Altina the Sword Princess Vol 6 Chapter 3

As the sailors prepared to leave the village, the homes of the farmers that were housing them temporarily became empty.

 

By right, the lodging should be returned to the villagers, but the expedition that brought the soldiers of Fort Sierck from one end of the Empire to the other end had very nearly exhausted their strength.

 

Those who were not doing too well stayed behind in Fort Le Troyeti.

 

The villagers expressed their understanding and loaned their houses to the soldiers to stay for the night.

 

The battle will begin tomorrow, Jerome will lead most of the troops towards Fort Le Troyeti.

 

Regis tossed and turn on the bed of the house he was staying in.

 

The time was 9PM.

 

After asking about the navy and finalizing the upcoming plans with Jerome, it was already late in the night.

 

The illumination came from candles, the quality seemed to be subpar and the light was quite dim.

 

But he could still see the item in his hands clearly.

 

“Well then…”

 

Regis took out a book from his luggage.

 

During the march from the capital to the west, they stopped by a large city once. This new book was brought right then.

 

Regis opened the book as he laid on his bed.

 

The story was about a group of protagonists trapped in a game world going on an adventure to save a girl who had been targeted by ruffians.

 

The main character being a swordsman was a typical development. Just like Duke Eddie who stayed behind at Fort Sierck.

 

However, the main character of this story was a young man who used support magic to help his comrades…

 

As he read the interesting story, the world around him seemed to be fading away as light and sound diminished. He didn’t even know where he was right now.

 

“Hmm, it is moments like this that make me glad that I am alive.”

 

“We are setting off tomorrow before dawn…”

 

“Well, it is troublesome to ride on a boat, but I am afraid that I couldn’t get up from bed if it is too dark outside.”

 

In the time before dawn, the inside of the room was darker than the outdoors which was illuminated by the moonlight. It was so dark that you couldn’t see your fingers.

 

It would be great if he could lit a candle within the reach of his arms, but unfortunately, Regis wasn’t familiar with the layout of the room.

 

And so, in order to leave in a moment’s notice, Regis reminded himself repeatedly that he was facing the door when he slept, didn’t change out of his clothes, and tuck his packed belongings right besides the bed.

 

“The preparations are already done… Eh, Ms Clarisse!?”

 

He wasn’t sure when, but a lady wearing a green ap.r.o.n dress came in without him noticing.

 

Clarisse sighed and said:

 

“Sir Regis, you are the same as usual.”

 

“W-What is it? Did something happen? Altina calling for me?”

“As she needs to wake up early tomorrow, the princess has already turned in. Sir Regis, aren’t you going to sleep?”

 

“Of course I will sleep. It is easy to get seasick due to lack of sleep. I just wanted to read a little before I retire…”

 

“I see I see.”

 

Clarisse smiled gently. Sigh, she did insist that Regis must describe her as gentle.

 

If this goes on, the candle would be taken away by her again.

 

“Erm… If I don’t finish the book, I would be bothered by the story and be unable to sleep.”

 

“You know your eyes have turned red?”

 

“Well, my eyes do hurt, but that is probably because I am not used to the sea breeze. At least let me finish the part about them clearing the dungeon raid…”

 

“I understand. Well then, I will read it to you. You should rest your eyes and body.”

 

“Ehh!?”

 

Clarisse reached for the candle.

 

“If you are unwilling, then just rest well.”

 

“Waahh! W-Well… Please do so.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Clarisse seemed jubilant as she picked up the book besides Regis’ pillow and sat on the bed, making it creak.

 

“Fufufu, if her highness sees this, she will definitely misunderstand.”

 

“Eh? What misunderstanding?”

“... Nothing at all. Well then, please close your eyes, Sir Regis… It’s useless even if you look at me.”

 

In the flickering candlelight, her profile and shadow was shaking. Under the shine of the faint light, the slight swell of her chest was charmingly tempting.

 

It felt strange for Regis to look at her from a different angle. After Regis had lied down, Clarisse sat very close to him.

 

There was a faint fragrance of tea.

 

Brown pupils were looking his way.

 

Regis felt his chest tightened and heart race. He was lying down but his breathing became ragged.

 

Clarisse averted her eyes with her cheeks blushing.

 

“If you stare at me from such a close distance, I will feel shy.”

 

“Ah… S-Sorry, because you are too beautiful…”

 

“Eh?”

 

She widened her eyes.

 

Regis covered his mouth as if he had misspoken.

 

“W-What did I say!?”

 

“... Erm… Such words… Cannot be uttered lightly alright?”

 

“That’s true. I wanted to compliment you, but such words that only judge the appearance of a woman is really…”

 

“No, that’s not the problem… If Regis says something like that now, I might not be able to hold back, okay?”

 

“Hah…?”

 

“Tomorrow is an important day, so not now… Alright, close your eyes.”

 

She reached out and closed Regis’ eyes gently.

 

He could feel her cool soft fingers and gentle fragrance.

 

Regis closed his eyes obediently.

 

Clarisse started reading.

 

It was in a volume that only Regis who was lying down could hear, but she spoke very clearly and was pleasing to the ears.

 

Leaving aside such technical stuff as the word's reading and the intonation, which were perfect, what pleased him more than anything else was the fact that Clarisse was reading just for Regis.

 

How wonderful.

