Chapter 195: Compass Theft Operation (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195: Compass Theft Operation (7)
The shells fired from the Bellado Principality’s warships were infused with magic.
It was war-grade reinforcement magic, designed to increase both their range and explosive power. Empowering hundreds of cannons in such a manner would require at least a hundred 6-star mages.
Furthermore, the presence of that many 6-star mages implied that a significant number of even higher-ranking mages were present to lead them.
Under normal circumstances, a military force of this magnitude would have no reason to visit a tiny, deserted island. While Runcandel had dispatched ten mid-to-high-level Guardian Knights, Viment had sent an army prepared for all-out war.
This meant Viment either had better intelligence on Zipple and Kinzelo than Runcandel, or they were simply far more invested in this matter.
Black dots appeared in the sky, plummeting at terrifying speeds. In an instant, the shells reached the harbor.
“E-Everyone, get down!”
“Aigoo!”
The pirates screamed in utter panic, while the Runcandel Guardian Knights merely narrowed their eyes in irritation.
Boom! Crash! Flash!
Shells rained down upon the harbor and the beach. Columns of water erupted from the explosions, pirate ships were torn asunder, debris flew everywhere, and the very stones and sand of the harbor were blasted apart.
Unlike the pirates, who either dropped flat on the ground or ran around shrieking, the Guardian Knights skillfully cut down or evaded the shells and shrapnel flying toward them.
“Tsk, how annoying.”
“Report this to the main house. Tell them the bastards from the Bellado Principality have lost their minds.”
Boom…! Bang! Bang!
Before the pirates could even regain their senses, the next volley followed.
For Jin, this was an advantage. The more chaotic the situation became, the easier it would be to slip away from the Guardian Knights' sight. Even if every anchored ship was destroyed, he had planned to escape on Murakan anyway.
Unfortunately, the arrival of the Bellado Principality’s fleet proved to be a stroke of ill fortune for Jin as well.
In the wake of the reinforcement magic, another spell began to take shape. Suddenly, the dark night sky started to turn a deep shade of crimson.
It wasn't because the shells were spitting fire. It was the result of a massive barrier being cast by the mages aboard the Bellado fleet.
‘A Great Chain Barrier…?! The Viment Special Task Force even prepared for this?’
A Great Chain Barrier was, as its name suggested, a spell where multiple mages combined their mana to construct a massive ward.
It was typically used to protect castles or cities from enemy attacks. However, it could also be deployed to ensure an enemy could not escape—just like now.
‘The Red Chain Barrier. This isn't a spell used by the Special Task Force; it’s a chain magic utilized by the mages of the Imperial Guard. Does this mean the Imperial Guard was on standby as well?’
The Red Chain Barrier was one of the signature spells of the Viment Imperial Guard’s mages. The core of this magic, which they had developed themselves, was airspace control.
It was a barrier deployed to annihilate dragons or other flying monsters and prevent their escape should they terrorize the Imperial Palace. Within the Red Chain Barrier, no winged creature larger than a sparrow could fly freely.
The moment an aerial object was detected, the barrier would instantly unleash thousands of red beams of light. As a spell developed for the Emperor’s safety, its power was horrific.
The moment the barrier enveloped the entire island, Jin’s plan to escape on Murakan vanished into thin air.
‘Even if Murakan could withstand the barrier, the safety of his passengers is the real problem. I have to revise the plan.’
They had to escape by boat. But the relentless bombardment was smashing the harbor and its pirate ships to pieces, and the Bellado fleet was already surrounding the island.
‘Still, it’s better to find a boat and get into a chase with the Bellado fleet. Flying inside that barrier is far too dangerous.’
They had to take a boat and get outside the barrier first. The fleet would give chase, but once they were clear of it, they could escape on Murakan.
Getting back to Murakan became more urgent than finding his other comrades. Since the Red Chain Barrier was developed about a hundred years ago, Murakan likely wouldn't know of its dangers.
Jin had to inform him quickly, lest Murakan get frustrated while looking for the others and decide to take to the skies on his own.
“Murakan!”
“Kid?”
Jin retraced his steps, searching the vicinity. Fortunately, he found him quickly. Just as Jin finished explaining the Red Chain Barrier, Siris emerged from the chaos.
“Jin! You’ve grasped the situation, right? The eastern harbor and all its ships are completely destroyed. This island is small; there’s a limit to how long we can dodge these pests.”
She had also assessed the situation while shaking off the Special Task Force.
“Lady Siris, do you know which escape point our comrades headed for?”
“They headed for the western escape points. Those two are from Viment, so they know exactly what that barrier means. If we can’t find a boat, we’re finished.”
“Those damn humans, when did they develop magic like this? Everything’s being smashed to bits. How are we supposed to find a boat? Hey, Kid’s girlfriend, you didn’t bring that Snow Toad, did you?”
“If I could have brought Mort, would I be in this mess? And you, Black Dragon—why don’t you just announce to the whole world that the Secret Palace is involved while you’re at it?”
“The three of us should stick together. Let’s find Lady Alisa and Sir Casimir and hope at least one boat is left in the nearest harbor.”
The sound of explosions continued to echo in the distance. Murakan transformed back into a cat and leaped into Siris’s arms.
“Phew. First the Special Task Force, and now the Imperial Guard. I didn’t expect things to get this complicated. My mother told me to help out like I was just going for a stroll.”
