Chapter 174: Narrow Sea Battle
Using cannons at sea warfare has its merits: enemy fleets sank one after another, inflicting damage to numerous vessels and causing casualties.
Yet, the Invincible Armada’s advance continued.
Even if it meant forcefully knocking aside friendly boats attempting to escape from sunken ships, the Invincible Armada pressed forward under the banner of ‘Blood and Gold’ seeking to dominate the world’s seas at will. This armada, which boasted itself as the mightiest on the Eura continent, displayed unwavering determination.
The Silesie Fleet’s T-shaped formation proved successful, dealing significant damage to the enemy. Although our formation was somewhat disrupted, we managed to encircle them in a semi-circular pattern, allowing us to launch devastating barrages. Despite this advantageous position, the enemy’s unwavering resolve pushed back against us.
「As expected of the Invincible Armada.」
I murmured amidst the thunderous roar of cannon fire, but there was no reply.
Admiral Drake, observing the battle alongside me, pulled a short-barreled pistol from his coat and shouted hoarsely to the crew, ‘Prepare for close combat!’
I, too, did my part. Aiming carefully with my magic rifle, I targeted the enemy’s large ballistae. Already, colossal arrows, akin to spears, hurtled toward us from their ballistae.
What surprised me was the mix of projectile stone cannon bombards in the enemy’s fire attack. These primitive mortar gun, with shorter range and lower accuracy, followed the design principles of the impressive siege weapons but with gunpowder.
At this stage, they weren’t truly fearsome weapons. The difference in power and accuracy between our nearly horizontal cannonballs and the enemy’s arcing projectiles was stark. Nevertheless, their attack revealed Castilia’s efforts to catch up by studying our technology. 「It looks like their metallurgy is not that well developed.」
In this harsh fantasy world, attempting to create cannons is the path I chose to take.
Perhaps mimicking our cannon’s form led to brittle gun barrels made from wrought iron, resulting in their current predicament.
But it was a close call. If Castilia hadn’t wisely opted for bronze cannons—though expensive, they were easier to manufacture than iron—this artillery duel wouldn’t have been so one-sided.
We managed to strike Castilia before their technology could catch up, and that’s fortunate for us, the advanced nation.
In the meantime, the archers on the deck were within range, and it was time to respond with muskets.
However, this puts us at a disadvantage. With fewer crew members aboard our smaller boats, we faced a sea filled with cannon smoke. The exact numbers of enemies and allies remained unclear, but we believed we had reduced their forces significantly.
「As expected of a maritime superpower; they won’t let us win easily.」
Before us, warships jostled and collided, sinking one after another. We were now at the distance where ramming would lead to hand-to-hand combat—a situation unfavorable for us due to our limited crew.
「Prepare to turn starboard! They’re coming straight at us!」
Admiral Drake’s furious command echoed. A galleon ship, its ram also aimed at our Black Cedar vessel, charged forward.
Our soldiers fired arrows while desperately maneuvering the ship. Just in time, we turned right, aligning our own ram with the enemy’s.
Our ram was fortunately crafted from the horn of the divine beast Behemoth. Unlike the brittle iron ram of the enemy galleon, ours held firm, shattering theirs and launching their ship skyward.
As their vessel plummeted, pierced by Behemoth’s horn, it collided with the shattered hull, emitting an eerie screech as armor scraped against armor.
Even under the full force of impact, the Black Cedar’s armor remained unyielding—a reassuring sight.
The galleon, nearly split in two by our ram, succumbed to point-blank cannon fire, taking its crew down with it.
Until the very end, Castilian soldiers, desperate and wide-eyed, continued firing arrows at us as their ship sank.
Meeting eyes with an enemy knight who barked orders to the archers, I shuddered at the bloodshot determination in his gaze.
The knights in their armor were already dead men. Clad in armor on the ship, they existed as living corpses.
They must have known that this battle would determine their homeland’s fate.
The tide of battle favored us. Despite the Silesie fleet suffering relatively minor losses, the Invincible Armada had already lost half its vessels, and defeat loomed.
In land warfare terms, this was beyond mere attrition—it bordered on annihilation.
Yet, the Invincible Armada persisted, relentlessly gnawing at our flanks, determined to break through even if it meant sacrificing themselves.
Their fierce assault reminded me of knights stained with blood, pressing forward even when swords shattered and helmets crumpled.