 

Ignoring the reigning Emperor, in the past, there was a position of bard in the courts. And among the n.o.bles, there were also servants who whispered to their masters who were lying on a pillow.

 

It seemed that he was enjoying the life of a n.o.ble, which filled Regis momentarily with joy.

 

 

The next morning—

 

The sky was still dark and the stars were sparkling.

 

“By the way, according to Marshall Latreille’s orders, all the units here would be a.s.signed to the Imperial 4th Army… Both the navy and the army units. This part is a bit difficult to understand.”

 

When she heard what Regis said, Altina tilted her head.

 

“Since Vice Admiral Bertram is the Fleet Admiral, just calling it Fleet Bertram should be fine right?”

 

Putting it that way is wrong! Bertram shook his head.

 

“Since your highness is the commander in chief, and would be on board the flagship in person, the fleet should be named ‘Fleet Marie Quatre Argentina de Belgaria’,”

 

Regis agreed with him.

 

“... The Fleet Admiral would still command the sea battle, but it would be hard to say ‘Fleet Bertram, move out’ in the presence of the princess.”

 

“Don’t worry about me alright?”

 

“Please spare me, your highness. I will get mocked by my subordinates.”

 

“But my name is too long. Ah, to save time, just call it ‘Fleet Regis’ then!?”

 

“No!”

 

That name was too weird.

 

However, Bertram was all for it.

 

“I have no problem with this. If this is for the sake of the battle, I won’t mind as long as the name is appropriate.”

 

“... Have mercy on me. Well, let’s name it ‘Western Liberation Fleet’. The objective of the battle is to sink the High Britania supply ships and retake Chainboule Harbour anyway.”

 

Bertram nodded.

 

“The name fits the goal.”

 

“Well, it’s fine since Regis said so.”

 

And it was decided.

 

In order for large ships to dock, a harbour with deep waters was needed.

 

And of course, the fishing village didn’t have such facilities.

 

It would take some time, but it was necessary to walk out to the trestle and take small shuttle boats in order to board the large ships in deeper waters.

 

Regis was escorted onto the shuttle boats.

 

The one who went with him was just Altina, there were no other escorts, not a single soldier from Fort Sierck.

 

It was only the two of them this time.

 

Clarisse didn’t tag along either. She stayed behind and did her ch.o.r.es. She couldn’t go to a battlefield.

 

Abidal Evra did insist on following as an escort.

 

However, warships were not leisure cruise, and couldn’t let too many untrained sailors to board. Also, a knight escort would be useless against the cannons used in sea battles.

 

If the navy had any schemes in mind, it would be meaningless even if they brought more escorts. They could only trust the navy, and Altina wouldn’t be boarding the flagship if she didn’t.

 

Altina will be boarding a ship that was lighter than she imagined for the first time.

 

She carefully helped Regis board.

 

The boat rocked with the waves.

The sailors slowly rowed the boat away from the trestle amidst their spirited shout.

 

They slowly drifted away from land.

 

When Regis went out to sea the day before to prepare for sea battle, he felt weird when he sailed away from land.

 

In the sky, there was the white moon as well as there were many stars.

 

The weather seemed to be good.

 

A sea breeze that could only be felt after going out to sea.

 

The shuttle boat headed into the deep sea.

 

Regis looked nonchalantly at the breakwater.

 

The hill ridges were turning white.

 

“... Ah.”

 

On the breakwater, a small figure stood against the sky that was gradually turning white.

 

It might be a vague silhouette, but Regis recognized her.

 

With hair that had the colour of blazing fire, the girl— Narissa looked his way.

 

Although she wouldn’t be able to see him from that place.

 

Regis was thankful from the bottom of his heart.

 

Thank you very much for your a.s.sistance. We will definitely protect this country, please take care…

 

 

Imperial year 851 June 1st—

 

The ‘Western Liberation Fleet’ set off from the fishing village.

 

There were a total of forty four warships in the fleet.

 

The capital ships consisted of nine Athena third rate battleship (80 guns). Slightly smaller than the primary force would be fourteen Selene fourth rate ship (50 guns), and twenty Ouranos corvette (18 guns).

 

The Athena cla.s.s might be inferior to the enemies’ Princess cla.s.s 74 guns battleship in terms of firepower and speed, but it could match the firing range.

 

Total length of 120Co (53m), 34Co (15m) wide, mast height of 140Co (62m).

 

As they had the advantage in numbers, a naval battle should be possible if they decided to ignore the losses.

 

But of course, war with other nations will continue after repelling the High Britannia invasion, so they couldn’t lose ships too casually…

 

Selene cla.s.s was commissioned to maintain security in domestic waters, so it wasn’t really adequate as a battleship.

 

It was less than 80Co (36m) long. Most of the guns were small to mid sized. It was mainly utilized to pursue pirates and smugglers. Its armour was thin, and would find it hard to exchange fire with the High Britannia navy.

 

The Ouranos was 45Co (20m) long, less than half the size of a capital ship.

 

If powered fully by sail, its speed would probably be faster than a Princess cla.s.s. However, it couldn’t be counted on to be of much use in a cannon battle.

 

Other than these, there was also a battleship larger than all the other warships, Poseidon First rate battleship (120 guns). Total length 160Co (71m), 45 Co (20m) wide, there were only two such colossal vessels in the Empire.

