Volume 4 Chapter 35 Slavery
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”We’ve got a fleet of junks, five to six kilometers dead ahead.”
It was evening. Pole’s voice came through the voice tube from the main mast crow’s nest to the bridge. The sun was already going down.
It was the second day after the new moon. There was no moonlight to guide us. We were running at slower speed. We used only our sails for the night trip. So the boiler fires had been made smaller since dusk.
”Ten o’clock, shallow water two hundred meters out.”
Pole followed up with another report.
”Engine Department, light the fires in the Second Boiler.”
The Captain’s command through the voice tube was answered with a sharp clicking sound, then the answer, “Understood. Lighting fires in Second Boiler.”
”Who’s on duty?”
From the voice, it was my own not-so-good student, Claudia.
”Chief Larry, use the |fixed-wing drone| to verify the channel.”
The very hot day had finally ended. I had been looking forward to drinking a beer and going to bed. Like Claudia, I felt like clicking my tongue in annoyance. I put on the remote-control helmet and sent up the |fixed-wing drone|.
A light wind from the west stayed at height. But nothing blocked the wind, so the drone stayed steady. I went up to fifty meters and moved ahead of the ship.
The water here is very clear. So clear that I can see the seabed even at great depths. If the moon was out, I think I could move without needing the drone.
We were now moving along the coast about three to five kilometers away. The shoreline had almost nothing on it. For days there were no islands, sandbanks, or reefs. But after we left the last port, they became more common.
Just as Pole had said, a sandbank rose up about two hundred meters ahead. As you got closer to the land from there, sandbanks and islands were everywhere. But if you moved the course a little further out to sea, the water became so deep that even with this clear water, you could not see the bottom.
I sent the drone to its farthest useful distance. The junk fleet came into clear view. One large ship, five medium-sized. This fleet was also staying close to the outer edge to avoid the sandbars.
”What’s the call? Do we raid them once they anchor for the night?”
After I told him what I could see, I asked the Captain about our next move. He answered that there were probably two hundred people on the ships including the medium-sized ones. He said we would wait until they reached the next port. I used the remaining battery to look around the area before bringing back the |fixed-wing drone|.
When the sun had fully gone down, the “Izumo” had come to within two kilometers of the junk ships.
”No signs of them dropping anchor yet.”
They were still using those folded sails. Soon, the seasonal wind that had been blowing from the west would stop. An eastern wind would come from the land. If they wanted to drop anchor, they should have rolled up those sails by now.
The “Izumo” is a heavy ship with an iron body. It would be left behind if we used only sails against wooden ships. To keep up, we had to add fuel to the boilers and start the craft engines.
Katarina came to the bridge to take the next watch. She had almost died. But now she was back. Her body was healed and she could work.
She was also fit for “night duty.” But Kenze had been complaining that the frequency had gone down since she joined the crew.
That Kenze had been added to the deck crew to fill the four empty spots. These spots were left after the big losses from the fight with the Barbadia Pirates. The hurt men were sent to the “Tsukushi” and the dead were buried at sea. She followed the Dragon God faith. But she grew up in the center of the continent. Her life was far from the sea. She had no ship skills at all. But she was naturally good with her body. She could climb the ropes on the masts like a monkey. Also, she used to work as a spy. She was smart. And her body was very nice. She became the deck crew’s favorite person very quickly.
That night, after we caught up to the junks, I went to the Dining Hall. I found Kenze with the men of the deck crew around her. They were drinking ale. The alcohol was low. So they were not given enough to get really drunk. But the mood was excited.
Elsewhere, Maria the Mage had been put in the bridge crew for some reason. She should have been in the Torpedo Department. She had questioned the Nikaure-princess and got the route from her. To be honest, the Torpedo Department did not want to take on any more problem people. But something still felt wrong to me.
Maria was at a different table. She was talking with Chief Roland of the bridge crew and some members who were not working.
I put very hard black bread, bacon soup, and sauerkraut on my tray. It was a sad meal. I sat down alone.
