Chapter 202: Landing on the Afri Continent
Book Three: New Continent
Volume 1: Afri continent
The notion that a new continent exists beyond the sea to the west of the Eura continent is not entirely far-fetched.
Observations of celestial bodies have revealed to some in the learned classes that the world is a sphere.
However, one must wonder why those below do not fall into the void of the heavens, despite the world being spherical. The concepts of gravity and attraction have yet to be developed. The prevailing belief is simply that since Asama has shaped the world thus, the ground remains beneath us.
For instance, to the east of the Eura continent lies the Anatolia Empire (approximately where Turkey is on Earth), and beyond it are various nations, with trade facilitated by the Silk Road.
To the south of Eura, the vast, unexplored Afri continent stretches across the great inland sea known as the Adrea Sea.
That being said, while it has yet to be discovered, it is only natural to think that if one were to venture westward across the Siren Sea, an unknown continent might exist.
So, what might this new continent hold?
There are numerous dubious legends regarding its existence, the truth of which remains uncertain. There are tales of shipwrecked sailors who have glimpsed islands inhabited by colossal birds known as Garuda, of savage human-eating demon races, of small islands home to diminutive folk barely fifty centimeters tall, and even islands where giants towering over five meters reside—such stories are endless.
Though these accounts sound far-fetched enough to dismiss as mere fabrications, in this harsh, surreal fantasy world, one cannot entirely rule out their truth.
In fact, one might even consider it a blessing that, unlike the northern fringes, there are no formidable amorphous beings roaming about, capable of obliterating cities in a single strike.
When piecing together these fragmented tales, it suggests that the new continent to the west, across the sea, may harbor a demonic domain teeming with dangerous monsters, similar to those found at the northern limits.
However, the rumors surrounding the new continent are not all dire.
There are tales of a land overflowing with treasures known as the Land of Gold, El Dorado, a paradise called Arcadia where crops grow abundantly, ensuring that no one goes hungry, and even a peculiar island rich in tin (though it’s unclear why it’s specifically tin, as it is a valuable material for making bronze).
In even stranger accounts, there exists the ebony forest of Waku Waku, where cute girls are said to grow plentifully from the ebony trees, leading to tales of easily obtainable slave girls.
Surely, most of these stories must be fabrications.
They reflect the images people hold of the unknown; the initial tales are horror stories that echo their fears, while the latter represent projections of their desires for a paradise like Eden.
According to a book titled Geography, which belonged to Lyle-sensei, alongside these dubious tales, there are also stories of a port city inhabited by a people who, although quite foreign, share the same Asama faith, living in a highly advanced civilization near a great bay called Sigus Makinus.
This may indeed hold some truth.
In any case, to ascertain the truth—
「We can only go see for ourselves.」
—there is no other way.
※※※
The First Great Voyage.
The Silesie fleet for outer ocean exploration consists of two black cedar warships, four galleons, and four carracks, totaling ten vessels.
The flagship, a black cedar warship, bears the somewhat embarrassing name of Queen Beautiful Silhouette.
The captain is Admiral Drake, the most seasoned commander of the Silesie Navy, who has prior experience sailing the outer oceans.
The fleet’s first destination was the city of Hadasht, located on the northern shore of the Afri continent across the Adrea Sea.
Though we had intended this journey as a warm-up for our great voyage, we found ourselves embroiled in a battle with pirates right away.
Upon arriving at Hadasht, the only large city inhabited by humans on the northern shore of the Afri continent, our mission was to greet the friendly reptilian tribe, the Reptilians, due to our reliance on demon mercenaries and fire dragons like Salamander.
However, as the Silesie fleet docked in the port of Hadasht, surrounded by tall white walls, they were ambushed by pirates bearing black flags.
In the Adrea Sea, there are the notorious Barbary pirates.
The one who attacked the Silesie fleet was a pirate known as Blackbeard Teach.
His fleet, primarily composed of galleys, numbered over twenty ships, but their size was no match for the Silesie fleet.
Even when they rammed their ships, the black cedar warships stood firm, and due to the significant height difference, their galleys were unable to strike us effectively. I wondered what these fools were thinking, but I quickly responded by decimating them with our cannons.
It’s clear that pirates exist in every sea.
Yet even if they were unaware of the power of cannons, did they really think it wise to attack a massive black cedar warship after seeing the size difference?
As we entered Hadasht Bay, perhaps they believed they could launch a surprise attack on our anchored fleet; their audacity was truly remarkable.
Given that Governor Marcus, the Pasha of Hadasht, had requested our assistance, I decided it would be prudent to demonstrate the strength of the Silesie fleet for future diplomatic relations. It was time to deal with these pirates.
「What’s this nonsense about Blackbeard Teach? A cheap imitation daring to attack the real deal? Yer underestimating us; I’ll make sure to crush these lickspittle!」
Admiral Drake, the former Pirate King who had transformed from Blackbeard to Whitebeard, stomped his prosthetic leg on the deck, his face flushed with anger.
Though we suffered no significant damage, the sheer resemblance between the enemy pirates and his former self was infuriating.
Like bandits, pirates often have a limited vocabulary, earning nicknames based solely on their physical traits—Onehand Weed and Blackbeard Teach—leading to many sharing the same character traits.
As the former Blackbeard, Admiral Drake was determined to destroy these impostors for the sake of his reputation.
Realizing their assault had failed and sensing the difference in power, the enemy pirates fled in a panic. But we had Kaara, who could fly.
As a result of our pursuit, we quickly located their hideout on a pirate island.
「Nation’s Father, what shall we do?」
「Hmm, let’s see. Today…」
「King General, it’s me! Let me kill them all!」
「Alright, I’ll leave it to Drake and the others, but don’t go overboard.」
While we could unleash Kaara’s Meteor Strike to obliterate the pirate island, I wanted to conserve her magic power for today’s planned teleportation spell.
