The sea was covered with lead clouds, and the dark clouds were very low.

The air was dull and the wind was very light. It was obvious that a storm, which is very common on the Black Sea, was quietly brewing.

Even before the summer when storms are most frequent and massive, the Black Sea is still declaring its ruthlessness at any time!

In this upcoming severe weather phenomenon that is already foreseeable, a huge sailing fleet has to drift slowly on the sea relying solely on ocean currents.

It is extremely difficult to determine the sailing schedule of a sailing wooden ship that depends on the weather. In case of continuous windless weather or bad weather, it is not surprising at all that it will be delayed for ten and a half months or even longer.

But misfortunes never come singly, and the troubles they encountered didn't stop there.

"Be careful! That monster is here again!"

Boom——

A huge shadow suddenly rushed to the water at the edge of the fleet, swung its giant tail and jumped high out of the sea, directly over the 40-meter mast of a warship and then dived into the water from the other side.

During this period, its appearance was also exposed to the sailors.

hiss--

Everyone on the nearby boat took a deep breath.

It was a giant sea fish with a mouth full of sharp teeth and a body nearly a hundred meters long [Large Species: Giant Water Wolf Toothfish]. Its ferocious face was covered with iron-colored scales, like a mechanical monster made entirely of steel.

Snapped--

Just a slight sway of the tail caused the hull of the thirty-nine-meter-long fifth-class cruiser to shake violently, and many crew members on the deck were knocked off one after another.

"Ah! Help!"

"No--!"

Then, before struggling in the water and escaping back to the boat, he was swallowed directly by a huge mouth that was almost half the length of the monster fish's body.

As if toying with these terrestrial creatures, the wild sea monster giant water fang fish kept swimming under the water of the fleet, picking and choosing as if these were not sea ships, but delicious food boxes filled with little meat people.

.

Just wait for it to feast.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!....

The escort fleet with long flaming flags hanging on the outside gathered, lowered the muzzle of the gun and fired continuously at it. Solid bullets and grape bullets were fired one after another, and the green smoke had already formed a cloud.

A powerful transcendent captain struggled to throw the special harpoon in his hand, but in the face of the hard scales and super high swimming speed of this large sea monster, the effect was minimal.

"Damn it! Keep firing!"

Without targeted means of attacking underwater, these cruisers can only scare away large species with intensive artillery fire at best.

Even the fourth-level ships of the escort fleet are extremely difficult to concentrate fire and inflict heavy damage on them.

until...

boom!

It was like a blazing sun suddenly descending, dispelling all the remaining slight chill of winter on the sea.

From a strange-looking warship at the front of the fleet, a yellow and white flame pillar shot out, vaporizing a large area of ​​seawater across a distance of nearly two hundred meters, and easily penetrated the head of this huge sea monster!

Ouch——

The giant water wolf tooth fish that had been showing off its power just now and no one could control it was now dead on the spot without any resistance and slowly floated to the surface of the water.

Even though the steel-like body keeps twitching and flicking its tail, it seems that it is no longer alive...

A smell of burning meat mixed with the aroma of grilled fish permeated the entire fleet.

"Restore the escort formation! Keep moving forward!"

A clear voice spread like thunder throughout the sea area, allowing all the frightened crew members to quickly regain their spirits and revive their morale. As long as this adult is here, there will be no problem even in the dangerous deep sea.

While the signal flag was waving, the fleet formation slowly adjusted and returned to a marching formation with merchant ships inside and frigates outside.

The identity of this fleet is already obvious.

It is the great treasure fleet of Silius that returns every spring!

After the dispute over the Potosi silver mine in the New World was settled, it officially set sail. At this time, it was returning to the homeland along the shortest route between the "Golden Sea" and the homeland of Silius.

This is the largest fleet return in a year, loaded with gold, silver, gems, tobacco, ink trees plundered from the New World...the total amount is a huge wealth that ordinary people can't even imagine!

The total number of fleets reached one hundred and twenty, including one hundred and two merchant ships, both official fleets and private merchant ships of Silius, and the frigates were composed of eighteen warships of various colors that were at least fifth-level ships.

The leading flagship is also the battleship that just took action to kill the sea monster, named "Red Maple".

The bowsprit is hung with the general's flag, the noble flag, the fleet flag, and the commander's flag. As the flagship and lead ship, it leads the entire fleet forward.

There is no doubt that this is a powerful "quasi-legendary battleship"!

In terms of size alone, it is only slightly larger than a normal fourth-level ship, and the largest caliber ship-borne artillery is only 24 pounds, which is at the same level as the "Storm Horn".

