Volume 4 Chapter 114 Reunion
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
We set sail from the port of Bilito in Izumo, almost like we were fleeing. But in the end, there was no real need to rush. Or rather, we could not rush even if we wanted to.
Every ten kilometers or so along the canal, there was an Amazoness outpost. And every time, Izumo was ordered to stop.
Leakle, the next Administrator, showed them the transit permit she had received from the Queen of Oceanus. But every time, they asked about the red smoke signal. And then they demanded to know exactly what kind of ship Izumo was.
I get it. They were just doing their jobs seriously. But for us? It was one hell of a blowback.
A ship like Izumo, fifty meters long, estimated displacement of two hundred tons, takes a long time to stop and an equally long time to get moving again. To get through the hundred-kilometer canal to Lake Nicaragua, running on coal, we had planned for a non-stop half-day trip. But after being stopped just three times, it was already evening.
”From now on, I am switching to sails. Coal is too precious to waste,” I said.
By the second stop, I had already given up on rushing.
Originally, we had been running on steam power to get through the canal quickly, before anyone outside could learn about Kotori and the weasel girl’s existence. But Kenze and her people had jumped the gun and smashed a local branch office of the Mexictli Kingdom’s trade mission. Not just the organization, the building itself. Before we could even negotiate a settlement, they had sent up the smoke signal. Word was we were heading toward war with the Mexictli Kingdom.
Leakle, the Amazoness’s next Administrator, wanted to avoid any blowback. She said she was not letting us go. And honestly? That was fair.
At least she was not offering to hand us over.
If we were going to war, then we would fight. And I wanted to scout the terrain and prepare an ambush. That was why I had been in such a hurry to reach Corra. But the Amazoness patrols guarding the canal kept slowing us down. I did not think it was intentional, but at this rate, we would never be ready for battle.
”I am sorry,” Leakle said. She knew how I felt.
”No, this is our own doing.”
”I wish I could have stopped them.”
To be fair, if we had not heard about the sacrifices, I doubt Kenze and the others would have gone to such extremes.
Speaking of the sacrifices, the story Tomoe and Katarina brought back from the stone building they had raided was strange.
Inside the stone hall, they found well-dressed boys and girls, along with elderly priests. The rooms were clean, incense was burning, white sheets covered neat beds, silver platters held piles of fruit. From the looks of it, they lived quite comfortably.
Tomoe had tried to get the children to leave. She called out to them, but they did not respond. So she grabbed two girls by the hand to pull them out. But then the trembling old priests intervened. And worse, the girls themselves refused to leave. They fought back so fiercely that even muscle-bound Tomoe gave up.
”Did those kids not know they were going to be sacrificed?” Katarina asked.
Leakle shook her head. “No. They know. They know they will have their hearts ripped out while they are still breathing. They have seen it with their own eyes. And after that, the bodies are thrown down the steps, the arms and legs chopped off, and boiled.”
Just hearing it made my stomach turn.
”They say the heart of a living person is offered to the sun god to keep the eternal age going. And the body being thrown down the steps? That is supposed to purify the pyramid with the blood that scatters on the way down. As for the flesh, they say it is a way not to waste a life offered to the gods.”
It was insane. That was the only word for it.
”The children are taught that being sacrificed to the sun god is the most honorable thing they can do. So when the time comes, they are said to walk up the pyramid themselves, lie down on the altar, and open their own chests.”
I wanted to doubt it. But that was just religious brainwashing.
And she said the same went for adult slaves who were sacrificed.
”The slaves who are sacrificed are prisoners of war. They are offered as warriors. It is like dying in battle. If you die as a warrior, you go to the ‘Warrior’s Heaven.’”
”Like Valhalla,” said Pole, a Celt Kingdom native who happened to be nearby.
”You have that kind of belief too, huh? The Amazoness have something similar,” Leakle said.
But from what I gathered, the heaven here was different. Both the Amazoness legend and Valhalla say that all the dead are equal. But here? The more gruesome your death in battle, the higher your status in heaven.
”That is why Mexictli Kingdom warriors have a reputation for being fearless. Though since the kingdom was unified, there have not been any proper wars. Now it is just territorial skirmishes to capture prisoners. That is more like a festival, so it is hard to say how fierce today’s warriors really are.”
A festival to capture sacrifices. Just thinking about it made my blood run cold.
But still, did no one realize the sacrifices were pointless?
”Leakle, how long has it been since Mexictli Kingdom was actually at war?” I asked.
”Hmm. When I was last there, I heard there had not been a war for ten years. I do not know if there has been one since.”
If there had been no war in all the time she had been away, that meant forty years of peace. And if that was true, even if an army of tens of thousands showed up, we had a chance.
