Published: July 4, 2025
One day after the Rondark shook off the grand duchy fleet. Just before noon.
With the west wind at their backs, they were heading smoothly east.
“How’s it going, Mostara?”
Captain Gorick called out to First Officer Mostara, who was intently focused on the navigational chart.
“Yes, since the wind is favorable, we should arrive at the relevant sea area by this evening.”
“More than six hours early, huh? That’s a significant amount of time gained.”
Seemingly satisfied with First Officer Mostara’s response, Captain Gorick smiled and nodded.
Although they weren’t on a strict schedule, it was always better to gather information as quickly as possible and deliver it to the embassy.
The situation on the continent was too precarious to allow any delay.
No one knew what would happen today or tomorrow...
Just then.
“Captain! Something is floating ahead!”
Nan, who was using a telescope to scan the eastern horizon from the foremast, shouted.
Captain Gorick dashed to the bow as if propelled by the shout.
After watching through the telescope for a while, he finally understood what it was.
“A board?”
He recognized it, but he didn’t understand why such a thing was floating there.
“More to the east, there’s something else floating!”
Nan shouted again.
There wasn’t just one board.
There were many, many of them...
“Mostara! There aren’t supposed to be any islands to the east, right?”
“There are no islands!”
Captain Gorick yelled from the bow.
First Officer Mostara responded, equally loud.
Unbeknownst to them, Lieutenant Rena had come to Captain Gorick’s side and was also looking through the telescope.
Then she spoke up.
“Captain, it appears to be shipwreck debris.”
“Ah... Rena thinks so too, huh?”
At Lieutenant Rena’s words, Captain Gorick nodded in agreement, his face contorted in concern.
That was only natural.
For sailors, seeing shipwreck debris is one of the last things they want to encounter.
Moreover, they had information that could help them deduce whose ship it was.
“Nan! Keep a lookout for any national or naval flags drifting by!”
“Understood!”
If this was indeed the wreckage of the Free City Fleet’s main force, there was a possibility that the Free City flag or naval flag might be floating nearby.
Of course, finding that would mean acknowledging a certain fact.
“Did Duke Helb’s words come true—was the main force of the Free City Fleet annihilated?”
“Even if that’s the case, aren’t there any surviving ships? Ships with torn sails or damaged propulsion systems that can’t move...”
“Ah, if there are any living humans, we can help them.”
Lieutenant Rena’s words echoed Captain Gorick’s thoughts.
They were sailors.
Regardless of nationality, if there were people stranded at sea, they would help each other.
At that moment, Soushi, the head chef, arrived.
“Captain, whatever happens, shouldn’t we eat something?”
Soushi’s words were indeed on point.
It was clear that something had already happened in the relevant sea area.
The closer they got, the more they might be pressed for time.
“Right.”
Captain Gorick nodded and shouted.
“Everyone, take turns having lunch! Make sure to eat! We can’t guarantee there will be dinner!”
“Lunch is curry! We have plenty of refills, so fill your bellies!”
Soushi shouted as well.
“Woohoo!”
Cheers erupted.
There’s curry in the Archipelago Sea Region, and perhaps there’s a tradition of eating curry in the navy...
Exactly five o’clock in the afternoon.
“The color of the sea changes around here...”
Captain Gorick murmured as he looked at the sea from the side.
Of course, it’s not unusual for the color to change in any sea.
There are deep blue seas and seas that can be called green.
But this was different.
“What is this dark, murky color...”
It wasn’t blue. It was black.
And it wasn’t just because of the sun’s light beginning to slant.
The color clearly changed at a certain point.
“Captain! An island is visible ahead!”
At that moment, Nin at the top of the mast shouted.