Saving 80,000 Gold in an Another World for Retirement Chapter 127

127. Enemy Site Inspection 2

“Awesome!” (Mitsuha)

"How Fun!" (Mitsuha)

I have repeated the same replies over and over again.

And there's soldier-kun who keeps talking with his inflated nostrils.

Yeah, well, that's that. It's what they call [Just as planned…].

If we were in j.a.pan, he would be around 3rd year Middle schooler or 1st year High schooler. In other words, still a child. No, he has an appearance of a college student, but mentally still equivalent to j.a.panese middle schooler. No, the mental maturity is much lower here, where the communication system is not well developed.

Wait, is there little possibility that the girls are quick to mature because they have less fun?

(Note: Wait, what?)

Anyway, the other party here is an adult, but he is still a child from my point of view as a j.a.panese. On the other hand, I'm an 18 years old girl, even though still a minor in j.a.pan, the ban for accessing adult manga or violent manga have been lifted. So, something like talking to a boy is an easy task for me!

"And, how fast is this latest 64-guns s.h.i.+p?" (Mitsuha)

"If we got a tailwind, it's about 14-15 knots. Amazing right!" (Soldier-kun)

“Eh, but isn't crosswind faster than tailwind?” (Mitsuha)

“Eeeh! You know a lot, aren't you … Yeah, actually it is. Usually, a girl has a little understanding in such a thing. So, I'm trying to make it easy to understand. Anyway, by getting a crosswind … ” (Soldier-kun)

Isn't the speed more or less the same as the seized s.h.i.+ps? The maximum speed of the seized s.h.i.+p is around 14 - 15 knots depending on the wind direction, and the average speed is 4 - 6 knots.

Oh, of course, the unit of speed that soldier-kun is talking is not “knot”, but a unit in this world. It is automatically converted in my head to the knot, the unit of the earth. One knot is one sea mile per hour, or 1.852 kilometers per hour. Not a land mile, but a sea mile or [nautical miles]. About 0.5 meters per second. However, although it is not as fast as the fast-moving clippers, such as the famous Cutty Sark or the Thermopylae, it has quite good performance. It may be difficult because of the overwhelming difference in s.h.i.+p efficiency.

(Note: Clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing s.h.i.+p, designed for speed and "Cutty Sark" and "Thermopylae" was the names of British clippers. the more you know)

If you think about it, the operation of a sailboat is close to a craftsmans.h.i.+p, so the novice that just popped out might be so much better. This may be troublesome…

With this overwhelming disadvantage in every aspect such as s.h.i.+p size, s.h.i.+pbuilding technology, navigation technology, s.h.i.+p maneuvering technology, national financial resources, basic scientific capabilities. Can the Kingdom protect itself without my presence?

… seems impossible…

Something like steam engine with their current technology is a dream within a dream…

“Huh? Mitsuhchan, what's wrong?” (Soldier-kun)

Not good, apparently, my face seemed to have darkened. Soldier-kun looked into my face anxiously.

"Oh, no, nothing. Hey, compared to the s.h.i.+p which your friend's dad was aboard… I wonder if that was a weak s.h.i.+p because if I recalled right that s.h.i.+p was a 40-guns s.h.i.+p. I just wondering if it will lose in a battle…"

Alright, with this, we can hear some information of the difference in performance between the captured s.h.i.+p and the newest s.h.i.+p.

… or rather, this child is pretty detailed. Isn't he just a junior sailor? Or is he a son of an officer who has heard a lot from his father? but isn't he too young for a cadet? Cadet among cadets?

"40-guns s.h.i.+p? Ah, it's not that weak. Until the latest state-of-the-art s.h.i.+p was deployed, it was the second largest s.h.i.+p. s.h.i.+ps rarely sink in artillery battles; the life and death of the crew is just a matter of time and luck" (Soldier-kun)

Uwaah, even though he just a child, his view of life and death is so clear…

But, Certainly, if it is just an iron ball without explosives, even if it hits the lower part of the hull, the s.h.i.+p won't sink that easily. The main objective of naval battle in this era would be to break the mast or cut the rope to make the s.h.i.+p inoperable, or to kill the crew and reduce the s.h.i.+p's combat capabilities.

And, soldier-kun told me much more.

Well, young boys probably don't know how to converse with girls, and there's only few girls that will be happy just by keep talking about the s.h.i.+p. Few girls will be curious to hear stories about their specialty and will be quite knowledgeable in the area to ask appropriate questions. So, it's inevitable that soldier-kun got carried away.

We ordered a few additional drinks, and when lunch time was nearing, I said that I should return home soon.

