Chapter 417: Old Record
Stepping onshore, Alonso picked up a handful of white sand from the beach, letting it slip slowly through his fingers.
Watching the sand scatter in the wind, he muttered softly, "North wind."
Behind him, small boats ferrying soldiers shuttled back and forth between the ships and the shore. In the distance, ten warships formed a straight line, and he could see Grey sitting on a deck, enjoying the sea breeze.
Since the Battle at Prince Valeric Domain, Grey had been troubled by the news Prince Valeric had shared. After resupplying and replenishing ammunition, they set off for Ashenford, intending to investigate this vassal Prince of the Empire.
It wasn’t sensitivity on Grey part; they simply needed to understand the real situation of the surrounding countries in this sea region.
In fact, their warships had arrived here eighty years ago and once established a colony on what is now Split Rock. But back then, the Dutch were vying for naval supremacy with the British. After six major battles over thirty years, the Dutch were ultimately defeated.
At that time, the Dutch were at their weakest, not yet firmly established and defeated by local pirates. But they never forgot this prosperous land. After more than ten years of recovery, they returned, reclaiming Split Rock and ruling it for forty years.
However, just as the records said, this largest Eastern country was still insignificant. He recalled the first diplomatic mission attempting to establish relations with this Great Eldorian Empire described it this way:
"Our governor’s gifts became tributes in the Great Empire but were blatantly embezzled by local officials in Sharlton. Their officials lied about our arrival and tore up our letters to the Great Emperor. To cover up the theft, they expelled us from the country."
The Great Empire was a mysterious country to them, but behind the veil was a weak and decadent nation.
Officials were corrupt and greedy. A class similar to European nobility ruled here, but unlike European nobles, this so-called "scholar-gentry" class cared only for their own interests, ignoring the huge harm and hidden dangers their behavior caused to the country.
Officials were ignorant, arrogant, and corrupt. The common people lived dissatisfied with the officials. They were as timid and incompetent as the natives we conquered. The Red Wolf and Yellow Sun were braver. Facing the northern Reavers tribes, this country merely trembled without the noble spirit we Europeans showed in battle. This alone proved my point.
Also, the emperor and officials were not nationalists. They were unbelievably generous to foreigners but ruthless to their own people.
Great King, if you wish to send troops, as we conquered the natives of the Americas, we would surely defeat this country and make it our colony.
Recalling this record, Alonso raised his brows. At least in the south, he found no exaggeration in the mission’s description—if anything, they had beautified the country.
Prince Valeric, whom they contacted was exactly such a ruler. Although Prince Valeric was wealthy, his riches were controlled by the scholar-gentry, while the common people remained poor.
But just as they thought the entire Great Empire was like this, Prince Valeric’s words made them doubt.
Because in this backward and ignorant land, matchlock muskets appeared. After the defeat, Prince Valeric even said that Prince Simon had built a hot air balloon.
This shocked and terrified them. Although hot air balloons had been replaced by hydrogen balloons in Europe, their presence here was astonishing.
It meant a civilization different from the rest of the Great Empire was rising here.
And this was the source of their fear. A country able to produce matchlock muskets, given its population, could easily defeat them.
After all, their military presence in the East was already tenuous and could not support a large-scale war.
For this reason, they planned to go to Ashenford first, and then to Brambleford. Once they understood Prince Simon’s real situation, they would decide whether to establish trade relations or eliminate this threat at its root.
The Dutch had already lost too many colonies; they did not want to lose this sea region again.
"Ashenford is about twenty kilometers ahead of us."
While Alonso was distracted, a Red Wolf man named Zack came up to him and pointed ahead.
Alonso looked at the man. Zack was a Red Wolf commander from this sea area. Since they established a trading post in Funky town on Red Reeds Spring in Red Wolf territory, they had traded with Red Wolf for over thirty years and maintained stable relations.
These Red Wolves appeared as pirates to outsiders, but they knew well they were soldiers sent by their great leader to plunder wealth.
Under their influence, the Red Wolf mastered matchlock production before the Eldorian Empire. Over the years, as the Red Wolves armed themselves with matchlocks, their ambitions grew.
But the Red Wolf remained respectful to the Dutch, reducing Dutch worries about Red Wolf strength.
The Red Wolf expansion overseas also benefited the Dutch—they could sell more goods to the Red Wolf.
"Mr. Zack, please lead the way ahead. We lack knowledge of this area." Alonso said lightly.
Zack nodded, eyes scanning the Dutch soldiers’ muskets with fixed bayonets and the six-pound field cannons being unloaded. These cannons were mounted between two wheels for easy transport.
Turning his head, the dangerous-looking weapons revealed a trace of greed in his eyes. He said, "Very well, Mr. Alonso, as you wish. Our army will go ahead."
Zack then gathered three thousand soldiers into neat columns and marched toward Ashenford City.
Each Red Wolf soldier carried a matchlock musket and an ammo pouch, all part of the Dutch combat style.
Behind the Red Wolf troops, Alonso commanded Dutch soldiers ashore. A thousand infantry marched with muskets behind the Red Wolf. The artillery troops trailed, attaching six field cannons to horses.
Infantry and artillery advanced toward Ashenford city.
The twenty-kilometer distance was not far. Two hours later, they saw Ashenford city enclosed by walls.
Alonso raised his telescope to observe.
The soldiers on the wall immediately caught his attention.
Several of them wore heavy plate armor, their bodies covered from shoulders to waist in overlapping steel plates. Sunlight reflected from their armor as they moved along the battlements.
He lowered the telescope slightly.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Interesting, nothing unexpected. Their equipment is still old-fashioned. Most likely their soldiers still rely on bows and arrows with spears."
Beside him, Zack raised his own telescope.