Asuna placed the knife before pointing, making Rinko squint
her eyes and nod.
“Oh, that’s a ship, isn’t it. Maybe the fishing vessel that caught
the fishes earlier…… or not, it seems…”
“Eh, it’s not?”
It’s much too large for a fishing vessel and its color is plain
too… besides, that’s an awfully lot of antennas.
Rinko left her seat and walked towards the window, so Asuna
went to her side. Her eyesight couldn’t be said to be bad, but the
faraway ship slowly swayed, blurring its details, perhaps due to
the vapor spraying off the sea surface. However, there certainly
was a great number of circular antennas installed on the mast
towering at the ship’s center. Very much similar to the large
antenna mast standing at the top of the Ocean Turtle, which
would be right above this lounge. The ship’s frame had a linear
design as well, so rather than a fishing vessel, it would be closer
to a transport ship, no, instead…
“A warship…?”
The moment Asuna muttered so, a somber voice rang out from
behind.
“That’s a Japanese vessel. Japan doesn’t own any warships.”
She turned back in sync with Rinko. The one who stood there
holding onto breakfast with both hands was a man in a pure
white uniform with short sleeves—Lieutenant Nakanishi.
“Morning, Nakanishi-san.”
“Good morning.”
When the pair greeted him, the tall Nakanishi conscientiously
placed his tray on a nearby table before bowing his upper body
and returning the greeting.
“Good morning, Professor Koujiro, Yuuki-san.”
Sword Art Online 13 - Alicization Dividing
Interlude IV
15
“A chance like this is rare, so wouldn’t you have your meal at
our table?”
He considered Rinko’s invitation for a little while before
nodding with a “I’ll take you up on your offer, then”. Waiting until
Nakanishi moved his tray, Asuna and Rinko then sat back at their
original seats. Taking a look at the self-defense forces member’s
breakfast portion, it was large as expected, with eggs, bacon, and
salad heaped onto a large plate.
“How does the taste compare to meals at the self-defense
forces?”
Nakanishi let out a slight strained laughter at Rinko’s
considerably difficult question and spoke as he picked up his fork.
“Honestly speaking, the Ocean Turtle’s a little better, I suppose.
And these tomatoes and cucumbers were even grown aboard the
ship.”
“Wah, there’s a vegetable garden?”
The self-defense forces member showed a somewhat proud
smile this time at Asuna who had her eyes opened wide.
“Yes, at the back of the eighth deck. I believe it was an
experiment for large-scale agriculture on the sea, however.”
“I wonder if that’s what gave the tomatoes that slightly salty
taste.”
And at that joke from Rinko,
“Really?”
Looking at Nakanishi, chewing the tomato wedges with a grave
expression, Asuna and Rinko broke into laughter. Just as she took
up her fork and knife to resume her interrupted meal, Asuna
recalled Nakanishi’s first line from earlier and tilted her head.
Japan didn’t own any warships, he said, but that shouldn’t be
the case. Wouldn’t his original workplace as a member of the
maritime self-defense forces be on a warship… no, the self-
Sword Art Online 13 - Alicization Dividing
Interlude IV
16
defense forces weren’t an army, so the ships they owned
wouldn’t be warships, or so logic would dictate, huh. In other
words, the ship visible on the other side of the window would
be…
Asuna turned her eyes towards the window once again and
stared hard at the linear silhouette of the large ship as she spoke.
“Then, that’s… not a warship, but erm, a Japan defense ship…?”
“That’s close. Vessels belonging to the maritime self-defense
forces are termed escort ships.”
Nakanishi gave a toothed smile, then turned his own eyes
towards the faraway ship and continued.
“That ship is a newly manufactured destroyer, DD-127
«Nagato»1. As for why it cruises around this sea region,
unfortunately, I am not at liberty to…… hmm…?”
His clear words cut off unnaturally and Asuna looked at
Nakanishi’s face before she returned her sight to the sea.
When she did, the grey warship—no, escort ship just happened
to start changing its direction. Turning its stern towards the
Ocean Turtle in less than ten seconds, it continued off into the
distance.
Having seen that, Nakanishi stood up without warning and
turned his back to Asuna and Rinko, taking out a nondescript
portable terminal from his pocket. Putting it to his ear in a
nimble motion, he began speaking in a soft voice.
“Lieutenant Colonel Kikuoka, I apologize for disturbing your
rest, this is Nakanishi. However, regarding «Nagato», was it not
supposed to be escorting this ship until 1200 the day after
tomorrow… no, it changed course towards the west just a… yes,
I’ll be immediately there.”
her eyes and nod.