That thought eased the tension, at least a little.
The next morning, we docked at a small port halfway along the canal.
Pole was fishing. And the weasel girl was there with her.
”Acting captain! Fish!” the little girl called out, pointing at a bucket. A few fish, each about the size of a palm, were swimming around.
”Got another one,” Pole said, pulling up his line. A small fish with the face of a catfish.
”Are they edible? I have never seen one like that.”
Neither had I. The face looked like a catfish, but the body was different, not wriggly, but kind of puffed-up, like a blowfish without the bloating. And I had heard freshwater blowfish were poisonous too. I was not eager to try.
Pole dropped the fish into the bucket and cast his feathered hook again. A few tiny twitches, and he got a bite immediately. He pulled it up. Another one of the same fish.
”I wanna try!” the weasel girl begged.
Pole let her cast. She tugged the line. Nothing. She tugged again. Still nothing.
”What do I do?” she asked.
Pole took her hand and showed her. And then something big took the bait.
”Ah!” she gasped.
Pole grabbed the line before the startled girl could drop it. The water was too murky to see the fish, but from the pull, it was huge. It looked like the small fish she had just caught had lured in a bigger one.
The weasel girl stared at Pole with something like awe, even though he had taken her catch.
After a long fight, Pole slowly reeled in the line. A white shadow began to take shape in the muddy water. About five meters out, a flat, meter-long fish jumped clear of the surface.
I could not help but let out a groan. That fish looked like an Isegoi. In Japan, those were not edible. But hey, this was another world. Maybe it was.
Just as I was thinking that, Pole stumbled backward and fell on his rear.
”What happened?” I asked.
”I think I just lost it,” he said.
The weasel girl, who had been looking at Pole like he was her favorite idol, now had disappointment written all over her face.
Pole pulled in the line. Only the head of the Isegoi came up.
”Huh?” he said.
Pole pointed. A shark fin was cutting through the water, heading out toward the open lake.
”Acting captain, have you ever heard of sharks in freshwater?” Pole asked.
I had seen a TV special once about sharks swimming up rivers in Okinawa. But those were only about a meter long.
”I have heard of it, but that one was huge,” I said.
”I would say it was at least two meters,” Pole said.
If the weasel girl fell into the river, she would not stand a chance.
Later, I asked Leakle about it. Apparently, Lake Nicaragua had sharks over four meters long. And as for the catfish-faced blowfish? After soaking to get the mud out, they were apparently quite delicious. We had some grilled with salt that night.
One more night’s stay, and we finally made it into Lake Nicaragua, home of those four-meter sharks.
From the Pacific Ocean to Lake Nicaragua, the straight-line distance was less than twenty kilometers at the shortest point. The elevation difference was only about thirty meters. But with the technology of this era, there was no way to build locks that used water flow to raise and lower ships. Instead, they had dug a canal over a hundred kilometers long, with a series of pools along the way to cut the water’s current, just to let boats pass through.
”One day, many ships will use this route,” Leakle said.
Maybe in ten years. Or a hundred. Or more.
But Leakle was right. Eventually, a lot of vessels would travel through here.
Lake Nicaragua had islands, shallows, and reefs scattered around. We could not sail at night. After two days, we approached Corra’s port, near the Nicaragua River that flowed out to the Western Ocean.
I sent up a fixed-wing drone to scout the harbor before we entered. And what I saw stunned me.
Two steamships were anchored in the harbor. Smaller than Izumo, but with smokestacks. Big ones. Not for cooking. They were clearly converting heat from furnaces into motion. And those ships were made of iron.
Could Schweilitz have sent them for us? We had been late coming back.
They looked a bit like Izumo from the outside, but their decks were much higher above the waterline. And from above, the stern shape was different. The anchored ships had sleeker rears.
If they were Schweilitz ships, they would have sent up their own drones. But there was no sign of that. Had they not spotted us yet? If so, their lookout should be fired.
”What do we do? Do we enter the harbor?” the Dwarf bridge squad leader asked.
If those were Schweilitz ships, who would be the captain? If it was Birger Dons, the original captain of Izumo, I would be in deep trouble.
”Acting captain,” Roland said, pulling me back to the present.
”Light both boilers. Keep them hot so we can break off if needed. We are going in,” I ordered.
If those two ships were not Schweilitz ships, there was only one other explanation.
Izumo slowly approached the harbor. As we neared, a dugout canoe with an outrigger approached and directed us to dock at the central pier, through Leakle’s interpretation, of course.
We brought the ship alongside the central jetty as directed. Around that time, white and black smoke started rising from our stack.
Roland handled the docking with perfect precision.
