The wind was very strong that night, causing the flags on the ships to flutter loudly …
A hundred and thirty-seven ships of different sizes formed a circular formation, all lowering their sails and drifting on the surface of the sea …
Whale Island No.8 was a whaling ship, but after the whale shoal on Whale Island was exterminated, it became a large ocean-going fishing boat. Together with the other seven whaling ships, it provided the family with an endless supply of fish.
At this moment, the spacious berth cabin of Whale Island No.8 was packed with people. Dozens of family knights were sitting next to each other, listening to Bodefinger talk about the plan to attack the Haneabada Kingdom.
A large hand-drawn map of the Haneabada Archipelago was hung on the bulkhead, and a dozen butter candles as thick as a person's arm lit up the cabin as if it were daytime.
Boddinger pointed at the map with a thin wooden stick, "Other than the main island of the Haneabada Archipelago, there are twenty-seven long and narrow islands of different sizes around it. What we need to pay attention to are the eight islands in front of Nubit Port. The outermost islands are the Big and Small Kelp Islands.
According to the captives, the Big Kelp Island is the territory of a Baron called Sinyada. There is a slave manor on it, with more than four hundred slaves engaged in fishing and farming. There is a team of twenty to thirty overseers in the manor. The Little Kelp Island is too small, and it isn't a fief. However, slave owners would occasionally bring people there for sightseeing, and they would know if there were people on the island just by looking at the beach.
"Right now, our fleet is about an hour and a half away from the Haneabada Archipelago. We will set sail soon and reach the Haneabada Archipelago at around four in the morning. "Captain Boland, you will be in charge of occupying the Big and Small Kelp Islands. Send a platoon to the Big Kelp Islands and pacify the slaves. Tell them that we are the Norton Family, and we are here to rescue them and give them freedom. As for the overseers, they are useless. Just hang them … "
"Yes, my lord." A sturdy Silver Knight stood up.
Boddinger continued pointing at the map with a thin wooden stick, "After the Big and Small Kelp Islands are the Pomfret Islands on the left and right. These two islands are about the same size, and are the territories of two viscounts. Just like the Big Kelp Islands, there is a slave manor on each island, with seven to eight hundred slaves and a team of nearly a hundred guards and overseers. Leddings, you're in charge of the left pomfret island. Gray, you're in charge of the right pomfret island. "
"Yes, my lord." The two Silver-tier Knights stood up.
"Next is the Two-headed Turtle Island and Fallen Feather Island. There are two fiefs on the Two-headed Turtle Island, one for a Viscount and the other for a Baron. Both of them have a slave manor. The Fallen Feather Island is the Count's territory, and there is also a manor castle built on it. I heard from the captives that the slave owner, the Count, would occasionally come to the island and stay in the castle for a few days. Moyes, you'll be in charge of dealing with the Twin-Headed Turtle.
Zikede, I will leave Fallen Feather Island to you, I will let the Single Wheel Crossbow Army send out a large group to assist you. According to the captives, the Count had a Great Swordsman with him. If they found the slave owner Count on the island, they must not be impulsive, so as not to hurt their men. You can send someone to report to us. We will get rid of that Great Swordsman, understand? "
"Understood, my lord …" The silver knight named Zikede replied.
"Finally, Golden Shark Island and Duck Island. These two islands are slanted in the shape of an eight, like a funnel. At the bottom of the funnel is Nubit Port. Golden Shark Island is the Duke's territory. Ferocious Tiger Ross, you will lead a battalion of heavy-armored soldiers and a large group of Single Wheel Crossbows to sweep through Golden Shark Island. "
"Yes, my lord." Ferocious Tiger Ross replied with a smile.
"Ovikis …"
"I'm here." The bearded Ovikis stood up.
"Your Thunderbolt Catapult Battalion will occupy the innermost corner of Golden Shark Island after Ferocious Tiger Ross. This is because there is a 160-meter wide sea channel between Golden Shark Island and the main island. You must seal this sea channel to prevent the ships in Nubit Port from escaping through it. I will let a battalion of Single Wheel Crossbows and a battalion of heavy-armored soldiers assist you in defending and prevent the enemy from landing on the beach. "
"Yes, my lord. I promise not to let the enemy ships escape through this sea channel," Ovikis said.
"Malek, Duck Island is slightly larger than Golden Shark Island. It is the territory of two Counts and one Viscount. You will be in charge of cleaning up the slave manor on it."
