Volume 4 Chapter 17 Slackness
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
When I started cutting up a tuna head on deck and eating it, a crowd gathered around me. They were probably drawn by the strange sight.
”It’s good, you know.”
I called out and offered them a fresh slice of meat. But it seemed the people here had no custom of eating raw fish. I found it strange—they would not touch raw fish, yet they had no problem eating half-rotten beef or mutton.
Out of the crowd, Kai the Dwarf raised his hand and stepped forward.
”I knew the rumors had to be true!”
Voices like that drifted through the air. What kind of rumors were going around, anyway?
I popped the piece of collar meat I had been showing off right into my own mouth.
Kai was being Kai. But doing something so noticeable in front of a crowd like this was only going to draw more loudmouthed onlookers.
Still, what was done was done. I peeled off the tough outer skin of the left cheek, cut out the cheek meat, washed it with some seawater I pumped up, and put it on a plate.
Then again, without a culture of eating sashimi1, I suppose this looked a bit strange. I made a Fireball to sear the outside, cut it into four pieces, sprinkled some salt over it, and handed it to Kai.
Cheek meat sashimi was a treat. You could only get two pieces from one fish, and you could only eat it if the fish was freshly caught—not thawed from frozen. Even back in Japan, a person would be lucky to taste it once in their life.
”It’s so delicious!”
Naturally. As Kai popped a slice into his mouth, he let his honest feelings slip out.
”Is it really that good?”
Kai answered with a full-faced smile and a nod. Pole, who had been asking, suddenly snatched a piece right off the plate and shoved it into his mouth. The crowd watched closely as he chewed.
”Damn, this is good!”
Hands reached for the plate. But Kai snapped, “It’s mine!” and threw the last two pieces into his mouth.
”Hey, Section Chief Larry! Give me some too!”
The one shouting in that loud, demanding voice was none other than that shut-in Elf Mage—Section Chief Calomy.
”This piece is rare. You only get two from one tuna. I already ate one, so there’s none left.”
”Why?! How could you?! Kai, why did you eat it all by yourself? Why did you not leave any for me, your superior officer?”
What a thoroughly unpleasant bastard.
Well, since there were people from other departments around, I scooped out the brain meat, seared it the same way, and shared it. But that was not very well received. And then there was the kamatoro2—the fatty collar. I was not nearly nice enough to hand that over. When I ate it all myself, I got hit with accusing stares.
But when I finally scooped out the eyeball, the audience pulled back all at once.
Hey, I heard people in this world eat goat and pig eyeballs. Though, I guess they did not eat them back in Strock Village. As I started roasting the eyeball with a Fireball, the crowd—including Kai—scattered completely. It seemed Kai really came here just to eat. Except for the eyeball, that is.
”Hey, Section Chief. Where exactly are you from?”
Pole, the last one left, asked. When I said I was from the Viscounty of Bizan, he seemed to mistake it for an earldom on Great Norden Island.
”I hear the folks up that way eat seal meat raw.”
I had a strong feeling he was mixing up my homeland with the Inuits. But I wondered if they actually existed on Great Norden Island. Well, I chose not to correct him.
It was better to let him keep his misunderstanding. Needless to say, the Viscounty of Bizan had no ocean or Lake Baikal.
My stomach was full. But he was letting his gear drift into the sea to catch his next prey.
”You’re quite skilled at that.”
The way he handled the line looked very practiced, so I gave him a word of praise.
”Hmph.”
His voice sounded dismissive, but his expression showed he did not entirely dislike the compliment.
”You seem very used to this. Do you come out to these waters often?”
”In these waters?” A short laugh. “Don’t make me laugh. I used to go all the way to the Inland Sea all the time. My aunt lives on the island of Sicilia.”
Suddenly talkative, Pole shared all sorts of stories with me while keeping his focus on the fishing line. He told me that, just like the captain, he was on loan from the regular army of the Celt Kingdom. Originally, his family had been a fairly powerful clan in the northern part of the Celt Kingdom. They traded in the Inland Sea—though it seemed they had also been pirates. After a battle against the pirate groups of the Albion Kingdom, they lost and were ruined. Left an orphan, Pole had applied when the Kingdom asked for navy soldiers.
”The pirates of Albion must be quite powerful, then.”