Among the enemy ships charging toward us, some were ablaze—whether from our cannon fire or their own deliberate ignition, I couldn’t tell. Yet, these burning carracks continued their desperate advance.
We returned fire, but even at point-blank range, their hulls absorbed bullets without sinking. It was as if they defied death.
These ships rammed into our fleet’s belly, triggering massive explosions that tore holes in our formation. They hadn’t used explosive shells; this was a suicidal attack fueled by gunpowder.
The enemy now charged with a resolve to self-destruct.
Despite their riddled and battered state, these ships dragged ours down, engulfed in flames, creating a path of destruction beneath the waves.
「Damn it, they’re utterly reckless!」
Their unwavering determination bordered on madness. Were the enemy’s spirits set on death or glory?
Castilia, once an arrogant naval superpower, had stooped to this. Even as a sinking maritime giant, their final stand was brutal.
The Invincible Armada, once boasting two hundred and thirty ships, now retained combat capability only in the flagship galleass and fewer than fifty large vessels.
Beyond mere annihilation, they faced utter devastation. Enough—it was time to acknowledge that both sides had fought to their limits.
By the time the sea’s strongest fleet had suffered significant losses, we too, were damaged and our forces nearly halved. There are limits to how much longer we can hold out.
Out at sea, both friend and foe have been cast adrift, seeking rescue.
Right now, ship hulls are disintegrating, and many vessels are sinking.
Even the formidable Black Cedar warships, despite their sturdy construction, have suffered casualties from a barrage of arrows and projectiles.
Yet the relentless assault from the Invincible Armada shows no signs of abating.
Now, from behind the enemy fleet, a remarkable sight unfolds: a large cutter boat with a single massive sail hurtles toward us at incredible speed.
「What’s that small boat?」
At first glance, it resembles a leisure yacht one might see along modern coastlines. But surely, this isn’t a mere pleasure cruise amidst this chaotic battle.
「King General, that’s a Spool Ship. It’s a reconnaissance vessel, faster and sturdier than an ordinary boat. But why would the enemy deploy such a craft now?」
The Spool Ship, a fore-and-aft rigged sloop with a single mast and gaff sail, is exceptionally swift due to its lightweight hull.
As it collides with our larger vessel, a massive explosion erupts. Smoke billows, and our wooden ship tilts and sinks in the blink of an eye.
The Spool Ship’s prow is equipped with a pole, to which a bomb has been securely fastened—a suicidal torpedo attack.
「Could it be a ramming bomb?」
Upon closer inspection, the small Spool Ship indeed carries this makeshift weapon. If it strikes us directly, our wooden ship won’t stand a chance.
「Fire! Take down those Spool minnows!」
Admiral Drake orders, even as he fires his own pistol relentlessly. He directs the gunners to shoot down the Spool Ships.
That vessel, with bombs affixed to its prows, is nothing less than a torpedo—swift and deadly.
As the Spool Ship hurtles toward us, sailors leap overboard into the sea, but survival seems unlikely.
This is a full-blown suicide attack.
「Are they intending to be human torpedoes?」
Together with Drake, I fire our magic rifles relentlessly, sinking the Spool Ships one after another. Yet more small boats flow toward us, impossible to shoot down entirely.
My bullets strike the bomb protruding from the Spool Ship’s bow, and I watch helplessly as it disperses into the sea. Is this truly a battle of the age of sail?
Perhaps my cannon and bomb attacks have provoked the enemy’s cunning minds to create such grim suicide weapons. War, they say, is the mother of invention, but the cost is too great.
「The armor of the black cedar warship can withstand the impact of an explosion. Drake, position the flagship forward, targeting only the enemy ships aiming for our wooden vessels!」
As I continue firing from the front, a cry rings out from behind, accompanied by an explosion.
An enemy stone mortar shell strikes the deck, toppling the mainmast of the Black Cedar warship.
「Drake!」
Near the bow, Admiral Drake, hoarse from commanding the gunners, collapses along with the broken mast.
The seasoned pirate lies trapped between the mast, his body like a log. Blood seeps out from the gap in the broken spar. This is dire!
「Get a hold of yourself!」
「Guess it’s my time, King General. It looks like I’m done here….If you die, the troops will falter. If I die, you just need to stay quiet.」
Drake’s consciousness seems muddled; his unfocused eyes swim.
