Chapter 237: The Civil War in the Principality (2)

At the final defense line of Cove...

More than half of the harbor was already in ruins. The bombardment was relentless, but the Silver Wing Fleet deftly maneuvered just beyond range, locked in a tense standoff.

“We need to draw them into the firing range of our cannons!”

“But... if we miscalculate, our fleet could get caught in the crossfire and suffer heavy losses.”

“Damn it! Are you telling me we have weapons we can’t even use? What about the duke?”

“He’s currently engaged in combat. However, half of the golems and magical artillery have been removed from the ships... It seems he’s trying to force a melee battle."

“M-Melee battle?”

The harbor defense captain frowned at his subordinate’s report.

What on earth is His Highness thinking...?

Despite the fierce battle raging at the front, they were still stuck in Cove. And breaking through the enemy’s bombardment to engage in close combat would mean significant losses even for the Iron Fleet.

Although he was the genius tactician of the principality, the remaining commanders couldn’t comprehend what Fran Lurein was trying to do.

***

“Intercept them!!”

Boom—!! Bang—!!!

The commander of the Silver Wing Fleet watched with a confident smile as the Iron Fleet charged toward them like moths to a flame.

Boom...!!

The barrage of cannon fire from the Silver Wing Fleet ricocheted off the shields protecting the Iron Fleet’s vessels. However, the defense didn’t last long. As the second and third waves of shells rained down, the Iron Fleet was pierced by the relentless storm of fire.

“Coordinates input complete. Preparing magical artillery.”

The helmsmen in the captain’ cabin operated the large control panel at his command. Holographic displays covered in ancient runes appeared before them. Wearing dark goggles, they moved their fingers in the air, pressing invisible buttons.

Thump, thump, thump!

As the button was pressed, a faint ripple emerged in the air, creating waves as if the air itself had burst.

Bzzzzz...!

Whiiiir...!

The massive cannons on the ships’ decks moved in accordance with the input coordinates. This was magitech, the pride of the Lurein Principality.

The magical artillery gleamed menacingly.

“Fire!!” the commander ordered with a booming voice as he gazed at the holographic display.

[Fire!!]

His command echoed through the communication tubes to the artillery room, where the crew responded in unison.

Boom!! Bang!! Bang!!! Boom—!!!

Smoke billowed from the Silver Wing Fleet as another round of shells erupted from the artillery.

Magitech, long lost since the Magical Era, had been resurrected by the genius engineer Wingel Hart of the principality. Though under the command of First Duchess Tuli, Wingel Hart had likely hoped these cannons would be pointed at enemies, not their own people.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

“Hahaha!! Look at those fools rushing in like moths to a flame! They dare challenge us with that shitty artillery!”

The captain laughed gleefully at the sight of the Iron Fleet being torn apart by the fierce bombardment.

[Graaaah...!!]

Then it happened.

“...!?”

As the Silver Wing Fleet maneuvered to encircle the remaining Iron Fleet, the sea beneath them surged violently, causing the ships to rock.

Boom...!!

Bang...!!

The lead ship suddenly exploded at the stern, causing it to lurch uncontrollably.

“Wh-What is this?!” The commander frantically looked around, but no enemies were in sight.

The crew were equally bewildered. They would understand if the bombardment had come from Cove ahead, but the sudden explosion from behind left them puzzled.

“Damage to the stern of Ships One and Three! Requesting permission for immediate repairs!”

“Permission granted.”

Quickly regaining his composure, the commander grasped the communication tube and relayed orders to the captains of each ship.

“Assess the situation immediately.”

He took a deep breath, restoring his calm.

[Initiating repairs.]

[Initiating repairs.]

The reports from Ships One and Three, came through, followed by...

Creak... Crack...!!

The damaged sterns of the lead ships began to mend as if tree trunks were growing over the fissures. With the inflow of water halted, the ships regained their stability.

“Attack all you want! These are the only ships in the principality’s fleet built from the World Tree. They can repair themselves from any damage.”

The commander watched with a proud expression.

“We were lacking firepower before, but now we have that as well. The Silver Wing Fleet shall replace the Iron Fleet as the symbol of the Lurein Principality!”

In preparation for this deployment, Fran had allowed the installation of reserve magical artillery from Cove onto the Silver Wing Fleet.

However, with the outbreak of war and Lachiel’s betrayal, the plan to use the ships for long-range support bombardment quickly fell apart. Ironically, this also forced the removal of magical artillery from the Iron Fleet for use in ground battles.

“Reporting in, sir!!”

At that moment, a sailor below the captain’s cabin shouted urgently, removing his black goggles and looking at the commander with scared eyes.

“What is it?”

“An unidentified object has been detected a hundred meters below the surface!! Approaching rapidly!!”

“Below the water?” the commander asked with a perplexed look, the same look from before when the ships were damaged by the seemingly invisible threat.

