Chapter 42
CHAPTER_TITLE: The Sinking Ships and the Hidden Isles
Right after the collision, Matthias's flagship rocked slightly, but it held firm.
His warships, built specifically for the war, were far from fragile enough to be shaken by a collision with the decaying vessels of Rotinzel.
"Head up there!"
Jason shouted, voice cracking with desperation.
They would only be waiting for the ship to sink if they stayed aboard, so the Rotinzel soldiers who had been on the bow moved onto Matthias's flagship.
Because the Bluisol fleet was larger, climbing aboard was no easy task. They only had to grab the ropes, and those ropes were cut in the sea, with many soldiers plunging into the depths.
Still, some managed to descend successfully.
Hand-to-hand fighting erupted across the deck. Since Rotinzel was filled with pirates, they believed ordinary civilians would fare poorly against them.
Yet Matthias's flagship carried Fabian, Nael, and Jeanne.
Matthias had meticulously recorded every detail of the battle, allowing Jeanne to realize that the enemy ships had collided and were trading cannon fire, not engaging in a soldier-to-soldier clash.
Jeanne's knights would not face ordinary soldiers.
They swiftly subdued the bow soldiers.
"Where is Jason?"
Jeanne scanned the enemy officers for him.
If he survived, he would continue participating in future battles, sink dozens of Bluisol ships, and even kill Kalen.
Only by killing him could that future be prevented.
But among the corpses dangling from the railings, he was nowhere to be seen.
He had jumped into the sea and fled in the middle of it.
Matthias, once the deck was cleared, gave the next calm order.
"Maintain the blockade!"
Yet their goal was not to capture the flagship.
Jason had sacrificed one of his ships to create confusion in the command chain and draw their attention for a brief moment, then slipped through a gap on the opposite side.
Using a ramming tactic, they crashed into the flagship while deliberately damaging their own vessel to create an opening.
Even as their ship began to sink, they desperately threw grappling hooks in an attempt to board the Bluisol vessel.
Fortunately, Jeanne had stationed knights there: Ethan, Ines, and Dane. The damage from hand-to-hand combat was minimal.
Still, they could not capture every enemy ship; two Rotinzel vessels, including the flagship, managed to break through the blockade.
"Pursue them!"
As soon as Matthias's order was given, the Bluisol fleet released the blockade and chased the Rotinzel ships.
Forty or more enemy vessels were now combat-ineffective. Most were wrecked and sinking or already ablaze. Leaving them would only hasten their descent into the ocean.
So there was no harm in abandoning the pursuit.
Yet the galleys of Rotinzel were faster than their own ships, and several managed to slip away.
"Target acquired."
Heini drew her bowstring, eyes narrowed with intent.
Twang!
One arrow whistled through the air.
Thud!
"Aah!"
The arrow struck precisely in Leonard's left eye as he frantically commanded the retreat.
"Grrrooogh..."
Despite the agony, Leonard snapped the arrow shaft and continued giving orders. His will was astonishing, even as an enemy.
Nael praised Heini's skill.
"Wow, how did you aim for the eyes exactly? You're something else."
"Idiot. Why would you aim for the eyes? This isn't about showing off your archery. I was aiming for the face to kill him, but he dodged the eyes."
"I can't praise you for that."
Feeling embarrassed, Nael scratched his head.
Or perhaps not. Heini regretted not killing the enemy commander.
Striking an archer's target in the eye was a common tale in legends and myths.
It was a cliché for showcasing the archer's skill, yet Heini, a hunter who valued practicality above all, dismissed such stories as mere performance.
She refused to accept Nael's compliment as sincere praise for her feat.
Jason's flagship had maintained distance from the start, so only eleven of its ships were caught in the blockade and forced to retreat.
At a suitable point, Matthias halted the pursuit.
Continued chasing could have led to the speed difference causing a counterattack from the enemy.
"Waaaaah!"
The victorious soldiers raised their hands high and cheered.
Jeanne glanced at Matthias.
He observed the casualties of his own forces with an unwavering gaze.
'He never stops for a single moment until the very end. What a remarkable man.'
Jeanne smiled faintly as she looked at him.
***
"Haah. I almost died."
Jason had fallen into the sea during the battle. More precisely, he had jumped in himself.
His exceptional swimming ability had allowed him to escape the chaos of cannons and flaming arrows raining down from above.
Thanks to that, he managed to survive and landed on a nameless small island.
After catching his breath, he prepared to investigate the island's nature.
Yet a faint presence made him furrow his brow.
"Um..."
Was a wild animal living here?
He had discarded his sword when he jumped into the sea, so he was unarmed. If a carnivorous beast attacked, it would be extremely dangerous.
Matching eyes appeared in the bushes.
"Wolf?"
Jason immediately shook his head.
'No, that's not it.'
But Jason's thought process was cut short.
"Ghek!"
Before he could even react, something sharp grazed his neck.
In the fading consciousness, Jason perceived it as the fangs of a beast.
Thud.
The headless body collapsed to the ground.
***
The victory at the Battle of Tracque had already been predestined in his previous life.
Yet Matthias had not annihilated every enemy soldier.
Some Rotinzel forces had jumped into the sea and survived.
Among them were Jason, a Rotinzel commander, who had fled to an island near Tracque and was living on fish and seaweed.
That day, Jeanne had rushed to Matthias's office to discuss a strategy for capturing Jason.
She only knew he had fled to a nearby island and survived for two weeks, but she lacked the precise location.
