I Was Connected to Earth’s Black Market From Another World With The Skill [Market]! (WN)

Chapter 392

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Chapter 392 – The Sky is Cloudy, but the Waves…

Fortunately, there were no other problems. There were a few waves, but the ship didn’t sway too much, and no one got seasick. Our frigate made steady progress, and by the afternoon of the following day, we had passed the northern tip of the Republic and entered the territory of the Empire. Of course, there were no obvious borders or coastlines, so we had to estimate the distance and use an aerial map.

“The small island you see to the northeast is Markers Island, the home of the pirates who once made this area their stronghold.”

“I see. It’s a little bigger than the island where Haidar is.”

“But it’s flat. There doesn’t seem to be any water or places to hide.”

“That’s right, that’s why they were defeated.”

Myrril and I listened to Captain Rinko’s explanation on the bridge. With the twelve people from Casemaian on temporary assignment, there were not enough hands, so each person had to play multiple roles in the operation of the ship. Everyone was busy running around, but the dwarves, young and old, and the mad engineer high school girl, who looked like a relative of the dwarves, all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Especially Rinko seems more energetic than usual. Maybe she’s still high from pulling an all-nighter, but she stayed on the bridge even though the relief crew from Battle Cry and Surz tried to get her to sleep at least a little. Heimann-jiisan and Caretta-jiisan seemed to be in a similar state.

I soon found out why they were so excited.

“Well, it’s finally the Empire’s territorial waters; I’m so excited♪.”

“Rinko, as soon as the destination appears, I’ll let you know!”

“Yes, yes. Just remember, you can’t just start shooting randomly, okay? The range is probably longer than a tank gun.”

“I know!”

A cheerful voice comes from the fire control room. The armament team, led by Caretta-jiisan, who has just finished servicing the ship’s guns, seems to be itching to try out the guns.

“We have just tested the machine guns on the left and right and confirmed that they are functioning properly. Caretta-jiisan was disappointed because they were only 25mm.”

I knew from the sound that they were testing the funnel-mounted machine gun, but I was inside the ship, so I didn’t see it. Even with the 14.5 x 114 mm rounds of the KPV heavy machine gun, it was invincible, so I wonder what kind of power the 25 mm rounds have. I guess you can’t really feel it even if you see it because there’s no target out at sea.

“What? What do you mean it’s only 25mm?”

“Yes, it seems that it was originally equipped with a 37mm anti-aircraft machine gun that was even bigger. Two of them were mounted in front of the 100mm cannon at the stern.”

“Ah, the stern… I don’t know what you call it, but it’s on the platform. The base was left behind next to the storeroom that was used for surveillance.”

“Yeah, that’s it. I think they removed it when they transferred it to the Coast Guard.”

According to the ship’s manual (in English) Rinko showed me, the platform Myrril and I used to stand on to keep watch was called an upper structure or extension for mounting armaments, and the one Simon had installed for us as a service was still the one before it was refurbished. There’s a picture of a big machine gun on it.

Even the 25mm gun is impressive, but the 37mm gun is even bigger. It’s like a tiny tank gun.

“Well, what the old man wanted to touch was the automatic control device for the machine gun, not the machine gun itself.”

“There’s no need for that. There are no aircraft here, and I can’t imagine any military force that could get close enough to be within range of this ship. Unless a winged dragon appears… no, even then, it would be a complete overkill with the 25mm gun.”

In Casemaian, we shot down a winged dragon with a 14.5mm cannon.

“You don’t understand. It’s not about whether we need it or not. We want to touch it and play with it!”

Even if you say that.

“Yoshua, what is an airkurafto?”

“It’s a flying machine from our world. It’s much faster and stronger than the ground-effect plane we rode before, and it has the ability to sink this ship with a single attack.”

“Every time I hear about the common sense of your world, I think it’s crazy.”

Myrril shakes her head in disbelief, but usually, the development of military technology doesn’t result in one side becoming overwhelmingly powerful. As a matter of balance of power, rival countries or one’s own country will quickly take countermeasures. A situation like this, where “overpowered by overtechnology, it’s always my turn” is strange.

“Yes. Casemaian is a mass of madness.”

