Serlode had already become a captain. Thirty years had passed since he first boarded a ship at fifteen, rising step by step from the lowliest sailor to a captain in the Invincible Fleet, enduring who knew how many dangers and hardships on the sea. He remembered that when he had volunteered to become a hired sailor for the Invincible Fleet, many people called him a fool. But after years of toil, when he was formally enlisted as a permanent member of the Invincible Fleet, how many had envied him...
He had only been in his thirties then, but the grocery store owner in his neighborhood had not hesitated to marry his seventeen-year-old daughter to him. Now Serlode had two adorable children, and just last year he had been promoted to captain of a large armed warship. For Serlode, success was simple — all it took was over a decade of diligent, tireless work, faithfully carrying out every order from his superiors, along with spending some money to maintain good relations with those above him.
So when Serlode received orders from his superiors to lead a fleet out on patrol, he didn't curse and complain like his colleagues, griping about the damned weather and their bad luck, grumbling about how everyone else was hunkering down for winter while they got stuck sailing. Instead, he silently nodded and began working with the logistics chief to compile all the supplies needed for the voyage, as well as the cold-weather clothing that had been allocated. Sailing in such blizzard conditions was an adventure, and every detail had to be handled with care.
Luck was decent enough. Arriving safely at their destination on a winter sea patrol was already the best outcome. After that, all they had to do was circle through the Heartbreak Ocean and head back to report. In truth, the Heartbreak Ocean wasn't quiet during winter — one or several armed merchant ships could often be spotted on the horizon. Serlode and his crew understood perfectly well that most of these were smuggler ships. Despite the fact that the Commercial Alliance and the Andinac Kingdom were at war, smugglers on both sides continued to trade with each other. More often than not, the more intense the conflict between two warring parties became, the more rampant and profitable the smuggling grew...
But Serlode's patrol fleet didn't pay much attention to those smuggler merchants. For the Invincible Fleet, as long as a merchant ship flew the special pass flag issued by the fleet — a small red banner with three diagonal blue stripes along the border — those ships were perfectly legal. Every merchant and captain who made their living in Hidden Gold Bay knew that by spending ten Gold Fordes at the Invincible Fleet to purchase one of these single-use little flags, they could sail the seas unimpeded and even receive the Invincible Fleet's protection.
How wonderful it would be if they could find smuggler ships without the special pass flags. That was practically the hope of every sailor and crewman who patrolled during the bitter cold of winter, because it meant everyone would pocket some extra income. Smuggler ships caught without the special pass flag were at the complete disposal of the patrol fleet — no matter whether their backing was some noble or some guild master, the Invincible Fleet would deal with them firmly. On the open seas, the Invincible Fleet was just that domineering. It would make everyone understand that the ocean was the Invincible Fleet's territory.
The fire crackled in the fireplace. This should have been the warmest, most comfortable cabin aboard the entire large armed warship. Serlode believed he deserved it, because he had suffered too — crammed into a damp, freezing dark hold with the lowliest of sailors, huddling together for warmth through endless frigid nights. But now he was a captain, and naturally he would enjoy the spacious and warm captain's quarters.
The so-called sweetness after bitterness — without hardship, how could there be sweet rewards? Of course, Captain Serlode's goal now was to earn a noble title. Securing a hereditary fiefdom for his children and grandchildren had become his ambition. Becoming a landed noble of the Commercial Alliance was not something that could be achieved through hard work alone. Captain Serlode was already calculating how much wealth and how many connections he would need to become one of those envied noble lords of the Commercial Alliance...
"Ship! Black ships!
"Aha, the mice have finally come out of their holes..." Captain Serlode murmured to himself with delight. Perhaps this winter patrol would bring him good luck — like adding a silver sail badge to his captain's uniform collar, the medal of victory awarded for commanding a fleet to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy. For now, though, Captain Serlode just hoped he wouldn't run into the Norton Family fleet's small, fast patrol ships — the ones the Invincible Fleet called "little sea mice." Those ships were far too agile in their turns and too quick in speed; they were nearly impossible to catch.
By the time Captain Serlode made it up to the bridge, the lookout in the mast crow's nest was already shouting again: "Norton Family capital warships! Black ships! Twelve of them! Five hundred nautical yards closing in, forming a fan formation to encircle us! Alert — they appear to be heading straight for our fleet with hostile intent! Prepare for battle!"
Five hundred nautical yards was equivalent to one thousand yards on land — the standard unit of distance measurement used at sea across the Galentea Continent. It would still take roughly ten minutes before the two fleets closed to combat range, leaving ample time to order the subordinate warships to battle stations. Captain Serlode glanced up at the sky. The weather was quite good today; a rare patch of blue had appeared along the horizon along with a sliver of sunlight. There probably wouldn't be any snow for the next couple of days.
"Report the enemy situation!"
From above came the lookout's trembling reply: "Captain, sir — didn't I already report it? Twelve black ships..."
"Just twelve? No other ships?" Captain Serlode was astonished.
