Chapter 246: Assault on Times Square
The Silesien fleet advanced toward Times Square.
Unlucky fishing vessels from the Demon Kingdom, crossing paths with the enemy fleet, were quickly engulfed and captured by the trailing galley ships.
「It’s unfortunate, but we can’t let the enemy catch wind of our movements.」
Said Lyle-sensei, her expression not at all conveying sympathy.
It was her usual demeanor.
「Sensei, they’re just fishermen. Can’t we avoid unnecessary roughness?」
「Since they’re offering no resistance, there’s no need to sink them. Capturing them will suffice.」
「I see.」
「The weather is perfect for bombardment, and with the favorable winds, we should be able to launch a surprise attack before they detect us. So far, everything is going smoothly. Let’s hope our luck holds through the assault.」
The sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight. Though precautions had been taken to waterproof the gunpowder, using cannons and firearms is always more reliable in fair weather.
In my pocket, I still carried the ‘White Silver Feather’.
Though its shine had faded, I hoped it would offer some protection, perhaps granting us good weather or favorable winds.
「We should be nearing the enemy’s port, right?」
Though I had once sailed to an uninhabited island nearby, this would be my first time seeing Times Square.
I’d heard that a fortress island guarded the military harbor.
「Indeed, we should see it any moment now… Ah, there it is. That’s the great fortress of Square. Take a look, Takeru-dono.」
Lyle-sensei handed me a telescope, and through it, I could see the faint outline of a port on the horizon. What caught my eye was a massive, gray rectangular mass.
「It’s enormous. It looks like a giant monolith.」
What was it again? Something similar exists in Australia, I think. Admiral Damons, standing nearby, provided the answer.
「The four-meter-tall rock formation standing before the port is Square Fortress. We, the people of Times, have named this natural monolith ‘Long Castle Island’ and have spent five centuries turning it into an impregnable fortress. Square Fortress is the symbol of Times, the mightiest naval power in Abyss.」
Square—referring to the fortress’s rectangular shape. The great naval port is defended by this massive monolith, hollowed out and turned into a grand castle-fortress.
As we drew closer, I could make out windows cut into the rock, as well as towers rising within the structure. It was indeed an impressive symbol of Times, a naval nation with unmatched defenses.
Even after the port was assaulted by aerial and naval forces led by the Great Demon King Ifriil and brought under his control, Square Fortress stood unchanged in its majesty. To free the former citizens of Times from Ifriil’s rule, we would have to prove our strength by taking down this formidable stronghold.
「Quite a target, isn’t it? It’s the perfect outdated square fortress for testing the impact of cannon fire.」
Lyle-sensei muttered ominously.
Indeed, unless we take down Square Fortress, the symbol of Times’s capital, the enemy will never surrender.
「Yes, that fortress… we have no choice but to destroy it.」
Just as our fleet neared the port, the enemy seemed to notice, and a hasty fleet emerged from the military harbor. Despite the surprise attack, it looked like there were over 300 ships mobilizing from a distance.
The speed at which the enemy reacted was impressive, a true testament to the naval might of Times. However, most of their ships were small and no match for our larger vessels. Admiral Damons stepped forward with a suggestion.
「Your Excellency King General, I propose sending the three Great Sea Dragons against their main ships, the longships.」
「Ah, the Great Sea Dragons. Yes, do it.」
The dragons were demon beasts gifted by Great Demon King Ifriil. Though they currently obeyed us, there was no telling when they might turn on us. It was best to use them while we could.
Standing at the bow of the Black Cedar warship, Damons pulled out a blood-red scale from his cloak and held it aloft. As he called out the names of the Great Sea Dragons, a violent wind began to whip across the sea.
「Great Sea Dragons, sink every ship that dares leave the port!」
Suddenly, three massive sea serpents emerged from the ocean, charging toward the enemy fleet. What followed was a one-sided massacre.
「They’re certainly formidable allies.」
The enemy fleet, divided into three groups of roughly a hundred ships each, was closing in on us. Yet their small boats capsized merely from the wake of the sea dragons, and their main longships were crushed in the jaws of the monsters.
「The enemy is still using stones?」
Lyle-sensei muttered in disbelief as she observed through a telescope. Some soldiers were armed with bows and crossbows, but many sailors resorted to hurling rocks at the dragons. It seemed they had no better weapons at their disposal.
「They’re local troops, after all… It’s complicated for me.」
「Though brave, those Times marines won’t stand a chance against dragons.」
Indeed, bravery alone wasn’t enough to win this fight.
