episode_0031

The Moscovian Galleon arrogantly trusted in the strength of the coniferous trees grown in the dark forest. If it had taken a position to aim at each other’s ports like the other galleons that chased La Franciata, the damage would have been less.

However, not changing course even when faced with La Franciata’s ports became a terrible decision that resulted in massive casualties.

Thirty shells fired from La Franciata’s port mercilessly battered the Moscovian Galleon’s hull. About a dozen shells did not inflict any damage and fell into the sea, but the remaining dozen rendered the enemy ship immobile with just one round of shelling.

One shell hit the main mast, causing it to slowly tilt, while three others rolled vertically across the deck, piercing through most of the crew. The rest of the shells struck the galleon’s hull evenly, leading to the disaster. Most of the sailors preparing to fire the cannons were tragically swept away by a single shell rolling in a straight line.

“Silence on the second ship! Maintain the course!”

“Brace for impact! Hold onto something!”

The lookout’s report and the subsequent shouts on the deck. The Moscovian Galleon, likely devoid of survivors, was akin to a ghost ship, yet it continued its forward trajectory due to its momentum.

“Mado Fleet, deploy full defensive maneuvers! Don’t die in vain to something like this!”

The Moscovian Galleon had become a mass weapon itself, bearing down on La Franciata. If, by ill luck, it were to break through the ice in the cold winter of the North Sea, neither the Royal Mado Fleet nor the sailors would survive.

Kugukwung-

The sight of the massive hull relentlessly charging forward was enough to instill fear in anyone. Despite having fought various monsters, he thought he had toughened up, but the overwhelming presence derived from its size posed another problem.

He swallowed hard and shut his eyes tightly. He prayed for it to pass safely. It seemed like a direct hit, but that was all he could do at the moment.

Kigigigigik!

A discomforting sound of scratching ears was heard as the hull shook violently. Galleon of the Kingdom was narrowly avoiding contact with La Francia’s hull. The friction between wood and wood was unpleasant, like nails on a chalkboard, but fortunately, La Francia’s waist did not split in two. However, some parts of the port side were damaged, rendering them unable to fire the cannons.

Some around me were looking at me with curious eyes. Could it be that I have a halo over my head again? I looked around for answers from the surrounding sailors, but none seemed to have the leisure to respond.

“Hurry, reload quickly! The Muscovian scoundrels won’t wait for us!!”

The officer on deck shouted. As he said, the gun ports were protruding one by one from the hull of the No. 1 ship, which had initially turned sharply to the left. It was a signal that they were about to fire the cannons.

The galleon, which had been shielding the bombardment from La Francia, now had its flank exposed to the enemy after passing by. Meanwhile, we were in the midst of reloading.

“Here it comes!”

Unintentionally, I uttered a word close to a scream as the fiery blast from the gun port became visible. The round black shell was getting larger and coming closer to me. In the face of death, without realizing it, I focused all my energy, and the shell seemed to move slowly. Reflexively, I sat on the floor, and the shell passed by where my upper body had just been, making a terrifying sound.

Bang!

The shell I dodged hit La Francia’s mast. It hit the main mast, but unlike the Muscovian Kingdom’s galleon, it did not break with a single blow. Shipbuilding technology between the Francian Kingdom and the Muscovian Kingdom differed in such aspects. If it had been a ship of the same kingdom, the recent attack would have been fatal.

Two galleons had come so close that they could distinguish each other’s expressions. Starting from the cannons whose reloading in La Francia was finished, they began to fire in turn. It was a closer distance than when they disabled the second ship, but they didn’t inflict significant damage. As they passed by, the artillerymen couldn’t aim properly for a fatal blow due to the inability to use the cannons and the close combat turning into hand-to-hand fighting with musket fire.

Thud- Boom-

On the deck, there were exchanges of gunfire between the deck crews, while at the gunports, musket fire targeted enemy gunners in between cannon shots.

“Royal Madodeu! Surely we won’t lose to the navy in a hundred-man battle, right? Prepare to board immediately after firing!”

Bang!

The two galleons gradually approached until they finally collided side by side. At this range, cannon fire was no longer possible. Long-range artillery fire was dangerous even to oneself. Amidst all sorts of curses, a roughly made wooden bridge was laid out on the deck. The deck crew of the defending country tried to clear the bridge, while on the side of the Frankian Kingdom, which possessed a powerful madodeu, they tried to maintain the bridge by any means.

But when the magic bullets flew, the attempt to clear the bridge became impossible. Blue magic bullets flew one after another near the bridge, taking lives.

“B Platoon is entering at the forefront. Prepare to board!”

Following the B Platoon at the forefront, the C Platoon entered. They cautiously crossed the roughly fixed wooden planks. There would be nothing as dreadful as slipping and falling into the sea and dying at this point.

