The boat with Vieille on board is slowly moving toward Aphrodite. Nique was already gone. He had returned with Vieille to his own ship when she had moved onto it.
"Well, brother-in-law, I'm with you..."
When the Duke of Vailas saw that Vieille had started to move, he bowed his head and left the scene.
"We are ready to go."
One of the soldiers rushed to us and stood erect and immobile. I checked both sides of him.
So far, there seems to be no sign of movent in Sandanji. It's that Nike. He must be ready and waiting for to make my move. On the ship, the crew is busy moving about. On the other hand, Heedata's ship is so still that it is hard to believe that he is about to go to the battlefield. Perhaps it is because the Duke of Vilas has not returned yet, but there is not a single person on board the ship.
I slowly look ahead. Vieille's fleet was advancing and forming up.
"Oh, yes. They are in formation as if they are about to charge.
Knogen mutters to no one in particular.
Vieille's fleet was in a mountainous formation, so to speak. They are moving slowly without sails, keeping a uniform distance from each other.
"But that will be no good to us if we are attacked by fire arrows!
Matkal opens his mouth in a calm tone. Well, it is true that when one ship is engulfed in flas by fire arrows or fire magic, the flas are likely to spread to the surrounding ships one after another.
"No, I guess they don't take such a thing into consideration at all. The objective is to assault the Aphrodite, isn't it?"
"But at that speed, we risk being wiped out before we reach Aphrodite. We have to be more agile."
"It's ...... probably waiting for us to make our move."
After I said that much, Knogen turned his attention to .
"I think it's ti to move on."
I nodded slowly.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
"I say! The pirate ships are on the move!"
Ron Esrother muttered in a low voice that he had arrived, got up from his chair, and left the office at a brisk pace. He went to the room that Vieille used as his bedroom.
When he entered the room, he opened the large, wide window with great force. Below him, he could see a fleet of dozens of ships heading toward Aphrodite.
The sky was clear and cloudless. The wind was calm, and the scene was so peaceful that it was hard to imagine that a battle was about to begin.
"Tell the defenders guarding the harbor to attack with deadly force until the enemy cos ashore. Tell the troops anchored at sea to prepare for a siege. And don't neglect the preparations for fireworks."
One by one, the young cardinals who had been standing by ran out of the room to deliver Ron Esrotel's order.
"Well, I guess I'd better get to work, too.
With that, he left the room with the rest of the cardinals in tow.
When he finished his preparations and stepped outside the temple, the ship in which Vieille had boarded was still far out at sea. Ron Esrotel grins and opens his mouth loudly to those around him.
"You're still out there..." he says with a grin. I see. At that distance, bows and magic can't reach them. But at that speed, it will be dark by the ti we reach the harbor?
His words are t with laughter from those around him.
Ron Esrotel, laughing as much as everyone else, while looking at the fleet of boats moving slowly toward them, could not understand why Vieille would take such a step.
Ships and boats were advancing in tight formation. No sails are set. Perhaps the rowers are pushing the boats forward. The fact that the formation has not been broken shows that the rowers are moving in a single, unrestrained movent. The skill of the rowers was impressive. However, I do not understand the aning of that formation when moving without sails. If they were going to storm the harbor like a gale and thunder, I can understand why they would take that formation. But it is dayti now. And at such a low speed, it is as if they are asking us to attack them. If even one ship is engulfed in flas, it will be one after another.
...... Are they daring to put the ship in flas and run into the harbor?
This is insane. But it would upset the defenders of the harbor in no small way. Six huge fireballs will be hurled toward the harbor. The forces at sea will not be able to attack easily.
"Sarco!"
"Ha!"
The young cardinal, standing by, responds on one knee. Ron Esrotel turned to the man and gave the order as if he were chewing on it.
"All right. Spread the word to the whole army! Do not attack when the enemy is in range of your bow and arrow, but when their ships set sail, even if you cannot reach them. Tell them to fire arrows and magic without hesitation. Aim at the sails as much as possible. Perhaps the ships will be set afla one after another, but do not relax your hand. They should be sunk before they reach the harbor.
The young cardinal repeated Ron Esrotel's order faithfully, then said, "Yes, sir," and left quickly.
"All right. When the attack from the harbor starts, set off the fireworks. We will launch an all-out attack."
Ron Esrotel turned to those who had been waiting around him and gave the order. Everyone nodded in agreent. With a look of satisfaction on his face, he turned his attention again in the direction of the harbor.
At that mont, there was a change in the boat in which Vieille was boarding.
As if by design, six ships set sail at the sa ti and in an instant.
"This ......"
I wanted to say, "Attack," but I couldn't speak. But I could not speak. To my surprise, the sails of the six ships had the coat of arms of the Church of Crimiana painted on them.
The crests were painted all over the sails. Behind them were the ships of Agartha, Sandanzi, and Hideta. Each of them also had sails full of the coat of arms of the country. From Ron Esrotel's position, it looked as if the Church of Crimiana was leading Agartha, Sandanzi, and Heedata.
No one uttered a sound. The only sounds were those of the waves and the seagulls.
The ship was heading toward the harbor, increasing its speed. The formation was not broken at all, and the boats continued to move without a single movent.
Even when the six ships were in range, no attack was made, not even with bows and arrows.
"What a ......"
Ron Esrotel looked as if he were chewing a bitter bug, and his voice sounded as if it was being squeezed out of the pit of his stomach. If you are a Christian, you cannot attack that ship. To attack that ship would be like drawing a bow against the Lord God. Such a thing was an absolute no-no, especially for those of us living here in Aphrodite.
The fleet is speeding up and approaching the harbor. Then the ships slowly entered the harbor as if nothing had happened.
"Move back! ...... make the harbor defenders retreat. Pull them back to the Pope's temple.
No one reacted to Ron Esrotel's words. He opens his mouth again, this ti with anger in his voice.
"Do you not understand what I am telling you? Make them pull back quickly!"
As if startled by the shouts, the cardinals around them began to scramble.
"Wait!"
Ron Esrotel grabbed a man by the collar as he passed by and pulled him to his feet. He yelled at the man, who had a surprised look on his face.
"What are you doing! Set off the fireworks! If you attack from behind, you won't see the crest on that sail! Let's get these fireworks going!"
The expression on his face was that of a demon.
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