Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 175

6. The Crimson Sea

1

Around the time the army clashed with the monster legions, the Symphonia Navy near Greg Island was also locked in a fierce battle with the Grenada fleet.

The Grenada Navy, having established a blockade to prevent the Symphonia Navy from escaping overnight, began deploying small ships at dawn to measure the depth and explore passages through the reef areas.

Naturally, the Symphonia forces weren’t going to allow this exploration to proceed unhindered.

Whenever a Grenada scout ship attempted to enter, nearby ambushing ships would rush out and bombard them with cannon fire.

“Those Symphonia bastards have really set up a stronghold here.”

“They’ve laid underwater cables everywhere and are using reefs and rocky islands as walls to block our cannon fire. At this rate, we’ll just be wasting our time.”

At Duke Nayson’s words, Fernan frowned.

“Then, what does the great naval expert suggest we do?”

Despite the obvious sarcasm, Nayson replied without a change in expression.

“We should ignore them and simply pass by.”

“What? Just pass by?”

As Fernan’s eyebrows shot up, Nayson quickly added an explanation.

“If we ignore them and pass by, they’ll think we’re going to attack the Symphonia coast and will be startled into chasing us.”

“Hmm… I see the plan. We’ll lure them out into the open sea where our grand fleet can operate freely and destroy them, right?”

Fernan easily understood, as similar tactics were used in land battles to draw enemies out of their fortifications.

“But wouldn’t a clever enemy see through our intentions?”

“You don’t need to worry too much about that. They’ll be most concerned about our fleet sweeping their coast, so they’ll definitely come out. And we’ll throw them some bait as well.”

“Bait, you say?”

“We’ll put the transport fleet at the very rear.”

The transport fleet was the slowest in the fleet.

Moreover, they didn’t have many cannons, making them vulnerable in naval battles.

However, they carried vital supplies, including food, and the landing forces, so they couldn’t be neglected.

Therefore, when the fleet moved, it would match the speed of the transport fleet and deploy sufficient escort ships around it.

Duke Nayson was planning to disregard such principles to lure the enemies entrenched on Greg Island.

“The enemy will likely think that destroying the transport fleet alone will deal a major blow to our fleet. So, they’ll attack aggressively.”

“Indeed! Are we sacrificing a limb to save the body?”

“Yes, while the enemy is focused on the transport fleet, the main force will temporarily detour south and strike the rear of the pursuing enemy. I believe Your Majesty knows what will happen after that.”

Finding it plausible, Fernan immediately ordered the operation to begin.

As soon as the orders were relayed to each squadron, the Grenada fleet reversed course and began moving towards the Symphonia coast.

After moving a certain distance, as planned, the main force, consisting of fast combat ships, temporarily separated from the transport fleet and detoured south.

Shortly after, a scout ship reported that the enemy fleet had left Greg Island, and Fernan inwardly rejoiced.

“They’re coming out, those rat-like bastards!”

He gritted his teeth, determined to sink them all and make them shark food.

However, while they were sailing, an unexpected report came in. Duke Nayson rushed over, shouting.

“Your Majesty, it’s a disaster!”

“What is it? Did the enemy fleet realize our plan and turn back?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Nayson, catching his breath, explained in detail.

“According to the scout ship’s report, the Symphonia royal flag is flying on the flagship in the center of the enemy fleet.”

“What? Is that true?”

Fernan jumped up from his seat.

This was truly shocking information.

The royal flag meant that the king himself had gone to war.

In other words, Luke de Rakan, the one who had humiliated him, was personally commanding the fleet.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, they’ve confirmed it multiple times with a telescope item [a magical item that functions like a telescope].”

“Heh heh heh, is that so!”

A dark smile spread across Fernan’s face.

He didn’t know what kind of guts Luke had to personally command a naval battle, but this was a golden opportunity to get his revenge.

‘If I capture or kill him here, my revenge will be easily accomplished!’

He was determined not to let him get away.

Fernan immediately ordered Nayson.

“Increase the sailing speed to the maximum. We’ll strike their rear faster than they expect.”

“Your Majesty, the cruising speed is already quite fast. If we increase it further, it will strain the magic steam engines. Then, the engines might not work properly during the actual battle.”

Fernan frowned at Duke Nayson’s worried words.

“Might not work… so it’s not certain.”

