Volume 4 Chapter 79 The Cargo
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Maintenance Department Chief Gida was asking the elderly Amazoness Mahaka about loading the cargo when Kamea burst in, stirring the crowd.
”Quiet, please.”
Chief Gida looked up and warned those around her with irritation.
Her voice reached only me and a few senior officers. Seeing Chief Gida’s resigned face, Squad Leader Fredys stood up.
”Quiet down. We’re not done yet.”
Squad Leader Fredys raised her voice in anger. But complaints about loading the Transfer Gate and voices criticizing my actions wouldn’t let things settle. The commotion grew worse.
Then a thunderous voice rang out.
”Shut it or I’ll kill you!” Slamming the table so hard I thought it might split, the one who stood up was the normally quiet Chief Tatyana. Her voice silenced the dining hall completely.
As expected of a former Second Lieutenant of the 101st Golems Battalion, her presence carried weight.
”Listen up. From here, we load cargo and head for Oceanus. This is our first mission navigating these waters. Attend and listen well.”
While everyone was stunned, she gestured — not to Mahaka, but to me — urging me to speak, then sat down.
Facing this many people, what could I — the one who’d caused the commotion — even say? I scrambled for words and stood up.
”As Chief Tatyana just said, we load cargo and head for Oceanus, the Amazoness homeland. These waters are new to us, so the Amazoness Kamea — the one with the ponytail — comes aboard as our guide.”
The dining hall that Tatyana had so nicely quieted down started buzzing again when I said Kamea.
”Quiet. As you know, Kamea only speaks broken Schweilitz. Next, Mahaka here will explain the cargo details and precautions for the voyage ahead.”
I said that and sat back down. I knew it was pretty half-baked, but with the rush, it was the best I could manage.
Called on by me, Mahaka stood up with a serious face.
”I’ll be bringin’ fifteen cases o’ Ring Five an’ twenty-two female servants by this mornin’.”
She continued, asking that the Ring Five cases — though padded between the bottles — be stored as low in the ship as possible, and that the servants not be allowed on deck since they could fall into the sea.
”About the Transfer Gate —”
The elderly Amazoness looked at Rocani.
”I’ll bring it to port by noon.”
Seemed the rest was up to Mahaka. She said they’d arrange for the deck crew and the strongmen in the Engine Department to handle it once it reached the ship.
Finally came the topic of the recent string of maritime accidents. Near where the accidents happened, someone had sighted — though uncertain — an ultra-large Seed ship.
”If the cause is the Daqin Seed ship fleet, that’s trouble.”
Squad Leader Roland crossed his arms.
The Daqin Seed ship fleet — a group of wandering ships carrying the royal family and nobles of Daqin, a nation that lost half its country to The Boltechino and was racing toward collapse, seeking refuge abroad. When we fought off the Southern Continent coast, their fleet was built around an ultra-large Junk ship whose captain was twice the size of the Izumo, plus several large Junk ships. Worse, their large ballistae packed real power — they’d smashed the Izumo’s right-forward Craft Engine in that fight. Even the docks at the Dwarf Kingdom’s Royal Capital Tete couldn’t fix it.
That wasn’t all. They had rocket fireworks aimed at spreading fire to the sails, and skilled archers too.
”If we find ’em, before we enter ballista range, we sink ’em with suicide drones, no questions asked.”
Katarina said something dark, but those ships had girl children aboard too, seeking a new home. Ideally I’d want to talk things out, but in this world, that kind of rational approach probably wouldn’t work. If we found them, I’d have to brace myself and sink them.
But then I thought:
”Rocani, what would you do if the Seed ship fleet came to the Land of the Fire Ring?”
”They do not integrate wherever they go. They force their own logic on people. This is our country. We would hire the Amazoness and eliminate them completely. If Larry and his crew eliminate them, we cannot pay now, but I promise we will.”
Katarina whistled at that — empty promise. Still, calling it “our country” while being unable to defend your own territory — were they going to be okay?
”Well, it’s not clear the Seed ship fleet is actually there. But we’ll stay alert. Next, let’s talk about the route home.”
The dining hall fell quiet at my words. Not because of my authority — but because I’d brought up concrete talk of going home.