Amazoness town guards kept onlookers from crowding the pier. Two officials approached. One was a woman in bikini armor, with a red gem dangling on her forehead. The other was a friendly-looking innkeeper type in a clerk’s outfit. They had already heard about us, by the look of it.
Leakle disembarked first. I followed, with Squad Leader Fredys behind me.
The two Amazoness officials walked over to Leakle, exchanged words, then gave us a nod.
”Acting captain, they say they want to discuss the Mexictli Kingdom situation. And there is someone they want you to meet. They are asking us to come to the harbor office,” Leakle said.
We definitely needed to discuss Mexictli. And the person they wanted me to meet, it had to be about those two ships.
I left Fredys on the ship with standby orders: if anything happened, she was to head out to open water, sail down the Nicaragua River as Leakle had explained, and return home via the Western Ocean. Supplies were low, so they would have to find somewhere to restock on their own.
I followed Leakle into the office. It was a small wooden building, windows wide open. Not a place for secrets.
A few people were already seated at the table in the center. One woman was looking at me and grinning. The man next to her seemed to recognize me too.
Then it clicked. I did not remember the woman, but the man, he was the one who had shown us around when we had visited the capital of Kush, Tete. His name was Darran. Darran Sue.
So who was the woman next to him? Young, stocky, dwarf-shaped, but with softer, rounder features. I did not know anyone like that. Had a man I knew transitioned or something?
”Associate Professor,” she said, looking at me.
There was only one person who would ever call me “Associate Professor.” Her body was sturdy, but there was only one.
”Rosa?” I asked.
”Hehe,” she laughed, sheepish.
I had not recognized her. She had filled out quite a bit over the past few months.
And it made sense that they would be the ones building warships. After all, I had given a whole lecture on warship construction in the royal capital of Tete.
—
Summary:
The Izumo crew navigates canal delays imposed by Amazoness patrols, learns the horrifying mechanics of Mexictli Kingdom’s sacrificial rituals, and shares a tense fishing moment before discovering two iron steamships at Corra’s harbor. The reunion with Rosa and Darran reveals the narrator’s past academic influence on warship construction. Unresolved remains the question of whether the anchored ships belong to Schweilitz and how the Mexictli Kingdom situation will escalate.
—
Trivia:
The canal from Bilito to Lake Nicaragua is over one hundred kilometers long with pools to break water current.
Amazoness outposts are stationed every ten kilometers along the canal.
The red smoke signal triggered by Kenze’s actions may lead to war with Mexictli Kingdom.
Mexictli Kingdom has not had a proper war for at least ten years, possibly forty.
Sacrificial victims walk up the pyramid themselves and open their own chests on the altar.
More gruesome battlefield deaths yield higher status in Mexictli Kingdom’s version of heaven.
Lake Nicaragua contains sharks over four meters long.
The catfish-faced blowfish-like fish is edible after mud removal and tastes good grilled with salt.
The two iron steamships at Corra have sleeker sterns than Izumo and higher decks.
The narrator previously lectured on warship construction in the royal capital of Tete.
Notes:
• Izumo – The iron-hulled primary vessel, named and personified as a character herself, who loyally carries the protagonist and his crew throughout their journey.
• Administrator – The official of Hodayn Port who previously held Alyona as a slave and refused to return her.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Birger – Original captain of the Izumo. Mentioned as a potential nightmare scenario if he were commanding the anchored ships.
• Dons – Birger’s family name.
• Roland – Dwarf bridge squad leader, former ship captain, expert navigator. Telepathic, cautious, authoritative. Precision docking; prompts narrator for orders at Corra. Lives with Fredys and young boy. Implied gay, unmoved by allure. Steady pillar for team.
• 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.
• Darran – Dwarf pilot for Izumo, guide from Kush capital Tete. Recognizes narrator on reunion. Refuses handshakes with tech-holders (Dwarven telepathy custom). Knows geography, fishing, currents, trade, customs; translates merchants, explains goods. Associated with warship construction. Crew thanks and gifts before departure.
• Tete – Bought wet nurse who shows learned loyalty behavior. Looks young and shy. Follows the main character like a baby bird. Not a fighter. Body look not described. Mentioned as being with Pamela. Likely a slave or friend.
• Rosa – Genius dwarf-human hybrid engineer, former student of Larry, Naval Academy professor. Designed Izumo, fought in Fifty-Third Defense Battle. Obsessed with Seven Blueprints of the Prison. Kidnapped by Amazonesses to build black ships. Major geopolitical threat; safe return drives negotiations and regional tension. Calls narrator “Associate Professor.” Dwarf-built, softer, rounder features. Recently filled out, now unrecognizable. Cooperates with Darran on warship construction.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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