Battleship [Alberto]
The only seagoing vessel of the Royal Guard, crowned with the name of the previous King. She was the flagship of the kingdom’s naval forces. She was similar in form to the flagship of the combined fleet during the Battle of Tsushima, the Mikasa. She was propelled not by internal combustion engines, but drawn by two sea dragons lined up like a horse drawn carriage. However, now that she was on land, there was obviously no sign of sea dragons who live in the sea. Also, she currently had a total of four main cannons on its fore and aft. Those were the cannons that assaulted the Crimson Dragon Castle just now. Now that the battleship had been brought to land, she had become an artillery battery.
KABOOOM!!!
Another four shells were fired onto the Crimson Dragon Castle.
“Guh … ridiculous! Why is the Alberto here on dry land!?”
[Don’t underestimate the Royal Guard’s transport capabilities. A single Rhinousaurus could pull a battleship with ease if you put wheels underneath]
“You dispatched a battleship on land!?”
What an outrageous idea. Castor felt like he was seeing the Devil. If Castor was a little more of a modern person well acquainted with weaponry, he would have thought the battleship was simply being used like a railway gun¹. However, to a person in this world where the idea of a railway gun simply didn’t exist yet, Soma’s action was like the work of the gods or the devil.
¹ A normally difficult to move large cannon made capable of being hauled long distances by mounting it on a train.
“You … what are you!”
[An ordinary human being. A powerless man on the streets who desperately racks his brains out]
“Kuh, don’t make fun of me!”
[I’m not making fun of you, Castor. I’m just angry]
As he said that, Soma’s eyes turned serious.
“Hmph! Because I won’t follow you?”
[No, because you are just being manipulated²]
“Huh? What are you talking …”
[Everyone is. Including me. We’re all being manipulated some way or another. But I’m going to dance by my own will. Unlike you who only dance because you were carried by the flow]
“What, what are you talking about!”
² «TN: odosareru: being manipulated / being made to dance»
“No need to put up with the enemy’s nonsense, father!”
Carla interjected in between Soma and Castor.
She then turned towards Castor and said
“Father! It seems that the castle’s attacks came only from the battleship Alberto! I will lead the wyvern units and silence that battleship!”
“Wait, Carla! We still don’t know if there are any more traps somewhere!”
“Which is why I will be going! Father should stay in the castle, just in case!”
Carla flew away, not listening to Castor.
Castor clicked his tongue.
“Damnations. She wouldn’t listen to me when I tell her to stop. Just who does she take after?”
“… You can say that again. I’d like to see what her parents look like”
Tolman said sarcastically, but Castor didn’t have the spare energy to pay it any mind.
“Please Tolman. Watch Carla so she doesn’t do something reckless”
“… I suppose it can’t be helped. I shall take my leave then”
Tolman chased after Carla. Left alone in the room, Castor glared at Soma’s face in the monitor.
“Wyverns are coming your way as we speak. We will have you shed your skin of disguise!”
[Skin of disguise … is it?]
However, Soma only reacted to Castor’s declaration with a faint smile.
[It’s not exactly skin … but the golden cicada has shed its shell]³
³ «TN: Sun Tzu’s thirty-six stratagems number 21, Slough off the cicada’s golden shell. Leave off one’s distinctive traits behind and become inconspicuous»