Volume 4 Chapter 51 Captain Acting
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The room where I’d mated with the Amazoness male-bride. Over half the candles had burned out, so I couldn’t see the naked bodies scattered around. All that remained was the scent—the leftovers of a debauchery that had run wild.
Found her.
”Hey.”
I nudged the completely naked loli Elf Mage with my foot—her mouth hung open, drool dripping down. Next to her, an even smaller shota male-bride was curled up beside her, sleeping.
”Eh? Still at it?” Pamela mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
”You horny old loli Elf. We’re leaving.”
I gave Pamela another nudge with my foot. The wind picked up, lashing rain against the wooden door. If we didn’t leave soon, it would only get worse by daybreak.
”Oh, right.”
”‘Oh, right’ isn’t good enough. Get ready.”
Still… a seed-receiving ceremony that was basically a family gathering turned orgy. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with treating procreation as sacred, but… well, whatever.
”You’re leaving, then?”
A voice from behind. I turned to find the two male-brides I’d impregnated standing there with the Commander.
”Yeah. I made a promise to the Queen.”
* * *
Half a day earlier.
On the balcony of the Viscount’s Palace, I negotiated with the Queen.
The hand I held held the proposal of a steamship that could operate without magical implements. The Amazoness couldn’t build it themselves, but the Dwarf Kingdom—which had maintained centuries of friendship with them—could.
The Amazoness, in return, would release the captured Izumo and me.
That was my plan. I asked them to arrange for me to get to the Dwarf Kingdom’s royal capital, Tete, on the Izumo. Maria had said that Tete lay about two weeks’ sail south along the Southern Continent’s east coast, then another week up the Sanbe River. There was a fortress at the river mouth, and we couldn’t ascend without buying a transit permit at the nearby port of Chimbe and presenting it.
The Queen, however, could issue such permits, given her kingdom’s centuries-long friendship with the Kush.
In Tete, the Dwarf capital, they exported all sorts of metalwork abroad, and their smithing, metallurgy, and refining technologies were top-notch. That meant coal had to be available—high chances we could resupply. With luck, we might even repair the battered hull.
And above all, there was a good chance I’d see Rosa again.
”I trust you won’t break your promise and simply return home. I’ll need another hostage.”
”In that case, how about the Captain herself?”
I doubted the Captain would approve my proposal to share steamship technology with the Dwarves. Offering her as a prisoner would satisfy the Amazoness’s demands. I felt bad pulling a fast one, but I arranged for the Queen to summon her.
As things stood, the Izumo couldn’t escape—even if we used dynamite to destroy the surrounding ships. If a dozen Amazoness soldiers boarded us, our coilguns wouldn’t hold them off for ten minutes. And long before that, we’d run out of food and water if left stranded, with no choice but surrender. When the Queen summoned the Captain, she couldn’t resist—cornered from all sides as she was.
”Hm. But I’d like one more hostage, if you don’t mind.”
In that case… there were two department heads supporting the Captain. How about one of them—the Elf Mage in charge of the Engine Department?
Not that I was trying to offload her, but that shut-in Elf Mage was someone we could manage with or without.
”The Captain is a military officer seconded from the Celt Kingdom,” I explained. “If she becomes a hostage, the Kingdom of Schweilitz will be obliged to work for her release as an officer of an allied nation.”
”Could we use her in exchange for Nikaure, then?”
”Yeah, probably. And if we throw in a long-lived, knowledgeable Elf Mage who can use mana, it’s pretty much guaranteed.”
Princess Nikaure was being held prisoner in Schweilitz. The Queen was clearly pleased at the prospect of using them in a prisoner exchange.
”So we won’t need to pick them up on the return journey, then.”
”Precisely.”
Without the Captain around, even if they secured Rosa, few would obey orders to kill her. At the time, even I, as department head, had only been required to confirm the body. Unless the Captain commanded it, nobody would want to kill their own comrade.
As a result, the Captain’s absence until our return meant we could bring Rosa back to our homeland. Once that happened, leaking technology to other nations would become difficult for her, and there’d be no need to kill her.
For someone like me who didn’t want to kill my student Rosa, this arrangement was a dream come true.
The issue was me leaking steamship technology to another nation.
