents. I’ll need to register many more in the future.’

Of course, he’d pace himself. If he filed too many, it would draw suspicion. So, he planned to preemptively register only what was essential.

“Captain, preparations seem to be finished.”

“Ah, then let’s take the photo.”

Adjusting his uniform and cap, Ian checked his appearance and climbed onto the submarine. His aide and several others joined him. On the boat, the photographer raised a hand to signal and took the photo, capturing Ian alongside the submarines.

The photo was quickly loaded onto a vessel and sent back to the homeland. Meanwhile, in the city of Pero, the sounds of gunfire and artillery continued unabated. Naturally, the rebels were collapsing rapidly.

-“The rebel suppression forces of the 1st Fleet, deployed to the Marin Archipelago, reportedly launched an amphibious operation and took control of the port in under a day.”

-“Surprisingly, Prince Ian was also part of the rebel suppression force of the 1st Fleet, and it is said that he made significant contributions aboard the battleship Mythos.”

-“Shocking! Underwater assassins targeting the battleship Mythos?! During the late-night amphibious landing, a sudden torpedo attack occurred. Fortunately, the torpedoes misfired, allowing the Mythos to survive and mobilize, during which the enemy submarines were located and captured.”

-“Unidentified submarines? Naval manufacturers stunned by the advanced submarine technology?! Who is the country behind the development of such submarines?”

With a photo of the battleship Mythos firing its naval guns toward the city of Pero and another showing the two captured submarines side by side with Ian standing atop them in a black-and-white image, the story spread nationwide through newspapers. What shocked the public more than the rebel suppression was the existence and capture of the submarines.

The photos included not only the exterior but also several shots of the interior, leaving people stunned by their complexity and craftsmanship. How could submarines of such quality have been developed? Curiosity also swirled around the identity of the enemy who had built them and targeted the battleship Mythos.

While the general public was busy wondering, the Polia Kingdom’s leadership had already guessed who was behind the submarines. It wasn’t difficult to figure out. The fact that only the Mythos was targeted made it clear who the culprit was.

Inside the royal palace’s conference hall, the king and many of his ministers were gathered. Amid the lavish surroundings, they discussed the latest developments—the rebel suppression operation in the Marin Archipelago and the captured submarines.

“On the twelfth day of the suppression, it seems most of the city of Pero has been secured.”

“That’s too late for subduing the rebels.”

The king, sounding displeased, was answered by a uniformed officer who bowed deeply.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. We were severely short on troops, which delayed the operation. Reports say half of our forces were rendered combat-ineffective during the initial landing.”

“In any case, if it will be wrapped up within a few days, execute all captured rebel leaders. As for those involved in the rebellion and anyone associated with them—sentence them all to slavery.”

The king’s tone was utterly indifferent. Without hesitation, he was condemning over 100,000 men, women, and children to slavery. In truth, not massacring them outright was the most restraint he would show. At this, Duke Gwens voiced a cautious concern.

“Your Majesty, if you do that, the city of Pero will completely lose its ability to function. You won’t be able to collect taxes.”

“Does it matter? They defied me—they should serve as an example. We can extract funds elsewhere. And send settlers there. There are plenty of refugees wandering around.”

“Indeed, that is true.”

With the kingdom’s recent economic decline, more refugees had been roaming freely. The idea was to resettle them in Pero, where they would rebuild the city in order to survive—assuming they obeyed the appointed administrators.

“Now, about the captured submarines.”

“Yes, they are said to be astonishingly advanced.”

“I’ve seen the photographs and reports myself. Truly, they are far more developed than I expected.”

“We have also dabbled in submarine development, but public backlash limited us to experimental models.”

King Hugo nodded at Duke Gwens’ explanation, already aware of this. He briefly looked at the photographs scattered across the table—many more than those shown in the newspapers.

‘No doubt they belong to the Doicheun Empire. To think they’ve developed technology at this level—cunning devils, as expected.’

“They specifically targeted the battleship Mythos. So, we know who’s behind it. Any evidence to formally name them?”

“Not a shred. Even the captives have remained completely silent. Even under torture, they refuse to speak.”

“I see. Then it’s unlikely we’ll extract the truth.”

“Indeed. What’s important now is preparing for submarine warfare going forward.”

“Of course. Even if they’re not used openly, submarines can still be devastating in secret. Still, it seems their torpedoes misfired—so they’ve got a way to go.”

“Indeed. We were lucky they malfunctioned—had they been fully operational, the damage would’ve been worse.”

“By the way, Ian captured them again, didn’t he? Will ownership pass to him as well?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“That boy’s got incredible luck. Capturing two submarines at once?”

“Prince Ian always seems to attract miracles. That’s why the ships he boards are called ‘miracle ships.’”

Duke Gwens, who said this, watched cautiously. Ian’s growing reputation made him uneasy. In fact, due to the recent newspaper coverage, Ian’s popularity with the public had risen even more dramatically.

“Fortunately, Prince Ian has agreed to relinquish ownership of the submarines to the state.”

“Oh, has he? Well, it’s not like he could do much with submarines himself. Make sure we pay him accordingly to avoid gossip.”

“Understood.”

Unlike a large battleship, the submarines were small enough that transferring ownership wouldn’t draw much criticism—so long as proper payment was made. Glancing again at the photos, the king muttered softly.

“About those submarines… should we develop our own?”

“Would that be acceptable?”

“Using them openly may be questionable, but nothing stops us from doing so secretly. We have captured specimens—why not try replicating them?”

“That’s a sound idea. The other empires surely possess or are now developing submarine technology. We cannot afford to be left behind.”

Though technologically behind the empires, the Polia Kingdom had long invested heavily in catching up. While expensive, the necessity of maintaining parity drove them to act.

As Polia moved to begin its own submarine program, the ministers couldn’t help but grow more wary of Prince Ian. His accomplishments had begun to surpass expectations, shifting him from a temporary figure in the 1st Fleet to someone whose influence could no longer be ignored.

Originally, he was placed in the fleet simply to crush the rebels, using a battleship temporarily. No one expected he’d capture two submarines—his success was provoking far more attention than anticipated.

‘…This is not good.’

Duke Gwens was not alone in that thought.