Demonstration Of Military Force

The incident at the zoo caused a major stir within the Polia royal family. This was all the opportunity critics needed, and harsh words against Ian poured in.

They were supposed to properly host Prince Jedic, but now there had been two near-disasters in the kingdom. Jokes were even going around that perhaps Prince Jedic and the land of Polia simply didn’t get along.

At the height of public finger-pointing at Ian, Prince Jedic defended him by saying he was unharmed. With that comment, some of the criticism seemed to subside.

Still, it appeared Ian couldn’t escape responsibility for the failure in guidance. The King summoned Ian, and in that meeting, punishment was delivered. He was to end his vacation immediately and take on a new mission.

Though Ian felt somewhat dissatisfied that his leave was cut short, he ultimately accepted the mission in good faith. After all, it was a new assignment — and that assignment was none other than to head to the Nubea Kingdom.

In effect, he was being sent to the coast of the Nubea Kingdom to stage a military show of force. Upon receiving the orders, Ian returned to his ship, thinking, “So they’re sending this one to me?” Naturally, the rest of the ship’s crew had to return as well.

The deputy captain, lieutenants, and officers all ended their leave and returned. Feeling guilty for not allowing them a longer vacation, Ian apologized, but they reassured him that nothing was his fault, given the situation, and even offered words of comfort.

Eventually, the battleship Mythos, which had been docked and maintained for some time, set sail. Their first destination was the naval base where the 5th Fleet was stationed. From there, they were scheduled to depart together for the Nubea Kingdom.

“It feels oddly calming to be out at sea.”

“Perhaps it means Your Highness has grown accustomed to the sea.”

“Is that how it works? Maybe so. Ha ha.”

From the bridge, Ian gazed out at the ocean and suddenly thought of Lady Michelle and the Third Prince, who were likely still in the capital. Perhaps the two had grown closer in his absence. What would happen when he returned?

“Will they ask me to break off the engagement?”

From the kingdom’s perspective, it might be welcome news if the Third Prince wished to marry Michelle. Diplomatically, it would be beneficial, and there were many connections to be made. It crossed Ian’s mind that just as the engagement had been forced, the annulment might be forced too.

“Maybe they already know about the Third Prince and Lady Michelle.”

Given how openly affectionate he had been, it would be a problem if no one noticed. In any case, now that he had been assigned a mission, Ian decided to focus on that first and think about the rest later. Just as the battleship Mythos, carrying Ian, headed toward the naval base of the 5th Fleet, Prince Jedic the Third was receiving a grave report.

“Are you saying the attempt was to assassinate me?”

“Yes, that appears to be the case.”

“Hmm, it certainly did seem strange.”

He had arrived in the Polia Kingdom secretly via airship. A sudden gust of wind nearly caused a serious accident. Apparently, if the airship had hit the ground, it could’ve exploded.

“You’re saying there was magical interference?”

“Yes. Though it was hastily erased, we were able to detect clear traces of magical manipulation. And at the zoo, it appears there was another similar assassination attempt.”

Upon hearing Lacen’s words, Prince Jedic seemed to confirm his own suspicions.

“The way the Kaisha looked that time — it was clearly abnormal. He seemed somehow enhanced.”

“Indeed. It’s highly likely he was strengthened using magical drugs. And he was likely made to go berserk at the exact moment.”

“Come to think of it, he did start attacking indiscriminately.”

“It’s likely a side effect. One of those drugs that causes the user to kill friend and foe alike.”

“Sounds like a difficult weapon to manage. Still, it seems someone truly intended to kill me.”

“Exactly. I suspect this is the work of the Crown Prince’s faction.”

“Ah… that might be true. So, my brother really wants me dead. Must be because I’m a threat to his position.”

“Shouldn’t Your Highness return to the homeland immediately then?”

“No, I think I’ll stay here a while longer.”

“Pardon? May I ask why? Is it because of Lady Michelle?”

“That’s part of it. I’ve completely fallen for her.”