 

However, only one of the Poseidon cla.s.s would be taking part in this sea operation— Ship number 2. They weren’t being stingy with their warships, it’s just that ship number 1 was still under maintenance.

 

Repair and maintenance of battleships tends to take a very long time. That’s why two or more of the same type of battleship would be built at the same time, so a similar cla.s.s warship could be committed to the frontlines at any time. It would be more ideal if there were three ships.

 

If the model of the ships were different, the controls would be different too. But there wasn’t time to teach the sailors how to man a ship in the frontlines. If the fresh sailors couldn’t even get the basics down, the ship would fall into chaos during a battle.

 

Even if you teach them by using similar ship models, there would be a limit to that too.

 

Right now, the third Poseidon cla.s.s ship was still under construction…

 

If the plan worked, the construction of the third vessel would be terminated— Regis thought.

 

Aside from the ships, there were other smaller vessels, such as the shuttle boats that ferried Regis, reconnaissance crafts and many more. The responsibility they shouldered was equally important, but they couldn’t be relied on to take part in direct battle.

 

Regis boarded the Athena third rate ship Frantam. Not just battleships, the navigation seat of all sailboats was located on the deck— right in front of the p.o.o.p deck. The symbol of the ship, its steering wheel was right there.

 

The helmsman would steer the ship according to the instructions of the captain. It was the same for the other sailors too, all hands aboard the ship must obey the captain’s order.

 

It was not just the ship the Fleet Admiral was on, all the crews in the entire fleet must follow his command.

 

His orders were conveyed through the flags on the flagship.

 

Bertram confirmed the situation of the fleet.

 

“Well then, we will set sail… Is that fine?”

 

Altina nodded.

 

“The success of this operation will decide the fate of the Belgaria Empire. I’m counting on all of you.”

 

“I will keep these words close to my heart.”

 

Bertram took a deep breath, fixed his hat, then extended his right hand forward.

 

“—Western Liberation Fleet, move out!!”

 

Signals sent from flags couldn’t be seen at dawn, so the signaler used a gas lamp to pa.s.s the message on to the other vessels.

 

After hearing the orders of the Fleet Admiral, the captain of the flagship immediately ordered the crew to advance slowly.

 

Unlike a naval battle, when sailing at night, the flagship would lead the way and signal others through a gas lamp.

 

There was one on the crow’s nest, one at the ship’s bow, and one on either side of the stern. This allowed the ships behind to know how large the flagship was, and how far away it was. But if there were any problems causing the lights to go out, it would be troublesome. The strong sea breeze made it hard to relit the gas lamps.

 

Fortunately, everything went smoothly as the fleet left the fishing village, and headed towards

Chainboule Harbour.

 

The sky in the east gradually brightened.

 

“This ship looks much bigger up close!”

 

“... Well, both types of ships were built by the Belgarian Empire, but the Athena is bigger than a Second rate vessel.”

 

Looking from the stern of the ship, the deck leading all the way to the bow seemed endless. Even the mansion of a n.o.ble wasn’t this large, this was just like a castle.

 

The wooden masts pierced the sky and thick canvases draped down from them. The ma.s.sive sails seemed to encompa.s.s the entire field of vision.

 

This castle that was sailing towards the deep ocean carried about 500 sailors. It was on the scale of a small village. Bertram would be responsible for the ships out in the sea, and he was consolidating the reports from all ships thoroughly.

 

It seemed that some equipment was left behind at the harbour during the naval battle of Trouin.

 

Some of the vessels had received damages that couldn’t be repaired out at sea.

 

“Admiral! Janvier is moving very slowly!”

 

It seemed that one of the Ouranos cla.s.s vessels couldn’t keep up with the speed of the fleet.

 

“... Don’t overdo it, let her change course to the third rendezvous point.”

 

“Yes Sir!”

 

The Fleet Admiral seemed busy.

 

In order to not bother him, Regis and Altina started chatting.

 

“Anything bothering you?”

 

“The ship will change directions if we turn that wheel?”

 

“Ahh, that steering wheel huh. It is connected to the rudder below the ship. By changing the orientation of the sails according to the wind, you can change the course of the ship by turning the wheel.”

 

“You can change the direction of such a large ship just with that wheel?!”

 

“Well, to prevent the ship from drifting all over the place, it requires quite a bit of arm strength. It’s not a simple matter of just turning it.”

 

The Athena cla.s.s had three masts.

 

Regis and the others were further to the rear than the third mast.

 

That’s where the steering wheel was located, the railings would be right behind them. That’s where the Fleet Admiral was.

 

In order to let the Fleet Admiral do his work in peace, Regis and Altina kept some distance away.

 

The ship was huge.

 

To the rear of the ship was the quarter deck with a raised platform. This place housed the conference room, and the personal quarters of the Captain and Fleet Admiral.

 

As expected of the flagship Frantam, it even had a royal suite. Altina was staying inside this time.

 

By the way, it wasn’t mentioned where Regis’ quarters were— He probably was a.s.signed to a luggage cabin below deck like the rest of the sailors.

 

Sailors were not a.s.signed beds, they would just spread a piece of cloth between the luggage or next to a cannon to sleep. They might hang a hammock from the ceiling to sleep too.

 

At the very least, I should find my personal piece of cloth…

 

But that would be a matter to worry about if Regis survived the battle.

 

The sky brightened gradually.

 

The flagship used flags to signal its orders to the entire fleet.