“That’s right. But the outcome of a battle determines the course of a war, and the course of a war determines the fate of a nation. We must prepare for even the slightest possibility of an accident.”

“Your words are not wrong, but I believe it’s right to hurry. There’s no way Luke would have come alone.”

Luke was currently known as the strongest Rune Knight [a warrior who uses magic runes] on the continent.

He was not only powerful but also very knowledgeable in magic. He led the magic engineering of the Symphonia Kingdom and created several excellent Gigants [large, powerful magical constructs], such as Gaius and Orion, which other countries coveted.

Moreover, he was known to have recruited and trained many skilled mages.

It was highly likely that many of the mages he had trained were participating in this war.

“Duke, as you know, Symphonia’s magic power is far superior to ours. While we’re scouting with scout ships at sea, they might be looking down from the sky through mages.”

“That’s… Your Majesty is right.”

Grenada, which had long been branded as a pirate nation on the continent, had not greatly developed magic engineering.

As such, the value of mages was so precious that they refrained from using them for dangerous and difficult reconnaissance missions.

“So, we need to act quickly while they haven’t yet realized our plan.”

“But what if… No, I will relay the orders to each fleet.”

Nayson, who was about to argue, stopped when he saw Fernan’s deeply furrowed face.

The reason he had initially tried to argue was that he suspected the royal flag on the enemy flagship might be a ruse.

The scout ship had only seen the flag, not Luke de Rakan’s face.

If it was a ploy to make them act rashly, they could suffer a greater setback than the humiliation they had experienced in the reef area.

‘But currently, our position and the enemy’s are in the middle of the open sea, some distance from Greg Island. Even if they try to scheme in a wide-open area, it won’t be that significant.’

The reason Nayson decided to be optimistic was because of Magreta, who had manipulated the Grenada nobles with charm magic from behind Fernan.

Due to her brainwashing that forced him to obey Fernan, he could no longer assert his own judgment as he used to.

2

Several hours later, the Grenada main force, having completed its flanking maneuver, succeeded in catching up to the tail of the Symphonia fleet.

The Symphonia fleet’s formation wavered, seemingly surprised by the sudden appearance of enemies from behind.

“Hahaha! They seem quite surprised!”

But it was already too late.

They were still out of cannon range, but it wouldn’t be long before they could unleash a barrage of fire.

With that thought, the smile on Fernan’s face did not fade.

“Your Majesty, even when attacking, we must be cautious. Luke de Rakan is also skilled in magic, so we don’t know what tricks he might use.”

Mages were quite troublesome in naval battles.

They could set sails or ships on fire with fire magic.

“Hmph, no matter how skilled he is in magic, can he block thousands of cannonballs alone? Can he handle our fleet?”

“As you said, Luke de Rakan is just a human. However…”

“Duke, you’re too cautious. How about having a little more faith in the power of the fleet, as a man of the sea?”

Nayson remained silent at Fernan’s mocking words.

Instead, he focused on observing the enemy fleet with his telescope item.

‘The movements on the deck seem busy. That’s natural when responding to a surprise attack, but… what are those ropes extending high into the sky from the stern? Are they flying kites or something?’

He had heard stories of the southern continent’s navy using kites to communicate or carry people for reconnaissance.

He had also heard from the surviving privateer crews that the Yemac navy was involved, and seeing this made him somewhat uneasy.

‘But there are so many ropes, not just one or two. How many kites are they flying?’

There seemed to be at least dozens of enemy ships that appeared to be flying kites.

Just as Nayson was about to turn his telescope item towards the sky, the lookout on the mast shouted.

“There’s something in the water! It’s drifting this way!”

“What?”

Duke Nayson quickly turned his telescope item towards the water.

He saw floating objects drifting towards them with the current.

Large wooden barrels painted blue.

Nayson, recalling a very bad memory, quickly turned his gaze towards the enemy fleet.

He saw Symphonia sailors, who had been bustling about, dropping wooden barrels into the water.

Realizing the situation, Nayson urgently shouted to the helmsman.

“Mines! Change course immediately!”

The expressions of the officers and veteran sailors on the deck changed instantly at the word ‘mines.’

They had experienced the nightmare of mines in the previous war.

“Hard to starboard! Hard to starboard!”

“Hurry! The enemy’s mines are drifting this way!”

The flagship, which had been leading the charge, suddenly changed direction, causing the ships behind it to wonder what was happening.

