I Became The King Of Crusaders [EN]: Chapter 44

Became the King of the Crusades – 44 (44/215)

The Fish-Catching Hawk (4)

* * *

Tripoli Harbor

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, we can set sail whenever the Count gives the order.”

“If what Prince Baldwin said is true…”

Raymond muttered.

His gaze turned towards the sea.

The letter from Prince Baldwin a few days ago.

Its contents were shocking.

The rebel fleet of Cyprus is planning to attack Tripoli!

“I don’t know how he found out about such information. We have over ten spies…”

“None of them made it out of Cyprus.”

Raymond muttered.

“And he’s sending the Constantinople fleet as support. Do you think that’s really going to happen?”

“I don’t think Prince Baldwin would lie. He saved the Emperor’s life…”

The adjutant said.

“It wouldn’t be strange if he was given command of the fleet.”

“I don’t know. Those Greek bastards aren’t easy to trust. My sister died because of them…”

Raymond closed his eyes and bit his lip tightly.

Rome treated his sister like a piece of meat in the market.

They made all sorts of promises, saying they would accept her as Empress, only to take it all back at the last moment.

‘Our Empire has decided that Maria of Antioch is more suitable as Empress of the Empire!’

His sister, disillusioned, languished in a convent and eventually passed away.

That’s when Raymond started fighting against Constantinople.

His fleet, which was supposed to deliver the wedding gifts, attacked imperial ships in the Mediterranean.

“But Prince Baldwin saved the Emperor’s life. The world is a strange place.”

“If he really received the blessing of the Archangel Michael…”

“…”

Silence fell.

Raymond slowly opened his mouth.

“I still remember the look in his eyes during the staff meeting. And when I cut off his supplies, he came to me right away to protest.”

He continued.

“His attitude changed since Eilat. If he received the Archangel’s revelation, it might explain it.”

He shook his head.

“Whatever the truth, the balance of the Jerusalem palace will now be overturned. If Constantinople definitely comes over to our side…”

“It will be much easier to stop Saladin’s offensive.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

Raymond scoffed.

“Saladin won’t give up Jerusalem that easily. And the Greek bastards have always betrayed us.”

He waved his hand towards Constantinople in the distance.

“Who was it that first requested the Crusades? Emperor Alexios I. Remember how he treated us. He only gave us a little food and a ride on his ships in exchange for oaths of allegiance.”

His voice gradually grew louder.

“Have they ever supported any army? Have they ever shed blood with us?”

“It wasn’t entirely…”

“They were only eager to take the fruits of our labor. That’s the nature of the Greek bastards. I’d almost say the Saracens are better.”

“Count…!”

“Don’t worry. I don’t say these things in front of anyone but you.”

Raymond chuckled.

The adjutant looked at him with worried eyes.

“More and more people are claiming that the Count is getting close to the Saracens.”

“No need to worry. There have always been those who call me a cowardly traitor. Whatever those fools say…”

Just then, someone’s shout echoed.

The docks became noisy.

“Ships are coming over there!”

Raymond and those around him turned their heads to look at the sea.

A large fleet of ships lined up, heading towards the harbor.

A fleet of dozens of ships at a glance.

“Are they enemies? Or allies?”

Raymond shouted.

“Tell the fleet right now! Tell them to prepare for battle!”

“Yes, Count!”

The sailors moved busily.

The ships hurriedly pulled up their mooring lines.

The distance gradually closed, and the flags became clearly visible.

“Judging by the flags, it’s definitely a Roman ship.”

“Then it was a trap after all. Those bastards tricked young Baldwin…”

Raymond clenched his fist and muttered.

Then the adjutant shouted.

“That flag over there…!”

The lead ship raised a flag.

A white flag.

A red cross below it.

What it meant was simple.

Peace, surrender, alliance with the Crusaders.

The Tripoli ships that had set sail also faced them without fighting.

A calm standoff ensued.

“So what the Prince said was true…”

Raymond muttered.

He shook his head and shouted.

“I need to confirm it myself. Get a ship ready quickly!”

* * *

At the same time

Cyprus

Limassol Harbor

“What is that?”

“Looks like a ship is on fire?”

The sailors working at the docks buzzed.

Something sparkled through the thick fog.

The light, which had been faint like a firefly, gradually became clearer.

“Have our ships already returned?”

“Even if the attack ended quickly, there’s no way they’d be back already…”

A ship engulfed in flames.

Three ships were approaching the harbor.

Black smoke billowed into the sky.

The sailors at the harbor all stared blankly at the scene.

Some of them belatedly realized the situation and shouted.

“Enemies! An enemy fleet is coming!”

“What is the defense force doing?! Ring the bell quickly!”

“Yes, yes! Ring the bell!”

“Fire!!”

“Fire ships! Get all the anchored ships out to sea!”

“Why didn’t anyone notice until they got here?!”

“Because of this damn fog…! Which ship is attacking us anyway?”

The sailors scurried about.

Bugle horns blared from all directions.

Some of them slipped off the pier and plunged into the sea.

Mooring lines flew through the air.

“Where are the chains?! Stop them from entering the harbor!”

