Nihonkoku Shoukan. Volume 1. Chapter 1 Part 8

Translator Corner

Minasan Oidemasu! This is Yukkuri demasu!

Please remember that: Frontier is the area outside the Three Great Civilized Lands.

As always,

DISCLAIMER: There is no guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was wrong.

Plus, if you want to thank someone go to the guys at Ainushi Translation who give me the RAW for this LN. They’re the real MVPs.

Author:

みのろう (Minorou)

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan!

Editor:

Online Grammar Editor!

Chapter 1

Upheaval

Part 8 - FINAL

Silence reigned above the great ocean.

「…………………………」

Everyone couldn’t believe what had happened in front of their eyes and no one let out any word.

A wyvern was something that is next to impossible to be defeated by ships, even for a single unit. However, just by looking at their size, there were more than 200 units ── yes, more than 200 units of the elite Wyverns fell down as a rain of blood.

It was not a dream. It would be better if all of this was just a dream.

「Are we…… fighting against the legendary Mage Emperor Army……?」

In front of the overwhelming strength of the enemy, Sharkun muttered in an unhinged mental state. His hands were shaking and his feet also began to shake.

He didn’t know how to say this.

However, the tragedy play didn’t turn a blind eye to them.

On the far side eastern horizon, vessels similar to the huge monstrous ship in front of them appeared. There were seven.

Perched on their entirely gray hull was the magic weapons that had mowed down the warship.

Their weapons that previously eliminated warships and wyverns in the blink of the eye, turned towards Lourian Fleet and unleashed a storm of destruction.

In Rodenius history, what decides the outcome of a naval battle is a clash of sailors, which is to say, a melee combat.

Although it is possible to damage the hull with ballista or ignite them with a fire arrow – though, it rarely burns – to damage the ship to a certain extent, in practice, the ship is indestructible.

Since the melee combat decided the battle, in the end, the number of sailors eventually is the deciding factor.

For the invasion this time, they had gathered 4,400 warships. It would be a different story if the opponent is the Major Powers of the Three Great Civilized Lands, but it won’t be defeated by a Frontier’s nation. No, with this great number, they believe they could even compete with the Major Powers of the Three Great Civilized Lands.

Or so they had, until two hours ago.

✦✧✦✧✦

The shells fired by 7 destroyers steadily sunk a ship per shell. The attacks were from outside the range their enemies. It was like a shooting exercise.

The numbers of the roar from main guns of the JMSDF destroyers was the number of how many Lourian Navy warships sunk. However, 4,400 ships were a lot.

Perhaps because of confusion or unrest, the Louria Kingdom Navy was moving chaotically. However, there was no sign of retreat, and eventually, when 1,400 ships found their rest in the watery grave amongst the seaweed, the compact-gun’s shell was nearly exhausted.

「Cease firing.」

Debris of what once was ships floated on the entire sea surface.

『Myoukou』 was closing in on the enemy fleet.

When it reached the 400-meter range, it fired its 12.7 mm machine guns which was once used to counter unidentified ship.[1] An enemy ship’s hull and deck were filled with holes that it slanted, the oil for the fire arrow was ignited by the torch fire and engulfed the ship with fire. Another ship sunk when its inner deck was flooded with water.

The deeds were performed businesslike and one by one, the enemy ships were sent to the bottom.

More and more, the tragedy that struck Louria Kingdom Navy continued. Five JGSDF 『AH-1S Cobra』[2] attack helicopters on board the Helicopter Destroyer Izumo joined the battle.

The attack helicopters fired their Hydra-70 rockets on the warships underneath. The continuous flying rockets were like a meteor rain that pulverized the wooden warships. After each unit had spent their 152 rockets[3], they strafed down with the 20 mm cannons to destroy the warships. In any case, they didn’t aim at the people. Their entire attacks were targeting the rudders.

Once they completely out of bullets, they returned to 『Izumo』 to resupply and resortie.

✦✧✦✧✦

With the surrounding no different from a hunting ground, the Louria Kingdom Navy fell into a panic.

「Damn it!! Those monsters, we can’t win against that thing! Damn it! Whoaaa!」

One ship, and then yet another ship, one by one as the time passed by, the friendly ships was sunk at an unbelievable rate.