“I was surprised when I first learned you were participating in this operation, Lady Siris.”
“I’m more surprised that you turned the entire second floor upside down by yourself. You’ve become a monster, Jin Runcandel.”
“The Guardian Knights are looking for you with murder in their eyes. Let’s move without drawing attention.”
Alisa and Casimir had headed west to shake the Special Task Force. Thanks to Siris, the group found the escape points quickly without getting lost.
“Sir Casimir.”
They found Casimir, Alisa, and Quicantel at Escape Point 7.
It was a warehouse used by the pirates stationed on the island. Originally, any comrade who retreated here after the compass theft was supposed to hide among the supplies, board a pirate ship, and escape.
“I decided to wait just three minutes in case you showed up. It seems my intuition was correct. It’s been a while, Young Master.”
“Lady Siris. I see you’ve successfully evaded my juniors as well.”
“Seeing that Murakan is fine, I assume you didn’t try to fly inside the barrier. I was worried you’d get shredded trying to find us.”
“Is that human barrier really that powerful? Can’t we just fly through and break it?”
“The mages of the Imperial Guard are on par with the White Night. And dozens of them cast this together. The two of us alone aren’t enough to break it.”
They kept the greetings brief and immediately went to look for a boat.
However, when they left the escape point and checked the western harbor, they found it completely destroyed by the bombardment. Not a single intact ship remained, and the area was littered with the corpses of pirates—likely killed by the Guardian Knights. Only the southern harbor was left.
But reaching the southern harbor would take too long. Even on a small island, it would take at least thirty minutes of running.
The thunder of the naval guns was drawing closer. While the comrades were regrouping, the Bellado fleet had tightened its perimeter, almost completely surrounding the island.
“The chances of a boat surviving in the south are low. It might be better to just start swimming out of the barrier’s range now,” Jin said, swallowing a sigh.
“And what if we get hit by a shell?” Siris asked.
Jin simply shrugged. “Well… we’re all fairly sturdy, aren’t we?”
“Uh, well… yeah. I guess so. It doesn’t seem like there’s any other way.”
“Surviving a shell is one thing, but the real problem is being spotted by the fleet. If that happens, the troops on board will attack us directly.”
“Meaning mages on the level of the White Night will be aiming spells at us while we’re swimming.”
No matter how strong Jin and his companions were, they couldn't fight properly in the water. The moment they were spotted by the fleet’s Special Task Force or mages, they would likely be suppressed without any chance to counterattack. The barrier prevented the two dragons from flying, they couldn't fight while swimming, and there was nowhere to hide on this tiny island.
Sigh.
Though he had spoken calmly about swimming, the fact that such an escape relied on luck rather than skill weighed heavily on his chest.
‘Who would have thought the Imperial Guard would deploy the Red Chain Barrier? Damn it.’
His comrades felt the same.
If they were lucky, they would all make it out of the barrier safely. But they had to be prepared for the possibility that one or two of them might not make it back to Tikan.
“…Let’s go.”
They stepped out from the escape point.
What greeted them was an island in shambles, a sky dyed red by the barrier, and the shells that streaked across it.
Pirates, nobles, and beggars were still screaming and running in every direction. The island looked like a scene from the end of the world.
“The bombardment is concentrated on the harbors, so it would be better to look for a cliff… Huh?”
“What is it?”
Jin stopped mid-sentence, and his comrades’ attention snapped to him.
‘That guy… He’s the pirate from earlier, the one who was telling people to run for the ships at the northern harbor.’
A particular pirate had entered Jin’s field of vision. He suddenly remembered how the man had incited the other pirates before fleeing in the opposite direction himself.
Unlike his panicked behavior at the northern harbor, he now wore a calm expression. Another pirate, who had been running down the street screaming, stopped beside him. Amid a sea of people running frantically, only those two had come to a halt.
“Lady Siris, Lady Alisa. Can you two read the lips of those pirates over there?”
“All of a sudden?”
“Can you do it?”
“It’s possible.”
Siris and Alisa didn’t ask for a reason and immediately began to read their lips.
“I thought I was going to die from how much money the Captain wasted on that thing, but it ended up saving our lives.”
“You’re right. Sometimes it seems our Captain has real foresight. He must have known a day like this would come.”
“Everyone else is finished. Idiots. I told them to run for the ships, and they actually did it. I can’t believe they fell for it. With Runcandel Guardian Knights standing right there, they ran just because I said so? Morons.”
“It’s a miracle they survived this long with those tiny brains. Same thing happened on my end. We’re the only ones getting out of this. Hehe, another legend of the Great Pirate Crew is about to be born. We’re about to shake off Viment’s entire fleet while the island is surrounded!”
“Whew, looks like no one else is coming. Let’s get going.”
That was the end of the conversation Siris and Alisa could read. Having finished their talk, the two pirates began walking off.
The comrades, having heard the entire conversation relayed by Siris and Alisa, exchanged glances.
“What they’re saying… doesn’t sound ordinary, does it?”
“It sounds like they have something prepared for a time like this. It wouldn’t hurt to follow them.”
Jin couldn't help but smile.
‘I hated the idea of relying on luck instead of skill, but if this is what I think it is, that’s a different story.’
He didn't know what the pirates had prepared.
But somehow, he had a feeling it would be the key to brilliantly overcoming this desperate situation.