"Yes, my lord," Malek replied.
Bofinger pointed at a spot on the map with a thin wooden stick. "There is a cluster of submerged rocks between Duck Island and the main island, so we don't have to worry about the ships in Nubit Port escaping from there. From the map, the bay of Nubit Port is like a huge wine jar. As long as we seal off the main sea channel and the sub-sea channel at Golden Shark Island, the ships in the port will not be able to escape even if they have wings.
The task of sealing off the main sea channel will be handed over to the naval army. Sunbarwood, Sir said that you only need to sink a dozen ships to seal off the main sea channel. Remember, don't let the enemy ships get close. This is the most important point, understand? "
Sunbarwood nodded.
"Apart from the troops that have taken over the eight islands, the rest of the ships will circle around the submerged rocks and land on the beach of the main island opposite Duck Island. Sir will personally command them. The beach where they will land is less than two miles away from the docks of Nubit Port. Once they land, all the troops will immediately line up and get into a defensive formation. We will then attack Nubit Port after the main force disembarks.
Yuri, your scouts don't need to attack Nubitt Port after landing because you're cavalry. Set off immediately to the rear of Nubitt Port and occupy this hilly area. This is the choke point between Nubitt Port and Hamidas Capital. First, cut off the connection between the two and seal off the news of our attack on Nubitt Port. Second, block the escape route for the slave masters and merchants in Nubitt Port. Josk, His Excellency has ordered you to accompany Yuri and strengthen the combat power of the scout battalion. "
"Yes …" Yuri and Josk stood up.
"Sir, do you have any other orders?" Bofinger looked at Laurist who was sitting at the side.
Laurist stood up, "As for how to attack and land, Bofinger's arrangements are very appropriate. I won't waste any more time on that. I just want to remind everyone to pay attention to two things. First, we are here to rescue our family members who were kidnapped by the slave masters and to avenge the people who died on Cilovas Island. We are not here to die. Although our family's armed forces are very elite, don't be careless.
The slave owners of the Haneabada Kingdom were very rich. They had hired many Great Swordsmen to work for them. According to the captives, there were eleven or twelve Great Swordsmen in Encubit Harbor. Therefore, everyone had to be very careful. As long as we formed a proper formation and defended well, it would be fine to avoid unnecessary casualties. Those Great Swordsmen had their own crossbows, me and Great Swordsmen Erik to deal with them.
Second, the Haneabada Kingdom has more than four hundred thousand slaves. These slaves will also help us. Everyone must tell them that we are here to rescue them. As long as we defeat the slave masters, they will be free. So, we must treat them kindly. They will guide us where to attack and where to find our people.
Alright, if there are no more questions, everyone, go back and prepare. The fleet will set sail in a while. Remember, we are attacking the Haneabada Kingdom because of these words: those who offend Norton will be killed no matter how far away they are! "
All the family knights stood at attention and punched their left chests with their right fists, "Those who offend Norton will be killed no matter how far away they are!"
The whimpering sound of the horn reverberated across the boundless sea. Ships raised their white sails and sailed towards the southwest …
… …
In the distance, Nubit Port rang with the crisp sound of a bell and a loud horn. This was the warning of an enemy attack. From the binoculars, one could see the panicked crowd at the port. They didn't even know what to do and only knew to run around. There hadn't been an enemy attack for decades, so the defenders of Nubit Port had lost their vigilance and ability to react. Perhaps they were already used to dealing with the pitiful slaves, but had forgotten how to deal with foreign invaders.
The Storm had already turned its body and aimed its left cannon at Nubit Port, which was densely covered with masts. As soon as a ship set sail, it would spit out flames and bullets without mercy.
Under the guidance of a medium-sized seagoing ship in front, nearly a hundred large and medium-sized seagoing ships fully loaded with family armed forces made a turn about a hundred meters behind the Storm, bypassing the submerged reef area and speeding towards the beach ahead.
The bell and horn in Nubit Port became more and more urgent. This port city of the Galinthia Continent, famous for its slave trade, was finally in an uproar. Waves of cries and curses reached Laurist's ears.
The deafening sound of the Storm's cannons rang out. The rumbling of the cannons was like the rumbling of thunder in the sky. Laurist could clearly hear that the twelve bronze cannons on the Storm's side didn't fire in succession. Instead, they were divided into three groups, firing four cannons at a time to maintain the continuity of the long-range cannons.