「………… So, it’s futile.」

Vice-Admiral Sharkun had gone beyond despair and reached the point of resignation. They can’t win no matter what.

If this situation continues, it will only cause his subordinates to die for nothing. However, if they surrender and become prisoners of war, there are no chance Louria people would be spared after the massacre at Gim.

The road left open to him was only the word: retreat.

The large fleet had lost one-third of its ships. If he returned to the country, he can’t escape the capital punishment. His name will remain in the history chronicles as an incompetent admiral.

But even so, he couldn’t let his subordinate die more than this.

『All ships retreat! I repeat, all ships retreat!』

The retreat order was given to every ship by using the mana communicator.

Just when the flagship on which Sharken was aboard also tried to retreat, a shell directly hit it.

His subordinate who was blown away from the explosion shockwave struck him and thrown him off to the sea.

The sight he saw while floating on the sea was the sight of his ship splitting into two and sinking.

✦✧✦✧✦

「The enemy begins to retreat.」

「All hands, cease firing!」

The order was quickly given.

「So they are abandoning their comrades that floating in the sea and retreat? …… All hands, if there are survivors in the sea, rescue them!」

The naval battle had ended.

Vice-Admiral Sharkun was rescued by Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.

✦✧✦✧✦

Bruay, who was aboard 『Izumo』, which stayed at the rear, completely couldn’t understand what had been going on. There was frequent exchange of words in the bridge of some sort and it seems that they were waging a battle at an unseen distance from this place, but he completely didn’t know what had happened in specific.

The attack helicopters repetitively resupplied and then flew off. Other than this, he didn’t personally experience the battlefield and the battle ended just like that with him as a spectator. Even when Louria Kingdom Fleet began to retreat, he personally didn’t see anything, so it didn’t feel real.

However, when they arrived at the sea where the battle happened for the rescue operation and he saw the sea surface in front of the ship, slowly the realization seeped in. An innumerable floating debris and countless Lourian sailors covered the sea surface. There were no burned ships. The wreckages of ship pulverized by a devastating force were floating over an unbelievable huge expanse of the sea. Amongst them, there were wyvern corpses scattered everywhere.

Although he didn’t see the battle itself with his eyes, he understood that it was a complete overwhelming victory.

✦✧✦✧✦

From Bruay’s Diary Entry of that day.

I was ordered to measure how much is the power of Japan. It is the duty of a military observer officer. However, how to put this, I didn’t see the battle at all. No, even the commanding admiral of the Japanese Fleet didn’t personally see that battle firsthand. When we arrived at the battle location, it was already Japanese’s complete victory.

There were only the shattered ship wreckages of the Louria Kingdom Fleet, that had been blown apart by an unbelievably large amount of explosion magic projections of immense power, drifting on the sea.

Because I didn’t see it, I don’t know how it happened.

After the rescue operation finished, they informed me that it’s a victory with 250 wyverns and 1400 warships destroyed. Even if the Japanese ship is so big, there are only 8 of them, moreover, it was in a single battle. This battle outcome in this very short time span was unprecedented in the history.

Isn’t this even impossible even for the Great Power Papardia Empire?

The crisis of my motherland had passed away, it’s a truly delightful event and I ought to feel happy for it, but Japan’s military power is strong beyond common sense, so I can’t help but feel…… fear.

I am also greatly troubled about writing the report for the government. I must give the government a report, which wouldn’t be believed by anyone, and this made my stomach hurts. There is no doubt that the same anguish also felt by the captain of warship Pima and the member of the diplomatic delegation.

We must absolutely never make enemies of Japan. I am relieved again and again, that Japan, which held a power equal to the Great Power, or even more, is our allies.

✦✧✦✧✦

At a certain warship of the Louria Kingdom Eastern Subjugation Fleet.

The Papardia Empire’s military observer officer, Valhal, was trembling in his room at the warship.

This warship was luckily not sunk, but he personally witnessed many warships in its surrounding sunk one after another.

His duty was to record in detail how will Lourian fleet of 4,400 ships curb-stomped the Qua-Toyne Principality.

Even though primitive tactics such as fire arrows from ballista and ship raiding was fitting for barbarians, he enjoyed this mission due and personally interested in what would happen if they had these numbers.

