The Bernstein had successfully cleared the Celuroa Kingdom and was continuing its voyage smoothly.
By December 15, they reached the waters of the Kingdom of Egerea, and a sense of relief began to settle over the crew.
"Lunch is ready!"
Kleia, who was on cooking duty, called out to the ship.
"Oh, lunch time."
"Honestly, eating is the only thing we have to look forward to out here."
For the first day or two after leaving port, the crew had been tense with nerves or moved by the novel sights, but after five days at sea, they had grown a bit weary of the unchanging scenery.
(I'll need to prepare some forms of entertainment for when they’re off duty, then.)
Rodrigo, who was on board as a shipwright, diligently noted down every observation.
(Improving the variety of the meals might also be a good move.)
With these thoughts in mind, he headed to the galley, where half the crew had already gathered.
The tables and chairs were semi-fixed, designed to prevent them from sliding even when the ship rocked.
"Oh, soft bread today? It's been a while."
Hardtack was the standard fare, so soft bread was a rare treat.
"I baked it myself," Kleia said, puffing out her flat chest with pride.
"Whoa, that’s impressive!"
"I guess Kleia really is a woman after all."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
As the sole female on board, Kleia was popular with the crew.
Normally, such a situation might have invited trouble, but thanks to her petite stature—standing only 145 centimeters tall and weighing 39 kilograms—not a single man viewed her as an adult woman despite her being twenty-one years old. It was a fortunate circumstance for everyone involved.
(I must also pay attention to the gender balance of the crew in the future.)
Rodrigo found himself looking out for Kleia, as she was around the same age as his daughter, Marcia.
"Oh, this is delicious!"
"Of course it is!"
For tasks like boiling and simmering, they used magic stoves developed by Jin. Since these didn't use an open flame, the risk of fire was significantly reduced.
Naturally, deep-frying with oil was strictly forbidden.
Consequently, the menu was limited by necessity. However, when Kleia was on duty, the meals were always creative, and the crew genuinely looked forward to them.
"Kleia, that was wonderful. Thank you."
"It was my pleasure."
Rodrigo gave Kleia a nod and left the galley, heading up to the deck.
The afternoon sun sparkled off the waves, creating a brilliant, dazzling glare.
(We need some form of sun protection to shield the eyes from the glare.)
Rodrigo jotted down the necessity of eye protection in his notes.
Naturally, Captain Lugaria Gascal von Alcois was also busy identifying areas for improvement.
"It would be beneficial to have lights at the ports. It would allow us to confirm our position at night."
In essence, he was thinking of lighthouses. Since they were navigating along the coast, such landmarks would be highly effective.
He also listened to and compiled the opinions of the crew, intending to submit them all in a formal report later.
"Could we use blinking lights for simple communication?"
"During the day, how about raising signal flags?"
Many ideas surfaced during the voyage, and various improvement plans were proposed.
The necessity of what would be called tugboats in the modern era. Emergency braking using Jet Thrusters for rapid stops. Distress signals.
For the time being, they focused on identifying every need they could find, leaving the question of implementation for later. It was an effective approach.
Unintentionally, they were performing a process very similar to the brainstorming used during the development of new ships on Earth.
＊ ＊ ＊
They were not always blessed with clear skies; there were days of foul weather as well. On those days, they would drop anchor in deep water close to the shore and wait it out.
While a bay or inlet would have been safer, the Bernstein’s stability was excellent even in rough conditions, as it lacked sails or masts that would be caught by the wind.
Finally, on December 18, they arrived at the Kingdom of Egerea's largest port town, Narnekka.
Narnekka's port was situated within a small bay where the waters were calm and deep, making it an ideal anchorage for the Bernstein.
Furthermore, a pier had been constructed in a rush to welcome the Shouro Empire's new vessel, allowing the crew to set foot on solid ground for the first time in nine days.
Unlike the sailors of modern Earth, these men were accustomed to spending at most two nights at sea, so their joy was easy to imagine.
Everyone except for the Captain and the shipwright, Rodrigo, went ashore with delight, heading into the town of Narnekka.
"The Captain has a difficult job, doesn't he?"
Outside of official duties, Rodrigo and Captain Lugaria had become quite friendly, often speaking casually since they were the same age.
"Ah, tell me about it. Are you not going with them?"
"In the past, I ruined my life with alcohol, women, and gambling. I've learned my lesson."
"Ah, right. One of your reasons for this trip was to see your daughter in Port Rock, wasn't it?"
"Yes. Though I don't know if she'll ever forgive me."
"I have two daughters back home myself... Being in the military, I rarely see them for more than a month out of the year. Even so, they are precious to me, and they look up to me as their father. That's just the nature of blood ties."
"I hope you're right."
Just then, a loud voice rang out.
"Messenger! Messenger! Is anyone here!?"
"...What is it?"
The Captain and Rodrigo stepped out together. Standing at the end of the pier was a man dressed in the military uniform of the Kingdom of Egerea.
"I am the Captain. What is your business?"
The messenger saluted.
"Sir! I am Workers, of the Kingdom of Egerea's 1st Ritter Squad! I have brought a personal letter from my King, His Majesty Harold Luan Autoclase-Egerea!"
"What? A personal letter from the King of Egerea?...I appreciate your effort."
Though he was a mere captain with the military rank of lieutenant colonel, Lugaria opened the letter addressed to him with trepidation. Inside, it read:
'In celebration of the success of this new vessel and the voyage which stands as the first great achievement of the Allied Kingdoms, I wish to host a welcoming ceremony tomorrow, the 19th.'
In the interest of deepening the friendship between their nations, there was no reason to refuse. He entrusted the waiting messenger, Workers, with his humble acceptance of the invitation.
＊ ＊ ＊
The ceremony was neither overly grand nor excessively simple, maintaining an atmosphere of sturdy elegance throughout.
The capital of Asunt was about sixty kilometers away in a straight line, and the entire party was astonished when the King himself arrived by hot air balloon, accompanied by the Queen.
On the other hand, since no ship in the Kingdom of Egerea exceeded ten meters in length, the forty-meter Bernstein became the absolute center of attention.
Furthermore, when the engineers of the Kingdom of Egerea witnessed the Jet Thrusters that allowed the ship to move without the aid of sails or oars, they could not suppress their sighs of awe.
＊ ＊ ＊
On December 20, having refreshed their spirits, the crew boarded the Bernstein as it departed from Narnekka.
They shifted their course, which had been headed east, toward the south. Their goal was the Elias Peninsula.
That day, they anchored at Port Nefotzo in the Nord Province of the Kingdom of Elias.
The next day they reached Port Conjol, and the day after that, Port Mougs.
Finally, on the 23rd, the Bernstein arrived at its final destination: Port Rock.
A welcoming ceremony had been prepared at the harbor, and a massive crowd of spectators had gathered, determined not to miss this historic moment.
"...Where is Marcia?"
Rodrigo searched the crowd for his daughter's face. No matter how many years had passed, he could never forget the face of his beloved daughter.
However, despite his desperate search, he could not find her.