Chapter 272
Chapter 272
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 272
Chapter Title: Griffino Naval Battle (10)
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Admiral Timo, commander of the Warsaw Grand Fleet, ground his teeth as he faced the Reich Empire's fleet—no, the current state of the battle—head-on.
The Reich Empire's ships were exposing their most vulnerable sides like beauties afflicted with exhibitionism, practically daring the enemy to come at them.
If his fleet had remained intact, it would have been possible to ram holes into the sides of the entire Reich Empire fleet, including the flagship carrying that bastard Peter Jaeger.
But the squadron under his command had completely lost control, making it impossible to ram the enemy with their prows.
"Two allied ships from the right, two from the left, and four from the rear have raised battle-incapable signals! It looks like their decks were breached in friendly collisions and they're sinking!"
"Eight flags signaling sinking, twelve indicating temporary inability to fight!"
"The captains of all ships except the lead one are signaling that they'll row their way out somehow! We request control!"
Due to the maritime pile-up involving 115 allied ships, every vessel except the lead one was pinned too closely to neighboring allied ships, rendering combat impossible.
However, even just the Warsaw Navy ships at the vanguard outnumbered the mere 23 Reich Empire ships enough to engage them.
"We have to charge into melee range like this and keep that dog Peter Jaeger from pulling any more tricks! All vanguard ships, prepare for boarding combat!"
At Admiral Timo's command, the vanguard began charging to strike the Reich Empire Navy's main body.
Peter Jaeger, commanding the Reich Empire fleet, sneered at the enemy.
'They're so desperate for my head that blood's rushed to their brains and they can't see straight. Good, if they keep coming like this, I can burn them all to ashes.'
"Ballistae, crossbows, mages—fire all at once! At the same time, the rest of you melee troops, grab long spears and defend our deck. Those who've been on ranged duty, switch to short spears and one-handed swords to cover us! The real dogfight starts now!"
At the order, officers and soldiers on the Reich Empire ships moved without a hitch, just as they'd trained countless times.
The ballista crews targeted enemy soldiers at the prows, while melee soldiers grabbed long spears from below deck to cover the ranged fighters.
"Just move like we trained! Rewind those ballistae quick! Crossbowmen, grab every crossbow around you and loose them all! Even sloppy shots will take care of themselves!"
"Don't board enemy ships without orders!"
"You with the long spears, think back to rolling like dogs in training camp. Hold tight without a gap, just like then, and thrust! Got it?"
Confirming preparations were set, Peter Jaeger gave the signal not with words but by raising his sword toward the enemy. Ballistae and mages unleashed arrows and spells in unison.
Ballista bolts like telephone poles toppled 6 or 7 enemy soldiers at the prow each like dominoes, and with every flash of magic, someone burned to death.
Those missed by magic and ballistae fell to crossbow bolts, losing their lives.
"Argh, you filthy Reich Empire bastards. You're not even human, you shits!"
"My arm, my arm's gone! Aaaagh!"
"Don't panic, damn it! Grab your swords and board their ship!"
The Warsaw soldiers, victims of this carnage, groaned in despair, but the Reich Empire troops all cheered and shouted in triumph.
And as always, Peter Jaeger took position at the vanguard.
He wasn't swinging a sword at the very front like in the clash with the reconnaissance squadron, but as the four-star commander, he stood on the flagship waving the Reich Empire flag.
"Soldiers of the great Reich Empire! Bring heavenly punishment upon these curs lesser than dogs who mocked His Imperial Majesty the Emperor. You young soldier, become the Empire's legend!"
At his command, spear-wielding soldiers covered each other as they leaped to the enemy prows, forming shield walls like infantry and slowly conquering the Warsaw ships.
With every advance of the Reich Empire spearmen wall, Warsaw soldiers desperately resisted with crossbows, bows, and magic.
But after firing once or twice, short spear or one-handed sword troops would slip through the formation's gaps to pick off the ranged attackers, slitting their throats.
Then Warsaw marines armed with swords or maces would rush out for payback, only for Reich troops with several-meter-long spears to cover them.
It was a flawless formation for melee, without so much as a gap for water to leak—or an ant to crawl through.
The Warsaw vanguard captains, seeing the Reich Empire soldiers' tactics, issued varying orders.
"Jump into the water! Swim to another allied ship! Staying here means dying like dogs!"
"Follow me! Don't fear those long spears—focus on boarding combat! Long live Warsaw!"
"Tighten up! Pack in dense! If we're bunched tight, even the enemy won't dare kill us recklessly!"
Captains ordering jumps overboard to other allied ships, or those standing at the front to defend somehow.
Even bizarre ones clustering with swords drawn, achieving nothing but pointless exertion.
This lack of unity let Reich Empire troops seize enemy ships with minimal effort.
"Enemy deck fully secured!"
"Long live the Reich Empire! Long live Commander Peter Jaeger! Long live His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!"
"Those bastards only have numbers going for them—they're total worthless trash, right?"
The soldiers cheered wildly, and officers inwardly celebrated the victory—limited to the enemy vanguard, but a victory nonetheless.
Peter Jaeger eyed the rear forces still tangled but soon to attack.
'If those join in, even with ballistae loaded and us fighting like dogs, we won't hold easily. So kill one more now, then back to our ships to fortify defenses.'
"Kill or capture all the rowers below deck! Kill anyone grabbing a weapon or resisting even a little. Spare only those who surrender with hands up. Then hurry back to your own ships and reload ballistae and crossbows!"
Soldiers and officers knew this wasn't total victory yet, so they rushed below deck as ordered.
Panicked Warsaw rowers either froze without response or died without exception if they resisted.
The Reich Empire troops left no survivors on the captured ships before returning to their own, reloading ballistae and crossbows for the next fight.
"Load arrows! Fill every crossbow, and you lot help load stones into the ballistae!"
"Drink the saltwater if you have to! Don't die of thirst—hydrate!"
"Move all wounded to the cabins. Lighter wounds, you lot take care of them properly!"
Peter Jaeger watched his officers and men prepare as ordered, then plopped down on the deck to rest.
The fatigue from the reconnaissance squadron fight lingered; he felt like diving into hot water for a bath right then.
But more important was when the 17 ships encircling the Warsaw fleet's rear would arrive.
'They're circling the island as fast as they can, but too late and even fighting hard against Warsaw, we'll be overwhelmed by numbers...'
As Peter Jaeger grew inwardly anxious, the flagship's lookout shouted loudly.
"Three fireballs aloft! Three fireballs rising into the sky! Friendly reinforcements have arrived!"
Reich Empire lookouts relayed the same across all ships, and upon hearing it, soldiers and officers alike—without exception—erupted in cheers.
"Reinforcements are here! We've won!"
"Long live the Reich Empire!"
"We're saved! Just hold a bit longer!"
Generals like Peter Jaeger knew reinforcements were just 17 ships, but junior officers and troops assumed dozens at least.
Normally he'd correct the misconception, but with morale sky-high on that belief, no need to shatter it with harsh reality—they stayed silent.
At that moment, ship captains and generals drew swords in unison and commanded.
"The enemy is surrounded on all sides now—they'll come charging mad to kill us!"
"Spears up! Swords out, slaughter the enemy. Hold to the end, and Commander Jaeger will see us through!"
"Fight with your lives for victory!"