15 – Dohang
80 miles east of the city of Leman.
It is said to take about three days to walk that distance, but there aren’t many people who have actually walked that road, except for soldiers.
High-ranking officers from the Federation usually took a carriage, and people from the Empire had no reason to go to the port city.
Even when the information about it taking three days was well-known, it was based on a well-maintained road.
There was a well-paved road from the port to Leman, but not the other way around.
So, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it took four and a half days to walk from Leman to the port city of Rosco, considering I discovered that fact.
“There it is.”
How many times did I cross the overgrown hills?
Finally, the lights of civilization came into view.
Forgetting about the stinging pain in my scratched skin, I endlessly gazed down at the panorama of Rosco from the top of the hill.
Even a magical lantern was shining brightly in all directions.
The crimson artificial light drove away the darkness, and in response, towers of both red and white emitted rays in all directions from the distant docks.
They were called lighthouses.
To me, who was enjoying the warmth of the flickering candlelight in the attic, it was a rather awkward dryness.
It’s just a ship coming in and out, but does it really require such a massive apparatus?
But even they were just auxiliary workers at this dock.
“….”
I am from inland.
Even if I claim to know about ships, I’ve only seen them floating on the river.
It was only after reading encyclopedias from the Federation that I saw the first ocean-faring vessels.
To cross the waves of the ocean, you need a foolishly large sail and dozens of crew members. Seeing that, I also thought that humans are small beings in the face of nature.
“I guess I need to change my thinking….”
Three steamships docked in the harbor.
The most impressive among them was the ship on the far right.
With its massive chimneys and a spacious deck that could easily accommodate three hundred people.
The Federal flag fluttering in the wind.
[MV James Eddington]
The Eddington.
That magnificent mass of steel stood above the sea, as if it could cut through all the waves.
The departure of the Eddington is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11 o’clock.
The other two ships are not only heavily guarded but also smaller.
It is almost impossible to smuggle through that ship, as there are few hiding places and the chances of being caught are exponentially high.
Furthermore, it is not always the case that a large ship like the Eddington is in operation.
If I miss this opportunity, I might have to wait for months on end.
No matter what happens, I had to board that ship.
It was a well-known fact that the process was not a normal one of buying a ticket and being escorted to the cabin by the crew.
July 21st. Clear.
The sky is blue.
A cool breeze blows under the bright white cumulus clouds.
There couldn’t be a more suitable weather for departure.
The front of the Eddington is bustling with people.
Not only because of the weather, but also because the Eddington, which shuttles between the Empire and the Federation every two months, has always been the most popular ship for people to use.
Of course, the soldiers accounted for 80% of those people.
“Finally, I’ll be able to set foot on my homeland.”
“That’s what I’m saying. It was a mistake to join because they said they would raise the salary. How many times have I regretted it?”
“You knew there was nothing but ruins and savages, right?”
“I didn’t know there were only two of them, really.”
The sound of two soldiers in military uniforms muttering was unexpectedly loud, so not only the people around them, but also the young crew members of the Eddington standing guard on the deck heard it clearly.
Among the many young people who dreamed of becoming crew members, he was one who admired the Eddington route.
Who is James Eddington?
He was a man who was only known as a hero in the brutal war.
Now, the Federation is the undisputed winner and is treating the Empire like a beaten dog, but in the early days of the war, the Federation was struggling to defend itself.
Even though it was outdated, the Imperial Navy, which once ruled the world, boasted tremendous power in its offensive.
Total three-phase landing operation.
Facing the sudden appearance of hundreds of thousands of infantry along the coast was more than challenging.
The Federal Army incessantly repeated evacuation and retreat orders.
There was an exceptional area.
Orlan Garrison.
Isolated in Orlan Garrison, 60 sentries and 460 ordinary citizens found themselves in an impossible situation.
There was no room for the Federal Navy to transport them, and despite gathering all the fishing boats of those engaged in fishing, only 80 managed to escape.
Thus, they became hostages of the Imperial Army, helpless and motionless.
But then came James Edington, a passenger ship businessman.
Speed: 14 knots. Cannons: 0. Armor: None.
James Edington personally steered the thoroughly passenger ship-designed vessel to Orlan Garrison, isolating the garrison, and managed to carry all four hundred and forty people.
Although the capacity was more than double the specification, no one blamed him.