"That's right, Captain, sir!" the lookout shouted down. "Just twelve black ships, nothing else! They're still over four hundred nautical yards away from us..."
Strange — what was this Norton Family fleet trying to do? Captain Serlode found himself scratching his head. He knew the opposing force known as the North Sea Fleet had a total of sixteen black-hulled capital warships, which was also the main reason the Invincible Fleet refused to call them the North Sea Fleet and instead called them the Black Ship Fleet. In the hearts of every Invincible Fleet member, the sea belonged to the Invincible Fleet — even the meager, unprofitable northern waters were no exception. So they refused to name their opponents after a body of water; calling them the Black Ship Fleet was tantamount to lumping them in with those common pirate fleets.
The Black Ship Fleet's sixteen capital warships were reportedly all equipped with cannons — a long-range attack weapon invented by the dwarves. Patrol fleets and merchant ships had once witnessed a Black Ship Fleet capital warship unleashing thunderous cannon fire and publicly shattering a medium-sized pirate vessel in a single volley. Captain Serlode wasn't too worried about this, though, because according to onlookers, the Norton Family black ship hadn't hit the fleeing pirate ship until the two vessels were within about fifty meters of each other — the previous several rounds of cannon fire had all missed entirely. After that, none of the Invincible Fleet's members took the Norton Family's ship-mounted cannons seriously anymore. After all, the Invincible Fleet's own long-range warships could accurately hit enemy ships with fireballs and stone projectiles at a distance of a hundred yards, and on the first salvo at that — five hits out of ten shots.
It was the Norton Family's capital warships — the black ships — that had once greatly piqued the Invincible Fleet's interest. These vessels, no smaller than large armed warships, possessed extremely unique design advantages. The very fact that they could come and go freely through the storm-battered northern waters had been enough to grab the Invincible Fleet's attention. But later, when a technician from the Chikde Trading Company mentioned that the construction cost of a single black ship roughly equaled that of six or seven large armed warships, the Invincible Fleet's leadership had lost interest. Although the Invincible Fleet's annual funding and revenue were enormous sums, every last expenditure had already been divvied up and claimed by various interests. The Invincible Fleet simply couldn't spare an extra sum to build a handful of experimental ships like the black ones...
Perhaps I might even be able to capture a few black ships and bring them back — that would serve as a great achievement and catalyst for my ennoblement... Captain Serlode's heart burned with excitement. Victory was unquestionably the Invincible Fleet's. Just look at his side: a single patrol squadron from a sub-fleet boasted twelve large armed warships and twenty-four medium-sized fast armed warships. Facing twelve of the Norton Family's black ships, Captain Serlode was thoroughly convinced the outcome would be like moths flying into flame.
But Captain Serlode had always been extremely cautious. Even though he believed the commander of the Norton Family's black ship fleet had gone mad to come here and hand over a meritorious deed on a silver platter, he didn't want to capsize in a gutter. Besides, as he saw it, the enemy's twelve black ships weren't entirely without a chance — if all twelve carried a hundred-man naval boarding party each, then once they charged into the patrol fleet's formation and the fighting devolved into a melee, there might be an opportunity to snatch victory from the chaos.
A patrol squadron of an Invincible Fleet sub-fleet had a standard configuration of twelve large armed warships and twenty-four medium-sized fast armed warships. The twelve large armed warships were divided into two types: close-combat and long-range. Close-combat large armed warships carried a hundred-man naval boarding party for ship-to-ship boarding operations — they were the key to seizing enemy vessels. Long-range large armed warships were loaded with torsion catapults, flying fireballs, large crossbows, and the newly equipped stone throwers, serving as the primary guarantee of firepower for destroying enemy ships at range without closing to melee.
However, if each of the twelve black ships across the way carried a hundred-man naval boarding party, they would indeed hold a considerable advantage in boarding combat. Perhaps that was exactly what the enemy was counting on. Captain Serlode smiled coldly — what kind of situation hadn't the Invincible Fleet seen before? Did they really think such a simple trick could deal a heavy blow to his patrol squadron?
"Sound the horns and relay the orders! Medium fast armed warships deploy to both wings and pin the four outermost black ships on the flanks! Six long-range large armed warships push forward to intercept the four black ships at the center of both enemy flanks — no close combat, destroy them with ranged attacks! Six close-combat large armed warships follow behind the long-range ships and launch the charge — target the four black ships at the enemy's center! Fight speed with speed, overwhelming numbers with numbers, and seize the enemy ships in the shortest time possible!"
Captain Serlode's orders were extremely concise — in the shortest possible time, he had devised the optimal battle plan. In an instant, horns blared above the patrol squadron and signal flags fluttered wildly. The flagship Sea Horse, Captain Serlode's own vessel and a long-range large armed warship, took the lead, appearing at the very front of the patrol squadron as it moved to intercept the twelve Norton Family black ships bearing down through the wind and waves in the distance.