However, it wasn’t long before the situation was relayed, and the Grenada warships were in a frenzy, trying to evade.

But the speed of the mines drifting with the current was faster than expected. And there were easily hundreds of them.

Boom! Kwaaaang!

Thud! Crrrack!

The warships that failed to evade in time were hit hard. There were also accidents where allied ships collided while trying to evade.

“Th-this!”

“We’ve been tricked by their schemes again!”

Fernan and Nayson gripped the deck railing so hard that it nearly broke, watching the flames and smoke rising from all over the fleet.

They had truly not expected it. To use mines in the middle of the open sea, not just along the coast.

‘They used the current? Damn it! They anticipated that we would come from behind…!’

The mines deployed by the Symphonia fleet caused considerable damage to the Grenada fleet.

Many ships were unable to make sudden evasive maneuvers because their magic steam engines were strained from the full-speed flanking maneuver.

But the more serious problem was that the fleet’s formation had been disrupted.

In contrast, the Symphonia fleet had its combat ships on the flanks retreat to form a line formation and began firing their cannons.

“Fire!”

“Sink those pirates to the bottom of the sea!”

Kwaang! Puh-puh-pung! Kwaaaang!

Every time a rain of cannonballs fell, flames and black smoke rose from the Grenada fleet. A dozen or so ships were sunk or severely damaged at once.

Still, the Grenada fleet was much larger in number. There were still over six hundred intact ships.

“Damn it, counterattack!”

“We have far more ships!”

The Grenada fleet began firing its cannons.

However, they did not inflict much damage on the Symphonia fleet.

This was because the Symphonia fleet, which had formed a battle line, was able to concentrate its firepower properly, while the Grenada fleet was not.

Duke Nayson, well aware of this, did not expect immediate results and focused on reorganizing the fleet.

“Don’t panic! The enemy’s mines will eventually run out!”

Moreover, the mines that had drifted away with the current could not be recovered.

Nayson, realizing that the mines were the only reason they were being outmaneuvered by those cunning bastards, did his best to signal the fleet to reorganize its ranks. Just as they barely finished reorganizing, the Symphonia navy, having completed their first attack with mines, began their second assault.

“What are those?”

“Strange-looking ships are approaching from their fleet!”

There were five ships approaching. Smaller than small warships, these ships were diamond-shaped, like boats turned upside down. Moreover, they had no masts, and not a single sailor was visible on the upper deck. Though they looked bizarre, Nayson recognized their identity just by looking at the dark, shiny surface of the enemy ships and their unhesitating charge.

“Ironclads!”

“Those are ironclads?”

When Fernand asked, looking flustered, Nayson nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty. There’s no need to worry. Ironclads aren’t invincible.”

“You mean they can’t completely withstand cannon fire?”

“The iron plates are thick, but they’ll eventually break if they keep getting hit.”

Having said that, Nayson immediately issued an order to the fleet.

“Concentrate all fleet firepower on the enemy ironclads!”

Kwaang! Puh-puh-pung! Kwaang!

As soon as the order was given, hundreds of cannonballs fell on the ironclads. The Symphonia fleet poured down cover fire, but the Grenada side ignored the damage and only attacked the ironclads, because one ironclad had the combat power of more than ten ordinary wooden warships.

Kwaang! Deeeeng—!

“Oof!”

Sebastian, who was aboard the lead ironclad, No. 1, with Luke, tumbled to the floor as the ship shook from the enemy’s cannon fire. The sound of cannons was incessant, and each time they were hit by cannonballs, the hull vibrated with a ringing sound. It felt unsettling, like being inside a large iron can.

“Your Majesty, is this ship really okay?”

Sebastian wasn’t the only one with this question; the sailors on the ironclad felt the same way. Luke, who was looking at the outside scenery through a magic mirror installed on the hull, reassured them in a relaxed voice.

“It’s fine. It withstood even more intense fire during testing.”

Unlike ordinary ironclads, this new type of ironclad used wood only for interior fittings. The hull, as well as the outer armor, was made entirely of iron. Because of this, Hans and some officials who were not well-versed in magic engineering opposed the construction of the ship. However, Luke quelled these concerns by reminding them that even brass or iron bowls could float on water.