I spilled wine on the table and drew a rough world map — continents and major islands. At the end, I dotted in the Land of the Fire Ring as two small islands like New Zealand.
”We’re here — the farthest point from Schweilitz. The first route home is here.”
I pointed to the route through the Drake Passage between the South American continent and Antarctica, then north through the Western Ocean.
”We came from Tete at forty degrees south latitude. The Drake Passage is twenty degrees further south. I hear monstrous waves rage there.”
Still, I added that it was the fastest route home by distance.
”The second route —”
I traced a path between Australia and New Guinea, then across the Lemurian Sea. I’d heard about the route to the Lemurian Sea from the terror-bird taxi guy. I showed the route going to Nyunpai Royal Capital Ram, then north through the Red Sea, Suez Canal, Inland Sea, Western Ocean, Norden Sea, and back to Kure.
Smiles spread among the crew at the names Norden Sea and Kure.
”Aye, y’d be better off avoidin’ that one.”
Mahaka pointed at the strait between New Guinea and Australia.
”That strait’s shallow, lots o’ islands an’ hidden shoals. The channels are like a maze. Imagine this bay we’re in now stretchin’ for over a hundred kilometres. Even experienced folk ‘ave to turn back a fair few times. With a wooden sailboat, that’d be… but this ship? Might manage, I reckon.”
”Any other route?”
The Dwarf bridge squad leader asked.
”It’s not that there ain’t…”
Mahaka pointed to a route through the northern archipelago. But people had landed there via Seed ships and were constantly fighting with the local races who wouldn’t tolerate them — she said outsiders shouldn’t go there.
”So we’ve only got the first route?”
”We’re going through waters worse than that storm?”
”The crew can’t take it more than the ship.”
I heard those murmurs. I didn’t like it either. I mean, maybe we could find the Magellan Strait between South America and Tierra del Fuego, but this world’s geography was sometimes similar yet different — like Suez. “We went there and it wasn’t there” could mean life or death.
”There’s one more option —”
I traced a route through the Nicaragua canal in Central America.
”Can we get through that isthmus place?”
Squad Leader Fredys asked.
”I heard the Oceanus Amazoness dug a canal through there. If they let us through, we can get home without the Roaring Forties’ giant waves or fighting the Inland Sea pirates.”
Ooh! Cheers went up, but they weren’t really listening.
”Quiet!”
Even when I shouted, the noise didn’t stop, so I asked Chief Tatyana for help.
”ATTENTION!”
When she shouted, it went quiet.
”But this canal belongs to the Oceanus Amazoness. We don’t know if they’ll let us through. And you haven’t forgotten, have you? How the Izumo got stuck in Lamu.”
At that, several people lowered their heads. In the shallow port of Nyunpai Royal Capital Ram, we’d been surrounded by small and medium dhows. Even sinking them with dynamite didn’t help because the wreckage blocked our movement. It was a lesson that firepower alone couldn’t solve everything.
”Negotiating with the Amazoness is the acting captain’s job. We trust you.”
That bastard Pole was riling me up.
”Right, we’ll leave negotiations to the acting captain. But what about the currents and winds?”
Squad Leader Roland asked, so I explained the westward trade winds and the favorable westerlies from my past life’s Geography B class, plus the North Pacific Current including the Kuroshio. After the canal, we’d enter the Western Ocean, and I talked about the Gulf Stream that flowed to the Empire of Charle and part of the Celt Kingdom.
”Then we can get home without burning coal!”
Pole said something airheaded.
”There’s no way it’s that easy!”
When I yelled, laughter broke out for some reason.
Just then, Kamea returned meekly, led by Kenze.
”Alright, the deck crew and Engine Department handle the loading. Chief Gida, please direct the storage. And the two navigation squad leaders — Fredys and Roland — Chief Tatyana, Rocani, Mahaka, and Kamea — come to the Bridge.”
After giving those orders, I had something to ask Kenze about Emma. I beckoned her closer. Her cheeks were hollow.
”You’ve gotten thin.”
”Already okay. Shion, growing well.”
Right, she’d named the child Shion. If she was fine, that was good.