“In my case, it’s not necessarily my own power, so I’m at a bit of a loss as to how to react.”

“No problem. After all, the Demon King is an unfair existence.”

“Don’t say that, you high school girl.”

“By the way, Rinko, last night you said that the Empire would send the ships they have to the offshore area. What was that about?”

That’s right. I ignored it, thinking that the destroyed navy wouldn’t be a threat to us.

“The Imperial Army must have collapsed. Do you think the remnants have a chance to win?”

“There is no chance to win at all. The Empire has no soldiers, no weapons, no resources, and no prospects for the future. They can’t even defeat the Republic Army, let alone the Demon King Army. That’s why the army will probably do its best to blockade the sea.”

“That’s why I don’t understand… wait, maybe…”

“That’s right. To prevent their own people from escaping.”

Huh? That side?

“It’s inexcusable. Even the innocent are forced to die with them.”

“Captain, there’s a reaction on the port side ahead.”

Rinko looked into the radar at the young dwarf’s voice.

“The distance… 3,000? What is that?”

There were five faint, small points of light. Of course, there was no detection information. Military radar is different when it comes to wooden sailing ships, isn’t it?

“Caretta-jiichan, five small ships at 10 o’clock, distance 3,000.”

“Could they be the enemy?”

“There are no allies in these waters, but there is a possibility that they are civilian ships, so wait until you can see them before firing.”

“Understood.”

As we approached, taking a slight detour to the east, we could see the sailing ships lined up facing the open sea, surrounding the inner bay where the port city was located. The only ones who could really “see” them were the dwarves and the beastmen. With my and Rinko’s eyesight, we could just make out the silhouettes of the ships with our binoculars.

“Yoshua, can you see it?”

“It’s a little blurry, but it doesn’t look like a gunboat. It’s a flat-bottomed boat with a low side and a rowing mechanism…”

I’ve forgotten the name. As I thought, Myrril-san will take care of it.

“It’s something like a landing craft.”

“Yes, that’s it.”

But that’s not right. Since it’s called a landing craft, it’s a ship for landing troops in enemy territory. Even if you put a large number of these slow, unarmed ships at sea, they won’t be a military force. Whether you’re facing the enemy’s navy, like us, or capturing your own citizens who have rowed out to sea, you need to use gunboats or landing ships.

“Could it be that there are no other ships besides the landing craft?”

“There seem to be some large ships in the harbor. They are threatening and watching us, and we…”

While she’s saying things like that, Myrril-san is using binoculars to check the bay about three kilometers away, but she’s looking at the ships on the ocean, which are only about half that distance away, with the naked eye. As I thought, the people of this world have eyesight and hearing in a different league.

“Wait a minute, Yoshua. Look over there. They’re starting something.”

Looking through the binoculars as I was told, I saw a strange coffin-like object being hoisted up beside the flat-bottomed boat and about to be lowered into the sea by hand, and I tilted my head.

“What is that?”

“Hahahahaha…!”

No, why are you laughing, Rinko?

“What’s wrong with them? When I proposed it to the Imperial Army, they completely ignored it.”

“What is it, Rinko? It looks like you know something.”

“Well, I mean, this is what I proposed. They just laughed at me, and that was the end of it.”

The mad engineer high school girl ponders for a moment as she receives the stares of the others (the young dwarf and the young bear-beastman on the bridge). This is it, isn’t it? It’s the face that science-minded intellectuals make when they’re trying to explain something to a normal person.

The slightly smug look is a bit irritating.

“Ah… so, a frigate class battleship, or as the Navy calls it, a destroyer, but do you know what it’s supposed to destroy?”

“No, I don’t know anything about naval ships. …enemy battleships or aircraft carriers?”

“It’s the opposite. It protects battleships and aircraft carriers by ‘destroying’ torpedo boats.”

Torpedo boats. Even smaller than frigates and destroyers. So…

“Hey, Rinko, could it be that…”

“It’s quite different from the torpedo boats of our world, but it’s the same as far as its role is concerned. There was a technician who read the materials I left behind. It may look ugly, but it’s a fish-shaped autonomous golem. It’s the first one to be put to practical use in this world…”

Rinko laughed. For some reason, she looked a bit happy.

“It’s a guided torpedo.”

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