Northeast of the New World, Giant Horn Headland.
This place was close to the northern border of the Black Sea. In fact, it was not too far from the Eternal White Continent that was frozen all year round.
In this sea area.
The Labrador Cold Current from the north to the south and the West Warm Current from the northeast branched off and converged at the sharp corner of the Giant Horn Headland, creating a huge natural fishery.
That scale was second to none even in the entire known world of mankind!
Especially the main fish consumed by the people of the Old Continent – "cod" was almost endless.
When the Atlan Kingdom's explorer Capote first discovered this place, he described it in his nautical diary as follows:
"There are so many cod here that we don't need a fishing net. Just put a stone in the basket and sink it into the water and lift it up. The basket is full of fish."
"Stepping on the shiny backs of the cod, we can walk from the boat to the shore."
One could imagine how rich this fishing ground was!
In fact.
Although the sea was rich in products, it did not mean that the entire sea was full of fish.
Most of the fishery was also because of the convergence of cold and warm currents, stirring the currents and bringing the inorganic salt from the bottom of the sea to the surface, making plankton flourish and providing extremely rich bait for fish.
Most of them were not too far from the land.
If you, as an ocean-going sailor, wanted to fish while passing through the deep sea. Then no matter how lucky you were, you could only catch one or two strange-looking deep-sea fish, the kind that you might not have the courage to eat even if you wanted to.
Near the Giant Horn Headland was a colony belonging to the Atlan Kingdom. This fishery was also regarded as a generous gift from the "Frost Breath".
Backed by the extremely rich fishery resources here, their fishing boats were full of salted and dried cod back to the mainland, thus reaping huge economic returns.
Every year, there would be at least hundreds of fishing boats and even whaling boats operating in this sea area. Just like the significance of the fur industry to the Tulips and Sark, the fishing industry was also the pillar industry of Atlan in the New World.
However, it was next to two covetous neighbors.
This fishery had also become one of the sources of continuous disputes between the three forces.
However, today.
Compared to the fishing boats and whaling boats, two exploration boats that were very rare in this sea area suddenly broke into this place.
It was easy to recognize an exploration ship that was built for speed.
The hull of the ship was relatively long and narrow, and its length to width ratio was almost 6: 1. The hull was relatively short, and it was equipped with a wing sail. It was much faster than ordinary fishing boats and merchant ships.
"Lord Darios, according to the map, we are about to approach the legendary Potosi Island."
Behind the dolphin-shaped bow of the expedition ship, a tall middle-aged man led three "explorers" who were studying the sea map together.
While the flags on both ships were the Atlan Kingdom's battle axe and snowflake flag, the people on the ships spoke in authentic Shilius.
Considering the "Potosi Island" that they mentioned, it was obvious that they were the Shilius treasure hunting ship that had set off from the Old Continent earlier than Elvin!
Following the tradition that Herius had always followed.
On their warships, there were usually two commanders with the highest status. One was the naval commander and the other was the army commander.
However, most of the time, the commander of the army was the one with the highest status on the ship.
It wasn't that they were so stupid that they were amateurs.
Instead, it was because the tactic that the Shilius Paragon Fleet was best at, or rather, unparalleled in the world and invincible in its way, was "boarding battle"!
It was said that as long as they boarded at sea, no one could withstand the blades of the Shilius soldiers.
Therefore.
As the person who came up with the concept of battleships, they were also the people who built the first battleship.
Even though they didn't have an industrial or even a handicraft foundation, their ship structure, sail, and cannon casting techniques had gradually fallen behind the rising stars like Faletis in recent decades.
To them, it was nothing at all.
Because as long as they had the invincible marines, it was completely enough!
Moreover, the marines could guarantee the capture of personnel, supplies, ships, and weapons to the greatest extent. The "greedy" Shilius didn't want to let go of any spoils of war.
At this moment, even on the so-called "exploration ship", it was no exception.
A portion of the elites in the army, together with a portion of the experienced exploration crew, was formed into this expedition team.
Brigadier General Darios from the kingdom's army was the leader, and he was also a bona fide Grade 3 Grand Knight!