”Hey, your tits are sag—”
Mid-sentence, my body froze. Kenze’s angry fist buried itself in my solar plexus. I couldn’t stay standing from the pain. I clung to Kenze and dropped to my knees.
”Not sagging.”
Right. As I held her, Kenze’s breast, touching near my cheek, had gotten quite soft. Before, it used to be so firm it’d bounce my hand off.
”Kenze.”
As I got used to the pain, I called out.
”What.”
”Do you know an Amazoness named Emma?”
”Emma? No, don’t know.”
Strange. I thought they were about the same age.
”She’s an Amazoness from Tashkurgan.”
I managed to get to one knee and pulled away from Kenze’s chest.
”What she like.”
I said she seemed close to Kenze in age and height, skin white or yellow. Face was Turkic-type. Good with a bow. I told her I’d almost been killed.
Hearing that, Kenze seemed to think of something and asked if there was anything else.
”Right — like you, she didn’t say it outright, but she implied she was one of Kauhar’s subordinates.”
”Could be ‘Zaboo.’”
”Zaboo — that person who took the name of the previous child?”
”Yeah. If not for that, she’d’ve been chief of the Dats tribe.”
If she was that close to Kenze, I should’ve talked with her more.
”If Zaboo alive, that good. Someday meet.”
Right. Granny Ferris had asked if Emma could take her in once things settled. I wanted to talk this through properly, but couldn’t. Putting it aside, I hurried to the Bridge.
On the Bridge, I had Mahaka sketch the rough positions of islands, reefs, and continents. We confirmed that once the Transfer Gate was delivered, Pamela and I would use it to return to the Land of the Fire Ring to attend Henrietta’s summoning. The Izumo would also return to the Land of the Fire Ring once to refuel on coal. After that, I’d use the Transfer Gate to head to Oceanus with Rocani. If canal negotiations went well, we’d go to Nicaragua; if not, the Drake Passage.
The meeting ended. Pole and the others ferried the two away in the Izumo’s boat, and right on cue as Mahaka said, the Ring Five and female servants arrived by boat in exchange. We placed the Ring Five cases at the lowest accessible level of the ship, next to the tar barrels.
The servants were young — mid-teens, by the look of them. We built a roof over the livestock area where the cows used to be and had them live there. They’d use the toilet on the same floor as my room. Ropes were set up to keep them from going outside from the corridor, which meant I couldn’t use the deck to get from the Bridge to my room anymore.
I had Mahaka look over the servants’ living space and got her approval.
”Um… if I don’t hurt ’em, is it okay to do it?”
The young deck crewman who’d set up the ropes asked her with a smirk.
”You can, but — d’you know? They got a finer piece danglin’ than you, lad. You sure?”
Then the young man looked at me.
”Me too, like, s*x, mouth.”
The bastard said that, imitating Kamea. You’re not getting paid.
”So that means even a woman can do it?”
Sergeant Bebel, who’d appeared behind me at some point, also asked.
”Well, if they’re this grown they should be fine, but if they get anemic, don’t go further.”
”Got it. Sometimes a girl wants something other than d**k, y’know.”
Fine, fine. Do what you want. Bebel, I’m never sleeping with you again.
Still, Androgynos’ penises were too big. Poor things — when they were young, if an erection drew blood flow there, they’d get anemic. Why they were given such unnecessary size — I’d like to ask the gods of this world about that someday.
Around the time lunch ended, the Transfer Gate was delivered. It was bigger than I’d expected — big enough to narrow the Bridge’s field of view. With the help of the super-strong Roland and Kai, we managed to haul it aboard and lash it tight with ropes.
With the cargo loaded, the Izumo set sail immediately and anchored near the bay’s exit that day.
On the Bridge for the first time in a while, I checked the past logbook entries, then wrote about today’s events. By the time I finished, it was quite late. Normally I’d walk back across the deck looking at the night sky, but the entrance to the Poop deck where my room was had ropes set up to keep the servants in, so I had to go through the interior.
I went down the stairs, through the smelly men’s quarters, and entered the livestock area where the servants were. The roof was wooden. Though it was early spring, it was still too cold to go without a blanket. The servants were sleeping neatly in a row — and in among them, a tall Mage from the Artillery Department was sleeping too.
Why were Mages so morally loose about s*x?
