Chapter 165

Preparing for war takes a long time.

It can be as short as a few days or as long as several years, and there are times when it drags on for decades.

However, the decisive moment that determines the outcome of those long battles is surprisingly brief.

In a faraway island nation in the East, a war that decided the fate of the country lasted just three hours, and later, during a great war sparked by the island’s ambition to dominate the East, the critical defeat was determined in a mere five minutes.

In this way, the outcome of war can be decided in the blink of an eye, and those who can seize that moment will take victory.

And right now, the Pirate King has succeeded in claiming that fleeting moment as his own.

The warships of the Britannia Empire formed a traditional crescent formation, maximizing the power of bombardment as it surrounded the enemies.

However, this formation had a fatal weakness: because the forces were spread widely, it was all too easy for the formation to collapse.

In a battlefield where hundreds and thousands of soldiers tangle and fight, the collapse of formation means the breakdown of order, which inevitably leads to defeat.

Especially with the nature of warships being difficult to maneuver, once a formation collapses, regaining composure is nearly impossible.

Thus, in a deployed crescent formation, they had to maintain distance and use their inherent high power to inflict maximum damage, slowing down the enemy’s advance, avoiding contact as much as possible, even if it meant retreating their formation.

But…

The unexpected strike from the sky made it impossible for the Empire Army to achieve that.

In reality, the range of their attack was only a small part of the overall force, but the problem was that the offensive was focused on the flagship, where the commanders were.

With their heads spinning, the Empire Army lost the opportunity to strike back as they looked at the approaching enemies, and the result was nothing short of disastrous for the Empire Army in crescent formation.

Pirate ships are fundamentally faster than other ships.

Given their profession, specialization in escape and ambush is to be expected.

As a result, before the Navy could properly respond, the pirate ships had already begun to penetrate the crescent formation and launch their offensive.

“Break through the enemy lines!”

“Bring the ships together! Wipe them all out!”

Pirate ships pierced through the formation.

The massive collision between ships weighing hundreds of tons turned the deck into chaos in an instant.

Under such circumstances, bombardment was, of course, impossible.

Simultaneously, the pirates hanging on the sails began to leap onto the confused Empire Army warships.

“You filthy pirates! How dare you—gag!”

“Kill them all! This ship is ours from now on!”

The Empire Army, renowned for their bombardment and shooting skills, now had to face pirates brandishing knives and axes right before their eyes.

In such a melee, the pirates had the upper hand.

Moreover, with the northern troops still yet to arrive, the Empire Army was at a numerical disadvantage.

“Damn it! Stop them! We must drive them out by any means!”

General William, swinging his sword fiercely against the oncoming pirates.

Despite the unfavorable situation, he, being a seasoned warrior, commanded his soldiers to push back the pirates with everything he had.

At that moment…

“Cough!!!”

“What… what was that? A rat?”

“N-No, what do you mean a rat… cough!!!”

A small, white beast suddenly pounced, biting at the napes of the subordinates.

Its size was only that of an arm, yet it attacked with speed so swift it was barely visible, viciously tearing into the napes of the naval soldiers.

“Damn it! Catch that thing! We must catch it at all costs!”

Furiously rushing at the sight of his subordinates being ruthlessly slaughtered, William charged.

And then…

“Cough!!!!”

A sudden, unbearable pain.

With a violent blow from behind, William’s body collapsed to the ground.

“What… what… is this… cough!!!”

“You don’t need to know, just die.”

With no time to even turn around, the follow-up strike cut off William’s breath.

Stepping over the fallen body, the peculiar white beast swiftly jumped onto someone’s shoulder.

“Good job, Zebby.”

– “Kyu~”

With that, a young girl brushed off her blood-stained sword.

The faces of the navy soldiers hardened in shock at the sight of the girl who had suddenly appeared and assassinated their captain.

“Now then… let’s finish this.”

– “Shaya….”