”Yeah. The ones who killed my old man were a bunch smuggling Amber. Apparently they even had backing from the (Albion) King.”
An illegal amber trade… That sounded like something I had heard somewhere before.
”We build ships in our villages and work hard, you know? Building ships with handout money from a King is just dirty. Besides, word is that (Albion Kingdom is) steadily building bigger warships. They’ve started getting in the way of our Herring fishing and our trade in the Inland Sea.”
”The world is slowly changing, isn’t it?”
”Yeah. To top it off, there are even rumors that the bastards from the Nitrol region are building ships now. They’re using them for Herring fishing and trading with the Albion Kingdom.”
It sounded like he was complaining about having the jobs taken away by other people. But that was not what I wanted to know.
”Until then, you used to go to Sicilia quite often, right?”
I turned the conversation toward what I actually wanted to ask.
”Yeah, we went once a year. Once the Herring fishing season ended, we would load up the salted Herring and set sail from Celt at the start of May, right when the spring storms died down. Just like we’re doing now.”
”So that’s why you’re so good at fishing for tuna.”
”Yeah. At this time of year, the Western Ocean tuna pass through the continental strait into the Inland Sea to spawn.”
I remembered hearing about that in my past life. Atlantic bluefin tuna spawn in the Mediterranean. I figured the “continental strait” must be the Strait of Gibraltar.
”When they pass through the strait, you can hit the tuna with harpoons.”
”Which means that continental strait must be quite narrow.”
”When you go through, you can see both shores clearly. But for some reason, the tuna rise right up to the surface.”
”If it is that narrow, I wonder if there is any danger of being ambushed by someone waiting there?”
It turned into a bit of a leading question. But Pole, checking the tension of the line with his fingers, said flatly that it would not happen. That matched the captain’s opinion.
The main naval tactics of this era were two: either ramming a submerged ram attached to the bow into the hull of an enemy ship to punch a hole in it, or boarding the ship to kill the crew. However, in the strait, our ship would be sailing almost entirely with a tailwind and carrying good speed. That made a ramming attack very difficult. Similarly, if they wanted to board us, they would have to pull alongside us while moving in the same direction. At high speed, neither ship would stay steady, making that attack very hard too. More importantly, there was very little chance the enemy knew our current situation.
To the south of the strait—the Southern Continent side—was the Turkic Empire. To the north—the Central Continent side—was the Granada Dynasty, which shared the same Scripture Church as its state religion.
The chances that the pirates operating near here could get information from the Empire of Charle, where the Amazonesses had caused trouble, were extremely low. Word that we had set sail would not have reached them either. The captain had also said that if we were to be attacked, it would be much further down the line.
Well, if that was the case, then it was fine.
Three days passed after that.
When I woke up in the mornings, flying fish would be thrashing on the deck in such numbers that it was impossible to pick them all up. Using them as bait, not only Pole but also the Young Man from the galley caught plenty of fish. They caught more than just tuna. Mahi-mahi and marlin swimming near the surface were hauled up too. For a while, all three meals were nothing but sautéed fish. Naturally, I was getting tired of it.
”Tomorrow, we pass through the continental strait and enter the Inland Sea.”
After a breakfast of the dreaded sautéed fish sandwiched between bread, I went to the bridge. The captain told me this.
”Well then, to boost morale, I would like to eat some meat soon.”
When I said that half-jokingly, the Deck crew foreman, who was there, chimed in. He agreed that they should absolutely do that.
Looking out from the bridge, the sky was completely clear. There was not a single cloud. The wind blowing in carried the heat of summer. It had been a long time since we had lost sight of the ships from the Empire of Charle and the Albion Kingdom that had been following us.
We sometimes saw trading ships or local fishing boats. But they never came close. Our ship’s strange look probably scared them off. We finished our morning briefing on the bridge as usual. Then I spent the hours until noon running laps on the deck with the people from the Torpedo Department. We trained with bodyweight exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. Then we did Mana sparring. In the afternoon, we kept the equipment in good shape. Or the captain and the Deck crew foreman came down to teach us about sailing and the Inland Sea.
To pass through the continental strait early tomorrow morning, we anchored offshore from midnight to wait for the tide. There was no moon. Only starlight. The visibility was poor. But we kept our usual watch rotation.
