Novel All
Chapter 566
Chapter 566
Chapter 566: The Escort Ships
Following Cuber, we arrived at the docked ships.
There were five of them.
One of them resembled my flagship Alphonse but was smaller in size.
The remaining four looked like standard Imperial ships but were clearly bigger.
Alphonse is classified as a large ship, but these were even bigger.
"Lord Al! Behold my masterpiece! These are escort ships made specifically for the flagship Alphonse! They don't have names yet, so I want you to name them!"
"Minister of Marine. They seem pretty well made just by the looks of it, don't they?"
"It's just the appearance. To explain, the one in the middle is a prototype made during the construction of the flagship Alphonse, it's just for show. The remaining four ships are what Minister Cuber referred to as 'escort ships.'"
Giresberger emphasizes the term 'escort ships.'
I can somewhat guess their purpose just by looking at them, but I decided to ask anyway.
"What do you mean by 'escort ships'?"
"I'm glad you asked! For that, please look at the Alphonse prototype in the middle!"
Cuber enthusiastically started his explanation.
As I was told to, I looked at the prototype, and at the bow of the ship was a huge turret. It was a magic cannon of a type I hadn't seen before.
"This is the Type 99 Focused Magic Cannon, also known as the 'Raitei'! Its magical power consumption was so high that the Alphonse alone couldn't fire it, but we solved that problem with these four escort ships! By receiving magical power supply from the four ships, equipped with magical reactors even larger than the Alphonse, we can fire this Raitei! It's a decisive weapon that can completely change the course of battle!!!!"
"I see."
So the ships were enlarged for that reason?
However, I can't expect them to be fast. The ones equipped on the Alphonse were considered for speed as well.
In a battle at sea where there is nothing to hide behind, the speed of a ship becomes crucial.
Are these escort ships a trade-off for all of that?
"Field Marshal, this weapon is..."
"I get it. It's a failure, isn't it? Have you tested it?"
"We conducted a test fire on the prototype. I admit it has considerable power, but the prototype was half destroyed. It's still being repaired. The recoil is huge, and firing is difficult unless it's connected to the four ships."
"So, it's a sitting duck?"
"No, no! You're supposed to fire the Raitei as soon as the battle starts! You can cripple the enemy fleet with a single blow!"
"I guess there's no other way to use it. But that's not the only drawback, is it?"
When I look at Giresberger, he nods deeply.
A preemptive strike at the start of the battle. If the power is guaranteed, there's no problem.
And yet, Giresberger called it a failure.
There must be a clear disadvantage.
"These four ships are required to fire the Raitei. However, even with these four, the magical power required for the Raitei is barely enough. In other words, these four ships can't equip any magic cannons. Also, they're slow, so if a battle starts, they'll be left behind right away. They can't even get close to the enemy."
"So, they're truly ships only for the Raitei. They can damage the enemy, but at the same time, our four ships become useless..."
Upon following Cuber, we arrived at the place where the ships were anchored. There were five of them.
One of them bore a striking resemblance to the flagship Alphonse, although it was slightly smaller. The other four appeared to be standard Imperial ships, but they were unmistakably massive. Alphonse itself was classified as a large ship, but these were even bigger.
"Prince Al! Behold my masterpiece! These are special escort ships for the flagship Alphonse! They don't have names yet, so I'd like you to name them!"
"Minister of Maritime Affairs, they look quite well made, don't they?"
"It's not just their appearance. Let me explain. The one in the middle is a prototype built when constructing the Alphonse, and is purely for show. The remaining four, as Minister Cuber mentioned, are 'escort ships'."
Minister Gilespelger emphasized the term 'escort ships'. I could guess their purpose from their appearance, but I decided to ask anyway.
"What do you mean by 'escort ships'?"
"I'm glad you asked! First, please take a look at the Alphonse prototype in the middle!"
Cuber started explaining enthusiastically. Just as he had said, the prototype had a gigantic turret in its bow. It was a type of magical cannon I hadn't seen before.
"It's called the Ninety-nine Condensed Magic Cannon, also known as the Raiteibolt. It consumes so much magical power that it can't be fired by the Alphonse alone. However, we solved this problem with the four escort ships! They are equipped with larger magic furnaces than the Alphonse and can supply it with the magic power needed to fire the Raiteibolt. It is a decisive weapon that can turn the tide of battle!"
"I see."
So that's why the ships had been enlarged. However, their speed probably left much to be desired. The Alphonse was designed with speed in mind.
In a naval battle, where there's nothing to hide behind, the speed of a ship is critical. And these escort ships had traded speed for firepower.
"Minister, this weapon..."
"You know it's a failure, right? Have you done a test fire?"
