Chapter 125: Next

The battleship’s slow, broad rocking stirred Second Princess Emma’s sense of balance and invited seasickness.

“Phew…”

But a week and a half had passed since the voyage began.

“I think I’m getting used to it.”

After spending so long aboard the ship, Emma had finally begun to adapt.

“Your complexion is much better.”

“Yes… somehow. I wonder how many times I vomited.”

“Let’s not think about that.”

For a time, Emma had carried a bucket everywhere and spent her days exchanging it for another. After that fierce struggle, she was now merely a little pale. Compared with how she had started, it was a great improvement.

“Let’s discuss something else.”

There was no need to dwell on her seasickness, and I doubted she would return to vomiting constantly.

I kicked off the deck and floated into the air.

“Let’s practise flight magic.”

The ship’s movement didn’t affect the sky. In the worst case, remaining airborne would prevent seasickness entirely.

That was one reason I had taught Emma flight magic during the voyage. As a member of the royal family, she already possessed an excellent magical education, so learning it hadn’t been difficult. By the second day, she could already fly reasonably well.

“Again? I don’t need any more practice.”

“You may need it if a naval battle occurs.”

Whether her present ability would be useful in actual combat was another matter.

“Will it really be that important?”

“Of course. Air superiority had an overwhelming effect on the Western Front. There’s no reason it would be less important at sea.”

Eventually, battleships would become relics of an older age and aircraft carriers would take their place. Flight magic could perform many of the same functions as aircraft, so it would certainly matter in naval warfare.

“Although I don’t think you should be fighting personally, Your Highness.”

There was no reason for Emma to stand on the front line. A lieutenant general doing so belonged to an older era.

“That’s true. It would be strange for the commander to go to the front.”

“I’ll be the one going.”

“…Noah.”

If I entered battle, Emma would probably force herself to follow me. If her flight remained unsteady, she might truly be shot down. It was better to ensure she could use the magic properly.

“The enemy probably has no meaningful aerial force. Few people in the Friez Kingdom could use flight magic, and I doubt they had enough personnel to develop it for the navy.”

The Lunoa Kingdom hadn’t devoted much effort to naval warfare either because there had been no country it needed to fight seriously at sea.

A few minor engagements had occurred after the war began, but they amounted to little more than Friez ships attacking Lunoa patrol vessels. Since our vessels generally chose to withdraw rather than fight, neither side had much reason to strengthen aerial units for naval combat.

“We should assume that we can fight with air superiority entirely on our side.”

“I agree.”

“We’ll soon leave the territorial waters of the Orline Empire and approach the Muur Ocean. We may encounter ships from the Friez Kingdom.”

They might also have developed sensors capable of finding our fleet. There was no harm in strengthening the forces already available to us.

“I’ll continue teaching flight magic today—not only to you, but to everyone who seems capable of learning it.”

During the voyage, I had trained several sailors as well as Emma.

I looked across the deck and called to those who were free.

“Everyone taking flight-magic training, gather here!”

The sailors began assembling for another lesson.