Slowly, he closes his eyes and becomes still.
「Drake, Drake!」
「…Just kidding, King General. Don’t make that face. I just wanted to try it.」
With a blue face, he opens his eyes and manages a smile.
Damn it, I really thought he was dead! Stop messing around!
「Don’t make me worry.」
「Luckily, it was my prosthetic arm that got pinned. The infamous Pirate King, undefeated even against the Invincible Armada—I’ve always been blessed with bad luck. Every part of my body hurts, but this won’t be enough to kill me.」
If there’s pain, then you’re not dead—comforting thought. In this world, as long as you avoid death, recovery is possible.
Together with the crew, we lift the fallen mast, resembling a massive log, and pull Drake out from underneath. I administered a vial of elixir to him.
Drake’s condition is severe; the impact of the mast was no laughing matter. However, the potent elixir works swiftly, and he begins to recover.
Upon closer inspection, Drake’s prosthetic arm lies shattered. Perhaps the sturdy arm absorbed enough shock to prevent fatal injury.
Despite his bravado, Drake’s lost a fair amount of blood. At his age, commanding the fleet any further is impossible.
「Rest here, Drake. I’ll take over ship command.」
「King General, naval battles have become this grim without us realizing it, huh?」
Sitting on the deck, Drake gazes up at the smoke-tinged sky with clouded eyes, murmuring wistfully.
Perhaps my introduction of cannons is partly to blame for the war’s brutality.
In Drake’s era, naval battles involved firing arrows, ramming bowsprits, and men dueling on the decks—a far cry from this scene. Our losses are immense, but the enemy, too, reveals a hellish spectacle.
With each thunderous cannon blast, enemy ships sink into the sea. The strait is littered with wreckage, and the open ocean is stained crimson with flames, blood, and smoke.
The sea is teeming with both the dead and those about to die.
Yet despite the sacrifices we’ve made, the enemy refuses to stop advancing.
All the naval battles I knew never had such devastating carnage. I once believed that a display of our cannon’s might would be enough to end it, but I never anticipated the enemy’s unwavering resolve.
Truly, one can’t fully understand until they’ve experienced it firsthand. My strategic foresight as a commander was lacking. This battle has become a grueling struggle for both sides.
「Damn it! Castilia, withdraw already! What’s the point of further bloodshed? There’s no hope of victory if we continue like this…」
War at sea is as brutal as on land, yet the sailors cast into these treacherous waters face even graver odds. When a ship sinks, the fate of its crew is nearly sealed. The grim reality surpasses even the perils faced by defeated soldiers on land.
We collide, we crush. It’s become a relentless cycle of death. Is this truly what war entails?
As our patience wanes against the undead soldiers, we finally glimpse an end to the seemingly endless onslaught of the Invincible Armada.
「It’s over…」
Just as the Invincible Armada’s momentum wanes and they begin to turn, something catches my eye from the enemy flagship, the galleass. A dragon with crimson scales takes flight.
Their number exceeds ten, perhaps even twenty.
I’m momentarily stunned.
「What is that? A wyvern?」
「Nation’s Father, they’re of the flying dragon species… specifically, fire dragons known as salamanders!」
Kaara, emerging from the shadows, provides the explanation. So that’s a fire salamander—a rather common monster. If memory serves, they’re dragons attuned to flames.
Though it’s my first sighting, this isn’t a wyvern-like subdragon; it’s a true dragon. Its imposing size alone suggests it’s a formidable creature, the kind that would befit a final boss in an RPG.
However, why would such a demon beast emerge from the enemy’s ship?
Through my spyglass, I can discern the reptilian figure atop the fire salamander’s back.
Is that dragon being controlled by the enemy mercenaries?
Even without asking Kaara, I can surmise the situation, but I’ll inquire just to be sure.
「Kaara, I assume these creatures hail from the Afri continent?」
「Your intuition is correct. Fire salamanders are born from the clash of scorching smoke and frigid clouds atop Mount Elta-Are—a dragon attuned to both wind and flame. According to legend, the reptilian shamans, servants of the mother of chaos, revere fire salamanders and occasionally command them. However, I never imagined I’d witness one firsthand.」
I was aware that Castilia employed Afri demons as mercenaries.
But to control flying demon beasts—this caught me completely off guard.