Admiral Drake was furious and insisted on personally eliminating Blackbeard Teach. I figured it would be good training for the marines, so the Silesie fleet launched an immediate counterattack on the pirate island.
The pirate island served as the stronghold for the Barbary pirates, boasting twenty galleys and three large sailing ships, including xebecs. However, it was a battle between pirates wielding cutlasses and black cedar warships equipped with cannons.
The outcome was hardly in doubt; the pirate fleet was swiftly decimated by cannon fire.
The last of the resistance, the pirate chief Blackbeard Teach, stormed into the port, furious, and was riddled with five or six bullets by Drake before being decapitated in battle.
Attacking directly to silence his enemy—was old Drake getting a bit too carried away for his age?
Regardless, witnessing their leader’s brutal demise led the remaining pirates to surrender immediately.
We successfully rescued about two hundred Castilian and Anatolian merchants who had been captured and were on the verge of being sold into slavery.
Additionally, we captured three unharmed galleys and one xebec.
We also acquired a vast amount of treasure, along with supplies for ship repairs and food from the pirate island. This would easily sustain our fleet.
「By conservative estimates, we’ve made a profit equivalent to two thousand gold coins. This is quite the windfall; hunting pirates really is a lucrative endeavor!」
「Right, King General! Since we’ve come this far, let’s eradicate the pirates in this region and rake in the rewards!」
Encouraged by our decisive victory, Drake was full of energy.
While it’s great that he’s enthusiastic, as the old Whitebeard, I wished Admiral Drake would refrain from leading the charge himself.
It was hard not to smile at the irony of him acting more like a pirate than the pirates themselves, but at least it was good that we were crushing them and bringing peace to the Adrea Sea.
Since Drake was so fired up, I decided that while we journeyed inland in the Afri continent, the Silesie outer ocean fleet would continue hunting pirates, interrogating our captured foes to uncover and eliminate the nearby pirate stronghold.
Upon returning to the port of Hadasht and reporting our success in dealing with the pirates to Governor Markus, we received a warm welcome.
It wasn’t just handshakes; we were embraced as well. I couldn’t say I was particularly thrilled to be hugged by the governor, but it seemed he was genuinely overjoyed.
「Ah, we’ve been struggling against the Barbary pirates for far too long! As expected of Hero of Silesie-sama! You are truly strong!」
In truth, it wasn’t so much that we were strong; the naval forces of Hadasht were extremely weak, possessing only a handful of patrol boats that couldn’t even defeat the small-time pirates in the Adrea Sea.
This was understandable, as Hadasht was a city forcibly built to facilitate trade between the Castilian Kingdom and the Anatolian Empire, with no ports in the vicinity. Outside the city walls, there was almost no food to be grown in the barren land.
Rather than just barren, the area beyond Hadasht’s white walls was a hellish desert, reaching fifty degrees Celsius during the day.
There lurked man-eating monsters known as sand snakes in the sands, making it an uninhabitable place for humans.
The livelihood of the people barely managed to survive through maritime trade. Their national power and naval strength were nearly nonexistent.
Governor Markus had managed to sustain the city by pledging allegiance to the Castilian Kingdom due to the geographical importance of Hadasht’s port, receiving the title of baron, and similarly aligning with the Anatolian Empire to earn the rank of Pasha, thus keeping the city afloat.
In addition to this, it seemed that Hadasht would also be coming under the allegiance of the Silesie Kingdom in the future.
Governor Markus had a curious appearance, wearing a white turban in the style of the Anatolian Empire and dressed in the garments of Castilian nobility.
I was quite curious about what his attire would look like once he received a title and the position of Governor of Hadasht from the Silesie Kingdom.
However, it’s worth noting that the city of Hadasht itself has no trading resources—it’s truly just a land of sand.
Fortunately, there is a conveniently located oasis nearby for hydration. Thanks to the Cool Island effect, it remains refreshing, and the area around the city is lush with succulent plants and gymnosperms like aloe, allowing for a bit of farming.
This is why Hadasht stands as the only valuable port along the vast barren northern coast of the Afri continent.
At the small market held in a red clay plaza surrounded by white buildings, one can find unique items such as magic gemstones sourced locally, as well as cocoa brought in from the interior of the Afri continent.
Interestingly, these items weren’t gathered by the people of Hadasht, who are unable to venture outside the city. Instead, they are brought by Reptilian traders, who cross the desert to exchange them for food, cloth, and other goods like wheat and livestock.
Astonishingly, the eternal rivals—demons and humans—are trading equally in the city of Hadasht on the Afri continent.
In this harsh environment, it seems that both the demons and humans realized they could not survive if they fought over their differences.
Governor Markus may be a frail old man, blown about by storms, but he survives by avoiding conflict whenever possible and maintaining a humble and friendly demeanor toward everyone.
I sensed great potential in this city where demons and humans coexisted harmoniously. In Hadasht, where Kaara and Oracle could walk the streets without raising an eyebrow, I felt that despite its poverty, the city possessed a wonderfully welcoming atmosphere.
After collecting aloe-like plants to study their medicinal properties and completing my shopping at the market, Kaara asked me,
「Nation’s Father, will you be returning to the royal castle of Silesie today?」
「Yes, of course, I’m going home.」
During my modest stay in Hadasht, when I declined Governor Markus’s invitation to stay at his mansion, saying, ‘No, I’m going home.’ he gave me a puzzled look.
Thanks to Kaara’s teleportation magic, I could return anytime using the magic circle inscribed on the deck of the blackwood warship.
I had also acquired some fine-quality cocoa as a souvenir, so I decided to postpone the exploration of the Afri continent until tomorrow and return home to my wife and children today.