Chapter 496 - The Start of the Naval Battle
“Hey, it looks like our allies are fleeing along the coast of the continent.”
“Yeah. There are instructions that if you’re pursued by the enemy, you shouldn’t flee into the middle of the sea. This ship, too, would likely follow the coast of the continent or the island in an emergency.”
When I returned to the treatment room and asked Sianya, she already knew.
“But you know, if this ship charges, we’ll have to flee afterward, right? But if we go to the coastal areas where the tide is slow…”
“I think it’ll be fine.”
She said it so casually.
“Is there some kind of plan?”
It was Beowulf.
“I haven’t been told the details. I just know that those instructions have been issued.”
Well, she’s a priest. It’s no surprise she doesn’t know.
“But if we’re charging with a hospital ship, there must be a chance of victory, right?”
This time it was Mary. She hates war more than anything, but she didn’t oppose joining this fight. It must be because she hated the idea of abandoning wounded soldiers.
“That’s right. Since the old man thought we could do it, I don’t think we’re charging recklessly.”
Since she called him 'the old man,' was that treatment center director also Sianya’s tutor?
“Yes. For me, he was a former priest, but he was recruited by my grandfather—the King of Primordia from two generations ago—and served as a military advisor while also being the treatment center director.”
A former priest being a military advisor is quite a story. There really are all kinds of people.
“I see them! It’s our allies’ hospital ship!”
Suddenly, the lookout’s voice rang out.
I climbed the stairs on all fours and poked my head out.
“It looks like they’re fighting.”
“Since we have the width, we built a watchtower. That ship, too, is equipped with several ballistae.”
When Eleanor-sama asked, Edward-sama answered.
“Jeanne. If you want to see, come over here.”
I was spotted by Henry-sama.
I called out to those below and decided to watch for just a bit.
As I approached, I could see a ship with a wide, large watchtower and several relatively small ships in the direction he pointed. As the treatment center director said, the small escort ships must have caught up first. That means there’s a large ship behind them.
I looked to the right and checked our position relative to the continent.
Our allies’ ship was to the front-right. Assuming our allies’ ship was proceeding almost parallel to the continental coast, the fact that they weren't directly in front meant we were that much further from the continent. Since I could just barely tell there was a beach, we must be quite far out.
“Old man, it seems the enemy hasn’t fired any fire-arrows.”
“Hmm. It looks like they want to board and capture it. However, they’re downwind; it won't be that easy.”
“Is it not an inspection?”
“No, they shouldn’t have to respond to an inspection. The hospital ship is properly flying the flag of the Western Church.”
He answered Edward-sama and Eleanor-sama’s questions without hesitation.
The flag must be the flag of the Great Cathedral of the West. It’s also flying on the ship we’re on now. I don’t understand it at all, but it seems everything is visible to them.
“In other words, they attacked knowing full well what it was.”
“Almost certainly.”
Eleanor-sama and the treatment center director had grim expressions. Attacking a ship flying the church flag is outrageous.
“Are we charging as we are?”
“Yes. I believe that would be best.”
“We have the wind and the tide in our favor.”
“Yes, and the hull itself is larger on our side.”
“We’re going to literally scatter them, then?”
“I believe that is the tactic you two are most proficient in?”
“Ufufu. We rarely perform such a blatant assault while showing ourselves so clearly.”
“Wahahaha. That is exactly why, is it not?”
These two were laughing, but both had glints in their eyes.
Edward-sama looked at them in shock, then looked at Henry-sama.
Henry-sama was just watching the pursuit between friend and foe with his arms crossed, but he must have noticed Edward-sama’s gaze, as he looked at Edward-sama and smiled.
“Edward-dono. Do you know what the fastest and most powerful attack method with a sword is?”
Suddenly asked, Edward-sama hesitated for a moment before tightening his expression.
“A thrust.”
“Indeed.”
After saying that, Henry-sama shifted his gaze to the fleeing allied hospital ship. As if drawn, Edward-sama looked in the same direction.
“Then, is this also a thrust?”
“Yes. A straight thrust.”
“Yes! My late father taught me that.”
“Without fearing the enemy’s counterattack, you thrust through as if throwing your whole body at the opponent.”