*

“Ugh… damn it…”

“You filthy pirates…”

By the end of the fierce battle, most of the naval soldiers lay fallen.

In contrast, as he watched the countless pirates approaching armed with swords and guns, Admiral Beckham, who had been the captain of this warship, made his final resolution.

The tides of battle had already turned, and victory was no longer an option.

Despite being a Grade 8 Advanced Warrior, he had been severely injured by the two axe-wielding women at the forefront of the pirate horde, who appeared to be twins with black hair.

Only about twenty bruised and battered soldiers remained standing, wielding their weapons with wounds all over.

In this desperate situation, Admiral Beckham spoke to his remaining subordinates.

“It’s all over now. If anyone wants to surrender, they may do so.”

“Ad… Admiral?”

“… This has all been my fault. I waited for the Commander’s order in an emergency and ended up screwing things up. You guys can surrender and keep your lives. I… will dedicate my final loyalty to the Empire… for His Majesty.”

“That… that can’t be, Admiral!”

“Please, take your leave!”

“I will fight till the end with you, Admiral!”

The soldiers clung to their fighting spirit, refusing to give up, even in the face of surrender.

Witnessing their foolish yet proud demeanor, Beckham, enduring the pain of his injuries, gripped his sword once more.

Just then…

– Clink.

“!”

“What… what is it?”

In the next moment, as the two women at the front raised their hands, the ever-advancing pirates abruptly halted.

Then, they suddenly moved sideways, opening a path.

A woman walked out from that space.

With silver hair and blue eyes, dressed in clerical robes, she had an imposing presence that seemed out of place on the battlefield, and she bowed politely towards Admiral Beckham and the naval soldiers, who wore expressions of curiosity.

“I regret meeting you under these circumstances. Brave soldiers of the Britannia Empire. I am Auriel Stardust, the one leading these pirates.”

“Ah… Auriel?”

“C-Could it be the Heavenly Voice?”

The navy soldiers expressed their astonishment at the unexpected appearance of someone they never anticipated.

However, facing her, who had already referred to herself as one of the leaders of the pirates, Admiral Beckham spoke coldly.

“I see… that face… I’ve seen it before. I heard you went missing after the Benessa incident, but I never thought you’d join forces with these filthy pirates…”

“Let’s refrain from that comment, shall we? At least in my eyes, we look much cleaner than the Navy that slaughters its own citizens.”

“… Hmmm…”

Contrary to her seemingly innocent appearance, Auriel suddenly became serious, hitting home with her words.

Admiral Beckham only frowned slightly, unable to formulate a response.

“Regardless, let’s set that aside for now. The reason I am here is to make you a proposal.”

“A proposal…?”

“Yes, the outcome has been decided, and you know as well as I that further bloodshed is meaningless. I too have no desire to shed more pointless blood.”

“…Are you saying… you want us to surrender?”

“Not in such grand terms. I’m simply suggesting that if you all quietly abandon your ship and head for the lifeboats, I would ignore it.”

“!…”

Her words were a plea for mercy.

Hearing this, Admiral Beckham’s heart began to waver compared to the resolve he had when facing certain doom moments ago.

It goes without saying that surrendering would mean they would only save their lives at best, but they would still be treated as captives.

If they could pay a ransom, they might somehow make it back home, but that was highly unlikely.

On the other hand, pretending not to see them escaping like this meant they could return home without such risks.

Effectively, this was the best condition the pirates could offer them at this moment.

Moreover, given that Auriel had once been a well-known cleric before becoming a pirate, her words held a measure of trust.

“… Hmmm…”

As Admiral Beckham pondered, he sneaked a glance at his subordinates’ faces.

In their eyes, he saw a reflection of the same confusion and slight hope that he felt, indicating that they too were tempted by the prospect of safely returning home.

“… I have no choice…”

Ultimately, Admiral Beckham found himself accepting it.

Seeing him, Auriel smiled gently.

Not an entirely pure smile…