Chapter 60
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Translator: volt
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: [Our Adventure]
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"Over there! It's a galleon! A treasure-laden transport ship...!"
"You idiot! Ignore it for now! Sink the enemy warships first—they can't escape anyway!"
Drake moved with frantic energy.
The Spaniards had finally realized no more reinforcements were coming. But by the time they started floundering, unsure whether to engage front or rear, the battle's tide had already turned.
"Throw the grappling hooks!"
"Fire volleys!"
Shwoosh!
Bang bang bang!
Drake sensed victory.
Allied ships approached the scattered enemies here and there, boarding them and taking them down, then moving on to the next.
After repeating this several times, their initial numerical superiority was completely reversed, and England's St. George's Cross flags fluttered from vessels everywhere.
"Ha! Now let's take down that carrack!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Sir Drake let out a mad cackle as he charged toward the enemy ship, his men covering him with a hail of bullets that broke the Spaniards.
They had already claimed four ships, yet not a single Spaniard had set foot on Drake's flagship. It was a clear sign of how the battle was going.
As he pressed forward, killing and capturing, Drake pondered what had turned this battle into a victory.
...No need to say it twice: those two absurd ships from Virginia.
He had no idea how that ridiculous plan had worked, but the miracle unfolding before his eyes made all other explanations irrelevant.
'As expected...! The mysteries of the sea are wondrous!'
The talking seagull and mermaid he'd seen back then weren't hallucinations! Look—there, on the water, was a sea god accurately pinpointing his and the enemy's positions!
The English ships could plunge into the Spanish ranks like this all because "it" had unleashed a sudden barrage from the rear.
It was a brief raid, but enough to shatter the masts and hulls of many small ships and sow chaos among the larger ones.
Come to think of it, those two ships of his...
"There they... Oh, Lord, damn it."
Drake, watching the enemy ships from afar, confronted a despairing sight.
Three warships had surrounded a low, oddly shaped vessel. Considering the clipper's low hull, there was no way for it to break through to friendly ships.
It was only a matter of time before that ship was captured.
No. The one aboard was the native emperor and de facto ruler of the Virginia colony (and mysterious sea entity)!
Drake raised his sword high, whirling it to draw his crew's attention.
"Charge forward now! Our allies are surrounded!"
At his command, the sailors cleared ropes and planks linking to the captured enemy ship and unfurled the sails again.
As Drake's flagship surged ahead, Spanish ships panicked and veered aside, fearing collision.
A path opened.
As they brushed the starboard side of one ship encircling the Enterprise, Drake leaped aboard without hesitation, thrusting his sword into a Spanish soldier's throat.
He then shot another flustered Spaniard in the head. While Drake bought time, English sailors laid planks between the ships and charged across.
As his allies caught up late, Drake, half-intoxicated by the stench of blood, dashed to the port side and spotted the beleaguered Enterprise...
Vreeeeeeeng!
The... beleaguered... Enterprise...
"M-Monster! It's a monster!"
"S-S-Save...! Lord, save...!"
...What the hell is this?
The reason Spain's conquistadors conquered the Aztecs and Incas? People often point to "guns."
But really?
Guns of this era took minutes to reload and lacked accuracy.
Sure, they had superior penetration over bows, but Aztec and Inca warriors wore at best cotton armor, so it was pointless.
Of course, in early battles, dropping foes "instantly" with thunderous booms and smoke made gunpowder weapons seem like magic, shattering enemy morale.
A volley from a hundred men was enough to break spirits instantly, regardless of actual lethality.
And that was the extent of it.
Once Aztecs and Incas adapted to firearms, guns became just another ranged weapon.
With powder supplies dwindling, conquistadors relied on crossbows and bows instead.
But flip that around?
In those early battles, gunpowder weapons were pure "diabolical sorcery" to the natives.
Vreeeeeeeng!
"D-Don't come closer! Stay back!"
Vreeeeeeeng!
"Gaaahhh!"
Think of those SF movies where aliens fire laser guns. Flashy lights and visuals, but in-story, their power often matches modern firearms.
Now imagine facing that in reality.
A green-headed alien aiming a laser gun and lightsaber right in front of you.
Who could rationally think, "Eh, it's no different from modern weapons!"?
"Urk, urgh... S-Save...!"
Splash!
The Spanish soldiers who saw my chainsaw were exactly like that.
In truth, only three or four were actually injured by it.
Far more panicked at its gruesome roar, got shot by friendly fire, or fell into the sea fleeing.
Of the dozens who boarded our ship, half floundered in panic.
"Fire!"
Bang bang bang bang!
Under Raleigh's command, soldiers with Lexan shields unleashed a barrage, finishing the rest.
Just as Spaniards had crushed dozens or hundreds of natives with guns.
We crushed the Spaniards with "transparent shields" and "screaming saws."
A while later.
"...All done?"
With wounded and unconscious Spaniards littering the deck, I finally had time to look around.
My clothes were torn in spots, but no injuries. Just as I thought we'd cleared the deck...
