The Tanuki's Mud Boat (Launching Ceremony)

[The Shore of Minuma]

Unakami Tarō, Kuki Sama-no-kami, and Murakami Yachiyo arrived before Marie, each leading a few of their retainers. On the shore of Minuma sat a boat-shaped object made of mud; on the land side the residents looked on, while out on the water the catfish of the Yoshikawa clan and the kappa watched as well.

"To make it easy for everyone to follow, I'll explain in the old measures. Length about thirteen jō, beam three jō, hull height a little over one jō. Roughly a thousand-koku burden."

So the shipwright Mito explained. About 40 m long and 10 m wide, on the large side for a river craft. On the bow, in large characters, was written "One."

"Sailing takes practiced hands, Minuma isn't all that wide, and a sailing ship can't pass beneath the bridges, so we've made her a low-speed electric vessel."

A lake-and-marsh craft with a cruising speed of 8 knots (15 km/h). Slow, but able to cover more than 150 km in a day; the trip to Toda, four days on foot, would take less than two.

"Since the hull is a dungeon structure of compacted earth, something like concrete, we'll name this ship the Beton. The Beton class will henceforth be mass-produced to the same design, and will reign over Minuma."

Marie named her and cut the rope. She said "reign," but by any reckoning the thing's purpose was a sluggish lake-and-marsh cargo vessel; at this point it could hardly be called a warship that would hold off a great host of Preta upon the water.

"If it's a sister ship to the Beton, the names'd be Zabuton and Ofuton, I suppose." (A floor cushion and a futon.)

So said Murakami Yachiyo.

"No, Suiton and Kinton would be better." (Dumpling soup and sweet chestnut paste.)

Unakami Tarō went on.

"Konton and Inton." (Chaos and seclusion.)

And so said Kuki Sama-no-kami.

"……"

Marie fell silent, but in this world the word "concrete" did not exist in the first place. Even had she named the ship after Triton, the sea god, the result would have been just the same. The boat slid slowly into Minuma, and a cheer went up from the onlookers.

[Minuma]

"Do you of the catfish not ride the boats?"

Marie asked the catfish.

"The ayu swim, so we don't ride boats, I'd say. The kappa do, though."

"The kappa? Ah, Abbot Pereira, can the kappa work a boat?"

"Indeed. The pruturgêsu were a water race to begin with, and many a navigator's legend is handed down among us. Though, the pruturgêsu here in this land have handled nothing larger than a skiff."

According to the kappa Antonio Augusto Santos Pereira, the kappa were a race with a deep tie to seafaring from of old.

"In that case, if you'd be willing, please put forth a few crewmen from among the kappa as well."

"Mm. Understood."

"First we'll have you train aboard the No. 1 ship, the Beton. On the strength of what we learn, we'll build the No. 2 through No. 4 ships, so that you kappa and the Unakami, Kuki, and Murakami clans can each train in turn; once you're accustomed, the plan is to have you handle two or three ships apiece."