We already used the boiler and turbine on the Black Ship, and I’d drafted blueprints for the screw—admittedly small-scale, but still. In a sense, you could say it had become Schweilitz’s national asset.
Still, even with superior Dwarven technology, building and operating a ship of the Izumo’s class would take years. Since I wasn’t handing over blueprints, it might take even longer.
Besides, if I just said I’d given them a tour of the ship and pitched an outboard motor for river use, there’d be no way to prove I’d actively leaked those technologies. It wasn’t like I couldn’t claim I’d come up with it on my own.
And if they tried to put me on trial and sentence me to death, I’d just wait for an opportunity to head to the New Continent to search for rubber.
”Now, there is one matter I’d like to discuss.”
As I ran through everything in my head, the Queen spoke up. Apparently, there was a plan among the Amazoness to seize the Izumo during the coming storm.
”They’ll strike after daybreak. Can you set sail by then?”
Well, it wasn’t impossible.
”Can’t you stop the plan, though?”
”I can try talking to them.”
The instigator was the Queen’s sister, the Amazoness military commander-in-chief. She’d apparently fought as a mercenary across the Western Central Continent’s battlefields. Competent, but a troublemaker who never listened to others.
”Sailing should be fine, but if they attack the Izumo recklessly, they’ll get hurt.”
”After seeing the weapons you handed over, she said it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Weapons we’d handed over?
Damn. The coilguns I’d given to the Commander before the audience. I had no idea what she’d thought after seeing those and concluding it was no problem, given Amazoness couldn’t handle mana. But still… attacking before the storm passed was the right call—we couldn’t launch fixed-wing drones, which cut the Izumo’s firepower significantly. Maybe she was a military genius. Which made it troublesome that she wouldn’t listen to the Queen. Better to flee sooner rather than later.
And so, with farewells from the Commanders, Pamela and I plunged into the pitch-dark storm.
Fortunately, Pamela had her Poor Man’s Lamp, so we could at least see our feet. I had the path to the pier memorized. We moved along the wall, taking shelter from wind and rain.
The reddish road that earlier had been clouded with dust had turned to mud in the rain. Hard to walk on, and pitch-dark to boot. Past midnight, there wasn’t a single light from the town, and despite the storm, there was no lightning. We picked our way through true blackness toward the harbor, guided only by the Poor Man’s Lamp and memory.
The plan was to sail near high tide around dawn—if we miscalculated, high waves might make it impossible to approach the ship.
”What’s that?”
Following Pamela’s voice, I shielded my eyes from the rain and peered ahead. There was some kind of light.
”Luminous Magic Iron lantern, maybe?”
”Likely so. That’d be the Izumo, then.”
With no way to tell if it was puddles or the sea, I took Pamela’s hand and we advanced slowly. Finally, we could make out figures.
All the windows on the ship’s rear, by the dining hall, were shut tight. The light came from the deck. Cheerful voices drifted over.
”Hey!”
I shouted against the rain lashing my face, but nobody noticed. After a few more calls as we approached, someone finally spotted us.
”Larry Second Lieutenant?”
It was Kai. She stood on the poop deck’s railing, bare from the waist up, looking our way.
”What are you doing?”
That was more of a concern than telling them we were back.
”Oh, just washing up.”
Apparently she was using soap to wash since the ship wasn’t rocking in the harbor. Well, that was nice and all, but this wasn’t the time to be happy about such things.
With the deck crew members Kai called over helping us, we managed to get back inside. We headed straight for the bridge.
”Could you gather the key personnel for me?”
I asked one of the young bridge crew, then used the towel there to dry my soaked hair. Gathered were Gida, Maintenance Department Head; Fredys, Deck Crew Foreman; Roland, Bridge Squad Leader; and Tatyana, Torpedo Department Head.
”What’s this? Without the Captain, there’s nothing we can do,” Roland said.
Gida, equally reluctant, made it clear she didn’t want any troublesome business.
”The Captain and the Engine Department Head have been taken prisoner by the Amazoness.”
My words froze the room.
”At daybreak, the Amazoness will attack the ship.”
As if driving the point home, I added, and they began to stir.
”Attack—how?”
”The commander leading the attack is the Queen’s sister, the Amazoness military commander-in-chief. She’s a seasoned mercenary.”