“But…”

“Ah, don’t be so serious about it. I may be in love, but I haven’t lost all reason. Besides, I doubt there will be any more assassination attempts.”

“Why do you think that?”

“The Polia Kingdom will now go to great lengths to protect me. I hear even their intelligence agents are actively moving.”

“Yes, that’s correct. They seem to have finally sensed something was wrong.”

“After all, if I were to die in their territory, it would be a disaster for them. So they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me safe.”

“Still, we don’t know what tricks the Crown Prince’s side might pull.”

“There’s certainly still danger. But honestly, I doubt my brother will try again. Anything more would be too much of a gamble.”

Being caught off guard versus being prepared made all the difference in an operation. And now that the assassination attempts were coming to light, it was unlikely they would continue. Of course, that didn’t mean he would let down his guard. He would prepare for them too.

“This place may be safer than the Imperial Palace itself.”

“Anyway, Prince Ian ended up cutting his vacation short and heading out to sea because of me.”

“So I’ve heard. It might be for the best, honestly. If I may speak freely, I don’t understand why Your Highness is so taken with Lady Michelle.”

“Hmm, why indeed? Does it sound strange if I say it was love at first sight?”

“I don’t understand such things.”

“Ha ha, Lacen, when you fall in love, you’ll understand. I didn’t expect to fall this hard myself. I just approached her out of curiosity and struck up a conversation. Then I realized — this is my woman.”

“Prince Ian will not be happy.”

“Probably not. But they say love must be fought for. Fortunately, they’re only engaged — not married.”

“…I see. I shall follow Your Highness’s will.”

Seeing Lacen shake his head as if the whole matter was not his concern, Prince Jedic laughed heartily.

“Ha ha ha, glad to hear it. In any case, what matters is this — by the time Prince Ian returns, the situation will already be over.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

To Lacen, Prince Ian was someone who gave off an uneasy feeling.

Ian traveled for half a day before he could finally see the naval base where the 5th Fleet was stationed. Situated near a moderately sized city, the base was inevitably smaller in scale compared to the one located in the capital.

When the battleship Mythos entered the naval base, its sheer size became immediately noticeable. Many naval soldiers could be seen watching with awe. With the help of tugboats, the ship was successfully docked, and Ian, taking only his aide, began walking into the base.

Everywhere they went, he was greeted with salutes, and eventually arrived at the place where the Admiral of the 5th Fleet resided. Two guards stood at the entrance. Ian told his aide to wait and then approached them.

“I am Ian Mustaq. I’ve come to see Admiral Armand.”

“Ah, please wait just a moment.”

Soon after, word was delivered inside that Ian had arrived. When permission was granted, he entered and saw a man in his early fifties with sky-blue hair and a gentle demeanor.

Snap! Ian saluted.

“Ian Mustaq reporting to Admiral Armand.”

“Ah, welcome.”

“Please speak comfortably.”

“No, how could I? You’re a prince as well as a captain. More importantly, setting sail just after a single day of rest — I worry you didn’t get to relax properly.”

“It’s all right. Resting on a ship can also be a form of rest.”

“Ha ha ha, you’ve learned to speak like a true man of the sea. In any case, the Nubea Kingdom keeps trying to avoid paying war reparations by sending only material goods. Let’s go show them a proper display of power.”

“Understood. I’ll make sure they see our strength.”

“Ha ha ha, I’m sure once they see the Mythos, they’ll fold and pay up immediately.”

Ian found Admiral Armand to be a surprisingly decent man. He had been concerned the admiral might view him with suspicion, but thankfully, he didn’t seem like a bad person. Still, Ian decided to keep observing, as one could never truly know another’s intentions.

“Well then, off you go. Even if brief, I’d recommend taking a tour of the naval base.”

“I will. Thank you — I’ll be going now.”

Exiting the office, Ian walked down the corridor with his aide, Mardin. Once they had distanced themselves from the office, Mardin asked if anything had happened.

“Did he say anything else?”