“Eh? No, I'll treat you to lunch! I know a good restaurant!” (Soldier-kun)

Umu, he finally meets [A girl who longs for sailors and understands the topic], of course he doesn't want the chance to end just like that. Of course, I don't want this chance to end just like that too, [The boy who talks everything about the latest s.h.i.+ps and the army].

But, for now, let's end the conversation here.

I learned from Mitchan on Liquor Store, [How to Kill a Boy] Series, Chapter 3, second paragraph.

[For my Sake] The First!

Gently hold both your hands and put them against your mouth. Act a little troubled and strike as it is!

"But if I have launch outside, my mom and dad will get angry and I'll be restricted from going out. Then we can't meet anymore…" (Mitsuha)

Alright, that was a sure kill!

"Oh, I'll pay…" (Mitsuha)

As expected, I would feel bad to have him pay. I ordered a lot of drinks because we sat for quite some time… In addition, the crew of the seized s.h.i.+p had their money exchanged, and the money in the s.h.i.+p's safe was exactly the same, so I was not inconvenienced in the currency here.

Of course, soldier-kun said, [It's a gentleman's disgrace to make a girl pay!] But I don't want to be guilty of this. So, I said [Can't you hear a girl's wish? Is that what gentleman of Vanel Kingdom would do?], soldier-kun faltered and let me pay for my own drinks.

I brought a bunch of silver coins, but I used them for the lodging. The remaining silver and small-silver coins weren't enough to pay. I wonder why I didn't bring small-gold coins…

Thus, I paid with a gold coin from the drawstring pouch.

The clerk pretending to be calm but giving a little suspicious look. And soldier-kun was clearly trembling.

Yeah, well, getting a gold coin out of a relatively large bulging drawstring pouch, they must've thought that there's a bunch of coins in it, where most of the bulges are gold coins. In fact, it is.

But with this, I was able to maintain the [kind daughter of a rich house] role and was able to deliver the part that [we can meet again someday] without leaving any specific promise.

No, He insisted to make the next appointment, but I don't know when I would have free time…. soldier-kun, too, didn't even know when he would have day off again, and they wouldn't get anymore day off until the s.h.i.+p left.

Well, I know the name of the s.h.i.+p he's in and of course soldier-kun's name too, so I can get in touch if I were worried. [Soldier-kun] is just a nickname I decided by my own, and of course, he haven't heard any of that.

Oh, Let's write that down. Otherwise, I'll definitely forgot soldier-kun's name by tomorrow…

(Note:Poor boi)

Then, I left the port area, pa.s.sing through the center of the city to go to the other side.

No, of course, I'll have some lunch, but if I don't go beyond the center of the city, it will be terrible if I accidentally meet soldier-kun again. I was going to use this whole day for collecting information, so it's wasteful if I went home. Another way to gather information is to eat quietly in the cafeteria and concentrate on listening to other customers' conversations.

Information gathering on enemy countries is mostly obtaining publicly available information. Collecting, cla.s.sifying and a.n.a.lyzing the information, and then determine the enemy's intention. The actual spying is only a small part.

After lunch, I walk around the city to shop and listen to the conversation. Of course, at the time of shopping, I talked to the people in the store and listened to various things. Then I went to the park and talked to people around the same age as me…. Right, I talked to children around 12 to gather information.

After lunch time, there's no problem if I were to meet soldier-kun again. I could just say that I left the home after I finished my meal with my family.

After that, I did some more inspection. And just like that, my [enemy site inspection, military port edition] has ended

After that I transferred around for a while. I went to [general store Mitsuha] in the Royal Capital, then I went to my territory, then to the Gallery Café on the Earth, and lastly, I transferred to my home in j.a.pan. Once I settled down for a while, I resumed collecting information on the New Continent.

But this time I'm not going to that port city.

The reason I went there was, of course, because I wanted to check information about the s.h.i.+p, but I also wanted to get some information before it went to my main target. In other words, it's not good to spy straight on the main target without knowing anything and marked down by those involved later.

However, now that I have obtained the minimum necessary knowledge of someone that came from another country, it is time to finally head to my main target. The location of the transfer point has been confirmed by comparing the map I obtained in the port town with the aerial photograph, so there is no problem if it is combined with my memory record at the time of air reconnaissance. For the first time, I'll transfer there after the dark as usual, but…

Well, that's not a big deal.

Well then, let's go!

Towards the New Continent, to the Capital of Vanel Kingdom.

The main objective is to collect information and secure a base for advanced operations.

Right, securing a base.

[Operation Princess of the Cavern] has been started!!

(Note: it's a reference of 2000s anime [Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo] where [Gankutsuou] Literally means [The King of the Cavern], but she swapped the kanji of [King] with [Princess], so that's that, the more you know)