「So this legendary dragon has become our adversary. Aligning with Afri demons is quite the strategic move.」
「Compared to the northern continent, the southern demons form more organized societies and are generally more cooperative. Perhaps that’s why humans find them easier to manipulate.」
For Kaara, a demon herself, witnessing fellow beings—albeit different in habitat and form—being used by humans seems to evoke complex emotions. Especially when they appear as enemies, it’s only natural for her to wear a sorrowful expression.
Yet Castilia’s utilization of demon forces extends beyond mere convenience.
Moreover, the fire salamander, spewing flames with abandon, poses a dire threat to our wooden warships. Our odds are grim.
One after another, our allied vessels ignite, and sporadic explosions suggest that gunpowder barrels have caught fire.
While we’ve prepared for arrow attacks, safeguarding against the crimson inferno proves more challenging.
The sight of these terrifying creatures alone leaves our crew trembling, and chaos disrupts the coordinated movements of our fleet.
「Indeed, this situation is dire…」
Despite the sacrifices we’ve made, the hard-won opportunity slips through our fingers. If we leave it unaddressed, the Invincible Armada might regain its strength.
Should the enemy successfully breach our fleet’s core and divide us, the outcome of this battle would become uncertain.
Among the volunteers of the Silesie militia, some have experience battling Germanian dragon knights.
These seasoned warriors adapt on the spot, aiming their cannons skyward to fire. However, hitting agile targets isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
Our ship’s gun emplacements weren’t designed for anti-air combat. They’re simple cannons, not high-velocity guns, rendering them ineffective against aerial foes.
Ah, yes—this calls for proper aerial warfare tactics. Our use of aerial bombardment likely alerted the enemy to the effectiveness of airborne attacks.
Interestingly, it appears that muskets wielded by riflemen are more effective against the fire salamanders than our cannons.
As the fire salamanders approach, breathing flames to incinerate our ships, the musket volleys, while not necessarily lethal, do have some impact.
I, too, drew my magic rifle and took aim at a flying salamander nearby. I fired relentlessly until the magazine emptied, finally downing one.
However, as the wounded fire salamander plummeted, it ignited its entire body, transforming into a fiery mass during its descent.
The swirling inferno crashed onto our carrack’s deck, toppling masts and setting the planks ablaze.
The smoke carried the nauseating scent of burning flesh. The assaulted ship suffered explosions, fires, and severe damage. Even the soldiers and crew on deck weren’t spared.
「To self-immolate in its final moments—what a troublesome demon beast…」
While we’d need a barrage of cannon fire to defeat it, we lack any anti-aircraft preparations.
Our focus had been solely on fleet combat readiness.
「This one’s a real menace, just like Revenant.」
However, if we knew in advance that the enemy would attack from the air, we could have prepared regardless of their numbers—whether a hundred or five hundred.
Indeed, we could have readied anti-aircraft measures, such as net projectiles, to counter them.
That’s likely why Revenant kept their aerial forces hidden until the very end.
And now, at this moment of mutual exhaustion, they’ve unleashed their ultimate trump card.
They understand the art of psychological warfare.
「Who would have thought the enemy had such a hidden ace up their sleeve? Perhaps we should have considered the concept of ‘Real Fantasy’ more thoroughly.」
「Hey, what’s our next move, King General?」
Admiral Drake gazes up at me with concern, but at his age, he likely lacks the strength to rise.
Facing the fire salamanders spewing crimson flames from above, our fleet is utterly defenseless.
If there’s a way forward… it seems it’s up to us.
「Nation’s Father, is it my turn?」
Kaara places her hand on my shoulder. She intends to carry me aloft. Since Prime Minister Nicola and others have enveloped the area with anti-magic spell to counter the enemy’s advance mages, human spells won’t work. However, like the fire salamanders, Kaara can fly as a demon.
「I’m ready to go too.」
Even in the midst of this conflict, Dragon Maid Are, with her tough dragon scales, munches on hardtack bread. Finally, her moment has arrived, and she raises her scaled arm, giving a thumbs-up.
On the deck, gnawing on dry bread… no, let’s not go there.
「Alright, Kaara, let’s do this. We’ll teach the enemy that fire salamanders are mere biters!」
Kaara’s and Are’s flight speeds surpass those of the salamanders. Even in aerial combat, we have a fair chance.
