CHAPTER 613: ONIWABAN

Editor: Tseirp

“It takes about three days one way from the Imperial Capital to the designated sea area.”

Myun, who had returned to the admiral’s quarters before Ryo and Abel boarded and set sail, spread a chart out and explained.

But his expression was dour.

“However, to be honest, we don’t really understand the island that was specified.”

“Huh?”

Ryo tilted his head at Admiral Myun’s words.

Abel also shook his head, as if he did not understand the meaning.

“We know the designated sea area. But there is no island around there.”

“What…?”

“The captain of the detachment flagship, Jun-Ka, whom you met earlier, said he didn’t know it either. Jun-Ka is one of the most experienced captains in the Darwei fleet. If even he doesn’t know it, it’s probably not an ordinary island.”

Captain Jun-Ka seemed a calm, capable captain in his mid-forties, roughly the same age as Admiral Myun.

He carried an air that made Ryo and Abel, upon first meeting him, instantly feel that this man could be trusted…

And the fact that Admiral Myun was explaining it this way suggested he truly was an excellent captain.

An island that even that captain didn’t know?

“It might be an island produced by magic or something.”

At Ryo’s words, Admiral Myun nodded without speaking.

Either way, it wasn’t an ordinary opponent.

The ghost ship Ruri was apparently well known even in Darwei.

But it was known as the legendary ghost ship that appears in stories.

No one who actually encountered it and lived to tell the tale has returned.

And this time, they had received a ‘challenge letter?’ from such a ghost ship?

In truth, Admiral Myun had a lot of question marks spinning around in his head.

That said, he understood what had to be done.

Deliver the two of them.

And return.

There were a number of reasons they had formed a fleet of twenty fast ships this time.

First, obviously, to reach the designated sea area as quickly as possible.

There was nothing to be gained by taking time.

Next, the people to be rescued are diplomatic delegations from two countries.

If the ships are intact, that’s fine, but if not, they must be transported back aboard this fleet.

That’s why the number twenty was necessary.

Warships don’t have much spare room to begin with.

Finally, as pointed out, all twenty are warships.

That’s because they don’t know what will happen when they arrive…

The letter delivered to Duke Rondo promised release, but… honestly, it was uncertain.

Preparing for the worst-case scenario was the admiral’s job.

If they were warships, they could handle whatever happened.

That was Admiral Myun’s thinking.

“I’d like to ask Duke Rondo something.”

“Yes—what is it?”

Since Ryo and Abel boarded, Admiral Myun had been addressing him as Duke Rondo.

When they were on the official vessel and in the Imperial Capital afterward he had used ‘Ryo’, but aboard ship he avoided that.

There were other Darwei military personnel here.

They had been assigned the duty of ‘conveying Duke Rondo’.

Therefore, Admiral Myun had decided to call him Duke Rondo.

“How confident are you, really, about this ghost ship Ruri…?”

“Ah… that’s very difficult to answer.”

Ryo said that and turned to Abel.

Abel shook his head too.

Indeed, they had won once.

But after the battle, the two of Ruri had said this:

“With these two opponents, this ‘vessel’ was too weak”; “Someday, we want to fight with the true body”.

In other words, given the right conditions, they could become much stronger.

And now, demanding a match even to the extent of snatching a diplomatic delegation probably meant those conditions had been met, and they could fight in a stronger state than before.

Ryo and Abel recognized it that way.

“Once you recover the hostages, leave the island. They probably won’t deliberately attack you or the hostages, but that island will become a battlefield. You can’t know what will happen on a battlefield.”

“…Understood.”

At Ryo’s words, Admiral Myun nodded.

As he had been told, it would likely become a battlefield.

Admiral Myun had crossed countless battlefields.

He knew painfully well that you never knew what would happen on a battlefield.

That was precisely why they had to be perfectly prepared.

If Ryo and the others who knew the ghost ship Ruri said so, following that was the most rational course.

Ryo and Abel were escorted away from Admiral Myun to the admiral’s cabin at the stern.

This time, the two were guests, and because the Emperor had ordered them to be entertained, the admiral’s cabin on the flagship was assigned to them.

“Ryo, you didn’t sleep last night, did you? Why don’t you rest?”

“No, there are still things I want to finish before we reach the island.”

Abel suggested he rest, but Ryo refused and produced his usual ice slab.

When Ryo took this out, it was usually for alchemy.

“You were doing alchemy last night too, weren’t you?”

“Yes. Last night’s was for the Rondo Manor.”

“Rondo Manor?”

“More precisely, for Friendship Token No.2-kun and the Rondo Manor Oniwaban Second Squad.”

“I understand Friendship Token No.2-kun, but… Oniwaban Second Squad?”

Ryo explained, and Abel tilted his head.

It was probably the first time he had heard the term.

“I placed ten golems under Friendship Token No.2-kun. They will operate as the Second Squad, acting under the command of the leader unit, No.2-kun.”

“Sorry, I don’t really get it.”

Ryo’s somewhat casual explanation didn’t make sense to Abel.

It couldn’t be helped.

Abel simply didn’t know the word ‘Oniwaban’.

“Are they called Oniwaban because the golems are cleaning the garden?”

“Well, yes, the original meaning comes from garden guards who normally did gardener-like work…”

The Oniwaban were secret agents who carried out intelligence work under the direct orders of the shogun in the Edo shogunate.

In period dramas, they are sometimes portrayed as ninjas of the shogunate, depicted as performing sabotage like spies… but in reality, it’s unclear.

There are no surviving records, so that’s only natural.

Generally, it is said they were established during the era of the eighth shogun, Yoshimune… portrayed in period dramas as the rowdy shogun.

In practice, they weren’t ninjas as depicted in dramas but a post that conducted regional inspections like inspectors and patrolled the city of Edo…

Well, in truth, they were called Oniwaban because they watched over the gardens of Edo Castle, so since the golems at the Rondo Manor also watch the garden, calling them Oniwaban is probably correct… or at least it must be.

“Friendship Token No.2-kun is also a leader unit like Advance Notice Officer No.1-kun. I placed ten golems under No.2-kun. They will operate as the Oniwaban Second Squad under No.2’s orders.”

“I see… you said they don’t have combat ability, but maybe someday those things will conquer the world.”

“That would be wonderful! A world ruled by desireless golems would surely be a peaceful world. Far better for the world than creatures like humans, soaked in desire.”

Ryo said that somewhat happily.

Without a doubt, what would be born would be a dystopia… some dark world ruled by machines.

Abel shook his head slightly.

Three days later, the detachment fleet arrived at the scheduled sea area.

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