Volume 4 Chapter 42 Mocha
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The port of Mocha, marked on our sea charts, was little more than a glorified fishing village. There was only a single pier suitable for trade, and looking at it, the water didn’t seem deep enough for the “Izumo” to dock safely.
”We can’t get alongside, Captain. We’ll have to anchor out and ferry in,” came the voice over the speaking tube from the crow’s nest.
”But we need water. Isn’t there any way to get the ship in?” pressed Gida, the chief of the Maintenance Department. She was asking the impossible. I knew we’d left Hodayn Port in such a rush that we were short on drinking water, but physics was physics. As we debated, the locals, fascinated by our black warship, began to gather on the pier and along the shoreline.
Yet, there was no sign of any official from the port coming out to greet us.
”Can’t be helped. Alyona, Maria, and Chief Larry-go ashore and scout the situation,” the Captain ordered.
Why me?
I understood why Alyona was chosen. Her native tongue was Rus, but after living as a slave for nearly a year, she could speak the local language fairly well. She struggled with Schweilitz, the ship’s official language, though. Maria had interrogated the Amazoness princess Nikaure Saba. She knew the geography and sea routes to the Amazoness kingdom, and also the specific regional politics. She grew up on the eastern edge of the Kingdom of Larland, near the border with Rus. So she could speak that language too, and had enough education to speak Schweilitz quite well.
If it were just to buy water, those two and Gida would have been plenty. More importantly, Maria had the wrong idea that I was the one who gave the order to kill her parents, so she glared at me with murderous intent every chance she got. The last thing I wanted was to go ashore with a ticking time bomb like that.
”Captain, may I have a word?”
Just as I started to ask for a change in personnel, heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs, and Kenze burst onto the bridge.
”Kenze, salute!” barked Fredys, the deck crew foreman and Kenze’s superior officer.
Kenze, who acted like she owned the place when she was alone with me in my quarters, actually accepted the order and snapped a proper salute.
”Amazoness on the pier.”
I was more than a little shocked by that. This ship, the “Izumo,” was practically sailing into a war with the Amazonesses. If Kenze was right, the enemy was already waiting on the dock.
She was an Amazoness herself, so she wouldn’t mistake her own kind, but in a village this small? Then again, I suppose this was their territory.
I could feel a nasty gaze coming from the Captain.
”Kenze will join the landing party. Chief Larry will lead. Your mission is to survey Mocha, secure drinking water, and make contact with the Amazonesses to gather information on Professor Rosa. That is all.”
No, no, no. First of all, me being the team leader was hard enough to accept, but let’s say I swallowed my pride and accepted the role. Surveying the port and getting water was one thing-that I could manage.
But making contact with the Amazonesses to hunt for intel on Rosa? That was impossible.
”＜Alyona, anything to say? ＞”
Alyona, clearly flustered at being dragged into the landing party, stood there twitching. Why was he asking her? He should be asking me, since I hadn’t accepted the orders yet. I’d have told him where to shove it.
More importantly, the Captain spoke Rus? I thought it was just her name and, “Anything?” earlier. If that was the case…
”She says she’s just as scared of going ashore as I am,” I lied.
Kenze, standing nearby, smirked. Damn it, she was going to get me caught.
”Then tell her this,” the Captain commanded.
He told me to say: Alyona, you have nothing to fear. You bear no responsibility; all responsibility rests with Chief Larry. And since the two who will accompany you are monsters in battle, victory is guaranteed. Tell the men rowing the boat that they only need to bring Alyona back, but if they don’t bring her back, they needn’t bother returning at all.
Wait, hold on. Isn’t that a bit harsh? Even Maria and Kenze looked disgusted.
”I almost forgot. Maria is authorized to carry her coilguns.”
Wait a minute. If Maria has those, she might shoot me in the back at any moment. Working while trembling in constant fear of my own teammate was a nightmare.
”Then I should be allowed to carry mine too, right?”
”Why would you need that? Now, get to interpreting and tell her what I said.”
This shitty Captain. Someday, I’m going to drop him into the sea where the sea serpents hunt.
In the end, we were loaded into a boat rowed by the deck crew. We headed toward the pier where the crowd had gathered. Maria sat diagonally in front of me, a cartridge-filled gun belt slung across her chest. Her hands were already getting used to her coilguns. The look she shot me over her shoulder was terrifying.
Standing on the pier were three Amazonesses. They looked as erotic as Nikaure, wearing bikini armor and chains with gems hanging from their foreheads. One had the same brown skin as Kenze. The other two were black. They all had wicked-looking scimitars hanging from their hips. Under any other circumstances, I would have burned the image into my memory forever.
”Stop drooling, or you’ll get yourself killed,” Kenze whispered, nudging me with her elbow.