 

In order to catch up with the Poseidon cla.s.s vessel, the flagship Frantam moved off first, followed by five Athena cla.s.s. Of the forty four warships, only six vessels made up the main force. In fact, they possessed more than half of the entire fleet’s fighting prowess.

 

The remaining warships didn’t simply wait in place, they had to fulfill their mission too.

 

At this moment, the reconnaissance craft reported back.

 

The adjutant who received it reported to the Fleet Admiral.

 

“Reporting the number of enemy vessels in Chainboule Harbour! Supply ships eighteen! Princess cla.s.s six! More than forty small crafts!”

 

“That many!?”

 

Bertram said with a frown.

 

The sailors working on the deck turned rowdy.

 

The captain looked worried too.

 

Regis fell into deep thought.

— Seems reality is different from what I imagined.

 

Bertram looked towards Regis.

 

He was just seeking the opinion of the strategist who proposed the battle plan.

 

The adjutant of the Fleet Admiral, Captain of the Frantam, as well as the sailors around them looked his way with a worried expression.

 

Regis shrugged.

 

“... The supply ships were not here yesterday, so it probably came last night from their homeland. That might be so… But I already considered the possibility of enemy reinforcement, so it won’t be too big of a problem.”

 

“Oh? You knew about this information before we even received it?”

 

“Not really. I merely estimated the forces which the enemy should have had from the battle of Trouin.”

 

I see, Bertram nodded.

 

Altina was calm all this while.

 

“I trust Regis deeply!”

 

Regis felt happy and uneasy at the same time. He said in a soft voice only Altina could hear:

 

“... It might sound weird coming from me… But wouldn’t it be dangerous to put too much faith in me?”

 

“Ahaha, I am not that stupid. I can tell if the situation is within your expectation or not just by looking at Regis’ face.”

 

“... I see, seems like I am not suited to play poker.”

“Fufufu, how about a match next time?”

 

“Are you good in poker?”

“I have beginner’s luck, let’s give it a try.”

 

Altina smiled, and Regis smiled too.

 

Bertram was a bit surprised to see them like this.

 

In this critical situation where the enemy forces were higher than expected, the young strategist and commander showed no sign of fearing or shrinking away.

 

The adjutant said with an incredulous expression.

 

“... Erm… They are expressing their confidence in the battle plan?”

 

“Well, yes.”

 

Bertram nodded lightly.

 

If that is the case, all we can do is pray. Or do they actually not know what a naval battle is like?

 

He found it hard to clear the doubts in his mind.

 

However, they were in the middle of a battle, and he had to consider his position as the Fleet Admiral. He must not utter complains that would lower morale.

 

Bertram asked the commander in order to confirm his thoughts.

 

“Even though the enemy forces doubled… we are still going to attack as planned, is that fine?”

 

“Yes, of course! Let us take back Chainboule Harbour!”

 

Altina pointed to the cape.

 

It was a piece of land protruding out into the sea like a spear. Their view was blocked by the forest on the cape, but behind was indeed Chainboule Harbour.

 

From the gaps of the forest, a tower that had the dual function of lighthouse and watchtower could be seen. It seemed to have been destroyed when the High Britannian army first attacked.

 

Chainboule Harbour was built in a V shaped bay.

 

According to the Empire founding war legend, L’Empereur Flamme gave his sword as an offering to pray for victory, that’s why it’s called Épée Prière Bay.

 

There was more than enough s.p.a.ce inside the Épée Prière Bay to conduct a cannon battle.

 

According to the recon craft reports, there were some sail boats near Chainboule Harbour— 18 large supply ships. Six Princess cla.s.s warships were docked there too.

 

The Imperial fleet needed to avoid fighting inside the bay. As the terrain was surrounded by land on three sides, the wind was much weaker there.

The sail ships won’t be able to speed up.

 

On the other hand, the adversary could move really fast even on the calm ocean surface.

 

If the imperial navy was the only side that was moving as though they were in quicksand, the battle would be decided in no time.

 

That might be so, but the enemy warships were deep inside the harbour, they won’t be able to take back Chainboule Harbour if they don’t enter the bay.

 

With the flagship Frantam leading from the front, the fleet entered the bay in single file formation.

 

“Enemy vessels sighted!”

 

The report came from the crow’s nest of the front most mast.

 

Regis and the others stood in front of the quarter deck focusing their attention ahead as well.

 

It was just as the report said, twenty odd large vessels were stationed around the harbour.

 

There were countless small boats.

 

The High Britannians were not idiots, and had reconnaissance crafts patrolling the entrance of the bay. They should have discovered our fleet— the enemy’s Princess cla.s.s was already spewing black smoke.

 

This was the first time Regis saw a steamship, he had only read about this new generation of ship from books so far.

 

The basic structure didn’t differ much from the previous generations of war ships, it was still a ship that was mainly built from wood. On either side were numerous gun ports.

 

It was a steamship, but it still erected three masts, maintaining the function of a sails.

 

Altina tilted her head.

 

“Regis? Isn’t that a steamship? Why does it still have sails?”

 

“To be more accurate, the Princess cla.s.s is actually a hybrid between steam and sail ship. It has both a steam engine and sails.”

 

At this time, ships that ran solely on the steam engine didn’t exist. And as a military vessel, there was the need to consider the steam engine malfunctioning. When the wind was strong in the open sea, using sails would actually be faster.

