Iron Powder and Spellcaster

The lighthouse harbor was bustling with activity. Twelve galley warships were docked at the dock, and porters were carrying dry food and fresh water barrels to the warships. The sailors got off the ship and pitched tents in the open space at the port, made fires to cook, and slept.

Since leaving Veneta, the sailors on the galley can only drink cold water and eat wheat cakes that have become dry due to loss of water. It was only after arriving at the lighthouse port that they tasted hot soup and fresh food for the first time. bread.

The lucky ones who were chosen by lot on other ships also camped on the shore and made fires to cook, but they were strictly separated from the sailors of the galleys and were not allowed to come into contact with each other.

The same goes for the sailors on the galleys. The sailors on each ship camp alone, and the adjutants and midshipmen take turns patrolling. No sailor is allowed to leave the ship's camp without permission.

These measures are all for epidemic prevention. Lieutenant General Naresho has lived at sea all his life. In his opinion, it is only a matter of time that an infectious disease breaks out on a dirty and crowded galley. No matter how hard we try, it cannot be avoided.

The only thing the admiral could do was to prevent the sailors on the galleys from spreading the disease to the galleons.

A mooring outside the harbor where other ships in the fleet anchored.

The entire fleet seemed to be moored at the anchorage in a disorderly manner, but in fact there was an inherent pattern.

The Glory and the supply ship were anchored on the innermost side. The large merchant ship carrying the infantry of the Third Army was anchored near the Glory. The navy's main large sailing warship was in the outer circle to protect the merchant ship carrying the infantry.

The other light ships in the fleet were placed farthest away from the flagship by Vice Admiral Naresho, serving as the outermost layer and sentinel of the entire fleet.

At night, the lively port gradually fell silent, but the atmosphere on the Glory gradually heated up, and a grand banquet was being held on the Glory.

The temporary partitions on the gun deck were removed, and square tables were assembled into long tables from the bow to the stern of the ship.

The two admirals, Antonio and Naresio, sat side by side at the bow end of the long table. The other naval officers and army officers sat face to face, roughly in descending order of rank, all the way to the stern of the ship.

The navy used small boats to transport freshly slaughtered cattle, pigs, chickens and ducks, fresh vegetables and fruits, and fine wine from the port.

The cook on the ship worked very hard tonight, and the small kitchen on the ship kept bringing out big dishes one after another and put them on the long table.

The preparation of these dishes is very simple, nothing more than roasting and boiling. The meat is grilled on a spit, and the vegetables and fruits are washed and put on a plate.

But it was rare to eat fresh meat and vegetables on the ship. Everyone was very happy to eat, and they all praised the chef's good craftsmanship, and praised the rich sailor until his face turned red.

The officers gathered for dinner in the cabin, and the sailors on the deck also received double shots of spirits in accordance with the standards of Victory Day, and enjoyed barbecue and vegetable soup sent from the galley. Although there were no tables or chairs, they were no less happy than the officers.

Winters has never participated in such an interesting banquet. The venue is so dark, low and simple: behind Winters' chair is the cannon of the Glory, and not much above his head is the deck of the Glory. Dozens of candles on the dining table are all the light sources in the cabin.

There was no crocheted tablecloth, no fine china, no gold and silver knives and forks—in fact, there were not even enough cutlery. The Glorious had never received so many officers, and according to the rules, officers were not allowed to use sailor's cutlery, so they sat at the long table. The officers in the second half ate meat entirely with their hands.

But the atmosphere in the cabin was so warm and cheerful. From Winters' point of view, this place was infinitely more interesting than the pretentious reception held by the Navarre family and the serious dinner party within the Army.

Who would have thought that the navy, with its strict rules, would throw away all concepts of dignity and inferiority when it comes to the dinner table?

On the gun deck of the Glorious, army officers and naval officers gathered together. No one could tell that they were two groups of people who usually looked down upon each other.

The officers didn't drink much, but their faces were flushed. Antonio was full of witty remarks, and from time to time there was laughter from the table at the bow of the ship.

Winters, Bud, Andre and other warrant officers were seated at the end of the dining table. They couldn't hear what the generals and colonels on the other side of the dining table were saying at all. They could only hear waves of table-slapping laughter.

But the advantage is that they are far away, and no one cares about the manners of these humble trainee officers. Moreover, all the dishes are served from their position, so a few warrant officers can eat as much as they want regardless of appearance.

Andre handed his plate to Winters, which contained a large pile of meat like building blocks. His cheeks were bulging, and while he was chewing hard, he said vaguely: "Eat...eat this meat, this part is roasted deliciously..."

Winters unceremoniously put half of the roast on his plate, raised his glass and said with a smile: "To the cook! To the flames in the furnace! And to the pig!"

Andre stretched out his wine glass with a smile on his face, and the two clinked their glasses.

Bud also silently raised his wine glass and clinked it. He never liked talking during meals.

At this moment, sitting across from several army warrant officers were four or five kids who looked to be in their early teens.

