Volume 4 Chapter 112 Brito
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The real problem is this: when the Amazoness came, they brought smallpox with them. Eighty percent of the native population died.
And then, for seventy to eighty years, until just thirty years ago, the population never recovered. That did not sit right with me. In this world, people have children before they turn twenty. Four generations should have passed in that time.
I was thinking that over when I watched the horizon from the bridge (ship).
”Inn lady!”
The weasel kid had come up to the bridge without permission.
She spotted Katarina, the flight squad leader on duty, and went running, shouting with arms outstretched, before latching onto her.
Katarina, who was thirty-two now, turned bright red.
I mean, sure. In a world where most women have their first kid at fifteen to eighteen, getting called “Inn lady” at thirty-two is perfectly natural. But she was single, even if she had been married before. She had s*x appeal. Good looks, too. Also, she was a degenerate.
”Yama-wel~!”
She growled the kid’s name with a face full of fury, grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and peeled the little girl off.
”It is big sister. Got it?”
She was clearly holding back from yelling. Katarina tried to reason with her.
”Your big sister is Kai .”
That was what the kid had been told by Kai , now a department head in the Engine Division, and a dwarf. She was small and actually younger than Katarina.
Being told that, Katarina could not say a thing.
Still, the weasel kid had gotten surprisingly fluent in Schweilitz in less than a week. Kids are amazing like that.
”Yama-chan, over here!”
Tomoe called out to her in Japanese. The kid squealed with laughter, pulled away from Katarina, and ran to cling to Tomoe instead.
Tomoe called her “Yama-chan” in Japanese, but the girl did not seem to mind at all.
”Such a good girl.”
Tomoe scooped her up.
”Are you not an Inn lady too?”
I asked, taking over for Katarina.
”Tomoe is Tomoe.”
The girl said that, hugging Tomoe’s neck.
”So why is Katarina an Inn lady?”
The kid pointed at Katarina and asked. Maybe the wording was a bit too advanced. She paused for a moment, thinking.
”Sinon’s mom said she is an Inn lady.”
She pointed at Katarina with an innocent smile.
”That bastard Kenze .”
Katarina gnashed her teeth.
Sinon’s mom was Kenze . And Sinon had recently learned to stand by holding onto things. Now she was playmates with the weasel kid and her older sister, Kutori.
The kid had probably just taken her friend’s mom at her word. Katarina, though, was clearly furious.
”Yamawel. Katarina and Tomoe are the same age, so you can call me Katarina, alright?”
Katarina, ever particular, stepped closer to the kid, still in Tomoe’s arms, and offered a compromise. The girl just blinked blankly. Yeah, that was probably too complicated.
Just then, Pole’s voice came from the stern.
”Fish! Caught a fish!”
The weasel kid said that, then squirmed out of Tomoe’s arms a little forcefully and ran toward the stairs leading down to the deck.
”See ya, Inn lady.”
She flashed a grin and scampered down the stairs.
”Damn that brat. She knew exactly what she was doing. That was Kenze’s doing, no doubt about it.”
Katarina stomped her foot in frustration. But honestly, I doubted that.
Even as she called her “that brat,” Katarina had clearly grown fond of the weasel kid. That was why the girl had run straight to her the moment she came onto the bridge.
Still, Kenze , Katarina, Tomoe, and Kai had all taken a liking to her.
That was terrifying.
Kenze was a former intelligence officer. Her hand-to-hand combat in the Kingdom of Schweilitz was matched only by the grandmasters. Then there was Katarina, who piloted suicide drones with firepower beyond compare in this world. Tomoe was a martial artist who rivaled Kenze, but her real talent was the longbow. From fifty meters out, she nailed a terror bird she had never seen before with her second shot. According to her, she could hit a stationary target from two hundred meters if she had to. And lastly, Kai was a dwarf with monstrous strength, and under Maria’s tutelage, she mastered mana handling second only to mine.
If these four joined forces, I would not be surprised if they could topple a small nation.
If anything like what Leakle had described ever happened, if the sisters Ilamactli and Yamawel were ever taken, I could not even begin to imagine what these four might do.
Just thinking about it made my skin crawl.
”Looks like Pole caught a big yellowfin tuna. Tonight’s sashimi!”
Tomoe, who had somehow already gotten comfortable on this ship, poked her head out the window to confirm, grinning.