“Yes!”
Henry-sama looked at Edward-sama, who had spoken in a spirited voice, and nodded as if to say, 'Indeed.'
After the conversation with Henry-sama that I understood yet didn't quite understand, Edward-sama began to issue instructions to the soldiers as if he had cleared his mind.
Catching the wind in the large sails, riding the tide, and rowing with many oars, we charged into the middle of the pursuit.
“They’ve noticed.”
Almost at the same time the treatment center director said that, the ship changed direction and came straight toward us. They must be trying to get closer after noticing our rescue attempt.
Seeing that, the treatment center director went to the stairs leading down to the treatment room where I had been peeking and called out.
Sianya and Beowulf came up.
Despite this emergency, Sianya was as calm as usual. Her guard, Beowulf, was the one who looked tense.
“What’s wrong?”
“Yeah. Edward is about to inspire the soldiers, so as a member of the royalty, I’m joining him.”
When I asked, her voice was in its usual tone. She must be used to it.
I thought she’d be exempt since she’s a priest, but since she coordinates with the royal palace on a daily basis, she has to perform the roles of both priest and royalty.
Perhaps because Sianya appeared, voices saying “Sianya-sama!” could be heard from below.
“Please, Edward-sama.”
The treatment center director pointed to the center of the command post.
The front part of the center was jutting out like a terrace, so standing there would make it look like he was having an audience with the entire ship.
Edward-sama, taking a deep breath, stood there.
The treatment center director stood diagonally behind Edward-sama—that is, to his side. Sianya stood on the opposite side. It was a configuration where Edward-sama was in the middle, and the two of them stood on either side in slightly recessed positions.
“Listen! All of you!”
The Loud Prince was in his element. For a moment, my back straightened.
He didn't care about the strong west wind. Everyone looked over here at once. Of course, they didn't stop rowing.
“We are now going to rescue our allies who are being pursued by the enemy. Let us surely rescue our compatriots who are under the banner and protection of the Western Church, and show those who behave so insolently what we are made of!”
A cheer rose from the soldiers all at once. It seemed to reach all the way to the bow, as the soldiers standing there raised their fists.
Next, when Sianya raised her right hand, everyone fell silent at once.
“Children of those who serve the Light. Now, show your strength. I shall witness all of it here. I am with you all.”
“Yeah! Long live Primordia!”
They responded loudly to Sianya’s words.
After it had boiled over for a while, this time the treatment center director shouted, “Listen!”
“Alright! It starts from here! Let’s go! You rascals! Don’t you dare wet yourselves out of fear!”
He shouted an encouragement that didn't sound like it came from a former priest. And to say it after Sianya?
“Boss! You’re the one who needs to be careful, or you’ll trip and throw your back out!”
“That’s right, that’s right! Don’t push yourself, old man!”
The director is probably from a good family, but the soldiers were shouting quite bold heckles.
“You punks, you said it now! I won’t heal anyone who just said that, even if you get hurt!”
Those were hardly the words of a treatment center director.
“We’ll be fine because Sianya-sama is here~”
When someone said that, everyone, including Edward-sama and the director, burst out laughing. Even Sianya was laughing with her hand over her mouth.
“Now, men! Advance!”
“Yeah!”
Responding all at once to Edward-sama’s further shout, everyone returned to their posts.
After that, everyone began to row desperately in time with the shouts of the soldier who seemed to be the unit commander at the bow.
Someone had said that Primordia’s fight is a fisherman’s fight, and this might be what they meant.
At least the latter half was a series of exchanges that didn't sound like regular army encouragement at all.
When I asked Sianya, she said it was always like this.
“It might be because there are no knights in the navy. It’s basically composed of people who row oars. Such people are from the lower classes.”
Usually, they are apparently real fishermen. Since Edward-sama once aspired to be a fisherman, he must be on good terms with people from various fishing villages. Come to think of it, we often meet at sea, whether it’s for sea serpent culling or the Great Shark Festival. I could clearly see that the fishing villagers, while showing respect to the royalty, also treated them with familiarity. Edward-sama is, so to speak, the boss of the fishermen.
We accelerated toward the allied ship that was fleeing toward us.
