I have repeated the same replies over and over again.
And thereās soldier-kun who keeps talking with his inflated nostrils.
Yeah, well, thatās that. Itās what they call [Just as planned]ā¦.
If we were in Japan, he would be around 3rdĀ year Middle schooler or 1stĀ year High schooler. In other words, still a child. No, he has an appearance of a college student, but mentally still equivalent to Japanese middle schooler. No, the mental maturity is much lower here, where the communication system is not well developed.
Wait, is there little possibility that the girls are quick to mature because they have less fun?
(Note: Wait, what?)
Anyway, the other party here is an adult, but he is still a child from my point of view as a Japanese. On the other hand, Iām an 18 years old girl, even though still a minor in Japan, the ban for accessing adult manga or violent manga have been lifted. So, something like talking to a boy is an easy task for me!
āAnd, how fast is this latest 64-guns ship?ā (Mitsuha)
āIf we got a tailwind, itās about 14-15 knots. Amazing right!ā (Soldier-kun)
āEh, but isnāt crosswind faster than tailwind?ā (Mitsuha)
āEeeh! You know a lot, arenāt you ā¦ Yeah, actually it is. Usually, a girl has a little understanding in such a thing. So, Iām trying to make it easy to understand. Anyway, by getting a crosswind ā¦ ā (Soldier-kun)\n
Isnāt the speed more or less the same as the seized ships? The maximum speed of the seized ship is around 14 ā 15 knots depending on the wind direction, and the average speed is 4 ā 6 knots.
Oh, of course, the unit of speed that soldier-kun is talking is not āknotā, but a unit in this world. It is automatically converted in my head to the knot, the unit of the earth. One knot is one sea mile per hour, or 1.852 kilometers per hour. Not a land mile, but a sea mile or [nautical miles]. About 0.5 meters per second. However, although it is not as fast as the fast-moving clippers, such as the famous Cutty Sark or the Thermopylae, it has quite good performance. It may be difficult because of the overwhelming difference in ship efficiency.
(Note:Ā ClipperĀ was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing ship, designed for speed and āCutty Sarkā and āThermopylaeā was the names of British clippers. the more you know)
If you think about it, the operation of a sailboat is close to a craftsmanship, so the novice that just popped out might be so much better. This may be troublesomeā¦
With this overwhelming disadvantage in every aspect such as ship size, shipbuilding technology, navigation technology, ship maneuvering technology, national financial resources, basic scientific capabilities. Can the Kingdom protect itself without my presence?
ā¦ seems impossibleā¦
Something like steam engine with their current technology is a dream within a dreamā¦
Not good, apparently, my face seemed to have darkened. Soldier-kun looked into my face anxiously.
āOh, no, nothing. Hey, compared to the ship which your friendās dad was aboardā¦ I wonder if that was a weak ship because if I recalled right that ship was a 40-guns ship. I just wondering if it will lose in a battleā¦ā
Alright, with this, we can hear some information of the difference in performance between the captured ship and the newest ship.
ā¦ or rather, this child is pretty detailed. Isnāt he just a junior sailor? Or is he a son of an officer who has heard a lot from his father? but isnāt he too young for a cadet? Cadet among cadets?
ā40-guns ship? Ah, itās not that weak. Until the latest state-of-the-art ship was deployed, it was the second largest ship. Ships rarely sink in artillery battles; the life and death of the crew is just a matter of time and luckā (Soldier-kun)
Uwaah, even though he just a child, his view of life and death is so clearā¦\nBut, Certainly, if it is just an iron ball without explosives, even if it hits the lower part of the hull, the ship wonāt sink that easily. The main objective of naval battle in this era would be to break the mast or cut the rope to make the ship inoperable, or to kill the crew and reduce the shipās combat capabilities.
And, soldier-kun told me much more.
Well, young boys probably donāt know how to converse with girls, and thereās only few girls that will be happy just by keep talking about the ship. Few girls will be curious to hear stories about their specialty and will be quite knowledgeable in the area to ask appropriate questions. So, itās inevitable that soldier-kun got carried away.
We ordered a few additional drinks, and when lunch time was nearing, I said that I should return home soon.
āEh? No, Iāll treat you to lunch! I know a good restaurant!ā (Soldier-kun)
Umu, he finally meets [A girl who longs for sailors and understands the topic], of course he doesnāt want the chance to end just like that. Of course, I donāt want this chance to end just like that too, [The boy who talks everything about the latest ships and the army].
But, for now, letās end the conversation here.
I learned from Mitchan on Liquor Store, [How to Kill a Boy] Series, Chapter 3, second paragraph.
[For my Sake] The First!
Gently hold both your hands and put them against your mouth. Act a little troubled and strike as it is!
āBut if I have launch outside, my mom and dad will get angry and Iāll be restricted from going out. Then we canāt meet anymoreā¦ā (Mitsuha)
Alright, that was a sure kill!
āOh, Iāll payā¦ā (Mitsuha)
As expected, I would feel bad to have him pay. I ordered a lot of drinks because we sat for quite some timeā¦ In addition, the crew of the seized ship had their money exchanged, and the money in the shipās safe was exactly the same, so I was not inconvenienced in the currency here.\n\nAfter lunch, I walk around the city to shop and listen to the conversation. Of course, at the time of shopping, I talked to the people in the store and listened to various things. Then I went to the park and talked to people around the same age as meā¦. Right, I talked to children around 12 to gather information.
After lunch time, thereās no problem if I were to meet soldier-kun again. I could just say that I left the home after I finished my meal with my family.
After that, I did some more inspection. And just like that, my [enemy site inspection, military port edition] has ended
The reason I went there was, of course, because I wanted to check information about the ship, but I also wanted to get some information before it went to my main target. In other words, itās not good to spy straight on the main target without knowing anything and marked down by those involved later.
However, now that I have obtained the minimum necessary knowledge of someone that came from another country, it is time to finally head to my main target. The location of the transfer point has been confirmed by comparing the map I obtained in the port town with the aerial photograph, so there is no problem if it is combined with my memory record at the time of air reconnaissance. For the first time, Iāll transfer there after the dark as usual, butā¦
Well, thatās not a big deal.
Well then, letās go!
Towards the New Continent, to the Capital of Vanel Kingdom.
The main objective is to collect information and secure a base for advanced operations.
Right, securing a base.
[Operation Princess of the Cavern] has been started!!
(Note: itās a reference of 2000s anime [Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo] where [Gankutsuou] Literally means [The King of the Cavern], but she swapped the kanji of [King] with [Princess], so thatās that, the more you know)