However, the enemy ship that appeared was far beyond his common sense.

Although there was no evidence of them using 『Wind God’s Tear』 that speed up sailships, their ship speed was overwhelmingly fast. To begin with, those ships didn’t have anything that can be called as a sail.

Regardless of their hull larger than the 100-Cannons Ship-of-the-Line, it had a huge…… long and slender, but that this was without any doubt, a cannon. When he saw that the ship was only equipped with a single cannon, it greatly bothered him that he thought if this was a joke.

He was surprised that there were cannons even though the barbarian shouldn’t possess one, but a cannon is not accurate. It was hard to hit things with it, hence why the 100-cannon ship-of-the-line had so many cannons. Despite that, that cannon could hit from a distance of 3 kilometers with just one shot. Moreover, it had tremendous power, that easily sunk warships with just a single hit.

What was more surprising is that they could defend against waves of wyverns attack. Even his motherland army, employed Dragon Mothership, to battle wyverns against wyverns. Because their capabilities far surpassed than the wyverns raised in the barbaric lands, if the number is equal, they would win. But the enemy this time didn’t have a single wyvern at all.

In the first place, a cannon shouldn’t be able to hit anything flying in the sky. This is common sense.

But they…… They could even hit a wyvern with a single shot. He couldn’t think this as a work of man.

If Papardia Empire did things without knowing about their existence, the Empire might even be in a peril.

Using the mana communicator, Valhar reported what he had seen, as true as possible, to his home country.

✦✧✦✧✦

Louria Kingdom. Capital Guard Knights Order Headquarters

After receiving the information of the enemy’s main fleet discovery, 250 wyverns sortied to attack it. Three hours had passed since the manacom ceased alongside with their scream.

A cumbrous silence wafted inside the headquarters.

There was no report of them meeting with any other units and even when it was the time for them to return, not a single Dragoon Knight returned. The headquarters were wrapped by uneasiness.

「Why they haven’t returned?」

No one answered the face-paled Patagene’s question.

 (It can’t be…… they were annihilated……?)

In the history of Rodenius Continent, wyverns are the strongest creature. However, since they are a valuable species, their numbers weren’t that many.

The 500 wyverns of Louria Kingdom, gathered to unite Rodenius Continent was a large force finally gathered after 6 years with the military assistance from Papardia Empire.

With their overwhelming strength, they are surely able to conquer Rodenius Continent.

The 250 wyverns that sortied to support the navy would surely return and grant the greatest military result which will remain in the history.

However, this was not the reality.

He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to think about it, but there is a high possibility that they were annihilated.

Even if the enemy is an unexpectedly huge fleet, it is unthinkable that they could completely annihilate 250 wyverns. Can it be, does Qua-Toyne able to enlist the legendary Divine Dragon Bahamut?

In what way he should report to the Lourian King?

「…… Notify the vanguard army, order 50 wyverns to return back to the headquarters.」

➀ Month 4, Day 12. Kingdom of Louria’s Eastern Subjugation Force attacked and conquered Gim.

➁ On the same day, Kingdom of Louria’s Eastern Subjugation Fleet composed of 4,400 warships departed, before encountering JMSDF Destroyer Fleet on Month 4, Day 25.

➂ Lourian’s Main Wyvern Force sortied as aerial supports, one hour later they received anti-air missiles from AEGIS Destroyers. Two hours and 30 minutes later, the wyverns units are annihilated

➃ Kingdom of Louria’s Eastern Subjugation Fleet lost 1,400 warships and began retreating

☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

NEXT CHAPTER:

The aftermath of disastrous naval campaign.

The confusion on both Qua-Toyne and Louria side.

The haughty Major Power

And bunch of confused (and terrorized) villagers.

---

[1] DPRK spy ships disguised as Japanese or Chinese fishing boats sometimes entered Japanese waters for spying or smuggling operation. The Japanese Government cunningly called them “unidentified ship”. After all, they were only firing at unidentified ship, not DPRK. Yup.

[2] Japanese local-built version of USA’s Bell AH-1F built under license by Fuji Heavy Industries (known as Subaru Corporation nowadays).

[3] Umm… Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think AH-1S cobra could carry 152 rockets…