Surviving As The 5Th Prince Of Hellman Kingdom [EN]: Chapter 182

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The sea around Woltolmok was still.

Like a lake.

Lionel’s flagship, Mjollnir, had just passed through the narrow entrance of Woltolmok, like the mouth of a bottleneck.

Julien watched the Arya’s ships approaching at high speed on the screen displayed by the observer.

‘So far, it’s going according to plan.’

This was possible because of the ships that disregarded their lives and bought them time.

The number of ships, which was almost twice as many initially, had now increased to more than three times.

Once at Seokham Island, and again during the retreat, nearly half of the ships sank due to the two major losses.

Many countries declare defeat even if they lose only 30% of their military force. In that sense, the Lionel Kingdom could be said to have suffered a major defeat in this naval battle.

‘We’ve preserved our forces as much as possible.’

Looking at the reality, it was a little different.

Most of the sunken ships were old warships nearing retirement. Most of the ironclad ships built in recent years were intact.

‘Kaikanik, Treji, Victoria…’

The names of the bait ships he had personally selected flashed through Julien’s mind one after another.

It was an unavoidable sacrifice.

The islanders had to be lured to Woltolmok. If they tried to lure them in an awkward way and the enemy felt suspicious, there would be nothing worse than that.

A heavy sense of responsibility weighed on Julien.

…Was it really unavoidable?

Was I sacrificing more troops than necessary? If His Majesty were here, wouldn’t he have been able to lure those guys to Woltolmok without any damage?

He shook his head and brushed off the questions coming from deep within his mind. Now was the time to worry about the battle that was about to take place.

‘I must win.’

The bridge connecting the mainland and Seokham Island was destroyed to lure Arya’s ships, and countless sailors were sacrificed.

Even annihilation was not enough. Only by destroying those guys could we make amends.

Julien took out his pocket watch from his pocket and clicked it open.

It was soon.

The time was near when the calm sea would awaken and unleash its angry fury.

***

The Kraken’s captain, who had spent most of his life at sea, was distracted by the subtle sense of unease he had been feeling for some time.

He soon found out why.

The ship swaying due to the currents was like a comfortable cradle to him. But now, the sea was too calm.

‘It was the neap tide [a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is the least difference between high and low water].’

It was nothing.

The slowing of the tidal flow as the ebb and flow of the tide intersected was as natural a phenomenon as the sun rising and setting.

…It was strange.

Even though he knew the reason, the captain felt an discomfort as if a thorn was stuck in his throat.

“Captain! The Lionel guys are entering the narrow passage in a row!”

At the observer’s report, the captain quickly regained his senses and looked at the screen. Lionel’s ships were passing through the narrow waters one after another.

‘Are they trying to lure us into the reef zone!’

The captain hurriedly looked for the observer.

“Observer! Have you identified the reefs around us!”

“Yes! The Lionel Kingdom guys are definitely passing through there to lure us into the reef zone.”

The observer marked the location of dangerous reefs that could capsize the ship on the screen as if he had been waiting for it.

“Immediately share the location of all ships and reefs!”

“Understood!”

The captain raised the corners of his lips with a bitter smile.

The problem that had been bothering him like a thorn in his throat seemed to be solved.

“Is this their last struggle?”

The captain quickly turned his head at the voice he heard from behind.

It was Lihid.

He had been silent while chasing the Lionel ships, but he opened his mouth after a long time. The captain quickly tried to please him.

“The sun hasn’t set yet. There isn’t a single foolish captain in the Arya navy who would get caught on a reef that is visible to the naked eye. They must be very desperate. Hahaha!”

“It would have been dangerous if it had been any later.”

Lihid recalled the old warships that had held them back in order to allow the Lionel ships to retreat.

The tenacious guys who didn’t even mind suicide attacks. They took a few Arya ships with them.

“It’s all thanks to Your Excellency the Duke.”

Lihid smirked at the captain’s flattery.

“Enough, finish chasing those guys. It looks like the sun will be setting soon, and I want to see those guys become fish food before that. Oh, and tell them that any ship that leaves the battlefield due to being caught on a reef should be prepared [for severe punishment].”

“Understood! Communications officer!”

“I will deliver it immediately!”

The Arya ships received the order from the flagship. To avoid the reefs, they lined up in a long line and began to pass through the narrow passage of Woltolmok one by one.

The change occurred when the Kraken at the very end entered the passage.

Chwaa- Chwaaa-

“The direction of the current is starting to change!”

The captain nodded indifferently. It was natural for the tidal flow to change when the neap tide ended.

But.

The captain’s face soon hardened at the observer’s report that followed.

“The Lionel ships are moving strangely! They are scattering!”

Kwaaa- Kwaaaa─

“A huge wave is coming from behind!”

“The rudder! The rudder is not working properly!”

“This is not a normal tide!!”

It was a rough wave that could only be experienced when encountering a storm. The captain unknowingly looked out the window at the sky.

There wasn’t a single cloud.

Tilt! Crash- Clatter.

The standing captain lost his balance and fell as the ship shook violently. He almost hit his head on the sharp corner.

He stood up, holding onto the wall with his hand, and looked for the observer.

“L, Lionel ships are!”

Bang! Kwakwang-!! Kwaaaaaaang──!!!

The cannon fire from the front replaced the observer’s answer.

The Lionel ships that had already escaped the narrow passage were quickly in formation for shelling. The shape resembled a crane spreading its wings wide.

‘I’ve been had!’

The Kraken captain’s mind went blank as he belatedly saw the shelling formation of the Lionel ships on the screen displayed by the observer.

