Chapter 241
Chapter 241
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 241
Chapter Title: Empire's Vikings (2)
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"The order's come down to turn those bastards into pincushions! Shoot them full of arrows, not a single one spared!"
"Long live the great Reich Empire! Long live the Kakan!"
"Let's stick 'em so full of arrows they can't move!"
The northerners fighting on the deck bellowed those cries as they unleashed thousands upon thousands of arrows in a wild barrage.
Every time the whistle of arrows and spells slicing through the air reached their ears, screams mingled with death rattles echoed from both fleets as men fell.
"Keep firing! Kill one more!"
"Aim for that fucker's eyes! Make him a one-eyed cripple and send him straight to Deus!"
"Don't hide behind your shields! The ship's rocking anyway, so their arrows won't hit right!"
As we traded volleys back and forth like that, the distance between us shrank to around twenty meters.
Suddenly, the enemy warships accelerated, their rams on the prows aimed straight at the sides of our ships as they charged wildly.
A single mistake here could punch a hole in our hulls and sink us outright. The unfamiliarity of naval command compared to land battles had me inwardly tense.
But if we just kept slinging arrows from afar without closing, we'd never settle things. Instead of pulling back, I opted for a more aggressive tactic.
"Order the rowers to put their backs into it! Helmsmen, adjust the rudders and sails—turn us ten degrees to port! Move, if you want to live!"
At my command, the rowing pace on our Reich Empire ships picked up steadily.
That left our imperial fleet slightly offset from the Warsaw bastards' head-on charge, allowing us to graze past each other with hardly any collisions.
The enemy ramming attack they'd put all their hopes into missed wide, inflicting minimal damage on our vessels. Cheers erupted from the Reich Empire soldiers.
"Bet that hurt after putting everything into it and whiffing! Serves you right, you miserable shits!"
"Their commanders must be pissed—give 'em another arrow for good measure!"
The troops were genuinely thrilled that the enemy's vicious assault had gone awry without costing us dearly.
But their failed ram meant, in turn, that our ships had passed by without dealing major damage to theirs either.
So even though the Warsaw dogs had botched their attack, they jeered at us loudly with smug voices full of leisure.
"These subhuman barbarian scum sure love to yap!"
"Sorry, you pig-tailed cowards dodged like the little shits you are."
"Don't worry—we'll punch a nice big hole in your ships next time!"
In that first clash, our Reich Empire forces had only managed to sink one or two of their ships before neutralizing their assault.
It wasn't a loss since they'd taken similar damage, but with our vital mission to plunder the Warsaw coast, we couldn't afford any more losses in this sea battle.
"Signal all ships: No more arrows or ranged weapons in the next pass. Instead, we'll grapple their hulls tight when we graze by! Everyone, grab the ropes!"
At that, every soldier set down their bows and arrows, seizing ropes about three fingers thick.
This would leave us exposed to their arrows as they approached, but when we drew alongside, we could hook and yank them in with grapnels.
Then, when hull met hull, our troops could board en masse and settle it in one brutal melee.
"Widen the formation horizontally! Flank and envelop them from both sides! Row like hell and adjust those rudders to spread out!"
The rowers paddled furiously at my order, forming up the line, and our warships charged back in for another pass.
"This time, we'll board those cute little fuckers and slaughter every last one!"
"Adorable little bastards—so damn cute I just wanna kill 'em all."
"With this axe handed down through generations from our ancestors, I'll split your skulls! Consider it an honor!"
The northern soldiers, bitter over their lackluster first strike, clenched their teeth and whirled their ropes overhead, waiting eagerly for the enemy.
Naturally, not a trace of fear about enemy arrows showed on their faces.
"If you don't wanna die, hunker behind the deck shields! Anyone who catches an arrow and drops is a fucking idiot!"
"Save your hides! The Kakan doesn't want you dying in some pissant sea skirmish!"
"Hang in there just a bit longer! A real brawl with the enemy is coming soon!"
As the officers' shouts rang out, I followed suit, pulling out a full-body shield with the men and taking cover.
It wasn't long before thousands of arrows came whistling toward our warships amid the enemy's cheers.
Each whoosh brought groans from soldiers beside or around me.
"Argh, fuck! That shit hurts bad!"
"My arm... fuck, it stings like hell. Warsaw bastard cunts..."
"Orphan shits born without moms or dads. They shoot like absolute trash..."
Hearing that, I issued orders for the best precautions we could take right now.
"Don't yank out arrows on your own! Pulling them wrong can make it worse! Snap the shafts so you can still move!"
As I'd just warned, yanking arrows carelessly was riskier than leaving them.
Without proper tools, they often snapped inside, leaving fragments to fester.
Better to wait till battle's end and extract them properly all at once.
Even as I spoke, the Warsaw morons kept peppering us relentlessly, desperate to kill one more—like fools wasting bread on arrows alone.
Of course, the gap between our ships and theirs narrowed steadily until their voices rang clear in our ears.
"Turn every invading Reich Empire dog into fish food—not one spared!"
"Time to show these Warsaw men some hot action! Fight without fear!"
"Every arrow you loose saves a comrade's life! Even if your fingers fall off, fire!"
As the distance closed, our mounting casualties grew heavier.
For a moment, impatience surged—I wanted to leap up and loose arrows at them right then. But no. We had to hold just a bit longer.
Suppressing the rage from their one-sided barrage, one soldier suddenly bellowed.
"Distance to enemy ships: five meters! Five meters or less! Ready for boarding!"
"Ropes ready! Heave, you bastards!"
"Time to fight like men! All hands, prepare for sea melee!"
At that, amid the thud of arrows slamming into shields, the troops surged up roaring triumphantly.
"Man up and let's go! Kill those arrow-slinging flies flapping around like cowards!"
"Time to school these pussies who hide behind shields and can't do shit else!"
"Slaughter 'em all, no exceptions, fuckers!"
As the enemy prow—reinforced with iron—edged toward grazing our hull, I gripped my rope and commanded.
"Hurl the grapnels at their ship! When they hook, pull on my mark!"
We flung over a hundred ropes at the enemy vessel in unison.
Most hooks snagged somewhere on their hull, though a few unlucky Warsaw troops got pinned instead.
"Gah! Fuck! Help! Cut the goddamn rope, you shits!"
"Gotta cut one more! Cut it! Hurry up and slice it!"
"Fucking knife! Draw your knives and cut!!"
Meanwhile, my fellow Reich Empire soldiers and I yanked with all our might, refusing to miss the chance.
The rowers had already stowed their oars inside to avoid breakage on impact.
Moments later, a thunderous crash shook the decks as hulls collided.
But not a soul let go of their ropes, drawing the ships so close we could vault the rails and board instantly.
"Ahoy! We're the Reich Empire Navy! Cut 'em down without mercy—not one spared!"