Around then, we were nearing the canal entrance at the port of Brito. We gathered the off-duty crew in the dining hall and had Leakle brief us.
”The Amazoness of Nicaragua only control the canal and the area around Lake Nicaragua. Beyond that, they hold a few islands in the Caribbean after the canal, and a couple of small outposts on the southern continent.”
I had thought they would have more territory, given that they were building a nation. But maybe that was just my impression. Seeing it with my own eyes would change things.
”South of the canal is all rainforest. Hardly anyone lives there, and they have never been attacked by force. Occasionally, ships come to Brito with agate to barter, but that is about it.”
Further south, thousands of kilometers away, there was a major nation. The Oceanus Amazoness supposedly used it as a resupply point when they came to Nicaragua via the Land of the Fire Ring (somewhere around New Zealand). But there was apparently no trade between that nation and the big northern country.
”To the north, they have a few tribes under their protection. A few times a year, they raid further north to capture sacrifices for rituals. And farther north still, there is the Mexictli Kingdom, a strong power steadily expanding southward. In the past, their king led a campaign all the way to Lake Nicaragua, where they clashed with the Amazoness.”
According to the Amazoness who actually fought, the enemy did not ride horses or use iron weapons, so they seemed easy enough to beat. But their numbers were overwhelming, and they charged without fear of death. It had apparently been quite a struggle.
The battle ended inconclusively. But the enemy king proposed that both sides establish state-run trading posts: one in the Mexictli capital of Tenochtitlan, and one here in Brito.
”From the Amazoness: iron tools. From the Mexictli Kingdom: gold and agricultural goods, especially cacao beans.”
”Cacao beans?”
”Cacao beans are currency around here.”
Apparently, you could buy a turkey for a hundred and fifty cacao beans.
”Apparently there used to be herbivorous terror birds too, but we have not bought any since the Androgynos Group closed the Transfer Gate.”
Herbivorous terror birds, like the ones in the Land of the Fire Ring that served as taxis.
”So, Brito is the Amazoness’s center of operations here in Nicaragua?”
That was Fredys , the squad leader.
”No, the center is Cora, on the shores of Lake Nicaragua.”
Then why was the powerful kingdom’s trading post in Brito?
”I heard the post’s people tried to kidnap Amazoness children in Cora several times. The Administrator got furious and moved them to Brito, where the population was smaller.”
”Were the kids they took eaten?”
Kenze asked, her face grim.
”They would have been taken to the kingdom, sacrificed, and maybe eaten afterward.”
The Amazoness cherished their children. They even raised other people’s children, enemy children too. I had heard about that code from Kenze. Even if they were from another nation, she could not tolerate them being killed intentionally. And not just killed, their chests cut open while they were still alive, hearts ripped out. It was horrifying.
”They sacrifice children too, not just adults?”
Fredys asked. According to Leakle , there were specific months for child sacrifices. Even the people living within Amazoness territory performed rituals, not every month, but they did. The numbers were smaller, but they preferred to sacrifice children from other nations rather than their own. Well, I suppose nobody wants to kill their own kids.
Which meant the sisters, being outsiders, were at high risk of being taken as sacrifices.
We heard the full story about the sacrifices.
Then Leakle said, almost casually:
”Back when smallpox had reduced the population, they probably had a hard time getting enough children to sacrifice.”
If you were the Administrator of this place, you would have to stay calm and analyze situations like that, I suppose. But we could not accept it.
We would have to make sure Kutori and the weasel kid never faced that fate.
The meeting shifted focus on the spot.
If we relied solely on sails, we would be at the mercy of the winds. Leakle said we should expect three weeks to a month to clear the canal. So we decided to push the engines, burn coal, and power through fast, even if it strained the ship.
We talked about keeping the sisters in the storage room below the boilers during port calls along the canal. But three weeks to a month was too long, and keeping them cooped up for days while waiting for wind would be cruel.
The problem was, the sisters still could not understand Schweilitz well, and their language was not one Leakle knew. Kenze and the others would try to convince them, but if that failed, we would have no choice but to force them into a windowless dark room.
We did not want to do it. But sometimes, you have to make sacrifices.
Then, around midday the next day, we sighted the port of Brito.
It was a man-made inlet carved into a long stretch of brown beach. That was the canal entrance. A hundred meters up, we found Brito. Two large dhows, two medium ones, and over a dozen family-sized canoes with outriggers were moored there.
