In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 257

Chapter 257: The Kukkoro Male Knight and Preparations for Waterborne Combat

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“An enemy attack?”

The moment I burst into the navigation command post of the Michael Collins, I shouted those words. Around us, the sound of the alarm bell was still ringing out continuously. The atmosphere was anything but ordinary.

Though it was called a command post, it was, in the end, just a small riverboat. It had a roof, at least, but aside from that it was completely exposed to the open air. In that cramped space, the captain and the other officers had gathered. Most of them had apparently been jolted awake by the alarm bell in the middle of their sleep, and many wore bleary, unfocused expressions.

“We’ve received a report that a group of unidentified small boats is approaching from upriver. At least five vessels have been confirmed, but since it’s nighttime… There are likely more we haven’t spotted.”

The one who delivered the report was the captain. She was a middle-aged dragonewt. She had once worked as a hired merchant-ship captain on the Sail River, the great river that flowed near the royal capital, until I personally headhunted her. Though she came from a civilian background, she was a remarkably tough individual with experience fending off river pirates (essentially the riverine version of sea pirates) on multiple occasions.

“Small boats, huh. If they’re coming straight at us, they’re probably not just fishermen.”

To begin with, there were no settlements belonging to the Liseben side around here. There was a ninety-percent chance the boats were being handled by elves.

“Can we evade them?”

“With our rigging, we should be faster than them. However, they must understand that as well. It’s likely they’ve set up some kind of trap downstream.”

As expected of someone with real combat experience, the captain’s situational judgment was polished and reliable. Thinking that she would be someone I could count on, I let out a small breath.

“This ship can move against the river current for a short time, correct?”

“Yes, Castellan-sama. It puts a heavy strain on the rowers and wind mages, so we can’t maintain it for long.”

Using magically generated wind to freely maneuver ships was a fairly common technique in this world. When combined with rowers who possessed the superhuman strength unique to demi-humans, it allowed for a great deal of mobility even on a river.

“…I don’t like the idea of dancing to the enemy’s tune. I’m thinking we deliberately push through head-on here… What do you think?”

“I think that would be splendid.”

With a grin, the captain adjusted the position of her tricorne hat. It was a level of nerve you wouldn’t expect from someone of civilian origin.

“Sonia, how’s the ground combat unit doing?”

“They’re in terrible shape from seasickness and lack of sleep because of it. A few are fine, but they’re a minority.”

When I asked Sonia, who had just entered the command post, that merciless answer came back. Well, soldiers from commoner backgrounds rarely rode ships in the first place. It might simply be unavoidable. Knights at least had some opportunities to ride riverboats during marches, but still…

That said, it was bad news that the ground combat unit wasn’t in fighting condition. Among the armaments mounted on this ship, the only thing usable against small boats was a single experimental 57-millimeter rapid-fire gun mounted near the bow. Being a prototype weapon, its reliability was practically garbage, and on top of that, it was still that time of day when the eastern sky was only just barely beginning to lighten. Even if we fired the main gun, I doubted it would be of much use.

That meant the only thing we could really rely on was rifle fire from the ground combat unit… Which was a problem. Still, even if they were seasick, they should at least be able to fire in the enemy’s direction. Even if they didn’t hit anything, suppressive fire would be good enough, right?

“Uru—Uru, are you there?”

After thinking for a moment, I shouted. Saying, “Yeah, yeah, what d’you want?”, a familiar crow bird-person poked her head in from the upper deck. She looked extremely sleepy.

“I’d like to issue a warning to those boats, at least… Is night flight difficult?”

Unfortunately, there were no electric loudspeakers in this world (megaphones did exist, at least). Giving a verbal warning to the approaching group of small boats would be difficult. Still, I really didn’t want to just open fire without a word. They hadn’t taken any overtly hostile action yet, after all. There was still the possibility they were just civilian vessels…

This was exactly the kind of situation where bird-folk should shine. They were agile enough to take off and land even on the small deck of the Michael Collins. If one of them could just make a quick hop to scout things out, it would simplify matters greatly, but…

“We do have good night vision, but… If it’s this dark, it’s tough. Worst case, I won’t know where I’m flying and I’ll end up smashing into the ground.”

“Spatial disorientation, huh…”

I couldn’t help but groan. Come to think of it, bird-folk flew using nothing but their own bodies, without altimeters or speedometers. Flying with poor visibility was basically equivalent to suicide. This was a problem.

“That said, we already put the word out telling Liseben ships not to interfere since we’re heading downriver. Anyone still coming closer after that can’t be a decent bunch.”

Rubbing her eyes repeatedly, Uru explained. She apparently wasn’t much of a morning person.

“No need for that fancy ‘warning’ crap. Just charge in and smash ’em without asking questions.”

…As expected of another world, there was no such thing as rules of engagement or ROE here. Still, among the “new” personnel aboard this ship, Uru was the highest-ranking one. If she was saying that, then firing without warning was probably acceptable. …Probably.

“Rowers and sail handlers are at their stations!”

A messenger rushed in and shouted the report. Not much time had passed since the alarm bell started ringing, yet battle stations were already complete. Of course, we had been wary of a night attack and had put the ship on alert beforehand, which played a big part. But even so, the ship’s original crew was impressively capable. Paying them that high wage had been worth it. …Well, the money hadn’t come out of my pocket, but rather Chancellor Adelaide’s.

“Excellent! …Castellan-dono, we will weigh the anchor. Is that acceptable?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

At present, the Michael Collins was facing downstream. However, there were no cannons mounted on the stern. If we dawdled like this, we’d end up getting hit from behind without being able to resist. That wouldn’t be amusing at all. We needed to set up an interception posture quickly.

When I nodded, the captain began barking orders to her subordinates in a sharp voice. As expected of a veteran, her command presence was rock-solid. It would be fine to leave the water battle to her.

After all, I had no experience with naval combat in either my previous life or this one. I was practically an amateur. I couldn’t risk confusing our allies with bad orders. Leaving it entirely to her was the only real option.

“Raise the anchor! Full speed ahead!”

Almost simultaneously with the specialized mages using wind magic to billow the sails, the rowers began swinging their oars in unison, voices raised together. With a faint creaking sound, the Michael Collins began to move forward…

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