Eating alone for once was not so bad. I warmed the hard bread with a small Fireball spell. I tore it up. Then I soaked it in the bacon soup.
”A popular guy, dining alone?”
It was Chief Gida from the Maintenance Department. She worked for the husband of Assistant Professor Eida. Eida had been a nag back when I was at the Academy. Chief Gida had worked in finance. She was good with numbers. She would often scold me about the smallest things too.
”Sometimes,” I replied, sounding a bit sulky. She placed her tray down and sat across from me.
”Everyone looks like they’re having fun,” she said, looking at the lively table. She tried to break her black bread with the edge of her spoon but couldn’t quite manage it.
”Need a hand?”
I took her bread, warmed it with Fireball, and handed it back. “Thanks,” she said, tearing it with her fingers and dipping it into the soup.
As she poked at the bread floating in her soup, Chief Gida asked, “Chief Larry, you get along well with everyone, don’t you?”
”Do I?”
I replied while scooping the soaked bread into my mouth.
”You’re always talking to someone when you’re on the bridge, and you seem to manage fine with the Engine Department and the deck crew.”
”Is that so? There’s a lot that goes on, you know.”
The two mages in the Engine Department were my students. And Kai was… well, she was something different. I only really talked to the deck crew’s Chief and Pole. And because of my… relationship with Katarina, Pamela, and now Kenze, I was not well liked. Some people openly showed me hate.
”Anyway, Chief Larry, I have a favor to ask, counting on you.”
Gida rarely talked to me. When she did, it was usually because I made a mistake in a calculation. I was curious about the request. But I also felt worried, twice as much.
”I probably can’t be of much help,” I said, putting up my defense line.
”It’s alright, I just need information.”
Information? Suspicious.
I warmed the remaining black bread with Fireball, broke it in half, and soaked it in the soup.
”Look, food and water are ridiculously expensive here, and we can’t get our hands on coal.”
Chief Gida ignored that I was not sure and kept talking.
Her point was that, thinking about the return trip, we would not make it the way things were. It depended on how far we kept chasing Rosa. If we went past the equator to the Dwarf Kingdom, I thought we would have nothing left.
”Can’t we substitute firewood if we don’t have coal?”
I told her that the power would probably drop. But as long as we could make enough heat to turn water into steam, it was possible.
But even when I looked through the |fixed-wing drone|, there was mostly desert. I did not see enough forest to give travelers enough firewood. Also, firewood had many impurities. So we would have to clean the exhaust pipes often. Well, even if we were slower, we had sails. So we could still move.
”That’s fine, but what about the Suez Canal on the way back? Can we pass through safely?”
When she said it like that, I felt worried. We had already sunk the Barbadia Pirates’ ships. I did not know how much dynamite we had left for the return trip. If we had to fight them, it would be better to have coal.
By the way, I had moved Francis Teach of the Barbadia Pirates to the Major’s ship. Maria alone was difficult enough. The questioning was over. There was no reason to keep someone with as much Mana as me on the “Izumo.”
”Has the Captain said anything about that?”
When I asked her, Chief Gida shook her head. Well, I thought so. If we went near the equator, there would be tropical rainforests. So we could get a lot of firewood. But thinking about that made me feel confused.
”What about food and water?”
”According to Maria-san, there’s rarely any rain ahead, and both food and water are expensive.”
I’d heard the same.
”So, if we sell the slavery we picked up in Palermo, we’ll have some money, and we can save on food and water.”
Ugh, that was going to cause a lot of angry reactions.
”Don’t you think that’s the only way?”
If I agreed here, I felt like I was going to be pushed into something. Was the coal thing just a trick? Was the real goal to take the slaves off the ship and sell them? Was she trying to make me suggest it? To get more time, I moved the soaked black bread to my mouth.
”Do you know how much water is needed for the sixty people on this ship, plus one cow, two goats, and fifteen chickens?”