 

“Hmmp— how sly of them to use both.”

 

“Well, if there wasn’t anything exceptionally good about it, they wouldn’t be ma.s.s producing such a heavy and expensive machine that consumes lots of coal.”

 

Between the 1st and 2nd mast of the Princess cla.s.s, there was a small chimney churning out black smoke.

 

A steam engine needed to burn coal before it could be used, increasing the pressure of the steam boiler until it reached working level. It seems that the ship had finished its preparations.

 

The enemy ship started moving.

 

Trying to keep us away from their supply ships— That’s obvious.

 

“Get ready for cannon battle!”

 

Bertram issued a solemn command.

 

The adjutant relayed the order loudly to the seamen below deck.

 

When the captain and sailors heard that order, they prepared to fire their guns.

 

The signaller relayed the order to the warships behind, and they began opening the gun ports.

 

Normally, one cannon would be operated by two men. The men in the next room were responsible for loading the gunpowder.

 

The main cannons used by the Athena cla.s.s were the super sized imperial warship cannons. It was front loaded, the gunpowder sack was rammed in, followed by the cannon ball.

 

A thin needle was inserted through the breech and pierced the bag of gunpowder.

 

The needle was pulled out, gun powder poured into the hole it made, and the preparation for firing the cannon was complete. After taking aim at the enemy ship, all that was left was to wait for the orders to fire.

 

The cannon wasn’t fixed to the deck, but loaded on a four wheeled gun carriage. The gun carriage was tied to the hull with chains.

 

It gave the cannons a certain level of freedom, making it easier to aim to the left and right, and to ease the recoil after firing the cannon.

 

However, the ships would shake violently during a cannon battle, and aiming would be difficult.

 

The cannons were ignited using the flintlock, this way of ignition was the same as the cannons on land.

 

The enemy vessels drew closer.

 

The range of the Princess cla.s.s was about 45Ar (3216m).

 

It was only 28Ar (2715m) for the Athena cla.s.s.

 

The difference was obvious.

 

However, technology that allowed precision measurements at such a distance had yet to be developed. Even if a surveyor was present, the accuracy of the cannons weren’t that high. In the end, it was up to the gut feeling of the Fleet Admiral.

 

The inbounding Princess cla.s.s turned it’s rudder to its right.

 

“Enemy ship, right rudder!”

 

It was turning its port side this way.

 

For animals, the belly was its weakness, but it was the opposite for warships where its weapons were placed on its flanks.

 

Altina tilted her head.

 

“If this continues, wouldn’t we be shot by them?”

 

“... Erm, yes.”

 

While Regis was mumbling, the port side of the enemy warship was already covered in black smog.

 

A moment later, the sound of thundering roar was heard.

 

Even though it was quite a distance away, the sound of the cannon was still enough to shake their heart.

 

— It was still too far.

 

Regis thought.

 

Even though the Princess cla.s.s had very long range, it was still hard to score a hit when the distance was too far. It wasn’t that easy to hit from that far away.

 

His mind understood this clearly.

 

But his legs couldn’t stop shaking.

 

“...!!”

 

Countless cannon b.a.l.l.s flew over.

 

Black dots didn’t come over horizontally, but seemed to be falling from the sky.

 

The speed of the cannon b.a.l.l.s will slow down because of air resistance, so the shots would be fired at an angle.

 

The cl.u.s.ter of shots came straight towards the flagship Frantam Regis and the others were on.

 

And crashed spectacularly into the sea!

 

Numerous splashes came up from the ocean surface.

 

Not just Regis’ back, even the sails on the tall masts were wet from the splashing sea water.

 

The sea rippled, and the warships undulated with it like leaves in the waters.

 

“Ugh, ugh…!!”

 

Regis needed to exert all his strength just to hang on to the railing.

It should be the same for Altina— Regis thought. However, she was standing steadily on the deck, not even holding on to the railing.

 

“Why aren’t we shooting back?!”

 

“Because… it’s still too far… probably.”

 

The second wave of attack reached.

 

The reloading speed was too fast!

 

Regis shut his eyes.

 

The only thing he could do now was pray.

 

The roar of the cannon shook the heavens and the sea, the water splashed onto the ship like rain. It seemed the deck was going to be shaken apart.

 

“Waahhh.”

 

“One of our ships sunk!”

 

When he heard Altina’s voice, Regis wiped away the sea water on his face and opened his eyes, and felt a sharp pain.

 

“It hurts!”

 

Sea water got into his eyes, it was so painful that he thought he was injured.

 

His mouth tasted salty.

 

His nose was stinging and tears came out.

 

When Regis took part in land battles, he wasn’t this troubled. After all, he did train as a cadet.

 

But his first sea battle experience was much tougher than what was described in the books.

 

That was to be expected— there wasn’t any distasteful novels describing the heroes of seafaring battles feeling pain because seawater got into their eyes.

 

After rubbing his eyes hard, Regis finally opened them.

 

Altina was nowhere to be found.

 

Did she fell off the deck!?

 

He felt that his vision darkened for an instance.

 

At this moment, her voice came from above. Was he being summoned by the heavens? But it was still too early for that.

 

“Regis! Another ship caught fire!”

 

Following the voice, he found Altina scaling to the top of the quarter deck and looking to the back.

