CHAPTER - III (part 2)

JULY 12, UNIFIED YEAR 1927, THE INNER SEA FRONT

The Imperial Navy Inner Sea submarine units were originally outfitted to the same standard as the rest of the fleet.

In other words, the torpedoes they had been allotted weren't useful for anything at all. That they could speak of that in the past tense was good news both for them and the developer of the torpedoes.

A dramatic improvement in fuses meant a huge drop in absolute nonsense like landing direct hits with duds, explosions upon launch, and magnetic fuses that zip straight past the enemy fleet.

The eels have finally evolved into the torpedoes the submarine department has been waiting for. But even with such good news, it wasn't as if the standard-issue torpedoes became a silver bullet.

They're average weapons, nothing special.

Though not terribly fast, they prioritized mechanical reliability, and they were electric driven, which was an excellent design choice for manufacturing efficiency. They would be injected into the eager Inner Sea for use in commerce raiding.

Naturally, that meant the submarines deployed there would also be engaged in hunting merchant ships. But the situation was changing…just a bit. That's how it seemed to the veteran crews.

The first sign they noticed was strange orders from the higher-ups to make

"repairs."

For some time now, they had been getting told to fit their subs with huge, mysterious attachments. Surprisingly, their protests that it would impact their speed underwater were ignored, and the dry-dock crews went ahead making the "special modifications" as strictly and decisively instructed.

When they saw the result, it was only natural that even more captains were firmly, dramatically against having them on their ships. Despite that, the submarine units, in a rare move, were forced to go along without any explanation besides the fact that it was "orders."

It was only a matter of time before What the hell is this? became a new shared greeting.

For better or worse, only the passengers and the crew of the mother ship submarine knew the truth. To come out and say it, they were for the new weapons. These modifications made it possible to carry the V-2. The consensus of all the crew members who were informed of the plan was invariably These guys have lost their marbles.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't only them. The aerial mages to be loaded into them agreed wholeheartedly. To be perfectly blunt, even the Technical Arsenal engineers were dubious.

The only one brimming with confidence was the inventor.

So while a great many people, including the submarine crews, questioned the sanity of the project with questions like, You're really doing this? Chief Engineer Schugel led the Technical Arsenal in equipping the submarines with the massive, unwieldy attachments. They were even kind enough to give the subs an elated send-off with three cheers, sure that they would work exactly as designed.

It was the kind of send-off that really made you feel like not doing your job.

If at that moment, the Commonwealth Jabos had sprayed the wharf with machine-gun fire and blown the engineers away, I would have given them three cheers.

The daydream was a bit too pro-enemy to be having on board a warship, but that just showed how much mental pressure Tanya was under at the time of their departure.

She had gotten distracted, staring gloomily at the wharf; even I was surprised how absentminded I was. Before there was any time to realize,

they were at sea.

I mean, subs are slow.

They don't cruise much faster than ten knots. To an aerial mage who regularly travels at speeds with another digit added on, they're unbearably slow. It takes quite a while to get far enough out to sea that the scenery changes.

But that's not the only thing bothering her.

The most perplexing thing of all is that despite the operation having just begun, everything is going according to schedule. The troops mix in with the on-duty personnel, providing lookout support.

"…I don't think we've ever been this on schedule."

With a wry smile, I look out at the open water to see the beautiful blue. It's leisurely enough that I can find the time to appreciate how relaxing it is to watch the spray of the sub's wake.

How utterly puzzling it is to be on time. It's so strange and unnerving, as someone who until recently had irregular playdates with Commies in the vast open plains of the east.

"We're but a speck in the great big blue. Well, I guess we're a group of subs so more like a pack of specks. The sea is entirely too vast."

The eastern front was vast, too, but the Inner Sea feels even more so. Search and destroy submarine missions are a classic example of something easier said than done. Even Tanya, who has participated in a number of submarine operations and been on enough sub rides to not look forward to another, can't hide the fact that the idea of searching for enemies in a sub seems a bit comical.

