Chapter 115 — A Boat That Pretends to Be Small
S.C. 1511 — Late January
Foosha Village — Underground Lab (Blueprint Corner)
Ren sat at his desk surrounded by crumpled papers, broken charcoal tips, and a very unimpressed Zemo.
The fox stared at the chaos with a face that clearly said: "You have lost control."
Ren rubbed his temples.
"Boats are hard."
Zemo blinked slowly.
Ren tried again.
"I mean… small boats that can carry a lot without looking like they carry a lot are hard."
Zemo nodded as if finally understanding the suffering.
Because today, Ren wasn't designing a warship.
Not a fishing boat.
Not a noble's fancy yacht.
He was designing the first prototype of a shallow-draft cargo boat…
that didn't scream "secret merchant group incoming!"
A boat that blended in.
A boat that traveled light.
A boat perfect for slipping through quiet coastlines unnoticed.
Ren exhaled.
"Alright… let's try again."
---
Step 1 — Understanding the Problem
Ren opened his notebook to a clean page titled:
Compact Boat Requirements
He reread the points:
• must look ordinary
• must not attract Navy interest
• must carry crates (4–6 at minimum)
• must survive shallow waters near Gray Terminal
• must be silent when rowing
• must be light enough for two people to pull ashore
• must be stable enough that Zemo won't fall off and drown
Zemo glared at the last line.
Ren coughed.
"Just being realistic."
---
Step 2 — Sketch #1 (Rejected Immediately)
Ren drew a large rectangle.
Zemo stared.
Ren stared.
"…This is not a boat. This is a plank."
Crumple.
Toss.
---
Step 3 — Sketch #2 (Too Suspicious)
Ren drew a sleek shape with pointed ends.
Fast.
Efficient.
Beautiful.
Zemo tilted his ears.
Ren sighed.
"Too fancy. The Marines might try to 'inspect' it. Or steal it."
Crumple.
Toss.
---
Step 4 — Sketch #12 (Finally Usable)
After many failed shapes, Ren drew a simple, sturdy, balanced outline:
A wide bottom
Short bow
Low sides
Gentle curve
Flat stern
Two wooden bench slots
One crate section in the middle
One hidden compartment underneath
Zemo's tail wagged.
Ren straightened his posture.
"This… looks promising."
He labeled the parts:
Bow → slightly raised
Stern → flat for stability
Center → crate storage
Compartments → disguised under planks
Sides → reinforced wood frame
Rowlocks → rope-based to reduce noise
---
Step 5 — Why Flat-Bottom?
Ren tapped the sketch.
"A flat-bottom boat can travel in shallow water."
He pointed to a line in his notes:
Shallow = safe = secret.
Zemo nodded, appreciating the logic.
Ren continued:
"It also lets us pull the boat onto beaches without help… and we can land anywhere without docks."
Zemo barked once in agreement.
---
Step 6 — Wood Choice
Ren placed three wood samples on the table:
① Island driftwood — light but too brittle
② Local Dawn Island oak — strong but heavy
③ Foosha market pine planks — light, flexible, easy to shape
He touched the pine sample.
"This is best. Zemo, smell test?"
Zemo sniffed all three.
He licked the pine.
Ren blinked.
"…You vote for pine too?"
Zemo wagged with pride.
---
Step 7 — KEA Reinforcement (Invisible)
Ren hammered tiny KEA nails into a sample joint.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The wood fused together perfectly.
He nodded.
"Only at the stress points… nowhere obvious."
He made a note:
KEA use → internal beams only
External nails → normal metal
Appearance → plain and boring
Strength → secretly triple
---
Step 8 — Hidden Compartment
Ren sketched a rectangular panel under the main crate slot.
"It can store small emergency items:"
• rope
• cloth
• maps
• sample jars
• backup tools
• Zemo snacks (Zemo perked up)
The panel slid open silently.
Zemo poked it.
Ren grinned.
"You like the secret part, huh?"
Zemo barked proudly.
---
Step 9 — Stability Test Simulation
Ren placed weights on a wooden board balanced on stones, pretending it was the boat deck.
20 kg → stable
30 kg → stable
Zemo jumps on → wobbly
Zemo sits still → stable again
Ren wrote:
Wobble acceptable
Zemo chaos factor: high
Zemo growled at the note.
---
Step 10 — Naming the Model
Ren looked at the blueprint with affection.
"This is our first real merchant boat design… but we shouldn't give it a flashy name."
He thought.
Then wrote:
Model S-1 (Shallow Class — Prototype)
Zemo tilted his head.
Ren added:
"…S also stands for 'small' and 'simple.'"
Zemo approved.
---
End of Day Reflection
Ren rolled up the blueprint carefully and stored it in a sealed clay tube.
Tomorrow, he'd start gathering wood.
Next week… the first pieces would be shaped.
Next month… the boat could touch the sea.
One step closer to a real trade route.
Ren whispered:
"Zemo… we're getting ready."
Zemo nestled against his leg, warm and steady.
The island base had tools.
It had storage.
It had food.
Now it was getting the one thing a merchant needed most—
A boat to carry the future.
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End of Chapter 115