Volume 4 Chapter 89 Change
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”You… crying?”
When I heard Pamela was alive, I ended up crying. Part of me had been hoping she was alive somewhere, but I’d also been beating myself up over not having searched this far, so it couldn’t be helped.
”Oh my, what’s wrong?”
Katarina had noticed the tears too.
”Seems he thought Pamela was dead.”
Her words weren’t wrong, but Kenze’s tone had an edge to it.
”Must be nice. Pamela’s always with you.”
Huh? Kenze, are you jealous?
”And what about us? The ones who waited here, lonely and worried?”
I love you all equally. Seriously, I’m not slacking off. At least I don’t think so.
But judging by the cold looks these two were giving me, they clearly disagreed.
”Alright, time to pull back.”
Unable to bear the air any longer, I gave the order as their commanding officer.
”Running away.”
”Ran away, did he.”
These two—something about this combo really didn’t sit right.
Trading city Takere was also a city of the isthmus. The northern island of the Land of the Fire Ring sat sandwished between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west. Near the base of this peninsula, which stretched for hundreds of kilometers, lay the Takere Isthmus. The narrowest point between the seas was less than two kilometers, but for a ship traveling from the western harbor to the eastern one, even the shorter northern route needed a detour of eight hundred kilometers.
The eastern harbor saw the most traffic from trading ships, including those from the Country of Amazoness. The Pacific side was a fine harbor—deep water that could take large ships. In contrast, the western Tasman Sea side sat at the back of a shallow, broad bay, with tricky shipping channels that made it impossible for a ship like the Izumo to dock. All you could do was drop anchor offshore and take a boat in. There was barely a small fishing port.
Naturally, Takere had grown around its eastern side, and the Seeding Fleet’s advance team had headed there too. Meanwhile, the Izumo had to put in at the western harbor every time, since the coal fields where they’d been given mining rights were along the Waikato River, whose mouth lay about forty kilometers south of this bay.
Still, it was only a twenty-minute walk from the western harbor to the center of the eastern district. While I’d been gone, the crew had moored the Izumo at the western harbor and gone to the eastern entertainment district for fun and supplies. There was, of course, a road connecting the two harbors.
Pamela, I imagine, had first planned to hide in the supply depot and wait for me until the fighting ended. But when a rocket firework landed nearby and the building next door caught fire, she’d decided to move. She must have fled to the western harbor—there was a chance the Izumo would return, and she’d probably figured the small western harbor wouldn’t be targeted.
When I’d shouted, “At least wait at the Transfer Gate!” Pamela had surely replied, “I’m heading to the western harbor.” I hadn’t been able to hear her clearly, though.
Even in that situation, that Loli Elf Mage stayed calm. All I’d been thinking about was sending her back to the capital. I’m such an idiot.
I was packing the remote-operation helmets Katarina and the others had brought into their cases when a lone horseman came galloping up the slope.
”I thought so—it was you, Larry-dono.”
The rider was Leakle-san, who’d been my handler in Oceanus.
”You’re the one who helped our stationed sisters, aren’t you?”
She asked in smooth Schweilitz.
”Was I? Maybe.”
I mean, sure, they’d been on the edge of being wiped out at first, but help had arrived pretty quickly. I hadn’t really helped all that much. Couldn’t exactly puff out my chest and say “Yes, I did,” so I gave a vague reply.
”But the commander in question said you saved them from certain destruction with your golems.”
”That wasn’t golems. They’re construction-grade powered suits.”
”Pa-wo-doh soo-tsu?”
Looks like I’d confused Leakle-san.
Come to think of it, who’d built those things anyway? Only dwarves could work iron into truss structures, but the base mechanism used golem building with monster materials. There was someone—a dwarf with good connections and a quick mind. I remembered him.
Also, they seemed designed with safety in mind: they’d shut down if too much mana was poured in, and they did checks on startup. Really felt like factory machines.
Anyway, that was a matter for another time.
”No, they’re rideable golems.”
Katarina latched onto that.
”So you board them?”
”Yeah. The pilot gives the mana. No amber needed.”
”Could we borrow them, by any chance?”
A third of the city had burned down. They’d need blankets, food—all the supplies for rebuilding. From Katarina’s point of view, powered suits that didn’t need amber refills for coal mining would be hugely handy, so she was eager to get her hands on them.
She was right, of course, but I said no. The ride quality was terrible anyway.
”What do you plan to do now, Larry-dono?”
Leakle-san waited for our talk to wrap up before asking.
”First things first: we mine coal, then find food. We’d planned to restock in Takere, but in that state, it’s not happening.”
We’d first aimed to stock up in Takere and head east right away, but thanks to the Seeding Fleet, we had to change our plans.