Not that anyone's disparaging submarines. They're perfectly capable of locating and attacking enemies. I'm well aware of how effective they are as weapons. With the Aals improved to the point where they detonate properly, imperial submarines can be considered a legitimate threat to the Commonwealth fleet now.

If there's a problem, it's the orders expecting the submarines to do the lion's share of destroying enemy ships. Even the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was obsessed with fleet subs, didn't try to force those kinds of expectations on their submariners until they were under so much pressure it wouldn't have been strange if their heads exploded.

Submarines can't be used like aerial and armored divisions, but…the

infantry-minded General Staff Office seems to have them confused with some kind of mobile strike force.

The Imperial Japanese Navy's interdiction strategy, often criticized as being dogmatic, was about weakening the enemy's naval forces, not completely destroying anything. They never claimed they were going to gain total control of the waves.

If the General Staff is calmly ordering us to search and destroy the enemy naval forces, then they've clearly lost it. Or maybe not.

Staff officers are overly specialized in land war. In other words, they're extra-smart army guys. If you think of sea power as land power, there are going to be some goofy orders flying around.

Although all Tanya can think is, Are you stupid? Though it's insolent to say so, she can't avoid feeling dissatisfied.

Land and sea are connected, but they're different worlds.

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The only ones who can look out at the sea from land and give orders are admirals who intimately know what it's like out there.

Most of the geniuses at General Staff HQ don't know the first thing about the sea. It's terrifying to think about, but… I realize with a gasp that naval tactics weren't even taught at the war academy.

Tanya has built up a decent wealth of military knowledge after going through the academy and the war college. Even if it only holds for within the Empire, it's probably fair to say she has a better education than most.

That only emphasized the point that even if the curriculum was crammed into an accelerated time frame, it should have instilled in her everything the military thought a career soldier needed to know.

Yet, all I know about maritime battles comes from the remnants of my past self who lived in peaceful modern-day Japan, plus what little I've gleaned while on joint operations with the Imperial Navy.

I haven't received any systematic education on naval doctrine.

"…Even the staff trips were always to mountains, hills, or plains." As I grumble, I can only shake my head. In fact, it's entirely possible that I know more about naval battles than…any of the other staff or magic officers. "What in the…? This is a travesty. Also, that being my area of expertise brings me no joy."

Being good at one's job is a selling point. But there are also times that your specialty can be a curse. For example, like right now.

"I have to do this, but the reality that I have to do this sucks." Tanya lowers her voice so the sailors near her can't hear and moans, a dismal expression on her face. But though I'm gazing at the sea, my mind remains desperate.

Why did this happen? How did it come to this?

"Haaah." It happens the moment her umpteenth sigh dissipates into the ultramarine sky.

"Telegram! It seems one of the Sixteenth Air Fleet's scout planes has located the enemy!"

The first report of a sighting. She can't decide if she had been waiting for the news or if she had been wishing it would never come.

Either way, it's intel on their prey. The submarine's crew perks up slightly.

"The enemy fleet's been spotted! The enemy fleet's been spotted!" Of course, when it comes to work, I can switch gears easily enough. "Colonel, Captain Barchet is calling you."

"Tell him I'll be right there!"

As soon as I receive the sailor's message, I set off running. I suppose it's lucky that the narrow submarine corridors that would slow an adult man down don't get in my way at all.

I nimbly weave my way straight to the captain. "Captain, I heard about the telegram."

"Sorry to summon you like this, Colonel."

Rank-wise he's a major, but he's in charge of the boat as its captain. Plus, he's from the navy. It's too complicated to get into the nitty-gritty of rank hierarchy.

"No worries, Captain Barchet. After all, I'm merely getting a lift; you're the captain. It's only natural to prioritize the host's concerns. Don't give it another thought."

"Thank you. Well then, Colonel Degurechaff, here it is." As he speaks, he hands her the transcript of the message.

Upon skimming the document, Tanya nods with a small motion. A squadron of enemy ships. It's almost certainly our target. That must be them

—no mistake.

