Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 134



Only Krnovel

Episode 134 – Arsenal Ship

In a situation where the construction of the joint firepower ship promoted by the Korean Navy is also progressing slowly, the news that our arsenal ship is about to be launched was both surprising and joyful.

– Arsenal ship: A very large-scale weapon ship that the US Navy was planning to build (Arsenal means weapons depot). In Korea, it is called a joint firepower ship.

“Really? How did you do it so quickly?”

“Oh, yes. For several years now, our Navy has been promoting the construction of a joint firepower ship.”

“That’s how it was. There was a lot of talk, but it was always pushed back…”

“However, as the political circles and the military’s opinions differed, the construction plan was repeatedly suspended and resumed.”

The joint firepower ship was met with skepticism from the Army, as it would bring some of the capabilities of the Army’s missile force and the Air Force to the Navy.

Moreover, if the Chief of Staff was from the Army, it was easy to reflect the opinions of other branches of the military, and if he was from the Navy, he had to be mindful of the opinions of other branches of the military.

“In fact, we were in a very difficult situation, having developed various modules and units and even finished manufacturing some of them. Then, an order came in from OSS.”

“Oh, I see. Then when can you be commissioned?”

Hanwha Ocean CEO Han Kyu-dong continued talking about the Arsenal Ship.

“Compared to Aegis ships, Arsenal ships have a simpler test operation procedure, so they can be commissioned immediately after completing the launch tube test. It can be done in as little as one or two months.”

“oh!”

“Sir, don’t you think we need an escort leaflet? It’s going to carry 700 missiles…”

“Of course. I will make sure that the escort group can go to Okpo Shipyard in time for the commissioning.”

“And. The second Arsenal ship will be completed in about 4 months… but there is a problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“We don’t have enough missiles to fill the VLS. We’ve never had such a large demand at one time…”

“That’s right. Even an Aegis ship can only carry 100 rounds. An Arsenal ship can carry 700 rounds, so the Korean Navy will use it too…”

“Okay, don’t worry, just build it as scheduled. By then, the Kiribati OSSel military factory will be operational.”

“Ah! You mean the consortium formed by Hanwha and Poongsan?”

“Yes, that’s right. If the schedule doesn’t work out, we can bring the ship to OSS-LAND and reload the missiles.”

“Okay, I’ll finish it as scheduled.”

“And boss!”

“Yes, sir.”

“How about the aircraft carrier······.”

“Haha. Yes. We are working hard to build it at the Kiribati OSS shipyard. Once the training of North Korean migrant workers is completed, we will be able to speed things up a bit.”

“How long will it take?”

“You need to hold out for at least three years. In the US, it usually takes more than four years.”

“I see. I understand.”

…

Since North Korea joined ESSO, China and Russia have been developing closer relations.

After this winter, the Arsenal title was secured with an atmosphere that felt like something was about to explode.

This gave us one more strategically important option.

The biggest concern among them was the possibility that Russia and China would simultaneously start a multinational conflict, and then simultaneously start a war in North Korea or the Far East Republic.

As much as I feared it, they must have known that it was the best strategic choice.

Ironically, the more severe the cold snap of the second harsh winter became, the more eagerly the countries seemed to prepare for war.

Even in everyday life, there were many cases of people dying from minor mistakes. Some people died when heating systems broke down or when they went out and froze to death in remote places.

There was even a person who died after turning off the engine of his car on a country road and it wouldn’t start again.

There was even a person who froze to death while riding an electric car with its battery half-broken in the bitter cold to a remote area.

They struggled to get the car started again, but in the bitter cold, their cell phones died in an instant.

– Fuel economy: Driving distance based on electric power. Same as fuel economy for a normal car.

When the vehicle was parked or stopped outdoors due to extreme cold, it became impossible to turn off the engine. It was not much different whether it was an internal combustion engine or an electric vehicle.

North Korea was recording similar casualties to South Korea, perhaps due to ESSO’s energy support and its unique control of its population.

…

We headed to the Marshall Islands for the OSS Freedom Division inauguration ceremony. We decided to go quietly aboard the ARK. However, Wolf 1 and 2 set off together as escort ships.

The ARK passed through the Sulawesi Sea, past Palau, and into the Pacific Ocean below Guam. After passing the islands of the Federated States of Micronesia, it arrived directly in the Marshall Islands.

As we approached the OSS Marshall Camp, the ARK surfaced to announce my arrival, while Wolf 1 and 2 remained submerged.

After docking the ARK and installing the main gate, we set foot on the grounds of OSS Marshall Camp. Division Commander Jeong I-seong and the officer corps came out to greet us and saluted us.

“Your Majesty! It is an honor to see you again.”

As Major General Jeong Yi-seong saluted and gave his greeting, the officers and several soldiers lined up shouted in unison.

– Your Majesty! It is an honor.

