kscans

Chapter 111 - The Battle on the Ship and the Cannon Fire

A few minutes later, the second shot came. The first had landed on the port side, but this time it hit starboard. The ship pitched violently once more.

"Prepare to escape!"

the captain's voice echoed across the deck.

"Master, could that be the [46cm Triple-Barreled Cannon] from the special skills list?"

Famu asked.

"No, the trajectory was singular, so it's probably a single-barreled cannon. Famu, you know what a cannon is?"

"It's a weapon that fires a metal ball from a long tube using the force of an explosion to strike the enemy. When I was about to choose the [46cm Triple-Barreled Cannon] skill, an image of it appeared in my head."

When I chose my special skills, nothing came to mind, but I could get a vague idea from the names. Special skills must be prepared specifically for transmigrators. When the people of this world gain the power of a special skill, it seems a god gives them a revelation, teaching them how to use the ability. That must be why the people of this world call special skills a Divine Grace.

"If that were a [46cm Triple-Barreled Cannon], just the shockwave from a nearby hit would blow our ship to pieces, and their own ship would probably be blown apart the moment they fired. Famu, do you still have the special skills list?"

"No, it disappeared after I acquired my skill."

Damn that Laciel. Meticulous where it doesn't matter.

"Why aren't they firing directly at our ship?"

Famu tilted her head.

"I think it's because of the distance. It's hard to aim accurately when we're both moving."

They were probably also firing as a form of intimidation, to make us lose our nerve while they closed the distance.

"So, if we maintain this distance, can we get away?"

"Who knows. They might be performing range-finding based on the distance between their two pursuing galleys and the impact locations. If so, their accuracy will improve. In any case, their ships are faster. The closer they get, the more accurate their shots will become."

"I will block it with my special skill."

"No. The activation intervals are different. We should save your special skill, Famu."

"Understood."

Famu nodded with a grave expression.

"…Famu, you have a Divine Grace? And you had a list of them?"

Marmi exclaimed in surprise. She had appeared at my side at some point, opposite Famu.

"Keep it a secret. Famu's special skill was a gift from Laciel."

"…If I stay with you, Mash, can I get one too?"

"I wonder. I hear you need to have the blood of a transmigrator."

"…That's right. It might be impossible for me."

She seemed disappointed, her voice returning to its usual quiet, monotone delivery. On deck, preparations for battle were steadily underway. The sailors who had boarded the enemy galley had returned, and the fixed shields, some of which had been removed, were being put back in place. If the cannon fire wasn't just a threat, then the enemy's objective must have shifted from capture to sinking us. This battle was going to be even fiercer than the first. Avea, sharing my concerns, approached with a grim look on her face.

"We have to survive the cannon fire, endure a rain of arrows, evade the charge of their maneuverable galleys, and win in close-quarters combat. Is it even possible?"

I posed the question to her.

"Who knows. We should have just run for it instead of getting greedy. But no, some idiot had to be fast asleep, and another had to start an argument with a woman."

"…"

I decided to ignore those last two remarks. Surprisingly, she agreed with my opinion to flee. Her mission was to get me and Claire to Miglutt. On second thought, Marmi and the others probably had little interest in a side payday either.

"Wake, what about you?"

Just then, the sound of the third cannon shot echoed. The shell tore through the sail and landed in the water ahead of the ship. A violent tremor ran through the vessel. I grabbed a fixed shield to avoid falling over. Marmi clung to me tightly and stayed on her feet, but Cecily fell on her rear. Famu, Mizuki, Myra, and Aira supported each other, while Avea and Wake kept their balance with sheer core strength.

I offered Cecily my hand and helped her up.

"If one of those shells hits us directly, this ship won't stand a chance. Our odds of winning with just this vessel are slim. We'll use the galley as a shield against the cannonballs. It might not do much, but it's better than nothing. We won't cut it loose. We'll navigate toward the bank. We'll abandon the cargo and prisoners and escape to the shore."

I glanced toward the riverbank. It was a sea of trees, with dense foliage growing right up to the cliff's edge.

"Flee into the forest for guerrilla warfare… We don't know the lay of the land. The forest might be covered in undergrowth, making it difficult to move deeper. Couldn't we get cornered instead?"

"It's better than taking a cannonball on the ship. Our numerical disadvantage will be less of a factor, and it'll be easier to dodge crossbow fire. There are settlements both upriver and downriver. Well, before we take that gamble, we should probably check if any of the crew know the state of the forest."

We have a lot of adventurers with us. They're used to fighting on land, so it could give us an advantage.

"Do you think they'll pursue us even onto the shore?"

"It depends on how valuable Mo-sama is to the enemy, and how much value they place on defeating a transmigrator. We don't know,"

Wake said. He was right. Capturing Marmi would surely earn them a reward from the Demon Kingdom. Their decision would likely depend on how much the pirates trusted the Demon Kingdom. And if there was a transmigrator on their side, they must see this moment—with my special skill unavailable—as the perfect opportunity. It all came down to how much value they saw in defeating me. But we knew far too little about our enemy.

"I see. I'll suggest that 'escape to the shore' plan to the captain."

In response, Wake gave me a surprised look.