"…At the least, a group of warships that includes a few capital ships or cruisers. Two that are possibly heavy cruisers, four that are destroyers or light cruisers. No aircraft carriers."

But that makes me feel like something is slightly off. If this is the enemy's formation, it's strange…

"No aircraft carriers? That's odd. Given the way the Commonwealth usually operates, I would expect there to be an aircraft carrier in the vicinity. Could there be a mistake?"

"I'd maybe say they could have been mistaken if there were some oil tankers in the report, but I don't think anyone would mix up a major warship and a carrier. If there isn't one, that sounds like great news to me…"

Tanya nods in response to Barchet's comments, but she isn't satisfied and cocks her head. The importance of aircraft carriers can't be taken lightly.

They rule the sea.

"Certainly. That said, at the moment, we can assume we just haven't found

it yet."

"Yes, it's important to do a thorough search; however—and maybe I'm not saying this the right way, but…if our reconnaissance planes aren't being dogged by enemy direct support fighters, then isn't that circumstantial evidence that they aren't present?"

True, the canaries are singing safe and sound. If the reconnaissance crafts are able to carry out their mission without harassment, I can see how that would indicate there's no carrier nearby.

Carrier-based aircraft are tricky opponents. Generally speaking, carriers are also manned with a ton of marine mage units, so the absence of a carrier is something she can be truly happy about.

"…So we can really say there's no enemy aircraft carrier?" "We shouldn't let our guard down, but I think it's safe to hope." Tanya smiles as she agrees.

"I suppose we'll find out once we make contact."

After all, advance intel is all unconfirmed anyhow. If we had the ability to see across the entire battlefield, it would be the first innovation in military science since Clausewitz.

Alas, we're stuck in the company of the irritating fog.

"There's no sense stacking speculations atop more speculations. Let's just see what happens."

"Indeed, Colonel."

"All right, please take us to them."

"On it. We may just be deliverymen, but we'll do what we can. Shall we launch some of the old internal combustion models or the new electric ones as dummies after you all launch?"

Barchet's question makes me pause for a moment as I think on it.

He must be offering out of kindness, but I'm not sure what to make of it. Would the enemy really miss a pile of torpedoes streaming toward them, even if they're battery powered?

How does the navy conceptualize submarine stealth during an operation like this?

"The conditions at sea depend on the sky, I suppose. What's the weather forecast like?"

"Fair or slightly cloudy. I'm sure the sea won't get choppy."

"In that case…" Tanya shakes her head, refusing the captain's kindness.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, we can't afford to risk the boat that's supposed to be keeping a record of our achievements. It won't look very good to go back with no idea of what we accomplished."

Achievements are used to rationalize everything.

If it comes down to it, we have permission to enter Ildoa, but…whether or not we get results will change how our nation treats us after everything is said and done. If we stray into Ildoa having accomplished nothing, it's easy to imagine that the Empire's prestige will take a hit.

Though to avoid trouble, I'd prefer to avoid Ildoa entirely after the strike.

This is for a different reason than the domestic one.

That is to say, Ildoa, our ally, is awfully neutral for an ally.

If someone from a belligerent state came fluttering in, they might be taken prisoner without any questions asked. Personally, I feel it's worth considering being detained by this "strictly neutral power" if it meant I could secure my safety for the remainder of the war.

But given the strange relationship between Ildoa and the Empire at the moment, I'm not sure it would work out. It's possible we would merely end up being traded as a bargaining chip.

There's nothing safe about that.

It's difficult to see the long-term implications, but short and medium term, it's highly likely that it would negatively affect my status in the Empire.

Considering the current situation…Tanya should only run to Ildoa once every other option is exhausted.

Oh, right. We were ordered to show Ildoa we mean business.

Violence is usually said to cause trouble, but the truth is, that depends on the time and place. It's better for a belligerent power to be feared than taken lightly. Surely that's the essence of Machiavellianism.

"…A chain is quite something."