Thinking that, I reached for my door. It was open.
I opened it quietly. In the lamplight, Katarina and Alyona were there. On the Izumo since Maria left, these two were the most striking women on the ship.
”You’re late!”
Katarina, who’d been sitting in a chair, stood up and scolded me. Well, I had work as acting captain.
Before I could even make that excuse, she hugged me. It’d been a while — the feel of her body, her warmth and scent.
Then Alyona, who’d been sitting on the bed, stood up and joined the embrace.
Notes:
• Mahaka – An elderly Amazoness shipping merchant in Takere, former mercenary, and experienced sailor with deep knowledge of local waters, who predicted whale sightings. Serving as a navigation advisor for a Nyunpai-funded trading company, she is blunt yet full of pragmatic folk wisdom. She speaks with a heavy accent and accompanies Rocani as an interpreter for the Hole-Eater strategy meeting.
• Kamea – Amazoness sailor and Larry’s physical partner. Brought rice to the trading city. Unrelated to the syphilis outbreak’s origin.
• Gida – The Izumo’s Maintenance Section Chief is an older, disheveled former finance bureaucrat on the Acting Captain’s crew. Pragmatic and outwardly insolent yet polite, she handles logistics—from transferring rescued women and seeking shore supplies to negotiating coal with Rao. Known for using skincare sesame oil, she clashes with Daran and initially resisted hiring Raphael.
• Fredys – Izumo’s deck crew foreman and squad leader is a battle-hardened former slave with a formal, pragmatic bearing. Related to the Ullmans via Uncle Torge and living with Roland, she serves as the Acting Captain’s voice of reason, calling out his behavior while remaining loyal. Refusing command while Larry lives, her sharp judgment makes her an indispensable advisor focused on rescue operations following the Whale Eater attack.
• Tatyana – A polite, pragmatically blunt 31-year-old divorced mother, Magic Academy Assistant Professor, and former Golems Battalion mage. As the Izumo’s Torpedo Department Head and Section Chief, she coordinates flight crews and weapons (drones/dynamite). Loyal to her Captain and Larry’s superior, she acts on roommate Katarina’s recon reports and is rumored to have a relationship with Nikole.
• 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.
• Rocani – An Elder of Oceanus and calculating leader of the Androgynos Group, this figure appears as a beautiful old woman but is male inside. Emotionally performative yet casual compared to the Regent, they wield significant authority, welcoming the Acting Captain, hosting Larry’s party at the Transfer Gate, interpreting during the Hole-Eater meeting, and remaining ambivalent about the handmaid trade.
• Roland – Roland is a dwarf bridge squad leader, former ship captain, and indispensable navigator for the Acting Captain’s crew. Practical, cautious, and authoritative, he expects clear communication, uses telepathy, and advises tactical withdrawals. Implied to be gay, he lives with Fredys and a young boy, and is the only male unmoved by bikini-armored Amazonesses. His unmatched precision is proven by his remarkable ship docking maneuvers at Oceanus.
• Boltechino – An entity that departed from Rus, this explorer traveled to discover a continent that became the birthplace of shipping trade.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled primary vessel, named and personified as a character herself, who loyally carries the protagonist and his crew throughout their journey.
• Katarina – Katarina, a voluptuous 30-year-old Izumo flight squad leader and volatile telepathic mage, is a complex handful who enjoys teasing protagonist Earnest by listing his exes. An older former Magic School student, she pressures subordinates while advocating for Gida. Often the target of Eida’s frustrations, she is known for being after Larry and refusing orders unless they involve a rescue.
• Larry – Larry is a dark-haired, weary 16-year-old reincarnated Second Lieutenant, cynical Acting Captain of the Izumo, and Associate Professor. A pragmatic, sardonic narrator and Mana user, he founded the Fee Grand Principality, carries Philip IV’s sword, and seeks to protect his companions. Haunted by past trauma and complicated relationships, he struggles with moral conflicts while awaiting his next assignment.
• Ram – Mentioned in context of the Amazoness Royal Capital and male-bride encounters.
• 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.
• Ti – A component of the name of the Port Administrator.
• 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.