It seemed that they had put a lot of effort into coming up with a unified greeting because of the culture of OSS, which does not have a salute. I did not like that behavior, but I did not criticize it.

We moved to the OSS Free Division parade ground under the guidance of Major General Jeong I-seong. It was to be the start of the division’s founding ceremony.

It was not a long distance, so I walked slowly. I was advised to drive, but I wanted to take in the scenery of Mili in the Marshall Islands and the Marshall Camp.

Director Kim Jun-myeong and the special guards walked together a few steps away. The officers and division guards of the OSS Free Division advanced forward, surrounding me in a square formation on all sides.

Less than three minutes into our walk, immigrants began to surround our procession.

The number of people following the procession gradually increased, and it seemed that there were several thousand or ten thousand of them.

They were cheering with sparkling eyes. Perhaps because they had been trained in advance by Director Jeong I-seong, they did not show any excessive behavior like in North Korea.

When someone quietly said, ‘Your Majesty, it is an honor,’ others added in a quiet and calm voice.

– Thank you, sir.

– I survived thanks to you, sir.

– I pledge my loyalty, Your Majesty.

– I love you, my lord.

– Long live the enemy!

When I saw him greeting quietly at the instruction not to shout, my heart ached. It seemed like his body and mind, stiffened for many years, had not yet loosened up.

I stopped walking. The procession stopped as well, and the crowd looked at each other, bewildered as to what was going on.

I decided to give a short speech to try to ease their minds.

Just then, I noticed a megaphone being held by a division security guard. I gestured and a soldier came towards me with it.

I was handed a megaphone and gave a greeting to the residents.

“Hello everyone!”

Everyone was shocked by the sudden event and couldn’t do anything, just looking at each other.

“I said I hate being shy, but everyone seems really nervous. Let’s say hello together. When I start by saying ‘Hello!’, everyone greets each other along with the people next to them.”

“Hello everyone!”

– Nice to meet you, Your Majesty!

– Nice to meet you~

– Nice to meet you, nice to meet you···.

After confirming that the tension in people’s eyes had eased, I picked up the megaphone again.

“Everyone. Thank you for your hardship in coming all the way here. Please forget the hard times of the past and make this warm southern country your home. This island and all the islands of OSS are your liberated zones.”

As soon as I finished speaking, someone shouted.

– Long live the enemy~

“Ahh! Let’s just shout “Hurrah!” without mentioning any enemies.

– Hurray~

– Hurray~

The people’s cheers filled the sky and the earth. Joy and hope were visible in their eyes.

As the cheers died down, someone ran out of the crowd. It looked like a parent holding a small child who was running into our line.

I motioned to Director Jeong I-seong and told him to leave the child alone.

Then the boy ran towards me in one stride and saluted me.

“Your Majesty! It is an honor.”

I also saluted the child and saluted him.

“It’s an honor. Rest!”

I picked up the child who was looking up at me in an attention pose and waved at his parents.

Then another cheer erupted.

– Hurray~

– Hurray~

He approached the parents, holding the child in one arm amid the cheers. Then the parents cautiously opened their mouths.

“…Wow, Your Majesty.”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

“Can I take a picture?”

Even though I naturally hate having my picture taken, I couldn’t turn away from their sincere gazes.

As the parents took out their old-looking point-and-shoot digital camera, the people around them also started taking out their smartphones or digital cameras one by one.

The division guards who saw this scene began to stop it. I called Division Commander Jeong I-seong again.

“Let me take the picture.”

“Yes, my lord!”

So I was suddenly posing in front of the crowd. It was an awkward situation, but I thought this was the way to melt their hearts and comfort them for the past years.

The photo they took of us in line was the first photo I allowed them to take of me.

Then I noticed the envious eyes of other children scattered throughout the crowd. I gathered all the children together.

They made it easy for their parents to take pictures by standing their children up, bending their knees and hugging them.

So, after the unplanned event was over, we headed to the division parade ground.

Upon arrival, the parade ground was filled with soldiers and the makeshift chairs placed next to them caught my eye.

It seemed that the fact that the ESSO Defense Force had the soldiers seated and held a ceremony was also conveyed to Major General Jeong I-seong.

After a brief inauguration ceremony, the division commander was appointed in front of the soldiers.

Let’s put green epaulettes on him. He saluted me and applause broke out somewhere.

And then we exchanged formal salutes with the division troops and the division commander, and it was my turn to give my congratulatory remarks.

As I walked up to the podium, all the troops stood up and saluted me. I took the salute seriously and quietly gave an order to the microphone.

“All troops, take your seats!”

Sitting and standing at events were becoming a culture and tradition of OSS.

“… Everyone, please check the faces of your comrades on the left and right and greet them.”

My somewhat unexpected remark caused a commotion in the parade grounds, which was filled with a murmur of greetings.

“The comrades and comrades you just saw are your leaders and enemies.”

…