novelraw Chapter 209: Abyssal Holy War - Strait Breakthrough (4)
Chapter 209: Abyssal Holy War - Strait Breakthrough (4)
Episode 209. Abyssal Holy War - Strait Breakthrough (4)
The West of Francia, the naval port of Brest.
Even though it was broad daylight, a miracle that overwhelmed even the sun unfolded.
A brilliant veil of light covered the sky.
“Oh, ooooh…!”
“So this is…”
As the gathered sailors voiced their admiration, a torrential downpour of light rained down, enveloping their bodies.
I quietly raised a hand, clenching and unclenching my fist, feeling the Divine Power and the overflowing strength coursing through my body.
“Whoa, I’ve only heard stories, but this is incredible.”
Ludovic Dureng, captain of the flagship ‘Libre,’ muttered with a dazed face, so I asked.“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Frankly, it’s enough to make me jealous that the army has had this all to themselves until now.”
Seeing Dureng unable to tear his gaze away, I let out a small laugh and turned my head.
Everyone here was watching the pillar of light, lost in a trance.
To be precise, they were watching Eris, who stood in its very center, her robe and silver hair fluttering as she performed the miracle.
The image of our Queen.
As the swirling pillar of light slowly faded, Eris, holding a crystal in her hand, neatened her disheveled robe and hair and pulled her hood back on.
Then, as Eris lifted her gaze again, everyone knelt before her in unison, unbidden.
Unlike before, she didn't fidget or act shy.
Instead, Eris responded by clasping her hands as if in prayer, then spoke in a clear voice that seemed to reassure them all.
“Please return victorious. May God’s blessing be with you all.”
“Long live the Saintess Queen!”
“Victory to Francia!”
Just moments ago, these were sailors crushed by the pressure of having to face the strongest of enemies, Abyss Corporation. In this instant, their morale skyrocketed to its absolute peak.
I naturally turned my gaze to the side and asked Christine, who was looking at me, with a smile.
“Are you jealous, Admiral?”
Christine’s eyes curved as she smiled.
“I’ll endure it since you’re looking at me, Pierre.”
“Hahaha, that’s a relief.”
“Goodness, to think I have to witness such a spectacle even as we head to a battlefield where we might die…”
Ludovic Dureng lamented openly, but Christine paid him no mind, reaching out to take my hand as she asked.
“But, will you really be okay, Pierre? I know you’re strong, of course, but on a ship…”
…I’m useless.
“I took the Magic Tower’s special motion sickness medicine, so I should be fine.”
…Probably.
Christine gave me a sly glance, then chuckled.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s much for the Army Commander-in-Chief to do on a ship anyway.”
“There’s always the ‘what if.’ I have nothing to do until the naval battle is decided anyway, so please let me come along, Admiral.”
While I was also taking a risk, I couldn’t stop Christine from becoming an admiral just because it was dangerous.
But, even so, I really don't want to send her off alone to a decisive battle where she's risking her life.
…Because if that happened, if something went wrong with her where I couldn't see, I don't think I could bear it.
“Just as you supported me with all your might from your domain while I fought on the battlefield, I want to offer even the slightest bit of help that I can.”
I slowly knelt on one knee and held out my hand, asking for her permission.
Christine looked at me, her face slightly flushed, and gave me her hand.
“...Really, I can never win against you.”
No sooner had I let out a sigh of relief and stood up.
“Ooh- wah- honestly. To be so shameless when everyone is watching.”
A voice, half-teasing and half-exasperated, flew in, not matching its clear tone.
“Your Majesty.”
I immediately bowed my head respectfully to Eris.
Eris didn't say anything else, but her lips were twitching so much behind her veil, I could tell she was dying to say more.
What? Why?
I am confident.
What’s the problem with a knight protecting his lady?
As if reading the answer on my face, Eris made a baffled expression before turning her gaze to Christine.
“Your Majesty.”