If she attacked me with numbers, I would be crushed. If I agreed, both the deck crew and bridge crew chiefs would be very angry. They were touching the young boy slaves every night. The deck crew men were forcing sex on the girl slaves every night. Pole wanted to buy his childhood friend’s freedom. I would surely become the target of their anger.
”How much would we save if we cut the twelve slavery from those sixty people?”
Crap. I panicked and pushed the bread into my mouth without soaking it in the soup. I did not do it on purpose. But now I could not talk. I had to do something to get more time.
I was being set up as the villain.
What do I do? I looked around. I caught Maria’s eye.
I waved to Maria. She was making a disgusted face. I was trying very hard to chew the black bread.
”Chief Gida, crunch, as for the voyage ahead, crunch, she knows better than I do, crunch. Could you consult with her? Crunch.”
The bread had taken all the water from my mouth. I drank the soup to push it down.
Then I quickly ate the sour sauerkraut to wash it down. Then I ate the rest of the soup. I stood up with my empty tray and plate. I waved for Maria to go to Chief Gida. I hurried toward the return counter.
As I was returning it, the Captain walked in. It was good timing.
I chewed and swallowed the food in my mouth as fast as I could. Then I went to him.
”Captain, Chief Gida says she has something to discuss about the future.”
I saluted, said that, and ran out of the Dining Hall. I did not go back to my room. I escaped to the front deck. Well, the Captain was there. So it should be fine.
I looked ahead and felt relieved. The stars were shining near the horizon. The shapes of the junk ships could be seen far away.
It was not really “beautiful.” It was more like “what a crazy world I have come to.”
I leaned against the deck railing and looked up at the sky full of stars. Night had come. A strong wind from the land blew. It took away the heat of the day. I did not know what happened after I left. But escaping was the best thing. I decided to think of it that way.
But the world was not that kind. After a while, I returned to my room. Pole was standing in front of it.
”Why are we sellin’ all the slavery, man?”
He started speaking to me in a casual way.
”What are you talkin’ about?”
”The ship’s upper management said we’re sellin’ the slavery at the next port. Even Rafaela.”
Rafaela was a girl from Pole’s childhood in Palermo. Pirates of the Empire of Charle had taken her and sold her as a slave. We saved her. But she did not get her freedom back. She stayed on the “Izumo” as a slave. Pole had said he would free her from slavery. But he was a gambling addict with no money. Even if we returned to the home port of Kure, he was in debt. And Rafaela was pregnant. So his plan could not work. If I had the money, I could give that much. But my bankbook was at the house in the Royal Capital. I thought about borrowing from Pamela or Katarina. But I never did. Unless he stopped gambling, he would end up selling Rafaela himself.
”There was talk from the start about sellin’ ’em at Suez,” I said, trying to stall.
”But why sell Kenze too?”
Wait. Kenze was a slave. But she was mine. Who was saying that?
That Chief Gida… She did it. I could understand wanting to sell the slaves for supplies, even if I did not like it. But Kenze was not to be sold. I ran up the stairs to the Dining Hall. I found the Captain, Chief Fredys, and Chief Roland talking.
”Captain.”
”I heard, Larry. You’re sellin’ Kenze to think about the others?”
”That girl has become indispensable to the deck crew, so could you not sell her?”
”We were plannin’ to take one in ourselves. If Chief Larry sells Kenze, we’ll have to sell ours too. Can you reconsider?”
The Captain, Chief Fredys, and Chief Roland said it one after another.
”I haven’t said a word about sellin’ Kenze.”
”Well, Chief Gida said…”
That old woman. She really did it.
In the end, one unlucky boy slave was sold. Kenze would stay on the ship. But Rafaela, because she asked for it, would leave the ship at the next port.
The Captain said to Pole in front of Rafaela, not me: “Pole, if you promise never to gamble again, I will give you the money to buy her freedom.” The Captain and Pole were from the same home province. It seemed the Captain, as a higher officer, had been worried about his addiction.