The ship stopped abruptly. It had touched the beach at the bottom of the sea. It was only fifteen to sixteen meters away from the shore. Laurist jumped off the ship and into the sea. The water wasn't deep, only reaching his chest. Laurist began to wade through the water. Behind him, the family soldiers followed Laurist's example and jumped into the sea from the ship …
Standing on the beach, Laurist turned around and looked behind him. The sea was filled with family soldiers wading into the water. On the first row of ships, the heavily armored soldiers were jumping into the sea, while the soldiers of the single-wheeled ballistae were jumping anxiously. They could jump into the sea, but they couldn't possibly throw the ballistae into the sea.
Laurist pulled a guard to the side. "Go to the other side of the ship and pass the order. Get four people from the single-wheeled ballistae to come down first, then hang the ballistae above their heads and let them drag them over …"
"Yes, Sir." The guard turned around and ran into the sea.
A series of horns sounded, and thousands of people rushed out from the distant Nubit Port, flocking towards the beach where they disembarked.
"Form up, get into formation."
The family soldiers that were scattered on the beach gathered into square formations of a hundred people, forming a straight line on the beach. The heavily armored soldiers who had waded out of the sea were dripping with water as they merged into the square formations. In the blink of an eye, more than ten neat rectangular formations were already lined up behind Laurist.
The people who had charged out of Nubit Port were already more than two hundred meters away. They didn't expect Laurist to get into formation so quickly. They originally wanted to catch the enemies off guard and chase them back into the sea, but when they ran in front of the enemies, they realized that the enemies were already waiting for them. Now, the people at the front began to hesitate. Although they were still approaching, they slowed down.
It seemed that these people who were rushing over were the temporarily organized slave hunters. Their armor was disheveled, and they had all sorts of weapons in their hands. Laurist glanced at the enemies in front of him, and then his gaze froze.
Among the enemies, there were close to a hundred people wearing the same standard armor as the Norton Family. It was obvious that they had been to Cirvas Island before. The armor they wore was taken from the soldiers of the 3rd Imperial Guard Battalion who had been captured or killed in battle.
"My soldiers, do you see that? The enemies are wearing the equipment of our comrades. Now, what should we do? "Laurist's clear voice sounded in the ears of every Norton Family soldier.
The square formation behind him was in an uproar, but soon, thousands of voices converged into one sentence. "Kill! Kill them all! "
Laurist pulled out his longsword and pointed at the enemy formation in front of him. "Then kill them all and avenge our comrades! Kill … "
Taking the lead, Laurist charged towards the enemy formation in front of him. They were less than two hundred meters away in the blink of an eye. Laurist roared and pounced into the forest of swords and spears. The longsword swept past, and heads flew into the air. Blood splattered everywhere, and the enemy formation fell into chaos. Swish!
Corpses fell to the ground one after another, and screams rang out incessantly. Laurist leisurely walked through the surging crowd of enemies. Not a single one of them could withstand a single blow from his sword. Behind him was a path of blood. As long as he found an enemy wearing the family's armor, he would chase after them relentlessly, determined to cut them down with his sword.
A sword light that flowed like water suddenly appeared in front of him. Laurist blocked it with his sword and was overjoyed. "A Great Swordsman?"
The sword in his hand stirred up wind and thunder, and he attacked the old man with the goatee continuously. There were many Great Swordsmen in the Haneabada Kingdom. They were all greedy for the high price of the slave masters, and they served as the slaves' fangs and bodyguards. If he could kill one, he would do his best. The more he killed, the safer his family's army would be.
Clang clang clang clang …
The sound of swords clashing could be heard.
"Ugh …" The old man with the goatee rolled his eyes. A crack appeared in his throat, and blood spurted out …
"Damn, can someone of this level be considered a Great Swordsman?" Laurist ridiculed disdainfully, feeling like he had not had enough yet. This old man with the goatee was probably the weakest Great Swordsman he had ever met. He was finished after taking only twelve blows from Laurist.
Two shouts sounded in his ear. Laurist looked up and saw a dark and fat man and a gloomy-looking old man charging at him with their swords drawn.
"Another two Great Swordsmen. Haha, good." Laurist was not surprised, but rather happy as he went up to meet them.
