Chapter 150: Discovery

“…The weather is almost disgustingly nice.”

The sunlight was intense.

Beneath a perfectly clear blue sky, I frowned at the irritating brightness.

“…Sigh.”

Then I let out a breath.

Even so, I kept my eye wide open and continued surveying the area. Enhancing my vision with magic gave me eyesight dozens of times stronger than normal.

I strained that thoroughly enhanced eye and searched the vast sea. Like the sky, the water was almost annoyingly blue and bright, glittering as it reflected the sunlight in every direction.

My eye could perceive mana. If anyone used even a little magic, I could detect their presence from the traces of mana rising from it.

“…Do you see the Friez navy anywhere?”

“Not yet.”

I was conducting aerial reconnaissance above the sea. Flying beside me was Kyle Vonjar of the Orline Imperial Navy.

He was one of the people who had newly learned flight magic under my instruction, and he was an exceptionally talented flight mage.

The Orline Empire’s declaration of war against the Friez Kingdom was certain to set the Friez navy in motion.

I had come out over the sea to determine its movements by the primitive method of simply staring until I found it.

“I see… Do you think they may not move at all?”

“No, I doubt that. Friez didn’t station many troops in its African colonies. If it can do anything on the Orline front, it’ll have to come by sea.”

It should have deployed substantial forces against the Muur Empire.

Friez would pull troops from there and send them to this region. Or rather, it had to. Otherwise, there was nothing it could do.

“…They’ll come eventually.”

For now, I was watching the Muur Sea.

I wasn’t looking toward the Mediterranean, where the Friez homeland lay. Their navy might come from that direction as well, but–

“…Hm?”

In the middle of our conversation, I spotted a current of rising mana and tilted my head.

“…Found them.”

Focusing more closely, I detected mana signatures that appeared to belong to the Friez navy.

“Report this. Mana signatures at thirty degrees north.”

“…!”

“I believe it’s the Friez navy. Send word immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kyle stiffened at the report that the enemy had been sighted.

“And contact the navy of Wa as well. They should be close enough to reach this area by now.”

“Yes, sir!”