Rather than saying we were sliding along, we were proceeding with the momentum of a river flowing downstream.
Leaving the direction and speed of rowing entirely to the soldiers at the bow, Edward-sama and the others were having a strategy meeting. After a meeting that included Magdalena-sama, they all scattered to their posts as if they had reached an agreement.
Magdalena-sama, who was entrusted with the command of the archers, went to the bow. Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama were with her. Wilson-san went to the stern, and Beowulf went down to the treatment room below.
Edward-sama was, of course, at the command post with his harpoon. The treatment center director was beside him.
To my surprise, Sianya was also with them. Indeed, she had said she would witness everyone here. However, the Church has officially declared non-participation in the war. Won't it be a problem later if a Bishop in priest’s robes is on the battlefield?
“Hey, is Sianya staying here? I mean, the battle is about to start, right?”
I asked just in case, though she probably knew.
“Yes, I’m staying here. We’re flying the flag of the Western Church. Some priest has to be here. And I’m royalty. Everyone knows I’m on board, so I can’t hide.”
It’s amazing how she can laugh so naturally.
While I was talking with Sianya, the ship kept advancing, and our allies’ ship was drawing close. We were facing each other head-on. The enemy ships had been trying to get in front of our allies’ ship, but since we were charging in, they seemed to have slowed down a bit. They were staying behind our allies. Since we were larger, they must have realized it was the new hospital ship. The scouts must have grasped at least that much information. They might also be considering the possibility that the ship’s captain, Edward-sama, is on board. They might have changed their target to us.
“Prepare the archers!”
Edward-sama’s instruction was issued.
At the bow were Henry-sama, Magdalena-sama, and Bonnie. Around them, about ten archers were dipping their arrowheads into buckets.
Eleanor-sama was behind those archers.
In the meantime, the distance between the two hospital ships kept shrinking, until it seemed they would literally collide head-on.
“Light them!”
At Edward-sama’s command, Bonnie, holding a torch, went around lighting the arrows. They intended to fire fire-arrows.
“Archers! Ready!”
At the second command, Henry-sama was the first to ready his bow. Seeing that, the archers readied their bows at the same angle as Henry-sama. Magdalena-sama was checking and correcting their angles and directions.
Henry-sama’s bow was pointed straight ahead. It looked as if he were aiming at our allies’ ship.
“Draw!”
That must have been the signal that the adjustments were finished. Edward-sama spoke in a great voice to Bonnie, who had waved her hand.
The archers drew their bows all at once.
“Tempest!”
Eleanor-sama released her magic. It was Tempest. Even if its power dropped by one level, it was still a high-level spell, more powerful than Favorable Wind.
By the way, our allies’ ship was very close. We really might collide.
There was a cabin-like building in the center, and I could clearly see the person who seemed to be the captain looking over here. Since it was a large ship, there was no mistake it was a hospital ship.
Both sides kept approaching, and just as I thought we would collide, I reflexively gripped the wooden railing that served as a handrail.
That was when it happened. Our allies’ ship, which had been coming toward us, turned to starboard—that is, slightly to the left from our perspective.
“Fire!”
The arrows were released all at once.
The arrows, flying with a 'hyun-hyun' sound, were accelerated by the west wind and Eleanor-sama’s wind magic. Normal fire-arrows look like balls of fire flying, but these flew at a speed that made me think only orange-glowing orbs were flying.
At the same time, our allies’ ship passed right by our port side.
The arrows that had been fired flew toward the enemy ships that had been behind our allies.
Of course, they weren't expected to hit, but their speed was incredible, and they flew a tremendous distance.
They flew completely past the enemy ships.
I couldn't grasp the sense of distance since we were on the sea, but I could tell it wasn't a normal distance. The enemy would surely be afraid.
Moreover, taking advantage of the fact that our allies’ ship was gone, they fired a second and third volley, this time at a low angle as if they were flying.
The target was a ship, which is large. Moreover, they didn't have to worry about missing due to distance. Perhaps because of that, the two volleys of twenty arrows each aimed at the ship directly in front flew straight toward the enemy ship in a bundle, and by the time they were readying the fourth volley, flames were rising from various parts of the hull.