The deck of the Moscovi Empire was slippery and filled with blood. There seemed to be few killed by magic bullets and muskets. Mostly, many bodies appeared to have been torn apart by cannon fire.

The chaotic warship, scattered corpses, and the numbed hearing from the intense exchange of fire, combined with the dense fog, created an eerie sensation.

When I tried to detect magic, I indeed sensed a lot moving beneath the deck. Among them, there were even mice living on the ship, but it felt like the defenders of the country were still alive and waiting for us, holding their breath.

Lieutenant Max also seemed to sense the presence beneath the deck using magic detection. He had prepared it in advance and swiftly ignited the magical fire on the grenade used by the grenadier, then opened the hatch and threw it inside. From within, they heard someone shouting “Moscowbiya” before the grenade exploded.

“I’ve never seen magic infantry use that kind of equipment before.”

“Relying too much on magic is not a good habit.”

What awaited Team B and Team C, including me, as we entered the hatch, was a barrage of countless musket rounds. If we had been ordinary soldiers, at least half of us would have died in the recent attack, and the remaining forces coming from behind would have had to deal with it, but that didn’t happen. Every round was deflected by defensive spells, bouncing off with sharp metallic sounds.

With safety secured by defensive spells, the calm and precise shooting of the mages did not miss. In such a confined space without the support of artillery or cavalry, there was simply no way to defeat the magic infantry. If luck had not been on our side…

“Haah!”

The only injury was a sudden stab wound. If I had been a new recruit, I would undoubtedly have fallen victim to the recent attack, but as someone seasoned in real combat against monsters, it was an absurd assault.

I deflected the bayonet flying towards my side and used body reinforcement magic to deliver a strong kick to the enemy’s knee. As the soldier fell in pain when his knee bent in the opposite direction, I quickly ended his life with a precise shot.

“Now you look like a proper soldier, Lieutenant.”

“Emma, Sergeant! Even if the Lieutenant hasn’t shown a particularly impressive performance so far, he still holds the nickname ‘Delphine’s Dark Star.’ Don’t underestimate him.”

…I sighed at Emma and Mia’s banter. It wasn’t intentional, but I thought that, thanks to Delphine’s miraculous feat, he was now being recognized as a respectable lieutenant. Wasn’t that the case?

“Quiet down and focus on searching, Team C.”

“Yes, sir.”

Max, who was less than impressive, was at a loss for words as he watched the two shut their mouths immediately. Clearly, the squad leader was out of his depth. I shot Emma a sharp look, but she just shrugged it off. It seemed that once this operation was over, the squad members would definitely need some proper mental education.

The search went smoothly and without any particular danger. The ship’s captain seemed to have died from shelling. His triangular hat was found half torn and blown away in the medical room. Even if he had been alive, he wouldn’t have lasted long in the cold waters of the North Sea.

If both galleons had been near the Franco Kingdom’s waters, they could have been towed and captured, but this was within the Muscovy Kingdom’s sphere of influence. It was regrettable, but they had to be abandoned.

There was nothing special in the navigation log found in the captain’s quarters. The last entry stated that during a routine patrol, they had discovered La Franquia and were preparing to intercept with the galleon nearby.

“Madode, report casualties.”

A Squad, no casualties. B Squad, 1 injured. C Squad, no casualties. D Squad, 2 deceased, 1 injured. E Squad, 1 deceased. F Squad, 2 injured.

The first casualty. Not surprisingly, all were from the new squad. According to the story, during the first shelling of the Moscovy Kingdom’s galleon, which was engaged in close combat with the 1st ship, D Squad unfortunately took a direct hit and turned into blood.

The casualty in E Squad was hit by a musket while their defense spell was momentarily down. A Madobe soldier making such a rookie mistake as to let their defense spell down during battle. This is not just ordinary; it feels like looking at myself when I was newly appointed.

According to Clerc, La Franquia’s condition wasn’t too good either. There were no problems in sailing for a short period, but it needed repairs quickly. Captain Jorju said it was hard to guarantee whether they could make it to Saint Margaux if they set sail from Valtigrask.

They even suggested that they might need to anchor in a deserted island or a seemingly safe place for a while for repairs. Things never go as planned. It feels like taking a warm bath after completing all the missions a week later has already become a thing of the past.

“Ugh!”

Was it because the battle was over and the tension had eased? Claire burst into another nosebleed while explaining the future plans and current situation.

This time, it seemed serious. The blood pouring out was much stickier than normal blood. Instead of dripping, it was flowing rapidly. As the blood rushed out, dizziness set in. Someone hastily held a cloth to her nose, but it wasn’t enough.

“Marianne! Marianne!”

“It’s okay, sir. It’s just a nosebleed. No need to fuss…”

And at that moment, just like when they encountered a mermaid while escaping from Sasha’s sanctuary, everything seemed to freeze again.