“Not really. Just that we’ll go to the Nubea Kingdom together and give them a proper lesson.”

“That’s a relief. Looks like the other princes haven’t interfered.”

“You never know.”

The admiral seemed pleasant, but Ian couldn’t help but consider that his true feelings might differ. With that thought, he decided to look around the naval base. Upon reaching the harbor facilities, he saw many warships stationed there.

A single Monglia-class battleship — one of Polia Kingdom’s pride — was docked, along with three Lamit-class armored cruisers. There were also over a dozen destroyers, which made it clear that these comprised the 5th Fleet.

The 5th Fleet managed to keep their battleship intact during the last war, somehow.

Only three Monglia-class battleships had survived, and one of them belonged to the 5th Fleet. With the addition of the Mythos, nearly half of the kingdom’s active battleship power was now mobilized.

Until new battleships could be built, the ones here were vital. Among them, the Mythos, which Ian had boarded, stood out the most with its 30,000-ton mass.

Ian spent some time observing the coastal artillery that guarded the naval base, then returned to the ship and resumed his onboard life. As night fell, he attended a dinner hosted by Admiral Armand.

Since the admiral lived at the base with his family, his wife and children were also present. Ian was able to share a pleasant meal and conversation with them. Later, he returned to the ship, passed the time quietly, and eventually went to sleep.

The next day.

By around 10 a.m., the 5th Fleet was ready to deploy and slowly began to depart from the naval base, with the flagship leading the way. The fleet sailed into open waters and began heading straight toward the sea zone near the Nubea Kingdom.

This movement had to be swiftly reported throughout the Polia Kingdom by journalists. Because they were moving so openly, it was clearly a strategic gesture — to broadcast the fleet’s movements for maximum effect. As soon as the news reached the Nubea Kingdom’s embassy, panic ensued.

While urgently reporting the news to their homeland, the Nubea ambassador rushed to the royal palace to meet the King of Polia. However, without a firm promise to pay proper reparations, the king refused to meet.

Back in the Nubea Kingdom, crisis meetings were held one after another to devise a response. They had to urgently gather whatever remaining naval power they had.

But since they had not yet received the battleships they had ordered, they were forced to assemble a fleet centered on cruisers and destroyers. A few days passed, and the Polia Kingdom’s 5th Fleet reached the seas near the Nubea Kingdom.

Faced with the Polian fleet led by the Mythos, the Nubean navy quickly lost morale upon realizing how outmatched they were. It was obvious that if they engaged, they would suffer total defeat.

Furthermore, the 5th Fleet was composed of seasoned veterans with real combat experience from multiple naval engagements. Many crew members aboard the Mythos had also gained battle experience during the war with the Doicheun Empire.

Given the situation, the Nubea Kingdom had no choice but to avoid provoking the 5th Fleet. They sent diplomats daily in an attempt to pacify them, and tried communicating through their embassy in Polia as well.

But the Polia Kingdom remained firm: without reparations, they would not withdraw. This standoff lasted nearly two weeks, until finally, the Nubea Kingdom submitted. They declared they would pay full reparations.

Only then did the King of Polia agree to meet the Nubean ambassador — and not only did he resolve the issue of reparations, he also charged them for the cost of mobilizing the fleet. As a result, the Nubea Kingdom found its finances completely drained.

Ultimately, they were forced to cancel their order for a battleship from the Moria Empire. This news sent shockwaves through Moria, as the cancellation of a battleship order was a major financial blow.

Fearing Moria’s potential anger, the Polia Kingdom proposed an alternative: they would purchase the battleship instead. Moria welcomed this proposal.

Of course, not all battleships were created equal. The ship intended for Nubea was below the specs of Moria’s mainline vessels, but Polia still had enough budget to purchase at least one battleship — so the plan was put in motion.

Strangely enough, the responsibility for renegotiating and confirming this purchase was assigned to Ian. Was it just a coincidence, or was the kingdom trying to send him even farther away?