I holster my magic rifle and draw Tizona, the Sword of Ice and Snow, from my waist. Kaara embraces me from behind, and my body gently lifts off.
「I may not fly as gracefully as Oracle…」
「But right now, you’re our only hope. I’m counting on you.」
Turning around, I notice Are on the deck, entangled in an argument with Louise. ‘Carry me on your back!’, ‘I won’t!’. Seriously, are they still doing that at a time like this?
I thought that it would be too difficult for Are to carry Louise on her back since she has to flap her wings but I saw Louise holding Are’s leg.
Is Louise okay? But… there’s no time to worry about others.
Perhaps sensing our presence, the reptilian figure atop the fire salamander’s reins turns its dragon head toward us and breathes a stream of flames.
Kaara deftly maneuvers to avoid being caught in the swirling inferno. While I have some resistance to breath attacks, my bangs still singe from the heat. Facing a dragon’s breath isn’t something I actively seek.
Gripping Tizona, the Sword of Ice and Snow, with all my might, I sever the fire salamander’s wings from their base with a resounding cry of ‘Take this!’.
The wounded fire salamander plummets, emitting a high-pitched screech reminiscent of glass scraping. It crashes into the sea.
So this is what they mean by ‘one strike, one kill’. The fire salamander seems weaker than it appeared.
Curious about Are and Louise, I glance sideways. Louise, now atop the fire salamander, wildly shakes her red hair. She’s locked in combat with the reptilian figure, shouting, ‘doryaaa!’ as she strikes it down.
Louise must have leaped from Ale’s legs to the dragon’s back.
Louise finishes off the reptilian figure, taking the reins in its place. She forcefully slams the fire salamander’s head, which thrashes about, with a stern command: ‘Do what I say’. She’s riding it like a pro.
Louise, having consumed the blood of dragons, remained unfazed even when the enraged fire dragon Salamander unleashed its fiery breath upon her. There was no knight more suited to subduing dragons than her.
Louise had become something beyond human, it seemed.
Are that was never truly human darted through the air at incredible speed, its sharp claws striking down the fleeing fire dragons one by one. She focused on the humanoid reptilia’s heads, severing them effortlessly.
Perhaps she hesitated to kill the fire dragon Salamander, given their shared lineage. But Are, which showed no mercy to the riders, exuded an air of confidence.
As long as the beast tamer controlling them from above was eliminated, the fire dragon Salamander would lose control and cease its attacks. Killing it might not be necessary.
「Kaara, let’s move on to the next target!」
「Yes!」
Following my command, Kaara deftly evaded the fiery breath and closed in. With each strike, we took down fire dragons and their riders. The end was in sight.
If there were a hundred or two hundred of them, there would be nothing I could do but fortunately, there were only about twenty.
Just when I thought we had a chance, a significantly larger fire dragon, a High Salamander, appeared before us. Perched atop its massive back, the silver-haired Revenant, like a final boss, stood tall alongside the pilot.
Ah, Revenant, I expected nothing less. Always eager to orchestrate the ultimate showdown, you remain as arrogant as ever.
「Fu-ha-ha! You’ve come quite far, Silesie’s hero!」
「That’s my line. You always go overboard, Revenant!」
Our feud with this cunning sorcerer had reached its limit.
Even though it was the formidable High Salamander, being surrounded by Are, Louise, and me left little chance of victory.
Besides, this area fell within the range of the anti magic spell, Dispel Magic, cast by Prime Minister Nicola. What could a powerless, neutralized advance mage like you do now?
「Your opponents are neither me nor the fire dragons!」
Revenant declared loudly.
Emerging from the dragon’s back with deliberate slowness, a massive figure reminiscent of a moon-ring bear appeared…
「Dyson?!」
No doubt about it—the imposing, monstrous giant with a stern face was unmistakably Fist Slave Emperor Dyson. Clad in an impressive suit of silver-gleaming full-body armor, he wore a shell-purple mantle that billowed as he leaped high from the dragon’s back. With thick legs, he aimed a powerful kick directly at me.
「What?!」
His dropkick was like a rocket, impossible to evade. I braced myself to intercept Dyson’s formidable kick, but Kaara let out a small scream behind me.
The kick’s force overwhelmed Kaara’s levitation magic. My buoyancy vanished, and I plummeted downward.
「Dyson, you were supposed to be dead…」
My scream was lost in the wind.