Together with the kingdom's marines under his command, they formed the strongest defense of this expedition team.
"Alright, be careful.
The mission we're carrying out this time is a top secret of the kingdom. If word gets out, neither you nor I can bear the consequences, understand? "
"Sir, don't worry. Our navigator has gone back and forth to Giant Horn Cape more than a dozen times. Along the way, we've already avoided the main routes and fishing grounds where fishing boats frequent. We won't be discovered by others."
"That'd better be the case."
The three people at the bow of the ship — Grand Knight Darios, Captain Victor, and Navigator Locke — were the only three people in the entire team who knew the destination and the true content of the mission.
However, in order to keep it a secret, they had already paid a price.
When they went around the periphery of the Samus Trench where the "Mother of Sea Monsters" was entrenched, they unfortunately encountered a large, cunning sea monster.
Even as the leader of the expedition team, Grand Knight Darios, went all out to deal with it, one of the exploration ships was caught off guard and was ambushed by a huge shadow underwater, directly dragging it into the sea.
When they set off, there were a total of three exploration ships with five hundred crew members. By the time they reached the destination, there were only two ships with a total of 386 crew members left.
Even after emergency repairs, they could still see the huge circular scars left behind on the ships. Those were souvenirs left behind by the sea monster's thick and powerful tentacles.
However, in the eyes of the three leaders, it was all worth it.
After more than two months of arduous sailing without being noticed by outsiders, they finally arrived at the Silver Island marked on the sea map — Potosi!
"I've already seen the marker. After passing this crescent-shaped reef that protrudes out of the sea.
Then, we'll make another two compass points to the right. After about twenty nautical miles, we'll truly enter the range of Potosi Island. "
After the final adjustment of the course, there were no accidents.
Nothing unexpected happened along the way. After more than two hours, they successfully arrived at a sea filled with fog.
Even though they still couldn't see the island hidden in the fog, they knew that the destination of this trip was close at hand.
"From here on out, we won't be able to travel on large ships. Although the Netherland Bank Regiment's expedition team discovered this place, it's still very dangerous.
Although the Neanderthals discovered the island, they didn't have the time to find a waterway that can allow ships to pass through in this place filled with fog and reefs.
So, we can only take longboats to the island. "
Navigator Locke had already memorized the sea map by heart. As soon as they arrived at the periphery of the island chain, he reminded the two commanders in a timely manner.
"Boom … Boom … Boom …"
The two "exploration ships" released longboats and sent out fully armed vanguards into the fog. The commanders of the exploration team didn't forget that according to the information from the bank, there was still a group of natives who had fled to this island.
If time permitted, these armed to the teeth marines wouldn't mind using the swords and guns in their hands to completely turn this island into a part of Shilius' territory!
Time passed quickly.
Other than the necessary personnel, most of the people, including the three officers in the know, had already landed on the island. And … they easily discovered the silver mine they had been dreaming of!
Or rather, it was difficult not to discover it.
"Oh, Eternal Fire! This place is basically a mountain of silver! "
That's right. In their eyes, this was indeed a mountain of silver.
Especially when the sun was at its best in the afternoon, when they climbed to the top of a tall mountain and looked up.
The sunlight that penetrated the fog made many places in the mountain look snowy white. At first glance, it looked like a lake, but when they looked again, they knew that it was the silver mine they were looking for.
It even gave them the illusion that as long as they peeled off the stone layer of the mountain, what would be revealed below would be a full silver deposit!
Be it the few officers or the hundreds of soldiers, they were all stunned by the scene before them.
Especially the few officers in the know.
They came with the king's orders. At first, they thought that the bank's exploration report was exaggerated. But now, it seemed that their horizons had limited their imagination. It turned out that there really was a mountain of silver in this world!
After a simple investigation.
They had confirmed that the island chain consisted of a total of five islands not far from each other. Three of the islands had conical "mountains of silver" on them!
Although the exploration scholars on the ship could tell that these were active volcanoes that might erupt again in the future, it didn't prevent them from conducting large-scale silver mining at this stage.
"As the cold and warm currents converge in the nearby sea, this sea area is shrouded in fog all year round. Furthermore, it's not on any main sea route, and there are no schools of fish nearby.