But when he heard that, Pole was not sure and stayed quiet. Seeing how he acted, Rafaela stopped him. She said she did not want to be “bought” by a man like that. She begged the Captain to sell her at the next port herself.
The Captain said urgently, “You know you might be sold to a bad brothel, right?” But Rafaela said she did not care. She had seemed so quiet at first. I wondered what had happened to her.
Still, the boy slave being left behind… I thought it was very sad. Lately, Chief Fredys and Chief Roland had become very close. They were talking with happy smiles even now. They did not seem to feel any guilt.
The day after that happened, at noon, the junk fleet ahead entered a large bay. When the “Izumo” followed them in, we found the biggest port since we left Suez.
—
Summary:
The crew of the Izumo follows a fleet of junk ships while they have very little supplies. Tensions rise when some crew want to sell their slaves to get supplies. This causes problems among the crew. Finally, they reach a big port to solve their problems. Some personal conflicts about the slaves and their futures are not solved.
—
Trivia:
The ship relies on both sails and craft engines due to its heavy iron hull.
Kenze is a former intelligence operative with exceptional physical agility.
The ship’s earlier fight was with the Barbadia Pirates. It caused many deaths.
Larry’s drone is a very important tool for sailing in clear, shallow waters.
Pole’s gambling problem is an old issue that the Captain knows about.
(End of file – total 225 lines)
Notes:
• Pole – An orphaned Celt Royal Army soldier and mid-level Izumo deck crewman who knows the island’s terrain and speaks Turku. Traveling with Larry and Kenze as Earnest’s associate, he enjoys gossip and betting on romances, yet struggles with a severe gambling addiction and the threat of slavery. Once hostile, he now respects the protagonist, serving as a rescue guide while seeking freedom for his first love.
• Captain – The officer in command of the vessel who facilitates communications with local officials.
• Claudia – Former Royal Capital researcher and Kisaragi crew member who grew from a chubby youth into an unstable beauty. A student of Camillo and Larry, they serve in the Izumo’s engine department as the protagonist’s subordinate, teaching boiler maintenance with Janet. They once questioned him about his wives, joined the crew’s betting pool, and relayed a message to the protagonist about Kai.
• Larry – A sixteen-year-old eccentric, the Izumo’s engineer, department head, and founder of the Fee Grand Principality. Pragmatic and emotionally detached, he manages crew struggles while serving as a key mediator caught between subordinates and local authorities. He navigates complex diplomatic, logistical, and military challenges, using advanced drone tech to track Amazonesses.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled ship serving as the primary vessel for the protagonist and his crew.
• Katarina – A tall, voluptuous 30-year-old Izumo flight squad leader and Chief Researcher in a sailor uniform. Larry’s subordinate returned from severe wounds, this volatile, jealous, and perverse Mage wields telepathy, a coilgun, and drones. The protagonist’s protective mistress and rival for attention, she shares a strained bond, once punching them near death. Kenze calls her a professor’s sex toy.
• Kenze – A muscular, dark brown-skinned Amazoness captive with short hair, a niqab, and slave attire. This bisexual, dangerous former Takshurgan operative turned crew member caused a violent ship incident. Known for lethal prowess and artificial speech, she is Larry’s bodyguard alongside the Major, protecting her daughter Zaboo and allies Earnest, Pamela, Marie, Thomas, and Teressa.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Nikaure – A beautiful Amazoness princess and tribe ambassador with a compact, muscular physique, dark skin, sharp eyes, and a royal blue forehead gemstone. Though she once sought a Black Ship for her people, she now speaks with halting speech and is held captive for a hostage exchange. Her memories help verify maps and sea routes.
• Maria – Thomas’s strikingly beautiful wife, the second daughter of Ifens and Therese, is a Universal Church believer and bridge mage with exceptional mana, lethal combat skills, and gorilla-like strength. Forced into the Magic Armored Division after her father’s failed plot, she bears a grudge against Larry and provides mission intel on travel times to Nyunpai and Kush using Princess Nikaure’s memories.