"...What is that?"
"Sir Drake? When did you arrive?"
"I-I came to... help... but..."
Drake boarded our ship, half-dazed.
"..."
"..."
"Can I... touch it?"
"No."
"..."
"..."
Tsk. No way. This'll hurt if a childish Englishman touches it.
As I edged away from Sir Drake, killed the engine, and Raleigh called him over—turning his head.
"Y-You damned demon...!"
Oh. One Spaniard left...
Crunch.
The Spaniard stabbed my gut with his sword, smirking triumphantly as if victorious.
Vreeeeeeeng!
I revved it up again and ground through his neck.
Then, like an office worker four minutes from clocking in, I yanked the sword from my ship—er, gut—and straightened my clothes.
D-Damn it, right in front of Drake...!
"Hm, looks like one more enemy was hiding."
"...Sir Drake?"
"Yes?"
"Did you... see?"
"See what? I was just talking with Baron Raleigh..."
"..."
"..."
"...Nothing."
Phew.
Not caught.
...Don't make eye contact.
You can't stare too long at the "mystery of the sea." You might go mad.
I just had a "vision" of him pulling a sword from his ship. See? Blood on his clothes, but spotless otherwise.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine, Walter. Any wounded?"
"Just a few with grazing bullet wounds. Don't worry."
Even Raleigh and the others hadn't noticed. Such oblivious attitudes.
Only Francis Drake had witnessed that scene.
'As expected... those who called the mermaid some weird sea beast were all liars.'
Kraken, Flying Dutchman, Fountain of Youth—they all exist, no doubt.
"Now that the battle's wrapping up... time to head home."
"Home, you say...?"
Under the sea?
"Croatoan."
Ah, got it.
"Oh, already half past four... Too late—shall we anchor at a nearby port?"
...Cloudy, no sun—how does he know the time?
Truly the mystery of the sea.
This world is full of wonders.
'Once this is over, I should hunt for El Dorado...'
And so, Drake's faith in superstitions deepened.
"Take all the captured ships except one or two. We'll handle the freed slaves."
"Of course, Your Majesty! Haha, what a grand and absurd battle! Won't see another like it!"
Now... we're completely safe.
I realized it, feeling Drake's reverent gaze.
England is Virginia's greatest ally.
So, what's our community's biggest potential threat?
The Spanish fleet? Close, but no.
That's England too.
Spain's fleet is dangerous, but they have much to defend, making concentrated offensives hard.
Just look at the England-Spain war timeline from game catalogs.
Early on, both attempted massive homeland invasions and failed spectacularly. No full-scale wars after.
When English harassed Spanish colonies and treasure fleets, the Spanish navy focused on swatting them like flies.
But the English navy was different.
Fleets led by Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, John Hawkins raided, besieged, and plundered Spanish colonies, aggressively piling damage.
Why? England had nothing to lose.
They burned Cadiz, Cuba, Florida. They could do it anywhere.
But not Virginia anymore.
Thanks to me, they're reaping massive profits. They even fought as allies.
England's most threatening admiral, Drake, is friendly to me and keeps contracting.
Colony threats are practically gone.
Now, back to Virginia for peaceful days.
Thinking that, I happily set foot on Chesapeake Bay soil.
"Uwaaaaaah! We won!"
"Long live the Virginia community! Long live England!"
Sensing victory, the crowd cheered as we disembarked. Vicente and Raleigh smiled broadly, greeting the settlers' cheers.
Most settlers being natives didn't care who fought whom, but victory made everyone happy.
Just then, Manteo, Eleanor Dare, Thomas Huet, and John White approached from afar.
"Congratulations! Such a triumph! Plundering a Spanish treasure fleet—what an feat I never dreamed of!"
Bacon shouted joyfully.
"We freed... 2,000 slaves? Th-That's wonderful..."
Eleanor Dare wiped tears.
"If it's alright, may I inspect that captured galleon? It could link Chesapeake and Croatoan tighter! And all that silver...!"
John White pondered the benefits to the settlement.
Everyone writhing in joy and excitement, I felt buoyed and spoke to Huet.
"Mr. Huet, what do you think?"
He replied.
"What's to say? Spain's treasure will fill our coffers! No financial woes for a while!"
"Right. Peaceful days ahead for..."
"Now we show those Spaniards what-for!"
"Pardon?"
"...Pardon?"
The mood chilled at my question.
The English stares turned awkwardly strange.
What? Why?
As I puzzled, Raleigh approached and whispered.
"What do you mean? We haven't even started!"
"Huh?"
"We raided one treasure fleet—now wipe out all enemies around here, right?"
Huh?
Panicking, I looked around—everyone who'd heard Raleigh nodded.
Thomas Huet too.
Walter Raleigh too.
John White too.
All the other Englishmen.
"...Now! Let's break the Spaniards' noses!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
They shouted with the hot-blooded resolve of shonen manga protagonists yelling, "Our adventure starts now!"
...Are you all insane?