Read Novel Full Vol 20 Chapter 21
Vol 20 Chapter 21
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Chapter 21 – Mission Accomplished?
We worked hard to accomplish the mission to capture the magic cannon, including purchasing a crane ship and conducting reconnaissance. We even sent some alcohol as a countermeasure against the unexpected party that Count Tontrade was having. In the short time we had, we trained in both the operation of the crane ship and the use of the sling. All that hard work is now coming to fruition.
“Wataru! The connection is complete!”
Marina-san, who had quickly boarded the crane ship and started working, informed me that the connection between the crane and the slinging wire had been completed.
The knowledge that had been imparted to me as a crane operator included a tedious amount of safety checks, but there was no time to check safety in this situation. As soon as Marina-san left, I had to act.
I checked that Marina-san had left, and then I operated the crane. I used the winch to wind up the wire, and when it was taut, I finally lifted the magic cannon.
I lift it… I lift it up.
What? Seriously? Is the magic cannon heavier than I thought it would be? No, no matter how you look at it, it can’t be more than five tons in size.
Five tons is 5,000 kilograms, right? Even if it’s a magic ship, the ship’s center of gravity would be off.
“Wataru! The base below is attached to the deck!”
Marina-san shouts.
Seriously? I had confirmed that it wasn’t screwed down, but it seems to be attached to the ship in some other way.
What are we going to do?
Looking around, I see that the other ships are starting to move. Even if they can’t sail, the few magic ships and galleys will probably gather in no time.
No matter how many ships gather, we won’t lose, but as someone who imagined himself as a stylish thief, I’d rather not force my way through.
Failure to capture it is out of the question, so I’ll turn the crane to full power for now.
I can’t help but feel that this is also a brute-force move, but let’s just say that up to five tons is within the acceptable range. My last resort is to use force to separate the base below.
The crane lets out a roar.
“Wataru, the ship is creaking. Can you make it stronger?”
The ship is creaking? It’s a unique onomatopoeia, but perhaps the adhesive surface of the magic cannon is gradually peeling off.
“It’s already at full power. Do you think it will work?”
“I don’t know.”
That’s right; there’s no way to make a judgment in such a situation.
With the use of military force in mind, I watch over the magic cannon. The crane is at full power, and if it hadn’t been cheat equipment from Ship Summoning, the wire would have burst by now.
“Whoa!”
A ball of fire suddenly hits the ship, and I let out a pitiful scream. I look in the direction the fire came from and see a soldier on the edge of the magic ship.
I see. If we make so much noise, the soldiers will come out. The problem is that I can’t see Count Tontrade’s figure, only the soldier’s. He’s probably fast asleep.
Maybe the absence of a commander is having an effect, but the soldiers are attacking us directly, and the barrier is blocking everything.
Bang! Amidst the noise of the attacks and the crane, a particularly loud sound echoes.
Oh, the magic cannon is tilting. It looks like part of the adhesive surface has come loose. Normally, losing your balance with a crane is dangerous, but there’s no problem now. Go, Crane!
“What are you doing! Kill them! No, the magic cannon first! Cut the string!”
“What’s going on?”
“Count, the enemy is attacking! The magic cannon is being attacked!”
“What? We must protect it at all costs!”
The commander came out and surprisingly gave some precise instructions. Count Tontrade also appeared behind him and began to give orders. He looked a bit unwell, probably because he had just woken up and was still a bit drunk.
The soldiers ran and swung their swords at the wire, following the instructions of the two men.
Yes, it was easily repelled. That’s right, it’s an indestructible tool, so no matter how hard you try to cut it with a sword or use your skills, you won’t be able to cut it.
If you want to remove the wire, you have to separate it from the joint. Well, the tension of the wire is at its maximum, so it’s difficult to do by hand.
Oh, one side has come loose, and the load has been applied. The part that was still holding up was gradually coming loose. All right, the magic cannon has been lifted!
“Don’t let it get away!”
“”””Uooooo!””””
“It’s so expensive!”
The commander took the initiative and jumped onto the magic cannon. Inspired by this, the soldiers also climbed onto the magic cannon one by one.
Finally, the Count also jumped on the magic cannon and said something out of character, “It’s so expensive!” [T/n: It can also be translated as ‘high’].
The fact that the Count was in such a hurry suggests that the magic cannon must be extremely expensive.
When the adhesive surface peels off, the crane’s power to lift 5 tons is not just for show; it lifts Count Tontrade and his men, who jump into the air together.
I’ve seen a scene like that in an anime about a certain third-generation master thief. That one was about the actions of justice, with police officers swarming around, but this one is about the Count’s selfishness. This one is uglier.
…What should I do now? Looking at the hanging magic cannon, I think to myself.
If I can just operate the crane, I can take the magic cannon. However, since there are people clinging to the magic cannon, if I move it, they might get caught between the barrier and the magic cannon and crushed.
…A magic cannon covered in human flesh. There’s no doubt that the romance will fade in an instant.