The withdrawal operation later became known as the miracle of Orlan Garrison and was credited with playing a crucial role in the Federal Army gaining the upper hand.
Because capturing four hundred hostages would have inevitably led the war into a stalemate.
After the war, the Federal government conferred honors on James Edington as part of various commendations.
Thus, businessman James Edington became Sir James Edington.
Young cadets admired him.
As a result, he could have become a crew member on the Edington Maru—a newly constructed passenger ship of Edington Corporation.
“But what will you do when you go back?”
“Of course…”
“Sool.” “Woman.”
“You think so?”
Puhahahahaha. The two soldiers burst into laughter.
The young officer found their behavior distasteful.
He didn’t become an officer to fawn over guys like them, forcing laughter.
The senior officer immediately sensed that his junior was harboring inappropriate thoughts.
He whispered, “Junior. They’re still soldiers. The ones who protected our lives.”
“Those who actually participated in the war either received medals and climbed up the ranks or got discharged due to trauma. Doesn’t everyone know those soldiers are mostly mercenaries?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Who wouldn’t know that.”
Still, the senior officer continued.
“If it weren’t for them, the ones labeled as savages might have been us.”
“…”
“No, maybe the Federation folks would have called us monkeys because they have a lot of redheads and blondes.”
The young officer fell silent.
He definitely didn’t like that.
“It seems being an officer was quite an honorable dream for you.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Now that you’ve finally achieved your dream, what will you do if you don’t do your duty?”
As the senior officer sighed, a commotion erupted in the line of officers on the deck.
Shouts and punches.
The murmur of people.
Decisively, the clinking sound of metal echoed one after another.
Hidden by the crowd, their figures were not visible, but the sound certainly reached.
“Let go! Drop it!”
“Stay quiet. Unauthorized passengers.”
“No, no! I’m a federal citizen!”
Desperate cries.
However, instead of growing more serious, the atmosphere turned into a sea of laughter.
Even the lady crossing the makeshift bridge to board the ship, the soldier waiting his turn, and even the onlookers curious about the commotion all joined forces in creating a sea of laughter.
It was because the Frauviian was too hesitant, even if her attempts at diplomacy were feeble.
In the midst of it, there were faint scoffs, seemingly coming from the clergyman.
“If you’re going to pose as a federal citizen, at least practice talking first. Barbarian.”
Soon, the sound of someone being dragged away could be heard.
The young clergyman finally spotted the owner of the voice.
A middle-aged man with a sly demeanor and gray hair.
The one dragging him away was a man in clergyman attire, having caught the unauthorized passenger attempting to board without a ticket.
It was one of the main tasks of the clergyman.
“Welcoming passengers and ejecting those who are not. That’s our job.”
As the senior spoke, a revolver with live ammunition was holstered at his waist.
The young trainee learned during their training at the trainee academy that the trigger had been pulled several times.
The reason was simple.
The rebels were willing to kill the trainees to get on board.
It was self-defense.
“…I will do my best.”
The young trainee pressed their hat down.
*
There was someone who heard all of those conversations nearby.
It was me.
Apart from the conversation between the young trainee and their senior, I was in a quite difficult situation.
The initial plan was like this.
Infiltration taking advantage of the night.
Even at night, the deck was brightly lit and there were quite a number of sentinels.
But there was a place where they weren’t on guard, and that was the lower part of the ship.
It was only natural.
There was no need to be on guard.
But I could use one of the most useful magic spells, [Levitation], to move quickly to the lower part of the ship.
The plan was successful.
I moved to the lower part of the ship overnight and waited for the opportunity to infiltrate, landing on a suitable ledge. Taking advantage of the early morning when the sentinels were withdrawing for roll call, I slipped into the interior.
A well-maintained interior.
However, this is limited to the passenger area.
The crew’s area, the engine room that only needs occasional maintenance, is extremely dirty, and there are few people coming and going.
It’s a suitable place to hide.
After searching for an appropriate location, I unexpectedly discovered that the deck right below and the equipment storage room were safe.
I immediately hid there.
“Success….”
No one noticed.
I was pleased with the fact that I easily broke through one of the three difficulties.
Back to the present.
I wasn’t so happy now.
“….”
“What are you looking at?”
“Uh, there. Should we introduce ourselves?”
When I realized that there were two passengers in the equipment storage room, which seemed empty at first glance, there were so many passengers that I couldn’t open the warehouse door hastily.
