Chapter 408
My Villains Episode 408
63. The Silver Prince's Knights(15)
“What kind of fuss is this?.”
30‘Gottlob’, a non-commissioned officer in his late teens, continued to grunt but did not stop running. It has already been fifteen minutes since the trumpets, signifying the gathering, started sounding. If he worked up a little sweat and made it look like he was in a hurry, the bad news that would fall on him would be lessened..
“Ugh, damn it. I'm going to break down again..”
Just as he was licking his lips as he remembered the grim face of his immediate superior, Lord Coble, he reached the embankment that had a clear view of the entire port of Froshafen. The soldiers who were gathered together like baby birds waiting for their mother looked in this direction and waved their hands..
“promotion! Here!”
“Hey, hurry up.!”
Fortunately, despite the misfortune, all nineteen soldiers in Gottlob's group were gathered together without missing a single one. Although he may have felt ashamed that his leader was the last to show up, this shameless sergeant first looked for his superior..
“What about me? Where is Nari??”
“You have already passed by.”
“What did they say??”
“When he asked where the leader was, I took the kids and went to chase the street vendor..”
“Whether you believe it or not?”
“I don't know..”
“Ugh, damn it.”
“What are you doing today that you're late for? Since you appeared on Goble Street, I guess you didn't come here after drinking. Are you going to Resensiane??”
“Why do you ask that? Am I about to be interrogated by you??”
“I need to know that next time you're late again, I'll either pick you up or not..”
“This bastard, the excuse is.”
Instead of answering, Sergeant Gottlob slumps down on the wooden barrel that holds the rope, and one of the team members offers him a water bag as if he is being treated like a leader. He wiped the sweat that was cooling off in the sea breeze and took a gulp of water..
“Ugh - is there any goat poop in the water? Why does it smell like this??”
“Even if you take care of our leader, he’s so damned. If you're going to complain, let it out..”
“What's the point of giving a damn to your boss??”
Gottlob grumbled, but squeezed every last drop of water out of his leather bag. After returning the empty water bag and leaving the soldier with a shit-chewing expression on his face, he looked around Hwihwi..
“It's been a while since the port garrison gathered together. “What on earth is going on?” Froshafen is the capital of the Angst region and one of the most prosperous ports in the Mittergerand Empire. The size of the guarding force was so large that, excluding other units, the garrison in charge of port security and security numbered well over seven hundred. The port commander has about 200 troops under his direct command, and the five port guards have 500 troops divided evenly..
“If the leader doesn’t know, how can we know? “We just blew the trumpet and gathered together.” "okay?" The sight of seven hundred people flocking to the dockside was quite majestic, and Gottlob, who was proud of being an executive of the Port Guard, unconsciously shrugged his shoulders..
It was then. The sound of a trumpet was heard from the lighthouse on the other side of the harbor..
Buuuuu-
My attention was drawn to the sound of the trumpet, which, although majestic, seemed to be stretching out for some reason..
“Uh, that one.”
Fifteen sailing ships each with two large sails, accompanied by dozens of barges, were entering the port. A flag with the same emblem, that is, a black dragon breathing green fire, was displayed at each end of the mast, so it was not difficult to guess its identity..
“It's the Black Dragon Fleet. Are you turning back??”
“Are you coming back already? It's been less than two days since I left.”
“I know. what?”
Even though the fleet competing for the empire's supremacy appeared, Gottlob and his crew looked unimpressed and wavered. After all, even a minister needs to be seen occasionally to be a minister. It was already three months since the Black Dragon Fleet showed up once every seven days, so it was funny to be moved again..
“It looks like something is going on.……
“That's right. Have you met the ‘Siren of the Blades’??”
“Siren? Didn't you say it was caught by pirates??”
“They say it’s a lie, that. I almost caught it but I missed it.”
“who said that?”
“‘I heard about ‘Koyanman’ from merchants who come and go..”
“Do you believe what these heathen bastards say??”
“Oh my. Be careful what you say, leader. How many Gaulanists are there in Proshafen?.”
“Be careful. Isn't it because there are so many squishy bastards like you that the heathen bastards are creeping into the city? The guy called Port Mansu Guard was dumbfounded..”