One of the children with blond curly hair was trying hard to break off a piece of ribs. However, he had not yet developed the strength, but the ribs were extremely strong and could not move at all no matter how hard he tried.

Upon seeing this, Winters stood up, took out a knife and pried off the ribs along the bone seams, and placed them on the blond child's plate.

The little kid in a blue officer's uniform stood up and said politely in a child's voice: "Thank you, Your Excellency, Army."

Looking at these children, Winters thought of Benway's brother Ciel. So he simply rolled up his sleeves, removed the meat from half of the roasted pig, and distributed the meals to several children.

Each of these children in officer uniforms was extremely polite. Every time Winters put meat on their plates, they would stand up and thank them.

Although they are only eleven or twelve years old, they have not even reached the stage of changing their voices. They are completely children. But they were of the same rank as Cage, they were both midshipmen, and Cage was only this old when he first got on the ship.

This is the way the Veneta Navy trains officers. The Army runs military schools, and the Navy directly sends these eleven or twelve-year-old children onto warships. From the Navy's perspective, warships are the best military schools.

These children were separated from their parents when they were eleven or twelve years old and sent to live on ships. As cadet officers, they learn from the captain's side how to use sextants and charts, how to navigate the wind and waves on the sea, and how to win the respect of sailors.

By the time they reach the age of twenty - if they survive the harsh life at sea - they will be tough, tenacious men.

At that time, they will be eligible to participate in the Navy Commission assessment. After passing the assessment, they will enter the navy's real officer class and become an adjutant.

But now, the trainee officers in front of Winters are just children.

"Is there anything else you want to eat?" Winters asked after filling every child's plate with meat.

The blond curly-haired child looked at each other and his companions, then stood up and bowed slightly: "That's enough, thank you."

Winters found the child more and more cute, reached out and touched his head, and said with a smile: "You're welcome."

But this act of intimacy angered the young officer, and the originally polite blond child angrily knocked Winters' hand off: "Don't treat me like a child, I'm a naval officer!"

Winters laughed. Not only did he not feel angry, he actually found this little adult even cuter.

Andre also laughed and stood up, picked up the wine glass and said: "I apologize to you on his behalf, all naval officers."

After saying that, he drank a whole glass of wine in one go.

Not to be outdone, the blond curly-haired naval officer candidate poured himself a full glass of wine, raised his head and drank it all.

Winters punched Andre and bowed sincerely to the young midshipmen: "I was abrupt just now, I'm sorry."

At this time, I don’t know what was being discussed at the dining table at the bow of the ship, but another burst of laughter came from the audience. The army and navy generals laughed so hard that they were out of breath and slapped the table hard.

The lieutenant general stood up with a smile on his face, held his wine glass high, and toasted loudly: "To the lovers and ladies - may they never meet again!"

This wise remark caused another burst of violent laughter in the cabin, and all the officers raised their glasses together: "To lovers and ladies - may they never meet again!"

Then everyone drank it all.

Suddenly singing came from above. After drinking wine and eating meat, the sailors on the deck began to sing the barcarolle in harmony:

"Back to my peaceful hometown,

Let the sea roar, my friend! "

Lieutenant General Naresho became very interested, and then the sailors sang:

"Through countless storms,

We landed safely! "

All the naval officers looked at each other with a smile, stood up and sang along:

"Don't forget your old comrades on the ship!

La la la la la la, ouch! "

Antonio also stood up and clapped his hands to the chorus of naval officers. Under his leadership, the army officers all stood up and clapped for the naval officers.

"We share the same cannon,

Let's wipe the deck together,

I clean the barrel and you load it,

Win the battle and return home victorious! "

After a pause of a few seconds, the sailors on the deck and the naval officers in the cabin sang together:

"Through countless storms,

We landed safely!

Don’t forget your old comrades on board!

La la la la la la, ouch! "

Everyone refilled their glasses and waited for the two generals to make toasts.

However, suddenly, there seemed to be a sound of thunder on the distant sea.

The lively atmosphere of the banquet quickly cooled down, and the originally noisy cabin instantly became quiet. The officers were all too familiar with this sound.

"Thunder? Or gunfire?" Winters suddenly woke up and tried to identify the source and direction of the sound.

Another series of thunder came.

It was artillery, Winters was sure, and it came from the direction of the sea.

Why is there the sound of artillery? Could it be that the Taniriya Federation wants to repeat its old tricks?

The quiet cabin instantly became noisy again, with officers swearing and looking for their swords and coats.

"Quiet!" Lieutenant General Naresho yelled.

All the officers in the cabin froze on the spot and turned to look at Lieutenant General Nareshaw.

"The Falcon and Amelia reported that since the day before yesterday, two clippers have been following us not far or near. Therefore, General Serbetti and I believe that instead of looking for the pirates, it is better to work for them Create an opportunity to fight us!" Lieutenant General Naresho said calmly and calmly: "Tonight, the wind direction, tide, and formation are not in our favor. The pirates of the Federation must have thought that they have seized a God-given opportunity, and we will Collect the first blood debt tonight!"

