Volume 3 Chapter 28 Interlude： The Phantom Great Storm
※This is in third-person perspective.
<hr>
In the sea a short distance from Sartzstadt Port.
A middle-aged officer stepped into the cabin of the medium-sized military vessel waiting there, prompting the young communications magic soldier, who had been working, to hurriedly stand up and salute.
"Good. How did it go?"
"Sir! The landing was successful as planned!"
"Hmph, not bad."
The officer's face lit up with satisfaction at the good news.
The Goldmont Kingdom's transport ship had been disguised as a cargo vessel from the start, with the intention of carrying soldiers.
"Then we must hasten our own landing. Inform the <Delphin> and the <Orca> as well."
"Sir! Understood!"
The <Delphin> and <Orca> were smaller military vessels, running alongside this medium-sized one, the <Vaal>.
They were part of the plan to land at the port one after another, following the <Seeschlange>'s surprise attack on Sartzstadt.
To avoid being spotted by the regular ships traveling from Sartzstadt to Goldmont's capital city, Growthmont, for trade, they had taken a deliberately roundabout route to get here.
It had been a considerable journey, so the officer was relieved to finally set foot on land.
"Let's get ready for combat. Although, I've heard Sartzstadt Port is thinly defended, so I don't expect any fierce fighting──but what's wrong?"
The officer, casually piecing together the details for the occupation of Sartzstadt in his mind, noticed the magic soldier's expression shift to one of puzzlement as he touched the communication artifact.
He called out softly.
"Huh? While I was trying to get in touch with Delphin and Orca, the response from Seeschlange has vanished."
"A response from Sartzstadt? Have they set up a magical barrier or something?"
"No, the communication link is still intact, so it seems there's no magic soldier available."
"Hmm..."
The officer thought it improbable that the magic soldiers would leave their posts in this situation.
"Does that mean something has happened to the troops?"
"We are the elite assault squad of our army, so it's hard to believe that──"
The officer silenced the magic soldier with a sharp glance, knowing full well that a mere private shouldn't be voicing opinions, but feeling this soldier's mindset lacked the necessary maturity.
"Always prepare for the worst on the battlefield. Make sure to convey this to the landing troops. If the situation changes, report back immediately."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Despite his trembling arm, the magic soldier raised it to salute the officer's back.
* * *
However, at the port of Sartzstadt, events were unfolding that far exceeded their worst expectations.
"...What in the world is going on here...?"
When the officer first heard the situation from a reconnaissance soldier using the distant-viewing magic called Telescop, he thought it was a cruel joke.
But as Sartzstadt port drew nearer, it became clear that this unpleasant jest was a grim reality, and he found himself grinding his teeth in frustration.
The soldiers who were supposed to have landed at the port were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a giant man stood on the pier, and behind him, though few in number, were figures that looked like soldiers from the enemy side.
That wouldn't have been a nightmare for them yet, but the vital surprise attack launched by <Seeschlange> ── it was capsizing!
"What?! What happened?! A warship capsizing, even a storm wouldn't cause this!"
The officer banged on the edge of the ship and shouted.
Unfortunately, today was a calm day with not even a ripple on the water.
Even if it was an Advanced Spell, an existence powerful enough to summon a storm like that would have to be a god.
"...I don't know what kind of magic they used, but if we fire arrows from 3 ships simultaneously, even they'll have trouble dealing with it. Tell <Delphin> and <Orca> to prepare their bows!"
"Whoa!"
Just as the officer gave the order.
A dwarf approached the giant man standing on the pier and handed him something long and tube-like.
It was an object the Goldmont soldiers had never seen before.
There was a protrusion on one end of the tube, making it unclear what it was for.
But they thought, "That's a weapon."
The giant man walking towards the sea from the pier seemed to confirm their suspicions.
The giant man stopped at the end of the pier, made a gesture as if casting some kind of magic, and then pointed the end of the tube towards the deck of the <Vaal>.
"Lieutenant! I recommend retreating!"
"Huh? What are you──"
The officer turned back, looking annoyed at the soldier's suggestion.
Right after that, the officer's head was blown off in an instant.
The soldiers stood in a daze, staring at the headless body that was slowly collapsing onto the deck, when a delayed explosion finally reached their ears, and the deck fell into utter chaos.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)