In the dead of night.
A bell started clanging wildly.
”An enemy raid?!”
I jumped awake from the bed I shared with Pamela. I quickly threw on my clothes. I rushed out of the room and saw the captain heading toward the livestock area near the bridge.
In that case, I decided to head for the bridge after going up onto the deck. I ran up the stairs. The moment I stepped out onto the open deck, someone jumped at me from behind. They wrapped their arms around me and covered my mouth.
Since the attacker was not wearing gloves, I drained their Mana and knocked out their mind. It felt like they had intended to slit my throat. That exact pattern. As they collapsed onto the deck, I saw a Dagger gripped tightly in their right hand.
If I had been even a fraction of a second slower, I would have been killed right then and there.
The fallen figure was dressed in black clothes. Looking closely, I saw the body had breasts.
”A woman?”
I pulled back the black facecloth that had slits cut out for the eyes. Underneath was brown skin. The same as Kenze (she/her).
”No way…”
I squeezed the chest. I felt the firm breasts. The same as Kenze (she/her). On the skin of the chest was a dragon tattoo. No mistake.
”The intruders are Amazonesses! Do not approach them carelessly!”
I shouted a warning to the crew. I turned back toward the poop deck and ran down the stairs.
A short distance ahead of me, Pamela in her underwear and the artillery squad leader dressed in her sailor suit were coming down the steps. Behind me, two shadows followed. Their footsteps made no sound.
We were near the bottom of the stairs on the lowest deck—the one with the coal bunkers. A small storeroom was there. With about five steps left, I jumped down and threw myself to the left. Tatyana, the artillery squad leader, stood exactly where I had landed. She raised her Coilgun and shot a yellow suppression cartridge toward the two pursuers behind us.
A fast rat-tat-tat-tat echoed out. One of them came tumbling down the stairs. But the sound of footsteps running back up the steps rang out right after. Pamela touched the neck of the fallen intruder. She knocked her out. I grabbed the handrail and jumped over Pamela to chase the shadow fleeing back up the stairs.
But the target was very fast. I was not falling behind. But keeping the distance closed was the absolute limit I could manage.
When I finally burst out onto the deck, the Amazoness whose mind I had supposedly knocked out earlier stood blocking my path.
”Have you come to take back Nikaure Saba?”
I asked the Amazoness. She had dropped into a low stance with her Dagger bared. But she stayed completely silent. At that exact moment, the shadow I had been chasing blew a whistle.
In that split second, from the chaotic forward section of the ship, the sound of something splashing into the sea echoed out.
”Wait!”
Even as I raised my voice, the two figures right in front of me spun around and dove straight into the ocean.
”Pamela! How is the one we caught?!”
I stepped inside the poop deck structure and shouted down the stairwell.
”No use. A poisoned knife was driven into her back.”
The shadow who blew the whistle had judged that she could no longer fight. So she killed her. Poor wretch.
Also, we had lost one of our own. A young Deck crew boy who had been on watch duty had been killed. Oliver Ho, seventeen years old. He had been friendly with Pole. It seemed he had been grabbed from behind and had his throat cut with a knife.
Even though I understood this was a matter of trading lives, my mood sank heavily.
I was forced to help with examining the dead enemies after death. Black women. They wore a chain across their foreheads with a red gemstone at the tip. Somewhat firm breasts. Thin waists. Dragon tattoos—the marks of the Amazonesses. Beyond that, nothing else could be determined.
Since partial stiffening of the bodies was confirmed in both before dawn, they were wrapped in blankets, tied with chains, and buried at sea.
By the way, Nikaure Saba, whom they were probably searching for, was not even on this ship. For reasons unknown, right before we set sail, the decision had been made to move him via a transport ship. It was a modified version of the *Tsukushi*.
The small room next to the coal bunker on this ship was a dummy. It had been set up with this exact situation in mind. Pamela and the others’ movements this time followed a manual. It was designed to counter an Amazoness hostage rescue operation. We had made plans for this while anchored at Suez. I think we worked together very well.
Not long after the burial at sea was finished, sunlight began shining through the gap between the Southern Continent and the sky. Seeing this, the captain gave the command. The sails were unfurled. Catching the westerlies from behind, the ship slowly began to move.