The port was lively, teeming with ships and people. We finally found an open dock, tied up, and dropped anchor.
And then the locals gathered like a swarm of idiots.
On the Southern Continent, that was normal. But this crowd was something else. We launched a fixed-wing drone for recon. Almost all the buildings were single-story, but even so, there were over a thousand houses. Thousands of people lived here. The crowd of onlookers was already over two hundred, and more kept coming.
Most were obviously locals. But some were not. Skin tones varied. The Amazoness were identifiable by their clothes, administrators dressed like Leakle . The military officers, and this was a pleasure, wore bikini armor.
I was enjoying the view when two Amazoness in Leakle’s style of clothing walked up. Younger than I expected, they turned out to be the town’s top officials.
Leakle told us not to leave the ship immediately and spoke at length with them.
Waiting was fine. But the problem was that the crowd kept growing, and some started trying to board the ship. Reluctantly, Leakle disembarked, we moved the ship away from the dock, and then they approached us again in outrigger boats.
”Fine. Scare them off with the artificial shishi-odoshi.”
I ordered Tatyana, the department head. Tomoe fired.
Tomoe had only mana level 1 and was not experienced. To us, the shishi-odoshi sounded weak. But the effect here was dramatic. The crowd scattered, each person racing to get away first.
All is well that ends well.
The local Amazoness did complain a bit later, though.
After that, the ship’s top brass, including me, went ashore by boat and were offered drinks.
At night, since the ship was anchored away from the dock, we felt bad leaving the sisters in the stuffy lower deck. So we let them sleep in the former captain’s cabin, as usual. That backfired.
When I woke up, only the weasel kid was gone.
There were lookouts at the bow, stern, the fighting tops, and the bridge, yet no one had noticed. But gone was gone.
Early that morning, we roused the local Amazoness to search for her. Separately, our ship’s four strongest also headed out into town.
—
Summary:
The ship arrives at Brito and the crew receives a briefing about Amazoness territory, human sacrifice, and the danger to the two sisters. A decision is made to push through the canal quickly using coal engines while grappling with the moral dilemma of potentially confining the sisters. The next morning, despite lookouts and the ship’s strongest warriors, the weasel kid has vanished without anyone noticing.
—
Trivia:
The Amazoness are a matriarchal society that controls the Nicaragua canal and Lake Nicaragua, with outposts in the Caribbean and southern continent.
Smallpox brought by the Amazoness a hundred years ago killed eighty percent of the native population, and population growth stagnated for seventy to eighty years after.
Katarina is thirty-two, single, and considered old enough to be called “Inn lady” in a world where women marry and have children at fifteen to eighteen.
The shishi-odoshi is a mana-powered sonic deterrent, originally a Japanese bamboo deer-scaring device.
Cacao beans serve as currency in this region, with one turkey costing 150 beans.
The Mexictli Kingdom (Aztec analog) and Amazoness clashed years ago over territory near Lake Nicaragua.
Children are sacrificed in specific months, and Amazoness prefer to sacrifice children from other nations over their own.
The four strongest women on the ship, Kenze, Katarina, Tomoe, and Kai, could potentially topple a small nation if they united.
The sisters Ilamactli and Yamawel are outsiders, making them prime targets for sacrifice in this region.
Despite lookouts at every post, the weasel kid vanished without anyone noticing, highlighting a catastrophic security failure.
Notes:
• Katarina – Katarina, 32, Izumo flight squad leader, volatile telepathic mage. Voluptuous, good-looking, divorced. Observed children in stone hall, questioned fate. Described as degenerate. Teases protagonist by listing exes, pressures subordinates, advocates for Gida, target of Eida, after Larry. Protective of weasel kid despite irritation. One of four troublesome women. Aggressive, pushy, demanding, desperately wants spoiled. Carries coilguns, speaks clipped. Refuses orders unless rescue.
• 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.
• Kai – Dwarf department head in the Engine Division. Small in stature and younger than Katarina. Referred to as “big sister” by the weasel kid. Possesses monstrous strength and, under Maria’s tutelage, mana handling second only to the protagonist. One of the four troublesome women. Loud and enthusiastic. Misinterprets the weasel kid calling her “big sister.” Carries a coal shovel. Gen Z conversational cadence.