"Is there an island near Tracque suitable for people to stay on for several days?"
"Do you mean a place to anchor ships?"
"No. An island reachable by swimming."
"May I ask the reason behind the search?"
"I believe we will win this battle. But among the defeated enemies, isn't there a possibility that survivors who did not die despite their ships being destroyed will reach the island and live?"
Matthias nodded.
Jeanne continued.
"It should be a place not discovered during routine searches. Suitable for staying two weeks to a month. From there, one can return to Plamont without being caught. That's the island I'm looking for."
Jeanne laid out the specific conditions.
Matthias gestured briefly and asked the fisherman beside him.
The fisherman nodded slowly and pointed to several spots on the map with his finger.
Matthias, though well-versed in the waters before La Rochelle, did not know every island, so he relied on the fisherman to explain.
Having a seasoned fisherman who knew every inch of La Rochelle's sea beside Matthias was a stroke of fortune for Jeanne.
"Here and here are rocky islands where one cannot stay for several days. Here is a steep cliff coastline, impossible for people to climb."
Matthias selected a few uninhabited island candidates from the map. However, there were too many small islands to pinpoint one.
"It was said to be a place not found during searches, so the island is unlikely to be very small. There might even be forests."
"Then let's do it this way."
"Understood."
***
Of course, they had not perfectly isolated a single island for Jason.
Jeanne and Matthias selected three of the most promising islands based on the fisherman's information and stationed knights on each.
And of those, the one they sent was Chastan.
Chastan hurled Jason's severed head onto the ground.
Chastan, who had been unable to fight in battles due to seasickness, had received a special order to exterminate the Rotinzel soldiers who had fled to nearby islands.
Among Jeanne's knights, Chastan was the one most unwilling to hesitate when cutting down enemies.
He was a wild beast of a knight focused solely on hunting his target, swift and merciless.
"I wish there were more."
Smiling with his bloodied sword, Chastan had a chilling aura.
***
It had been a perfect encirclement and annihilation.
Forty-two enemy ships had sunk, and eleven had been captured.
Bluisol losses were minor damage to the flagship and nine soldiers.
Even those who suffered wounds had only received them when the enemy ships rammed and boarded.
Above all, capturing Jason was a tremendous harvest.
After the task was completed and the cleanup began, Jeanne praised Chastan.
"Well done."
"O-of course it was something I had to do."
Chastan's embarrassment showed as Jeanne praised him.
Sending Chastan to the island had been the right choice.
He excelled in combat, could defeat any enemy commander, and could unleash his full power on land.
"Tch."
Nael, feeling his own contribution was insignificant this time, sounded disappointed.
Everything had gone smoothly.
Compared to before Jeanne's regression, the outcome was even greater, and the losses were even smaller.
However, failing to kill Leonard remained a regret.
Matthias granted the injured soldiers time to rest.
Once wine and meat were provided, the knights of La Rochelle mingled with the soldiers and shared in the joy of victory.
The noisy celebration spread across the La Rochelle camp.
Yet Matthias sat apart, diligently recording the events of the day in his journal.
Jeanne, watching the happy soldiers, felt a warm smile, yet she herself preferred quiet places.
So it was no coincidence that they encountered each other here.
"Why aren't you with those people?"
"I would only make them uncomfortable."
Jeanne had chosen to stand aside so they could enjoy themselves without feeling pressured.
Matthias folded his journal and greeted Jeanne.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to capture Jason."
"Thank you? I merely provided a tiny clue. The credit for this great victory belongs entirely to you."
"Your kind words honor me."
Jeanne and Matthias sat side by side, gazing at the sea.
Where such a fierce battle had raged during the day now felt eerily quiet.
After admiring the sound of waves for a long time, Matthias spoke.
"What are your plans from here?"
"This battle holds great meaning. Hope is like a spark. If it doesn't exist, one cannot know, but if even a tiny one is lit, adding fuel will make it grow rapidly. Since you kindled the spark of hope, I must fan it into a great flame."
"Are you planning to gather volunteers?"
Jeanne nodded.
"First, I must travel across the entire kingdom to gather volunteers. This land is the land of knights. Gathering wandering knights alone will be of great help. Of course, the people who rose up to defend the kingdom by themselves will also be a powerful force."
Jeanne's primary plan was to find a blacksmith village first and rescue its artisans.
Afterward, she would travel across Bluisol to recruit volunteers, expand the army, and head to Peale Castle with the gathered volunteers.
Ultimately, her goal was to rescue Laurent, who should have died at Peale Castle.
"If we stay here, it will be easier to build up our forces."
Jeanne smiled faintly.
"The place I must be is not a comfortable and safe one, but the place where I breathe alongside the countless people. With you here, it is fine."
Again, the sound of waves lingered between them.
While watching the sun slowly set, Jeanne spoke to Matthias.
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"I would appreciate it if you could provide support."
Food, military supplies, or even essential items like paper were in short supply in Bluisol's current situation.
Most land roads were in disarray or occupied by Rotinzel forces, blocking the movement of supplies.
"Understood."
Matthias promised to provide some of the captured spoils from this battle as military supplies to Jeanne.
He also agreed to deliver food and other supplies to Ileon via sea route.
"Before that, there is a place I wish to go with you."
"Hm?"
"Once this battle ends, Captain said he would take you to La Rochelle."
"Ah, I remember your promise."
"Will it be all right to leave right away tomorrow?"
"Of course."
Matthias rose from his seat.
"Understood. Then, may you have a peaceful night tonight."
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