”You mean she knows how to handle Mages, then?”
Now that he mentioned it, she probably did.
Just then, Maria and Katarina, the Flight Squad Leader, came up, drying their hair.
”Who told you that?”
”The Queen.”
Maria looked skeptical.
I glossed over the circumstances behind the Captain and the recluse Elf Mage being taken prisoner—purposefully vague—and explained that the commander-in-chief was a dangerous woman, and that the Queen had given me a transit permit for the Dwarf Kingdom’s royal capital, Tete.
”So you’re saying you got permission to set sail by offering to teach shipbuilding to the Dwarves and turning the Captain and the others over as prisoners?”
”More like they gave us a head start to escape, really.”
I added that Rosa had already departed for Tete and that we’d received the transit permit to sail up the Sanbe River.
”But we can’t just leave the Captain behind, can we?” Roland growled.
”Can’t be helped if she’s a prisoner. More importantly, who’s going to be acting captain?”
Maria dismissed the idea of rescuing the Captain without hesitation. And just like that, sailing without her was decided.
”Well, going by seniority, the next captain would be Gida, since she was department head first,” Katarina said matter-of-factly.
But Gida shook her head, saying she didn’t know anything about running the ship, and pointed to Tatyana, who’d taken over my position as Torpedo Department Head.
”I’m just filling in for Larry Second Lieutenant, really.”
At that, all eyes turned to me.
”No, no, no—Fredys or Roland should do it. They’ve actually sailed her.”
From what I’d seen, Fredys had been a good sounding board for the Captain.
”Actually, the Captain told me that if anything happened to her, Larry Second Lieutenant should be acting captain. Right, Roland?”
That sounded like a lie. “Right, Roland” felt tacked on, making it even more suspicious.
Nevertheless, everyone’s attention stayed fixed on me.
”Look, Larry, you should be Captain. You seem to know the situation best. You negotiated with the Queen, too—time to take responsibility.”
Maria’s word “responsibility” seemed to get everyone nodding.
”Then it’s settled.”
It didn’t sit well that Maria’s words seemed to decide everything.
”What about the Engine Department, then?”
”Kai’s fine. She knows the most, and she’s got plenty of mana. Let her be a squad leader directly under the Captain.”
In Mage society, these decisions were sometimes based on mana levels. Janet and Claudia had less mana and barely any sense of responsibility. I didn’t object to Kai, but it still rubbed me wrong.
”Then Artillery Department can be Maria.”
I said it deliberately. She made a pretty sour face, but when I pressed her, she relented.
”So, Acting Captain, what’s our move now?” asked the newly appointed Artillery Department Head.
”Get everyone back on board who’s washing outside, and set sail immediately. Leave the course to Roland.”
In reality, I had no idea how to navigate in this darkness. So I offloaded it.
”Understood. We’ll ignore the anchored dhows and set a course south-southeast.”
According to Fredys, the wind had been from the south in the evening, but now it was from the south-southwest—a low-pressure system approaching from the east. Sailing into the wind would take us out to open sea. We’d keep all lights off, too. Pointing bright lights at rough seas could create ghosts—not actual specters, but shadows caused by spray and foam.
By dawn, the Izumo was far enough from the Amazoness royal capital of Ram that it was no longer visible.
”Acting Captain, a package arrived from the Amazoness while you were away. I put it in your room.”
Pole, one of the deck crew, informed me. Having spent the whole night on the bridge, I returned to my room to rest. There, I found a box wrapped in a silk furoshiki. Inside was the katana the Queen had given me.
What was I supposed to do with this?
As I thought that, I climbed into my hammock. Whether from exhaustion or the weight of everything, my consciousness quickly began to drift away.
—
Summary:
Larry negotiates with the Amazoness Queen, trading steamship technology for passage to Tete while offering the Captain as a hostage to protect Rosa. After escaping into a storm, he returns to find the crew has elected him acting captain against his will. The chapter ends with Larry receiving a katana from the Queen and collapsing into exhausted sleep, the weight of his new authority settling upon him.
—
Trivia:
The Izumo is equipped with coilguns and can launch fixed-wing drones, though neither is effective against the approaching Amazoness attack due to weather conditions and boarding tactics.
The Amazoness cannot use mana themselves, making them dependent on the Dwarves for advanced technology despite centuries of friendship.
