Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 273
Chapter Title: Battle of Griffino Sea (11)
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While Peter Jaeger was personally leading the Reich Empire Navy's main fleet in preparations for close-quarters combat, Admiral Timo and the Warsaw Grand Duchy's commanders heard news they wanted no part of.
The lookouts were ringing the bells like madmen from the mast crow's nests, shouting out warnings at the top of their lungs.
"Emergency! Emergency! Ships presumed to be Reich Empire battleships are moving to encircle our rear!"
"Estimated at roughly twenty ships! Roughly twenty ships!"
"Enemy fleet sighted to the rear! Enemy fleet to the rear!"
Whether on land or sea, the most terrifying news for soldiers is that they've been surrounded by the enemy.
If the enemy is only ahead and the rear is open, they can fight with some sense of security, knowing that in the worst case, they can fall back.
But when all sides—front, rear, left, and right—are blocked off, their attack must disperse in every direction, weakening their strength, and they're crushed by the pressure of being trapped with no way out.
The revelation that their rear was sealed sparked panic among the soldiers, and the officers drew their swords, bellowing orders or executing a few as examples to maintain discipline.
"Surrounded front and back... we're finished..."
"Shut your trap, you coward—what kind of Warsaw Grand Duchy soldier are you? Spy bastard?"
"We outnumber them by far! I'll kill with my own hands anyone who panics!"
Admiral Timo inwardly berated himself, thinking there couldn't be a more hopeless mess than this.
Tactically speaking, he might already be dancing in the palm of Jaeger’s hand.
But as the man bearing Warsaw's fate, he had to secure victory by any means, so Timo issued what he believed was the best possible order.
"Relay to the vice commander: We're splitting the fleet in half from now on. Transfer operational and command authority of half the fleet to Lieutenant General Schmidtrikov. Order him to smash the Reich Empire forces encircling our rear."
Just as they prepared to relay the order, the Imperial fleet that had successfully flanked their rear opened fire.
Stones from siege ballistae, arrows from crossbows, and fireballs from mages rained down on the Warsaw fleet.
The staff officers on Admiral Timo's flagship rushed over in a frenzy to deliver their reports.
"Enemy attacks from the rear are ongoing! At this rate, we'll all be killed!"
"Our vanguard fleet has been annihilated by the Reich Empire forces!"
"Out of 115 ships, nearly 30 are already out of commission!"
Timo, already fretting over his thinning hair and the prospect of going bald, yanked at his strands while listening to the staff's grim reports.
"Fuck, I know that already! We have to drive out those Reich Empire bastards no matter what! The pricks encircling our rear are Lieutenant General Schmidtrikov's problem now—so we focus on slaughtering that faggot orphan Peter Jaeger and his ilk, raised among those degenerates! Put every nerve into him. Keep yapping, and I'll lop off your heads before any court-martial!"
The staff shot pitiful glances at their commander, who was flying into a rage even though they hadn't suggested retreat.
But fearing the furious admiral might actually execute them for mutiny if things went even slightly awry, they nodded and returned to their posts.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Reich Empire Navy's main fleet under Peter Jaeger's command began fighting with desperate ferocity, as if defending the walls of their own ship.
Pikemen relentlessly stabbed and killed the unarmored Warsaw marines—who wore no plate due to the nature of sea combat—keeping up the pressure.
Halberdiers among the pikemen smashed the heads and shoulders of Warsaw marines who dared peek out, while siege ballistae and crossbows rapidly thinned the ranks of enemies farther back.
"Warsaw bastards! We board your decks at will—you can't do shit to ours!"
"How the hell does a human being try to starve their own people on the western coast?"
"You fuckers are trash that never should've been born!"
Amid the chaos, the most striking figure was Commander Jaeger himself, sword in hand at the vanguard.
"As long as I stand here with my blade on this deck, not a single one of you passes!"
Most who spout such lines are all talk, their skills not matching their boasts.
But Peter Jaeger lived up to his titles of Khan Slayer and Swordmaster, cutting down every soldier who came at him, one by one.
In other words, for the Warsaw soldiers and officers, the golden opportunity to kill the enemy commander and change their fates ended in futile death for each challenger.
Normally, a four-star general at the front would signal desperation on his side, boosting enemy morale—but not a single Warsaw man showed excitement or elation.
No, they were all gripped by fear.
"......A monster. There's a monster over there."
"Mom, fuck. What the hell is that bastard."
"......Gang up on him, several at a time! Even that monster will tire out eventually."
It was a sight that would horrify Reich Empire Emperor Michael, who harbored the modest wish that Jaeger hold the grudge down to his great-grandchildren—a mere century or so.
There were several reasons Peter Jaeger had stepped out to hack through the enemy ranks with his sword.
During close-quarters combat between allied and enemy forces—especially when in such close proximity to the foe—covering fire from magic, ballistae, or arrows risked friendly fire, so none came.
Thus, pure melee was surprisingly safe.
The Reich Empire Navy, with its small numbers, had many soldiers reaching the limits of their physical endurance; they needed mental fortitude and morale to push beyond.
To raise their battle spirit, he—their commander—had to take up his sword at the forefront.
Yet there was an even more critical reason.
'I need to draw the eyes of Admiral Timo and every enemy general and staff officer to me alone. That way, the fire ships approaching them go unnoticed as long as possible.'
This was why Jaeger, despite his position as Imperial commander, had to fight alongside the troops.
On the other hand, Admiral Timo couldn't fathom why Peter Jaeger—a fellow four-star admiral like himself—was out there swinging a sword in personal combat.
Watching the incomprehensible scene, a sense of impending defeat crept in, driving him to the brink of madness.
Finally cornered, he issued an order rational as a commander but laced with raw emotion.
"Devote every resource to killing Peter Jaeger, that bastard! Ignore everything else. Capture the enemy commander, and it's an instant victory for the Warsaw Grand Duchy. Long live Warsaw! Long live His Highness Grand Duke Stefan! Everyone except the rowers—charge! Break through their defenses!"
It was the surest path to victory in this war—but also an order that doomed thousands of Warsaw marines to pointless deaths.
Peter Jaeger would later hear of it from others and remark something along these lines.
'What is this, openly begging someone to slaughter their own troops? No different from the Japanese banzai charges.'
But at the moment, Peter Jaeger and the Reich soldiers had no attention to spare, overwhelmed by waves of troops nearly three times their number crashing in like the tide.
Many were on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, but plenty more screamed defiance and held firm upon seeing their commander—whose blade remained sharp after felling multiples of their own kills.
"The commander's fighting right beside us! Hold with sheer grit!"
"Fight for the Reich Empire's glory! Rewards will come to you all!"
"Just hold on a little longer—the commander's got this!"
The same held true for the detached squadron battling the Warsaw fleet's rear, the one not under Peter Jaeger's direct command.
Sensing their momentum, Admiral Timo of Warsaw clung to hope.
At this rate, the Reich Empire's accursed Peter Jaeger—their numbers depleted, stamina failing first—could have his head taken or be captured.
Whether killed or captured, Timo wanted to heap maximum humiliation and shame upon him.
Just as the tide—not slightly, but substantially—had turned toward Warsaw, Lieutenant Vincent approached Commander Peter Jaeger and whispered:
"The fire ships will arrive soon."
The Reich Empire Navy's hidden final card to defeat the Warsaw Navy—three times their number—had finally made its entrance.