But I don’t want to invite them aboard either. I don’t think Marina-san or Ines will lose, but I also don’t want to get a brand-new crane ship stained with blood.
Looking around, I see the magic ship coming towards us, and the ship that looks like a galley is also starting to move. There’s no time to think.
…All right, let’s set sail as is.
“Ines, set sail!”
“Eh? In this situation?”
“Yes, hurry!”
While giving instructions to Ines, I move the crane and move the magic cannon towards the stern. This should prevent the balance on the left and right from collapsing. The balance between the front and the back will collapse a bit, but it shouldn’t capsize.
The shock of the ship starting to move will cause the magic cannon to sway, and some people will fall into the sea.
It’s dangerous! In a flash, I give permission for not only the magic cannon but also the people trapped in it to board the ship. If it had been a little later, they would have been caught between the barrier and the magic cannon and turned into minced meat.
Let’s put the crane down and keep a little more distance between the hull and the magic cannon.
Yeah, that should be enough to keep them safe, even if it starts to shake. Whoa, let’s not forget to cancel the boarding pass.
After all, this is a fantasy world, and their physical abilities are inhuman, so there’s a chance they could jump over here.
I was actually hoping that someone would fly over here and hit the barrier, but unfortunately, no one jumped in.
I wanted to see that…
Well, it doesn’t matter now. I didn’t manage to do it as stylishly as I imagined, but at least I got the magic cannon, so that’s not a problem. Although there is some extra baggage…
The magic ship is coming towards us, and the galleys have started to move, but the sailing ship is still standing. As we move, the gap between our ships widens, and Ines skillfully steers us through it.
On the way, we are attacked several times by the ships we have passed, but the attacks stop when Count Tontrade, who is clinging to the magic cannon, gives the order.
I didn’t want to do that, but we ended up taking the leader of the other side hostage.
As I look back, I see that the magic ship we passed is about to turn around. For the moment, it looks like they still intend to chase us, but it will be difficult to catch up.
Hmm, Felicia is chasing us as well, but it’s impossible to catch up with a crane ship running on the sea in a submarine, isn’t it?
Well, we agreed to return to the Castle if we got separated, so there’s no problem. But more importantly…
“Marina-san, what do you think we should do about it?”
The problem is what to do with the luggage attached to the magic cannon.
“Hmm, should we drop it?”
Marina-san made a quick decision without much thought.
“Won’t that kill it?”
“If the magic ship chasing us can catch up in time, then it should be fine… I guess.”
They’ll also need some luck to be found safely in the dark sea. Unless they can think quickly and float a light ball after falling into the sea.
“It would be inconvenient if the magic ship caught up with us, so I think I’ll drop them near land after we shake off the magic ship. For now, we’ll head out into the open sea and then head for land on the way.”
As expected, I don’t want to kill them, and they are firmly attached to the magic cannon, so they won’t fall for a while. If they fall… that’s that.
＊＊＊
“Please forgive me. I was wrong, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please forgive me. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
We scattered the magic ships and approached the land, calling out to Count Tontrade, but the only response we got was an apology. If we had seen him in a brighter place, we would have noticed that all the count and his men had blank stares.
…Yes, it can’t be helped. It wasn’t intentional, but anyone would react like that if they went through something like that.
After deciding on a course of action, we headed out into the open sea as planned.
Until now, going out to sea was a matter of course, and I think the reason I didn’t think about it enough was because I had become numb to it.
The frequency of monster attacks increases when you go out to sea. Normally, I would have ignored them because I could have fended them all off with the barrier, but this time, I had forgotten that there were magic cannons hanging outside the barrier.
From there, it was a tough time for us.
The sea monsters attacked in response to the bait hanging from the crane, and if we left them alone, the count and his men would be eaten, and the magic cannon would be destroyed.
So, I quickly took over the ship’s control from Ines and mobilized Rimu to protect the magic cannon from the attacking monsters.
At that time, I didn’t have time to worry about the count and his men, but when I think about it calmly, I can understand that they were quite frightening.
Suspended from a crane and swaying wildly in the pitch-black sea, if you get eaten, you die; if you fall, you die, there’s no way it’s not scary.
“Oh, we’re already close to land, so if you swim, you’ll be able to survive. Look, you can see land, right? If you don’t get off, you’ll end up back in the open sea.”
With a splash, a splash, a splash, everyone jumped into the sea without hesitation and started swimming toward the land.
Count Tontrade seemed like a pompous person, and I thought he would fight to the end, but it seems that he was even more scared than I thought.
After confirming that the people from the magic cannon had disappeared, I operated the crane to bring the magic cannon into the barrier.
It wasn’t very stylish, but we were able to safely secure the magic cannon.
Next, I’d like to take a look at the magic cannon, but I’m sure everyone is worried about us, and I’m starting to feel sleepy. Let’s put checking the magic cannon on hold for now and return to the Castle.
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