The Queen’s sister, the military commander-in-chief, is a seasoned mercenary who fought across the Western Central Continent and refuses to listen to royal authority.
Tete, the Dwarf royal capital, lies two weeks south along the Southern Continent’s east coast, then one week up the Sanbe River past a fortress and checkpoint.
Rosa has already departed for Tete, and Larry’s primary motivation throughout the chapter is protecting her from execution by the Schweilitz military.
The Queen plans to use the captive Captain and Pamela as bargaining chips to exchange for Princess Nikaure, who is imprisoned in Schweilitz.
Larry’s bargain with the Queen involves sharing steamship technology with the Dwarves, but he plans to claim he only sold them an outboard motor if questioned.
The Black Ship already uses the boiler and turbine technology Larry intends to share, while the screw propeller exists only as small-scale blueprints.
Notes:
• 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.
• Elf Mage – Elf mage and shut-in engineer who stands watch in the engine department, managing the ship’s boilers. They are highly reclusive, irritable, and fiercely resistant to any orders coming from the Torpedo Department.
• Mage – Elf mage and shut-in engineer who stands watch in the engine department, managing the ship’s boilers. They are highly reclusive, irritable, and fiercely resistant to any orders coming from the Torpedo Department.
• Elf – A reclusive, middle-aged mage who lives as a shut-in aboard the ship, where he tends to the boilers. He uses his own conjured fireballs to generate heat for the vessel and maintains a keen interest in studying the properties of asphalt as a potential fuel source.
• Pamela – A diminutive dwarf woman with a youthful, flat-chested appearance, this Engine Department leader speaks in an archaic, rural register. A drowsy mage skilled in telepathy and mana manipulation, she is a warm mentor and partner to the protagonist. She balances motherly support with blunt authority, though she will bite if propositioned while asleep, later offering to take care of him.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Commander – A high-ranking Amazoness military officer who initially appeared as a man to lead the mercenary press-gang. Commanding and formal, she serves as a liaison between the Queen and visitors, overseeing the male-bride ritual and escorting Larry and Pamela. Deeply involved in societal rites and comfortable with Amazoness norms, she is an authoritative overseer and the mother of several children, including Riora.
• Viscount – A noble of the Rus who insisted on bringing reinforcements to the defense of the city.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled ship serving as the primary vessel for the protagonist and his crew.
• Maria – A strikingly beautiful Amazoness, Universal Church bridge mage, and Suez crew member, this Artillery Department Head is visibly six months pregnant. The daughter of Ifens and Therese and widow of Thomas, she has gorilla strength, lethal skills, and massive mana. She aggressively protects her commander, leverages Princess Nikaure’s memories, and controls her resentful charge, 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.
• Rosa – A genius dwarf-human hybrid engineer and former student of Larry, this Naval Academy professor designed the Izumo and fought in the Fifty-Third Defense Battle. Kidnapped from Suez by Amazonesses to build black ships, her technical expertise is a major geopolitical threat. Now sought by Larry and the Major, her safe return is the primary motivation driving current negotiations and regional tension.
• Captain – The middle-aged commanding officer of the Izumo is outwardly calm, experienced, and traditional, masking a ruthless, pragmatic leader who prioritizes vessel survival over subordinates and civilians. While rarely reprimanding his men, he will execute deserters. Bebel reports directly to him, holding orders to return to Kure should the protagonist fail to return from their mission.
• 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.
• Schweilitz – This kingdom, featuring towering academy spires and a full military arsenal of Royal Army troops, forces the protagonist to return. Ruled by a king involved in a hostage exchange, this political power holds a captive feared for execution. It also ordered the confirmation of Princess Rosa’s corpse, driving a scheme that the Queen has caught onto.
• Celt – In his twenties, this former tenant farmer and 303rd Unit militia leader is now a pragmatic, calculating Deputy Commander of the Town Guards—equivalent to a sergeant or officer—overseeing Strock Village’s fortifications. Dressed in simple work clothes, he quietly admires Teressa-san’s skill and serves as the village’s trusted gossip source, having earned his land with reward money. Once a sandal-maker and translator of Bours’s jargon, he maintains a careful working relationship with Larry while balancing political interests, embodying calm kindness beneath his disciplined exterior.
