Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"Hahahaha." This amusing analogy hit Winters's funny bone, "You're right, my 'magic muscle' is strained. It's not just the muscles; it feels like my tendons are nearly snapped."

After the laughter, Winters said to Bard, "You see, you mentioned that you were definitely going to be assigned overseas. Look at you now, aren't you in the Sea Blue Republic?"

"I did indeed apply for an overseas assignment, and I never expected to end up in Vineta." Not being sent overseas, Bard was also in good spirits, "It's also because this year is unusual, there were no overseas assignments at all, everyone stayed at home. But I always feel something's a bit off..."

"Don't think too much, being in Sea Blue is always better than being sent overseas." Winters was still his usual optimist, "Don't worry, the Sea Blue army won't deliberately ostracize United Provincials. Besides, I'm here, there's no need to worry about it."

"I actually don't mind regional discrimination, because no matter where you are, it's the poor who are discriminated against most." Bard always had a unique perspective, but his attitude remained very calm.

"Don't be so negative, we finally made it from cadets to officers. When we get to Sea Blue City, we must celebrate." Winters patted Bard on the shoulder vigorously, inadvertently pulling at the knife wound on his right arm.

"Mr. Officer sir, will you still be drinking this?" An abrupt voice interrupted the casual conversation between Winters and Bard.

The intruder was a sailor. The sailor's skin had been tanned dark by the constant baking of two suns, leaving only the whites of his eyes exposed. His hair clumped together, as if it hadn't been washed for a long time. He rubbed his hands together, looking eagerly at the cup of alcohol in Winters's hand.

"If you want to drink, just drink it." Winters handed the cup to the sailor. He himself wasn't fond of alcohol, especially since there was simply no clean freshwater on the boat, "But I'm not a 'sir', just call me Winters, and this is Warrant Officer Bard. There haven't been any 'sirs' on this land for a long time; the noble class was overthrown twenty-seven years ago."

"Thank you, Mr. Officer sir, thank you, Mr. Officer sir." The sailor bowed incessantly like he was pounding garlic, took the cup, and drained it in one go, sighing with satisfaction. Although the Alliance had abolished the nobility twenty-seven years ago, many people still clung to the idea of nobles in their hearts.

"Don't call me 'sir', just Winters will do. Brother sailor, I actually have a question to ask." Actually, Winters had been puzzled since he woke up today, and now he had a chance to ask a sailor for answers.

"You tell me, you tell me." The sailor nodded briskly.

"Why do I feel like we are heading east?" Winters had judged the ship's direction from the trajectory of the suns and found it a bit strange.

"That's right, we are heading east." The sailor's tone was as if someone was asking him whether one plus one equals two.

"What?" Now it was Winters and Bard who were dumbfounded.

The land around Senas Bay was roughly shaped like a semicircle, with the Federated Provinces occupying the northern half and the Sea Blue Republic the southern half. Sea Blue City was located to the south of Tess City, across the sea, which is common geographical knowledge.

Yet the sailor before them was saying: the ship was not heading south, but east instead.

Winters and Bard had been on the ship for two whole days, only to find out that this was not the route home.

"So where are we going?" Winters grabbed the sailor's clothes and pressed for an answer.

"Mr. Officer sir, we are of course headed for Tanilia."