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Chapter 7
She carefully folded the well-written letter into a neat square and slipped it into a blue envelope decorated with a dolphin.
After licking the edge of the envelope twice, she pressed it shut firmly.
“Hing… This is my favorite one!”
After a moment of hesitation, Claret finally stuck on her cherished Kitchen-Knife Bunny sticker. It was a huge decision.
“Miss! It’s time for school!”
As called from downstairs, As shouted.
“Mm-hm!”
Carrying her schoolbag and the letter, Claret came down into the living room.
“As, mail this for me!”
“You’re sending it to the Young Mistress?”
“Make sure it gets there as fast as possible!”
Claret slung her bag over her shoulder and tightly retied her slightly dirty sneakers.
“But where’s my sister?”
Claret asked.
“The Young Mistress has already left.”
After putting the letter into the bag slung over his shoulder, As bent down to retie Claret’s shoelaces once more.
“Ugh, she should’ve gone with me!”
Claret pouted, clearly sulking.
“She left early because an important guest is visiting. It’ll be like that for a while.”
“…Do you think maybe the Colonel is doing it just to bother her?”
“That’s not it.”
Outside, As wheeled out a bicycle. He seated Claret in the rear child’s seat and pushed the bike down a gentle slope.
“Miss, do you want the Young Mistress to marry that man?”
“Umm…”
Claret thought for a moment, then shook her head vigorously.
“I heard on the radio that bad men need to get roughed up a little first.”
So that man needs more roughing up too!
As inwardly swore he’d be more careful about letting her listen to the radio. She must have overheard last week’s broadcast: ‘A Divorced Husband’s Late Regret.’
The bike quickly reached the bottom of the slope. As mounted the saddle and began pedaling.
“But…”
Claret spoke into As’s back.
“Can I brag at school that my sister is dating him?”
“No, you can’t.”
“Then what can I brag about?”
“You can brag about that Kitchen-Knife Bunny gift you got the other day.”
“That’s too weak!”
Claret whined.
“Yesterday, Lily’s little uncle barged in asking for money, and then Lily’s mom beat him up! She said so!”
Pouting her lips in protest, she complained that she wanted to brag about something like that too.
‘…I wonder if the families around here are raising their kids properly.’
With that thought, As pedaled a little faster.
It was the start of another peaceful day.
The Royal Knights arrived only a single day after announcing they would visit for “exchange purposes.”
From the navy’s perspective, this was nothing short of an insult.
Leaving without notice and then sending word only afterward was bad enough—but the Knights’ sudden visit also threw the navy’s schedule into disarray.
On top of that, it was a subtle way of asserting superiority between organizations.
Considering that royal law explicitly stated all military organizations were equal under the king, this was a brazen discourtesy.
“Are all nobles like that?”
Reto asked as he gazed at the blue sea beyond the harbor.
“Now, now… how can you say such a thing?”
Beside him, Lieutenant Colonel Ice answered with a dry laugh. His sun-bronzed skin testified to years spent outdoors.
“General, you’re a noble yourself. The Oceanus family is a house so great that even the mighty Delrat can’t compare.”
“I’m sort of the cast-off son, though.”
“Please don’t say such unfilial things.”
Unsure how to respond, Ice just chuckled.
“Anyway, what’s our exalted Royal Knights doing now?”
“Warrant Officer Feast is probably entertaining them at the moment.”
Reto’s adjutant, Warrant Officer Feast, was reluctantly playing host to the unwanted guests.
“Hopefully he won’t burst into tears.”
“Feast? Why would he?”
“Our capital’s snobs, of course.”
“…Haha.”
Ice gave a tired laugh. He knew there was truth to that.
Reto then turned back toward his men.
“Is everyone here?”
Before him, his unit stood in formation. There were ten in total—twelve if you included Reto and Ice.
This was the entire Special Vessel Command under Navy Headquarters.
After roll call, Reto briefed them.
“New vessels have arrived.”
He gestured with his eyes toward six square cases lined up neatly.
The sturdy, black-coated cases looked, at first glance, like ordinary briefcases.
“Those I call will equip the new vessels. The rest will board the escort ship. Once aboard, observe the test run….”
“O merciful Mother in Heaven…!”
Ami crossed herself in fervent prayer.
“Please, let this poor maiden board the ship instead…!”
But unfortunately for her, she was among those selected.