"I declare the No. 1 order of the Joint Headquarters: Annihilate all the enemies who invade tonight." Lieutenant General Naresho declared loudly, and then he raised his glass high: "This glass is for victory!"

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp and smashed the glass into pieces.

Except for a few senior officers, most of the military officers knew what was going on.

Antonio also shouted: "Here's to victory!" and drank the wine in one gulp.

Under the leadership of Antonio, all the officers raised their glasses and cheered with worry, panic, or calmness.

Lieutenant General Naresho calmly said to his adjutant: "Mr. Karaman. Send the order, beat the drum and prepare for war!"

The rapid drum beat sounded, and the Glory entered combat mode.

The naval officers put on their military uniforms, hung up their swords, and rushed to their posts.

The sailors poured into the cabin, and the tables, chairs and cutlery on the gun deck were quickly removed. Andre held the plate and said with a sad face: "I haven't finished eating yet."

"Throw it away, look at these little kids." Winters pointed at the young naval officers.

They had obviously not eaten a few bites of meat, but after the sound of the war drums, they got up and left the cabin without any hesitation.

The sailors threw uneaten food directly from the gun doors into the sea, and the gun deck was cleared in less than a minute.

Every officer and sailor on the ship returned to their posts and prepared for battle in an orderly manner. Only the army officers stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Centurions return to the ships to find your troops. The captain remains on the Glorious, waiting for assignment." Antonio called the army officers to his side and ordered: "Execute the orders of the joint command."

All the army officers woke up from a dream and left the cabin one after another. At sea, the Army rotates one officer on duty on each ship, and other officers usually rest on the Glorious.

The three warrant officers also immediately ran back to the cabin on the stern of the ship to get their weapons, and then found Captain Wilson of the First Hundred Group.

The sailors lit torches everywhere on the deck of the Glory, and four small boats were launched, carrying the navy and army officers who had just attended the banquet back to their own ships.

Two more trumpets sounded, this time from the Glorious.

The entire fleet was awakened by the sound of cannons, and other ships lit torches one after another and fired trumpets in response to the Glorious.

In the distant port, the sailors who came ashore to rest also heard the sound of the cannon. The port came to life, and the sailors' camp gradually became brightly lit.

Lieutenant General Naresho stood on the forecastle, his hands behind his back and silently counting in response to the sound of his trumpet.

An adjutant climbed onto the forecastle and said excitedly: "General, Drake is really here!"

Lieutenant General Naresho counted to thirty before answering: "I've been waiting for him for a day and a half. If he doesn't come, it means I overestimated him. There are spies everywhere in the bay, no matter who they are or where they are. We can't even hide the news on the shore, let alone a ship that has discovered us."

Antonio also boarded the forecastle. He shook hands with Lieutenant General Naresio excitedly and congratulated: "Your Excellency, across the vast sea, can actually make the enemy act according to your plan. If you hadn't told me in advance, I would have I thought you were adapting to the situation and using this rhetoric to appease the soldiers."

"Actually, it is just to appease the morale of the military. The situation is still not good for us, and I was not sure whether Captain Drake would come." Lieutenant General Naresho said with a wry smile: "Captain Drake is an avid gambler. As a disciple, he never misses any opportunity to make a big gain with a small gain. After acquiring our four warships, he has more money to gamble with, but I am not sure whether he will have the courage to take a gamble in the end. "

"Please don't be so humble. Your understanding of Drake's mentality has exceeded my imagination." Antonio said with admiration.

"Because I am also a gambler, and only gamblers know what gamblers are thinking best." There was no joy on Lieutenant General Naresho's face: "I was actually using the fleet as capital to bet with Captain Drake. Bundle."

"So what do you need from our Army tonight?" Antonio asked.

"Do nothing." Lieutenant General Naresho replied with some embarrassment: "I will not use these twenty-one troop transport ships unless it is absolutely necessary. It is not that I underestimate the combat power of your subordinates, but after all, sea and land are different. It’s different. If I can’t use the Third Army, I will try not to use the Third Army.”

Antonio nodded and expressed his understanding to Nareshaw with his eyes.

Lieutenant General Nareshaw also nodded gratefully.

On the distant sea, a fire flickered on and off.

It was a guard ship arranged on the periphery. Nareshaw sent two caravels with a tonnage of less than 100 tons to patrol the periphery of the fleet anchorage. Just now they discovered the enemy's fleet and fired warning shots.

The guard ship is transmitting information to the flagship through lights.

The light on and off pattern represents several situations agreed in advance.

The guard ship kept repeating this message: Enemy ships, northwest, twenty to twenty-five ships.

The moonlight was dim, but the vague shadow of the ship could still be seen on the dark sea about two kilometers away.

The enemy is coming.

The barcarolle in this chapter is Don't forget your old shipmates. The first time I heard this barcarolle was in "AC: Rebellion", and then in "Legendary".

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