Chapter 19: The Raiders' Assault

A small boat slowly approached the trading ship Paraiso.

With no clouds in the sky, the raiders could rely on the starlight for visibility, cautiously navigating by the dim light of the Paraiso’s oil lamps at the bow and stern. To match the local technological level, the ship used oil lamps for collision prevention, with no additional lights. Every two hours, a humanoid machine communicator patrolled with a lamp, and the boats had timed their approach to slip by during the gap between patrols.

(They must have drawn up an assault plan somewhere.)

Approximately thirty minutes after the patrol had finished, the boats began moving, clearly waiting for the perfect time to strike. Ringo deployed four humanoid communicators along the direction the boats were approaching, positioning two more as ambushers near the base of the mainmast.

(Once they’ve all boarded, we’ll strike all at once.)

It would be troublesome if any managed to escape, so they decided to lure the attackers in fully. The boats sidled up to the side of Paraiso. As if coordinated, grappling hooks were thrown from each of the four boats at nearly the same moment.

“Oh…”

The Commander, watching the monitor, let out a small gasp.

One of the hooks missed its mark and nearly fell. Unfazed, Ringo operated a waiting communicator to grab the hook and secure it to the ship’s rail. The man who had thrown the hook froze briefly before sighing in relief, realizing his near failure. The man next to him gave him a smack on the head for almost bungling the attempt.

“Well, it wouldn’t have been a big deal if he’d messed up…”

“Unnecessary hassle, though.”

From each boat, the raiders began climbing up the ropes, one by one. The first man to climb checked his surroundings and gave a signal, prompting the second to start his ascent. Unseen, the communicators remained hidden behind various equipment, unnoticed by the intruders.

Four out of five raiders from each boat had climbed aboard, leaving one to stay behind on each vessel. Of the four who boarded, one stayed at the ropes while the remaining three cautiously began moving. The communicators, staying low, trailed behind them.

It seemed the attackers intended to regroup before making their next move. They began gathering near the bow, just beneath the rotating turret.

“It’s time. We can capture three of them alive; attempting more could result in some slipping away.”

Beneath the large cannon, the raiders waited for their comrades.

From their intel, they knew the ship had very few crew members, and supposedly, they were all women. They figured it would be an easy job. They had twenty men experienced in brawling, twelve of whom were actively participating in the raid. This was a surprise attack. If they could take each crew member down one by one, they thought the ship would be easy to control.

“They’re here.”

In the starlight, they could make out figures slowly moving toward them, cautiously scanning the area. Only silhouettes were visible, but they recognized their comrades climbing from the stern. One of the raiders signaled, waving his right hand up and down as a confirmation. They returned the signal by waving both hands.

“All here, then.”

With twelve men gathered, the space beneath the turret became cramped. It was difficult to see everyone clearly under the faint starlight.

“There’s no place to run anyway. As planned, a smaller team… Let’s say four of us will head inside. The rest will wait out here and bag anyone who tries to escape.”

“Got it.”

Once they secured everyone, they could leisurely loot the valuables. They had confirmed that the ship was well-stocked with trade goods and, likely, a stash of gold and jewels from transactions at the harbor. It was baffling to them that such a prize had been left unattended.

“Alright, let’s pick the ones to go inside. You, you, and…”

Just as he began pointing out four men to form the entry team, the man sensed something off.

“…Wait, did everyone come on board? One was supposed to stay back…”

It was too dark to see clearly, but he realized there seemed to be too many people around.

“No, we left one behind on our end.”

“Same here.”

“One, two, three…”

“What are you talking about, too many people…”

A murmur of confusion spread among the men, and then—

A metallic click echoed in the night.

Four figures on the periphery of the group took a simultaneous step back, leveling their weapons.

“Hey, what’s going—?”

With the raiders all gathered in one spot, Ringo decided it was time. Operating the humanoid communicators, she pulled the triggers on the assault rifles.

The rifle bullets, fired from close range, tore through the men’s bodies. Each bullet was precisely calibrated, fulfilling its lethal purpose within the calculated margin of error. The attackers, cut down instantly, collapsed onto the deck. A moment later, the ship’s automated spotlight illuminated the remaining men.

“What the—!!”

Before they could scream, communicators rushed in, using the butts of their guns to knock them down. Blinded and disoriented by the gunfire, the raiders had no way to fight back. Each was struck squarely on the head, collapsing without even a chance to cry out.

“Commander Mam, we’ve secured the deck. Moving on to secure the boats.”

“Eight left.”

Leaving two communicators to hold the deck, Ringo deployed the other two ambushers, assigning one to each boat. The four men on the deck were instantly shot and killed. While they could have shot the men left on the boats from above, it was safer to descend so as not to damage the boats. Each communicator vaulted over the rail, gripping a rope to slide down swiftly.

“Wha—hey, what’s going on?!”

A muzzle flash.

Three bullets tore through a man’s chest, sending him flying back. He likely didn’t even comprehend what had happened. On each of the four boats, the guards were dealt with in near-perfect unison.

“Clear.”

Ringo conducted a final scan, confirming that only the three unconscious captives and the six communicators remained alive. As expected, the raid had ended swiftly.

“All done? …What’s next?”

Of the twenty raiders, seventeen were dead, and three had been taken prisoner. Typically, a ship’s deck was considered extraterritorial, though she wasn’t sure how it would be treated while docked. Likely, it would depend on the harbor’s lord.

“Although there’s no formal agreement, we should face no repercussions. If we negotiate well, we might even secure reparations.”

“And why is that?”

“I believe we hold a very advantageous position in our negotiations. It’s clear we have no reason to attack the harbor’s people, and I suspect they understand this well enough.”

The Commander merely responded with a “Hm.” Truthfully, she didn’t particularly care. If negotiations failed, they could simply leave. She had chosen this place because it was relatively prosperous and the closest port to the fortress The Tree. Given the current geopolitical tension, it was unlikely they’d face a bounty or be widely pursued. The surrounding cities were so isolated by the ongoing wars that communication between them was practically nonexistent.

“We’ll wait until dawn, then transport the prisoners and bodies to the harbor by boat. The raiders appear to be part of a less reputable group, so I doubt we’ll face much opposition.”

“Alright… yawn… Well then, I’m going to bed. Wake me up when you have results.”

“Yes, Commander Mam.”

As Ringo watched her head back to her quarters, she let out a subtle sigh of relief.

She had taken care with the visuals and sounds, but given that they were human attackers, she’d been wary of an adverse reaction to the killings. While there was something enticing about the idea of comforting an emotionally shaken Commander, of course, it was best if everything remained peaceful.

Ringo resumed control over the humanoid machine communicators, resolving that any “added dynamics” to their relationship could wait until the “honeymoon phase” wore off.