“The keel and hull of this ship are made of adamant [an extremely hard substance] and gigantium alloy, the same as the Gigants [giant humanoid war machines]. The armor is thick enough to withstand even large-caliber fortress cannons.”

Moreover, the hull was designed to be sloped to easily deflect cannonballs, and shield magic circles were engraved on the surface. Also, except for the upper structure with turrets, the entire ship was submerged in water, making it difficult to hit. It was called an ironclad, but this ship was no different from a Gigant floating on the sea.

Luke, directly controlling the ironclad’s magic engine, spoke to the soldiers.

“Instead of just getting hit like idiots, how about we counterattack?”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty!”

At his words, the captain of the ironclad, snapping out of it, ordered the gunners.

“Open the gunports! Show those pirates a taste of our heat!”

Kiiiing—!

As the sailors turned the pulleys equipped with gears, the gunports opened, and large cannons poked out their heads. Ordinary warships would have measured the distance to adjust the amount of gunpowder and the angle of the cannons, but this ship didn’t need to. They were so close to the enemy ships that they could hit them even with their eyes closed.

Kwaaang! Kwaang!

No sooner had the sailors covered their ears than the new ironclad’s cannons roared. The Grenada warship, hit by a large-caliber cannon at close range, had its lower hull crushed in one blow and was sunk. The firepower was so strong that the penetrating cannonballs even destroyed the ship beyond it.

“M-monsters!”

The Grenada sailors were terrified by the Symphonia ironclads, which were firing without regard for the incoming cannonballs and sinking their warships. Conversely, the Symphonia Kingdom sailors cheered.

“Well done! Destroy them all!”

“Make sure they never dare to covet our sea again, turn them into sea ghosts!”

The five Symphonia ironclads, including the No. 1 ironclad Luke was on, freely roamed through the Grenada fleet. Thanks to this, Nayson’s intention to reorganize the fleet was completely thwarted.

3

Ironclads roaming freely, Symphonia warships firing incessantly, and even the Yemaek and Song Empire fleets, which had been hiding somewhere, joined the naval battle. Because of this, Grenada ships were being sunk and half-destroyed exponentially from all sides.

“Admiral, this won’t do!”

“That’s right, at this rate, all our warships will be destroyed.”

“It’s regrettable, but we should retreat for now…”

At the cries of the staff who had received reports from the division commanders, Duke Nayson frowned and remained silent. The situation was so serious that even King Fernand could not rashly interrupt his silence.

“We’ll hold out.”

“Duke Nayson!”

Fernand raised his voice, speaking for the worried staff. Even he thought that retreating and reorganizing the fleet was the best option in the current situation. However, Nayson wasn’t stubbornly insisting without thinking.

“Your Majesty, although our fleet’s ranks are scattered, we still have far more ships. The cannonballs and gunpowder on the enemy ships can’t be infinite.”

The damage was unavoidable. But he believed that if they endured this crisis, there would be an opportunity for a counterattack. Three large warships, Barbarossa, Edward, and Jolly Roger, were intact, and there were dozens of warships with thick armor, though not as good as the enemy’s ironclads. Moreover, the amount of cannons and gunpowder they had loaded was considerable.

“If we tuck our tails in here, the enemy’s pride will only grow. And the transport fleet we sent as bait will be in danger. Is that what Your Majesty wants?”

“No, absolutely not.”

Fernand shook his head. The amount of troops and supplies loaded on the transport fleet was enormous. Giving up all of that would mean suffering a huge loss even if they won this war.

Duke Nayson turned his gaze toward the staff, but they had changed their minds, and no one objected.

“Then, I’ll assume we’re all in agreement…”

“Admiral! Something is floating in the sky!”

Just as Nayson was about to issue an order, the lookout above shouted at the top of his lungs. Nayson hurriedly looked up at the sky. Long objects appeared from between the thick clouds.

‘Those are… hot air balloons?’

They looked a bit different and were several times larger, but they were clearly hot air balloons. The problem was that there weren’t just one or two of them. Even with the telescope item Nayson was holding, there seemed to be at least dozens of them.

“Oh no, it wasn’t a kite!”

The rope that was connected to the Symphonia fleet and stretched into the sky. Nayson thought it was for flying a kite. But who would have thought they would bring so many hot air balloons instead of kites!

“Scatter the fleet! Hurry and disperse!”

“What? Disperse?”