”Could you come to our country again? However…”
According to her, the Seeding Fleet was fighting with locals in many places across the west, and even the Country of Amazoness, which had comparably plenty of food, was running short. On top of that, this event would cost them some supplies. She said it would be hard to give the same level of food aid as last time.
”But if you go to the Luzon Kingdom, or the Land of Shura, you’d hardly feel the effects. We have diplomatic relations with them as well. Both countries have resident ambassadors, so you could talk with them if you’d like.”
They traded ambassadors, did they? Maybe even more advanced than Schweilitz.
”In that case, after we load the coal, we’ll head to the Dragon God’s Country.”
I asked Katarina and Kenze, who were nearby, and they said it would take about a month to load the coal and sail to the Dragon God’s Country.
”Understood. So that would be around New Year’s?”
”Probably, yes.”
The return date kept stretching.
”Well, there’s a festival in the Dragon God’s Country around then—I do hope you can make it. I’m sure the Queen would be absolutely delighted to have you.”
With that, Leakle-san, the Amazoness official, rode back down the slope.
”Delighted, you say? What’s that supposed to mean?”
”Larry, you haven’t—you haven’t done something with the Queen, have you?”
More importantly…
”If you two had sunk that junk ship sooner, we could have restocked here.”
I said it to change the subject.
”What was that?! You think we were out here on a pleasure cruise or something?!”
”I mean, it’s not like that, but—”
”We ran into storms! And finding those advance scouts we were ordered to track down—do you have any idea how much trouble that was?!”
Wrong move.
”My apologies. I spoke out of turn. I’m sorry.”
I bowed my head, but—
”Sorry? Even a monkey can say sorry.”
”You’ll have to show us some real sincerity.”
These two were getting way too bold.
When we reached the Izumo, Mahaka-san—who’d been the manager of Takere’s trading company—came begging to be allowed ashore. She’d offered to be Kenze’s child’s wet nurse, and thanks to her, Kenze’s health had improved a lot. I had no reason to stop her from going ashore, but since there might be danger, I sent Sergeant Bebel and Sabby from the Artillery Department to escort her.
While waiting for those two to return, I explained the situation to the crew.
”So here’s the plan: after we restock with coal, we’ll head back to the Dragon God’s Country, then via the Luzon Kingdom and the Land of Shura, take the northern route to Nicaragua.”
This was met with many unhappy groans. Of course it was—their return home was being delayed. Where they’d been looking at just under five months to get back, now we were looking at over six.
”If only we’d moved faster back then, we could have protected Takere and gotten supplies—”
”Not our fault. We were following orders, doing recon for the advance scouts.”
Similar murmurs came from all over.
”What’s done is done. Let’s focus on getting home as fast as we possibly can—every minute, every second counts.”
With that, I introduced Tete and Lamu and closed the meeting. As I headed for the bridge, Kamea from Amazoness came up with Squad Leader Roland. At that point, I already knew what she was going to say.
”I want to stay on the Izumo. Please.”
The dwarf bridge squad leader also praised Kamea’s special ability—she could find the ship’s position with great accuracy just by looking at the stars and the sun—and strongly suggested we keep her aboard. I couldn’t exactly turn her down.
”Kamea, what do you want to do with your future?”
”If I could, I’d like to sail on this ship and travel the world.”
Troublesome girl. If she wanted to keep sailing even after we returned home—even if she was just local hire for now—
”Then you’ll have to formally join the Royal Navy. You can’t ride a black ship otherwise.”
She declared she’d become a sailor. Roland also said that with her special ability, entering the Navy would be easy. Maybe so, but I put that choice on hold until we reached Nicaragua.
The two I’d sent to escort Mahaka-san returned, and we set sail right away.
We cleared the bay and made it out to the Tasman Sea that same day. We met a pod of whales, but no whale-eaters.
The Waikato River, where the coal fields were located, could be sailed only about ten kilometers upstream. Beyond that, we used locally bought flat-bottomed riverboats. Half the crew took those upstream.
I wanted to see the mining site myself, but I was told, “The acting captain leaving the ship again would be a problem.” I thought I’d have an easy time, but I ended up being chosen for night watch duty due to a shortage of men. And when the riverboats arrived with coal, I was naturally expected to haul coal sacks onto the Izumo as well.
So this is what an acting captain does, huh? Besides keeping the logbook, it was pretty much all physical work.
As planned, it took about a month to load the coal. Then, riding the currents and winds, we slowly made our way toward the Dragon God’s Country. We ran into whale pods a few times along the way, but again, we saw no whale-eaters. We did pass a merchant ship, though, so maybe the Livyatan had left these waters. I’d been curious what kind of monster whale it was and had wanted to see it at least once, but my wish went unfulfilled.
We didn’t make it by January 1st. On the 2nd, we docked the Izumo at a civilian port instead of the Viscount’s Palace harbor.
The roofs of the warehouse district and the trading shops near the port were tiled, but most of the houses and stores had thatched roofs.
