When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 163

Episode 163

Immediately after Jez unleashed his full-powered strike at the Salal River, the monster carcasses densely packed near the dock vanished without a trace, clearing a path all the way across the river. 

The immense power had even caused the water surface to churn violently, but the ship wasted no time and departed from the Capricia dock at full speed. The magic engines roared loudly as it surged into the open sea.

Jez, having completed his attack, collapsed quietly to the ground. He was still in the same posture from his strike. 

“Jez!?”

Erin, who was close by, caught and supported him. The amount of magical energy Jez had channeled and released all at once was so great that it was surprising he wasn’t physically shattered. It was almost inconceivable that he could remain intact given the power involved.

“Yeah, for an impromptu technique, it wasn’t bad, right?”

Victor commented casually while watching the Queen Amentis III speeding along the river. Erin shot a glare at Victor, while Seraphina shrugged and Miriam lightly tapped Victor on the head.

The improvisational combined technique had, as expected, been Victor’s idea. Over the past few months, Victor had learned each other’s skills and abilities. He executed a technique that yielded the best possible result for the situation.

Using magic collaboratively among several people is rare, but the synchronization of magical power and its handling are extremely difficult. It usually requires some form of magical tools for assistance.

However, this technique was realized thanks to Seraphina, a high-level holy magic user, Erin, who could use healing magic, and Miriam and Victor, who were skilled in handling magical energy. It was only possible because of Jez’s unique constitution.

Victor was thoroughly satisfied with the successful outcome. Jez, however, had endured more physical strain than anticipated and was in no condition to repeat such a technique.

They had done everything they could. The crew of the Queen Amentis III had understood the plan and managed to depart safely. Now, it was up to the professional soldiers.

As an aside, Victor was struck by a mysterious inspiration while observing Jez’s performance and the power of the attack, and how it was executed while still in a tuxedo. This inspiration would eventually lead to the development of the world-shaking conceptual armament “Bureaucrat Series” ten years later. At this moment, even Victor had no inkling of its future implications.

・　・　・

The Queen Amentis III sped through the turbulent waters at breakneck speed. On a typical ship, advancing at such high speed through rough waves would be impossible.

However, the latest ship bearing the name of the founding hero defied that impossibility. The secret lay in the ship’s hull structure.

In reality, this ship, nearing 300 meters in length, was a high-speed jetfoil equipped with underwater wings. 

(Note:

Boeing 929 Jetfoil)

When in passenger mode, the Queen Amentis III used standard magical engines and was maneuvered with screws and rudders like a regular ship. 

However, in battle mode, the ship deployed underwater wings from its hull. The engines switched to more powerful military-grade magical engines. This allowed it to achieve high-speed maneuvers by jetting out the water it had taken in.

In passenger mode, the Queen Amentis III traveled at about 20 knots, roughly 30 to 40 kilometers per hour. This speed was not slow by any means.

But in battle mode, it could reach speeds of about 40 knots as a jetfoil, approximately 80 kilometers per hour.

A massive 300-meter-long iron behemoth hurtling across the water at 80 kilometers per hour was a formidable weapon in itself. 

As the Queen Amentis III departed from the Capricia dock, it crushed numerous monsters in its path while continuing its high-speed advance. Additionally, it unleashed dozens of magical cannons from both sides, overwhelming the monsters with its tremendous firepower.

The latest and most advanced ship of the Tashman Kingdom, the Queen Amentis III, lived up to its name as a ship worthy of the founding hero. Its firepower was reminiscent of the legendary crossing of the Salal River by Queen Amentis with overwhelming firepower.

Jez, watching the scene from the dock, could only exclaim in disbelief:

“A 300-meter-class ship as a jetfoil? That’s insane.”

“Hmm? Jez, you know about jetfoils?”

According to Victor, who overheard Jez’s muttering, it turns out that the ship is heavily associated with the Alchemis family. The designer of the Queen Amentis III is Marquis Byron Alchemis, Victor Alchemis’ father and the leading engineering expert of the era.

While Byron Alchemis might be somewhat outside the mainstream of alchemy, he excels in engineering, architecture, civil engineering, shipbuilding, and more. Although Jez had heard of him by name, Byron Alchemis is a genius with a reputation for eccentricities and questionable rumors.

The saying among those who know the Alchemis family is that “like father, like son.”

Years ago, the ship was built based on a royal request, with Byron Alchemis pouring his knowledge, skill, enthusiasm, and funding into the creation of the Queen Amentis III. It was clear that such a ship could not be an ordinary vessel.

As Victor explained this while Jez continued to observe the massive ship in action, he detected a very high magical energy response around the pool deck where Jez and the others had been playing the day before. Using the binoculars borrowed from Victor, Jez looked in that direction and saw something astonishing.

The pool floor suddenly cracked, draining the water and revealing a massive, large-caliber magical cannon far surpassing other artillery. Jez muttered, “Is that a Thunderbird or what?” His assessment was not off.

(Note:

A Thunderbird)

The Queen Amentis III, charging across the Salal River, maneuvered its enormous bulk. It rapidly drifted on the water while aiming at the large monsters offshore. 

Then, a tremendous explosion and shockwave rocked the world. It surpassed even the earlier attack by Jez and the others, and a pillar of light appeared over the Salal River.

The Queen Amentis III’s main gun, “Sphinx’s Fang,” unleashed a divine strike that shattered all threats.