Deploring the reality that the Sultan's servants were eating away at the great empire of the Ghelan people, Sergeant Gottlob nagged his subordinates..
Meanwhile, the Black Dragon Fleet that passed the lighthouse was divided into two, with the sailing ships docking at the outer pier and the barges docking at the inner pier. The sailors and sailors waving their hands from the boat and the dock workers on the dock threw ropes to each other and used their strength in accordance with the command 'Heongcha, Yeongcha'. Not only were both sides highly skilled, but they also frequently engaged in hand-to-hand combat, so it didn't take long for the ships to be tied up in their own waters..
“atmosphere! Everyone stay in their seats!”
The person who shouted was Lord Coble, the direct superior of the five commanders, including Gottlob, and one of Froshafen's port guards. Although he was an old man well over sixty years old, an imperial knight was an imperial knight, and he was a businessman who could clean up three or four orcs with his bare hands..
Since there was nothing to gain from attracting the attention of their fearsome superior, Sergeant Gottlob and his crew quickly took a standstill..
“••••••Phew.”
Lord Cobble passed the unit quickly and joined the other port guards. Seeing the imperial knights escorting the port commander down to the dock, Petty Officer Gottlob was relieved and sat down on the wooden barrel..
Normally, I would have hidden behind my subordinates and kept an eye on them, but today, for some reason, a part of my heart felt uncomfortable. So Gottlob clearly captured the scene of high-ranking people meeting in the middle of the dock..
“Captain, over there..”
“watching.”
A red satin cape, a fancy hat, and a golden baton. A young man with flashy attire who could be trusted as a king or duke of some place got off the flagship ‘Yung Draco’ of the Black Dragon Fleet. He was grinning as if something was bothering him a lot..
“Why is that little bastard acting like a bastard again?.”
That young man was Viscount Levites, and he earned the position of admiral of the Black Dragon Fleet not so much because of his godly skills as because he was the brother-in-law of the Duke of Avilambus..
It may have just been a rumor, but it was true that it was rare to find a soldier who could nod his head at the fact that a kid just over 20 years old, even though he was only half his age, was the commander of that huge fleet..
However, no matter his age, the fact that he was the admiral of the Black Dragon Fleet did not change, and thirteen captains and dozens of imperial knights crowded around Viscount Levites. Old port masters and port watchmen also mingled with the mass to understand the English text..
Let the high-ranking rulers whisper for a moment. Everyone seemed to be trying to stop the admiral, who was stamping his feet and spewing out anger. Viscount Levites slapped and trampled Captain Heoyeon, but no one could stop him. The other captains and the port commander only tried to persuade him, but they did not dare to touch his body..
In the end, Viscount Levites seemed to have broken his stubbornness and headed towards the docks, waving his cloak. As the young man disappeared with a group of guards or followers, the remaining people shook their heads as if they were exhausted..
Lord Coble, Port Master of Froshafen, gathered his subordinates to explain the situation. After the short story, Sergeant Gottlob returned to where his men had gathered with a stern expression..
“promotion.”
“What's going on?‘?”
Gottlob answered, gently lifting his metal helmet and scratching his head..
“Eyland pirates have appeared..”
“If it's Eyland, it's the iron scale fleet.?”
“okay.”
The faces of the soldiers turned pale in an instant, as there was almost no one living on the coast who did not know about the 'Pirate Prince of Eyland'. The sergeant quickly waved his hand..
“There's nothing to be afraid of. 'Cause it's not like they're coming.”
“Then?”
“I heard that a gentleman named Seonhyeolbaek declared neutralization or something in the sea near here.?”
The group members made eye contact with each other and nodded vigorously. Gottlob continued..
“It seems like that's why they started a fight with the Black Dragon Fleet. I was told to return immediately if I didn't want to become fish food..”
Sergeant Gottlob was originally from the inland and settled in Proshaven when he was well over 20 years old. So, I could not understand why the Dukes and Counts of Eyland across the sea were making a mess of the sea in this area, and why they were being messed with. I wondered why there was any reason to be afraid of those pirates when there were fifteen large sailing ships that could carry a hundred and fifty soldiers..
However, the members of the group, who had lived on the beach for generations, did not have the same questions as the group members. I was just afraid that the snake roaming the sea would once again show its fangs in this direction, as it has often done for hundreds of years..