“If we do that, even the ships trying to leave will be…”

The anchored ships collided with each other and scrambled out of the harbor.

Behind them, the chains rattled down.

“They’re attacking the harbor!”

Several ships fired arrows and approached the fire ships.

But only the fire ships were visible; no other ships were in sight.

“There’s no one on board!”

“Find their main force! Quickly!”

“Stop the fire ships first!”

None of the captains were willing to sacrifice their ships to block the fireballs.

The charging fire ships set fire to nearby ships and then stopped, caught in the chains.

The fog covered the chaotic harbor.

* * *

‘CS gas becomes easy to get used to, so it’s better to inhale it little by little from the beginning.’

When did I hear that?

Was it when I first did CBR [Chemical, Biological, Radiological] training?

I almost died because I inhaled without knowing anything.

The sensation of my lungs and face burning.

But the pain didn’t last long.

I gradually got used to it, and I couldn’t feel the gas anymore.

Seeing the thick fog reminded me of that memory.

Should I stop reminiscing here?

Turning around, I saw Wigg approaching.

“By now, Limassol will be in chaos. We sent them a lot of Greek fire…”

He said.

The sound of rowing came from beside the ship.

“They’re probably trying to stop the fire ships somehow. They’ll think we’re taking advantage of the gap to attack the harbor.”

“That’s exactly what I want. If their attention is focused on the harbor, this side will be relatively unguarded.”

The method I used to draw attention was simple.

Fire ships.

I sent several fire ships loaded with Greek fire towards the harbor.

Nothing is as suitable for attracting attention as fireworks.

And nothing burns as well as a wooden ship.

“It’s not enough to pose a real threat, but…”

From the beginning, I didn’t intend to destroy their fleet with a few fire ships.

The key to this operation is the landing force divided into three ships.

‘The rest of the ships went to Tripoli to support Count Raymond…’

Should I briefly summarize the current situation?

While Count Raymond confronts the rebel fleet, we send fire ships to the enemy harbor.

We take advantage of their confusion and infiltrate the weakened north with troops.

Join Marco and confirm detailed information.

Finally, we ambush and capture Admiral Kontosfenanos.

“So far, everything is going according to plan. Except for this fog.”

I said, looking around.

Thick fog covered the surroundings.

A sticky, humid sensation.

But that wasn’t the problem.

Navigating in the fog is like wandering through a maze with your eyes closed.

“What you say is right, Prince.”

Luark approached.

He nodded in agreement.

“The sailors can’t find their way properly. And there are many reefs around here.”

He put his axe on his shoulder and continued.

“It wouldn’t be strange if we crashed and ran aground at any moment. We might be able to survive, but…”

“We can’t miss this opportunity.”

I said, shaking my head.

We’ve already broken through the defense network.

If they know we’re supporting Tripoli, they won’t disperse their fleet any further.

And we’ve used all the Greek fire [an incendiary weapon that continues to burn even in water].

An opportunity like today won’t come again.

“But this is like suicide. If the ship runs aground, there’s no way to survive. We may not…”

Luark said.

“We can’t put even the Prince in such danger. For both the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Roman Empire.”

“…”

Silence fell.

I looked at Luark.

“If we can’t see, neither can the enemies. If reefs are the problem…”

We had one secret weapon left.

Me.

[Inexplicable Intuition]

My intuition was becoming more and more sensitive and sophisticated.

I could feel the wooden targets during the jousting match in Constantinople.

‘The game had a proficiency system.’

In Last Crusaders, characters could increase the proficiency of their traits through constant training and repetition.

Just because you were a [Master Swordsman] didn’t mean you couldn’t improve your swordsmanship any further.

The more you trained, the higher your proficiency became.

‘Conversely, if you don’t hone it, it gradually decreases.’

The same goes for negative traits.

My [Innate Frailty] has also improved a lot from the beginning with constant training and exercise.

I could feel the wooden targets, so a huge reef shouldn’t be a problem.

But not only me, but the lives of one hundred and fifty people were at stake.

I took a deep breath and turned around.

My hand trembled slightly.

‘If we miss today’s opportunity, more people will die.’

Then the answer was simple.

I had no choice but to try.

I stepped forward to the front of the deck.

“I’ll stand in front.”

“Are you going to ask for help from the Archangel?”

“Yes, that’s right. If the Archangel hears my prayers, he will guide us.”

“Understood, Prince. Everyone, get out of the way!”

Luark gestured to the sailors with a serious expression.

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

As I walked towards the stern, everyone stepped aside as if they had promised to do so.

Was this how Moses felt when he parted the sea?

These burly Viking warriors are my followers.

“From now on, I will give direct orders to the helmsman. You must turn the wheel immediately when I say so!”

“Understood!”

I closed my eyes.

At first, I couldn’t feel anything.

The rippling waves, the sailors’ tense breaths, the sound of the oars moving rhythmically.

The tension, fear, and dread of the sailors on board.

I could feel the anticipation before the battle.

I had to put the emotions aside and find the reef.

A situation of finding a needle in a haystack.

I desperately searched for a sensation.

Sweat mixed with fog and flowed down.

And finally….

I felt something.

“To the port side of the front….”