The dark and fat man's sword was heavy and powerful, and he slashed horizontally and vertically. He walked the path of ferocity. The gloomy-looking old man, on the other hand, was an expert at sneak attacks. He hid behind the dark and fat man and launched a surprise attack. The two of them had great teamwork.
However, Laurist quickly adapted to their teamwork. Instead, the two of them stumbled left and right, finding it harder and harder to defend. The dark and fat man already had two more wounds on his body, and his movements became slower and slower.
"Ah!" The dark and fat man screamed. Another wound had been opened on his body by Laurist, and it was so deep that his bones could be seen. He could not help but scream in pain.
The gloomy-looking old man behind him saw that the situation was not good. He suddenly curled up and kicked the dark and fat man's back, sending him flying towards Laurist. The old man turned and tried to escape. Laurist's feet moved, and he appeared behind the dark and fat man. His sword pierced into the gloomy-looking old man's back.
The dark and fat man turned and laughed bitterly. "That old dog wanted to abandon me and escape, using me as a scapegoat. You didn't expect to die first, right? Haha, do it … "
Laurist frowned. "You're all Great Swordsmen? Why are you so weak? "
The dark and fat man laughed strangely. "It's enough to become a Great Swordmaster in this life. Why don't you enjoy your life? I have to play with ten or so women here every day. Where would I find the time to practice my sword? That old dog likes to play with young girls, licking and teasing them to the point of being a pervert. And that … "
The dark and fat man pointed at the first Great Swordmaster that Laurist had killed. "He likes good food, and he likes men …"
Laurist understood now. The Great Swordsmen who were willing to accept the slave masters' offer were actually people who no longer pursued cultivation. They were not as powerful as Laurist had imagined. They were different from the Great Swordmaster Kelud of Dawn Academy or the Great Swordmaster Christopher of the Fisablen Clan. These Great Swordsmen wanted to enjoy life, and not continue to cultivate arduously in order to advance to the next level.
"How many of you came?" Laurist asked.
"Four." The dark and fat man knew what Laurist was asking about.
"Remember not to take the wrong path in your next life." Laurist walked past, and the dark and fat man's head fell to the ground.
Where was the other Great Swordmaster? Laurist looked around, and there was no one around him. The three Great Swordsmen's corpses were placed beside him, and no one dared to approach.
Although the battle on the beach was still in a stalemate, the Norton Family's armed forces had clearly gained the upper hand. Even though there were a few Gold-tier Swordsmen among the enemies, they were not able to do much against the well-coordinated formation of the Heavy Armor Division. Most of the corpses on the beach were members of the slave hunters from Nubit Port.
In the distance, there was a flash of sword light. It was the old man Ingelek fighting with an old man in black scale armor. It seemed like Ingelek was at a disadvantage.
Laurist rushed over, and along the way, he took the heads of two Gold-tier Swordsmen.
"You're too weak, Ingelek. I've already killed three Great Swordsmen, and you haven't even taken a single one. You're even being beaten back. It seems like I'll have to train you in the future, lest you embarrass the Norton Family. "
Ingelek was furious. "Sir, can't you see that he's a level two Great Swordmaster?"
"Oh, no wonder you can't take it. Back off, let me do it." Laurist raised his sword and rushed forward.
The old man in black scale armor was already nervous when he heard that Laurist had killed three Great Swordsmen. When he saw Laurist rushing forward, he pulled out his sword and ran. Just as Laurist was about to chase after him, he heard a shout, "Fire!"
The sound of a bowstring rang out, and the fleeing old man in black scale armor let out a blood-curdling scream. He fell to the ground like a rabbit that had been shot by an arrow. There were two iron crossbow bolts on his back, and the ground around him was densely packed with more than a dozen bolts …
It turned out that the soldiers of the Single-Wheeled Steel Ballistae had formed a battle formation on the beach. The first person they aimed at was the old man who was fighting with Yinge Lek. Since the two of them were entangled, they couldn't shoot. Now that the old man had opened up a gap, the 20 or so Single-Wheeled Steel Ballistae weren't polite.
When the four Great Swordsmen who had come with them died, the slave hunters lost their morale. They abandoned their weapons and fled towards Nubit Harbor. However, no matter how fast they ran, they could not outrun the attacks of the ballistae. One by one, they were shot to the ground.
"Sound the horn and gather the battle formation. We'll attack the harbor," Laurist ordered.
…
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