“This is impossible! Are there torpedoes in the harbor?”

It was only then that he instinctively felt something was wrong. He realized that the previous attack hadn’t been launched by a special unit of the Iron Fleet.

“Verify immediately!!”

“Impossible due to magical interference from the Iron Fleet!!”

The sailors shook their heads in confusion.

“Divert all power to shields. Block the next attack at all costs!!” the commander shouted frantically.

“You’re too late. It’s not a torpedo. If they had one, they would’ve used it long ago.”

“...!!!”

Just then, the commander spun around at the voice coming from behind him.

“Who... Who are you?!”

He stood in shock, seeing a young man leaning against the wall of the captain’s cabin, arms crossed, giving him a casual wave.

[Se... Se...!!]

At that moment, the communication line from the second ship at the rear of the formation came alive with frantic cries. The person on the other end was panicked and incoherent.

Bang—!!

Boom—!

A massive splash of water hit the deck. The windows of the captain’s cabin fogged up momentarily before clearing again, revealing a sight that left the crew in shock.

“...!!”

Listening any further to the frantic transmissions of the second ship was pointless.

“Se... Se...”

The commander echoed the same stuttered word, staring at the boy who lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What, cat got your tongues? Why can’t any of you speak properly? It’s not even a long name.”

Crash!

The windows shattered as a massive tentacle crashed through, grabbing the commander’s head and slamming him into the wall.

Thud...!

With a dull sound, the tentacle smeared blood across the wall. The commander’s legs twitched, then went limp as he slumped to the floor.

Karyl glanced at the commander’s lifeless body, head crushed to a pulp, and licked his lips slightly.

“Right, it’s the Sea King.”

He then turned to the remaining sailors in the captain’s cabin and said, “You know what to do. Move quickly if you don’t want to die.”

***

“...”

The soldiers stationed in Cove stared blankly at the Silver Wing Fleet; it was engulfed in flames, sinking under the water. The sight of such an unimaginable ally left them speechless.

“Am I dreaming right now?”

“It can’t be. There were rumors that the Demon Lords drove out the empire at the Twin Armor. Maybe those rumors weren’t false after all.”

The soldiers murmured to themselves, dazed and lost in thought.

“Graaaah...!!”

The massive tentacles of the Sea King emerged from the water, demolishing the fleet. The continuous barrage did nothing but fill the air with black smoke; the Sea King remained relatively unscathed.

Its slick, mucus-coated limbs, seemingly impervious to damage, decimated the enemy that had been overwhelming Fran Lurein’s troops.

“Yeaaahhh!!

“Woooooo!!”

Initially stunned, the soldiers of Cove erupted in cheers as they watched the Silver Wing ships sink one after another. They couldn’t remember the last time they had tasted victory. They didn’t know how or why, but one thing was clear.

The Sea King was on their side.

Splaash...!! Splaash...!!

Water erupted like a cascade, revealing a colossal eye lurking beneath the surface.

“...!!”

Witnessing the head of the Sea King, the defending soldiers froze in place.

“Hey.” Karyl looked at the dumbfounded defense captain.

It was only then that people realized there was someone standing on the creature’s head.

Who’s that?!

No way...

Is he controlling the Sea King?

Unbelievable...

A myriad of thoughts raced through their minds.

The Sea King, known to give trouble even to Sword Masters, wasn’t being hunted, but tamed. No one among the seasoned sailors of Cove’s defense force had ever heard of something so absurd.

“Yes?”

Normally, the defense captain would not tolerate such rudeness, but he was too intimidated by the Sea King’s overwhelming presence to be angry.

“Get Fran Lurein here immediately. I need to hear from him what kind of foolishness he’s been up to.” Karyl gestured toward the strait with his chin.

“Y-Yes, sir!”

At his words, the defense commander nodded instinctively. No one could argue with Karyl. Everyone agreed that Fran had been acting foolishly, as it was obvious from the defense commander’s expression.

They looked at Karyl not as an unexpected intruder, but as a savior who had come to their aid.

Grumble...

Watching the soldiers disperse, Karyl patted the Sea King on the head and said softly, “Wait a little. I’ll make sure you have your fill soon.”

The Sea King’s large eyes rolled contentedly, and it slowly submerged beneath the water. Karyl gently leaped off the creature, landing further inside the harbor, and straightened up.

This wasn’t a battle to win. It was a deliberate attempt to lose, charging headlong into the enemy.

The tactics of the Iron Fleet made no sense whatsoever.

Let’s see what the reasoning behind this is first.

Judging by the soldiers’ expressions, it was clear this was not a planned strategy.

“Whatever your scheme is, Fran Lurein, it seems you’ve laid the groundwork to make me shine.”

Karyl smirked as he watched the Iron Fleet withdraw in the distance. This was the first step toward becoming the hero of the principality.