“Damn gods.”
Carrying her case, Ami trudged back looking like a small-time investor who had just lost everything following a friend’s bad tip.
“Nothing we can do.”
Noah, also selected, sat down next to her and opened his case.
Inside lay what looked like protective gear made of dark iron—the new vessel.
“It just means your combat power is that valuable. Not many can pilot a submarine.”
“Wish they’d at least pay us more.”
“Greedy thing.”
Noah dismissed her grumbling and pulled out the equipment.
Round soles like snowshoes were strapped under his shoes, while guards were secured at his wrists, ankles, and knees.
After checking the fit, he lifted his leg high into the air.
‘Feels lighter than before.’
Standing up, he walked a few steps in place.
Yes, the design had been lightened. Noah was satisfied.
Once everyone finished equipping, the rest of the unit boarded the escort ship under Ice’s command. The refreshing splash of waves breaking against the bow filled the air.
“There’s a note from the Magic Tower.”
Reto, also suited up, addressed those who remained.
“The lighter weight makes balance harder to maintain.”
The men quickly memorized the warning.
“Submarine entry and stability will be trickier than before, so take care.”
Ami and another diver frowned.
“Once we rendezvous with the escort ship, vessels will follow its lead, and submarines will submerge on my signal at cruising speed.”
“Yes, sir!” the group shouted back.
“Captain Velo.”
Reto called out to Noah.
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you know Major General Flanchy?”
The sudden question startled him, but he nodded.
“Yes, I know of him.”
He raised an eyebrow as if to ask, Why such an obvious question? Reto’s expression stiffened slightly.
“He was Quartermaster General last year, wasn’t he?”
“You’ve never met him personally?”
Noah shook his head.
“Just saw him pass by twice, that’s all.”
“…”
“Is there a problem?”
“No.”
Though he brushed it off, unease lingered on Reto’s face.
“…”
But Noah simply observed in silence, choosing not to pry.
When he returned to his spot, Ami was grinning slyly, nose wrinkled.
“So? What’d he call you for? To confess his love?”
“Lieutenant Chitia, head down.”
“What, can’t I even joke?”
Though grumbling, Ami obediently bowed her head—then immediately popped back up.
“…We’ve always kept work and private matters separate, you know.”
Noah put on his comm device, a tiny earbud, and tapped it twice until static crackled. Then came a beep and a click.
Speaking into it, Noah said,
“Captain Noah Velo of Navy Headquarters’ Special Vessel Command, requesting comms check.”
After a pause, a familiar voice answered.
[Captain Velo, comms confirmed.]
It was Ice aboard the escort ship.
[We’re three nautical miles from HQ. I’ll transmit coordinates shortly. Once you launch, follow the route to rendezvous.]
After ending the call, Noah gave Reto a nod.
“All units!”
At the command, the squad lined up at the pier.
Far beyond the horizon, the sea glittered white. But the harbor waters were strangely dark—yet even in that murk, faint blue shimmered.
Then the men leapt into the sea.
Yet not one of them sank.
The Navy Headquarters was the supreme command of the navy.
Among its many divisions, the newest was the Special Vessel Command—nicknamed “SpecVess.”
Only thirteen elite members belonged to this unit.
It was the smallest force in the entire kingdom’s military, but since its founding it had achieved the most outstanding record in the shortest time.
“Every time I think about it…”
Ami admired her reflection shimmering on the sea’s surface.
“Magic really is incredible.”
The sight of herself walking calmly across the waves was like witnessing a divine miracle.
But this wasn’t some myth.
It was the fruit of the Magic Tower’s great “Explosion.”
“How did people a hundred years ago use this amazing power just to light fires and fight?”
“That’s exactly why the Advelo family is so great!”
Honess, who had crept closer, spoke with sparkling eyes.
“Thanks to the Tower Master from Advelo detonating the Tower, we have the world we do today!”
“…You sound a bit like a cultist.”
Noah looked at him with concern.
But the words were true.
Everything around them was the product of a century of revolution wrought by the Tower.
Magic had advanced from crude imitations of natural phenomena to applied arts that improved every aspect of life.
And in the Kingdom of Adelabor, no field of magic was more developed than the military.
The “personal vessels” the squad now wore were the pinnacle of that magical research.
The Special Vessel Command was a magical combat unit that fought using the advanced technology created by the Advelo family and the Tower.