Closer, closer — the two fleets drew ever nearer. Captain Serlode stood on the quarterdeck like an iron tower, watching with satisfaction as the sailors on deck methodically drew back the torsion catapults, spanned the crossbows, lit the fire basins, and loaded stones weighing forty or fifty jin onto the stone throwers. Once the Norton Family's black ships entered range, Captain Serlode guaranteed he would teach the enemy a bitter lesson...
Just as the twelve opposing black ships reached a distance of one hundred and fifty yards, all of them suddenly executed a simultaneous turn, presenting their port sides broadside across the patrol squadron's path.
By that point the patrol fleet would have already caught up, and the Norton Family's black ships would be in nothing but a position to suffer beatings. No captain, however foolish, would make such a decision — they might as well just charge through the enemy formation first and then look for a direction to flee...
Just as Captain Serlode was puzzling over this, he saw two rows of dark gunports appear along the turned sides of the black ships, followed by billowing clouds of white smoke. A series of thunderous booms rolled across the sea surface. So turning broadside was meant to facilitate firing the cannons! But could cannons actually hit at this distance? Once we close in, those black ships are finished! It seemed the commander of the opposing black ship fleet truly didn't understand naval warfare, and might very well be panicking. After all, at a distance of three hundred meters, no ranged attack weapon had anywhere near that kind of range...
Captain Serlode's laugh died in his throat. The smile that had just begun to curve his lips froze as he heard a sharp, whistling sound cutting through the air, growing from distant to near in an instant. A series of ominous cracking and snapping sounds—"Crack-shhhh, boom-boom-boom"—rent the air.
Looking up, Captain Serlode was struck dumb. The five fully unfurled sails atop the mainmast, driving the ship at full speed, had been sliced across by some unseen force. The two highest small sails—one was fluttering weakly as if about to fall, the other snapped and billowed like a banner in the wind. But the most terrifying sight was the three large sails below. They had been cut clean in two by what might as well have been a giant's blade. The foremost large sail's rigging had all snapped, and it was plummeting downwards. The central mainsail now had a gash tearing across a third of its expanse, and in the shrieking wind, that tear was rapidly widening. The rearmost spanker sail had been cut from its halyards, leaving it fluttering awkwardly as a side sail...
Losing the wind's propulsive force, the warship lurched violently to a halt and began to turn broadside. Stumbling, Captain Serlode threw himself at the ship's wheel, desperately spinning it to try and right their course. Unfortunately, torn sails were beyond the power of men to fix, and the Sea Stallion's hull was already beginning to turn uncontrollably to port.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Immediately after, Captain Serlode heard that same piercing whistle scream over the ship again, accompanied by a chorus of terrible cries from the crew and sailors. When the wind finally died down, the captain looked at the deck and saw a scene of utter carnage: dismembered limbs, pools of blood, and minced flesh. The culprits were two iron balls the size of a man's fist. One was half-embedded in the thick wooden planking of the deck, its other half sheared away. The other iron ball, coated in gore, was still rolling across the deck. A length of iron chain connected the two balls...
It wasn't just the lead ship, the Sea Stallion, that had suffered this misfortune. All six of the large, long-range armed warships charging at the forefront had been hit simultaneously. On the two leftmost warships, perhaps fire basins had been overturned; flames were now licking up along the tattered, drooping sails, sending both vessels into complete chaos. The ship that had taken the heaviest damage was the Octopus, to the Sea Stallion's right. Its central mast had been shattered and crashed onto the ship's deck, and the entire vessel was now spinning out of control.
The severe damage to the six lead long-range warships, however, seemed to ignite the morale of the remaining ships in the patrol squadron. Twenty-four medium-sized, fast-armed warships surged past the damaged six and formed a new line ahead. Behind them came six large, close-combat-type armed warships, and they charged straight at the Norton Family's black ships...
For Captain Serlode, that day was seared into his memory as an image he would never forget: twelve black ships retreating, turning broadside, firing their cannons, then retreating, turning broadside, and firing again—or chasing, turning broadside, and firing...
The thunderous roar of cannons echoed for a long time over the surface of the Sorrowful Sea. With tears streaming down their faces, Captain Serlode and the surviving sailors watched as the six large, close-combat-type armed warships were blasted to pieces before sinking beneath the waves... In weather like this, falling into the sea meant death. Even had Captain Serlode wished to save them, he was powerless; his own Sea Stallion was no longer under control.
From far behind the patrol squadron, the distant rumble of cannons could also be heard. Those were the black ships hunting down several fleeing medium-sized, fast-armed merchant vessels. Captain Serlode watched as six of the black ships turned and began to close in on their six helpless, sail-less ships, knowing that the final moment had arrived. He would never again see his beloved children or his beautiful wife.
"Quick... run up the white flag... we surrender..." Captain Serlode whispered, his eyes shut tight.
"What was that, Lord?" the boatswain, who hadn't heard clearly, called out loudly.
Captain Serlode opened his eyes, his face flushed with rage and shame. "Raise the white flag! Quickly! I'm saving your lives! If you don't want to end up on the seabed as food for the fish and shrimp, you'll get that white flag up right now!"
...