Munitions Empire

Chapter 263: 259 two fleets

The sea breeze swept through the harbor basking in the morning sun, and a dense crowd was seeing off their country's military personnel.

Seagulls circled around the warship's masts, startled by the solemn military music, frantically flapping their wings.

Standing on the dock, clad in a brown military uniform, with a long commander's sabre slung at his waist, the general looked on with satisfaction as the soldiers boarded the ship.

These soldiers, carrying Shireck Flintlock Guns on their shoulders, were all brimming with energy. They boarded the warships in an orderly fashion, and the sounds of commands echoed through the port incessantly.

Sailors carried the last remaining supplies onto the ship, some leading goats, others carrying wooden barrels.

Large baskets were filled with vegetables and fruits, and some dried meats could be seen... On every warship setting sail, sailors would stuff their pockets full.

No one knew how long they would stay at sea, so figuring out a way to bring some extra food was one of the little tricks to keep themselves alive.

The kingdom's flag, slightly bigger than a bedsheet and sewn with a steering wheel pattern, fluttered in the sea breeze, and as their husbands or children boarded the warships, the crowd on the docks let out bursts of cheers.

This was a port of the Taren Kingdom, a massive military harbor, much larger than that of Osa.

Maritime civilizations, or seafaring civilizations, are accustomed to such scenes; every family has someone involved in maritime work. Therefore, everyone maintains a reverent attitude toward the sea, and each large-scale voyage causes the public's excitement to surge.

Everyone prayed for the safe return of their family members, yearning for the bounty of the sea and for the men who ventured out to bring back more spoils of war.

Thus, every departure to sea, especially when the navy fleet mobilizes on a large scale, draws many to see them off, and this send-off is more like a ritual.

Eventually, as all the cheers merged into one, an officer approached the leading general, nodded slightly, and then reported, "My Lord, the fleet is ready! We can depart at any time."

Hearing this, the general in the brown, splendid military uniform nodded, turning to look at another man standing on his other side, not in military attire.

Several seconds later, the leading general finally spoke slowly, "I hope the Shireck Consortium will ensure the promises you made to me will be kept!"

"Our word is our bond! This is well known! Hotwind Port, including the entire western region of Dorne, belongs to the Taren Kingdom!" the man assured immediately, "The whole southern part of the Endless Sea, every passage, every trade route!"

"Very well! Order the fleet to set sail!" The leading general of the Taren Kingdom nodded and strode forward.

"Weigh anchor!" The aide following closely behind immediately shouted the command, and under his command, one warship after another began to haul up their anchor chains.

"Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails!" In the distance, the captains on the warships anchored further out, seeing the flag signals from the boats in the port, issued their orders one after another.

Such mythical news was generally not true, and since the Poplar Kingdom and the Taren Kingdom were at opposite ends, one in the south and the other in the north, and indeed far apart, the news that reached the Taren Kingdom was inevitably distorted...

As for the telegraph machine, Higgs was still replicating it, so it had not yet become widespread. Therefore, the head of Higgs in the Taren Kingdom had not received definite news about what was happening in the Poplar Kingdom.

The military warships of the secretive Great Tang Group were more so enveloped in mists of rumor, leading people to more readily believe they were a legend rather than reality...

"There's no other explanation. If they didn't go to this place called Dragon Island, and it's improbable that they encountered a storm that annihilated them all, then where are Housen's people?" General Valen scoffed, "And this Dragon Island, its sudden rise to fame is closely aligned with the time Housen and their team departed!"

Hearing his general lay out the argument, the deputy immediately nodded and affirmed, "That's possible... or rather, highly likely."

General Valen's face carried a cold, cruel smile as he snorted and said, "Hmph! That's perfect, then. We can settle new and old grievances in one go, taking their Hotwind Port and then turning around to seize Dragon Island. We'll be collecting their interest."

His plan was simple: 70 warships, even enough to completely destroy Hotwind Port. After attacking Hotwind Port, he could get resupplies there, then quickly head north to attack Dragon Island and Brunas.

The Taren Kingdom's massive fleet could entirely blockade Brunas and Dragon Island, making the Great Tang Group pay the price.

By then, he would be able to secure hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Gold Coins as compensation for the Taren Kingdom... Even whether Housen actually had any involvement with Dragon Island would become irrelevant.

After thinking it over, the deputy nonetheless reminded General Valen, "Lord, even Shireck was unable to deal with the Great Tang Group. One must not underestimate them."

"What a joke! That's on land! At sea, our Taren Kingdom... has never feared anyone," General Valen burst out laughing. His smile was cruel, filled with a thick scent of blood.

The deputy knew that at this point, any reminder was futile, so he once again offered sycophantic praise, "What Lord says is true! Our Taren Kingdom's navy fears no one!"

General Valen patted his deputy on the shoulder as if an aristocratic title was already within easy reach, "When I return, His Majesty the King himself will personally confer upon me the title of Marquis! And then, you will be known as Lord Earl, hahaha!"

"Hehehe! Then I must thank Lord Marquis for your patronage!" The deputy immediately snickered sycophantically, rubbing his hands together in flattery.

Hearing his deputy's flattery, General Valen was momentarily taken aback before his smile grew even broader, "Uh... hahaha!"

Amidst their laughter, the vast fleet slowly progressed on the ocean. The fleet alone boasted more than 2000 ship cannons, which was an indication of how much money and provisions it must have taken to assemble such a naval force.

What Valen and his men didn't know was that as they headed north along their course, a small fleet with only 4 warships had just arrived at Hotwind Port.

Before their arrival, dozens of transport and armed merchant ships had already reached this place, bringing various war readiness supplies.

This fleet was to refuel in Hotwind Port, load high-quality coal, and allow the sailors to rest for a few days before setting off for the Taren Kingdom...

Then, they would bring disaster to this island nation, a profound and complete disaster...