 

Like a child climbing up stairs excitedly.

 

Although the ship was shaking so violently that Regis thought he would be flung out, she was moving as though she was on dry land.

 

Or was it that Regis was just too weak?

 

No, even the sailors were hanging on the nets on the deck for dear life.

 

Altina jumped down from the quarter deck.

 

“Ara!”

 

“What?! What if you fall into the sea!?”

 

“Instead of that, the ship is burning!”

 

“... Well… Ships are made from wood, of course they would burn after being hit by iron b.a.l.l.s heated by gunpowder.”

 

“But there are people on there?!”

 

Compared to land battles, a naval battle had a higher death rate.

 

It’s a battle waged with cannons after all.

 

Even so, Altina still didn’t understand.

 

“... The waters inside the bay isn’t too cold during this period, they can last for about six hours after falling overboard. At least, they can be rescued by other ships if they swam for a while in the bay— Wah?!”

 

Another close shot landed near the ship, the splashes soaked the entire deck.

 

Hah! Altina grabbed on to the railings for the first time.

 

The bow of the Frantam was. .h.i.t and smashed!

 

There was the sound of a crack as loud as lightning.

 

Completely different from the rolling of the waves.

 

Regis felt an impact as if he was kicked and flew out. At that moment, he thought that he was going to die.

 

His arms were pulled suddenly and he returned to his original position.

 

“Regis?! It is dangerous if you don’t grab onto the railings when the ship is shaking!”

 

When it is shaking? The ship is always shaking… For Altina, it is not really shaking unless the ship was. .h.i.t directly?

 

Regis’ heart pounded and his breathing was ragged, that scary event only lasted for a moment.

 

“Hah… Hah… Thank… You…”

 

“Are you fine, Regis?”

 

“Ah… Ahhh… Why did you know that the cannons were going to hit, Altina?”

 

“Eh? I was looking at it flying over, so obvious right?”

 

“Well…”

 

It was true that one could judge the speed of the cannon after looking at it. However, it would be too difficult to tell if the shot was going to hit or miss for normal people.

 

The ship was still shaking.

 

The shot this time seemed to have grazed the sails.

 

Altina pulled Regis up by his arm, which led to their forehead almost touching.

 

After getting splashed by the sea water, Altina turned even more brilliant. Her expression had nothing to do with nervousness, Regis felt a different kind of charm from her.

 

Altina whispered into his ears:

 

“Can we win?”

 

“... It will depend on the command abilities of Fleet Admiral Bertram?”

 

“What about the situation right now?!”

“...It’s going as planned.”

At this moment, the Fleet Admiral made his call.

 

“Flagship, right rudder!”

 

“Understood! Right rudder!”

 

The captain shouted before the adjutant did.

 

Almost at the same time, the helmsman started turning the wheel.

 

The adjutant changed the signalling flags as instructed.

 

— All ships, follow me.

 

The imperial fleet also turned their port side towards the High Britannian warships.

 

Making a pa.s.s in the opposite direction of the opponent— this was a Head-on Engagement.

 

The distance between the two sides were half that of the first cannon attack.

 

Regis nodded.

 

Everything was going as planned.

 

“... The formation of pa.s.sing by each other. We will only exchange shots for a few rounds, engaged in battle but with minimal accuracy.”

 

“Can we hit if we can only shoot for a few rounds?”

 

“That’s right, what will happen?”

 

If the Fleet Admiral turn left rudder, they would be sailing side by side with the enemy— a Parallel Engagement. Unlike a crossing battle, the accuracy of the cannons would be a hundred percent. For the one manning the cannons, sailing alongside to each other was as good as staying stationary.

 

If it was a parallel battle, the difference between firepower would become obvious.

 

According to the objective of this operation, a crossing battle by turning right rudder was the correct choice.

 

Finally, the imperial warships could bring their guns on the broadside to bear on the enemy vessels.

 

“All ships, fire broadside!”

 

They started counterattacking.

 

In the battle plan drawn up by Regis, this was the first naval attack.

 

It was a different sense of shaking compared to before.

 

Regis could feel the vibration under his feet.

 

Smog rose from the port side that was facing the enemy, covering his field of vision.

 

It smelled unpleasant.

 

Breathing was hard, and his eyes hurt from the smoke.

 

He could barely see anything in front of him.

 

But they were out in the sea after all, the sea breeze cleared the smog in no time.

 

His vision cleared once again.

 

Altina pouted unhappily.

 

“We didn’t hit anything!”

 

“The first shot is used to gauge the distance.”

 

“With the smoke all about, can we really gauge that?”

 

“That person over there is responsible for gauging the distance.”

 

The two of them looked up.

 

The smog that covered the entire ship didn’t reach the crow’s nest on top of the mast.

 

According to their observation, the sailor on the crow’s nest will signal with flag whether the shot landed far or near. The messenger on the deck will then relay this information to the cannons on the gun decks.

 

Information on the ship was relayed by sending runners.

 

While they were loading for the next shot, the enemy opened fire.

 

The captain was a veteran of cannon battle, and wouldn’t stand idly by while the opponent fired at him. He ordered the ship to sail in a zigzag line to hinder the enemy from grasping his position.

 

The second shot that was fired—

 

Didn’t accomplished much.

 

There were hits too, but it wasn’t enough to break through the deck of the steamship. It would be meaningless if they destroyed the mast and sails of the opponent anyway.