• 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.
• Tomoe – Tall, strong warrior woman serving Hojo as attendant and watchman. Daughter of Higuchi, skilled with naginata and longbow. Maintains blank expression in battle, yet calm and deadly. Easily flustered by nudity, naive around men. Grows close to other women, aids protagonist with language, and holds deep ties to deceased Children. Shot terror bird’s head from fifty meters, claims can hit stationary target from two hundred. Clings to protagonist, doted on like child.
• Sinon – Infant daughter of Kenze. Amazoness child hatched from egg. Currently in larval-to-early childhood stage, develops slower than human children. Cries in morning. Recently learned to stand by holding onto things. Draws crowds of women who fuss over her. Playmate of weasel kid and older sister Kutori.
• Kenze – Kenze is a muscular, brown-skinned Amazoness and former Tashkurgan operative turned research student. Energetic and urgent, she wears gauntlet-like armor, has dragon tattoos, and fights with precision. Formerly bonded with Earnest, now a rebel leader on the Izumo, she rooms with Larry—whom she prioritizes—and cares for the weasel kid and her daughter Sinon. Deeply protective of children, she reacts with horror to child sacrifice. Impulsive actions escalated tensions toward war. Currently nursing an egg while declining in health.
• Kutori – Older sister of the weasel kid. Playmate of Sinon. Mentioned as at risk of being taken for sacrifice. Older sister of the weasel kid. Young teenager. Short-tempered and prone to screaming. Formerly from a good family before becoming homeless. Speaks in simple, emotional phrases.
• Yamawel – Five-year-old younger sister, nicknamed Weasel Kid, rescued from water-supply cliff. Darts around constantly, has no clear memories, steals jerky. Learned Japanese words before Schweilitz language, says “grandma” in Schweilitz to Kenze. Acting captain of Izumo, reincarnated with modern Japanese sensibilities in fantasy world. Dry, sarcastic internal monologue. Pragmatic, easily overwhelmed by chaotic women under command, maintains authority while panicking inside.
• Pole – Orphaned Celt soldier aboard Izumo, this youthful, enthusiastic deck crew member guides Earnest and protagonist. Proficient in Turku, he is loyal, gossipy aide who rows landing boat, leads marlin hunts, and caught large yellowfin tuna. Former gambler seeking first love’s freedom, he counts Rafaela as childhood friend. Fishing enthusiast, he draws comparisons between Amazoness beliefs and Valhalla.
• Maria – Maria, a heavily pregnant crew member in Earnest’s group with immense mana and a volatile temper, is currently off-screen. The former occupant of the room now used by Kenze, Kamea, and Kenze’s child, she speaks with practical directness. She raises concerns about the acting captain’s loan period and holds a fierce grudge against Larry, opposing any mission that does not prioritize his rescue.
• 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.
• Ilamactli – Nine-year-old older sister rescued from water-supply cliff. Nicknamed Kutori (name hard to pronounce, sounds erotic). Responsible, maternal, helps kitchen, cares for Shion and babies. Quick learner despite language barrier. Mentioned alongside Yamawel; at risk of sacrifice.
• Leakle – Administrator-level Amazoness official at Viscount’s Palace in Oceanus. Wears administrative clothing. Fluent in Schweilitz, diplomatic interpreter and intermediary for Acting Captain’s crew. Speaks formally, analytically, with elegant restraint and calm superiority. Mother of children on ship. Next Administrator of Amazoness. Received transit permit from Queen of Oceanus. Reacts with alarm to Hole-Eaters, mobilizes for Larry-san. Provides clinical exposition on region’s history, politics, and Mexictli Kingdom’s child sacrifice. Diplomatic, apologetic, firm about not letting Izumo crew escape.
• Fredys – Battle-hardened former slave, Izumo deck crew foreman, pragmatic squad leader. Related to Ullmans, lives with Roland, loyal voice of reason to Acting Captain. Assumed command after Earnest’s capture; navigates Izumo to Luzon, oversees rescue ops post-Whale Eater attack. Left on standby with flee orders. Competent organizer, crisp command presence, noted preference for young boys. Asks clarifying questions about Amazoness operations and child sacrifice.
• Administrator – The official of Hodayn Port who previously held Alyona as a slave and refused to return her.
• Tatyana – Department head ordered to deploy the artificial shishi-odoshi.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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