Even as their ships were being torn apart, the enemy fleet resisted valiantly.
Watching the dragons and enemy ships tear each other apart would have been preferable, but things took a turn.
「Your Excellency King General, it seems the control over the Great Sea Dragons has been compromised.」
It appeared Damons, as the one controlling the beasts, could sense it. Although the dragons were still wreaking havoc within the enemy fleet, their movements had grown erratic.
They were turning toward us.
We needed to act before they reached us.
「Drake, take them down with cannon fire.」
「Finally, I’ve been itching for some action! Target: Great Sea Dragons! Turn those gun turrets quickly!」
The two primary cannons of the Black Cedar, the Magic Armstrong Cannons, swiveled around, and at Drake’s command, a powerful shot rang out. With a deafening boom, the first dragon and a large portion of the enemy fleet were obliterated.
I had to brace myself, or the blast would’ve knocked me off balance. The thunderous roar of the cannons echoed once more as we targeted the remaining two dragons. In a coordinated volley of a thousand cannon shots, they too were dispatched, sinking beneath the waves.
I sighed in relief. However, if the dragons’ control had been wrested away, it meant someone on the enemy side had the ability to do so.
「Damons, does this mean Great Demon King Ifriil is here?」
「I’m not sure, but it’s possible…」
We had Damons and others on our side, and we’d already accounted for much of the fortress’s defenses. Yet the unpredictable nature of Great Demon King Ifriil worried even someone as calculated as Lyle-sensei.
If Great Demon King Ifriil were indeed present, we might have to contend with more powerful beasts. And despite the overwhelming destruction we had wrought, the enemy’s remaining fleet was still pushing forward, launching a desperate charge.
「After all this, they still won’t retreat?」
「Stubborn, but their leadership leaves much to be desired. Closing in with small boats will only result in needless death. I’d prefer they withdraw, but if they won’t… we’ll just crush them and press onward.」
Lyle-sensei furrowed her elegantly shaped eyebrows.
The outcome was already decided. At this point, it was no longer bravery but sheer recklessness leading to needless deaths.
Yet, like disturbed bees from a hive, enemy ships continued to pour out of the harbor. Despite dodging our cannon fire and reaching the Silesien fleet, the only ships that led the charge were the larger ones with high decks.
Smaller ships crashing into us couldn’t hope to break through our armored hulls with their rams. Their decks were too low to even attempt boarding us for hand-to-hand combat.
As for ranged weapons, their projectiles couldn’t match the distance covered by our cannons. By the time they got close, they were riddled with holes by musket and Minie rifle fire, turning their crews into beehives of bullet wounds.
The enemy sailors, fighting to the bitter end, screamed in their death throes as they fell into the sea, dyeing the water crimson. In the wake of the Silesien fleet, oars and shattered ships floated like grave markers in the bloodied waters.
「We did it! Look, King-sama, I hit one!」
「This is a complete victory. Congratulations.」
Berenice shouted excitedly and Clementine added, both of them gleefully firing their Mini rifles and shotguns at the enemy sailors.
Despite their enthusiasm, watching the enemy’s limbs blown off and hearing their pained groans left me with mixed feelings.
This wasn’t even a battle. It was a one-sided massacre.
Lyle-sensei only enjoyed winning—she wasn’t the kind to kill unnecessarily.
「We should take out their commander…..」
To put an end to the pointless fighting, I aimed my magical rifle’s scope at the enemy ships. In the center of their line, I spotted a general clad in an ornate cloak, waving his sword. I aimed for his head and fired, instantly silencing him.
One by one, I continued picking off the enemy leaders, and with each shot, the enemy fleet slowly began to retreat. Indeed, cutting off the head works every time.
「Now that the enemy ships have retreated to the harbor, it’s time for the second phase.」
With that, I gave the order to Damons.
「Damons, it’s time for you to go ashore. Don’t worry, your family has already been evacuated beyond the city walls. This is the most crucial part of capturing their stronghold. I’m counting on you.」
「Understood! I’ll give it everything I’ve got!」
Damons led his Abysspania troops, a combined force of 20,000 soldiers, packed into a hundred galleys. Separating from the Silesien fleet, they quietly began their landing operation.
Once that was underway, Lyle-sensei turned to me.
「Shall we move on to the siege of the main fortress?」
「Indeed. Drake, move us into range for bombardment.」
The Silesien fleet pulled alongside the massive fortress, and in unison, we unleashed a relentless barrage of cannon fire.
Our objective: to utterly destroy the fortress that stood before us.