Chapter 270
Chapter 270
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 270
Chapter Title: Griffino Naval Battle (8)
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Once the three lead reconnaissance ships, including the flagship carrying Peter Jaeger, had finished their brief rest, the lookouts on each vessel shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Enemy fleet estimated at over 100 ships! Approaching at maximum speed! Distance is about 1.4 kilometers!"
"Enemy main fleet sighted 1.4 kilometers astern! We need to run!"
"Damn it! Signal the flagship to raise anchor right now! Tell them over 100 enemy ships are chasing us like madmen, you bastards!"
Though lookouts were supposed to stick to observations without personal commentary, not a single soldier or officer in the Reich Empire's ranks thought to blame them.
Because if Peter Jaeger—the general who could turn any hopeless situation into a miracle—hadn't taken the vanguard...
They themselves would have been contemplating desertion instead of standing on this desperately doomed battlefield.
Peter Jaeger didn't blame the soldiers for panicking at the sight of the enemy armada exceeding 100 ships, either.
He had been somewhat confident when devising the plan and leading them this far, but seeing that three-digit number of enemy vessels right before his eyes filled him with real fear.
However, with his experience fighting on the front lines through countless life-and-death struggles, his reason didn't waver at the sight of their overwhelming numbers.
"The entire vanguard will immediately retreat swiftly to the main fleet! The flagship takes the rearmost position! As always, the flagship will lead from the most dangerous spot!"
Some of the flagship's crew wondered if Commander Jaeger was insane.
They couldn't fathom why a man bearing the lives of over 100,000 Reich Empire soldiers and more than 2 million civilians along the western coast would voluntarily shoulder the risks of the vanguard.
But Peter Jaeger had his reasons—reasons that made it necessary.
'If standing at the front gives me a 50% chance of dying, staying back safely means a near-100% chance of defeat. Strategically speaking, my life might be worth more than 10,000 soldiers'. But as human lives, mine weighs the same as any common trooper's. So for victory, I'll gladly embrace death.'
The commander drew his sword, wielding it in place of a baton, and issued orders.
"Unfurl all sails! Row those oars to retreat to the main fleet as fast as possible! The flagship will deliberately slow down each time I signal, luring the enemy just within grasp! Hurry!"
The officers and sailors on deck desperately pushed for speed to avoid being caught by the Warsaw fleet of over 100 ships.
Seeing the Reich Empire squadron in motion, the Warsaw vanguard abandoned formation entirely and began pursuit at full speed.
"Increase speed! That ship at the very rear is the flagship! Don't let it escape no matter what!"
"Capture Peter Jaeger on that flagship, and we have a massive victory!"
"For the glory of His Highness the Archduke of Warsaw, for the glory of Deus—fight without fear of death! Charge!"
Peter Jaeger moved to the stern of the flagship, confirming the enemy's approach with his own eyes.
No arrows or ballista bolts were flying yet, and the distance didn't look too far—about 200 meters from their vanguard, by his estimate.
Behind the Warsaw vanguard, spaced out a bit, was their main body of nearly 100 ships.
The commander began pondering fresh ways to trap them when a volley of small ballista bolts and magic barrages rained down from the Warsaw warships.
On land, it might not have been perfect accuracy, but plenty would have hit ships or men. Here, the waves tossed the vessels up, down, left, and right, sending most shots whistling through empty air or splashing into the sea.
Yet magic and arrows from dozens of ships still struck soldiers on deck now and then.
"Argh, damn it! Load the crossbows! I'll shoot those bastards dead!"
"You idiot, firing from here is just wasting arrows—don't you know that?"
"Filthy Warsaw scum—how many arrows do they have to be shooting from this range like it's nothing!"
As blinding arrows and spells killed Reich Empire soldiers, the troops felt their blood boiling with rage.
Peter Jaeger shielded his head with a buckler and hugged the rail as he commanded.
"Everyone, hug the deck walls! Grab any shields nearby to cover yourselves! We'll be under ballista and magic fire from the enemy for quite a while! Duck!"
Shooting back would only waste arrows and get someone killed needlessly, so in a full retreat, hunching down was best.
The veteran marines and officers drilled this into their subordinates, forcing everyone low.
Commander Timo, leading the massive Warsaw fleet, ordered his entire armada.
"Peter Jaeger's retreating toward his main force! Even he can't beat our 115 ships with just three! Chase him down and feed them both to the Warsaw whales! Maximum speed! Full sails, row harder!"
At the Warsaw commander's order, their vast fleet surged forward in full pursuit of Peter Jaeger.
Amid it all, the Reich Empire squadron maintained that tantalizing just-out-of-reach distance and finally rendezvoused successfully with the 20-ship main body.
In normal circumstances, the reconnaissance group—including Jaeger's flagship—might have caught their breath.
But before the overwhelming Warsaw fleet, they seemed helpless, wheeling their prows around to flee once more.
"Run as planned! Keep running no matter what! Deck crew, haul those ballista stakes and rocks!"
"Load every crossbow and hang quivers on the deck rails! Every arrow is your lifeline!"
"Just escape well enough, and Commander Jaeger will handle the rest!"
The Reich Empire Navy sailors weren't sure if they were truly luring the enemy or just fleeing due to inferior numbers.
Explaining the full plan to the troops risked exposure in the worst case, and with this era's soldiers educated only to about fifth-grade level, there was no guarantee they'd all grasp it anyway.
So the men on deck clung desperately to faith in Commander Jaeger alone, holding their nerves as best they could.
The commander, standard in hand aboard the flagship, silently brought up the rear in retreat.
Meanwhile, a minor clash of opinions arose on the Warsaw flagship.
"Commander Timo, this could be an enemy trap. It's not too late—be more cautious. No matter how desperate Peter Jaeger is, dangling at the rear like 'come catch me' feels like a setup."
"We lost four ships and one of our generals to those three warships charging us. Retreating now would be a disgrace in Warsaw Grand Duchy military history! And that new group is probably their main force, right?"
"That does seem likely."
Commander Timo pointed from his flagship's deck at the Reich Empire ships fleeing before them.
"Lookouts spotted at most 30 ships. We have 115. And if Peter Jaeger realizes our numbers and tries to pick us off piecemeal?"
The deputy commander gritted his teeth and replied.
"With over 14 ports secured, they could resist long-term from those bases. Better to press now."
"No strategy beats superior numbers. Let's drive on."
Timo thought to himself.
'Now that he's seen our numbers, letting that bastard Peter Jaeger slip away here... He'll find some way to bite us later.'
"So we kill him here! Brave Warsaw soldiers, lay down your lives to repel the invaders!"
Meanwhile, Jaeger finally heard the news he'd been waiting for.
"We've reached the western tip of El Condor Island—the spot to change formation!"
At those words, Peter Jaeger immediately raised the flags to shift formation.
As the flags went up, each ship exposed their broadsides to the enemy, encircling the Warsaw fleet in a crescent.
Someone witnessing it remarked.
"The bird has spread its wings."
The bird with wings unfurled waited for the firing order, siege ballistae—its secret weapons for sinking countless Warsaw warships—trained on the foe.