Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 115: Spy

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The room was quiet, with only a grandfather clock ticking away.

This was the Commander's office at the Frand Port Naval Headquarters. Unlike a certain Earl's monotonous office, this room was adorned with several meticulously cared-for potted plants. On the walls hung an oil painting, depicting a red sun rising slowly from the vast sea.

The master of the office, Admiral Austin, sat behind his desk, eyes closed in contemplation.

At this moment, Admiral Austin's mind was anything but idle; there were too many matters demanding his attention.

Firstly, there was the matter of shipbuilding.

A new batch of sloops was being diligently constructed in the shipyard's docks. It was referred to as a batch because this time, two ships were simultaneously under construction.

The newly built sloops were not mere replicas of the "Hope."

On one hand, Lord Grayman personally experienced the sea trials and proposed a fresh concept—"Human-Machine Engineering." He requested improvements in crew comfort aboard the ships without compromising their combat capabilities, such as ensuring orderly and clean deck furnishings to avoid headaches, simplifying the procedures for operating sails, and other similar aspects.

In short, the aim was to create an environment where sailors could feel at "home." Of course, small ships like the sloops had limited potential for such improvements, but Lord Grayman demanded that this design concept be extended to larger ships built in the future.

Everyone understood the rationale behind this; maintaining good spirits and physical health was relatively easier in a relatively comfortable environment.

"I'm emphasizing that this is under the premise of not compromising combat capabilities. Combat capability is fundamental to everything," emphasized Earl Grayman at the end.

On the other hand, although the sea trial of the "Hope" was generally successful, flaws were discovered during Quik and others' subsequent frequent training sessions.

These flaws, along with suggestions for improvements from naval officers and sailors, were promptly relayed back to the shipyard. This allowed Ruben, Benjamin, and others to make timely modifications and improvements on the new ships.

Both of these aspects posed significant challenges to the shipyard craftsmen.

Then there was the pirate issue.

Not only Lord Grayman, but Austin himself suspected the presence of Eel Gang spies within the navy or nearby. He had assigned and , to investigate. It was uncertain when they would have results.

If there were indeed spies, the fact that the navy was about to take proactive action might have already leaked out.

"Knock, knock, knock!" A series of knocks interrupted Austin's thoughts.

He opened his eyes and called out, "Come in!"

After the door was pushed open, two figures entered—it was Captain Walke and Intelligence Officer Durant.

Austin gestured for them to sit down and said, "I hope the two of you bring me good news."

The two glanced at each other, and Durant gestured to Walke to proceed.

Captain Walke spoke with a serious expression, "Commander, there's both good news and bad news."

Austin immediately said, "Start with the bad news!"