Although it's only a few hundred kilometers away from the coastline, the development of the new continent has been going on for more than a hundred years. This Silver Island surrounded by reefs is completely virgin land. "
An old scholar who had participated in the mining of several gold and silver mines in the southern part of the new continent exclaimed excitedly.
"There's a large portion of the silver deposit exposed outside. There's no need to mine it at all. All we need to do is pick it up! This is the largest silver mine I've ever seen. It's a boundless treasure bestowed to Shilius by the Eternal Fire! "
However, the ownership of this island didn't belong to them for the time being.
In the process of exploring the island, they also discovered the group of Atrian natives hiding here.
In the small village that was already surrounded by wolf-like soldiers.
The men who tried to resist were beaten up, the trembling women, the terrified children, and the despairing elderly. They were all gathered under the colorful totem pole in the center of the village.
"You have occupied our home and snatched away our hunting ground!
We've already hidden on a remote island. Why won't you 'golden-haired devils' let us go? "
An old man wearing a feathered crown with a black eagle feather on his head, representing his status as the leader, held a wooden staff wrapped in ribbons in his hand. His face was filled with grief and indignation as he complained to these 'butchers' who had invaded his home time and time again.
"We came here on a leather dinghy across the sea. Dozens of our tribesmen died because the dinghy capsized. Even the children born here haven't grown up yet!
Why? Why?
Urhao, the God of Death, you can't wait to send your people to accompany you in 'Mitte' (the hell of the Atreans), right? Oh, God! "
The old man spoke in a somewhat choppy Atlan language. Clearly, he treated them as the Atlan who had chased them out of their original home. However, the Shilius soldiers didn't refute.
Great Knight Darios waved his hand disinterestedly. He had heard such words countless times in the central and southern parts of the continent. It could no longer cause any ripples in his heart of stone.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!
The soldiers surrounding him had already pulled out the long swords at their waists and rushed forward.
"Ahhh —"
"Damn devils!"
"No —!"
Amidst the wails of men and women, old and young, the last survivors of the tribe had become a thing of the past in a short period of time.
Before they were cut down by a soldier.
The old man who was the leader of the tribe had tears of blood flowing out of his eyes. He raised his staff and pointed at Great Knight Darios, shouting with all his might.
"I curse you in the name of the souls of the ancestors of the Draper Tribe and the God of Death Wu Hao!
I curse you butchers that none of you will be able to return to your homeland alive!
I curse — "
Kacha!
Boom!
Before he could finish, a young soldier had chopped off his head and his body fell to the ground.
At the same time, the Great Knight cut down the totem pole in the middle of the village with the black eagle and the human face as the main body. He turned around and sneered.
"You're stupid enough to curse a Great Knight?
Moreover, I'm cursed every time I kill a tribe. If curses really work, why would the ones ruling this continent be our Shilius? "
As usual, nothing happened, and no one took the old man's curse to heart.
The tall and sturdy Great Knight Darios turned to the soldiers who were searching for spoils of war.
"Send a message to the mainland and our Navidad Castle on the new continent, report the authenticity of this Silver Island.
Immediately!
At the same time, we must build a camp of sufficient scale as soon as possible, preparing for the kingdom's silver mine.
From now on, the two of you will move together, you can't have any contact with the outside world without my orders! "
"Understood, sir!"
The soldiers replied in unison.
After that, they took over the dwellings of the locals without any hesitation and began to expand the camp in full swing.
However.
In less than half a day, before the sun had even set, Ye Zichen had already arrived.
The crew on the ships reported two pieces of bad news to the commanders.
First, they had caught a spy from the Sack Empire. Although they caught him, they couldn't intercept the terns he sent out.
Second, on the sea in the distance, there were already three battleships that belonged to the Atlan Empire.
They couldn't understand why this clearly planned secret operation was like a bamboo sieve in the end, leaking all over the place.
Even though Great Knight Daos's gaze was as sharp as a knife as he scanned all the soldiers in the line, he knew that the news had been completely exposed, and there was no way to salvage the situation!
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