As the boat touched the pier, the locals who had been lined up along the edge scurried back like woodlice. Both men and women wore white clothes, and their heads were wrapped in white cloth bands; looking closer, the women’s veils were embroidered with white thread on white fabric. They didn’t cover their faces like a niqab, but they wrapped the cloth from their heads around their necks so they remained hidden. The children were mostly shirtless, with only dirty rags wrapped around their waists.
I stepped off the boat first and reached out to pull up a hesitant Alyona. Kenze and Maria followed.
”Alyona, tell them I want to speak with their representative.”
As Alyona gestured and relayed the message, the man with the deepest wrinkles at the very front stepped forward.
”This is the elder of Mocha, Lord Fusi.”
I handed the old man five Schweilitz silver coins, but he looked dissatisfied. I had no choice but to add another one, and finally, he flashed a grin of white teeth. Even in a dump like this, they knew the value of Schweilitz currency? What a greedy old geezer.
When I told him we were there for water, he cackled, “Ehehehe,” and said the good well was an hour’s walk away, and it wouldn’t be cheap. When I asked the price, he said five of those silver coins per barrel. It was double the price in Palermo, but since we were in a desert region, I started to agree-until I heard a woosh behind me. I turned to see Maria smirking, a massive fireball1 crackling in her palm.
Suddenly, the price of a barrel of water dropped to two silver coins. The same price as in Palermo.
It was already evening, so I asked how much they could gather by tomorrow morning, and he promised ten barrels. I accepted.
The deal sealed, the elder invited us to his home for coffee. Alyona looked like she wanted to bolt back to the ship, but I figured if we’d been invited, we might as well accept to make the return trip easier.
As we started to follow the elder, our path was blocked. It was the Amazonesses, their scimitars drawn.
I expected Kenze to handle it, but she acted like she didn’t see them. Well, with that much skin exposed in their bikini armor, they’d be easy to strike; she could just drain their mana and knock them out instantly. That’s what I assumed, anyway. Maybe I didn’t need Kenze’s help after all.
”Hold it.”
A black Amazoness stepped out from behind the other three. She spoke fluent Schweilitz. Her forehead gem wasn’t yellow like the others-it was red. An officer?
”It has been a long time.”
Her teeth shone unnaturally white against her dark face.
”Have we met?”
”You’ve already had a hole punched through your gut by me, and you’ve forgotten?”
She was one of the Amazonesses from the fifty-third defense line. The one who had rammed a treasure sword, scabbard and all, into my stomach. That was when Kenze finally stepped up to my side.
”Hmph. A traitor from Takshurgan, lurking around here?”
Even though Kenze was an Amazoness, her clan had split from the main line four hundred years ago and established independence in Takshurgan, an oasis city in the center of the Southern Continent. During that battle, Kenze had put quite a few of the main-line Amazonesses in the grave.
Tension flared. Kenze slowly lowered her center of gravity, shifting into a combat stance.
”Wait. I have no intention of fighting you now.”
Words were cheap. I couldn’t trust her.
”Those ones aren’t combatants. They’re just sailors on a merchant route.”
She was talking about the three local guides. But they were a warrior race-they had to be stronger than the average person. She said there were ten more on their ship, which made them a significant threat to us.
Apparently, there were also young Amazonesses in their mating phase among them.
For the record, the Amazoness reproduction phase lasts from about seven to ten years old up to seventeen to nineteen. This is their “male” period. They have a p**is and can e**culate. At the same time, like a bird, they have a v**inal opening inside the anus. Fertilized eggs are stored in internal organs during this period. Afterward, they go through a metamorphosis. They turn into a female body and enter the ovulation phase.
Amazonesses lay shell-less eggs in water. The embryo eats the nutrients in the egg. Then the mother gives milk to raise them. They breathe through gills until they leave the water. This is the larval stage. For about the last day, they enter a pupal state. Then they emerge as a human-like newborn and start breathing air.
During the male mating phase, they even mate with each other. But by mating with humans, they can add human genes into their clan’s blood.
Life of an Amazoness:
Larval stage (up to approx. three months): From ovulation to hatching (leaving the pot).
Infant stage (three months to approx. eight years): From hatching to puberty.
Mating stage (approx. eight to eighteen): From puberty to the end of the mating phase; hermaphroditic.
Metamorphosis stage (approx. eighteen to twenty): From the end of the mating phase to becoming female.
Ovulation stage (approx. twenty to fifty or sixty): From feminization to the end of ovulation.
Nursing stage (post-ovulation): Milk continues to flow even after ovulation ends, and if nothing happens, they live to be one hundred to one hundred and twenty.
The idea of a child with Kenze’s face having a p**is made me want to burst out laughing.
”Don’t lose focus,” Kenze scolded, sensing my thoughts on Amazoness ecology.
”So, what do you want?” I asked, since they were blocking our path.
”I have a message from Princess Ade-Saba.”