“They may be trying to tie up the Black Dragon Fleet and plunder Froshaven..”
“Or maybe we'll burn down the port and the fleet at the same time……
“You idiots, how could that be possible? If we attack here, it will be war, war. No matter how vicious the pirates are, they will not dare attack His Majesty the Emperor..”
The current emperor, Ruilix II, is a monarch whose power is said to be rivaled by all previous emperors. An emperor powerful enough to raise an army of 100,000 with a single wave of his hand, and ambitious enough to profess to conquer the Amir Alliance, which enjoys unprecedented wealth in history through its southern colonies... … . There was no way he would sit still and give up the port to pirates..
“but.”
“okay. Even if you're a pirate prince, you can't stand up to the emperor..”
When the soldiers showed signs of calming down, Gottlob crossed his arms in a very stern manner..
“Still, something unexpected may happen, so the Port Guard remains in place..”
“Until when??”
“Until the Lord of the Castle or the Port Commander gives an order..”
Although there were boos and complaints here and there, no soldier objected outright. The morale of the port garrison was very good, as they received high rewards and good treatment that were incomparable to other mercenaries..
However, even the high morale soldiers of the port garrison were ordinary people in the end, and when the sailors of the Black Dragon Fleet emptied their ships and dispersed into the city center at sunset, they expressed their dissatisfaction..
“No, leader. Does this make sense? We're sucking poop to protect our own ships, and then it pops up like that..”
“I don't know if they returned after a week, but they went out to play because they were tired after only two days of sailing.?”
Unable to withstand the anger of his team members, Sergeant Gottlob went to see Sir Coble, who was fearful. The answer I heard with courage was quite shocking..
“This is Admiral's order..”
“yes?”
Since his subordinates didn't understand their expressions at all, Gottlob scratched his head helplessly and continued..
“Viscount Levites told the sailors to rest. Well, I guess I'm pricked by my conscience because I'm the only one massaging a girl's butt..”
“Geez - then what about us??”
“Well, we have to stay where we are. The order to disperse has not yet been issued..”
“Ha, what is that??”
“ridiculous.”
The port garrison is a unit under the command of Prince Ignatz, the lord of Froshafen and the great lord of Angst, and the Black Dragon Fleet is under the direct control of Duke Avilambus. Although Prince Ignatz was a vassal of Duke Avilambus, his affiliation was clearly different, so many units stationed in Froshafen regarded the Black Dragon Fleet as an unreasonable guest..
However, those customers were truly rough, like sailors, and they often got into accidents in the city and caused all kinds of trouble. It was not once or twice that soldiers from the port guard, gate guard, or security guard got into fist fights with sailors of the Black Dragon Fleet in bars or warehouses..
Because of that story, there was already a feeling of reluctance between them, but while they were guarding the dock, the sailors disembarked and headed to the city to show off, so it was natural for the port garrison to be dissatisfied..
The commanders, including Sergeant Gottlob, were unable to appease the soldiers under their command, so the port sergeants, including Lord Goble, had to yell at them directly..
“Whatever the Black Dragon Fleet, the orders remain the same! If there's someone who talks nonsense again, I'll tear his mouth to shreds.!”
When the imperial knights made such a threat, the soldiers were overcome by the force and fell silent..
And as time passed again, the twilight that had soaked the sea was about to disappear..
Dang dang dang dang-
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
At the dock where the torches were lit one by one, an urgent bell and a high trumpet sound rang out at the same time. Petty Officer Gottlob instinctively turned his head toward the lighthouse..
“……enemy!”
“It's an enemy fleet.!”
The soldiers guarding the harbor entrance hurriedly pulled the chains. Six or seven chains as thick as forearms rose to the surface of the water. however,
Kwaang!
A huge sailing ship with three sails and an iron plate on the bow broke the chain by taking advantage of its massive weight and speed..
“That is.”
The enemy ships belatedly turned on their lights, and Gottlob, who noticed the flags waving there, opened his eyes. As the leader of the Port Guard, he knew all the major maritime powers in Middle-earth, so he recognized that sentence at a glance..
“Steel fleet. It's a steel fleet.!”
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