Chapter 307

When the higher-ups issued commands, it was quite common for them to be interpreted in exaggerated ways below.

This was well reflected even in the history of the Empire.

When a commander commanded, “Initiate a power reconnaissance considering combat,” it inevitably turned into an “invasion.”

When Bishop Hong of the Church said, “There has been an increase in infiltrators recently; think of a way to strengthen people’s faith,” the heresy inquisitors scoured every corner.

When Duke Valencius said, “We must support the North with as much wheat and barley as possible,” there was near-exploitative conscription taking place in the central and southern regions.

Thus,

“Surround the fortress with all troops! Dig trenches in the western rear and deploy the army.”

“Send people to the commander to bring in battle magicians. We will use large-scale destruction spells.”

“Prepare the Earthquake Letter. If worse comes to worst, we must completely collapse that fortress!”

“Engineers, make rotating ballistae. To conserve the mages’ mana, we will launch the stones from the city walls as projectiles. Make sure they can bombard constantly.”

“All knights, except for the knight officers, follow me. We will initiate a power reconnaissance with Lady Trentia. This is to prevent our siege from being attacked from the outside.”

“Prepare smoke magic. We will breach the walls with catapults and push poisonous gas and smoke inside.”

The command given by Cariosa to “properly besiege the fortress” naturally morphed into “completely smash the fortress and drag out all the rats hiding inside to tear them to shreds.”

The knight who relayed the command realized that it was unfolding differently than he had heard.

‘This isn’t right?’

But there was no one to stop the knight officers and battle knights.

For even Tenitia, who had heard the command together, wanted to showcase her overwhelming prowess.

She sought to preserve the dignity of the central knights against the eastern knights surrounding them, and the eastern knights, in turn, wanted to maintain their own pride against the eastern knights.

“I am the ‘Sword of the Sea’! I have claimed 300 lives in this battle! How many have you killed, Lady Trentia?”

“I am the ‘Blue Shark.’ I have beheaded the admiral-level eastern pirate, Cheongyu, in this battle. How many have you killed, Lady Trentia?”

“I am the ‘Great Hammerhead.’ I have taken down twelve mercenary mages and five infiltrator mages in this battle. What sinner did you slay, Lady Trentia?”

“I am Duke Valencius’s knight, ‘Red Knight’ Tenitia. I have slain pirate admiral Oungula and 200 pirates. I killed about six mercenary mages, two of whom were infiltrators! I think I have done enough for one person.”

It was a taunt that they hadn’t even done as much as one person.

The battle knights began to order trainees to fetch horses and spears, starting their reconnaissance and mountain exploration.

Originally, it was Cariosa’s subordinate, knight officer Jules, who should have stopped this, but he wanted to showcase his true self to Tenitia.

“Are the rotating ballistae prepared?”

“Yes, sir! Assembly is complete. It just needs to be pushed into position.”

“I ordered for the ballista to be modified to shoot stones. What’s the status?”

“80% progress!”

“And the battle magicians and potions?”

“All are ready. Senior knight ‘Manta’ is the overall escort commander.”

“Good! Then prepare for attack!”

In front of the rock mountain fortress that overlooked the city and port, a swarm of sharks emerged onto land, revealing their teeth.

The massive catapults and modified ballistae were ready to recycle the collapsed city walls to launch stones, while battle mages bred solely for the Asenorta family prepared destruction spells, and the cruelest knights from the east scoured the area, smashing, killing, and burning anything that looked suspicious.

“Fire!”

Thirty catapults and thirty modified ballistae fired stones simultaneously.

Bang! Bang!

Stones collided with a thunderous roar.

The rock mountain fortress was so sturdy that it wouldn’t break even after being hammered all day long, but knight officer Jules adeptly found a spot reinforced with bricks.

“Fire luminescent reagent arrows at the brick-reinforced areas! The catapults should aim at those spots!”

No matter how solid the wall was, getting hit repeatedly by stones larger than a grown man would inevitably cause cracks and lead to collapse.

Then the battle mages launched their ‘Spear of Power’ glowing purple, while the crossbowmen pulled back their fiery arrows into the now damaged fortress.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!”