Ade-Saba was the Amazoness negotiator who had been set up in Suez. She was the older sister of the hostage Nikaure Saba. But something was off. We had left Suez before they did.
””I look forward to our reunion in the Royal Capital, Ram,” she said.”
What was going on?
”Was Ade-Saba here?”
”Yes. She arrived the day before yesterday and, along with the hostages who came overland from Hodayn Port, left yesterday for Assab, on the other side of the Red Sea, on our ship.”
So, there was a port called Assab on the other side of the Red Sea, and they’d taken Rosa there on their ship yesterday? If this was true, the route I’d predicted for the kidnappers-that they’d avoided circling the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and taken a shortcut overland-was actually correct. They’d come from the back of the fabric shop in Hodayn Port all the way to Mocha.
”Why?”
”Can’t you figure that out? It’s closer.”
Ah… right.
It was closer to cut across the tip of the Southern Continent than to cut across the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. I’d been so focused on sea routes. I’d heard that the tip of the Southern Continent was, if not entirely, mostly Amazoness territory. Which meant it was safer than the sea.
They weren’t carrying heavy cargo, and while it was more tiring than a ship, if they could sleep in an inn, then… I’d screwed up.
I thought I saw Maria grinning. Does misery love company?
With this, catching the Amazoness ship on the open sea to take Rosa back was now impossible. If what this woman said was true, anyway. But I couldn’t just jump her in front of her allies and start an interrogation.
There was no helping it, or perhaps fortunately, things ended without a clash with the Amazonesses. Once they delivered their message, the Amazoness wiggled her tight little butt and headed back to her ship.
Afterward, we drank sour coffee brewed from ground beans at the elder’s house and chatted for a while.
When I asked what the Amazonesses were transporting on their trade route, they said they carried the local specialty, frankincense, to Assab, and coffee to Mocha. When I asked if it wasn’t for local consumption, they said of course not-it was carried overland to Hodayn Port. And the frankincense loaded onto ships here was unloaded in Assab and taken to a large kingdom in the mountain ranges of the Southern Continent.
When I asked why they didn’t just take it directly from Hodayn Port to Assab, they said the sea was a nest of sea gods, and small ships couldn’t pass through those waters safely. Sea gods-it sounded like sea serpents. Also, the port of Mocha was too small to accommodate many trade ships. So, a route had been established where Assab and Mocha were linked by sea, and Mocha and Hodayn Port by land.
The elder said it only worked because the volume of goods wasn’t that large.
By the way, did Maria not know about this? If she had, she could have done something back in Hodayn Port. I’ll be sure to tell Thomas about this eventually.
Incidentally, the coffee apparently went from Hodayn Port through Suez, up the Inland Sea and the Turkish Sea, and up the Danube River all the way to Schweilitz. That was how the elder knew the value of the silver coins I’d used.
Also, the reason merchant ships didn’t go to the Southern Continent side like Assab was malaria. The mosquitoes that carried it couldn’t cross the Red Sea, so while they stopped on this side (the Arabian Peninsula), they wouldn’t go to ports on the Southern Continent side unless absolutely necessary. In this world, at least.
The next morning, we finished resupplying our water and set sail early. Two days later, we exited the Red Sea, entered the Gulf of Aden, stopped twice at ports in the Himyar Kingdom-same as Hodayn Port-and finally set sail for the tip of the Southern Continent.
Thank you for reading this far.
I feel like it turned into a travelogue <m(__)m>
In the world Larry lives in, I’ve set it so there is no malaria on the Arabian Peninsula side.
In this world, though, it seems chloroquine-resistant malaria is rampant on the Yemeni side of the Red Sea.
If you’re planning on traveling there, please be careful.
The age of the Amazoness phases is a bit different from the reason why the Amazoness became a Slave Prostitute.
Ah, I want to ride a ship full of ovulating Amazonesses across the Red Sea lol.
—
Summary:
The landing party arrives at the port of Mocha to secure supplies but encounters hostile Amazonesses already present on the dock. Larry’s negotiation with the elder is interrupted by a confrontation with a vengeful Amazoness who reveals that Rosa has already been transported elsewhere. The group manages to avoid combat, completes their supply run, and departs for the tip of the Southern Continent.
—
Trivia:
Maria was previously familiar with the Kingdom of Larland’s border region near Rus.
Amazonesses undergo a complex biological metamorphosis involving a mating phase that includes both male and female characteristics.
The port of Mocha serves as a vital land-link node for frankincense and coffee transport because the nearby sea is infested with sea serpents.
Malaria acts as a significant geopolitical barrier in this world, preventing merchant ships from the Arabian Peninsula from visiting Southern Continent ports.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Izumo – The iron-hulled ship serving as the primary vessel for the protagonist and his crew.