“Oh, that’s a ship, isn’t it. Maybe the fishing vessel that caught
the fishes earlier…… or not, it seems…”
“Eh, it’s not?”
It’s much too large for a fishing vessel and its color is plain
too… besides, that’s an awfully lot of antennas.
Rinko left her seat and walked towards the window, so Asuna
went to her side. Her eyesight couldn’t be said to be bad, but the
faraway ship slowly swayed, blurring its details, perhaps due to
the vapor spraying off the sea surface. However, there certainly
was a great number of circular antennas installed on the mast
towering at the ship’s center. Very much similar to the large
antenna mast standing at the top of the Ocean Turtle, which
would be right above this lounge. The ship’s frame had a linear
design as well, so rather than a fishing vessel, it would be closer
to a transport ship, no, instead…
“A warship…?”
The moment Asuna muttered so, a somber voice rang out from
behind.
“That’s a Japanese vessel. Japan doesn’t own any warships.”
She turned back in sync with Rinko. The one who stood there
holding onto breakfast with both hands was a man in a pure
white uniform with short sleeves—Lieutenant Nakanishi.
“Morning, Nakanishi-san.”
“Good morning.”
When the pair greeted him, the tall Nakanishi conscientiously
placed his tray on a nearby table before bowing his upper body
and returning the greeting.
“Good morning, Professor Koujiro, Yuuki-san.”
Sword Art Online 13 - Alicization Dividing
Interlude IV
15
“A chance like this is rare, so wouldn’t you have your meal at
our table?”
He considered Rinko’s invitation for a little while before
nodding with a “I’ll take you up on your offer, then”. Waiting until
Nakanishi moved his tray, Asuna and Rinko then sat back at their
original seats. Taking a look at the self-defense forces member’s
breakfast portion, it was large as expected, with eggs, bacon, and
salad heaped onto a large plate.
“How does the taste compare to meals at the self-defense
forces?”
Nakanishi let out a slight strained laughter at Rinko’s
considerably difficult question and spoke as he picked up his fork.
“Honestly speaking, the Ocean Turtle’s a little better, I suppose.
And these tomatoes and cucumbers were even grown aboard the
ship.”
“Wah, there’s a vegetable garden?”
The self-defense forces member showed a somewhat proud
smile this time at Asuna who had her eyes opened wide.
“Yes, at the back of the eighth deck. I believe it was an
experiment for large-scale agriculture on the sea, however.”
“I wonder if that’s what gave the tomatoes that slightly salty
taste.”
And at that joke from Rinko,
“Really?”
Looking at Nakanishi, chewing the tomato wedges with a grave
expression, Asuna and Rinko broke into laughter. Just as she took
up her fork and knife to resume her interrupted meal, Asuna
recalled Nakanishi’s first line from earlier and tilted her head.
Japan didn’t own any warships, he said, but that shouldn’t be
the case. Wouldn’t his original workplace as a member of the
maritime self-defense forces be on a warship… no, the self-
Sword Art Online 13 - Alicization Dividing
Interlude IV
16
defense forces weren’t an army, so the ships they owned
wouldn’t be warships, or so logic would dictate, huh. In other
words, the ship visible on the other side of the window would
be…
Asuna turned her eyes towards the window once again and
stared hard at the linear silhouette of the large ship as she spoke.
“Then, that’s… not a warship, but erm, a Japan defense ship…?”
“That’s close. Vessels belonging to the maritime self-defense
forces are termed escort ships.”
Nakanishi gave a toothed smile, then turned his own eyes
towards the faraway ship and continued.
“That ship is a newly manufactured destroyer, DD-127
«Nagato»1. As for why it cruises around this sea region,
unfortunately, I am not at liberty to…… hmm…?”
His clear words cut off unnaturally and Asuna looked at
Nakanishi’s face before she returned her sight to the sea.
When she did, the grey warship—no, escort ship just happened
to start changing its direction. Turning its stern towards the
Ocean Turtle in less than ten seconds, it continued off into the
distance.
Having seen that, Nakanishi stood up without warning and
turned his back to Asuna and Rinko, taking out a nondescript
portable terminal from his pocket. Putting it to his ear in a
nimble motion, he began speaking in a soft voice.
“Lieutenant Colonel Kikuoka, I apologize for disturbing your
rest, this is Nakanishi. However, regarding «Nagato», was it not
supposed to be escorting this ship until 1200 the day after
tomorrow… no, it changed course towards the west just a… yes,
I’ll be immediately there.”