• Nikaure – A beautiful Amazoness princess and tribe ambassador, she is the sister of Ade-Saba, distinguished by her compact, muscular build, dark skin, and a royal blue forehead gemstone. Once a navigator seeking a Black Ship, she is currently held prisoner in Schweilitz, where she was mentioned as a potential hostage for an exchange involving the Captain. Her current whereabouts remain unknown to negotiators.
• 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.
• Larry – A dark-haired, weary 16-year-old former reincarnation, this cynical Second Lieutenant is the Izumo’s pragmatic chief engineer, acting captain, and Associate Professor. A Mana user and founder of the Fee Grand Principality, he carries Kakuka Saba’s letter and King Philip IV’s Treasure Sword. Suspicious of superiors, he navigates complex politics and crew drama while protecting Rosa.
• Kai – An ash-covered, 20-year-old Dwarf Mage and Bridge Leader accompanying Roland. Recognizable by her translucent white hands, sturdy body, and high regenerative resilience, she has a strong sex drive and unstable mana lower than Maria’s. A capable Izumo crew member and peerless combat mentor with a mysterious past, she loves teasing protagonist Rhein and fueling a romantic betting pool.
• Tatyana – A 31-year-old divorced mother of two and disciplined Magic Academy Assistant Professor, she serves as a practical, no-nonsense Section Chief and Torpedo Department Head. A former 101st Golems Battalion member, she maintains military decorum while commanding with efficiency. Loyal to her Captain, she shares an intimate bond with roommate Katarina and acts as Larry’s superior, having replaced him.
• Fredys – As Izumo’s pragmatic, refined female deck foreman and section chief, she is an expert on Inland Sea navigation and an indispensable advisor left in charge during emergencies. Professionally, she manages logistics, discipline, and captives. Known for her exasperation and betting pools, she defends allies but has a preference for young boys, living with Roland and a maintenance assistant.
• Roland – A Dwarf serving as bridge squad leader aboard the Izumo. He executed the reverse docking maneuver that impressed the passengers. Head of the bridge crew on the Izumo. He is competent and indispensable. He is gay and lives with Fredys and a young boy. He purchases a stimulant tonic and uses telepathy to explain his purchase.
• Gida – The Izumo’s disciplined Maintenance Department Chief is a pragmatic, disheveled former finance bureaucrat who stepped down from captaincy to avoid leadership burdens. Outwardly insolent yet meticulously controlling, this older department head manages crew logistics, uses sesame oil for skincare, and once shouted in Schweilitz to buy it all. She clashes with Daran and initially resisted hiring Raphael.
• Katarina – A voluptuous, 30-year-old Izumo flight squad leader, Chief Researcher, and volatile telepathic Mage with mission authority. While maintaining formal decorum, she serves on night watch, handles drone operations under strict no-launch orders, and is a playful, sexually confident partner to the protagonist. Intense and complex, she pressures subordinates, wants to mercy-kill Larry, advocates for Gida’s promotion, and shows keen interest in a medicine boat’s stimulant tonic.
• Claudia – Former Royal Capital researcher and Kisaragi crew member in the Izumo’s Engine Department. A student of Camillo and Larry, they teach boiler maintenance with Janet. Grew from a chubby youth into an unstable beauty; lower mana capacity. Once questioned the protagonist about his wives, joined the crew’s betting pool, and relayed a message concerning Kai.
• Janet – A 22-year-old former Bizan Academy researcher and unstable mage, she now serves in the Mutsuki’s Engine Department. Though limited by low mana capacity and severe seasickness, she actively manages maintenance via speaking tube. As the protagonist’s gossipy former subordinate, she frequently joins betting pools and pries into their personal life while relaying rumors about Kai, all while longing to leave.
• Poi – A Dwarf welder and former carriage maker who applied his knowledge of mechanical stress to ship construction.
• Pole – An orphaned Celt soldier and anxious Izumo sail-handler, he is a youthful, enthusiastic deck crew member who guides Earnest and the protagonist. Proficient in Turku and local terrain, he serves as a loyal aide while seeking his first love’s freedom. Though gossipy and prone to anxiety, he takes charge during tasks like the marlin hunt and initiates crew activities, having moved past his gambling past.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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