• Mage – Elf mage and shut-in engineer who stands watch and manages the ship’s boilers.
• Nika – A fourteen-year-old personal maid to Teressa. Freckled, has wavy bronze hair, flat chest, and prone to mocking Larry. Lady’s maid and cousin to Terese. Educated free person with a prickly personality. Terese’s lady’s maid and cousin. Known for being sharp-tongued toward Larry.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Roland – Heir to the Canaria throne and Queen Cecile’s brother, this quiet dwarf is an Izumo bridge crew section chief who assisted in selecting captives. Wearing boy’s formal wear, his golden-blonde hair and beautiful face are mistaken for a girl. The former Tsukushi captain directs helm operations, carries a dagger, shares quarters with Fredys, and rescues comrades Bebel and Katarina.
• Eida – A strict, 28-year-old Magic Academy Assistant Professor from Ulm Village with short dark brown hair who wears civilian clothes off-duty. A mother of two, she serves under the Associate Professor, managing finances, scheduling, and research while supporting Larry. She uses a tough-love approach, frequently making sarcastic comments, scolding, and pushing the protagonist to be home by spring.
• Gida – A female human and former kingdom finance bureaucrat serving as the disciplined Maintenance Department chief on the ship Izumo. Meticulous and pragmatic, she manages logistics, ship funds, gold reserves, and slave trade negotiations. She maintains strict control over her team’s operations and expresses immediate concern and frustration regarding the protagonist’s decisions.
• Pamela – An elderly Elf Mage and flirtatious medic clad in sheer negligee robes and black undergarments. Authoritative yet supportive, she shares Larry’s quarters, accompanying him on expeditions. Beyond managing the medical bay and rescue teams, this experienced mentor assists in interrogations and manages Larry’s slave, Aljona, while questioning the presence of new female slaves.
• Kai – A 20-year-old Dwarf woman with peerless strength, Mana Pentamers, and unstable mana, this Engine Department worker under Larry looks like an ash-covered, square-jawed young man with translucent white hands. Involved in a past incident overlooked by authorities, she joins Earnest’s party, teases the protagonist, and is the subject of a ship-wide romantic betting pool.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Rosa – A gifted student of Larry and a genius whose immense technological knowledge and potential collaboration with the Kingdom of Kush pose a massive threat. Currently believed to be traveling with the Amazonesses, her abduction from the Duke’s estate in Suez triggers a diplomatic crisis, making her the central focus of Larry and the Major’s urgent search efforts amid rising political tensions.
• Francis – A dangerous prisoner with immense mana, this heavily tanned, red-bearded Suez Canal harbor pilot from the Barbadia Pirates wears filthy attire and speaks many dialects. He appears calculating and familiar, secretly plotting to hijack the Izumo. He served as pilot for a vessel carrying a girl believed to be Rosa and provided info about a girl appearing older than the protagonist.
• Major – A commanding military officer with a sadistic inclination toward interrogation. She orchestrates the sessions and utilizes Telepathy to coordinate with her subordinates.
• Teach – Francis’s family name.
• Mana – A non-commissioned officer and liaison who previously had their mana drained by Larry.
• Palermo – A target location where a battle and reparations negotiation took place.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Rafaela – Pole’s childhood friend and first love from Palermo is a ruling-class intermediary who was captured by pirates, held under salvage law, and sold into slavery. Now expecting a child, she rejects his attempts to purchase her freedom due to his gambling habits.
• Charle – A faction captain whose flagship and crew were involved in the conflict. A mercenary captain whose ship was targeted. An individual associated with a group of remnants.
• Fredys – Izumo’s female Engine, deck, and section chief manages logistics, captives, negotiations, briefings, and crew order. A forceful yet pragmatic professional anchor and Inland Sea expert, she interprets Turku, leads female forces, runs betting pools, and fiercely defends her subordinates. She works closely with Roland, adopts refined manners around Francis, and is rumored to be a shotacon.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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