The staff’s eyes widened at Nayson’s order to disperse, when they were already trying to reorganize the fragmented fleet. Nayson’s roar came down on them.

“Of course, we have to disperse! Do you think they launched those hot air balloons just to show them off!”

A few years ago, during the civil war in the Baroque Empire, the imperial army had used hot air balloons to annihilate the western rebels. It was a unique case of using hot air balloons as weapons, and it had become a major topic among the continent’s generals, and Nayson had been very impressed by Emperor Rudolf’s strategy.

“Artillery chief! Can you fire cannons into the sky?”

At his question, the artillery chief shook his head.

“Impossible, Admiral. The cannons we have now can’t reach that angle.”

At the artillery chief’s answer, Nayson made a frustrated expression. He had never expected to be attacked from the sky. Moreover, he had never thought that hot air balloons would fly so far out to sea. As a result, there were no preparations for aerial combat.

“Damn it! At least gather the archers quickly! It’ll be a disaster if the enemy’s hot air balloons approach and drop flaming oil!”

Ships were basically made of wood. Even the warships with iron armor had wooden internal frames and decks. Naturally, they were vulnerable to fire. Nayson was worried about this, but the enemy hot air balloons did not rashly approach the fleet. Instead, they dropped a lot of something. It was like snowflakes blooming profusely in the sky.

“What are those?”

“I don’t know, but they’re flying very fast!”

The Grenada navy, initially bewildered, soon realized what they were. They were people, a unit of them, flying like flying squirrels. Above the sea where the naval battle was taking place.

“Yahoo—oh!”

“I am the sword that cuts through the sky!”

The Blood Hawk Knights, composed of Gyochon and warriors from the Southern Continent, were flying like arrows toward the Grenada fleet. They had trembled when they first trained, but now they were very excited. Jumping from a hot air balloon was easier and more refreshing than jumping from a training tower.

“From here on, it’s our time to shine! Let’s show those pirates the fierce blade of the Southern Continent’s martial artists!”

“Understood!”

At the cry of their leader, Hwangbo-sung, the Blood Hawk members responded in unison and quickly descended toward the Grenada ships. The surprised enemy sailors hurriedly shot arrows, but it was not a proper response, and they could not stop the Blood Hawks who were flying like hawks.

Zwaaaak!

Gyochon and dozens of his comrades, who had crashed into the white sails to reduce their speed, landed on the deck, tearing the sails with their swords.

“Now, shall we have some fun?”

“S-stop them!”

The Grenada sailors and knights rushed in with their swords. Gyochon and the knights charged forward without hesitation, cutting down the enemies.

“Kuaaak!”

“Don’t fall back… Keok!”

Although they were inferior to the privateers, the Grenada navy was also skilled in melee combat. However, their opponents were top-tier masters who had crossed the line between life and death with only a sword. Ordinary sailors, and even Sword Expert-level knights, could not easily withstand their attacks.

