Published: July 4, 2025
After advancing for another hour, we would reach the border between the Komakyuta Feudal Kingdom and the Sujay Kingdom.
That’s when the problem arose.
“Up ahead, a ship is moving to obstruct our vessel's course!”
Upon receiving that report, Kavui Somaru, Princess Iliriaja, and Ryo and Abel went to the bow of the ship to look toward the horizon ahead.
The distance was still quite considerable.
“Telescope, can you identify the ship’s nationality?”
“They are not flying any national flag. However, based on the shape of the ship, I believe it is a continent’s Go-War ship. I can see five of them.”
“Go-War ship?”
Ryo tilted his head slightly.
It was a type of ship he had never heard of.
“It’s a ship from the continent that can navigate in open seas. Its speed isn’t particularly fast, but it has long-range attacks.”
“Excuse me?”
Ryo let out a bewildered sound at Kavui Somaru’s unexpected explanation.
Long-range attacks?
“Long-range attacks involve mages lined up to perform magic cannon fire.”
“Oh, I see!”
It seemed that the attack Ryo pictured in his mind was not like the bombardments of cannon fire seen in Earth’s naval battles.
“If there are twenty mages on one ship, then that makes a hundred across five ships… With this ship speed, we might just manage to break through…”
Ryo must have heard Kavui Somaru’s murmur, as he turned to Kavui Somaru, creaking like a hinge.
“Does that mean… the Queen Rain Shooter might get damaged?”
“Ah, we can’t avoid some damage. A certain degree of loss is unavoidable…”
“No way! I won’t allow it!”
“Um…”
Kavui Somaru was unable to grasp the sudden change in Ryo, who had previously been in a relaxed mood.
“I will protect the Queen Rain Shooter! The best spot to see the entire ship is… the second-floor seats, right?”
“Y-Yeah. From the upper level, you can see both the ship and the surroundings easily.”
The Queen Rain Shooter had a place that could be referred to as the second-floor seats.
Of course, the surroundings were exposed, but the view was nice.
“I’ll ask just to be sure, but is it okay to sink the enemy’s ships?”
“No problem. Since they aren’t flying a national flag, they are treated the same as pirates. Sinking that ship won’t have legal repercussions in this Archipelago Sea Region.”
“Understood.”
After saying that, Ryo left the cabin and lightly tapped the wall of the Queen Rain Shooter.
“Don’t worry, I will protect you.”
He said it gently but firmly.
Kavui Somaru turned to Abel, who was standing next to him.
“What do you think, Abel?”
“If Ryo says he will do it, then he will. You can trust that.”
“Even against a hundred magic cannon fires?”
“To be honest, I don’t know what the East Nations’ magic cannon fire is like…”
He paused for a moment and then continued.
“Whether it’s a hundred or a thousand, or a thousand to ten thousand, if he says he will do it, then he will. That’s Ryo.”
“[Ice Wall Multi-layer Ice 50 Layers]”
Ryo generated a multi-layered ice that was among the hardest of ice, creating an ice wall around the Queen Rain Shooter that would not be broken through, even by unexpected physical or magical impacts.
The Queen Rain Shooter advanced, wrapped in the hardest ice.
The five enemy ships had already stopped their movements ahead and were lined up in a row.
They were preparing to bombard the Queen Rain Shooter simultaneously.
“An [Ice Wall] would suffice, but let’s be extra cautious. [Dynamic Steam Mine - Active]”
The [Dynamic Steam Mine] was a spell Ryo favored.
It set up water vapor in the air like a mine, and if an enemy’s magic flew toward it, it would react and freeze.
Even a powerful magic would disappear, taking everything with it in a flash of annihilation.
However, this spell doesn’t move on its own.
Since it merely used the water vapor in the air as mines, it stayed in place.
But this time, that wouldn’t do.
The Queen Rain Shooter that needed to be protected kept moving.