Volume 3 Chapter 32 Interlude： And the Phantom Sartzstadt
*Third-person perspective.*
<hr>
Out at sea, northwest of Sartzstadt, a fleet of 17 warships was on a course southward.
There was no mistaking it──the vessels belonged to the Goldmont Kingdom, invading the Beistein Kingdom.
Each of these state-of-the-art ships measured between 20 and 30 meters, a clear sign that they meant business.
However, the face of the officer standing on the deck of the central, notably larger ship was twisted in frustration.
The vanguard, which was supposed to have secured Sartzstadt, had yet to return from the north.
Indeed, they had no doubts that the Vanguard Squad had taken Sartzstadt.
They could only think that the delay in their return was due to the laziness of the Vanguard Squad.
"Honestly, they're probably too busy looting Sartzstadt to do their job properly. I need them to get their act together... Have we still not entered the range of their communication magic?!"
The officer called over the communication magic troop, venting his irritation on them.
Considering their current location, they should have been nearing Sartzstadt by now, yet the magical signaling devices showed no sign of life.
"And to top it all off, this fog... It thickens the closer we get to the town. We must tread carefully to avoid a collision... Hey, is there any news yet?!"
"Sir! It appears we have still not entered the communication range of the Vanguard Squad!"
"Ugh... What does this mean...? Based on our course, we should have already passed the town. Are we being tricked by some sea monster...?"
The fog enveloping them was thick, but it wasn't as though visibility was completely lost.
The officers had received reports that the coastline was visible from the ships on the eastern side.
Yet, they still couldn't find Sartzstadt.
It was as if the very town of Sartzstadt were hidden away, and gradually, an unsettling feeling began to creep over them, mingling with the eerie mist.
Just then, from the left front of the fleet, in the southeastern direction, a powerful crash echoed through the air, followed by a chorus of screams.
"What in the world is happening?! Relay the situation at once! Cut off the supply of Magic Power and slow the ship's speed! Pass that order to all departments!"
"Yes, sir!"
The deck erupted into chaos as the sailors rushed to their respective duties.
They were relying on magic stones for propulsion, and it was only logical that cutting off the Magic Power supply would cause the ship to halt.
However, amidst the turmoil, control among the disarrayed fleet was impossible, and before they realized it, their formation had descended into utter chaos.
"We've received word from the 4th ship on the eastern side! It seems they've run aground on a reef! Many have fallen from the ship due to the impact!"
Upon hearing this report from the relayer, the officer momentarily wore a dazed expression, frozen in shock.
But he quickly regained his composure, his clenched fists trembling as he began to grind his teeth.
"A reef...? That shouldn't be anywhere in the waters north of Sartzstadt!"
Just as the officer stated, there were no reefs in the waters north of Sartzstadt.
Even if there were, such an incident would never occur unless they were dangerously close to the shore.
However, if they were approaching the land, that was another story.
* * *
"It seems 3 ships on the eastern side have run aground. Quite the performance."
"Indeed... ow!"
"Watch out! Wait a sec! Be careful, okay?!"
Peering over the cliff with a satisfied grin was Duke Gottfried von Hoffman of the Beistein Kingdom.
Ryuji echoed his words, teetering precariously on the edge of the cliff, only to be caught just in time by Minori's anxious support.
"Sorry, sorry, looks like I've overused the <Magic Stone of Auerele> and run out of Magic Power. Suzu, hand me a Magic Power Healing Potion."
"Mm. I thought you might need it, so I've got one ready."
Ryuji's youngest sister, quicker than he could ask, already held out a bottle of the Magic Power Healing Potion.
His Magic Power was running on fumes after conjuring the massive illusion with the <Magic Stone of Auerele>.
The illusion had led the fleet to lose sight of Sartzstadt, and they had unwittingly run aground on what they thought was a shallow shore, not realizing it was a reef.
It wasn't a sea monster they faced, but a trick of Ryuji's making.
"Ah, Ryuji. Once they start shooting arrows, you can dispel the illusion. They won't want to die without understanding what's happening."
"Understood."
After confirming Ryuji's nod, Gottfried turned back to face his troops.
They were all readying their bows with fire arrows.
"Listen up! They have scorned the friendship tied to Her Highness the Princess and attacked us on a whim! But we will not go down without a fight! Now is the time to show our nation's strength and give them the due punishment they deserve!"
Energized by Gottfried's encouragement, the soldiers' morale soared, and their eyes burned with the fire of the arrows they held.
Gottfried checked that the soldiers were sufficiently rallied.
He drew his own sword and raised it towards the ship.
"Launch!"
Twenty minutes later, the majority of the fleet had been engulfed in flames and sunk by the volley of flaming arrows that were continuously launched from the clifftop.
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