The fiery arrows were fitted with a mixture of paralysis potion and oil-soaked cotton, igniting and releasing smoke laced with paralysis.

Although the wind occasionally blew in the wrong direction, the mages serving the daughter of the storm even changed the wind’s direction.

“Kill them all!”

Thus, the siege of the fortress began.

* * *

The narrow spiral staircase’s ending room was built of stone from ceiling to floor, with a few oil lamps hanging.

The atmosphere suited a monk more than a pirate; however, the individuals seated around the table in that room were the pirate admirals who had once made the sea tremble.

Bang! Bang!

Each time a massive rock flew and collided, the fortress trembled, sending dust raining down from the ceiling.

With dirt falling onto their hats and hoods, the so-called admirals let out deep sighs.

“Comrades, it’s all over for us now.”

“We’re paying the price for trying to fill our bellies by stealing someone else’s bread.”

“Are you just playing noblemen still? Are you out of your mind? Cariosa will kill us all!”

Some still spoke in their antique manner, while others fell back to their vulgar speech.

The pirate king Aquila, wearing a wide-brimmed and extravagant captain’s hat and a blue coat, remained silent.

His lover, Payjin, looked at him with a worried expression.

“Your Highness, how about surrendering now? If we negotiate with the geography and village locations of this island, we might receive a pardon.”

Beneath his wide hat, deep wrinkles formed on the pirate king’s face.

The ambition-filled gaze of Aquila trembled.

Payjin also understood the true nature of those gathered here.

They were pirates to the bone, with no hesitation in committing betrayal, plunder, murder, or infamy.

The man she loved shared that same nature.

However,

“There will be no surrender, my lady.”

The one who spoke of the king chose to reject his true nature.

“I was born a pirate, but I will live as a king.”

He was not a beast of raw flesh, but a pirate king clad in splendid armor and a navy coat embroidered with golden threads, wearing a captain’s hat.

In response to the king’s conclusion, the pirate admirals exhibited various reactions.

Some nodded enthusiastically.

“Your Highness is right.”

“I have lived as I wanted, so I have no regrets.”

There were those who tore their hair out in horror.

“You all are crazy! Completely insane!”

“Do you want to be hung on a mast until you become undead? Do you want to be torn apart by the old ones and not go to heaven or hell?”

Aquila looked down upon them all, raising one hand slowly.

“Come in.”

The door opened and a hooded figure in blue entered.

Where a face should have been was pitch-black, and a slick, briny odor emanated from the body.

It was the Blue Robe Priest, whom everyone had doubted was an infiltrator.

The pirate admirals frowned, regardless of pro or anti-surrender factions.

“Blue Robe Priest?”

“You’re alive.”

“I thought you’d get your neck cut off trying to escape first.”

“Why are you here?”

Payjin, Aquila’s lover, even asked why he had come.

Although it would have made sense for him to be intimidated by the cold reception, the Blue Robe Priest continued as if unconcerned.

“I am simply proud that the admirals have resolved themselves to fight to the death.”

“We didn’t come here to hear that….”

“I have brought all the paths to survival with the allied forces, so please listen to me first.”

Normally, one might have reacted with something like, “Are you mocking us?”

However, the fact that he was the first to warn about Valencius’s danger lent a bit of weight to his words, despite being an unlikable presence.

Payjin clicked her tongue and shot back.

“Alright, fine. Just say something strange.”

The Blue Robe Priest lightly bowed his head toward her.

“The alliance with the Undersea People that I mentioned before is ready.”

“What?”

“They are waiting in the underground secret passage, and you can exit this fortress being escorted. Afterward, you will break through Cariosa’s siege using the passage they have prepared.”

It was a declaration akin to explosive magic.

The pirates’ reactions split into three.

“Undersea people? Those man-eating monsters are here?”

Some got anxious just hearing the name of the Undersea People.

“What do you mean underground secret passage?”

Doubts were expressed about the existence of a secret passage.

“Yes! Hell yes! We’re alive!”

Some rejoiced, grabbing the rope that had come up from the sea and jumping in excitement.