"Are you sure? You'll lose not only the prisoners you just acquired, but the merchant ship and its cargo as well. Everything."

"There's no need to even compare those things to the lives of my friends."

The ship was heading downstream, hugging the bank. The two pursuing galleys didn't let up, steadily closing the distance. Our only hope was to abandon ship and flee into the forest, and pray we didn't take a direct hit before then.

"Hey, can't we block those cannonballs with a defensive spell?"

Cecily muttered.

"I don't know how the shell's destructive power compares to a defensive spell's strength, but we might be able to deflect it instead of stopping it head-on."

"What about shooting them down with our own magic?"

"…The target is too fast. It would hit us before our counter-attack was ready,"

Marmi joined the conversation.

"What about grapeshot… for example, what if we fire countless projectiles at the same time as their cannon to create a barrage and shoot it down?"

"…Mash, do you know what those cannonballs are like?"

"I have an idea. It's a cylindrical iron slug. The tip is conical to reduce air resistance and improve straight-line stability. There's a good chance it's filled with gunpowder and designed to explode on impact."

I used Earth Magic to form the shape of the shell. Cecily and Marmi leaned in to look. It was possible there were special skill limitations, but based on the firing interval, I figured it was an old-fashioned cannon. I could only think of famous ones like the Armstrong gun or the 28cm howitzer. Both might have been fixed land-based artillery, but my knowledge didn't go beyond that. Was it even possible to fire something like that from the deck of a wooden ship? Anything older would likely have trouble achieving this level of accuracy.

The fourth cannon shot roared. This time, it landed farther from the ship than the last one. As we approached the bank, there was a risk of running aground. They must have anticipated a course correction. It seemed the gunner hadn't realized we were trying to escape to the shore.

"If they can't hit us, why don't they wait until they're in range to fire? That would be more surprising and more reliable,"

Cecily said, brushing away the spray from the cannon's impact with an annoyed gesture.

"They're trying to take down a ship that just defeated three galleys with only two of their own. And if they have a transmigrator, they must be considering the possibility that we have two special skill users on board. One of us has used a skill, but the other hasn't yet. They're playing it safe, trying to sink us by firing from outside our special skill range."

"I see."

"…If I had a catalyst, I could construct a large-scale spell."

"A catalyst?"

"…Something like a Mana Seed or a Crystal Core. Something with high mana that can also amplify the effects of magic."

"Marmi, can you control a Crystal Core?"

Could she manipulate one without a special skill like Mi's?

"…No. But I can draw out its mana to enhance my own magic."

I took a Crystal Core and some Mana Seeds from my storage. Marmi's eyes widened as she stared at them.

"…Are you sure?"

"Use as much as you need."

I nodded, and she took the Crystal Core, cradling it in her arms. I kept quiet about the fact that I'd only been holding onto it as a high-value item to be cashed in.

"…I'll create a defensive barrier. Cecily, help me."

Cecily nodded at Marmi.

As Cecily and Marmi were putting their heads together to talk, another cannon shot rang out. The shell hit the galley we were towing behind us. A violent explosion roared, and the ship burst into flames.

"Cut it loose!"

the captain yelled. Several sailors rushed to the stern to begin detaching the rear galley.

"Is there anyone left on that galley?"

"We hadn't been able to free the slaves chained inside yet."

One of the sailors, who was trying to unhook a rope, answered my question. Enemy slaves meant they were originally citizens of the Empire.

"Cecily. Use Water Magic to put out the fire."

"N-no way. The fire's too strong!"

"Mo, you can't either?"

"…If I can use the Crystal Core, I'll try."

I nodded, and Marmi began to form a sphere of water above her head. In the meantime, I used my own Water Magic to douse my body.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Avea grabbed my shoulder.

"I'm going to help them."

"Stop this foolishness. We'll be at the shore soon. Get ready to run."

"Master, I'm going with you."

As Famu said this, the other members of Levante nodded in agreement.

"Mizuki, you stay here."

"Why?!"

Mizuki snapped.

"That swimsuit of yours is weak against heat. You'll be stark naked before you know it. Which I'd be happy about, but…"

"Wh-what about you, Mash?"

"The more I take off, the stronger I get."

"You're only wearing one thing to begin with!"

"You of all people should know how strong I am when I'm naked."

Mizuki didn't respond to my words, instead pulling clothes out of her storage and putting them on over her swimsuit. It was strangely erotic. I wanted to record it and watch it in reverse.

"…What are you staring at? Mash, hurry up and get dressed too."

After I got dressed, Cecily doused us all with Water Magic.

"I'm staying with Mo!"

She intended to work with Marmi to create a spell to block the cannonballs.

"Yeah, I'm counting on you."

Cecily nodded.

"…Good luck, then,"

Marmi said. A giant sphere of water had formed above her head. She dropped it onto the flaming galley. Water poured down like a waterfall, suppressing the fiercely burning flames. For a moment, it looked like the fire had been extinguished amidst a cloud of white smoke, but as soon as the water receded, the flames began to roar back to life.

"…What's happening?"

Marmi murmured. The fire must have been too intense, preventing the temperature from dropping below the ignition point.

"No, that's enough. I'm going. I'm counting on you to handle the cannonballs."