“Tell them to stop chasing, even now!!”

“I, It’s impossible! The current is too strong! If we turn around in this state, we’ll hit a reef right away!”

“Are you saying we should put our heads in their mouths!”

“Captain! It’s a communication from the home country! They’re urging us to know what’s going on!”

Thus, the Arya ships were swept away by the strong currents in the narrow passage of Woltolmok.

Soon, the area turned into a scene of utter chaos.

Kwang! Crack!

One of the ships that was trying to change direction following the flagship’s order was caught in a whirlpool. Soon, the ship shook and rammed into the side of the ship next to it.

The side that was rammed began to tilt, and the Arya sailors on board jumped into the sea.

“Kuaaaaaaaaa!!”

There was no way they could survive in such a strong current. The sea swallowed them up in an instant.

Even if they barely managed to escape the narrow passage, the situation didn’t get any better.

The Lionel ships that had escaped the passage just before the current started were already in shelling formation.

Bang!

Kwang-!

Kwaaaaaaang──!!

The Lionel side’s magic cannons spewed fire.

Hundreds of magic cannons greeted the Arya ships that had emerged from the strong currents and reefs.

No matter how advanced the Arya Kingdom’s latest ironclad ships were, with even magic shields, there was a limit to what the magic shields could withstand.

Kwaaaaaaang──!!!!

Creak- Crack!

The Arya ships that had escaped the narrow passage of Woltolmok sank into the sea one after another without being able to do anything.

“Captainaaaaaaaaang!!!”

Lihid, who was holding onto the armrest of the chair tightly and enduring without falling, called out to the unfortunate captain.

“Keuak!”

The Kraken’s captain let out a scream instead of answering. The ship tilted again and he ended up hitting his head on a sharp corner.

Blood gushed like a fountain from his fallen head.

Lihid, who was watching it, was speechless.

He was not without responsibility. The seat he was sitting in was originally the captain’s seat.

‘Calm down, Lihid Pros.’

Lihid called his name inwardly and tried to correct his mental state, which was about to fall into panic.

He had no responsibility for the situation. It was because of the idiot captain. He fell too easily into the Lionel Kingdom army’s scheme.

Lihid’s mind became busy thinking about how to overcome this difficulty.

‘I can’t use magic in this situation.’

The Kraken’s ship was shaking violently due to the strong currents.

Magic is a very delicate task.

In order to escape the current situation, he would have to use magic that would freeze the sea in an instant, but it is impossible to design, construct, and manifest such high-level magic in a situation where he cannot concentrate like this.

At least for him.

“Observer! Is it impossible to control the ship even after escaping the passage!”

“N, No! If we pass through this narrow passage, we will still be able to control it to some extent! The fact that the Lionel Kingdom army is maintaining its shelling formation is proof of that!”

“Communications officer! Is there any contact from the home country!”

“We haven’t been able to communicate since a while ago! It seems that the Lionel Kingdom side has been playing tricks!”

“Damn it.”

Lihid bit his lip and pondered.

How can he escape this difficulty?

“We should charge forward at full speed and break through the center of the enemy!”

Lihid looked at the vice-captain’s cry.

He was from the military academy, unlike the captain who was a magician, so Lihid had been treating him badly.

“Tell me briefly and simply!”

“The Lionel shelling formation is vulnerable to a central breakthrough. If we open up their center, we can rather defeat them individually!”

Lihid hurriedly looked at Lionel’s shelling formation.

Only then did he see it.

The center, where Lionel’s flagship Mjollnir was located, was thickly layered with two rows. It was clear that they also knew the weaknesses of the current shelling formation.

From Lihid’s point of view, it was a moment that changed from a situation where he was being unilaterally beaten to a fight of whether he could break through or not.

***

Bang! Kwaaaaaaang!!

“Advance! Advance!”

“Fire! Fire without stopping! You must never let them break through!”

The center of the Lionel shelling formation.

The Arya ships began to rush towards the flagship Mjollnir. The momentum of charging with the current at a speed that could not be achieved normally was quite fierce.

Lihid thought he could soon collapse Lionel’s shelling formation.

But.

Paat-!

Guardian Sword Formation, Reina’s Mindscape [a powerful mental ability], dominated the area around Mjollnir. The Arya ships, which seemed like they would break through the shelling formation at any moment, were blocked by a huge shield and became unable to move.

And the Lionel ships continued to shell.

Bang! Kwaaang! Kwaaaaaaang!!

Creak! Crack!

The Arya sailors became a mass of unreturning guests [doomed to die].

“Damn it!”

Lihid, who was watching it from the very end, hurriedly tried to activate his Mindscape. It was to neutralize Reina’s Mindscape.

Paah….

‘What!’

The activation of the Mindscape was blocked.

Who on earth?

Soon, the face of a half-elf came to mind.

“Fraaaaaaan-!!”

Only then did he realize that Fran was fine. In the face of the increasingly unfavorable circumstances, he had forgotten that the beginning of the scheme was from her falling.

Lihid closed his eyes without realizing it.

‘It’s over…’

The moment he was about to admit defeat.

-Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

The furious sound heard from the rear of the Kraken swallowed the cannon fire of the battlefield.

Lihid opened his eyes wide.

“I, It’s Etrim!!!”

His only head was covered with white eyes and drooling, but it was definitely Etrim.

Lihid knew that there was no divinity to be found in Etrim’s crazed appearance. It was just a monster.

“Oh! God…”

However, the anger was clearly directed at the Lionel army. Lihid’s lips twisted strangely as he confirmed it.