But since it is known as a "quasi-legendary", then this "Red Maple" certainly has the strength to match its legendary name. It can also be seen from its appearance that it is unique. The biggest feature is that the color on the ship is very bright.

The red sail is as gorgeous as burning maple leaves.

Because this battleship was fortunate enough to have been blessed by the angels under the "Eternal Fire" (praying in rituals, not angels coming), it gained super speed that could rival legendary battleships.

The normal speed is 18 knots and the limit speed is 22 knots. Even in a completely windless environment, it can run an unconditional basic speed of 6 knots.

Of course, this speed is not completely unconditional. The premise is that the outside temperature is higher than zero. Once it falls below zero, it will immediately return to its original shape.

In addition, this battleship is also equipped with a marine treasure with powerful attack power, which makes up for its lack of firepower caused by its pursuit of extreme speed.

[Secret Treasure of the Ocean·Dragon Breath Torch]

Effect: Outside of winter, it can be used three times a day. It can release a scorching flame with a range of up to 200 meters, and even sea water can be burned through it within this range. There are no other disadvantages except that the attack range is slightly closer.

As long as it is matched with the speed of the "Red Maple", it will definitely be a nightmare for any enemy!

However, the shortcomings of this battleship, known as the [Red Judgment] within Cyrus, are as obvious as its advantages, that is, it will be completely sealed in the winter, and it is not much stronger than an ordinary fourth-level ship.

This is also the reason why it was not sent to the front line when supporting the battle for Potosi even though it was known for its speed.

In the captain's cabin, which is simply decorated like a ascetic's residence.

"Your Excellency, Commander! The aftermath has been dealt with. Although the hull was damaged, the ship did not capsize. The total loss of personnel was 52 people.

In addition, we are about to enter the "Eye of the Black Sea", and there are no islands or naval bases in this area that we can dock at.

Please give me your instructions on how to deal with the storm that may come at any time!"

"I understand, just move on and be more vigilant.

The main shipping route of this kingdom is on the ridge of the Black Sea, and there has never been a record of the fleet capsizing due to storms.

As long as it takes a week to cross here, even if there is damage, we can repair it at the Soviet Islands Naval Base on the other side."

The red-haired fleet commander, who looked very young but was actually over sixty years old, rubbed the hilt of the sword at his waist and issued his order.

There is of course no problem with this decision based on past experience.

The adjutant thought so too, and without raising any objection, he saluted and turned to leave.

"The voyage is nearly halfway, and it has been a year since I left the kingdom. This time I must go back to the holy city of Novigrad to listen to His Holiness the Pope's sermons and cleanse my soul."

Looking at the adjutant's leaving figure, the commander murmured to himself.

The captain of the "Red Maple" is Lieutenant General Doyle Griffiths, who is also the commander of the Treasure Fleet. Although he is a peak knight who belongs to the kingdom's military.

But he was originally from the Volcano Knights of the "Eternal Fire" Church. He was a devout believer in the "Eternal Fire" and even retained a teaching position in the church.

He had already broken through the ranks of the Great Knights before he was thirty years old. He became famous at a young age and was entrusted with important responsibilities. In addition, he was influenced by the radical style of the "Eternal Fire" Church. This Lieutenant General Griffiths was a leader even among the domineering Cyrus.

He is known as a hardliner.

To be more precise, they are the main war faction. One of their propositions is to use strong military power to strictly block shipping routes and monopolize colonial interests!

at this time.

A finely carved wooden box was placed at his feet. It was the silver ingots that the craftsmen worked overtime to extract from Potosi Island 1 and 2. The total amount was one hundred kilograms, although it was not comparable to the total reserves.

It’s not a lot, but it has extraordinary symbolic significance.

It was also a gift jointly presented to King Philip II by the senior leaders of the colony.

Glancing at this precious gift that was obtained by starting a war and even paying huge profits for it, Lieutenant General Griffiths snorted:

"Hmph! If you had listened to me earlier, how could you have allowed those hyenas to grow bigger in the colony? Even the kingdom had to make compromises?

In recent years, His Majesty the King has become further and further away from God's will. He even fantasizes about marrying with the Habsburg family, which inherits the imperial crown of the Holy Lothar Empire, and naturally obtains the supreme emperor's position.

After I go back, maybe I will need more like-minded companions in the kingdom..."

Then, the storm came as expected.

.......

Hua Hua Hua...

Woo woo woo...

Squeak...squeak...
To be continued...