Christine, dressed in her admiral’s uniform, placed a hand on her chest and bowed respectfully, her long black hair swaying with the movement.
…She may be my wife, but when she looks this cool, I can't help but worry those navy bastards might get ideas.
“I trust you will claim victory and return safely, Admiral.”
To Eris's worried words, Christine replied with a deep smile.
“I will not disappoint Her Majesty the Queen.”
*
“War, war~ Waaar~♪”
Barbatos, the CEO of ‘Wrath’ Inc., was humming a tune, ceaselessly twirling a pair of pistols in his hands.
The wind felt on the bow of the warship as it cut through the sea breeze, the salty smell carried on it.
And far, far thicker than that.
The smell of the bloodshed and cannon smoke that was about to come.
The mood of the Great Demon, who lived only in craving for a spectacle of rage and death, was indescribably good.
“Admiral. Reconnaissance report from the ‘Scouter’.”
“Hmph~?”
Barbatos instantly holstered the dual pistols at his waist, savoring the satisfying clack, and accepted the sea chart from the captain.
“Aha, aha, ahaha-”
The enemy had about 50 ships of the line.
The smaller vessels in the rear appeared to be those rocket ships of the Eastern Empire.
They were new weapons that had surprised even the demons when first seen, so they'd immediately tried to adopt them for use in Iberica, but they were destroyed before they could be properly utilized.
Threatening, but not impossible to deal with.
Their side also had 55 ship-of-the-line-‘class’ vessels, so the numbers were similar, but…
“This is the deployment of guys who know they’re weak. ‘Wrath’ Inc. highly values the enemy’s intelligence.”
The enemy’s deployment was a classic line-ahead formation.
They had arranged their fleet in a long, stretched-out line.
Fundamentally, ships of the line have most of their cannons on their flanks, not their bow or stern, and are designed for broadside engagements.
Therefore, the line-ahead formation, where all ships present their flanks in a single file, is the most common formation for a gunnery duel.
Above all, since it was an Allied fleet with difficult coordination and less-skilled crews, as long as they presented their flanks, even they could manage to fire cannons at an approaching ship.
“But in war, even the smart die if they are weak.”
Barbatos grinned, baring his sharp fangs.
However, that formation is only effective when both sides are pummeling each other in line-ahead formations.
Being stretched out so long, it would be difficult to move organically, and if caught off guard by a different formation than what they anticipated, it would actually be harder for them to respond.
“What are your orders, Admiral?”
“The enemy's main force, the Eastern Empire's capital ships, will be at the start and end of the formation. They would have placed the ships most capable of responding in an emergency there…”
Barbatos felt the blowing wind, holding his fine admiral's hat with one hand.
The wind direction was favorable, too.
Barbatos drew a line straight through the sea chart.
A line that split the Abyss Corporation’s fleet in two to execute a single-point breakthrough of the enemy’s weakest point, their center.
If they charged at full speed with the tailwind, their breakthrough and push into a melee would be faster than the enemy's ability to reform their long line and respond.
“We will break through at a single point, divide the enemy fleet, and annihilate them piecemeal.”
And in such a situation, the fleet of ‘Wrath’ Inc. would never be defeated.
“Yes, Admiral! Relaying the order!”
Barbatos raised his telescope and grinned as he watched the tips of the enemy masts slowly begin to appear on the distant horizon.
“A fun war, a war~♪ Taking Baal's hand was Barbatos's best choice!”
*
The magnificent procession of dozens of ships of the line stretching on endlessly did not last for more than a few hours.
“Enemy fleet approaching!”
“Open port side gun deck!”
“Opening gun deck~!”
“Hurry and prepare for bombardment!”
In an instant, the heat and tension of battle flared up and enveloped the flagship, the ‘Libre’.
“Open the armory! Get the weapons out in advance so they can be distributed at any time! Prepare for an emergency!”
“Yes, Captain!”
At Ludovic Dureng’s shout, the sailors scrambled about.
I watched the endless line of enemy warships rapidly approaching along the distant horizon and swallowed dryly.
At times like this, a knight's sharp eyesight is somewhat resentful. Just how far does that formation stretch?
I glanced aside, looking at Christine, who was observing the enemy formation through a telescope.
Her expression was remarkably composed even in this situation, but I couldn't hide my anxiety.
“Are you all right, Christine? At this rate, we’re going to be caught completely off guard.”
The wind blowing from the direction of the enemy ships toward me was fierce.
In other words, they were riding a tailwind and charging at full speed right for us, positioned in the dead center of the formation.
If this goes wrong, won't our line be cut in half and destroyed piecemeal?
However, Christine lowered her telescope and replied in an extremely calm tone.
“No problem, Pierre.”
The enemy fleet reached us like the tip of a spear. The bombardment would begin any moment now.
The situation was clearly not good.
Nevertheless, her calm voice somehow seemed to calm me down.
For her to be this unshaken must mean she has a countermeasure.
“You seem to have a plan. But I didn't hear about it in the meeting.”
“Ah, that’s because…”
Christine replied indifferently.
“If we told them in advance that we’re the bait, there was a concern they’d give it away trying to save their own ships.”
“Ah.”
I thought of Admiral Svensson of the Northern Allied Kingdom and gave a wry smile.
Certainly, they had no sense of duty to risk their lives fighting for us.
As for Kroxx… he's a friend who would understand with an explanation later.
“To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies… Ah, it’s here.”
Christine said, looking up at the sky, and I followed her gaze.
And I could see the sky, which had been clear just a moment ago, rapidly darkening as clouds gathered.
A moment later, the direction of the wind changed.
The wind that had been blowing from behind the enemy, allowing them to advance rapidly, turned into a headwind and began to push them back.
“Huh.”
“Oh, ooooh…”
“What in the world is happening…”
Is this the power of Admiral Lindsay, of celestial magic?
“Dureng, manage your subordinates. Get them to focus and prepare to fire. We're about to be in engagement range.”
“Y-Yes! Your Excellency, the Admiral!”
While Ludovic Dureng ran off, shouting at the top of his lungs to urge on the sailors who were just staring blankly at the sky, Christine scanned the flanks with her telescope.
While the enemy fleet, which had been approaching at high speed, slowed down, our two wings, which had been in a long line, were changing direction.
Admiral Lindsay’s fleet at the head of the formation and Admiral Lee’s fleet at the rear skillfully turned to port.
As if a bird were wrapping its wings, it was becoming a pincer movement to surround the enemy fleet that was trying to break through the center.
As I admired the picturesque scene, Ludovic Dureng shouted.
“Prepare for broadside!”
“Prepare for broadside-!”
At that moment, as the slowed enemy fleet seemed to hesitate for a moment while the pincer formation closed in, the lead ship began to charge forward rapidly.
“…That is not a typical sailing vessel.”
Christine said quietly, holding her telescope.
Having completely lowered its main mast, which was only a hindrance in a headwind, it was racing forward, spewing white smoke from something I'd never seen before!
“Hold, hold your fire!”
The distant ship grew larger and larger at high speed-
“Commence firing.”
“All cannons, commence firing!”
The moment it was close enough, Christine uttered the command softly, and Dureng immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.
Soon, the hull shuddered from the insane roar of 86 cannons firing in unison.
The ships of the line in front and behind us also let out a chain of explosions in an instant, and a deafening roar that seemed to split the ears covered the entire sea.
And-
The enemy warship rapidly approaching us deflected all the incoming cannonballs with a purple magic barrier.
“Reload, hurry!”
“Reload! I can see your hands, you bastards!”
“Enemy ship’s bow cannons opening!”
Amidst the frantic shouts and movements to reload, an urgent cry rang out.
Soon, the enemy warship’s cannons spewed fire, and ominous purple projectiles flew toward us.
Thwang!
The cannonball that flew toward the Libre was blocked by the magic barrier, erupting in an ominous flame before falling into the empty air.
However-
“The Colbert is on fire!”
The ship of the line following us was hit by the bombardment and immediately caught fire with purple flames.
“Magical… a type of incendiary shell, perhaps? We’ll have to be careful of that…”
The moment Christine muttered under her breath, Dureng shouted urgently.
“Admiral! The enemy ship is not decelerating! It is charging straight for this vessel!”
Is that thing trying to ram us?
“My eyes work just fine, Dureng.”
Christine replied coolly, then added, narrowing her brow.
“Cancel all reloads.”
“Pardon?”
Dureng was flustered, but Christine maintained her composure and quickly issued an order.
“Switch all shot to mana shells, and fire a volley just before impact.”
“Ah, y-yes! Understood!”
Even as Christine spoke, the fleets of Admiral Lee and Admiral Lindsay, which had begun to close their wings and surround the enemy fleet, fired in succession, and the enemy ships also began to return fire.
Dozens of rockets making a strange noise flew towards the enemy fleet, and soon explosions erupted. The sight of enemy ships catching fire was also visible.
“Fortunately, it seems not all of their ships are monsters like that one. A new model?”
Slightly overwhelmed by Christine, who was calmly assessing the situation even in the midst of this, I silently gripped my sword and stood beside her as if to protect her.
Even at this moment, the enemy ship was rapidly approaching, firing those purple cannonballs…
“Issue weapons to all hands on deck, prepare for melee combat on board.”
Christine issued the necessary orders even as she watched the incoming projectiles burn and drip down the Libre's magic barrier.
“Yes! Arm up! Quickly! Marksmen to the masts!”
With the ship now at close range, even my knight's eyes could clearly see the enemy's crew.
Demon races…!
“Christine, there are many sailors on their deck! They intend to send almost their entire crew into a melee!”
“…!”
Hearing my words, Christine flinched for a moment but immediately shouted.
“All cannons, fire! Fire and then immediately to the upper deck! Have the gunners prepare for melee combat too!”
“Yes! All cannons, fire!”
The roar of 86 cannons firing in unison erupted again, and the hull shuddered—the effect of the mana shells, fired at close range and glowing blue, was undeniable.
The purple magic barrier that had blocked all cannon fire was torn to shreds, and the sight of the cannonballs striking and piercing the enemy ship's hull, leaving it in tatters, was clearly visible.
Even enemy sailors who screamed from the shock and fell overboard.
But, even so.
The enemy ship did not stop-
Crack-
The magic barrier that had been protecting the Libre's hull from the bombardment collapsed with a sound like shattering glass.
And in that instant, my eyes caught a red-haired demon on the mast, wearing an admiral's hat and aiming a long rifle.
“Christine!”
I tackled Christine, and no sooner had I done so than a bullet whizzed past right where we had been.
“Brace for impact!”
“Grab onto something! We’re colliding!”
I immediately pulled Christine into an embrace, grabbed the railing, and lowered my stance.
In a moment, the hull rocked with a roar as if the heavens and earth were being overturned.
“Aaaaargh!”
A few unlucky sailors, unable to withstand the immense mass of the colossal ships colliding at full force, were thrown overboard, screaming.
“Are you all right, Christine?”
“…I’m fine. Thank you.”
But there was no time to leisurely catch our breath-
“Uwaaargh!”
“It’s a melee!”
The sounds of gunshots and clashing steel began to erupt from all directions.
I immediately got up and sliced through a rope that was coming toward me with my sword.
“Wuaaaaargh!”
As the foolish demon who had been trying to cross on it screamed and fell into the sea, I reached out and helped Christine up.
“Aren't you glad I came along?”
Christine chuckled, then drew her pistol and replied.
“Thank you, my knight.”