Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

The sun tilted to the west, and the southeast wind was gradually weakening.

Accompanied by the sound of bells, The Glorious turned direction, sailing against the wind to lower its sails and drop anchor, waiting with other warships that had arrived at the anchorage earlier for the ships lagging behind.

Although Vineta's army officers and navy officers had never seen eye to eye, after spending two days on a ship, even the most prejudiced army officer had to admit: Fleet management was absolutely a technical job.

To command fifty soldiers, a loud voice sufficed, but to lead fifty hundred-man units into battle, one needed an effective command system.

The third "Da Weineta" Legion consisted of fifty-nine hundred-man units, totaling just over five thousand men, a modest force compared to the legions of the Ancient Empire in historical stories, which routinely numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

(For the composition of fifty-four hundred-man units and five chief hundred-man units, please refer to previous chapters for the legion's structure)

Yet, just to mold these five thousand plus men into an army, it required the concerted effort of seventy-six officers, one hundred and eighteen military police, sixty-two standard-bearers, forty buglers and drummers, thirteen barber-surgeons, and three chaplains.

Thank heavens, the soldiers were responsible for cooking their own food, or else this list would have needed to include several dozen more cooks.

However, the difficulty of managing a fleet was a notch above managing a legion.

The vengeance fleet Winters was in included the offshore fleet's large sailing ships and oar-and-sail warships, commandeered merchant ships, and some supply ships specially used for carrying materials.

These ships varied in model, age, draft, and seaworthiness. The navy's warships could cut through the waves at speeds over ten knots, while it would be a miracle if the cumbersome merchant ships didn't capsize at the same speed. Flat-bottomed oar-and-sail ships could not withstand strong winds and waves, but deep-draft merchant ships and warships couldn't venture into shallow waters either.

This medley of ships couldn't sail in a column for long, with one closely following another, as gaps naturally formed between them, with the less seaworthy ones lagging behind.

That's why during these two days, when Winters was on deck for fresh air, he couldn't see where the other ships were at all. The sea was too vast, and only occasionally could he spot a sail on the horizon.

Therefore, the navy headquarters had planned the course and anchorage for the vengeance fleet in advance. Departing from Haidong Port, after sailing sixty to seventy nautical miles, the fleet would regroup at the anchorage before heading to the next one.

Colonel Kongtai'er told Winters, "To think that not a single ship fell behind after two days and nights of non-stop sailing, it seems the navy people are really getting serious."

Coming from Kongtai'er, who often said, "The navy has only sailors and captains, no officers," Winters thought the navy officers should take this as the highest compliment.

At this very moment, Winters was lying half-reclined on a bed in a cabin at The Glorious's stern, focusing intently on the cabin door.

This "bed" was more of a wooden box than a bed, with two-foot-high guardrails on all sides; lying inside felt like being in a coffin. Such design was due to the ocean's rocking waves, preventing a soundly sleeping person from being thrown off the bed.

Above his head and beneath him was the wooden hull, just as close.

To save space, the beds were arranged in bunk style. This small cabin fit four beds, leaving only an arm's breadth of passageway in the middle, making it extremely cramped.

The accommodations were rather spartan, but this was actually a special favor by navy standards. The conditions of life at sea were very harsh, with navy sailors having to curl up in hammocks, inevitably waking with aching bodies.

Even so, this was better than the lot of many merchant ship sailors. The crew of the Bandit Gull simply slept on the deck, not only suffering from severe dampness and potential skin diseases but also from restless sleep. When the waves were high, people would roll up and down the deck with the rhythm of the sea.

The Vineta navy showed their utmost sincerity by streamlining The Glorious's crew, dispensing with even the gun crew, and keeping only the sailors needed to maintain the operation of the warship. They converted all available space temporarily into cabins—effectively turning this flagship of the offshore fleet into a command center and dormitory for the army officers.

To ensure smooth communication, the navy even placed the quarters of the commander of the third legion next to the commander of the offshore fleet. Just as Colonel Kongtai'er said, they really wanted to give the Tanilians a thorough beating, even if it meant starting to win over their old rivals.

Because they were anchoring against the wind, The Glorious remained steady, merely undulating slightly with the waves.

Andre had evidently fallen asleep, as snoring of varying volume came from Winters' bunk above.

Bard was in the bunk opposite, once again buried in his book that was nearly falling apart from overuse.

Feeling the motion of the ship, Winters seized a moment when the ship rose to its highest point and became momentarily still to use the Arrow Flying Spell.

A steel dart flew from his hand and nailed into the cabin door.

Drawing a satisfied breath, Winters pulled out another steel dart.

In the middle of the door, within a small circle carved with a knife, there were now over a dozen steel darts, with not a single one outside the circle, only holes from earlier practice.

The burst strength of a spellcaster's spells and their skill could only be improved with persistent practice. One must practice when conditions are right, and create the conditions for practice when they're not.

From his hand to the door was about two and a half steps; Winters had already begun practicing six-step targets in the basement of his home. Such a short distance he could now hit with unerring accuracy, and in truth, the practice wasn't particularly meaningful.

But the ship's space was indeed limited, and there was no suitable practice area. And with so many senior officers around, Winters didn't dare to act recklessly. He could only play around in the cabin, treating it as a game.

"Remember to remind me never to play darts with you," Bard said with a laugh, sticking his head out of his bunk and glancing at the steel darts stuck in the door.

"No problem," Winters responded playfully, adopting the posture of dart throwing, aimed briefly, and threw the steel dart towards the door.

However, just as the steel dart left his hand, someone outside opened the door.

——snip——

While three warrant officers were idly whiling away the time in The Glorious' cabin, a nimble sailboat docked at Sea Blue Port.

The sailors on board were all haggard and exhausted. They worked in shifts, day and night without rest, maneuvering the nimble sailboat as they hurried towards Sea Blue Port. They had even encountered headwinds and storms on the way, but these challenges failed to defeat the resilient sailors.

The sailors didn't yet know that they had just broken the record for the fastest journey from Golden Harbor to Sea Blue Port and had established a significant lead over the second-place finisher. Although this episode remained unknown to others, the sea would remember it forever.

Their record would stand for hundreds of years, until it was broken by trans-era clipperships.

However, they were still too late; The Republic of Vineta had already dispatched their avenging angels.

After learning this news, Captain Kenway—one of the leaders of the Tanilia Captains and Planters Council—didn't make another attempt to meet with the Debela Governor but instead went straight back to his ship.

War had arrived and would not end until one side succumbed.

Kenway had tried to prevent all of this, but his efforts were proven to be in vain.

Now, he needed to convey the news that the Third Legion of Vineta had already set out to the other captains as quickly as possible.