 

The enemy could use its steam engine to propel themselves, their decks were thick too.

 

In the face of the Princess cla.s.s clad in tough armour, the shots that did hit didn’t do much. Some parts of the ship did catch fire, but were put out promptly.

 

In a cannon battle, the chances of a shot landing was one percent— Even if it was an effective shot, it would cause less than ten percent in damage.

 

When the smoke cleared, Altina squinted her eyes.

 

“It seemed ineffective.”

 

“Well, this isn’t really a complaint about the shooting accuracy… But if the face to face shootout could work, I won’t need to come up with battle plans…”

 

“That’s true.”

 

This cannon battle was actually ill advised.

 

Exchanging shots any longer would only be to the Empire’s disadvantage.

 

A report came from the crow’s nest.

 

“Allied vessel Feuille is down!”

 

That’s the second ship.

 

The Empire lost two Athena cla.s.s warships.

 

Fleet Admiral Bertram kept quiet for a moment, and then issued his next order.

 

“Full right rudder! Pull away from the enemy and head for the south bay!”

 

“Understood!”

 

Maybe it was because the cannon battle took place inside the bay, but the difference in combat power was more brutal than expected.

 

Altina whispered:

 

“Is this also part of the plan?”

 

“... To be honest, we are deviating a little. The difference between the firepower and speed are more than I expected, but still within margins… But the toughness of their armour is a bit too good.”

 

“I-I see.”

 

Altina had a worried look, but didn’t say it out loud.

 

In order to calm her down, Regis said:

 

“... It will be fine. The main act is just beginning.”

 

The vanguards of the Western Liberation fleet were six Athena cla.s.s warships. Two of them were too damaged to be seaworthy, so the crews abandoned the ships as they couldn’t put out the fire.

 

Soon, the fire reached the ammunition stockpile and the ships sank after an explosion.

 

Lots of shrapnels flew out, and the sinking ships created a whirlpool. The sailors in the water worked their best to swim away.

 

But there wasn’t time to rescue them right now. The allied fleet had retreated to the mouth of the bay, and could only hope the Lord will watch over them.

 

The remaining four Athena cla.s.s warship turned full right rudder after the exchange of broadside fire, and started turning back.

 

They were pulling away from the enemy.

 

However, they weren’t heading for the exit of the bay, and sailed across the Épée Prière Bay.

 

The six Princess cla.s.s on the opposing side also turned right rudder.

 

Altina pointed at the enemy ships.

 

“Are they returning to the harbour?”

 

“No, they should be trying to chase us… However, they need to protect the supply ships in the vicinity, so they want to gain control of the area around the harbour first.”

 

If the enemy Fleet Admiral was the type to chase after the prey no matter what, he would charge for the mouth of the bay to intercept the imperial fleet and not let them escape.

 

If that was the case, the imperial side would change course and attack the supply ships, achieving great results.

 

— It seems that they wouldn’t let us have our way so easily.

 

Regis was reminded of the battle of Lafressange.

 

The de facto commander of the High Britania Royal Army was Colonel Oswald Coulthard.

 

Regis had never met him, but since he was the commander-in-chief, he must have a.s.signed the task of escorting the supply ships to an excellent Fleet Admiral.

 

“Regis, the enemy had retreated back into the bay!”

 

“Well… they are really fast and the wind in the bay is weak…”

 

“Is this also part of the plan?”

 

Regis nodded.

 

“Such a situation is written in books too. It is also written on the navy textbooks. But I don’t know the character of the opposing Fleet Admiral, so we came up with a scenario where we are under his attack to see how he would react… Seemed like their Fleet Admiral is someone who uses steady and cautious tactics, and his captains follow their orders dutifully.”

 

Regis observed the enemy movement in detail.

 

Their formation was a little messy, but all the warships executed their orders speedily, there didn’t seem to be any gaps.

 

— But if that was so, it would be easy to read the enemy’s movement. Seem like the enemy Fleet Admiral needs to sh.o.r.e up on his battle experience.

 

Regis thought.

 

He had a calm face, but his heart was uneasy…

 

Regis was someone who relied more on knowledge and calculations instead of instincts.

 

The exit of the bay was to the west, the bay was to the east.

 

The liberation fleet entered the bay from the west and lost two warships after engaging the enemy in the central region— right now, they were sailing towards the south of the bay.

 

They would run aground if they continued, they had to choose to either turn to the west or east.

 

The six Princess cla.s.s serving as the escorts for the High Britania supply ships turned back to the east, keeping the imperials from making a move on the supply ships.

 

And of course, they didn’t want the imperials to escape so easily, and were in pursuit.

 

On the flagship Frantam— Altina leaned out from the port side.

 

“Regis! Regis! They are getting near!”

 

“... Well, they don’t want to let the imperial fleet inside the bay to escape… They might give it up if we ran away speedily, but since we are slow, of course they will chase us.”

 

“We are letting them catch up intentionally?!”

 

“... Are we?”

 

Regis grabbed the railings and walked unsteadily towards Bertram. He was exhausted after enduring the shaking of the ship during the cannon battle.

 

“... Fleet Admiral.”

 

“Ohh, Mr Strategist, how does your first sea battle feel? It’s not over yet though.”

 

“To tell the truth… I want to lie in bed and rest right now…”

 

“I am with you on that. I was cramping a little when I gave the order to withdraw.”