• Pole – An orphaned Celt soldier and anxious Izumo sail-handler, this youthful, enthusiastic deck crew member guides Earnest and the protagonist. Proficient in Turku, he is a loyal, gossipy aide who rows the landing boat, leads marlin hunts, and once brought a large, same-sized eel to the Dining Hall. A former gambler seeking his first love’s freedom, he counts Rafaela as his childhood friend.
• Charle – A mercenary and faction captain from Great Qin, referenced in passing. Associated with a group of remnants, their flagship and crew were involved in the conflict, during which their ship was targeted.
• 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.
• Kenze – Kenze is a muscular, brown-skinned Amazoness and former Takshurgan operative turned research student. A dragon-tattooed guardian and crew member, she rooms with Larry, whom she would prioritize over any mission. Once deeply bonded with Earnest, she is now quietly wasting away while nursing her egg and larva. Despite declining health and a rural background, she remains a strong, warm, and sea-wary presence.
• 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.
• Emma – A twenty-four-year-old Amazoness slave with a small face, large black eyes, and a cold, sorrowful expression, her black hair tied in a bun adorned with a three-colored crest; once Deputy Commander of the Durara Assassination Squad, she’s an expert bowwoman now serving at the inn alongside Ferris-san, witnessed a healing session, and is a candidate for Larry’s rite—regarded as incredibly cute yet suspected of drugging Edmond, with a legendary side-boob presence that draws attention despite her quiet, tragic demeanor.
• Shion – Kenze’s child. Named by Kenze. Growing well according to Kenze.
• Kauhar – An operative for the Turkic Empire intelligence agency and Kenze’s former superior, this woman led a group of Amazonesses while posing as a fabric shop owner. She has since vanished, along with the Amazoness fabric shops.
• Zaboo – Kenze’s missing seven-year-old daughter was delivered from a jar during the Haritz Rebellion and named after his homeland’s strongest figure. Before vanishing, she constantly accompanied Kenze and was cared for at a Capital fabric shop by his former superior officer and a companion, who shared a close bond with her.
• Granny Ferris – Granny Ferris, an ageless elf in her thirties wearing provocative black one-piece dresses, is a close associate of the Second Sage and the elderly woman Martin hopes to marry. Bearing a lineage famed for medicine and golem-making, her own golems are older and less sophisticated than city versions. Former Golem Battalion Commander, she now runs the village inn, speaks bluntly, and plays the flute.
• Ferris – Granny Ferris is an ageless elf mage in her 30s who wears provocative black dresses and runs the village inn. A blunt flute player and former Golem Battalion Commander from a medical and old-model golem lineage, she was mentioned by Camillo, closely associates with the Second Sage, and is the elderly woman Martin hopes to marry.
• Henrietta – Earnest’s fourth wife, Henrietta, is a muscular, busty orphan, mage, and Royal Magic Academy researcher who served as a royal guard until her assassination during the Haritz Rebellion. Now parasitizing Larry’s daughter—identified by Pamela via scent—her telepathic link persists. Larry must contact her inside the Mother Mushroom to test his observation device and considers summoning her via their bond.
• Pamela – Pamela is a blunt, sharp-tongued older mage who balances archaic speech with a rural Southern American dialect. Petite and telepathic, this scholarly mentor to the protagonist and Earnest acts as an affectionate, no-nonsense romantic partner to Larry. Whether offering unsentimental strategic assessments or assisting with rituals, she pairs old-fashioned warmth with a confident, authoritative presence.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Bebel – Sergeant Major Hagen, a confident Larland War veteran with white teeth, is a high-mana artillery NCO in Earnest’s division. Rescued by Earnest, this woman from his past knows his history, teasingly provoking him while acting protectively. Using rough, informal military speech and crude, dark humor, she bluntly motivates her squad and openly discusses her sexual encounters with servants.
• 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.
• Alyona – A slender, devout Russian Orthodox slave aboard the Izumo, she works in the Dining Hall/food service and speaks Russian-influenced Japanese. While appearing timid, submissive, and formal—leading Larry to dismiss her as dead weight—she masks a latent sadistic streak. Formerly held by the Hodayn Administrator and Rhein, she now assists the crew and has an intimate relationship with the narrator.
• 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.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply