Chapter 401
My Villains 4()Episode 1
63. The Silver Prince's Knights(8)
The Nudein military camp was located on a low hill that separated from the mountain. Thanks to this, we were able to see Auduenne at a glance after running out of Atalanta's tent..
The coast starting to turn color at dusk, the noisy dock, the city lighting up in the dark, and the rape flower field losing its color form a gloomy gradient..
Auduenne is considered one of the wealthiest port cities not only in the Abidden region but also in the entire kingdom..
As if its reputation for wealth was not in vain, it looks like it is as prosperous as South Harbor..
On the land side, a fortress wall over 5 meters high surrounds the castle in a semicircle shape, and on the sea side, there is a huge harbor like a lake. The city stretched out in all directions centered on the large square between the castle wall and the harbor, and overall, it was like any ordinary city mixed with a bit of the flavor of a fishing village..
The wide harbor was surrounded by a natural breakwater. It looks like it hugs the water, with the upper bank of a long, thin protruding bar acting as its right arm and the stubby sandbank acting as its left arm..
On the sandbank corresponding to the left arm, the bottom was reinforced and a lighthouse was built, and at the end of the rocky bank corresponding to the right arm, there was a fairly large rock island, where a castle as tall as a tower stood..
That stronghold was ‘Valessolis’, Auduenne’s permanent residence and final defense point..
“……cold.”
Hearing the mutterings, he reached out his hand and wrapped his shoulder. He hugged my waist and dug into my armpit..
As Mungchi said, the salty west wind was very cool. Maybe that's why the city also has a strange atmosphere..
Even though the sun was slowly setting, the squares, trading posts, markets, and slums were still crowded with people. Although it is busy and bustling as a prosperous trading port, there is an inexplicable elegance to it.…….
As I follow the current, my gaze naturally goes towards the pier. There were five rows of big and small piers stretching across the wide harbor..
The two rows of piers located in the innermost part of the port were full of merchant ships and fishing boats. There were a wide variety of ships, each showing off its own uniqueness, from fishing boats and small barges that appeared to be fishing boats, to routes traveling between the coast and the river, and to trading ships that used the ocean as their stage..
On the other hand, the three rows of piers on the outside were full of battleships..
The pier next to the fortress 'Vallesolis' was full of small lines with shields erected on all sides. Among them were five or six sailing ships with two masts each, so it looked like a bunch of dogs mixed in with a few mules..
Each of the more than 40 battleships had a white background flag. The flag was checkered with a flock of ducks gliding across the water and a swordsman with blue scales..
Abiden's leader 'Milgrester' is the emblem of the gate..
Thirteen sailboats were tied up at the dock across from there. Most of them were less than 30 meters long and had a pair of masts, but three or four were relatively large, with three masts and a length of 45 meters. Compared to Milgrester's battle line, it looked like a herd of mules mixed with a few course horses..
The sailing ships were waving flags engraved with swords cutting through the waves. This is the steel fleet led by Sir Langbolt..
However, the ominous current that enveloped the city did not originate from the fleets of Count Milgrester or Earl Shore. Beyond them, the fleet that half filled the long dock on the outermost edge of the harbor was the source..
Even at first glance, the dozens of sailing ships there were unusual..
The shape and size were not that different from the large ships of the steel fleet, but the waterline and deck were lacquered dark red. Unlike the rest of the piers, which seemed a little more popular, the pier occupied by black and red sailboats was quiet as if it were filled with ghost ships..
The flag they hung at the end of the mast depicted a black snake and a white snake wrapped around each other around a red circle. This sentence is very familiar to me.…….
“It's over there, Nafi Dat..”
Agos, an officer of Hareskis and a skilled longbowman, pointed west. The place his finger was pointing was the fleet that was coloring the horizon, beyond the dark red ships giving off an ominous smell..
“It looks like they are returning from an ocean patrol..”
W ugh 99
Fifteen sailing ships glided in toward Auduenne. Thanks to the dark red-painted hull and the flag with two snakes coiled around it, it was easy to recognize that it belonged to the same ominous sailing ships we looked at earlier..
“……I've always wondered, how do they make such a big ship??”
Atalanta gestured towards the fleet with a question. I smiled bitterly and shook my head..
“Do you guys understand?.”
“If you don't know, who knows?”
“Eyland's shipbuilders would know.”
The one she was pointing at was a large ship that had passed through the entrance of the port at the head..
The total length was well over 60 meters, it had four sails, and the bow and tail of the ship had double decks, making it look like a solid castle floating on the sea. There was also a long, thick bowsprit attached to the bow. It had a threatening appearance, as if it had horns sticking out..
Its majesty was so great that I couldn't take my eyes off it, it was like watching a bicorn running among war horses..
“Tace serpentis.”
Maxiago, the chief of the Jal Ladup clan, a large middle-aged man who suddenly appeared, muttered as if sighing. I don't know much about Gaulan, but I thought I knew what it meant..
‘‘Silent Sea Serpent’. That's the name of the flagship of the Geoseon, the iron scale fleet..
Led by the Silent Sea Serpent, nine sailing ships entered the harbor. The remaining six ships headed south with the setting sun on their right..
A total of twenty sailing ships occupied the dock, including the ships of the iron scale fleet that were originally at anchor..
I looked at the silent sea serpent, caught in an unknown tension..
Among the busy sailors and sailors of the Eyland, a group of people appeared. Jang Handeul steps on the metal plank lowered from the deck. They were all birds wearing black armor that gave off an intimidating feeling due to the sharp protrusions..
All the famous blood knights of Eyland.
“……You came.”
Atalanta seemed to have discovered the person being guarded by the blood knights, and whispered softly. I just nodded without saying a word..
Unlike the heavily armed generals, their escorts were relatively lightly dressed. We could guess that his status was not ordinary through his high-collared coat, thin breastplate underneath, gloves with a mysterious glow, and leather boots with strange patterns..
But the reason I secretly swallowed dry saliva when I saw him wasn't because of his clothes..
The man, who appeared to be in his early fifties, had a tall stature, a stocky physique, and short-cropped black hair..
And, that expressionless face.
Unlike Poynix, who had a cold appearance but was secretly handsome, the middle-aged man's features were thick and rough. Nevertheless, if you erase the wrinkles, your face is surprisingly similar to mine..
Lastly, eyes.
“Inhale.”
I held my breath without realizing it..
As I got off the dock, a middle-aged man slowly raised his head and made eye contact with me from a distance of over a kilometer..
Oh soso. I got goosebumps on the back of my neck..
The middle-aged man's dark eyes caught my gaze. I knew it instinctively at that very moment. Something is sleeping in that deep, silent darkness..
That was madness. The madness that runs through Zaharkar's blood.
But for some reason, it smelled a little different from that of an artist. Just as I was wondering where this difference originated, the middle-aged man turned around..
“••••••Phew.”
I belatedly exhaled as I looked at the back of a middle-aged man, no, Count Akelle, walking away with the hem of his black coat flowing..
The lord of this wealthy port city, Auduenne, is Viscount Cyril. This is Viscount Cyril, who led the Abidden army and joined Prince Ulkar's army, whose appearance and greed resembled that of a goblin..
But now that he was in High Castle, no one cared who Oduenne's owner was. No, even if Viscount Cyril had not been absent, he would not have been able to campaign as the owner of the city. This is because the guests who gathered at Auduenne had great prestige..
Aside from me, the most recent arrivals here were Atalanta and the Nudein army..
Atalanta, who had recently accepted Prince Ulkar's offer and moved south to Auduenne, now had more than a thousand troops..
There were eight hundred warriors drawn from the three clans they were originally leading, Al-Khadari, Jaladub, and Lejun, one hundred and fifty conscripts recruited semi-forcibly during the journey, and about fifty mercenaries hired after arriving in Duenne..
An army of 1,000 people consisting of many shamans and elite soldiers, centered around Atalanta, a powerful arcanist and spearman. If you put your mind to it, you can easily subdue a decent county..
Perhaps feeling threatened by this, Lord Slanwith, the knight banneret and cousin and representative of Viscount Cirillo, did not allow the Nudein army to enter. Even though Atalanta had done a great job in dealing with the Witch of Chant just a few months ago when the fishman army threatened O Duenne..
Sir Langbolt, who arrived a few weeks before Atalanta, received better treatment..
Of course, Sir Langbolt is a member of the Earlshore family, a prestigious noble family, and for some reason, he was in command of the Steel Fleet..
Although only half of the force in Auduenne was present, it would have been difficult to be unfriendly in front of the famous steel fleet in the East Sea. Moreover, isn’t Auduenne a port city that makes a living through the sea?.
Thanks to this, the sailors and sailors of the Iron Fleet, and the four hundred infantry that Earl Lytton, the great lord of the Southern Shore, had given to his second son, Lord Langbold, were stationed in the city without much trouble..
A fortnight before the arrival of Lord Langbolt and the Iron Fleet..
A group of troops visited Auduenne. It was an army led by Count Aeneas, the great lord of Abidden and head of the Milgrester family..
Countess Aeneas was only in her mid-teens, so no one expected her to leave the family's main castle, Coluuge..
Moreover, Auduenne was not under the direct jurisdiction of Count Aeneas. Even though Auduenne's owner, Viscount Cirillo, was her locust and vassal, it was a dangerous place for a minor lord to stay..
The vassals of the Milgrester family tore down their young lord. However, Count Aeneas insisted on visiting the grave of her mother, who died early last year, and forced herself to do so..
I don't know if it was really because of his longing for his mother, or if there was something else going on - but Milgrester's vassals advised the young mistress to have a large bodyguard. That was the reason why Count Aeneas entered Auduenne with twenty knights, four battle wizards, and over two hundred and fifty soldiers..
And now, even after two months had passed since his stay at Auduenne, Count Aines seemed to have no intention of returning to Coluuge..
Milgrester's vassals could not read the thoughts of their lord, who was small in stature but mature for his age..
It was in October of last year that the Iron Scale Fleet fought a major battle with the fishman army in the southern part of the kingdom and emerged victorious..
After the victory, the fresh-blooded Akele, admiral of the Iron Scale Fleet, landed on land with a little over five hundred elite soldiers..
The landing place was Vitian, a port in the Alvivton region. As Vitian was one of the ports under the influence of the twin royal families, the count briefly took control of the city and quickly pacified the surrounding area..
It was around mid-November that the security and trade of not only Vitian but also the entire Alvivton stabilized to some extent. At that time, Count Akelle suddenly led his army and began moving north..
Not only the numerous great lords, but also Crown Prince Zacharis, the actual ruler of the kingdom, was keenly aware of the bloodbath's actions. However, Eyland's army marched along the coast, as if cleaning up, and simply defeated the remnants of the magic bandits that had spread in Seiben and the fishman army that had not yet been dealt with..
Moving at a leisurely pace, Seonhyeolbaek and his elite soldiers arrived at Auduenne in mid-December. It was right after the Fishmen led by the Witch of Praise were barely defeated, and it was ten days before Count Aeneas arrived..
Count Achele, who had been stationed at the port for some time and was exerting influence, listened to the news of the war between the two electors of the Mittergeland Empire and Prince Ulkar. At some point, he called in his fleet..
The Iron Scale Fleet, consisting of over thirty ships, conquered the Kalman Bay area within ten days of following the admiral's command. The fishman army that occasionally appeared disappeared completely, and the various pirates did not even dare to raise their heads. In the meantime, the Black Dragon Fleet that was snooping around the trade route between the kingdom and the empire was intimidated and driven out. Duke Avilambus' Black Dragon Fleet was one of the Empire's greatest fleets, but it did not dare to stand against the Iron Scale Fleet..
Only after holding a demonstration equivalent to a war, the Blood White sent several blood knights under his command to Ulkar and the two Elector Hus. A measure close to the lifting of the ban was declared to Lord Eordan, the most eloquent man in the Baluin family..
The reply from both sides arrived less than a week ago, but Count Akele did not receive it. This is because he took the flagship 'Silent Sea Serpent' and inspected the Blade's Edge Bay and trade routes with a fleet, and returned to Auduenne only today..
When the sun had completely set and the indigo coast was immersed in deep darkness, a person came from Auduenne. It was a messenger from Sir Langbolt..
“••••••what?”
In response to Atalanta's question, I smiled as I read the letter given to me by the family member of the Earl Shore family..
“They said the seat is ready..”
“then,”
“let's go. Let’s take a look at what kind of people they are..”
Leaving behind Atalanta, who nodded, I looked at Auduenne's brightly lit stronghold, 'Vallesolis'..
……Phew, good. Time to meet my father for the third time..
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