The mysterious ships were currently underway, heading toward either the Jagus Principality or the Darato Principality.
"Laojun, even assuming their goal is military intimidation, do you think they'll actually attack?"
"Yes, My Lord. There is a high probability of that."
Laojun explained the reasoning behind its assessment.
"All three vessels are fully armed. I believe we should decide our course of action based on that assumption."
"Figures."
If they prepared countermeasures and it turned out to be nothing more than a friendly visit, they would only have wasted some effort. But if they did nothing and came under a sudden assault, there was no telling how severe the casualties might be.
"All right, let's deploy the battleship Hotaka Kai along with the special cruisers Azusa, Yodo, and Katsura."
Jin decided to dispatch one additional cruiser.
"Understood. We shall deploy them via transporter, correct?"
"That's the only way we'll get them there in time."
"Where should they hold on standby?"
"Until we know where those guys are headed, it's tough to pick a spot."
"Then for the time being, let us position them twenty kilometers offshore."
"Yeah, let's go with that."
Using their barrier projectors, the special cruisers could reach a maximum speed of two hundred kilometers per hour, which should easily outpace the three incoming vessels.
"Also, aircraft... Have twenty Albatross units prepped for sortie."
"Understood."
The Albatross was a single-engine, single-seat aircraft with a top speed of six hundred kilometers per hour. Its standard armament consisted of two laser cannons. As of the year 3901, Hourai Island possessed one hundred of these planes.
Every unit had since been retrofitted with a barrier projector, granting them the ability to hover stationary in midair.
Jin believed that deploying aircraft against surface vessels was the superior tactical choice.
"And just in case the absolute worst happens, let's get the Adriana prepped for launch too."
"Understood."
"Though it'd be best if we never have to use her."
"Indeed."
With preparations complete, all Jin could do was wait.
"Heheheh. At long last, our ambition will be realized."
"Indeed. Shall we strike the Darato Principality first?"
"No, let us target the Jagus Principality."
"And why is that?"
"Comparing the two, the Jagus Principality boasts greater military might."
"I see. Crushing the strongest nation first."
"Precisely. Though we call them strong, there is no way they can contend with us."
"True enough."
"Trampling their strongest nation underfoot will serve as an object lesson to the other three principalities."
"Splendid."
"It appears they are conversing, but I cannot pick up the audio..."
The Peeper could not capture sound.
If the targets were human, lip-reading could provide the gist of their exchange. But when automata or golems communicated via internal transceivers, that approach was useless.
Even Laojun had its technical limitations.
There was an invisible eavesdropping magi-craft known as the Magi-mic, but since there was no guarantee it would function against these adversaries, Laojun opted not to deploy it.
And so, time slipped away...
On September 8th at 6:00 AM local time, three large vessels appeared off the coast of the Jagus Principality.
Word was rushed immediately to the royal capital, Jagus Region.
"What? Suspicious vessels?"
The moment Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus received the report, he issued an immediate decree.
"This is a state of emergency!"
While a rather knee-jerk reaction, in this instance it worked to their favor.
"Right away, Your Grace!"
Chancellor Pringles Kubo ordered Minister of Military Affairs Buena Haiti to mobilize their forces.
Under a state of emergency, the Minister of Military Affairs held command over the entire armed forces, excluding only the Royal Guard.
Minister of Military Affairs Buena Haiti was forty years old. He had thinning blonde hair, determined gray eyes, and a stocky build. He was fiercely loyal, yet calculating.
Buena Haiti rode hard from the capital of Jagus Region to the seaside town of Laralg.
Spurring his horse at a gallop, he arrived in thirty minutes. By the time he climbed the watchtower, breathless, he could see the three ships anchored roughly three kilometers offshore.
"Hmm... Who in the world are they?"
He questioned the lookout on duty, only to receive a frustrating reply.
"Unknown, sir. They are maintaining complete silence."
"Mmm... They may be trying to rattle us with silent intimidation."
Buena Haiti glared at the distant ships.
"They are made of metal, and each is easily a hundred meters long."
Just then, laboratory director Rokou B. Sihalo came rushing up the tower.
"Minister, I heard mysterious vessels have appeared."
"Yes. Look for yourself."
"Oh..."
Rokou B. Sihalo took the telescope and grimaced.
"...That is quite an impressive level of technology."
"You think so?...Hypothetically speaking, if it comes to battle, do we have any chance of victory?"
"I believe we do."
"Oh?"
Rokou B. Sihalo laid out his reasoning.
"Being so large, their maneuverability is bound to be poor. Our vessels are thirty meters long, far more nimble."
"Indeed."
"If we confound them with our agility and launch coordinated wave attacks, a path to victory exists."
"I see."
Since the assessment aligned closely with his own thoughts, Buena Haiti nodded in satisfaction.
"However, there is one critical issue."
"And what would that be, Minister?"
"Our lack of firepower. Or rather, our insufficient offensive capability....How do you propose we breach that armor?"
"...A-A fair point."
Both men shared the grim consensus that ordinary firepower would never pierce those hulls.
And because the enemy ships were not wooden, setting them ablaze with fire-attribute magic was out of the question.
"Do you think a Flame Lance could punch a hole through them?"
"...It would be difficult," Rokou B. Sihalo replied bitterly.
"Which means standard arrows won't stand a chance either. We would need proper siege engines for something like this."
Both Rokou B. Sihalo and Buena Haiti fell into deep thought, racking their brains for a viable plan.