 

“I see… Well, can you aim for the warships behind the second vessel next time?”

 

Bertram was a bit surprised.

 

“The enemy Fleet Admiral is probably Oxford. From the sea battle earlier, you can tell that he is an excellent commander. Instead of shooting right after getting in range, wouldn’t it be better if the warships behind them all got into range?”

 

“Hmm, well, the opponent is a good commander… I considered that too… Ugh!”

 

Regis covered his mouth.

 

Although he was only talking, he couldn’t stand it anymore and puked.

 

Bertram was stunned.

 

“Alright, I will attack the warships behind their second vessels, you should take a rest too.”

 

“... But, I won’t be able to see the enemy that way.”

 

“Hmm, how about this, just use my room. The room is right in the back of the quarter deck, it will be better to see the situation behind from there, alright?”

 

“Eh? Is that fine?”

 

“It’s fine— Oh right, the princess must be tired too, I will let my men escort you to the room and rest.”

 

The Fleet Admiral said and a young adjutant led Regis and Altina to the quarterdeck and opened one of the room.

 

“Please, this is the place.”

 

“... Thank you very much.”

 

“I am actually not that tired… But I should drink some water.”

 

Altina followed too.

 

Behind the conference room was the captain’s quarters.

 

It wasn’t very big, but compared to the sailors who didn’t even have a bed, it was much better.

 

The furniture was high cla.s.s, similar to the room of a n.o.ble.

 

A chair covered by velvet and a bed with silk sheets. A table that seemed to be made from heavy wood was secured to the floor. There were even delicate decorations on the table.

 

The fire that broke out during the battle was extinguished after much effort, but a fire could be seen in the heath here again.

 

On the wall inside was a square window, this place was indeed better suited to watch their rear compared to standing in front of the quarter deck.

 

Regis sat on the chair that was facing that window.

 

He could see the enemy ships behind them.

 

“Ah… Looks like we are turning.”

 

“The orders were given after all.”

 

The adjutant said as he poured tea.

 

In the eyes of the enemy, our fleet is turning right, making a pa.s.s through the southern coast before escaping to the west, that’s how it looks right?

 

The adjutant offered the tea to Altina who was looking out of the window.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Well then, please rest here.”

 

The adjutant saluted and exited the room. It was the courtesy shown by a n.o.ble towards a royalty.

 

As they were in the middle of battle and Altina was the commander, just a military salute would suffice… It seemed that the other party had not completely accepted her as the commanding officer because Altina was too young, and a woman.

 

Right now, Regis and Altina were alone inside the Captain’s quarters.

 

It was the same everywhere— She shrugged and pulled her head back from the window.

 

Downing the tea in one go, she filled the cup just like the adjutant did and offered it to Regis.

 

“You should drink some too.”

 

“T-Thanks.”

 

“I didn’t notice because you were drenched by seawater, but you actually sweated a lot.”

 

“... That’s right.”

 

Regis drank the tea to moisten his patched throat.

 

Altina looked out the window once again.

 

“The enemy is closer than before… Hey Regis… Why are the High Britanian ships so fast?”

 

“You know the difference between steamships and sail ships?”

 

“It’s the burning of coal right? I have seen trains before, and know they are faster than horses. But I don’t know why…That’s not it, I want to know why the Empire can’t make something similar?”

 

“Yes… This is the difference in industrial technology. We might know the principle behind the steam engine, but it requires ma.s.s production of highly accurate parts. It is the same for the new rifles and ammunition. This is the difference because of the use of machines.”

 

Belgaria could only rely on professional blacksmiths to cast highly accurate pieces of metal. But the High Britannians could ma.s.s produce them in factories by using machines.

 

“Using machines to make machines?”

 

“Yes. The Belgaria Empire also has a factory right? But the scale isn’t as large as the High Britanian ones.”

 

“I have never seen a factory. The smithing house I visited earlier was the first time I have seen one too.”

 

“I see, how unexpected.”

 

“It can’t be helped, I only came out from the courts one year ago to see the outside world freely.”

 

“... Well, if you read more books, you would at least know such common sense.”

 

“Eh?! Because I am always practising my swordsmanship! If it is about swordsmanship, I will know a lot!”

 

“Well, that’s the style of the Belgarians, it’s a factory made for elite soldiers. This is why we are being chased by a steam ship right now. Is this answer satisfactory?”

 

“Hmmm…”

 

Altina frowned as if she had eaten something bitter.

 

Regis shifted his gaze back to the window.

 

To the right was land.

 

It was a forested cape.

 

There is the danger of going aground if we get too close… But in the eyes of the enemy, we are being chased and only came here because we had no other choice. That’s the battle plan.

 

Behind us were three other Athena cla.s.s warships. They were more or less damaged because of the battle earlier.

 

With smoke rising from their chimney, the enemy ships slowly gained on the Imperials. For them, the imperials were to diagonally to their left— to the northeast of the imperials.

 

As the High Britannian had the speed advantage and wasn’t that close to the cape, they made a beeline for the Imperials.

 

“Well, even though we lose out to the enemy in both speed and firing range, we have no intention of giving up. We are almost at the designated area.”

 

At the exit of Épée Prière Bay, the figure of the Ouranos, which were the fastest ships in the fleet, appeared.

 

They were less than hal