"We tested it on the prototype. It's powerful, I admit, but it nearly destroyed the prototype. We're still repairing it. The recoil is massive, and it's difficult to fire unless connected to the four escort ships."
"So, they're targets."
"No, no! You launch the Raiteibolt at the start of a battle! You can cripple the enemy fleet in one shot!"
"Sure, that's one way to use it. But that's not the only problem, is it?"
When I looked at Gilespelger, he nodded deeply. A pre-emptive strike at the start of a battle. If the power is guaranteed, there's no issue. Yet, Gilespelger called it a failure. There must be a clear flaw.
"Without these four ships, the Raiteibolt cannot be fired. However, even with these four ships, the magical power required for the Raiteibolt is just barely sufficient. In other words, these four ships cannot be equipped with magical cannons. Furthermore, because they are slow, they would be left behind as soon as a battle begins. They cannot even get close to the enemy."
"So, they are truly ships solely for the Raiteibolt. They can cause damage to the enemy, but at the same time, our four ships become useless..."
Crew members are finite. Furthermore, the distance to the Kingdom is vast. It requires a considerable number of trained crew members to operate a single ship. And they would all be incapacitated en masse.
Indeed, it is a serious flaw.
"But it has a merit! A strength that more than makes up for its weaknesses! Its power is immense!"
"It is not acceptable to concentrate excessive firepower on one ship! We asked for escort ships, not auxiliary ships! Please do not change our fleet plan for your hobbies!"
"I would have built an escort ship if we had the budget for it. Even the Alphonse was a stretch. Don't you think it's impossible to build a new escort ship, Minister of Maritime Affairs? Therefore, within our budget, I'm trying to get the best results."
"Who would want to be on a slow ship that can't do anything after firing the Raiteibolt? I don't want to make our precious subordinates targets!"
"They just need to fall back. It's not a big deal."
"You never know what will happen at sea! This is why I hate engineers!"
"Don't just complain! I would have built a perfect escort ship if we had the budget! Don't be extravagant when we have no budget!"
A war of words began between the two ministers. It was an ugly argument, even for ministers. However, the Empire could not afford to let the ships sit idle. Once built, we should consider how to make the best use of them.
Thinking this, I entered one of the auxiliary ships, leaving the squabbling ministers behind. The inside was more spacious than it looked from the outside. It was essentially a transport ship. It would have been great for transporting personnel, but the joint fleet's mission was to eliminate the Royal Navy. You could send as many personnel as you wanted by land.
The objective was at sea, so no matter how many ground forces you load, it was pointless. Besides, the ship was slow and a big target. It would be showered with concentrated fire before it got close.
"Hmm... This isn't the time to be held back by common sense..."
There was an idea, but I didn't know if it was possible. There was no time but to try, and there was a possibility that everything might fail. However, if possible, it could turn the tide of the naval battle in our favor.
"The strength lies in the abundant space. It's a large ship, so while it's slow, it's more stable than other ships. Furthermore, after the pre-emptive attack, it won't participate in the offensive."
The conditions were met. There was no choice but to try.
"Get the Hayabusa to the imperial capital. I request the dispatch of the Sixth Imperial Guard Knights under the authority of the acting Field Marshal. Minister of Maritime Affairs! Where is the flagship Alphonse right now?"
"Ah, yes! The Alphonse is currently sailing towards this port. Its exact location is unknown, but it is expected to arrive within a few days."
"Good. Minister of Technology. Can you quickly retrofit the auxiliary ships?"
"It depends on what you want to change."
"I want to change the interior. Make it as comfortable as possible."
"I don't see why not, but who do you plan on accommodating?"
"The Tenga. If possible, I'd also like a hatch that can be opened and closed. From now on, this auxiliary ship will be converted into an aircraft carrier. Of course, this depends on whether the Tenga can adapt to the ship."
Upon hearing my proposal, Gilespelger grimaced while Cuber's face lit up with interest. I knew I was suggesting something outrageous, but it was the only solution I had. The rest was to test it and see how it worked.
Tengas are living creatures. There must be things they like and dislike. I heard that the Allied Kingdom has ships for transporting flying dragons, but they are only for transportation. They are not intended for deployment at sea.
However, Fin and Nova were able to land on a ship. It's a different story for long voyages, but there is a possibility. In a planar naval battle, there would be nothing more advantageous than being able to attack from the air.
Combining this with Raiteibolt might allow us to eliminate the enemy fleet in one fell swoop.
"Be happy, Minister of Maritime Affairs. The age of the navy might be upon us."
With that, I smiled smugly.
TL's Notes:
Day 4 of plugging my discord
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