Aquila lightly pounded the table to calm them.

“Admirals, we have a way to survive. Although we may have to temporarily leave our fortress, we will certainly return with a splash.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Wherever Your Highness is, it is the capital.”

“As long as there is a ship, it can be our kingdom anywhere!”

Those who wished to live quickly took over the atmosphere, and the pirate admirals stood up joyfully.

At that moment, one admiral still sitting asked,

“What about the immigrants and villagers remaining on this island, the targets of our colonial project?”

A hard gaze turned toward Aquila.

Aquila replied, as if it were obvious, in a dignified voice.

“My subjects will sacrifice themselves heroically to buy time for me to retreat and preserve the state’s integrity. I will express my deep condolences in advance.”

The admiral’s face hardened, and Aquila chuckled while drawing his sword.

“Ah!”

Ssshhhh!

Blood splattered against the wall, and Payjin alone furrowed her brows, staring into the Blue Robe Priest’s hood.

‘I didn’t even know there was a secret passage.’

No one asked how he had brought the Undersea People or what negotiations had taken place.

‘Perhaps it’s best not to ask. I want to believe this is a real opportunity.’

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The terrifying sounds of the catapults echoed again, and dust fell from the ceiling.

Payjin tightly closed her eyes and pressed close behind Aquila.

‘I feel the same way.’

* * *

Aquila and the Blue Robe Priest descended into the fortress’s underground dungeon.

Clearing away the wooden planks set along the way and lightly tapping the wall, a strange seaweed that had seemed like stone parted to the sides.

‘This isn’t a natural cave. There are signs of artificial reconstruction. Speaking of which… who built this fortress?’

Payjin acknowledged the truth as she looked at the high ceiling, pickaxe marks, and barnacles.

‘The Undersea People must have lived on this island too.’

After rounding a corner in the cave, they appeared.

“Hello!”

“It’s been a while.”

The Blue Robe Priest and Aquila raised their hands as if welcoming, while Payjin and the pirate admirals drew in their breaths.

“Hahaha.”

“How many are there?”

“About forty, I’d say.”

They were tall, with robust physiques, covered in turquoise scales like armor, and had webbed hands and feet.

Their faces resembled that of a sea bass, and they had spines protruding from their backs, holding not formal armor but spears and knives as weapons.

They were the man-eating monsters of the sea, the Undersea People warriors.

Among those warriors were a few shamans smaller than the rest.

They wore purple scales, carried coral staffs instead of weapons, and held baskets filled with potions.

Rustle, rustle.

Also, large reddish giants with octopus heads and tentacles crawled on all fours on the ground.

Their sturdy bodies were clad in rusted armor, sporting sharp crescent-shaped knives on their backs.

They were the guardians of the Undersea People, protecting the shamans.

At the forefront, a giant red crab, the size of a cart, waved its pincers, which were as big as spears, spitting foam.

It was a crab warrior, taking the lead while fending off attacks.

“Chiiiiiik.”

“Karrrack.”

“Siik, siik.”

The man-eating monsters with fish heads greeted the pirate admirals.

Payjin felt as if she might faint from the surreal feeling of that greeting.

“Haha….”

They were the amphibian descendants who had adapted to the sea and their kin, the Undersea People.

“Then let’s move. We never know when the fortress will break.”

The Blue Robe Priest walked with the Undersea People shamans flanking him and Aquila.

“Leaving down here leads to a rough coastline. After waiting until night, we plan to head to the southern sea serpent archipelago.”

“I can’t swim that far.”

“We’ve prepared several giant sea turtles. Riding on their backs will be sufficient.”

“What about the Wyvern reconnaissance unit?”

“What are the chances of spotting even a few of their heads in the night sea with this rain?”

“True. No matter how much Cariosa is the daughter of the storm, she cannot overpower the Undersea People in the sea. Hahaha.”

Payjin drew closer to the back due to an inexplicable sense of unease.

At that moment, an unbidden voice reached them.

“I’ll sweep them all away and serve them up nicely!”

The previously composed Blue Robe Priest stiffened.

“This shouldn’t be happening.”