As I walked through the port, I saw that besides the food stalls, most shops were closed. Many people had gathered in the port square, dancing to music or drinking in groups. Most of the dancers were Polynesian—the other ethnic groups and dwarves were drinking and partying loudly. The festive air was catching, but there were no Amazons in sight.
At any rate, it seemed safe, so I let half the crew go ashore in turns.
Man, my crew was something else. Even back on the bridge, watching the town, I could see them hitting on girls with nothing but gestures, not speaking a word of the local language. And one deckhand actually walked off into town with a Polynesian girl on his arm. I could never pull that off.
The other problem was the gambling den set up in a corner of the harbor. Some kind of dice game, and Pole was drifting toward it like a moth to a flame.
”Someone go knock some sense into Pole.”
At my order, Sergeant Helbert, who happened to be nearby, happily headed ashore. I’d said “knock some sense,” but Helbert was giving him a thorough beating. Maybe he had some stress to work out.
Then a messenger arrived from the palace with a letter saying the Queen would be doing the festival rites tomorrow and couldn’t meet, but on the 4th, she’d have the ambassadors from the Luzon Kingdom and the Land of Shura over, so we could talk then. Which meant—we had tomorrow free.
The night of the 2nd. Music still echoed across the square as people danced.
Word had it the food stalls were free until tomorrow. And they said if you went up to a girl, even if you didn’t share a language, it was a numbers game—you’d eventually get a hit.2
So I decided to give it a shot. After finishing the day’s logbook, I headed down the gangplank toward town—only to have Katarina and Kenze grab me by both arms.
”Shall we see your sincerity now?”
”Think we will, yes.”
Oh, so that’s how it is.
And just like that, I was led away to my room.3
—
Summary:
Larry meets with Pamela again, who survived the Takere attack by fleeing to the western harbor, and faces jealous accusations from Katarina and Kenze. After learning the Seeding Fleet has broken supply lines, he decides to go around through the Dragon God’s Country for the New Year festival, where Kamea asks to stay aboard the Izumo. The chapter ends with Larry being dragged to his room by Katarina and Kenze, who demand he show “sincerity” for his avoidance.
—
Trivia:
Larry’s inner thoughts show he’s deeply unsure about his relationships despite saying he loves everyone equally.
Kenze’s speaking patterns mark her as a foreign or non-native speaker.
The powered suits are mixed technology—dwarf-built truss structures with golem-based monster material parts.
Kamea can find the ship’s position by reading stars and sun, a rare sailing ability.
The Seeding Fleet is fighting with locals across the west, causing food shortages even in the Country of Amazoness.
The Dragon God’s Country festival involves dancing, free food stalls, and heavy drinking—a New Year celebration like Japanese Matsuri.
Larry is acting captain but mainly does physical work and night watch duty, showing his self-seen lack of skill.
The Livyatan is a monster whale said to live in the Tasman Sea, but Larry never meets it.
Polynesian ethnic groups and dwarves celebrate separately—Polynesians dance while dwarves drink and party.
The Izumo docks at a civilian port rather than the Viscount’s Palace harbor, suggesting Larry’s lower political standing or a wish for quiet.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Izumo – The iron-hulled primary vessel, named and personified as a character herself, who loyally carries the protagonist and his crew throughout their journey.
• 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.
• 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.
• Leakle – Amazoness official assigned to the Acting Captain. Displays formal, respectful speech. Becomes visibly alarmed when informed about the Hole-Eaters and quickly mobilizes to take action. Serves as the primary intermediary between the Acting Captain’s crew and the Oceanus authorities. Amazoness official at the Viscount’s Palace in Oceanus. Speaks Schweilitz language. Assigned to handle Larry-san’s affairs. Reacts with visible concern to Whale Eater accounts.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sabby – The protagonist’s subordinates include a tall, lanky, curly-haired artillery Corporal with high mana who is rebellious, incentive-driven, and blunter than Bebel, graphically discussing sexual experiences. The other is a polite, anxious Amazoness who speaks formally but acts like a restless country bumpkin, questioning the protagonist’s identity and reporting his condition to Pamela.
• 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.
• Kamea – Amazoness sailor and Larry’s physical partner. Brought rice to the trading city. Unrelated to the syphilis outbreak’s origin.
• Lamu – 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.
• 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.
• Viscount – A noble of the Rus who insisted on bringing reinforcements to the defense of the city.
• 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.
• Helbert – Lt. Col. Helbert Ougen‑Sigmund is a short, stout, middle-aged Schweinitz strategist, Chief of Staff, and Royal Army politician in the Intelligence Bureau. A stern father to Robert and protective advisor to the protagonist, he delivers critical briefings, manipulates Larland’s politics, reports shipyard issues, coordinates with Marshal Yan, and seeks reinforcements from Sergei.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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