—
Summary:
Slicing a freshly caught tuna on the open deck attracts a curious and hungry crew before the ship drops anchor to await the proper tides near the continental strait. A midnight bell shatters the quiet as an elite group of Amazoness infiltrators launch a silent extraction raid deep within the ship’s lower levels. The defensive crew effectively utilizes non-lethal suppressing fire and prepared decoys to safely contain the threat, though the targeted rescue asset is revealed to be safe on an entirely separate vessel.
—
Trivia:
The crew initially struggles to comprehend eating raw fish despite easily eating decaying farm meats.
Cheek meat slices on a tuna are incredibly rare, yielding only two individual portions per catch.
Pole’s ancestral lineage participated heavily in local trade and regional piracy before falling to Albion warships.
The continental strait mirrors the real-world dimensions and visual features of the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Amazonesses utilize specific structural markers including matching physical builds, forehead chains with red gems, and distinct chest tattoos.
The target asset Nikaure Saba was stealthily moved to a separate modified vessel named the Tsukushi prior to initial departure.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Kai – Hired for manual labor and smithing in the Engine Department, this 20-year-old Dwarf girl has a surprising knowledge of Mana Pentamers but lacks fine control over her raw mana. Appearing as a square-jawed, ash-covered young boy with a non-erotic build, she is prone to overly dramatic apologies and is easily lured from the crew by the smell of her favorite food, tuna cheek meat.
• Pole – An orphaned Celt Kingdom soldier and tough-acting mast house scout who monitors the surroundings and initially picked fights with the protagonist. Having recently lost a friend to murder and with an aunt in Palermo, his rebellious exterior hides a deeper side. After a battle and a long conversation about his past, he opens up, showing newfound respect for the protagonist.
• Larry – Sammy I (Larry-sama) is a 16-year-old bald, dark-haired reincarnated professor, Grand Duke, and Second Lieutenant/Section Chief in the Torpedo Department. This serious, flustered protagonist uses tech and mana to design ships and leverages modern military strategy. A family man with four wives and children, he bravely defended his ship from an Amazoness raid despite a broken rib.
• Calomy – A shut-in Elf Mage and Section Chief who loudly demands tuna meat from Larry on the deck, asserting his status as a superior officer.
• 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.
• Viscount – A noble of the Rus who insisted on bringing reinforcements to the defense of the city.
• Bizan – The Viscount of the Bizan family is the lord of a territory encompassing a capital city and a popular local fabric shop. Defining his noble identity and relationships with his subjects, he owns and resides in a unique castle built within the Danube River.
• 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.
• 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.
• Amber – An object or entity that receives mana infusion from Pamela, serving as a vital source of Mana to power the Golems.
• Mana – A non-commissioned officer and liaison who previously had their mana drained by Larry.
• Pamela – A sharp, cynical elf Medical Mage of youthful appearance in a Corporal’s uniform. Though a female slave, she uses manipulative, intimate power plays with subordinates. She shares a bed with Larry, mocking his finances and looks while monitoring him around other women. Known for restricting Katarina, she uses arcane mana-draining to instantly knock out patients or intruders.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Kenze – A stoic, brown-skinned Amazoness with short hair, a niqab, and slave attire. A former major offender and Takshurgan agent, she is Larry’s loyal guard, commander, and close companion who teases his bald head. Entrusted to the Fourth Sage, she rejects slave treatment, using blinding speed to shield her daughter Zaboo and allies Pamela, Marie, Thomas, and Teressa.
• Tatyana – A sailor-suit-wearing 31-year-old Magic Academy Assistant Professor, Torpedo Squad leader, and divorced mother of two from Viscount Bizan. Intimately involved with Katarina, she serves under the Captain with orders regarding the protagonist. She leads crew training, guides students, respects veteran grannies, synchronizes with Golems, and uses a coilgun against intruders.
• Nikaure – A beautiful, pale Amazoness leader and tribe ambassador with sharp, restless eyes from countless battlefields. She wears a blue gemstone on a thin golden chain against her forehead as a mark of her noble, royal rank. On behalf of her people, she is currently seeking to purchase a Black Ship.
• 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.
• Oliver – A seventeen-year-old crew member and young soldier who served with and was close to Pole. They were murdered during the night watch during an Amazoness raid.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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