“Don’t waste your energy. There are still many ships to take care of!” Gyochon, having advised his comrades, overturned the gunpowder barrels scattered on the deck and immediately set them ablaze. Boom! Kwaaaang! Confirming that the ship was on fire, the Blood Hawk members quickly jumped off the ship. Using their light footwork, they stepped on the debris floating on the water and leaped onto another ship. This hit-and-run tactic was happening everywhere, mainly targeting the large battleships. The flagship Barbarossa, where Fernan and Nason were, was no exception. In particular, those who attacked the Barbarossa were the main force of the Blood Hawk Knights, including Hwangbo-sung, Gwak In-hyuk, and warriors from the Hwangbo family. The appearance of dozens of masters, including Fist Sages and Fist Masters, instantly filled the deck with screams and turned it red with blood. “We’re done for! There’s no way to stop them!” “Kuh! Quickly deploy the Crabs!” Upon hearing the report from his guard knight, Fernan pulled out his last resort. The Barbarossa was equipped with 20 Crabs for shipboard combat. Even if they were only Walker-class [a type of combat automaton], making them difficult to use against regular Gigants [large humanoid war machines], they could still exert a powerful force in man-to-man combat. However, the Crabs, which were hurriedly brought up to the deck by the elevator, were smashed and scattered every time lightning flashed from Hwangbo-sung’s fist. This was the True Thunder God Fist that Hwangbo-sung had completed when he returned to his homeland. The Crab, made of wooden armor, could not withstand the accelerated kinetic energy of the Thunder Force at all. “Hahaha! We meet again.” Hwangbo-sung, having broken through the guard knights and the Crabs’ defense line, sneered at Fernan. He had captured Fernan as a prisoner during the last war, along with Count Kaper, who was then the commander of the Unicorn Knights. Naturally, Fernan remembered his face. “Kuh! You damned southern barbarian!” “This time, you won’t need to waste expensive food in prison. I’ll turn you into dew on the execution ground.” Fernan’s face hardened at Hwangbo-sung’s chilling declaration. He was not so inept that he could not recognize Hwangbo-sung’s much stronger skills than before. He himself was a Sword Master, after all. ‘Even if the tide of the naval battle has turned, do you think I’ll be captured so easily!’ Just as Fernan was about to step forward with a hardened face, Swish! Nason drew his sword and stood in front of him, blocking his path. “Your Majesty, I will buy you time. Please hurry and escape this carnage.” “Duke Nason!” “Hurry, I’m not confident I can hold out for long.” Even though it was due to mind control magic, Fernan couldn’t help but be moved by Nason’s loyalty. However, this was not the time to leisurely savor that emotion, so he quickly left the scene with only a few close aides and escort knights. “Catch him, the pirate leader is escaping!” “Don’t let him get away!” The Blood Hawk members chased after them, but thanks to the sacrifice of the guard knights, Fernan barely managed to escape the flagship. He transferred to a ship nearby that had not been seized by the enemy and was speechless at the sight of the water’s surface. There were countless ships burning or sinking. Hundreds and thousands of sailors who had fallen into the blood-red sea were crying out for help, clinging to pieces of wood. It was hell. From the perspective of the Grenada navy, it was truly hell. “Retreat… to the homeland.” Fernan, barely managing to give the order, staggered into the cabin. The naval battle, which lasted for nearly three hours, ended in a crushing defeat for the Grenada fleet. Hundreds of battleships were half-destroyed or sunk, and the flags of Symphonia and the Blood Hawks were flying on all the large warships, including large battleships and paddle steamers. The Symphonia navy also seized the Grenada transport fleet that had been left unattended, completely clearing the sea. Thus, the great storm of war that had swept in from the south was extinguished near Gregg Island without even fully displaying its power. 4 Fernan barely escaped the hellish sea. He fled to the Kingdom of Grenada with about a dozen ships following him. He couldn’t pay any attention to the transport fleet. It would be a disaster if he lingered and was caught by the Symphonia fleet. Naturally, they received no supplies, and the sailors suffered from hunger due to the lack of water and food along the way. At least Fernan, as the king, was able to have minimal meals. It was just that all he had was stale beer and moldy bread. “Kuaaak! Luke de Rakan! How dare you inflict such humiliation on me again… !” Inside the cabin, Fernan raged like a madman every day. The guard knights didn’t even dare to go near him, fearing they would be caught up in his madness. “Grind! I will definitely take revenge! I will sell my soul to the demons to get my revenge!” While Fernan cursed Luke and made a chilling resolution, the ship sailed relentlessly through the sea. They arrived at Rondo ten days after the disastrous naval battle. It was a distance that could normally be reached in a week, but it took longer due to headwinds and the weakening of the sailors. However, for some reason, Fernan hesitated instead of entering the port directly. Usually, when a ship with the royal flag appears near the port, it is greeted with a grand welcome, but the port was eerily quiet. No, it even felt ominous. ‘Could it be that the news of my crushing defeat by the Symphonia has already spread?’ The fleet he had ambitiously gathered was shattered. Nearly 100,000 troops would have either become prisoners of the enemy or fish food. If this news reached the ears of the nobles, they would not stand idly by. The nobles had contributed a significant portion of the troops and supplies. There might even be a rebellion. So, Fernan decided to first use magical communication to find out the situation from his ministers in the royal palace. However, despite sending communications two or three times, there was no response. ‘Things don’t look good.’ He wanted to run away as he was, but he didn’t think the sailors, exhausted from thirst and hunger, would comply. “I have no choice. Proceed carefully into the port.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” The captain, following Fernan’s instructions, carefully entered the port of Rondo. However, as soon as they entered the port, dozens of large warships suddenly appeared and surrounded them. “W-what is this? Where did these ships come from?” “It’s the Holy Empire! It must be the Holy Artenia Empire fleet!” The captain, seeing the flags on the enemy ships, cried out in alarm. Indeed, the enemy ships were flying flags with a wooden cross on a white background. It was the flag symbolizing the Pope, who ruled the Holy Empire. Startled, Fernan heard a voice amplified by magic from the enemy ship. “Fernan, the leader of the Grenada pirates, listen! Rondo and the major ports have already been occupied by our Holy Artenia Empire. Therefore, do not resist and surrender peacefully!” “D-damn it, run away! Run away now!” At Fernan’s desperate cry, the captain hurriedly turned the ship around to escape out of the port. However, the Holy Empire navy was not going to let them get away so easily. Boom! Boom! The Holy Empire fleet fired cannons, sinking the lead ship. With their retreat blocked, the sailors, exhausted from hunger, surrendered without putting up a proper fight. As a result, Fernan was captured without being able to escape. Surprisingly, the person who subdued him was Grand Duke Gregory of the Holy Empire. He put an aura seal on Fernan’s wrist and said with a smirk, “Thank you. Thanks to your stupidity, we were able to easily occupy Grenada.” Thanks to Fernan, who was blinded by revenge and had scraped together his fleet and troops, Rondo and the major ports were almost empty. As a result, the Holy Empire navy was able to easily occupy the ports without going through any significant battles. For them, who had failed several times over the past few hundred years to subdue the pirates’ hideouts, it was like picking up money without any effort. “It seems you thought we were going to support the Symphonia Kingdom, but you made a huge misjudgment.” “Kuhhh!” Fernan, belatedly realizing that he had made a huge mistake, wore a blank expression. ‘……But it’s not over yet!’ He still had a glimmer of hope. It was Princess Magreta and the delegation from the Kingdom of Livia. They, who had helped Fernan ascend to the throne, remained in Grenada. Therefore, Fernan believed that they would save him and help him escape. However, his hope was shattered when he reached the plaza in front of the royal palace. The delegation from the Kingdom of Livia was hanging from the gallows, their necks in nooses. Among them was Magreta. Her tongue hanging out, she was dead in a gruesome manner, with an expression that seemed to ask, ‘Why?’ “Y-you’re crazy! They are the delegation from the Kingdom of Livia, how dare you kill envoys so carelessly… !” Even in a war against an enemy country, it was an unwritten rule not to kill envoys. At Fernan’s accusation, Grand Duke Gregory scoffed and said, “If they hadn’t learned black magic and the forbidden charm magic, they wouldn’t have ended up like this.” When Rondo was seized by the Holy Empire army, Magreta and her group tried to escape quickly. However, they unfortunately encountered the Holy Knights led by Grand Duke Gregory. Although he looked old, Gregory, who had reached a higher level than in the past, recognized at a glance that Magreta’s group was composed of black mages. Naturally, he immediately moved to subdue them, and Magreta used charm magic as a last resort, but it had no effect on Gregory, who was a Sword Sage [a master swordsman]. They were immediately tried and executed. “T-that can’t be… !” Gregory said with a firm face to him, who had collapsed on the spot. “Their corpses will be purified and then burned completely.” The Holy Empire had been known for punishing black mages since ancient times. Recently, they had changed their policy to differentiate punishments based on guilt, but the black mages of Veritas were an exception. Their atrocities, which had been secretly committed, had been exposed to the world, and they had also spread zombie poison in the territory of the Holy Empire a few years ago. “The Kingdom of Livia joined hands with the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower… ! I was wondering why Symphonia had been showing signs of checking the Kingdom of Livia recently, but there was a valid reason.” Having said that, Gregory glared at Fernan and continued. “In any case, you, who have joined hands with black mages, will not be safe either.” “I, I didn’t know! I didn’t know at all!” Gregory only gave a cold look at Fernan’s desperate denial. “Really didn’t know? Until just now, your face was showing signs of expecting something?” “That is…” “Your wife has already testified. That you had an affair with a seductive woman and assassinated King Drake. Such depravity is enough to warrant hanging.” “No! That’s a frame-up! I didn’t do it!” Fernan desperately denied it, but no one listened to him. Two days later, the corpses of Magreta and the black mages were burned, and Fernan was also taken to the Holy Empire and hanged. Thus ended the history of the pirate kingdom that had dominated the southern seas of the Rodisia continent for hundreds of years.