• Captain – The middle-aged commanding officer of the Izumo directs personnel, diplomacy, tactical maneuvers, and engine output. Outwardly calm, experienced, and seemingly disengaged, he holds traditional beliefs about sea creatures. Beneath this oblivious facade, he is a ruthless, manipulative leader who prioritizes the mission and tactical objectives over the safety of subordinates and civilians.
• Gida – A disciplined female human and former finance bureaucrat serving as the meticulous Maintenance Department Chief on the ship Izumo. Pragmatic and persistent, she manages logistics, funds, and crew/slave negotiations, pushing for the impossible to ensure crew well-being. She strictly controls her team, was initially reluctant to retain Raphael, and is frequently frustrated by the protagonist’s decisions.
• 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.
• Alyona – A devout Jesus Orthodox follower of Rus origin, this crew interpreter was a happily married woman before being broken by slavery under the Hodayn Port Administrator. Retained by Rhein, she appears timid and flustered by the Captain’s orders. However, beneath her submissive exterior lies a latent sadistic streak, capable of clinical cruelty and an easy transition into dominance over others.
• Larry – An eccentric 16-year-old Mana user and Fee Grand Principality founder, the Izumo’s chief engineer handles drones, explosives, and combat coordination while suffering from past-life neurological trauma. Pragmatic but stressed by military leadership, he mediates intense crew drama—from hammock disputes to tracking Amazonesses—and maintains a cynical view of Maria and the ship’s Captain.
• Maria – Thomas’s strikingly beautiful widow, daughter of Ifens and Therese, is a Universal Church bridge mage with massive mana rivaling a Major. Gifted with lethal combat skills and gorilla strength, this Suez crew member in the Magic Armored Division is skilled in interrogation, coilguns, and Amazoness politics. She bears a grudge against Larry and uses Princess Nikaure’s memories for intel.
• 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.
• 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.
• Schweilitz – The kingdom to which the protagonist is forced to return boasts towering academy spires and a full military arsenal—Royal Army troops and elite officers. Its ruler holds a captive the protagonist fears will be executed.
• Larland – A fallen kingdom, marked by its royal lineage of eight distinct princesses, has reemerged as a ruthless invading force. Driven by the loss of their homeland, these royal heirs now lead an aggressive campaign that threatens the entire region, turning former neighbors into desperate targets as they fight to reclaim power.
• Nikaure – A beautiful Amazoness princess, tribe ambassador, and sister of Ade-Saba with a compact, muscular physique, dark skin, sharp eyes, and a royal blue forehead gemstone. Once seeking a Black Ship for her people, she now speaks with halting speech while held captive for a hostage exchange. Her memories are used to verify maps and sea routes.
• 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.
• Saba – A surname belonging to Nikaure.
• Rus – A neighboring power deeply involved in regional politics and mediation, best known for annexing the Kingdom of Larland.
• Kenze – A muscular, dark-skinned Amazoness with short hair, a niqab, and artificial speech. This lethal, bisexual former Takshurgan operative serves as Larry’s bodyguard. Rough yet highly observant, she reads Rhein and protects her daughter Zaboo and allies. Pragmatic yet intense regarding her physiology, this ship crew member can lay eggs in ceramic jars but fears potential capture.
• Fredys – Izumo’s female deck foreman and section chief monitors encroaching fleets from the bridge while managing logistics, captives, and crew discipline. Forceful and pragmatic, this Inland Sea expert interprets Turku, works closely with Roland, and acts refined around Francis. She fiercely defends subordinates like Kenze, runs betting pools, and is rumored to be a shotacon.
• Rosa – A genius professor and former student of Larry, she possesses immense technological knowledge, making her a high-stakes target for information gathering. Her abduction from the Duke’s estate in Suez by the Amazonesses has sparked a diplomatic crisis. Now the central focus of a desperate search by Larry and the Major, her potential collaboration with the Kingdom of Kush poses a massive geopolitical threat.
• Fusi – The elder of Moka. He is a greedy, shrewd negotiator who is well-aware of the value of foreign currency.
• Palermo – A target location where a battle and reparations negotiation took place.
• Ade-Saba – An Amazoness princess and negotiator. She is the older sister of Nikaure Saba and a key player in the regional politics surrounding the kidnappings.
• Ade – The leader of the Amazoness and the older sister of Princess Nikaure. She is skeptical of the representatives sent by the Kingdom of Schweilitz, possesses a commanding presence, and reacts with visible agitation to threats against her capital.
• Thomas – Thomas Bauer is a hulking, middle-aged General with a muscular build, reddened face, and scalp burns. Larry’s comrade-in-arms and tactical advisor since Schweilitz, he commands 100 Twanste troops alongside Fee and Earnest. He married Maria, the widow of his comrade Rhein who reports to him. After training local farmers, he vanished in a bridge collapse, prompting Kenze to retrieve him.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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